My 2 Cents

Garyland's Court

2012-01-25T09:57:00.003-05:00

Maybe he could've made the "R" a little more
defined to not look like another word?

Today is not a bad day to be a sports fan.

The game of the day is the best rivalry in sports right now: El Clásico. This time Barcelona hosts Real Madrid at Camp Nou in the return leg of their Copa del Rey quarterfinal. Barça has the 2-1 lead and really the only question will be what retaliation the home side takes out on Pepe.

Slightly before that, and more important to me, Liverpool hosts Manchester City in the second leg of their Carling Cup semifinal. The Reds need just a draw to book a spot at Wembley next month against Cardiff City. City won’t have Vincent Kompany and shouldn’t have Mario “Why always asshole?” Balotelli. Plus Liverpool’s coach isn’t going to jail, unlike another top six side, so we’ve got that going for us.

Finishing up the soccer scene, Team Klinsmann heads to Panama for a rare road CONCACAF friendly. My prediction: Rico Clark won’t score a winner in the 97^th minute. Nice to see a couple more Terps – A.J. DeLaGarza and Graham Zusi – earning caps too.

And speaking of Terps, that’s what brought me out of a five-month blogging hibernation.

Not so much tonight’s game itself, as if I were a betting man I’d take Duke and the 11 points. Even if Alex Len is able to play, he’s not nearly physical enough as seen in the past two games against FSU and briefly against Temple to allow our interior to be remotely successful against the 6’10” Plumlees. Add in a lack of a secondary scoring option behind Terrell Stoglin and an inability to guard the three left over from the old coach and it’s not a good recipe for the first game under Mark Turgeon in this rivalry.

However, there is a bigger event than the game itself. And might be as controversial as moving picks being called at Cameron.

As of tomorrow night, Gary Williams’s signature will adorn the court at Comcast Center. It’s a great honor for the program’s all time winningest coach and the only guy to win a national title for the Maryland men’s basketball team.

The controversy surrounds all that time in Maryland basketball prior to his arrival in 1989. Namely, why not honor Lefty Driesell, coach of 17 years and inventor of Midnight Madness (when it actually was at midnight)?

I understand Driesell’s complaints. But there are two major holes in his argument.

First, I don’t see the school ever giving that high of an honor to the coach of Len Bias. Is that fair? No. But every time ESPN’s cameras showed a guard dribbling up past the Old Lefthander’s autograph, Bias’s name might as well be written right under Driesell’s. And I doubt that’s the kind of publicity the University wants.

Second, the Terps don’t play at Cole Field House anymore. Lefty never coached in the building that is, more or less, the “House That Gary Built.” Comcast opened the season after the national title, which was preceded by a Final Four appearance. Maryland isn’t going so far as UNC rightly did with Dean Smith; this is his name on the court.

In addition to his success with the team, Gary deserves recognition by the University for what that national title did for enrollment. The academic standards have grown immensely since ’02 to the point that most of the people I know wouldn’t have been accepted these days.

Having said all that, for a financially strapped athletic department, the University is making two mistakes.

The game against Duke will always sell out. Instead of an announced crowd – stressing announced there – of 9,979 against Radford two nights before Christmas, they could have doubled that (and at least tripled the number of tickets sold) by naming the court that night. Obviously Gary vs. Duke is special. However, when 8,000+ tickets could have been sold for about $250,000 before you count concessions, that’s a pricy decision.

Also, thanks to Debbie Yow’s amazing negotiating tactics, after next season Comcast’s name will adorn the façade of the building – along with every cable box in the dorm rooms – for the next 15 years with no money exchanging hands. Yow, in her attempt to balance the budget, took all $25 million in the first ten years of the deal. With Gary’s name attached to the court, that’s at least 15 years of no “free” money for the athletic department.

Instead, I like former Driesell and Williams assistant Joe Harrington’s idea: name the floor for Gary for one year to commemorate the 10^th anniversary of the national championship, aka Juan Shining Moment. Then you could name the floor next year for Brenda Frese for their 7^th anniversary. After that, sell the damn thing.

If Kevin Anderson really wanted to honor Gary, he should have looked to London for inspiration. At Craven Cottage, Fulham named their pub after American Brian McBride who captained them during the Great Escape of 2007-08. Aside from renaming Bentley’s, what better honor could Gary ask for? Of course, post-Bias it’s a dry campus, so there couldn’t be a full-fledged pub, but surely they could have created one for the suite level.

Or, if you want to make the Cameron Crazies happy, just name the sauna after “The Great Sweater.”

"Don't Read Too Much Into This..."

2011-08-08T09:45:00.005-05:00

For the 2 or 3 of you that have followed my work over the past 10 or so years, that was a quote from Bruce Arena to me back in May of 2002.

I was one of a handful of journalists who were able to get to Cary, North Carolina, to watch a scrimmage between the U.S. Men's squad and the USL's Richmond Kickers. The U.S. was about a month from participating in the World Cup, and the team had just looked very uncomfortable and unorganized in the 2-2 draw. In fact, only a late goal from a WAY offside Cobi Jones even salvaged the draw.

So, when we all went out to the field to talk to Arena and some of the players about what had just happened, he opened his statements with the above quote.

He went on to say that the team had only been together for a few days (3 to be exact), and there was rustiness and fatigue as several of the players had literally flown in from the end of their European seasons day or so before.

"We'll be ready for Portugal, trust me."

As history told us, he was right.

Going into Wednesday's game with Mexico, I think we need to remember not to read too much into the result. The U.S. will field several young and inexperienced players on the international scene, while Mexico is bringing a large contingent of the team that won the Gold Cup in June.

As a result, I wouldn't be totally surprised if the U.S. gets thumped at home for the 3rd consecutive time by El Tri.

But in the bigger picture, does the result on Wednesday really matter? If the team loses 4-0, will people already call for Juergen Klinsmann's head? No, the smart ones won't. It's a time to see what Brek Shea, Zach Lloyd, Robbie Rogers, and Kyle Beckerman can bring to the table.

It's a chance to see what the Mexican contingent of Michael Orozco Fiscal (when did he add "Fiscal" to his name, by the way), Edgar Castillo, and Jose Torres can add to the mix. These are players Bradley has not even considered over the past year or so. You can't tell me these guys weren't relieved when Bob was removed as the Coach. Now they get a chance to show what they can do. Imagine that, players who actually play in Mexico being brought in to face the players they play against on a weekly basis. Apparently, this was something Bradley was unable, or unwilling, to grasp.

Sure, there are some mainstays like Donovan, Bocanegra, and Howard, but I believe those guys were more brought in for leadership roles, which no doubt they will continue to have under Klinsmann. He knows these guys are his bread and butter players; now he has to fill out the rest of the roster with guys who will also contribute.

And I wouldn't be surprised if he brings in another slew of players for the Costa Rica game September 2nd, and then all European players for the Belgium game September 6th. Again, wouldn't surprise me at all if several European players not previously capped are brought in.

While Bob Bradley did a good job his first year or so of bringing in new players, he wound up with largely the same group of guys over the past 3 years.

Klinsmann might do that as well, but I can guarantee that between now and the 1st World Cup qualifying match against Jamaica next June, we'll see people not even on the radar right now. That's the beauty and excitement of bringing in some fresh blood in the coaching ranks; we know he'll be bringing some of his own.

So as Arena said more than 9 years ago, "Don't read too much into this..."

We would be wise to remember that after Wednesday's game as well.

Other, yet still related, news:

Just got back from my annual summer visit to Vegas, and we were a few days into the trip when my phone started lighting up about Bradley's removal and Klinsmann's hiring. Everybody, and I do mean everybody, was excited. Yes, we all realize this thing could be a spectacular failure, but hats off to U.S. Soccer for making what was obviously a tough call, and for doing something that has, at the very least, shaken up something that had become quite stagnant.

That was proven as I talked to numerous folks in Vegas who were wearing U.S. jerseys. Not a single person was upset or concerned about the change.

The most common quote? "Watching the U.S. play was SO boring! At least we have an offensive coach who will make us more exciting."

So, Mr. Klinsmann, the ball is in your court. Liven things up!

Other, other news:

1. Walsh's text to me yesterday after Manchester City blew their 2-0 halftime lead to United, after giving up the game-winner in stoppage time. "And THAT is why City can't win the Title." He's right; until City knows how to win games like those, they can't really expect to contend.

2. Another Walsh text, this one after the guy next to me at the Aria sportsbook told me he put $100 down for the MLS All-Stars to beat Manchester United. "Tell him to kiss that money goodbye." About 20 minutes later, the guy got disgusted and walked off, saying "I don't even like soccer." Wow, betting on a sport you don't like and obviously don't follow? Vegas was built on guys like that.

I'll hold off on commenting on yet another controversial MLS referee call, this time affecting the DC United game. If you haven't seen it yet, look for the highlight of Toronto's 3rd goal Saturday night.

For what it's worth, I'll try to blog more now that I'm done with the PDL and W-League seasons. But to be honest, this 1st season has been the most fun I've had with soccer in 20 years. Already looking forward to next year!

Thanks for reading, with a special thanks to Pat for helping to keep this thing going in my absence!

See you next time!

Christmas In July

2011-07-29T14:09:00.004-05:00

What? Coaches can have emotion?

After twice being named coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team, neither of which was met with much approval from supporters, Bob Bradley has been fired. Both times Bradley was second choice to a certain former German striker by both fans and those making the hire.

After a long wait, Juergen Klinsmann’s day as USMNT head coach has finally come. Or, as Twitter has decreed, the ÜSMNT.

If you’ve been reading this blog you know that neither ~~Wayne Newton~~ Bushman nor I have been a fan of Bob. Which is kinda like saying I like beer. Or that Bob Bradley likes sweatpants.

It’s not all negative thoughts about the Bradley run, though. As his brother tweeted yeseterday, “6 tournaments, 4 finals.” Impressive on paper. But in three of them, better results were expected and only one of the finals was won, losing the last three. It’s more fun to look ahead though, rather than what could have been. So a hearty thanks to Bob Bradley for being the first to win a group at the World Cup, the first to make the finals of a non-COCACAF tournament, and for always leaving us wondering “what if?”

Now we turn to Juergen Klinsmann as thousands of soccer fans and media members try to figure out how to do an umlaut. He’s the guy who was the first choice of fans and Sunil Gulati in 2006 when Bradley was initially hired. And last summer before Bradley was rehired. Now he is the man.

So where do we go from here? Well, here’s my two cents:

Why now for Klinsmann after it didn’t work out in ’06 or ’10?

This year’s failure of the youth system -- the U-20s lost to Guatemala and didn’t qualify for their World Cup for the first time in eight tries and the U-17s were blown out by Germany in the quarterfinals of their World Cup -- combined with the second straight Gold Cup loss means it’s the perfect time for Klinsmann. The former German coach transformed that nation’s youth soccer ranks, forcing each team to play the same way. That will be a blessing here. Righting the ships of the U-20s and U-17s will only help the full national team down the road.

This area will be the most interesting in the short term of Klinsmann’s tenure. Yes, seeing who will be called in for the friendly against Mexico in under two weeks will be as well, but this will be the first test of how much power Klinsi will have. And should give an indication of what we can expect from the MNT.

Who will be called in to play Mexico?

You have to assume the regulars, as long as they’re fit, will be in Philly. I would assume Timmy Chandler gets a call and maybe Mix Diskerurd. But the formation, not the players will be the more intriguing. During Germany ’06 Klinsmann played with a 4-4-2, but not the empty bucket Bradley employed, and it will be interesting to see if he’s evolved with the times and will try a 4-2-3-1. With the glut of central midfielders, who winds up on the field is a question we should be asking throughout the rest of the friendlies this fall. Which brings us too…

How does this affect Michael Bradley?

First, I’m assuming this is how he reacted to the news his dad was fired. Second, just because his dad is gone doesn’t mean MB will be on the bench. His starting had next to nothing to do with nepotism, though it would have been nice to see more of Mo Edu and Jermaine Jones together. However, like at Villa this spring, the starting job will have to be earned. It can be done, but the days of penning Mikey in for 90 minutes are over.

Who else on the team is affected?

The obvious answer is everyone. But here are a few guys in particular…

Landon Donovan: he was disappointed Bradley was brought back and honestly it didn’t look like he wanted to be on the field during the Gold Cup. Klinsmann should utilize LD and rejuvenate him a bit on the international level. Remember, Klinsi tried to get Donovan to Bayern when he was coached them.

Stu Holden: when healthy he can be the one to pulling the strings in a 4-2-3-1. He had a great year for Bolton until his knee found Jonny Evans’ studs. If only he had a bit more size he could see himself at one of the big clubs in England.

Jozy Altidore: what better for an out of form striker than to be coached by one of the all time greats. This also goes for Juan Agudelo and Teal Bunbury, but Jozy needs the confidence boost that Klinsmann can provide. A few goals in Holland wouldn’t hurt either.

Tim Howard: Klinsmann won’t let him daydream about insurance. And might find a way to get THo to make a big save more often than not.

What does this mean for USSF?

Gulati got the guy he’s been after for five plus years. As a result, he’s surely had to cede significant control he was unwilling to relinquish in previous years. Not only with the youth ranks, but I would put a lot of money on there never being a situation like the Spain ~~cash grab~~ friendly played on a poor field three days prior to the start of a tournament under Klinsmann.

This also reminds me a bit of ’98. USSF needed a kick in the ass to go to the next level and Bruce Arena was brought in. He made the Federation more professional and laid the groundwork for the great ’02 run. Similarly, Klinsmann will now give Gulati and company a kick in the ass and hopefully lay the groundwork for a successful run at Brazil ’14.

The new coach should also help draw in more casual fans. The style is likely to be more attractive than Bradley’s and the style of the coach will increase dramatically from sweatpants to Armani. Press conferences will also be more entertaining for my media brethren, but those sound bytes will also help with exposure on SportsCenter. Bob Bradley was never Mr. Personality, but the affable German is more TV friendly and that can only help.

A quick bit of praise for Sunil Gulati, who takes quite a bit of criticism around these parts, for getting this deal done quietly in this age of instant media. Surely Klinsmann was hired before Bradley was fired yesterday. If the decision truly was made after the Gold Cup final, kudos to Gulati for not immediately firing Bradley and opening the can of worms of the open coach search. Having watched University of Maryland AD Kevin Anderson flounder with two coaching hires in the past year, this route was the right one for Gulati. It's also impressive he kept it under wraps until the announcement yesterday.

Who will assist Klinsmann?

The big knock on him after Germany ’06 was that Jogi Loew was the one really doing the coaching. And some claim that his “failure” at Bayern helped prove that (failure being a quarterfinal loss to Barcelona in the Champions league and being just three points out of first with five games to play). But that doesn’t mean he will fail.

I’d imagine at least one American on the staff, though this isn’t as if Jose Mourinho came in and has no knowledge of the American player. I could see Kasey Keller as goalkeeper coach after he retires this fall. And honestly, Bob Bradley wouldn’t have been a bad assistant for Klinsmann, the role he is much better suited than the head coach. Obviously that will never happen.

What was my personal Klinsmann interaction?

Of course I have to name drop. But I talked to Klinsmann after a 9/11 tribute game which saw the German suit up for D.C. United. For Munk and the Mick that was upstaged by John Harkes blowing us off after we asked him why his ’96 MLS Cup ring was on eBay (the club claimed it was the mock up version using Harkes, the captain, as the player). We also told Jeff Agoos he should cut his hair prior to going to South Korea/Japan, which he didn’t until he returned from his awful World Cup outing. But back to Klinsmann, I remember him being extremely considerate and accommodating of not just us but any media types who approached him in a room in which he had more clout in the footballing world than everyone else combined. Just don’t tell Kevin Payne that.

So there are some initial thoughts. As if the US-Mexico rivalry wasn’t enough to have you looking forward to August 10 anyway, having it be Klinsmann’s first game makes it must see TV. Now we have the name we’ve clamored for over the past five years so it’s time to buckle up and enjoy the ride.

That Kinda Sucked

2011-07-22T10:24:00.003-05:00

We were this close!!!

It’s been five days since the U.S. Women’s National Team were beaten by Japan. Plenty of time for teh internets to place the “choke” label on the ladies. However, you aren’t going to read about how that pertains to them here.

The closest I’d say they came to “choking” was during the penalties. However, going into the shootout Hope Solo had been mildly injured and the Japanese already saw the Americans shoot PKs once. The poor performance I mostly blame on Pia Sundhage, or whatever assistant is in charge of the penalty round, for not mixing things up in the huge mind game that are penalties. At that point I would have put Abby Wambach first and gone from there. Of course that’s easy to say as A-Dub was the only one to put her spot kick into the back of the net.

As for the game, it should have been game, set, and match by halftime. Hell, it could have been that inside of 45 seconds had Lauren Cheney found the back of the net. The play was a huge turning point as Cheney sprained her ankle, wasn’t right for the rest of the half and came off at halftime.

Why that hasn’t been brought up more, I’m not sure. Basically, the U.S. were without their most influential midfielder for 119 minutes. And that was against one of the best tactical teams in the tournament. Even on the bum ankle Cheney kept the attack rolling and they should have been up by multiple goals at the break. After, when Cheney was on the bench with a ginormous bag of ice on her ankle, the tide turned (even though the U.S. scored first).

Then there’s the fact that the Japanese made offensive substitutions, putting an already shaky backline under pressure. Of course they did so because they were behind, but aside from taking off Cheney, Sundhage only made one other sub and that was in the 114^th minute in taking off Megan Rapinoe, who still had more legs than most of the Americans at that point.

The sub that should have been made was taking off Rachel Buehler, even prior to the first goal. She looked tired and/or slow. Even if she’s been the best defender for the U.S. over the past calendar year, the second half of the final of the World Cup has to be a time of “what have you done for me lately,” which was to be sent off against Brazil. Then she was directly at fault on both goals.

Becky Sauerbrunn helped shut down a good French attack to the point they subbed their best striker out at halftime because Sauerbrunn had marked her out of the game. Why, after being up a goal -- twice!!! -- Sundhage didn’t take a more defensive posture is as bewildering as why Bob Bradley still has a job.

Overall it was a positive month for the USWNT. Following their first ever loss in the group stage they rallied with the dramatic tie with Brazil, and then took out Team Marta on PKs. They didn’t lose to France. And, finally, they played their best half in the final, but it just wasn’t their day.

Let me finish by giving full fledged congratulations to Japan. Obviously the nation has been through a lot lately and they could use this bit of good news. Considering the size of the respective players it was more David vs. Goliath than the rankings (the U.S. were #1, Japan #4) gave the appearance of, but this was not a monumental upset. Again, congrats to Homare Sawa and the rest of Nadeshiko Japan.

Other stuff…

- I also blame this kid’s taunting as the bad karma that started the downfall for the U.S.

- Is it just me, or is there a big similarity to the USWNT and U.S. Basketball? In ’91 for the women (the inaugural WWC) and ’92 for the men (the first Dream Team), no one could touch either team. Now, though the U.S. may be considered the best in both sports, it’s far from a certainty they will win the title. Other nations have caught up quickly and they can beat us with team play and tactics while we rely too much on individual skill and play.

- To show once again how ridiculous FIFA’s rankings are the Japanese women still are ranked #4 in the world behind the U.S., Germany, and Brazil. They just won the Women’s World Cup, but are still behind two teams who were eliminated in the quarterfinals with Japan beating Germany.

- Giving Charm City some love, Baltimore led all markets in viewership not only for the final game, but for the entire tournament. D.C. was close behind making it even more of a brilliant move that the team formerly known as the Washington Freedom were moved to Florida and renamed.

- As I’ve previously pointed out here, D.C. has a nice second half schedule. Following a surprising win at Red Bull Arena and a nice point, though dreadful affair, away to Dallas, things were looking even better. Then United, as it seems all local teams are wont to do, crapped the bed in a very winnable game. Bushman texted me during the first half saying “the goal is coming” to which I replied “unless D.C. are the USWNT to New England’s Japan.” Sure enough they couldn’t score and gave up the second half goal for their third loss at home on the year. So unless they can fleece NYRB for a third time this year and pick up Tim Ream for Richie Williams, it will be tough seeing this team making it past the first round of the playoffs (not including however the hell MLS is adding the 9^th and 10^th teams to the mix this year).

- I’m ending this week with a big EFF YOU to Debbie Yow, former AD at the University of Maryland. Though I was never a fan because of her relationship with Gary Williams, she at least had the good karma of taking an athletic department that was in fiscal trouble and balancing the books. Now it comes out that they are actually $83 million in debt. The main factors: building Comcast, additions to Byrd Stadium, and the decline in production from the two revenue sports, men’s hoops and football which haven’t consistently been going to the NCAA tournament and bowl games. Also, the deal for the naming rights to Comcast Center was valued at $25 million over 10 years which isn’t bad. However, Comcast keeps the name for an additional 15 years on top of having the rights to put their cable in all dorms which I’m sure is a pretty penny for them.

So all of that’s on Yow. That is, unless you are a Republican and blame all of the previous regimes economic troubles on the current leader. So good luck Wolfpack, hope you aren’t broke in ten years.

Thanks as always for reading and avoid the heat.

Hope Keeps US Alive

2011-07-11T06:27:00.016-05:00

Sure, it's a corny title that has more ways of being interpreted than I have fingers (I still have all 10, by the way, despite people saying I would lose at least one this year after Kim got me a wood-chipper for Christmas), but is there anything more apropos after yesterday's game for the ages? And I mean that regardless of gender, regardless of World Cup games for the men or women.

Go ahead, list a better game than what we saw yesterday. You can probably count them on 1 hand. For the ups and downs, the ebb and flow, the controversy, the skill (Marta's finish in the first OT was world-class), the (literally) last-second heroics for the team that had been screwed every which way as possible by the officials, and the unreal drama of penalty kicks, this one had it all. And yes, I'm hoarse from cheering, and I freely admit I have never used as much salty language toward a woman as I did yesterday toward the "referee."

As Abby Wambach said in the postgame yesterday "It's what America is all about." It's great to hear that, because all we've heard recently in our lives is that America isn't what it used to be, our best days are behind us. That might be true in some ways, but as the U.S. Men's team showed last June, American soccer players are as gutsy, if not more so, than any other players on the planet.

There was no better example of that than in yesterday's instant classic. While this team is not yet up to the popularity of the '99 World Champs, should they win the Title 6 days from now, I think it might go down as even a more remarkable achievement. The "99-ers" never had to face the kind of adversity the '11 squad did. A referee who should never see the International arena again made more horrendous calls than I've ever seen at the professional level. The red card to Buehler won't be discussed here; that's for every other pundit to scream about. But for those who say the U.S. was lucky not to have Carli Lloyd sent off for a deliberate handball, how about virtually the same play in the U.S. penalty box when Aline, who also got a yellow in the first half, punched the ball with her fist? As far as I'm concerned, those non-calls worked out evenly. More than once was the U.S. able to get behind the Brazilians only to be called offside, and several of those were proven incorrect calls on replay. Then the obvious offside non-call on Marta's 2nd goal.

If you were like me, you had to think "what have we got to do to get a break today?" There were two collisions in the penalty area in the second OT that could have gone either way, but of course the U.S. did not receive the benefit of the doubt.

So there were no breaks to be given; instead, the U.S. made their own.

Megan Rapinoe, who should absolutely start on Wednesday, delivered a cross that should be studied by every winger in the U.S. men's player pool. I thought that if they just kept sending in long balls, Wambach would get to one of them. She did, and the roar of the crowd, who went from neutral to VERY pro-U.S. after becoming disgusted with the theatrics of the Brazilians and the incessant whining from Marta, could probably be heard in surrounding countries. I was especially taken by the absolute and pure joy from Hope Solo as she jumped up and down with her hands in the air, all alone in her penalty area, as the rest of the team swarmed Abby in the corner.

Have to admit that at first I was nervous about the penalty kicks (did our players have the legs to strike the ball well enough, or was the exhaustion too much?). Then I saw Hope. Yep, there she was, standing with her teammates, imploring them to finish an obviously more tired and deflated Brazilian team. I figured we would make at least 4 of our kicks, and that Brazil would miss at least 1. Then we would have 2 chances to win it in the final round. Just like in '99, the third kicker was the charm for the U.S. Solo's save, which maybe one of the best pure saves in PK lore (seriously, watch the replay; that was a well-taken penalty by Daiane), opened the door for the last 2 shooters. Game. Set. Match.

I have to say, that for all of Marta's wonderful play in this tournament, and for her play in the WPS and previous tournaments, she has won exactly NOTHING in International play. Can she lay claim to being the Alex Ovetchkin of women's soccer? Sorry, Caps fans (and count me as one of them), but the truth hurts.

So it's on to play France on Wednesday, less than 72 hours after going through what every player has no doubt been the most emotionally and physically exhausted as they've ever been, and try to repeat the performance. Trust me, folks, France is quite good this time around. They deserved to beat England on Saturday. But unlike the U.S. men last year, who had almost as equal a dramatic win against Algeria only to fall 3 days later to Ghana, I think the ladies do just enough to get by. Let's go with 2-1, with a late goal this time coming from Rapinoe.

Then they will move to the Final, and I'm thinking it'll be Sweden. But that's 6 days away, an eternity in a World Cup tournament. Let's just enjoy this moment for another 48 hours before we all sit down in front of our tv's Wednesday morning and prepare for another nail-biter.

Regardless of that outcome, this U.S. team deserves its' props not only in the annals of soccer history, but as a symbol that the American "character" is far from being a thing of the past.

Lingering Questions

2011-07-01T09:07:00.003-05:00

I can't quit you

We’re now almost a week past the latest U.S. debacle in the finals of an international tournament and yet the seat upon which Bob Bradley sits seems as cool as an afternoon in San Diego. Sure there are people, like myself and ~~the Invisible Man~~ Bushman, who think Bob should be fired, but I think we all knew in our hearts it wasn’t going to happen.

In general, the media haven’t called for his head, proving yet again there’s no pressure on USSF. If Mexico lost to Panama the way we did in the group stage, José Manuel de la Torre would’ve been fired before the post-game presser. Instead, Bradley was allowed to continue and, in the eyes of some journalists, somewhat miraculously take the team to the finals. I will give you that he made some good moves to get there, but the team never should have been where it was in the first place.

This isn’t to beat up the USMNT for losing in the Gold Cup final. Mexico was the better team and by far the favorite coming into the tournament. However, there are lingering questions that I have and from what I’ve seen, they were never asked by our media. That’s not to crap on the entire pool, as our buddy Craig Stouffer and Steve Davis questioned Bradley, but for the most part the scrutiny just isn’t there.

What was Bradley thinking when he selected the roster?

Robbie Rogers, widely panned as a poor selection, never saw the field in the Gold Cup. Oguchi Onyewu and Jonathan Spector were also goose egged. Maurice Edu played just 31 minutes in three appearances. Chris Wondolowski, a risky pick, played 101 minutes in the three group games, and then never saw the field again. Tim Ream played the entire first two games and then never played again while Jonathan Bornstein didn’t see the field until Steve Cherundolo’s injury 11 minutes into the final.

On the flip side to that coin, Tim Howard (not a big deal, but still), Carlos Bocanegra, and Clint Dempsey all played every minute of the tournament. Cherundolo would have if he hadn’t twisted his ankle. Michael Bradley played all but five minutes and Clarence Goodson all but twelve minutes. Eric Lichaj played every minute of the final four games. That’s relying too much on a core of players and I’m sure it had something to do with Dolo’s injury.

Of the forwards, only Jozy played a full 90 minutes and that was in the loss to Panama. Though arguably that would have been more if Jozy wasn’t hurt against Jamaica that meant Bob was going into each game already knowing there would be at least one sub made from his attackers. Typical poor game management from the Princeton man.

One of the underappreciated aspects of Bruce Arena was the way he came into a tournament with a plan of rotating players in the group stage. Bradley doesn’t have that vision. And he further hamstringed himself by picking players who are unable to compete at the international level right now. Some of that is on the player pool, but not all of it. Which brings me to…

Why did it take so long to bring on Freddy Adu?

Adu and Jonny Bornstein were the only two players to not play (including the Spain game) heading into the semifinal matchup against Panama. Once he came on, it took Freddy just 10 minutes to set up a goal, the first the Yanks managed in 166 minutes against Panama. In roughly his first half of playing time he had a hand in three goals, or one-third of the goals the U.S. scored in 12 halves of soccer.

So where the fuck was Freddy in the first five games?

I know we don’t get to see training, but there’s no way that you can have someone go from not even making the bench in the group stage to being your most dynamic offensive threat in the final two games. That’s on the coach.

As always, Bob has “his guys.” In this case he was leaning on Kljestan and Bedoya as his attacking midfielders to come off the bench and then using whatever forward didn’t start. None were particularly impactful in the way that Adu was or that even Edson Buddle and Herculez Gomez were last summer.

Would a new coach matter?

As I’ve mentioned here and in previous blogs, the player pool isn’t that deep. Some is on the players. But more of that’s on Bob for not finding players or keeping players (honestly, a lot would be resolved if we had Giuseppe Rossi or Neven Subotić, but we don’t so it’s a moot point).

To answer the question, we only have to look at our foes south of the border. Mexico at this time last year were coming off an embarrassing World Cup. They barely scraped through an easy group and were annihilated by Argentina in the Round of 16. Now with de la Torre in charge, El Tri are playing an attractive style and look as good as they have in years. Guys like Chicharito and Gio dos Santos (when he plays internationally, that is) help. But imagine a lineup with some combination of Donovan, Dempsey, Adu, Stu Holden, Jozy, Agudelo, and Bunbury with the likes of Lichaj and Timmy Chandler whipping up the wings. Sounds like fun, no?

The unfortunate reality is that someone like Marcelo Bielsa would help us on the field. However, with Sunil Gulati and Dan Flynn lording over his every move and doing things like scheduling a friendly with the world champions just three days before the opening of your federation’s tournament for a cash grab, can anyone make it work? I doubt it.

Where do we go?

Most likely to Brazil ’14. Which is all that matters to Flynn and Gulati. As long as their coffers keep getting filled by that money, nothing major will change. That, more than the fact the U.S. has lost two straight tournament finals after leading 2-0 or that the last two Gold Cup finals on aggregate are Mexico 9 – USA 2 hurts the most.

That the primes of Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey will be spent under Bob Bradley is depressing. In a country that elected George W. Bush twice, I suppose that stupidity isn’t a surprise.

Jump Back, What's That Sound?

2011-06-13T08:23:00.005-05:00

Panama was runnin' a little bit hot on Saturday night.

Saturday night I made one of the better decisions I’ve made in a while. Instead of staying home and watching the toughest group match of the Gold Cup for the U.S. Men’s National Team, I went to Merriweather Post Pavillion and stood for 3 hours to see Phish. (Honestly, it wasn’t that tough of a decision mainly because I didn’t think the U.S. game would be worth watching.)

I had the Panama game set to record, but was getting updates from Bushman while the match was going on. And the entire time I felt like Trey and Fishman yelling back at each other during “Suzy Greenberg.”

WHAT?!?!?!

The result was more depressing than shocking. After the Spain debacle and seeing the team struggle to create against Canada, I knew the team wasn’t beating the likes of Mexico (unless they keep losing players). Or even Costa Rica, and possibly Honduras and Jamaica.

But Panama should have been at least a draw. Especially after seeing Los Canaleros struggle against Guadeloupe.

However, no one can send a team out for a big game like Bob Bradley. After 20 minutes the Yanks were down one, and then a pair by the half. Both were preventable, but you can’t say the lead was undeserved.

Clarence Goodson was mostly at fault for the first goal, though Jermaine Jones committed the foul that produced the free kick and Tim Howard reacted like he was daydreaming about Allstate insurance on the initial shot. The second goal was squarely on Tim Ream’s young shoulders. On the positive, Ream is still learning and Goodson made up for his mistake with the lone U.S. goal.

(As an aside, for once I would have loved to see Goodson get up and scream in T-Ho’s face for not making the save. Bushman wondered if we should start a drinking game for every time Howard yells at his defenders, but if I’m going to get black out drunk I’d like to wait until at least the half-hour mark.)

Offensively things weren’t any better.

Landon Donovan has been largely invisible save for his pass to Jozy in the opening match. His set pieces have all been short and Michael Bradley’s flick-on header for the lone goal saved him. The (arguable) best player to ever put on a USMNT shirt needs to do more than what he’s showing. In LD’s defense, he’s not being put in the best positions to contribute as much as he can.

The pairing of two youngsters -- one of whom doesn’t start for his club and the other has scored just two club goals since 2008 and will likely join his fourth club on loan in as many seasons this fall -- isn’t working. Jozy Altidore had a statistically good first game, but didn’t produce much more than that and was a non-factor aside from an immature yellow picked up early in the game. Juan Agudelo is showing flashes, but clearly isn’t ready to lead our national team.

Clint Dempsey has shown he’s better as a withdrawn forward, but for some reason plays the first hour as a wide midfielder (hmm, poor tactics maybe?). Steve Cherundolo has been great getting forward, it’s just unfortunate he traded right feet with Frankie Hejduk and now can’t cross the ball. Our starting central midfielders, Michael Bradley and Jones, are like Bizzaro Xavi and Iniesta when they try to pass; of course it’s harsh to compare them to two of the game’s best, but it’s true.

The obvious common thread in all of these issues is the man in charge, Bob Bradley. The man that few wanted the first time except the frugal USSF is the same man no one wanted after South Africa. Especially the players who look at Brazil ’14 as their last go around.

However, the Emperor from Star Wars clone is still slowly killing the national team.

Of course it’s not his fault that some players have fallen out of form (Jozy Altidore) or been injured (Charlie Davies, Stu Holden) or both (Oguchi Onyewu). And it’s not his fault guys like Chris Wondolowski, MLS’s reigning Golden Boot winner, miss sitters from six yards out. But it is his fault that the 23 players picked for this roster aren’t good enough.

The player pool is incomprehensibly shallower than it was this time last year. In a country of 300 million, losing one or two guys shouldn’t wreak havoc on the national team. But when you play favorites by saying everyone must play for their club team to be considered, and then call in your son who made two appearances for Aston Villa or Gooch who was playing left back in Holland you prove yourself to be a hypocrite.

There may note be significantly better options out there, but I’d rather see what Omar Gonzalez at 100% can do than Gooch at 75% (though we may be seeing the new Gooch at 100%). Or call in Brad Davis, who is admittedly a bit long in the tooth, but is leading MLS in assists rather than the baffling inclusion of Robbie Rogers.

Another issue is motivation with Bob. His teams continually come out flat in both halves and it’s looking like he’s lost the team. When you see Panama go to the locker room up 2-0 fighting with each other while the U.S. trudges in with their heads hanging, that’s a good indicator. It was to the point at halftime of the Spain blow out that I was wondering how many guys were envious of Brad Guzan bowing out of this tournament to get married. Many questioned El Guzano’s desire, but maybe after playing for Bradley at Chivas USA and with the U.S. national team he knew more than everyone else did.

It seems obvious that the end has to be near for Bradley. There were whispers prior to the tournament that he would be fired if he didn’t win. Or if he didn’t make the final. It depended on who was doing the whispering. Now, after becoming the first coach ever to lose in the group stage of the Gold Cup, those whispers should be growing louder.

It was fitting that the game was in Tampa where there’s a pirate ship. Sunil should have made Bob do the post-game presser from there, and then walk the plank. And Sunil should have been walking right behind Bradley.

Turning The Page

2011-05-13T12:58:00.002-05:00

Thanks for everything, Gary.

I wanted to blog about the sudden retirement of Gary Williams last week, but honestly I was all over the map on how I felt. Adding in the coaching search that was changing every five minutes and there was no way I thought I could manage a coherent blog. (Cue Bushman asking: “When are they ever coherent?”)

Now I’ve had a week to process Gary moving from the end of the bench to the end of the bar permanently. All the while watching Kevin Anderson bumble his way into a very solid hire, making things are a bit calmer in College Park (Garyland, RIP).

First, on Gary, the one thing I was happiest about during his retirement presser was the new President of the University, Dr. Loh, pointing out how much he did for the entire University, not just on the basketball court. In addition to creating scholarships, Gary leading the ’02 to the national championship raised the number of applicants immensely. As a result, requirements to be admitted skyrocketed to the point that less than a decade after I barely considered a safety school when applying to UMD, there was no way I would have been admitted.

But obviously it was on the court that Gary had his most impact. You surely know the story of him coming from Ohio State not knowing the full extent of sanctions that would be handed down a year later only to resurrect the program and take it to a national title in the following decade.

Since ’02 it’s been more downs than ups, and recruiting was at the heart of the matter. I have always been of the opinion that Gary should have the job until he didn’t want it any more, despite the shortcomings over the past few years. I’m glad that’s the way it worked out.

However, that doesn’t mean that I’m completely sad about his leaving. While I loved having him as coach, the Mark Turgeon era should be more successful in the future than Gary’s team would have been. Turgeon will woo AAU kids, otherwise known as the bane of Gary’s existence, and really can recruit just D.C., P.G. County, and Baltimore and be a top 20 team every year.

Turgeon also quickly made fans by taking a shot at Debbie Yow during his introductory presser saying “Gary won’t sabotage Maryland basketball.” Good stuff. I’m looking forward to the Turgeon era much more than the Edsall one at Byrd Stadium. But I’m not sure that’s saying much.

The man responsible for hiring both, Kevin Anderson, has proven he’s in over his head at his current position. Even going back to last year when he botched hiring the men’s lacrosse coach, another important job at this school, he hasn’t shown competence in selecting new coaches. The process has become progressively worse with football and basketball. Not saying we want Debbie Yow back, but things aren’t much better.

Back to Gary, it seemed like he was a Supreme Court Justice waiting out one President until the next could pick his replacement. He didn’t want Yow to have that satisfaction, the one piece she never was able to do in an otherwise successful run as AD. Though her critics, including me, will point out she never hired a coach that won a national title.

With all of that, Gary won.

He beat Yow. He beat the critics (more often than not). He beat Duke plenty of times. He beat more ACC teams than only Dean Smith and Mike Krzyzewski. He beat #1 ranked teams seven times, more than any other active coach. Most importantly, he beat Siena, Wisconsin, Kentucky, UConn, Kansas, and Indiana to win the 2002 National Championship.

So here’s to you, Gary. In other words, go have a beer. Or have 668, one for each win in your storied career.

Other stuff…

- Apparently D.C. picked up 4 points last week. That’s what I read anyway since they weren’t televised on CSN. That gives them 11 points in 9 games. I think last year through 9 games they had -4 points. Pretty sure that was possible considering how awful they were under Onalfo. Looking ahead let me remind you that if this club is still in contention come July – say within 10 points – they will make the playoffs with their second half schedule.

- Speaking of United, they still don’t have a stadium. There, I saved you reading 1500+ words in the Post. That piece could have been written any time in the past three years and it would have been exactly the same. I just hope that Steve Goff, who we generally like around these parts (that is when Bushman is around these parts), didn’t hurt himself lobbing the softballs to Kevin Payne.

- Congrats to Man U and superfan Mark Bushman on winning title #19. With all of the accolades being thrown towards Phil Jackson these days, it serves as a reminder of how myopic American fans can be when it comes to sports outside of North America. Sir Alex Ferguson kills Phil when it comes to managing. What Phil has done is unprecedented, but what Sir Alex has done is that times at least two.

- That leaves the biggest game of the weekend to Liverpool and Spurs. Well, aside from that FA Cup Final I suppose. And really City should walk over Stoke in that one. However, with the return to form in the past few months by the Reds, I’m shocked they might be back in Europe next season. King Kenny rightfully was given the permanent job this week after righting a floundering ship. With Spurs sinking quickly and ‘Pool firing in goals like they’re going out of style – 13 in their past 3 games – this could be over quickly. And that would be just fine with me since I’ll be receiving a free Carlsberg beer for every goal Liverpool scores.

Thanks as always for reading and have a great weekend.

Who's The Best Now?

2011-04-29T11:27:00.005-05:00

Can we all agree the trophy in the middle of the back row is
the result of the best game played by an MLS Team?

Now that the “Biggest Game Ever in MLS history” went over like it was played at Estadio Azteca, can we still say that D.C. United has the biggest win in the league’s brief existence? I say yes.

This isn’t to diminish what was a great run by Real Salt Lake. I was pulling for them as I think 90% of the MLS fans out there were, and probably 99% of those who live outside of Colorado. But missing Kyle Beckerman and a no-show performance from Alvaro Saborio were too much to overcome. As was Humberto Suazo.

RSL never looked as confident as they have in their previous 37-game unbeaten streak in all competitions. Part of that had to be missing their captain, Beckerman. But I’m sure part was also due to the lofty expectations of many pundits placing the crown on the Royals before the game kicked off.

But that’s the thing, you have to win those games.

MLS moved a weekend fixture against Philly to September so they would have extra rest. Rio Tinto Stadium was sold out and rocking. For once, altitude was on the side of the American team. And yet, none of those factors were enough to win the Champions League.

In hindsight, I wonder if RSL would have been better off not having Javi Morales tie the first leg. That would have put more of an attacking onus on the home team, not allowing them to know they just needed a draw. Maybe then Saborio would’ve known he actually needed to do something in the 90 minutes for his team to go to Japan in December.

All in all, it was a great run by Real Salt Lake. It’s unfortunate they won’t be able to replicate it next spring as they didn’t qualify for the 2011-12 version.

Coming back to my initial point, it seemed like many tried to disparage what D.C. United did in 1998 prior to Wednesday’s final. That was the year United won both the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup and the Copa Ineramericana, a now defunct competition that pitted the North and South American winners against one another.

Few talked about the Champions’ Cup, which is now the Champions League, presumably because the Galaxy won two years later and the competition was basically just an 8 team, single legged knockout tournament. Of course RSL had a tougher task going through the group stage and two legged knockout stages. Yet United’s title run helped give credibility to MLS.

Expanding on that credibility, United downed Vasco de Gama in a two legged final. Granted, the Brazilian side allowed their home game to be played in Florida, meaning United didn’t have to play in hostile territory, but it was – and still is – a big win.

Even if RSL won on Wednesday evening, the case can still be made for United’s Copa Interamericana as the biggest win ever for an MLS team. Achieving that height internationally in just the third year of the league, with the best team ever in MLS despite not winning MLS Cup, added more legitimacy to the league than the boost it would have received from Real Salt Lake downing Monterrey in 2011.

However, in this day and age of immediate journalism, like how Christian Ponder is already a bust for the Minnesota Vikings just a day after he was drafted, the media wanted this win to make it out to be bigger than maybe it was. Again, not saying RSL winning CCL would have been a run of the mill victory, but I’m not sure the league needs the bump in legitimacy today as much as it did thirteen years ago.

Other stuff…

- The other big news out of MLS this week was the 10-game suspension to Colorado’s Brian Mullan for his tackle on Seattle’s Steve Zakuani. Again, with today’s immediate journalism, people like Ives Galarcep were calling for a 10-game suspension before Zak was stretchered off the field.

Yes, Mullan’s tackle was awful and was reactionary to what he felt was a foul that went uncalled seconds before. However, the suspension is equivalent to what was handed to Ricardo Clark for kicking Carlos Ruiz four years ago. (Note: I’m not linking to Mullan’s foul because I can’t stomach seeing Zakuani’s leg flop over again.) Mullan, who was a borderline dirty player for years and is someone I’ve been told is lucky hasn’t broken a leg or three before, at least made a play on the ball. Not defending by any measure what Mullan did, but his red mist wasn’t as bad as Clark’s.

I understand Don Garber said in the offseason he will protect players more. So then, Don Commish, why the hypocrisy?

If the goal of the league is to be “protecting the safety of our players” as Garber said, where is the punishment doled out to Jonathan Leathers, who broke David Ferreira’s ankle on a play that didn’t merit a card, and I’m virtually positive didn’t merit a foul?

Or, going back a few weeks, why was there no discipline handed down to David Beckham after he scissored both legs of Josh Wolff? There wasn’t the immediate reaction of red mist that Mullan had and Beckham has shown in the past, but it’s a nasty challenge and if he was a few inches off Wolff would’ve been on the sideline well before Zakuani.

Consistency has to be the key and I’m not sure when the referees will have it. I talked to several officials who had varying views of whether that Beckham tackle was worthy of a red, and this was several days after the fact, not in the heat of the game. There is also no longer a weekly conference call to review plays like this, so I’m not sure how the interpretations will be similar, which they need to be moving forward.

More than the league needed Real Salt Lake to win on Wednesday, MLS needs to sort out these kind of problems on the field. And on this issue, I agree with Phil Schoen. Not all of the blame lays on the shoulders of the officials, much of it needs to rest on those committing the fouls as well.

- Briefly on the Caps and Skins:

Love that the Caps play Tampa. The Lightning are a team they know well. They avoid a no-win situation in Pittsburgh who are without Malkin and Cindy and have the built in excuse. Plus, Philly and Boston can beat the crap outta each other and be banged up for (hopefully) the conference finals.

Also love what the Skins did in the first round. I don’t know much about Kerrigan, but from what I read he’s a good bookend for Orakpo. Plus they picked up an extra second rounder – reversing recent trends – and could conceivably see Torrey Smith and Ryan Mallet be their two picks. That would be a dream scenario I’d think for Shanahan.

Thanks as always for reading and have a good weekend.

Getting Salty

2011-04-08T12:39:00.006-05:00

We really have to root for a team put together by two Dukies?

As much as I loathe heaping praise on a couple of Duke alums, you have to congratulate Garth Lagerwey and Jason Kreis for what they’ve done in turning around Real Salt Lake. They took a team that was as moribund as Toronto is today and have now gone where no MLS team has gone before: the CONCACAF Champions League final (at least in its current setup).

Seriously, anyone remember Nik Besagno going #1 in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft? Here are the guys they could have taken instead of 16-year-old: Brad Guzan, Chad Barrett, Danny O’Rourke, Ugo Ihemelu, Drew Moor, Hunter Freeman, and Michael Parkhurst. Everyone is still contributing to MLS teams or have moved on to Europe. Meanwhile Besagno is plying his trade for the Kitsap Pumas. Yeah, I never heard of them either.

Then there was the whole debacle of leaving Jason Kreis unprotected for Toronto’s expansion draft and having to pay $125k in allocation money to get him back. Makes me wonder how you can retire the jersey of a guy who you left unprotected and only scored 17 goals for you, but that’s another story.

Or the time they traded Nick Rimando to New York, only to have Scott Garlick retire a week later and have to trade to get Rimando back. Maybe this means his jersey will eventually be retired too?

Coming from that level of incompetence to building the strongest roster in MLS is as amazing to me as finding out this guy married Christina Hendricks. Now, instead of those mistakes, they do things like pick up Arturo Alvarez for peanuts and dump Robbie Findley (addition by subtraction). Add in some superior South American scouting in finding Javier Morales, Jamison Olave, Álvaro Saborío, and Paulo Jr. and D.C. fans will want to burn Kevin Payne and Dave Kasper in effigy.

Granted RSL caught a break in not having to face a Mexican team until the finals of the CCL. And really they got a bye in the quarterfinals in facing the newly awful Columbus Crew. But they did win their group that featured Cruz Azul and nearly beat La Máquina at Estadio Azul, which would have been the first win by an MLS side on Mexican soil.

Now they face Monterrey, a side that knocked out Cruz Azul on a last gasp penalty. The Royals do have the advantage of playing the second game at home. However, they’ll have to find a way to not come home trailing by multiple goals like we saw in three of the four UEFA Champions League ties this week.

If Kreis can find a way to come home with a draw or one-goal loss, I’d put good money on them being the first MLS team to go to the FIFA Club World Cup.

Other stuff…

- For as great a story as RSL was on Tuesday night, the USA’s U-20 side was that bad on Wednesday night. Thomas Rongen proved again he’s a guy that can find talent, but underachieves as head coach. He did so when took over for Bruce Arena at D.C. United. He took the U-20s to the quarterfinals in ’07, beating Brazil in the group stage, but lost as heavy favorites to Austria. He underachieved with the same group in ’09, not even advancing out of the group stage. And now he didn’t qualify for the U-20 World Cup for the first time since ’95. If he keeps his job it will show again that Sunil Gulati has no spine. Or if he does, the regression means we won’t even field a team.

- Looking like we’ll have some entertaining UEFA CL semifinals now that we know three of the teams that are advancing. Or, if one of Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Schalke don’t advance, we’re in for one of the most amazing quarterfinal second legs ever. The other tie, Chelsea heading to Old Trafford trailing Man U by a goal, could be one for the ages. It’s the last chance at silverware this season for the Blues and might be the last meaningful game Carlo Ancelotti manages for them. I’m just hoping this site doesn’t update…ever.

- Though United were blown out at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Sunday, I’m not sure how much I read into the 4-1 loss. D.C. are missing a few guys and the altitude obviously affected them as the game wore on. Having said that, Bill Hamid needs to start from now on and Andy Najar needs to step up his game like he apparently did against Philly on Wednesday night. Not expecting a win with Team Donovan coming to town -- he always seems to enjoy playing at RFK -- but after that things should get better as the month winds down. Coming out of April with 10 points would be a good showing.

Back to Najar for a second, I can’t blame the kid for choosing Honduras over the U.S. ad I’m not saying that as a United fan. It’s not like Rossi choosing Italy or Neven Subotić choosing Serbia. Andy would have had to wait at least three years before he would be eligible for us because of the naturalization process. And who knows at that point if Bob Bradley would definitely invite him into camps. Gone are the days of rushing through a David Regis, meaning once again the “turrerists” have won.

- Lastly, two thoughts on UConn winning their third title.

First, how long until this is vacated? Calhoun has to be one of the shadiest coaches out there, and I’m really hoping this secondary investigation lands him in more hot water. The fact that he was suspended for three games next season and not this one -- which really affected the NCAA Championships -- is a joke.

Second, thanks to Butler and UConn for making the MD-Indiana final game from ’02 practically look like an instant classic. I don’t think I’ve ever fallen asleep during a final game before Monday. Even if I hadn’t been out at Opening Day for the first placed Orioles (yeah, I just jinxed them like I did D.C. a few weeks ago) I doubt I would have made it to “One Shining Moment.”

Thanks as always for reading and have a great weekend. Bushman might be back next week since he’ll presumably have a lot more free time on his hands once the government shuts down.

Fooling Around

2011-04-01T11:36:00.006-05:00

While you read this Clint Dempsey will think he was fouled 14 times

I, for once, agree with Bushman that I don’t know where to place these two performances by the USMNT last week. Sure, they tied Argentina and probably deserved a better result against Paraguay, but realistically they deserved a tie and a loss in those two games, flipped from the actual results.

First the positives:

Tim Howard was THE MAN on Saturday night. I said last week the only way the U.S. would get a result is if he “stood on his head” and he did that and then some. He always has that potential in him, it just seems like he can’t always harness the right energy.

The kids were good. Timmy Chandler, Juan Agudelo, and Tim Ream (in that order) showed they will be a part of Brazil ’14 as long as they don’t get in the wrong car. Chandler is the heir apparent to Steve Cherundolo after this summer’s Gold Cup, but he might see some action in the midfield thanks to his versatility. Or maybe earlier if there’s a biopic of Michael Jackson centering on the Thriller era. Agudelo is a good foil to Jozy, but may be the starter if Altidore remains as rusty as the Titanic.

Lastly, Ream should be above Gooch on the depth chart thanks to his passing, but shocking to me was the pace he has in tracking down forwards. Not sure Onyewu can do either as well as the Red Bull sophomore at this point.

Now, the negatives (hate to be a glass half empty guy, but there are more here):

First, as has been the case in the majority of the time under Bradley, this team cannot score in the run of play. Jozy is our best forward in holding the ball up, but he can’t do much else in his current form. Agudelo or even the Boon-burr-ee will offer more speed in a counter attack, but the midfield sits too deep to effectively make that work.

As deep as our central midfielders appear, there’s not one guy who strikes fear into the opponents, especially while Stu Holden is on the mend. Bradley, Jones, and Edu CANNOT play together in either the 4-2-3-1 or the 4-3-2-1. At this point it seems that Jones is the one to partner Bradley, but it sure would be nice to see Jones and Edu together. That won’t happen with Papa ~~Smurf~~ Bradley though. I can’t say those two would be an improvement, but we may never know how they look in a game situation since Michael Bradley is not allowed to come off unless it’s thanks to the referee.

Ream looked good, but he’s not a guy that would start for many top-20 ranked nations at this point. Gooch isn’t done, but let’s say he’s medium well and still on the grill. Jonny Bornstein proved our best left back is Carlos Bocanegra, so thanks for that (JB’s night was a combo of Hejduk’s crossing combined with, well, Bornstein’s marking).

Lastly, from our once superior depth at goalkeeper, the depth in the nets is kiddie pool shallow right now. While that may not matter to this guy, if T-Ho goes down, I’m really not sure who I’d feel comfortable replacing him. It’s to the point that I emailed Bushman yesterday wondering if Bradley would consider calling Brad Friedel to see if he would want to back up Howard. He won’t call and Brad wouldn’t say yes, but that’s fairly sad.

Moving forward, my hope is that the teams we’ll face in the group stage of the Gold Cup didn’t watch Tuesday night and realize they can park the bus for 90 minutes and watch the U.S. be stymied trying to break down the defense. Of course Paraguay, a quarterfinalist last year at the World Cup, is much better than Canada, Panama, and Guadeloupe, but it could make for some ugly soccer to watch.

Other stuff…

- A big round of applause (and not the golf clap variety) to Cobi Jones, Earnie Stewart, and Eddie Pope for being elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame. Three of the classier guys around and hopefully Cobi doesn’t drop his iPod at this ceremony. Anyone else wonder if all three could move right back into the starting XI at this point? Also, congrats to MD native Bruce Murray and Bob Gansler (another extremely classy guy) for going in on the veteran ballot and Builder ballot, respectively.

I still say that they should separate the Hall into National team and MLS/NASL wings. Without that distiction, I’m not sure when guys like Marco Etcheverry or Carlos Valderrama will be elected. Maybe they can do that when there’s an actual building for the HoF again.

- Glad I wrote that piece about United being in first when I had the chance. They were definitely hard done by on both goals, and then the Jakovic red was atrocious. The turf and narrow field didn’t help United’s style of play, but neither did the Revs scoring early and then parking the bus. In many ways it was like watching US-Paraguay a few days early and at a lower level of skill. Like I said last week though, if Olsen can keep them afloat until mid-July this will be a playoff team. That’s a long time though.

- Congrats not only go out to VCU for their amazing run, but also for doing a great job on cashing in on their Final Four appearance. These might be the best college t-shirts I’ve seen in a while: Exhibit A and Exhibit B. Having said that, I’m rooting for Butler to win it all.

- Since you made it this far, here’s one of the funniest things I’ve seen on YouTube in a while. Makes me completely shocked that Schwarzenegger was accused of sexual harassment while Governator.

Thanks as always for reading and have a great weekend.

Random Thoughts...

2011-03-31T07:16:00.006-05:00

No meaning to this picture, it's just that I like making fun of Bradley!

First and foremost, Richmond's home opener this Saturday against Orlando has been moved from 5 pm to 4 pm to accomodate the tipoff of the VCU-Butler game. VERY smart move for the Kickers! Although they have a pretty solid fan base, I bet they would have drawn less than 1,000. Good job by Orlando as well as USL for making the necessary changes.

The U.S.' Interesting Week:

I'm not sure how I feel about the U.S.' two games this past week against Argentina and Paraguay. Some obviously promising new players in Ream, Chandler, and Agudelo, and for their limited time on the field, Lichaj and Jonathan Spector showed they can contribute. Spector has been having a pretty solid year for West Ham and is worthy of a chance to get more playing time with the Nats this summer at Gold Cup. That's important because the schedule has the U.S. playing several games in a short span while flying all over the country to play them. Being able to play these guys against Panama and Guadeloupe and have your starters rested for the elmination rounds will be a key. I seriously don't remember the team having this much depth before, as I personally could be comfortable with 17-18 guys starting for this team right now.

That doesn't necessarily lead to results, as we saw this past week. Jozy Altidore simply needs more playing time SOMEWHERE to shake off the rust. He and Agudelo, through their size and athleticism alone, would cause some sleepless nights for defenders, making them less likely to push up in the attack. The result would be more space for our midfield. If Altidore continues to have issues, is it beyond the realm of possibility for Bradley to move Donovan inside as more of a withdrawn forward behind Agudelo (if he continues his current form)? Give Landon free reign to work his way into spots, and I think he's become a smarter player in the past few years at hiding himself and easier to avoid direct marking. Just a thought.

As for other players, although he played fairly well, I'm getting real tired of the macho bulls*it from Clint Dempsey every time he gets fouled. Dude, you're an attacking player. You're going to get fouled, especially against teams like Paraguay who break up a team's rhythm BY fouling (and 1 yellow card for the number of fouls Tuesday night by the visitors? Nice job ref!). Anyway, don't take every collision or knock personally where you have to get up in the guy's grill. You're not from the streets, dude. Get up, regroup, and get ready for the free kick.

Speaking of free kicks, do we have anybody other than Donovan who takes them? He did well on the kick that resulted in the goal against Argentina Saturday, but by and large, he has problems clearing the 1st defender on set pieces, particularly corners. I remember hearing Bruce Arena talk one time to Claudio Reyna about the importance of clearing that 1st defender, and he said "When that happens, it's a crapshoot in the box."

We saw that on Tuesday, when what was essentially a rugby scrum (how many players were on the ground at one time?) turned into the only goal of the game after a Paraguay corner. And although Jay DeMerit got blamed for the goal, he only left his defender to cover for Dempsey after Clint lost his man (thanks to Walsh for pointing that out as I initially missed it).

Tim Ream was REALLY good Tuesday. Great composure on the ball and some solid passing got him out of some tight situations where Paraguay's high pressure resulted in several turnovers for the hometown team. Onyewu hasn't looked the same since his injury more than a year ago, and though DeMerit's good at getting himself in good positions, his lack of pace kills the team against faster players. Unfortunately, the U.S. frequently finds itself playing against at least 1 or 2 speed demons in games.

Overall, the past week had some promising performances, but there are still some questions. Edu, Bradley, and Jones are all worthy of starting, but not all 3 can be on the field at the same time. Jones was terrible in the 1st half against Argentina but decent in the 2nd against Paraguay; Edu was good in the 2nd against Argentina but poor in the 1st on Tuesday. As for Bradley, well, we know he'll never come off the field unless he's suspended, ejected, or injured, so it's just a matter of which of the former 2 pair up with the letter.

One last thing and I'll shut up about this. No reason for Marcus Hahnemann to be playing in a U.S. jersey. He's done some good stuff and had a nice career, but is he really going to be Howard's backup in 2014? Really need Brad Guzman to step it up over the next few years and be a serviceable replacement, if not someone who can outright push Howard (who was ridiculously good agaisnt the Argies) for playing time.

I'd planned on doing a USL Pro preview this week, but unfortunately I've run out of time. The season really kicks off in full next weekend, so I'll try to get something up before then.

As always, thanks for reading!

We're Number One!

2011-03-25T11:18:00.005-05:00

If only we could play Columbus every week...

At least for this week, D.C. United finds themselves atop the MLS Eastern Conference thanks to goal differential. And that differential should be higher considering the penalty kick given to Columbus was an awful, awful call.

As Bushman said, things are looking good for this year and we might be right with our preseason projections of 3^rd or 4^th at the end of the year. Granted, it’s a stretch to extrapolate from one game against one of the worst teams in the East, but United are a different side this year than the last few. In fact, I’d say that was the best they’ve looked since Christian Gomez was sent to Colorado.

Dax McCarty wasn’t Xavi by any means, but he controls the middle much better. That allows Clyde Simms to sit back and do what he does best, rather than having to be a two-way midfielder which he’s had to thanks to a lack of other options over the past couple of years. I’m betting Simms’s hernia, which has been operated on each of the past two years, is the happiest of anyone at RFK of McCarty’s arrival.

Plus, there’s the Charlie Davies story that appears heading for Hollywood. Joe Ngwenya was who we thought he was, and by that I mean super quick, but with no touch or finishing ability. Once Davies is fit and if he can get that burst of speed back, he and a rejuvenated Josh Wolff will be a tough pairing for any defense in the league to stop. Assuming Wolff can keep this up for more than 90 minutes of course, but he looked spryer than any game I saw him play in Kansas City last year.

As far as the back line, well Perry Kitchen had a couple of rookie moments, but none were like what Chivas suffered through with his former Akron teammate Zarek Valentin. Oh, and you have to wonder if Pat Onstad is having second thoughts about that whole retirement issue for as good as he looked.

After this weekend’s trip to New England, the schedule is fairly brutal through mid-July, aside from trips to Toronto and Portland. However, starting with the Revolution’s trip to RFK, the second half of the season sees almost every game as winnable. If Ben Olsen can keep the team treading water until the dog days of summer, they can get hot in the second half and be right in the playoff mix come October.

Other stuff…

- I’m not sure who Bushman talked to about Stu Holden’s style of play, but I’m not in agreement that he needs to change his style. (Maybe me calling him out will lead to -- gasp -- another Bushman blog!) The de Jong tackle that broke his leg last year was unlucky and I don’t see how Stu does anything differently on that play. This past weekend against Evans he might have been better served not going into that tackle as even if Evans doesn’t go in studs first they’re banging knees pretty badly.

But Holden played in Houston from ’06-’09 without a major injury and MLS is a fairly physical league. Also, I can’t find the stat but I’ve heard during Bolton games that Holden led the EPL in tackles won, which is a large reason for his personal and his team’s success. If he changes to a less physical style, I’m not sure he can stay at that level. Having said all that, it’s really a shame he won’t be available for the Gold Cup. He did give Bob Bradley a bit of a break, as the midfield selection won’t be as tough.

- As for the national team, it seems like the only way the U.S. can get a result Saturday night against Argentina is for Tim Howard to have an out of this world performance like he did against them in ’08. If you’ve read my blogs in the past, you’ll know I’m not expecting that at all. It’s a shame that Michael Bradley will likely start next to Jermaine Jones as the more athletic Mo Edu (who is playing regularly, unlike Bradley) would help shut down the quicker Argie attack, specifically that Messi guy. I hear he’s pretty good. Though it would be the wrong match to continue the Edu as a center back experiment, even if he might be better suited than Gooch at this point.

Up front should be interesting if Bradley sticks with the 4-2-3-1. Clint Dempsey is probably in his best form of his life -- he just became the first American to hit for double-digit goals in the Premier League -- and Landon Donovan just had January off for the first time in a decade. You have to be skeptical about Jozy Altidore leading the charge as the lone forward, but he’s really the best/only option we have right now.

My prediction: Argentina 3, USA 1

- No matter what happens tomorrow night at the new Giants Stadium, it will still be a good weekend. Why? Because Duke got knocked the fuck out. And I think those three pics pretty much sum up a great performance by Arizona.

2011-03-21T06:26:00.008-05:00

We Won't Be Seeing Holden (at right) This Summer Against Mexico For Sure

When I saw the tackle, I leaped out off my couch and said "Oh, no!" I knew Jonny Davis' studs up tackle on Bolton (and, more importantly, U.S.) midfielder Stuart Holden was bad. Holden immediately grabbed his leg and you could see blood coming out of it. I feared it was a compound fracture, as players from both sides motioned to the bench for the trainers to come out. Several players went to check on him, and others walked away. As it turns out, it wasn't a break, but the gash was so deep that it required 26 stitches and some ligament or tendon damage. News this morning from a variety of sources said he will be out six months. So much for the Gold Cup in June.

It's another disappointment for Holden, who has arguably been the most improved U.S. player in the past two years. After missing most of last year's World Cup due to a broken leg suffered in an exhibition against Netherlands just two months before that tournament, Holden will now miss the 2nd most important tournament for the U.S. Most observers also had him figured as an important player in the country's international exhibitions next week against Argentina and Paraguay, as most of us were curious to see just how Bob Bradley planned to use him in the starting 11.

Obviously, the health of the player is most important. He has an unbelievable drive and determination, but hopefully the training staff at Bolton will convince him to take it slow, as this is the 2nd significant injury he's suffered in a year. I spoke with Walsh briefly on Saturday, and we both agree that Holden needs to take some serious thought into toning his intensity on the field down just a peg. While he can still be a hard-nosed, gritty player, and now has added a bit of flair and style to his play, his smaller frame won't be able to take the pounding against the bigger players so prominent in the EPL.

At this rate, he could go the route of John O'Brian, who at one point was on track to be the best midfielder the U.S. has ever produced. But a series of knee, leg, and ankle injuries shortened his career by several years. That would be a real disappointment for a player who is one of the better success stories U.S. soccer has seen in quite some time.

In other news:

Hold onto your hats, DC United fans, you might have a good team. Yes, it's only one game, and it was against what is probably going to be a REALLY bad Columbus squad, but United looked better than they have the past two years in front of a raucous crowd at RFK Saturday night. They dominated the midfield (something they haven't done in about 50 games) thanks to newcomer Dax McCarthy and a rejuvenated Clyde Simms. Perry Kitchen looked a little hesitant at times but has all the makings of a stud defender. Josh Wolff looked as good as he has in years (love the "RFK Leap" Josh. You instantly became a fan favorite with that move), and Charlies Davies? Well, what can you say? Still has a bit of a way to go as far as physical fitness, but you could tell he was mentally ready to go by taking the spot kick and putting United up by two. His emotional post-game interview with Russ Thaler on Comcast was genuine. And as I've heard from multiple sources who cover this team on a regular basis, these guys WANT to play for Ben Olsen. He might not be an X's and O's kind of coach (neither is Bruce Arena), but player management is probably the biggest trait a coach must have to keep the team focused and energized. Looks like he has it.

Oh, and in case you forgot, Walsh and I both campaigned for Olsen to get the job last year even after Kevin Payne said it was only temporary. So how you like us now?

1st MLS Weekend - Some good stuff overall. Plenty of goals, and some larger than expected crowds pushed the average attendance over 20,000 for the week. And remember, that includes an L.A. Galaxy home game where the rain was so bad it probably kept at least 1/3 of the fans away. I expect the overall attendance crowds to stay high once Portland and Vancouver start their home schedules. I even bought the MLS Direct Kick package for the 1st time in 3 years as well, as I expect this to be a big year for the league, and with the debut of the new USL Pro league, a big year for soccer in general in the U.S. and Canada.

EPL - Mixed feelings about United's win. Glad for the 3 points but bummed about Evan's tackle on Holden. I don't think it was a dirty tackle, but one that got a deserved red. Again, though, United fights through the adversity to get the win. This team is as good with 10 as almost every other team that fields 11.

Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan should be thoroughly disgusted with his team's performance yesterday against Chelsea, and deservedly so. How a team trying to earn a spot in the Champions League can turn in such a terrible showing yesterday is baffling. Yes, Tevez was out of the lineup, but is he the only offensive weapon City has? I'm not taking anything away from a Chelsea team that dominated pretty much from start to finish, but at times City couldn't even get the ball past midfield. A 2-0 loss was kind.

And on a final note for the week, so much for VCU not belonging in the NCAA tournament...

MLS Previews (aka Random Guesses)

2011-03-15T09:01:00.009-05:00

So are those glasses of Guinness half full or half empty?
The correct answer: about to be chugged.

Yeah, I know I said these would be done last week and now it’s the day MLS starts -- First Kick in Seattle, can you feel the excitement? -- but at least I’m not the league’s website debuting a brand new fantasy game on the same day. And I guess I can go with the "better late than never" reasoning.

Seriously, it’s great that you can finally have head-to-head match ups in MLS fantasy, but the league starts tonight! Not a surprise really from MajorLeagueSoccerSoccer.com though. Also, if you want to join our MFLS league, check out my last post for details.

With the best holiday of the year just two days away, here’s a look at each team from a positive and negative light followed by predictions by myself and (I hope you’re sitting down) Bushman. Remember on Thursday, no matter if your cup is half full or half empty, as long as it’s Guinness it’s time for a car bomb.

Eastern Conference

Chicago Fire

Glass half full: The defense should be better with Cory Gibbs and Gonzalo Segares for the full year, as well as the expected progression from sophomore keeper Sean Johnson.

Glass half empty: Scoring is still an issue as midfielder Marco Pappa is their most proven scorer. Also not so sure Carlos de los Cobos is the right coach.

Columbus Crew

Glass half full: Chad Marshall and Andy Iro could become the best center back pair in MLS.

Glass half empty: That’s a longshot even if Marshall is healthy and the offensive keys have been handed to Eddie Gaven and Robbie Rogers. At least they still have Buck-a-Brat night.

D.C. United

Glass half full: Olsen’s a better hire than Onalfo was last year. The offense has help from the midfield -- Dax McCarty appears to be a phenomenal pickup -- and they have their best scorer since Luciano Emilio 1.0 if Charlie Davies is back to 80% of his pre-injured self.

Glass half empty: Once Pat Onstad hangs up the cleats again, who leads a young defense? Can Kevin Payne not meddle too much and instead focus on getting a stadium?

Houston Dynamo

Glass half full: Dom Kinnear can work wonders and a healthy Geoff Cameron will bolster a weakened midfield. Oh, and they’re in the East this year.

Glass half empty: There looks to be a lot of pressure on rookie Will Bruin to carry the scoring load as Ching is a bit long in the tooth to be a solid #1 option. Plus, Tally Hall has some big gloves to fill in goal, and he’s named Tally Hall.

Sporting Kansas City

Glass half full: Omar Bravo has the pedigree to be a quality DP in this league and help bring along this guy. And, umm, that new stadium should be pretty sweet. The name isn’t great, but it’s a hell of a lot better than this team.

Glass half empty: Though Conrad was declining, I’m not sure who fills his shoes defensively and I’m still not sold on Peter Vermes as a coach.

New England Revolution

Glass half full: A healthy Matt Reis helps out tremendously in the back, as does the maturation of Kevin Alston. Should Shalrie Joseph play with a chip on his shoulder, the Revs can make the playoffs.

Glass half empty: The back line is very green with upside and it’s tough to go against what Nicol has done in the draft in the past, but I’m not sure the offense can score enough unless they finally sign a DP striker.

New York Red Bulls

Glass half full: Rafa Marquez moving to the back line solidifies its defense. With Thierry Henry for the full year leading the attack, they should win the conference going away.

Glass half empty: They need Agudelo to mature next to Henry with Angel gone, but Dane Richards is a quality fill in as well. Plus, Bouna Coundoul can’t inspire the utmost confidence in Red Bull fans.

Philadelphia Union

Glass half full: Peter Nowak has built upon an expansion year that almost saw them into the playoffs. Sebastian Le Toux could have won the MVP and now they add Carlos Ruiz while bringing in Faryd Mondragon from FC Köln, significantly upgrading their goalkeeper.

Glass half empty: There are still plenty of youngsters to depend on with the likes of Jack McInerney, Danny Mwanga, and Roger Torres likely having big roles offensively. Plus the defense still features Danny Califf.

Toronto FC

Glass half full: It seems like the rebuilding process is in place as they are looking long term and not to try and fix everything in one year. And crowds at BMO Field should see a lot of scoring.

Glass half empty: But who will do the scoring for the home side? New adviser Jürgen Klinsmann? Obviously Dwayne De Rosario can, and maybe the new regime will reignite his fire.

Western Conference

Chivas USA

Glass half full: With Jimmy Conrad and Heath Pearce, the Goats have the self-proclaimed best looking defense as Robin Fraser builds from the back.

Glass half empty: Much like most of the teams who are struggling, scoring is the issue for Chivas. Alejandro Moreno seems past his sell by date and Justin Braun will have to stay healthy and improve upon his 9G, 3A effort last year.

Colorado Rapids

Glass half full: Why wouldn’t it be coming off their first ever MLS Cup and all the main pieces still in place. Ty Marshall is nice depth at center back and Sanna Nyassi is the same up front and out wide.

Glass half empty: Well, the team wasn’t great during the regular season, coming in 5^th out West. Not sure about their overall depth with more games to manage this year.

FC Dallas

Glass half full: Dallas made MLS Cup and return reigning MVP David Ferreira. Brek Shea and George John look to anchor a solid defense in front of Kevin Hartman who should have won ‘keeper of the year last year.

Glass half empty: Scoring is a question mark and Dallas saw quite a bit of turnover, unlike Colorado. However, Hyndman seems to know what he’s doing so he and gets a pass for now.

Los Angeles Galaxy

Glass half full: So you lose Edson Buddle and get JPAngel. It’s like Leo DiCaprio going from Gisele to Bar Refaeli. The defense is deeper. And oh yeah, they have that Landon Donovan guy.

Glass half empty: Angel is a good replacement if he can stay healthy. He faded down the stretch, though that may have been due to knowing he was on his way out of NY. If any other coach than Arena was dealing with Beckham’s antics, they would be a bigger issue.

Portland Timbers

Glass half full: The team brings a multitude of players up from it’s USL-2 side which certainly helped Seattle’s adjustment to MLS. Plus, Kenny Cooper returns and could have a quality partner in rookie Darlington Nagbe.

Glass half empty: The defense looks rather porous and if Troy Perkins doesn’t regain his mojo, the only bright spot for Timbers supporters will be their great ad campaign.

Real Salt Lake

Glass half full: Robbie Findley is gone. If you want more, they added Arturo Alvarez to bolster the depth of the midfield. Things are looking bright for RSL.

Glass half empty: Jason Kreis has to find a way to balance the playing time in three major competitions. Javi Morales slowly declined last year and needs to revert to his ’09 form.

San Jose Earthquakes

Glass half full: Though he’s 28, Chris Wondolowski is the next big thing in MLS. The young central defense in front of scrappy Jon Busch should keep them in games as well.

Glass half empty: Wondo is their offense. Gone are Alvarez and Geovanni and in their place are Andre Luiz and Stephen Lenhart. Color me skeptical.

Seattle Sounders

Glass half full: With Jhon Kennedy Hurtado healthy, the defense “adds” arguably the best defender in the league. Alvaro Fernandez needs to settle into his role on the right to balance out the midfield from Zakuani and if so the offense will be top notch.

Glass half empty: If Keller were to go down in his last year things will be tough for the Sounders. They aren’t likely to compete for MLS Cup, but should solidly be in the playoffs. And, at least for the first year, rule the Pacific Northwest.

Vancouver Whitecaps

Glass half full: Striker Eric Hassli once scored 21 times in 34 games for Zurich and is the first DP for the second Canadian side. With vets Joe Cannon and Jay DeMerit, the defense should be humorous on Twitter, if not decent on the field.

Glass half empty: Unlike Portland, Vancouver are starting from scratch making for a tough initial year. Plus, it pisses me off there’s now another team referred to as “the Caps.”

Walsh’s Projected Standings

East

1. New York

2. Philadelphia

3. D.C. United

4. Houston

5. New England

6. Chicago

7. Kansas City

8. Columbus

9. Toronto FC

West

1. Los Angeles

2. Colorado

3. FC Dallas

4. Real Salt Lake

5. Seattle

6. San Jose

7. Chivas USA

8. Portland

9. Vancouver

Bushman’s Projected Standings

(Yes, he is still alive!)

East

1. New York

2. Houston

3. Philadelphia

4. D.C. United

5. New England

6. Chicago

7. Columbus

8. Toronto FC

9. Kansas City

West

1. Real Salt Lake

2. Los Angeles

3. FC Dallas

4. Colorado

5. Seattle

6. San Jose

7. Chivas USA

8. Portland

9. Vancouver

Award Predictions

MVP

Bushman: Landon Donovan

Walsh: Thierry Henry

Coach of the Year

Bushman: Ben Olsen

Walsh: Peter Nowak

Golden Boot

Bushman: Conor Casey

Walsh: Carlos Ruiz (only to be different than my MVP)

Comeback Player of the Year

Bushman: Charlie Davies

Walsh: ~~Chris Klein~~ Geoff Cameron

MLS Cup

Bushman: L.A. Galaxy (in Beckham’s swan song) over New York

Walsh: New York over Dallas

Thanks for reading and enjoy the new season!

Is This Thing On?

2011-03-08T12:15:00.004-05:00

Has this guy scored since we last blogged?

So it’s been a while since either Bushman or I blogged. We had our normal winter break, but didn’t even bother doing a year-end wrap up. There were some personal reasons for me, but I think for the two of us we just wanted a break. And after the U.S. didn’t pay enough for the rights to host the World Cup in 2022, I think that was a nice point for us to step away.

However, now we’re just a week away from MLS First Kick. I’ll be back later this week to give some predictions and maybe a pair of blogs by me will remind Bushman that he can write too. Doubtful, but there’s always a chance.

With more MLS focused stuff later this week, I’ll use this to touch on other things that have been going on in the past three plus months. Oh, we have a group to join if you want to play MFLS (fantasy MLS) this season, so start working on your teams now as you have unlimited trades until the season starts one hour before next week’s opener. Just join and you’ll beat Bushman.

League Name: Total 90 Headgear
Password: my2cents

• Over in England it seems like we’re going to have one of the better title races in a few years. Man U were running away with things as little as two weeks ago, but consecutive losses, including the 3-1 beat down at Anfield on Sunday morning, have brought that train to a screeching halt. Truth be told, United weren’t great during their extended unbeaten run to start the season, but they were better than an average top group of teams. The only question I have is whether or not Arsenal can stay healthy enough over the next three months to keep their push going. It is amusing to me that the ever youthful Gunners can never stay healthy.

• Like Man U, Maryland basketball went in the shitter over the past couple of weeks. Since the first VTech loss -- at home and never in it -- I’ve felt like this team was NIT bound and that they were better suited for that tourney. They proved to be the quintessential “beat the teams we should beat, lose to the teams we should lose to” team until the losses at Miami and at home on Senior Day to Virginia. Going one and out in the NCAAs wouldn’t do as much for the future as making a bit of a run in the NIT. Let the young kids play since it didn’t look like Tucker or Bowie wanted to play on Senior Day anyway, and let them learn how to win some games they aren’t favored in. With a core of Stoglin, Howard, and Williams coming back next year I could see them contending in the ACC. It would just be nice if Gary could find a way to give Sean Mosley’s last year of eligibility to Dino Gregory.

• Back to footy, anyone else agree that the Galaxy would have just been better off selling Beckham to Spurs this offseason? He was late to preseason training because his “teammates weren’t up to par yet” (paraphrasing). Or so he could hang out in London for an extra week or two. Now the latest news is he’s going to Prince William’s wedding on Friday, April 29 when the Gals play away to Dallas two days later. With Dallas looking to be a playoff team again, that’s not a game in which you want one of your three highest paid players fighting major jetlag and perhaps still nursing a hangover. At this point, Becks isn’t the draw he once was -- if I’m going to the see the Galaxy I’m going to see Donovan more than the tatted up Brit -- and I suppose you have to trust Arena on this call, but if I were the Gals I think I would’ve rather gotten some money back for a guy who is making your team his second priority at best rather than losing him on a free transfer after this season is done.

• Is anyone else not fully convinced that Bruce Boudreau is the right man for the job? Yes, the Caps are playing better defensively and blocking more shots than they did last year. I know that Boudreau won the Calder Cup, but I’m not sure he’s up to winning the Stanley Cup. I hope I’m wrong because I like the guy and he’s entertaining, but if the Caps don’t make a run this spring I think a change will need to be made.

I wrote the above prior to last night’s game in Tampa, a nice win in OT. I’m not fully convinced, but if Semin keeps up his current form and as long as Backstrom isn’t too banged up you can see this team taking first in the East.

• For some fun, here’s my predictions for who makes the quarterfinals for the Champions League:

Today
Barcelona beats Arsenal 3-1, advance 4-3 on aggregate
Donetsk ties Roma 1-1, advance 4-3 on aggregate

Wednesday
Spurs beat Milan 2-1, advance 3-2 on aggregate
Schalke ties Valencia 1-1, advances 2-2 on away goals

Tuesday, March 15
Bayern beat Inter 1-0, advance 2-0 on aggregate
Manchester United beat Marseille 3-1, advance 3-1 on aggregate

Wednesday, March 16
Chelsea beat Copenhagen 3-0, advance 5-0 on aggregate
Madrid beat Lyon 1-0, advance 2-1 on aggregate

• And finally, to get you ready for MLS, here’s a pep talk from none other than Vinne Jones. Audio very much not safe for work.

Changing My Tune...

2010-12-03T09:16:00.010-05:00

Non-Contact sport my ass...

When Qatar was announced yesterday as the hosts of the 2022 World Cup, and the United States was embarrassingly left out in the cold, my first words to Walsh were "I'm done."

At the time, I meant it. I still think, and many of you agree, that Qatar BOUGHT the votes needed to be awarded the Cup. In the words of immortal wrestler Ted "The Million Dollar Man" DiBiase "Everyone's got a price." Qatar just figured out how much that number was and was able to get to enough FIFA representatives and "persuade" them to vote to put the first Cup in a middle-eastern country.

That's fine; a country smaller than Connecticut, a country who doesn't recognize the state of Israel, a country ranked 111th in the world in soccer, with no real domestic league, averages 120 degrees in the summer, and a country that is not exactly kind to its women is the perfect place to host the world's more popular sporting event.

As friend of the blog Dave Lifton said to me yesterday, "If FIFA really wanted to change the world through soccer, they would have awarded Qatar the Women's World Cup."

Well played, my friend.

But that's in the past. Nothing can be done about it now, and the U.S. can lick its wounds and hopefully try again in 2026. Fortunately, there will be a little more pessimism for soccer fans in this country as we've now seen just how sketchy the selection process is.

But I've said enough about that. Let the real experts like Grant Wahl tackle FIFA.

As I said at the beginning, after the awards were made, I decided I was going to take a break from the sport for a bit. My spirit was broken and I was disgusted with the whole thing, which does not exclude one Sunil Gulati, who has once again been at the helm of another in a series of debacles and embarrassments for U.S. Soccer.

So, last evening, on my facebook page, I had my status as "After today, I'm taking a break from soccer."

What I failed to realize is that this presented an opportunity for my "friends" to jump on the bandwagon (like so many other anti-soccer journalists yesterday who took the occasion to bash the sport once again) and insult the sport, the players, and me. That's okay; my friends always bash me. I'm a big boy and dish it out as well, so I've learned to take it.

But the comments like "So you've decided to man up," "Did your other nut drop," and another pontificating about how hockey and football are such tougher sports, kind of woke me up and made realize why I can't, and won't, turn my back on this sport.

I realize I'm not going to say anything that hasn't already been written, but I would like to emphasize what happens in these other "tougher" sports.

Football - Wide Receivers dive on practically every play in the hopes of drawing a pass interference call. Quarterbacks and kickers routinely exaggerate any type of contact, also looking for a penalty. While the linemen, running backs, and linebackers legitimately knock the snot out of each other on every play, don't tell me football isn't without its share of wimps.

Basketball - How many times in a game do you see players flop whenever someone near them swats at the ball? Good lord, watch how many times a player drives the lane, and the slightest bit of contact makes the defender drop like a bag of wet cement looking for the charge (I'm looking at YOU, Duke). How is that manly?

Hockey - Actually not much I can say here. These guys are brutal and legit psychos to willingly lose their teeth and brain cells on a nightly basis. But remember, this is also a sport notorious for cheap shots and doing what it takes to get the other team's star player out of the game. Not sure how macho it is to swing your stick at a guy's face, or trip him from behind and watch his head smack off the ice.

Baseball - Where the hell do I start here? This is a game that is BASED on cheating. From pitchers doctoring the ball to the fact that nearly every single hitting record broken in the last 20 years should be marked with an asterisk because of the "steroid era," baseball is the single worst example of dishonesty in the world of sports.

Is soccer perfect? No way. There are legitimate cheaters and divers who will do anything to draw a card, foul, or something to get an opposing player kicked out. But most, if not all, soccer fans universally chastise them for this garbage. For every Cristiano Ronaldo, there is a Pele (ok, not that I'm saying they are as good as Pele, obviously, but you get my point).

You want faking injuries? Take a look at the horrific injuries suffered by Eduardo da Silva a few years back at Arsenal, Abby Wambach last year for the U.S., Preston Burpo's nauseating leg break for New England, Brian McBride's numerous head and facial injuries (shown in the picture above), or, in what Brian Straus called "the most disgusting thing I've ever seen," DC United's Hristo Stoichkov shattered the leg of a college player so badly (in an exhibition game, mind you), that new DC United coach Ben Olsen actually vomited on the field. The player's career was not only over, but the injury will hinder him for the rest of his life. It was bad that Straus actually called me FROM THE FIELD to tell me about it. I've not included the links to these injuries, but you can find them easily on the Internet if you look for them.

I guess what I've noticed most from the folks who bash the sport is this; they've never actually played it. It's the typical attitude of "I don't know it, and I can't do it, so I'll mock it," that is so pervasive today. I've never played golf, tennis, or raced a car, but I've never assaulted them and said they weren't "real sports," or "real athletes," although there is no person to person contact with them (the occasional fight between NASCAR drivers is entertaining, though).

So, my soccer haters, yes, I'm still bummed about the U.S. getting shunned by those crooked bastards at FIFA. However, I'm now excited to wake up tomorrow and watch Chelsea vs. Everton on ESPN, and I have all of you to thank for it.

I look forward to agitating you by defending the sport, and I look forward to hearing the same old weak-ass arguments about your despise of it.

Until next time...

For All The Wrong Reasons

2010-12-02T14:01:00.002-05:00

Do I hear $1 billion for the rights to World Cup 2022?

Congratulations Russia. At least the stink of the oil money can be ignored a bit because your national team is on the rise. Hell, Russia played some of the best soccer at Euro ’08 and it was disappointing they weren’t at South Africa 2010. By taking the World Cup there in 2018, they not only stage the first Cup in Eastern Europe, but FIFA can say that it’s a first time host that is progressing as a soccer nation. Even if there is the allegations of using oil money clouding the win.

But Qatar? Really, FIFA? Why not just say they won with $$ votes and not the 12 necessary for a majority?

According to Steve Davis, “Qatar is the size of Ohio in square miles. Population-wise, it’s the size of Philadelphia or Phoenix.” They’re also a nation that has never advanced to the World Cup finals, have made the quarterfinals just once in the Asian Cup Finals, and they are currently ranked 113^th in the FIFA rankings.

When the World Cup was brought to the U.S. it was largely understood that we would have to qualify for Italia ’90 for that to happen. We did, and to date USA ‘94 was still the most profitable and best-attended (on average per game as the field increased for France ’98) World Cup ever.

Now the Cup is going to a nation that fields this guy. Maybe Qatar ’22 will advance soccer there to the point they can use both feet.

So, FIFA is predicting the extremely volatile Middle East will be peaceful in 12 years time. I can’t buy that Qatar’s bid was that much better than the others. The fact that the bidding was a mere formality (Qatar was one vote shy of winning in the first round) makes it more apparent the choices were made for the wrong reasons. Also, the fact that South Korea had more votes and Japan had as many votes as the U.S. after one round meant we never really had a chance. As those two countries hosted the Cup jointly eight years ago while the U.S. staged the event 16 years ago, the voting is mind-boggling to me.

I suppose there is the chance that Qatar’s national team could grow exponentially in the next twelve years. But the chance of the economy collapsing and the natural gas money that will build the amazing, air-conditioned, and maybe floating stadiums disappearing is just as likely, if not more so. Imagine if during the bidding for Brazil ’14 there was an outstanding bid from the United Arab Emirates centered on Dubai. And they won. Now with their current financial situation, the prospects of completing construction of stadiums would be in question, even more so than the run up to South Africa 2010. Let’s not forget that Brazil ’14 are facing some difficulties of their own as well.

Also in question is the alcohol consumption allowed for the World Cup. Recently, Qatar has been tightening restrictions in an attempt to get young people to stop drinking. Now, you have a month-long party sponsored by Budweiser coming to town. They claim they will ease the alcohol restrictions, but Qatar are surely hoping the Irish and the Scots don’t qualify.

What I see as the more likely scenario is that Sepp Blatter et al knew this was their last time to go through the bidding process. That meant it was their last time to accept any bribe money was now. Hence the unprecedented dual bidding process, or twice as many chances to have handshake deals.

My hope is this: Blatter et al got their money. A new, younger, less-corrupt regime will take over FIFA by the time of Russia ’18 following more exposés like the recent ones by the BBC. In that time either Qatar’s economy will collapse or the health risks of playing a tournament where the temperatures can reach over 115ºF will become more apparent and the “new” FIFA will decide to move to tournament to the U.S.

Of course with that scenario, FIFA will just move the tournament to China and screw us again. Either way, I just hope FIFA makes sure the U.S. is in Group A.

On a lighter note, here are some amusing Tweets from earlier today:

Bill Simmons: Qatar needs to thank its special consultant for the 2022 WC bid: Cam Newton's father.

YanksAreComing: To clarifyt, the good news about Russia winning is that Sarah Palin can watch #worldcup2018 from her house. Unless she invades Saudi Arabia.

Kyle Martino: Having the Would Cup in Qatar would at least show us what playing soccer on the sun would look like.

Jimmy Conrad: Word On The Street: FIFA Is Considering Bermuda, Greenland, And Malta As Hosts For The 2026 World Cup.

Fake Klinsmann: Qatar? Good lord! If you guys are sick of me pining for the US job every 4 years, now you won't have to worry about me wanting the 2022 job.

Alecko Eskandarian: Armenia for the 2026 World Cup!!! Best way to qualify is to host. Genius move Qatar! Going thru 2 yrs worth of qualifiers is so overrated...

-Pat Walsh

New Look Isn’t Much Different

2010-12-01T11:12:00.001-05:00

It may be a while 'til things are all smiles for Ben Olsen

As Bushman brought up yesterday, D.C. United have a “new” head coach. The quotes are used as interim head coach Ben Olsen, who had no chance of having the interim tag removed a month ago, had the interim tag removed. I suppose Kevin Payne just got caught up in talking like most politicians in the city he shares with our national government.

For the second straight offseason, I feel that most United fans -- and I am very much in this category -- are not happy with the coaching hire made by Payne. It’s nothing against Olsen, who I think could be a good coach under the right circumstances. However, with the meddling Payne and Dave Kasper picking the guys he has to send out every Saturday night, there’s little chance to succeed.

Back in May I blogged on this site and laid out how bad the signings have been since the last MLS Cup was won in ’04. It’s amusing that the blog is titled “Is This Rock Bottom?” Of course the answer was a resounding no.

I also ended the blog saying: “D.C. may have to write off the 2010 season. But with the right moves, there will be hope for 2011 and beyond. That is as long as Will Chang can bring in better people than those signed by Dave Kasper and Kevin Payne.” Chang didn’t make any changes and with those two still around, I don’t see any hope for 2011 or the future after that.

Rumor has it that several people wouldn’t talk to United about their open position, which likely has to do with the process last offseason and the way in which Curt Onalfo was fired this season. And really, can you blame a Robin Frasier, Colin Clarke, or any other potential candidate for turning the job down?

With Onalfo still on the books for the next two years surely salary was an issue even though Payne denied that claim at Monday’s presser. Though what else would he really say? Also, a new coach would have Olsen as an assistant meaning he couldn’t pick his own staff. That didn’t matter much to Hans Backe who inherited Richie Williams, but Richie’s a lot further along in his coaching career than Olsen. Top all of that off with Payne and Kasper looking over your shoulder and the job is less than ideal.

That last reason also surely played into the eventual hiring of Olsen. Once again this is a “United guy,” or someone that Payne feels he can control to a certain extent. However, unlike Onalfo, Olsen enters the job as a beloved member of United by the fans. And that’s where this was in some ways a brilliant hire by Payne.

As much as fans like myself want to see Payne and Kasper be fired, for that to happen the club needs to fail. And apparently last year’s record setting (in the negative way) season was not bad enough. However, for the team to fail now, Olsen also has to fail.

How many fans, if any, can root for that?

It’s a conundrum, for sure. Yet with the current roster it seems likely that Olsen will struggle in his first full season.

Help could be on the way in a “veteran defensive player” and a “leader in the back” as Jimmy Conrad is available in the re-entry draft; Conrad may be long in the tooth, but he and Olsen were teammates at Germany ’06 and he would stabilize a backline and locker room in desperate need of a leader. Ethan White, a defender who came through United’s academy and is currently helping the Terps towards their third NCAA title in six years, can be signed and also bolster the back line.

Beyond that, there should be a talented player available with the 3^rd overall pick in the MLS Superdraft in January. Hopefully the 2009 draft results were a turning point and not an anomaly from a decade spent picking players who barely contributed or trading away picks for players who barely contributed. Last year’s draft was back towards the norm as the first round pick was used to acquire Troy Perkins and the second had been sent to Colorado for Christian Gomez in ’09.

To add to the miserable signings in the post I linked to above, consider this: since Kevin Payne returned to run the team in ’04 only two draft picks -- Chris Pontius and Brandon Barklage, both from the ’09 draft -- are still on the team. That’s two from 24 picks! Like Bushman said about the Colts yesterday, poor drafting can kill you. A few are the result of contract disputes as Luis Robles and Jay Needham never came to terms with MLS’s low ball offers and several have been traded away, but overall it’s been an awful run.

Back to Olsen, let’s not hope he trends in the same direction as the hires made by Payne since his return. By all accounts Peter Nowak was a great hire. Following him with his right hand man, Tom Soehn, seemed like a logical move, but the team slowly regressed under Soehn. That isn’t necessarily a reflection on Soehn as we all know he didn’t have the talent at his disposal that Nowak had. Following that was Onalfo, who became the first United coach fired in mid-season.

I think we all want Ben Olsen to succeed. For him to do so, though, will depend on how long it takes Will Chang to realize his real problem is his President & CEO (Payne) and his General Manager (Kasper). Until that happens don’t expect any more silverware added to the trophy case.

Hopefully that’s the last of beating a dead horse for a while. There’s some other stuff I have but I’ll save it until Friday when we can hopefully discuss where in the U.S. the 2022 World Cup will be staged and not be looking for hotel rooms in Qatar.

- Pat Walsh

2010-11-30T08:12:00.007-05:00

Really Peyton, it's not ALL your fault...

So in order to shut Walsh up this week, I finally came up with enough material to write something on this once-peaceful site. This should get me through until sometime next year...

1. Trouble in Indy? Well, yes, I think there's no doubt that there is. Lots of injuries for sure, but several other teams are dealing with the same issue and faring ok. don't get me wrong, the Colts are still a pretty decent football team, but were it not for Carson Palmer forgetting what team he was supposed to throw to a few weeks back, Indy would be on a 4-game slide. Manning has looked like Clark Kent as opposed to his normal Superman, throwing some godawful interceptions and putting the team in some bad spots. Granted, some of it has come from pressure, but he's normally more composed in the pocket. No running game isn't helping him either. And speaking of that, Donald Brown is useless, and is yet another #1 pick the team has drafted who has contributed nothing. Anthony Gonzalez can't stay healthy, Brown is...well, Brown, and this year's DE Jerry Hughes, who was supposed to spell Freeney and Mathis, can't even get on the field. They've done fine with the middle round picks to fill holes and be role players, but your #1 picks need to be studs. In the past 3 years, they're 0 for 3. I still think they win the Division (which is the only way they get into the playoffs this year), but I don't see them doing any damage. The bottom line is that the window for success on this current team is closing. Next year might be the last before a major overhaul is needed. Which is maybe why contract extensions for Manning have slowed considerably (that last nugget comes from Walsh, so I can't take credit for it)...

2. Women's World Cup Draw - I think the U.S. got a fairly decent draw with North Korea, Colombia, and Sweden. North Korea has been strong recently, but how will they do when confronted by totally new surroundings halfway around the world? Colombia is an emerging team but not quite there yet. Sweden is 4th in the world but I'm a bit skeptical of that ranking. The U.S. SHOULD get out of the group and make it to at least the quarterfinals. How interesting though that most experts (and I'm not considered one of them , shockingly) don't have it as a given that this team will be in the Final? After a stunning loss to Mexico, and not overwhelming an average Italian team, I have my doubts they'll get there. I know everyone is saying it was a rare loss for the girls in qualifying, but let's be honest; this team hasn't dominated and struck fear in their opponents in quite some time. I remember a certain player for the U.S. (won't reveal her name, but it rhymes with "Loudy") said once that they knew they already had a mental edge over their opponent before the game started because they were so good and the other team was afraid to play them. That edge is gone as the rest of the world is catching up. Will it take an early-round elimination to force the U.S. to confront their issues? Probably, as U.S. Soccer has a history of being reactive rather than being proactive.

3. Ben Olsen as the DC United Head Coach - Not gonna steal Walsh's thunder as he made a GREAT observation yesterday about this hire, but in my own opinion, I'll bet there were several snickers across the league yesterday with this announcement. It is in NO WAY disrespect for Olsen, whom most observers believe will make a good coach and can get his players motivated (see the final third of United's games in 2010). But after months of saying he would only be the interim coach, why would the DC United front office suddenly do a 180? Maybe because they couldn't find someone who would be nothing but the coach, while Payne and Kasper continue to screw up a once-proud franchise with poor personnel decisions and pissing off what was once the best fanbase in MLS. Any coach probably (and SHOULD) have a say in personnel. I don't think Olsen will have much of one, and that's probably why "Vinny and Dan" (my new nickname for them) decided to hire him for the full-time gig. Just another in a long series of questionable decisions made by a front office that isn't held accountable for anything they do.

4. Real Madrid vs. Barcelona - A bitchslap of the highest order. Even Mourinho's legendary in-game adjustments couldn't stop the onslaught from who is clearly once again the class of La Liga. Enough said about that.

5. Twitter page - The Fredericksburg Hotspurs PDL and Fredericksburg Impact of the W-League has its own twitter account. Look us up at fasasoccer and follow us as we post announcements as our teams are put together, schedules are released, and lots of other tidbits are revealed.

6. PDL and W-League alignments - Although we cannot release the schedules just yet, we can reveal who is in our respective divisions for 2011.

PDL - South Atlantic Division

Fredericksburg Hotspurs

Northern Virginia Royals

Hampton Roads Piranhas

West Virginia Chaos

Real Maryland FC

Carolina Dynamo

W-League - Atlantic Division

Fredericksburg Impact

Northern Virginia Majestics

Hampton Roads Piranhas

Charlotte Lady Eagles

Atlanta Silverbacks

Dayton Dutch Lions

And one last thing; one of my soccer buddies who commutes to DC with me went with his gut on Friday and dropped Berbatov from his fantasy team...oops!

That's all for now. Hopefully this shuts Walsh up for a week or so...

Showdown In Hogtown

2010-11-19T12:03:00.004-05:00

I can't be the only one who's sad Rapidman won't be around for this, right?

For those of you worried that the last blog title was an ender to My 2 Cents, don’t. Bushman’s been gallivanting around the country (again), hence why he hasn’t written anything lately. Sure, he takes time off, but this hiatus is long even by his standards. Plus, there really hasn’t been much to write about aside from the MLS Playoffs. Considering I was 0-4 in picking the conference semifinals, well let’s just say you wouldn’t believe me if I told you I expected Dallas and Colorado to win.

But that’s where we are. One of them will win their first MLS Cup. Though John Harkes wants you to believe so, it’s not quite on par with the Netherlands facing Spain in the World Cup final earlier this season. But it will be the third straight year we have a first time winner, which may or may not be good for the league. I wonder if New York can continue that trend next year, which would be good for the league.

Though the game doesn’t have the name cachet of LA-NY, this should be a pretty entertaining affair. As long as there isn’t a sudden blizzard in Toronto, that is. David Ferreira against Pablo Mastroeni and Jeff Larentowicz in the midfield will be intriguing. Kevin Hartman trying to keep another clean sheet against Omar Cummings and Conor Casey may be impossible, but I wouldn’t put any money on the ‘Pids scoring.

Part of me wants to see Colorado win so Brian Mullan, one of the more underrated players in MLS’s history, would get his 5^th ring. That would tie him with Jeff Agoos for the most in league history. However, I just can’t see this Dallas side losing, especially if Schellas Hyndman has his leather coat on. Assuming they do, I’m certainly looking forward to Daniel Hernandez lifting MLS Cup, and then putting it in his trash bag that serves as his luggage.

My Prediction: Dallas 2, Colorado 0

And I’m not just predicting that here, but over on JimmyConrad.com too.

Other stuff…

- Speaking of Jimmy Conrad, he’s no longer a defender for the Kansas City Wizards. He probably won’t be one for the rebranded team either, but he was there modeling the new Sporting Kansas City shirt with Omar Bravo. I agree with friend of the blog Craig Stouffer that if you spend $180 million on a new stadium, you can name the team whatever the hell you want. Yes, the “Sporting” is a European name that generally referred to more than just soccer. But in the grand scheme of things, don’t we have a hell of a lot more pressing matters when it comes to the state of soccer in this country than the name of one of the teams?

- On that note, maybe the future for the National team scoring goals isn’t so bleak after all. If you’re reading this, by now you’ve probably seen Juan Agudelo’s late game-winner in South Africa. Just as important as the finish -- which I believe is the first goal scored in the run of play for the U.S. since Donovan’s last second goal against Algeria -- was Mikkel Diskerud’s fancy set up. And you have to love a guy that goes by “Mix.” The combined age on that play is 37. Maybe Bob Bradley has turned over a new leaf after all.

That will only be proven if that was the last 45 minutes Robbie Findley ever plays in a U.S. shirt. At one point, Findley received a ball just over midfield, turned and sprayed a pass out wide. Not surprisingly it didn’t find anyone except for the South African coach who promptly showed better skills than our starting forward. And that’s Findley in a nutshell.

Tim Ream also had a solid showing in his debut. Wasn’t perfect, but the skills are there. You have to wonder how long he’ll be in New York. Eric Lichaj will be good when he eventually replaces Steve Cherundolo, though it would be nice for him to get some more games with Villa. Seeing Brian Carroll and Logan Pause in the center of midfield wasn’t inspiring, but showed again just how deep we are at that position as they have at least four guys ahead of them, and that’s not counting Bradley’s illegitimate child Ricardo Clark.

Lastly, how close are we to seeing Brad Guzan overtaking Tim Howard? T-Ho has been slipping at Everton to the point fans are wondering if he should be benched. Guzan needs more games and I’d love to see him either go on loan or be transferred. As friend of the blog Kevin Kozel told me the other day, right now he’s Aaron Rodgers to Brad Friedel’s Brett Favre. And we don’t need to see Friedel’s dong. With El Guzano’s recent form for the national team, I wouldn’t be that upset seeing him start in the Gold Cup next summer.

- It’s been a pretty good fall for the University of Maryland. Football is bowl eligible and even though there’s another year of the Ralph Friedgen on the horizon, worse things could happen. Field hockey may well win another title. The women’s soccer team was competitive for the first time since Shannon Higgins-Cirovski stepped down; unfortunately the team was hit with the flu before their game against Georgetown and they went out on penalties. Women’s hoops looks on their way back up. Gary’s got a good new group who will be a tough out come March as long as they can start hitting a few free throws.

And then there’s the men’s soccer team. It’s a shame they’re on Akron’s side of the bracket, because that would have been a good final. Obviously that’s getting ahead of things, but the Terps have a good draw. First up is Penn on Sunday at 5, likely followed by Penn State a week later. That’s assuming PSU gets by Old Dominion, who knocked out Virginia (the only thing better than UVa coming to Ludwig for their third 2-0 loss in under a month). Then Sasho Cirovski would be three wins away from his third title in six years. Which would be followed by plenty of people claiming D.C. United should hire him (which won’t happen).

That’s all for this week. Thanks for reading and Bushman says Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas since he won’t blog before either holiday.

- Pat Walsh

Peace Out

2010-11-05T09:38:00.002-05:00

Ahh, the good ol' days...

After last night’s debacle at Red Bull Arena, you’re probably expecting a typical piece from a blog featuring to D.C. United fans giving New York “the Nelson.” But there’s only so much grief you can heap on the beleaguered club. It’s just fitting that Thierry Henry missed a wide open header in the dying minutes when he easily could have knocked it down with his hand and scored.

Instead, with so many players retiring this year, the My 2 Cents duo thought we’d pay tribute the only way we know how. These are humorous interactions we’ve had with these players at some point in our respective careers.

Mike Petke

Bushman: After another DC loss under Rongen, I went in to talk with him. Usually talked to him after games so he knew me. He was obviously pissed off and I asked him to talk about the game - “Dude, I am so tired of f*ckin' losing...wait, are we on live television?”

Walsh: When Petke was in DC he was a regular on Munk and the Mick. On one of his numerous call-ins, during our random question segment at the end we asked him “What celebrity, alive or dead, would you want to make a comeback?” Typical answers were Jim Belushi or Chris Farley. Petke, however, went with Florence Henderson because he apparently had a thing for Mrs. Brady. Easily the weirdest answer we ever heard.

Taylor Twellman

Walsh: Sad to see the former Terp succumb to concussions earlier this week. But for all the glowing praise being heaped on the former Revs striker, he was a dick to the media. Prior to the 2002 MLS All Star game, I talked to him at training, asking him about being back in the area of his old college days. Twellman though, didn’t want to talk and tried his best to walk away as everyone else that day was more than willing to chat for several minutes, even answering ridiculous questions (like Alexi Lalas saying his favorite Slurpee flavor is Mountain Dew).

Alecko Eskandarian (he's not officially, but why not?)

Bushman: After a game early in his career, we went into the locker room and he was conducting an interview with no shirt. It was obvious that he waxed his chest. When someone asked him why he does that, his response was “Dude, if I didn't, I'd look like I was wearing a sweater.”

Walsh: Like Petke, Esky was a regular on Munk and the Mick. There were probably funnier answers, but one that I remember came from when he was playing in Toronto. We asked him what pickup lines he used in the Great White North and his answer was “I’m from Jersey.” Granted this was before the Jersey Shore was on MTV, but he claimed it worked.

Eddie Lewis

Walsh: Neither of us ever talked to the longtime USA vet. So the memory that sticks out comes from early in his career it seemed like anytime he was on camera, he was blowing snot rockets. So “Snot Rocket” became his nickname on Munk and the Mick. Classy, I know.

Chris Klein

Bushman: Talked to him after he scored the winning goal for the U.S. against New Zealand in Richmond. On-camera interview was about 4 minutes. Afterward, he shook my hand and said “I've never been on camera that long before...did I sound okay?”

Jaime Moreno (We already both wrote about him, but we can do one more)

Bushman: Marco Etcheverry repeatedly interrupted my first on-camera interview with him. Etch kept tapping me on the shoulder to get me to turn around, and then went behind Jaime to give him rabbit ears or make faces at the camera.

Walsh: After one multi-goal game Jaime couldn’t make it back to his locker before the media swarmed around him. Seconds later Ben Olsen also exited the shower area, saw the congregation, and promptly pulled off his towel and started whipping it around his head why chanting “JAIME MORENO!!!” while skipping to his locker naked (except for his sweater of chest hair).

Brian McBride

Bushman: I had just gotten back from FAO Schwartz toy store in New York City, and they had a life-sized Lego built of McBride. I took a picture and showed it to him a few weeks later. I said, “Dude, you are REALLY yellow...” He responded with “I didn't know they were gonna make me the same color as Homer Simpson.”

Walsh: After the friendly against England in ’05 at the new Soldier Field, my co-host Kevin and I were lost in the bowels of the stadium. We saw McBride with his family and figured they would know how to get out, which they did. The entire elevator ride we left him alone as his two daughters climbed all over him, not caring he just went 82 minutes. He nodded his thanks for not asking any questions as the doors opened and we all filed out. One of the classiest guys I ever talked to.

C.J. Brown

Walsh: Neither of us talked to him. The only thing that jumps to mind about the longtime Fire defender is Christian Gomez spitting in his face.

Clint Mathis

Bushman: We had him on Dyson's radio show right when his career was really taking off, and Randy Ruff called him “Clint the Cowboy.” As far as we're concerned, we're the first ones who called him that because he said “I like the sound of it...” I still have a copy of that show. So everyone else who called him that thereafter obviously ripped it off from us!

Walsh: After playing Holland at the new Gillette Stadium prior to Japan/South Korea ’02, the Dutch security guard was being fairly strict. Josh Wolff came out to see his girlfriend/wife and went to go back to the locker room to get something, but Mr. Tough Guy wasn’t having it. Wolff even said “I just played you guys,” but dude didn’t budge. As Wolff got angrier, here came Mathis to get his Georgia boy’s back. I thought there was going to be a fight before Mathis’s mom stepped in and calmed things down.

Steve Ralston

Bushman: Funniest moment in my career... Saw him at MLS Cup 2001 in RFK. We were walking through the VIP section on the field and saw several players and executives. Saw Ralston and asked if he wanted to chat for a minute. He didn't notice the camera despite the microphone (guess he thought it was just a really big radio mike), and throughout the 1st half of the interview he kept sipping his beer while I was asking questions. He finally noticed Luis filming and he just stopped talking and tried to hide the beer behind his back, but you could still see it. He was mortified and, like Petke, asked “Please tell me we weren't live.” Told him no, and made sure Luis blurred out the beer can when editing the final version. Saw him a few times after that and he always remembered me for some reason.

Steve Taylor

Walsh: The perennial “Assistant Referee of the Year” on Munk and the Mick, an award we gave well before MLS started handing it out, is hanging up his flag this season. For his sake I’ll pass on numerous nights I’ve gone out with him after games. However, prior to MLS Cup 2007 at RFK, he had several extra tickets. As he sold the last one, he accidentally gave his ticket away. Fortunately he had his MLS Referee badge with him and was able to get in that way. Then he promptly went to the beer stand where he and my dad knew the vendor and drank for free.

Hope you enjoyed the stories. We’ll be back next week as we look forward more of our picks being wrong this weekend.

He's Not Coming Back

2010-10-28T10:15:00.004-05:00

Vaya con Dios, Brah.

I wanted to get a post up before the MLS Cup playoffs start this evening to not give me any added advantage in picking over Bushman. And by that I mean I want the playing field to be level when we both miss picks.

But before that, I want to pay tribute to the man that has been the face of D.C. United: Jaime Moreno. There aren’t many players in any sport where you mention a team and their face automatically appears, let alone just a first name. Locally Cal does that with the Orioles. Ovechkin is doing that for the Caps, but you know him as Ovie and not Alex. But when you say the Wizards or the Redskins, too many names come to mind to settle on one person. The Nationals lose too because it’s not Stephen Strasberg’s face, but his elbow that painfully comes to mind.

On top of that, Jaime is as good of person off the field as he has been on. He fortunately left as the all-time leading goal scorer in MLS thanks to one final penalty kick. But much like Donovan for the national team, he gets too much crap for the number of penalties he scores. For one, it’s not like free throws and also he did so much more in helping the team win. He’s the only 100-100 guy in MLS and, unlike Cal Ripken, never had a rumor started about why the lights mysteriously when out during a game at home. (RFK lights can do that just fine by themselves, thank you very much.)

I could go on, but enough has been written elsewhere about the Bolivian’s prolific career. I’m just sad that Jaime didn’t bleach his hair blonde one last time. Here’s hoping if you do spend one more year in MLS it’s more productive than the year you spent on the MetroStars roster, and then were at 75% of United’s home games thanks to a bad back.

Other stuff…

- I thought 2010 was the year of change in D.C. Ted Leonsis was finally able to buy the Wizards. Vinny “Yes Man” Cerrato finally let the door hit him on the way out. Kevin Payne and Dave Kasper finally had to pay for their signings, trades, and drafting that made United the worst team by far in MLS and arguably the worst ever in the league’s history.

Wait, what? Payne and Kasper are coming back? Oh, it must be because they finally have a stadium ready to break ground. Oh, right, that’s not happening. So then it must be, umm, the compromising pictures of Will Chang? Maybe Don Garber? Yeah, that’s probably it.

Seriously, the two guys who put together the worst offensive team in MLS history and hired a coach that few thought would improve the team -- and then fired that coach mid-season with two and a half years left on his contract -- are being retained? They weren’t much better, but at least Toronto fans know that Trader Mo won’t be wrecking their franchise any longer. And for those citing Red Bull as a team who were dreadful last year and MLS Cup contenders this year, you’re kidding yourselves. The overhaul in the front office that led to Hans Backe being hired won’t happen at RFK. Until it does, WeWinTrophies.com might as well be sold to Real Salt Lake. Though I think we’d all prefer to the Caps.

- MLS award nominations came out yesterday and it seems criminal that Landon Donovan isn’t one of the three finalists for MVP. Though Edson Buddle was on fire early in the year, you have to feel like even Robbie Findley would have finished in double-digit goals on the Galaxy. Not Danny Allsopp or Pablo Hernandez though. The “valuable” part is always argumentative, whether it’s actually best or most important, but for both qualifications I’d say Donovan pips Buddle for that honor this year. Chris Wondolowski seems like he’s getting a decent amount of support on Twitter, but I hope it’s David Ferreira of the three who wins the award. It will be interesting if Andy Najar can put a bit of a positive spin on United’s season and follow in his interim head coach’s boots and win Rookie of the Year.

- On to my playoff predictions…

Colorado vs. Columbus

Starting with the worst series, ESPN has to be thrilled this is their first matchup. Pablo Mastroeni has had a rejuvenated season in the midfield for the Rapids, but GBSchelotto looked lively last weekend. As long as he isn’t foolishly benched, like he was last year in the playoffs, the Crew march on. Chad Marshall against Conor Casey will be a good matchup of American players who are good league players, but just aren’t good enough for the international level.

Prediction: Columbus 3-1

New York vs. San Jose

ESPN can be happier with this second leg and not having to show both games of the previous series. I’m expecting Red Bull to play defensively at Buck Shaw for the scoreless draw setting up a one-off to advance. If that’s the case and Henry is healthy for the second leg, I don’t see this one being much of a match. Geovanni has been influential as a playmaker, but I don’t see him getting the best of Rafa Marquez and Red Bull’s back line. That puts an even heavier burden on Wondolowski’s shoulders and if I’m choosing between Wondo and Angel, I’m going with the former MLS MVP.

Prediction: New York 2-0

Los Angeles vs. Seattle

Has there ever been a tougher series for a Supporters’ Shield winner? Maybe, but I’m not looking it up so I’m saying no. Heading to Qwest Field on Halloween is no easy task for the Gals, even if they want to rid themselves of the ghosts from last year’s MLS Cup. Bruce Arena’s boys seem to have been in cruise control the past month and I’m not sure they turn the switch for these games. Should they do so, their gear might not be high enough for a quick Sounders team on turf, a big advantage over a relatively slow defense for L.A. If given the choice, Arena would probably want this first leg at home more than any other higher seed as I see Seattle winning by a pair at Qwest and holding on in a dogfight of a second leg. November will also be the last month Fredy Montero wears Seattle green.

Prediction: Seattle 4-3

Real Salt Lake vs. Dallas

Some may say the L.A.-Seattle series is the best, but for my money I’d rather watch this one. Two of the top playmakers in FDC’s David Ferreira and RSL’s Javier Morales are featured. If Daniel Hernandez were healthy for Dallas it would be an interesting pair of midfield battles with Hernandez-Morales and Beckerman-Ferreira. As a result, RSL has an advantage at every position. Nick Rimando should win ‘keeper of the year slightly over Dallas’s Hartman, who would improve his side’s chances if he suited up. RSL’s defense is even sounder than last year, though Jeff Cunningham can carve up any backline when he’s on his game. The battle of coaches may be the deciding factor as Kreis tried to match Hyndman’s formation in their last trip to Pizza Hut Park and if failed miserably. Instead the former Dallas Burn striker will have RSL play their game, which is what good teams should do, anyway. Unless Dallas can post a big win in the first leg, which they won’t, RSL easily goes through. Also, if Dallas were in the East they are in MLS Cup without much problem.

Prediction: Real Salt Lake 3-1

Bushman and I differ on just the LA-Seattle series so my advice is a three series parlay on Dallas, Colorado, and San Jose. Then send half the winnings to us for Bushman’s upcoming birthday.

Thanks for reading. Enjoy the first leg of the playoffs and happy Halloween.

- Pat Walsh

Did Ya Miss Me?

2010-10-25T07:18:00.008-05:00

I fully deserve the shots Walsh has thrown at me over the past few weeks. This whole "real job" thing is working me to death. But, for you fans who eat up every word I say, I made a vow this weekend to actually put something up that I hope is relatively coherent... Lots of things to get to, so let's get rolling.

MLS:

1. DC United's season is mercifully over. The worst season in the team's history ended with another loss, a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Toronto. Jaime Moreno gets a goal in his final DC appearance. Anybody notice the irony that it was from the penalty spot? Regardless, farewell to Moreno and his fabulous career. If he isn't the best player in MLS history, he's at least in the top 3. So where does DC go from here? And, as Walsh accurately pointed out to me last week, they don't even have the #1 pick because of the expansion teams, who have numbers 1 and 2. Just keeps getting better, doesn't it?

2. L.A. Galaxy win the Supporters' Shield - They struggled down the stretch, which could mean trouble against a good Seattle team in the 1st round of the playoffs. However, Bruce Arena is one of the best postseason coaches in MLS history, so I fully expect him to have his boys ready to play.

3. Columbus loses Will Hesmer - A broken shoulder in a collision with Danny Califf (maybe the dirtiest player in the history of MLS, and yes, I know about Dema Kovalenko and Danny Pena) really hurts the Crew. This is still a very good team, but how quickly can they regroup after a big loss? And do they trust Andy Gruenebaum in goal?

4. MLS Playoff Predictions -

Let's see how poorly I do with this (remember, I'm the one who said DC United would finish 3rd in the Eastern Conference back in April). I just hope teams score some goals in the playoffs. Historically, the games are really defensive and low-scoring. And I think this might be the most evenly matched group of playoff teams ever. All 4 of the lower seeds could legitimately beat the higher seeds, and none of them would be stunning upsets.

Columbus Crew vs. Colorado - As I mentioned above, the Crew will miss Hesmer, but I think they enough talent to get past a very good Rapids squad. Schelotto is the glue for the Crew, it looks like Eddie Gavin and Robbie Rogers might be ready to fulfill their potential, and never underestimate the playoff experience and grit of defensive midfielder Brian Carroll. The Rapids counter with arguably the league's best 1-2 punch in Omar Cummings and Conor Casey, but I'm not sold the defense will hold up over 180 minutes. Colorado needs to make this a track meet of a series, and I'm not sure the Crew will allow it.

Columbus wins 3-2 on aggregate

FC Dallas vs. Real Salt Lake - I said a little more than a month ago that it would be a crime for these two to meet in the 1st round, because both teams are good enough to win the whole thing and 1 will be out in just 2 weeks. Dallas' run through the last half of the season is one of the most impressive in recent memory, and they have been playing ridiculous defense. Can relative youngsters Brek Shea and Dax McCarty step up in their game in the playoffs? The defending champions in Salt Lake City were almost as consistent as Dallas in the 2nd half of the season and almost overtook L.A. for the Supporter's Shield. Jason Kreis has turned out to be a great coach (more imagination that Bob Bradley? Just askin'...) and will have the team ready to go. Nick Rimando has played lights out this season, and Alvaro Saborio can light up the scoreboard. Kyle Beckerman and Javier Morales will make the difference and lead this team into the next round in a low-scoring series. Overtime might even be necessary to decide it.

Real Salt Lake wins 2-1 on aggregate

New York Red Bulls vs. San Jose Earthquakes - On paper, Red Bulls should win this series easily. Angel, Marquez, and Henry resemble the legendary DC United "Magic Triangle," but they haven't won anything yet. Dane Richards and Tim Ream lead a solid supporting cast. San Jose has the best player you've never heard of in Golden Boot winner Chris Wondolowski. After a terrible season last year and the rough start to this one, people wondered if Frank Yallop would last the season as the man in charge. Now, he should be in the running for Coach of the Year. This is another interesting series that could be decided late.

The guess here...(gulp): New York winning 3-2 on aggregate

L.A. Galaxy vs. Seattle Sounders FC - The final of the 4 compelling and largely equal playoff series. L.A. won the Supporter's Shield but face a Seattle team that will open the playoffs in front of 35,000 screaming fans. Can't think of a tougher opening road game for any team in any major U.S. sport. L.A. has arguably the best player in the history of MLS in Landon Donovan, a fully fit David Beckham, and as I mentioned previously, has Bruce Arena as coach, and the underestimated Dave Sarachan as the "X's and O's" guy. Seattle counters with their own great head coach in Sigi Schmidt, the legendary Kasey Keller in goal, and the explosiveSteve Zakuani. The addition of Swiss international Blaise Nkufo took a little time to work itself out, but he seems to have found his role on the squad and will be dangerous to L.A.'s back 4. I think this could be the highest scoring matchup of the 1st round.

L.A. wins 4-3 on aggregate

Guess we'll just have to see how I did in 2 weeks.

In other quick news and notes:

1. How badly do Florida fans wish Cam Newton had stayed there? Can't blame him, though. He was too good to be stuck behind Tebow and waste another year of eligibility.

2. If you're down by a score and have the ball with 2 minutes left, there are about 15 NFL QB's I trust with the ball in their hands over Brett Favre right now. And how pissed was Brad Childress last night in the postgame press conference?

3. In a local note, Jen Woodie is going to be the W-League Coach for the expansion Fredericksburg Impact in the 2011 season. Jenn has a ton of experience and credibility for the job, and the people outside of the organization I talked to have all said she is the perfect hire for the team.

4. Don't care for baseball, but a San Francisco/Texas World Series is perfect. No Yanks or Phillies this year. Although the suits at Fox have got to be upset that their ratings will more than likely suck.

Can't think of anything else, so I'll sign off with that. Thanks as always for reading, and we'll see you soon!

Looking Back In Anger

2010-10-15T11:48:00.003-05:00

Four more years? Ugh...

The positive from the two friendlies the U.S. played in the past week was that Bob Bradley was willing to do some tinkering with the lineup he sent out against Poland and Colombia. However, those selections panned out about as well as D.C. United hiring Curt Onalfo.

Last week I was hopeful Bradley would move away from the standard “empty bucket” 4-4-2 we’ve seen time and again with the national team. He did so, but in two games there were three decidedly different formations. Against Poland he used a 4-2-3-1 to some effect, and then against Poland it was a 4-3-3 that was really a 4-5-1 in the first half followed by the old 4-4-2 in the second half. Of the three, the 4-4-2 was probably the most effective because that’s what the players were used to running under Bradley.

The issue I have with the change in formation was trying two new formations in the two games. Not only did it not give much game time to allow the players to try it out, there surely wasn’t as much time in training to allow everyone to become comfortable with their roles. You could easily see that in the second game where Mo Edu, Jermaine Jones, and Michael Bradley were out of sorts in the three man midfield and Brek Shea (why is a rookie at this level trying out a new formation?) and Stu Holden never pushed high enough. The 4-2-3-1 at times looked like a 4-4-2 after Altidore’s early goal, but it was tough to tell on TV. Again there the wings didn’t push high enough, though I do like the interplay of Cherundolo and Holden on that right side. The left was abysmal with Bocanegra’s lack of pace not allowing him to get forward and Feilhaber tending to tuck inside like he is wont to do.

For me (as I summon my inner Harkes) trying a pair of new formations in these games would be like trying to learn two different languages at the same time; sure you’ll get pieces like “hello” and “I want a beer” down, but you won’t be conversational in either. Fortunately neither opponent was very strong in these games. Against a stronger opponent or when we get into qualifying these “broken language” types of performances won’t cut it.

Speaking of performances, since the Cup the U.S. is now 0-1-2 in its three games. Two games we were shut out, two games we’ve conceded two goals, and three games have finished with me being angry. Much like in 2002 there were positive feelings to build upon following a relatively successful World Cup. However, with the re-hiring of Bradley and the poor showings, they have killed that momentum. And unlike every other country there’s no heat on Bradley of course.

The positive to come from these two games is that Jermaine Jones is a beast. He set up Jozy’s goal in the first game with a pass that only Landon Donovan might have seen. Granted Jozy’s missed first touch allowed him to score, but that’s beside the point. As a result of the German-American’s performance the “what if?” scenario came up in regards to how far we would have gone if he was fit and playing instead of Rico Clark. I say we’re in the semifinals with a win over both Ghana and Uruguay.

Going forward with the trio of Edu, Bradley, and Jones it will be interesting to see how playing time breaks down. It’s doubtful we’ll see them all again in midfield as they proved to be three of the same player. That’d be great if it was three Xavis or Messis, not so much that they’re three Makaleles. And Edu shouldn’t play on the backline at this level. He was fine against Poland, but since he plays as a holding midfielder for Rangers the only time he’d play back there would be maybe 10 times a year and that won’t leave him comfortable enough to be effective. It would be interesting to see Jones and Edu paired together, but I doubt that happens unless Bradley is hurt.

So to sum up, Bradley 2.0 is off to a worse start than the end of Bradley 1.0. With time I can see one of these formations improving the team. However, the Gold Cup is coming up next summer and qualifying starting shortly thereafter so I’m not sure Bradley will have enough time to implement one of the two. Thus, I’m expecting to see the Yanks back in the “empty bucket” come this time next year.

Other stuff…

- For more a more in depth look at the tactics go read Steve Davis and Greg Seltzer. Overall the press has been mostly in a “glass half full” type of mood. I’m not surprised they aren’t terribly critical as they typically aren’t, but I just don’t see how Bradley figures it all out even when he has his full compliment of guys. The 4-2-3-1 with Landon on a wing is our best bet, but Bob will still screw it up with Edu next to Gooch, neither of whom should be back there at this point.

- It appears that Liverpool has been sold to the guys that own the Red Sox. Good for the Reds, but I’m not sure an influx of cash in January will help this season. I do think this will put them back to mid-table rather than the relegation zone though. That is as long as they don’t keep losing players to injury. Which is as likely as Bushman blogging or watching D.C. United.

- The U.S. officially withdrew from trying to host the World Cup in 2018 this morning. I’ve written before we had no chance with FIFA wanting to go back to a European nation after being in Africa and South America for two straight Cups. Seems like some good backroom work too as I’d expect CONCACAF to back England in exchange for England’s support for 2022.

That’ll wrap things up for this week. Thanks as always for reading. Bushman might be back writing next week. Probably won’t be on Monday though as he’ll have to be up late Sunday rooting for both of his beloved Colts and Redskins. Those are the things that happen when you’re a sports bigamist.

- Pat Walsh

F U UEFA

2010-10-08T12:05:00.003-05:00

Oui. I'm slowly getting as bad as Sepp.

I know I said last week I’d be back and be more positive this week. However, I have a bone to pick with UEFA and figured I’d give “My 2 Cents” on the matter since I suck at Picking The Perp.

Qualifying for Euro 2012 this time around is taking place on Fridays and the following Wednesday. Honestly, it makes sense as teams get an extra day of rest between the games. But that screws us here in the U.S. in trying to watch games. Seriously, what are we supposed to watch on Saturday mornings on these international dates? Don’t tell me anything that involved Lee Corso either.

Checking out the weekly TV listings (courtesy of Steve Goff) most of the games are only on ESPN3.com and not regular TV so you can’t even record a game to watch Saturday mornings. I’m sure the games are on across the pond and they won’t screw up ratings much over there, but for us Americans it kinda sucks.

Not surprisingly, I blame the French. Namely Michel Platini. Merci, morceau de merde.

Other stuff…

- For the rebuild (again) of D.C. United next season, there are a couple of options they could snag from other MLS teams. Both Jimmy Conrad and Juan Pablo Angel will be done with their current contracts and are unlikely to return to their current clubs.

United’s defense hasn’t been terrible this year and Conrad is in the late stages of his career, but both would benefit from the addition. Conrad could use a breath of fresh air from a new club and United could use his veteran leadership on the back line, something they’ve lacked since Ryan Nelsen went to England. I just doubt that United will pay the money Conrad will want in his final contract for a guy who hasn’t been up to his own lofty standards.

As for Angel, who would be one of the few to switch sides in the I-95 rivalry, he would be a huge addition to a stagnant offense. I’m not sure that the Colombian would want to leave MLS, and there are several teams who could use a striker of his caliber. But I doubt he would want to return to playing on Turf, which rules out New England. Again, this is a long shot as JPA would require DP money; however, that would be money wisely invested on a proven player in this league and not another flier on a South American who may or may not make it. With this club’s history of Designated Players, Angel would up the batting average to one-for-four. It may be too early to call Branko Bošković a bust, but the Serbian has no goals and no assists in 669 minutes of action this season. Seems like a bust to me.

Of course all of this depends on who will coach the Black-and-Red next season. I’m sure Kevin Payne and company will screw up that choice, as well as any new acquisitions. And they’ll still be around in 2012. Man it’s tough rooting for United these days.

- As if United’s season wasn’t bad enough, now Jaime Moreno isn’t going to be able to leave the league as its all-time leading goal scorer. I texted a couple of people that it was appropriate that Jeff Cunningham tied Moreno’s record of 132 goals from the penalty spot, given how many PKs the Bolivian has converted. But seeing Cunningham, a guy who has bounced around more than a superball, tie the record is a kick in the balls for the United faithful.

On Monday Bushman gave props to Christopher Sullivan for dismissing any thought that Cunningham is the league’s greatest striker. It’s not even a question, really. In fact, I’d also put Jason Kreis, Ante Razov, and Taylor Twellman all ahead of Cunningham. And arguably Angel and Carlos Ruiz too. Plus, when all is said and done, if you consider Landon Donovan a striker then he will leave as the greatest ever in MLS. There’s something to be said of Cunningham’s longevity and amazing fro, but “greatest striker” isn’t one of those things.

Of course as I’m about to put this up, Senor Goff blogs that Jaime might start this weekend. Coincidence? I think not.

- St. Louis is a great story this year in the NFL. Sam Bradford has them 2-2 in a winnable NFC West. Granted, the 49ers should get their first win this week against Kevin “Kheckdown” Kolb and be right back in the mix. But is anyone else thinking Bradford won’t finish the game this weekend? The knock on him coming out of college was that he was an injury concern and I’m not sure how many big hits he’s taken this year. That will change this weekend when the best player in the draft, Ndamukong Suh, along with Kyle Vanden Bosch will tear up a line that’s given up 10 sacks in four games. Suh should have some extra motivation facing the team that passed him over to take their franchise QB. As a result, we could have an A.J. Feely sighting in Detroit Sunday afternoon.

- Since you love this blog so much, go here and vote for No Idea. It may turn into a 2-hour open bar. Vote and you’re invited.

- The Caps open their season tonight. I’d talk bad of Morath for not writing a preview, but my bet is he did and Bushman was just too lazy to put it up. At least tonight I won’t be sitting in a Penguins bar listening to people cheer Cindy Crosby and ordering IC Light.

Thanks as always for reading and Let’s Go Caps!

- Pat Walsh

What A Wonderful World...

2010-10-04T09:33:00.005-05:00

To Quote Mr. Roarke from Fantasy Island, "Smiles, everyone...Smiles!"

This is my favorite time of year for sports. There's so much going on right now it's almost impossible to keep up with...but darned if I don't at least try, much to my wife's disgust. She has basically been the total sports widow the past few weeks, and it doesn't help that we bought a new widescreen high-def tv so I can watch said sports. And I assure you I did plenty of it this weekend. I'll give you the rundown of my observations from multiple sports.

First, thanks to the Red Zone from the NFL Network (greatest channel ever, and it's not even close), I was able to watch large chunks of every game yesterday. My thoughts on each game.

Jaguars over Colts - When you let a team like Jacksonville score 31 on you, Indy, you have some serious issues to address on defense. I'm not sold on Jim Caldwell as the coach of this team.

Ravens over Steelers - Looks like Baltimore's offense is coming together. Pittsburgh doesn't usually give up points late at home.

Redskins over Eagles - Is it just me or does every Redskins game seem to be decided by the last possession?

Chargers over Cardinals - Arizona might have the worst QB situation in the NFL.

Browns over Bengals -I went against T.O. in my fantasy league. Oh, well. And when was the last time a featured NFL RB was white? Just sayin...

Texans over Raiders - Maybe Arian Foster should be benched for the 1st quarter in every game?

Jets over Bills - Tomlinson, playing with a chip on his shoulder, shows he still has plenty left in the tank.

Broncos over Titans - Kyle Orton is playing as well as any QB in the league right now.

Saints over Panthers - New Orleans is missing too many playmakers right now to score a lot of points.

Falcons over 49ers - I don't care what Jimmy Johnson said on the Fox postgame where the NFC West is so weak, nobody is out of it. San Francisco is 0-4. Trust me, they're out of it.

Rams over Seahawks - Well look who might be the most improved team in football?

Giants over Bears - Jay Cutler was sacked 9 times in the first half last night. No that is not a misprint.

Packers over Lions - Green Bay hasn't been nearly as dominant as most experts (myself included) predicted.

MLS -

1. I've said it a few times now, as has Walsh; DC United needs to take a serious look at Ben Olsen for Head Coach in 2011. He doesn't know everything, but he can learn on the job and get better. It's not like DC will be an instant contender next year anyway. The need to rebuild...again.

2. L.A. seems to be getting back into form. The problem is, Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas have been in form for the past 3 months. Oh, and what a SICK goal from Beckham last night against the Goats.

3. When did Dwayne DeRosario become an a-hole? I've known the guy for 10 years and I've never seen him act like this.

4. Nice job Christopher Sullivan, when asked Saturday on FSC if Jeff Cunningham is the greatest MLS striker as he tied Jaime Moreno's mark Saturday night. "No, Jaime Moreno has accomplished more and was a more complete player."

5. For the first time in years, I'm looking forward to the U.S. Open Cup Final. Should be a raucous crowd in Seattle for it, which will give it the feel of a meaningful match, not just an "oh, by the way" midweek game all-too familiar to the tournament the past several years.

College FB

1. I'm a Florida Gator fan. I hate it when they lose, but I can't be too upset about their crushing defeat Saturday evening. Alabama is the best team in the Nation, and I don't even think it's close. They passed their biggest road test against Arkansas last week, and committed a felony beatdown of Florida Saturday. The road to the National Championship will once again go through Tuscaloosa...God I hate Nick Saban.

2. LSU is the luckiest team in the country. They had no business winning against Tennessee on Saturday. How do you have 30 seconds to run a play from the 2 and DON'T GET ONE OFF? Horrible clock management by Les Miles, and had it not been for 2 UT players doing a u-turn and coming back onto the field instead of going out like they were supposed to, that untimed down would not have happened.

3. I don't care what Michigan's record is at the end of the year. If DeSean Robinson continues to put up those kinds of numbers, he should win the Heisman; hands down. It seems like the past several years the trophy has only gone to a player whose team is in the hunt for the National Championship. It used to go to the best player (see: Andre Ware). They need to get back to that.

4. In addition to being a Gator fan, I am also a Maryland Terp fan, and they won their 4th game of the season Saturday against Duke. "Two more wins from a bowl," I texted Walsh. His reply: "And another year of Fridge." Advantage, Walsh.

Okay, I've pontificated enough for today. Notice how I took the high road and didn't respond to Walsh's repeated insults against me on Friday? I am by far the better man.

Hoping to get a Capitals season preview from our hockey expert Scott Morath sometime this week.

Thanks for reading!

Same Old, Same Old

2010-10-01T11:31:00.003-05:00

At least I'm happy I got in writing that

Bob wouldn't call in Beasley anymore.

“Yeah, I forgot to do that.”

Let’s play a little multiple guess and see if you can figure out who said that.

A. Antonio Cromartie on getting a vasectomy after his seventh kid.

B. Bushman on blogging this week (he is getting old, ya know).

C. Bob Bradley after announcing the roster for the Poland and Colombia games as it relates to his commitment to moving the national team forward.

D. Walsh on drinking a glass of water before bed to stave off a sangria induced hangover.

The actual answer is B. But all are probably correct (though I still managed to avoid a hangover this morning, for the record).

As for Bradley’s roster, it’s nice to see Eric Lichaj get the call in, if for nothing else than to figure out how the hell to say his last name. And Brek Shea might have a future ahead of him in for the US. But other than that there aren’t any new faces that spark some excitement for 2014.

Alejandro Bedoya is a relatively fresh face, but we knew he’d be in the mix after the pre-WC camp. Stu Holden, who barely saw the field in South Africa, should start playing more now that he’s pulling the strings for Bolton. Other than that it’s getting the band back together again.

I understand that Bradley is limited and can’t call in many MLS players, which is why Landon Donovan won’t be playing. (Not to beat a dead horse, but that doesn’t happen if MLS adheres to FIFA’s schedule. Which will never happen.) But I don’t understand the argument that Torres doesn’t get a call because he’s not playing much while everyone’s excited for Gooch so he can actually get some minutes. Again, I understand that Gooch is on the bench at a much better team, but the logic doesn’t work for me.

As for some of the other zombie internationals -- Michael Parkhurst who has proven he doesn’t have the pace for the international game and Eddie Johnson who can only score against Panama -- I can’t understand the calls. Again, I know the pool was diminished by a lack of MLS guys, but a couple of teams are out so why not give Justin Braun (Chivas), Geoff Cameron (Houston, and back from injury), or Kevin Alston (New England) a call? D.C. United doesn’t have anyone worth a look until Andy Najar picks the US over Honduras.

Having “said” all of that, it’s going to be a tough next four years. Jozy is missing chances as often as Bushman doesn’t blog while Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez is scoring exquisite game-winners in Champions League. As a result, the prospects of the U.S. maintaining their claim as CONCACAF’s best team are slim. For as much grief as we give Bradley around these parts, we do admit that’s not fully on him if he doesn’t have the players like the ones Mexico are producing.

However, it would be nice to see a new formation -- preferably the “Christmas Tree” 4-3-2-1 with Jermaine Jones, Mo Edu, and Michael Bradley behind Holden and Dempsey with Jozy up front -- in one of these two games. At least that would make me think that Bradley’s learned a little something in the past few months.

Other stuff…

- Speaking of Mexico, it looks like the Yanks won’t be making any trips to the Azteca in the near future. Or maybe ever.

With the likely change in qualifying for the World Cup from CONCACAF, the only time the U.S. will meet Mexico is in the Gold Cup and friendlies. Both will happen in the U.S. because so much more money can be made here.

It’s a sad situation as that means even fewer tough road games to toughen up our boys. In addition to not traveling to Mexico City, it would be likely that we’d go either to Costa Rica or Honduras, but not both. Trips to Canada, Trinidad & Tobago, or Jamaica just don’t replicate those atmospheres. I wonder how much of a long-term effect this has on how CONCACAF does in the next few World Cups.

- One last bit about USSF: some fans are clamoring that Brian McBride should’ve received a testimonial as the Poland game is in Chicago. This is definitely a concept that U.S. soccer in general, namely MLS, needs to have more of. In fact I wrote about it years ago for Goal.com when Marco Etcheverry was retiring from D.C. United. There might be others, but the only testimonial I remember was for Harkes at United. And he ended his career with Columbus. In England the rule is 10 seasons with a club. Harkes had 3 years with the Black-and-Red and only seven in the league. Not saying it was inappropriate but shouldn’t Etch get one too? Jaime Moreno has to have one next year or the front office will lose even more face, if that’s possible.

But back to the topic at hand: I’m not so sure about McBride getting a testimonial. It would’ve been a nice tribute. But if USSF wanted to do one for McBride, it should have been done after the ’08 Olympics and officially joined the Fire. The surprising thing, though, is this seems like an easy way for USSF to make money, which in many ways is their main goal.

- Last week I blasted MLS for their lack of a big dollar fine for Thierry Henry. This week, they docked Ben Olsen a total of $1,250 - $500 for the ejection, $750 for dissent -- for shaking Dom Kinnear’s hand. Now, I’m sure that MLS holds coaches to a higher standard, as they should. But doesn’t that disparity seem ridiculous? I suppose not when you consider MLS is involved.

Think that’s about enough ranting for one week. Bushman has as much of a chance of blogging next week as the Skins have of winning in Philly this week. I’ll be back and try to look on the lighter side of things. Thanks as always and have a great weekend.

Oh, one last thing: Go Terps!

- Pat Walsh

Jurgen-na Stay Unemployed

2010-09-24T12:03:00.003-05:00

"I even tried showing Sunil my best Bob Bradley impersonation."

So now that it’s come out that Jürgen Klinsmann was incredibly close to taking over the U.S. MNT gig, there is even more pressure on Sunil Gulati. Once again he didn’t get his first choice over some relatively minor details. We may never know if it was control over the youth system or, as friend of the blog Grant Wahl opines, final say over friendly opponents and location.

The reason I bring this up, again I know, is if talks persisted three to four weeks, why not talk to a few other people? I’m not saying you had to hire them, but have some due diligence.

And for the notion that the coach “has to know the American player” to that I call BS. Prime example: Hans Backe. The Swede has come in and turned a perennial losing organization, the NY Red Bulls, into a Cup contender even before Thierry Henry (more on him later) and Rafa Marquez showed up.

That he’s done so at a club where Bob Bradley failed to me is even more evidence that it’s not necessary. It’s a small sample size for sure -- plenty of foreigners have failed at NY/NY MetroBull -- but it pokes a hole in the initial theory.

One last shot at Bradley: is it just me or is it amusing that while head coach of the then MetroStars, Bradley traded Ricardo Clark to San Jose 1.0 for a bag of balls (allocation money). I know that was one of the questions asked by Alexi Lalas when he took over as GM of the team, for which Bob had no answer. It’s a shame he couldn’t have traded Rico to another country last summer.

Some other thoughts…

- Really MLS? A whole $2k for Thierry Henry knocking Kevin Hartman out for 6-8 weeks? I think it was an NFL player recently who was saying that fines should be a percentage of your paycheck and not flat fees. Maybe it was an MLS guy, I can’t remember. But in this instance that should be applicable here. A guy making well north of $5 million shouldn’t have to write a check for 0.036% of his salary for an idiotic play. By comparison, if a guy making $40k (league minimum) gets fined $250, the standard penalty for a red card, he’s being fined 0.6% of his salary. That makes as much sense as the Skins playing a prevent defense against one of the most explosive offenses for the entire second half. It is appropriate that Henry is injured for tonight’s big show down at the HDC, though.

It’s just sad that Hartman, in the midst of a great season for a resurgent FC Dallas, had to be the one hurt and not Zach Thornton. Granted, Henry probably would have hurt himself trying to kick a ball with Thornton’s large boot on blocking the path. However, Thornton had a post-goal run in with Jaime Moreno a few years ago at RFK that I thought led to a crack down on the offensive players going for the ball after a goal was scored. (However, I could be wrong as I sometimes am.)

- I know I’ve said it before, but now that Rafael van der Vaart is proving himself in the EPL, why didn’t Sir Alex Ferguson ask for him in part of the compensation from Real Madrid. Looking back at last summer, it is amazing to me that Arjen Robben was sold for €10 million more than Wesley Sneijder. Furthermore, it’s baffling that those two combined (€40 million) were sold for less than Madrid may pay for Karim Benzema, should he hit the proper incentives (€35 million with a possibility of going up to €41 million). And people wonder why Madrid are massively in debt.

- Why, in my big money fantasy league, did I have to face Arian Foster and Jahvid Best in back-to-back weeks? It’s as perplexing as having to root for Kyle Orton. Which I am sadly doing. Thanks Kevin Kolb. And **** you Andy Reid. This week I’m fully expecting Ronnie Brown to go for 200 combined yards and three TD’s against the Jets.

- Have a few seconds? Of course you do, you’re reading this blog. Go here and vote for Heather Stouffer, friend of the blog Craig Stouffer’s wife.

- Have more than a few seconds? Probably, because it’s Friday and you don’t want to work. Go here and listen to Vol. 6 of the Jimmy Conrad podcast with special guest, me! Then let me know which coach in MLS you wouldn’t want to fight.

- Just to amuse myself, here are my answers to Bushman’s questions:

1. No. Jose Mourinho is why.

2. It’s a lack of headband.

3. You watch Serie A? I guess “Friends” or “Glee” wasn’t on.

4. No. And Richie Williams talked himself out of the job too.

5. Yes. But no one at MLS HQ does.

6. See above.

7. I didn’t say that. Stop putting words in my mouth.

8. When we had the Fun Bunch. Retire and let Kyle run things.

9. Who knows? It’s a dog eat dog world. (Too soon?)

10. Because Jacobs is getting paid enough to buy another.

11. No idea. Oh, and unrelated, screw you Pierre Garcon!

12. Because Thomas Jones is a beast.

13. Only if Polamalu stays healthy (see my blog last week!).

14. Nope. He needs Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown again.

15. With Mike Green playing defense I have no confidence.

Thanks as always for reading. Especially to any new people from FASA. Have a great weekend.

- Pat Walsh

Tuesday "Q" (but no "A")

2010-09-21T10:47:00.002-05:00

Lionel Messi Has Cankles? Who Knew?

We took last week off as we had about 1.5 million things going on, not the least of which was FASA’s official announcement that their PDL and W-League franchises will kick off their inaugural seasons in the spring of 2011. More than 300 folks came out on a Wednesday night to watch the announcement, as well as get tons more information on the “Field of Dreams” complex that is finally coming to fruition in Spotsylvania County. You know it’s a serious and important announcement when 2 members of the county’s Board of Supervisors (Chairman Gary Skinner and Hap Connors) are in attendance as well.

More information on both of these projects is forthcoming, but in the meantime, check out Potomac Soccer Wire’s Charlie Boehm’s outstanding article on the evening’s festivities and what FASA has in store for the future.

In the meantime, we’ve got lots to cover. Tons of week 2 NFL action and, of course, since this is primarily a soccer blog, tons of soccer to talk about. Let’s put it together this week in the format of “Questions That Don’t Require Answers.”

1.Does Lionel Messi’s ankle injury (pictured above…nasty!), if it keeps him out for any lengthy amount of time, let Real Madrid fans think they actually have a shot at winning La Liga this year?

2. Does the fact that there seems to be no pressure for Dimitar Berbatov to perform this year actually the reason why he’s playing as well as anybody in the Premier League?

3. Am I the only person who thinks watching a Serie A game is the equivalent of watching paint dry?

4. Although they continue to be one of the worst teams in the history of MLS, will DC United’s inspired play for Ben Olsen over the past several weeks have United’s front office thinking about removing the “interim head coach” tag he currently has?

5. If the MLS playoffs started today, Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas would meet in the 1st round. That’s a potential MLS Cup Final, not an opening playoff series. Anybody want to scrap the current Conference format once and for all and just go to a single table when Portland and Vancouver join next year?

6. Was Thierry Henry’s incident with Kevin Hartman last week a dirty play or just another in a series of dumb plays from a guy who’s done a good job of making people forget that he was, at one point, the most exciting player on the planet?

7. Why are Redskins fans saying Sunday’s loss was a “good loss?” I have lost lots of games in my career, and I have NEVER used that term to describe the feeling.

8. Staying on the Redskins, when was the last time the team actually threw the ball downfield with such success? With a bunch of 30-something wideouts, no less. What will Shanahan do when he gets young guys who can actually play?

9. How long before someone brings the topic of race into the Kevin Kolb/Michael Vick quarterback situation in Philadelphia?

10. Why did that idiot at the Colts game the other night think he could keep Brandon Jacobs’ helmet? If you can’t keep a football, dude, why would you think a helmet was a souvenir?

11. Who knew the Colts could even run the football?

12. How does Jamaal Charles go from a guy who gets nearly 1,000 yards in the last 8 games in Kansas City last year to being a backup with the same team this year? (Yes, I ask that question because it affects my fantasy team)

13. Can the Pittsburgh Steelers defense carry that team to a Super Bowl this year? 2 weeks, 2 monster performances.

14. Is it too early to say “Told ya’ so” about Jason Campbell?

15. NHL Training camps started this week. Anybody else a little nervous that the Washington Capitals might suffer from a bit of a hangover after last year’s playoff disaster?

Walsh might write something later in the week. He might not. He likes to keep all of us guessing.

Thanks as always for reading, folks!

Why Not?

2010-09-10T08:58:00.001-05:00

Can #7 give Pittsburgh its 7th ring?

Before I get into a bit of football talk, the NFL kind, I want to pass along a few links for the two of you who read this blog and actually like soccer.

First up is a pair of links looking at FIFA’s World Cup Technical Report. It’s a 289-page report from a bunch of people who have forgotten more soccer since the Cup has ended than Bushman and I will ever know. Instead of sorting through almost 300 pages of dribble, two sites have taken compassion on us and brought out the “best of” versions, if you will. Friend of the blog Brian Straus has a great piece over at Fanhouse and focuses on the implications for the U.S. coming out of South Africa. For a more overall read, Zonal Marking gives us 15 points as it breaks down the tactics of the successful and unsuccessful teams. Both are incredibly informative and my thanks to both for not making me have to read the entire report.

On the flip side, and a big reason why I don’t go to MLSSoccer.com, are pieces like this one: Rimando, Williams: This RSL may be best ever. I almost don’t want to give you the link for the page hit. Basically what the author claims, as you can tell, is that the 2010 Real Salt Lake side might be the best ever in MLS. His comparison is the 2004 D.C. United side that won MLS Cup. Why? Well because RSL ‘keeper Nick Rimando was on that team, of course. Somehow though nothing from the last millennium was mentioned, like I don’t know, the 1998 D.C. United team widely considered the best ever. Hell, this version of RSL didn’t even make the U.S. Open Cup proper because they were beaten by this horrible version of D.C. United. Oh, and any team that features Robbie Findley is automatically disqualified from this discussion. It’s a myopic view and I’m sadder that the editors let this be published than at the writer for not doing a bit of research.

Lastly, after Bill Hamid’s recent howler for D.C. United, do you think he was comforted by seeing Pepe Reina one up him against Argentina? Hopefully that dulls the shoulder pain a bit.

So after that long winded intro, which would’ve been three times longer had Bushman been talking rather than me writing, this could wind up being one of the best sports weekends of the year.

Not only does the NFL return, hopefully with better games than that relative snoozer last night, but also there’s an amazing slate of NCAA football, some good EPL games, and a battle of the two conference leaders in MLS. Toss in the USA hoops team trying to win the worlds with a potential final against Turkey in Istanbul and a potential Federer-Nadal U.S. Open final with Caroline Wozniacki in HD. You might as well load up at the liquor store, put some new batteries in the remote, and settle into the couch for a long one.

As for some NFL predictions, well I’m not going to bore you with records of each team and a paragraph about each. That’d be incredibly long winded of me. So instead, here are my thoughts on the two conferences and my Super Bowl pick.

NFC

Might as well start out here with the hometown Redskins who will make the playoffs. They won’t win the division because Dallas is better on both sides of the ball, but the Skins will be a tough out come January. The Packers are everyone’s darling this year and I can’t argue that they’ll win the NFC North (where Detroit makes a huge leap into second) along with NFC West winners San Francisco and NFC South winners Atlanta. The 49ers have a cake walk and I’m picking the Falcons for two reasons: no one has repeated in that division recently and the good old Madden Curse for Drew Brees. For the other wild card I’m going with the Eagles, mainly because with the Saints and Vikings faltering, there aren’t a lot of other options out there.

In the playoffs Green Bay will have home ~~frozen tundra~~ field advantage, and that will help them to the NFC Championship game against the Cowboys. There aren’t as many conspiracy theories out of the NFL as other sports, but somehow I really think Roger Goodell and company really want the Cowboys in the Super Bowl that takes place in Jerry Jones’s $1.3 billion playhouse. Yes, I fully expect Tony Romo to make me feel dumb in a few months for picking them.

AFC

My current hometown Baltimore Ravens are also going to the playoffs, hopefully due to a ginormous year for Ray Rice. Joe Flacco too, for my other fantasy team. Even though his hair is ridiculous, Tom Brady -- as long as he doesn’t drive next to this person again -- is going to have another huge year (4500 yards, 40 TDs) and give the Pats the AFC East. The Jets and the Steelers, riding a huge second half from Big Bad Ben, take the wild cards. Moving geographically west, the Colts win the South division again and in Norv Turner’s last year, the Chargers scrape into the playoffs over some bad, but frisky teams in the West.

Looking at the playoffs, the Chargers (Norv) and the Jets (The Sanchize) are out first. Next to lose are Baltimore (their secondary) and the Pats (their defense) leaving the Colts and the Steelers in the championship game. It’s tough betting against Manning, but as long as Troy Polamalu is healthy, he leads that defense into the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl

The two teams with the most appearances -- Dallas with 8, the Stillers with 7 -- meet on February 6, 2011. Pittsburgh overcomes the home field advantage and wins their seventh Lombardi Trophy. Roethlisberger wins the MVP, but like in 2001 when Ray Lewis won the award but Trent Dilfer was Disney’s spokesperson because he hadn’t stabbed anyone in the previous year, Polumalu gets the commercial.

Have a great weekend and don’t ruin it by watching Toronto - D.C. United.

- Pat Walsh

And The Winner Is...

2010-09-07T07:39:00.006-05:00

All Eyes Are On This Prize

We interrupt this regularly-scheduled bitch session about DC United and U.S. Soccer to bring you another kind of football, one which Walsh and I are almost as passionate about (and maybe even more so, depending on the success of our fantasy teams).

So, although this is normally a soccer blog, we like to go off script from time to time and talk other sports...because we're cocky and think we know just as much about other sports as we do about soccer...and also because we've run out of things to say about DC United after they were shutout...again...at home...for the 15th time this season overall...and had no shots on goal. Makes ya' all warm and fuzzy, don't it?

Moving on, I'm going to take a stab at this year's NFL picks, and Walsh will check back in later in the week once his heart restarts after the drama in the Maryland/Navy game yesterday.

So here we go; projections in order of predicted finish and record, with playoff fixtures at the end:

AFC East

N.Y. Jets (12-4) - The odds-on favorite to win the big trophy up above (they were 8-1 in Vegas right before I left). I'm just wondering if all of the preseason hype, attention from HBO, and the rest of the media will make them buckle under the pressure...

New England (10-6) - This might be the Pats' last chance to make a run at the title. They are old on defense, Randy Moss is unhappy, and Tom Brady's hair makes him look like Topher Grace from "That 70's Show."

Miami (9-7) - I think they could win the division almost anywhere else, but 4 games against the Pats and Jets will be their undoing. Chad Henne is going to have a breakout year, though.

Buffalo (2-14) - Might wind up being the worst team in football this year. No QB, bad defense, and multiple running backs but only 1 football to share between them (tip: trade Marshawn Lynch for a bag of footballs if you have to; just get him out of town).

AFC South

Indianapolis (11-5) - Peyton Manning has the weapons to throw for 5,000 yards, but the streak of 12-win seasons will come to a close due to a tough schedule and the fact that everyone seems to be gunning for them, particularly because of the team right on their heels.

Houston (10-6) - Matt Schaub is a legitimate NFL star now, has the best WR in the game in Andre Johnson, and if Arian "The White Supremacist" Foster doesn't fumble the ball as much as Steve Slaton, the Texans have just enough defense to squeak out a wild card spot.

Tennessee (8-8) - I don't trust Vince Young to be consistent for a whole year. Plus, Chris "breaking the rushing record is bigger to me than winning a Super Bowl" Johnson and his act might wear thin in the locker room.

Jacksonville (6-10) - Lots of Jaguar fans thought Coach Jack Del Rio should have been canned last year. He will be after this season. For all of the talk about him being a "shutdown corner," Rasheed Mathis actually led the league last year in td catches thrown against him...oops...

AFC North

Baltimore (10-6) - All four of these teams, even Cleveland, will take turns beating each other up. At the end of the day, it'll be the Ravens as the division winner.

Cincinnati (9-7) - Raise your hands if you think all of the love between Ocho, T.O., and Palmer will last the entire season. Right, and I've got some oceanfront property in Nevada to sell you.

Pittsburgh (9-7) - They will be 1-3 by the time Big Ben gets back. Not an insurmountable problem but one that will be have them playing in "catch up" mode all season. It's tough to sustain that week in and week out.

Cleveland (5-11) - The 1st season for Mike Holmgren will be tough, but he's got some young talent to (hopefully) build upon.

AFC West

San Diego (11-5) - Ryan Matthews could be a stud as a rookie, and Darren Sproles will have a bigger role in the offense than people think. The defense is iffy and when they get into the playoffs, they might want to bring in a new kicker...

Kansas City (7-9) - A few more weapons in KC, and Jamaal Charles is poised to be a breakout star. Give this team 1 more year before challenging for the playoffs.

Oakland (6-10) - I'm not sure why all those critics who slammed Jason Campbell in Washington think he's somehow a better QB just because he landed in Oakland...I guess anyone is an upgrade over JaMarcus "I'm a bigger bust than Ryan Leaf" Russell.

Denver (5-11) - I don't think anyone in Denver has an idea how badly their team will play this year. Orton isn't the guy at QB, not tons of talent at the skill positions, and Elvis Dumervil's injury eliminates their pass rush. The chants for Tebow will begin by week 6.

NFC East

Dallas (12-4) - I hate to admit it, but they're good. Really good. Still some question marks if Romo can win a big game in January (the same can be said about Wade Phillips), but there's enough talent on both sides of the ball that they're rated as the co-favorites with the Jets at 8-1 to win it all.

Philadelphia (10-6) - Kevin Kolb is going to be a very good QB. He might struggle at times this year, but he'll make enough plays to put the Eagles in contention to win every week.

N.Y. Giants (9-7) - End of the line for Tom Coughlin, who has some talent, but, like U.S. Soccer coach Bob Bradley, doesn't seem to quite get enough out of the talent that he has (and there's your weekly dig at Bradley)...also, don't the two of them look alike? Seriously, look 'em up and tell me I'm wrong...

Washington (7-9) - Gotta give Shanahan and Allen another year before becoming a playoff team. Still have to jettison some dead weight (insert Haynesworth joke here), and upgrade the WR position to help McNabb.

NFC South

New Orleans (12-4) - Sean Payton won't let them rest on their laurels this year, but they'll find out quickly how hard it is to repeat as champions.

Atlanta (10-6) - After a disappointing 2009 season, Matt Ryan looks to make the jump into the elite of the QB's in the NFL. A healthy Michael Turner will help him do just that.

Carolina (8-8) - John Fox is considered one of the best coaches in the league, according to his peers. Unfortunately, that doesn't translate to his own locker room. Some of the blame should be directed at the front office, who have made some questionable personnel moves the past few seasons.

Tampa Bay (5-11) - Will be better than last year but not by much. So much youth on offense that you just can't trust them yet to produce big numbers to break a game open, or close one out when it's tight in the 4th.

NFC North

Green Bay (12-4) - The defense has some issues. There's plenty of potential but some aren't living up to theirs. The offense, however, will score so many points that it won't matter much of the time. Aaron Rodgers will challenge for the single-season passing yardage record.

Minnesota (10-6) - Let's see how Favre does with Bernad Berrian as his #1 WR instead of Rice, who pretty much screwed his team over by not having surgery that was recommended to him by multiple physicians in the off-season. You think defenses are going to tee off on Favre this year? Over/under on games he plays? Let's go with 12.

Chicago (7-9) - Just wondering when was the last time the genius known as Mike Martz actually had an offense that was potent? Go ahead, I'm waiting... this team spent lots of money to bring in players who won't even be full-time starters.

Detroit (5-11) - They were a laughingstock 2 years ago but are on the verge of being a decent team. Jahvid Best might wind up having a better season than Matthews in San Diego, and Ndamukong Suh looks like he's the real-life version of The Incredible Hulk. "Suh is angry!!! Suh SMASH!!!!"

NFC West

San Francisco (10-6) - Still a year away from being really good, but the great thing about playing in a weak division is that you can get 5 or 6 of your wins just by playing in it. Some genuine weapons on offense now and some big hitters on defense makes them the team nobody wants to play.

Arizona (8-8) - Derek Anderson will not catch lightning in a bottle the way Kurt Warner did the past 3 years, and Larry Fitzgerald's fantasy numbers will suffer because of it. And that defense might not yet have recovered from their annihilation in 2 playoff games last year.

Seattle (6-10) - Pete Carroll will realize all-too quickly he doesn't have a monopoly on talent in the NFL the way he did at USC. Not enough playmakers on either side of the ball to do much this year.

St. Louis (3-13) - It's going to take them another 2 years before they even BEGIN to think playoffs. Can anybody catch the ball? Does Steven Jackson have another superhuman effort in him to last the whole season? Can the secondary cover anybody? The answer to all these questions is a resounding "No!"

AFC Playoffs

Indianapolis over New England and Houston over Baltimore

N.Y. Jets over Houston and Indy over San Diego

Jets over Colts

NFC Playoffs

New Orleans over Minnesota

San Francisco over Philadelphia

Green Bay over San Francisco

New Orleans over Dallas

Green Bay over New Orleans

Super Bowl XLV

Green Bay over N.Y. Jets

I reserve the right to change my picks once it appears that I have done poorly.

Phew, this was a long column...almost as long-winded as some of Walsh's. Thanks as always for reading and we'll see you again soon!

Same Stuff, Different Cycle

2010-09-02T14:10:00.006-05:00

Getting back with Bianca was much better than Bob's rehiring!

A couple days after the announcement that caught pretty much everyone by surprise and Bushman’s great immediate reaction (see I can be nice) to the news that Bob Bradley was handed a new four year deal, I still am lost as to why this all went down. Well, I know why, but I don’t like it.

Like Bushman said, the disappointment shouldn’t be directed only at Bradley. It has to go higher than his head. And that means Sunil Gulati and the rest of USSF. To avoid rewriting what Bushman wrote, especially about the fact that no one aside from Bradley and possibly Jurgen Klinsmann were talked to about the job, I want to look directly at Gulati.

First, shouldn’t the head of USSF make that his full time job? Yes, there are plenty of people in Chicago to handle day-to-day operations. But the President should be there to oversee things. I know it’s on a completely different level, but Obama gets called out for taking a week off. Imagine how much more crap he’d get from the Tea Party if he lived in Chicago and ran another business.

(I’ll grant you that Gulati is not compensated by USSF, but seeing that Chief Executive Dan Flynn makes almost $650,000 means either Gulati is a figurehead who shouldn’t be making these decisions or there’s enough money in USSF’s coffers to pay Gulati a pretty penny to stop ~~corrupting our children’s minds~~ teaching.)

It’s not just the MNT that the Federation oversees. Quoting from that ever so reliable source, Wikipedia, USSF is responsible for:

“…governing amateur and professional soccer, including the men's, women's, youth, futsal and Paralympic national teams. U.S. Soccer is also responsible for sanctioning referees and soccer tournaments for most soccer leagues in the United States.”

I’m sure Kevin Payne has a few thoughts about that last one. But basically Gulati is an absentee despot. And there’s the conflict of interest as he also is President of Kraft Soccer, which runs the New England Revolution.

Second, wouldn’t it have been nice for someone to run against Gulati during the last “election” for his position? I put election in quotes, as it seems to be more of a formality than a decision process. Does anyone know who votes for this? You can’t say things were going swimmingly considering all of our teams in February, yet no one ran against Gulati and everyone just gave him the big pat on the back for four more years.

The date is another point of contention: why hold the election four months before the biggest event for the Federation? (No offense to the women who have obviously had more success, but the men’s World Cup is the big cash cow.) Sure, it would be tough to have an election and then decide on the coach, but it would seem to me those two spots are not independent of one another.

Unfortunately, like with Bradley, we’re stuck with Gulati until 2014 when he may very well continue his reign with no opposition. And with a lack of questions from the MSM and fewer answers from Bradley, Gulati, et al, we’ll likely be as much in the dark at that time as we are now.

Moving on to another topic…

As Grant Wahl pointed out on Twitter, the silence has been deafening from the players. I haven’t seen any articles with quotes from anyone other than Bradley, Gulati, and Ron Waxman, Bradley’s agent. That’s no players talking to the big names like Steve Goff, Ives Galarcep, Grant Wahl, George Vescey, or Jaime Trecker. Oh wait, scratch that last one because he’s the only person I read less than Bushman. (Yeah, that’s a low blow!)

And how about this: assuming he stays healthy, by the time Brazil ’14 finishes Landon Donovan will have around 175 caps all under just two coaches. That’s the Bizzaro Jason Campbell. And it’s probably a record for caps to coaches ratio for men. It makes me think we’re wasting this generation, a generation who has some good talent.

I understand that there is the “needing to know the American player and the American system” argument against hiring a random foreign coach. I don’t buy that as a reason to stay with Bradley and not at least kick the tires on a few other choices. With the right assistants, that transition will be frustrating for sure, but not an issue that would hinder results.

I also understand the “being too cheap to hire a real coach” mentality; maybe a guy who works for free thinks those he hires should do about the same. And I know that a guy who coached -- and preferably played -- abroad would instantly garner more respect in the locker room than Bradley does.

I’m not saying that hiring a foreign coach only to go non-American is the right step. It obviously has to be the right fit. Look at Mexico with Sven-Goran Eriksson in ’09 and how poorly that fizzled. But at the same time, bringing Javier Aguirre back -- or, going with something comfortable -- didn’t improve a team that has a lot more talent than the U.S. at this point.

Dutch coaches are romanticized and Thomas Rongen has shown that the accent doesn’t make an instant winner. That’s not to say I would be disappointed in going Oranje. In fact, a guy I’d rather see in Claudio Reyna’s job is Earnie Stewart. But AZ’s Director of Football is unlikely to return to the States.

While I hate to take the easy way out and say Klinsmann was the answer, as I said to Bushman during the Cup: “If there’s another successful national team the U.S. should emulate it’s the Germans.” As much credit as Jorgi Löw gets, it’s not like Klinsmann played the role that Joe Paterno does for PSU football these days.

The Germans are technically better, for sure, but their greatest asset is their physical size and strength and they used the counter to perfection much as the U.S. tries to do. We could certainly pick worse teams to copy.

Final thoughts…

Not to get all Jerry Springer on you, but at the end of the day Bradley is right to a certain extent that it’s about the players on the field performing. However, putting those players in a position to succeed is a job I’m not sure he’s fully qualified for.

There were only three teams to use a standard 4-4-2 at the Cup and all of them were in our group. Not a ringing endorsement. The only time I remember Bradley switching formations from the empty bucket is when he trotted out a 4-3-3 in Costa Rica last June, which in my cynical mind was done to show he tried and the system failed. Of course it was set up to fail: road game in a tough environment against a good team using a system never used before. But hey, Bob tried!

Looking past the forcing the square peg into round holes problem Bob can have on top of the lack of imagination, there is a lack of top-level talent in this country compared to others. It’s the truth and no one can argue that.

However, it can be developed.

That comes back to my initial point that this whole situation falls on Gulati’s miniscule shoulders. Maybe if he was really in charge, instead of delegating these important jobs like splitting up sections to TA’s for his economics classes at Columbia, we could make steps forward in harnessing the talent in this vast country.

MLS is helping as more teams are setting up youth academies. But why shouldn’t U.S. Soccer be right there helping? Of course it all comes down to money and not wanting to lose any control (sound familiar, Herr Klinsmann?) so in that way the Federation is their own worse enemy.

And it won’t end until enemy number one is gone.

- Pat Walsh

Turn Out The Lights...

2010-08-31T06:07:00.006-05:00

Someone Should Send This Picture To U.S. Soccer

Famous lyrics to a Willie Nelson song, and for you fans of "Monday Night Football" in the 70's and early 80's, that's the song Don Meredith would sing when it was obvious who was going to win the game.

Well, less than 12 hours after hearing that Bob Bradley will stay on as the Coach of the U.S. National Team for another 4 years, I'm still reeling from the news. Turn out the lights, folks, because the party is definitely over.

I'm not alone.

"Are you f*cking kidding me?" was Walsh's text to me. (FYI, that's the closest he'll get to writing for the blog this week...)

"I hate soccer!" was another text from a pro coach who preferred to remain anonymous.

I posted my disapproval on my facebook page, and a majority of folks agreed with me.

My good friend and fellow soccer fanatic Andy Gustafson noted on his facebook page that "I have yet to see a positive post about Bob Bradley."

So, U.S. Soccer will hold a dog and pony show press conference today at noon to discuss their decision and hail Bradley as deserving of another 4 years. I doubt they will answer any serious questions from the media if they interviewed other candidates, or what is it they think Bradley will do over the course of the next 4 year cycle to take the U.S. to the next level. Heck, after weeks of proclaiming that Bradley would probably not be retained, Soccer America's newsletter this morning had the headline "Bob Bradley's Return Isn't Unexpected."

Way to take a stance, S.A.

Excuse me while I throw up a little bit in my mouth.

We aren't going anywhere, folks. We'll qualify for Brazil, and, depending on the draw, go out meekly in the 1st round, or squeak into the round of 16 and then come home. But our heads will still be held high because "they put up such a fight."

That was okay for our 1994 team. That was amazing for our 2002 team. That was even borderline great for our 2010 squad simply because of the drama involved with the way the team kept fans on the edge of their seats.

But that's not good enough anymore. Why does U.S. Soccer summarily dismiss Greg Ryan for a 3rd place U.S. finish at the 2007 Women's World Cup, but U.S. U-17 coach Wilmer Cabrera keep his job after the Yanks are eliminated in the round of 16 at last year's World Cup? Sure, Ryan made some stupid coaching decisions, but does U.S. Soccer have a double standard in terms of success for its men's and women's programs?

Maybe not. The U.S. under-20 Women's World Cup team was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Nigeria, but Jill Ellis is still in charge. A disappointing result but no qualms about the decision to keep her.

Our Olympic team under Peter Novak in 2008? High hopes but, again, a 1st round dismissal. No coach has been named for 2010, but based on history, it won't be someone who will excite U.S. fans.

I could go on and on and bore you to death (perhaps I've already done that), but the bottom line is this:
As long as U.S. Soccer continues to accept mediocre results from its soccer teams, and there is little to no accountability from the coaching staff OR U.S. Soccer itself (I'm looking at you, Sunil and Dan), we will continue to fail on the world stage.

The 1st step in moving forward would be to get someone from outside the current incestuous structure that is U.S. Soccer. It's a good ol' boys club. And when I say "outside," I don't necessarily mean a foreign coach. Sure, I would have loved to see what Klinsmann could have done. I also would be interested in seeing what a Sigi Schmidt would bring to the table, or, as Walsh said a few months back, bring Dominic Kinnear in for a chat.

But U.S. Soccer has made its bed for the next 4 years. 4 more years of players like Robbie Findley and Ricardo Clark. If I were Jose Torres or Edgar Castillo, I might tell my friends who have dual Mexican/American heritage to take a harder look at the Mexican program. They've got some genuine young talent whom I think are going to dominate the region for the next several years.

What are we going to bring to the table? For the first time in more than a decade, I have not-so-warm-and-fuzzy feelings about U.S. Soccer. Not just for the Men's team, but for the program in its entirety.

Spurred On

2010-08-27T09:50:00.001-05:00

You're no Keano!

So here’s something I never thought I’d say: thank you Tottenham and Manchester City. Seriously, I’m not a fan of either team. Can’t say I hate them, but, for instance, I was pulling for Young Boys last week when they had a shot of keeping Spurs out of the Champions League proper. And City’s colors remind me too much of Carolina blue.

However, without those two stepping up their respective games the Premier League this year would be fairly boring. Liverpool are moving in the wrong direction much to my chagrin. Arsenal are young (as always) and their defense is more banged up than this guy’s car. That would have left Man U and Chelsea to battle it out, which they probably will anyway, but now they might have a couple of teams nipping at their heels rather than having a comfortable 10-15 point margin over third place.

Chelsea are playing like Tom Osborne’s Nebraska teams in the 80’s when running up the score mattered for the polls. Granted, goal differential will count at the end of the year should they wind up in a tie for the championship, but a pair of six-love games are unwatchable. That is unless ~~you sold your soul to Satan~~ you’re a Chelsea fan, you have fantasy interest, or you’re at a bar getting hammered by noon. All credit to them as, amazingly enough, they’re the only team to take 6 points from their first two games and it’s tough to see them dropping any until playing City away at the end of September.

Meanwhile, Manchester United are plodding along. You have to figure if Rooney was on the field last week they win, but he wouldn’t have helped on their increasingly suspect defense. And it’s not like the brittle Rio Ferdinand is going to step in and immediately improve that side.

So while I, like I think most Americans who follow footy abroad, will continue to watch the EPL, it’s becoming less interesting on a weekly basis. Of the ten games this weekend, Villa-Everton on Sunday is the one to watch. The big dogs (even Liverpool) should roll and I just can’t get up for Fulham’s trip to Blackpool, which is probably the second most intriguing game of the weekend.

It is great that we’re to the point where we (or I, as the case may be) can be disillusioned by the choices we have of watching soccer abroad. And domestically, for that matter. But the gap between the haves and have nots in England is growing. The haves are growing as well with more foreign Daddy Warbucks coming in and saving a team.

A salary cap that some have suggested, probably in an MLB style of a very loose cap, can’t work because of the relegation. The idea of sending money to the lower teams via a luxury tax is great when everyone is in the same league year after year. With three new teams in every year, I’m not sure how that works.

I certainly don’t have a solution to making the EPL more competitive. But it would be nice to have three or four games every week that are worth watching. I just don’t want to see a Yankees/Red Sox type of situation from earlier this decade. Which we shouldn’t as long as every couple of years a new owner with deep pockets comes in and pushes a middling team to the next level with new talent. Not a great fix, but it’s better than nothing.

Other stuff…

- Nice win for D.C. United last weekend and, as Bushman said on Monday, congrats to Ben Olsen. Well, I assume Bushman said that…he lost me after ten words. Looking back at my post last week, I said that one of United’s biggest problems was a lack of possession in the midfield. Philly isn’t a good team either, but that was the best bit of passing I’ve seen from D.C. all year. And what happened? A win. Go figure.

Can’t expect the same result this weekend with the team looking past Chivas to the Open Cup semifinal next week. They will have their DP, Branko Boskovic, as he has to leave for a couple of Euro qualifiers so he might as well take minutes and rest guys for the game against Columbus. Something tells me that they won’t miss him next week as neither Bushman nor I realized he was on the field for much of the hour he played against Philly. Speaking of the latest amazing signing by DCU’s front office, I just want to call him Bosco, which then makes me think of the mangy mutt in “One Crazy Summer.” I can’t find a picture, so I’ll use this awesome Bobcat Goldthwait clip instead from the same movie.

One last thing on Bosco (his new name for me on this blog): it’s great that the highest paid player on two area teams can’t play a full game. Whether it’s due to coaching choices or fitness, you would assume both Bosco and Fat Albert Haynesworth should contribute a hell of a lot more than they do.

And as I was about to post this I found out that Stephen Strasburg “probably” needs Tommy John surgery. I’m not a Nats fan at all, but man is this town just cursed for big named talent? Watch out Alex Ovechkin…

- To show I did actually read Bushman and got to his Twitter link, I’m not worried at all about the U.S. being shut out of either the ’18 (not likely) or ’22 (very likely) World Cup. Bookmakers in England installed us as the favorites to host in ’22, and I’m not surprised. Look at it this way, 2018 is going to Europe because there’s no way FIFA will have three straight Cups outside of UEFA. That means it’s between England and Russia because they don’t want joint bids, and that’s a no brainer to give it to the Brits. Thus, for 2022, the remaining non-European (they won’t do back-to-back Euro hosts) bids are from Australia, Japan, South Korea, and Qatar. All of those are in the Asian Federation. Looking back at the World Cups since we last hosted in ’94 it’s been France in 1998, Japan/South Korea in 2002, Germany in 2006, South Africa this year, and Brazil in four years time. Add in likely 2018 hosts England and the continents go Europe, Asia, Europe, Africa, South America, and then Europe. So it should be North America’s turn again. Top that off with the fact that USA ’94 was the highest grossing and most attended World Cup to date and you know FIFA will want to go back to that well (especially considering how poorly attended South Africa). The only reason not to think we’ll host in 2022 is if the shit continues to hit the fan in Brazil and they have to move that World Cup. With little to no infrastructure needed to host a Cup at this point, it would be the obvious switch. And should the world’s economy continue to stay in it’s current state, perhaps financial reasons will force FIFA’s hand a bit more to basically switch the 2014 and 2022 bids between the U.S. and Brazil. Just have a hunch that it might happen.

Thanks as always for reading and have a great weekend.

- Pat Walsh

Week In Review

2010-08-23T07:25:00.004-05:00

Allsopp Checks The Video Replay To See If He Actually Scored

Walsh can bite me. This time I only waited 2 weeks between blogs. However, I have my own Twitter page now, and I put one or 2 smart-ass comments up each day, usually about soccer, so that should give me some sort of excuse, right? How many of you remember the character from Sesame Street that I use as my Twitter name? Lots going on at all levels of soccer this past weekend, so I'll break each topic up into a "good" and "bad" part.

1. DC United Wins

Good - DC United gets Ben Olsen his 1st win as a coach, and they scored more than 1 goal to do it behind a Danny Allsop brace. A shutout by Hamid should also stands out.

Bad - Too little, too late. I think players are merely auditioning for next year's team, whomever the new coach will be. Also, this has been such a bad season for United, none of the local sports stations even showed highlights of their game. I'm sure Kevin Payne will find someone else to blame it on.

2. Carl Robinson Scored Against His Old Team

Good - The guy showed genuine class by not celebrating when he scored for New york against Toronto out of respect for the fans who cheered him the past few years. Some athletes (I'm looking at you, Fat Albert Haynesworth) could learn a thing or 2 from Robinson.

Bad - The Red Bulls have become a legitimate threat to win MLS Cup, even though Henry has yet to score a goal for his new team. They have a nice mix of veteran talent and some young guns who are obviously being coached well by Hans Backe.

3. Richmond Beats Pittsburgh In USL2 Playoffs

Good - For the 4th time in their 5-year tenure in USL2, the Kickers will advance to the title game. Could very well be the swan song for a couple of Richmond veterans who deserve to go out at champions.

Bad - Unlike the previous 3 Title games, they don't get to play this one in Richmond. They have to play in Charleston against the Battery, who didn't lose a game at home all season, and outscored the Kickers 5-1 in 2 games there during the regular season. For USL and Fox Soccer Channel (who are broadcasting the game live at 6 on Saturday), though, it's the dream matchup between 2 of the most storied clubs in the league's history.

4. U.S. goalkeepers In EPL

Good - Howard didn't make any serious blunders this week and appears to have a firm hold on the Everton starting job. Marcus Hahnemann also played very well for Wolves in the same game.

Bad - Brad Friedel was absolutely shelled for 6 goals as Aston Villa got destroyed by Newcastle. Although none of the goals can be blamed directly on Friedel, when a new manager comes in, he might look to clean house. Friedel, and backup U.s. 'keeper Brad Guzan, might not be in the team's future plans...this leads us to our final point:

5. Bob Bradley is interested in the Aston Villa job

Good - Bradley would be the 1st U.S. coach to manage an EPL team, and would no doubt keep the U.S. keepers in place. If successful, Bradley would give serious credibility to U.s. Soccer, which might lead to additional opportunities for American coaches in the future.

Bad - Bradley still wouldn't be the guy I would want to be the 1st U.S. coach in the EPL. It's been said a million times, but let me reiterate; he had only marginal success in multiple MLS gigs, and marginally better success with the U.S. at this year's World Cup. For me, the tea leaves just don't read "success" if he were to somehow land this gig.

That's all for now, folks. I'll try to do a USL2 Title game preview later in the week, and maybe we'll shock the world by getting Walsh and I to blog in the same week?

As always, thanks for reading!

A Few Thoughts

2010-08-20T13:40:00.002-05:00

Excuse me, señor?

Anyone else feel like this was a long week? I’m sure Curt Onalfo didn’t, since he should be on an island demanding margaritas with no salt on the glass and threatening to take his travelers checks to a competing resort if he finds any. But for the rest of the guys at D.C. United, and even a couple of guys covering the team, the end can’t come quickly enough. Fortunately for me, that end will be tonight at happy hour; for those guys, well they have a couple more months of this drudgery.

As we head to the weekend, here are some random thoughts:

- Mentioned above this wasn’t a good week for United. They were again thoroughly dominated, this time by a surging FC Dallas (the new sexy longshot pick for MLS Cup). But they did score a goal, so they’ve got that going for them! Philly’s on tap this weekend and it looks like they’re going to lose both games to the expansion club managed by the last coach at United to hoist MLS Cup, Peter Nowak.

You also have to wonder how much United regrets trading Fred -- separate from using that trade to acquire Troy Perkins -- away as he would have bolstered a midfield that just cannot possess the ball for . The more I watch United, the less I feel the defense and shoddy goalkeeping is purely at fault. Similar to how in football the Terps defense slowly gets run over in the fourth quarter because the offense can’t hold possession in the first three quarters, United’s defense is seemingly always under pressure and can’t do a “bend but don’t break” for 90 minutes. Since the start of July, D.C. have conceded 11 goals in seven games. Of those, five have come after the 75^th minute and three of those in stoppage time.

The front office has tried to address those woes (beating a dead horse here, I know), but Christian Castillo was another bust and Branko Baskovic has been lukewarm at best thus far. Linking to yet another Steve Davis piece, you have to wonder if D.C. would have been better abandoning the 4-4-2 and going with either a 3-5-2 or a 4-4-1-1 with Jaime Moreno acting as a #10. I’m not sure that he would do well in a 4-2-3-1, though United may be able to go that route next year with Clyde Simms and Conor Shanosky as a solid pair of holding midfielders. I think we can all agree that Jaime’s best days are behind him, but he had a torrid preseason and then seemingly became a forgotten man once the season kicked off. Either way, the results couldn’t have been any worse this year.

- Also this week Santino Quaranta nearly came to blows with goalkeeper coach Mark Simpson. First of all, isn’t that title almost an oxymoron at this point for United? Ben Olsen basically said he’d be worried if there weren’t tempers flaring right now, which is understandable given their current state. But shouldn’t those tempers be just between players and not crossing the line to the coaching staff? It also makes me wonder if firing Onalfo has set the team back due to a lack of authority. Pure speculation, and probably wrong, but you now have a guy who was virtually everyone’s teammate last year now coaching. And Olsen’s a lame duck coach as Kevin Payne has said he won’t be the head coach next year. Even if the results aren’t there, it should be an interesting final two months of the 2010 season.

- So who had Blackpool in second place in the EPL after one week? Wigan fans -- all three of you -- better be worried after getting thrashed at home by a team most assumed would be relegated by April. Next up for the Latics are only Chelsea, who are atop the table on goal differential. The Blues sure do like to beat up on bottom 15 or so clubs, especially at home. With Wigan, Stoke, West Ham, and Blackburn their next four opponents I can’t see that steamroll express slowing down anytime soon.

- Is anyone else a bit shocked at MLS Referee Alex Prus’s comments on Twitter earlier this week after he handed out two late red cards in the Chivas-Seattle match last week? Basically he says (paraphrasing here) “I was told something by my AR, gave an incorrect red, but it’s my responsibility even though it wasn’t really my call.” This is worse than Ed Hochuli’s handling of his errant whistle in Denver in ’08. Granted the situation is a bit different, but I don’t understand why Prus felt the need to discuss the situation publicly at all. Also, after watching the highlights (FFW to 3:30) it seems as though the whole situation could have been avoided if Prus was a bit quicker on the whistle when Gonzalez was mugging Trujillo.

That’s about it for this week. Thanks as always for reading. I’ll surely be back next week, though who the hell knows if Bushman will. It may be another month before he blogs again…

- Pat Walsh

Brazilian Waxed

2010-08-13T09:56:00.004-05:00

See ya, bitches!!!

So I was all set to come back from a summer hiatus to talk about how poorly the U.S. played on Tuesday night against Brazil. But then reports started surfacing this morning that Bob Bradley has resigned as coach. Two months too late, but at least it’s not four years and two months too late.

I was all set to blog before my vacation that I thought Bradley would be on the sidelines at RFK next season. I didn’t think Onalfo would be fired so quickly, and think it’s appalling he didn’t at least get to see out the full year, but there was no way he was coming back given United’s current state. Now it appears Bradley will have another job, starting as soon as next week.

The assumption, and really the only reason Bob would leave the few remaining dollars of his expiring contract on the table, is that he will replace Martin O’Neill as Aston Villa’s head coach. Brad Guzan’s big goofy smile just got a lot bigger.

Four years ago I wrote for Goal.com that Bruce Arena needed to go to Europe to be a trailblazer for American coaches in the way that John Harkes, Claudio Reyna, Kasey Keller, et al were trailblazers for American players. I thought he’d have to go to a league that wasn’t as prestigious as the EPL, let alone a team that will be in Europe. Arena didn’t take that opportunity, and I think hurt the future of American coaches a bit, but has done quite well for himself out in L.A.

Four weeks ago I didn’t think Bradley had a snowballs chance in hell of coaching in Europe, and that’s when the Fulham job was open. Of course Fulham made it to the Europa League finals last season, but weren’t nearly as good domestically and won’t be back in Europe this season. Villa will, but likely will be without their talisman James Milner.

For some comparison, this would have been akin to Tom Izzo taking over the Cleveland Cavaliers this season sans LeBron James. The Cavs were better than Villa last year, but both are somewhat no win situations if their number one guy is gone and the money isn’t used to find a serviceable replacement. It also doesn’t hurt that Villa are owned by an American, Randy Lerner, and the fans don’t think he invests quite enough in his round football team as he should.

Villa will still have a solid defense and two American keepers. Yet without Milner pulling the strings, I’m not sure the offense will be good enough to be a top half team in England, let alone succeed in the Europa League. But I also thought D.C. United were a playoff team this year, so take that with a grain of salt.

The advantage I saw in Arena going across the pond was his ability to find talent. He was a lot more successful in bringing new players into the fold than Bradley was in their first four years on the job, and immensely more so at the club level. As Harry Redknapp wrote earlier this week, tactics don’t matter as much without the proper players. As much as the day-to-day stuff Bradley will have to readjust to from his role with the national team, Bradley is going to have to pick out affordable talent that can bolster Villa. That’s where I see him failing more than the coaching side, but as the cliché says, only time will tell.

Of course, after writing all of this Big Soccer By Ives is quoting Bradley’s agent saying these are all just rumors.

Other stuff…

- Back to Tuesday night…man what an awful game. Thanks to an inattentive waitress I was watching poker instead of the start of the game so I missed the best ten minutes from the Americans. Jonny B. Badd looked like a deer in headlights most of the night on the left side of defense and I feel that right midfielders in the Mexican league were licking their lips watching the game. Neither outside midfielder helped much in terms of defensive duties and I wonder if Landon Donovan had been in his customary wide role if that would’ve helped matters a bit. Elsewhere, Edson Buddle never saw enough of the ball to be effective, and the guys in the second half never did anything with the ball when they did. Seriously, has Jozy developed his offensive game in the past few years? Fitness wasn’t there for him either as midway through the second half he and Robbie Findley were either walking or slowly jogging as the Brazilians knocked it around their back line. By the way, both were second half subs! And I don’t understand why Herculez Gomez wasn’t given time up front; he may not be “the answer” but the other options have been given more than enough chances and certainly are the wrong answer for the next head coach. Lastly, it was interesting that Brad Guzan looked sharper than Timmy Howard, especially considering he didn’t save any shots with his knees. Maybe there is a positive for Bradley at Villa after all.

- Bushman touched on United on Tuesday -- which is to say nothing of what he touched on in Vegas -- but I’ll revisit the topic real quick with some stats. Now all of this is according to Wikipedia because MLSsoccer.com is too difficult to navigate, but I can’t imagine the stats are that off. In the first four years of the league, United scored 271 goals. Just twice United have failed to score 40 goals in a season, those being 2002 with 31 goals in 26 games and the following year with 38 in 30 games. Only four times has an MLS team failed to score 30 goals: the ’07 and ’04 Rapids scored 29, the ‘09 Red Bulls had 27, and the league worst occurred in ’07 when Toronto FC tallied just 25 goals in their expansion season. Right now, United are on pace for 19 goals this year. It should also be noted that KC are on pace to score 25 this year, so I suppose we can say Onalfo is no Bill Walsh. However, United’s front office has seen no changes while their latest signings have done nothing to improve the club.

- Lastly, with the Premier League starting this year, I’ll toss out a couple of predictions. Manchester United will win the league again thanks to their improved depth -- especially if they sign Mesut Özil -- and Chelsea’s aging stars. City will splash enough cash to earn a Champions League spot with the aforementioned two and Arsenal. Liverpool have never replaced Xabi Alonso and it will continue to hurt while I see Spurs being stretched a bit too thin with CL games to earn another berth. For the Golden Boot I’m going with Rooney; he has a better supporting cast this year and as in past years, ManU stars returning from a poor World Cup have had superb seasons (see Beckham, David in ’98-99 and Ronaldo, Cristiano in ’06-07). For two more out there predictions, Barcelona will win La Liga with Real Madrid finishing second and the Sun will rise in the East tomorrow morning.

- Pat Walsh

Meet The New Boss...Same As The Old Boss...

2010-08-10T13:37:00.006-05:00

Your New DC United Head Coach

"We still have a blog?"

Walsh asked me that yesterday during our daily phone conversation after I told him I was actually going to write something today...

Yes, we've slacked off the past month. In our defense, we've both been vacationing like hell and it's been very taxing. After the drama of the Cup, we needed a break. Now we're back (at least I am), and are ready to try and hold your interest once or twice a week.

So, anything much happen while we've been away? Oh, yeah, DC United still sucks, and have been shutout in 13 of 19 games. I'm too lazy to look up statistics, but is it a stretch to say DC could score the fewest goals in MLS history? That's gotta be in the discussion.

I won't rehash what's been said on countless other blogs, websites, and newspapers over the past week (the best was by Steve Davis, who lambasts United management from top to bottom).

As for this past weekend's loss, a 1-0 shutout (surprise!!) to New England, the team did play with more passion, had the run of play for large portions of the game, and looked more competent under Ben Olsen's new leadership than they did most of the time under Curt Onolfo.

Although Olsen is a United icon, don't think he will instantly be able to duplicate the success Jason Kreis has had with Real Salt Lake. Kreis was able to almost seamlessly move from the field to the clubhouse, but the truth of the matter is that Real had already made several roster moves to put them in the position to win an MLS Cup within 2 years.

DC United could be as far away as any team in the history of the league to be a contender for the crown. Ben Olsen can't do much to change that. Dave Kasper and Kevin Payne are the ones to do it, but based on their history, what are the odds of that happening? Exactly. Until then, black and red fans, the best thing you can do is keep showing up for every game and sing your hearts out, willing your team to a win, or maybe even a goal?

In other news from the past week -

1. Manchester United beats Chelsea for the Community Shield. Sure, it's basically the final preseason warmup before the real games begin, but did you notice how old and slow Chelsea looked at times? Rooney continually ran away from John Terry, and Anelka and Drogba seemed like they hadn't played together in years. Will the Blues be able to stand up over the course of the seaon with the number of games on their plate?

As for United, they looked younger, stronger, and hungry. Based on his play in their U.s. tour and on Sunday, Berbatov finally looks like the signing United hoped he would be when they transferred a ton of dough for him 2 years ago. And Javier Hernandez? He scored the ugliest goal I've seen in a long time, but hey, it counts. As a United fan, I'm happy; as a United States fan, not so much. This kid is gonna pummel us for the next decade.

2. USL2 Updated - Well, we know who's in (Charleston, Richmond, and Pittsburgh). Pittsburgh is the 3rd seed and will play on the road against the 2nd place team, which right now is Richmond. HOWEVER, Richmond could still capture the regular season crown and homefield for the Final IF Charleston loses to Charlotte this weekend and the Kickers beat Real Maryland. Gotta love any league that literally comes down to the final games of the season!

3. PDL Title -The Portland U-23's became the 1st team in the history of the PDL to go unbeaten and untied en route to winning the title this weekend. The team is only in its' 2nd year of existence, and yes, they are the "farm club" of the Portland Timbers, the soon-to-be MLS franchise starting in 2011. Think just announced Head Coach John Spencer is a little giddy about some of the prospects he'll have to choose from when the team starts MLS competition next year?

That's all I've got for now, folks.

Maybe Walsh will find time to write up a summary and reaction to tonight's U.S./Brazil game?

We can only hope...

Final Thoughts

2010-07-16T11:08:00.002-05:00

This is gonna hurt me more than it's gonna hurt you.

Oh wait, no it won't

Hopefully these thoughts are a bit more in line with Bushman’s feelings and he won’t fire off an angry blog in reply to what I’m about to say. Wait, what am I talking about, that would require him to write again in the same week. Pretty sure I’m safe there.

But as Bushman was dealing with the jackasses of the world -- really, it’s comical to me that people can defend baseball while putting down soccer, and if you do so at least be humorous and say that Arjen Robben would be great at NASCAR with how often he goes left -- I’m going to look back at what wasn’t the best World Cup ever, but a pretty good one in my mind. It certainly helped shorten the summer as we’re under a month from the start of the EPL and less than two weeks away from hearing Albert Haynesworth bitch about being paid a kings ransom for doing a job he doesn’t want to do. Hey Al, I do a job I’m not that thrilled with and I’d gladly take one of your game checks as my salary. Shame Danny Snyder can’t furlough for a game to make him feel some of my pain.

Sorry for going all Dennis Miller on you and getting off on a rant. Anyway, onto some thoughts about South Africa 2010…

- The final was not a thing of beauty, but that’s the case in most soccer championship games. They’re typically defensive matches that reflect two teams trying not to lose rather than trying to win. Spain somewhat reminded me of an NFL team that tried to win 3-0 by having a time of possession over 45 minutes. Nigel de Jong and Mark van Bommel marred the typical attacking nature of the Dutch despite some of their positive players like Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben (even with the flopping which wasn’t as bad as some say, though the rolling around after was awful). As the final in Germany ’06 was remembered for Zidane’s head butt, so to this one should have seen de Jong sent packing for the karate kick to Xabi Alonso’s chest. Having said all of that, Spain were rightful winners and Xavi deserved the golden boot slightly more than Diego Forlan. I just can’t wait to see David Villa on Barcelona this year because, ya know, they needed more offense on that team.

- A quick aside, but after watching these Dutch midfielders who were all on Real Madrid’s roster last year, why didn’t Man U try to get one of them back instead of all the cash for Cristiano Ronaldo? I’m sure the cash strapped Glazer’s preferred it that way, but if they had Sneijder feeding Wayne Rooney maybe they win the league? Even Robben or van der Vaart would’ve been an upgrade over who they have now. I had that thought last year and feel even more strongly about it now.

- The scoring was down in this Cup, but I don’t (completely) blame the ball. Instead I (mostly) blame tactics. We’ve seen the game getting more negative in the past few years, culminating with Jose Mourinho’s Inter side beating beautiful Barcelona and a more attacking Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Hopefully the trend reverses itself, but the international game generally trails the club level by a year or two and I can see a relatively dull Brazil ’14 as well. One last thing on the ball: I’d love to see a study (I’m lazy and not taking the time) of the goals scored in relation to altitude. Gio van Bronkhorst and Forlan both hit beautiful goals in that semifinal which was played basically at sea level and I wonder if GvB’s long-range blast would’ve been into the upper deck had the game been in Pretoria instead.

- Though some have was disparaged FIFA for having too many games for these guys, which led to some injuries and has some merit, FIFA needs to find a way to add more international dates in the spring of World Cup years. One of the reasons Champions League is better to watch, though not as exciting or captivating as Bushman pointed out, is that those guys train with each other all year. Though it didn’t necessarily help Mexico, who played about 85 friendlies in the run up to the Cup, you could see teams gel as the tournament went along. It didn’t hurt Spain that the core of their team, and four of their five midfielders, all played together at Barça. Maybe if teams had a few more games throughout the spring then those first games aren’t as defensive while guys are adjusting to playing in the World Cup as well as adjusting to playing with the guy next to them. No, I don’t have a solution, but I don’t get paid for that.

- Back here in MLS the big news is obviously the official signing of Thierry Henry. Now the Red Bulls can officially surrender. Every one knew about the acquisition for a while, I’m just sad he didn’t have an hour-long show where he said “I’m taking my talents to Harrison and the Red Bulls.” Paired with JPAngel it might make them the favorites in the East thanks mainly to GBSchelotto’s aging legs. It also should give a boost to Hans Backe’s coach of the year chances. Bruce Arena’s got the strangle hold on that one right now, with Preki probably in second, but a late push by the Red Bulls could see the Swede take home the silverware, which I believe would double the club’s total.

- Didn’t see the D.C. game last night, but watching the highlights it looks like they had the better of the chances. Then the late goal costs them the point. Seems like Onalfo still hasn’t figured that one out from his days in Kansas City, or how to get his team to score. To paraphrase Dennis Green, he is what we thought he is.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the weekend, if that’s possible in this heat.

- Pat Walsh

"I'm Mad As Hell, And I'm Not Gonna Take It Anymore!"

2010-07-15T08:42:00.002-05:00

Dude, You Sum It Up Perfectly

I’ve said repeatedly over the past few years that I won’t let the soccer-bashers get to me. Their numbers are dwindling, and there have actually been 1 or 2 that have converted into fans, or at least, their hatred and fear of the game has diminished. And then you have this piece by Free Lance-Star Editor Ed Jones. The Star, for those of you who don’t know, is the Fredericksburg area’s primary newspaper, with a pretty wide circulation. My family has subscribed for more than 35 years, and I’ve grown pretty much accustomed to their ignoring of soccer. However, this editorial (and I use that word loosely) is full of so many wrong and ridiculous statements that I can’t just let it slide. So, dear readers, here is my open response to Mr. Jones. Yes, I sent him a personal email saying these exact things. Let’s see if he responds.

Mr. Jones, I'm sure you'll get a decent amount of responses to your vitriolic and ugly column about why you dislike soccer and the World Cup. As a journalist myself (I have covered all levels of soccer for 15 years in television, radio, and a variety of internet columns), I respect your opinion although I obviously take issue with virtually your entire piece. I hope you will take a moment to read my questions to you below, and at least ponder some of the counter arguments I would present.

1. I can't stand NASCAR or baseball, yet I have more friends than I can count who do. I have never felt the need to write a column that belittles either one of them. I respect them as sports and the people who follow them. Why, as the Editor of a widely-read newspaper, did you feel the need to write something attacking a sport that is enjoyed by many of your readers? I have noticed that the FLS has no problems taking advertising dollars from FASA, SASA, and other soccer organizations in the area, though.

2. You cite that the Cup was "widely, and accurately, perceived to be boring." Yet I noticed you failed to cite any other "experts" who agree with you. Again, as a journalist, if you're going to make such an accusation, you might want to have some facts to back you up. I'm sure you could do a quick search and find some guy named "Bubba" from Mississippi who wrote how soccer sucks, but a majority of the sports media (including notorious soccer bashers such as Jim Rome and Mike Greenberg from ESPN) said they enjoyed large parts of the tournament. All 4 of the U.S. games produced as much drama as anything I've seen in sports in recent memory.

3. Yes, the vuvuzuelas were annoying. I will agree with you wholeheartedly on that one. Part of what makes the in-person soccer atmosphere so great is the singing, chanting, and camaraderie you see from the fans in the stadium. That was largely muted by the sound of those horns which sounded like thousands of bees.

4. Population of the country doesn't matter. You questioned why we couldn't beat Slovenia. I'm sure you're unaware of this, but Slovenia actually beat Russia in a playoff series to make the World Cup in the first place, so does that mean you should disparage the Russians for not beating them? And when the U.S. baseball team loses to Cuba and Central American countries in the baseball equivalent of the world cup, will you feel the need to bring up the population differences then? And if population of a country should influence sports performance, why aren't India and China kicking everyone's tail in soccer? Again, your argument doesn't stand up.

5. Again, I will agree with you about officiating. It was fine early in the tournament but got progressively worse.

6. Your statement about the Americans' scant opportunity to watch the games because they were during the day is also inaccurate. The ratings for this World Cup were as much as 40% higher than any other Cup in the U.S. Thousands upon thousands of fans crowded bars, restaurants, or (like me) just took off work to watch the U.S. games and many others during the day. The weekend broadcasts of the games on ABC were some of the highest-rated sporting events in the network's history in those time-slots. And this is probably something else you didn't know; there were more Americans who traveled to South Africa for this World Cup than any other nation on Earth. The ticket sales are proof. And what's more, I've read dozens of stories from media outlets around the globe how much everyone embraced the U.S. team and its fans for their guts, determination, and just overall fun to be around. U.S. soccer fans did more to help our international reputation than any U.S. leader has done in more than a decade.

7. Last one; I have had the opportunity to interview and meet numerous sports stars over the years. Far and away, soccer players appreciate their fans and their game more than other athletes (again, in my experience). Yes, the French players were ridiculously childish with their behavior; but again, don't condemn an entire group based on such a small number of idiots. Stereotyping is lazy. You're better than that.

Mr. Jones, I don't intend to try and change your mind about soccer. You don't like it; fine. As I stated before, we are all entitled to our opinions. But you do need to realize that this sport, while it will never be as big as football, basketball, or baseball in this country, is here to stay. Major League Soccer will soon have 20 teams, almost all with their own stadiums, solid fan bases, world-class players, and legitimate mainstream media coverage. The World Cup, and the U.S. National Team, is only going to get bigger and more popular (just wait until we host the Cup in 2018 or 2022, which is widely-rumored). You don't need to be on board, but do you really feel the need to be such a detractor?

Mark Bushman

http://my2cents-bushman.blogspot.com/

If you feel as strongly as I do about this, please feel free to email him or send a letter to the Editor as well. His email is edjones@freelancestar.com, and for the newspaper, it’s letters@freelancestar.com.

As always, thanks for reading, and now let's get ready to dive headfirst into what I think is going to be a tight and exciting race to the MLS Championship (seriously!)...

The Final Countdown

2010-07-08T11:18:00.001-05:00

Both Spain and Holland want to be handed the Sword of Destiny...

HILT FIRST!!!

In honor of our buddy Kevin’s birthday and his impending cross-country move, I’m using Europe’s first number one hit. Yeah, it also ties into the all-European World Cup final as either the Netherlands or Spain will win their first title on Sunday. Of course, we don’t really need to play the game as we can just have Paul the Octopus predict the winner and save ourselves the trouble.

But since that won’t happen, here are my thoughts on the semifinals and looking ahead to this weekend…

- Spain have to be the favorites heading into Sunday’s clash of the two best nations to never win a World Cup. They thoroughly dismantled a German side that was on a roll, which leads me to wonder how bad Argentina and England really were. Germany also played into their hands by sitting back and allowing them to possess to the point that they seemingly had no energy to go for the tying goal in the late stages of the game. It’s rare that you see Germany get outworked like that (as well as lose as many balls in the air to a shorter Spanish side), but Spain played a great game. Unlike their earlier 1-0 wins in the knockout rounds, this one wasn’t as close as the score showed.

- I worry about the Dutch defense. Seeing the pass from Pedro (a great move by del Bosque, by the way) to David Villa early on brought back memories of Felipe Melo finding Robinho straight down the middle of the park. Xavi will have a few assists if that marking persists. However, having de Jong back from suspension will help…as long as he doesn’t break anyone’s leg.

- The battle of possession between Wesley Sneijder and Xavi should be fascinating. I’ve thought throughout the tournament that Spain missed Marcos Senna, who was a bull in the midfield for them during their ’08 Euro championship run. Spain haven’t faced a midfield as talented as Holland’s yet and he would help negate Sneijder. Xavi Alonso and Busquets have been ok, but if Senna were healthy this year I think this team would be even more dominant.

- The third place game could be fun if Uruguay come out and play like they did against South Africa, rather than looking for a 1-0 win. With less on the line, let’s hope that’s the case. Should be interesting for Germany as well, who welcome back their apparent talisman Thomas Mueller, and may well be trying to set up Klose so he can pass Ronaldo for the most goals ever in the World Cup finals. Granted, both could play their bench and go with guys who would go all out in their first appearances in this Cup which would make for an exciting game between a bunch of guys we don’t know quite as well.

- Predictions:

Germany 4, Uruguay 1

I’m seeing an early goal by the Germans to get them rolling again while Suarez gets a pseudo curtain call for the Uruguayans with the lone tally for the South Americans.

Spain 3, Holland 2

Like I said, I don’t trust Holland’s defense. Equally I don’t trust Iker Casillas who may well be the third best ‘keeper on Spain’s squad. However, the finishing prowess of David Villa gives Spain the edge as Robin van Persie has just one goal against a Cameroon side who were already eliminated. History is on Holland’s side (as well as the bet for Bushman and I) as no team has ever lost their first game and won, so you can call this prediction a reverse jinx.

- I’m tired of reading about how this is the worst World Cup for reffing. Overall, I think it’s been pretty solid. Yes, there have been some bad calls, but there are in every Cup, as well as in every sport around the world. As for the offsides, my only complaint is not using the “if in doubt, keep the flag down” idea. But that’s still the hardest call in sports. By comparison, look at how many times umpires get balls and strikes wrong when there is only one part of the equation -- the ball -- moving as opposed to four on offsides -- the ball, the defender, the attacking player, and the official.

- As good as the ESPN content has been, they should have gone one more step in becoming Eurocentric. Alexi Lalas might as well be Woody Page on “Around the Horn” when he says anything that comes into his head, especially anything that creates controversy. John Harkes is even worse and every time I listen to him I feel like the principal in Billy Madison. Also, Captain for Life, when did you become Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon 2 trying to pronounce Arjen? It’s not “R-Jen” jackass. There have been some issues with understanding the offsides rule, which John Cleese explains here, but the international guys have been much, much better than the Americans during games.

- A last thought on the future of the U.S. national team. No, I’m not going to try and predict the 2014 roster, an exercise even more useless than a mock draft prior to the draft order being announced. But I texted Bushman during the Germany-Spain game yesterday saying basically “even though the USMNT doesn’t have an identity, isn’t Germany the right team to emulate with their fitness, work rate, and penchant for the counter attack?” Apparently one of his friends said the same thing a few minutes earlier (which just goes to show that Bushman is only as smart as his friends). So I’ll leave you with this piece by Jürgen Klinsmann as some more reading material and wonder a) where the U.S. would be if Klinsy had been hired four years ago and b) how any one else can be realistically considered to put the U.S. another step forward. Just like how Bruce Arena came in after France ’98 and put a sense of professionalism into U.S. Soccer, Klinsmann needs to come in to take the program another step forward from the full national team down through the youth ranks.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the games this weekend!

- Pat Walsh

Could This Tournament Be Any More (insert adjective here)?

2010-07-04T13:15:00.007-05:00

"It's ok! Columbia wants me to be their coach! They're paying me in cocaine!"

Yep, it's really cheap to kick a man when he's down, unless that man is Diego Maradona. What a jackass! Instead of preparing his team for what was going to be the biggest physical and mental challenge they would probably face in the tournament, he spent time calling out German players in the press conferences and having his players sing and dance during training. In the span of 2 hours, he went from resurrecting his legacy to being a bum once again. Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. Now go hang out with Chavez and plot the "downfall" of the U.S., Diego.

Moving on, I seriously think this has been the craziest World Cup since I started watching in 1974. I didn't say the best; the '82 Cup had 3 or 4 of the best games I've ever seen, but as a far as drama, this one's already in the history books. Now, before I head back out on vacation and not rejoin you until the Monday after the festivities in South Africa have concluded, let me drop 10 little observations from the quarterfinals, make my semifinal predictions and then who will win all the marbles a week from today.

1. Asamoah Gyan owes Walsh and I $2k each - They said nobody felt worse than him Friday night after his missed penalty. How about Walsh and I, who had them at 70-1 in Vegas? I will not offend you with the insults hurled his way from the two of us around 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday. But seriously, even in defeat, you gotta admire the way he came back as the 1st KICKER in the penalty tiebreak and buried the 1st shot. Is it out of reach to say that it, mentally, it was tougher to make the 2nd one after missing the 1st?

2. Diego Forlan might be this Tournament's MVP - Maybe not for the whole tournament (I'm guessing David Villa is in the lead right now), but is there any other player more valuable to his team than Forlan is to Uruguay? Even though Luis Suarez has as many goals, it's Forlan who runs the show. After a dismal opening round tie with France, he exploded to bury the home South African side in game 2, was a rock in games 3 and the 2nd round, and scored a wonderful free kick to tie Ghana on Friday as an entire continent backed the remaining African side. Then he took and buried the 1st penalty in the shootout. I've always thought the 1st penalty shooter had the most on his shoulders; if he makes it, it calms the other 4 down. If he misses, then the rest have added pressure to make theirs. I've always liked Forlan, and am glad this World Cup is is giving this underrated player a chance to shine on the big stage.

3. The U.S. could be in the semifinals right now - Yeah, I know, I'm not saying anything new, but after watching the Ghana/Uruguay game on Friday, I kept thinking "we're as good if not better than both of these teams." Makes you wonder just what would have happened if Sideshow Bob's repeated brain farts in starting Ricardo Clark and Robbie Findley would have been replaced by any combination of Edu, Feilhaber, Holden, or Buddle into the starting 11. I need to jump off this subject as I can feel my blood rising once again.

4. I told you so - For all the talk about Brazil, the Netherlands matched up perfectly against them and didn't wilt in the face of pressure. Going down a goal early, and could have easily been 2 or 3 before the end of the 1st half, the Dutch held their composure and slowly chipped away at the Brazilians. They started finding holes in Dunga's much vaunted (but much despised back home in Brazil) defensive formation. Eventually, the duo of Robben and Sneijder exploited the cracks, with Sneijder scoring (way to make the correction, FIFA) both goals to get the 2-1 win. For the 1st time that I can remember, a Brazilian team also lost their composure, as Felipe Melo's stomp of Robben led to his ejection, and , therefore, any chance Brazil had to get the tying goal. Speaking of Melo...

5. Has anyone had a worse game on such a big stage? - Seriously, the guy did maybe the greatest 180 in the history of the Cup. He made a jaw-dropping through ball that set Robinho up perfectly for Brazil's opening goal, and then imploded. He interfered with goalkeeper Julio Cesar on Sneijder's high cross, and the confusion led to the ball being in the back of the net. Minutes later, he loses Sneijder on a corner kick, and the smallest man on the pitch scores the game-winner on a header. You can probably count on 1 hand the number of times the guy has scored like that. Then Melo's version of "Stomp" on Robben sealed his, and Brazil's, fate. Good thing he plays his club ball in Italy, or Melo would receive worse treatment than David Beckham did after his ejection in the '98 Cup.

6. Hey Dunga, it didn't work - It's been said that Brazilian would rather lose 4-3 playing beautiful soccer rather than win 1-0 in boring fashion. Well, they got the worst of both worlds in a 2-1 loss in which a Brazilian team seemed to actually run out of ideas in the final third of the field against the Dutch. Never seen that before, either. Kaka, although he wore the #10 shirt, really isn't a true #10 in the way of Pele or Zico. He's an attacking, not necessarily a creator, and that's what Brazil lacked this time around. Gotta put that on the coach. Do you think Ronaldinho was sitting at home and laughing during that 2nd half, or kicking his tv because he knows he could have made a difference?

7. Maradona - see my opening paragraph...

8. Germany - The Germans are on a roll in every sense of the word. They have annihilated their competition in 3 of their 5 games in the tournament. They are disciplined, smart, skilled, fast, young, and oh, yeah, they don't let up. They really didn't need to score that 4th goal yesterday, but they did because they could. Maybe sending a message to Spain that they better be ready come Wednesday? We'll see if the message was received because:

9. Spain is doing just enough to get by - That's been fine so far against teams that don't seem to want to score on them (Portugal and Paraguay, although, surprisingly, Paraguay gave them a better game than Portugal), but it won't work against Germany in the semis. Germany is not going to get shutout, so the Spaniards will need to get someone else on the scoresheet other than David Villa if they want a crack at the Title. And why is Fernando Torres still on the field while Cesc Fabregas warming the bench? That needs to change for Spain to win. If Torres isn't going to score (and there are no indications he will do so), they might as well have another playmaker to try and break down the vaunted German defenses. Oh yeah, as Walsh texted me yesterday, if Spain keeps hitting goalposts, "they should pay to repaint them."

10. Predictions -

Holland over Uruguay (1-0) - The Cinderella story comes to an end for the team that barely escaped a playoff series with Costa Rica just to make it to the last 32. As great as Forlan has been, no Suarez lets the Dutch concentrate on shutting him down, while Robben and Sneijder run the midfield at will. This will probably be a slow, methodical game, which, until this tournament, has always hindered Holland. Not so this time around.

Germany over Spain (2-1) - This will be one heck of a game. Although both teams feature explosive offenses, both can play some solid defense as well. I don't think it'll be a track meet, but there will be plenty of opportunities at both ends. Based on current form, and the fact that nobody else has mentioned that Iker Casillas has not exactly been steady in goal this tournament, Germany will put 2 past him. One of them will be a howler.

World Cup Final - Germany over Netherlands (2-1) - A great rivalry and some amazing history between these 2 clubs is on display for the world to see. After sitting out the semifinal for yellow cards, Thomas Muller returns and makes the difference for Germany, getting the game-winner after the 75th minute to send the Germans into a frenzy...and we know the French ALWAYS get nervous when the Germans are in a frenzy.

Thanks as always for reading and to Walsh for putting up some very interesting pieces while I was out.

1 more thing; Fire Bob Bradley!!!!

Project 2010 Didn’t Account For Bob Bradley

2010-06-29T11:12:00.002-05:00

Three of the worst things for a U.S. fan from 2010

So I was wrong on the prediction that the U.S. wouldn’t advance out of Group C. But, in fairness to me, they were about 150 seconds away from just that fate. Thanks to Landon’s late winner against Algeria expectations were about as high as Jozy was diving onto the celebratory pile. Then they crashed and burned because Bob Bradley is no Sully Sullenberger.

Here are my thoughts that I haven’t seen addressed by the more MSM in terms of soccer journalists.

Where are the questions?

I’ve read in multiple places where Bob Bradley would face questions on his selection of the roster for Saturday’s debacle against Ghana. And I’m still waiting for those questions to be asked. Steve Goff had a nice sit down with USSF President Sunil Gulati but the questions were softer than George Forman’s belly. I somewhat sympathize with Goff as putting USSF or any of it’s key members under the gun may result in an end of access. As much as many dislike him, Jaime Trecker is a prime example of that. However, if that’s the case, then don’t do the dance by saying questions need to be asked without offering up the same line of criticism that coaches in every other revenue producing sport in this country face. Trust me, “Big Phil” Scolari would’ve gladly taken the English job if this was his “press conference” after being knocked out of the World Cup. Are you kidding me with those “questions,” or did Sunil Gulati conduct the entire thing?

Koman Coulibaly did screw the U.S.

Not saying the referee from Mali is why the Yanks aren’t playing Uruguay on Friday. However, Coulibaly did cost the U.S. two points and a guaranteed spot in the second round after the Slovenia game. Knowing his side were through -- after two games the U.S. would have had four points, Slovenia three, and England two so only one could have finished higher than the U.S. -- Bob Bradley would have had the option to rest some players. With the knockout stages starting just two days later, you can’t tell me some fresh legs for at least half the team wouldn’t have helped, especially in a game that went an extra 30 minutes. So, while the result didn’t cost the U.S. the group, that horrible call may have cost them more.

Bradley’s lineup did screw the U.S.

Not only was it directly Ricardo Clark’s fault -- admittedly there were others that could have helped, but Rico was mostly to blame -- that the U.S. gave up the earliest two goals in the tournament, but his sub just 31 minutes in eventually came back to haunt the Yanks even more. Combined with bringing Robbie Findley off at halftime, Bradley had just one sub to use for the rest of the lineup, six of whom played every minute in the first three games. The initial eleven also played 800 of a possible 990 minutes two days prior to the Ghana match; Robbie Findley and Ricardo Clark were the only two who didn’t play on Wednesday and neither one saw the start of the second half. So yeah, the boys were tired, but you can’t solely blame the fact they were chasing the game for the majority of the time they were on the field. I know the U.S. aren’t as deep as other sides, but Bruce Arena came into the past two World Cups with a specific strategy of getting guys rest in the group stage whereas Bradley seemed to be flying by the seat of his burning pants.

Charlie Davies did screw the U.S.

Calling a spade a spade here: if Davies is in South Africa playing after a successful year with Sochaux, the Yanks are still playing and many of the questions that should be facing Bradley aren’t broached because he isn’t starting Findley. I feel sympathy for Gooch’s performance because he was returning from an on field injury. Davies, not so much. Moving on to…

Lack of forwards didn’t necessarily screw the U.S.

I don’t care about the stats coming out of South Africa this year reminding us a forward didn’t score. I’ll let Jozy off the hook a bit because he had a big hand in two key goals. However, it’s myopic to think this is a new trend, and that doesn’t include the fact that Davies was missing. In the Hexagonal, forwards scored fewer than half of the goals. In the Confederations Cup last year, forwards scored two of the eight goals (one each to Davies and Altidore). Prior to the arrival in South Africa this year, forwards tallied three of the eight goals scored in friendlies. Yet it didn’t become a big deal until the Yanks were bounced. Sure, it wasn’t mentioned on this blog either, but aren’t the guys who are paid big bucks and can use Elias and not their own free time the ones who should figure this stuff out? This all comes back on Bradley for not finding guys who were able to score at this level. For the record, Edson Buddle had two more goals in the first half of the Australia friendly than Robbie Findley has in his international career, yet the (sometimes) RSL striker started all three of the games he was eligible for while the MLS leading goal scorer played just 39 minutes, none coming in the decisive game.

Bob Bradley wasn’t the only one who screwed the U.S.

Obviously the man on the bench was a main culprit. Even the yes men on his staff would agree with that. But doesn’t the problem lie deeper than that? Like the lyrics of one of my favorite Phish songs, Sand, “If you can heal the symptoms/But not affect the cause/It's quite a bit like trying to heal/A gunshot wound with gauze.” So how much will replacing Bradley really help? Let’s look back four years ago when Sunil Gulati rightly ended Bruce Arena’s two-term run. Bob Bradley was named interim coach after several “bigger” names were sought ought but not hired. Most famously, of course, was Jurgen ~~Volkswagen~~ Klinsmann who wanted too much control for Gulati’s taste. But even if Alan Rothenburg, continuing the incestuous relationship USSF, called Gulati “the single most important person in the development of soccer in this country,” (citing Wiki on that one) he has also presided over an embarrassing showing in Germany ’06 and this past World Cup. Not exactly a ringing endorsement. Maybe it’s me, but shouldn’t we have someone in arguably the most important position in U.S. soccer a person that performs that job full time, and isn’t also an economics professor at Columbia and President of Kraft Soccer for the Revolution? Nah, that probably makes too much sense -- like playing Buddle -- right?

Project 2010 wasn’t that far off

Honestly, it seemed like a joke when it was conceived. The notion that the U.S. could be a legitimate threat to the World Cup this year was made in the same year, 1998, as the last place finish in France. At that point it seemed as realistic as saying the Patriots would be a dominant NFL team or that you could blow off work by watching every World Cup game online. But considering the U.S. had a realistic shot of being in the semifinals, maybe it wasn’t that far off. (Summoning my inner Harkes…) For me, it lends hope to Brazil ’14. Donovan will be 32 and should have four years in Europe under his belt. Dempsey is a year younger and should be better. Jozy will be 24 and Davies should be healthy. Michael Bradley will be 26 and (please, God!) the only Bradley involved. Gooch should be healthy. A crop of youngsters will be coming up. And Tim Howard might make a save or two to help us win a game we shouldn’t.

There is hope!

- Pat Walsh

Double The Fun

2010-06-22T12:22:00.004-05:00

We lost. But at least we're not the French!

Like I said yesterday, it appears those early fears about this being the worst World Cup ever are quickly being assuaged. I always felt it was mostly a defensive posture by most teams in looking for an early point and avoiding the first game loss. Add in the altitude adjustment and the first round of games wasn’t great. But now it looks like the wheels are rolling.

Certainly sad to see the Bafana Bafana go out. Would have been a crazy match for Argentina to deal with their up tempo pace and the home crowd on top of that. But now Mexico will be fed to the proverbial lions, this time played by La Albiceleste. Can we hope for a wonder strike from Maxi Rodriguez again?

Also, Uruguay into the semis looks like a lock right now. They’ll play whoever finishes behind Argentina, then the winner of the US group or the second in the Ghana group. Not exactly a murderers row there.

Onto the USA…

- Has there ever been a more infuriating come from two down tie in World Cup history? Yeah, it was a crap call by the ref from Mali, you don’t need me to tell you that. But at least he was nice enough to get Robbie Findley out of the lineup for us. And speaking of guys that need to come out, the next name that should be on that list is Oguchi Onyewu. Can’t say that Gooch needed those warm up games for fitness. But it’s obvious he hasn’t played at a high level since October. He’s been at fault, either directly or indirectly, on all three goals thus far and needs to take a seat.

- Who replaces Gooch is the obvious next question. My answer: Jose Torres. Sure, Torres looked in over his 5’6” (being generous) head on Friday. But a Torres for Gooch swap puts the team into an attacking 3-5-2. Face it, Algeria haven’t threatened much, let alone score and a three-man backline will suffice. With Mo Edu and Michael Bradley behind him, Torres can be more effective. Do I see this happening? Hell no. David Beckham has a better chance of scoring in South Africa (on the pitch, of course) than that of Bob Bradley switching to a 3-5-2 at this point. My guess for the lineup Bradley throws out is the same as what he used against England, with Edson Buddle on for Findley. My best realistic hope is he also gives Edu the nod over Rico Clark, but I’m not expecting it at all.

- One guy who hasn’t been given much grief this tournament is Tim Howard. Has T-Ho pulled a Robert Green-like gaff? Of course not. He was even heroic in the diving grab against Emile Heskey when he probably broke a rib or two (I’m waiting for that report to come out after the U.S. are eliminated). But other than that, his best save was again against Heskey on a breakaway that was blasted right into his belly. I’d say Green’s save on Altidore in the second half was better than anything from Howard thus far. Put simply, Howard has made the saves he should. But for this team to be successful he has to be like Friedel was in ’02 when he was nicknamed the “Human Wall” and make some game changing saves he has no business making. Timmy shouldn’t have to do so against Algeria, but for this team to do more than just get out of the group he needs to step his game up. Of course, Howard did just that last year in South Africa against Spain, so there is hope.

- Here are my predictions for what happens tomorrow:

I predicted the U.S. going out in my group preview. But now I’m hedging my bets mainly because England have been so miserable. I see a 2-0 win for the U.S. with Buddle and Dempsey scoring while Slovenia does us all a favor and sends England home with their three lion tails between their legs thanks to a 1-0 win. I just wonder if that gives the U.S. a leg up for the 2018 hosting gig?

In the afternoon games I’m sticking to my guns with Serbia easing past Australia 2-0 while Ghana knocks Germany out 2-1. That would mean the U.S. would face Ghana, a matchup Bushman and I were dreading once we put money on the Black Stars.

Thanks as always for reading and feel free to rub it in when Germany thrash Freddy Adu’s homeland.

- Pat Walsh

Well That Was Better…Right?

2010-06-21T18:37:00.002-05:00

See what happens when you don't dive?

Thanks in large part to Portugal killing North Korea -- sadly, that might be literally killing them -- the scoring was way up in the second round of games. I haven’t heard too many complaints about the Jabulani in the past few days, as even Chile’s 1-0 win over Switzerland was incredibly entertaining (aside from the ref). So, abandoning Mark’s thumb routine, I’m ranking my thoughts from best to worst on a scale of the $4, 25 oz. beers that can be found at No Idea, the best place to be watching these games in Baltimore.

Guinness

Team: Portugal - Typically you have to go to an Irish bar for a pint of Guinness as good as No Idea’s. Similarly, you usually need to be playing a video game to see scores like 7-0. However, with North Korea fading badly in the rain -- one of the announcers wondered if the weather disrupted Kim Jong Il’s invisible communication device -- the Portuguese put a hurting on what was expected to be the worst team coming into the tournament. They’re all but through thanks to the goal differential, ruining our investment in the Ivory Coast. As if I didn’t hate Cristiano Ronaldo already. It will be interesting to see how first and second play out between Brazil and Portugal, with Spain possibly finishing second in Group H.

Player: Mark Paston - The New Zealand ‘keeper made some great saves in this “upset” that gave the Kiwi’s (can we not call them the All Whites in South Africa?) their first ever point. I’d say an MLS team should come calling, but several other New Zealand players couldn’t crack MLS lineups either. Of course, Robbie Findley had his struggles this spring doing just that, so I’m going to move on.

Peroni

Team: The Netherlands - As you surely know, Mark and I have money on the Dutch so I’d rather them be Guinness. However, much like Peroni in this trio of beers, they’re middling. Getting the job done, but nothing spectacular (although Wesley Sneijder’s blast was pretty outstanding). Unlike the Oranje of old, though, I like how this team is working. Solid defensively -- no goals allowed -- and finishing chances when they have them offensively. It’s looking like a run in the knockout rounds of whoever decides to show up in the Slovakia-Italy game, likely followed by Brazil (or Spain), and then someone who doesn’t scare me in the semifinals, aside from maybe Uruguay. It can be done. And they are out of the discussion below.

Player: Lionel Messi - I’m not going to be as critical as some, because Leo the Lion Cub is doing quite a bit for his team. Yet I had to point out that David Villa scored twice today, but should have had about six against Honduras while Messi hasn’t scored on any of the multitude of chances he’s had. Perhaps the difference: Xavi, who plays with Messi at Barcelona and with Villa for Spain. Argentina has a bevy of attacking players as we saw with Gonzalo Higuain’s hat trick, but they don’t have anyone who can thread passes like Xavi…aside from Messi himself.

Miller Lite

Team(s): Europe and Africa - This is a bit of a cop out, but I’m grouping these two continents together for some underwhelming performances. Ghana might be the only African team to advance to the knockout stages, while four teams are currently last in their group. Not good for the host continent. Meanwhile, until Portugal and Spain’s return from the dead today, the big names from the European contingent looked like they wanted to head back home to the warmer summer temperatures. France is a joke, England seem to be in a “heavy hangs the head that wears the crown” phase as favorites in Group C, Germany have been Jekyll and Hyde (although having Klose sent off hurt), and Italy look like they know they aren’t good enough to repeat and are throwing in the towel.

Coach: Dunga - This has nothing to do with tactics or taking away the beautiful game from Brazil. Instead, it was for his histrionics on Sunday that should have seen him sent off. Aside from not taking Kaka off, his demeanor and jumping up and down at every apparent slight from the Ivory Coast encouraged the chippy play that marred the end of the game. It’s ironic that he was bitching, as he was one of the hardest midfielders to play in his day.

While Bushman’s away getting oiled up on the Gulf beaches, I’ll be back tomorrow for some views on the U.S. Figured that probably deserved its own blog with all that’s going on heading into Wednesday’s decisive match.

- Pat Walsh

It Can Only Get Better...Right?

2010-06-16T09:36:00.003-05:00

Bumble-Bee Man Laments The Lack Of Goal-Scoring Chances

Well, the 1st round of games is in the record books. To be honest, it hasn’t been fantastic soccer. Too many teams playing too cautious and defensive. They’re afraid to make a mistake. I don’t think that’s going to get you very far as the tournament progresses, or at least I hope not.

Time to do a quick ranking system for the 1st round. I’m going to do 2 thumbs up and work my way to 2 thumbs down, selecting a team and a player for each, and then finish the column off with a couple of quotes.

(Author’s note: I wrote this before Switzerland’s upset of Spain, mainly because I thought the Swiss had no chance of winning…ok, so I was wrong…but I’m not amending my column, because Spain did everything but score, so there!)

2 Thumbs Up –
Team – Germany – The only one of the 32 teams who waged a full-on blitzkrieg on their opponent in the 1st round. Their offense was so potent that they could have been arrested on misdemeanor assault charges against the overmatched Aussies, who, thanks to a stupid straight red card on Tim Cahill, can kiss any chance they had of reaching the 2nd round goodbye. The Germans were easily the best team in round 1.

Player – (tie) Podolski and Klose – Germany – Forget that these two had less than stellar club seasons this past year. Coach Joachim Low showed why the players put their trust in him, as he fielded a nice mix of youth and experience that worked perfectly in game 1. Klose and Podolski were sharp from the get-go and seemed rejuvenated. If they can stay on form, Germany has as good a chance as anyone of winning the Title.

1 Thumb Up –
Team – Netherlands – They didn’t do anything spectacular against Denmark other than grind out a hard-fought 2-0 win. It was the kind of game the Dutch normally has a problem with, as it goes against their free-flowing style. But they did it without Arjen Robben, and although most critics said they weren’t inspirational Monday, that doesn’t mean they weren’t effective.

Player – Park Ji-Sung – South Korea – Scored a wonderful 2nd goal after stripping the Greek defender late in the game and calmly slotting the ball home. Big goal, as the 2nd place winner between them and Nigeria comes down to goal differential. Park, who plays for Manchester United, showed he is still a formidable threat in International play, and he will have a big role in deciding South Korea’s fate as the next 2 rounds begin.

No Thumbs –
Team – (tie) Ivory Coast and Portugal – It was obvious that neither team cared to score a goal by the time the 60th minute came around, even after Drogba made a heroic return for The Elephants. Only 1 great chance in the game; Ronaldo’s blistering shot caromed off the woodwork. What was viewed as arguably the best of the 1st round games disappointed most observers.

Player – Cristiano Ronaldo – Portugal – Not great, not poor, just blah. As mentioned, he hit a shot off the crossbar in the 10th minute that would have probably been the goal of the tournament, but after that attempt, seemed to create little, other than some drama every time he fell to the ground. He needs to step up and be the leader of this team, and I’m not sure he’s capable of doing that right now.

1 Thumb Down
Team – France – They don’t like each other; they don’t like their coach; the coach doesn’t like them. It’s a perfect formula for failure…early failure. The team has talent but can’t get it together. I made the mistake of thinking they would do so once the tournament rolled around. However, after that ugly and uninspiring performance against Uruguay on the 1st day, I wish I could change my prediction about them. They have a chance to redeem themselves against Mexico in round 2, but I think El Tri will go around the French like the Nazis did the Maginot Line.

Player – Lionel Messi – Argentina – He actually didn’t play poorly. He was dangerous nearly every time he touched the ball and created numerous scoring chances. But at this level, and on this stage, he’s gotta put one of those in the back of the net. That game should not have ended 1-0 for the Argies, as they let Nigeria hang in until the very end. They could play great like this the entire game, but against tougher competition, against a team that can finish, they’ll go home trophy-less.

2 Thumbs Down
Team – Cameroon – One of the least inspirational performances I saw in the 1st round. There were a few other teams who looked bad, but for an African team playing on their home continent, I expected much more. They weren’t exactly playing a juggernaut in Japan, who were in terrible form coming into the tournament. Cameroon is really behind the 8-ball, needing at least a win and draw in its last 2 games against Denmark and Netherlands to even have a chance to advance.

Player – Frank Lampard – England – Yes, I know Robert Green let in one of the worst goals ever, but he did make a splendid save on Jozy Altidore in the 2nd half to preserve the draw. Lampard was invisible for the entire match except for the 1 free kick he took that wound up in the 8th row (though that’s just an estimate on my part). He completed most of his passes, but they were square or backward, and he made few/any offensive flurries into the U.S. third. He needs to do better. This team needs a 3rd option when Rooney and Garrard (aside from his early goal) are stifled, as they were Saturday night.

Notable Quotes
A text to me from Walsh when England’s starting 11 was announced for the U.S. game – “Thank God for Robert Green.” Nice prediction, Pat!

From ESPN announcer Martin Tyler when Cuauhtemoc Blanco entered as a sub for Mexico against South Africa – “He’s not quite the oldest player in the competition, but he certainly is the heaviest.”

Check back for Pat’s analysis after the 2nd batch of Group games are done on Monday.

Thanks for reading and continue to enjoy the Cup!