For those of you unfamiliar with the Confederations Cup, here's what it is...
It is held (now) a year before the World Cup by the host country and serves as sort of a tune-up or practice run for the big event. Eight (8) nations are involved: The host country; The defending world cup champion; and the champions of the six confederations: Africa (CAF), Asia (AFC), Oceania (OFC), North, Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF), South America (CONMEBOL) and Europe (UEFA). If one nations occupies two spots (Host and Continental Champ), then the runner-up of the continental championship is usually chosen.
The 8 teams are split into two groups and play a round robin. The top two advance to the semi-finals with the winners advancing to the final, the losers play for 3rd place. This year, the two groups are: Group A - South Africa (host), Iraq (2007 AFC Champs), New Zealand (2008 OFC Champs) and Spain (2008 Euro Champs). Group B - Italy (2006 World Cup Champs), Brazil (2007 Copa America Champs), Egypt (2008 Africa Cup of Nations Champ) and the United States (2007 Gold Cup Champs). The event kicks off this Sunday and all matches can be seen live on ESPN-HD and/or ESPN2-HD.
For the U.S. team, this is an extremely difficult group. Italy and Brazil are two of the top teams in the world. The main objective for the U.S. team is to play well, gain experience and get used to the surroundings. Hopefully, the team will qualify for the world cup, and having to play big matches in South Africa a year before the main event can only be an advantage - no matter if the team wins all 3 or loses all 3. Personally, I'll take 3 losses now, and a few wins next summer on the big stage.
What coach Bob Bradley needs to do is use these matches to try some new things - not to sit back in a defensive shell and hope to steal a win with a counter-attack. Now, I'm not suggesting he come out in a 4-3-3 on Monday against Italy, but don't be afraid to push forward, or play a guy or two in a new spot, or even play one of our less capped players.
I think I'll enjoy the next couple of weeks because, for me, there's no pressure on the U.S. Team. Who cares if we win or lose. How we play is of utmost importance. Oh yeah, and getting "out of Africa" injury free is a high priority too. Enjoy the matches. It should be a great teaser for the World Cup next year. As far as who I think will win it?
Spain and Iraq get out of Group A. Brazil and Italy in Group B. Spain over Brazil in the Final. Italy takes 3rd. The U.S. gets 1 win (over Egypt) and loses to Brazil and Italy.
For more in-depth analysis, click here:
http://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/index.html
Friday, June 12, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
U.S. "Guts-Out" Win Over Honduras
If you don't know by now, the United States Men's National Soccer Team defeated Honduras this past Saturday night in Chicago, 2-1, in a crucial world cup qualifier. The U.S. fell behind in the 5th minute, but evened things up just before halftime on a Landon Donovan penalty kick. Carlos Bocanegra broke the deadlock with just over 20 minutes remaining with a diving header. The win improves the U.S. to 3-1-1 (10 points) at the halfway mark and in second in the CONCACAF table, behind Costa Rica, 4-1-0 (12 points). No matter what happens in qualifiers this Wednesday, the U.S. will stay in 2nd. The Costa Rica/U.S. match originally scheduled for June, 10th, was moved up a week due to the U.S' participation in the Confederations Cup in South Africa.
The U.S. team pulled it together after giving up an early goal. The team stayed organized and pushed forward at the right times, so not to expose themselves defensively. Saturday night could have been disastorous, but I have to give credit to the team and Coach Bob Bradley for keeping things positive and focused.
I do, though, have concerns about two straight games and two early goals against. Though, this type of problem can be fixed. Hopefully, with the Confederations Cup coming up next week, the U.S. can work out these challenges on the field in their three group games.
Back to the game. The U.S. stepped up to the challenge this weekend and grabbed the 3 points they needed. I was pleased with the play of Jonathan Bornstein and Jonathan Spector at the oustide backs. Sure, there were times they were a bit "shakey" but they held their own and knew when to push up in the attack.
I have new found respect for Ricardo Clark. He shut down Amado Guevara and played well and saved the U.S. with two goal line clearances. Benny Feilhaber subbed in for the second half and after a slow start, made some good decisions leading the U.S. out of the midfield. Howard, Bocanegra and Onyewu were solid as always. Finally, Jay DeMerit, coming in for an injured Bocanegra, fit right in with Onyewu and locked down the defensive end.
It wasn't pretty, but the U.S. won the game and that is all that really matters. Now, with the Confederations Cup next week, the U.S. will have 3 matches to gain experience, team chemistry and hopefully, some new energy to push themselves through the next few qualifiers to get them back to South Africa for next summer's World Cup.
In other World Cup Qualifying action, Korea Republic (South Korea), Australia and the Netherlands became the first teams to clinch berths in next summer's grand event. In CONCACAF, Costa Rica defeated Trinidad on the road, 3-2. The big shocker was El Salvador's 2-1 home win over Mexico - and now looking at this result, the U.S' tie in El Salvador in round 2 doesn't look so bad now. On Wednesday, Mexico hosts Trinidad and Honduras hosts El Salvador.
In Africa, Morocco and Cameroon drew 0-0 and both sides only have the one point after two matches. Gabon leads the group with two wins and 6 points. Another surprise was Algeria defeated Egypt 3-1.
In South America, Brazil took the top spot in the standings with a 4-0 win over Uruguay. Argentina defeated Colombia, 1-0.
This Wednesday is another FIFA match day and there will be plenty of action to follow.
The U.S. team pulled it together after giving up an early goal. The team stayed organized and pushed forward at the right times, so not to expose themselves defensively. Saturday night could have been disastorous, but I have to give credit to the team and Coach Bob Bradley for keeping things positive and focused.
I do, though, have concerns about two straight games and two early goals against. Though, this type of problem can be fixed. Hopefully, with the Confederations Cup coming up next week, the U.S. can work out these challenges on the field in their three group games.
Back to the game. The U.S. stepped up to the challenge this weekend and grabbed the 3 points they needed. I was pleased with the play of Jonathan Bornstein and Jonathan Spector at the oustide backs. Sure, there were times they were a bit "shakey" but they held their own and knew when to push up in the attack.
I have new found respect for Ricardo Clark. He shut down Amado Guevara and played well and saved the U.S. with two goal line clearances. Benny Feilhaber subbed in for the second half and after a slow start, made some good decisions leading the U.S. out of the midfield. Howard, Bocanegra and Onyewu were solid as always. Finally, Jay DeMerit, coming in for an injured Bocanegra, fit right in with Onyewu and locked down the defensive end.
It wasn't pretty, but the U.S. won the game and that is all that really matters. Now, with the Confederations Cup next week, the U.S. will have 3 matches to gain experience, team chemistry and hopefully, some new energy to push themselves through the next few qualifiers to get them back to South Africa for next summer's World Cup.
In other World Cup Qualifying action, Korea Republic (South Korea), Australia and the Netherlands became the first teams to clinch berths in next summer's grand event. In CONCACAF, Costa Rica defeated Trinidad on the road, 3-2. The big shocker was El Salvador's 2-1 home win over Mexico - and now looking at this result, the U.S' tie in El Salvador in round 2 doesn't look so bad now. On Wednesday, Mexico hosts Trinidad and Honduras hosts El Salvador.
In Africa, Morocco and Cameroon drew 0-0 and both sides only have the one point after two matches. Gabon leads the group with two wins and 6 points. Another surprise was Algeria defeated Egypt 3-1.
In South America, Brazil took the top spot in the standings with a 4-0 win over Uruguay. Argentina defeated Colombia, 1-0.
This Wednesday is another FIFA match day and there will be plenty of action to follow.
Friday, June 5, 2009
World Cup Qualifiers Resume - U.S. Preview
Saturday, June 6th, is not only the 65th Anniversary of D-day, but also a FIFA match day and there are plenty of World Cup Qualifiers going on throughout the world. I'll start close to home with the United States, who take on Honduras at 8:00 PM EDT in Chicago on ESPN and Galavision.
Basically, this is it for the United States. They have to win. Sure, it's only the 5th game and the halfway point of qualifying, but you never want to drop points at home. Plus, with a win the U.S. will still have total control of their own destiny, and you do not want to have to start relying on others to help you out in world cup qualifying.
The key for the U.S. is who to play. Michael Bradley is out due to yellow card accumulation, so there is a void in the midfield to fill. Also, Brian Ching is out with a hamstring injury. Another player the U.S. may be without is Frankie Hejduk. He may or may not be ready to go at right back and it will most likely come down to gametime before a decision is made. So who's left?
I'm pretty sure U.S. Manager, Bob Bradley, will scrap the 4-3-3 from the Costa Rica match and go back to the traditional 4-4-2 (or it may be a 4-2-3-1). It's a no-brainer that Tim Howard will start in goal and Carlos Bocanegra and Oguchi Onyewu will anchor the middle of the defense. If Hejduk can go, he'll be right back. The other defender will be Jonathan Spector or Jonathan Bornstein. If Hejduk can't play, then both the Jonathans might start.
In the midfield I'd like to see Landon Donovan at an outside mid which will give him the freedom to run on the outside, move in and out of the middle, and help defensively if need be. I'd like to see Freddy Adu at the other outside mid for the same reasons as Donovan. Which leaves Jose Francisco Torres in the middle, to settle things down, if needed. I'm wondering if the reason Bradley pulled him out at halftime against Costa Rica was to save him for Honduras? - we'll find out tomorrow. The other mid, the holding mid, can go to two people - Pablo Mastroeni or Ricardo Clark. Now, I'm no Ricardo Clark fan, but he did just shut down Amado Guevara last weekend and Guevara is a central playmaker for Honduras. Will Bradley rely on Clark to do it again?
Up front, I'd put in Conor Casey. He's the MLS scoring leader at the moment. He was just brought into camp to replace Ching and can hold the ball like Ching, take a beating, win the ball and dish out a pass for a shot to...Clint Dempsey. Demspey and Conor up front for the Americans.
This line-up leaves a bench of some guys who can come in with speed and fresh legs if needed: Jozy Altidore, Marvell Wynne (who can play defense or outside mid), Benny Feilhaber or even Charlie Davies.
By shaking up the line-up a little bit, you bring in guys who are eager to show their stuff and make a mark for themselves. Whoever plays, the goal is to win and grab 3 points and keep qualifying for 2010 in our own hands.
A few words about other qualification matches. Japan and Australia can be one of the first teams to clinch World Cup berths with wins on the road over Uzbekistan and Qatar, respectively. The Netherlands can be the first European side to take a spot in South Africa with a win at Iceland. England can move closer to a berth with a win over Kazakhstan in Almaty, the first time these two nations will ever meet. Same for Denmark, if they can win against Sweden in Solna.
Another key match-up in Asia is North Korea hosting Iran. Iran desperately needs a win and North Korea would like nothing more than to get back to the World Cup (last time North Korea made it was 1966).
In Africa, it's the 2nd game of the final round and some big matches are: Morocco at Cameroon; Ivory Coast at Guinea; Ghana at Mali and Egypt at Algeria.
In South America, Uruguay hosting Brazil is a big one, along with Paraguay hosting Chile and Colombia travelling to Argentina.
Finally, the rest of CONCACAF sees Mexico going to El Salvador in a match where the winner is back in the thick of things and the loser will be up against a wall. Costa Rica travels to Trinidad & Tobago and would like to steal points on the road and increase their overall lead in the standings. The Soca Warriors, with only two points from 3 games, need a home win to get back on track.
A busy weekend which should be a lot of fun
Basically, this is it for the United States. They have to win. Sure, it's only the 5th game and the halfway point of qualifying, but you never want to drop points at home. Plus, with a win the U.S. will still have total control of their own destiny, and you do not want to have to start relying on others to help you out in world cup qualifying.
The key for the U.S. is who to play. Michael Bradley is out due to yellow card accumulation, so there is a void in the midfield to fill. Also, Brian Ching is out with a hamstring injury. Another player the U.S. may be without is Frankie Hejduk. He may or may not be ready to go at right back and it will most likely come down to gametime before a decision is made. So who's left?
I'm pretty sure U.S. Manager, Bob Bradley, will scrap the 4-3-3 from the Costa Rica match and go back to the traditional 4-4-2 (or it may be a 4-2-3-1). It's a no-brainer that Tim Howard will start in goal and Carlos Bocanegra and Oguchi Onyewu will anchor the middle of the defense. If Hejduk can go, he'll be right back. The other defender will be Jonathan Spector or Jonathan Bornstein. If Hejduk can't play, then both the Jonathans might start.
In the midfield I'd like to see Landon Donovan at an outside mid which will give him the freedom to run on the outside, move in and out of the middle, and help defensively if need be. I'd like to see Freddy Adu at the other outside mid for the same reasons as Donovan. Which leaves Jose Francisco Torres in the middle, to settle things down, if needed. I'm wondering if the reason Bradley pulled him out at halftime against Costa Rica was to save him for Honduras? - we'll find out tomorrow. The other mid, the holding mid, can go to two people - Pablo Mastroeni or Ricardo Clark. Now, I'm no Ricardo Clark fan, but he did just shut down Amado Guevara last weekend and Guevara is a central playmaker for Honduras. Will Bradley rely on Clark to do it again?
Up front, I'd put in Conor Casey. He's the MLS scoring leader at the moment. He was just brought into camp to replace Ching and can hold the ball like Ching, take a beating, win the ball and dish out a pass for a shot to...Clint Dempsey. Demspey and Conor up front for the Americans.
This line-up leaves a bench of some guys who can come in with speed and fresh legs if needed: Jozy Altidore, Marvell Wynne (who can play defense or outside mid), Benny Feilhaber or even Charlie Davies.
By shaking up the line-up a little bit, you bring in guys who are eager to show their stuff and make a mark for themselves. Whoever plays, the goal is to win and grab 3 points and keep qualifying for 2010 in our own hands.
A few words about other qualification matches. Japan and Australia can be one of the first teams to clinch World Cup berths with wins on the road over Uzbekistan and Qatar, respectively. The Netherlands can be the first European side to take a spot in South Africa with a win at Iceland. England can move closer to a berth with a win over Kazakhstan in Almaty, the first time these two nations will ever meet. Same for Denmark, if they can win against Sweden in Solna.
Another key match-up in Asia is North Korea hosting Iran. Iran desperately needs a win and North Korea would like nothing more than to get back to the World Cup (last time North Korea made it was 1966).
In Africa, it's the 2nd game of the final round and some big matches are: Morocco at Cameroon; Ivory Coast at Guinea; Ghana at Mali and Egypt at Algeria.
In South America, Uruguay hosting Brazil is a big one, along with Paraguay hosting Chile and Colombia travelling to Argentina.
Finally, the rest of CONCACAF sees Mexico going to El Salvador in a match where the winner is back in the thick of things and the loser will be up against a wall. Costa Rica travels to Trinidad & Tobago and would like to steal points on the road and increase their overall lead in the standings. The Soca Warriors, with only two points from 3 games, need a home win to get back on track.
A busy weekend which should be a lot of fun
Thursday, June 4, 2009
U.S. Gets Dismantled In Costa Rica
The United States Men's National Soccer Team suffered a humiliating loss to Costa Rica down in San Jose by a score of 3-1. This one was over before it really even began. Costa Rica scored the opening goal of the match roughly 80 seconds into the game when Alvaro Saborio dribbled and cut past two U.S. defenders and sent a lovely ball over U.S. keeper Tim Howard's outstretched arm to send the already raucous crowd into a frenzy. The game was virtually put away about 10 minutes later when Costa Rica doubled their lead thanks to Celso Borges shot in the 13th minute. Costa Rica overwhelmed, outpaced and just plainly outplayed the U.S. Team from the get-go. Landon Donovan scored for the U.S. on a penalty kick in the 90th minute to bust the shutout.
The U.S. came out in a 4-3-3 formation, which was really odd and a lot different from their usual 4-4-2. In all honesty, I think is was a bit of gamesmanship on coach Bradley's part to make Costa Rica scratch their head on this and think about it. My guess is, maybe he was trying to go with a defensive 4-5-1 line-up, but wrote it down as a 4-3-3 to mess with Costa Rica's minds. Either way, it didn't work. The U.S. looked disorganized, unprepared and pretty much "lost" out there. You can claim is was the crowd, the poor conditions of the turf field, the injuries, whatever. Bottom line, I peg this one squarely on Coach Bradley. The team did not appear ready to play and if they actually were trying to play a 4-3-3, why try this in a big game like this one? Save the new formation for the Confederations Cup in a few weeks, when the results really won't matter. On the other hand, he played a bunch of young guys and gave them the opportunity to stake their claim and show their stuff - which for some, backfired. It was frustrating to watch and I really hope this one can be chalked up as their one "bad game" of the round, they forget about it and move on.
The good news is, the team has the opportunity to bounce back at home against Honduras on Saturday night in Chicago. Honduras, having not played, will be well rested and ready for the match. It is beyond crucial how important it is for the U.S. to win and grab all 3 points. Anything less and South Africa 2010 will be in serious jeopardy. Also, with Michael Bradley picking up his 2nd yellow card of the round, he will be out for Saturday's match.
Clearly the team has some soul searching to do on the flight to Chicago and the focus needs to be on winning Saturday night. Now, losing to Costa Rica in San Jose is nothing to be ashamed of. Did I expect a win? No. I really thought we could steal a point, but my gut told me Costa Rica would win (2-1), which isn't that upsetting. It's the way in which the U.S. lost that is disappointing. The lack of focus, energy and disorganization does not instill me with a lot of confidence for Saturday. Like I mentioned, I hope yesterday's match was a blip on the screen and not a precursor to something larger.
The challenge now for Bradley is to come up with an effective line-up. Based on yesterday's result, it's clear the 4-3-3 didn't work and changes need to be made. With the loss of the coach's son in midfield, someone will need to step up and fill the void. Hopefully, the 4-4-2 goes back into play and the team re-focuses and re-energizes itself for Saturday. A loss or a tie and it's time to panic. A win will straigten the ship and keep the U.S. in the top 3, no matter what the other results are next Wednesday (The Costa Rica/U.S. match was moved up a week due to the Confederations Cup). After Saturday, the U.S. will have played half of it's games for the final round (5 of 10), and 10 points (with a U.S. win on Saturday) is on pace for spot in the top three. So all is not lost, but the U.S. must win on Saturday. Costa Rica still has matches at home against Mexico and will have to go to Honduras and the U.S. Also, Honduras still has a match at Mexico to contend with and El Salvador and Trinidad are still forces to be reckoned with, so a lot can happen. Win your home games, steal points on the road. This Saturday, it's up to the U.S. to hold home field advantage. Saturday's match can be seen live on ESPN and Galavision at 8:00 PM Eastern.
The U.S. came out in a 4-3-3 formation, which was really odd and a lot different from their usual 4-4-2. In all honesty, I think is was a bit of gamesmanship on coach Bradley's part to make Costa Rica scratch their head on this and think about it. My guess is, maybe he was trying to go with a defensive 4-5-1 line-up, but wrote it down as a 4-3-3 to mess with Costa Rica's minds. Either way, it didn't work. The U.S. looked disorganized, unprepared and pretty much "lost" out there. You can claim is was the crowd, the poor conditions of the turf field, the injuries, whatever. Bottom line, I peg this one squarely on Coach Bradley. The team did not appear ready to play and if they actually were trying to play a 4-3-3, why try this in a big game like this one? Save the new formation for the Confederations Cup in a few weeks, when the results really won't matter. On the other hand, he played a bunch of young guys and gave them the opportunity to stake their claim and show their stuff - which for some, backfired. It was frustrating to watch and I really hope this one can be chalked up as their one "bad game" of the round, they forget about it and move on.
The good news is, the team has the opportunity to bounce back at home against Honduras on Saturday night in Chicago. Honduras, having not played, will be well rested and ready for the match. It is beyond crucial how important it is for the U.S. to win and grab all 3 points. Anything less and South Africa 2010 will be in serious jeopardy. Also, with Michael Bradley picking up his 2nd yellow card of the round, he will be out for Saturday's match.
Clearly the team has some soul searching to do on the flight to Chicago and the focus needs to be on winning Saturday night. Now, losing to Costa Rica in San Jose is nothing to be ashamed of. Did I expect a win? No. I really thought we could steal a point, but my gut told me Costa Rica would win (2-1), which isn't that upsetting. It's the way in which the U.S. lost that is disappointing. The lack of focus, energy and disorganization does not instill me with a lot of confidence for Saturday. Like I mentioned, I hope yesterday's match was a blip on the screen and not a precursor to something larger.
The challenge now for Bradley is to come up with an effective line-up. Based on yesterday's result, it's clear the 4-3-3 didn't work and changes need to be made. With the loss of the coach's son in midfield, someone will need to step up and fill the void. Hopefully, the 4-4-2 goes back into play and the team re-focuses and re-energizes itself for Saturday. A loss or a tie and it's time to panic. A win will straigten the ship and keep the U.S. in the top 3, no matter what the other results are next Wednesday (The Costa Rica/U.S. match was moved up a week due to the Confederations Cup). After Saturday, the U.S. will have played half of it's games for the final round (5 of 10), and 10 points (with a U.S. win on Saturday) is on pace for spot in the top three. So all is not lost, but the U.S. must win on Saturday. Costa Rica still has matches at home against Mexico and will have to go to Honduras and the U.S. Also, Honduras still has a match at Mexico to contend with and El Salvador and Trinidad are still forces to be reckoned with, so a lot can happen. Win your home games, steal points on the road. This Saturday, it's up to the U.S. to hold home field advantage. Saturday's match can be seen live on ESPN and Galavision at 8:00 PM Eastern.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
U.S. vs. Costa Rica Preview
Wednesday night (June 3rd) the United States will take on Costa Rica in a crucial World Cup Qualifier down in San Jose. The match can be seen live on ESPN (HD) and Galavision at 10:00 PM Eastern. Though, all World Cup Qualifiers are crucial in my mind.
The United States has never won a qualifier in Costa Rica (0-6-1) and if the United States wants to really make a statement and live up to their "Best Team in CONCACAF" title, they should go out and win this one. Though, Saprissa Stadium in Costa Rica is extremely difficult environment to play in - the crowd is on top of you and they are loud, the field is turf - slick and fast and the heat and humidity are the icing on the cake. So stealing a point, sometimes, is seen as a victory. One positive for the U.S. is this match is being played after the sun sets, so it will be hot and humid, but not as hot as it could be if the match were to be played during the daytime.
The winner, if there is one, will take sole possession of first place in the final round of CONCACAF qualifying. The U.S. currently sits in first (2-0-1=7 points) and Costa Rica is second (2-1-0=6 points). A draw will keep the status quo.
For Costa Rica, this match (along with Mexico at home) is THE match. The crowd will be intense and the entire country is not only demanding victory, but expecting one. With that, sure there's pressure on the U.S, but there is more pressure on Costa Rica to win and if the U.S. can score an early goal, panic could set in for Costa Rica.
With another qualifier coming up at home against Honduras (who does not play on Wednesday), the challenge for U.S. Coach Bob Bradley is who to play who to rest for the next match. There will be some changes in the line-ups, but I expect 7 or 8 starters from Wednesday to also start on Saturday. With that, here's my guess at the line-up.
In Goal - Tim Howard. Howard is the #1 Keeper for Team USA and will be between the pipes for the next few years.
On Defense: Carlos Bocanegra and Oguchi Onyewu will start. Gooch and Carlos are the men in the middle and the anchors of the U.S. defense. The challenge will be who to play on the outside. It all depends on how camp went. My guess is DeMarcus Beasley will start at left back. His speed will be needed on the quick surface. On the right side, three guys come to mind. Jonathan Bornstein, Jonathan Spector and Danny Califf have been mentioned in what I've been able to read. Bornstein and Spector do not have a lot of caps, though, and I'm not sure if Bradley wants to throw them to the Lions, so to speak. Another longshot to start is Marvell Wynne. I can only imagine whats running through Bradley's mind. Clearly, the outside backs on defense are where the U.S. is thin and there are countless players to put in there. The reason for this dilema is Frankie Hejduk and Steve Cherundolo are injured, so it's up to one of the backups to step up and claim his spot.
I'll lump midielders and forwards together since a couple of guys are interchangeable. Pablo Mastroeni should start at holding mid with Michael Bradley getting the nod in the attacking mid slot. On the outside of midfield, Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan could get the start, though both could be the forwards. One of the forwards, though, should be Brian Ching. He will be the target man up front, expecting to win the ball and set up Donovan, Dempsey and the other striker. Ching will do the rough and tough things that don't get noticed or acknowledged on the scoresheet. The other forward could be Jozy Altidore or Charlie Davies.
Others who could see action, or may even start: Freddy Adu, Sacha Kljestan, Heath Pearce and Jose Fancisco Torres. Torres could even start, but he just finished playing in the Mexican League championship with Pachuca and may not be rested enough to go a full 90. He could sub in for the last 20 or so minutes and I expect to see more and more of him this summer.
Overall, the U.S. is capable of going to Costa Rica and winning, but history is not on our side. A point would be wonderful, but, my gut is telling me this is not the year. The U.S. puts forth a valient effort, but falls short, 2-1.
I hope I'm wrong.
The United States has never won a qualifier in Costa Rica (0-6-1) and if the United States wants to really make a statement and live up to their "Best Team in CONCACAF" title, they should go out and win this one. Though, Saprissa Stadium in Costa Rica is extremely difficult environment to play in - the crowd is on top of you and they are loud, the field is turf - slick and fast and the heat and humidity are the icing on the cake. So stealing a point, sometimes, is seen as a victory. One positive for the U.S. is this match is being played after the sun sets, so it will be hot and humid, but not as hot as it could be if the match were to be played during the daytime.
The winner, if there is one, will take sole possession of first place in the final round of CONCACAF qualifying. The U.S. currently sits in first (2-0-1=7 points) and Costa Rica is second (2-1-0=6 points). A draw will keep the status quo.
For Costa Rica, this match (along with Mexico at home) is THE match. The crowd will be intense and the entire country is not only demanding victory, but expecting one. With that, sure there's pressure on the U.S, but there is more pressure on Costa Rica to win and if the U.S. can score an early goal, panic could set in for Costa Rica.
With another qualifier coming up at home against Honduras (who does not play on Wednesday), the challenge for U.S. Coach Bob Bradley is who to play who to rest for the next match. There will be some changes in the line-ups, but I expect 7 or 8 starters from Wednesday to also start on Saturday. With that, here's my guess at the line-up.
In Goal - Tim Howard. Howard is the #1 Keeper for Team USA and will be between the pipes for the next few years.
On Defense: Carlos Bocanegra and Oguchi Onyewu will start. Gooch and Carlos are the men in the middle and the anchors of the U.S. defense. The challenge will be who to play on the outside. It all depends on how camp went. My guess is DeMarcus Beasley will start at left back. His speed will be needed on the quick surface. On the right side, three guys come to mind. Jonathan Bornstein, Jonathan Spector and Danny Califf have been mentioned in what I've been able to read. Bornstein and Spector do not have a lot of caps, though, and I'm not sure if Bradley wants to throw them to the Lions, so to speak. Another longshot to start is Marvell Wynne. I can only imagine whats running through Bradley's mind. Clearly, the outside backs on defense are where the U.S. is thin and there are countless players to put in there. The reason for this dilema is Frankie Hejduk and Steve Cherundolo are injured, so it's up to one of the backups to step up and claim his spot.
I'll lump midielders and forwards together since a couple of guys are interchangeable. Pablo Mastroeni should start at holding mid with Michael Bradley getting the nod in the attacking mid slot. On the outside of midfield, Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan could get the start, though both could be the forwards. One of the forwards, though, should be Brian Ching. He will be the target man up front, expecting to win the ball and set up Donovan, Dempsey and the other striker. Ching will do the rough and tough things that don't get noticed or acknowledged on the scoresheet. The other forward could be Jozy Altidore or Charlie Davies.
Others who could see action, or may even start: Freddy Adu, Sacha Kljestan, Heath Pearce and Jose Fancisco Torres. Torres could even start, but he just finished playing in the Mexican League championship with Pachuca and may not be rested enough to go a full 90. He could sub in for the last 20 or so minutes and I expect to see more and more of him this summer.
Overall, the U.S. is capable of going to Costa Rica and winning, but history is not on our side. A point would be wonderful, but, my gut is telling me this is not the year. The U.S. puts forth a valient effort, but falls short, 2-1.
I hope I'm wrong.
Monday, June 1, 2009
The Pressure's On!
This week is a huge week for the United States Men's National Team as they have two crucial World Cup qualifiers this Wednesday, June 3rd, in Costa Rica and at home (Chicago) on Saturday, June 6th, against Honduras.
Normally, the matches would be difficult but this time things are not normal - the challenge is difficult, but not out of reach. Besides, this is World Cup qualifying, so nothing is easy. Since the U.S. is participating in the FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa this month, the match at Costa Rica was moved up a week to June 3rd from June 10th. What does this really mean? Simple, the U.S. will have to fly back from Costa Rica to Chicago and take on a well rested Honduras squad. Not an easy task considering the last time the U.S. lost a home match in World Cup qualifying, they lost to Honduras. Honduras just defeated Mexico at home and are full of confidence and a win in the U.S, it would pay huge dividends for the Catrachos.
With Costa Rica, it's a different story. The Americans are 0-6-1 all-time in Costa Rica in World Cup qualifying and the Costa Ricans are intent on making it 0-7-1. The stadium in San Jose is emtremely intimidating. A fence surrounds the field about 10 yards from the touchlines. The fans are full of energy and raucous. Also, their field is Field Turf, so the game will be fast.
It is vital the U.S. does well. Their next match after these two is against Mexico is the altitude and smog of Azteca in Mexico City. Like I (and the rest of the "soccer world") always state: Win your home matches (for 3 points) and try to steal a point on the road with a draw. Now, if the U.S. is able to claim all 6 points, they can pretty much start booking flights to South Africa for next summer's World Cup, but I would be extremely surprised if this occurs. Four (4) points is the goal, in my opinion. The U.S. will still be in decent shape with 3 points. Anything less and the American's backs will be up against the wall - but that's a different story and let's not get ahead of ourselves. It's a big week and two big games. My preview of the Costa Rica match will be up either tomorrow evening ot Wednesday. Wednesday's match can be seen live on ESPN(HD) and Galavision at 10:00 PM Eastern.
Normally, the matches would be difficult but this time things are not normal - the challenge is difficult, but not out of reach. Besides, this is World Cup qualifying, so nothing is easy. Since the U.S. is participating in the FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa this month, the match at Costa Rica was moved up a week to June 3rd from June 10th. What does this really mean? Simple, the U.S. will have to fly back from Costa Rica to Chicago and take on a well rested Honduras squad. Not an easy task considering the last time the U.S. lost a home match in World Cup qualifying, they lost to Honduras. Honduras just defeated Mexico at home and are full of confidence and a win in the U.S, it would pay huge dividends for the Catrachos.
With Costa Rica, it's a different story. The Americans are 0-6-1 all-time in Costa Rica in World Cup qualifying and the Costa Ricans are intent on making it 0-7-1. The stadium in San Jose is emtremely intimidating. A fence surrounds the field about 10 yards from the touchlines. The fans are full of energy and raucous. Also, their field is Field Turf, so the game will be fast.
It is vital the U.S. does well. Their next match after these two is against Mexico is the altitude and smog of Azteca in Mexico City. Like I (and the rest of the "soccer world") always state: Win your home matches (for 3 points) and try to steal a point on the road with a draw. Now, if the U.S. is able to claim all 6 points, they can pretty much start booking flights to South Africa for next summer's World Cup, but I would be extremely surprised if this occurs. Four (4) points is the goal, in my opinion. The U.S. will still be in decent shape with 3 points. Anything less and the American's backs will be up against the wall - but that's a different story and let's not get ahead of ourselves. It's a big week and two big games. My preview of the Costa Rica match will be up either tomorrow evening ot Wednesday. Wednesday's match can be seen live on ESPN(HD) and Galavision at 10:00 PM Eastern.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
U.S. Open Cup Pairings Set
Let me first start out by saying a thing or two about yesterday's European Champion's League Final, won by Barcelona, 2-0, over Manchester United. As a Liverpool fan, there's nothing better than seeing Man U lose. Barcelona was clearly the better team yesterday and deserved the win. Now, I'm not going to give you a break-down of the match, what I do want to mention is the news this made in America. I was amazed on my way home from my "real job" when I flipped on a National Sports show and they were talking about it! The game had just ended and they gave an instant score. Now the conversation was only for 5 minutes or so, but the fact it was even being discussed was pretty cool. Now, they didn't mention any of the particulars, because, quite frankly, I doubt any of them knew any of the players, but at least they gave a score.
So at the top of the hour I flip over to the local all news channel for the National news and what was their last story? You got it, the score of the Barca/ManU game! Again, wow! They even went to a live update from a reporter in Rome! Now I'm not saying soccer (football) has become mainstream, but at least the big events are now being mentioned. It's a start.
The 95th Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Kicks Off June 9th
The oldest single elimination tournament in the United States is set to begin with 16 matches on June 9th. Over 126 teams, from MLS pros to Sunday afternoon amateur "beer leagues" have dwindled down to the field of 40. In that group of 40, 16 are amateur teams, 16 are from the United Soccer Leagues 1st and 2nd divisions and 8 are from Major League Soccer. The first and second rounds field the 32 amatuer and USL sides. MLS joins the tourney in the 3rd round. The 2nd round is set to begin on June 16th. After the 2nd round, the remaining 8 winners will be drawn against the MLS sides which will kick off on June 30th. Quarterfinals are set for July 7th, Semi's on July 21st/22nd and the final will take place on September 2nd. Like the F.A. Cup in England, the U.S. Open Cup allows "regular joes" that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go up against paid professionals in a win or go home tournament with a chance to be crowned U.S. Champions. The winning team gets $100,000 while the runner-up cashes in $50,000. Each team from their respective division who advances the farthest gets a $10,000 bonus. Also, the winning team claims one of the 4 slots alloted to the United States in the 2011 edition of the CONCACAF Champions League. DC United won last season's U.S. Open Cup, 2-1, over the Charleston Battery of USL-1.
So at the top of the hour I flip over to the local all news channel for the National news and what was their last story? You got it, the score of the Barca/ManU game! Again, wow! They even went to a live update from a reporter in Rome! Now I'm not saying soccer (football) has become mainstream, but at least the big events are now being mentioned. It's a start.
The 95th Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Kicks Off June 9th
The oldest single elimination tournament in the United States is set to begin with 16 matches on June 9th. Over 126 teams, from MLS pros to Sunday afternoon amateur "beer leagues" have dwindled down to the field of 40. In that group of 40, 16 are amateur teams, 16 are from the United Soccer Leagues 1st and 2nd divisions and 8 are from Major League Soccer. The first and second rounds field the 32 amatuer and USL sides. MLS joins the tourney in the 3rd round. The 2nd round is set to begin on June 16th. After the 2nd round, the remaining 8 winners will be drawn against the MLS sides which will kick off on June 30th. Quarterfinals are set for July 7th, Semi's on July 21st/22nd and the final will take place on September 2nd. Like the F.A. Cup in England, the U.S. Open Cup allows "regular joes" that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go up against paid professionals in a win or go home tournament with a chance to be crowned U.S. Champions. The winning team gets $100,000 while the runner-up cashes in $50,000. Each team from their respective division who advances the farthest gets a $10,000 bonus. Also, the winning team claims one of the 4 slots alloted to the United States in the 2011 edition of the CONCACAF Champions League. DC United won last season's U.S. Open Cup, 2-1, over the Charleston Battery of USL-1.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Champion's League Shaping Up
Teams are filling up the available slots for next season's CONCACAF Champion's League. The CCL for short, replaced the CONCACAF Champion's Cup this past season and the first edition was deemed a success and officials at CONCACAF are building for the future.
In this past season's first edition, even though it was an all-Mexican final between Atlanta and Cruz Azul (won by Atlante, 2-0 aggregate), there were many surpises which made the tournament fun to watch.
This season, CONCACAF has set the bar higher and more quality clubs will qualify. They are not increasing the number of participants, just getting strickter on stadiums, roads, hotels, field conditions, etc. Which is why Belize was knocked out this season. They do not, nor could not, get a stadium "up to par" so to speak, so Honduras was granted a 3rd team to participate.
Those who are in...
From North America: The United States (MLS) gets four entries. Two advance to the group stage and the other two begin in the knockout preliminary - which begins July 28th. The Columbus Crew and Houston Dynamo are in the group stage. New York Red Bulls and DC United will have to win their home-and-home preliminary round matches to get to the group stage.
Mexico also receives four entrants - two to the group and two in the preliminary. CD Toluca is in the group stage and Cruz Azul is in the prelim-round. The other two slots are still TBD.
Canada gets one slot and, so far, Toronto FC leads the Nutrilite Canadian Championship with 6 points from two wins, both 1-0 wins at home over the Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps.
Others that are in include: Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica), AD Isidro Metapan (El Salvador), CSD Comunicaciones (Guatemala), CD Marathon, Olimpia and Real Espana (Honduras), CD Arabe Unido (Panama), W Connection and San Juan Jabloteh (Trinidad) and the Puerto Rico Islanders.
5 more slots from Central America are still up for grabs. One each from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama and Nicaragua. Nicaragua is in the same boat as Belize, if their stadium fails, which is due to be inspected next week, then Panama will get a third entrant.
In this past season's first edition, even though it was an all-Mexican final between Atlanta and Cruz Azul (won by Atlante, 2-0 aggregate), there were many surpises which made the tournament fun to watch.
This season, CONCACAF has set the bar higher and more quality clubs will qualify. They are not increasing the number of participants, just getting strickter on stadiums, roads, hotels, field conditions, etc. Which is why Belize was knocked out this season. They do not, nor could not, get a stadium "up to par" so to speak, so Honduras was granted a 3rd team to participate.
Those who are in...
From North America: The United States (MLS) gets four entries. Two advance to the group stage and the other two begin in the knockout preliminary - which begins July 28th. The Columbus Crew and Houston Dynamo are in the group stage. New York Red Bulls and DC United will have to win their home-and-home preliminary round matches to get to the group stage.
Mexico also receives four entrants - two to the group and two in the preliminary. CD Toluca is in the group stage and Cruz Azul is in the prelim-round. The other two slots are still TBD.
Canada gets one slot and, so far, Toronto FC leads the Nutrilite Canadian Championship with 6 points from two wins, both 1-0 wins at home over the Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps.
Others that are in include: Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica), AD Isidro Metapan (El Salvador), CSD Comunicaciones (Guatemala), CD Marathon, Olimpia and Real Espana (Honduras), CD Arabe Unido (Panama), W Connection and San Juan Jabloteh (Trinidad) and the Puerto Rico Islanders.
5 more slots from Central America are still up for grabs. One each from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama and Nicaragua. Nicaragua is in the same boat as Belize, if their stadium fails, which is due to be inspected next week, then Panama will get a third entrant.
Monday, May 11, 2009
MLS Welcomes the Union
It's not that kind of Union, but the league's 16th franchise, set to kick off next season (2010) in Philadelphia, announced their name, colors and logo this morning.
The Philadelphia Union.
When you first hear (or read or see it) you may think what I initially thought...how lame. But upon further review, I have to give the franchise a lot of credit. They put some thought into this decision.
We all know (or should know) that Philadelphia was the birthplace of the United States and a lot of that history has gone into the name and logo.
First off, the name...Union. It represents the union of the 13 original colonies. The circle is a symbol which represents unity. The 13 stars on the logo are for the 13 colonies. The Navy and Gold colors were the colors worn by the American Continental Army at the outbreak of the Revolution. The rattlesnake comes from Ben Franklin's political cartoons during the 1750's. Finally, the words "Jungite aut Perite" is Latin and translates roughly to "Join us or Die" which Ben Franklin displayed with the rattlesnake to stress the importance of colonial unity.
For more on the announcement click here:
http://philadelphiaunion.com/
For a view of the logo and more info about it, click here:
http://web.mlsnet.com/mls/philadelphia/
Thanks to Major League Soccer and the Philadelphia Union for the info.
The Philadelphia Union.
When you first hear (or read or see it) you may think what I initially thought...how lame. But upon further review, I have to give the franchise a lot of credit. They put some thought into this decision.
We all know (or should know) that Philadelphia was the birthplace of the United States and a lot of that history has gone into the name and logo.
First off, the name...Union. It represents the union of the 13 original colonies. The circle is a symbol which represents unity. The 13 stars on the logo are for the 13 colonies. The Navy and Gold colors were the colors worn by the American Continental Army at the outbreak of the Revolution. The rattlesnake comes from Ben Franklin's political cartoons during the 1750's. Finally, the words "Jungite aut Perite" is Latin and translates roughly to "Join us or Die" which Ben Franklin displayed with the rattlesnake to stress the importance of colonial unity.
For more on the announcement click here:
http://philadelphiaunion.com/
For a view of the logo and more info about it, click here:
http://web.mlsnet.com/mls/philadelphia/
Thanks to Major League Soccer and the Philadelphia Union for the info.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
MLS Review
I can't believe it! We're only in the first week of May and the Major League Soccer season is 1/4 of the way through. Is it just me or does time really fly as you get older? Anywho...
Most clubs have played 7 or 8 games, a few have only played 6 - MLS has a 30 game regular season. Still, it's a point in the season where some clubs are pulling away, some are still trying to tweak themselves and put a win streak together and others really need to pull it together or kiss this year bye-bye.
Chivas USA are a bit of a surprise to me. They are 6-1-1 for a league leading 19 points. I knew Chivas would be a good squad this year, but they have stormed out of the gate. Goalkeeper Zach Thornton can be credited with some of the glory. He has a 0.38 goals against average and has recorded 5 shutouts. Chivas is winning, but not one player is in the top 10 of MLS scoring leaders. If Chivas can find a "go-to" scorer, look out.
A couple of other surprises are the starts by DC United (3-1-3), who many picked to finish dead last in the East, and Toronto FC (3-2-3). TFC's fans deserve a winner and this could be the year they get into the playoffs.
The only undefeated team is Chicago (2-0-5), thanks in part to Brian McBride. The former National Team Striker is leading the league with 5 goals in 7 games. McBride's teammate, Marco Pappa, has 3 goals and 2 assists.
On the flip side, the defending champs, Columbus Crew, are off to their worst start ever and the worst start by a defending champ ever, 0-2-5. Same with the New York red Bulls - who played Columbus in the final. The Red Bulls are 1-5-2 and are changing their roster weekly.
Seattle Sounders FC are off to one of the best starts ever by an expansion team (4-2-1) thanks to goalkeeper Kasey Keller. Keller is a stone wall between the posts and still looks like he may have a shot at a 4th World Cup next summer.
Speaking of expansion, next season Philadelphia joins the league and on Monday, May 11th, at 11:30 AM EDT (strange time in my book), Philly will unveil the team's nickname, colors and ticket packages. They already have deposits for about 6,000 season tickets.
Finally, a few words about attendance. So far, MLS is averaging 14,796 fans per game - which is a tad lower than what the league would like, but not bad. Too many people want to compare soccer in America with the NFL and that's just insane. Even in Europe, most clubs average anywhere from 15 to 20,000. Only the "super clubs" (Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Arsenal) get 50 or 60,000. So as far as people going to games, they are. Seattle leads the league with an average crowd of 29,664. Second is Toronto with 20,180 (which is a sell-out). Third is the L.A. Galaxy at 19,761, followed by Houston (16,085), Chivas USA (14,839) and DC United (14,289). At the bottom are FC Dallas (9,747) - though Dallas is 1-5-1 and winning will turn that around, but it's going to be a long year in Dallas - and Kansas City (9,231). Though, the capacity for soccer at Community American Ballpark is only 10,385, so it' almost a sellout every night.
This Saturday, you can check out the following matches on TV:
7 PM EDT on Fox Soccer Channel - Columbus Crew vs. Kansas City Wizards
9 PM EDT on ESPN2 - Houston Dynamo vs. FC Dallas (The Texas Derby!)
Most clubs have played 7 or 8 games, a few have only played 6 - MLS has a 30 game regular season. Still, it's a point in the season where some clubs are pulling away, some are still trying to tweak themselves and put a win streak together and others really need to pull it together or kiss this year bye-bye.
Chivas USA are a bit of a surprise to me. They are 6-1-1 for a league leading 19 points. I knew Chivas would be a good squad this year, but they have stormed out of the gate. Goalkeeper Zach Thornton can be credited with some of the glory. He has a 0.38 goals against average and has recorded 5 shutouts. Chivas is winning, but not one player is in the top 10 of MLS scoring leaders. If Chivas can find a "go-to" scorer, look out.
A couple of other surprises are the starts by DC United (3-1-3), who many picked to finish dead last in the East, and Toronto FC (3-2-3). TFC's fans deserve a winner and this could be the year they get into the playoffs.
The only undefeated team is Chicago (2-0-5), thanks in part to Brian McBride. The former National Team Striker is leading the league with 5 goals in 7 games. McBride's teammate, Marco Pappa, has 3 goals and 2 assists.
On the flip side, the defending champs, Columbus Crew, are off to their worst start ever and the worst start by a defending champ ever, 0-2-5. Same with the New York red Bulls - who played Columbus in the final. The Red Bulls are 1-5-2 and are changing their roster weekly.
Seattle Sounders FC are off to one of the best starts ever by an expansion team (4-2-1) thanks to goalkeeper Kasey Keller. Keller is a stone wall between the posts and still looks like he may have a shot at a 4th World Cup next summer.
Speaking of expansion, next season Philadelphia joins the league and on Monday, May 11th, at 11:30 AM EDT (strange time in my book), Philly will unveil the team's nickname, colors and ticket packages. They already have deposits for about 6,000 season tickets.
Finally, a few words about attendance. So far, MLS is averaging 14,796 fans per game - which is a tad lower than what the league would like, but not bad. Too many people want to compare soccer in America with the NFL and that's just insane. Even in Europe, most clubs average anywhere from 15 to 20,000. Only the "super clubs" (Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Arsenal) get 50 or 60,000. So as far as people going to games, they are. Seattle leads the league with an average crowd of 29,664. Second is Toronto with 20,180 (which is a sell-out). Third is the L.A. Galaxy at 19,761, followed by Houston (16,085), Chivas USA (14,839) and DC United (14,289). At the bottom are FC Dallas (9,747) - though Dallas is 1-5-1 and winning will turn that around, but it's going to be a long year in Dallas - and Kansas City (9,231). Though, the capacity for soccer at Community American Ballpark is only 10,385, so it' almost a sellout every night.
This Saturday, you can check out the following matches on TV:
7 PM EDT on Fox Soccer Channel - Columbus Crew vs. Kansas City Wizards
9 PM EDT on ESPN2 - Houston Dynamo vs. FC Dallas (The Texas Derby!)
Monday, May 4, 2009
Good to be Back
Let me start by stating, as the title suggests, it's good to be back. For those of you new to the site, my goal is to inform the populous about soccer in America and CONCACAF - our region of the globe - focussing on the U.S. National Team, Major League Soccer, the U.S. Open Cup and other competitions involving U.S. based clubs. Of course, I will also have "takes" on the the bigger events such as the World Cup, Regional Championships and the Champion's League Final. As far as coverage of the English Premier League, Budesliga, La Liga, etc, there are plenty of sites out there that focus specifically on those leagues. I'll have links up in a few days.
It's a busy summer for the U.S. National Team and I look forward to informing you, perhaps educating you a bit about the sport (there's more to it than just kicking and running) and maybe making you chuckle every now and then. Until then...
It's a busy summer for the U.S. National Team and I look forward to informing you, perhaps educating you a bit about the sport (there's more to it than just kicking and running) and maybe making you chuckle every now and then. Until then...
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