And the wheels fall off...

...for the US MNT.

First off, every good blogger admits when they're wrong...and in June 30th's preview of the Gold Cup, well, I was wrong. "how far can the US advance? Will we see another US/Mexico final? Well, not likely." Just to be fair, though, SoccerJunkie never picked the US to win this tournament...of course, I never picked Mexico either.

Sunday's 5-0 drubbing at the hands of Mexico unveiled every weakness within the US roster. The lack of experience was glaring, as the US started pushing forward at fever pace immediately after Mexico put in the penalty to take the lead early in the second half---if it weren't for Troy Perkins making 3 nearly impossible saves, the US would've allowed 6 goals in that 13-minute span instead of 3. The US needed regroup, stay patient, understand that they still had more than a half-hour (Torrado's penalty came in the 57th min.) to claw back into the match, and remain confident that their play to that point was strong enough to allow them to do so---while they gave up plenty of opportunities, they also earned a few of their own.

Should Bob Bradley have called in some of the extra 7 players at his disposal for the final? Certainly not. There are a lot of arguments out there that he should have, and considering the score, you can understand why...but this is about the bigger picture. First off, World Cup qualifying is back on in just 2 weeks time---and the US has a crucial game at the Azteca in Mexico City on Aug. 12th. These players need to be healthy and available---something club teams may be reluctant to agree to if you're taking them away from their club teams during the preseason (which is a far more vital stage than most people realize---this is the time where the mold for the team (the style of play, the formations, set plays, etc) is formed). Add on top of that the fact that the 7 extra players all participated in the Confederations Cup in South Africa in June, and you're risking having some of your key A-teamers burn out at the most crucial time of all---the World Cup. These players would have competed in World Cup qualifying last summer, played with their clubs (mostly in Europe) from August through mid-May (some, such as Tim Howard (who finished up with Everton at the FA Cup final on May 30th), even later if they advance in various competitions), gone to the Confederations Cup in South Africa for all of June, spent July zig-zagging the US for the Gold Cup, only to return to their club teams through May, then off to the World Cup in South Africa in June. Yes, these are pro athletes...yes, they're built and take care of themselves like finely-tuned performance machines...but they're human. The mental and physical rigors of the sport take their toll in just one year---it's why there is an offseason (and why they refer to it in Europe as a "holiday"). The World Cup is far, far, far, FAR, FAR, FAR more important than the Gold Cup---especially in a year where the winner doesn't qualify for the Confederations Cup---and Bob Bradley simply emphasised that point. And all this doesn't even mention the fact that these B- and C-teamers got you all the way to the final (a game they really had to earn in this tournament), and it would kill their growing confidence to say "Thanks for getting us here, but you're not good enough to win it, so I'm going to call in people that are."

All of this said, the US really showed some guts in this tournament. As a group that has rarely trained or played together, this young squad came together, played some gritty, hard-nosed soccer, and earned themselves a lot of respect. Advancing out of the group stage came as no surprise, but fighting for a come-from-behind win (a game in which they showed patience after giving up the goal) in the quarters, and fighting out a win in the semis showed the great depth this country possesses.

At this point, I'd normally say that the wheels have also fallen off for the New York Red Bulls...but the wheels fell off long ago. New York is nothing more than an embarassment at this point. Not to beat a dead...Bull...but the Red Bulls have a regular season record of 11-26-14 during Osorio's tenure, including a 1-19-7 record on the road. There isn't another sport in all the world where a coach would hold his job with this kind of a record.

WPS is drawing to a close, and the schedule is finally starting to balance itself out (something for the league to work on for next year?). Washington currently sits in a tie with Sky Blue for the 4th and final playoff spot, though Washington has a game-in-hand (3 left vs. 2 for Sky Blue). That doesn't mean much though, as only 4 points separate 2nd-place St. Louis and 5th-place (based on games played) Sky Blue...and the remaining schedule for those 4 teams sets up a fevered finish: St. Louis has the easiest schedule, facing 3rd-place Boston before finishing the season against the bottom 2 teams (Chicago and FC Gold Pride)...Boston faces Washington and St. Louis before closing against LA (who has clinched a spot in the inaugural WPS Championship)...Washington faces Boston and FC Gold Pride, and Sky Blue face FC Gold Pride, before the final Saturday features what could be a playoff-deciding match between Washington and Sky Blue at the Maryland SoccerPlex. Hold onto your pants folks, this could be a wild ride.

Some (mostly) international news:

--The global economic slowdown may have found another victim...and opened people's eyes to a large problem in the sport. Argentina is set to delay the start of the Apertura (originally scheduled to begin Aug. 14th) because of the large debts held by clubs. The reason clubs are facing these larger debts? Players aren't deferring any payments on their large contracts as they did in the past. It used to be that players were assests of the club, and many would defer payment as a means of building a retirement fund (remember, most professions don't retire in their mid-30's). However, as more players are "owned" by their agents (some of whom take a 30+% stake in each client), the players are requesting a larger percentage of their contract in each payment in order to pay their agents and still have money left over to live on.

--Tottenham's Darren Bent, now considered surplus on White Hart Lane after the arrival of Peter Crouch, was hauled off the team plane yesterday after Spurs agreed a fee with Sunderland for the English striker. Bent had already taken his seat before having to deplane his luggage on the tarmac...only to find out that Tottenham now has a decision to make, as Hull and Aston Villa have both pledged to match the 14 million Pound valuation that the Black Cats were set to pay. And the waiting game begins...

--In a related story, the Odd Couple are back, now that Peter Crouch has put pen to paper with Spurs. Just seeing 5'7" Jermaine Defoe along side lanky 6'7" Crouch as the Tottenham strike pairing (they played side-by-side last year at Portsmouth) is just a sight you rarely see in pro sports...

picture courtesy of daylife.com

--Tomorrow's MLS All-Star Game (against Tim Howard and EPL side Everton in Sandy, Utah) will feature a 39-year-old MLS rookie. Of course, it's hard to consider an American legend, who has had one of the most stories careers in US Soccer history, a "rookie" at all...but that is a distinction Kasey Keller does carry. While hardly showing his age (2nd in the league with a 0.80 GAA, to go with his 6 shutouts for Seattle), this game will be a passing-of-the-torch of sorts, as Keller will see Howard in the opposite goal---one US legend passing the torch to the man who's following him in the US nets.

SoccerJunkie returns from Vegas...just in time for Gold Cup, WPS

SoccerJunkie returned from Vegas just in time to attend Saturday's Gold Cup quarterfinal doubleheader at the Linc in Philly!

The US is through to the semifinals after Saturday night's 2-1 ET win over Panama, now set for a Thursday night match-up with Honduras in Chicago---the second time these same two teams will meet in the same city in the last month-and-a-half. If the last meeting was any indication, the US could be in for another tough match, this time with a B team (at best, maybe a C team) in a stadium where the A team needed to come from behind to beat Honduras 2-1 in June 6th's World Cup qualifier.

Getting through to the semis was no easy task, as the US once again came from behind to win. The Panamanian goal took advantage of a forced substitution for the US---with Clarence Goodson coming on for the concussed Jimmy Conrad at the free kick that was lofted into the box (catching Goodson and Stuart Holden flatfooted) before being knocked home. To each players credit, neither Goodson nor Holden had any obvious mistakes throughout the rest of the game, with Holden creating opportunity after opportunity---though the US struggled to test Panamanian 'keeper Jaime Penedo with any serious shots. Goodson/Conrad, joined in the center by Chad Marshall, along with outside backs Jay Heaps and Heath Pearce (and 'keeper Troy Perkins) did a terrific job snuffing out the few chances the Panamanians were able to create past holding midfielders Kyle Beckerman (a very deserving Man of the Match) and Logan Pause. Beckerman's take on the first US goal was a thing of beauty, finishing off a terrific buildup from a US offense that most featured a typical Brian Ching workhorse effort, holding up and possessing the ball with expertise, precise passing...though the final shot seemed lacking most of the night.


Kenny Cooper's insertion into the game provided a eye into another Panamanian weakness---the inability to handle multiple players who have the size, speed, and possession abilities of the American strikers. Prior to Cooper's arrival, the Panamanian's struggled with Ching, but Davy Arnaud faded out of the match, allowing a stronger defensive prescense on the Houston targetman. Cooper threw the defensive organization Panama was attempting into a tailspin, eventually leading to a boot in the gut as Panamanian defenders struggled to contain the tall Texan. A clinical finish on the ensuing PK, which Cooper had to place perfectly off the post after Penedo guessed correctly to cut out most of the left side of the net, gave the US the semifinal berth.






Unseen by many on TV, though, was a complete meltdown by players and coaches from the Panamanian team after the final whistle. As the officials made their way off the field---through a different tunnel in a different corner of the field than the players for both teams---Panamanian players surrounded the referee, evidently complaining about the penalty kick. The referee, Mexico's Benito Archundia---one of the most respected referees in the world, who officiated a semifinal match at the '06 World Cup---showed one of the Panamanian's a yellow card (the player's 2nd of the match) for dissent, and a subsequent red card. As he's holding the red card up, another player grabs his wrist, resulting in an appropriate straight red card. At this point, another player knocks the game ball out of the referees hands and picks it up...when he does, the 4th official extends his hands, asking for the game ball, but the player refuses to turn it over. Tournament and site officials surround the officials, ushering them to the safety of the tunnel, when the game ball is flung at the officials.

This behavior, along with actions seen in other games this tournament (such as the Mexico coach kicking a Panamanian player, who was on the field, in the groin) should hopefully lead to strong sanctions from CONCACAF against the players involved in this clear, excessive abuse of match officials. CONCACAF has shown through a 3-game suspension for Mexican coach Javier Aguerre that it's willing to take a stand...though in Aguerre's case, the stand may have been a little soft (how a coach can be allowed on the sideline again in the tournament after his actions is questionable). While Panama has a long time before their next CONCACAF event (they've already been eliminated from World Cup qualifying), any players involved in this post-match fracas shouldn't see the field for multiple games.




After a late night in Philly, SoccerJunkie managed to take in the WPS match between Sky Blue FC and Chicago, despite its earlier-than-usual start time for a Sunday. With both teams battling for a playoff spot (starting the game outside looking in), and with lineups made up of players looking to prove themselves (with regulars away with the US, Canadian, and English national teams), fans should've been hoping for an open game with plenty of scoring opportunities, and strong tackles on the defensive side of the ball. While the fans got the strong tackles, quality opportunities seemed to be lacking---except for US international Natasha Kai, who could've easily scored a hat-trick, but squandered opportunities (missing the net on a couple occasions, and being denied by strong saves from Chicago 'keeper Caroline Jonnson on 2 other chances). Both teams were strong in the midfield, with Sky Blue looking to play direct for almost every position, while Chicago looked to develop almost every attack through Frida Oostberg and Brittany Klein...but neither team could could piece together the opportunities in the final 1/3. The result was headed for a 0-0 tie until Kerry Hanks scored her first in a Sky Blue (though they wore orange) jersey early in 2nd half stoppage time to steal the crucial 3 points for the Jersey outfit.




Other news:

--Michael Owen has scored in each of his first two games for Manchester United. Could a career revival be on the horizon?? Owen is still young enough and talented enough to make a big impact at Old Trafford...but his body will have to hold up, which it has proven it can not do.

--David Beckham confronted boo-birds in LA during last night's exhibition against his former (and soon to be current) team, AC Milan. Did the man seriously expect that "I want to play in Italy because the MLS isn't good enough to keep me on the England national team" (not his words, just a synopsis of all his comments) would lead to a standing ovation? We were happy to see you come, Becks...but you can't leave soon enough.

--John Terry is apparently undecided about his future, mulling an offer to join Manchester City. If he does leave, the England captain---who plays for a team that challenges for the Premiership and Champions League titles every year...one of the most passionately supported (and hated) teams in the world---says it wouldn't be about money. City is only offering him a 200,000 pound/week contract...ONLY 200,000 pounds/week... Is it the wonderful Manchester rain?

--Cristiano Ronaldo spent years tearing apart the Blackburn Rovers...but was held in check yesterday in his Real Madrid debut... ...by the Shamrock Rovers. Don't worry, nobody else outside of Ireland has heard of them either. Karim Benzema played the hero in Madrid's 1-0 win. 80 million pounds for Ronaldo...more than 200 million pounds this summer on new talent...looking well worth it.

--The Red Bulls have lost yet another match, this time at home. David Beckham was quiet in his return to LA, but the Galaxy exploded for 3 goals in the first half, en route to a 3-1 win. The game at Giants Stadium drew a little over 23,000 fans...a fantastic number consider the spiral the team is in. Of course, Seattle Sounders FC has drawn 22,000 fans into season ticket memberships...30,000+ for games. If Juan Carlos Osorio is doing a good enough job to hold job in New York...just imagine what he could do with Seattle...

4th of July (okay, 5th of July) on the road...

SoccerJunkie brings you this post courtesy of my Blackberry, so all typos are to be blamed on the fact that SoccerJunkie has huge thumbs and they keys on this thing are pretty small... that disclaimer aside...

Happy 4th of July everyone! and Happy 233rd Birthday America---you don't look a day over 200!

The holiday weekend brought plenty of action, led by the US lining up against Grenada in only the 2nd game the Yanks have played on this national holiday (the other was a 1-0 loss to Brazil at the '94 World Cup)...and the result of this one was far more favorable, as our boys eased out a 4-0 win over the 88th-ranked Spice Boys in their Gold Cup opener. While a win over an island nation of 90,000 isn't cause for a huge celebration, there's nothing but positives to take out of this game: a team of young players showed a lot of maturity, Steve Cherundolo had a solid game in his return from hip surgery, and the US showed it doesnt have to rely on a few select players to score. Charlie Davies, who only continued to tighten his grip on a 2010 World Cup roster spot, scored the 4th goal for the US, the 3rd of his career---the most career goals of any of the 4 goalscorers last night. Freddy Adu added the 2nd of his career, Robbie Rogers scored the 1st of his career (and assisted on 2 others) in only his 2nd cap...only to be outdone by Stuart Holden, who marked his debut with the senior team with an intelligent header for the 2nd US goal. The Yanks controlled the play, Kyle Beckerman and Logan Pause snuffed out attacks in the midfield, and the US moved the ball well in the offensive-third, outshooting Grenada 25-3. All-in-all, this should prove to be a good confidence booster ahead of the most crucial match of the group stage, which comes Wednesday night in the nation's capital against Honduras.

For the first time in a while, SoccerJunkie can give you a little insight into a couple of great WPS games this weekend---including the what was probably the best game of the weekend (played by any gender) in the country this weekend: LA at Washington tonight (at worst, it's a close 2nd to the El Salvador-Costa Rica game in LA Friday Night). It was a game that featured great technical skill, fantastic chances, and late-game heroics (as LA won 1-0 on a Marta goa in 2nd-half stoppage time). And don't let the fact that this was a game featuring women fool you---these ladies went hard into every single tackle (example A: LA's Christie Shaner going down with what we can only hope isn't a serious leg injury after a strong challenge on Abby Wambach early in the 2nd half---Shaner had to be stretchered directly to an ambulance, Marta's goal coming early in the resulting 9 (yes, NINE) mins of stoppage). The only disappointing thing was what appeared to be far from the best games from Canada's top 2 'keepers (LA's Karina LeBlanc and Washington's Erin McLeod)...but everytime the 'keepers were beat (with the exception of the goal), the defenses covered up, with both teams having efforts cleared--spectacularly on more than one occasion--off the line, as well as shots for both teams off the woodwork. Just a fantastic demonstration of the "Beautiful Game" by two very talented, determined teams...played in a fantastic atmosphere in front of 5,100+ at the beautiful Maryland Soccerplex (we need more fields like that in SoccerJunkie's home state of NJ). Well worth the 3+ hrs each way on the road (this entry comes to you from I-95 on the way back to Jersey).

The other WPS game SoccerJunkie caught live was an afternoon match-up between Sky Blue and the Boston Breakers at Rutgers' Yurcak Field. This one wasn't quite as good as tonight's game, with both teams struggling to possess at times, and missing (Sky Blue's Natasha Kai-shoulder) or losing (Boston's Heather Mitts, who left at halftime after picking up a gash in a head-to-head collision with Sky Blue's Kelly Parker). Heather O'Reilly picked up the only goal in Sky Blue's 1-0 win, curling a corner kick that barely crossed the line before Boston 'keeper Allison Lipsher-who horribly misplayed the ball-parried it out.

One quick observation from the two WPS games SoccerJunkie attended this weekend---the league has done a terrific job when it comes to providing a atmosphere that is great for both the fans and the growth of the league. Sky Blue's home field- Rutgers University's Yurcak Field- is a roughly 4,000-seat facility (though this weekend's crowd (under 2,000) was decidely quiet in comparison to some of the larger crowds the team has drawn) that seats all the fans in a larger single sideline stand. The staff (more specifically the interns) do a fantastic job keeping the crowd (made up largely of families that include younger female players, obviously the league's target audience) excited and into the game. Washington draws a larger, equally energetic crowd to their roughly 6,000-seat stadium at Maryland Soccerplex. While tickets are a little pricier at Washington ($19 can get you front row at Rutgers, while $20 only gets you into the upper section at Soccerplex), they do have a facility that seems almost tailor-made for this new incarnation of the league, which has a business model built on realistic attendance expectations (an average of 5,000 fans per game). If WPS teams shared stadiums with their MLS counterparts (which would come at a higher cost), the atmosphere would be lost---similar to going to a Red Bulls game at Giants Stadium, where 15,000 fans (if we're lucky) seem almost lost in the 80,000-seat bohemouth. Playing in front of 5,000 fans in a 25,000-seat stadium (or worse, in Sky Blue (80,000-seat Giants Stadium) and Washington's (50,000-seat RFK Stadium) case) would likely see the league head in the direction of the old WUSA. So here's 3 cheers to the execs at WPS!

Speaking of the Red Bulls, they also took the field Saturday night, with an away game at FC Dallas. The result? Yet another loss. Sure, Osorio's guys managed only their 2nd road goal of the year---Juan Pablo Angel finally scored a non-PK goal that wasn't a gift from the opposing teams defense (like Dallas' first goal, a gift from Red Bulls' Luke Sassano)---but even that was nearly saved. For weeks, the question has surrounded what it would take before management made the necessary change and let Osorio go. After this loss, the Red Bulls, at 2-13-4 (10 pts), have played more games than any team in the league, but have the fewest points of any team... The international transfer window opens on the 15th, an opportunity for a (new) coach to (re)shape the squad to his liking... So what will it take before Red Bull management looks to build excitement again? Red Bull Arena opens next year, but there needs to be excitement about your team, not just your ridiculously, awesomely incredible facility (which SoccerJunkie has seen from the inside, in-person, and can attest to its ridiculously, awesome incredibleness). It's time, Osorio HAS to go.