The 2009 Confederations Cup has come and gone, with plenty of surprises: the United States finished second, Egypt put up a fantastic showing despite not advancing, and host South Africa nearly pulled off a 3rd place finish (taking Spain to extra-time in the consolation match, this despite a run of poor results in the last year).
As for the US giving away a two-goal lead in the final, they just didn't show up (certainly to the degree that Brazil did) in the second half. The Brasilians were always a better team, they just waited 45 minutes to prove it.
Now that it's all over, there's certainly plenty to observe from the US squad. First off, it appears that there actually will be competition for spots in the 2010 World Cup squad, after a number of players improved their stock significantly. Steve Cherundolo will need to show that he's completely recovered from his hip injury during the Gold Cup, though even a strong showing might not be enough to cement his hold on the right back spot (a position that was his, never in doubt as recent as the World Cup qualifiers at the beginning of this month) following Jonathon Spector's meteoric rise and fantastic tournament in South Africa (another player who's battled injuries this year, but finally demonstrated the potential that's been seen in him for years). Charlie Davies might have had the biggest rise of any player on the team, going from unknown---even in the first 2 games of the tournament---to key contributor to the US side. His strike partner, Jozy Altidore, only continued to demonstrate why he's so highly regarded with an inspired run (having not played since being loaned to Xerez by Spanish side Villareal). In the midfield, Benny Feilhaber played more like the guy who scored the spectacular volley in the '07 Gold Cup final that got the US into this tournament (than the player who's had attitude problems and struggled to find a team (much less get playing time) in the last year and change). And Jay DeMerit did more than admirably stand-in for injured Carlos Bocanegra in the central defense---he held the spot, bumping the US captain to the left-back spot (also a tactical move to help protect Bocanegra's tender hamstring, which he injured in the qualifying win over Honduras on June 6th).
In addition, a number of the "stars" of the US squad stepped up, playing even above their expected role. Landon Donovan has always been expected to be a leader and major contributor to any US success, and played a huge role in the way that the US advanced. Only bigger than Donovan (offensively, at least), was Clint Dempsey. The further Dempsey played in an advanced role (similar to his position with England's Fulham), the more production he delivered (scoring a goal in each of the last 3 games). Prior to his red card, Michael Bradley continued to establish himself as the best central midfielder in the country, patrolling the center of the pitch, contributing both offensively and defensively. On the back line, center back Gooch Onyewu should have no problem finding a contract (his contract with Belgian club Standard Liege expires tomorrow, and he's said he wants to look elsewhere) after his performance, and it's no coincidence that the return of captain Carlos Bocanegra (albeit as a left back) coincided with the run of results that got the US into the final. In net, Tim Howard deservedly beat out the likes of Julio Caesar (Brazil), Iker Casillas (Spain), and Gigi Buffon (Italy) for the Goalkeeper of the Tournament award. Timmy came up with HUGE saves in nearly every game, stood on his head at times, and kept the US in position to finish as high as they did.
With all this said, does finishing 2nd at a significant international tournament like the Confederations Cup, beating the #1 team in the world in the process, mean that the US can crack the top 10 in the next FIFA rankings? Simple answer...no. Not a chance. Sure, the US did put together big-time games against Egypt, Spain, and in the final against Brazil...but they still finished the tournament (2-3-0) and the month (3-4-0) with a sub-.500 record. In fact, if it weren't for the poor performance of the other teams in the 11th-15th spots (US is currently 14th), there'd be a better chance that the US would drop out of the top 15 than jumping into the top 10. Spain will, more than likely, drop the top spot, and Brazil will also climb from their current 5th position), but it'd be shocking to see the US see much change to their overall rank (possibly climbing up a spot or two). When you break down the month of June, the US didn't fare very well overall: a comprehensive 3-1 loss to Costa Rica (#41), a struggling come-from-behind 2-1 home win over Honduras (#35), two more complete losses to Italy and Brazil (#4 and #5, respectively), then turning it up with solid wins of their own, over Egypt (#40) and Spain (#1), before the gritty, hard-fought loss to Brazil in the final.
---------
Bob Bradley's planning for the Gold Cup (CONCACAF's regional championship) had to begin before he ever left South Africa (the US released the roster before the Confederations Cup final), and tactical planning had to begin on the plane to Seattle, as the US opens play on Saturday (July 4th). Speaking of the Gold Cup roster:
Goalkeepers: Jon Busch (Chicag0), Troy Perkins (IK Start (Norway)), Luis Robles (Kaiserslautern (Germany))
Defenders: Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96 (Germany)), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City), Clarence Goodson (IK Start (Norway)), Jay Heaps (New England), Chad Marshall (Columbus), Michael Parkhurst (FC Nordsjaellands (Denmark)), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock (Germany))
Midfielders: Davy Arnaud (Kansas City), Kyle Beckerman (Salt Lake), Colin Clark (Colorado), Sam Cronin (Toronto), Brad Evans (Seattle), Stuart Holden (Houston), Logan Pause (Chicago), Robbie Rogers (Columbus)
Forwards: Freddy Adu (Monaco (France)), Brian Ching (Houston), Kenny Cooper (Dallas), Charlie Davies (Hammarby (Sweden)), Santino Quaranta (D.C.)
So with this roster, which is obviously a "B" squad, how far can the US advance? Will we see another US/Mexico final? Well, not likely. This US squad isn't all that "green behind the ears"---there is an experienced core of players in Steve Cherundolo, Jimmy Conrad, and Brian Ching. In addition, there are younger players who, though inexperienced at the international level, have been viewed as having the potential to really succeed, and why not let them get the start in this "smaller" tournament? These players include Michael Parkhurst, Sam Cronin, Brad Evans, Stuart Holden, Robbie Rogers, Freddy Adu, and Kenny Cooper. The US should advance out of the group stage (against Grenada, Haiti, and Honduras), and, if these fringe players step up, have the possibility of making a decent run out of this thing. Another Gold Cup trophy, though? Against the full teams of the likes of Mexico (which is gearing up to host the US in a crucial World Cup qualifier in August), Honduras, and Costa Rica, the US should consider a semifinal appearance a success in this one.
---------
New York Red Bulls have returned to training in preparation for Saturday's trip to Dallas. To kick off the week, the team signed former Colorado 'keeper Bouna Condoul. As SoccerJunkie mentioned in an earlier blog, there was no feasible way to keep all three goalkeepers (Condoul, Danny Cepero, and Jon Conway) on the team...so the Red Bulls "terminated" the contract of Jon Conway. Goalkeeping has been far from the team's biggest issue this season, so this move is certainly questionable. On the upside, we now know that the Red Bulls do in fact know how to "terminate" someone's contract...now maybe the team can terminate the contract of coach Juan Carlos Osorio, the next appropriate step for a team in a major slide. Simply put, New York is the worst team in Major League Soccer right now, and has been in the lower half (last year's playoff run, which New York backed into, aside) of the league since Osorio took over.
----------
Tomorrow is July 1st, which means dozens of contracts around the world expire at midnight tonight. In the MLS, and similarly-positioned leagues around the world, this means open season for transfers, as new faces can be brought in without the ever-growing (in some cases, astronomical) transfer fees due to the team that originally held the player's contract. Expect a rash of signings in the coming days, with Carlos Tevez (expected to sign with Manchester City) leading the way as soon as legally permissable.
---------
Samuel Eto'o has now said he'd like to negotiate a new deal to remain at Barcelona. If that doesn't come through, however, he has also said he wouldn't reject a move to Manchester City (which is looking to follow through on its promise to become a star-laden team...though whether they're a contender for anything is still up in the air). Reports are that Manchester City is willing to make Eto'o the highest paid player in professional football.
Speaking of high-paid players, Real Madrid unveiled Kaka in front of approx. 50,000 fans at the Bernabeu today.
Manchester United has swooped in, completing the signing of Antonio Valencia from Wigan (to replace Real Madrid's record signing, Cristiano Ronaldo, who completed a six-year deal over the weekend (jury's out on whether he'll honor all 6 years, or whether the sweet sounds of Milan (or somewhere else) will come calling first)).
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
And the fat lady has sung...
(Getty Images)
USA's 1-0 win over England back in the 50's? Or the win over Brasil in the Gold Cup final back in '98? The 3-2 win over Portugal or the 2-0 win over Mexico in the '06 World Cup? Or tonight's 2-0 win over Spain in the Confederations Cup semifinals? What marks the greatest win in the history of US Soccer (for the men, at least)? Before we answer that, let's take a quick look back at tonight's stunning upset...
So just how did the USA manage to win just their second game ever against a team ranked #1 in the world (the US had been 1-7-1, the tie coming last summer against Argentina)? First, a brilliant move by Bob Bradley to bring back Carlos Bocanegra, the team's captain, but play him as a left back instead of his customary central defense position. The move took pressure off of Bocanegra---less up-and-down pounding on his tender hamstring that has kept him out of every game since the Honduras win earlier this month---and allowed the Onyewu/DeMerit partnership continue to thrive. As a group, the back 4 (Spector/DeMerit/Onyewu/Bocanegra) kept a high line that (1) kept pressure on dangerous Spanish strike-duo Fernando Torres and David Villa, denying them time and space (both on and off the ball), and (2) forced Torres and Villa offsides (7 times). They then withstood Spain's pressure late, where the best team in the world threw everything (including the kitchen sink) at the Americans.
All the credit in the world has to be given to 'keeper Tim Howard, who made 8 saves---most of the of the "spectactular" variety. Equal credit needs to be given to Bocanegra, Gooch Onyewu (especially), DeMerit, and Ricardo Clark , who (bravely, at times) stood in and blocked numerous shots (Spain outshot the US 29-9, 8-2 on goal (both US shots on goal ended up in the back of the net)).
Both US goals came as the result of terrific, absolutely beautiful ball movement on the counterattack. On the first, an up-tempo exchange between Clint Dempsey, Charlie Davies, back to Dempsey, and finally setting up Jozy Altidore, covered nearly 70 yards before Altidore muscled off Villareal teammate Joan Capdevilla, then muscled the ball past Iker Casillas. On the second, substitute Benny Feilhaber did a great job to maintain possession, setting up Landon Donovan on the right for a cross...a poor play by Spain right back Sergio Ramos (losing his awareness of Dempsey's location) allowed Dempsey to toe-poke home the insurance goal.
A brilliantly coached game by Bob Bradley---Davies pairing with Altidore; Bocanegra, DeMerit, and Onyewu starting on the backline; the defensive scheme; the substitutions... everything went perfectly for the senior Bradley. Feilhaber came on for Davies (a great move with a 1-goal lead...take off a forward, but not losing the offensive mindset) and created the second goal...Casey came on for Altidore with fresh legs, and did a decent job holding up the ball late...
As for a player of the game? There is definitely no way to single out a single player---the win came from every position on the field. If you have to narrow it down? Tim Howard and Jozy Altidore. Howard stood on his head, making his biggest saves with the score still only 1-0, while Altidore terrorized his Villareal teammates and La Liga opponents straight from the opening whistle. Quite possibly the best game Altidore has ever played for the national team, while greatness (especially against a #1-ranked team---think back to Argentina at Giants Stadium) is becoming Tim Howard's norm.
Spanish streaks coming to an end in this one... 35 games unbeaten, 15 consecutive wins, and 451 minutes without conceding a goal. To put this in perspective, the last goal Spain allowed was against Turkey back on April 1st... Even more impressive, the last time Spain lost...November 2006, just after the last World Cup, to Romania.
The only thing not in the US' favor tonight...yet another red card (3 this tournament alone). Michael Bradley's dismissal late was certainly harsh, and he will definitely be missed against Brazil or South Africa on Sunday.
So which US win is the biggest? Tonight. Why? No other win has ever put the US in the final of a FIFA event---this will be the US' first final appearance in anything other than the Gold Cup.
Pro "sports analysts" in America (and I use that term loosely, for some) will surely begin to ask and debate... Was this win a fluke? Does this mean that the US has finally arrived on the world soccer stage? Simple answers? This was definitely no fluke---this was the US with every player playing up to their potential, both as an individual and as a team. As for arriving on the world soccer stage? The US is still the 14th-ranked team in the world, not a shabby place to begin with. This is a team that could've easily advanced to the semifinals at the World Cup in Germany in '06, a team that's displaced Mexico as the top team in CONCACAF. Sure, we're not a top European or South American team. Sure, soccer will continue to be a joke in the eyes of far too many Americans (including plenty of these "professional" sports analysts). But the US arrived on the world soccer stage long before beat top-ranked Spain tonight...long before tying top-ranked Argentina last summer...long before a quarterfinal run in 2006. The US really showed we belong back in 1994, when the Americans held there own and hosted one hell of a World Cup.
And now, in other news...
---French midfielder Franck Ribery's agent has said that the Bayern Munich star would like a move to Real Madrid. With Madrid's move for David Villa falling apart, this would certainly help Perez (Madrid president) get over that hangover...while dealing yet another blow to Manchester United, who saw Ribery as a possible replacement for Madrid-bound Cristiano Ronaldo.
---Rumors are linking Real Madrid and Spain 'keeper Iker Casillas with a move to Manchester United. While Casillas would continue the tradition of having one of the world's top 'keepers at Old Trafford (Peter Schmeichel, Edwin van der Saar, etc), this deal is hard to fathom. Casillas was born just outside of Madrid, joined Real's youth academy early on, and made his first team debut at just 16. Being only 28 (and still just hitting his prime), it's hard to see him anywhere besides the Bernabeu.
---Red Bulls centerback Mike Petke has been suspended an additional 2 games by MLS for his conduct against Toronto (sent off for verbally abusing an official), this in addition to his automatic suspension for last weekend's game against Seattle. While the MLS making an example of Petke is a bold move, the MLS isn't doing anything about the bigger issue---absolutely awful officiating this season. Line up referees who can call a decent game, players won't go off the reservation.
USA's 1-0 win over England back in the 50's? Or the win over Brasil in the Gold Cup final back in '98? The 3-2 win over Portugal or the 2-0 win over Mexico in the '06 World Cup? Or tonight's 2-0 win over Spain in the Confederations Cup semifinals? What marks the greatest win in the history of US Soccer (for the men, at least)? Before we answer that, let's take a quick look back at tonight's stunning upset...
So just how did the USA manage to win just their second game ever against a team ranked #1 in the world (the US had been 1-7-1, the tie coming last summer against Argentina)? First, a brilliant move by Bob Bradley to bring back Carlos Bocanegra, the team's captain, but play him as a left back instead of his customary central defense position. The move took pressure off of Bocanegra---less up-and-down pounding on his tender hamstring that has kept him out of every game since the Honduras win earlier this month---and allowed the Onyewu/DeMerit partnership continue to thrive. As a group, the back 4 (Spector/DeMerit/Onyewu/Bocanegra) kept a high line that (1) kept pressure on dangerous Spanish strike-duo Fernando Torres and David Villa, denying them time and space (both on and off the ball), and (2) forced Torres and Villa offsides (7 times). They then withstood Spain's pressure late, where the best team in the world threw everything (including the kitchen sink) at the Americans.
All the credit in the world has to be given to 'keeper Tim Howard, who made 8 saves---most of the of the "spectactular" variety. Equal credit needs to be given to Bocanegra, Gooch Onyewu (especially), DeMerit, and Ricardo Clark , who (bravely, at times) stood in and blocked numerous shots (Spain outshot the US 29-9, 8-2 on goal (both US shots on goal ended up in the back of the net)).
Both US goals came as the result of terrific, absolutely beautiful ball movement on the counterattack. On the first, an up-tempo exchange between Clint Dempsey, Charlie Davies, back to Dempsey, and finally setting up Jozy Altidore, covered nearly 70 yards before Altidore muscled off Villareal teammate Joan Capdevilla, then muscled the ball past Iker Casillas. On the second, substitute Benny Feilhaber did a great job to maintain possession, setting up Landon Donovan on the right for a cross...a poor play by Spain right back Sergio Ramos (losing his awareness of Dempsey's location) allowed Dempsey to toe-poke home the insurance goal.
A brilliantly coached game by Bob Bradley---Davies pairing with Altidore; Bocanegra, DeMerit, and Onyewu starting on the backline; the defensive scheme; the substitutions... everything went perfectly for the senior Bradley. Feilhaber came on for Davies (a great move with a 1-goal lead...take off a forward, but not losing the offensive mindset) and created the second goal...Casey came on for Altidore with fresh legs, and did a decent job holding up the ball late...
As for a player of the game? There is definitely no way to single out a single player---the win came from every position on the field. If you have to narrow it down? Tim Howard and Jozy Altidore. Howard stood on his head, making his biggest saves with the score still only 1-0, while Altidore terrorized his Villareal teammates and La Liga opponents straight from the opening whistle. Quite possibly the best game Altidore has ever played for the national team, while greatness (especially against a #1-ranked team---think back to Argentina at Giants Stadium) is becoming Tim Howard's norm.
Spanish streaks coming to an end in this one... 35 games unbeaten, 15 consecutive wins, and 451 minutes without conceding a goal. To put this in perspective, the last goal Spain allowed was against Turkey back on April 1st... Even more impressive, the last time Spain lost...November 2006, just after the last World Cup, to Romania.
The only thing not in the US' favor tonight...yet another red card (3 this tournament alone). Michael Bradley's dismissal late was certainly harsh, and he will definitely be missed against Brazil or South Africa on Sunday.
So which US win is the biggest? Tonight. Why? No other win has ever put the US in the final of a FIFA event---this will be the US' first final appearance in anything other than the Gold Cup.
Pro "sports analysts" in America (and I use that term loosely, for some) will surely begin to ask and debate... Was this win a fluke? Does this mean that the US has finally arrived on the world soccer stage? Simple answers? This was definitely no fluke---this was the US with every player playing up to their potential, both as an individual and as a team. As for arriving on the world soccer stage? The US is still the 14th-ranked team in the world, not a shabby place to begin with. This is a team that could've easily advanced to the semifinals at the World Cup in Germany in '06, a team that's displaced Mexico as the top team in CONCACAF. Sure, we're not a top European or South American team. Sure, soccer will continue to be a joke in the eyes of far too many Americans (including plenty of these "professional" sports analysts). But the US arrived on the world soccer stage long before beat top-ranked Spain tonight...long before tying top-ranked Argentina last summer...long before a quarterfinal run in 2006. The US really showed we belong back in 1994, when the Americans held there own and hosted one hell of a World Cup.
And now, in other news...
---French midfielder Franck Ribery's agent has said that the Bayern Munich star would like a move to Real Madrid. With Madrid's move for David Villa falling apart, this would certainly help Perez (Madrid president) get over that hangover...while dealing yet another blow to Manchester United, who saw Ribery as a possible replacement for Madrid-bound Cristiano Ronaldo.
---Rumors are linking Real Madrid and Spain 'keeper Iker Casillas with a move to Manchester United. While Casillas would continue the tradition of having one of the world's top 'keepers at Old Trafford (Peter Schmeichel, Edwin van der Saar, etc), this deal is hard to fathom. Casillas was born just outside of Madrid, joined Real's youth academy early on, and made his first team debut at just 16. Being only 28 (and still just hitting his prime), it's hard to see him anywhere besides the Bernabeu.
---Red Bulls centerback Mike Petke has been suspended an additional 2 games by MLS for his conduct against Toronto (sent off for verbally abusing an official), this in addition to his automatic suspension for last weekend's game against Seattle. While the MLS making an example of Petke is a bold move, the MLS isn't doing anything about the bigger issue---absolutely awful officiating this season. Line up referees who can call a decent game, players won't go off the reservation.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
On the eve of Spain...
Less than 24 hours until the US kicks off their shock Confederations Cup semifinal date with Spain, a date that the US has plenty of people to thank for. Brasil came out firing on all cylinders on Sunday versus an Italy team that made the mistake of looking forward. The result: a 3-0 Brasil win---the US needed every one of those goals. Also to thank, an Egypt team that found itself "enjoying" its time at the tournament a little too much...and those women-of-unnamed-profession who made sure they enjoyed their time in South Africa (if you're missing my hint, simply Google "Egypt soccer prostitute scandal." The result of their "best efforts:" a 3-0 US win---and the US needed every one of those goals, as well. (For those behind on the news, the US advanced, even on points with Italy and Egypt, even on goal-differential with Italy, with one more goal scored than Italy).
Tomorrow afternoon, the US faces a Spanish squad that is on fire--- a 35-game unbeaten run, 15-game winning streak, and wins of 5-0 (New Zealand), 1-0 (Iraq), and 2-0 (South Africa) in this tournament. The US is a member of those streaks, playing to a 1-0 loss in Santander last summer. Sure, the Yanks put up a solid effort, especially considering Landon Donovan wasn't in the US squad for that one...but neither was (for all intents and purposes) the Spanish striking duo that has eaten defenses for breakfast all tournament. David Villa, he of the constant transfer rumors, sat out that match, while Fernando Torres played well below 100% (as he did for much of last season) with a significant ankle injury. As if Spain didn't have enough of an advantage, the US had to make the trip from Rustenburg to Bloemfontein with only 2 days between games...the Spanish, who'll be playing on 3-day rest (more for a lot of the starters, afforded the luxury of the South Africa game off after already clinching a semifinal berth), played their last 2 group games in Bloemfontein.
All the history, current form, travel, etc. aside...the US might actually be in a position to pull off what would definitely be the biggest win in the history of the National Team. Iraq and South Africa demonstrated how to hold the Spanish defensively---compact play, forcing the play to come through (ironically) the central midfield (normally a playmakers role, but a weakness (if you can call it that) in the Spanish squad), and denying time and space to Torres and Villa. Jozy Altidore, Landon Donovan, and Clint Dempsey provide a stronger counterattack than either the Iraqis or the host nation, and if Bob Bradley decides to start Charlie Davies up top with Altidore, the US attack is even stronger. The "X-Factor" for the US will be in the defense... Will Carlos Bocanegra be healthy enough to play? Does the Jay DeMerit/Gooch Onyewu partnership continue to improve (having improved steadily as this tournament has progressed) if Bocanegra can't go? Jonathon Spector has been one of few shining points for the US at right back, but does the other Johnathan (Bornstein) step up for the biggest game he's ever played? Plenty to be seen tomorrow afternoon (2:25pm ET on ESPN).
A couple other notes from the soccer world today:
--Roque Santa Cruz has said he's excited over his transfer to Manchester City. It's widely expected Carlos Tevez will be joining him later in the week after his loan to Manchester United ends...and Mark Hughes is reportedly very interested in Samuel Eto'o. With a strike combination like that (in addition to Robinho, who's already at the club), who wouldn't be excited?
--Manchester City have also made another move, signing Stuart Taylor, fomer goalkeeper for the England U-21 side, from Aston Villa. Taylor shouldn't see much playing time behind Shay Given (still one of the best goalkeepers in the game, easily in the top 5 (more likely the top 3) goalkeepers in the Premier League), which isn't why he was signed...this move allows Joe Hart, a young 'keeper who's higher in the line for the England throne, to be loaned out to Birmingham, where he'll gain valuable playing time for the recently-promoted side.
--Real Madrid is claiming that David Villa's proposed sale is "100% dead." Of course, that just means that there's an extra couple tens-of-millions in the coffers for the new Golacticos... Among the new reported targets? Inter's Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Lyon's Karim Benzema, and cross-town rival Athletico Madrid's Diego Forlan, who led La Liga in scoring last season.
Should be plenty to talk about tomorrow, win or lose---be sure to check back!
Tomorrow afternoon, the US faces a Spanish squad that is on fire--- a 35-game unbeaten run, 15-game winning streak, and wins of 5-0 (New Zealand), 1-0 (Iraq), and 2-0 (South Africa) in this tournament. The US is a member of those streaks, playing to a 1-0 loss in Santander last summer. Sure, the Yanks put up a solid effort, especially considering Landon Donovan wasn't in the US squad for that one...but neither was (for all intents and purposes) the Spanish striking duo that has eaten defenses for breakfast all tournament. David Villa, he of the constant transfer rumors, sat out that match, while Fernando Torres played well below 100% (as he did for much of last season) with a significant ankle injury. As if Spain didn't have enough of an advantage, the US had to make the trip from Rustenburg to Bloemfontein with only 2 days between games...the Spanish, who'll be playing on 3-day rest (more for a lot of the starters, afforded the luxury of the South Africa game off after already clinching a semifinal berth), played their last 2 group games in Bloemfontein.
All the history, current form, travel, etc. aside...the US might actually be in a position to pull off what would definitely be the biggest win in the history of the National Team. Iraq and South Africa demonstrated how to hold the Spanish defensively---compact play, forcing the play to come through (ironically) the central midfield (normally a playmakers role, but a weakness (if you can call it that) in the Spanish squad), and denying time and space to Torres and Villa. Jozy Altidore, Landon Donovan, and Clint Dempsey provide a stronger counterattack than either the Iraqis or the host nation, and if Bob Bradley decides to start Charlie Davies up top with Altidore, the US attack is even stronger. The "X-Factor" for the US will be in the defense... Will Carlos Bocanegra be healthy enough to play? Does the Jay DeMerit/Gooch Onyewu partnership continue to improve (having improved steadily as this tournament has progressed) if Bocanegra can't go? Jonathon Spector has been one of few shining points for the US at right back, but does the other Johnathan (Bornstein) step up for the biggest game he's ever played? Plenty to be seen tomorrow afternoon (2:25pm ET on ESPN).
A couple other notes from the soccer world today:
--Roque Santa Cruz has said he's excited over his transfer to Manchester City. It's widely expected Carlos Tevez will be joining him later in the week after his loan to Manchester United ends...and Mark Hughes is reportedly very interested in Samuel Eto'o. With a strike combination like that (in addition to Robinho, who's already at the club), who wouldn't be excited?
--Manchester City have also made another move, signing Stuart Taylor, fomer goalkeeper for the England U-21 side, from Aston Villa. Taylor shouldn't see much playing time behind Shay Given (still one of the best goalkeepers in the game, easily in the top 5 (more likely the top 3) goalkeepers in the Premier League), which isn't why he was signed...this move allows Joe Hart, a young 'keeper who's higher in the line for the England throne, to be loaned out to Birmingham, where he'll gain valuable playing time for the recently-promoted side.
--Real Madrid is claiming that David Villa's proposed sale is "100% dead." Of course, that just means that there's an extra couple tens-of-millions in the coffers for the new Golacticos... Among the new reported targets? Inter's Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Lyon's Karim Benzema, and cross-town rival Athletico Madrid's Diego Forlan, who led La Liga in scoring last season.
Should be plenty to talk about tomorrow, win or lose---be sure to check back!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Thank You Egypt?
Most people would hope that at this point of the year---halfway through World Cup qualifying, Confederations Cup games against Italy and Brazil out of the way---the US National team could be looking at their squad, picking out just a position or two that needs to be improved, and trying (at least) to understand what system works best for this team, so that the next year could be spent refining it in preparation for the World Cup in South Africa next June. Instead, the US is just short step shy of being in complete disarray. An inability to keep players on the field (red cards in back-to-back games, losing key players to yellow card accumulation), and an inability to keep the ball out of the net---especially in the early stages of the game (the US has given up a goal in the opening 7 minutes in 3 of the last 4 games) are hurting this team. Having to play from behind constantly is a difficult task, but the need to constantly do it ruins confidence.
Today's 3-0 loss to Brazil is a game nobody in their right mind would've expected the US to even be in. But nobody should be pleased with the way the US played---passing was ineffective, marking (especially on set pieces) was almost nonexistent...the overall effort was severely lacking. The two new faces for this one---DaMarcus Beasley and Sascha Klejstan---were as close to useless as you can get on the field...until Klejstan was sent off for a reckless and unnecessary challenge and Beasley was replaced by Connor Casey at halftime. And Klejstan's foul was only one of countless unnecessary fouls---one of which led directly to the first Brazilian goal. The US team has a long way to go if it's going to be prepared for next year's World Cup---the first step being to actually qualify. It's going to take a far better performance, on a consistent basis, to lock up qualification.
As for the rest of the Confederations Cup, only Egypt's shock 1-0 win over Italy has prevented the United States from already being eliminated. That said, the Yanks still have a HUGE mountain to climb... In order to advance to the quarterfinals...1) the US MUST beat Egypt...2) Brazil MUST beat Italy...and 3) the US has to make up a 6-goal disadvantage on goal differential (the first tiebreaker) to Italy, while 4) making up a 5-goal differential disadvantage to Egypt. That basically means that a 3-goal win over Egypt is required, as is a 3-goal Brazil win over Italy. Nothing less will allow the US to advance. Possibly the only thing working in the United States' favor is that Brazil isn't assured of a spot in the quarterfinals yet, despite winning their first two games (4-3 over Egypt, 3-0 over the United States). A 2-goal loss to Italy, combined with a large Egyptian win over the US, would actually eliminate the Brazilians on goal differential. For all those confused by all of that, here's the Group B standings:
Team Record Points (Goal Differential (1st tiebreaker))
Brazil 2-0-0 6 (+4)
Italy 1-1-0 3 (+1)
Egypt 1-1-0 3 (0)
USA 0-2-0 0 (-5)
One last USA note: US Soccer Federation has already reserved a training camp site for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Should the US qualify, the team will be based out of Southdowns College in Irene, about 30 minutes from Johannesburg. The highly-rated facility, which the Italians are using as their base for the Confederations Cup, is one of the most sought-after in the tournament, and includes use of the Irene Country Lodge. Should the US not qualify, the site would be reopened for applications by FIFA.
Still no motion from the front office in New York in terms of firing head coach Juan Carlos Osorio. Sorry Red Bulls fans, we'll all have to sit through another painful performance this weekend. Only bright spot---this week's opponent, Seattle Sounders FC, blew a 2-goal lead to DC United last night. A cross-country flight and a blow to this team's confidence might just make them vulnerable...then again, blowing the lead could serve as motivation for a good, 'ol fashioned whooping (which would fit the way NY has played).
For those of you who tuned into ESPN2 last night to watch that Seattle/DC United game...I feel your pain. College baseball? Aluminum bats? And UVA trying desperately not to win that game---even if you know nothing about baseball, you have to figure that a team that blows a 2-run lead in the top of the 9th, loads the bases in the bottom of the 9th and 10th, second-and-third in the 11th, and 3rd base in the 12th (now down a run), all with the chance to win (or tie in the 12th)...and not score a single run? When did Virginia move to New York and become the Red Bulls of college baseball?
Enough rambling from me today...tune in Monday for a recap of all the weekends action!
Today's 3-0 loss to Brazil is a game nobody in their right mind would've expected the US to even be in. But nobody should be pleased with the way the US played---passing was ineffective, marking (especially on set pieces) was almost nonexistent...the overall effort was severely lacking. The two new faces for this one---DaMarcus Beasley and Sascha Klejstan---were as close to useless as you can get on the field...until Klejstan was sent off for a reckless and unnecessary challenge and Beasley was replaced by Connor Casey at halftime. And Klejstan's foul was only one of countless unnecessary fouls---one of which led directly to the first Brazilian goal. The US team has a long way to go if it's going to be prepared for next year's World Cup---the first step being to actually qualify. It's going to take a far better performance, on a consistent basis, to lock up qualification.
As for the rest of the Confederations Cup, only Egypt's shock 1-0 win over Italy has prevented the United States from already being eliminated. That said, the Yanks still have a HUGE mountain to climb... In order to advance to the quarterfinals...1) the US MUST beat Egypt...2) Brazil MUST beat Italy...and 3) the US has to make up a 6-goal disadvantage on goal differential (the first tiebreaker) to Italy, while 4) making up a 5-goal differential disadvantage to Egypt. That basically means that a 3-goal win over Egypt is required, as is a 3-goal Brazil win over Italy. Nothing less will allow the US to advance. Possibly the only thing working in the United States' favor is that Brazil isn't assured of a spot in the quarterfinals yet, despite winning their first two games (4-3 over Egypt, 3-0 over the United States). A 2-goal loss to Italy, combined with a large Egyptian win over the US, would actually eliminate the Brazilians on goal differential. For all those confused by all of that, here's the Group B standings:
Team Record Points (Goal Differential (1st tiebreaker))
Brazil 2-0-0 6 (+4)
Italy 1-1-0 3 (+1)
Egypt 1-1-0 3 (0)
USA 0-2-0 0 (-5)
One last USA note: US Soccer Federation has already reserved a training camp site for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Should the US qualify, the team will be based out of Southdowns College in Irene, about 30 minutes from Johannesburg. The highly-rated facility, which the Italians are using as their base for the Confederations Cup, is one of the most sought-after in the tournament, and includes use of the Irene Country Lodge. Should the US not qualify, the site would be reopened for applications by FIFA.
Still no motion from the front office in New York in terms of firing head coach Juan Carlos Osorio. Sorry Red Bulls fans, we'll all have to sit through another painful performance this weekend. Only bright spot---this week's opponent, Seattle Sounders FC, blew a 2-goal lead to DC United last night. A cross-country flight and a blow to this team's confidence might just make them vulnerable...then again, blowing the lead could serve as motivation for a good, 'ol fashioned whooping (which would fit the way NY has played).
For those of you who tuned into ESPN2 last night to watch that Seattle/DC United game...I feel your pain. College baseball? Aluminum bats? And UVA trying desperately not to win that game---even if you know nothing about baseball, you have to figure that a team that blows a 2-run lead in the top of the 9th, loads the bases in the bottom of the 9th and 10th, second-and-third in the 11th, and 3rd base in the 12th (now down a run), all with the chance to win (or tie in the 12th)...and not score a single run? When did Virginia move to New York and become the Red Bulls of college baseball?
Enough rambling from me today...tune in Monday for a recap of all the weekends action!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Videos from last summer's USA/Argentina game...
So apparently some of SoccerJunkie's fans (wait, I have fans????) liked the videos from the USA/Honduras game in Chicago...so I figured I'd share some even better videos from the USA/Argentina game last summer---where the crowd was larger (78,000) and had a far larger pro-USA advantage...
How do you show a visiting team it's OUR house...78,000 singing the Star-Spangled Banner, that's how...
And here's a chant Sam's Army started up before the game...
How do you show a visiting team it's OUR house...78,000 singing the Star-Spangled Banner, that's how...
And here's a chant Sam's Army started up before the game...
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
USA/Italy recap and more...
For 45+ minutes on Monday afternoon (minus a few minutes after Ricardo Clark's red card), it appeared the USA might actually knock off the defending World Cup champions, who remain one of the most powerful teams on the planet (#4 in FIFA's latest rankings)... That was, until Italy coach Marcello Lippi introduced young New Jersey-born (and raised) Giuseppe Rossi. The 22-year-old's two clinical finishes first drew doubt into the US squad---even Italy's hard-tackling midfielder Gennaro Gatusso said it changed the game---, then finished them off.
Fatigue could easily be blamed---the US put up one hell of a fight against a far better team, especially down a man for all but the opening 34 minutes. For a second consecutive match against the Italians (the last one being in the group stage of the '06 World Cup), the Yanks managed to find a way to play an inspired game, playing at a level above themselves, despite the man disadvantage (in Germany's red card fest, the US held on for a 1-1 tie (the only game the Italians didn't win in the tournament), playing 9 v 10 after Mastroeni and Pope were sent off (along with Italy's other goalscorer from Monday, Daniele Di Rossi).
Bob Bradley prepared his squad adequately for this one and made all the right moves off the bench (trying to bring on fresh legs, while trying to avoid losing much in quality). One has to wonder what the result would've been if Ricardo Clark hadn't been sent off with a very harsh red card---yes, it was a foul...yes, it was late...yes, it was careless...but at this stage, for that foul, a yellow card is far more appropriate.
A huge bright spot for the US in this one? Jozy Altidore. The young striker (also raised in New Jersey), played a mature, composed game. His penalty kick was well earned---a bit embellished, but very well earned (he did get both kicked and held, and likely wouldn't have gotten the call if he didn't flop). He held the ball well, and seemed the shake off the rust he had shown in the pair of World Cup qualifiers earlier this month.
Another bright spot---Jermaine Jones. He didn't play in this one, didn't make the bench. In fact, he's never featured in a US squad. So why's he a bright spot? Well, he may just be the one that didn't get away (unlike Rossi, who proved to be the one that got away, opting to play for Italy instead of the US). The Schalke midfielder, who has appeared in 3 friendlies for the German National Team, has decided to represent the United States from here on out. New FIFA laws allow a player to switch allegiance, as long as he hasn't played in anything beyond a friendly with the full national team---Jones holds a US passport (his father was born in the US), and was limited to those 3 friendlies, making him eligible to join the Yanks. Welcome aboard.
One other point---this has to have been the most players on the field in an international match from the great (yes, I said great) state of New Jersey since the John Harkes-Tab Ramos-Tony Meola era. Like Harkes, Ramos, and Meola, all three hail from northern New Jersey (all 3 from the 90's were from Kearny, while Rossi was raised in Tenafly, Altidore in Newark, and US 'keeper Tim Howard is from North Brunswick).
The Red Bulls have brought Bouna Coundoul in for a trial after yet another loss. The Bronx native shouldn't be a total surprise---he is a local and out of contract after failing to find a team in Europe (he left Colorado after they acquired Matt Pickens to sure up the nets)...but signing him would only serve to raise more questions for a team that's already pretty much in crisis. One of the few spots that couldn't really be considered weak this season would be the goalkeeping in the Big Apple---just look at Danny Cepero's performance this past week if you need evidence (his performance was surely worthy of consideration for a rare feat---MLS Player of the Week coming from a losing team). The two goals scored against New York came on the rebound of a penalty kick saved by Cepero (watch the replay---Toronto had the first 3 players into the box...that's the goalkeeper's fault how?), and off the rebound of a beautiful toe poke save by Cepero (stopping Vitti on a 35-yd breakaway). Cepero's performance both Saturday night and this season warrants the starting position, which would move Jon Conway (and his six-figure salary) to the bench. There are only two goalkeepers on the Bulls roster, so it's hard to imagine either 'keeper being released, especially since Coundoul is an experienced starter (starting 51 of the 52 matches he's played---his first appearance coming only 10 mins. into a game to replace an injured Joe Cannon) who'll likely demand a six-figure salary himself. Releasing Cepero leaves two six-figure 'keepers on the roster, while releasing Conway acknowledges that Cepero is the better 'keeper...and either puts your better 'keeper on the bench, or your new six-figure signing on the bench. Just doesn't make much sense.
Of course, not making sense is right up New York's alley right now. Juan Carlos Osorio, head coach, New York Red Bulls---these words in the same sentence - without the word "fired" - is simply mindblowing at this point. This downward spiral is set to continue into Saturday night's home match against Seattle, a match that Red Bull fans can only hope is Osorio's last stand---you never want to see your team lose, but New York just isn't headed in the right direction with Osorio at the helm. We've reached the halfway point of the season, and it would take at least 30 points in the 2nd half of the season just to consider a playoff spot---that's something along the lines of a 9-3-3 record.
Fatigue could easily be blamed---the US put up one hell of a fight against a far better team, especially down a man for all but the opening 34 minutes. For a second consecutive match against the Italians (the last one being in the group stage of the '06 World Cup), the Yanks managed to find a way to play an inspired game, playing at a level above themselves, despite the man disadvantage (in Germany's red card fest, the US held on for a 1-1 tie (the only game the Italians didn't win in the tournament), playing 9 v 10 after Mastroeni and Pope were sent off (along with Italy's other goalscorer from Monday, Daniele Di Rossi).
Bob Bradley prepared his squad adequately for this one and made all the right moves off the bench (trying to bring on fresh legs, while trying to avoid losing much in quality). One has to wonder what the result would've been if Ricardo Clark hadn't been sent off with a very harsh red card---yes, it was a foul...yes, it was late...yes, it was careless...but at this stage, for that foul, a yellow card is far more appropriate.
A huge bright spot for the US in this one? Jozy Altidore. The young striker (also raised in New Jersey), played a mature, composed game. His penalty kick was well earned---a bit embellished, but very well earned (he did get both kicked and held, and likely wouldn't have gotten the call if he didn't flop). He held the ball well, and seemed the shake off the rust he had shown in the pair of World Cup qualifiers earlier this month.
Another bright spot---Jermaine Jones. He didn't play in this one, didn't make the bench. In fact, he's never featured in a US squad. So why's he a bright spot? Well, he may just be the one that didn't get away (unlike Rossi, who proved to be the one that got away, opting to play for Italy instead of the US). The Schalke midfielder, who has appeared in 3 friendlies for the German National Team, has decided to represent the United States from here on out. New FIFA laws allow a player to switch allegiance, as long as he hasn't played in anything beyond a friendly with the full national team---Jones holds a US passport (his father was born in the US), and was limited to those 3 friendlies, making him eligible to join the Yanks. Welcome aboard.
One other point---this has to have been the most players on the field in an international match from the great (yes, I said great) state of New Jersey since the John Harkes-Tab Ramos-Tony Meola era. Like Harkes, Ramos, and Meola, all three hail from northern New Jersey (all 3 from the 90's were from Kearny, while Rossi was raised in Tenafly, Altidore in Newark, and US 'keeper Tim Howard is from North Brunswick).
The Red Bulls have brought Bouna Coundoul in for a trial after yet another loss. The Bronx native shouldn't be a total surprise---he is a local and out of contract after failing to find a team in Europe (he left Colorado after they acquired Matt Pickens to sure up the nets)...but signing him would only serve to raise more questions for a team that's already pretty much in crisis. One of the few spots that couldn't really be considered weak this season would be the goalkeeping in the Big Apple---just look at Danny Cepero's performance this past week if you need evidence (his performance was surely worthy of consideration for a rare feat---MLS Player of the Week coming from a losing team). The two goals scored against New York came on the rebound of a penalty kick saved by Cepero (watch the replay---Toronto had the first 3 players into the box...that's the goalkeeper's fault how?), and off the rebound of a beautiful toe poke save by Cepero (stopping Vitti on a 35-yd breakaway). Cepero's performance both Saturday night and this season warrants the starting position, which would move Jon Conway (and his six-figure salary) to the bench. There are only two goalkeepers on the Bulls roster, so it's hard to imagine either 'keeper being released, especially since Coundoul is an experienced starter (starting 51 of the 52 matches he's played---his first appearance coming only 10 mins. into a game to replace an injured Joe Cannon) who'll likely demand a six-figure salary himself. Releasing Cepero leaves two six-figure 'keepers on the roster, while releasing Conway acknowledges that Cepero is the better 'keeper...and either puts your better 'keeper on the bench, or your new six-figure signing on the bench. Just doesn't make much sense.
Of course, not making sense is right up New York's alley right now. Juan Carlos Osorio, head coach, New York Red Bulls---these words in the same sentence - without the word "fired" - is simply mindblowing at this point. This downward spiral is set to continue into Saturday night's home match against Seattle, a match that Red Bull fans can only hope is Osorio's last stand---you never want to see your team lose, but New York just isn't headed in the right direction with Osorio at the helm. We've reached the halfway point of the season, and it would take at least 30 points in the 2nd half of the season just to consider a playoff spot---that's something along the lines of a 9-3-3 record.
Videos from USA/Honduras
SoccerJunkie shot these two---Landon Donovan burying a first-half PK, and the Star-Spangled Banner---from the 16th row at Soldier Field! :-)
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Thursday afternoon musings...
Where to begin, where to begin...
-Real Madrid apparently isn't feeling the recession. Just 3 days after breaking the world transfer record with a 59 million Pound (yes, that's roughly $100 million!) deal for Kaka, Madrid President Florentino Perez has secured Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United for 80 million Pounds ($131 million!). Perez has decided to prey on teams, in these cases, that are quietly having serious financial difficulties (the depth of Milan's aren't fully known, but the Ronaldo transfer fee would barely cover the interest that Man U has collected on its debt this year). Add in a reported 37 million Pound offer for Valencia striker David Villa (another club that is having very public financial troubles), and it's easy to say that Los Golacticos are back. It was in Perez's first reign at Madrid that the initial version of the Golacticos came to be---the roster included Brazilian striker Ronaldo (bought for 23.2 million Pounds), David Beckham (24.5 million Pounds), Luis Figo (37 million Pounds), and Zinedine Zidane (bought for a then-record 46.7 million Pounds---a record broken by the purchase of Kaka).
-World Cup 2010 is only a year away, a mark that was celebrated in South Africa today. With that in mind, here's a quick look at some of the qualifying regions:
-CONCACAF: Halfway through, and Costa Rica (4-1-0, 12pts) leads the US (3-1-1, 10 pts) by 2 points, with Honduras (2-2-1, 7 pts) in the final automatic qualification spot. Both the US and Costa Rica are in good shape to qualify, while Honduras will be in for a fight if 4th-place Mexico (2-3-0, 6 pts) ever regains its form, which has been woeful of late (including scraping out a 2-1 win over last-place Trinidad (0-3-2, 2 pts) AT HOME last night). El Salvador (1-2-2, 5 pts) will make it an interesting 3-way race for 3rd-place (automatic qualification) and 4th-place (playoff vs 5th-place in South America).
-Europe (UEFA): Some shocks and some runaways as the nine groups reach their halfway point (the winner of each group advances, while the top 8 2nd-place teams advance to a playoff for the final spot). In Group 1, favorites Portugal and Sweden are tied for 3rd, 4 points behind 2nd-place Hungary (7 behind leaders Denmark), and are in serious danger of not qualifying. Greece and Switzerland are tied atop Group 2 on 13 points, with Latvia (10) and Israel (9) both in a position to fight for a chance. The Group 3 favorites, Poland (10 pts) and the Czech Republic (9 pts), are also not likely to qualify---they both trail leaders Slovakia (15) and Northern Ireland (13). Group 4 is nearly settled, though Russia (15 pts) is right on leaders Germany's heels (16)---Finland (10) and Wales (9) are both likely already out. Groups 5 and 6 are settled, with leaders Spain (Grp. 5, 18 points) and England (6, 21 pts) both unbeaten and un-tied (Bosnia (5, 12) is settled in 2nd, while Croatia and Ukraine (6, 11) are tied for the playoff spot). Group 7 leaders Serbia (18 pts) lead France by 8 points, while Group 8 is a two-horse race between Italy (14 pts) and Ireland (13). Group 9 features the only team to clinch qualification in Europe, with the Netherlands (21 pts) leading Scotland and Macedonia by 14 points.
-South America: CONMEBOL has 4 games remaining for each team in the final 10-team table (top 4 automatically qualify, 5th-place plays CONCACAF 4th-place for a berth). Argentina (22 pts) is still holding on to the final automatic spot, despite having lost back-to-back qualifiers (given, they were on the road AND at high altitude). Brazil (27), Chile (26) and Paraguay (24) are all in good shape, as is Argentina. Ecuador (20) sits in the playoff spot, with Uruguay (18), Columbia (17), Venezuela (17) all within shooting distance.
-Africa: The final round is only 2 games old for each team, so there's still a long way to go. The winner of each group (5 groups, 4 teams each) automatically qualifies. In Group A, the two favorites (Cameroon and Morocco) each only managed a point out of their opening games. Better results down the line should make it an interest race to see which team qualifies (Togo and Gabon round out the group). A similar race should develop between Group B leaders Tunisia and 2nd-place Nigeria (Mozambique and Kenya finish out B), as well as Group C leaders Ghana and currently-bottom (but African Cup of Nations champion) Egypt (Zambia and Rwanda also reside in C). In Group D, leaders Ghana should qualify (against Benin, Sudan, and Mali), while Ivory Coast shouldn't have any problems qualifying out of Group E, which includes Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Malawi (sorry, Madonna).
-Oceania: New Zealand has already qualified for a playoff against the 5th-place finisher from Asia.
-Asia: Japan, Australia, and South Korea are all nearly clinched for South Africa, while either North Korea or Saudi Arabia will qualify, with the other facing either Bahrain or Qatar for the right to play New Zealand in an aggregate home-and-home series for a berth in South Africa.
-Another week, another 2 losses for the Red Bulls...still no coaching change. You have to wonder what's going on in the front office at this point---this is now 8 road games, 0 goals...not to mention the league-record 16-game road winless streak. This is a team that backed into the playoffs last year with a sub-.500 record, and is now the worst team in MLS. A combined 6-0 scoreline over 4 days against key Eastern Conference rivals should've been the last straw...now Juan Carlos Osorio gets Saturday night's game at Toronto FC to cement the disaster that this team has become.
On a semi-related note, Toronto has released Canadian National Team 'keeper Greg Sutton. If this guy stays on the market long, I'll be shocked---yes, he's older, but he's got great size and is still a solid goalkeeper. Unfortunately for him, rookie Stefan Frei has been a sensation (so much so that the US is trying to get him to consider playing for the US National Team instead of his native Switzerland). If an MLS team doesn't pick Sutton up soon, expect a USL-1 team to get him under contract.
-Real Madrid apparently isn't feeling the recession. Just 3 days after breaking the world transfer record with a 59 million Pound (yes, that's roughly $100 million!) deal for Kaka, Madrid President Florentino Perez has secured Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United for 80 million Pounds ($131 million!). Perez has decided to prey on teams, in these cases, that are quietly having serious financial difficulties (the depth of Milan's aren't fully known, but the Ronaldo transfer fee would barely cover the interest that Man U has collected on its debt this year). Add in a reported 37 million Pound offer for Valencia striker David Villa (another club that is having very public financial troubles), and it's easy to say that Los Golacticos are back. It was in Perez's first reign at Madrid that the initial version of the Golacticos came to be---the roster included Brazilian striker Ronaldo (bought for 23.2 million Pounds), David Beckham (24.5 million Pounds), Luis Figo (37 million Pounds), and Zinedine Zidane (bought for a then-record 46.7 million Pounds---a record broken by the purchase of Kaka).
-World Cup 2010 is only a year away, a mark that was celebrated in South Africa today. With that in mind, here's a quick look at some of the qualifying regions:
-CONCACAF: Halfway through, and Costa Rica (4-1-0, 12pts) leads the US (3-1-1, 10 pts) by 2 points, with Honduras (2-2-1, 7 pts) in the final automatic qualification spot. Both the US and Costa Rica are in good shape to qualify, while Honduras will be in for a fight if 4th-place Mexico (2-3-0, 6 pts) ever regains its form, which has been woeful of late (including scraping out a 2-1 win over last-place Trinidad (0-3-2, 2 pts) AT HOME last night). El Salvador (1-2-2, 5 pts) will make it an interesting 3-way race for 3rd-place (automatic qualification) and 4th-place (playoff vs 5th-place in South America).
-Europe (UEFA): Some shocks and some runaways as the nine groups reach their halfway point (the winner of each group advances, while the top 8 2nd-place teams advance to a playoff for the final spot). In Group 1, favorites Portugal and Sweden are tied for 3rd, 4 points behind 2nd-place Hungary (7 behind leaders Denmark), and are in serious danger of not qualifying. Greece and Switzerland are tied atop Group 2 on 13 points, with Latvia (10) and Israel (9) both in a position to fight for a chance. The Group 3 favorites, Poland (10 pts) and the Czech Republic (9 pts), are also not likely to qualify---they both trail leaders Slovakia (15) and Northern Ireland (13). Group 4 is nearly settled, though Russia (15 pts) is right on leaders Germany's heels (16)---Finland (10) and Wales (9) are both likely already out. Groups 5 and 6 are settled, with leaders Spain (Grp. 5, 18 points) and England (6, 21 pts) both unbeaten and un-tied (Bosnia (5, 12) is settled in 2nd, while Croatia and Ukraine (6, 11) are tied for the playoff spot). Group 7 leaders Serbia (18 pts) lead France by 8 points, while Group 8 is a two-horse race between Italy (14 pts) and Ireland (13). Group 9 features the only team to clinch qualification in Europe, with the Netherlands (21 pts) leading Scotland and Macedonia by 14 points.
-South America: CONMEBOL has 4 games remaining for each team in the final 10-team table (top 4 automatically qualify, 5th-place plays CONCACAF 4th-place for a berth). Argentina (22 pts) is still holding on to the final automatic spot, despite having lost back-to-back qualifiers (given, they were on the road AND at high altitude). Brazil (27), Chile (26) and Paraguay (24) are all in good shape, as is Argentina. Ecuador (20) sits in the playoff spot, with Uruguay (18), Columbia (17), Venezuela (17) all within shooting distance.
-Africa: The final round is only 2 games old for each team, so there's still a long way to go. The winner of each group (5 groups, 4 teams each) automatically qualifies. In Group A, the two favorites (Cameroon and Morocco) each only managed a point out of their opening games. Better results down the line should make it an interest race to see which team qualifies (Togo and Gabon round out the group). A similar race should develop between Group B leaders Tunisia and 2nd-place Nigeria (Mozambique and Kenya finish out B), as well as Group C leaders Ghana and currently-bottom (but African Cup of Nations champion) Egypt (Zambia and Rwanda also reside in C). In Group D, leaders Ghana should qualify (against Benin, Sudan, and Mali), while Ivory Coast shouldn't have any problems qualifying out of Group E, which includes Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Malawi (sorry, Madonna).
-Oceania: New Zealand has already qualified for a playoff against the 5th-place finisher from Asia.
-Asia: Japan, Australia, and South Korea are all nearly clinched for South Africa, while either North Korea or Saudi Arabia will qualify, with the other facing either Bahrain or Qatar for the right to play New Zealand in an aggregate home-and-home series for a berth in South Africa.
-Another week, another 2 losses for the Red Bulls...still no coaching change. You have to wonder what's going on in the front office at this point---this is now 8 road games, 0 goals...not to mention the league-record 16-game road winless streak. This is a team that backed into the playoffs last year with a sub-.500 record, and is now the worst team in MLS. A combined 6-0 scoreline over 4 days against key Eastern Conference rivals should've been the last straw...now Juan Carlos Osorio gets Saturday night's game at Toronto FC to cement the disaster that this team has become.
On a semi-related note, Toronto has released Canadian National Team 'keeper Greg Sutton. If this guy stays on the market long, I'll be shocked---yes, he's older, but he's got great size and is still a solid goalkeeper. Unfortunately for him, rookie Stefan Frei has been a sensation (so much so that the US is trying to get him to consider playing for the US National Team instead of his native Switzerland). If an MLS team doesn't pick Sutton up soon, expect a USL-1 team to get him under contract.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Soccer Junkie Invades Chicago!!!
Soccer junkie has made it back from the Windy City...and in one piece as far as I know! A compelte review of the game itself will come either later tonight or tomorrow...for now, just a review of the trip itself since I've promised a few people who asked about it that I'd just write it all in here...
Saturday began bright and early (well, dark and really early), so that we could get to Philadelphia Int'l in time for an 8am flight to O'Hare... For a first trip through PHL, and considering that my brother explained it as one of the worst airports he's flown out of, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The airport was very easy to navigate, the terminals are a reasonable size (we flew out of a gate at the very end of the concourse, and it was not that far of a walk), sitting areas were comfortable and not overcrowded (more than enough room to stretch out my legs and slouch in my seat, and I'm 6'3"), and there are plenty of food options and places to grab magazines and newspapers (especially in the connector buildings).
Saturday began bright and early (well, dark and really early), so that we could get to Philadelphia Int'l in time for an 8am flight to O'Hare... For a first trip through PHL, and considering that my brother explained it as one of the worst airports he's flown out of, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The airport was very easy to navigate, the terminals are a reasonable size (we flew out of a gate at the very end of the concourse, and it was not that far of a walk), sitting areas were comfortable and not overcrowded (more than enough room to stretch out my legs and slouch in my seat, and I'm 6'3"), and there are plenty of food options and places to grab magazines and newspapers (especially in the connector buildings).
We flew out on a United A320 (after what had to be the longest mechanical delay I've had---more than 90 mins, kept on the plane (at the gate) while they worked to try to fix a nitrogen tank used if they need to blast the door open), which was a pretty comfortable plane. There's a visible difference in legroom between standard economy and their "Economy Plus" (they advertise as 5 extra inches of legroom), which makes the seats seem really close together, but all-in-all it's comparable to every other major airline. Thankfully, United hasn't done away with in-flight entertainment (a lot of airlines have completely removed their systems to save weight and, subsequently, fuel), which will be a huge help on my flight to Las Vegas next month (starts with a 5+ hour flight to LAX). The movie on our flight was alright, I just can't remember the name of it (I almost dare to call it "cute," though)...something starring Rene Zelwegger, Harry Connick, Jr., and the guy who used to play Dr. Skoda (the psychologist) on Law & Order (his role was damn near hilarious).
Anyway, we got to O'Hare, checked into our hotel, and prepared to head downtown. Jeff (brother) decided to leave his sweatshirt at the hotel, I didn't even pack and long sleeves (the weather forecast was for 70s and 80s both days), and we both quickly regretted those decisions. We found our way to the Blue Line, found out there was track work going on all weekend, and hopped on a shuttle bus that didn't really move in (what appeared to me all weekend) Chicago's always-jammed traffic. At the second stop, Jeff said he knew where another L line was, so we hopped off...mistake #2 on our part. After about 40 mins. of wandering around various neighborhoods, we stumbled upon the Red Line and made our way downtown to the Sears Tower.
If you ever go to Chicago, a trip to the top of the Sears Tower (or Willis Tower, or whatever they're calling it at that time) is definitely a must-do activity. Even on a hazy day like we had, the views from the tallest building in the country are INCREDIBLE. Though our views of Wrigley Field, US Cellular Park, O'Hare, and Midway were either partially or completely obstructed by the hazy cloudiness (Soccer Junkie also happens to be a stadium and travel/airport junkie), the views of the lakefront, John Hancock Building, the rest of downtown, and the surrounding area is nearly indescribable. An absolutely breath-taking experience.
With only a couple of hours left to kill until it was time to get over to Soldier Field, we decided to head off to experience one of the great NYC vs. Chicago competitions/controversies--- thin crust vs. deep dish pizza. Having been born and raised on the Jersey Shore, just an hour from the East Coast home of thin crust, I was obviously partial going in. That said, we found a real nice place that offered "stuffed" deep dish, which was actually quite delicious...but there was one glaring problem---pizza is not meant to be eaten with a fork and knife. Pizza was, is, and always will be a finger food, meant to be eaten in the "fold and go" method. Just for that, this pizza ended up on the list of pictures from our trip that include a certain finger flying through (I'll explain all that later).
So with full stomachs, it was time to head to Soldier Field. Now, with all our various travels to that point since we had landed at O'Hare (at the hotel, at the Sears Tower, on the L, and on most downtown streets), it was certainly not appearing like we'd have a strong home crowd...and upon our arrival to the stadium, our fears were looking justified. Outside the stadium (and for the first hour or so after the gates opened), it appeared Honduran fans would outnumber US fans 4-to-1...ESPN would use that ratio in their articles (I think that had a lot to do with the US Soccer Federation advising American fans to wear red (Honduras is blue and white), though there aren't really any jerseys or anything for the US team that are red (white home jerseys, navy away), though the ratio was really less than 2-to-1 (more like 60/40). US fans made up approx. 90% of the lower bowl and held large pockets in the 2nd tier, as well as a few in the upper tier. I have to say, this was one of the loudest crowds I've seen at a match---55,647 (second largest crowd ever for a World Cup qualifier on US soil) that easily sounded like a full 50,000 fans rooting for their own country (when, in reality, it was only half that many). The Honduran fans went nuts with their early goal (5 mins. into the game), though the US fans were equally as loud (if not louder) on Donovan's PK goal late in the first half, and nearly blew the roof off the place (so to speak, obviously) on Bocanegra's 2nd half game-winner. I'll post another entry with details on the game, but I'll just say it was a solid game from the Americans, though there is plenty to discuss. Oh yeah, it was 47 degrees out just before gametime.
Anyway, we got to O'Hare, checked into our hotel, and prepared to head downtown. Jeff (brother) decided to leave his sweatshirt at the hotel, I didn't even pack and long sleeves (the weather forecast was for 70s and 80s both days), and we both quickly regretted those decisions. We found our way to the Blue Line, found out there was track work going on all weekend, and hopped on a shuttle bus that didn't really move in (what appeared to me all weekend) Chicago's always-jammed traffic. At the second stop, Jeff said he knew where another L line was, so we hopped off...mistake #2 on our part. After about 40 mins. of wandering around various neighborhoods, we stumbled upon the Red Line and made our way downtown to the Sears Tower.
If you ever go to Chicago, a trip to the top of the Sears Tower (or Willis Tower, or whatever they're calling it at that time) is definitely a must-do activity. Even on a hazy day like we had, the views from the tallest building in the country are INCREDIBLE. Though our views of Wrigley Field, US Cellular Park, O'Hare, and Midway were either partially or completely obstructed by the hazy cloudiness (Soccer Junkie also happens to be a stadium and travel/airport junkie), the views of the lakefront, John Hancock Building, the rest of downtown, and the surrounding area is nearly indescribable. An absolutely breath-taking experience.
With only a couple of hours left to kill until it was time to get over to Soldier Field, we decided to head off to experience one of the great NYC vs. Chicago competitions/controversies--- thin crust vs. deep dish pizza. Having been born and raised on the Jersey Shore, just an hour from the East Coast home of thin crust, I was obviously partial going in. That said, we found a real nice place that offered "stuffed" deep dish, which was actually quite delicious...but there was one glaring problem---pizza is not meant to be eaten with a fork and knife. Pizza was, is, and always will be a finger food, meant to be eaten in the "fold and go" method. Just for that, this pizza ended up on the list of pictures from our trip that include a certain finger flying through (I'll explain all that later).
So with full stomachs, it was time to head to Soldier Field. Now, with all our various travels to that point since we had landed at O'Hare (at the hotel, at the Sears Tower, on the L, and on most downtown streets), it was certainly not appearing like we'd have a strong home crowd...and upon our arrival to the stadium, our fears were looking justified. Outside the stadium (and for the first hour or so after the gates opened), it appeared Honduran fans would outnumber US fans 4-to-1...ESPN would use that ratio in their articles (I think that had a lot to do with the US Soccer Federation advising American fans to wear red (Honduras is blue and white), though there aren't really any jerseys or anything for the US team that are red (white home jerseys, navy away), though the ratio was really less than 2-to-1 (more like 60/40). US fans made up approx. 90% of the lower bowl and held large pockets in the 2nd tier, as well as a few in the upper tier. I have to say, this was one of the loudest crowds I've seen at a match---55,647 (second largest crowd ever for a World Cup qualifier on US soil) that easily sounded like a full 50,000 fans rooting for their own country (when, in reality, it was only half that many). The Honduran fans went nuts with their early goal (5 mins. into the game), though the US fans were equally as loud (if not louder) on Donovan's PK goal late in the first half, and nearly blew the roof off the place (so to speak, obviously) on Bocanegra's 2nd half game-winner. I'll post another entry with details on the game, but I'll just say it was a solid game from the Americans, though there is plenty to discuss. Oh yeah, it was 47 degrees out just before gametime.
As for Soldier Field, it is an absolutely beautiful stadium, definitely in the top 10 (I'd have to really do some thinking to see if it gets into the top 5) of my favorite stadiums. The exterior is hit-or-miss---the original colonnades are striking and classy, but the upper seating bowl looks like a UFO from the east and west sides (the sideline sides) and just looks plain weird from the north and south (end zones), where there's a break in the upper tier (but the sides don't really transition into each other). Once inside, though, this place is a work of art. The outermost concourses feature a history of the Bears, including a wall with the name of every player to wear a Bears uniform (organized by the year they joined the team). All seats are easily accessible, regardless of whether you're sitting in the lower tier (which is very small for an NFL stadium), the 200-level mezzanine, or the upper tier (where the majority of the seats are located). Concessions are plentiful and didn't appear to have long lines, even though the stadium was nearly full (55,600+ in a 61,500-seat facility). After filling up on pizza prior to the game, I didn't try anything from the concessions, so I can't speak for their quality...but the beer guy came by every 5 minutes or so, which is always appreciated in a stadium (especially for football or soccer games).
Anyway, after the game, we began a two-hour trek back to the hotel. Trying to find a cab after the game...yeah, that was a nearly laughable task. Of course, right as we were giving up on the cab and starting to head towards the L, we finally found one. A great day, but one of the longest in my life --- roughly 22 hours on about 3-3 1/2 hours of sleep. Oddly enough, I found myself awake for about 15 mins. at 4:30 in the morning...for absolutely no reason at all.
Sunday was another action-packed day (and set up to be another rather long one), with an early breakfast at IHOP (complete with stuffed French Toast---stuffed with "barbarian cream" as our waitress put it) before check out. Another long trip downtown (we stayed on the Blue Line shuttle bus this time), and we grabbed some obligatory tourist pictures along the river. Our next stop, Millenium Park, was one of the most interesting outdoor spaces I've ever seen: there's a large amphitheatre with an interesting looking soundshell and steel spider-web over the seating areas, a large bean-looking sculpture (which is mirrored and has some of the weirdest reflections when viewed from underneath), a winding bridge, and two towers made of these bricks that project video from within (of people's faces---water then shoots from the mouths of these people). From there, it was on to a short walk along the lakefront (again, we weren't expecting it to be so cold), then we decided to start heading back towards Michigan Ave. to figure out lunch and the rest of the day. Jeff had been pushing Jimmy John's for lunch, but the timing was just not working out. We ended up hopping a shuttle back to O'Hare (good thing we did considering the traffic), and grabbed a bite to eat at the airport.
The flights home were uneventful---a short flight to Detroit, a quick tram trip to the clear opposite end of the mile-long terminal, then another relatively short flight into Philadelphia. Interesting to see the transition from Northwest to Delta as it goes---one flight was on a Delta-livery plane, the other on a Northwest, and the magazines were still noting changes for those who were used to Northwest's offerings (Delta offers slightly different beverage options, etc).
All in all, a great trip---I hope to update this post with pictures and videos as I finish getting them uploaded onto my computer!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
REALITY CHECK! and more Thursday musings...
Costa Rica 3, USA 1...and this one was over before the US ever set foot on the field.
News that Brian Ching was ruled out through injury (hamstring) left US coach Bob Bradley with some decisions to make. There were pretty much two main options---1) switch to a more offensive formation and try to beat the Costa Ricans at their own game, or 2) try to make as close to a one-to-one swap as possible with a target forward. Based on the way the United States played last night, they had clearly had trained and prepared for a more defensive, midfield-heavy formation than they played last night...which is where things went completely wrong. Bob Bradley had two options when Ching went down, and got caught right in the middle of the two.
The 4-3-3 formation that the US went out on the field in appeared designed to try to beat the Costa Ricans at their own game---not a bad idea in itself. The problem was the US played the opposite of the game they needed to: offensively, they slowed the play down instead of attacking and bringing the game at the Ticos (but lacked options in the midfield, which led to turnovers), while defensively, they sat back and gave Costa Rica space instead of applying high pressure (which was painfully evident on the goals against). When the US had possession, Costa Rica had high pressure on the ball (usually with a second player closing in fast), while players who would be passing options were closely marked and passing lanes were shut down. Take a look at the 3rd Costa Rican goal, and you see Michael Bradley dig in, only to get completely turned around by Pablo Herrera...then Klejstan and Bocanegra sit back and give Herrera space. Bocanegra closes slowly, but way too late, as Herrera had all he needed to make it 3-0.
The lineup, in the 4-3-3, also showed flaws that Costa Rica exploited. On paper, Pablo Mastroeni was penciled in as a right midfielder, yet played in his more-appropriate holding midfielder role. Clint Dempsey continued to play in an advanced role, and Marvell Wynne was left with no cover when he pushed forward, nor was there that wide option in the midfield when the US gained possession. The international inexperience of the widebacks for the US (DaMarcus Beasley (2nd game at left back) and Wynne (1st qualifier start at right back) showed at times, as well. Hindsight is 20/20, but you have to wonder what could've been if Bob Bradley maybe went with a 4-4-2...played Donovan with Altidore up top, Beasley on the wide left with Dempsey on the right and a Bradley/Mastroeni central midfield, and a backline that would've featured Spector at left back (out of his natural right back position, but he is a versatile outside back) with Gooch/Bocanegra/Wynne rounding out the defense.
As much as losing these points in the standings hurts (Costa Rica now leads the final group with 9 points, the US sits second on 7---but each team has one more game played than the rest of the hexagonal), the thing that possibly hurts the most is the loss of Michael Bradley for Saturday's game against Honduras. The US will need to push the game (3 points at home becomes all the more important with last night's loss), and the loss of a fantastic two-way player like Bradley is sure to be felt. Look for the outside backs (likely to be the Beasley and Wynne again because of their speed and Beasley's offensive ability) to get forward even more at Soldier Field.
If there was one positive from last night's game, at least the US has scored at the Saprissa one more time before it closes (the last US goal before Donovan's 92' penalty was Ernie Stewart back in 2000).
On a quick related note: more than 50,000 tickets have been sold for Saturday's match at Chicago's Soldier Field. With a capacity of 61,500 (the smallest stadium used by the NFL), the stadium could be more than 90% full for this one---which hopefully means it will be rocking in the US' favor. "The Yanks are coming. Will you be there?" I know I will---16th row, and I'll have a full report for you after the game.
Red Bulls vs DC United tonight (7:30pm ET) on ESPN2. New York is nearing the level of desperation (yes, even this early in the season) for points, and it will take a drastic change in fortune for that to happen. Fresh off a very disappointing 1-2-1 homestand, the Red Bulls hit the road for 7 of their next 9 matches (3 straight to open the swing)...where they have scored exactly 0 (yes, ZERO) times- and picked up only 1 point in 5 matches- this year. DC United enters looking to start a new unbeaten streak, having their 7-game run stopped in last weekend's 2-1 loss to New England. Josh Wicks is likely to start his third straight game in net for United, which is a feat in itself considering DC's revolving door between the sticks (this would be Wicks' 5th game (1.25 GAA), while Louis Crayton (6 games, 1.33 GAA) and rookie Milos Kocic (2 games, 2.00 GAA) have also manned the net this year). Oh yeah, DC is undefeated (2-0-4) at RFK this season. Keep optimistic, though, New York fans...stranger things have happened (like getting to the MLS Cup final last year).
AC Milan has announced that the future of star midfielder Kaka will be decided on Monday, with Real Madrid and Chelsea (who named Carlo Ancellotti coach this week---Ancellotti coached Milan this year) both having reportedly tabled record-setting bids for the Brazilian's services. Don't be shocked if a deal is made, likely with Madrid---Milan's chairman has said (rightfully so) that a deal just makes economic sense at this point.
Reuters is reporting Italy has named their Confederations Cup squad:
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Marco Amelia (Palermo), Morgan De Sanctis (Galatasaray)
Defenders: Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Andrea Dossena (Liverpool), Alessandro Gamberini (Fiorentina), Fabio Grosso (Olympique Lyon), Nicola Legrottaglie (Juventus), Davide Santon (Inter Milan), Gianluca Zambrotta (AC Milan)
Midfielders: Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria), Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan)
Forwards: Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Simone Pepe (Udinese), Fabio Quagliarella (Napoli), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal), Luca Toni (Bayern Munich)
Europeans like to say that the Confederations Cup is nothing more than a tournament of exhibitions, and that most teams feature their 'B' squads, especially since the tournament usually happens around the same time as World Cup qualification hits the final round (coaches like to keep their best players fresh for the games that really matter). Well, this certainly doesn't look anything like a 'B' squad to me...
News that Brian Ching was ruled out through injury (hamstring) left US coach Bob Bradley with some decisions to make. There were pretty much two main options---1) switch to a more offensive formation and try to beat the Costa Ricans at their own game, or 2) try to make as close to a one-to-one swap as possible with a target forward. Based on the way the United States played last night, they had clearly had trained and prepared for a more defensive, midfield-heavy formation than they played last night...which is where things went completely wrong. Bob Bradley had two options when Ching went down, and got caught right in the middle of the two.
The 4-3-3 formation that the US went out on the field in appeared designed to try to beat the Costa Ricans at their own game---not a bad idea in itself. The problem was the US played the opposite of the game they needed to: offensively, they slowed the play down instead of attacking and bringing the game at the Ticos (but lacked options in the midfield, which led to turnovers), while defensively, they sat back and gave Costa Rica space instead of applying high pressure (which was painfully evident on the goals against). When the US had possession, Costa Rica had high pressure on the ball (usually with a second player closing in fast), while players who would be passing options were closely marked and passing lanes were shut down. Take a look at the 3rd Costa Rican goal, and you see Michael Bradley dig in, only to get completely turned around by Pablo Herrera...then Klejstan and Bocanegra sit back and give Herrera space. Bocanegra closes slowly, but way too late, as Herrera had all he needed to make it 3-0.
The lineup, in the 4-3-3, also showed flaws that Costa Rica exploited. On paper, Pablo Mastroeni was penciled in as a right midfielder, yet played in his more-appropriate holding midfielder role. Clint Dempsey continued to play in an advanced role, and Marvell Wynne was left with no cover when he pushed forward, nor was there that wide option in the midfield when the US gained possession. The international inexperience of the widebacks for the US (DaMarcus Beasley (2nd game at left back) and Wynne (1st qualifier start at right back) showed at times, as well. Hindsight is 20/20, but you have to wonder what could've been if Bob Bradley maybe went with a 4-4-2...played Donovan with Altidore up top, Beasley on the wide left with Dempsey on the right and a Bradley/Mastroeni central midfield, and a backline that would've featured Spector at left back (out of his natural right back position, but he is a versatile outside back) with Gooch/Bocanegra/Wynne rounding out the defense.
As much as losing these points in the standings hurts (Costa Rica now leads the final group with 9 points, the US sits second on 7---but each team has one more game played than the rest of the hexagonal), the thing that possibly hurts the most is the loss of Michael Bradley for Saturday's game against Honduras. The US will need to push the game (3 points at home becomes all the more important with last night's loss), and the loss of a fantastic two-way player like Bradley is sure to be felt. Look for the outside backs (likely to be the Beasley and Wynne again because of their speed and Beasley's offensive ability) to get forward even more at Soldier Field.
If there was one positive from last night's game, at least the US has scored at the Saprissa one more time before it closes (the last US goal before Donovan's 92' penalty was Ernie Stewart back in 2000).
On a quick related note: more than 50,000 tickets have been sold for Saturday's match at Chicago's Soldier Field. With a capacity of 61,500 (the smallest stadium used by the NFL), the stadium could be more than 90% full for this one---which hopefully means it will be rocking in the US' favor. "The Yanks are coming. Will you be there?" I know I will---16th row, and I'll have a full report for you after the game.
Red Bulls vs DC United tonight (7:30pm ET) on ESPN2. New York is nearing the level of desperation (yes, even this early in the season) for points, and it will take a drastic change in fortune for that to happen. Fresh off a very disappointing 1-2-1 homestand, the Red Bulls hit the road for 7 of their next 9 matches (3 straight to open the swing)...where they have scored exactly 0 (yes, ZERO) times- and picked up only 1 point in 5 matches- this year. DC United enters looking to start a new unbeaten streak, having their 7-game run stopped in last weekend's 2-1 loss to New England. Josh Wicks is likely to start his third straight game in net for United, which is a feat in itself considering DC's revolving door between the sticks (this would be Wicks' 5th game (1.25 GAA), while Louis Crayton (6 games, 1.33 GAA) and rookie Milos Kocic (2 games, 2.00 GAA) have also manned the net this year). Oh yeah, DC is undefeated (2-0-4) at RFK this season. Keep optimistic, though, New York fans...stranger things have happened (like getting to the MLS Cup final last year).
AC Milan has announced that the future of star midfielder Kaka will be decided on Monday, with Real Madrid and Chelsea (who named Carlo Ancellotti coach this week---Ancellotti coached Milan this year) both having reportedly tabled record-setting bids for the Brazilian's services. Don't be shocked if a deal is made, likely with Madrid---Milan's chairman has said (rightfully so) that a deal just makes economic sense at this point.
Reuters is reporting Italy has named their Confederations Cup squad:
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Marco Amelia (Palermo), Morgan De Sanctis (Galatasaray)
Defenders: Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Andrea Dossena (Liverpool), Alessandro Gamberini (Fiorentina), Fabio Grosso (Olympique Lyon), Nicola Legrottaglie (Juventus), Davide Santon (Inter Milan), Gianluca Zambrotta (AC Milan)
Midfielders: Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria), Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan)
Forwards: Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Simone Pepe (Udinese), Fabio Quagliarella (Napoli), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal), Luca Toni (Bayern Munich)
Europeans like to say that the Confederations Cup is nothing more than a tournament of exhibitions, and that most teams feature their 'B' squads, especially since the tournament usually happens around the same time as World Cup qualification hits the final round (coaches like to keep their best players fresh for the games that really matter). Well, this certainly doesn't look anything like a 'B' squad to me...
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Less than 24 Hours 'til Costa Rica...
And many questions surround the lineup for tomorrow's match...Frankie Hejduk is doubtful with a groin strain, Maurice Edu has stayed in Scotland to have his (hopefully not serious) knee injury evaluated. So with all these questions...plus the facts that-at the Estadio Saprissa-the US is 0-6-1 in qualifying, Costa Rica has lost only once in 20+ games, and the artificial turf is in miserable shape (oh yeah, and the Saprissa is probably the second most difficult stadium for an opponent to play in, only behind the Azteca in Mexico City)...does Bob Bradley go into this one with the mentality of a-tie-is-a-win? While the US is sure to come out in a more defensive formation, the US is not a country content with sitting back and not pushing forward---especially against a CONCACAF opponent, and especially in such a meaningful game. Look for the US men to break out in counterattacks and not shy away from offensive opportunities.
Defensively, the US will need to be aggressive, which could take a toll for the Honduras game this weekend. Michael Bradley, Gooch Onyewu, Frankie Hejduk, Clint Dempsey, and Jozy Altidore are all carrying yellow cards into this match, and a yellow to any of them would cause them to miss Saturday night's game at Soldier Field (Costa Rica comes into this game with 7 players carrying yellow cards, an indication that this is another team that's not afraid to stick in on a tackle). Given the deplorable condition of the playing surface at the Saprissa, and the physical nature of these two teams, this game has every opportunity to get chippy and cost both teams in the card department.
More quick stats:
-both teams are 9-1-1 in this qualifying cycle (the US lost to Trinidad to close the semifinal round, having already clinched a spot in the final round).
-the US holds an 11-10-5 all-time record against Costa Rica...but is 0-6-1 away to the Ticos in qualifying. In the last 10 meetings, the US is 5-3-2---all 5 wins coming in the US, all 3 losses coming at the Saprissa.
-DaMarcus Beasley, Michael Bradley, and Heath Pearce have each started 9 games in the 2010 qualifying cycle. Beasley leads the team having played 83% of all possible minutes (822 mins), only one year removed from a serious knee injury that kept him off the field for 6 months.
-Seven players (Bocanegra, Donovan, Howard, Mastroeni, Wynne, Califf, and Feilhaber) played 90 mins for their clubs over the weekend (as well as 81 mins for Brian Ching, and another 48 for Torres). These players could play 3 games in 8/9 days.
-Only 2 players on the US roster have scored against Costa Rica---Donovan (2 in an '05 qualifier) and Bocanegra (in the '03 Gold Cup Third-Place Match). All of those goals came on US soil (Donovan in Salt Lake City, Bocanegra in Miami).
All this said, Bob Bradley has to be happy he boards the flight to Chicago with another point in the standings---not just because of the history and the odds, but because one point gained by the US is two points that Costa Rica won't pick up on home soil. The points dropped could be more important later in qualifying than the point earned.
Quick hits on other news in the sport today:
-England international Gareth Barry has completed a 12-million Pound move from Aston Villa to Manchester City. Last year, a deal looked done for Barry to move to Liverpool, but fell through when Liverpool balked at the 18-million Pound fee that Villa sought. In any other transaction, this could be attributed to the current state of the global economy, though City's owners (who hail from recession-affected yet still financially-secure Dubai) could've easily afforded the original fee.
-Reports are out in Spain that Real Madrid and AC Milan have agreed to fee in the neighborhood of 56-million Pounds for Kaka. Of course, these reports are notoriously unreliable, and Kaka has stated his desire (multiple times) to remain at the San Siro...that said, if Madrid offers that kind of money, Milan may not be able to turn it down. There's a new manager on the bench (after Ancellotti bolted for Chelsea), which surely means a shake-up is on the horizon...and revamping a roster costs a lot of money. How better to finance that revamping than to cash in on one of your most profitable investments...
Tomorrow (Wednesday) night. 10pm ET. ESPN2. Tune in.
Defensively, the US will need to be aggressive, which could take a toll for the Honduras game this weekend. Michael Bradley, Gooch Onyewu, Frankie Hejduk, Clint Dempsey, and Jozy Altidore are all carrying yellow cards into this match, and a yellow to any of them would cause them to miss Saturday night's game at Soldier Field (Costa Rica comes into this game with 7 players carrying yellow cards, an indication that this is another team that's not afraid to stick in on a tackle). Given the deplorable condition of the playing surface at the Saprissa, and the physical nature of these two teams, this game has every opportunity to get chippy and cost both teams in the card department.
More quick stats:
-both teams are 9-1-1 in this qualifying cycle (the US lost to Trinidad to close the semifinal round, having already clinched a spot in the final round).
-the US holds an 11-10-5 all-time record against Costa Rica...but is 0-6-1 away to the Ticos in qualifying. In the last 10 meetings, the US is 5-3-2---all 5 wins coming in the US, all 3 losses coming at the Saprissa.
-DaMarcus Beasley, Michael Bradley, and Heath Pearce have each started 9 games in the 2010 qualifying cycle. Beasley leads the team having played 83% of all possible minutes (822 mins), only one year removed from a serious knee injury that kept him off the field for 6 months.
-Seven players (Bocanegra, Donovan, Howard, Mastroeni, Wynne, Califf, and Feilhaber) played 90 mins for their clubs over the weekend (as well as 81 mins for Brian Ching, and another 48 for Torres). These players could play 3 games in 8/9 days.
-Only 2 players on the US roster have scored against Costa Rica---Donovan (2 in an '05 qualifier) and Bocanegra (in the '03 Gold Cup Third-Place Match). All of those goals came on US soil (Donovan in Salt Lake City, Bocanegra in Miami).
All this said, Bob Bradley has to be happy he boards the flight to Chicago with another point in the standings---not just because of the history and the odds, but because one point gained by the US is two points that Costa Rica won't pick up on home soil. The points dropped could be more important later in qualifying than the point earned.
Quick hits on other news in the sport today:
-England international Gareth Barry has completed a 12-million Pound move from Aston Villa to Manchester City. Last year, a deal looked done for Barry to move to Liverpool, but fell through when Liverpool balked at the 18-million Pound fee that Villa sought. In any other transaction, this could be attributed to the current state of the global economy, though City's owners (who hail from recession-affected yet still financially-secure Dubai) could've easily afforded the original fee.
-Reports are out in Spain that Real Madrid and AC Milan have agreed to fee in the neighborhood of 56-million Pounds for Kaka. Of course, these reports are notoriously unreliable, and Kaka has stated his desire (multiple times) to remain at the San Siro...that said, if Madrid offers that kind of money, Milan may not be able to turn it down. There's a new manager on the bench (after Ancellotti bolted for Chelsea), which surely means a shake-up is on the horizon...and revamping a roster costs a lot of money. How better to finance that revamping than to cash in on one of your most profitable investments...
Tomorrow (Wednesday) night. 10pm ET. ESPN2. Tune in.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Quick Weekend Overview
First, a quick look at this weekend's surprising MLS results (home team in bold):
Chicago 3 - 2 Chivas USA (Thurs 5/28)
Colorado 3-2 Red Bulls
New England 2-1 DC United
Houston 3-0 Toronto FC
San Jose 2-1 Real Salt Lake
Seattle 1-1 Columbus
Los Angeles 1-1 Kansas City
Dallas 3-0 Chicago (Sunday 5/31)
...if you followed my predictions for the week...I was a miserable 1-7.
Chicago, as expected, did pick up their first loss of the year...just not against the West's wonders in Chivas, but rather a shut out thrashing at home by the West's bottom-dwellers Dallas. Thursday's undeserved win over Chivas only exemplifies the problems with officiating in the MLS this season---a problem that has 3 people/groups to blame: the USSF (US Soccer Federation), Major League Soccer referees, and the players themselves. The USSF publishes weekly critiques of every official's performance on the US Soccer website, available both as a report and as a podcast. As official's now know that not only will they be assessed by the Federation on a weekly basis, but that that assessment will be available to the masses, they are calling games by the book, to the letter of the law. One problem with that...the laws of the game are idealistic, they're not designed letter-for-letter, word-for-word around the actual flow of the game. Referees need to interpret the laws as they fit the game, not necessarily as they're written letter-for-letter, but these critiques are preventing them from doing that. The Federation needs to stop these very public published assessments, the referees need to grow a pair and call the game the way it needs to be called. The players need to step up as well...officiating has been bad, but some things are not completely the referees fault. These stats don't lie...through this week's games (84 games in total), MLS officials have issued 312 yellow cards, and 28 ejections. The yellow cards (3.71 per game) is pretty much equal to the frequency seen in the English Premiership this year, but the ejections (a red card issued once every 3 games) are occuring nearly twice as often as the Premiership. This doesn't come down just on the officials---stupid elbows, useless slaps, unnecessary fouls have all led to players seeing red this season, and the players have nobody to blame for those but themselves.
If you're visiting New York City on business or vacation, I used to almost always recommend a trip to a Red Bulls game at nearby Giants Stadium while you're in town. After Saturday's debacle, though, save your money. Each of the last two seasons, the Bulls have managed a very respectable (if not intimidating) 9-3-3 record on the Giants Stadium FieldTurf. To manage that this year, the team can't afford to lose another match at home, and with their 2-3-2 record being a semi-accurate account of their play (one of those wins came against a San Jose team that couldn't beat a U-10 team...prior to this weekend, that is), I wouldn't hold my breath for a miracle summer. When you're playing poorly at home, you absolutely have to step up on the road...the Red Bulls, though??? Nope. 0-4-1 and yet to score a goal outside the state of New Jersey.
This past weekend demonstrated just how rocky a season this team is having. Colorado came in a solid .500 team, nothing special. Sure, Connor Casey came in tied for the league lead in goals (and left with sole possession of that honor), and Matt Pickens is having a solid season, but this is a team New York needed to take it to right from the opening whistle. Instead, they sat back, used yet another new formation (Mac Kandji started the game in the playmaker's role as an offensive midfielder), and gave an overall abysmal performance. The Rapids held possession in the offensive third for long periods of time (on the road?) and capitalized on their chances. Offensively, New York managed only a Juan Pablo Angel PK and a garbage time rebound from substitute Danleigh Borman.
Something has to change with this team, in two places in particular. First, Osorio is done. Once more, another new lineup (many of the same players, but in a completely different formation) is not helping this team...and Osorio is continuing to make questionable (if not downright unexplainable) substitutions. After his team blew a 2-1 90th minute lead to DC a few weeks back (where only 2 defenders were on the field for the final 10 mins...with a one-goal lead), Osorio managed the moves poorly again this week. Down a goal with 30 mins to go, pulling a defender is a wise move...but replacing Alfredo Pacheco with Luke Sassano (who sat just in front of the back 3)??? Seth Stammler was already firmly entrenched in the holding midfielder role, and this sub needed to create more offense. One of those options, Danleigh Borman, came on in the 66th to replace an utterly useless Sinisa Ubiparipovic, and managed a garbage time goal. The third sub was a no-brainer, with John Wolyniec coming on for Seth Stammler, but came too late in the game (87th min). The loss drops New York to 1-5-1 in their last 7, and, as a season ticket holder, I'm certainly hoping that the team returns to Giants Stadium (after 3 games on the road) with a new coach on the bench.
Second shake up...in net. Jon Conway is not playing like a 'keeper who makes a 6-figure salary. While Conway does, just barely, own the better goals-against-average between himself and back-up Danny Cepero (1.43 vs 1.47), Cepero sits 3rd in the league with a 77.7% save percentage. Aside from Cepero's first loss (3-0 at Seattle in the Sounders' first-ever game), he's backstopped ties against Houston (2nd in the West) and East-rival New England, beaten San Jose (okay, no big deal), and played admirably in a 1-0 loss to Chicago (which leads the East with a 5-1-6 record). It's time to turn the gloves over to the kid for a few games...
One last note for today---Sky Blue FC, the last-place NY/NJ representative in the WPS, came through with a solid showing in a 2-1 win over the second-place Boston Breakers. Sky Blue played an entertaining game, pushing the offense, while still putting in a solid defensive performance, as well. If not for Jenny Branam's horrific gaffe (who knew a 'keeper who dropped a cross into her own net could still be named Player of the Game...though Branam did make some big saves in an attempt to redeem herself), Sky Blue would've walked off the Yurack Stadium field at Rutgers with a shutout. Cheers to an excellent, entertaining performance.
Rapidly approaching 48 hours until kickoff at Estadio Saprissa in Costa Rica, and it looks like Frankie Hejduk is out through injury. Be sure to check back tomorrow night for a full preview!
Chicago 3 - 2 Chivas USA (Thurs 5/28)
Colorado 3-2 Red Bulls
New England 2-1 DC United
Houston 3-0 Toronto FC
San Jose 2-1 Real Salt Lake
Seattle 1-1 Columbus
Los Angeles 1-1 Kansas City
Dallas 3-0 Chicago (Sunday 5/31)
...if you followed my predictions for the week...I was a miserable 1-7.
Chicago, as expected, did pick up their first loss of the year...just not against the West's wonders in Chivas, but rather a shut out thrashing at home by the West's bottom-dwellers Dallas. Thursday's undeserved win over Chivas only exemplifies the problems with officiating in the MLS this season---a problem that has 3 people/groups to blame: the USSF (US Soccer Federation), Major League Soccer referees, and the players themselves. The USSF publishes weekly critiques of every official's performance on the US Soccer website, available both as a report and as a podcast. As official's now know that not only will they be assessed by the Federation on a weekly basis, but that that assessment will be available to the masses, they are calling games by the book, to the letter of the law. One problem with that...the laws of the game are idealistic, they're not designed letter-for-letter, word-for-word around the actual flow of the game. Referees need to interpret the laws as they fit the game, not necessarily as they're written letter-for-letter, but these critiques are preventing them from doing that. The Federation needs to stop these very public published assessments, the referees need to grow a pair and call the game the way it needs to be called. The players need to step up as well...officiating has been bad, but some things are not completely the referees fault. These stats don't lie...through this week's games (84 games in total), MLS officials have issued 312 yellow cards, and 28 ejections. The yellow cards (3.71 per game) is pretty much equal to the frequency seen in the English Premiership this year, but the ejections (a red card issued once every 3 games) are occuring nearly twice as often as the Premiership. This doesn't come down just on the officials---stupid elbows, useless slaps, unnecessary fouls have all led to players seeing red this season, and the players have nobody to blame for those but themselves.
If you're visiting New York City on business or vacation, I used to almost always recommend a trip to a Red Bulls game at nearby Giants Stadium while you're in town. After Saturday's debacle, though, save your money. Each of the last two seasons, the Bulls have managed a very respectable (if not intimidating) 9-3-3 record on the Giants Stadium FieldTurf. To manage that this year, the team can't afford to lose another match at home, and with their 2-3-2 record being a semi-accurate account of their play (one of those wins came against a San Jose team that couldn't beat a U-10 team...prior to this weekend, that is), I wouldn't hold my breath for a miracle summer. When you're playing poorly at home, you absolutely have to step up on the road...the Red Bulls, though??? Nope. 0-4-1 and yet to score a goal outside the state of New Jersey.
This past weekend demonstrated just how rocky a season this team is having. Colorado came in a solid .500 team, nothing special. Sure, Connor Casey came in tied for the league lead in goals (and left with sole possession of that honor), and Matt Pickens is having a solid season, but this is a team New York needed to take it to right from the opening whistle. Instead, they sat back, used yet another new formation (Mac Kandji started the game in the playmaker's role as an offensive midfielder), and gave an overall abysmal performance. The Rapids held possession in the offensive third for long periods of time (on the road?) and capitalized on their chances. Offensively, New York managed only a Juan Pablo Angel PK and a garbage time rebound from substitute Danleigh Borman.
Something has to change with this team, in two places in particular. First, Osorio is done. Once more, another new lineup (many of the same players, but in a completely different formation) is not helping this team...and Osorio is continuing to make questionable (if not downright unexplainable) substitutions. After his team blew a 2-1 90th minute lead to DC a few weeks back (where only 2 defenders were on the field for the final 10 mins...with a one-goal lead), Osorio managed the moves poorly again this week. Down a goal with 30 mins to go, pulling a defender is a wise move...but replacing Alfredo Pacheco with Luke Sassano (who sat just in front of the back 3)??? Seth Stammler was already firmly entrenched in the holding midfielder role, and this sub needed to create more offense. One of those options, Danleigh Borman, came on in the 66th to replace an utterly useless Sinisa Ubiparipovic, and managed a garbage time goal. The third sub was a no-brainer, with John Wolyniec coming on for Seth Stammler, but came too late in the game (87th min). The loss drops New York to 1-5-1 in their last 7, and, as a season ticket holder, I'm certainly hoping that the team returns to Giants Stadium (after 3 games on the road) with a new coach on the bench.
Second shake up...in net. Jon Conway is not playing like a 'keeper who makes a 6-figure salary. While Conway does, just barely, own the better goals-against-average between himself and back-up Danny Cepero (1.43 vs 1.47), Cepero sits 3rd in the league with a 77.7% save percentage. Aside from Cepero's first loss (3-0 at Seattle in the Sounders' first-ever game), he's backstopped ties against Houston (2nd in the West) and East-rival New England, beaten San Jose (okay, no big deal), and played admirably in a 1-0 loss to Chicago (which leads the East with a 5-1-6 record). It's time to turn the gloves over to the kid for a few games...
One last note for today---Sky Blue FC, the last-place NY/NJ representative in the WPS, came through with a solid showing in a 2-1 win over the second-place Boston Breakers. Sky Blue played an entertaining game, pushing the offense, while still putting in a solid defensive performance, as well. If not for Jenny Branam's horrific gaffe (who knew a 'keeper who dropped a cross into her own net could still be named Player of the Game...though Branam did make some big saves in an attempt to redeem herself), Sky Blue would've walked off the Yurack Stadium field at Rutgers with a shutout. Cheers to an excellent, entertaining performance.
Rapidly approaching 48 hours until kickoff at Estadio Saprissa in Costa Rica, and it looks like Frankie Hejduk is out through injury. Be sure to check back tomorrow night for a full preview!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)