So we lost 4-2, which means we aren't gonna do well in the WC. Except that the score mattered this game as much as Drew Carey says it does on Who's Line is it Anyway?. Many players made a good case for themselves, while others may need to start making summer vacation plans. And with only some players only getting one half of playing time, there was not a lot of time to do it:
FIRST HALF
Getting on that plane:
Maurice Edu: Scored a goal thanks to Petr Cech's African goalie impression that left no question as to why over half the goals Chelsea conceded this season were off of set pieces. But Edu was also industrial on defense and did a good job on offense of not being too cautious but still being enterprising.
Stuart Holden: Often Cherundolo would dribble into him, bringing with him three defenders before playing a 6 yard pass to an already marked Holden. Stu did a good job getting out of those situations, and made some runs during the game that weren't just straight down the wing. Good to see him back after the broken fibula.
Brad Guzan: Good to know your back up keeper is ready to step up and play well, even with such a porous defense. Must be taking notes at Aston Villa from one of the best.
Clarence Goodson: Goodson's atheleticism and good anticipation were evident, and he looked more comfortable on his feet than Gooch did. A solid performance from the IK Start halfback.
Needs a second look:
Oguchi Onyewu: Hard to make a verdict on a guy making his first appearance in 7 months, but he definitely looked a step behind and we knew he wouldn't finish the full 90. On the first Czech goal, Gooch jumped as high as Vlade Divac on the attempted header.
Jose Francisco Torres: Didn't see much of the ball, but has shown past spurts of offensive creativity and might not be a bad sub to sit behind the strikers. Needs to work on making a bigger impact on games.
Edson Buddle: Well at least he did better than Eddie Johnson. And didn't scuff any chances.
Probably on a different plane:
Eddie Johnson: Yeah Bob Bradley will probably take Eddie, but he was nearly nonexistent in the game. Torres has some cool magic tricks but Eddie can put on a USA jersey and disappear. A few times we would win possession in an advanced position and instead of trying to use his speed and get behind the defense, Johnson slowed up and dropped behind whichever midfielder had gotten the ball. I mean, come on!
Jonathan Bornstein: He really likes to get forward, just like England's Glen Johnson. The only other thing they have in common is an inability to defend, because Johnson also boasts skills, speed, touch, creativity, and doesn't give the ball away, unlike Johnny B. But at least the Hondurans love Bornstein.
Meanwhile, Deuce, Timmy, Landy D, Bradley Jr and Carlos Blackmouth looked good in the press box in their Nike track suits, with Donovan trying to barter with Bocanegra for his burger.
SECOND HALF:
I heard Hercules Gomez scored or something. Thats a good way to punch your ticket. I say "I heard" because my intended halftime nap lasted till the 87th minute.
All in all, this leaves me looking forward to Turkey and seeing who Bradley puts out there. Today the squad gets cut down to 23 men, and its hard no know whats going on behind those icy blue eyes of his. Just, please, please don't let Connor Casey make the squad.
Today at Wembley skating-rink, our June 12th opponents England defeated our over-the-border "friends" Mexico 3-1. I say "friends" the way Jaap Stam and Patrick Viera are "friends." While this was only a WC warm-up and neither team featured what will be their opening day squad, we can take a few things from the game:
ENGLAND
Theo Walcott is extremely fast and can run around defenders but has the composure of a newborn giraffe in front of goal. (Wait, we already knew that.)
Glen Johnson is fantastic going forward but terrible playing defense, which is sort of his position. In fact, that is his position: defender. (Okay we knew that one too)
England is very susceptible to quick counter attacks up the middle (granted King started over Terry today for experimental purposes, but neither them nor Ferdinand or Carragher are the fastest players on the pitch), which bodes well for our boys Jozy, Deuce, and Landy D.
Fabio Capello will never, ever smile.
Crouchie is an ever-present nuisance on crosses and set pieces-- he assisted King for the first goal and used his height to blunder in the second. However, a match-fit Onyewu is only three inches shorter but three times blacker and therefore can jump three times higher. Gooch can easily nullify England's robot with a little bit of Beastmode.
MEXICO
I used to think that Mexico just went in late to headers and challenges against the USA cause they hated us, but now I see its just cause they're dirty.
Dos Santos is actually really, really good but far from the finished product.
Mexico will continue to play Cuauhtemoc Blanco, no matter how fat and old he gets.
They have virtually no aerial threat and will struggle against a compressed, composed defense once it has settled down (France).
Their fans are annoying (Yet another one we already knew) and were shouting Ole's when El Tricolor was passing around after the opening kickoff
They don't really care about defending in a friendly (see Johnson goal video above) and would rather get yellow cards for fouling Walcott and Lennon as they speed by than try and defend.
I hope you took good notes cause there is going to be a test on this information later. Come back tomorrow after the USMNT face off against the Czechs at Rentschler Field for more ground-breaking analysis.
Argentina coach Diego Maradona has requested an expensive renovation of his bathrooms at the Argentina WC base camp in Pretoria. Apparently regular toilets are not enough for Maradona and two high-end bidets have been installed. As Wikipedia puts it, a bidet "washes and cleans the genetalia, perineum, inner buttocks, and anus." So Diego likes to have water shot up his ass and balls after he goes potty. Interesting.
So while Maradona's bathroom habits seem unusual, what is even more ridiculous is that his private suite has two bathrooms. Two bathrooms, one coach, which leaves us wondering WTF mate?! Maybe one is for waste excretion and one for coke usage and bidets make good nose cleaners. You know I couldn't get through a Maradona article without reference to his favorite white powder.
These aren't no ordinary bidets though; a man who wipes with the Hand of God needs the assistance of front and rear water nozzles, plus the luxuries of a heated seat and a warm-air blow-dryer. I must be old fashioned, but my toilet accessories are the comics for reading and some Charmin Ultra.
Also in the Daily Mail article are some interesting tid-bits about some teams requirements:
Argentina has some pretty specific food demands
Brasil requires their pool be maintained at exactly 32 C (89.6 F)
Mexico has their own priests for service. No word on if the priests are bringing their own little boys or tapping into the resources of the locals.
The Italiansare bringing their own pasta from Rome (well, duh!)
New Zealand wants golf lessons for the All Whites
Those greedy Slovakians have requested not one, but two ping pong tables and an electronic dart board. They're so spoiled they can't even score their own darts games.
But none of them will have underparts as clean as Maradona's.
The USMNT has lined up three friendlies ahead of their June 12th opening World Cup match against England all in an effort to help Coach Bradley make some cuts and galvanize the rest of the team.
CzechRepublic, in Connecticut
A good opponent to test many of the on-the-fence guys. The Czechs beat us 3-0 back in 2006 in Germany, but this WC failed to qualify behind Slovakia and our Group C opponents Slovenia. (The Czechs tied Slovenia nil-nil and beat them one-nil, which of course means absolutely nothing.)
Featuring for the Czechs is their aptly named goalkeeper Petr Cech; the 6'5" Chelsea custodian will be a true test for our boys, as it takes a world-class finish to beat a world-class keeper. Missing for the Czechs is Rosicky (who we "fondly" remember for these goals against us), Milan Baros, and the recently retired golden locks of Pavel Nedved.
This result of this game is superfluous. More important is for our questionable players (Buddle) to show what they're made of. Also it is a chance for our guys to finally get some games in as a full squad, the first time since our lose in Amsterdam to the Dutch.
Turkey, in Pennsylvania
While the Turks are a fantastic WC warm-up opponent, the location of the game is, to me, dumb. The USMNT has no problem playing at home when the stands are full of red, white, and blue. We struggle outside our borders when the crowds are raw, wild, and full of boos, but I digress.
The Turks somehow didn't qualify behind Spain, and were 4 points behind second placed Bosnia-Herzegovenia ( a country named because Miss Herzegovnia did not want to relinquish her last name).
However, the Turks are very good. They beat the Czechs yesterday 2-1 at Red Bull Arena. They feature Bayern's Altintop, Valencia's Mehmet Topal, Stoke's poacher Tuncay and the highly rated youngster of Galatasaray, Arda Truan. Their biggest asset is their unity as a core. Turkey's chemistry makes them very difficult to break down and their high energy and tenacity makes possession very difficult. This game will be good practice for the likes of Slovenia and Algeria.
Australia, in Johannesburg
Last up are the Aussies, who we will hit the pitch with in our last game before facing England. I like that the game will give us a taste of South Africa which we haven't had since last summer's surprising run to the Confederation Cup finals.
Australia are fast and physical and never run out of steam. They boast loads of talent, with many players featuring in the Premiership: Tim Cahill (Everton), Vince Grella and Brett Emerton (Blackburn), and keeper Mark Schwarzer (Fulham). They also have the veterans Lucas Neill and former Leeds and Liverpool winger Harry Kewell, both now playing for Galatasaray.
The Aussies will be a fantastic warm-up for England. Though they are not as good, we will need to show the same ability defending and will not be able to rely on our American athleticism and conditioning. A good result will be important to boost our confidence ahead of our June 12th kickoff.
Only three games to oil our gears and get the engines going seems sparse, but great seasons from Deuce, Timmy, and Landy D to name a few have me psyched up for our Cup chances. And if thats not enough, maybe this is:
The moment we've been waiting for since the group stages commenced in in mid-September is now upon us. Tomorrow two teams will fight for their own trebles. In Germany, Bayern Munich has already captured the Bundesliga and the DFB Pokal, while their Italian opponents Internazionale Milan have seized their Serie A scudetto and the Copa Italia.
Saturday's premier European final has more plot lines than The Lord of Rings. The Bavarian's coach, Louis Van Gaal, was mentor to the Italian's self-proclaimed Special One--Jose Mourinho. (Mourinho has yet to claim his crown yet.)
Both finalists knocked out one of last year's finalists. Bayern came from behind at Old Trafford to knock out Manchester United in the quarterfinals; Inter parked the bus at Camp Nou and staved off attack after attack from holders Barcelona in the semifinals.
Both teams are extremely disciplined when it comes to getting men behind the ball on defense. Between them they boast experienced defenders, loads of talent in the midfield, and tricky, pacey strikers, all to be expected for finalists of the world's most elite club tournament.
Many people expect Bayern to be unable to break down Inter's stalwart defending, the reasoning being that if Barca couldn't with their delectable passing, no one could. However, Bayern posses a threat that Barcelona's front line of Pedro, Bojan, and Messi doesn't have: aerial ability. So if Inter is willing to give up the flanks in order to protect the middle, Lahm, Altintop, and Robben will be ready and willing to whip balls into the middle for Olic, Schweinsteiger or Mueller to head on to goal. If Inter tries to take away the wings, they expose themselves and the Bavarian midfield trio is more than capable of creating chances.
Ribery may be out with red card suspension and busy looking for underage hookers, but Inter always must be wary of Robben doing this or this.
At the other end of the pitch, Baryern will need to limit the defensive mistakes such as against Man United, and will need Van Bommel to keep tabs on his Dutch counterpart Sneijder and limit his influence on the game.
All said and done, this should be a close one, and I say Bayern wins 2-1.
And if they go to penalties, we know who will win that. Those typical Germans.
Kickoff is at 11.45 PST on FOX. That's right, mainstream FOX is showing the Champions League. And who said soccer would never become popular in the states.
Well the rumors are true; Spanish international David Villa will be moving from Valencia to Barca this summer for a reported £34.2 million. All thats left is to complete a medical for the player and his soul patch. Villa's departure has been a long time coming thanks to Valencia's public financial difficulties, but the question was always where.
Honestly, I can't see Villa scoring less than 25 goals in La Liga alone for Barca, barring injury. He is an absolutely clinical finisher, boasting bucket loads of pace and two dominant legs. (As a child, when his right leg was in a cast his father forced him to practice with his left.) Villa makes extremely intelligent runs and is quick to finish, usually needing only one or two touches. He will thrive on the service provided by Xavi, Iniesta, Messi and Co, and is one to return the favor.
Relatively, David Villa has been flying under the radar as a one man strike force. Since the 05/06 season, Villa has notched 108 goals in season play (averaging over 20 a season). Compare this for the same time period to CR9 (101 goals), Eto'o (95), Diego Forlan (95), Luca Toni (90, but if taken from 04/05 to 08/09 Luca has tallied 105), Messi (87), Torres (83), Rooney (80), Zlatan (80), Drogba (74), and Henry (72). Huntelaar has managed 111 goals in those five season, but 90 of those were netted in the Dutch Eridevisie, where scoring butloads of goals isnt exactly the hardest thing. David Villa is a consistent goal-scoring machine, yet still found time to provide 26 assists in the same period.
Villa at Barca is a perfect match. He can play as a lone striker or out wide, or even behind a front striker. He'll fit wonderfully into the Catalan giant's 4-3-3, but that leaves us with one question: where will Zlatan Ibrahimovic go?
"Joe Cole does some amazing stuff in training. He's as good as Messi or Ronaldo on the ball, and he'll give any player a run for their money when it comes to tricks."
Pretty big words from Stevie G, but then again, I've done some mazy Messi runs to goal and hit dipping Ronaldo free kicks in practice. Somebody ought a tell Bob Bradley to take me to South Africa.
Stevie G and J Cole enjoying a game of freeze tag.
With the World Cup just 30 short days away, preliminary rosters for all 32 nations were due to FIFA today. For most nations, these rosters now include 30 players, 23 of which will make the final cut. As always, there have been surprise omissions and additions to rosters from England to the good ol’ USA. But my attention for today is on perennial powerhouse Brazil. Brazil coach Dunga is no stranger to making controversial decisions with his loaded talent pool, and he has stuck by his word today by leaving Ronaldinho and phenom Pato off Brazil’s preliminary World Cup roster.
While Brazil is nowhere near as close to being as big a favorite in South Africa as many believe, I want to focus on Dunga’s decision to leave off two of footballs most skilled and exciting attacking talents from my admittedly favored AC Milan squad. To start, I’ll discuss the Pato omission, which is only one iota more defensible than the Ronaldinho one.
For those who might not know, Alexandre Pato is a 20 year old striker for AC Milan who possesses blinding speed, a cool finish, and is without question the future of joga bonito and at the center of Brazil’s hopes when they host the 2014 World Cup. His only problem has been one with injuries, especially this season, when he was only fit enough to appear in 22 league matches. Despite having several setbacks with hamstring issues, Pato was still able to bang in 12 goals, playing out of position as a right forward. Recently, Pato was fit enough to make a start this weekend for Milan, but was admittedly rusty in his first game in over a month.
So, the question is who did Dunga choose over the promise and speed of Pato? The answer; not former stars such as Adriano or Ronaldo, or other promising youngsters such as Neymar, but Grafite, a 31 year old striker who plays for Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga. While Grafite had an admittedly terrific season last year, he is even more inexperienced than the 20 year old Pato on the international stage and has been only average this season. Because he did not share Pato’s injury bug, Grafite made 31 league appearances this season for Wolfsburg, scoring 11 goals. Yes you read that right, Grafite is 11 years older, appeared in 9 more league games, and scored…one less goal than Pato, in the high scoring Bundesliga. While Pato has had his injury problems, isn’t the purpose of a preliminary roster to bring players into camp to test their fitness and skills against one another? It is foolish to leave out a player who is simply younger, faster, more talented and more productive just because he has been inconsistent via injury. The Brazil camp is a time to test whether or not Pato is fit enough to make the Brazil team. While it may be that Pato is not fit enough, he also could easily be the speed and attacking talent off the bench that Brazil need to win the World Cup, and at the very least he is the outstanding talent that Brazil should be nourishing and giving experience to for the next World Cup. Instead Dunga leaves Pato out in the cold, while bringing in Grafite, who is unlikely to even make the final roster, much less have an impact this summer.
When the omission of the most talented 20 year old footballer in the world is not even your worst move, you have issues, and Dunga, your Brazil team has issues, especially on its bench. By omitting Ronaldinho, one of the greatest players ever, and one having a stellar season for Milan, you make it clear that there are ulterior motives to your decision. It has to be that Dunga simply hates the flash and party personality that is Ronaldinho, (possibly for embarrassing him back in the day) because the move makes no sense, especially considering who is on the roster. Taking a potential spot away from Ronaldinho is Julio Baptista, known as the Beast, who currently plays for Roma. Considering that my two favorite teams are Milan and Roma, and that I only work part time and have no life, I am quite certain that I have watched more Milan and Roma games this season than Dunga has. And from a neutral perspective, it is painfully obvious that Ronaldinho is currently head and shoulders above Baptista in their current form. Let’s check the numbers for starters. Ronaldinho has appeared in 35 league games, with 33 starts, scoring 10 goals and tallying a massive 14 assists. Baptista has appeared in 23 league matches for Roma, only FOUR of which have been starts. Seriously, Baptista has started only four games for his club all season, not exactly the kind of player that should be playing for Brazil in the World Cup. In these appearances, he has scored 3 goals, and you guessed it, has zero assists.
In addition to the stats, Baptista fails the eye test. In every game that I have seen, the man nicknamed the Beast for his (former) speed and strength has looked more like a lost turtle. He looks chubby, frequently loses the ball, passes terribly, misses open chances and occasionally tracks back on defense. Ronaldinho on the other hand, is responsible for creating 95% of Milan’s chances, is constantly double teamed, yet creates brilliant chances with his extraordinary vision every single game. He also finishes when he is supposed to, with a solid ten goals coming from his spot on the left wing. He is a constant threat from set pieces, yet loses the ball often because he is given the responsibility to create in traffic nearly every offensive possession by Milan. His one major flaw: not getting back on defense. This flaw, while a detriment to Brazil’s style under Dunga, is not reason enough for him not to make the team. It is a matter of too much focus on what Ronnie doesn’t do instead of all the amazing things that he does. For me, the choice is obvious, include Baptista, who won’t help create chances or score goals off the Brazil bench and will occasionally track back, or Ronaldinho, who will definitely create chances, might score a free kick goal, and will be more inclined to track back with the World Cup on the line. Notice that I’m not even pushing for Dinho to start, despite the fact that the probable starter for Brazil at left forward is Robinho who was so bad he had to essentially quit Man City and now is not even the best attacker (behind Neymar) on his Santos squad. Nope, I just wish that Ronaldinho and Pato had made the Brazil team, so I could root for them in peace instead of wondering why Dunga is about to bring on then Beast, or should I say the Turtle, in a crucial quarterfinal match a month and a half from now.
Fans of the U.S. Mens National Team are eagerly anticipating May 15, the date when 26-28 Americans will report to Princeton University begin the official pre-World Cup training camp for USMNT. Although it is a good sign and a huge honor and there are definitely some locks to make it to South Africa, a training camp invite is not necessarily a guarantee for a spot on the final 23-man roster. Headman Bob Bradley will use not only the week-long camp but also two friendlies against the Czech Republic (5/25 in East Hartford) and Turkey (5/29) in Philadelphia to make final judgments before submitting the final roster by June 1. Let's take a look at some the prospects of USMNT's finest. STONE COLD LOCKS
Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Hull City/Villarreal)
Despite the mini-meltdown against Sunderland as well as only 1 goal in 28 appearances this season at Hull, it would be an absolute stunner if Bob Bradley even considered to leave Jozy off the roster. Admittedly, Altidore is a raw product, but he has shown potential on the big stage, most notably against Spain in the Confed Cup semis last summer.
Midfielders: Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Ricardo Clark (Eintracht Frankfurt), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Benny Feilhaber (AGF)
Dempsey and Donovan are no-brainers, especially considering their strong performance in the premiership this season. Bradley, Clark, and Feilhaber all have shown consistent play in recent appearances with the USMNT and Clark's recent move to the notoriously physical Bundesliga should help him adjust more to the rigors of World Cup play.
Defenders: Carlos "Blackmouth" Bocanegra (Rennes), Jay DeMerit (Watford), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan), Jonathan Spector (West Ham)
Bocanegra, a defensive stalwart and a set piece wiz, will likely wear the captain's armband again in South Africa. Despite playing in the Championship and having some scary injury issues, DeMerit has been solid in past USMNT appearances. Onyewu hasn't played since the last WCQ againt Costa Rica so match fitness is an issue, but he is back to full training and is too much of a stud to leave off the starting lineup. Spector has had a trying season with West Ham flirting with relegation for much of the EPL campaign, but his defense coupled with his ability to play the long ball (as evidenced below against Brazil) make him an asset on D.
Goalkeepers: Tim Howard (Everton), Brad Guzan (Aston Villa)
One of the great ironies of the June 12 matchup between USA and England is that one of England's perennial weaknesses has always been one of the US' greatest strengths. There is no doubt that both Howard or Guzan (or even Marcus Hahnemann as we'll discuss later) would start for the Three Lions if they were England eligible.
PROBABLY MAKING THE TEAM
Forward: None
Forward is a position of great concern for USMNT. Injuries and incompetence have made Jozy the only for sure thing at this position, and even he has some question marks.
Midfield: Maurice Edu (Rangers), Stuart Holden (Bolton), Jose Francisco Torres (Pachuca)
Torres and Edu both have won titles in the past weeks with Pachuca (CONCACAF Champions League) and Rangers (Scottish Premier League) respectively. Holden is back in training with Bolton after breaking his fibula in the friendly against Holland and is even being considered to start in Bolton's finale against Spurs.
Defenders: Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96)
Stevie C has been battling injuries lately, but has returned to playing full 90s with Hannover 96, a side potentially staring at life in the second tier of the Bundesliga.
Goalkeepers: Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton)
I was flabbergasted to learn that Hahnemann has had one of the top save percentages in the Premier League this season. One could even argue that he has single-handedly kept Wolves away from relegation. But alas, the Screamin' Eagles are so loaded at GK that it would take a miracle for Hahnemann to see the pitch this summer.
ROUNDING OUT THE FINAL 23
Forward: Charlie Davies (Sochaux), Edson Buddle (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Call me an optimist, but I think Charlie will complete his well documented comeback and make the final roster. As stated earlier, USMNT has very few quality options up top. Although Davies needs to get in match shape (with limited opportunities remaining in the Ligue 1 season), I could envision Bob Bradley using #9 as a second half sub and a spark to provide some offensive energy in situations where the Americans might be trailing. I, for one, would be extremely delighted to see the "Stanky Leg" unleashed in Africa.
Buddle's is a unique case: a player with a handful of caps who has been red hot in league play. Although MLS defense is far from what the US will deal with this summer, I can't imagine Buddle playing too much anyways. Either way, I think he'll find a way to squeeze onto the roster. Brian Ching and Conor Casey have cap experience, but their poor performances lately (along with their incredible lack of speed), will leave them off the roster.
Midfielders: DaMarcus Beasley (Rangers), Sacha Klejstan (Chivas USA)
Beasley had a horrendous Confederations Cup that left most observers wondering if he would ever don the red, white, and blue ever again. But he has really come on lately a Rangers and a solid appearance against Holland in March may have cemented his place in the final 23. His World Cup experience probably doesn't hurt either. I had been off the Sacha Klejstan for a while, but he has really impressed so far this season at Chivas. In both of the games I've seen him, he's controlled possession, made smart decisions, and has been all over the field, all qualities you look for in a midfielder. He also had this screamer against San Jose two weeks ago.
Defenders: Edgar Castillo (Tigres), Clarence Goodson (IK Start)
I think Bradley will take a chance on Castillo, a guy who is unproven in USMNT terms, but has shown flashes in the Mexican league. Goodson has had some caps in some minor USMNT matches and plays consistently in Norway. I would consider both of these guys to be insurance policies for the back line.
EVENTUAL STARTING XI:
Forwards: Altidore, Dempsey Midfield: Clark, Donovan, Bradley, Holden Defenders: Bocanegra, Onyewu, DeMerit, Spector Goalkeeper: Howard Top Subs: Davies, Feilhaber, Edu
