Michael Bradley Scores Again

Two years when i started this site one of my first posts was about the U-20 Men's National Team playing at the U-20 World Cup. At the time, i was proclaiming to anyone and everyone who would listen that Jozy Altidore was the future of soccer in this country. He played superbly in that tournament, and i chronicled his adventures.

But as i went back and read that article i wrote, there was a couple of sentences tucked in about another player on that team that i came away impressed with: Michael Bradley. At the time he was just 19 years old and known mostly for being the son of Bob Bradley, the senior team head coach. He was just coming onto the national scene and gaining a reputation as a player. 

Two years later, he has fully arrived. If it wasn't his 30 goals for Dutch side Herenveen last season, it was his two goals against Mexico in World Cup qualifying. And it it wasn't those two goals, it's the pace he's continued since that time with his Bundesliga team Borussia Moenchengladbach. Bradley has scored five goals so far this season, including these two he put in today (Videos are a little slow to load):

I all but switched my allegiances from Altidore to Bradley last summer after watching Bradley dominate the Dutch league. With the way he is playing in the Bundesliga and his performance against Mexico, i think it's official. 

Michael Bradley is the face of the new generation of American Soccer. 

Gold Cup Coming To U. Of Phoenix Stadium

That's right, i'm talking more soccer. And i am pumped about it. The CONCACAF Gold Cup, the Championship of the America's if you will, is coming to University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.

On July 12th, UoP Stadium will host a doubleheader in the first round of the Gold Cup. Exact schedules have yet to be announced, and other stadiums hosting games include the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA; Crew Stadium in Columbus, Oh (where the US-Mexico World Cup qualifying match just took place); Quest Field in Seattle (home to the soon to MLS expansion club Seattle Sounders); RFK in Washington D.C.; and Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA. All in all there are 13 sites, with Giants Stadium in New York getting the final.

With July 12th being the final day of the first round, hopefully one of the big name teams will be here to finish out qualifying. I doubt it will be the US, as they are likely to play in more traditional 'home' venues, such as the Home Depot Center or Crew Stadium. But UoP has a strong chance to get Mexico or one of the teams from South America due to the high Hispanic/Latino population.

I was at US-Mexico two years ago in UoP Stadium, and it was one of the best atmospheres for any sporting event i've ever been to. Groups, schedules, and ticket information will be out in the coming weeks. I urge all of you to go to the stadium and check out world class soccer. I can promise i will be there...

US Soccer Players In Europe

Interesting article on TWWL today from a David Mosse regarding the state of the American soccer player trying to break through in European leagues. He calls it a glass ceiling, and makes a passing mention to it being similar to the Jackie Robinson situation with MLB. While i think that's a bit extreme, he makes some good points.

The Americans most talented players are struggling to gain a footing with top teams in top leagues in Europe, often because of an unwillingness to even give them a chance to earn playing time (Fulham FC notwithstanding of course. They are the only club that has given Americans substantial opportunity and playing time, and have been rewarded nicely. Curious to note also that that success has come in the form of forwards Brian McBride, Clint Dempsey, and at least a chance for Eddie Johnson. Forward has always been the weakest position for American players, yet they are finding success at Fulham given the opportunity).

The US Men's National Team has made gigantic strides the last twenty years in making themselves a respectable and respected outfit, becoming arguably the kings of CONCACAF. The individual players, however, still struggle mightily to garner that same respect. It is something that will need to change for the US Team to make the next step; In order for the players to grow and mature their skills, they need to be playing in the top leagues with the top teams. It becomes a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. With players not being given opportunities because of their supposed lack of skill, and the player not able to hone that skill against the best of the best.

It is frustrating to watch America's most talented soccer players toil in obscurity in second-rate divisions and sit on the bench in first divisions in Europe. As Mosse points out in his story, they will need a player that can break through that 'glass ceiling' and show the Americans are worth the time and effort. For my money, look for that player to be Michael Bradley, who after absolutely killing in the Dutch league with Herenveen last year, has moved onto Borussia Monchengladbach in the German Bundesliga this year. While Gladbach is stuck in near relegation zone, Bradley has excelled with them. If anyone is poised to break through in a top League with a top team, it will be Bradley, and soon.

Once that happens, expect even more opportunities for Americans abroad, and a new found level of play for the US Men's National Team as a result...

US defeats Mexico, 2-0

In the opening game of the final round of qualifying for World Cup 2010 South Africa, the US hosted Mexico in Columbus. As is becoming typical between these two teams when meeting on US soil, the United States defeated El Tri 2-0. Below are the highlights:

The Olympics

With the Olympics just a few days away, i find myself mostly disinterested, with the exception of soccer (of course). Both the Men's and Women's US teams have things to prove here, albeit they are much different thing from each other.

Going into the tournament the US Women had to be considered a favorite right up to the point that Abby Wambach broke her leg. Without Wambach, the US career active scoring leader, the US could struggle to score goals. The defense will be good and this will be Hope Solo's chance to shine in goal after the last World Cup debacle in which she was replaced in the semifinals. The offense will be looking for someone to step up and fill the void left by Wambach. Their group is challenging but not too difficult, and they should be able to advance to the knock out rounds while finding their groove. Look for Natasha Kai to be the person who really steps up.

Still, even without Wambach the Americans still have to be considered a favorite for medal contention. I still see a bronze medal for them.

The US Men, however, find themselves in a wholly different situation, as this article explains. They have a talented team, one of, if not the most U-23 teams the US has put together, with a decent trio of overage players in Brian McBride, Michael Parkhurst, and Brad Guzan.

While the keeper situation with Guzan set, who should be solid, the defense is a tad suspect. It is pretty thin to begin with, and somewhat inexperienced on such a big international stage. Consider also that Maurice Edu will be starting on the back line, which is somewhat out of position for him.

The midfield, on the other hand, is loaded with too many players and not enough positions, something the Senior Team is already struggling with that will only get worse. Michael Bradley will be in the middle for sure. Other than that it gets murky. Sacha Klejstan? Should be in the middle, but also plays pretty well on either flank. Benny Feilhaber? Plays in the middle, though more of a defensive midfielder. What about Freddy Adu? He seems best suited in a central, attacking midfield role where he can use his creativity and skills to create chances.

You're left with Jozy Altidore and McBride up top of course, but Altidore could be moved to the right flank in midfield to allow more space for Adu. Though it's not his best position, and Altidore does better than any other player on this team what the team needs most: Finish. Putting him on the flank seems counter productive to that. McBride will most certainly be allowed to roam up front, looking to hook-up with service from the flanks where he is most effective.

The US team is put into the toughest draw of the Tourney with Holland, Nigeria, and Japan. They play Japan first and for all intents and purposes must win to have any chance to advance. Even if they were to advance, which if they did would most likely be as the second place finisher in the group, they would probably be facing Argentina in the knock-out stages. Argentina, in case you hadn't heard, is probably the best team in the Olympics and is LOADED.

At best, the Americans advance and fall in a close game to Argentina in the knock-out stage. At worst, the Americans finish third place in their group and don't advance. With the way the US struggled to score goals in their two Olympic tune-ups, i'm not expecting much out of this group. Look for them to indeed finish third in their group and not advance.

Interview With Altidore

This is an interview done over at ESPN with my boy Jozy, recent transfer to Spain's La Liga with the Yellow Submarine, Villareal. I am stoked to see what he can do over there, and also what kind of an impact he has at the Olympics next month (by the way, see the Olympic squad that was announced today here).

Two things about the video. One, are we sure he's only 18? He shows a maturity beyond his years, which bodes well for him. Two, is Shaka Hislop stoned for this interview? Could he look any more disinterested or like he's about to pass out? Jesus...

US vs. England

For those of you not paying attention (see: All of you), tomorrow is the first of three high-profile friendlies the US Men's Soccer team is playing against some stiff competition. At 3pm Eastern tomorrow, the US will face off against an England squad playing at home in the confines of (New) Wembley Stadium in London. While this match is technically a friendly and does not count for anything, that does not mean there is nothing on the line in this game.

For one, assuming Landon Donovan makes an appearance in this game (He will start, trust me), it will be his 100th cap for the Senior team. Considering he is still only 26 years old, this is quite an achievement and it is all but certain he will eventually pass Cobi Jones' all time mark of 164 caps. For a figure as polarizing as LanDo has been, along with the career goal scoring mark he already holds it is another way to cement whatever legacy he will end up having (Great story here).

Secondly, this match, as well as the next two against Spain and Argentina, serve as tune-ups for the important matches starting next month: World Cup Qualifying. While most everyone expects the US to more or less cruise through at least the first round of qualifying, they still have a number of roster issues that need to be hammered out soon, mainly those at the attacking positions. These games should help them figure out combinations and positions that work best for the options they have.

Then again, speaking of their attacking options, it makes it difficult when you leave the one player with the most potential off your roster entirely, one Jozy Altidore. His absence from the roster for these three games is a head-scratched at best, a complete abomination at most. Instead we are left to examine forwards such as 31-year old Josh Wolff, who was just cut from a second-tier Bundesliga team, Nate Jaqua, who has only two caps to his name, and Freddy Adu, who has yet to really acquit himself with the Senior Team. For now it will likely be LanDo and Clint Dempsey up top, though i still like LanDo as an attacking Mid and Dempsey as a right winger better, so who knows.

The return of The Beazz! Run DMB, or DaMarcus Beasley, is back in action. After a knee injury and surgery last fall, Run DMB returned to his club last week and scored a goal in a 3-2 win, and will return to the US team on this tour. With the options we have trotted out there in his absence, i know i am not the only one who will be relieved to see the fastest man on a pitch back wearing the #17.

And finally, we have the whole US-England dynamic. While not a rivalry anywhere near as intense as US-Mexico, a Yanks-Brits rivalry has great potential, especially with LanDo and Becks both playing together in LA for the Galaxy. One of England's greatest embarrassments was a 1-0 loss to the US in the 1950 World Cup, a result which was so inconceivable at the time that the papers in England printed the score as 10-1 England. With the US's recent success on the road and in Europe, England may not have as big as an advantage as they think playing in London.

So to recap, the game is tomorrow on ESPN Classic at noon 3pm Eastern, or around noon AZ time. Tune in or record it, it should be a good one. I'll have a recap and a preview for the Spain game up before that one as well. Go support the soccer folks!

(Prediction: 2-1 England, with the US missing a couple of good chances at a tie)

Soccer

I really can't qualify this post other than just soccer, mainly because i'm going to touch on a bunch of different subjects. There has been a lot going on in the world of US Soccer, and i haven't written about much of it yet because, well, because i'm lazy. I'm nothing if not honest...

First off, the US Women's Team won their sixth Algarve Cup in Portugal, defeating Denmark 2-1 in the championship game. The two goals were the only two goals the Danish side had allowed all tournament, and were part of the Americans record for most goals in the tournament with 12 (in four games). Natasha Kai (who is heavily tattooed - courtesy of Us Versus Them) and Abby Wambach scored the two goals for the US side. For Wambach, it was her 89th career goal in just 108 appearances, a staggering number. By my calculations, she needs just 17 goals to move into second all-time in career scoring, though still a distant second to Mia Hamm's 158 career goals.

Next, Olympic qualifying is underway for the Men's U-23 squad. With a squad heavily littered with the U-20 team that made some noise in last year's U-20 World Cup, the Americans were expected to somewhat breeze through these first three games. That was not the case, however, as they looked disjointed and uninterested at times in their 1-1 tie with Cuba in the first game Tuesday. Their second game is tonight against Panama, and can bee seen on Fox Sports Channel. FSC is still the best place to find soccer on cable, but man could they use HD...

As i said, the Americans looked somewhat lackluster at time, with the notable exception of Freddy Adu. The much-maligned Adu shined, getting the lone goal for the US and being robbed of at least two more on great saves by the Cuban keeper. I also was impressed with Pat McCarty's effort in the midfield, we are going to have way too many center midfielders on the Senior team in the next couple of years. Let's hope one or two of them can convert to defender, where we really need them. My boy Jozy Altidore only played in the first half, and got roughed up a bit. He looked lost at times as the lone striker up top, but to be fair did not get the ball in good spots. He should be fresh and ready to go tonight.

Lastly, an interesting sub-plot coming out of the Olympic qualifying tournament is that 7 members of the Cuban team have already left the team and defected, as the tournament is being held in Tampa Bay. It leaves the Cuban team with just 11 players, with one of those suspended for tonight's game due to a red-card against the Americans, leaving them with only 10 available to play Honduras. It is unclear whether the team will be forfeiting their remaining two matches; if so, it is unfortunate timing for the Americans, who apparently could have used the forfeit...

US vs. Mexico Recap

It's taken me a few days to get this up, mainly because it's taken me a few days to actually watch the game. Too many other things going on this week in Phoenix (seee: Shaq to the Suns). The US came away with a 2-2 draw against Mexico, in what some Mexican players are referring to as a 'moral victory'. I guess if Mexico sees a tie against the US as a moral victory, it points to the dominance the Americans have displayed in the rivalry as of late.

The game itself was a pretty typical US-Mexico clash, heavy on intensity and chock full of hard fouls, with a total of 6 yellow cards handed out, including one to Michael "It's becoming my American duty to get a yellow card everytime i pull on the US jersey" Bradley. Or maybe we should call him Michael "Yellow card" Bradley. Or Michael "Hard Foul" Bradley. One of those...

The American's didn't look all that good to me, especially the outside on both sides in back and midfield. While i'm still not completely sold on Gooch in the back, he and Bocanegra make a fairly decent pairing with Bocanegra able to clean up most mistakes. The outside back positions are one of great concern to me however. Corrales did basically zero that i remember him for, which isn't exactly what i'm looking for.

On the other side, right back Drew Moor had several memorable moments, unfortunately most of them were negative. He showed a complete lack of an ability to mark his man on set pieces, which is how Mexico scored both of their goals. And while he did have the assist on Jozy's goal, his play otherwise vacilated between less than stellar and horrible. He had two marking mistakes that led to Mexico's set piece scoring chances, then failed to properly mark his man on both of those set pieces. Not good. The defense in general was unorganized, and gave up way too many shots, especially in the second half.

In the middle, Bradley was his typical tireless self, moving all over the field and constantly working. Unfortunately that didn't translate to a lot of possession and holding, as the Americans in general did a poor job of controlling the ball. Rico Clark, like Corrales, was virtually unnoticeable to me. I would have liked to see Feilhaber and Bradley together, instead of Feilhaber subbing for Bradley. Bobby Convey on the left played ok, though not spectacularly. He again had trouble putting in good crosses, and realistically is not the answer on the outside. And then we have LanDo...

I said in my preview that i would like to see LanDo in midfield, but i want no part of him on the wing in midfield. LanDo needs the ball to be effective, and is best when he is getting the ball and making thigns happen. He's not a traditional striker, though he can score goals in bunches. I still believe his absolute best position is as an attacking center midfielder, though apparently no one on the US coaching staff agrees with me...

Up top i thought Dempsey and Altidore played pretty well. Altidore obviously had the great goal, but played fairly well the rest of the match. He came out a bit timid and unsure of himself the first 15-20 minutes, but settled down and had some nice touches. Dempsey is still the most creative and entertaining US player, and showed off his skills a few times, including his great goal that was ultimately ruled offsides. I think Dempsey and Jozy up top could be a formidable line once they figure out how to work with each other and what their tendencies are.

I mentioned him earlier, but i thought Feilhaber did a good job once he came in. Not sure if it was because of him, or the US settled down, or what, but the Americans seemed to do a better job possessing the ball in the middle third once he came on. He also was very active, getting making many tackles and stealing the ball. As for the other subs, i didn't see a whole lot from Maurice Edu or Eddie Lewis. Just not enough playing time and/or not enough touches for either of them to really show anything. Freddy Adu also didn't get a ton of touches, but looked pretty good the times he did get the ball.

Tim Howard in the back was awesome once again, despite giving up two goals. Neither of them were his fault, and he made some very good saves throughout the match that could have given El Tri the win. He will be the American keeper for the foreseeable future, no question.

Some final thoughts on the game:

Mexico is getting good. They put a ton of pressure on the Americans, and are very quick, something the US struggled to handle. The battles between these two countries should only get better and more heated in the coming years.

American coach Bob Bradley still refuses to put what i think would be the best and most dangerous lineup on the field at the same time, which is both frustrating and encouraging. It is good to mix thigns around, change things, and try different combinations, but i would like to see a somewhat steady lineup. My ideal lineup would be: Howard as keeper, Bocanegra and Gooch in the back in the middle, and i have no clue who to put on the outside in the back....

In midfield, i'd like to see Beasley on the left when he returns, Bradley and Feilhaber in the middle, and probablt Dempsey on the right. Put LanDo and Jozy up top, and let LanDo roam and come back to the middle as necessary. Of course, they doesn't leave a spot for Adu, who i think needs to be in there. We apparently have too many midfielders and forwards and not enough defenders...

All in all not a bad result, and a pretty entertaining game. It's a good way to jumpstart what ultimately will be a very important year for the American side, with World Cup 2010 Qualifying starting this summer.

US vs. Mexico

With all the talk about the Big Diesel coming to Phoenix (here and here), let me take a quick timeout to remind you of an important, albeit ultimately meaningless, soccer game going on tonight.

That's right kids, it's time for the annual early-year US vs. Mexico friendly. And once again, inexplicably, it's on American soil, this time in Reliant Stadium in Houston. While this game is considered a friendly, there is nothing friendly going on when these two teams meet, and the US has dominated this series on home soil as of late. They are 8-0-1 against El Tri since 2000 in America, allowing only a single goal along the way.

The American squad, as well as the Mexican one, look to be at almost full-strength tonight, with a lean towards showcasing the young up-and-comers likely to be big factors in World Cup Qualifying and beyond. Let's take a look, courtesy of Soccernet:

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Tim Howard (Everton, England)

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham, England), Ramiro Corrales (Brann, Norway), Drew Moor (Dallas), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard Liege, Belgium), Michael Parkhurst (New England), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock, Germany), Eddie Robinson (Houston)

Midfielders: Freddy Adu (Benfica, Portugal), Michael Bradley (Heerenveen, Netherlands), Ricardo Clark (Houston), Bobby Convey (Reading, England), Brad Davis (Houston), Maurice Edu (Toronto), Benny Feilhaber (Derby, England), Stuart Holden (Houston), Eddie Lewis (Derby, England)

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (New York), Clint Dempsey (Fulham, England), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles), Pat Noonan (Aalesund, Norway)

There are a couple of things you should notice here: One, the Keepers. Howard has long been the next great American Keeper, and it looks like the job may finally be his for good. Also, Guzan is getting major play from European teams, so look for him to make the move soon.

In back, Bocanegra and Gooch i'm sure will start in the middle. Gooch needs to start showing the form and skill he showed off in the World Cup a few years back, since he has shown none of it since and it's getting frustrating.

In the midfield, the only name i miss is Mastroeni (Beasley obviously is out with an injury). I would expect Bradley and Feilhaber to get the start in the middle, as that will most likely be the central of the US squad for many years to come. Also note that Bradley has BLOWN UP for his Dutch Club team, Heerenven, scoring goals at a ridiculous pace. We need goal production from the midfield, so this is a good sign. Also, i would like to see either Adu or Edu get the start to see what they can do, but i doubt they will. More likely would be Convey and Lewis, though reports are that Lewis is hurt as well.

And up top is where i'm excited. Note to coach Bob Bradley: Please, please, PLEASE start Jozy Altidore. I'm begging you! Put him up top with LanDo or Dempsey! In fact, put him up top with either of those two, then drop the other one back into midfield. Dempsey plays well on the right, and i like LanDo as an attacking central Mid anyway. Do it! This kid is gonna be a star!

Overall i like the line-ups, and am excited to see the youngsters play. I think Adu and Jozy have developed pretty good chemistry on the younger National Teams, and would love to see them play together against the Mexicans. It will also be young Bradley's first shot against Mexico, as he sat out the Gold Cup Final with accumulated yellow cards. Feilhaber, on the other hand, seemed to fare quite well against El Tri in the Gold Cup Final...

One more note before returning to our regularly scheduled Shaq coverage: Watch out for the youngsters on Mexico as well. Giovani Dos Santos is only 18 years old, but already is playing for Barcelona, one of the best club teams in the world. And he's playing well. He and fellow 18-year old Carlos Vela make a formidable scoring punch, with Dos Santos' Barcelona teammate Rafael Marquez the ever-steady man in back for Mexico.

In the end the game doesn't mean anything, which is precisely why i would love to see the kids get some major minutes. The game will have the feel of a clash of heavyweights, but won't ultimately affect any standings. Let's get the kids some experience, and hopefully continue the American dominance in this rivalry this decade...

Remember Me?

He's back! Been pretty quiet on the Beckham front as of late, mostly because he hasn't played in about 6 weeks. But Beckham is back, coming on as a sub in the 68th minute of the Galaxy's 1-1 draw with New York.

I don't have a whole lot to say about this game, as I didn't get a chance to see most of it. I do know that my boy, Jozy Altidore, scored the goal for New York off a header. He also had a couple of chances late that would have given them the win, but just missed wide on one and over the crossbar on another.

I keep saying this, but i'm not hearing from a lot of other places on the web. Altidore is going to be good. He is not afraid to shoot, he is good in the box, and he is good at getting into positions to make plays. The US MNT has been looking for a true striker for years. Altidore is as close as it gets for anyone in their player pool. And yet, he is not playing on the senior team. Next year, in the Olympics, Jozy better be playing and he better be starting. He will shine if given the chance.

The Irresponsibility Of ESPN

The Worldwide leader had an article today on the front page talking about the US-Sweden match today (I of course can't find it now, hopefully they took it down or revised it greatly). The crux of the article was not about the US MNT's 1-0 loss to Sweden, or really anything about how they looked or played. In fact, if i had not seen the game (which i had not when i read the article), i would have no clue about the Americans stacked up against the Swedes. Instead, the article was about the fact that the US MNT had now lost four games in a row. And while this is technically correct, it is leaving out a large part of the story.

The previous three losses by the US MNT were last month in Copa America. It was not, by any means, a good showing by the Americans. But it was largely (almost exclusively actually) made up of 'second tier players'. I don't mean they were bad players, they were just really young and inexperienced. Consider this: Of the team that played in Copa America, only five players were on todays roster against Sweden, which was made up of our 'top' players. Out of 19, that's not too many. Consider also that going into the start of Copa America, the Americans had only 5 players with more than 10 international appearances. It was a young, inexperienced team that took its lumps, which is what coach Bob Bradley. Well, not to take the lumps, but to get the kids some experience.

So while technically correct that the US has lost four in a row, true fans of soccer and the US MNT will know that it is not the whole story. I just wish ESPN would be a little more representative of that...

US vs. Sweden

In case you feel like i'm getting paid by either the US Soccer Federation (USSF) or MLS, let me assure, i am not. I just really enjoy good soccer, and the US and MLS are finally starting to play some of it. So tune in tomorrow (Wednesday) at 11:30a Pacific Time to Fox Soccer Channel to see the US MNT take on Sweden in Sweden. It should be a good game, as the US has most of it's senior-level players with it, and Sweden is a good team. Enjoy...

US vs. Brazil!

I'm a day late on this one, but it was announced yesterday that the US MNT (that's soccer, how many times do i have to tell you?) will be playing a match against the number 1 ranked team in the world, Brazil, here on our very own soil in Chicago next month. Billed as the 'Clash of The Champions', it pits the winner of the two teams regional tournaments against each other. The US got there by virtue of a fantastic run through the Gold Cup, while Brazil took their own Copa America tournament last month. The US was scheduled to face off against Mexico on Sept. 9th in Mexico City, as was announced just last week. However, due to contract disputes, that game was cancelled and the game against Brazil in Chicago was decided upon instead on the same date.

The good news? The US is getting some quality competition, with Brazil expected to bring their full roster, including world-class midfielder Ronaldinho. The US is also expected to play with their full roster, something they did not do while competing in Copa America last month. Brazil has not played a game in the US in quite some time, though has fared very well against the Americans in the past. Their only loss to the US side was a 2-1 defeat in the Gold Cup in 1998, in which Brazilian legend Romario called American Goalkeeper Kasey Keller's effort 'the greatest performance i have ever seen from a goalkeeper'.

The US will gear up for this game by travelling to Sweden to take on the national team there on Aug. 22nd. That match will be telecast live on Fox Soccer Channel and Galavision. The game against Brazil will be broadcast live on ESPN2 on Sept. 9th. I urge everyone to tune in to both of these games and show the US MNT some support. They will soon be entering into World Cup 2010 qualifying, and these two matches will prove important tune-ups heading into that gauntlet.

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So the US gets a shot at the best in the world. I for one couldn't be happier, and you better believe i'll be watching live. Hell, if i wasn't going to be in Chicago the weekend before, i might even fly up there just for this game. It's not often you get to see the best team in the world come to your house to take on the best you have to offer. The game should be fantastic, and should be a good gauging point to see how our young team is developing. Assuming we have our new, young midfield tandem of Michael Bradley and Benny Feilhaber, paired probably with Pablo Mastroeni playing a tad deeper in there, it will be interesting to see how they fare against Ronaldinho and Kaka, perhaps two of the best midfielders in the world. And a defense that has looked shaky in recent outings will have its hands full with Robinho from Brazil, but will be fun to watch.

I'm ready to put down here that i expect the US to lose by a count of probably 3-1, but for some reason i have a good feeling about this game. It may be a bit of homer-ism, but i think the Americans can hang with the Brazilians in this game, and maybe catch a lucky break or two. I expect the US to be ready to play and bring it, and think they may be able to sneak a couple of goals past the Brazilian defense. So, i'll go ahead and call it. 2-2 tie, with the Americans giving up a late 2-1 lead when Brazil starts pressing in the last 15 minutes of the game or so. A tie is not exactly a stunning result, but against this team it would be a tremendous result, and one to build on heading into qualifying and World Cup 2010. Let's go Yanks!

Off Topic: US Soccer

I know most of you haven't been paying attention (though you should be), but on the heels of the Americans great showing at the U-20 World Cup last month in Canada, some of the players from that team are getting international recognition. Well-deserved international recognition, if you ask me. The player signings have come fast and furious as of late, and got started with Freddy Adu's move to Benfica in Portugal. Here is a quick rundown of the signings:

Danny Szetela is set to complete a transfer to Italian side AS Roma in the next few weeks. While the transfer would not take place until Dec. 31st, it's still a great move to a fantastic league, Serie A. AS Roma finished second in the league last year, and has some quality players for Szetela to learn and train under.

Sal Zizzo made the transfer to Hannover 96 of the German Bundesliga. While Hannover was not great last year, finishing 11th in the league, it does boast one other American on the roster, Steve Cherundolo.

Benny Feilhaber, the maker of one of the best American goals i've ever seen (see it here), could be headed to Derby County of the English Premiership League. While Feilhaber is already in Europe playing for Hamburg of the Bundesliga, a move to the EPL would be a great one for someone who has already seen significant action of the Senior US Men's Team.

And last, although not a member of the U-20 team, DaMarcus Beasley completed a transfer to Scotland side Ranger's. Beasley has spent the last few years playing in Holland for PSV Eindhoven.

What does all this mean? Well first, more Americans playing in Europe. What does it really mean? More Americans getting more experience against better competition. And it means the Americans are getting noticed and respected on the international stage. The future of this team looks fantastic, especially with these moves (And a rumor that Landon Donovan is not as opposed to going back to Europe as he was when he returned a few years back).

The moves are great, but those players still need to prove they can play, and play well, with their respective teams. But it can only help to have them playing in some of the best leagues in the world, honing their skills for the up-coming World Cup Qualifying schedule.

Off Topic: US U-20 National Team

That's soccer folks. Stay with me here. The U-20 stands for Under 20 years old, as in teenagers. As in the future of American Soccer. And boy does the future look bright for the Americans.

The US Men's U-20 team is currently at the U-20 World Cup in Canada, and they are making quite a name for themselves. After a sub par 1-1 draw with South Korea in the opening match of the tourney, US came back strong with a 6-1 thrashing of Poland behind Captain Freddy Adu's hat trick.

In their third and final game of the opening round, played round-robin style, the US went up against a Brazil side that was 1-1 in the tourney. Always a tough foe, Brazil was also playing for perhaps it's tournament life, adding incentive for them going into the game. The US, however, played well and came away with a hard fought 2-1 win. Now to the meat:

This US U-20 team is good. I mean, scary good. I watched almost all of the Brazil match (with flip-backs to the Cubs game for my Chicago friends i was visiting, even as the Cubs were getting smoked), and i was impressed. This team is a Team, in the true sense of the word. Both goals, set up by Adu and finished by Jozy Altidore, were fantastic. Adu knew where Altidore was going to be, and Altidore knew where Adu would put the ball. They KNEW. Before anyone else did. Watching it reminded me of watching top-notch level soccer.

The other thing that i came out very impressed with was our ability to hold the ball in the midfield. Something the US National team has traditionally struggled with has been keeping the ball in the midfield and overall time of possession. This U-20 team was superb at it. The balls they played, the way they moved without the ball.... All of it was world class soccer. This team was better than the senior team we sent to play in the Copa America.

And it starts with our two forwards on the team, Adu and Altidore. Adu has struggled in the MLS at times, and quite frankly i have not been impressed when i have seen him play lately (not many have). But he looks at his absolute best at this level, gathering the ball in the middle, pushing it forward, and looking to make great outlets to streaking players either up the middle or down the wings, looking for Altidore in particular. I was surprised to see him carrying the Captain's armband for this team when i tuned in, but after watching him play i am all for it.

And Altidore... how good has he looked? He has been getting a lot of buzz this year, making waves in the US. It is justified. This kid has the potential to be scary good. He is a fantastic finisher, with a killer instinct inside the box, something the US MNT has been desperately seeking for, oh, forever.

Also, let's not forget another member of this team that is already making his mark on the senior team, Michael Bradley, son of MNT Coach Bob Bradley. At just 19 years old, Bradley has had an impact on the senior team, as well as holding the ship steady for the U-20 team.

There are other members of this team i could touch on as well, including Goalkeeper Chris Seitz, who appears to be the next great American GK, following in the footsteps of Meola, Freidel, Keller, and Howard. But the greatness of this U-20 squad, at least so far in this tournament, has not been about individual players. It has been about the team.

This team will make up a large chunk of the next senior World Cup, in 2010. We need to start getting behind these guys, and the time is now. In their own U-20 World Cup, they are into the second round, facing a Uruguay side Wednesday at 4:45pm Pacific Time. And while it is not easily accessible, being shown only on ESPNU and Galavision, you should be watching.

This team is the future of US Soccer. And the future is looking mighty good...

D Day, as in a disappointing day!

Well that was a massively crappy day! I will weigh in on both the Suns and Dback’s and several unnecessary topics.

First the Dback’s get drilled, for both the game and the series. The Dodgers were on fire and just simply demolished the home team 9 this week. Normally not a big deal, but considering that LA has beaten us all but 2 times in 9 tries it tends to get a bit alarming. The question remains: are the Dback’s a good team or just one that beats the bad teams and loses to the good teams. They have struggled against any good team since the end of May. The Red Sox, Yankees, and Dodgers all embarrassed Arizona. They have done a nice job of beating up on the bad teams, Baltimore twice and Tampa Bay. So who is this team and how good are they? That is the million dollar question and I will soon try to answer that in a baseball post, but that is for another day.

I might be one of the biggest draftniks in the world. I love the art of the draft, NFL or NBA. Hockey no longer exists and baseball is cool, but only the first several picks. 50 damn rounds in the MLB draft! Wow, how in the hell can I keep up with 1500 players? I am the one guy that looks forward to the NFL draft 364 days of the year. I believe it is one of the top 10 sporting events of the year. I am the one watching all 17 hours of ESPN and NFL Network coverage. I could continue on but why bore all 3 of you!

My thoughts today are with the Suns and what the hell they are doing. They are single handedly ruining the draft for me. I know, I know, they are keeping together a team that is the second best team in the NBA and only slightly behind the Spurs, if at all. You could argue that they were the better team and if not for several ill timed Steve Nash stitches in the nose and several steps away from the bench for Amare' and Diaw, we might be the Champions. But seriously did you have to trade two players (Rudy Fernandez and James Jones) for $3 million bucks? Why not just trade Jr and keep RF, who could go on to become the back up point guard that we need. In the past 4 years we have passed or traded on Luol Deng, Marcus Williams, Rajon Rondo, Sergio Rodriquez and now Rudy Fernandez, and spent $25 million on Marcus F’n Banks. Brilliant. I would have loved to have Luol Deng (or Andre Igoudala) and Tayshaun Prince on the Suns instead of Casey “I love playing for 2 mil in Germany instead of the NBA” Jacobsen. I am a Big Ten guy, so I like Tucker, a hell of a player in college and I wish him the best in the NBA. I understand the rational of keeping this team together and making one last run at the title. But the excitement of the past 3 years draft is equal to watching a Spurs/ Cavs Finals, in other words nonexistent.

Lastly, since I am out camping (TV, cell phone, internet, stove, microwave, gas grill, coolers full of beer and a foam mattress on top of the bed), I did not get to see the US Soccer team play vs. Argentina (only on Telemundo and I cant speak Spanish despite 6 semesters, Spanish Uno, four times). The 4 – 1 loss seems pretty standard. A young team playing against a world power on the road, what did you expect? I just figured it was a crappy way to finish D Day.

That’s all for right now, need to go tend to my beer…, uh I mean cooler, it seems to be getting lighter and I need to make sure everything is alright. Later from Mingus Mountain and highs in the low 80’s. Smitty

6/28, the best sports day until football!

Ahh, what a day! Dbacks vs Dodgers for first in the NL West, with Randy vs Randy, Johnson making his return vs Wolf. The bullpens were spent after Tuesday's extra innings game, but Webb and Lowe produced a gem of a pitching match up tonight, with a huge Dbacks win. I am a lover of fundamental baseball, so I was pissed in the eight inning when you get a triple to lead off by O' dog and he never scores, come on! I have several other things that piss me off about the Dbacks but I will wait until they are struggling to bitch my way through another blog, I mean it is hard when they have the best record in the NL.

The NBA draft; is any more drama possible for the Suns? I have heard 7624 trade possibilities. I do not think any of them are coming true, except 29 and Kurt Thomas to the Bobcats for ..... nothing. Uh, I mean 16 million in saving for Sarver (Suns Owner and rich guy). I know for a fact that I am excited as hell to have Sarver sell the best defender we have against Duncan for money in his pocket. This is a crappy move and pisses me off. So many other opportunities to improve this team and yet we get rid of our Duncan kryptonite, brilliant! Can't wait to sit through another NBA draft where the Suns get nothing, sell one pick and then pick a Euro that we will not see for a year or two (maybe). Question, will they bring out Amare' and tell the draft crowd that he is the first round pick for the second straight year? I hope something better happens but I have my doubts at this juncture, 10:30 pm Wednesday night.

Lastly, if you can't tell we are big US Men's National Futbol fans, soccer to most of you schleps. Good luck to a very young team in South America. Playing against some of the best in the world, they are clearly bringing a very young and inexperienced team. The team will need lots of playing time together to create a real threat at the 2010 World Cup. I applaud Bob Bradley for his stance on playing the young players in this tournament and hope that they find lighting in a bottle and play well, learn to play together, and lastly find out who will be ready to play for the USA the next several years. PS- Congratulations on Winning the Gold Cup vs Mexico in a great game and good tourney. The goal by Benny Feilhaber was magnificent, the best goal I have seen in years for the USA.

Damn, only 67 days until the first big weekend in College Football and 72 until NFL. I could talk football 24/7/365, but have to survive the other seasons, NBA and Baseball. Starting in July, Lite and myself will start having blogs for every NFL teams and most major college football teams to get ready for the season. I am already starting to contemplate several of my fantasy football teams. We will be more than ready to give you all of the information that matters. Thanks and please add some comments to rile me up, I love a great debate!

Off Topic: US Men's National Team

That's soccer for you scrubs that don't know.

The US National Men's Team today defended their title as the Champion's of the Gold Cup, the tournament of North and Central America and the Caribbean. By winning the tournament, we are entered into the Confederations Cup in 2009. The ConFed Cup is played by the winner of the six FIFA Regional Tournaments, the World Cup winner, and the host country. The US has finished in third place twice in the ConFed Cup, in 1992 and 1999.

Now to the nitty-gritty. Through the tournament, the US looked sharp at times and a complete disaster at others. And as typical, the US was once again not sharp at finishing, which has always been our Achilles Heel. But our main problem throughout this tourney was our defensive lapses. I like Bocanegra back there, and Gooch is coming along, but anyone with speed on the wings (See: Mexico) gave us a ton of trouble.

In the Championship game, the US was playing our old rivals Mexico. Pretty much the only real rival the US has, playing against Mexico is always a big game for the US. It is, however, an even bigger game for El Tri (Mexico). So far this decade, the US is 8-0-1 on US soil against our border neighbors to the South. And going into the game Mexico had not scored on the US in 8 games.

However, in this game Mexico struck first, with a fairly easy goal from Guardado, off a pretty good run/cross from Castillo. Castillo, as would be the case most of the afternoon, was running circles around Gooch on the edge. I like Gooch and all, but dude isn't fast. There's a reason he's in the middle of the defense: He's slow and really tall. And he has a pretty big boot. (Stop snickering you perverts, it means he has a strong leg and can kick it real far. Juveniles...)

Early in the 2nd half, Brian Ching was awarded a penalty on a fantastic attempt at a turn-around shot inside the box. Landon Donovan scored on the penalty, coolly slotting it into the right side of the net as the Goalkeeper Sanchez stood frozen. The goal, Donovan's 34th in international play, ties him with Eric Wynalda for 1st all time in goals scored for the American side. Being as Donovan is only 25 years old, and is one the best players the US has ever produced, it's a safe bet he will surpass that amount. And soon.

The 2nd goal, about ten minutes after Donovan's PK, was a spectacular volley from Benny Feilhaber off a failed clearance by El Tri's defense. Feilhaber took a ball that traveled about 15 yards, and was probably 20 yards in the air, and blasted a one-timer into the top corner of the net, past the leaping GK Sanchez. It was one of the best goals i've ever seen made by a US player, and turned the tide of the game. Shortly thereafter, the Mexican goal-scorer Guardado and the US' Johnathan Spector were in a nasty-looking head-to-head collision going for a header. Guardado came back into the game, though afterwards was carted off on a stretcher with a neck brace. Spector looked completely dazed, and could barely walk or stand. I imagine he has a concussion and a pounding headache.

The combination of the second US goal and the Mexican Guardado not being the same after the collision killed any momentum El Tri had going, and in effect took them out of the game. From that point forward, until the last few minutes of the game, when Mexico was desperate for a goal, they looked out of synch and lacked the control and possession they had enjoyed much of the game. During this period, the US missed yet another chance to put away the game on a great counter-attack by Donovan and DaMarcus Beasley. In what was essentially a 2-on-0, with only the goalkeeper standing between them and the goal, Donovan played it perfectly, dribbling deep enough into the box to commit the GK, then slotting a perfect pass to Beasley on the far post from about 8 yards off. Beasley, with an open net, proceeded to clang the ball off the crossbar (A clanging noise heard often in the game from the US, with 3 balls going off posts), and rightfully so the look on his face was half disbelief and half sheepish.

Luckily for the US, the third goal was not necessary. With a 2-1 win, the US once again showed Mexico, and the World, who is the best team in their region. Mexico, for it's part, actually showed a little class and respect for the Americans. Custom after any international match is for players of the opposing teams to shake hands and swap jerseys. However, as is well-documented in the last decade, Mexico has repeatedly refused to take part in these post-game pleasantries with the US. But after the game today, there were a few Mexican players who swapped jersey's with the US, most notably Pavel Pardo swapping with Donovan. There was even, supposedly, one unidentified Mexican player who walked off the field with an American player arm around shoulder, a respect and sportsmanship not seen toward US from El Tri in many years.

Overall, it was a solid but still somehow lacking performance from the Americans. While they won, they still missed opportunities to bury a couple more goals. Tim Howard was once again nearly flawless in goal, the one goal against him was entirely the defense's fault, and not his. And he saved the Americans with a spectacular late save from point-blank range that he punched over the bar.

The US is doing as it should, kicking ass and taking names within its own region. Now they need to take that show abroad, and start showing the teams from South America and Europe that they are no longer a side to look past. While they head to South America this week for the Copa America, they are taking a very young team, with none of the traditional 'known' names in US Soccer like Donovan, Beasley, Bocanegra, Howard, Clint Dempsey, etc. I understand their want to get some rest for their main guys, who just finished winning their own tourney, but i would like to see how our new team stacks up against the likes of Argentina and Brazil.