A Win Streak??? What???

Happy Tuesday everyone!



Richie Williams must be doing something right in NY, as in just 2 games, the Red Bulls interim coach has managed to double the teams win total for the season, avoid the record for worst team in MLS history, and upset the defending MLS Cup champs (with Sunday night's 1-0 win over Columbus at Giants Stadium). All credit for the goal has to go Dane Richards (with a little help from Seth Stammler), who picked up a loose ball off of a Columbus corner kick (a ball that was loose thanks to a block by Stammler), raced it a full 50 yards, and made Brian Carroll look like a fool with a couple of nifty shifts at the top of the box, before slotting home past Crew goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum. Check out the goal---a Goal of the Week nominee---from MLSnet.com: http://redbull.newyork.mlsnet.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=6385179&team_id=t107&topic_id=t107



For the second consecutive week, the Red Bulls came out aggressive (both offensively and defensively) and really pushed the play to their opponents. While John Wolyniec was a workhorse once again up top, the inclusion of Mac Kandji in the second half really made a difference, as the young Senegalese striker and wiley veteran hooked up almost immediately after Kandji stepped on the field, Kandji setting up Wolyniec for a rocket off the post.



On a side note, Gruenebaum---Columbus' backup 'keeper---must absolutely dread playing in Giants Stadium. Last year, it was Gruenebaum who gave up the only goal a goalkeeper has scored in the MLS...scored by Danny Cepero at Giants Stadium:

Sunday, Gruenebaum didn't manage to record a single save en route to his 2nd loss of the season---only the 4th of the season for the Crew, and snapping the team's 16-game league unbeaten streak.

On one final Red Bulls note, SoccerJunkie has gotten his date for seat selection in the new Red Bull Arena---a reason to start getting excited for next year! You can check out the webcam of the new stadium, including an interior webcam showing the field installation here: http://www.earthcam.com/clients/redbullarena/

The summer transfer window has closed, and it certainly ended with a bang for Portsmouth... The south coast club, under the new ownership of Sulaiman al-Fahim (the man behind the takeover of Manchester City by the Abu Dhabi Group, though he has since split from them), brought in 3 new players on this final day: Watford centerback Mike Williamson (for around 3 million Pounds), Benfica midfielder Hassan Yebda (on a season-long loan), and their marquee signing, Manchester City centerback Tal Ben-Haim (for approx. 4 million Pounds). Just as these players were on their way in, equally as many were on their way out, including David Nugent (on a season-long loan to Burnley) and midfielder Niko Kranjcar to Tottenham. Kranjcar figures to fit right in as a replacement for his teammate on the Croatian National Team, Luca Modric, who was lost for 6 weeks to a broken leg in the weekend's win over Birmingham.

The move of the day has to go to Everton, who has signed Athletico Madrid (and as well Holland international) centerback Johnny Heitinga for 6.2 million Pounds (although the deal could rise as high as 7 million Pounds depending on performance). The oft-injured Heitinga will replace Joleon Lescott, who has sealed his move to Manchester City (thus freeing up Ben-Haim for his Pompey move)---even taking on Lescott's now-vacant #5 jersey. If Heitinga can remain healthy, this move (in addition to the purchase of Sylvan Distin from Portsmouth last week) should help Everton sure up what has been a horrendous defense so far this season.

The US returns to World Cup qualifying Saturday night, hosting El Salvador at Salt Lake's new Rio Tinto Stadium, before heading to Trinidad for a midweek match. While the top 4 teams in CONCACAF have begun to separate themselves, this next week could go a long way to boost---or hurt---the possibilities of automatic qualification for all 4 teams at the top of the CONCACAF hexagonal (the top 3 gain automatic entry to the World Cup, while the 4th-place finished plays the South American 5th-place finisher in a home-and-away aggregate playoff for a spot in South Africa). Heading into this week's games, here's how the teams currently sit:

Costa Rica 4-2-0 12 pts 0 goal differential

Honduras 3-2-1 10 pts +4 GD

United States 3-2-1 10 pts +3 GD

Mexico 3-3-0 9 pts -1 GD

El Salvador 1-3-2 5 pts -2 GD

Trinidad & Tobago 1-3-2 5 pts -4 GD

This week's matches feature:

Sept. 5th: El Salvador @ US, Trinidad @ Honduras, Mexico @ Costa Rica

Sept. 9th: US @ Trinidad, Costa Rica @ El Salvador, Honduras @ Mexico

The US, with by far the easiest schedule, needs to use these games to lock in a top 3 (more realistically a top 2 spot)...Mexico, which has the most difficult schedule, could see themselves fighting just for the playoff spot, though their recent form should make these some very interesting games.

Check back later in the week for SoccerJunkie's in-depth previews/analysis of the US matches!

Well, it's been a while...

SoccerJunkie returns after an unwanted layoff, and there is plenty to talk about...

First off, congrats to WPS' first champion, Sky Blue FC. If you knew going into this season all the turmoil this team would face, there's certainly no doubt that this squad would have had the worst odds for winning it all. Three coaches---the final being captain/player/coach Christie Rampone---a run of roster changes, a struggling superstar (in Natasha Kai, who's facing off-season shoulder surgery), and needing to accomplish a worst-to-first turnaround all made a title seem unlikely. Even heading into the playoffs---which Sky Blue backed into (LA beat Boston on the final day of the regular season after Washington beat Sky Blue the evening prior)---the Jersey team looked to have little chance...as the #4 seed, they'd face 3 road games in just 8 days, having to play at teams they hadn't beat this season. But you have to give the girls credit---they never once looked like a team that didn't belong, outplaying Washington, St. Louis, and LA for long stretches in each game, and picking up crucial goals along the way. After an extremely shaky regular season, Jenny Branam had a HUGE postseason (SoccerJunkie is still trying to figure out how Mark Rogandino and Jenn Hildreth believed that she was one of the best 'keepers in the league this year...they did attend games, right??? Branam struggled to hold on to the ball, making meals of easy saves, even dropping a cross---directed parallel to the goal---into her own net against Boston). But in the playoffs, Branam was nothing short of a complete monster---aggressive, sure-handed, and took one heck of a beating, but somehow managed to pop back up to hold on for the win (granted, against both Washington and St. Louis, I'm not sure Branam would've finished the game if Sky Blue hadn't already used all three subs). While Heather O'Reilly was named MVP---and she correctly named Rampone as a better choice for MVP---I'm not sure there was any single MVP...Jen Buczkowski replaced Euro-bound Anita Asante along side Rampone in the central defense and never missed a beat; Keeley Dowling capped an outstanding defensive effort with the game-winning goal against St. Louis; Kerri Hanks stepped into a starting role, and had a couple of terrific games before giving way to super-sub Kai in the final; Rosana moved from her customary midfield position to become the second striker with ease; and Kacey White terrorized on the outside midfield, doing everything but scoring a goal. From top to bottom, this is the definition of TEAM. And if team efforts win championships---which they do---then there is no more deserving champion than Sky Blue FC. Congratulations, ladies.

To say it's been a week of changes for the Red Bulls would be an understatement... After Juan Carlos Osorio "resigned" (by mutual consent...so let's be honest, the franchise let him save face by resigning before he was fired), the team managed to get off the schnide with a 3-2 home win over FC Dallas on Sunday afternoon. Juan Pablo Angel tied the Gio Savarese's franchise record for regular season league goals with a nifty chip over FC Dallas 'keeper in the first half, then passed it---and tied Clint Mathis' franchise record for goals in all competitions---with the game-winner, a rebound of a terrific shot from Mac Kandji late in the second half. Dane Richards added his second of the season in the first half, a one-touch finish of a John Wolyniec cross. Wolyniec had a strong game, starting up front as Kandji continues to work back from a hamstring injury, and turning in the workman-like effort we've come to expect from the vetran.

(Richards scores in the first half...)(and is stopped by Sala in the second...)
(while Danny Cepero comes up with a first half save)

One win doesn't mean this is a turn-around, though. The team is still a point shy of the league-record for fewest points in a season, and is being led by an interim coach, Richie Williams. Whether or not this team is really going to make a true turnaround---which it can't with this personnel on the field---will hinge on the decision the owners make this offseason regarding the front office of the team. If history tells anything...don't hold your breath. Since purchasing the team, Red Bull has appointed two people to lead the franchise...Marc de Granpre, a marketing exec from the drink side of the company, and Eric Stover, a stadium guru (handy to have with the opening of Red Bull Arena this coming Spring) who currently leads the front office. Neither of these men has ANY experience leading a professional sports franchise, and it's shown---leading to a revolving door of coaches and GM-style positions (which have had a variety of names). After the company got Mo Johnston to step down, Bruce Arena was brought in to assume both roles (without much down time following his 8-year reign with the US National Team), then dropped without being given a chance to really shape his team. Enter Juan Carlos Osorio (at the cost of draft picks to get him from Chicago) and Jeff Agoos (who has no previous executive experience), who are held as equals by the franchise---which should lead to Agoos' dismissal at the end of the year. Almost every player signed by this duo has failed miserably---Angel, Cepero, Goldthwaite, Richards, Wolyniec, Stammler (even Sassano and Ubiparapovic) were Arena signings (or prior)...while players like Rojas, Mbuta, Pietrovallo, Cinchero, Pacheco have all struggled mightily during their tenure. The next coach/GM that Red Bulls bring in need to have a clear understanding of the American game, and be given appropriate time to build their team. There's a reason Americans succeed in Europe, but few have in South America (Jonny Walker is the only player I can think of off the top of my head), and the next coach and GM need to realize that. Jurgen Klinnsmann is still available, right???

The new Premiership season is underway, and already there are some surprises. Who would've thought that one of the last teams on 0 points (and bottom of the table thanks to a 6-0 thrashing against Arsenal) would be Everton? And who would've thought that newly-promoted Burnley would shock Manchester United and Everton? Liverpool tied for first is no surprise, but Tottenham leading the way is a bit of a stunner. Granted, it's early (remember Tottenham's start to last season? Or Hull's start, then finish?), so there's nothing but time for the usual suspects to make this a two-horse race, but things could easily be interesting at the bottom of the table all season long, as SoccerJunkie will predict now that at least one "established" team WILL be relegated this season.

It Ain't Over 'Til the Fat Lady Sings...

That's right---there IS meaningful soccer left to play in the NY metro area...and I'm not talking about the upcoming collegiate seasons, or the FDNY/NYPD game at Giants Stadium.

As late as 7pm Sunday night, halftime in the LA/Boston WPS season finale, it appeared that Sky Blue's tumultuous season was coming to a close (for those who haven't heard, defender and US Captain Christie Rampone has taken over as coach---the team's third this season---after Kelly Lindsey abruptly resigned prior to practice almost 2 weeks ago. Lindsey's resignation came on the heels of the suspension of one of her assistants, a move the team has said was necessary and justified, but wouldn't describe the offense(s).). In the end, though, LA popped home 2, including a meaningless (but still controversial) penalty, for a 2-1 win, and Sky Blue will be the only pro team in the metro area that has something left to play for. They may also be the only team to have a goal to be like the Red Bulls---last year's version, which made a run to the MLS Cup final after backing into the playoffs. It'll take 2 road wins (against Washington and St. Louis) to get to the WPS Final in/against LA...the same number of road wins the Red Bulls needed (against Houston and RSL) last year to make the final, also held in LA.

As for the Red Bulls, well the season that seems like it can never get worse...keeps getting worse. The Red Bulls crashed out of the CONCACAF Champions League in embarassing fashion last week, as captain Juan Pablo Angel was sidelined with a grade-II concussion. Despite scoring two crucial away goals in a 2-2 tie at Trinidadian club team W Connection, the Red Bulls were beaten on their home turf (literally, the FieldTurf surface at Giants Stadium, a type of surface the Caribbean teams are rather unfamiliar with---most can't afford the expense of the installation of the surface, and why would they want to (most of these teams have gorgeous fields)) in front of a smaller crowd (roughly 2,000...in an 80,000-seat stadium) than W Connection drew in their 10,000-seat home. A goal for the Red Bulls for this week: draw more than that 2,000 for Saturday night's home game against Chivas USA.

(photo courtesy WorldStadiums.com)

Wednesday afternoon, 100,000+ will pack the Estadio Azteca for the USA/Mexico World Cup qualifier---a game that has all the meaning in the world to both teams. The US wants to cement their place as the team to beat in CONCACAF---and get rid of the monkies on their back (revenge for the 5-0 Gold Cup final loss at Giants Stadium, and pick up their first ever win in 12 matches at the Azteca)...while 3 points would be vital to Mexico's hopes of qualifying for the World Cup. As the standings are now, the US sits in 2nd, 4 points ahead of 4th-placed Mexico. A 4th-placed finish would send Mexico to a playoff against the 5th-placed finisher from the South American federation. The US roster for the game:

GOALKEEPERS: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa, England), Tim Howard (Everton FC, England)
DEFENDERS: Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes, France), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover, Germany), Jay DeMerit (Watford, England), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan, Italy), Jonathan Spector (West Ham, England)
MIDFIELDERS: Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach, Germany), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC, England), Benny Feilhaber (AGF Aarhus, Sweden), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), José Francisco Torres (Pachuca, Mexico)
FORWARDS: Jozy Altidore (Hull City, England), Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Charlie Davies (FC Sochaux, France), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)

This is certainly a A-team (unlike the B/C-team that faced Mexico in the Gold Cup final), and is a team that has the talent and confident to pick up that first Azteca win. Even still, a tie on the road would be a massive success, as this is a game the US has had to have planned for 0 points in the road to South Africa. Best line-up for success? It'd have to be a 4-4-2 that utilizes speed up top paired with a target forward, and plays the players that have played best together thus far...which means two players in particular, Jozy Altidore and Steve Cherundolo, will find themselves on the bench to start. Brian Ching is the best target man in the country, especially when it comes to having a player playing off of him---a skill Altidore should refine in the Premiership this year. As for Cherundolo, the play of Jonathon Spector in the Confederations Cup this summer makes it nearly impossible to sit him in this one. The best line-up for success:
Howard; Spector-DeMerit-Onyewu-Bocanegra; Dempsey-Bradley-Clark-Donovan; Ching-Davies




The English Premier League season had it's curtain-raising event Sunday, as Chelsea beat Manchester United on penalties to win the Community Shield. If the officiating in this one is any indication of the season to come, this is sure to be an interesting run. Chelsea has the official to thank for their second goal, as a blatant elbow by Michael Ballack (Sir Alex claimed it was worthy of a red card, though a yellow would have been a more justified) left Patrice Evra laying injured on the ground as Chelsea stormed up the field to score. The kicker: the referee had twice stopped play prior to that to allow injured players---including Ballack himself on one occasion---to be tended to. Inconsistency is the biggest downfall for referees, and football fans worldwide can only hope it gets better from here.

99% Full Moon...

Even though there were no big games to really talk about tonight, there is a wide array of expected, surprising, and just old weird news (the moon is 99% full tonight, naturally)...

--Kansas City has fired head coach Kurt Onalfo, replacing him with team executive (and former MLS star) Peter Vermes. The Wizards made the change sitting 2nd-to-last in the Eastern Conference at 5-7-6 for 21 points...a full 11 points ahead of the Red Bulls (2-15-4, 10 points), with 3 games still in hand. Onalfo's career record with KC ends at a very average 27-29-22... Hard to believe that that is grounds for firing, yet the 11-26-14 record of an unnamed coach in NY is satisfying enough to keep him in charge.

--Should New York advance in the CONCACAF Champions League tomorrow evening (hosting W Connection in the 2nd leg, tied 2-2), the Red Bull corporation will have a lot of Champions League to prepare for this year. Salzburg advanced through the 3rd qualifying round in the UEFA Champions League 3-2 this afternoon.

--On one last Red Bull-related note, there's another new twist in the Jozy Altidore "saga" (his story is quickly becoming one since he left for Europe). After getting minimal time with Villareal after his transfer (not at all unexpected), then not playing at all during his loan at Xerez (completely unexpected), there are new questions about where he will play this year. Over the last few weeks, a new loan deal to Olympiakos in Greece appeared likely...but now Premier League side Hull City are said to be offering Villareal 6.5 million Pounds to purchase the American striker. Two other Premiership sides (both with Americans already on the roster), Everton (Tim Howard) and Fulham (Clint Dempsey), are also said to be in the mix, which could lead Villareal to cash in on Jozy. The Spanish side paid MLS approx. $10 million (roughly 5 million Pounds at the time) for Altidore, meaning this could be a quick profit for a player who hardly played for the team.

In more international news:

--Real Madrid is continuing their spending spree, as Liverpool has agreed to sell midfielder Xabi Alonso to the Spanish giants. The move, worth 3o million Pounds, shines the light on a larger problem...

as does...

--Everton defender Joleon Lescott is said to be writing the team's chairman, asking for a transfer to Manchester City. City has had bids on 15 and 18 million Pounds denied, and are reported to be preparing another bid.

The problem? Players demanding transfers. Soccer is one of the only sports in the world where players are commodities, bought and sold by clubs. Even this years swap between Inter Milan and Barcelona saw Inter include $56 million with Zlatan Ibrahimovic in exchange for Barca striker Samuel Eto'o. Players sign their contracts, but an increasing number of these players are trying to force their teams into selling them to competitors (just look at Lescott, who wants Everton to sell him to a Manchester City team that Everton could easily be in a grueling season-long battle with for a spot in European competition next year). In other major sports, when a player signs a contract, they honor that contract until they become free agents...soccer players should be held to that same standard.

And the wheels fall off...

...for the US MNT.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some (mostly) international news:

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

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

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

picture courtesy of daylife.com

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

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

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

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

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


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






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

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




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




Other news:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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