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

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:
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- 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.

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

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

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!

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.

Sorry to disappoint...

... 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.

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

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.

Thomas Rongen Should Be Proud: US U-20's 2-1 Brazil

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.

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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.

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I'm starting to wonder if something is wrong with Ferrari.

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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.

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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.

Freddy Adu Revives the Hype: US 6-1 Poland

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.

US U-20 vs. Korea: What Went Wrong

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.

U-20 WC: US 1-1 KOR

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.

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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

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.

Johann Smith to Miss U-20 WC

Young American Johann Smith is injured and will miss the entire tournament.

Apparently he strained his ankle during the recent closed-door scrimmage versus New Zealand. His replacement, Preston Zimmerman, has already arrived with the squad in Canada. Johann must be pretty upset.

This is alarming, both because the world will not get a good look at this talented young American during the scouting orgy that is U-20 WC, and also because Smith is a focal point of the US U-20 attack. This is a major blow to the team. I was under the impression that Zimmerman impressed the coaching staff during his call-ups but that he didn't impress enough to oust someone from the starting lineup. There was a reason he wasn't originally invited to Canada.

Nevertheless, I hope he makes the best of this opportunity. One thing that could be said is that Smith has already established himself with a prolific club in Europe (Bolton Wanderers) while Zimmerman, though he, too, is with a European club, has yet to make a name for himself.

Good luck regardless, boys. Make the most of it.

Aha, Well Now... News and Notes for 6/27

As usual, Goff comes up with the goods.

Apparently Casal did not make the Nigeria roster. I have no inside information on this other than the Good Word of Goff, but something tells me he got shafted. I think Casal is a great talent and I'm really disappointed he won't get the opportunity to prove it at the U-20 WC. I'm almost positive he would have made the U.S. U-20 roster. If Casal and his blinding, superhero-like speed couldn't crack the Nigeria U-20 roster, I'm thinking the Nigerians will be a side to take definite precautions about. (The Nigerians will be a side about which to take definite precautions? Dunno, can't tell. Grammar fails me.)

Also, in that same Goff update we learn that Gros has broken his wrist again, this time during the first half of the RSL game. It's amazing how many times this guy gets injured in places which don't impair his game (does the brain count?). But dammit to hell, Gros, stop hurting yourself.

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By now you should know that DCU has released good ole John Wilson who hasn't yet seen a minute of first-team action this season. What you should be paying attention to, however, is the fact that DCU is apparently resigning Dominic Mediate.

I'll make myself clear: this is no good.

Dominic showed up really well the last time I saw him (live at RFK, forget against who, but it was a good match if I can recall) and the general consensus in the DCU blogosphere is that Mediate will be a positive addition to the squad. He's fast and is in the good habit of dribbling at defenders, looking for a shot. Great stuff.

What I don't like is that Moose has since stepped up and claimed that role in Mediate's injury absence-- the role promising young gringo with a good habit of going at defenders. I don't see why we need another, unless Mediate is showing more promise than Moose or Mediate has dramatically recouped his form and is more impressive than his first time around.

After Mupier, I was kind of hoping DCU, aka the Big Black Mistress, would save herself for someone bigger, someone stronger, with a great knack for dealing with young white kids who like to dribble at defenders. I want DCU to sign some quality defensive talent, maybe even a talented left back. The bright, ever-inquisitve minds over at Fullback Files have even come up with a suggestion: Venezuelan left back Jorge Rojas, currently on duty with his national side at the Copa. I'm all for this. What a great idea. Sign me up. Brilliant. I love it.

There'd probably be a hassle what with DCU's cap room and international slot situation. I'm never exactly clear what DCU's slot situation is at a given moment. But I think (without having the potential signing in question play for any amount of time at all) that Rojas is a defender in the mould that DCU is looking for. So why are we fooling around with Mediate?

In sum, it is my completely unjustified opinion that Mediate is not what the team needs: Rojas is.

And you can take that to the bank.

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DaMarcus Beasley has made it official with Rangers. My jury's still out on this. I couldn't even judge if he'd be starting or not. I think I'll wait to judge until I can see for myself how this is playing out. If Rangers sign who they want to sign (namely Julien Faubert, which would be amazing) then this could be a very big opportunity for DaMarcus to plant his name in headlines with quality performances and international intrigue a la his Eindhoven days.

On a slightly different note, I think Celtic's signing of Massimo Donati from the Serie A is fantastic. Good for them. I would be more impressed if Rangers scored Faubert, though.
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Finally, rumor has it that Danny Szetela is being targeted for a big Euro transfer after the U-20 WC, which is great for him because everyone and their mother is being targeted for a big Euro transfer after the U-20 WC and I wouldn't want Danny to feel left out.

But I'll be honest: I am very excited to see who jumps the pond after the tournament. There's some great American talent headed north right about now and I would love to infest the world with it, no joke.

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I'll be watching the Brazil-Mexico game tonight, so I'll probably bbl.