Six Yards North

DCU 4-1 NYRB

2008-06-16T16:28:00.002-04:00

Well, it's been awhile. Sorry I haven't been posting as much lately. It's not that I've lost my passion for United (eff that, United 'til I die), it's just that...

... I have two jobs.

... I like girls, and I like dating them.

... the DCU blogosphere (let alone the MLS or USA-MNT blogospheres) is oversaturated, in my opinion. The blogo-niche I aim for with these words is already filled-- brimming, even-- and well it should be. But, y'know, jobs and girls do take their precedence in a young man's life. They beckon, and I cannot ignore.

On the realz, what I'm trying to say is this: I'm too busy and you guys are too good. I'll step out of the limelight and enjoy it all for awhile, if you don't mind.

But that doesn't mean I've stopped having an opinion. If you'll indulge me, I have a few words about the DCU-RBNY

Great stuff. Great, great stuff. Chicken soup for a Black-and-Red soul, that stuff. Sicknasty methamphetamine for a jonesing tweaker, that stuff -- especially after the past couple weeks, watching the USA fail to score (up until this past Sunday) and half of Europe fail not to score (up until France-Italy tomorrow).

[By the way: Raymond Domenech, a word, please? Here, come closer: You need to give your boys some goddamn Wheaties or something, Raymond, because the ship is sinking and you've shown no signs of being capable of setting it aright. The French cock is no longer crowing; it is crying. It weeps at the mediocre football you're playing. Les Bleus are in a terrible situation. Fix it. Now.]

Anyways, D.C. United. Quick quibble:

I can't fully agree that Fred and Quaranta contributed through flank play. With Gallardo's presence absent for the match and Dyachenko unwilling or unable to provide something similar, Fred and Quaranta allowed themselves to fill the vacuum and consequently play as dual, ambiguously central pseudo-wingers. By this I mean that despite their deployment on the wing, Fred and Quaranta's most significant contributions to the flow of the game came as they distributed from the center of the pitch, and this, I feel, reflects upon their true natures as central playmakers and not as fringe wingers.

This conclusion reassures me that DC has adequate cover for Gallardo when he must be absent, but also scares me that we are not utilizing Fred and Quaranta to their full potential. Solution? Let the potential go untapped, and hope that somehow Fred and Quaranta can further adjust their talents for deployment out wide. Either that, or make Tommy play DC in a 4-2-3-1 (a la every Portuguese club in Football Manager 2008) on a more regular basis.

Just a quibble. That's all. =)

Shout outs to DCenters, BDR, Shatz, and Fullback (and Goff and BtB, and even Ives, to some extent). I've been trying to keep the blogging tradition alive, only to realize that you guys make it thrive. Holla at yo boy.

QJA out.

Bitersweet Victory: DCU 2-1 Pachuca

2008-04-10T13:22:00.006-04:00

Ye olde college workload strikes again. I saw the match but I didn't have time to write up a full recap, and I don't have much time now. Real quick:

What I Liked

- Tackles from the midfield. Gallardo and Simms are a defensive dynamic to be reckoned with. Simms doesn't have much of a first touch, but his tackling acumen never fails to impress me.

- Tackles in the midfield. Martinez is the strong and silent type, all tall, dark and handsome. People want to talk about Los Gonzalos as a pair, but in my mind they have become very distinct. Peralta tends more towards the Terry-esque sweeper role and Martinez towards the Makelele-esque d-mid role. Martinez is not afraid to get up and attack, and he has the touch and timing to do so very well indeed. Let's also talk about Bryan Namoff, that dazzling D.C. wide defender: he and Marc Burch spread the field like no other D.C. players on the pitch with their lethal service into the box; but what makes Namoff so valuable to D.C. is that he has the hustle and (like Simms) the tackling acumen to function as a legitimate wide back. Furthermore, he's consistent. Does the job, does it well. 'Nuff said.

- Three in the back. It was retired for the latter half of the 2007 season, and for good reason: United simply didn't have the defensive facilities to cope with a 3-5-2. This season, they do. I like it. I want more of it.

- Dyachenko. He's survived Addlery, Jamil, Kpene, and most recently Moose as the go-to fringe attacking player. But wait-- is that Dyachenko, our fringe attacking player, getting central and beating his man off the dribble? And wait-- he can finish, too?! Well then! Step right up, lad! There's a place here for you!

- Fred. He's struggling this season to make the most of his creative talents now that Gallardo is running the show, but when he finds the right spot and makes the right pass, he completely refutes the critics. Someone (Fighting Talker maybe? Kartik at American Soccer Spot?) wanted to make the point that he's lost some of his touch from last season. Look at his assist on Niell's goal last night: still think so?

- Gallardo beating his man on the dribble. Sometimes he does it, sometimes he doesn't, but when he does, it usually results in a panna or other such public humiliation. It just tickles me pink. Love that stuff.

What I Didn't Like

- Quaranta struggling to make an impact. He came out of the gates very fast against Toronto, and that's great, but last night he was forced out of the game by a combination of Pachuca's defense and Emilio's presence. I want him to make a strong and lasting impact for United this season, and to do that he's going to need to pace himself. Challenging Niell for a starting spot is a good start; now let's see him defend it.

- Don f*cking Garber. Read up about his foul mouth in Goff's WaPo recap. He's a tool.

- Pachuca advancing. I can't be 100% positive, but I feel damn sure when I say that they didn't want to advance as badly as we. Just like Chicago last season, this loss will go down as one of the most painful for D.C. in 2008.

- Gallardo's corners and free kicks. At this point I can't imagine that Gallardo's corners are better than Burch's or his free kicks better than anyone else with two feet. Get them on target, son.

Things I'm Not Sure About

- Niell. He still needs to prove to me that he's worth $150thou a year, but last night was a good start. I wonder if he'll make a bigger contribution for United off the bench rather than in the starting XI.

- McTavish. He was doing something last night, but I couldn't tell what. He made neither a positive nor a negative contribution on the pitch, neither offensively nor defensively. I'm not quite sure what to say.

Enjoy.

Discussion: Overage Candidates for 2008 Olympics

2008-04-01T13:33:00.007-04:00

This clinches it: we need to discuss the overage options for the U-23 squad this summer.

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McBride on the U-23 squad? Yes, please. He's a great option, and for so many reasons:

1) The national depth pool at forward is seriously lacking; we don't have many quality options. McBride is a gun (best target forward in U.S. history, by most arguments) and is still very capable of scoring with both feet and the top of his head. Christ, even the senior national team would take him back in a heartbeat. Need I say more?

2) As things stand right now, Jozy is our #1 and Freddy our #2 for forward. After that, what with Davies and Findley, the quality up top drops off significantly. McBride would both relieve Jozy Altidore from the responsibility of starting each and every game and share some of the physical pressure during matches should Nowak play them side by side. During the qualifying matches Jozy faced less of the strategic man-marking he's used to in the MLS and more of the hack-and-tackle treatment one usually sees with young defenders being introduced to the international game. He can expect more of the same in China. With McBride distracting the defense, Jozy will have the room to shine, much like Zizzo and Szetela did for Adu in Canada for the U-20's.

3) I'm not questioning Adu's leadership ability, but the fact remains that he's still young and still new. This summer would be McBride's first Olympics too, but there's no doubt in my mind that his presence on the squad would only serve to calm the players and staff. What's more, between McBride and Nowak, the U-23 squad would be spoiled with international experience and guidance. I can only see McBride's inclusion with the U-23 squad as a positive thing.

What's more, Ives makes the point that McBride might be called up for U.S. World Cup Qualifying, which conflicts with the Olympics and obviously takes priority. That would be unfortunate, as I think McBride is the best overage option for the U-23's in the national pool-- but I also think it's unlikely. If McBride weren't an option for the Olympics, I would be making the case for Donovan based on the same logic. I should think that Donovan would be the better candidate for the senior national team and McBride the better for the U-23's. Likewise I wouldn't count on Tim Howard or Bocanegra or EJ or Dempsey. McBride for the U-23 squad, seniors for the senior squad (with a couple exceptions, as we'll see below).

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So we've got two more slots to fill. Who else should we consider? I'll name a few and then make some bold estimations as to their chances of being called up with the U-23's. (I'm assuming here that the current scheduling conflict between the Olympics and World Cup Qualifying can't be resolved. There's a chance it will, in which case this discussion changes.)

- Cory Gibbs. He's just getting back to fitness after a couple of devastating injuries. I'm sure he wants to get back in the MNT fold ASAP and will be looking for minutes wherever they might be. I'm also sure that Premiership-chasing Charlton would like some assistance getting Gibbs back on form. If he's called up to the MNT, he's a sub at best, but on the U-23's I see him playing every match. Could work well with Jonathan Spector and possibly Neven Subotic. 90%

- Frank Simek. If Bob Bradley wants a better look at Simek before more senior call-ups, the Olympics would be a great opportunity. Moreover, Simek would be a fantastic fullback option should Gibbs, Spector and Subotic be in camp. Let's have him. 90%

- Eddie Lewis. We really need relief on the left, both on defense and midfield. Lewis would be the best option for either count, and like McBride, he would be an excellent leader and mentor on and off the pitch. However, because Lewis is such a good option on the left, should Beasley still be injured by WCQ, I would think that Lewis is a likely call-up to the senior national team, moreso than McBride. 70%

- Jonathan Bornstein. I was surprised that he wasn't called up for qualifying. He's 23 right now; does that mean he's overage? He's a good option anyways. Bornstein at left back would free up Sturgis to cover the right, which would relieve a lot of my fears about Kamani Hill and Marvell Wynne. 60%

- Taylor Twellman. He's fizzled with the senior squad, but he should do very well if he were called up. As with McBride, Twellman could provide good cover for Jozy. It's either him or Ching with with the seniors for WCQ. 50%

- Brian Ching. See Twellman. 50%

- Jay Demerit. If he's not with the national squad, the U-23's could definitely use a bruiser like him, but I think it's more likely that he is with the national squad. 40%

- Marcus Hahnemann. Again, I want to challenge the idea that we need a keeper (though there is a slight dropoff between Seitz and Cervi), but if Nowak wants one anyways, Hahnemann is a very good choice. He's seen little minutes with the national squad, very little minutes indeed. I would think that Hahnemann is more likely than Guzan to hook up with the U-23's. 40%

- Brad Guzan. Many people are calling for El Guzano, and I'm surprised: I think Seitz is a quality option at goalkeeper and has the skills necessary to succeed at the Olympics. That said, Guzan is more developed and his presence on the squad would quash a good many fears about the security of the backfield. However, even if Guzan is called up, there's a very good chance he'll be at a new club and would be unavailable to join the team. 30%

- Ramiro Corrales. Like Lewis, Corrales is a good option on the left, but San Jose will be relying on him to kickstart their return to MLS. 30%

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There are a few other MLS-based options (I'm thinking Hejduk, Conrad, Boswell, Olsen, etc.) but if there were a choice between a European-based player in his offseason and an MLS player in mid-season, I think Nowak would want the former.

So there you have it: McBride, Gibbs, and either Simek or Lewis. Nowak has some deciding to do.

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Finally, I want to petition for Neven Subotic to be welcomed into the national side. I hope we offer him a spot on the squad, and if we do, I hope he accepts. He would be a great addition.

What's more, I think Nowak will bring back Alvarez for the Olympics this summer. He would be foolish not to. I think Alvarez' exclusion from the qualifying tournament has less to do with his skill and more to do with his attitude. Hopefully he's made the necessary adjustment.

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Anyone I missed? Get at me with some comments.

Enjoy.

D.C. Open with a Loss: Kansas City 2-0 D.C. United

2008-03-29T22:30:00.010-04:00

Hmmm. Interesting idea, Mr. Soehn. We'll have to wait until Tuesday to see if it pays off.

Apparently Soehn took Fred out of the starting lineup in favor of Dominic Mediate and perhaps withheld Santino Quaranta in favor of on-form Devon McTavish, the argument being that the full starting XI needs to be fresh for Tuesday's more important Champion's Cup match against Pachuca. I can see the logic there.

The thing is, there's a big drop off in talent between our starting XI and our subs. Our lack of depth is a serious problem. McTavish's movement off the ball was laudable, as was Mediate's hustle to balls played into space, but both players' lack of touch killed several offensive movements. There's no doubt in my mind that had Fred and Quaranta been on from the start, D.C. would have tallied the first goal, and even if they hadn't, they would have been better able to equalize and overcome.

As it stands, this loss confirms what many of us suspected: D.C. United has poor roster depth.

That's all for now. Pachuca is on Tuesday. I'll have more to say after that match.

(I agree with D: the loss does feel a bit abstract. A loss v. Pachuca, on the other hand, would smart a bit.)

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Other notes:

- We'll be seeing Carvallo soon. Wells did not have a good showing tonight.

- Get well soon, Jaime. We need you.

- When do we get to see that dapper youth, Quavas Kirk?

- Stratford has the hustle and muscle to keep possession in tight spaces. I didn't get an accurate reading of his touch and field awareness, but after those eight minutes on the pitch tonight I'm curious to see more.

- Yup yup, I agree: MetroSports' technical difficulties were embarassing for them, and for the league.

- Niell also had a poor showing. Kansas City's back line had a very easy time knocking him off the ball. He couldn't overcome their physicality with his speed. What's more, even though he was ineffective there, he stayed central, forcing Emilio into a creative role on the wing. The result, as you can see, was impotency. Gallardo managed a few pot shots on goal, but he takes too long to set himself up and even when he does, he telegraphs his target. Defenders blocked him easily. Quaranta did his best to alleviate the problem but it took a few minutes for him to break into the game and by the time he did, there were two minutes left in regulation. Bottom line: Niell needs to realize when he can and when he can't beat the opposing defense. If he can't, he needs to spread the field and make way for the people who can. I even think he would be more effective in a wide role, if the right ball were passed into space and he could charge the box.

- Burch and Namoff had some deadly crosses into the box and showed that we really need a target man to capitalize. Unfortunately, Peralta is the only outfield player on the squad who has the physical tools to fill the role. We'll have to make the most of our corners, I suppose.

- Anyone else doing Fantasy MLS? I did fairly well tonight. My gamble with Trujillo paid off somewhat, anyways. Wish I'd gambled on Nyassi, too.

- Claudio Lopez will do well in this league, I think. Certainly a MotM performance tonight. A post might be brewing about the advantages of pursuing a forward for your DP as opposed to CAM. We'll see.

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Get your own celebration, jackass.

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I have a couple questions, if you guys wouldn't mind helping me out:

1) What happened on Lopez' goal? I saw his chip, but not the buildup.

2) When Fred came on for Burch, where did McTavish go? Left back or center back? If he went center back, who went to the left? Or did we change to a 3-5-2?

Pre-Season Power Rankings and Other Silly Things

2008-03-27T15:00:00.006-04:00

I could have done a DCU season preview but there are already nearly half a dozen out there. Shatz, for example, has been doing the roster dance for weeks. Ives turned his out for ESPN a couple weeks ago. Jon at DCU Offside did his the other day. Even Goal.com has one up. That's some good coverage. Why compete?

Instead I think I'll go thirteen further and do an in-depth response to Ives' power rankings (with significant help from I-66's "Preview in Haiku").

MLS 2008 Pre-Season Power Rankings:

Houston
D.C. United
New England Revolution
Chivas USA*
Kansas City*
Chicago Fire*
Red Bulls
FC Dallas
Colorado Rapids**
Los Angeles Galaxy**
Columbus Crew
Toronto FC***
Real Salt Lake***
San Jose Earthquakes

Asterisks mark the changes I made to Ives' power rankings.

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Let's go from top to bottom:

1. Houston over DC United simply because the Western Conference has not improved as much as the Eastern during the offseason. Houston will have an easier time asserting their dominance and winning points. Their self-confidence and home support will carry them through the season, That said, in terms of talent, any of the top 4 could be argued for the #1 spot. They are the class of the league.

2. DCU has improved their defense, which wasn't the worst, and their playmaker, who was one of the best. Their preseason ended on a very positive note. They entered last season as a solid, title-challenging side and will enter this one the same, only more so. (What remains to be seen is the quality of roster depth: the starters are solid, but the subs? Quaranta can step on for any of the attacking corps, but can Stratford really come on for Simms, Carvallo for Wells, Dyachenko or Kirk for anyone? Let alone Moose, Barlow, and potentially Cezar and Curtin. We simply can't know until those boys see significant playing time, and they will, thanks to a hectic schedule. I predict another end-of-season slump, which is growing into an unfortunate franchise tradition.)

3. New England has a lot to prove and so does Twellman. Reis should have another solid season, as should Ralston. WVHooligan has even gone so far as to predict Shalrie Joseph as 2008-09 league MVP. I don't think I can agree with that assessment at this point, but I will predict that Foxboro will be the birthplace of many a nightmare this season.

4. Raphael Wicky is bringing in a lot of positive press for Chivas USA already. Sacha Kljestan had a very solid showing with the U-23's. Preki has a glut of starting options up top, namely Razov, Galindo, and Eskandarian. Bornstein at left back and Suarez as center back are two of the best in the league. Make no mistake, Chivas are title contenders this year. (On the other hand, lack of depth could prove a problem for the Goats. What's more, with Burpo gone to San Jose, who will step in for Guzan when he leaves?)

5. I dropped Kansas City in the rankings for two reasons. First: their offense is now an unknown quantity. The Trujillo/Lopez front line could prove miraculous, but it could also fizzle. Second: they've traded Burciaga and Garcia and brought in draftee Chance Meyers. As good as they are, I don't see Conrad and Hartman picking up that kind of slack.

6. Cuauhtemoc Blanco will draw crowds and fouls, converting the former into team chemistry and the latter into goals. He is the reason Chicago Fire should be respected. But he is the only reason. Ranking them sixth is an optimistic estimation. The Fire will be plagued by questions this year: will Hamlett succeed? Will the Fire miss Armas or Pickens more? Are Rolfe and Barrett really capable of socring? Will Conde play to his best? Is Frankowski still good? Positive answers will be hard to come by.

7. Oscar Etcheverry just signed with RBNY, giving Altidore both relief from and competition for his starting position. If Altidore leaves, New York has adequate cover. Still, let's go from the top down on the Bulls' starting XI, asking whether or not they will succeed this season. Angel? Of course. Altidore? Certainly. Reyna? Probably. Van den Bergh? Err, potentially. Stammler? Uh, possibly. Freeman? Mendes? Parke? Um... maybe. Conway? Well, no. Osorio is known for breeding strong defenses, but he has his work cut out for him.

8. Juan Toja is the buzz of Dallas' preseason, as is Davino and Caraccio. Each has enormous potential, but will they fulfill it? It's hard to say. That said, top to bottom, the Dallas side is more than decent and could easily leapfrog Kansas City, Chicago, or RBNY.

9. Everyone is being very hard on the Rapids because of their ill form at the end of last season plainly because they failed to score goals. They have one of the strongest defenses in the league, backed by Coundoul and spearheaded by the league's best d-mid (Mastroeni) and one who has to potential to be even better (Rafael Gomes), but their offense is dismal. Christian Gomez is verging on legend status; if he can orchestrate the impotent Rapids offense into something lethal, he'll go down in the books as a superhero. I think he can do it, and that's why I've bumped the Rapids up a couple notches.

10. The Galaxy have the biggest burden of proof in the league. Gullit is the most internationally accomplished coach in the league just as Bex is the most accomplished player. The Beckham/Ruiz connection has already proven effective in Asia. Donovan is headed for another double/double season. So what gives? Infrastructural instability could cripple this side. So could an injury crisis. As it stands now with everyone healthy, there's no doubt in my mind that the Galaxy have the capability to succeed in the MLS; but will they?

11. The Crew have a big problem: who will finish Schelotto's service? There are serious doubts about Alejandro Moreno and Nico Hernandez. Robbie Rogers and Eddie Gaven have yet to produce their best, and I'm not entirely sure it will come this year. Couple this with a mediocre Brian Carroll, a flawful back line, and a half-decent keeper and there isn't a whole lot to be optimistic about, especially when you consider the possibility that Schelotto leaves mid-season.

12. Toronto FC are poised to do much better than last year, but that's not saying much. They've pursued many and signed few, indicating either choosiness or contract faults or administrative conflicts or all three at once. But here's the bottom line: they're going to do better than last year, I can feel it. Their home support alone will render them not-the-last throughout the summer. The efforts of Maurice Edu, Jeff Cunningham and Danny Dichio might push them even further.

13. Kreis, now's your time to shine. Bring Real Salt Lake to life. You've got no Esky, no Adu, no DP, and nothing to lose. This goes for you too, Robbie Findley.

14. San Jose, to the contrary of many another MLS side, have nothing to prove and plenty of leeway about it anyways. Yallop will be well-esteemed whether this year ends well or badly. I'm hankering after Ramiro Corrales for my fantasy side; I think his value will increase exponentially once the season starts.

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Also, Houtson's video preview of the 2008 season. I think it's all very cute and silly. Houston should have a motto, and only a puppet of Jose Mourinho can say it, and it should be this: "Be champions."

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Enjoy.

US Dominate in Poland: Polska 0-3 US

2008-03-26T17:59:00.007-04:00

I won't say that our offense was fantastic (it was much the opposite, in fact) but our defense was solid when it needed to be and our midfield got the job done. We played our brand of football throughout, which is to say that we played some good ol' soccer: bruising d-mids destroying attacks before they happen, (over)utilization of the wings, and capitalization of dead-ball opportunities. A very dull match with sparse opportunities rarely produced by the run of play. Typical stuff, yeah?

Not quite. We managed to dominate the run of play against a Euro 2008 competitor at their home stadium, in front of their home fans. Today's performance was very much rebuttal for the performance vs. Sweden in Sweden and possibly Ghana in Germany. This is a very positive result for the progressive Bradley campaign.

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So how did everyone do?

Michael Bradley did fine. We saw very little of his attacking prowess this match as he was utilized alongside Clark as the d-mid tandem, but we did get a good look at why nepotism has nothing to do with his frequent MNT call-ups. He consistently performs his midfield duties well: stemming the opposition and diffusing pressure to the wings. He completed nearly all of his passes and hardly put a foot out of line. I think the next step will be to integrate him into the offense. I'd like to see Coach Bob experiment with an offensive trio of Bradley (CAM) - Donovan (FW) - Johnson (FW), at least until Adu gets another call-up.

Ricardo Clark was also fine. After Mexico there were doubts about how well he and Bradley could perform together, but tonight these doubts were dispelled.

Howard was also at the top of his game.

Carlos Bocanegra was the consummate center half, as was Oguchi Onyewu. Ives has been touting the pair as the best in the MNT pool and after tonight I can hardly disagree. Each tallying a goal on the day from set pieces, the twain also proved that they still bring a lot to the dead-ball table.

Lewis still has a motor and a wicked lefty. He is an attractive overage option for the U-23's this summer, in my opinion.

Steve Cherundolo's crosses provided our most dangerous opportunities off the run of play, though I did think he tended to get over-committed with his offensive forays.

Donovan did admirably, for playing on the left wing. He created Gooch and Bocanegra's goals with lethal dead-ball service and should have added a goal of his own. Thing is, while Donovan is the most versatile attacking option in the MNT pool, he's also the most potent, and I don't think he will produce his best out left. In the hole or up top would be ideal, but even a move to the right wing would be an improvement.

Other than that, Dempsey was off-form, Pearce was hot and cold (though Ives thought he was great), and the forwards were non-existent. But how is this unusual?

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Next stop: London. The Fulham boys will be back in full effect for that one, I think.

Home, Sweet Home : DCU Hits Harbour View for Five

2008-03-18T21:26:00.014-04:00

DC 5 (6) - (1) 0 Harbour View FC

Ah, the difference a pitch can make.

Recap, quick and dirty:

United came out strong by penetrating the flanks and cutting inside. McTavish capitalized on some poor defending from a Gallardo freekick in the 26th. HVFC struggled to respond.

DC resumed dominance in the second half as Harbour View's attempt at an offsides trap fails miserably. Fred completed a backheel connection from the touchline to Emilio on the six, who finishes clean; from that cheeky touch a beautiful relationship is born. Quaranta came on for Niell in the 64th. The offsides trap failed four more times. Harbour View managed a handful of shots from outside the box, none of which threaten the net.

DC will face the winner of Thursday's Pachuca/Montagua match with a huge boost of confidence.

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The big story here is United's clean sheet. There were no goals due to communication errors, to goalkeeping howlers, to poor positioning, to tactical misalignment, to anything; there were no goals period. Defensive cohesiveness must have been Soehn's big preseason project and it is beautiful. Beautifully surprising, even: where the hell did Martinez come from, getting forward like that? I thought he was going to have a shot for a second there. He seemed stunned with himself.

You know what else is beautiful? Watching our boys rediscover attacking football again. I was euphoric from the 60th to right around the 75th. Now, if you were to tell me that the scoreline exaggerates the goodness of United's attack and is really more of an indication of the badness of Harbour View's defense, I would agree. But take a closer look: Fred dominated the left flank on the dribble and provided service for two goals. Emilio looked every bit the CONCACAF veteran with his well-timed runs, scoring a brace. Even Quaranta provided two goals on the day; now when the hell has that happened for anyone, let alone DC?

United are finding their feet again and are rediscovering the basics of attacking soccer, thanks in no small part to Gallardo. You can already see his influence on United's method of attack: United are finding ways to make the most of their touches in the middle third, diffusing pressure and positioning well. Those hopelessly optimistic balls over the center of the pitch are being phased out in favor of shorter, more penetrating balls into space on the flanks. Gone are the telegraphed passes out of the back to the one man making a run; each movement up the field has two, three, sometimes even four options. Finally Soehn & Co. will have the opportunity to emphasize finishing, rather than providing, opportunities in the box.

The result tonight might be overwhelmingly positive, but it is positive nonetheless, and certainly more righteous compared to the last time DCU played at RFK. Well done, boys.

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Other notes:

- I do have a small concern about Gallardo: in his role as coordinator of the attack, sometimes he goes so far as to make and offensive movement's first pass out of the back. He was side by side with Simms in front of the back four on more than one occasion. If he's busy making passes out of the back, how can he get himself in the perfect position to provide service into the box? Let Simms do his job. He's not that bad.

- I don't want to admit it, but after tonight I think I have to: McTavish is probably our best option on the right wing until Olsen recovers. I'm not saying this because of his goals (he's the consummate opportunist) but because neither Dyachenko nor Mediate showed up any better.

- It's good to see 'Tino get some minutes. His touch and service are almost on par with Fred's. I'd like to see him on the right wing instead of McTavish but Soehn seems to want him as an option up top, and with Jaime still recovering, that's probably wise.

- Wells has my full support. He has no jump but his technique and communication are excellent. Peralta and Martinez know exactly what to expect from him and he them. Another indication, I think, of Soehn's preseason success.

- Miles and Caligiuri seemed to hit their stride just as DC seemed to hit theirs. Miles is kind of smug and Caligiuri seems a bit out of place in the booth, but they certainly performed better than in Jamaica. That said, I'm glad they're not with Comcast.

Enjoy.

The Cuban Fiasco

2008-03-15T13:24:00.001-04:00

Today the NYTimes published the best article on the Cuban situation I've read yet.

Enjoy.

U-23 Olympic Qualifying: US 1-0 Panama

2008-03-13T22:01:00.011-04:00

I'm going to stop calling these 'recaps' because honestly, I don't recap what happened in the game. I'm just posting what I think about it. And here's what I think about this one:

A clean sheet is just what Seitz and the US defense deserve. The Panamanian offense isn't the strongest of the group (by the numbers it's the weakest, actually) but it's to the US' credit that there were a scant few chances on goal.

On the other side of the field, our offense could use a little work, namely with finishing. Shots, boys; let's have more of them. I think ultimately what will lead to more shots is better service, and in that case, here's what needs to happen:

- Get rid of Gaven. I didn't see any creativity from him this game. He advanced the ball only to pass it laterally or backwards. I'd even be willing to experiment with Zizzo in his place.
- Centralize Freddy. He's the best finisher of the squad (which explains why he was up top), but he's also the most creative. He contributes more as a #10 in the hole than as a forward up top, or, ideally, as a CAM with the freedom to get forward. We saw a central Freddy in the U-20 tournament; let's see it again.
- Put Kljestan in the middle third. For this to happen he needs to be relieved of the bulk of his defensive duties, and for that to happen we need Edu playing as DM instead of McCarty. (I said it yesterday and I'll repeat it again today: the kid has the motor, but not the brain.) Problem is, there are only two ways Edu gets to play midfield: Ianni steps up in training and inspires some confidence in Nowak, or West Ham releases Spector. The latter is more likely, I think.

If we want more goals, this is what I think the lineup needs to look like:

------------------Altidore-----------------

-------------------Adu--------------------

Zizzo------------Kljestan------------Holden

-------------------Edu----------------------

Wynne----Spector----Orozco-------Sturgis

-----------------Seitz-----------------------

Otherwise, if one-nil victories are satisfactory, then what we saw tonight should suffice.

-------------------------------
Other notes:

- The Sturgis experiment seems to be working. There weren't many chances from the wing. Then again, there weren't many chances at all, but still, he's better than Freeman. Honduras will be the real test.

- Orozco is a fine addition to the squad. He is excellent on the tackle and works well with Edu. I don't have any complaints.

- Hill's touch and balance are better than Wynne's. Wynne has him beat for pace and stamina, though, and because both have sub-par positioning and awareness, my top choice for left-back would be Wynne. If Hill is an option on the left, why not try him on the wing? (More important question: is Hill injured? He wasn't on the bench.)

- Our set pieces aren't terrible; in fact, a couple of our corners were fearsome indeed. Nowak has obviously been drilling dead-ball plays during practice.

- I want to see more Holden. He was excellent for the first half-hour. His stamina is lacking a bit, which might be why he didn't start v. Cuba, but he's the best winger in the current squad.

- Speaking of wingers, how about the prodigal Salvatore Zizzo? Hannover was reluctant to let him go for the week, but he isn't showing much out wide. He worked very hard for very little. Better than Gaven, but still-- compared to the U-20 tournament, Zizzo is underperforming. Let's get back on form, Z.

- Nowak has picked a very balanced squad for this tournament, IMO. The team is neither overly offensive nor defensive and Nowak has options at almost every position on the pitch, even if some of those options are untested and experimental. If we had won v. Cuba, I would be satisfied. As it is, I wish we had more tried-and-true options up top and out wide. I wonder if Nowak misses Alvarez and Feilhaber going into a make-or-break match v. Honduras.

- This might be tempting the devil, but I'm curious about Cervi. He became very popular very fast. I want to see why.

- At one point the ESPN Deportes commentators mentioned something about DC United. Anyone know what? Also, a paradox: I appreciated the Spanish commentary of this match better than the Miles/Caligiuri abomination of the DC-Harbour View match.

Plato's Republic beckons.

Enjoy.

Match Recap: DCU 1 - 1 Harbour View FC

2008-03-12T22:22:00.011-04:00

Woof. Not much to like about this game. A slow and cranky start to the season.

Recap, quick and dirty: McTavish scored just before the end of the first half, Lowell equalized just before the end of regulation. Neither goal was anything to brag about. DC enjoyed large periods of possession, which HVFC did their best to break up with hard tackles and double-teaming.

The most important thing I noticed was the slow pace to the game. It seems United is struggling to shake off its preseason mentality. Players were walking at every opportunity and there were far too many lackadaisical balls over the top. The large influx of new players won't make finding rhythm easy, but it needs to be done. Soehn needs to eliminate fitness problems as soon as possible; team cohesion is a pressing issue.

Second: DC needs to find a way to overcome HVFC's physicality. Pretty touches alone won't do it, and neither will our dependence on flank play (not with McTavish as right wing, anyways). We need to draw their defense out of position and wreck their back line with pinpoint passes through the middle. It's entirely possible: Gallardo is a dead-eye and Niell has the hustle to latch onto balls knocked into space. I want to see Fred and Emilio holding up the ball a bit more, allowing Gallardo to set 'em up and Niell to knock 'em down.

Looking ahead, DCU are the safe bet to take the home-and-away series at RFK. But they've got a bit of work to do before they inspire confidence in me.

--------------------
Other notes:

- I agree with Dave Lifton. The commentators (Christian Miles and Paul Caligiuri) were awful.

- The rumors are true: we finally have a #10 that contributes defensively as well as organizing the attack. And Gallardo does organize the attack: I saw glimpses of him communicating with Niell and Emilio. I have high hopes for that trio this season.

- Furthermore, I hope Gallardo wasn't too frustrated by the end of the match because he'll be seeing plenty of the same physical-play-to-disrupt-possession-until-we-can-equalize-through-counterattack kind of soccer very frequently for the next six months. Here's hoping he can overcome negative soccer quickly.

- Early on the question was posed, "What does Niell bring to the field that Moreno doesn't?" My immediate answer was pace, but I'll rephrase that with 'hustle.' He's fast and he's scrappy. I can see Niell vying with Simms for amount of effort expended per game this season. He's got more than enough speed and the way his shoulders swing when he sprints tells me that he's spent years fighting off the bigger guys for long balls. We here at DCU like them long balls, apparently. Niell will suit us nicely.

- Now that I think about it, I would be happy to replace Jaime with Niell in the starting lineup for several reasons. Firstly, the creativity Jaime traditionally brings to DCU's game is now El Muneco's responsibility. Secondly, he is deficient in pace at this point in his career, and pace (along with finishing) was a crucial element missing from our attacking corps last season, a crucial element that Niell has oodles of. Thirdly: if memory serves, this past season Jaime has performed better for United as a sub than as a starter, scoring more goals from the run of play. That makes sense. When everyone is tired and Jaime's lack of pace ceases to be a handicap, he can create and exploit holes in defense like no one else can. Jaime is better able to open the game for DCU when he is fresh in the 70th and everyone else is winded.

- Wells is slow and his reach isn't the best but he's got good hands and good positioning. I even heard a bit of communication. I'll reserve judgment until I see Carvallo, but from what I saw tonight, Wells has a good many starts ahead of him this season.

- There were scant few shots from HVFC and the Jamaican squad only equalized through a set piece, which tells me that DC was defending well during the run of play. Excellent. Peralta and Martinez can only get better from here on out as they learn to play with each other.

- I don't like McTavish on the wing. I mean, he fulfills the role decently and he didn't commit any egregious mistakes, but I can't help wondering if Quaranta won't link up better with Gallardo. Speaking of linking up, there were several Gallardo-Niell connections that gave me goosebumps. I prophesy some tasty, tasty net-bulgers from the Argentinean duo.

- Burch didn't lose much over the offseason in terms of defensive capability. By the same token, he still has more to gain. I'm hoping this season that he'll be able to cultivate his defense while making a positive contribution on offense.

- Fullback agrees with Lifton and I about the commentators, and also makes a good point about Soehn's tactics. Anyone else think they're too rigid?

Feels good to post another one of these. I'll have to do it again soon.

Enjoy.

Halftime Thoughts

2008-03-12T21:21:00.002-04:00

Post-game recap later. Couple thoughts beforehand:

1) According to critics, Dax McCarty had a better-than-average game last night v. Cuba. I would tend to agree. I hesitate to applaud, however, because he still looks raw to me. He has more stamina than anyone else on the pitch and enough pace to stem a budding attack and get the job done, but his field awareness and defensive tactics leave much to be desired. Dax ran touchline to touchline harassing the Cuban wingers, but he was infringing on his teammates marks and generally pulling the midfield out of shape. I want to see more composure and pitch intelligence from the lad before I sing his praises.

2) Avram Grant should be fired. Chelsea is coming apart at the seems. As my primary piece of evidence I call to the stand one Mr. John Terry, who has seen more than his fair share of press exposure recently. It seems like every other day now he's in the press with some quotes about team chemistry and the squad's relationship with the management, defending the players and lashing out at critics. Some might say that he is merely fulfilling his role as captain, and I can hardly argue with that, but the fact is that Terry feels the need to step into that kind of role and to singlehandedly keep the team aright. John Terry will never beg for anything, and damn right he shouldn't-- so I'll do it for him. For the love of Wayne, someone fire Grant. With Mourinho at the helm, the only things Terry needed to concern himself with were the organization of his defense and what the hell he was going to do after the game. Now he's bearing the weight of the entire squad on his shoulders and it breaks my heart. Let's have a real manager back again. I'd even let Rijkaard have a crack if he were so willing.

See you in 45.

Match Recap: U-23 Olympic Qualifying, USA - Cuba

2008-03-11T20:17:00.002-04:00

Just lettin you guys know that I saw the game tonight, and I'm still in the blogging game. Still in it to win it baby. I'll see y'all soon.

Match Recap: Chelsea 2-1 Wigan, FA Cup

2008-01-26T14:12:00.000-05:00

With this win, Cup holders Chelsea are through to the final to play either Sheffield Utd or Manchester City.

Today's Chelsea was a decent side and the result was always to be, but due to the injury crisis and ACN absences it is now painfully evident where Chelsea's weaknesses are and a good possession side will be able to exploit them with ease. A matchup in the final with Man City could prove be one of the most thrilling of the season.

----------

Chelsea ratings (out of 10):

Cech - 7
Stopped all but the most spectacular of chances. Looks like his dependable old self again.

Bridge - 4
Got upfield well but wasn't communicating well with either Cole or Carvalho. Ivanovic might be making his debut quickly.

Alex - 6
He's no Terry but he'll do. Did his level best to organize the back line and showed good anticipation by stepping up and quelling some potentially dangerous buildups around midfield.

Carvalho - 6
Between him and Alex I feel confident in our center defense. They can be relied upon.

Belletti - 4
Guilty of slow thinking and too many touches. Nearly the victim of his own mistakes on more than one occasion. Not an inspiring performance.

J. Cole - 7
Very troublesome on the wing. His bursts of flair and creativity are very encouraging. Cole's performances on the pitch might prove to be decisive throughout the coming weeks.

Makelele - 5
I can't tell whether he's off form or just slowly losing his game as time goes on, but either way, a below-average Makelele is still a crucial presence for Chelsea on the pitch. He could work a bit better with Carvalho and Alex.

Sidwell - 4
I'm not comfortable with any midfield lineup involving Sidwell. He just doesn't have the vision and awareness you'd like to see out of a player in his role. Damningly, he failed to pressure the service which led to Sibierski's wondergoal.

Wright-Philips - 6
You definitely want him on the pitch, but I feel he's underperforming. Scored the winning goal but could have made the Chelsea bench a bit more comfortable earlier on if he wasn't so wasteful with his touches in the final third.

Malouda - 5
Anelka's immense presence up top effectively forced Malouda out of the game. He wanted to relegate himself to the wings but found Cole and SWP there already. Isn't a true winger and therefore couldn't find his place in the game. I wonder how he'd do in a central position, either as a Ballack-type a-mid or a Jaime Moreno-type withdrawn forward. I also wonder how J. Cole would do in those roles, for that matter.

Anelka - 8 (MotM)
Grabbed his first goal and first assist in only his second appearance for the club. Consistently broke Wigan's back four and was a constant threat the entire game. Anelka looks well to me, playing with a style and presence very similar to Drogba's. In that sense I can't help but feel I'm witnessing the work of Drogba's replacement. If he preserves this kind of form throughout the coming weeks, he might just become Chelsea's #1.

Subs:
Ferreira - 4
Didn't have much time to make a positive impact but committed several poor touches which almost cost us.

Pizzaro - NA

-----------

Notes:

- Wigan's pitch looks awful, though I do seem to recall a certain pitch at a certain Bridge against Barcelona in the 05-06 Champion's league which looked awfully similar.

- As far as I can tell, Anelka has been onside every time they've called him off. He has sublime timing.

- Wigan's real chances have all come from the wings just outside the final third-- Wright-Philips and Cole aren't connecting well enough with Belletti and Bridge. Fortunately Wigan hasn't had good service and Heskey doesn't have the physical presence to deal with Alex.

- Malouda is useless. I wonder what a young, hungry gun like Sinclair wouldn't do to open up Wigan's back line for Anelka.

- Chelsea seems to have no intention of working through the center of the pitch. Makelele is busy at the back and Sidwell seems incapable of being the two-way conduit. So then who? I can't help but imagine what Michael Bradley would be doing that Sidwell isn't.

Enjoy. =)

Marcelo Gallardo to DC??

2008-01-21T12:42:00.001-05:00

Well, it's been since November. Just wanted to check back in. I'm well, thanks for asking.

Here's my silly season contribution:

Goal.com is reporting that Marcelo Gallardo is headed Stateside the next few days to sign a contract with an MLS club rumored to be DC United after our pursuit of Veron was scuppered by La Brujita himself. This makes a lot of sense, especially when you consider the situation with Gomez. Last I checked, negotiations had stalled and rumors had started. I heard something about Gomez to Colorado. I laughed out loud, but in light of this rumor, I might be inclined to take it a little more seriously.

Update:

Dammit, Ives, with your intrepid reporting and substantiated information. And dammit, Red Bull-- wait, no, you can have him. I'm still holding out for Sheva.

While I'm checking in, shout outs to Ives for going independent (his blog is fantastic, nigh on orgasmical for we MLS junkies) and to MLS Rumors for stepping it up a notch. The MLS is truly inferior to the EPL in one very important publicity-getting arena: tabloids. Good to know MLSR is on top of things.

And shout out to Fullback, just cause.

USMNT in South Africa

2007-11-13T16:31:00.000-05:00

Just in case you missed it, the always-informative, must-read USMNT blog is now easier to find and read. Check it out.

Also, Donovan has been ruled out of the match with the calf strain and Bradley will not be calling in replacements. Interesting.

Anyways, I was going to make a small comment on the blog but it ended up being a big one, so I think I'll relay it here. I miss you guys.

-------------------------------------------

Goalkeepers (2) – Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Tim Howard (Everton FC)
Defenders (7) –Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham FC), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Dan Califf (Aalborg BK), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)
Midfielders (6) – Freddy Adu (SL Benfica), DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers), Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA)
Forwards (2) – Josmer Altidore (New York Red Bulls), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC)

----------------------

My post (partially in response to someone whining that Rolfe and Ferrari didn't get called up, and to someone else cheering the squad for being attack-minded):

Rolfe and Ferrari would have been good call-ups. (So would Szetela and Zizzo, for that matter.)

Attack-minded? Not so sure about that. Superficially we have seven defenders, six midfielders, and two forwards. That doesn't sound attack minded to me.

What it does sound like is Deuce floating around up top as target man, and while I argue that Dempsey is the best man for the job, I would also like to point out that he produces his best when he's got plenty of support. He and Freddy seem to have something, but will Freddy start? Not likely.

Here's my lineup:

-------------Howard------------

'Dolo---Boca---Gooch---Bornstein

DMB--Edu--Benny--Bradley--Pearce

-------------Deuce-------------

... though I wouldn't be surprised if Kljestan got the start over Benny. I see Bradley and DMB pinching up for flank support.

Potential subs: Adu for Bradley, Pearce or Bornstein, depending on the score. Jozy for Deuce no later than the 80th. Spector for Bornstein in the 1st or 2nd half, depending on the score. Possibly Califf for Gooch. Possibly Guzan for Timmy, depending on the score.

Can Pearce cross well? I haven't seen him as a mid, though I understand he's had a bit of PT there at Rostock.

Are You a Fan? D.C. United 2 (0) - 2 (1) Chicago

2007-11-01T22:04:00.000-04:00

These are the games that try you, the games that test your mettle, your devotion as a fan. I count myself among the truly faithful. This game was nothing less than a valiant loss. DC were fighting poor odds at the half and put in extraordinary effort to recoup. If the game could have been won by dint of whichever team wanted it more, if the winners could have advanced by the sheer magnitude of their hunger, I am positive DC would be the victors. I am so proud of my team.

It's so bittersweet, the taste in my mouth right now. Could be blood because I screamed myself hoarse at the local college bar, the only D.C. fan in a several-hundred-mile radius (Chicago has none up here, haha!), or it could be because I saw my guys come so close and walk away empty-handed.

It hurts.

Fullback says the same, but better.

Other notes:
-----------------

- The first half was bust. Blanco was effectively kept in check, which freed Carr, Rolfe, and Barrett to shine like the budding young stars they are. It never occurred to me until the moment Addlery stepped onto the pitch for Emilio that Chicago's front line might actually be deeper than ours. Now that I think about it, our front line is fairly shallow and the disparity between the starters, all two of them, and the subs is enormous. Tonight the disparity was insurmountable.

- Who can blame McTavish for blowing a reflex shot with his weaker foot? Remember, it was coming to him off Addlery's shin.

- Carr's poor touch and dive should have been a penalty. Perkins got lucky, both with a free kick and a yellow. I don't know how CJ Brown got a better look than the ref, but he did, or he thought he did, and he would have been correct. It's a shame the non-calls didn't go both ways.

- It's a little buried in all the despair emanating from RFK right now, but Clyde Simms put in the performance of a lifetime. Even without having the sickest volley since Olsen's hat trick, Simms played awesome defense and always had the quickest touch out of DC's defensive third. Clyde Simms is my favorite defender in DC right now. Burch would be second and Namoff third.

- Fred must be feeling weary. I wonder how he feels about the prospect of an offseason after nearly 12 months of constant pressure and effort. He deserves every bit of rest he gets.

- Olsen, you hero, you tried damned hard. I never have and I never will fail to believe in you.

- Moreno and Gomez, you are the fire behind the flag. You're each worth more than all the money in Qatar. I know both of you know exactly how much the two of you mean to DC.

- Tom Soehn, you've made it through with a few bruises, cuts and scrapes. DC has high expectations next season. I'm confident you will fulfill them. I'll get back to you in a second.

- Boswell, McTavish, Burch: there's work to be done. Take some time, let things settle, think it over. You're still three of the most promising young defenders in the league. Don't forget that.

- Namoff: so dependable. Same as Olsen, you have my utter faith.

- Addlery: I won't easily forget all the chances you've missed this season. I hope you have the willpower to find motivation where it won't easily be found.

- Dyachenko, you get a lot of stick about not a whole lot. I like what I see and I hope to see more. You definitely made a difference out there and stepped up when we needed you to. It might be asking a lot, but if you pick up a finishing touch during the offseason, there is a bigger role for you here in the future. I know you know you didn't deserve that red.

- Perkins: you are a rock. You and Namoff and Olsen and Jaime and Gomez: you are the foundation of D.C. United. Never doubt that.

- Pickens reminded me of Perkins except Perkins wouldn't have punched half those crosses and would have saved Gomez' goal.

- Bakary Soumare reminded me of Simms except bigger and less scrappy.

- Forget The Cheat, Calen Carr is one of Chicago's best assets. A lot of energy was spent on Blanco (and it worked), but that gave Carr all the more room to work with and in my opinion Carr ranks as one of the most dangerous lone strikers in the league. Barret and Rolfe are decent, but I think they benefit very much from Blanco's attention-getting. They weren't this good when he wasn't around and they don't scare the shit out of me like Carr does all on his own. What's more, that pass which led to Barret's goal was sublime and well beyond his years. I think I saw Frank Lampard do something similar over the weekend.

- Soehn, a few words: your front line is dangerously thin. Recruit help.

-----------------------

See you in the spring, guys. I'll check in from time to time, but expect updates to center around United gossip, MNT gossip, or something phenomenal concerning Chelsea, 'Gers, Adu or Bradley.

US Nats Handle Swiss, US 1-0 Switzerland

2007-10-17T22:25:00.000-04:00

It's been awhile.

I caught the first thirty minutes of the match via an online feed, but the feed was so shitty that I quit it and took a nap and waited for good news and highlights. They came, and I'm delighted.

Players Who Made Strong Cases For Themselves
----------------------------------------------------------

First and foremost, Maurice Edu did wonderful for his first cap. What a great effort. Max Bretos indicated that Edu was fulfilling Mastroeni's role on the field, but I disagree; Edu was certainly more useful than that. Edu reminded me a little bit of young Bradley during the U-20 World Cup, except he didn't have as many messes to clean up and he was much more attack-minded. Edu certainly deserves more international minutes in the future. Great job.

Secondly, this Deuce experiment up top is working. Finally Dempsey is in a position where he can utilize his Texas build and Texas pride in tandem. I don't think it would be a stretch to compare Deuce to Zlatan Ibrahimovic: target strikers with an overabundance of pride and physicality. I like it. What's more, I was browsing ussoccer.com earlier today and watch the video spotlight on Deuce and Zimmerman mentioned that Deuce is great at holding up the ball. It's the damn truth. Deuce is a real asset up top, and I only wish Twellman was an adequate partner.

With the sudden fountain of youth flooding the pitch, it's good to see our old faithful standby Eddie Lewis is still able to turn a few tricks. He made a rather flawless jump from League Two to the Premier League and he brings that same kind of character and ability to the international stage as well. It's noteworthy that Bradley had him starting over Pearce.

Szetela has everyone abuzz yet again. Seems that kid never fails to be noticed. He definitely didn't hurt the team and his cross was quite the looker. I have a good feeling Santander will make the most out of him.

I like Brad Guzan. I genuinely like him. I think he will have a successful international career. Rumors that Arsenal are scouting him don't surprise me. As a defender, I would rather see my keeper out smothering a loose ball at the top of the key than wait for it to bounce into the area. Hahnemann is cool, too, but I like Guzan better.

I was asleep so I didn't see much of Adu, but that little beeline straight down the middle was pretty smart. Benfica is rubbing off on him. Between Edu, Adu, Szetela, Bradley and Feilhaber, the US has a healthy midfield corps that will certainly make us proud come time for the Confederations Cup.

I'm Worried About...
-----------------------------

I think it's telling that Gooch didn't worry me much this game, certainly not compared to the anger and woe he's incurred in the past. Bocanegra is a reassuring presence, as is Cherundolo; I'm not worried about them, either. The only spot that does worry me is left back. Heath Pearce and Rostock are to the Bundesliga what Feilhaber and Derby are to the Premier League, both promising young lads on a disappointing squad who need more minutes than they're getting. We need a solid option for left back, and if Lewis is starting over Pearce, I can't say that we've found one. I don't think Pearce can become a viable option for us at left back until he cements himself as Rostock's premier option for left back, much like Cherundolo has done at Hannover.

Beasley's ankle worries me. He's been a revelation for 'Gers and he looked great for those ten minutes on the pitch. I hope he recovers soon.

...and that's it.

It's great for our boys to finally pull one out on European soil against a European side. A gritty win, but utterly necessary.

Before I go on hiatus again, I would like to hereby affirm my utter confidence in Bob Bradley as head coach of the USMNT. He has a head on his shoulders and is definitely moving the program in a positive direction, looking at longterm results rather than flashbang status. I don't think Klinsmann or Pekerman would have had the same kind of patience and foresight to turn friendly matches into the developmental tools and benchmarks that they've become under Bradley. My jury's still out on Nowak; I'm reserving judgment until post-Olympics.

Rossi, if you're thinking about joining the fold, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

I have two papers due by tomorrow, so this is it for awhile.

Enjoy.

-QJA

Hiatus

2007-09-06T20:09:00.000-04:00

I am on hiatus indefinitely. College is hard. Sorry.

-QJA

Hot to Trot: DCU 4 (!!) - 0 (!!!!) FC Dallas

2007-09-02T17:33:00.000-04:00

Who expected that? DCU has been hot as of lately, the team finally showing some awareness of one another, and Perkins has been perfectly good. But against an FC Dallas side in sore need of a win, at their home stadium, with Denilson just waiting to make a big impression?... I didn't dare dream we'd notch our biggest road win since 1998. What a shutout.

I'd like to reiterate the recommendations already permeating the DCU blogosphere: Marc Burch for MotM, Ben Olsen for MLS MVP. Ben the Bearded Bombardier (trademarked by Fullback) has already tallied a career-high goal count for the season and I fully expect another one or two to follow. Equally impressive on the night was our rampant young gun, Marc Burch, sending in crosses Beckham would envy (and you know what, now that Becks is benched, that's no exaggeration). I fully expect not only Ben to score some more, but Burch to tally more assists and possibly a goal. Maybe even a free kick. With Vanney watching in jealousy. Against Galaxy. With Beckham crying. Delicious.

Bobby "What do you believe in?" Boswell cracked the starting lineup again and quickly found his old form. Comments over at DCenters indicate that Boswell looked good because he a) played better defense and b) eliminated the superfluous touches and runs that would leave him stranded upfield. I agree that this is the case. The comments also indicate that these superfluous touches are the bane of Brian Carroll's form of late, and I agree with this also.

Perkins can be happy with himself, earning another shut out and lowering his already-rock-bottom GAA. Despite criticism early in the season, he's an incredibly dependable player to have. After these past few weeks, I expect Soehn to do everything in his power to keep Perkins around for a very long time.

Let's see... Running down the list, we've covered Olsen, Burch, Boswell, Perkins... Ah yes: Fred.

Our boy Fred found the net yet again, taking him up to 5 in his premiere season with MLS. After Fred sprinted thirty yards for a ball which rolled out anyways, Tom Rongen mentioned that he has been playing competitive games non-stop for nearly 12 months, since the start of last season's A-League. Unbelievable. My respect for him doubled, and then nearly tripled when he scored. He is a machine and I can't wait for him to get the rest he deserves, and then come back next season to reiterate to the league that one doesn't need DP status to make a big impact. What a standout, classy player.

As long as we're talking about success stories, let's give a good, long shout out to Clyde Simms. Carroll earned himself a suspension by dint of too many yellows but I'm inclined to think that Simms would have started anyways. Simms plays with a style that is strong and yet humble, as evidenced by his effort to assist Olsen's cracker in the 4th. He scampers up to steal Sala's poor clearance follows his first instinct: pass. How many players do you know that would pass the ball of after stealing it 25 yards out in center midfield? Truly unselfish, Simms.

Emilio was heartily disappointed to step off the field in favor of McTavish around the 60th, and I can sympathize. When four different players find net and none of them are the league-leading goalscorer who needs to defend his bid for the Golden Boot against JPA, a substitution can be very depressing. Furthermore, he nearly found net on the goal which gave Olsen his brace. Better luck next time, Luci. For the record, I also think his early sub has something to do with his hammy. The extra rest will do him good. Let's hope he doesn't get carried away with practice on Monday.

Kudos to Gomez for scoring the kind of goal we'd have expected from him about this time last year. Jaime put in an honest effort as well. Namoff recovered from his poor form a couple games ago to hamper Arturo Alvarez and Dax McCarty's best efforts. Vanney was probably the weakest link last night.

---------------
Other notes:

- Soehn has redeemed himself, IMO. As Jeff Popovic rightly points out, we're building momentum going into September rather than losing steam into October. If Vanney could find some way to prove to the world that he's not going to hold the team back, I'd be thrilled about our bid for the MLS Cup.

- Dax McCarty is MLS quality, I'd say, but I really wish he was something more. He works well in Dallas' system, but he's a far cry from being called up to the MNT the same way Adu, Zizzo, and Altidore have.

- Denilson can dribble and could definitely open a defense singlehandedly, but I wonder if he has it within him to make an impact on the team as a whole, the same way Blanco and Beckham have. Furthermore, I challenge any DP we might sign in the future take that role away from Ben Olsen. Not gonna happen.

- Furthermore, I think Olsen has retrospectively proven just why he was called up to the MNT for the Copa. Anyone else hoping he makes the roster for Brazil?

Enjoy.

Game Over, Rangers

2007-08-30T14:15:00.000-04:00

I just saw this year's Champs League draw courtesty The Offside: CL.

Group E
Barcelona
Lyon
Stuttgart
Rangers

That's what the group looks like going into the competition, and that's about how I expect it to look coming out.

Rangers are fecked.

On the upside, they do have the potential to cause some MAJOR upsets, particularly with a Lyon side that aren't the giant giant-killers they were last year. I have hope yet, but I'll refrain from bets about this one.

Recap: 1st Knockout Round, U-17 World Cup

2007-08-30T11:29:00.001-04:00

You can see all the highlights for yourself on the FIFA website, right here.
----------

Germany 2-1 USA
Already recapped.

England 3-1 Syria
A penalty and two team efforts saw England advance over the Asians on Thursday. Though he was powerless to stop Syrian MF Ziad Ajouz' wicked strike early in the second half, GK Alex Smithies was again an outstanding presence between the sticks for the English. The man of the match, however, was surely MF Henri Lansbury who buried yet another penalty for the Brits and assisted on the final goal courtesy FW Rhys Murphy. This win sees England move on to the quarterfinals where they are favored to advance again.

Nigeria 2-1 Columbia
The game was nil-nil coming out of halftime and Nigeria and Columbia looked dead even, suffering the same amount of defensive blunders while the scoreline reflected the same. That is, until FW Yakubu Alfa scored his first goal of the tournament off a beautiful strike eight minutes from time. The Nigerians advance to the quarterfinals. However, while they might have superior athleticism, the Nigerian defense this game left much to be desired and much a potential opponent such as Spain could exploit. They don't impress me as a team to advance past the next round.

Argentina 2-0 Costa Rica
Two well-executed Albiceleste corner kicks sent the young Ticos home, each supplied by FW Santiago Fernandez and finished by DF Gaston Sauro (who enjoyed his first 90 minutes of the tournament, no less). Argentina is establishing itself as the most lethal team from a distance this tournament as they look like scoring every time they penetrate their attacking third. These fearsome South Americans are headed to the quarterfinals and surely they have momentum enough to carry them to the semis.

Peru (5) 1-1 (4) Tajikistan
Though the field was sopping wet and the ball quite slippery, 90 minutes and extra time wasn't enough to settle the score between the Peruvians and Tajiks. Though Tajik GK Farrukh Berdiev made more than a few fantastic saves and was quite possibly the only reason the Tajiks survived to penalties, Peruvian GK Eder Hermoza proved the hero by stopping a Tajik penalty, allowing MF Luis Trujillo to step up for the win. Peru are underdogs going into the quarterfinals. Their chances of advancing are slim.

Ghana 1-0 Brazil
A tremendous performance by Ghana's goalkeeper puts the Africans into the next round. While Brazil looked the worst they had all tournament, they still produced several goal-scoring opportunities, none of which they converted. Considering the Brazilians form and performances prior, I'd call this result an upset, but by no means does it imply that Ghana will be ill-equipped to handle their opponents in the next round. They're having a good run this year and I expect it to continue.

Spain 3-0 Korea DPR
FW Bojan bags a brace as Spain shut out North Korea to advance to the quarterfinals. Korea had little to do with the affair, managing just three shots on goal to show for ninety minutes work. Allowing Korea just 38% possession, Spain maintain their impressive and classy form this tournament and remain my firm favorite to become champions.

France 3-1 Tunisia
10-man Tunisia blocked a penalty during regulation only for a brace from FW Damien Le Tallec to put them away in extra time. The resurgent Bleuettes recovered from their poor performance throughout group stage to menace the hence-fearsome Tunisians the whole match long. France advance to the semi-finals in a limbo of form that appears to be a coach's nightmare, but I for one don't think they'll survive long. You'll see why shortly.

----------

You can see them in a nice, graphically-organized display, but here are the quarterfinal matches, my picks to advance in bold.

09/01/2007

France v. Spain
Ghana v. Peru

09/02/2007

Argentina v. Nigeria
England v. Germany

The ENG/GER match you'll want to watch. Perennial rivals, both sides have looked champion-quality since the beginning. Fireworks, definitely.

----------

And now, a modified Best XI for the quarterfinals:

FORWARDS
Bojan (ESP)
Ransford Osei (GHA)

MIDFIELDERS
Toni Kroos (GER)
Henri Lansbury (ENG)
Fran Merida (ESP)
Sheriff Isa (GHA)
Kevin Wolze (GER)

DEFENDERS
Alexis Machuca (ARG)
Nana Ofori-Twumasi (ENG)
Daniel Opare (GHA)

GOALKEEPER
Alex Smithies (ENG)

Subs:
FW Macaulay Chrisantus (NGA)
FW Damien Le Tallec (FRA)
MF Rabiu Ibrahim (NGA)
MF Reimond Manco (PER)
DF Gaston Suaro (ARG)
DF Mamadou Sakho (FRA)
GK Eder Hermoza (PER)

----------

Enjoy.

U-17's Out: USA 1-2 Germany

2007-08-30T11:05:00.000-04:00

Hmmm. Highlights here.

The Germans were easily the more dangerous side, outshooting the US 18-10. FW Richard Sukuta-Pasu scored a brace on the day and was nearly joined on the scoreboard by half a dozen of his teammates. Toni Kroos, a member of the Best XI lineup I posted a few days ago, threatened a good many times from midfield.

On a positive note, the US young guns used their dead-ball and box-packing skills to their utmost, captain and defender Mykell Bates scoring another with his head in the box (this one a messy affair, as opposed to the glorious header versus Belgium which put them through). Josh Lambo put in a hero's performance, keeping Kroos out and the US in for much of the game. I would say that Lambo was nearly the most outstanding player on the pitch, second only to Sukuta-Pasu. I'll be keeping tabs on him as he makes his way through the ranks. Likewise young Mykell Bates; he seems a born leader.

In the end, this result was highly predictable as only a few choice sides present at the tournament look capable of stopping or even slowing the Germans enough to beat them.

Sorry, boys. Better luck next time.

Galaxy Could Have Won It: LAG (3) 1-1 (4) Pachuca

2007-08-30T10:25:00.000-04:00

Oh, heartbreaking. Just heartbreaking. After the Gals knocked DC out in the semis I wished them a lot of ill luck, but I wouldn't have wished them that. It must feel awful. See for yourself.

After some powerful threats in the first half, Galaxy concedes an own goal. At the tail end of an unproductive season suffered at breakneck pace, the weary Gals are demoralized. At one point Beckham heedlessly charges for a 50-50 ball only to crack his knee by the force of his momentum. He's assisted off the pitch and by the look on his face, you could tell he realized that he would be off for a very long time. (Six weeks, to be exact.) By the end of the match, he's again wearing a suit and tie.

The game progresses like so towards the dying minutes when suddenly Buddle's header is off the crossbar, thena failed defensive clearance-- and then Chris Klein is skyward for the bike to equalize. It was magical football, an audacious display from a team at the rock bottom of their league, tying a championship final with a team at the top. It meant the world to the Galaxy. The fans loved it. The audience loved it. Who doesn't enjoy a 90-minute Cinderella story?

Penalties. Vagenas saved, Pachuca scores. 0-1. Cobi scores, Pachuca scores, 1-2. Cannon saves, 2-2. Then 3-3. Marvin Cabrera steps up for Pachuca-- and eats crossbar. Donovan steps up to seal the win with a trademark penalty-- and fails. 3-3. Pachuca scores and it's 4-3. Finally: Xavier, in his attempt to keep the Gals alive, misses horribly. Game over, trophy's gone. Heartbreaking.

----------

In its inaugural season the Superliga has produced some of the most exciting matches I have ever seen, undoubtedly. It has all of the drama, pace, and action you want to see when you pay $25, $35, $50 for tickets to see a game. It will keep people coming back, I'm sure.

The league's next developments will be expansion and English-language broadcasting rights, and if these two initiatives succeed the prize money will increase and the tournament will be all the more alluring. Great stuff. I'll look forward to it next year.

RIP Antonio Puerta

2007-08-29T12:05:00.000-04:00

You've heard that twenty-two year-old Sevilla defender Antonio Puerta collapsed mid-game and later passed away in the hospital. You might not have heard that Antonio's girlfriend is expecting next month. Condolences to family, friends, and the Sevilla community.

US U-17's to Face Germany in Round of 16

2007-08-27T12:33:00.000-04:00

Very unfortunate draw for the Americans. Germany is a tough, very physically mature side that has been in hot form throughout the tournament. They finished atop their group with a total of 11 goals scored, second only to the Brazil side which thrashed New Zealand 7-0. I'm no journalist, just a lowly pundit, and therefore I have license to publish my opinion: the US won't succeed this match. If, however, we did manage to upset the rampant Germans (they did concede 5 goals in 3 matches, including 3 vs. Columbia and shutting out only T&T), I would gladly eat my share of humble pie.

Match to watch: Brazil vs. Ghana. ESP-ARG/ENG-BRZ are probably still the matches of the tournament, but we'll just wait and see.

View the full Round of 16 draw here.

MLS Goal of the Week 08/27

2007-08-27T11:34:00.000-04:00

Ah, this, my hundredth post. I think I will make it something light and frivolous.

This week's Sierra Mist GotW competition is dominated by awesome assists. Blanco's long distance assist for Barrett, Johnson's acrobatic backheel for Burciaga Jr., and Schelotto's hoodoo feint in the box for Moreno's finish are three of the best assists you'll see all season. Only Jaime, with his penalty to take the MLS record, and arguably Altidore, with his cool finish by the outside of his right boot, caption goals produced by individual effort.

I think I voted for Alejandro Moreno's goal because Schelotto's juke in the box was neat. I might have voted for Burciaga because any time a defender wins GotW is a good time (Erpen, where's the repeat?) and I honestly could have voted for Blanco not only for his footballing skill, but because in spite of his badass reputation, he's a class act and a treasure for Chi-Town fans. I didn't vote for Jaime out of respect that he didn't want to take the record off a penalty. I expect him to score a better goal soon.

Anyways, just wanted to point this out.

Benfica Sells Fernandes to Valencia

2007-08-26T14:34:00.000-04:00

Benfica has offloaded another Portuguese talent. Valencia scored the 21 year-old for something between 12-15 million Euros.

My first reaction: wtf is Benfica doing?

My second reaction: Camacho must be at least mildly impressed with Adu to sell Fernandes.

We'll just have to see what happens on Sept. 2nd when Nacional hosts Benfica. According to the poorly-updated uefa.com Benfica profile, Fernandes' sale leaves Benfica's midfield terribly shorthanded with just five mids to their name. Then again, Freddy's listed as a forward so there's bound to be some mix and match.

Enjoy.

Recap: U-17 World Cup, Group Stage

2007-08-26T13:01:00.000-04:00

I almost included this in the DC/U-17 recap, but there's absolutely too much to mention for this not to be an entirely new post. Again, FIFA's coverage of the tournament is excellent and these young, budding stars are receiving a lot of great press.

----------

Spain is still my pick to win the tournament. Despite a 1-1 draw with Argentina, they play on a different level than the rest of the competition. Argentina scored from distance and distance definitely seemed their preferred style, but Spain drove straight into their defensive third and molested their back line. They scored off a sick cross from the left flank that Daniel Esquino poked in with a diving header. Incredible. I would have loved to be on hand to watch this match.

Tell you what, though, England vs. Brazil is one to remember. England scored a penalty, stopped a penalty, and scored in the second half to take the game, but above everything else, you need to see Tales' free kick to open the game for the Brazilians. Filthy good.

Germany is riding high after bagging 5 against hapless Trinidad and Tobago, each goal a lesson in clinical finishing (Wolze's screamer for the fifth is a beauty).

Nigeria, another fearsome side to watch, finished 100% in group play by cruising past Haiti 4-1.

And yet another perennial African power, Ghana, qualified with a 2-1 win over Columbia. Ghana and Argentina are my joint bids for hardest shots of the tournament. Absolute benders, those things.

France finished second in their group by winning 2-1 versus Japan, but I really don't see them as champions of the tournament. They don't have quite the offense even the US has, and their defense leaves a lot of questions to be answered. I wouldn't put any money on France this time around.

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Here's the unofficial list of the Round of 16:

Peru
Costa Rica
England
Brazil
Spain
Argentina
Nigeria
France
Tunisia
US
Germany
Ghana
North Korea
Syria
Columbia

... and Tajikistan. (Wow, I thought the US scraped through: Tajikistan advances because Japan let in just one more goal than the Tajiks.)

Out of these sixteen, I think seven have what it takes to become champions:

Spain
England
Germany
Nigeria
Ghana
Brazil
Argentina

And out of these seven, my top three would be:

Spain
Germany
Brazil

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And just because it's Sunday and I have too much time on my hands, here's a Best XI of the Tournament so far:

FORWARDS
Macauley Chrisantus (Nigeria)
Ransford Osei (Ghana)

MIDFIELDERS
Nour Hahria (Tunisia)
Alex (Brazil)
Toni Kroos (Germany)
Fatkhullo Fatkhuloev (Tajikistan)
Ricardo Serna (Columbia)

DEFENDERS
Mykell Bates (USA)
Fabio (Brazil)
Daniel Opare (Ghana)

KEEPER
Alex Smithies (England)

Subs:
Bojan Krkic (FW, Spain)
Alex Nimo (FW, USA)
Tales (MF, Brazil)
Greg Garza (MF, USA)
Ganyu Oseni (DF, Nigeria)
Jordan Spence (DF, England)
Luis Ojeda (GK, Argentina)

----------

Enjoy.

U-17's Scrape It Out, DC Follows Suit

2007-08-26T11:50:00.000-04:00

I don't get Fox Soccer so I didn't see the match yesterday, and honestly, from the sounds of things, I'm rather glad. I saw Fred's goal from the highlights on mlsnet.com and that was about all I needed to see. Shout outs to Clyde Simms for holding down the starting position yet again and to Guy-Roland Kpene, who showed more spark in the second half than Addlery and Dyachenko combined. Perkins, I hear, had an outstanding game. However, it goes without saying that the sooner Olsen and Luci recover, the better.

----------

I really want to talk about our U-17's posting a 2-0 shutout win versus Belgium and Tunisia going 100% in group play for US to take second place and advance to the knockouts. Here's how close it was: the US, Belgium, and Tajikistan are all tied for points with 3 each. The US and Tajikistan both have better goal differentials than Belgium with -1 (!!) each. The US advances over Tajikistan only because we have more goals scored, our 6 beating their 4.

In sum: our last two goals, scored in the last match of group play, are the only reason we advance to the next round. Check it out. Watch the goals here.

Looking at the match, however, our level of play is much improved than the dismal performances we saw versus Tajikistan and Tunisia, who turns out to be a youth-soccer powerhouse. Who knew?

Anyways, we possessed the game (61% possession; see wut i did thar?) and used our technical abilities to their utmost, our second goal a beauty of a set play from the corner. Unstoppable. Let's hope our boys use this win as momentum and motivation for the next round.

Where's Alex Nimo? Much has been made about Nimo and his story as a refugee footballer hoping to make it as a professional, a kid with a big heart and big skills who has the potential to be the next Freddy Adu (caveat emptor...). Why hasn't he shown up yet? Despite playing 269 of 270 minutes total, he's only notched only 0 goals and 1 assists. If the hype about him is true, I'd say he's due for a standout performance sometime in the near future. If it doesn't happen, then I'd say he's got some esplaining to do.

Enjoy.

Abramovic Could Be Gone Soon

2007-08-24T22:22:00.001-04:00

Just thought I'd pass this along.

My best friend Sergei just got back Stateside from his annual trip home to see his grandparents. He came with interesting news: word on the streets in Russia is that Abramovic is distancing himself from the club and is already moving on, focusing instead on other personal interests.

If you think about it for a minute, this makes good sense. All those rumors you heard about a row between Mourinho and Abramovic, all those rumors you heard about Ballack and Shevchenko leaving, Mourinho switching to more "attractive," wing-based footy... It all makes sense.

Realize this: Abramovic' portfolio is so much bigger than Chelsea that it makes our splendiferous splurges (read: SWP, Sheva, Ballack, Boulahrouz) look like chump change. He doesn't need Chelsea, and now that Chelsea is financially stable and turning a profit once again, Chelsea doesn't need him. Notice that our transfers are more financially sound and some have even paid for themselves (e.g. Sidwell on free transfer, easy money for Ben-Haim and Pizarro, Robben away for a big fee, Belletti on the cheap). My friend Sergei's words are only rumor, but they make complete and logical sense.

Chelsea is still evolving and this renaissance, begat in 2004, will still be termed the Abramovic Era for awhile yet, but Sergei's words confirmed my suspicions that Mr. Abramovic' days with the Blues are slowly coming to an end.

Enjoy.

US U-17's Fall Again: US 1-3 Tunisia

2007-08-23T12:48:00.000-04:00

Highlights here.

This result puts Tunisia through to the round of 16. Spain, Brazil, and Nigeria have also qualified early.

With 0 wins and a goal differential of -3, this result also means that out of 24 teams total, only two have worse records than us: Trinidad and Tobago (!!), with 1 goal for and 9 against, and New Zealand (!!!!), with 0 goals for and 12 against.

I stand by my observation that today's U-17's are more technical than our U-17's of the past, but I'm also realizing that they're still pretty amateur. If someone were to cite their performance vs. Tunisia as evidence that our youth development system is in dire need of reform, I would agree.

Three out of the four goals scored in that match were penalties, granted. Yet Tunisia's last goal just before the whistle, the one goal not taken from the spot, was a damn gift. There were only two US defenders minding the backfield and they were practically shoulder to shoulder in the center of the pitch. Tunisia chipped it wide, blasted down the wing, passed it across the face of goal, and buried the sitter. If the game were any higher than U-17 level, I'd say conceding that kind of goal is shameful.

With two straight losses, the U-17's are very hard-pressed to qualify for the round of 16. According to ussoccer.com's write-up:

"With a victory in their final match, the U.S. would be tied with Belgium on three points but would secure third-place in the group due to tie-breakers. At the least, a one-goal victory against Belgium would put the teams tied in goal differential (the first tie-breaker), but the U.S. would have a greater number of goals scored (the second tie-breaker). Whether they would advance as a third-place team depends on the results from the other five groups.
The U.S. could also finish second in the group and secure a spot in the knockout round if they defeat Belgium, depending on the result in the Tunisia-Tajikistan match." Tunisia would have to score an epic win over Tajikstan for this to be true. It's all on the line now.

Jaime Tallies 109th, Sets MLS Record: DCU 3-1 NYRB

2007-08-23T11:24:00.000-04:00

Congratulations, Jaime. You deserve the praise.

It was a pretty good day for United fans yesterday.

I understand he didn't want to set the record off a penalty but the onus had been on him to score for several weeks now so I'm glad he took the opportunity. Moreover, I think he's still got it in him to score another two goals at least by the end of the season.

The ball Jaime scored with was presented to his 11 year-old son sitting on the sidelines. Good to celebrate the Atlantic Cup with a bit of MLS history, huh? I was watching Comcast and noticed that it was MLS history indeed: Thomas Rongen, Bruce Arena, and John Harkes were all on hand to witness Jaime make history. Cool.

----------------------------------------
Let's get to the meat. Player ratings:

Perkins - 7

Burch - 7

McTavish - 6.5

Vanney - 6.5

Namoff - 6

Simms - 7.5

Olsen - 8

Gomez - 8

Fred - 8

Emilio - 8

Moreno - 9
(8 for the game, +2 for the record, -1 for the record by penalty)
---------------------------------------

Rongen said the first fifteen minutes of the game witnessed DC's best offense all season. I wouldn't go that far, but they were solid for those fifteen and other than conceding a goal, they were solid all game. So much so, in fact, that Mathis almost got the jump on us towards the end. Perkins proved useful yet again.

Other than Jaime's penalty (equal, if not better to, Angel's masteful finish), none of our goals had any class. They found net, true, but only because they bounced of a Red Bull first. However, the fact of the matter is that United consistently produced throughout the match. As exemplified by Clyde Simms, we fought Red Bull for every first, second, and third ball and won the majority of them. Red Bull started and finished by giving us more space than we needed to complete our crosses and slot our through balls. Five out of six Atlantic Cups don't lie: United knows exactly how to break down NYRB's defense and does it on a regular basis. This suits me just fine.

Our chances of reaching the finals at RFK this year just doubled, by the way. Or so I calculate.

---------------------
Other notes:

- Did you see Burch's lofted give-and-go towards the end of the game? I know you did. It was beautiful. The bonus? He's still our left back. Our left back. The one we'd been missing for half a season. I really appreciate that Burch is regularly going box to box, making a positive contribution on offense while maintaining good presence on defense. It's a good thing we bumped him up to the senior roster ( $30,000 > $17,500) because we're going to have a hell of a time holding on to him during the close season.

- Did you see Burch leg-lock Angel's ankle? I know you did. It was beautiful. This brings up a good point, though. Which would you have preferred-- the penalty, or Burch's ejection? I think I would have preferred the penalty.

- It was a cheap penalty though. Richards went down from a touch softer than Downy. I'm fairly certain that the ref made a conscious decision that instead of punishing United with a red he'd gift Red Bull with a goal. If Richards hadn't gone down and Red Bull hadn't scored on the play, Burch would have been off.

- Speaking of Richards, he's fast as hell but has all the creativity of a blank piece of paper. Other than run with it, Richards never does anything with the ball.

- Sorry to see you sitting out, Gros. Hope you make the best of your time off.

Enjoy.

Kallstrom's Rocket Sinks Bradley's Euro Coaching Debut: US 0-1 Sweden

2007-08-23T09:59:00.000-04:00

I have a good many things to discuss about this game, more than I expected considering how unenthused I am about the result and how tired I am today.

First, Gooch had one of his best MNT performances in a long time. Gooch really contained Zlatan to the best of his ability. This means Zlatan still had two or three quality chances early on which could have resulted in just as many goals, but considering that Gooch is still plying his trade in Belgium with Standard Liege, I'll give him an A for effort/C+ for achievement. A good result for him, considering the opponent.

Second, Kamani Hill didn't turn the game, but he added more spice than I would have expected. He has more scrap than his slight build would indicate, something I'm sure he's learned from trying to crack a Bundesliga squad week in, week out with Vfl Wolfsburg. Furthermore, he found quite a creative rapport with Charlie Davies late in the game when Davies came on and switched to the left flank. Good for them.

And finally, Zizzo got his first cap making him an official member of the U.S. men's national program. Not that anyone was worried he would jump ship, but he was also eligible to play for the Italian MNT because he parents were born there. Welcome to the fold, Zizzo.

Bruce McGuire over at duNord is concerned that this is the first time the US has lost four straight in ten years. I mean, I'm sorry we lost, too, but considering Bradley's primary concern is breeding and blooding a competitive squad for the 2010 World Cup, let alone the Confederations Cup, dropping a one-nil decision to a side filled with tried-and-true players and veritable international stars is not something to fret about. Howard was outstanding as usual, Gooch played well, Feilhaber played well, Beasley played well, Bradley, Hill, and Davies got their minutes-- we're doing alright. Here's my issue: if we can't score at home, regardless of who we're playing, we've got a scoring drought on our hands and it deserves serious attention. Until then, however, I'm at ease.

------------------------
Other notes:

- Michael Bradley was particularly ineffective on offense. This is largely due to the fact that it only took four or five Swedes to penetrate our defense, leaving the rest of the squad to defend their half. The consequences were twofold: (a) we needed constantly needed Bradley on defense and (b) no less than two and usually three Swedish defenders were on hand every time Dempsey, Donovan, Bradley, Feilhaber, or Beasley was ready to penetrate their defensive third. Our offense started out as a dynamic, ground-based thing but quickly resolved into useless motions in the midfield and impotent crosses. The only reason I'm singling out Bradley is that he was a revelation during the same strength-in-numbers strategy at home versus both Mexico and Ecuador. Now that Bradley is a legitimate member of the Heerenveen gameday roster, I expect him to learn quickly how to deal with these stifling situations.

- Thinking back on it, though the Swedes do possess more attacking prowess, they didn't capitalize on our poor defending like they should have. On top of that, we got our jabs in, too. The match was largely a back-and-forth affair. It took a piece of individual skill from young Kallstrom to decide the match.

- Gooch is often criticised for his lumbering tackles and excessive body contact ("... he forgets he's not playing American football..."), but I'm of the opposite opinion. I wish he would knock more. There are reasons why he cannot and should not be more aggressive, but these reasons usually amount to card accumulations and juvenile referees blowing on him whenever he touches someone from the other team. If I had my druthers, Gooch wouldn't hold back at all and would be allowed to really step up and seize the role of international bruiser. I want him at the core of our defense, destroying anyone who thinks they're brave enough to come through the middle. I want the Gattuso's and Koller's of the world to realize that while the US' defense might lack anticipation, they'll never beat us for physicality. I really want this. I don't think Gooch will ever really fulfill expectations until he's allowed to perform to the best of his ability, and whenever that should happen, the US' international presence will win at least a hundred times more respect than it has now. Or so I guesstimate.

- Bocanegra is a good defender but he needs to learn to coordinate the entire defense and keep them coordinated throughout the match. Step up and be a leader. Howard, you too. Communication is key.

- Bornstein looked better than Cherundolo for the most part. That's alarming.

- If I haven't made myself clear about this already, let me make this perfectly understandable: JOSMER ALTIDORE SHOULD BE CALLED UP IMMEDIATELY. After watching the US offense scrap with the Swedish defense, I watched D.C. United's defense scrap with Jozy Altidore. He already has more physical presence than many an international and his technical ability is good and becoming great. This makes the formula very simple: the more A-level experience Altidore has, the better 2010 will be.

- Adu also deserves a call-up. He's already been capped (and set the record for youngest A-level call up in US history) but he, like Jozy, needs MNT experience now. His absence from the squad vs. Sweden is obviously excused as not only is he new to Benfica and Portugal, but he's new to Coach Camacho after Santos was fired. After his awesome display against their U-20's, I think there's a strong chance he'll be called up vs. Brazil's senior squad.

Enjoy.

U-17 World Cup: US 3-4 Tajikistan

2007-08-20T11:04:00.000-04:00

I wasn't going to post about the U-17 WC at all except FIFA is providing excellent coverage of the entire tournament, replete with live online broadcasts of every game and highlights afterwards. Great stuff. US-Tajikistan highlights here.

In a nutshell, US let the Tajiks back into the game. Tajikistans' first two goals were gifts; poor, unmotivated defending is to blame. Their second two strikes were great, no doubt buoyed by the confidence gleaned from their earlier goals. Our young guns look more technical than ever before and their prowess with a dead ball indicates cohesiveness, teamwork, and good practice ethic, but what gives? They face Tunisia on Thursday; to be honest, they look fearsome. Let's hope we get it together and start looking a bit more fierce-- otherwise I predict utter pwnage. Not pretty.

---------------
Other notes:

- The hallmark of this year's U-17 WC seems to be bad goalkeeping. I've witnessed only a handful of mentionable keepers and these belong to Argentina (Luis Ojeda, 17, Union de Santa Fe/ARG), Syria (Ahmad Madnia, 17, Teshrin/SYR), and England (Alex Smithies, 17, Huddersfield/ENG).

- There's another team I'd tip as most ferocious in the Cup, and that team is Spain. Bojan Krkic already has a brace, and his teammates ain't no scratch neither. This, of course, assumes that Brazil is a given.

- My picks, top five strongest-looking sides at the Cup: Brazil, Spain, Tunisia, Ghana, and Argentina. Next would be Germany, England, and Japan.

Fred Starts, Luci Finishes: DCU 2-0 Columbus

2007-08-19T18:25:00.000-04:00

It does the heart good to see Emilio two goals up on Angel for the MLS Golden Boot. And I'll be honest-- to see Altidore up there, albeit at the bottom of the list, warms my heart a bit as well. Glad he didn't double up on us.

(Off topic: Ives reckons Altidore will be the MLS' first ever eight-figure transfer. I'm disagreeing with Ives on this one. I predict that come Christmastime he'll be worth more than what Adu went for, but Adu only went for 2.5 mil. Eight or nine mil for Jozy, methinks, not a stupendous eight-figure transfer fee. How much of that would Red Bull see, anyways? The bigger question is where he'll be a year from now. That's a thinker.)

I am relieved to no end that Soehn stuck Burch immediately back into his starting spot on the left. I'm not so relieved to see Vanney back on the field. He's got a trumped-up sense of how good he is with his left foot, though the bigger threat to United's defense is his trumped-up sense of how well he positions himself under pressure.

Equally worrisome is Gros' early exit from the game. Didn't look like a blowout a la McBride (Fulham will be missing him for three months after he dislocated his knee vs. Middlesborough on Saturday) but it was enough for him to beg substitution after only eight minutes. I'll be waiting for Goff to come back with good news tomorrow.

Fred is magical. I said so this past Wednesday when we lost out to Beckham's team, but today he really endowed my words with the honest truth. It wasn't just his strike, which opened the scoreboard as well as United's attack. It was Fred's urgency, which ensured positive movement up the pitch; it was his persistence, which ensured focused, dynamic attack on goal; and it was his thrilling movement on the ball, which ensured that the audience was at the edge of their seats and that the Crew were at the edge of their collective wits. Simply put, United is better as a team when Fred is on the field. I hope he realizes that his every last effort, no matter how trivial, is bringing United closer to RFK on November 18th. Keep it up, Fred.

This is a great result to have as the playoffs loom close. Thanks to this win, at least Soehn will be sleeping easier. With a real sense that his performance as head coach was under serious scrutiny, his halftime pep talk must have been the stuff of legends. It worked, anyways.

--------------------
Other notes:

- Moreno looked slow. I'm sorry that this is typical of him these days. Let's hope he breaks his record vs. Red Bulls on Wednesday so Soehn can put him on the bench more often.

- Gomez' form was good last night, another pre-playoff reassurance. We can see he's picking his head up.

- The announcers last night were Thomas Rongen and that guy who announces United's games for 1160AM radio. I wish I knew that guy's name. He was decent.

- When I say that Perkins' bravery gifted us the shutout, I literally mean that Perkins' bravery gifted us the shutout. He has the stones to get behind every ball humanly possible, impending feet and knees regardless. His insurance premiums must be phenomenal.

- Danny Szetela was particularly unremarkable. Is he really headed to AS Roma this winter?

- Alejandro Moreno is definitely an MLS-quality striker, which is to say, he might put his chances away but he won't change the momentum of the game. The Jaime of old was one such game-changer. I want that guy back.

- This question is weighing heavy on my mind these days: if not Veron, then who? It doesn't matter right this minute, but I wonder if, or even when we'll start to regret we never signed anyone this season.

Good night.

I Suddenly Became a Pachuca Fan: DCU 0-2 LAG

2007-08-16T01:02:00.000-04:00

Beckham's first goal was a bit of magic. Everyone in that stadium read him to be kicking the classic Beckham swinger: over the wall, curving gently, just brushing the near post in it's short journey to the top corner. Not so, said Beckham, and the ball flew the other way and into the goal. Not much anyone could do about that, except prevent conceding the free kick in the first place.

Lastly: Beckham's every pass opens up the pitch. LAG is never slack when he's around, and he is around. They park him in the center and suddenly he's all over the field, scooping loose balls and feeding the lone option on the other touchline. His crosses are like clockwork. He really elevates the Galaxy to a new level.

I need to hurry through this recap for the sake of my good mood and low blood pressure. I have a good crop of notes, so I'll get right to it.

----------------
Other notes:

- Namoff is our right back. He is our man. There is nary a thing I could fault him for this match, or the last few, for that matter. Thank you, Brian.

- Fred is magical. Period. Give him the ball in a tight situation and he'll come up with something special.

- Why did Carroll get the nod over Simms this game? I didn't like it.

- Jaime is still a solid forward, but he didn't compliment our other attacking options at all this game. It seemed like once Jaime received a ball, the ball was either staying at his feet until turned over, or was immediately laid back for someone else to pass wide. In his defense, however, LAG absolutely packed the box from the 1st to the 90th. Through balls were the last thing on United's mind.

- Neither was a ball going to soar in from the wing. Every LAG defender is taller than every DCU attacker. It's almost scientific how ineffective our crosses were. Unfortunately, Ben Olsen failed to realize this and was just as ineffective once Gomez stepped onto the pitch and consigned Olsen to the right wing. Bad day, Benny. Better luck next time.

- Joe Cannon came up big nearly every time a save was asked of him. Emilio from point blank range TWICE and corkers from Gros early and later Carroll were all soundly dealt with. If Goldenballs hadn't tucked away his debut goal, Cannon would be MotM for sure.

- Kyle Martino falls like a little bitch. So does Pavon. I'd even say the same for Cobi when he clipped Gros' shinguard. Grow some cajones, f*ckers.

- Ty Harden bodychecked Moreno so Cannon could collect a loose ball. I'd call this a penalty. McTavish slid late and took out Martino's legs. If the ball didn't look like it was going out anyways, I'd call this a penalty too.

- What's so frustrating about this game is that DCU put forth every effort, every last g****mn effort, and still came up nil. I saw frustration out of Olsen, Kpene, Gomez, Fred, and just about everyone who was desperately trying to eke a goal for the visiting United. I was cussing so bad my dog came downstairs to check on me and left with his tail between his legs. Sorry, buddy. I'm alright now.

- The only thing keeping me from destroying my television were the cute girls Telemundo kept flashing across the screen. I like cute girls. There should be more cute girls during soccer broadcasts. Keeps my temper in check and my interest piqued when DC's two down to LAG.

G'night.

Where are the posts?

2007-08-15T10:21:00.000-04:00

Hey, loyal readers. Feel like I've been lacking in posts lately? Well, I'm dealing with a little thing called "going off to college" and it's crunch time now. Sorry for being a bit absent, but some things take precedence.

Expect me to have some post-match analysis for DC's SuperLiga game at LAG tonight, but for the next couple weeks I'll be a bit less active than usual. Hope you don't mind.

-QJA

European Recap: Weekend thru 08-12-07

2007-08-12T22:22:00.000-04:00

Short takes from the weekend's European action.

Chelsea 3-2 Birmingham
- Shaun Wright-Phillips and Florent Malouda are two crucial pieces of Chelsea's attack. They both figure to have a brilliant season with the Blues this campaign. Sidwell could also make a decisive impact this season should he make the most of his minutes coming off the bench.

- Essien keeps the long bombs coming. He's petitioning the powers that be to reconsider the timing of the African Nations Cup this January; I think he can feel the positive momentum Mourinho's building for the season. Let's hope someone sees the wisdom in holding the tournament over the summer.

- It makes me happy to see that Malouda and Pizarro not only scored on their league debuts, but turned to celebrate with the fans immediately after. Good sign of morale, that.

- Cech is still struggling to regain his status as a world-renowned keeper and I've got to think that we won't really see him back to normal until at least the midpoint of the season.

- Don't know Birmingham and don't much care to learn, but ex-Juventus midfielder Kapo is gun for putting that lefty past Cech at such an angle. No windup at all, just smacked it standing completely erect and put it on in. We'll see him later in the season, I'm sure.

Rangers 2-0 St. Mirren
- Dominant victory in which DaMarcus Beasley was a key component. He's really dangerous in the SPL, a real force to be reckoned with. And after hearing all these reports of his abuse on the pitch, I really think he'll develop as an international presence as well. This trial by fire with the Light Blues will toughen him up for the more physical matches. Italy, England, and Germany are names that immediately come to mind, but we'll cross those bridges if and when we get to them.

- It's interesting to see that with the Gers, Beasley has the freedom to work out of the center of the pitch and apparently it suits him well. Beasley could easily surpass Donovan as America's #1 midfielder if his SPL campaign finishes as it's started.

- Stepping back a bit to view the overall performance, Barry Ferguson and Danny Cousin did well to put Rangers in the lead. St. Mirren's poor keeper stood little chance against the onslaught: Both goals were scored from inside 10 yards.

- Good service from the back line and good orchestration from the midfield are evidence that the Teddy Bears (no joke, check Wikipedia) have built a quality side during the off season. Expectations are rising.

FC Bayern 3-0 Rostock
- You wouldn't expect much less from a lineup that includes Klose, Toni, Schweinsteiger, van Bommel, and Ribéry. Bayern Munich is pure class and utilized all of it to dismantle the visiting debutantes.

- I predict that Ribéry will score one of the top ten Champions League goals this season simply because he has a beautiful way with dead ball situations.

- Heath Pearce made an admirable start to his first Bundesliga season, but I think he should perform better once he's had a month to adjust. On the other hand, Rostock's offense has to learn to penetrate these Bundesliga defenses; one month could be all it takes to permanently sabotage their 07-08 top-flight campaign. Let's hope they learn their lesson sooner rather than later.

Manchester United 0-0 Reading
- This result is flattering; United were abusing the Royals' defense.

- Hahnemann won MotM for his heroics at the back to earn Reading the draw.

- Convey is still recovering from his injury.

- Rooney's foot fracture is very concerning to a good many England supporters.

Arsenal 2-1 Fulham
- Holy sh*t-- van Persie punished the net.

- Healy was gifted that goal, though props for being on top of Lehmann.

- Dempsey had 45 minutes to make an impact but couldn't. Brian McBride was ineffective all match.

- In spite of Fulham's impotent offense, Bocanegra did very well to hold van Persie down the whole match. Good to see that he's asserting himself at the top of a stacked defensive lineup that includes Paul Konchesky, Philippe Christanval, Aron Hughes, and Chris Baird. Too bad Hleb played him like a puppet for a last-gasp winner. We'll see what Lawrie Sanchez thinks of his performance when the Cottagers host Bolton on Wednesday.

On Beckham's Debut, Emiligol Comes Through: DCU 1-0 LAG

2007-08-09T22:04:00.000-04:00

Wow. It was pouring out there. I don't know if you could tell, but for those of us there live, we were amazed by how much the rain fell and how tough the guys were to play through it. (Also: during DC's brief ceremony, Barra Brava/SE held up a sign which read: Good Riddance. Further down the pitch was a sign directed at Mrs. Beckham, reading: We Sing Better Than Your Wife. Classy guys, those BB/SE's.)

About Beckham, quickly: what he did was very tame (not once did I see him sprint) but he was very lethal. One of his crosses forty yards from the box nearly found three (!) different options, and had Perkins not smothered the ball, the game would have been tied. His service is something no MLS player is used to. Defenses will find it hard to cope.

Glad to see Burch rewarded again, but I was even more excited to see that Simms got the nod over Carroll. It must have been a simple decision: recently Carroll has been underperforming while Simms has been solid. It's good Soehn made the switch, too, because not only does Simms cinch the midfield, he occasionally ends up with the ball at the top of the key and he's dangerously unpredictable there.

Fred started and finished in the hole as Gomez sat out with a 'charley horse.' Fred gave us a show, throwing himself around with abandonment. I didn't realize it until I saw him in person tonight, but Fred thinks quicker than anyone on the pitch. He has to: he's one of the shortest guys out there and his feet naturally attract the ball. As soon as it's his turn to dribble, there's one, two, three defenders all at his ankles and he needs to make a crucial pass yesterday. I held him in high regard before, but seeing him provide ground service like that redoubled my respect for his ability as a player. A worthy successor of Gomez.

Emilio's strike sent the crowd into raptures. It was so unexpected: all season long he's played the poacher, finding the odd ball in the box and slotting it home easily. This was the first taste of Emilio long distance, and it was very, very sweet. I couldn't see exactly, but Joe Cannon could estimate neither pace nor placement once the ball was struck and the result was such that he got a piece, but not the whole pie. Sweet, sweet pie. And just like that, Emilio is top of the league for goals. Priceless.

Perkins, along with the rest of the squad, was lucky a ball didn't slip 'n' slide its way into the goal to tie the game, but by the same token, Perkins smothered everything he touched. No more the mushy long distance goals struck sweetly in the rain. Club America, never again.

---------------------------
Other notes:

- Landon Donovan has some wicked pace about him.

- I've never seen RFK so packed nor so intense. It was pouring rain but the folks sitting exposed in the lower seats never budged, refusing to forsake their good view of Gilded Nuts.

- I-66 at QuarterVolley dubbed Landon Donovan "The Scampering Hairline." After witnessing him tonight, that's the funniest thing I've ever heard.

- DCU must really be pushing for Moreno to set the record because when he's out there he hogs service and then fails to produce. It's not always like this, but I've noticed that when Moreno is injured, his decision-making is very labored. He just never unleashes the ball, as if it were glued to his feet.

- Dammit, Vanney's better again. McTavish and Boswell were starting to click and Burch was on the verge of capitalizing with his magic left boot. Vanney's recovery will change this, I'm sure.

- DC United, when turned on, has some of the tastiest attacking flair in the league. Flicks and soft touches, deft traps and beautiful service-- these are the stuff of dreams, boys.

Enjoy.

Aha, Well Now... News and Notes 8/07

2007-08-07T09:18:00.000-04:00

- It turns out that AS Roma has won the Danny Szetela lottery. Szetela will join fellow U-20 Yank Gabe Ferarri after his Columbus contract runs out midway through the 07-08 Serie A campaign.

What a signing. It seemed to be a crapshoot where Szetela would be headed, from both sides of the Old Firm to Glatasaray in Turkey to EPL mediocrity with Everton and Middlesborough, but Szetela seems to have picked the best of the lot by signing with perennial power AS Roma. No doubt Szetela will mature into a more technical, decisive player in that kind of environment.

- Also, Benny Feilhaber is close to a deal with EPL newcomers Derby County. Seems as if County has a quota of one token American for the coming season, and by God, they're determined to fill it. This, however sudden, is a great chance for Feilhaber to see significant first-team minutes in the EPL immediately. If he can impress England like he has Germany, there is no doubt that he could become a Derby mainstay from the outset. People should be very excited about this.

What's remarkable, though, is that Feilhaber is willing to look at other offers. From what I understand, Hamburg was making moves that placed Feilhaber higher on the depth chart under the theory that Feilhaber would become a crucial piece of the club's '07-'08 campaign. After Alexander Lass left for Wolfsburg, Hamburg's options were to keep Feilhaber, or sell him and buy another like him. Feilhaber was perfectly willing to do whatever it took to impress Huub Stevens, but Hamburg, it seems, are less picky than they seem.

Great opportunity for Benny. Good luck.

- YA's Best XI: Preston Zimmerman is finally out, and it's got some interesting tidbits. Zimmerman informs us that according to what he's heard of the coaches' timetable for his progress, they will be looking to call him up to the first team midway through the season. They are impressed with him and are positive he will do well. This assures me, because for a while I was worried that Rongen might have been keeping Zimmerman on the bench for some kind of rational reason. Also of note: Zimmerman prefers to arrive at each training session an hour early (!) so he can chill and clear his head. Very serene. Good luck to him this season; we're all expecting big things.

- YA also has this curious exclusive, which they're dubbing "Maximum Access." They've given a young American abroad, Max Cream, 19, his own serial in which he'll chronicle his budding European soccer career, currently in the German fourth division with SV Meppen. Max will receive no assistance from YA aside from final editing and he'll receive no accreditation as a member of the YA staff. The only reason this exists, I would think, is because Max Cream has a fascinating life story and YA doesn't think anyone could tell it better than Max himself. But that doesn't matter: it's a good read and I'm waiting for more. I can't help but root for the young gun this coming season.

- General aside: the coming season is a great season for Americans abroad. This is really exciting. DMB is already impressing at the Ibrox, Freddy is finding Benfica a great fit, Zizzo is ready for his Hannover challenge, Zimmerman is set to soar, Ferrari is ready to debut, Heath Pearce is hunting glory, Michael Bradley is positioned to take center stage with Heerenveen, Benny Feilhaber could potentially become a Premier League starlet, and now Danny Szetela is giving America the opportunity to apologize for Alexi Lalas. There is plenty to watch and plenty to be hyped up for. And it all starts in a week.

Enjoy.

Van der Sar Denies the Blues: Chelsea (0) 1-1 (3) ManU

2007-08-05T19:04:00.001-04:00

I didn't see the match, so my word is reduced to hearsay, but for all intents and purposes, Ives, both Daryl from The Offside and Andy from The Offside: Chelsea, and BlueChampions are as good as my word.

From what I hear, Mikel was shaky, Malouda was brilliant, Cech is slowly and surely recovering his astounding form of two years ago, Tal Ben-Haim looked a natural Blue, Giggs is aging gracefully, and van der Sar was a revelation.

FA Community : Chelsea v Man Utd : 05/08/2007
Uploaded by BMiuVee

Enjoy.

Luci's Brace Does The Trick: DCU 3-0 NE Revolution

2007-08-05T18:02:00.000-04:00

Can we label Marc Burch a success now, please? The guy's a real asset in the back. He's got all the touch, pace, vision, and service of a quality left-footed forward while maintaining competent defense. It's not like he's ousting anyone from the left-back position (I'm sure Gros is happy to move up, and judging by the scoreline, so are we), but Marc Burch has made a real name for himself and I don't see him on the bench any time soon. What's more, I think he's poised for a big fat raise at the end of the season because DCU will be fending off big offers by a good many clubs looking for a solid, young left back.

Anyways, this young squad, starting out a 4-3-3, had the best possession in league play I've seen from DCU in weeks. They had vision (Guy Kpene? Clyde Simms? NE had no answer for their long-distance connections) and pace (Rod Dyachenko outpaced just about every member of the Rev's defense; Josh Gros = Khano Smith in my eyes) and an incredible amount of tenacity (McTavish went box to box consistently throughout the game). Arguably the most solid road performance of United's '07 campaign.

The rookies were not without assistance, though: Ben Olsen was everywhere DCU needed him to be and Namoff, though he's still getting back into shape, did just enough to stymie Khano Smith's best efforts. Luci's found his way with the goals again, and I'm hoping this carries over for Thursday's game versus the Beckhamites at home.

Judging by the good performance of the new recruits, Tom Soehn has to feel like his gut was telling him right all along, that these kids have the potential to command a game and that they are in fact solid investments for the future. And I think I would have to agree with Tom Soehn's gut.

---------------------------
Other notes:

- It's painfully obvious that Jaime wasn't ready to play, let alone set the league record for career goals. Take your time, Jaime. We've got you covered.

- Where did Soehn stick Mediate for Namoff? In the back? Why?

- Clyde Simms made an excellent case for some starts in the near future. Carroll, you've been warned.

- Luci now has 12 goals on the season and is tied for first with Eddie Johnson.

- I was very impressed with Dyachenko's performance in Gomez' usual position and this worries me to no end. The team found its best run of form and possession in weeks while Gomez was absent, and furthermore scored all three goals without Jaime on the pitch. I don't think Gomez will be usurped as the team's chief free kicker until Burch scores with his magic left boot, but I do think that Gomez' role as playmaker is under serious scrutiny right now.

- I'll take Comcast's match coverage over ESPN's any day, if only just to hear how cocky Rongen is about his former team.

- Kpene didn't look terribly injured to me and seems to be returning to his old scrappy, resourceful self. I'm hoping this translates into more minutes for him while Jaime recovers.

- If you're thinking that the Revs should have been awarded a penalty for that Olsen-Perkins gaffe, let me be the first to tell you otherwise. There was a serious miscommunication, but the replays make it clear that Perkins was trying to minimize himself and his potential contact with Smith. He didn't splay his arms or slide far at all; Smith, screaming, tried to make the most of a dead situation. In fact, I'll go so far as to say the refereeing was halfway decent this game. But maybe that's pushing it.

- Reis himself proved that Perkins is the better goalkeeper. Pwnt.

- I do think Beckham will play on Thursday, if only for 10-15 minutes. If Gomez puts one in on Joe Cannon while Beckham is on the pitch, I'll laugh until I weep because God had a sublime appreciation of irony.

Enjoy.

BDR's Post-Dynamo Analysis

2007-08-02T14:10:00.000-04:00

Check it out. BDR's analysis concerning Soehn and Nowak are spot on.

I am of the opinion that this season was always going to be transitional, Soehn bringing in simultaneously the future stars (Fred, Emilio) and the seasonal gap-fillers (Kpene, Addlery). I think that if Soehn can push the team into a taste of silver with the SuperLiga, or at least a goal-scoring appearance at the final, the team's mediocre league performance will be somewhat counterbalanced and he'll be given the go-ahead to continue next season, where he will make more transfers that suit his system and release more of the players that were the cogs of Nowak's.

Speaking of Nowak's cogs, am I the only one that thinks Boswell is on his way out??

SYN and SuperLiga 2k7

2007-08-02T13:26:00.000-04:00

Disappointed with my coverage of the SuperLiga so far? Yeah, I am too. I've been busy on all three matches United has played so far, something I'd call a bit of bum luck.

But mark my words: August 14th there will be a SYN representative in front of a TV watching United beat LAG to move on to the finals. F*** yeah!

I did happen to catch a bit of TiVo'ed United-Dynamo action last night. My thoughts:

- We couldn't string more than three passes together to work it upfield. Then again, someone changed channels right when Moreno was coming on.

- Gomez looked great.

- I'm glad someone realized Dyachenko wasn't doing much. He was exchanged for Kpene around the 35th minute, a move I'd normally praise. Thing is, Kpene was moving around like he was still injured or still afraid of being injured. Whether this continued once Moreno hopped on is a mystery to me.

- Bobby Boswell was the weakest link in our defense. Burch, however, continued to show well. McTavish has a knack for stupendous blocks in clutch situations.

Enjoy.

By the way...

2007-08-01T01:49:00.000-04:00

... if you ever find my opinions or articles to be ill informed in any way, please comment me about it. I can't stop being a misinformed jackoff if you don't take the time to correct me.

Thanks.

-QJA

My Picks: Next MLS Expansion Sides

2007-07-31T15:49:00.000-04:00

San Jose in 2008 is official, making the West Coast just as hefty as the East with a grand total of 3 MLS sides. Here's who I would pick next:

1) Philadelphia

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds are the next expansion side to join USL Div. 2, where the Harrisburg City Islanders have already staked a claim. I am positive there would be financial backing, and if the team were sound enough, I think a significant contingent of southern New Jersey fans and northern Maryland fans (and think about Delaware!) would siphon off the NYRB/DCU bandwagons and head Philly-ward for some MLS action. But here's why PA is on the top of this list: Pennsylvania is a phenomenal soccer hotbed with more than its fair share of youth (read: ODP, Super Y-League) teams in place. With perennial powers NYRB and DCU as rivals right off the bat, I think Philadelphia would blossom not unlike a certain Canadian side that has skyrocketed this season.

2) Portland/Seattle

Footy fans in the Pacific Northwest are positively rabid for an MLS expansion to come their way. Fed up with the hype-fest that is Los Angeles, they've lined up not one but two potential corporate backers, the latter of which displaying typical American panache by using the moniker 'Atlético Seattle.' Furthermore, the Pacific Northwest is a proven soccer breeding ground as the Timbers, Sounders, and Whitecaps all play USL Div. 1 soccer in Oregon, Washington, and Vancouver respectively. The only reason I don't place Portland, Oregon or Seattle, Washington at the top of this list is because I'm not sure how enthusiastic MLS will be about a fourth team on the West Coast on top of San Jose, Chivas, and LAG.

3) Miami

Well, if we're going to talk about reviving the Earthquakes, we have to talk about reviving the Miami Fusion. There is a fantastic Latino market that yearns to be catered to again, and with the disgustingly impressive amount of disposable income floating around down there, I have to think that Miami is the perfect tropical location for a soccer team to grow. Rather as a side note, Miami F.C. plays USL Div. 1 soccer down there already, though they don't enjoy stellar game attendance.

4) New York

The soccer gluttons in the Big Apple are already clamoring for another team besides the New York Red Bulls, and I happen to know that Red Bull isn't filling the stands at Giants Stadium. NYRB hasn't monopolized the New Jersey soccer market, either: St. Benedict's Prep of Newark, NJ has established itself as the premier high-school soccer development academy outside of Bradenton, and NRYB aren't snapping up all of its graduates. Furthermore, the immigrant and low-income populaces of Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens in NYC have foundered a fantastic place for a star to be born, replete with concrete futsal pitches and infinite gringo ankles to be broken. The only reason I don't put NYC higher is because I'm not sure how gung-ho MLS will be about bringing up another side catering to the NYC market-- but hey, it's working for Los Angeles, right?

5) Las Vegas

I'm positive there would be significant financial backing for a potential MLS side in Sin City, but I'm just not sure how much fan support LV could generate. That, and all the potential stadium plans I've heard about, no matter how often they endorse the term "family friendly," involve a casino of some sort. A few intrepid souls have already laid the groundwork for an MLS side to arrive, but really the only thing attractive about an MLS team in Las Vegas, Nevada is Las Vegas, Nevada.

6) Somewhere in the Carolinas

The only reason I say this is because both North and South Carolina boast Div. 1 sides (the RailHawks and Charleston Battery, respectively) which enjoy outstanding fan support. From what I've heard, though, there isn't any corporate backing and the amount of support for both teams seems to have hit a glass ceiling. On the other hand, NC, much like PA, has a healthy amount of youth sides fostering support for the USL teams. I'm on the fence with this one, I guess.

7) Milwaukee

I don't think this is going to happen, but I'll put it on this list if it will help Peter Wilt calm down a bit.

-------------------------------

I found this on duNord awhile ago: a map of all the MLS and USL Div. 1 teams in the US and Canada, so you can peruse the concentration of professional teams for yourself.

-------------------------------

Enjoy.

Peter Wilt Wants Footy at the Racetrack

2007-07-31T12:34:00.000-04:00

Bring the beers and get some sunscreen from Costco because Peter Wilt wants to make a racetrack in Wisconsin the next MLS-ready soccer stadium in America.

The idea sounds farfetched: if it's possible that a soccer pitch could be constructed on a movable tray, Peter Wilt and his group, Milwaukee Professional Soccer, want to construct one on the Milwaukee Mile. It's a nifty idea, they say, because the pitch could be kept on the infield of the racetrack on the days a race is scheduled and move the pitch flush to the stands on the days a game is scheduled.

This absolutely confuses me because the last soccer team to play in Wisconsin was the now-defunct Milwaukee Rampage who played in the now-defunct A-League and who ceased to exist in 2002 for lack of financial backing.

Really the only reason I mention this is because Peter Wilt is campaigning hard for this damn stadium to exist. He's scouring the internet for public reaction to the stadium plan and posting on the blogs who make mention. Check it out:

The Offside Rules broke the story yesterday with a rational amount of skepticism and sarcasm. My Soccer Blog did the same thing, albeit with more sympathy, and soon The Offside had posted up TOR's article with some additional commentary of its own. But get this: Peter Wilt, renowned for fan-friendliness during his days as GM of the Chicago Fire, posted on TOR the next day with intimate details of the proposal and a plea for understanding. Furthermore, Thomas Dunmore, a Chicago journalist who blogs at Pitch Invasion and The Offside: Chicago Fire in his spare time, has written a piece vindicating the stadium project and Peter Wilt has posted there, too.

Wilt and the several articles chronicling his current endeavor mention that MLS has sanctioned him to pursue the project. It's now his job to determine whether the stadium would be feasible, attractive, profitable, or all three at once, and to do this he's immersing himself in public reaction and information available through the media. Posting on soccer blogs might be a backwards way of doing this, but he's capturing attention and turning what few heads he can to the possibility of professional soccer in Wisconsin. Indeed, Wilt is touting this stadium plan as "the last chance to bring an MLS franchise to Milwaukee." But if the last chance for MLS in Milwaukee is to graft it onto NASCAR and hope for the best, I think this is already a forgone conclusion.

Thomas Dunmore at Pitch Invasion and TO:CF seems to be the most authoritative source for information and developments concerning this project, so I'll be looking to him and only him for updates as time goes on. I'll post here what I discover.

Enjoy.

Next Articles On Deck

2007-07-30T18:47:00.001-04:00

Sneak peek:

My Picks: Next MLS Expansion Sides

- The MLS is growing on a yearly basis now. There are several places eager to get in on the action, and I'll lay them down in order of most to least likely.

It's in the Blood: John Hassinger

- A few days ago I met up with a young guy named John Hassinger, a promising player in the Super-Y league with SuperNova F.C. in central Pennsylvania, now quadriplegic through a tragic injury. He's wicked cool and he's got some wicked cool soccer paraphernalia, and I'm excited to tell you his story as soon as I get the chance.

Stay tuned.

The Moar You Know

2007-07-30T16:37:00.000-04:00

A humble reference to the popular segment of Encyclopedia Dramatica. Good, old fashioned sophmoric humor, that site.

Anyways, pop quiz. In 2003, who became a star midfielder for the UCLA Bruins after being accepted as a walk-on?

Benny Feilhaber.

How about this: who did the same thing in 1996, becoming a star defender for the US men's national team three years later?

Jimmy Conrad.

And now that Sal Zizzo's over in Germany, I've developed a healthy respect for the soccer program over there at UCLA. Good stuff.

Oh, and by the way, for you Jimmy Conrad fans, which European team did he play for, seven years ago? Answer: Lech Poznan of the Orange Ekstraklasa, Poland's premier division. (I vaguely recall hearing something like that, but it never dawned on me until now. Hm.)

Enjoy.

More Yanks Abroad! Lichaj Signs for Aston Villa, Adu for Benfica!

2007-07-29T13:06:00.000-04:00

Words fresh from Yanks Abroad:

"University of North Carolina sophomore defender Eric Lichaj has left school and signed with English Premier League participants Aston Villa." And get this: Eric has a broken foot. Villa liked this kid so much, they signed him injured.

I personally haven't seen this kid. I know that he's only 18 years old and that he debuted for the U-17 MNT at 14. He was the top defender in Parade Magazine's All-American High School picks last year alongside Brian Perk, Jon Villaneuva, and Jozy Altidore. I know he was called up to one of Rongen's prep camps for the U-20 World Cup but I'm assuming his foot injury kept him out of action.

Anyways, this kid is a standout talent. YA says he'll be playing with Aston Villa's reserves by September. He's signed for two years, so he'll have to impress Martin O'Neill in this short amount of time, but more power to him. I hope he makes the most of it.

--------------------------------------------

I don't know if you guys realize, but when I first posted about Freddy's move to Portugal, I kept mum about my prediction that the deal would be finalized by the weekend. Blimey but I was right.

Freddy Adu is finally headed to Europe. And Ives corroborates.

This is good for everyone: Freddy, Benfica, MLS, even United. Real Salt Lake get their 400k and DCU gets 150k as well as a draft pick. I'm mad about one thing though: Sal Zizzo made the jump before Freddy, haha.

Next to go: Danny Szetela. Put money on it. They're already talking about him over in England.

--------------------------------------------

While we're at it, I strongly suggest you check out Parade magazine's All-Americans for 2005. See how many familiar names you count.

Enjoy.

Top Ten Footballers in the World

2007-07-26T16:26:00.000-04:00

... at the moment. This is a really fickle kind of list because many deserving players go unrecognized and many recognized players aren't so deserving. But here goes:

1) Leo Messi

Pure talent, brazen style, and in a great situation with both club and country. People might argue that he's not number one in the world, though they'll all have to conclude he's definately top five, but my instinct tells me that he's probably the most gifted young footballer alive today. He's the first player I thought of when I thought of "top five."

2) Ronaldinho

Still awesome and still talented, though his prime years may be over, Ronaldinho still deserves to be lauded for seducing the world with samba.

3) Cristiano Ronaldo

One could argue that sometimes his flair gets in the way of team play, but has anyone else noticed that C. Ronaldo has sublime attacking vision? He creates plays out of pure fantasy. A joy to watch.

4) Thierry Henry

An absolutely prolific striker, he may be the only attacker on this list also prized for his defensive skills. He's stylish on and off the pitch, an ambassador of the sport, unselfish, and magical with a ball at his feet. I don't think it's possible that he could fail expectations at Barca.

5) Kaka

It's a shame he was absent for the Copa America because he would have shone without a doubt. The way he can morph from omniscient playmaker to lethal striker is stunning.

6) John Terry

Cannavaro's passed the crown of King Defender. Terry has brilliant positioning and more courage than any other footballer I could name. If only he could capture the same glory with England's MNT as he does with Chelsea.

7) Robinho

It's really hard to shine when you're one of the smallest members of the Selecao, but he manages. His performance in the Copa America is indicative of what Real Madrid expects in the fall, after having won La Liga with them in the spring.

8) Michael Essien

The consummate midfielder. A younger incarnate of Claude Makelélé, Essien fulfills tackling duties on defense and the middle third and is the premier choice for a player who can diffuse an attack before it starts. Furthermore, if you can remember his bomb versus Arsenal last season, you know that he can smack a ball with the best of them. Indispensable for both club and country, for whom is captain and standout star.

(ManU fans might accuse me of being biased for putting two Chelsea players on this list and would rather see Scholes here instead of Essien, but I said this is a list of the best footballers in the world. Scholes is one of the best in England, but Essien is unquestionably one of the best in the world. If I put Drogba or Kalou here instead of Essien, then maybe I could be accused of partisanship. For the record, though, Drogba would be my #11.)

9) Zinedine Zidane. Just kidding.

Try Franck Ribéry.

Signed for a club-record fee of $35.6mil, he is quickly becoming a Bayern Munich favorite and for good reason. Not until the World Cup 2006 had I seen someone outfox the Selecao in a serious international competition, a feat Freddy Adu has emulated since. Ribéry has outstanding work rate, outstanding vision, outstanding style on the ball-- and even when he shared the pitch with Zidane, Ribéry still commanded attention. He is only 24.

And now #10. A million names are running through my head right now: Ibrahimovic, Adriano, Gerrard, Deco, Alex, Shunsuke Nakamura, David Beckham, van Nistelrooy, Eto'o, Rafa Marquez, Wayne Rooney, Luca Toni, Dimitar Berbatov, van Persie-- but none of these seem right. Too many arguments against them. I know I'm missing somebody. The tenth best player in the world has got to be somebody who could potentially usurp one of the higher-ups on a good day... Bright, young, stylish... Creative, inventive... Lethal... I got it--

10) Cesc Fabregas

I often forget that Fabregas is only 21. It seems like he's been a staple of the Premiership for years. He's been absent a few times when Arsenal needed him, but in terms of midfield orchestration he's golden. Irrefutably brilliant at sensing, creating, and changing a play. He's defensive when he needs to be and dangerously offensive at the smallest chance-- Fabregas is definitely one of the best footballers in the world.

Some might argue Drogba over Fabregas. I'd say that Drogba, winner of the 2007 African Footballer of the Year and 06-07 Premiership Golden Boot winner, might be one the most physical players in the world, but in terms of creative brilliance, I wouldn't rate him top ten. Technical ability, leadership, humanitarianism, yeah-- but I really feel that he's only average with his creativity and style, and he really hasn't impressed on the international stage either. Sorry, Dids.

And for those disappointed that a keeper didn't make the list, if Didier is my #11, Jose Reina is my #12.

Enjoy.

I'll Say It Again: Alvaro Recoba for United's DP

2007-07-26T13:37:00.000-04:00

Goff had an interesting sitdown with Kevin Payne and was very pointed about getting some answers about DC United's transfer interests. Without saying anything specific, Payne indicated that his visit to Argentina concerned sealing the Veron deal (which didn't happen) and scouting two young Argentinean talents for DCU's reserves (which may or may not happen).

Here's the meat of Goff's interview with Payne:

"Let's just say we certainly have an interest in making our team better and we think the advent of the designated player rule is a new tool for all of us. We really admire what the Galaxy has done and the chance they took with Beckham. It seems to be paying off for everybody. AEG has really stepped up and taken our league to a new level. From our point of view, we would like to find a player who has significant name recognition, who fits the culture of our team (winning championships) and is Latin. Our team has always had a Latin flavor and we think that is the direction we will continue to go in. Veron certainly fits that profile. He's been a great, great player, one of the best players in the world for a long time and still has a lot in the tank. So he would certainly be a guy on our radar screen, but we've looked at other players as well."

So let me get this straight: D.C. United is looking for a talented Latin player with significant name recognition. Veron fits this profile. Leo Messi fits this profile. Juan Roman Riquelme fits this profile. Ronaldinho fits this profile. Robinho, Anderson, and Carlos Tevez fit this profile. And though he may not have as much name recognition as the others, you know who else fits the profile?

Alvaro Recoba.

You know, the one-time Latino prodigy from Inter Milan? The one on his way out? The one who's headed back to Uruguay looking for first-team minutes? The striker of a calibre that DC sorely, sorely needs? The striker who DC could easily persuade Stateside for $15mil or less? I've already posted about why signing good attacking talent is better than signing good defensive talent and why a striker would be a better use of our DP slot than a d-mid or defender. Alvaro Recoba meets these criteria.

Kevin Payne is looking to emulate LAG's Beckham signing with a Latino one of our own, and while I don't think Recoba will melt panties like Beckham, I do think that his performance on the pitch will more than make up for it.

Alvaro Recoba for DP.

EDIT: People are touting J.R. Riquelme, currently of Boca Juniors, as the ideal candidate for the designated player slot. I agree. However, the reason I'm pushing for Recoba over Riquelme is a) because Recoba is known to be looking for other options, b) because Recoba would probably come cheaper, and c) because Recoba is a striker, which is what we really need right now. If we entered into talks with both Riquelme and Recoba, I'd pick Riquelme in a heartbeat, but I just think Recoba is the more likely signing and one that could help us win the playoffs this year as opposed to next. And for the record, if the same situation occurred between Riquelme and Veron, I'd still take Riquelme without hesitation. He's unreal. (Which is why I think Recoba is a more likely signing.)

[UPDATE: You know what else would be sick, though absolutely unlikely? Ronaldo for DC's DP! Equally sick and equally unlikely? Shevchenko for DC's DP! But for pure realism, Recoba is more likely than either of them.]

[FURTHER UPDATE: Well, I guess it's not just tribalfootball anymore: AS is reporting the same story about Ronaldo. Why is it that when it says MLS is inquiring, everyone assumes NYRB are behind it? DCU needs to get on top of this, dammit!]

Aha, Well Now... News and Notes 7/26

2007-07-26T12:09:00.000-04:00

Most of these are also late. Apologies.

- Sal Zizzo has gone straight from UCLA to the big time in Europe, joining fellow Yank Steve Cherundolo at Hannover 96. Apparently Cherundolo played a large role in securing the deal. One thing is for certain: Americans everywhere will be following the 07-08 Bundesliga come fall. This is getting really exciting.

- Adu to Benfica? Almost, not quite. MLS agreed to a transfer fee ($2mil? I paid more on FIFA) but negotiations stalled over contract issues. It looks like the deal's off for now. Updates are soon to follow, I'm sure.

- Eddie Johnson's turned down Derby of the English Premiership. You can find your own article on this one; they're everywhere. He turned them down for personal reasons. I understand the deal was "95% done" but Johnson felt that his confidence is extremely high at Kansas City and that this confidence is key to his success both at home and internationally. Considering his timid performances this summer, I would have to agree. Good luck with yourself, Eddie.

- Yanks Abroad had it first, and with much more intimacy and detail, but MLSU has posted a condensed summary of Americans playing in the Big Four (EPL in England, Bundesliga in Germany, Serie A in Italy, and La Liga in Spain). I wouldn't have posted it because I feel it's common knowledge, but one of the comments on the post enlightened me to the fact that there are two Americans playing under youth contracts in Spain, of all places: Brandon Manzonelli was recently signed by Villareal and Peter Speigelberg is plying his trade with Atletico Madrid B. Very interesting.

The Pitch Sneezed: DCU 1-1 Morelia

2007-07-26T11:43:00.000-04:00

I'm late on this one so there are plenty of recaps out already. DCenters, BDR, QuarterVolley, Fullback Files, and An American's View all have good stuff.

This game made me realize that we need depth up top more than we need it at back. Gros, McTavish, and espeically Burch showed very well considering how long they've been playing those positions. (You can't blame them at all for Morelia's lone goal, nor could you blame Troy; that strike was brilliant.) McTavish is constantly proving that defenders can have a bit of flair with their feet and Burch is consistenly showing that Vanney isn't the only left-footed defender who can serve a ball. Gros is a workhorse as ever.

But can the same be said for Dyachenko and Addlery? I haven't seen Addlery challenge a keeper with his feet yet this season and I'm utterly confused as to Dyachenko's role on the field as yet. Other than Dyachenko's service-gone-awry, I really didn't see anything from the twain which justified their presence on the pitch.

Here's what I'm saying: McTavish and Burch are really stepping up and performing well while Dyachenko and Addlery are still fumbling for form. Once Jaime sits down, Emilio seems lonesome, no matter who's on the pitch. I don't know which players are in Soehn's transfer scope right now, but I can only hope that they would have more to offer than Dyachenko and Addlery.

Kpene, you'll have a lot to disprove once you're healthy. Let's hope you exceed expectations once you step onto the pitch.
-----------------------
Other notes:

- Gomez scored a gem for DCU to take the lead. Why did he regress back to typical 2007 form immediately afterwards?

- Fred and Olsen looked exhausted. Emilio looked tired, too, but he always looked like he could pull out that last ounce of hustle to put one away. His presence on the pitch was somehow reassuring.

- I want to know exactly what Soehn thinks of this match.

Aha, Well Now... News and Notes 7/24

2007-07-24T17:50:00.001-04:00

Surprising how quick the rumors fly, isn't it?

- Firstly, YA has a solid article about Ferrari's prospects with Sampdoria for the coming season. There's a new coach and a long line of strikers ahead of him, but everyone's optimistic that Ferarri can get involved and make an impact. I sure hope that's the case because he wasn't afforded much of an opportunity to impress at the U-20 World Cup. Let's go, Ferrari.

- Danny Szetela is headed somewhere, even though he says he might like to stay in the MLS. Here's a list of all the clubs I've heard being linked to Danny up until now: Roma, Parma, Siena, Everton, Middlesbrough, Rangers, Celtic, Galatasaray. This whole situation is becoming way too vague and speculative for my liking. Well, MLS deadline's August 15th. Let's hope something happens by then.

- The Daily Mail and Yahoo! Eurosport are claiming the same thing: Reading wants Gooch for 1.5 million pounds. I sincerely hope this is the case. Starts at Liege are better than nothing, but I think that Gooch will get a fair shot at the starting squad with Reading. Go for it, Gooch.

Enjoy.

US MNT Depth Chart: 7/24 Update

2007-07-24T17:04:00.000-04:00

This is gonna become a regular thing, now that the Gold Cup, U-20 WC, and Copa America are finished. I'll keep tabs on our past, current, and future potential Gringos as they prepare for Confederations Cup and ultimately, the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Are you reading Yanks Abroad? You should be. They're probably the most authoritative US soccer news source that's not in print. The same guys who run this site also run the American Soccer Daily. They really know their stuff.

Which is why I always read their "23 Bags" updates. Outside of Ives getting bored and posting his own preferences, these are the most comprehensive, informed lists of US national team depth. They've published this one well ahead of time as we don't have our international friendly in South Africa for several months, and 2010 is a few years away. Nonetheless, the article is a great assessment of the US MNT roster post-Gold Cup/Copa. I disagree that they rank Johnson higher than Ching, and that they'd still take Keller over Guzan. (Comparing Keller to Dino Zoff is just stupid.) But they're spot on about Freddy and Altidore, so at least the rest of the article's good.

(That was a relatively shameless pitch, wasn't it? Well then, let me say this: Yanks Abroad is a bunch of old ninnies who don't know a thing about decent soccer. Neener neener.)

Enjoy.

Veron: "not rite now l8r tho ttyl! lol"

2007-07-24T16:19:00.000-04:00

Yeah, I thought so: Veron has chosen to stay in Argentina with his beloved Estudiantes, saying, "Today my answer is no. But in a few months, maybe in December, who knows?"

I figured as much. Veron's considering the Apertura just as we're considering the playoffs and it looks like he's chosen country over club. Perfectly honorable decision. I'm sure if he left to DCU right this minute he would face heavy criticism at home for selling out, and I'd rather not set a player up for that kind of talk.

Despite the rejection, I'm thrilled about the offer. The management was willing to splash $15mil for our potential DP; that's a fair sight better than the $4-6mil I projected earlier. It's not Beckham money, but it's better than Angel money.

I hope Veron realizes, though, that he's much more valuable to DCU right this very minute and not a few months from now. He'll have to continue to prove he's worth $15mil and DCU's only DP slot. He's an outstanding player and I'd love to see him on the team, but he wants us to wait; meanwhile, he's not getting any younger and quicker. I have a feeling that Soehn & Co. want a quick fix to help us with the playoffs, and if Veron isn't the answer, we'll have to find someone who is.

I'm fine with our midfield. I really am. There are definite flaws, but they're a capable and talented group, the lot of them. Problem is, without Jaime up front, Fred has no one to serve no, Gomez is lost and afraid, and Emilio has no one to work off of. I think a forward equal or greater to Jaime's stature would focus the offense and allow everyone to settle into their proper roles, Carroll, Gros, and Simms included. So let's get us another forward.

Here's my bid: Alvaro Recoba. He's been out of favor at Inter and has announced that after this season, he'll be looking elsewhere, primarily for first-team football. He's older than thirty but younger than Veron; at 31 years of age I'd say he's a prime target for MLS. He's certainly capable of the kind of magic that JPA and Guillermo Schelotto have exhibited. I'd say Recoba would be $15 million well spent if we could sign him in time for the playoffs.

Payne, don't unpack. You've got some serious wine-and-dining to do.

Another Yank Abroad: DJ Countess

2007-07-24T12:04:00.000-04:00

He's a young and very talented goalkeeper. Another Project-40 product, he's been hiding in the Chilean 2nd division and is on the verge of signing with Club Atletico Tigre who will play in the Argentine 1st Division in 2007-08.

Countess had a prolific, though brief, MLS career, setting the MLS record for penalties saved in a season (4) and penalties saved in a game (2). He was Dallas Burn's Defender of the Year in 2003. He left the States early last year, signing for Osters IF in Sweden.

His extensive Wikipedia article also wants us to know that he's an avid humanitarian and began a non-profit organization to fund health care for needy children during his time with Real Salt Lake. (He must have a good agent.)

By the looks of him, he's got fantastic reflexes and good, long distribution a la Chris Seitz. He's only 25, so he's got the better half of his career ahead of him. I think he would rank as an outstandng MLS keeper, just below Brad Guzan and Chris Seitz, just above Troy Perkins, Joe Cannon and Matt Reis. He's definitely on a fast track upward, making him a player to watch for in the future.

Somebody Step Up: DCU 0-1 RBNY

2007-07-22T17:59:00.000-04:00

The scant positives:

Gros is proving a very valuable member of the squad indeed, sliding back into his old position with little difficulty. He penetrated up front more than a few times and fulfilled his defensive obligations well. Burch did admirably, making only one rookie error as far as I could tell and serving a couple good balls into the box. McTavish continues to prove he belongs in the first team. Fred continues to prove that sometimes, he's got more class than the rest of the team knows what to do with.

The plentiful negatives:

Why didn't we have a single person who could put away what Fred provided? Emilio was absent, Gomez was appalling, and Addlery was incompetent. Fred made the most of every opportunity and no one could do the same.

I hereby condemn the 4-5-1 from Soehn's playbook. It's useless. Instead of creating more opportunities, it actually crowded the midfield and allowed Red Bulls to play zone defense with ease. Gros might be the kind of player to pound the endline and find service in the box, but Fred certainly isn't. When you've got players like Fred, Gomez, and Emilio being the vanguard of your attack, you need service on the ground, into the box. Soehn commented at halftime that the team wasn't exposing the flanks enough. Why did this concern him? Instead of taking issue with how the players were adjusting to the formation, why not simply adjust the formation? Remove some dead weight (Carroll, Addlery, Simms) from the midfield and allow for some penetrating runs and smooth passing. Don't force flank play on these brilliant creative minds.

Speaking of brilliant creative minds, Addlery isn't one of them. He can't finish, either. At least Carroll is useful in the backfield.

-----------------------

In the second half I found myself cussing the same as when the U-20's lost to Austria. Seeing my beloved United flounder so badly had that kind of effect on me. With the schedule getting more and more difficult these next few weeks and our first Superliga match this Wednesday, I think my profanity is justified. We need results fast.

-----------------------
Other notes:

- The sooner Altidore turns 18, the better.

- Comcast has a very tidy scoreboard. ESPN, please adjust accordingly.

- Vanney and Perkins can be blamed with equal measure for conceding the goal.

- I'm starting to see merit in the arguments against Carroll. He looks like dead weight. Let's get Olsen back immediately.

- The way Gomez missed was disgusting. It's not like he clipped a post or sent it straight into Conway's hands -- it's that from the six yard box, Gomez completely missed the goal. Squarely over the top bar. Nasty.

- Our brief glimpse of the 3-5-2 wasn't pretty. Let's not revert.

- I'm honestly curious to see what Tom Soehn's blood pressure is. Does he stress about this team as much as I do? If so, he should probably seek out some prescription blood thinners. Aspirin at least.

- I excuse Fred for his red card. I hold him absolutely blameless. The referees missed some blatant jersey pulling, blatant even for a free kick into the box, and then Red Bulls got indignant when they discovered that Fred was a little ticked. The red was harsh, even -- there was very little contact and Fred had an honest view of the ball. Shoddy refereeing and a really unfortunate series of events for Fred. Dane Richards is shameless.

- I'm really sorry Gomez can't find his form. We sorely need his good touch and smart dribbles. I wonder, what is it about Fred and Emilio that disrupts him?

Injured Terry Scores Again: Chelsea FC 1-0 LAG

2007-07-22T16:21:00.000-04:00

Florent Malouda took a corner kick, Galaxy cleared it poorly, Joe Cole slaps one into the box, the ball smacks Kalou's knee right at Terry's feet and he snaps one lefty onto the far post. Joe Cannon never stood a chance.

--------------
Other notes:

- Beckham's made his debut. Can things start dying down now?

- Florent Malouda brings a whole different dynamic than Arjen Robben. No more the fancy dribbling onto a defender's foot, no more the sprawling and complaining. I was seeing a lot of creative service from the left side (Malouda, Ben-Haim) and a lot of hopeful shots from the right side (Joe Cole)

- Who still wants to let Andriy Shevchenko go? Keep that guy around, he's class. We've already spent the money-- now let's let him play for what he's worth.

- I'm surprised Drogba didn't get on the scoreline -- should've, except for the offsides call.

- Ben-Haim wears his uniform like it's 1995. Untuck your jersey and pull your shorts down a bit, son.
--------------------------------

And just in case you missed it, Bryant Gumbel's won himself some admirers for being spot on about American-brand soccer:

DCU vs. RBNY 7/22 -- Watch the referee!

2007-07-21T15:04:00.000-04:00

I just spotted this on DCUnited.com's pre-game article --

"REFEREE: Abbey Okulaja. SAR (bench): Rob Fereday; JAR (opposite): Adam Wienckowski; 4th: Mark Geiger
MLS Career: 64 games; FC/gm: 30.1; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 6; pens: 18

Games involving Red Bulls: P15 W8 L1 T6; FC/gm: 30.8; Y/gm: 3.3; R: 1; pens: 8

Games involving United: P9 W3 L4 T2; FC/gm: 34.2; Y/gm: 4.4; R: 1; pens: 4"

It would appear that RBNY has performed decidedly well under this referee and DCU decidedly not. We receive more yellows, they receive more penalties... And the game being on their home turf, I fully expect Okulaja to be Bulls-biased. I'll be keeping tabs.

DCU's Lineup v. RBNY 7/22

2007-07-20T21:15:00.000-04:00

We're sans Olsen, Moreno, Moose, Namoff, and Kpene. My picks:

----Addlery---------Emilio-------

Fred--------Gomez---------Mediate

------------Simms----------------

Gros--Boswell-Vanney--McTavish

------------Perkins---------------

You can count on DeRoux and Dyachenko seeing minutes in this one. I'm depressed about that.

Aha, Well Now... News and Notes for 7/20

2007-07-20T20:35:00.000-04:00

The MLS has suspended Ben Olsen for the game @ RBNY by virtue of too many yellow cards, even though Benny's only got four. No one knows the real reasons behind Benny's suspension and if Goff knows, he's not telling.

Eddie Johnson still might be headed to the Premier League. Rumors have revived because Darby gaffer Billy Davies has suddenly become outspoken with his praise for the American international. This is good: if John Terry and Javier Mascherano can't pound goals out of this kid, I don't know who can.

MLS wants $7.5mil for Adu. Someone's going to pony that up by August 15th. I'd be willing to bet on it. On the other hand, Adu playing at Benfica would be sick. I hope MLS is flexible.

Rangers are close to signing Steven Naismith. This is great news for insta-hit DaMarcus Beasley. Rangers are composing themselves for a great campaign in the 2k8 Champs League, a frontier that Celtic have been pursuing for the past couple years with moderate success. Something exciting is abrew at the Ibrox this season.

Enjoy.

Veron, Anyone?

2007-07-20T19:32:00.000-04:00

Why is it the summertime and I'm still waiting for my days to become shorter and simpler? Sigh. Fortunately something woke me up from my stupor.

Awhile ago USSoccer.com claimed than an unnamed Argentinean player spoke to an unnamed American player about the possibility of playing in the MLS during the Copa America. Now Sideline Views is claiming that player is none other than Juan Sebastian Veron of ManU and Chelsea fame, who is deciding between current outfit Estudiantes and our beloved DC United. The kicker? Goff is corroborating. There's definitely something abuzz down at RFK.

Until there's a signature on paper and money changes hands, I'm not convinced the Great DP Search of '07 has concluded. And money would seem to be the issue, as it always is: SV said something about $20 million but that's just stupid. Goff said something about $1.5 million, which strikes me as a reasonable amount to bring him here. If DCU could fetch Veron for that kind of money, I'd say we found ourselves a bargain. Apparently we have something close to that figure in the bank already: DCU's ownership is willing to foot up to $1mil, on top of the DP allocation money MLS is already taking care of ($400k). The next move is yours, Veron.

-----------------------

Here's my take. Veron would be an outstanding addition to the team and quite worthy of succeeding Gomez as our midfield playmaker. This goes without saying.

But the catch lies in the backfield. D over at DCenters disfavors a move for Veron because it wouldn't improve our back-four situation any. He's very correct. However, I've been entertaining dark, twisted, unorthodox thoughts recently and in light of these Veron-to-DC rumors, I think these thoughts need be outed:

Let's not use our DP slot on a defender. Let's fix our defensive woes by using homegrown, grassroots, MLS-quality defensive talent.

There are several reasons why this makes sense.

I mean, it's all about the money. Attacking players increase ticket sales and merchandising revenue as well as publicity for the club. Ownership is more willing to drop $2mil on a good attacker than $1mil on an outstanding defender. Current DP trends confirm this: Angel, Schelotto, Becks, and Blanco are as much commercial props as they are offensive assets. I predict this trend will continue well into the future.

So, with all these high-calibre attacking minds migrating Stateside, it seems obvious to me that the best way to better the league on top of attracting all these world-class stars is to pit our boys against them. Why hire an international to oppose an international? It makes more sense to season our internationally-infantile MLS defenders rather than build on experience these veteran international defenders already have.

The USMNT benefits as well: the migration of international attackers to the MLS will force our best domestic attackers overseas in search of a combination of less competition and higher technical ability.

I mean, at some point the players' union would have something to say about being forced to find work elsewhere and MLS would have to install some protective measures to keep our best and brightest at home, but I still think that the current policy of international strikers, domestic defenders is the best formula for success in the grand scheme of things.

So my advice to DCU is to snap up Veron. Gomez, Juan Toja, Guillermo Schelotto and JPA have proven how a high-calibre, South American offensive mind can positively impact a squad. Part of me even believes that adding Veron to the squad would encourage Gomez to stay at least another season or two. Let's get this guy.

Just do it.

High Marks for Ousted U-20's

2007-07-19T16:26:00.000-04:00

Tim Froh, special contributor to Climbing the Ladder, offers reserved praise to the U-20's recently bumped from the World Youth Cup in Canada this month.

I like what he said about Rongen. Froh makes the point that Rongen has faults (namely his mid-game strategizing, or lack thereof) and definitely made mistakes this tournament, but that he is a coach the players genuinely like and who likes them, and that he has a sharp eye for talent. It's not like I don't want him as our U-20 head coach; I just wish the man was smarter about using his bench and more conscious about the status of his starting squad. Otherwise I think the team had a stellar run and really can't be criticised for underperforming.

I also agree that the US U-20's exhibited some of the most outstanding attacking football US soccer has seen in recent times. But I've already said enough about that.

Enjoy.

---------------------

What does it say about the MLS All-Star game if I'd rather beat this horse to death than discuss Nicol's lineup? This year I'm just not that hyped for it. Neither is DCenters, who go the extra mile and present several sound reasons why people just don't care this time around. Good stuff.

US MNT Depth Chart

2007-07-19T12:32:00.001-04:00

According to Ives, if the World Cup were next month, here's who we could expect to be starting and who would be waiting in the wings:

US National Team A

--------------------Ching----------------------
Beasley----------Donovan----------Dempsey
--------Mastroeni-------Feilhaber-----------
Bornstein--------------------------Cherundolo
------------Onyewu----Bocanegra------------
-------------------Howard---------------------

I don't have any arguments against this starting lineup, really. Mastroeni is the only player I'd quibble about (Bradley over Mastroeni first, then Clark) but if there were an important match coming soon, I'd expect Bob to play something along these lines.
Ching is undoubtedly our number one. After his performances at the Gold Cup (and especially the Gold Cup final) Brian Ching has to be considered as our top-choice forward. He wasn't great, but he was better than Twellman and Johnson.
Bornstein & Cherundolo? Well, 'Dolo's been our #1 right back for some time and I really don't think Simek or Spector were spectacular enough to warrant a change there. and I'd take Pearce over Bornstein, maybe, but I'm waiting to see how he does against the likes of Bayern Munich and Werder Bremen.
Our depth at center back means that our centers are pretty much interchangable; Gooch and 'Negra get the start simply for having more international experience. Although, if Gooch doesn't find a team better than Liege soon, I prophesize DeMerit usurping Gooch's spot very shortly. I would be disappointed about that.

US National Team B

-----------Twellman-------Johnson------------
Convey------------------------------Justin Mapp
-------------Clark---------Bradley--------------
Pearce----------------------------------Hejduk
--------------Conrad----DeMerit---------------
------------------Hahnemann-------------------

Ives and I are pretty much on the same page concerning the USMNT First XI, but here's where we split.

I'm really not okay with Twellman and Johnson starting up top, not with Justin Mapp on the right flank. Granted, I've not seen how Convey interacts with the rest of this particular squad, but I think that Twellman and Johnson really don't stand a chance without Beasley and Donovan giving them service. I would rather keep experimenting up front than waiting for Twellman to retire and Johnson to pull through. Little-known names which come to mind: Jeremiah White, Kamani Hill, Cam Weaver, Jemal Johnson, Charlie Davies, Chris Rolfe. Considering just how poor Twellman and Johnson did in the GC, we really need to spend some time inspecting these likids and finding the right fit. This should be our top priority right now.
While I don't see Cherundolo being replaced any time soon, Hedjuk definitely seems expendable. Get him out of there. His expiration date is the 2009 Confederations Cup maybe; I really don't want to hear of Hedjuk any more after that. If it's going on January 2008 and Simek and Spector are both doing well, I'll start a petition for Hedjuk to retire.

US National Team C

-------------Cooper--------Rolfe----------------
Nguyen------------------------------------Ralston
------------Beckerman----Kljestan-------------
E. Lewis------------------------------------Spector
------------Parkhurst-----C. Gibbs---------------
---------------------Guzan------------------------

I'm in the dark about how Kenny Cooper is recovering and I'd rather see Bradley try some other options up front anyways (I'm all for giving Josh Wolff another try, despite his criticisms). At this point I wouldn't mind seeing some of our youth players creep into the fold -- Altidore over Cooper or Johann Smith over Ralston. I like Nguyen, Eddie Lewis, Spector, and Guzan where they are.

US National Team D

-------------Wolff--------Altidore-----------
H. Gomez-----------------------------J. Smith
-----------------Edu-------Olsen---------------
Barrett-----------------------------------Simek
------------Boswell----------Califf--------------
---------------------Cannon---------------------

Simek being America's fourth-choice right back is outrageous. That's just stupid. Didn't he show well when Bradley slotted him at left back vs. Ecuador? Simek deserves better.
Perkins or Seitz over Cannon, maybe.
I like Smith and Altidore and Wolff and Olsen and Edu. Gomez and Barrett concern me, as does Boswell.

The Earthquakes Are Back!

2007-07-17T20:44:00.000-04:00

As reported by Sports Illustrated. (And Ives.)

This is great news, but as an East Coast boy, I'm not exactly sure what this means for me. San Jose has a great fanbase, though, and I'm sure SJ will be happy to have their team back.

Next expansion I want? Philly. No doubt.

Jen Chang on Altidore's performance in the U-20 WC

2007-07-16T23:01:00.000-04:00

From his most recent blog post:

"3. Josmer Altidore: He's not 18 yet, but once he turns 18, expect a host of European clubs to come hard after Altidore. Given his youth, finishing ability and impressive physical tools, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of European teams rated Altidore as a better pro prospect than Adu. Altidore's stock rose even more in Canada with some observers pegging him as the best pure center forward prospect in the entire tournament."

Dammit, I agree.

A Broad Yank - news and notes for 7/16

2007-07-16T16:46:00.000-04:00

Several, actually. There's quite a bit of news about Americans overseas, or potential migrations thereof.

- Beasley is pleased with himself after just his first match with Rangers, a friendly against German side Gutersloh. His confidence is encouraging, especially when you consider the fact that Beasley could be facing Champions League football later in the coming season.

- Heath Pearce has joined newly promoted Hansa Rostock in the German Bundesliga. Apparently Pearce had other options as well, notably from Watford FC in the English Championship where fellow Yank Jay DeMerit plies his trade. (That would have been cool.) But as it stands, the competiton to become America's premier left fullback just got exciting. In the past Pearce has been outspoken about his aim to become America's top-choice lefty and his subsequent disappointment that Bornstein seemed to be the favorite. Let's see how Bornstein steps up to the challenge.

- American Soccer Daily wants us all foaming at the mouth: apparently Celtic and Siena are the frontrunners to sign young upstart Danny Szetela. Other notables include Everton, 'Boro, and Reading of the EPL and Valencia of La Liga. Simply because I would love to have an American in La Liga (and because no one should be outdone by Canada), I'm rooting for Valencia to win his signature, but from a practical perspective, Siena is probably the place to go. If he moves to Italy he's got a good chance at Serie A minutes (better than Ferrari, anyway), access to some great training facilities, and a great atmosphere to play in. And Celtic? Beasley plays for Rangers, of course; the Glasgow derby would become infinitely more interesting. Spain, though... And for Valencia... What a dream that would be.

- Remember that kid I was telling you about last week? The one you've never heard about, who just might be on his way England? Well, it's not happening: Greg Dalby has been denied a move to Preston North End by the UK Home Office. I say that's bollocks. The UK's stringent work permit laws screw a lot of people, but they seem to like screwing Yanks in particular. (Interesting debate abrew in the comments below!)

- Conor William Chinn won't be headed abroad, either. Apparently HFC Haarlem were in the market for tried and true playing ability and not young talent, although they seemed to think that Chinn had plenty of the latter. NCAA has assured the 19 year-old another three years of college ball, so there's no rush. I'll remember this one.

- And finally: there are rumors circulating about that ex-Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello could be headed Stateside. He's been approached by an unnamed MLS team. (Ives is guessing NYRB because in his estimation, Red Bull are becoming less and less enamored of the team's potential for revenue.) My take? It's an interesting proposition, but I question how dedicated Capello would be once he got here. His interest in the job seems to be driven by curiosity, not conviction. "It would be a new experience that would intrigue me not for the money but to see if anyone could make American soccer take off," says Capello. I guess he's insinuating that Beckham can't do it alone. He's probably right.

Chelsea To Play 'Creatively' In The Coming Season

2007-07-15T12:13:00.000-04:00

I've just been informed that Mourinho is going to flout the critics this coming season by playing some creative football. The evidence to qualify his words? Check out this truthiness:

Club America 1 - 2 Chelsea - SSN
Uploaded by FootballHeaven

Malouda notches a goal and an assist in his first match wearing blue.

I'll chalk this up to his skill as an individual, but what really stood out to me, watching those goals, was some excellent team chemistry. And that's why the rest of the Premiership still regards Chelsea as the team to beat in spite of their pointed lack of summer spending. For a player such as Malouda to come into a team and gel so quickly is nothing short of transfer genius from Jose Mourinho. I'll say this: when world-class stars convene on a pitch, it is not always an attractive thing; what makes or breaks the team is how they cooperate. And it would appear that Chelsea FC is cooperating supremely well.

(And let me just say, it really does me some good to see Chelsea celebrating as a team, as a whole team, Malouda included. CFC is a real, total, complete goddam team and I love it. Well, that, and it's just damn funny to see John Terry try something remotely like samba.)

Mourinho's promised that he wants to play some creative (read: attractive) football in the coming season. And, get this, he's issued it as a warning to Michael Ballack. Apparently the style of football Mourinho wants to play, and specifically the formation he wants to play it with, doesn't suit Ballack's imposing physicality and technical prowess.

Rofl.

But really, with world-class wingers like Florent Malouda and Joe Cole and Solomon Kalou, playing a style of play which favors the wings makes plenty of sense.

Can't wait to see it once the season starts.

A Record-Setting Loss: DCU 3-3 FC Dallas

2007-07-15T11:49:00.001-04:00

This was a loss in all but points. I know what the scoreline reads, but any time a team concedes three goals over the course of forty minutes, it's a loss. (And record setting? This was the biggest comeback in FC Dallas history.)

After singing his praises, Perkins let us down. His form not only regressed from last week, but it regressed over the course of those ninety minutes. He gifted FC Dallas their first and third goals. The second goal I can forgive (more the defense's responsibility, really), but misjudging those kinds of crosses is a flaw you resolve while you're still in puberty. Those kinds of mistakes are popular in high school leagues and amateur matches. Really, really, really should have had better judgement, our Troy.

Soehn is disappointed with the defense as a whole. (Shoutout to Dave Lifton over at Screaming Eagles for his podcasts, BTW. Absolute gems, those podcasts.)

Soehn said, "We're actually an experienced team. We shouldn't play like that. We played like young kids... Organizationally we weren't good enough." I agree. Boswell and Vanney played a respectable game versus Houston, but there are still some communication problems which need immediate attention.

"We let in three goals," said Tommy. "Any time you let in three goals, there's work to do."

BDR is furious with Bobby Boswell in particular. I would tend to agree. (Oops, pardon: BDR is furious with the coaching staff that Boswell wasn't traded. I feel that the choice of whether to trade Erpen or Boswell was a crapshoot; it's almost impossible to have any foresight with those two. Let's hope Boswell rewards us for his benefit of the doubt.)

Lastly, about DCU's loss:

OMG, was our offense a relief. Our starters, I mean. And really only during the first half.

But honestly, Jaime seemed to bring our offense back from the brink, Emilio was red hot, and Fred (Fred! Not Gomez!) was connecting with Jaime using some kind of telepathic tandem that thrilled me. Olsen got involved, too; and any time Olsen becomes a productive member of DCU's offense is an indication that our offense is capable of doing well.

I'd say that the biggest tragedy of this game, even bigger than the scoreline, is Jaime's injury. He's really an invaluable part of the squad. Let's he gets well, and soon.

Other notes:
----------------

- Soehn, you've got a real decision on your hands, don't you? DP slot = improvement at left back, improvement at center back, a holding midfielder with attacking qualities, Jaime's successor, or Gomito's successor? Take your pick; you'll be needing to address them all very soon.

So I lied.

2007-07-15T02:06:00.001-04:00

Something personal came up. If I seem a tad careless, it's because I am. My mind is elsewhere right now.

DCU 3-3 FC Dallas. An American's View, Goff, PPP, and DCenters with recap material.

Cardiac Arrest: US U-20's 1-2 Austria

2007-07-14T17:56:00.000-04:00

My heart is still pounding. I can't believe how disappointed I am. This loss destroys quite a bit of positive momentum surrounding the US U-20 squad.

Here's the only thing I can figure about this game: Austria made a brilliant substitution and Rongen failed the world with his. The US pressed and pressed and should have finished, but the clock ran out and every chance was squandered.

Seitz put in a hero's performance, injured and playing through the rain, but in the end the conditions proved to much even for him and the Austrians slipped through. Adu and Bradley were just as tenacious.

Wallace really did a disservice to the squad, getting himself ejected like that. As a young player I hope he takes this as a grand and costly lesson: it's easy to slip on wet grass and just as easy to fould, but a red card can seal fate. And there is no exaggeration about that. Otherwise, Wallace is one of my favorites and played really well throughout the tournament.

A lot of them did. Altidore, Bradley, Adu, Seitz, Zizzo, Szetela, Rogers, Sturgis, Valentin... The whole damn lot of them made a lot of people proud. Don't hang your heads, boys. This U-20 squad had class and chemistry, flair, finesse, perseverance... It's like the whole team had one pulse. The squad had everything you'd want a champion side to have. They really could have gone on to win the whole thing, I would think.

Good luck and f*ck off, Austria.

Time to walk away, Gringuitos.

Other notes:
--------------

- McCarty has a long way to go to become competitive on the world stage. (Ives agrees.)

- Adu stayed surprisingly consistent throughout the tournament.

- McCarty on for Szetela? I sincerely hope Rongen knows something I don't. (Apparently not.) - I'd rank Bradley, Seitz and Adu in first place for positive contributions on the pitch. Rogers, Zizzo, Altidore and Szetela I'd place second, with Wallace and Sturgis third. After this match, though, Wallace should have a lot on his conscience.

- ESPNU need to do something abot their damn scoreboard. That's ridiculous.

- Did a single one of Beltran's crosses come off? I think a few games ago I called him an offensive woe; now I think he's just offensive. I really don't have much respect right now for the way he plays.

- People will make the case that Altidore doesn't have world-class ball skills or an eye for the perfect pass, and justifiably so, but he has stunning composure and a first-class finishing touch, which, considering the qualities and deficits of US soccer today, I would estimate as infinitely more valuable.

- "Every touch he's had on the ball, Adu, has been a quality touch." - ESPNU commentator - I really don't know what to say about the refereeing this tournament. Probably something critical, if I could phrase it.

- Okotie is Austria's lovechild. A real Bavarian Messi, I'd say.

- The conditions today were a keeper's nightmare. The US U-20 program owes Chris Seitz a debt of gratitude.

- Some of these yellows were deserved, but I really wish referees around the world would learn from the refereeing in WC2006, US vs. ITA. Too many yellows will degrade a game completely and foster, rather than curb, animosity between teams. Or how about Portugal vs. Netherlands: too many yellows will remove a team from the tournament by dint of suspending all their key players for the proceeding match.

- I'm still considering whether US soccer has been an overall sucess or failure this summer. To be honest, I'm squarely undecided.

---------

I'll be back later for FC Dallas @ DC United.

I Actually Didn't Want to Post Tonight...

2007-07-12T22:59:00.000-04:00

... but I'm realizing that in this fickle game we call blogging, one day missed is all it takes to fall greivously behind.

So, without further ado, here's a summary of today's news:

- No Open Cup glory this year, either: the Harrisburg City Islanders defeated DC United reserves 1-0. (Anyone else find the phrase "City Islanders" funny?) Here's D and BDR for good measure.

- Goff says that Namoff still looks injured, but Kpene looks like he might be ready come Saturday.

- @ Chelsea FC: Boulahrouz is gone. Alves might be coming.

- Uruguay's U-20's are just as sore as their senior MNT.

- Another Yank abroad? Dutch side HFC Haarlem is auditioning U-SanFran product Conor William Chinn.

- No, I'm sorry, but Eddie Johnson won't be heading to Derby County in the fall.

- Another gem from MLS Underground: Altidore, not Wolyniec, is drawing interest from Celtic.

- Orgasmical: Leo Messi continues to seduce the world.

- Beckham is coming. He'll be on vacation through the weekend, but after that, he's all ours.

And that about sums it up. I don't know how duNord does it so often.

Good night.

S.Y.N. And the Half-Assed Recap: US U-20's 2-1 Uruguay

2007-07-12T22:46:00.001-04:00

I left to see a movie about sixty minutes in, so I don't have much to post here. I'll give it to you, but that was an ugly win so I think the less said, the better.

Who had a good game? Szetela continues to show well, Zizzo continues to impress, and Freddy was more than decent. That said, my bid for Man of the Match goes to Bradley as he (and sometimes he alone) kept the team in it through the finish. It's appropriate that he notched the go-ahead goal. You can tell that he's senior-squad quality.

Other notes:

- Wallace is solid.

- Altidore got cleated.

- The ref is whistle-happy.

- Beltran is having a better game than the one versus Brazil.

- It's amazing to see that the whole team is distracted in Seitz' absence. I'm sorry to say that Perk is giving folks a scare.

- Furthermore, the defense doesn't respect Perk like they do Seitz. There's a lot of miscommunication. I can tell at this point that Perk is a technically solid keeper, but I hope he is more confident than he looks.

- Neither team has had a solid shot on goal by the end of the first half.

- Akpan over Ferrari? Wtf? Did Ferrari do something to piss Rongen off or what? I'm dreaming up theories why Ferrari hasn't seen a single damn minute yet this tournament. The best I can come up with is that Rongen anticipates Altidore growing more fatigued as the tournament progresses and wants Ferrari as fresh as possible so that he can start over Altidore in the latter stages. Otherwise I'm thinking that Ferrari is already established with a European club whereas McCarty and Akpan aren't and Rongen wants the world to give them a look. Otherwise, WHAT THE F*CK GIVES???? (I missed it! Ferrari got some minutes and I missed it! Ives says he was fairly mediocre, though.)

- McCarty for Zizzo? I'm just as baffled. Rongen needs to start defending himself during the post-game interviews because these substitutions are inexcusable.

Setiz Out v. Uruguay!

2007-07-11T19:24:00.000-04:00

It's just as I feared: Seitz won't be playing against Uruguay. Ives is pegging Perk for the start. I hope the kid has been good in practice, because Seitz has been phenomenal on the pitch. This strikes a bit of fear in my heart.

The only solace I have is that Seitz wasn't kept out of the match by the knock he picked up during the game v. Brazil. Apparently he was injured in practice. Here's to hoping it's mild and he'll recover soon.

And here's to hoping Perk makes a name for himself.

Pour les francophones:

2007-07-11T19:13:00.000-04:00

Bien, j'apprecie que tout le monde peut voir mes mots, alors... Je parle un peu (pardon, un peu mal) le francais et si vous voudriez commenter, je l'appreciais bien. Merci.

Sorry to disappoint...

2007-07-11T17:57:00.000-04:00

... but I don't think I'll be able to catch the U-20 match v. Uruguay tonight. That's not to say I won't watch the highlights or read the recaps, and I'm even toying with the idea of ignorning the thing completely until I can get my hands on a game torrent, but for tonight at least I'll be attending other matters.

Hope it's a good one anyways.

Update: nevermind, plans changed. I'll be right here singing the US' praises tonight.

Chris Seitz Interviewed

2007-07-10T15:56:00.000-04:00

USSoccer.com (along with Center Circle & Studio90) tends to deviate sometimes from being the mouthpiece of US Soccer Federation to the lowdown, player-access type website you would expect from a club team. I really like that.

Recently they've come up with an interview with US U-20 and senior MNT hopeful, Chris Seitz. Spectacular kid, one of the gems against Brazil, and one of the few players whom I would personally select as a soccer ambassador from my nation to the footballing world at large.

What I found most interesting:

'CC: How did it feel to be named Man of the Match against South Korea?

CS: “Well, when I’m named Man of the Match that means that the guys in front of me didn’t play their best game. I hope we don’t have to face that situation again, where I have to come up with some saves. But, that did happen and I have to be ready for those kinds of games, too.”'

He speaks the truth.

Enjoy.

(And when you're done, there's this gem, culled from the US U-20 blog:

"Sunday, July 8 @ 7:45 p.m. Right as dinner started tonight, Thomas threw a bit of a curve ball at the guys asking them to go around and give one word that describes the team. Twenty-one players and twenty-one different answers, including ‘desire,’ ‘fight,’ ‘family,’ ‘heart,’ ‘friendship,’ ‘confidence’ and…ah, not sure we can repeat one of the answers, but a synonym is courage and it rhymes with ‘halls.’ "

Glad to see they're getting along fine.

Enjoy.)

Houston Deeper Than United? Think Again.

2007-07-10T13:14:00.000-04:00

I feel goaded.

Neal Thurman over at the American Soccer Daily (a reputable read; I enjoy it) have just published an article explaining how Houston's phenomenal depth is one of the keys to its recent success.

Thurman compares today's Houston to the DCU of old, that oft-heralded squad which has established DC United as the gold standard of MLS prestige. This irks me because, while Thurman doesn't attack DCU's performance (quite the contrary; he called us 'hot'), he did imply that today's Houston squad is a better reflection of that awesome depth than today's DC United squad. I call bullsh*t. Yeah, during my last game recap, I ragged on the players a bit, but now I feel the need to defend them.

Time to run my mouth:

Goalkeepers

Perkins is indispensible. Priceless. He's proven several times this season that last year's form was not an anomaly, and that his title of MLS Goalkeeper of the Season is well deserved. Furthermore, his attitude recovering from several damning performances early on show Perkins to be a truly formidable goalkeeper in his extracurricular qualities as well as technical ability. Simply put, he's an outstanding member of the team, an inspiration as well as an asset. And young still. Onstad may have been this at one point, but not now.

Thurman claims that Houston's second-string keeper, Zach Wells, is "at least a solid MLS veteran back-up... unlikely to be the heir apparent, but is certainly competent." Jay Nolly is at the very least a competent MLS goalkeeper, and (God forbid) if Troy is injured any time soon, I don't see why Nolly isn't as good a backup as Wells, even in spite of the fact that Nolly is an MLS rookie. Especially with Vanney at center back instead of Erpen, I have a least a small bit of confidence that Nolly can keep a net clean or a game close.

Defenders

McTavish is establishing himself as a stellar young talent, Boswell is a veteran in the making, Vanney is melding surprisingly quickly, and Gros is more than adequate at left back (if by adequate we mean Houston's Waibel). Once Namoff gets healthy, DCU will boast one of the most solid defenses in the league. Utility players such as Gros, Carroll, and Simms can help ensure that the DC defense is well stocked. DCU fans will point out that defensive depth is still one of the most fundamental elements the squad is lacking, but if Boswell & Co. represent a lack in depth, then the league has higher standards than I thought.

UPDATE: Marc Burch is a revelation. I now think DCU has one of the top defenses in the league and have completely made up for our holes on D. We'll miss Gros, but I may have overestimated his impact on defense.

Midfielders

DCU's midfield is roughly comparable to that of Houston, especially considering the roles DeRo and Gomez play. Thurman is impressed by Houston's midfield options and I am impressed with DC's. Thurman admits that DeRo has been off form as yet but will make progress, and I would say the same for Gomez. Thurman admires Houston's wingers in the same fashion as I do DC's. What's the difference? Houston's midfield has cohesiveness and chemistry, whereas DC is still finding theirs -- but considering that Houston's well-oiled midfield was still struggling against United's misfiring mids, I'm content to just wait and see what DC can do when they click.

Try this: when Namoff gets healthy, Gros will proabably move up to his traditional left wing, pushing Olsen back into the holding midfielder role over Brian Carroll with Fred over on the right and Gomez up top. A player as solid as Brian Carroll being ousted from the starting XI -- what do the Dynamo have to say about that? And does Houston have an answer for Clyde Simms, upstart Justin Moose, or US U-20 Brian Arguez? I'm not sure they do.

Forwards

Addlery is a target man like DCU hasn't seen in years (sorry, Jamil) and he hustled and muscled really well for his first goal of the season versus Colorado. I would say that Addlery has proven he is worthy of a place on a solid MLS squad. But let's keep in mind -- at DC, he's third string (!). With all of his physicality and poaching qualities, we have to remember that Addlery's daunting attacking presence is still only third string. Meanwhile Emilio has found himself one of the top three bids for '07 Golden Boot.

Furthermore, Moreno (you know, the all-time leading scorer for the MLS, just coming back from excellent performances in the Copa America?) will be back next game, and diamond-in-the-rough Guy-Roland Kpene could recover in as soon as two games. That's phenomenal depth for a set of attackers, especially when you consider that Fred is still lauded as the premier candidate for Jaime's role as withdrawn forward.

Thurman mentions that one reason why Houston's squad can be considered so deep and so talented is because none of their core players (read: Rico Clark, Dwayne DeRosario) are currently being scouted for moves overseas. The same can be said for DC United (although I hope that this changes in Arguez' case, at least).

I'm only inclined to consider Houston as a deeper squad than United if you consider the two teams' form from the beginning of the season. Houston has been more consistent -- probably the most consistent team in the league today. But instead of drawing a comparison to yon Eagles of olde, I'd rather draw a comparison to Nowak's DC last season. Time will tell which comparison is more accurate.

DCU has shown improvement from the start of the season, and where DCU's improvement is concerned, I'm positive that in the near future DCU can mold itself into the league's premier club again, ahead of Angel's Red Bulls, Schelotto's Crew, or Beckham's Galaxy. Despite what people (myself included) will claim to the contrary, Tommy Soehn has assembled a tidy little army for himself. Once they find each other on the field, I'm sure we'll find them in the headlines.

And we haven't even used our DP slot yet.

Get ESPN to Cover the U-20 Game vs. Uruguay!

2007-07-09T20:39:00.000-04:00

I'm calling all you reticent readers to action:

Even if you can't write well or just can't express yourself with the written word, I'd like you to do a bit of writing for me.

In 500 words or less, tell ESPN they should replace a re-run of the Home Run Derby with the upcoming U-20 game against Uruguay. The game's this Wednesday at 7:45 PM Eastern. You know ESPN is capable of making these kinds of last minute decisions, and the last one was a good one, so please -- make yourself heard!

And if you yourself have a blog of your own, post a little bit of encouragement for others to send in to ESPN. I honestly believe that if ESPN receives any more than two dozen personally written comments about the issue, they'll listen. And I'm not alone.

I for one would rather see the match on my television than on my computer screen. Just a preference though.

Winning Streak Fizzles: Houston 1-0 DC United

2007-07-08T21:33:00.000-04:00

Recaps from: An American's View, Goff, PPP, DCenters, Edgell Supporters, and Fullback.

My recap is a bit more critical than DCU deserves, perhaps, but these are pertinent points so I'll make em.

In brief: United needed to create more chances in the box, find each other better on the ground, and talk to each other better on defense. These things are nothing unusual, but it's disappointing that we're still dealing with these kinds of problems well into the middle of the season.

Who had a good game? Carroll did well to slow DeRosario and showed himself to be a really intelligent defensive mid. He deserves DCU's MoM tonight, if anyone does. (BDR disagrees.)

I'm really concerned about how McTavish will fit in on the wing now that Boswell is back. McTavish is a good right back, but Boswell doesn't seem to realize that when McTavish is heading forward (like all good wing backs should) he should be pinching over for cover. Vanney does this for Gros. I'm praying that either McTavish learns the right back spot pretty well or Boswell starts showing the potential to become a great center back, because otherwise I'm inclined to put McTavish back in the middle. Yikes.

Am I the only one that thinks Gomez has lost chemistry with the rest of the offense? There are times now when he passes but no one's there to receive, or he makes a pass that kills the momentum, or chips for a run when no one's running. It makes me think that he's a bit lost. Maybe when Jaime gets back Gomez'll look like the reigning MLS MVP, but right now it looks like our young guns are going in a different direction than he is. I'm looking at Gomez' current form and the fact that we're still waiting to use our DP slot and I'm really starting to wonder where Gomez will be by the start of next season.

You know what? Let me go a little bit deeper: I really think Olsen, Gros, and Gomez are still working off the Jaime/Esky system of attack even though Fred, Emilio, and Addlery are working with a completely different dynamic. Where the hell did our chemistry go? We never built momentum and I never got the feeling that we'd capitalize if we did. We seemed almost senseless out there and we're hardly connecting up front at all, as far as I'm concerned. I guess I'll chalk it up to the heat: we had similar problems in Kansas City, but with better results.

For all our problems on offense, it seemed like Houston had the same issues. The game was won on a lucky redirection from Ching, off a shot that Carroll could have closed down or Perkins could have saved. The best they got was lucky. Gomez punished the post and Emilio should have punished the net early on rather than making Onstad look like a hero. Houston really didn't have anything we didn't have; tit for tat. Don't think our performance deserved more than a point though. None seems about right.

----------------------

Other notes:

- I wonder how much DCU will improve once Jaime gets back.

- I don't miss Erpen any more, and I wouldn't trade him back for Vanney.

- Let me give credit where credit is due: Olsen and Boswell deserve a lot of applause for joining back up with DC so soon after the Copa. First-class dedication. We really appreciate it, boys.

- A few days ago I read that Osorio (the one who just got hired for Chicago) was briefly considered for DCU's head coaching position before Soehn got the job. If this season finishes the way it started, that little tidbit is going to haunt me for a very long time.

Thomas Rongen Should Be Proud: US U-20's 2-1 Brazil

2007-07-06T21:40:00.000-04:00

What a thrilling match. Fantastic. As a soccer fan, I am thoroughly enjoying myself. With this win, the US is one of the strongest contenders for U-20 World Cup glory. I predict an amazing run towards the final.

Let's get right into it. In no particular order:

Outstanding players in the first half

(US)
-Sal Zizzo did a really impressive job at right wing and his drives toward goal were one of the US' most consistently dangerous threats throughout the match. Ives: "Is that really UCLA's Zizzo schooling Real Madrid's Marcelo?"

-Robbie Rogers did a great job over on the left wing. Rogers seems to appreciate that sometimes it's better to dribble towards the center for a good look or a wicked shot instead of constantly pounding the wing for a blind cross. Good stuff.

-Altidore maintained a physical presence and exhibited world-class composure to burn the ball past Brazil keeper Cassio. I'm already dreaming about the Olympics next year.

-Anthony Wallace (played left back for the US) is relatively unknown and unheralded in the US soccer community, but he looked amazingly calm versus Pato et. al. Fancy footwork didn't faze him. If Bornstein can't sort himself out by 2010, I have a strange feeling this kid will overtake his spot on the squad.

-See my comments below about Seitz in the second half.

(Brazil)
-Jo was a terror.

-Pato showed great creativity to work the ball in the box, but his bane is his finishing touch. Understatement of the year: he's decent for a 17 year-old.

Outstanding players in the second half

(US)
- Michael Bradley will probably get a pat on the back for his performance tonight and not much else. I'm here to make it known that he did a great job keeping the Brazilians from running amok straight through our defense. I'll be the first to say that he's not suited for the holding midfielder role (on the US senior squad he's got much more creative license), but because he's one of the most physically mature players in the U-20 tournament, he's automatically qualified to knock opponents off the ball. Furthermore, he's got a great touch for dispersing pressure, knowing who to send the ball to and in which direction; none of this, "I have the ball under direct pressure, let me stand up straight and attempt to clear it across the field" nonsense I've seen way too much from our U20's and seniors alike. Bradley plays it one time on the ground to a player who can pass it forward or comfortably clear to safety. If you never score in this tournament, Bradley, that's okay: I've been watching.

- Adu stayed in magical form. He's got a certain strategy I'm starting to appreciate: in the first half he puts in an honest effort orchestrating the attack and formulating offensive plays from the hole; in the second half, when it seems like the whole world's tired but him, Adu slips up top next to Jozy and has his way with the opponent's defense. I thought for a time that his size and build were too slight for him to work past taller, stronger opponents, but I was wrong. Adu has a great touch and a great eye to match. Adu was another of our most consistent threats throughout the game.

- Altidore never lost composure or physicality, sometimes working with his back towards goal a la Ching and other times having a dribble against defenders a la Twellman. Great stuff.

- Seitz: Man of the Match. A Perkins-esque, Guzan-like performance made him truly stand out among a pitch full of rising stars. I am extremely worried about his right leg; he stopped taking kicks and laid down straight away after the whistle blew. If he goes down for the quarterfinals, the US' chances of taking the title are halved.

(Brazil)
- Jo and Leandro Lima never let down, constantly pressing forward. They are deft passers and downright filthy dribblers. Amazing. Lima didn't deserve to score and tie the game; Pato did. Pato's chip should never have hit the side netting.

--------------------------

Beltran had an absolutely horrible game. He was completely outclassed. That's not to say he wasn't putting for the effort: I saw the sweat dripping from his brow. Despite his good effort, he was a defensive hazard and an offensive woe. I was honestly surprised it took so long for Rongen to throw Ward in for Beltran. Better luck next time, kid.

--------------------------

I'm starting to wonder if something is wrong with Ferrari.

--------------------------

I'll say it again: with this win, the US is one of the top contenders for the U-20 title. This game proves they know how to score and are capable of winning 70, 80, even 90 minutes into a match. Thomas Rongen should be proud.

Lets hope the players get ample regeneration time to be fresh against whoever in the quarterfinals. I'll be thrilled to watch it, whenever it is.

--------------------------

Query: In Brazil they tout young stars as 'the next Ronaldinho' and in France, 'the next Zidane.' Does that make Adu the next Donovan? What does that make Altidore? The next Wynalda? In my opinion, young American stars make a name for themselves very early on.

Enjoy.

USA Dips Out: Colombia 1-0 US

2007-07-05T21:45:00.001-04:00

I've already said enough about the US and the B team coming to Copa. I'm skipping that.

And I've already put in my two cents about the past couple months overall, how it's been a great learning experience and such. So none of that.

And for some real match analysis, go to Ives or something.

I'm in a bad mood and I snoozed most of the way through the USA match. I don't have much to say.

Here's what I got:

- Tim Howard is our number one keeper without a doubt. Brad Guzan deserves serious consideration as our number two. Hahnemann didn't impress me as much when I witnessed his performances for the Nats. Guzan did extremely well, considering that this was a team playing through the sendoff match of a campaign in its death throes. My depth chart: 1) Tim Howard 2) Brad Guzan 3) Marcus Hahnemann 4) Chris Seitz (no, I'm not kidding) 5) Perkins/Reis/etc.

- Bobby Boswell had a respectable performance. He had no Wynne-like glitches, at least. I thought he looked better than both Califf and Pearce.

- Davies also had a respectable performance, and played like he had something to prove (which he did). It's unfortunate he couldn't produce, but he had more passion about the game than either Hercules Gomez or Eddie Johnson. Why he didn't get more Copa minutes than 20-something out of 270 is beyond me.

- I know he has detractors aplenty, but Nguyen is great. I love that kid. He woke me up. He plays with drive, tenacity, and creativity -- the kind of stuff the US needs to win a game, you know? Nguyen is almost like Mapp, only better. With Beasley as a young veteran and Nguyen as a young talent, Bradley has to like his situation out on the left wing. My only problem is, with all his quickness, I don't think he was quite match fit. It seemed like he only had fifteen minutes of fire and then he jogged his way through the rest. I've got a feeling that he is still working his way back from that shoulder surgery from awhile ago. Anyways, I've got high hopes for this kid. I hear he's got plenty of suitors who want him on loan from PSV. He's in a good place right now and he's got nowhere to go but up.

Chelsea Signs The Duck?

2007-07-05T15:00:00.000-04:00

Finally I get to post about my Chelsea. I was waiting for some good news (Robben leaving is not good news, and Lampard isn't any better) and this news seems good enough:

Chelsea may have signed young Brazilian standout Pato, depending on whether Goal.com are making educated guesses or not. Consensus is that Chelsea are the frontrunners in the race to sign this kid; whether terms were accepted is yet unclear.

Pato is currently on national duty with the Brazil U-20's in Canada, who face a resurgent US squad on Friday, July 6th. I hear he's got quite an ego about himself.

This is good. This is great. My problem is, compared to Torres and Anderson and Nani, all of whom could actually make an impact on the club in the coming season, I'm not sure Pato will be helping anyone lift a trophy until he's at least 19. But this gives me hope; between Kalou, Mikel, Sahar, and The Duck, Chelsea in the 2010-11 season will be amazing.

In other Chelsea news, Robben is still probably going to leave, Lampard is still probably going to sulk, Chelsea might sign Chimbonda because Alves is too expensive, Alex is coming home, and everyone still considers Chelsea a juggernaut with the ability to take home another Premiership title. I'm still probably going to pray for Euro glory, however.

Some dude named Dalby might play in England next season.

2007-07-05T14:07:00.000-04:00

I have no idea how I heard about this, but apparently Preston North End of the English Championship is close to signing former US U-20 captain Greg Dalby. North End, which came narrowly close to earning promotion to the EPL last season, is waiting to sign Dalby pending the Home Office granting a work permit. I'm not holding my breath.

Why have I never heard of this kid? He's 21 and apparently he's an "exceptional young talent." Why didn't he come to the MLS or anything? Has he been hiding in Europe for the last few years? I checked the Yanks Abroad database for some further information and they don't have anyone listed under that name, though they do have someone named "Dallman" who was also born in 1985.

What the hell?

The Fallout With CONMEBOL

2007-07-05T10:45:00.000-04:00

In case you haven't read the newspaper yet, there's an AP report circulating around summarizing how CONMEBOL is upset that the USSF sent its B team to the Copa.

Brian over at An American's View tells us why CONMEBOL can shove it. Sharp as a tack, that Brian. His points about CONMEBOL's scheduling are especially interesting.

Furthermore, Tim Froh rebuffs the naysayers both domestic and abroad for criticizing the US' roster selection and explains exactly what an American fan can take away from the tournament. I'm becoming more and more enamored of Froh's writing.

Good articles, the two of them.

(As a side note, I'm thrilled that DCU's next three matches will be aired on Comcast, and save for the three SuperLiga matches after the All-Star break, the rest of the season's matches will be aired on Comcast as well. Brilliant.)

Emiligol Strikes Again, DCU 1-0 KC

2007-07-04T15:26:00.000-04:00

Happy Independence Day, folks.

In the hot, hot heat of Kansas City, DC United stole a win to overtake New York and New England and assume first place in the MLS East standings.

There's only one complaint I can lodge with some semblance of justification: Simms had a horrible game as right wingback today. Poor guy, I know he was giving it everything and he doesn't want to pass up these opportunities to impress the coaches, but today he was a true liability at the back. He was good coming across the center line, but back on defense he was a hole waiting to happen.

Otherwise, there were some defensive slips from Erpe- I mean, Vanney (tempting, isn't it?), which I'll excuse because this was his first outing for DC, and there were also some blunders from Gros, though not as many and not as glaring. Vanney's corners look wonderful and I'm sure McTavish is learning a few things from this guy.

I felt that Addlery couldn't quite figure out the KC back line and Carroll was almost a disaster waiting to happen. Mediate really didn't make an impression on me one way or another and Dyachenko wasn't in long enough to have an impact.

McTavish gets my Man of the Match bid. The kid was just awesome, saving United at clutch moments and really doing his best to sustain the defense for those boiling-hot ninety minutes. He positioned himself correctly throughout the game and was really our most solid defender, despite his rookie status. Almost reminds me of another great rookie defender.

Speaking of, once Boswell comes back, I hope McTavish can perform just as well at right back as he is in the center. And Boswell had better find his good form fast because if McTavish keeps this up I really feel that Boswell's starting spot is in contention. Actually, that's probably an exaggeration, but McTavish has improved a great deal and has proved to me that he is a viable option at center back.

Now to the offense: It was obvious to me that KC still regards Gomez as our primary offensive threat, Zavagnin molesting him and all. Thing is, what with Addlery proving himself to be a solid target man, Moose pounding the wings, Emilio assuming the role of withdrawn forward in Jaime's absence, and Fred working voodoo magic all over the damn field, Gomez can't be regarded as our primary offensive threat. Shutting down Gomez does not shut down our offense. It's the truth, and it's a wonderful thing: we have such a comprehensive attack that defenses have no idea who to mark and who to tackle in order to prevent a play from happening. I have a feeling that once Jaime returns, the chemistry will revive and Gomez will once again assume a playmaking role, but right now our offense has to be one of the most terrifying in the league, if only because defenses have no idea how we're going to approach the goal.

Case in point: Fred hooking up with Emiligol in the box, each one showing a fantastic understanding of how the KC defense would react, and we put it away in style. A truly amazing goal. My Goal of the Week for sure.

Player ratings:

Perkins: 7
(Yeah, he came up clutch, but there were times there where he just looked unsure of himself. He was phenomenal coming off his line, though.)

Simms: 3

McTavish: 8

Vanney: 6

Gros: 6

Moose: 7

Gomez: 7

Fred: 8

Addlery: 6

Emilio: 7.5

Subs: Mediate 6, deRoux 6, Dyachenko 5.

Goad win away from RFK, good winning streak in the making, and a good three points to be snatching up for the standings. Keep it going, DCU.

Freddy Adu Revives the Hype: US 6-1 Poland

2007-07-03T21:46:00.000-04:00

Well, Freddy and the boys are at it again:

They dismantled Poland with six world-class goals.

The highlights speak for themselves.

Adu wasn't the only starlet to shine: Szetela had a brace on the day and Altidore got his name in lights, as well.

The game seemed so surreal: everyone was clicking, everyone making runs, beautiful shots. Everything added up -- meaning the young Americans were in unusually fine form today.

Julian Valentin caught a nasty elbow to the face and left the game bleeding. Ofori Sarkodie came on as a replacement. We'll hear updates, I'm sure.

So how much does this speak for the talent of the US squad and the quality of the program? Volumes? Paperbacks? Last December's DogFancy? Here's what I make of it: Poland, being battle weary from their Brazil match still, were always slow and never truly inspired. They nabbed one at the beginning but it was clear from that point on that they didn't possess the resources to keep the lead. Bradley was an unsung hero, doing all the dirty work while his teammates fished for glory -- but does he really need to shine? He's in a good situation in Europe and the MNT already has him well in their sights. It's good that Adu and Szetela lived up to their reputations for a change. Their performance today did wonders to justify our belief that they will grow into outstanding footballers very soon.

But I'm not answering the question. How much does this say about the squad? Not a whole lot. It confirmed our convictions about Adu and Szetela, and everyone looked great on the pitch, but they certainly can't expect the same kind of lackadaisical midfield play and mushy, forgiving defense from Brazil, who are still looking to humiliate an opponent with their traditional class and style. The US stands atop the group as of now; whether we don't slip to second by the next round I can't say. I have a good feeling we'll progress to the next round, but I couldn't tell you how soon we're leaving. One game does not a tournament make.

One thing's for sure: we looked damn good on that green stuff today.

People Seem to Have Forgotten...

2007-07-03T12:51:00.001-04:00

... but C. Ronaldo is 22 and Wayne Rooney is 21. Twenty-two and twenty-one. In years of age. Christ...

Ronaldo has 50 goals in 190 appearances, Rooney has 41 in 100. Appearances, I mean. Appearances for Manchester United. A hundred appearances for Manchester United.

Christ...

Szetela -- Future Yank Abroad?

2007-07-03T10:11:00.000-04:00

In the midst of the US' dismal performance vs. Korea, young U-20 national Danny Szetela is enjoying attention from quite a few international clubs -- Parma, Galatasaray, and Rangers among them, says Ives.

While I think Parma would help develop Szetela's raw talent into priceless techinical skill, I would love Rangers to sign the kid.

I'm really building a healthy respect for my favorite team in Glasgow, as they obviously have a healthy respect for American footballing talent. And you know what? With Beattie gone and Naka walking out the door over at Celtic, Rangers could be on the verge of a rennaisance in Scotland this year. If they don't, I'll chalk it up to those slave-trading bastards over at Bordeaux, who apparently gave Faubert an ultimatum of playing for West Ham or not playing at all. Faubert will be playing for West Ham in the fall. Score one for Eggert Magnusson's money.

Rangers' new transfer target? Alan Smith.

(Actually, I'm going back and thinking about it: Galatasaray? Goddamn, how would Szetela handle the rivalry pressure? I'm scared already.)

Update: Szetela has shaved his mohawk. This is unfortunate; Rangers were counting on his hairstyle for inspiration and entertainment, as was I. Way to drop the ball, Szetela.

"If You Can't Finish, You Can't Win:" US 1 - 3 Paraguay

2007-07-03T09:37:00.000-04:00

A quote for the ages.

I'll have a full match summary up tonight, once I get ahold of my notes.

Update: Soehn on the Vanney-Erpen Trade

2007-07-02T16:39:00.000-04:00

Courtesy Goff:

"One of the attractive things about Greg is his experience and his ability to organize. We've lacked a little bit of that -- a veteran guy in the back that is going to make our shape better. If you look at the chances we've given away, a lot of it is our shape and I think he's going to help Bobby in a lot of respects and teach him and Bobby can emulate some of the things he does. We wanted to make sure we had a backline that was experienced, because we haven't had that in a while."

Told ya. Neener neener.

Casal Released

2007-07-02T16:21:00.000-04:00

It turns out the BigSoccer rumors were true: Kasali Yinka Casal has been released from DC United. (Kudos to Max J. @ The Offside: DC United for the tip.)

Goff has the rundown.

This is a bit of a setback for DC United: Casal was a very promising prospect for the future. However, the allure of European football (he's a Fulham prospect, mind) has always been strong in him and I'm not sure if we would have been able to keep him here past the age of 20 anyways. At least if he stayed, DCU would see a bit of a profit. As it is, if he finds greener pastures across the pond, DCU will get nothing.

I'm starting to wonder whether or not his rejection from the Nigerian U-20 side has anything to do with this. Casal might happen to feel (as most young international prospects do; see my piece a couple posts down about Juan Toja) that playing in the MLS for any amount of time will hurt his ambitions for playing on the national team.

Anyways, good luck, Casal. Hope you hit the big time, son.

Update: there's a small little thought at the end of this DCenters post that strikes me as tremenously true -- "...if United raises the Cup in DC these moves will be a crucial part of that story."

If we win it, these moves will have won the Cup. It's the truth.

US U-20 vs. Korea: What Went Wrong

2007-07-01T19:18:00.000-04:00

As you can see, the Koreans were having a field day. Over the top every time, and they had the speed to back it up. Combine this with quick passes, through balls, and one-twos on the ground and our defense looked like crap.

Sorry guys, but I gotta call you out.

I'm a DCU fan, I swear...

2007-07-01T12:47:00.000-04:00

... but this is an excellent article. Juan Toja is a young Colombian phenom playing with the Hoops, FC Dallas, in Texas. He's on loan from Colombian side Santa Fe and is contemplating his future after the championship this year.

Great insight into the young player's mind, about his hopes as a young boy and his maturity when those changed. Good read. (Shout out to du Nord for their 'Recommended Reading' list; I always browse that for a good read.)

Enjoy.

U-20 WC: US 1-1 KOR

2007-06-30T18:54:00.000-04:00

What a real disappointment. I was watching glimpses of the Poland-Brazil upset and I was really encouraged by what I saw: Poland showed real talent and tenacity in keeping Brazil at bay. I wanted the same kind of character to apply to the US game: I wanted to see the US play to their strengths and really possess the game. They didn't, but I'm not laying the fault entirely at the squad. The US was constantly being kept in check by ignorant refereeing. It was really unfortunate to see.

The US lined up with a 4-3-3, playing to Adu, Bradley, and Altidore in the center of the field, but for some reason the US squad found better momentum on the wings. I'll say this: the US didn't have the touch, or curry enough favor with the referee, to confront the Koreans head on down the center. With Johann Smith gone, the increased amount of wing play never produced and the result was a lot of hopeful (sometimes even blind) crosses into the box for someone to get a touch on. Happened once in the 16th: someone pentrated the flank, crossed it in, and Szetela happened to be in the right place at the right time. It never happened again.

The Koreans formed a 3-5-2, creating a staggered mesh between their back three and holding midfielders to nullify the US' capability to send a long ball forward. Jozy was positioned in no man's land and had absolutely no service from the midfield the entire game. The Korean wingers were definately more for attacking purposes than flank patrol. In effect, the Koreans lined up in a 3-2-3-2.

The officiating controlled the game in a very negative way, gifting Korea with opportunities in advanced positions, penalizing the US defense for playing a physical game, and frequently disrupting the US' transitional momentum. This is horribly disappointing to me. Absolutely stupid officiating.

Update: Ives has posted his critique of the match. He places more of the blame on the US squad and makes a point that Freddy Adu is failing everyone's lofty expectations. Ives also comments that the US had no wing play, which confuses me because it seemed like all the best plays from the US were built from the wing. Also:

"Ultimately, this U.S. team doesn't want to go into the Brazil match needing a result because I see the Brazil attack absolutely shredding this back-line. "

I don't, if the US can stay strong and stand them up. Disrupt and prevent service into the box: these are the two keys to the US defense, ones they missed vs. Korea, but ones I think they'll realize vs. Poland and Brazil.

--------------
Other notes:

- You could tell that despite his lack of opportunities, Altidore is a true scoring threat, a real dangerous striker of the kind that the senior national squad is in sore need of. The sooner this kid hits the big time, the better.

- Unwarranted calls and harsh yellows have made the US defense timid. No more hard tackles in the defensive third. Korea is enjoying this.

- It's disappointing to see the referees taking the US' physicality out of the game, but it's also disappointing to see that without their physicality, the US defenders don't know how to defend.

- Seitz is MOM for me. He came up big on several occaisons and did his best to hold on to the match. RSL should be proud.

- Johann Smith is sorely missed.

- I'm not saying the referees were biased, but their calls were definately one-sided.

- US shafted in 40th: obvious penalty. This refereeing is really f*cking maddening.

- Altidore needs to see more ball.

- Bradley has really failed expectations. Everyone expected him to exert some influence in midfield but I couldn't tell that he was there at all.

- The referees finally toss the US a bone with a dangerously positioned free kick, and you know what happens? The US knocks it out because the Korean goalkeeper clocked one of his own guys. At this point I'd like to see a statistic tabulating exactly how many times a downed Korean has f*cked the US' momentum.

- US SHAFTED AGAIN: blatant penalty in the 92nd but the ref waves it off. Abslutely astounding. Altidore is frustrated and rightly so.

- Both of those un-penalties involved the US's last attacker and a significant goal-scoring opportunity. Textbook penalty calls which are especially upsetting when you consider that the ref let the Koreans go without cards on either of those two situations.

-I'm confused: Ferrari was not a member of the starting lineup, nor was he subbed in at any point. What gives?

U-20 WC: US - KOR Halftime

2007-06-30T17:46:00.000-04:00

I'll post some thoughts later, but I want to make it known right now that the officiating this game is just f*cking maddening. I'm not saying the referees are biased, but these calls are definately one-sided.

The Good Word of Goff, and How It Got So Good

2007-06-29T17:11:00.000-04:00

This Is American Soccer got intrepid with Internet blogging recently and did something of actual journalistic worth:

TIAS interviewed Stephen Goff. I'm at once jealous and thrilled.

Here's what I found most interesting:

"[Goff:] yeah, I try not to put too much opinion or analysis in my work and I think that is the stuff that players get annoyed about. I’m not saying that was the case with Ives, but in general if a player knows you have a strong opinion about something, than yeah, they are going to treat you differently than other reporters. So, I’m very careful about what I say and write about particular situations. I just don’t have as strong a voice as some of the other columnists or bloggers out there. I choose not to. I feel like I’m a journalist; I’m a reporter. I don’t want to take sides. I don’t want to express any opinion. I try to play it down the middle as much as I can. I avoid those situations. "

I've always wondered about that. When comparing Goff to Ives, Ives is much, much louder and outspoken, at least when comparing their blogs. Ives is simultaneously news and analysis, Goff tends to be more news-oriented, and even the opinion he sprinkles like journalistic jimmies throughout his WashPost pieces is sporadic in frequency. He definitely aims to keep his pieces as neutral as possible.

I have mixed feelings about this. While I'm glad he has a very professional attitude, I would appreciate it well if Goff took a more Ive-ish stance towards reporting and told the masses what he thinks. If Goff decided to post his unadulterated opinion about something, I would read it. I want to hear what he has to say.

Ives was interviewed in a similar way by a blogger, but that was a good while back. I can't find it on his archives.

These kinds of interviews always fascinate me because I look up to people like Arroyave, Canales, Ives and Goff and I love to see how they got to be where they are. I would give plenty much to become a beat writer.

Thanks, TIAS. You've made my heart glad.

Erpen's Gone!

2007-06-29T16:32:00.000-04:00

And just like that, Vanney's in.

That was quick.

But at this point, Vanney is old news (no pun intended) and what interests me more is Goff's tidbit about the young central defender "VAGNER GEORGE SANTANA DA SILVA," coming in from business parter Atletico Mineiro for a trial. If he impresses, Mineiro loans him for the rest of the season, at which point DC would have the option to retain. Here's to hoping. We'll address you yet, defensive depth issues.