NORTHJERSEY.COM |
| Local News |
| News |
| Education |
| Health |
| Sports |
| Better Living |
| Food/Dining |
| Columnists |
| Lottery |
| Obituaries |
| Opinion |
| Politics |
| Business & Tech | Herald News |
| Nation & World |
| NJ/Region |
« May 2007 | Main | July 2007 »
Hello folks. I'm not in Columbus for tonight's match but I'll be watching and offering up some observations. If you want to follow along and add your own thoughts on the match then follow along on this thread.
Let's have some fun.
Continue reading "Red Bulls vs. Columbus Crew: My Running Commentary" »
Danny Szetela's first-half header gave the U.S. Under-20 national team the lead but it didn't last long as South Korea equalized before halftime. Chris Seitz bailed out a shaky U.S. defense with a handful of quality saves as the U.S. team settled for a 1-1 tie in its opening match of the Under-20 World Cup.
What did you think of the match? Who stood out? Who stunk? Share your thoughts on the match below.
The U.S. Under-20 national team is set to open its Under-20 World Cup today against South Korea (5pm, ESPNU).
I'm not really sure on what the lineup will be for the USA for this game but here's a guess:
-----------Altidore-------Ferrari------------
Rogers-------------Adu--------------Bradley
-------------------Szetela--------------------
Ward-------------------------------------Igwe
-------------Sturgis-----Valentin------------
---------------------Seitz---------------------
What do you think of this lineup? Share your thoughts on the squad and what you think the lineup should be for today's match below.
The Red Bulls filled one of their empty roster slots on Friday by acquiring midfielder Santino Quaranta from the LA Galaxy for a conditional fourth round draft pick.
Quaranta is expected to join the Red Bulls in Columbus for their match against the Crew. No word yet on whether he'll actually be on the bench for the match.
What role will Quaranta play for the Red Bulls? He'll be a winger/forward off the bench and it makes you wonder what future Markus Schopp has on the team. Don't be surprised to see the Austrian midfielder depart soon.
Actually, the player who should be looking into a moving company is Mike Magee, who may also be on the way out.
By signing Quaranta, the Red Bulls have one open roster spot left to sign a defender, unless they part with another player, likely Magee or Schopp. Which defender will they sign? Good question.
In other news, Dema Kovalenko did not make the trip to Columbus.
What do you think of this trade? Excited? Angry? Indifferent (yes, please)? Share your thoughts below.
Having trouble keeping up with the flurry of transfer moves in the European market? Join the club.
Another wave of transfers have gone through this week as teams such as Barcelona and Liverpool load up for the 2007/2008 campaign.
here are some of the more recent transfers, and some that are in the works:
Eric Abidal joins Thierry Henry at Barcelona
Tottenham breaks the bank for Darren Bent
Newcastle closing in on Edmilson
Liverpool closing in on Fernando Torres
Barcelona closing in on Christian Chivu
These are just some of the moves that have been made or are close to being made. There are other players whose names are flooding the rumor mills, such as Carlos Tevez, Samuel Eto'o and Juan Riquelme, so stay tuned for more transfer action throughout the coming weeks and months.
Which of these moves do you like the most? Are there any moves you would love to see? Share your thoughts on the European transfer market below.
Those of you wondering what happened to those questions I never got around to answering more than a week ago, here they are. They got lost in the Gold Cup sauce but I was able to dig them up and answer them.
Here you go:
DANNY- adu is supposed to be the difference maker for the U20's in the upcoming tournament, but personally i think bradley will shine brighter and be the real engine of our team. What do you think bradley's effect will be on the team? what will happen to adu's euro chances if he gets overshadowed? we have a scary talented team, i think we can go deep into the tournament and maybe win it all.
Good morning all. I know some of you are still bummed out after the U.S. national team's 4-1 loss to Argentina but after watching the match three more times last night (yes, I had insomnia and had to crank out an ESPN.com piece) I can say that the match wasn't as bad as it might have seemed.
Was the Eddie Gaven for Ben Olsen substitution terrible? Yes. Did Marvell Wynne look lost out there? Yes. Was the forward tandem of Eddie Johnson and Taylor Twellman largely invisible except for the penalty kick Johnson drew? Yes.
That aside, there were positives. The defense was actually solid, particularly the central defense. Jay DeMerit is staking his claim to a starting center back slot. We'll see how he does in the remaining Copa matches but he is breathing down the necks of Oguchi Onyewu and Carlos Bocanegra.
So who's next for the Americans? Paraguay, which is coming off a 5-0 destruction of Colombia. Hey, Bradley said he wanted his young guys to get some experience in tough games right? Well here it is and here comes more.
If you have any thoughts on the game that you haven't already shared, please share them below.
A beautiful first half, then a bloodbath.
The U.S. national team played tough, solid defense and stayed right with Argentina in the first half but slowly fell apart in the second half as Argentina began finding the cracks in the American defense en route to a 4-1 victory in Copa America action on Thursday.
So what went wrong? Trouble began when Ben Olsen left the match due to fatigue and Eddie Gaven came into the match. Gaven's poor workrate helped spring Lionel Messi to set up Argentina's go-ahead goal. Marvell Wynne followed by getting lazy on a play on the wing, which gave Gabriel Heinze enough room to deliver a perfect cross to a cutting Juan Pablo Aimar to make the score 3-1.
Carlos Tevez sealed the match with a well-timed run that beat the U.S. team's offside trap followed by a beautiful finish to make the final score 4-1.
What did you think of the result? Are you angry, Was the first half promising enough for you to come away somewhat pleased? Do you want Bob Bradley fired (If you do you need to calm down)? Share your thoughts on the match below.
Here is the running commentary on tonight's Copa America match between the U.S. national team and Argentina.
Here we go, follow along by clicking the link below:
Continue reading "COPA AMERICA: U.S.A-Argentina (My running commentary)" »
So much for that phantom lineup.
The US starting lineup for tonight's match against Argentina is actually the lineup I posted this morning so there are no surprises. Here it is:
-----------Twellman-------Johnson---------------
Mapp----------------------------------------Olsen
--------------Feilhaber---Clark------------------
Bornstein---------------------------------Wynne
--------------DeMerit---Conrad-----------------
So there is a US national team starting XI for tonight's game against Argentina floating around the web. I haven't gotten confirmation of it (ESPN.com's match tracker and the Copa America site have it but USSoccer.com's matchtracker isn't up yet) so I'm not buying this one. I figured I could still toss it out to see what you folks thought of it:
--------------Johnson----------------
Mapp--------Kljestan---------Gomez
--------Feilhaber---Clark-----------
Moor---Califf------Conrad----Wynne
----------------Keller-----------------
This group doesn't make much sense since it doesn't include either of the team's natural left backs, Bornstein and Pearce. That's the biggest problem I have with it. Well that and the absence of DeMerit.
What do I see the lineup being? After some more consideration I think this is what we'll see:
After clearing roster space by parting ways with three defenders on Thursday, the Red Bulls are set to sign Clifton native and former Rutgers forward Chris Karcz to a deal. I haven't received word yet on the type of deal he is being signed to but odds are he will slide into the developmental roster spot vacated by Hugh McDonald.
Karcz has spent the past two months training with the Red Bulls and secured a deal after proving that he was capable of staying healthy. Karcz has suffered three torn ACLs, including one a year ago, but has managed to stay healthy and has impressed Red Bulls coaches with his skill and work ethic at the forward position.
The signing ends a two-year saga for Karcz, who was drafted by the Chicago Fire in 2005 only to have a turn ACL end his chances of catching on with the Fire. After some failed trials in Europe, and a third ACL tear, Karcz's pro prospects looked bleak until the Red Bulls gave him a chance this spring.
The two remaining roster spots will be used to sign two new defenders, with Tony Sanneh, Chris Leitch and Mariano Fernandez in the mix to be signed.
You've heard it over and over, Argentina is going to blow out the U.S. national team in Copa America. You've heard that a thousand times a day since the U.S. roster was announced and it became clear that the Americans were sending a C team to face what is basically Argentina's full senior squad.
Well, the matchday is here and we are left to ponder what the U.S. starting lineup will look like. Argentina revealed theirs days ago, but we have no way to know what lineup Bob Bradley is considering. Well, we do have some evidence to help us with some of the players in the lineup. Look at this Associated Press picture from US practice on Wednesday:
There are six players in this picture: Jimmy Conrad, Benny Feilhaber, Ricardo Clark, Jonathan Bornstein, Justin Mapp and Ben Olsen. It's safe to say that everyone in this picture is starting. Thanks to those of you who figured out that was Ben Olsen in the picture. He makes sense as a starter on the right since he has experience that Lee Nguyen doesn't and he's also in mid-season form (The guy did net a hat-trick recently). Ultimately, you need as much defensive bite on the field as you can get. Nguyen isn't playing in season right now so I wonder where his fitness is right now. There is no such concern for Olsen.
If you're wondering how Argentina is doing, here is a picture from their practice:
That's a pretty relaxed looking bunch. From left to right you have Alfio Basile, Messi chasing Heinze, Ayala with his hand raise, Riquelme, Veron, Zanetti, Mascherano and Crespo. A pretty good group, isn't it?
Here is how I see the two teams looking when they take the field in Maracaibo tonight:
Continue reading "COPA AMERICA: Who would you start against Argentina?" »
Hugo Sanchez had his prayers answered.
The Mexican national team coach needed his team to have a good showing in Copa America and the team has gotten off to a great start by scoring to beautiful goals to beat Brazil, 2-0, on Wednesday night. Nery Castillo (pictured below) and Ramon Morales netted highlight-reel striikes while goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa played a stellar match.
What did you think of Mexico's performance? Share your thoughts below.
So much for Mexico's turmoil and Hugo Sanchez losing control of his team.
Mexico has rebounded from its Gold Cup loss to the USA on Sunday by scoring two beautiful goals to take a 2-0 halftime lead against Brazil tonight. Mexico is playing well and Brazil looks completely disjointed and not like the Brazil we're used to seeing.
Will things change in the second half? We will soon find out.
Feel free to share your thoughts on the second half action below.
For those of you who hadn't seen it, here is my Herald News story on the trade between the Red Bulls and Toronto FC. (This is really the link, sorry for the link mix-up earlier.)
The one detail you'll need to see is the fact tht the Red Bulls dealt Dunivant AND $75,000 in cash for Goldthwaite. With Toronto only paying a third of Dunivant's salary this deal wasn't about cap space as first thought. The Red Bulls just wanted to get rid of Dunivant. They thought he was too soft and injury-proned and think Goldthwaite is tougher, cheaper and potentially just as good as Dunivant. The Red Bulls will also feel the savings on the cap in 2008, when you would expect the team to make even more big moves.
What do I think of the deal? I think the Red Bulls are absolutely insane to have included cash in that deal. Mo Johnston wanted Dunivant badly and would surely have done a straight swap. If including the cash was the only way to make the deal work under Toronto's cap then the Red Bulls should have had something else thrown in, like a draft pick.
Do you think the Red Bulls are crazy for dealing Dunivant AND cap space for Goldthwaite? Do you like the deal? Share your thoughts below.
Inter Milan introduced new signing David Suazo on Wednesday. The move ends a long-running quest by Inter to land the Honduran star. Suazo wasted no time squashing any suggestion that he ever considered signing with AC Milan, which made a last-ditch bid for him.
Suazo joins a loaded Inter Milan forward line including Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Adriano, Hernan Crespo and Julio Cruz, though recent reports have suggested that Ibrahimovic is ready for a move, either to Man United or AC Milan. Cruz has also been linked to a potential move to San Lorenzo.
Who stays and who goes? Whether you're an Inter fan, or Inter hater, tell me what you think about this signing. Share your thoughts below.
U.S. national team midfielder DaMarcus Beasley has completed his long-rumored move to Glasgow Rangers.
The move ends Beasley's up and down stint with PSV Eindhoven as he heads to the same club Claudio Reyna once called home.
What do you think of the move? Share your thoughts below.
Day two of Copa America features one of the tournament's most highly anticipated matches, Brazil vs. Mexico (8:45pm, GolTV, Telefutura).
Brazil doesn't have Ronaldinho or Kaka but still has enough firepower to be considered the favorite tonight against a Mexico squad that is reportedly in turmoil. Diego and Robinho (below) lead the Brazil attack and they'll be looking to punish a Mexico defense that will be without key starting defenders Ricardo Osorio and Carlos Salcido.
Mexico is missing most of its top European-based players but still have the weapons to make it a game against Brazil.
Continue reading "COPA AMERICA: Mexico faces Brazil tonight" »
If you had Brad Davis in your fantasy lineup last week then you're probably still hungover from the celebration.
Davis' hat-trick scored some very lucky (and smart) owners triple digits and helped shake up the SBI Fantasy standings.
The juggernaut known as Hudson FC extended its lead atop the SBI standings, with long-time first-place squad Taurine Machine continuing to plummet. Dunder-Mifflin, one of the best nicknames in the league, has moved into second place.
Guess who has climbed all the way back up to sixth place? Yep, Atletico SBI. You probably thought I was finished after that two week disaster in May, but I'm back.
Here is the SBI Fantasy League Top 10:
The Red Bulls have released defenders Taylor Graham and Tim Regan. Word came down late Tuesday night. No word on when the Red Bulls will actually announce the moves, particularly since they have yet to announce the Todd Dunivant-Kevin Goldthwaite deal.
The move doesn't come as a big surprise. Both Graham and Regan were given chances to play and both struggled badly in the time they were given. Now Bruce Arena will look for two defenders to add to the roster, with trialists Tony Sanneh, Chris Leitch and Mariano Fernandez in the mix to earn roster spots.
No, that's not a misprint. Peru just dismantled the favorites from Uruguay in the opening match of Copa America. I'll post more later. I need to celebrate this one a little bit.
Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole, Pe-Ru, Pe-Ru.
Since many of you are still basking in the glow of the U.S. national team's Gold Cup final triumph over Mexico, I figured it would be good to let you all see the best pictures from the day.
Here are the best images of the day (captions provided by yours truly):
Benny Feilhaber reaches out to celebrate his goal with teammates. The reason his jersey is Hugo Sanchez-tight is because Damarcus Beasley is grabbing him.
The tournament is officially here.
The 2007 Copa America kicks off today with a pair of interesting matches. Uruguay faces Peru at 6pm and Venezuela meets Bolivia at 8:45pm. Both matches will air on GolTV and Telefutura. I'm not going to lie. I will have the Peru flag out and will be cheering my family's nation on.
If you're looking for good info on the Copa America, here is the official website.
Will you be watching Copa America or are you one of the unfortunate souls who doesn't have GolTV or Telefutura? Maybe I'll do a running diary off the Peru-Uruguay game, although I can't say I can be impartial for that one. I was actually trying to take today off but as you can tell on the blog, that didn't quite work out.
I'll post some Copa America predictions later on today so stay tuned.
I know this is painful to see for you Arsenal fans out there but I had to post this picture of Henry. Talk about a surreal image.
So much for Hugo Sanchez having things under control.
The Mexican national team is apparently in crisis as it prepares for Copa America. There are reportedly riffs within the team, with some players who were fans of former coach Ricardo LaVolpe forming one camp and supporters of Sanchez in another camp. There is even word that LaVolpe spoke to some Mexican players during the Gold Cup, offering them advice. Now Sanchez (admit it, you love that picture) is feeling the heat and needs his team to have a good Copa America or else he could be gone. Not exactly the drama you want heading into a tough tournament and very tough first match against Brazil.
Admit it, you love hearing this news. Share your thoughts on this latest development below.
The Red Bulls and Toronto FC have made their second deal of the season. The Red Bulls have dealt Todd Dunivant to Toronto FC for Kevin Goldthwaite.
A source with knowledge of the trade has just informed me this morning that the trade is not a straight swap. The Red Bulls will actually pay a portion of Dunivan't salary in the deal, meaning the trade doesn't free up the large amount of cap space first thought to be created by this deal. So the deal is Dunivant AND cap relief for Goldthwaite.
So what's the point of the deal exactly? If the Red Bulls aren't gaining cap space then it really doesn't make much sense. Goldthwaite (on the right in the photo) is regarded as a tougher defender than Dunivant, and is more versatile, but Dunivant is the better all-around player, a left back who has been on the U.S. national team radar. The Red Bulls can sacrifice the attacking quality they lose in the deal because Dave Van Den Bergh provides enough of an attack from the left wing, but that still doesn't explain trading a more valauable player for a less valuable one.
One factor is Bruce Arena's less than impressed view of Dunivant. According to sources, Arena wasn't much of a fan of Dunivant's since taking over as Red Bulls head coach, which may come as a surprise to some considering Arena had previously called Dunivant into U.S. national team camps. Arena is apparently a member of the camp that believes Dunivant is too soft a player, a camp that counts Alexi Lalas as a member.
I remember one instance when I tried to get Arena to say something positive about Dunivant last season, leading Arena to call Dunivant "One of the top 12 left backs in MLS." It was a pretty funny line at the time but his unwillingness to single Dunivant out for praise was telling.
There is also the question of Dunivant's health. He has been nursing a quad injury for some time now and the Red Bulls may have considered him an injury liability.
The trade is another steal for Toronto coach Mo Johnston, who has been rattling off deals like Howie Mandel. His previous three deals, Marvell Wynne for a draft pick and partial allocation, Tyrone Marshall for Edson Buddle and Jeff Cunningham for Alecko Eskandarian were all absolute steals and this latest trade, coupled with the recent signing of Colin Samuel, has Toronto FC looking like a serious playoff contender with the season still not at its midpoint.
As for the Red Bulls, the trade initially looked like it was made so they could clear cap space to sign one of the defenders they have been linked with (Tony Sanneh, Chris Leitch, Mariano Fernandez), but with Red Bulls eating a large portion of the nearly $70,000 in salary difference between Dunivant ($99,750) and Goldthwaite ($30,870). I still haven't found out how much of the $70,000 the Red Bulls are absorbing but if they are at least recouping $20,000 in cap space then you can at least argue that even that amount of space could help sign a Leitch or Sanneh. It would be a weak argument, but an argument nonetheless.
What do you think of the trade? Are you sad to see Dunivant go or do you like the idea of Bruce Arena dealing for some cap room to sign another defender? Share your thoughts below.
Hello all. I'm on the plane, getting ready for the trip back to New Jersey and I have to say this was a great trip. Chicago has always been one of my favorite cities and I think I like it even more. It's actually one of the few cities I would leave the New York/New Jersey area for (Hey, if Henry can leave Arsenal, I suppose I could leave new Jersey).
Even though everyone is still talking about that amazing Gold Cup final, it's already time to start thinking about Copa America. That tournament should be fun to watch as many of South America's best young stars take field and try to keep Argentina's full-strength squad from running away with the title.
I know many of you were angry and disappointed by the U.S. roster for Copa America (so was I at first) but the tournament should offer three really good tests for a good group of young American players. Anything is possible. if the U.S. team can come from behind against Mexico for the first time in eight decades of playing them then whose to say an upset over mighty Argentina can't happen? (Okay, finding a way to get four points in the group stage is probably more realistic, but still.)
How closely will you watch Copa America? What players will you be looking forward to seeing? Do you think the United States has a chance to reach the second round? Share your thoughts below. My plane is about to take off and as much as I liked Chicago, I'm ready to go back to Jersey.
It's a bit of a gloomy morning in Chicago but it is a sunny day in the world of American soccer after the U.S. national team's come from behind victory against Mexico in the Gold Cup final.
Here's my column for the Herald News on the Gold Cup final. I will have a column on the match for ESPN.com that should post later this morning.
Here are some numbers that are just impressive to look at:
Remember when people insisted that the national team needed a foreign coach to succeed?
Remember when having a core of top players going to Europe was supposed to help turn Mexico back into a dominant force?
To be fair, Mexico played some amazing soccer at times on Sunday. Nery Castillo and Andres Guardado are truly talented and the impending arrival of Carlos Vela and Giovani Dos Santos could give Mexico a young attacking quartet as good as any in the world. That's still at least a year away but it's coming.
Until then, the U.S. team can bask in the glow of yet another win and another Gold Cup trophy to add to the collection.
What did you think of Sunday's Gold Cup final? Share your thoughts below.
Wow, what a game.
The U.S. national team comesbackfrom a 1-0 deficit to beat Mexico 2-1 (sorry, 2-0 is a habit I suppose) in front of a sold-out crowd at Soldier Field dominated by Mexican fans.
I've been to a bunch of US-Mexico games and today's was easily the best game of the bunch. Both teams played well, attacking in waves and both goalkeepers came up with clutch saves.
Here are some updates from after the match:
The comeback victory was the first for the U.S. team in the 73-year history of the rivalry.
Andres Guardado has been labeled healthy and able to go with Mexico to Copa America. I haven't heard about Jared Borgetti's status but his injury appeared more severe.
Jonathan Spector was taken to hospital for observation fer a mild concussion suffered in the same collision that left Guardado with a concussion.
Yes, that was Mexican defender Carlos Salcido who exchanged jerseys with Landon Donovan. A great gesture of sportsmanship, unlike Hugo Sanchez berating match officials and sarcastically applauding them during the trophy ceremony.
One Mexican player who did give the U.S. team credit after the match was none other than goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez. After a great performance in goal, Sanchez refused to call the penalty call questionable and stated that the Mexican team was to blame for its missed opportunity.
There were some ugly scenes of fighting in the stands after the match. In most cases, it was Mexicans fighting other Mexicans.
Here are some other observations from today's game:
Okay folks, I'm still not sure if I'll be able to handle a running commentary for this match since I'm trying to catch a flight after the game and need to write as much of my Herald News as possible but I will at least do a basic one. Let's get a roll call of readers who plan on following along and taking part. That'll help me decide whether to crank out a full commentary or not.
Please use the comments section of this post to share your own views on the match. I will begin posting shortly so stay tuned.
Here they are folks, today's starting lineups:
USA
---------Ching------Dempsey--------
Beasley----------------------Donovan
------Mastroeni-----Feilhaber--------
Bornstein-----------------------Spector
-------Bocanegra---Onyewu-------------
---------------Howard-------------------
Hello all. It's three hours to kickoff of the Gold Cup final and I'll be heading to the stadium shortly.
Here are my Gold Cup final stories for the Herald News today:
and
Beasley: Mexico could be better
It's a cloudy day in Chicago but I don't think there will be rain for the match. I'll check back in when I get to Soldier Field. No word yet on the lineup. At this point i'm leaning toward the US team fielding this squad:
Hello all, I'm here in Chi-town getting ready to go to the US national team press conference. Nothing much going on over here but as news surfaces I'll pass it along. Keep an eye out for a US-Mexico piece from me on ESPN.com. That should post later in the afternoon.
So here's the obvious question. What starting lineup would you use on Sunday if you were Bob Bradley?
Here's my crack at the lineup I see Bradley using:
Continue reading "A rainy Saturday in Chicago (and picking a US lineup vs. Mexico" »
Okay, I'll admit it. My initial reaction to the US Copa America roster was one of major disappointment. After giving it some thought I came to realize what was at the heart of my initial reaction.
I made the mistake of believing Sunil Gulati when he repeatedly said that the US team would be a strong one and one capable of doing well at the tournament. He brushed off concerns about whether MLS teams and foreign clubs would be okay with releasing players and laughed at suggestions that the eventual US Copa team would be a patchwork squad.
After getting over the disappointment of the US team not being as strong as expected I sat down and really looked at the roster and the tournament and think the team isn't horrendous and the chances of a trip to the second round aren't impossible.
Continue reading "the US Copa Roster (my much calmer take on it)" »
Amidst all the controversy surrounding the U.S. team's Copa America roster it was easy to forget about Mexico's roster situation. As I reported last night, Mexico's European-based stars begged out of the competition, leaving Hugo Sanchez to try and fill in the blanks.
Here is the Mexico Copa America roster:
Continue reading "Mexico's Copa America squad not so great, but decent" »
Here it is, the US national team's Copa America roster:
GOALKEEPERS- Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Kasey Keller (Borussia Moenchengladbach)
DEFENDERS- Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Bobby Boswell (D.C. United), Dan Califf (Aalborg BK), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Jay DeMerit (Watford FC), Drew Moor (FC Dallas), Heath Pearce (FC Nordsjælland), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)
MIDFIELDERS- Kyle Beckerman (Colorado Rapids), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Benny Feilhaber (Hamburger SV), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Justin Mapp (Chicago Fire), Lee Nguyen (PSV Eindhoven), Ben Olsen (D.C.United)
FORWARD- Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Herculez Gomez (Colorado Rapids), Eddie Johnson (Kansas City Wizards), Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution)
Talk about a thorougly disappointing group. There's getting experience for young players and there is leading lambs to the slaughter. No Landon Donovan, no Clint Dempsey, no chance. (OK, clearly I overreacted a bit. After calming down I offered a more reasonable take on this squad so if you're reading this be sure to check out the more in-depth post on the team.)
On the bright side, one name on the list that I called was Eddie Gaven and managed 16 of the 22 names. Some of you thought I was crazy. Little did I know that Gaven would be just one of the big surprises on the squad.
Still waiting. You'll see it here as soon as it comes out so stay tuned.
Read it and weep Arsenal fans. French striker Thierry Henry has finally made the long-anticipated move to Barcelona.
No word yet on the details of the deal and whether any players are headed to Arsenal in the deal.
You know what this deal means. Barcelona's attack is officially sick.
I'm heading to downtown Chicago for today's press availability with the US national team. No, still no word on the Copa America roster, but that's coming soon enough.
For those of you who haven't seen it, here is my column on the US-Canada game for ESPN.com. There are player grades included so take a look at this and feel free to offer your own take on grades and other observations from the game.
I'll be back soon so stay tuned for more posts in a few hours.
So I'm camped out, waiting for the word on the US Copa America roster only to get word a few minutes ago that the roster won't be released until 4pm Eastern Time. ARGHHH.
What's the hold up? I wish I knew.
While we wait for the US national team's Copa America roster to becme available I think we need to admire Argentina's stacked Copa America roster.
Messi, Tevez, Crespo, Aimar and Riquelme. Wow.
The Fire job is still available but some candidates are starting to come into focus. Here are the coaches who I have heard as candidates:
And no, nobody has been offered the job yet. Osorio is actually on vacation in Colombia at the moment and wouldn't be in position to interview, much less accept the job until next week. Expect Fire president John Guppy to interview a handful of candidates in the next week to two weeks before making a decision that should come down in early July.
For those of you who don't know much about Osorio, keep this in mind. If not for Bob Bradley's willingness to go from the Fire to the MetroStars Osorio would have been named MetroStars head coach in 2003. He was also a finalist (and some say second choice) for the DC United job when Peter Nowak was hired. In short, the man is well-respected and he's eager to coach in MLS.
I will try to get more details on the coaching search as they become available.
Good morning all. It's Friday and we're still waiting for the release of the U.S. Copa America roster. No sign of them yet even though I was told last night that they would be out by 10am.
It was a crazy night at Soldier Field. You all know about the blown offside call already, as well as Mexico's tough win against Guadeloupe. After the match Mexican players had some interesting things to say about the final. No, there was no bulletin board material, but some pretty good stuff.
One of the weirder sights from last night's matches was seeing Mexican fans go crazy about the bad call against Canada. Projectiles flew and boos rang through the stadium. Now while I agree with the idea that the call was bad but if you're a Mexico fan don't you want to play the United States? Aren't you just dying for some revenge after so many losses to 'Los Gringos'? Landon Donovan heard more boos than anybody during the US match. Not sure if it was his "We're Mexico's daddy comments or what."
I cranked out a column on the US-Canada match for ESPN.com that should post in a few hours. A unique aspect of the column is my attempt at player ratings. I don't normally do player ratings (I believe you need to watch a game at least twice to give really good ratings) but that was my task this time and I think I was tough but fair. I'll let you be the judge.
Today will be a light day for me. I'll be heading over to the US team's hotel for an interview session there as we start hyping up Sunday's final. The match is sold out and I would put the ratio of fans at 80/20 Mexico. Just a hunch.
I didn't get to see any of the Houston/Chivas USA match. All I know is that Houston scored four goals yet Joseph Ngwenya, my captain this week in fantasy, had zero of them. It's not looking good for my bid to move into the top 10. I know I didn't post the SBI fantasy rankings yet but I'll try to put them up today.
Apologies to those of you still waiting for the rest of the Q&A but yesterday wound up being more hectic than I expected. I thought I would get a little more feedback on my All-CONCACAF and All-World Under-23 teams. Maybe I'll post those again.
That's all for now. I'll be putting up the Copa America roster as soon as it comes out, along with some other gems from Chicago so stay tuned.
The Copa America rosters will be officially released on Thursday and the US national team won't be the only team missing top players. Several of Mexico's top players have asked to be excused from the Copa America roster. Pavel Pardo, Ricardo Osorio, Carlos Salcido and Nery Castillo have stated their preference not to play in the tournament, citing a need for rest and important European seasons ahead.
The US roster won't be known until the morning so keep an eye out for that.
The dream Gold Cup final is now set. Mexico played some beautiful soccer but couldn't break through on Guadeloupe until midfielder Pavel Pardo delivered a 30-yard blast into the top right corner of the Guadeloupe goal to give Mexico a 1-0 victory on Thursday night.
The Mexicans will now face the United States in the highly-anticipated Gold Cup final on Sunday at Soldier Field. The match is already a sellout.
Mexico looked good in moving the ball around on an overmatched but inspired Guadeloupe team, whose goalkeeper, Franck Grandel, kept them in the match.
It's Mexico and the United States in a rematch of a friendly played in February in Phoenix. The US team won that match 2-0, but things will be different this time around. In this case, both teams have been together for two weeks now. Mexico will have all hands on deck while the US team will be without Frankie Hejduk and Michael Bradley.
What did you think of tonight's matches? Who do you see winning on Sunday? Share your thoughts below.
The call was bad.
The offside call that negated Canada's potential equalizing goal against the US team was wrong. The bad decision provided a disappointing ending to a rather exciting match. The United States won 2-1, but we'll never know what would have happened if the game had gone into overtime tied with Canada playing a man up.
Just to clarify, according to several Canada players, the linesman who made the decisive call told them that his ruling was that a Canadian player headed the ball down. As you know if you saw the match, Oguchi Onyewu headed the ball, not a Canadian player. Even if the call had been on the original pass the Canadian attackers were not offside anyway.
It was a disappointing performance by the Americans, particularly the way they handled protecting their lead. It was like Panama all over again.
The defense was particularly shaky at times and Kasey Keller showed his age. Bob Bradley said he thought Keller played well. I can't agree with that one.
The offense played well but wasted some very good chances in the second half. This team needs to develop a killer instinct and realize that a 2-0 lead just isn't enough, especially against teams with the attacking players to erase a two-goal deficit in a few minutes.
I thought Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan and Michael Bradley stood out while Carlos Bocanegra and Eddie Johnson were just plain bad.
What did you think about tonight's match? Share your thoughts below.
Hello all. I won't be able to do a proper running diary but you can feel free to offer your comments on the match in the comments section of this post.
Fire away.
Here is the US lineup vs. Canada:
--------------------Johnson------------------
Beasley----------------------------Dempsey
--------------------Donovan-----------------
------------Mastroeni----Bradley-----------
Bornstein-----------------------------Hejduk
-------------Onyewu-----Bocanegra----------
----------------------Keller---------------------
BENCH: Howard, Feilhaber, DeMerit, Simek, Clark, Twellman, Mapp
I got nine of 11, with Keller and Johnson the ones I missed. So why Johnson ahead of Twellman? He's fresh and his speed can create problems for a slow Canada defense.
So why Keller? I posted about this move earlier today.
Some time tonight, US national team coach Bob Bradley will submit his roster for Copa America. We haven't heard much about who may be on the roster but theories abound.
How many Gold Cup players will Bradley take? What European-based players that he hasn't taken a look at yet will he call on now? What MLS players who have fallen off the radar is Bradley ready to give a chance to? There are plenty of good questions about the roster that will take on Argentina, Colombia and Paraguay.
What kind of team do I see? I see a young team led by a strong nucleus of veterans. I think there will be at least one or two surprises on the roster (which explains the inclusion of at least one name on my projected roster).
Here is my prediction on the roster Bradley will select for Copa America, which begins next week:
Continue reading "The U.S. team's Copa America Roster: My take (revised)" »
So much for not expecting too many surprises in the US lineup today.
According to Steve Goff, Kasey Keller will be starting in goal tonight against Canada. If he does, it will mark his 100th appearance for the national team.
The decision is somewhat surprising but Keller is worthy of the nod even though Howard has been solid throughout the tournament. Keller was okay in the US team's 2-0 victory against Trinidad & Tobago although he did have some uncharacteristic stumbles.
When asked about Keller potentially getting a 100th cap in the knockout rounds Howard was very diplomatic. "He's deserving of it whenever it comes and if that happens then I'm fine with it."
It should be noted that Howard picked up a yellow card late in the Panama match and would have missed the final if he had earned a second yellow against Canada. I'm not sure how much that played a part in Bob Bradley's decision but it's worth mentioning.
Hello all, I've taken a little chill time in Chi-town today and I have to tell you the weather here is amazing. Sunny but with a cool breeze off the lake.
After knocking out a portion of the Q&A (the rest is coming, I promise) I met up with the Chicago Tribune's Luis Arroyave for lunch. Now it's his town and the guy can take me anywhere for lunch and where do we wind up? Pizzeria Uno's. Yep, that's right. I'm trying to figure out what would be as bad as that? I think next time Luis is in NYC I'll take him to Pizza Hut. I'll see about hitting Gibson's and/or Carson's (quality steak and rib spots for the uninitiated) before I leave Chicago. If anyone has other good recommendations, please fire them away.
I stayed downtown figuring I could kill time until the game tonight and ran into the Boston Globe's Frank Dell'Apa, who bailed me out of an internet access jam.
I'll see if I can post a few more answers to questions before heading over to the stadium. I've got about an hour before heading over. No new news to report on the Chicago coaching situation. Not yet anyway.
That's all for now. I'll see about knocking out a few posts before heading to Soldier Field so stay tuned.
Okay folks, I know it's been a few days past when I was supposed to have the Q&A done but it's been a bit of a busy week. That and some of the more elaborate questions from some of you made it longer than usual for me to get through the questions.
Rather than keep you waiting, here are some of your questions answered (The rest will come soon). There is plenty of good food for thought, including an All-CONCACAF team and an All-World Under-23 team. Enjoy.
DOMINGHOSA- I know you've answered this before but what is your updated educated guess on the next three cities for MLS expansion? And why?
Thanks again man, for your work on the blog.
What a busy Wednesday in the soccer world. I thought I would be coming to Chicago for a simple assignment, but news of Dave Sarachan's firing, word that there was no chance Peter Nowak would take the job, as well as late word of an MLS trade on the west coast kept me a bit swamped. Because of that I wasn't able to finish the Q&A last night. I am working on it right now and will post as much as I have done later this morning.
Stay tuned for more posts shortly.
When the Chicago Fire announced the firing of Dave Sarachan today one name jumped to the top of most people's lists as a leading candidate to replace him, Peter Nowak. Fire fans have long dreamed of their former captain coming back to lead the team he captained to the 1998 MLS Cup title.
It's not happening.
According to sources in Chicago, Nowak has no intention of taking the job vacated by Sarachan. Nowak is apparently happy with his current position as assistant coach of the US national team.
So who are the leading candidates? Denis Hamlett is the interim coach but appears unlikely to be hired on a permanent basis. Chicago-area soccer legend Frank Klopas is likely to be considered while Juan Carlos Osorio, who I suggested earlier today, may actually get a look. What I am hearing is that Fire president John Guppy wants to hire a permanent replacement ASAP, preferably before Cuauhtemoc Blanco arrives in July.
I am in Chicago until Sunday so I will keep digging and will post any more information as it becomes available.
Just a day after introducing newly-signed Honduran forward Carlos Pavon, the LA Galaxy have added yet another attacking weapon to the bunch. According to sources on the West Coast, the Galaxy have acquired veteran winger Chris Klein, dealing talented U.S. Under-20 national team defender/midfielder Nathan Sturgis and talented young forward Robbie Findley to Real Salt Lake in the process.
Continue reading "Galaxy trade Sturgis and Findley to RSL for Chris Klein" »
After taking in the interview session and watching some practice I am going to go with this as the US team's lineup against Canada tomorrow night:
-------------------Twellman-----------------------
Beasley----------------------------------Dempsey
--------------------Donovan-----------------------
----------Mastroeni---------Bradley--------------
Bornstein-----------------------------------Hejduk
--------------Onyewu-----Bocanegra-------------
---------------------Howard-----------------------
So why the changes? Here's why:
Continue reading "The US lineup vs. Canada (My last crack at it)" »
TONY M- Did you see the Soccer America issue on US Soccer and the Latin community? Any thoughts, particularly on Paul Gardener's point about the over influence of English and Northern European coaching philosophies at the expense of the Latin influence. As he says, "We have to ask if we want to play like England, or play like Brazil" I agree with him and wonder about your take. Thanks
IVES- I understand what Paul is saying, and to a degree I do agree that there need to be more Latino coaches involved in youth soccer, but the notion that all it takes to start playing like Brazil is having Latin-influenced coaches is idealistic and unrealistic.