The U-20 World Cup

Brazil v. Poland

A HUGE UPSET. Poland not only managed to win 1-0 on a wonderful long free kick, but managed to hold Brazil off for 60 minutes with only 10 men. The defensive shape and tactics by the Poles were really top-notch. I can't say enough about it. Should definitely make the group interesting in the next week.

US v. Korea

I really thought it was bad the other night watching the MNT get douched by Argentina. It wasn't really great to watch and I could go into who I thought played like crap (Eddie Johnson, Eddie Gaven, etc.), but that time is gone and I think it's all been said on everyone else's blog.

But you get to hear about the U-20s here first. So listen up, Rongen and the gang!
Let me say before I start that I was really excited about this tournament. I felt we actually had a chance to win it all and I really felt like we had some quality performers that we'd put on the pitch. I was going to take this time (as most of you reading this probably were) to evaluate our talent that can take Eddie Johnson and Taylor Twellman's spot on the MNT. But then.... the whistle blew.

First, God must have blessed us in that game b/c it should have been about 6-1 to South Korea. We managed to get our 1 goal after South Korea chose not to shoot on a 1 v 1 with the keeper and instead play the ball across to a guy who wanked it pretty bad. We countered and scored. We were already getting dominated at that point and it was lucky we scored against the run of play.


It's official, folks. Scoring in the MLS doesn't mean shit when it comes to international play. Jozy and Eddie have taught us something!

And by run of play, I meant them running around our defense like they were cones. I counted at the beginning of the game and Tim Ward made 7 straight passes that didn't get to the US player he intended it to. Horrible. When watching it, I think the S. Korea probably played 20 to 25 wide open long balls from their backs and midfielders to wide open players up front running behind our defense. I was trying to figure out what kind of formation we were playing that was letting them get that open. After watching the Poland v. Brazil game and seeing the perfect coordination of those two teams, I think we could be in a lot of trouble. Also, let me be the first to say that Dax McCarty and Michael Bradley had absolutely shit games. Bradley was caught not paying attention to the ball at least two or three times where his head was in the opposite direction when a ball was played to him. Inexcusable. And Dax McCarty, well, he just sucks. At one point, McCarty turned around, passed backwards directly to a Korean player and that started a break. I would think he was Korean if it wasn't for the fact that he's a ginger. Altidore looked like he had Eddie Johnson-itis b/c he rarely did anything but play the ball back. Overall, it was rough to watch. I'm relatively critical of the US MNT teams generally, but I don't really feel like I'm exaggerating about this abysmal performance.


We get it, Freddy. You have huge marbles for staying in the MLS. How did that work out?


Another point I'll make is that I feel very sorry for Freddy Adu. I really do. He got hyped up when he as about 14 or 15 years old as the savior for American soccer, then signed with DC and stayed here. What a mistake! Yes, he's small. Yes, he got pushed off the ball easily in the S. Korea game, but he has moments of brilliance. He has a great touch on the ball, plays wonderful free kicks. I seriously wonder what he would be like if was playing with players around him that had the same skill level. American soccer does not lend itself to Freddy Adu's play. It's awkward and burly and he's smooth and relatively slick on the ball. It's just a shame that we made him into the MLS poster boy instead of telling him to go overseas and develop his game. If he did, I bet you he would be playing and starting for at least a mid-level European team right now. His future could have been Theo Walcott and instead it's looking more like Eddie Gaven. I'm sorry, Freddy.

Funny Immature 12-Year Old Boy Giggling Fact of the Game: There was a guy on South Korea who's jersey said "Dong Suk" on the back. Yeah, that's funny.

Beasley

US Players Overseas


LL Cool Beas
The ladies in Scotland are going to love him if he shows up lookin like this.

Everyone hear that Beasley announced he joined Rangers this week? I'm not sure how I feel about this as I don't know much about Rangers beside the fact that they always finish 2nd to Celtic in the SPL. It's disappointing to me b/c I was hoping we'd get another American to follow in the EPL and I could watch the games on FSC, but ce'st la vie, at least he found another side.

I think the Scottish Premier League will be good for him though. The competition isn't as strong as the EPL and he'll have a bit more of a chance to shine. I also find it odd that he seems to be hitting all of Reyna's hot spots, except for backwards.

Where does everyone think Onyewu will go? Back to Belgium or do you think someone might actually pick up that statue?

I read an article today that Everton is thinking about making a move for Frankie Simek and his pricetag is in the 4.5 million dollar range. If that's the case, how is he not starting for our back line.

Who else do you think is worthy of going overseas?

Introduction

Brad thanks for the opportunity to cover this blog. I will try and provide insight as to the MNH and also the EPL where i support Liverpool unlike you gooners. For those of you who don't know a whole lot about the EPL and are looking for a team to support watch this..


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3k9Eb8-KUE

Perhaps even better than those goals is Andy Greys commentary on number one...
"Awwww ya Beauty, what a hit son, what a hit."

Gold Cup Recap:

Coming into this tournament as the favorites i thought we were doomed to lose. We were undefeated under Bradley (still are knock on wood), the young players seemed to be gelling, everything just seemed poised for a letdown. Fortunately it didn't happen and we came out on top, all credit to the squad. In the aftermath of the tournament, i have seen nothing but criticism for our team and that is disappointing. Sure we didn't finish great, but Beasley puts that ball in 100 times out of 101, same with Ching and LD in previous games. I haven't seen anyone shoot more balls right at the keeper than Clint, but I have also seen him score a good amount of times. I attribute our lack of finishing to two things; one luck, and two not having a clinical striker. Beasley, Dempsey, and LD will all finish more than enough for us, they are our three best finishers by far and I wouldn't worry too much about the misses by them. However the miss by Ching, and the fact that EJ and Twellmen when in the match just completely disappear does present a problem. The best i saw the front line preform was when Twellmen and Ching were paired together after Dempsey was subbed. However I wouldn't want Dempsey out at all and that pairing wont be viable in 2010. An interesting possibility however would just be playing Dempsey, LD and Beasley out front by themselves, no real box forward in. Play a 4-3-3 have Clark (or Mastroini), Benny, and Bradley in the middle and leave the three big guns up top. Benny and Mike are both excellent passers and i think with the creativity of those three up front the midfield will have plenty of options to pass too. It would help our defense, basically having 8 or 9 men behind the ball at all times. It remains to be seen if we could score from this formation consistantly, but i think with the 3 up front working their magic we could get something going. It at least is worth a shot. This is until Altidore or Lee Nygen are ready to play in the senior squad.

U-20 World Cup

I for one am very excited to see us perform in this competition. Bradley, Altidore and Adu are all potent threats with loads of potential and i am eager to see how they match up against the best in the world. I will have more information on this when the tournament kicks off. Adu will present an interesting option when he is ready for the national team. For all of you who say he is over hyped and not near as good as he is supposed to be, look at him minus all the hype. He is 18 years old. A kid. At 15 he had the weight of American Soccer thrust upon his shoulders (a baton now being passed to a David Beckham, an Atlas of sorts). In the last U-20 friendly he scored a goal, set up another, and just missed scoring another one. This is an 18 year old kid, sure he might not be a Rooney, but he is still maybe the best young player we have. He has loads of potential and I think the spotlight being off him for a few years will only help him to mature and become the player he can be. However, saying he is ready for 2010, where do we put him? Have Dempsey be the striker, throw Beasley on the right, LD in the middle, and Adu on the left. But then where is Altidore? Bobby the Princeton grad will tackle this task when it comes, but for now we are left to wonder.

Adu: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7FQv5Dv9w4

Liverpool FC:

Despite being promised new signings by our new American owners, Gillet and Hicks, there have been none as of yet. Torres from Athletico seems to be the best bet to come to Anfield, but his buy out clause is something ridiculous like 27 mil (pounds). However even with this price tag these are the guys who signed A-Rod from Seattle, and gave him an even more Astronomical contract, so anything is possible. Also we need to improve along the wings, Jermaine Pennant, and STEVIE GERRARD (all letters of his name shall be capitalized at all times as a rule), are on the right for us but i would like to see STEVE in the middle where he can do the most damage. Unfortunately Pennant cannot cut it day in and day out at RW so we need a new one. They are a scarce commodity and it looks more like we will get a left wing instead. Malouda the Frenchman seems to be our best bet at left. But like i said i think we are fine on the left, i really like our Aussie: 'Arry Kewell and instead of finding a replacement i think we should look for a Pennant caliber player to back him up. No names as of yet and i will be back to discuss any eventual signings and whatnot.

I bid you good night.

Copa America and the Future of Asenal

First off, thanks for the invite to contribute to this blog. I'm gald that there is a growing number of people who really care about, and are just as passionate as the rest of the world, for the beautiful game.

Now, I'd like to put some thoughts to two things; the upcoming Copa America, and the future of Arsenal FC (yes, I'm a gooner).

Copa America

As promised, Bob Bradley selected an all-youth team for the Copa America, which leaves out the likes of Beasley, Dempsey, and Donovan. While the team will lack the international experience held by such veteran players, I am optimistic about Bradley's decision for having the younger players gain valuable experience against some of the best players in the world. One player to note is Lee Nguyen, who was picked up by PSV Eindhoven when Guus Hiddink (arguably the best manager in football right now) was still coaching the Dutch champions. Hiddink has a knack for spotting young talent, so it's not too unfair to say that Lee Nguyen has a lot of promise in him. Other players I would keep a watch on are Ben Olsen and Taylor Twellman. Olsen is in good form for his club DC United, and shows a great potential for the international stage. From the match I saw of US v. Canada, Twellman had several good looks at goal but failed to deliver, which is still a positive because it goes to show that he knows where to position himself, and can escape the off-side trap to get a good shot. If he continues to improve, he will be a good target man for the US. Overall, playing in the Copa America, albeit with young talent, is a good thing, as playing against better opposition will only improve their game.

The Future of Arsenal

When the dust settles over the controversial leave of the French Talisman Thierry Henry for Barcelona, Arsenal will now have to consider their options for building their club. There are rumors of acquiring the services of the likes of Michael Owen, Obafemi Martins, Nicolas Anelka, Carlos Tevez, Fernando Torres, or even David Villa, of which none seem to be likely. Owen, Martins are largely inconsistent, while Anelka is much too old to be a marquee signing. Tevez will most likely move out of the EPL and try his luck in other European leagues, while Torres and Villa will only be considered if Arsenal are ready to pay astronomical amounts, which I doubt they will.

But looking at Arsenal this past season, I think their greatest weakness is not in attacking forwards, but in holding defense. Besides Toure, most of their defense is shaky and inconsistent. Flamini has yet to prove himself and Gallas is not able to fill the shoes of Ashley Cole. If you compare defensive plays of other big clubs like Manchester United, Barcelona, and even Real Madrid, they have some quality defenders to make sure that opponents do not get an easy look at goal. I would suggest that a young but learning Adebayor, a fit Robin Van Persie, and an upcoming Theo Walcott would be sufficient for goals. And let's not forget that Arsenal still have Cesc Fabregas, arguably the most promising star in the playmaker position. Perhaps Wenger and company should consider signing a big-time defender, such as a Sergio Ramos or a Zambrotta.

In other news, a good read is Gabrielle Marcotti, who writes about soccer for both SI and the Times (UK), who recently wrote "The World's Top 50 Footballers."

And lastly, while I'm still dreaming, I would like to see Alessandro Rosina, aka. "Rosinaldo", make the jump to the EPL, preferably for Arsenal.

Looking Beyond

First off, have to send a big congratulations out to the USMNT on a job well done. I read nothing but criticism from most people following the victory over much hated el tri. Yes, some of it is warranted, our finishing, but let's enjoy the moment. We are now tied for the most Gold Cup titles with four, and don't be surprised if a fifth is to follow in two years. Plus, we finally saw an absolutely beautiful world class strike, and from all players and in the largest of all moments in this tournament, it was provided by the recently heralded Benny. He, along with Bradley, headline a very promising future for the national team. But, that also lends hand to another much debated topic as of late. The roster for Copa America. Ah, yes, I can imagine you all salivating at the mere thought of disputing every text that follows: I absolutely love the roster that coach Bob Bradley has put together.

Yes, call me ludicrous, but why in the world should we even think about doubting this man? All he has done is come into a position amongst great scrutiny for not being international, then had to deal with Sunil's pitter patter and the interim tag for so long. And, as of now, he has a wonderful record of 10-0-1. Why in the world should I even consider questioning his motives at a time like this? And you know what? I won't.

Don't get me wrong, I would love to see the best that we have to offer go to Venezuela in order to put on the best showing possible. But in the end, this is nothing but a meaningless, glorified NIT tournament for the USMNT. Yes, it is very important for the region, but we've already slotted a Confederations Cup spot, and winning this tournament would only give us that much more pride and momentum. That would be fantastic, but realistically, did you think we could win this tournament even with our best? Not two years from now, not two years prior, but in the following two weeks? More than likely not. So with that said, what can the US possibly gain from this tournament? Hopefully a much doubted upset of Argentina, arguably the number one team in the world, the only team that comes close to rivaling the talent of Brazil? Hopefully advancing from what guarantees to be a tremendously difficult group? It is possible, but wishful.

The moral is, there is one possible way this can be a truly meaningful experience for us, and this is being executed. All of the young players being sent to play will gain unparalelled experience. Of the 22 players attending, 14 are under the age of 25, and 16 have 10 or fewer appearances for the USMNT. These players will be our headliners heading into World Cup 2010, when the tournament really does matter. Let's not forget that the structure of tomorrow is based on the foundation of today.

And just as important, who knows that our boys will fall flat on their face anyway? With a team as young as ours, you know stamina should not be an issue, and every single player has something to prove. Maybe coach Bradley knows something we don't, and the lineups that will be arranged could be a surprise to us all. Remember, many of these players are relatively unknown on the international stage, and that could be the deciding factor for us. Yes, maybe negatively, but certainly positively as well.

One last note. There is only one request I would have at this time, and that is to give Jozy Altidore the nod for some playing time. I don't believe anyone can effectively argue that in some way, shape, or form, he will not impact the squad before or (hopefully) during 2010 in South Africa. We keep hearing of the lack of forward play, which does hold true to an extent. Again, our finishing is suspect, but we have had nice chances created, and whether people like it or not, both Twellman and Ching have been a part of that. But while we go through the testing phase of the "revolutionized national team", I say give Altidore a shot. He's earned that much.

-Matt

Some thoughts...

New Contributors

Be sure to look over to the right as we have some new contributors joining the team. Hopefully, they'll all be able to provide some insight.

Arsenal Exodus?



I would now like to take the time to shed computer tears for the loss of Thierry Henry. When I heard that he was leaving, it was synonomous with a good swift kick in the marbles. Now I hear Wenger and Fabregas might be leaving too. What am I going to do now? How am I supposed to win any games in Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 with my only attacking option being Adebayor?

Seriously though, Henry has been my favorite player for a good while now and it's a very sad day for each and every Arsenal fan. Let's just hope they can go out and get Obafemi Martins, Carlos Tevez (even though he looks like he was in a Beat It video knife fight), Fernando Torres, Nicolas Anelka, or Michael Owen (although I hear he once broke a bone while covered in bubble wrap in an empty room). I don't know if Arsenal wants to throw the funds out after building the Emirates, but if you don't do it now, you're probably going to lose Wenger next year. And that my friends, is depressing.

Copa America


Get me out of here!

Thought I should let everyone know that the Live Footy link on the right of the blog provides all of the Copa America games through live streams if you're interested. In Virginia, we are unfortunate not to have GolTV or Telemundo, so we won't be able to see the games on TV. As much as it will suck, I will do my best to catch some of the games on my computer (that I sometimes compare to a Commodore 64) and report back to you if I see anyone pull a Benny Gold Cup. I find this highly unlikely with the squad that Bradley put together for this tourney. It's more likely that Lionel Messi will rainbow the ball over 3 US players heads, and then bike it from half field over Brad "I have no neck" Guzan.

Tonight's games:

Uruguay v. Peru at 6:05 EST
Venezuela v. Bolivia at 8:50 EST

Tony Sanneh and Mr. Monotone, Reunited?


Bruce Arena: Resurrecting mummified players since 1998.

Did you see that the Red Bulls traded Todd Dunivant for Kevin Goldthwaite? I was reading on Soccer by Ives (http://njmg.typepad.com/sbi/2007/06/red-bulls-trade.html) that the Red Bulls paid a lot of Dunivant's salary, so it was essentially a straight up trade. Then, he goes on to say that the Most Monotone Man on Earth is trying to pick up Tony Sanneh. Are you serious? What voodoo priestess is going to resurrect that guy? He'll be stiffer than the mummy from Monster Squad (Mummy stole my Twinkie!). Seriously, that cannot be a good move. Meanwhile, Mo Johnston is starting to look like the greatest manager in the world. He's like that guy that knows what baseball cards are good and then trades an 8-year old kid a 1990 David Justice for a Nolan Ryan rookie card. Yes, I'm comparing Bruce Arena to the 8-year old kid. Yes, he coached our National Team. Yes, he is the most monotone man alive.

Alright, time to nap. It's been real.

- Brad

Captain CAAAAAAAVEMAN!!

Seriously Spicoli, did you order pizza to the field? This is why the US MNT gets no respect.

Penal! Penal! Penal! Penal!

USA v. Mexico - Gold Cup Final

Am I the only one who giggles like a 12-year old boy when Spanish broadcasters start yelling Penal! Penal! Penal! Penal! everytime there's a penalty called. I probably am, but to this day, I find it hilarious.

I managed to hunt down the Gold Cup game yesterday on FSC and despite the horrible commentary, I thoroughly enjoyed the game. The US didn't come out as strong as I'd like. In fact, I very nearly soiled myself in the first 10 minutes, but the game eventually calmed down.

Some Things I Noticed

- Jonathan Spector is not fast enough to keep up with Guardado. Although Spector played a good game, he had a hard time keeping up. I have to give him an A+ for taking that shot in the face though. That looked horrible and I have a pretty good feeling that's he's feeling the aftereffects today.

- Oguchi Onyewu is not fast enough to keep up with a turtle slug. Yeah, I said it. If a turtle and a slug were bred together, Gooch couldn't beat them. I found this out as Nery Castillo smoked Gooch to the endline to put it right on Guardado's foot on the back post. I was worried when it was one-on-one over there and at first I turned to my friend and said, "here comes a red card". Instead, he just got burnt for a goal. Not sure which is worse.

- Feilhaber is the future. He is calm under pressure for his age and I really wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't get picked up my a bigger club if he performs well at Copa America (although with our roster, that's going to be difficult). I think him and Bradley will solidify those positions for a good while. Let's just hope they don't get the Claudio Reyna injury bug.

- We have no finishing ability. Despite Landon Donovan making 3 or 4 penalties in this tournament, we didn't create a lot of goals. That's mainly b/c we got to see Donovan whiff a ball on an open goal (v. Canada), Dempsey try to juke a ghost man causing him not to shoot (v. Panama), and Beasley hit the crossbar when it was only him and a beautiful open net (v. Mexico). We really need to find a world-class striker. And for the record, it's NOT EDDIE JOHNSON.

- Our core players are still our strong point. Although some of the new guys contributed, Dempsey, Donovan, Bocanegra, and Beasley are still our best players. Don't know if it's because of experience or what, but they are our most consistent players by far.

Players I'd Hug and Players I'd Cut

Players I'd Hug

Dempsey - Solely b/c of his creativity. No one on the team will make people stand up and clap for being creative with the ball and attacking a defender.

Donovan - Although everyone seems to call him a poon (and dub him Landycakes), I think he's our most constant threat. As long as he's playing on a wing where he can use his speed, he's money.

Feilhaber - He controls the ball (although he didn't have the best passing game yesterday) and his volley was absolutely world class. Having watched US Soccer steadily since the '94 World Cup, I'll have to say that it might be the best strike I've ever seen an American score for the US. Certainly one of the most exciting.

Players I'd Cut

Pablo Mastroeni - Although he is a physical presence, I do not feel like he has any touch on the ball. I'll admit that he works his ass off which is something we need, but if you're looking for a distributor, he's not the answer. Thought Ricardo Clark played much better when he came in.

Oguchi Onyewu - As I stated before, he couldn't beat a turtle slug. We don't need a linebacker in the back. You use Bocanegra's height and then pair him with someone a little quicker. I vote for Jay Demerit in the center with Frankie Simek ALWAYS starting on one side. Like what I see from him.

Frankie Hejduk - Although he pulled out a miracle game in the game against Canada, I don't know that he'd EVER be able to pull off that performance again. He is a liability for a card, as every single person on this list is. We need enforcers, but we don't need reckless enforcers. If you have to take somebody out and it's close to a red card offense, then that means you were out of position. Well, look at all three of these guys. They must be out of position a lot. 9 yellow cards between them all throughout the Gold Cup Tourney. Yowsers.

Conclusion

Although it looks like I'm focusing on some of our weaker points of the tournament, we still won the thing. We played pretty well for our first real tourney under Bob Bradley and I shouldn't be complaining. There are obviously some choices that most of America would have made differently, but at the same time, we're not the coaches. I have noticed a lot of dicussion on blogs (located on the right) regarding the games, so hopefully, that means soccer's marketability and popularity is increasing a bit. I suppose we'll see in the future.

- Brad

P.S. If anyone happens to wander to this site and is interested in writing blogs just talking about your opinion on different soccer-related items, please drop me an email at soccerfaninusa@gmail.com. I'm trying to put together a bit of a community to discuss soccer results, trades, and other talk. The US doesn't have a lot of that and I thought it would be nice to have somewhere to go to praise or bitch about what's going on overseas and in the US regarding the world's game.