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Subjects include: this week's transfer news, reactions to the Gold Cup and the MLS All-Star game!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Fool's Gold: The Tale of the 2009 Gold Cup
My initial, as-optimistic-as-I-can-be reaction to the Gold Cup is "I guess overall, this team overachieved" (they exceeded my original of going out in the semis). When I predicted a few weeks ago that we could win this Gold Cup, I was anticipating that all those new players named to the squad (Jozy, Davies, Fielhaber, etc) would all be playing in the knockout round; however none of them saw a minute after the group stage (most of them went back to their European clubs) and so the squad was left to its average MLS-ers and Danish league All-Stars. Given this fact, I am (initially) kind of amazed that we got all the way to the final.
My amazement (and my belief that we overachieved) quickly fades as I realize that we played nobody of any significance to get there; a group consiting of Grenada (a terrible team who by the way were lacking their best player, the Rev's Shalrie Joseph), the Honduran B-team, and Haiti provided really no standard of any quality against which we can judge our C-squad. Panama in the quarterfinals took us 120 minutes to dispose of, while in the semis Honduras' B-teamers once again proved that they belong on the B-team.
So we took the cake walk all the way to the final, and it looks like we have a decent shot at it; USA's C-team vs Mexico's B-team... is there really that big a gulf in skill-level, I asked myself? We at least have some players who are capable of putting in a decent performance, namely Holden, Rogers, and Ching. Well, these players did not do themselves or their reputations any good services on Sunday. I remember one thing about each of them from the final: Holden's first half miss, Rogers' amazing run through 5 Mexicans which was finished by an awful cross, and Ching's general lack of speed. Notice that none of these are anything to put on the resume.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not pointing fingers; everyone-everyone- was crap. Crap. I was embarassed for them in that second half. As I watch the goals (very much in the same way our defenders watched the goals), it's like our defenders are both totally inept and totally indifferent. I've never seen such a beatdown in soccer, and this includes the 8-0 beating of Barbados. Credit to the Mexicans, they stepped up and dominated us on our own soil, which hadn't happened in 10 years.
We were (or at least should have been, I don't know what the oddsmakers ended up deciding) underdogs, even though at home. But were we five goal underdogs? I think not. We didn't earn ourselves the smallest speck of respect on Sunday, and if any of these players are hoping for call-ups in the future (you know, for games that actually matter), they are going to have to:
1. Play well at a club level that is higher than MLS
and
2. Hope that Bob Bradley is a forgiving man (except for Holden and Rogers, who I think earned themselves enough USMNT credit in the games leading up to the final to be considered "in the mix" for the A-team).
Otherwise, this Gold Cup will have taught us nothing more than 21 of the 23 man roster are not good enough to hack it at the international level.
My amazement (and my belief that we overachieved) quickly fades as I realize that we played nobody of any significance to get there; a group consiting of Grenada (a terrible team who by the way were lacking their best player, the Rev's Shalrie Joseph), the Honduran B-team, and Haiti provided really no standard of any quality against which we can judge our C-squad. Panama in the quarterfinals took us 120 minutes to dispose of, while in the semis Honduras' B-teamers once again proved that they belong on the B-team.
So we took the cake walk all the way to the final, and it looks like we have a decent shot at it; USA's C-team vs Mexico's B-team... is there really that big a gulf in skill-level, I asked myself? We at least have some players who are capable of putting in a decent performance, namely Holden, Rogers, and Ching. Well, these players did not do themselves or their reputations any good services on Sunday. I remember one thing about each of them from the final: Holden's first half miss, Rogers' amazing run through 5 Mexicans which was finished by an awful cross, and Ching's general lack of speed. Notice that none of these are anything to put on the resume.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not pointing fingers; everyone-everyone- was crap. Crap. I was embarassed for them in that second half. As I watch the goals (very much in the same way our defenders watched the goals), it's like our defenders are both totally inept and totally indifferent. I've never seen such a beatdown in soccer, and this includes the 8-0 beating of Barbados. Credit to the Mexicans, they stepped up and dominated us on our own soil, which hadn't happened in 10 years.
We were (or at least should have been, I don't know what the oddsmakers ended up deciding) underdogs, even though at home. But were we five goal underdogs? I think not. We didn't earn ourselves the smallest speck of respect on Sunday, and if any of these players are hoping for call-ups in the future (you know, for games that actually matter), they are going to have to:
1. Play well at a club level that is higher than MLS
and
2. Hope that Bob Bradley is a forgiving man (except for Holden and Rogers, who I think earned themselves enough USMNT credit in the games leading up to the final to be considered "in the mix" for the A-team).
Otherwise, this Gold Cup will have taught us nothing more than 21 of the 23 man roster are not good enough to hack it at the international level.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
La Copa de Oro: el final!!
Pues, es imposible que yo escriba este articulo totalmente en Castellano, entonces voy a escribir en Ingles, la idioma de los EEUU!!!!
So it all comes down to this; a tournament filled with B to C squads for all the major nations involved ends up the way we were all hoping it would- USA vs Mexico. And guess who's going? ME, along with Mr. Poeltl himself and possibly the Gersh as well as my two older brothers. I must say this final will be of substantially less quality than the 2007 final, but still I am expecting a hotly contested game. I mean it's USA-Mexico. Mexicans resent us for many reasons, and we resent Mexicans for almost no reasons- but regardless of reasons or lack there of, the resentment itself is what I am getting at. These two nations don't like each other one bit. It's going to get nasty at the final.
On to game analysis/previewing:
We get to see the "next generation" Mexicans (including Dos Santos, Vela, and Ochoa, among many others who play in la Primera de Mexico and therefore I know nothing about them) vs the "has beens, never was, and/or never will bes" of the USA. While that may sound a little harsh on the US players, it's kind of true. We do have some players in this tournament whom I rate very highly (Holden, Beckerman, Rogers) but none of them are forseeably going to earn a starting spot in the National Team (for more in-depth coverage of this topic, download our PODCAST from July 20th!).
I would fully expect, without doing any kind of matchup analysis, that Mexico will be fielding a better team than we will. I know others will disagree, but Dos Santos and Vela, though unproven in the Premiership, are players who I believe to be talented and prepared enough for regular time in the English top flight, and therefore will probably be the two most talented players on the field on Sunday. Ochoa is the Brad Guzan of Mexico, although he is much further along in the process of inheriting the throne of number one for his country than Guzan is. But regardless of comparisons to gringo keepers, Ochoa is a shotstopper of the highest quality, the type of keeper who knows where to position himself, knows when to act and how to act, and he has the reflexes of a cat... a wild cat. Other than that I know pitiously little of the Mexican team in this tournament, really the Mexican team in general- I will make it a goal of mine to follow el Tri more closely in the future, as they are our closest and most hated rival.
Moving on to los jugadores estadounidenses, look for Stuart Holden to play a huge role in this match. Leading the team in goals and assists for this tournament, Stuey has been a force on the right side of midfield, though I would hesitate to call him a "winger" per se. His style of play is not to fly up the sidelines like Sean Wright-Phillips or Aaron Lennon- Holden almost reminds me of a CM playing out on the right (which, depending on who you ask, he is). I've been impressed by Holden's passing in this tournament, as well as his SICK equalized in injury time vs Haiti (http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/2934542/). He is doing his best to break into the A team for the United States. He really could not be making much better of a case for himself, but to be honest he just won't be able to break into the middle (our depth at CM is incredible) and with Dempsey and Donovan on the wings, there is no room for Stu to boogie (if you get that reference... you ROCK. Also for more on this topic, once again download the PODCAST!!!). As for Kyle Beckerman, I expect to see very much a similar player to Holden in the final, only playing in the center of the pitch. These two would make a very interesting reality TV show pairing, like on the Amazing Race or something- somebody should get on that.
Right, well I am exhausted and cannot finish this post right now, but rest assured, I will give a detailed account of my trip to the Gold Cup final on here, and hopefully my tale will have a happy ending... Brian Ching will lift (or attempt to lift) the Gold Cup in victory!
To arms!! To WAR!!
So it all comes down to this; a tournament filled with B to C squads for all the major nations involved ends up the way we were all hoping it would- USA vs Mexico. And guess who's going? ME, along with Mr. Poeltl himself and possibly the Gersh as well as my two older brothers. I must say this final will be of substantially less quality than the 2007 final, but still I am expecting a hotly contested game. I mean it's USA-Mexico. Mexicans resent us for many reasons, and we resent Mexicans for almost no reasons- but regardless of reasons or lack there of, the resentment itself is what I am getting at. These two nations don't like each other one bit. It's going to get nasty at the final.
On to game analysis/previewing:
We get to see the "next generation" Mexicans (including Dos Santos, Vela, and Ochoa, among many others who play in la Primera de Mexico and therefore I know nothing about them) vs the "has beens, never was, and/or never will bes" of the USA. While that may sound a little harsh on the US players, it's kind of true. We do have some players in this tournament whom I rate very highly (Holden, Beckerman, Rogers) but none of them are forseeably going to earn a starting spot in the National Team (for more in-depth coverage of this topic, download our PODCAST from July 20th!).
I would fully expect, without doing any kind of matchup analysis, that Mexico will be fielding a better team than we will. I know others will disagree, but Dos Santos and Vela, though unproven in the Premiership, are players who I believe to be talented and prepared enough for regular time in the English top flight, and therefore will probably be the two most talented players on the field on Sunday. Ochoa is the Brad Guzan of Mexico, although he is much further along in the process of inheriting the throne of number one for his country than Guzan is. But regardless of comparisons to gringo keepers, Ochoa is a shotstopper of the highest quality, the type of keeper who knows where to position himself, knows when to act and how to act, and he has the reflexes of a cat... a wild cat. Other than that I know pitiously little of the Mexican team in this tournament, really the Mexican team in general- I will make it a goal of mine to follow el Tri more closely in the future, as they are our closest and most hated rival.
Moving on to los jugadores estadounidenses, look for Stuart Holden to play a huge role in this match. Leading the team in goals and assists for this tournament, Stuey has been a force on the right side of midfield, though I would hesitate to call him a "winger" per se. His style of play is not to fly up the sidelines like Sean Wright-Phillips or Aaron Lennon- Holden almost reminds me of a CM playing out on the right (which, depending on who you ask, he is). I've been impressed by Holden's passing in this tournament, as well as his SICK equalized in injury time vs Haiti (http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/2934542/). He is doing his best to break into the A team for the United States. He really could not be making much better of a case for himself, but to be honest he just won't be able to break into the middle (our depth at CM is incredible) and with Dempsey and Donovan on the wings, there is no room for Stu to boogie (if you get that reference... you ROCK. Also for more on this topic, once again download the PODCAST!!!). As for Kyle Beckerman, I expect to see very much a similar player to Holden in the final, only playing in the center of the pitch. These two would make a very interesting reality TV show pairing, like on the Amazing Race or something- somebody should get on that.
Right, well I am exhausted and cannot finish this post right now, but rest assured, I will give a detailed account of my trip to the Gold Cup final on here, and hopefully my tale will have a happy ending... Brian Ching will lift (or attempt to lift) the Gold Cup in victory!
To arms!! To WAR!!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Fashion Failures: Ugliest Kits for Upcoming Season
For those of you who have not heard, Getafe have recently unveiled their new kits, and I have to say, not only are they hideous, they are quite disturbing.
Yes, they're ugly, but what happens when you want to pull your shirt over your head in exuberant celebration of a goal. Unfortunately, the King has you covered....literally.
This is a step way too far, and if I played for Getafe, I could never, ever use my shirt in that fashion. Absolutely horrible. But anyways, I thought I'd do a segment on the (many) ugly kits that will be breaking your televisions in the coming year. The aforementioned Getafe wins due to their shameless marketing, but lets see who else makes the cut. Starting with England:
Manchester United Home Kit
This isn't sour grapes, it's really just, I mean look at them. They look a Chevron ad.
Newcastle United Away Kit
Uh, this looks like a fancy French vanilla ice cream, that really doesn't turn out too well. Pretty god-awful.
Olympique Lyonnais Away Kit
Good god.
Everton FC Home Kit
Sorry Kyle, this is a pretty ugly shirt. Big downgrade.
Bolton Wanderers Home Kit
I keep picking on the Brits, but they're losing the money battle, the champions league and NOW, the fashion battle. I don't even know what to say about Bolton's new jerseys, total dogshit.
Chelsea FC Home kit
This really comes down to something simple. You're Chelsea. You have a great shade of blue for your home color. Your jerseys should always just look fantastic. And then, you listen to Kramer and decide you need a "manssiere"
Racing Santandar All Kits
The chicks are great, but these colors are not. This is a crayon box on crack.
Beskitas Away Kit
Some people claim they like this. Then again, some people claim to enjoy watching cricket.
Well I'm done, there are some gloriously ugly kits for you guys to get excited about. This was in no way exhaustive (I looked for maybe 15 minutes), so if you guys find some other fantastically fugly shirts, post them up!
Yes, they're ugly, but what happens when you want to pull your shirt over your head in exuberant celebration of a goal. Unfortunately, the King has you covered....literally.
This is a step way too far, and if I played for Getafe, I could never, ever use my shirt in that fashion. Absolutely horrible. But anyways, I thought I'd do a segment on the (many) ugly kits that will be breaking your televisions in the coming year. The aforementioned Getafe wins due to their shameless marketing, but lets see who else makes the cut. Starting with England:
Manchester United Home Kit
This isn't sour grapes, it's really just, I mean look at them. They look a Chevron ad.
Newcastle United Away Kit
Uh, this looks like a fancy French vanilla ice cream, that really doesn't turn out too well. Pretty god-awful.
Olympique Lyonnais Away Kit
Good god.
Everton FC Home Kit
Sorry Kyle, this is a pretty ugly shirt. Big downgrade.
Bolton Wanderers Home Kit
I keep picking on the Brits, but they're losing the money battle, the champions league and NOW, the fashion battle. I don't even know what to say about Bolton's new jerseys, total dogshit.
Chelsea FC Home kit
This really comes down to something simple. You're Chelsea. You have a great shade of blue for your home color. Your jerseys should always just look fantastic. And then, you listen to Kramer and decide you need a "manssiere"
Racing Santandar All Kits
The chicks are great, but these colors are not. This is a crayon box on crack.
Beskitas Away Kit
Some people claim they like this. Then again, some people claim to enjoy watching cricket.
Well I'm done, there are some gloriously ugly kits for you guys to get excited about. This was in no way exhaustive (I looked for maybe 15 minutes), so if you guys find some other fantastically fugly shirts, post them up!
Monday, July 20, 2009
July 20th Podcast
Here is the link to the July 20th Podcast, courtesy of MediaFire. Just click on the Post Title. Just a warning, when you open the download link, it opens some pop-ups. Enjoy!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
USA-Honduras Game Log
I'm sorry about the tardiness of this post; I've just been caught with random happenings and was gone in Vermont for the weekend. Anyways, on with the game log!
I'd like to first point out how hilariously large the Gold Cup actually is. The world cup is the size of a large goblet, the Gold Cup is literally the biggest trophy I have ever seen. Aliens from space would assume this is the single most prestigious trophy in the world.
22-0-1 in the group stage. Always comforting.
Starting XIs:
I don't know a single player other than Palacios, who will surely be the best player on the pitch tonight.
USA Starting XI:
Adu Ching
Quaranta Beckerman Pause Rogers
Cherundolo Parkhurst Marshall Pearce
Perkins
I only have heard of Rogers from his domination at the Grenada game (ooohhh how impressive) and then I only know Adu, Ching and Cherundolo well, and know only bad things about Parkhurst and Pearce. I could be more thrilled by the lineup: Adu is unproven, Ching isn't particularly talented and then everyone else not named Cherundolo either sucks or is unknown.
Pretty big Honduran support here, always good to see the road crew.
After the coin toss, the refs put their fists together in a foursome as if they're on Captain Planet. Is this good or bad?
1' Early corner, always a good sign.
2' I'm sure Pause and Beckerman played well against Grenada, but no matter how well they play, sorry commentators, they are NOT closing the gap on the starting midfielders.
3' Wow, we almost shipped a goal (an English phrase I adore), sloppy play.
4' Oh, it's Carlos Palacios. Who the fuck is that? Well so much for Wilson Palacios being the best player on the field. Now everyone sucks.
6' Do we need to go for super-authentic Latin pronounciation? It sounds so forced. I feel like Americans are the only people on Earth who feel like they're not entitled to have their own accent. No one will be insulted if you say a Latin name with a white American accent, and you won't get laughed at.
8' We look like shit, this is so sloppy. Considering the quality of the other side, I feel like this is going to be a "Sloppy Drunken Hookup" game. It was sloppy, it was ugly, no one wanted to watch it, but at the end of it, you got laid anyways.
10' Why is Honduras's B team here? What is their A team up to? They had no other touneys.
12' Weak free kick by Freddy Adu.
13' Honduras doesn't really want to win this, and we keep shooting ourselves in the foot. I, on the other hand, want to shoot myself in the face.
14' God, Heath Pearce sucks.
15' I like this Rogers fella, he's exciting, though not nearly as exciting as this terrier of a commentator would have you believe.
17' Just as I start to like him, Rogers loses the ball in a particularly dumb fashion.
19' Honduran coach Reyna is a professor apparently, but honestly looks much more like a drunk barfly who goes off the handle whenever someone asks him where his life went wrong.
20' Honestly, the Honduran "B" team is the better team thusfar, but they are gunning for the Guinness World Record for whiffs in a single game.
22' Ching misses a golden, albeit difficult, opportunity, but that was great play by Beckerman.
25' Speaking of Beckerman, is there a reason we have a white rastafarian? Do you think he would have been a top player if he had shaved that shit?
27' Decent corner.
28' Ref is "letting them play." This game is honestly going to have to take a knife to get a card.
30' Martinez just missed a one-on-one with Perkins that he had all day, all park and all life to regret. As unforgiveable as it gets.
32' Pause just handballs. That may be the first time he touched the ball.
34' Adu misses a free header from 6m out, and Rogers skys a shot from 30m. Sigh.
36' Ching just got DECKED.
38' Horrendous finishing. This is painful to watch.
40' Frustration tackle by Heath Pearce, absolutely moronic. Deserved the yellow.
42' Both teams playing for half.
44' Rogers is ready for Europe, he has been diving all half.
45' Pearce is AWFUL!
Well that was ugly. Honduras has been the better side. Rogers has had great and awful moves, Beckerman has been the best and Heath Pearce has unfortunately been the worst.
51' I was more interested in making myself sandwiches. Missed the first six minutes. More horrendous finishing greets me as I return, though Ching nearly lands a nasty goal.
55' Rogers can effortlessly get to the wing.
57' Great Honduras chance, followed by a great counter. This is futbol!
61' Rogers really could be great if he puts it all together.
63' Feilhaber for Pause, Davies for Adu. Great subs, massive upgrades, though I'm sorry John, I think "household name" is pushing it for Charlie Davies.
66' Ok, no one was more excited by Oguchi Onyewu going to Milan than me (read below), but one nasty drawback: commentators getting a little too, shal we say hopeful?, with transfers. "Charlie Davies could be going to a top European club, even a Real Madrid, perhaps?" Perhaps not.
68' Don't get me wrong, I love Stanky Legg Davies, I'm just saying he won't be going to Real Madrid anytime soon (or later most likely).
71' Davies nearly COBRA STRIKES Escobar for a goal. That leg is capable of so much.
74' BRILLIANT GOAL! Great play by Feilhaber, set the whole thing up, but well played by Ching and then great pass/hold by Davies and Quaranta finishes emphatically.
77' Davies is looking quite tricky, I like it.
79' GOL! Cherundolo puts in a great cross, Ching finishes it, all started by a cheeky free kick. All great things. Cherundolo wants that starting spot, and probably deserves it.
81' Look, I give commentators a lot of flak. But can someone explain to me what exactly a "Bundesliga cross" is? I can understand a "non-MLS" cross, and that would be a good one.
82' Cooper for Brian Ching. Might as well. Cooper is the poor man's Conor Casey. Which is probably way too harsh of a insult. Sorry coop.
85' Looking positively Euro with this one-touch pass possession. Benny Feilhaber might become the best American outfielder in a few years.
86' A screamer by Cooper. Casey is now the poor man's Cooper, that shot was enough.
87' Well, my TV is fucking up, and I can't see anything. This looks like it for the journal, though as we all know, it all ended up OK. Giblinho, signing off.
I'd like to first point out how hilariously large the Gold Cup actually is. The world cup is the size of a large goblet, the Gold Cup is literally the biggest trophy I have ever seen. Aliens from space would assume this is the single most prestigious trophy in the world.
22-0-1 in the group stage. Always comforting.
Starting XIs:
I don't know a single player other than Palacios, who will surely be the best player on the pitch tonight.
USA Starting XI:
Adu Ching
Quaranta Beckerman Pause Rogers
Cherundolo Parkhurst Marshall Pearce
Perkins
I only have heard of Rogers from his domination at the Grenada game (ooohhh how impressive) and then I only know Adu, Ching and Cherundolo well, and know only bad things about Parkhurst and Pearce. I could be more thrilled by the lineup: Adu is unproven, Ching isn't particularly talented and then everyone else not named Cherundolo either sucks or is unknown.
Pretty big Honduran support here, always good to see the road crew.
After the coin toss, the refs put their fists together in a foursome as if they're on Captain Planet. Is this good or bad?
1' Early corner, always a good sign.
2' I'm sure Pause and Beckerman played well against Grenada, but no matter how well they play, sorry commentators, they are NOT closing the gap on the starting midfielders.
3' Wow, we almost shipped a goal (an English phrase I adore), sloppy play.
4' Oh, it's Carlos Palacios. Who the fuck is that? Well so much for Wilson Palacios being the best player on the field. Now everyone sucks.
6' Do we need to go for super-authentic Latin pronounciation? It sounds so forced. I feel like Americans are the only people on Earth who feel like they're not entitled to have their own accent. No one will be insulted if you say a Latin name with a white American accent, and you won't get laughed at.
8' We look like shit, this is so sloppy. Considering the quality of the other side, I feel like this is going to be a "Sloppy Drunken Hookup" game. It was sloppy, it was ugly, no one wanted to watch it, but at the end of it, you got laid anyways.
10' Why is Honduras's B team here? What is their A team up to? They had no other touneys.
12' Weak free kick by Freddy Adu.
13' Honduras doesn't really want to win this, and we keep shooting ourselves in the foot. I, on the other hand, want to shoot myself in the face.
14' God, Heath Pearce sucks.
15' I like this Rogers fella, he's exciting, though not nearly as exciting as this terrier of a commentator would have you believe.
17' Just as I start to like him, Rogers loses the ball in a particularly dumb fashion.
19' Honduran coach Reyna is a professor apparently, but honestly looks much more like a drunk barfly who goes off the handle whenever someone asks him where his life went wrong.
20' Honestly, the Honduran "B" team is the better team thusfar, but they are gunning for the Guinness World Record for whiffs in a single game.
22' Ching misses a golden, albeit difficult, opportunity, but that was great play by Beckerman.
25' Speaking of Beckerman, is there a reason we have a white rastafarian? Do you think he would have been a top player if he had shaved that shit?
27' Decent corner.
28' Ref is "letting them play." This game is honestly going to have to take a knife to get a card.
30' Martinez just missed a one-on-one with Perkins that he had all day, all park and all life to regret. As unforgiveable as it gets.
32' Pause just handballs. That may be the first time he touched the ball.
34' Adu misses a free header from 6m out, and Rogers skys a shot from 30m. Sigh.
36' Ching just got DECKED.
38' Horrendous finishing. This is painful to watch.
40' Frustration tackle by Heath Pearce, absolutely moronic. Deserved the yellow.
42' Both teams playing for half.
44' Rogers is ready for Europe, he has been diving all half.
45' Pearce is AWFUL!
Well that was ugly. Honduras has been the better side. Rogers has had great and awful moves, Beckerman has been the best and Heath Pearce has unfortunately been the worst.
51' I was more interested in making myself sandwiches. Missed the first six minutes. More horrendous finishing greets me as I return, though Ching nearly lands a nasty goal.
55' Rogers can effortlessly get to the wing.
57' Great Honduras chance, followed by a great counter. This is futbol!
61' Rogers really could be great if he puts it all together.
63' Feilhaber for Pause, Davies for Adu. Great subs, massive upgrades, though I'm sorry John, I think "household name" is pushing it for Charlie Davies.
66' Ok, no one was more excited by Oguchi Onyewu going to Milan than me (read below), but one nasty drawback: commentators getting a little too, shal we say hopeful?, with transfers. "Charlie Davies could be going to a top European club, even a Real Madrid, perhaps?" Perhaps not.
68' Don't get me wrong, I love Stanky Legg Davies, I'm just saying he won't be going to Real Madrid anytime soon (or later most likely).
71' Davies nearly COBRA STRIKES Escobar for a goal. That leg is capable of so much.
74' BRILLIANT GOAL! Great play by Feilhaber, set the whole thing up, but well played by Ching and then great pass/hold by Davies and Quaranta finishes emphatically.
77' Davies is looking quite tricky, I like it.
79' GOL! Cherundolo puts in a great cross, Ching finishes it, all started by a cheeky free kick. All great things. Cherundolo wants that starting spot, and probably deserves it.
81' Look, I give commentators a lot of flak. But can someone explain to me what exactly a "Bundesliga cross" is? I can understand a "non-MLS" cross, and that would be a good one.
82' Cooper for Brian Ching. Might as well. Cooper is the poor man's Conor Casey. Which is probably way too harsh of a insult. Sorry coop.
85' Looking positively Euro with this one-touch pass possession. Benny Feilhaber might become the best American outfielder in a few years.
86' A screamer by Cooper. Casey is now the poor man's Cooper, that shot was enough.
87' Well, my TV is fucking up, and I can't see anything. This looks like it for the journal, though as we all know, it all ended up OK. Giblinho, signing off.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Onyewu to Milan! What does it mean?!
Well, there's another one from left field. In a 24 hour span, I've learnt about an American player whom I have never heard of being transferred from an amateur team to fifth best team in England, and then the next day, a player who failed to impress at NEWCASTLE, played in Belgium and I personally derided for a horrible performance in the 06 World Cup, has been signed by one of the most prestigious clubs in the world to replace one of the greatest defenders in history. Quite the day.
Onyewu to Milan is really quite the shocker, regardless of his playing history or nationalty. The fact of the matter is, the only other teams who were rumored to be interested in him were newly promoted Birmingham and Wolverhampton, and in the 11th hour, a little outfit known as AC Milan swooped in and took him. Does his Confederations Cup performance have anything to do with this? Obviously. He played lights out from the third game on, shutting down Egypt and Spain, and played quite respectably against Brazil. I'm still not fully over the shock, and if I may, I believe I'd like to give a quick recap of Onyewu's career:
Signs for then-Ligue 1 FC Metz (3 Appearances in 3 years) 2002-2004
Sent on loan to La Louviere in 2003 (First Division Belgian Team that is eventually rocked by gambling scandal in 2006, and is now no longer in existence) (24 Appearances)
Sent on loan to Standard Liege, and eventually made permanent 2004-2009, wins Juniper League in 2008 and 2009, makes 179 appearances, wins Foreign Player of the Year and makes the Best XI all full years spent there
Sent on Loan to Newcastle United (2007), but is paired with Titus Bramble, and both do an excellent impression of Dumb & Dumber and the deal is not made permanent
Signed by AC Milan (2009)
Well, I noticed two things about Oguchi Onyewu. One, he did far better in Belgium than I truly realized, and two, you do NOT mess with him in ANY capacity. Look at the teams who gave up on him. Metz, one of the most prestigious teams in France, was relegated. La Louviere doesn't even exist anymore due to a gambling scandal. We all know the current fate of Newcastle. And Standard Liege plays in BELGIUM! To be fair,he really just outgrew Liege, and so they will probably not be cursed.
You don't mess with the Gooch
Onyewu is going in as Maldini's heir, and I really think he can live up to it. Onyewu is a human wall, and his play is very well suited to the Italian league (they play slow and deliberate, with lots of headers, he will eat them alive). But, one final question. Is this the highest an American has ever gone in the club world? Surely, it's hard to argue that a club could be more prestigious than AC Milan, but Milan is in a down time, in a down time for Italian Serie A (though it should be noted that they were the Champions of Europe in only 2007). Where does this rank as the most prestigious landings of Americans?
Tim Howard Manchester United Duration: 2003-2006, 3 Seasons
Timbo Slice probably gets the nod here. He played first choice keeper for three seasons, and made the PFA Best XI in his first year. He had that awful mistake to Porto, and he really never recovered for the Red Devils. The only reason he stayed in the lineup those next two seasons was purely off how bad his competitors were. After appearing 40 times his first year, he made only 33 apperances over the next two. After lashing out when Edwin Van der Sar was signed, he went onto Bluer pastures and signed with Everton. Overall, started promising but ultimately was quite disappointing for quite possibly the greatest American player ever.
Brad Freidel Liverpool Duration: 1997-2000, 3 Seasons
Went to a slightly worse (at the time) team in England, a little earlier. Unlike Howard, he never really solidified himself in the starting role, and only made 31 appearances over 3 seasons for the Scousers, and only 4 in his last season there. After three frustrating years, moved onto Blackburn Rovers.
Landon Donovan Bayern Munich Duration: 2009, A Few Months
Well, I would label this as glamorous a club, and it is nice as Landon is the first outfield player on this list, but honestly, he made only six competitive appearances (not counting friendlies) and has still yet to score in a competitive European match. Landy came back after Rummenigge stated that all new strikers (who would have to be backups to Klose, Toni and Podolski) should be young "with perspective." To be fair, Landon really shouldn't be backing up at this stage in his career, and it really is a shame that his German dream didn't work out. I would expect him to make a big European move sometime in the next twelve months however, and if he doesn't after the World Cup in 2010, he never will.
Jozy Altidore Villareal Duration: Ongoing, signed in 2008
Jozy now loses his crown as the outfield American on the best team. To be fair, Jozy has yet to really star for Villareal, and was on loan with Xerez for most of last season, and has made only six appearances, but did become the first American to score in La Liga. Villareal remain high on him (which is understandable, as he is only 19), and sent him to Xerez over Everton so he could better assimilate into Spanish culture. I expect only bigger and better things from Altidore, and if you seem in Barca or Real Madrid in five years, I wouldn't be surprised. However, for the time being, his being at Villareal can't compete with AC Milan.
DaMarcus Beasley PSV Eindhoven Duration: 2004-2006, 2 Years
Remember when DMB was considered the next big thing? We would argue, who would be the best American player, DMB or Landy Cakes (no Demps in the discussion)? Well, sadly for everyone involved, that argument is long over, as is DMB's hopes for the national team or any other club that isn't in the MLS unless he starts to turn everything around. It's hard to blame him, as the injuries have really piled up and he is never really game-fit anymore, but he has bounced around Europe rather unsuccessfully, and in my opinion should return to more American pastures. Unless he goes to Sweden, Norway or some other crap league, he is just going to keep struggling and if he wants any hope of coming back, he needs to be a star at SOME level again. He played in 76 games for Eindhoven, and scored 15 times (not bad for a winger), but was really more of a disappointment his second year. He became the first American to play in a semifinal of the Champions League and he got to play under Guus Hiddink. Unfortunately, he bounced from PSV to City to Rangers, and has played less and less at each destination. He has fallen out of the starting lineup of Rangers, and his performance at the Confederations Cup won't have anyone rushing to put him back in.
That's really it. I am only doing players who were transferred to perennial Champions League clubs, and with all due respect to Claudio Reyna, Maurice Edu, Jonathan Spector, Clint Dempsey, Carlos Bocanegra, Brad Freidel, Tim Howard and DMB (again), and scores of other Americans playing in Europe, but clubs such as Rangers, Manchester City, West Ham, Fulham, Rennes, Tottenham or Everton don't really make the cut. PSV could probably be left off, but DMB did play in a CL Semifinal, and that can't really be understated. Looking back, Onyewu's move is clearly the biggest ever for a field player. The only clubs on that list that truly compete with Milan in prestige are Man U, Liverpool and Bayern. Those three all ended poorly, and only one of those is an outfield player, and he was a loan. The Gooch carries quite a weight on those massive shoulders all of a sudden, because if the Gooch can solidify himself as a top-class world defender, teams are going to realize (even more than they have already) that Americans can not only play in Europe, but play at the highest level, at the best clubs. Onward, Sir Gooch, ONWARD!
Onyewu to Milan is really quite the shocker, regardless of his playing history or nationalty. The fact of the matter is, the only other teams who were rumored to be interested in him were newly promoted Birmingham and Wolverhampton, and in the 11th hour, a little outfit known as AC Milan swooped in and took him. Does his Confederations Cup performance have anything to do with this? Obviously. He played lights out from the third game on, shutting down Egypt and Spain, and played quite respectably against Brazil. I'm still not fully over the shock, and if I may, I believe I'd like to give a quick recap of Onyewu's career:
Signs for then-Ligue 1 FC Metz (3 Appearances in 3 years) 2002-2004
Sent on loan to La Louviere in 2003 (First Division Belgian Team that is eventually rocked by gambling scandal in 2006, and is now no longer in existence) (24 Appearances)
Sent on loan to Standard Liege, and eventually made permanent 2004-2009, wins Juniper League in 2008 and 2009, makes 179 appearances, wins Foreign Player of the Year and makes the Best XI all full years spent there
Sent on Loan to Newcastle United (2007), but is paired with Titus Bramble, and both do an excellent impression of Dumb & Dumber and the deal is not made permanent
Signed by AC Milan (2009)
Well, I noticed two things about Oguchi Onyewu. One, he did far better in Belgium than I truly realized, and two, you do NOT mess with him in ANY capacity. Look at the teams who gave up on him. Metz, one of the most prestigious teams in France, was relegated. La Louviere doesn't even exist anymore due to a gambling scandal. We all know the current fate of Newcastle. And Standard Liege plays in BELGIUM! To be fair,he really just outgrew Liege, and so they will probably not be cursed.
You don't mess with the GoochOnyewu is going in as Maldini's heir, and I really think he can live up to it. Onyewu is a human wall, and his play is very well suited to the Italian league (they play slow and deliberate, with lots of headers, he will eat them alive). But, one final question. Is this the highest an American has ever gone in the club world? Surely, it's hard to argue that a club could be more prestigious than AC Milan, but Milan is in a down time, in a down time for Italian Serie A (though it should be noted that they were the Champions of Europe in only 2007). Where does this rank as the most prestigious landings of Americans?
Tim Howard Manchester United Duration: 2003-2006, 3 Seasons
Timbo Slice probably gets the nod here. He played first choice keeper for three seasons, and made the PFA Best XI in his first year. He had that awful mistake to Porto, and he really never recovered for the Red Devils. The only reason he stayed in the lineup those next two seasons was purely off how bad his competitors were. After appearing 40 times his first year, he made only 33 apperances over the next two. After lashing out when Edwin Van der Sar was signed, he went onto Bluer pastures and signed with Everton. Overall, started promising but ultimately was quite disappointing for quite possibly the greatest American player ever.
Brad Freidel Liverpool Duration: 1997-2000, 3 Seasons
Went to a slightly worse (at the time) team in England, a little earlier. Unlike Howard, he never really solidified himself in the starting role, and only made 31 appearances over 3 seasons for the Scousers, and only 4 in his last season there. After three frustrating years, moved onto Blackburn Rovers.
Landon Donovan Bayern Munich Duration: 2009, A Few Months
Well, I would label this as glamorous a club, and it is nice as Landon is the first outfield player on this list, but honestly, he made only six competitive appearances (not counting friendlies) and has still yet to score in a competitive European match. Landy came back after Rummenigge stated that all new strikers (who would have to be backups to Klose, Toni and Podolski) should be young "with perspective." To be fair, Landon really shouldn't be backing up at this stage in his career, and it really is a shame that his German dream didn't work out. I would expect him to make a big European move sometime in the next twelve months however, and if he doesn't after the World Cup in 2010, he never will.
Jozy Altidore Villareal Duration: Ongoing, signed in 2008
Jozy now loses his crown as the outfield American on the best team. To be fair, Jozy has yet to really star for Villareal, and was on loan with Xerez for most of last season, and has made only six appearances, but did become the first American to score in La Liga. Villareal remain high on him (which is understandable, as he is only 19), and sent him to Xerez over Everton so he could better assimilate into Spanish culture. I expect only bigger and better things from Altidore, and if you seem in Barca or Real Madrid in five years, I wouldn't be surprised. However, for the time being, his being at Villareal can't compete with AC Milan.
DaMarcus Beasley PSV Eindhoven Duration: 2004-2006, 2 Years
Remember when DMB was considered the next big thing? We would argue, who would be the best American player, DMB or Landy Cakes (no Demps in the discussion)? Well, sadly for everyone involved, that argument is long over, as is DMB's hopes for the national team or any other club that isn't in the MLS unless he starts to turn everything around. It's hard to blame him, as the injuries have really piled up and he is never really game-fit anymore, but he has bounced around Europe rather unsuccessfully, and in my opinion should return to more American pastures. Unless he goes to Sweden, Norway or some other crap league, he is just going to keep struggling and if he wants any hope of coming back, he needs to be a star at SOME level again. He played in 76 games for Eindhoven, and scored 15 times (not bad for a winger), but was really more of a disappointment his second year. He became the first American to play in a semifinal of the Champions League and he got to play under Guus Hiddink. Unfortunately, he bounced from PSV to City to Rangers, and has played less and less at each destination. He has fallen out of the starting lineup of Rangers, and his performance at the Confederations Cup won't have anyone rushing to put him back in.
That's really it. I am only doing players who were transferred to perennial Champions League clubs, and with all due respect to Claudio Reyna, Maurice Edu, Jonathan Spector, Clint Dempsey, Carlos Bocanegra, Brad Freidel, Tim Howard and DMB (again), and scores of other Americans playing in Europe, but clubs such as Rangers, Manchester City, West Ham, Fulham, Rennes, Tottenham or Everton don't really make the cut. PSV could probably be left off, but DMB did play in a CL Semifinal, and that can't really be understated. Looking back, Onyewu's move is clearly the biggest ever for a field player. The only clubs on that list that truly compete with Milan in prestige are Man U, Liverpool and Bayern. Those three all ended poorly, and only one of those is an outfield player, and he was a loan. The Gooch carries quite a weight on those massive shoulders all of a sudden, because if the Gooch can solidify himself as a top-class world defender, teams are going to realize (even more than they have already) that Americans can not only play in Europe, but play at the highest level, at the best clubs. Onward, Sir Gooch, ONWARD!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Just who exactly is Anton Peterlin?
NEWS FLASH: Everton FC have signed the latest, greatest American sensation! Anton Peterlin!
Wait, who?
Well, I've never heard of him, but then again, I don't spend a lot of time watching the USL Premier Development League. Anton was the star player for the Ventura County Fusion, a team so impressive it uses a high school's stadium for its home games. After a stellar performance, he was being courted by Chicago and San Jose, but out of nowhere (well really out of a series of mind-blowingly improbable events), David Moyes hands the kid a 10-day trial. He trains with the first team, and apparently "did not look out of place." Credit to Peterlin, he took the most of his opportunity, and now he is going from an amateur league to the fifth best team in England (yes it really is an amateur league).
Well lets, put a face to him before we get some background:
He is a 22-year old Defensive Midfielder from California who played for UC Santa Cruz and then Cal Polytech. He has dual citizenship with Denmark (cap him! cap him now! we can't lose another one!) and as correctly pointed out by many other sources, has a life story remarkably like that of the movie Goal! I wish I could write more about him, but everyone else seems as amazed by this as we are. I like the fact that Americans can be signed on pure promise now, and I hope Anton Peterlin proves Moyes right. Now, I present to you the only video that is viewable when you search Anton Petelrin on YouTube:
Wait, who?
Well, I've never heard of him, but then again, I don't spend a lot of time watching the USL Premier Development League. Anton was the star player for the Ventura County Fusion, a team so impressive it uses a high school's stadium for its home games. After a stellar performance, he was being courted by Chicago and San Jose, but out of nowhere (well really out of a series of mind-blowingly improbable events), David Moyes hands the kid a 10-day trial. He trains with the first team, and apparently "did not look out of place." Credit to Peterlin, he took the most of his opportunity, and now he is going from an amateur league to the fifth best team in England (yes it really is an amateur league).
Well lets, put a face to him before we get some background:
He is a 22-year old Defensive Midfielder from California who played for UC Santa Cruz and then Cal Polytech. He has dual citizenship with Denmark (cap him! cap him now! we can't lose another one!) and as correctly pointed out by many other sources, has a life story remarkably like that of the movie Goal! I wish I could write more about him, but everyone else seems as amazed by this as we are. I like the fact that Americans can be signed on pure promise now, and I hope Anton Peterlin proves Moyes right. Now, I present to you the only video that is viewable when you search Anton Petelrin on YouTube:
Stanky Leggs in Football: An Investigation
Charlie Davies has proven to be a revelation for more than one reason the past month. Not only is he a great foil for star-in-the-making Jozy Altidore, a high-intensity striker who always harrasses defenses and never seems to slow down, he also is single-handedly bringing the Stanky Legg to the world's game. For those of you not familiar with the Stanky Legg, here is what I'm referring to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKr0DeUuy-o(sorry no embeds)
Charlie Davies (with sidekick Altidore) showcased their own rendition already in the Confederations Cup:
Then Charlie busted it out in full against mighty Grenada
The real question is, will it catch on? Sweden already seems to have a rather big hardon for Charlie Davies, will we see Swedes do their own rendition of the Stanky Legg? (For those of you who are wondering, stanky leg in Swedish is "Obehagligt Ben")
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKr0DeUuy-o(sorry no embeds)
Charlie Davies (with sidekick Altidore) showcased their own rendition already in the Confederations Cup:
Then Charlie busted it out in full against mighty Grenada
The real question is, will it catch on? Sweden already seems to have a rather big hardon for Charlie Davies, will we see Swedes do their own rendition of the Stanky Legg? (For those of you who are wondering, stanky leg in Swedish is "Obehagligt Ben")
Friday, July 3, 2009
The Updated Gold Cup Roster
The US, due to a rule change (it allows nations who participate in the Confederations Cup to bring 30, as opposed to 23 players to the Gold cup in that same year) has now added 7 players to it's Gold Cup roster. They are:
Altidore, Casey, Feilhaber, Clark, Kljestan, Bornstein, and Guzan.
Well, this obviously changes the lineup quite a bit, doesn't it? My new best XI would be something along the lines of:
Guzan
Cherundolo Marshall Parkhurst Bornstein
Rogers R.Clark Feilhaber Adu (playing the Donovan role)
Davies Altidore
Five out of the new eleven were not even in the squad when I made my first post... I think a change of expectations for this team is to be expected. With all these guys coming in from the Confederations Cup, probably feeling really confident right about now, expect us to get past Costa Rica in the semis like I predicted... Honestly we can probably win the Gold Cup at this point. Mexico is in tatters, Costa Rica is our closest competition. And if you ask me, the team above could handle Costa Rica.
OOOOOOOOHHHHHH the Yanks are coming!!!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zDVenF_k
Altidore, Casey, Feilhaber, Clark, Kljestan, Bornstein, and Guzan.
Well, this obviously changes the lineup quite a bit, doesn't it? My new best XI would be something along the lines of:
Guzan
Cherundolo Marshall Parkhurst Bornstein
Rogers R.Clark Feilhaber Adu (playing the Donovan role)
Davies Altidore
Five out of the new eleven were not even in the squad when I made my first post... I think a change of expectations for this team is to be expected. With all these guys coming in from the Confederations Cup, probably feeling really confident right about now, expect us to get past Costa Rica in the semis like I predicted... Honestly we can probably win the Gold Cup at this point. Mexico is in tatters, Costa Rica is our closest competition. And if you ask me, the team above could handle Costa Rica.
OOOOOOOOHHHHHH the Yanks are coming!!!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zDVenF_kEQ
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