Here's your weekend review of big news items regarding USMNTers:
Gatt, Molde Clinch League Title
It's not everyday that a Yank wins silverware, but that was the case yesterday in Norway. For the first time in the club's 100 year history, Molde FK are league champions, clinching the top spot thanks to a Rosenborg loss. The title also earns Molde a spot in the 2012-13 UEFA Champions League second qualifying round, the club's first appearance since 1999-2000.
Josh Gatt was not in the match day squad once again, still hampered by a hamstring injury, but he'll celebrate the title all the same, having contributed consistently throughout the course of the season. The 20 year old Michigan native has made big strides in his first full season as a pro and is capping it off with a league title, something that many players go their entire careers without achieving.
It will be interesting to see what the winter brings for Gatt once he's healthy. I expect that we'll see him with the USMNT in January. Assuming he's still with Molde next summer, Gatt should also get the chance to impress in European competition as well, with his first taste of Champions League play.
Beasley, Puebla Win at Azteca
Another "not everyday" news item came from south of the border, as a Yank was victorious at Estadio Azteca. DaMarcus Beasley played the full 90 minutes for Puebla, as they came away with a big 3-2 win over Club America.
The result pushes Puebla to 9th place in the Apertura table, just one point out of a spot in the eight team liguilla (playoffs) with one round of matches remaining. They'll take on Tigres at home on Sunday with hopes of advancing.
Dempsey Scores Game-Winner
Clint Dempsey scored the opening goal in Fulham's 2-0 win at Wigan, making a charging run forward to get on the end of a square ball from Bobby Zamora:
The goal is Dempsey's third of the Premier League season and fifth in all competitions.
Kljestan Scores in Anderlecht Rout
Sacha Kljestan got in on the action as well, scoring the third goal in a 4-0 win for Anderlecht and setting up the second with a gorgeous through-ball:
Les Mauves currently sit three points clear at the top of the Belgian table with a game in hand.
Onyewu Returns to Starting XI
After a minor injury kept him out of the last couple of matches, Oguchi Onyewu returned to the starting lineup for Sporting Lisbon. Gooch played all 90 minutes and helped Sporting keep a clean sheet en route to a 2-0 road win over Feirense. The result pushes them into third in the Portuguese table, three points behind league leaders Porto.
A quick post to end the brief hiatus focused on this afternoon's playoff match between the Philadelphia Union and the Houston Dynamo. Here are three USMNT-centric things I'll be watching for at PPL Park:
1. Davis v. Williams:
For much of the year, Sheanon Williams has flown under the radar. But that hasn't stopped the 21 year old from turning in strong performance after strong performance in his first full season in MLS. I've consistently said that his play merits a call into USMNT camp in the near future, and I think an MLS Best XI selection could be on the horizon as well.
He's been one of the key cogs of a re-tooled and much more effective Union defense, but he'll have a handful today when he matches up with Brad Davis on the flank. Davis has put together an MVP campaign, wracking up the assists with stellar service. If Houston are to have success on the road, they'll likely need Davis to drive the attack, so expect plenty of passes into his feet on the win.
The last time these two teams played, Williams handled Davis pretty well with some help from Michael Farfan in the midfield. I wouldn't be surprised to see Davis switched to the right from time to time to get away from Williams and into a much more favorable match-up against Gabriel Farfan.
I expect both of these players to get called into USMNT camp in January (perhaps even sooner, who knows), but tonight they'll both be key figures in setting the tone of this aggregate tie.
2. Geoff Cameron:
Jurgen Klinsmann has been looking for a center back with the right mix of physicality, aerial ability, and ball skills. To date, he hasn't really been successful in unearthing a competent possession-oriented center back, while Oguchi Onyewu and Carlos Bocanegra have stepped up to claim starting roles.
But might he find that desired center back option (and more depth) in Cameron, whose move from the midfield to the back has helped Houston put together a strong stretch run? I don't know if Cameron has enough to overtake a healthy, in-form Onyewu, but as we've learned over the past couple of years, the top options aren't always healthy and/or in form, so it never hurts to find quality depth (or a potential heir apparent). (With that in mind, though, the center back in the playoffs that will draw most of my attention is Omar Gonzalez, who in my opinion is long overdue for a call into camp.)
Against Philadelphia, Cameron will be tested, with Sebastian Le Toux riding a fine run of form over the past couple of months.
3. Farfan, Farfan, and Adu:
The young American trio will be key to the Union's success. The Farfan twins have turned in solid debut seasons, but most USMNT fans will want to see what Freddy Adu is capable of. Adu hasn't been particularly remarkable in his stint with Philly thus far, with some big plays but some middling outings as well. I expect we'll see Freddy as an attacking sub in the second half, at which point he can make a big difference running at tired defenders.
Adu has been playing a little too pensively of late, in my opinion, looking for that perfect pass or dribbling opportunity. If he's able to play a little more simply and quickly on the ball, he'll be much more effective, as he was during the last two matches of the Gold Cup. This would also open up the opportunities for him later on to take on a defender or go for that cutting ball with confidence.
We'll see if and how he's deployed, and if he's able to leave a positive mark on the match.
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I'm heading out to PPL Park in just a few minutes. Tune into the match at 5 PM ET on ESPN2. Enjoy, everybody.
Over the past couple of months, international footy nerds in the US have been treated to fun story of the sort-of-USMNT that has been making waves in World Cup qualifying. Of course, I'm talking about none other than the might US Virgin Islands, whose early success over their rivals was one of the great early stories on the road to Brazil 2014.
While they don't get nearly the same amount of coverage in the grand scheme of things, minnows across the globe have interesting stories to tell, characters to meet, and often crazy stats to discuss. So I figured why not give some attention to the little guys here, with a (hopefully) regular series called "Meet a Minnow." Hopefully you enjoy this deviation from the usual heavyweight focus and learn a thing or two about the lesser known teams of the world.
We'll kick it off with another sort-of-USMNT: American Samoa. I have several other teams in the pipeline, but if there are any you'd like me to feature, feel free to reach out via the comments section, Twitter, or email.
Off we go...
Team: American Samoa Confederation: OFC Joined FIFA: 1998 Current FIFA Rank: 203 (tied for last)
Big Picture: American football reigns supreme in American Samoa, with many of the territory's best athletes moving on to college football and the NFL. There hasn't quite been that same success with soccer.
In their 28 matches since joining FIFA in 1998, American Samoa have compiled a record of 0-0-28 (I don't think I need to elaborate, but that's W-D-L). In that time, they have grown accustomed to being on the wrong end of a blowout. they have conceded an average of 8.3 goals per game, scoring just 0.3 goals per game. They have been shut out 75% of the time and have allowed double digit goals on eight different occasions (more on this below).
Only three times has American Samoa gone into the locker room at halftime without trailing; they have never held a halftime lead.
Having gone goalless at this summer's Pacific Games, it has now been over four years (?!) since American Samoa has scored a single goal (with that lone tally coming in the second half of a 12-1 loss to the Solomon Islands). They haven't scored more than one goal in a game since way back in 2002, when they lost 7-2 to Tonga.
They have come close to pulling off a result, though. One-goal losses to the Cook Islands (4-3, 1998) and Tonga (2-1, 2000) were the closest they have come to draw, while they played Guam tough this past summer before eventually falling 2-0.
All of American Samoa's matches have been in regional tournaments or tournament qualifiers; they have never played a friendly. In fact, American Samoa has never even played a match on home soil, with their World Cup qualifiers held in Samoa or elsewhere.
What about the composition of this not-quite-titan of international football? A large number of the players have come from teams in American Samoa, but there has also been a smattering that ply their trade in the lower (read: much lower) divisions of Europe, South America, and Oceania. There have also been a few players from the American college system.
Needless to say, it's slim pickings for this territory of about 56,000 people. But, like many other teams around the globe, they still take the field with pride all the same, looking for that brief moment of international glory, however small it may be.
Notable Moment: No matter how small they are and how unimpressive their record is, American Samoa is known all throughout in the international football community. Sure, it's for all the wrong reasons, but it's notoriety nonetheless!
The source of that infamy is a 2001 World Cup qualifier against Australia in which American Samoa lost by a whopping 31-0. That's no typo. 31 goals. Current Melbourne Victory striker Archie Thompson alone scored 13 times (an international record) in that match. This blowout led to some changes in OFC's 2006 World Cup qualifying process, namely a preliminary round to weed out weaker teams early on. This blowout also helped contribute to Australia's ultimate decision to leave the OFC for the AFC, another stark indicator of the gulf between the OFC's top two sides (New Zealand being the other) and everyone else.
Check out the highlights:
Famous Faces: Nicky Salapu is the most capped player in American Samoa national team history. His 13 caps (a number that is difficult to confirm, indicative of the obscurity of all this) are a far cry from the triple-digit totals that we see in other nations across the globe, but they give him the top spot nonetheless.
Salapu is best known around the world, however, for being the guy that was on the wrong end of that aforementioned Australia beat-down. That's right: the Pago Pago-born goalkeeper conceded 31 times in one game. Talk about taking your licks.
American Samoa now has another famous face in the mix, though- former MLS and US U-20 head coach Thomas Rongen, who has taken over as the head coach of American Samoa ahead of their World Cup/OFC Nations Cup qualifiers in November. This will be Rongen's first gig as the head coach of a senior national team, and he'll certainly have his work cut out for him.
At least there's nowhere to go but up.
The Future: American Samoa, with Rongen at the helm, are now looking ahead to the end of November, when they'll take part in the preliminary round of the 2012 OFC Nations Cup.
For those not familiar, the tournament will also double as part of the World Cup qualification process, with the four semifinalists qualifying for the OFC World Cup qualifying final group stage, a separate competition to be held from September 2012 to early 2013.
American Samoa will play in the four team preliminary round with Tonga, Samoa, and the Cook Islands, a single round-robin in Samoa with the first place finisher earning the eighth and final spot in the OFC Nations Cup field. Should they advance, they would play in a group with Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tahiti for a spot in the semis.
So a lot is riding on these matches, which will played on November 22nd, 24th, and 26th, though expectations will be realistically low.
Rongen's squad will be long shots to advance, but a successful preliminary campaign and a spot in the 2012 OFC Nations Cup would certainly be the greatest success in the island's soccer history. Maybe they'll be able to follow in the footsteps of another sort-of-USMNT (the USVI) and secure a monumental result or two next month.
From living in a friend's attic and making £40 a week to defending the likes of Fernando Torres and Wayne Rooney, Jay DeMerit's story is one that has been told many times in the American soccer community over the past couple of years. Fans and pundits alike have spoken glowingly of his rise from anonymity to the bright lights of professional soccer. But that tale was never told quite like it has been by Nick Lewis and Ranko Tutulugdzija, the two guiding forces behind "Rise and Shine: The Jay DeMerit Story."
The documentary, which in and of itself is a remarkable story not unlike Jay's (something we'll get to later on), takes us on the up and down path from Green Bay, Wisconsin all the way to last summer's World Cup in South Africa, with all of the highs and unglamorous lows in between. Supplemented by game footage and photos, the narrative gives fans a deeper look into each step of DeMerit's rise at the club level, a crescendo that culminates with a climactic Man of the Match performance in the final of the Championship promotion playoffs and the subsequent Premier League season.
Even the most knowledgeable USMNT fan will find themselves learning more about DeMerit as a player and person thanks to interviews with family, friends, fans, coaches, and teammates, a comprehensive collection that provides unique perspectives and more depth to an already rich story. Non-soccer fans, meanwhile, will be captivated all the same by an inspirational journey of determination, friendship, perseverance, and dream-chasing.
"Rise and Shine" reminds us that the path to glory isn't always conventional, whether you are a player looking to reach the USMNT or just someone going after a personal goal. And not just in the story itself, either, but also in the story behind the story. With a small production team, modest budget, crowd-sourced funding, and a big dream, Nick, Ranko, and their staff have managed to produce a work that has been picked up by theaters all across the country, taking an unorthodox route to a quite remarkable achievement.
Whether thinking about that unlikely path to nationwide distribution or the unlikely story of DeMerit himself, viewers everywhere will surely be inspired to chase a dream of their own by the end of the film.
I highly suggest "Rise and Shine" to everyone, and I encourage you to help spread the word about it, as word-of-mouth marketing and grassroots support have been huge in helping this hopeful project become a reality.
If you'd like to learn more about the film or would like to find a screening near you, check out JayDeMeritStory.com for more information.
A bombshell of an announcement came out of Switzerland this morning: Fox has beat out ESPN and NBC for the US English-language broadcasting rights for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup finals.
The decision comes a day after the three heavy hitters were asked to resubmit bids by FIFA, presumably because they weren't up to snuff.
The outcome means that ESPN's run of World Cup rights will end after the 2014 tournament in Brazil. The Worldwide Leader in Sports was absolutely stellar in South Africa, providing pristine coverage across multiple platforms and the appropriate level of surrounding marketing and studio shows to supplement their coverage. To say it was a home run wouldn't do it justice. It was a home run of Ruthian proportions.
But that will be no more come 2018, when Fox will take over. This victory for Fox comes a little over two years after they also beat out ESPN for Champions League rights. That deal was in large part due to ESPN's desire not to overpay for a property that had less than ideal broadcast slots (weekday afternoons, primarily), and thus was understandable from a business perspective. But ESPN clearly sees the World Cup as an extraordinarily valuable property, pouring in a great deal of investment to deliver a fantastic final product. So what happened? Did they try to get it on the cheap and it backfired? This statement from ESPN seems to indicate that that wasn't the case, but that the ultimate asking price was a little too rich for their tastes.
How can that be? After all, ESPN has a ton of money at its disposal and has been using it in recent years to launch some pretty big projects. I highly doubt they did all that without the foresight to keep some money set aside for a proper World Cup bid, so the answer would seem to be that Fox turned in a stratospheric bid that essentially over-paid by a significant amount for the rights. ESPN, while committed to getting the best properties, is still a business, and so they might not have been able to justify an exorbitant expense above the anticipated market rate despite the high-profile nature of the event.
But where does that leave us? Is this good or bad?
ESPN's coverage in the past has been spectacular. Fox's? Eh...not so much. There has been a noticeable drop-off in broadcast quality of Champions League matches, and there remains a sizable gulf in the quality of USMNT and MLS broadcasts between the two channels. Fox's online media player is also suspect in comparison to ESPN3.com, which is provided free of charge (something Fox cannot say). There's also the simple matter of exposure; ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC are three of the biggest channels around. What will Fox's answer to that trifecta be? Fox, FX, and Fox Soccer? Once again, that's a step down, particularly with the latter.
And that brings me to the next point: is Fox using this as a manner in which to increase the number of subscribers to Fox Soccer, a channel that many viewers in the US currently do not have? Were they overbidding in hopes that added subscriptions (plus the advertising income) would offset the costs? From a non-business perspective, I have always enjoyed the accessibility of the World Cup, which helps bring in more and more casual viewers. Throwing games up on Fox Soccer and expecting folks to buy in has the potential to leave more than a few people in the dark.
In the end, Fox has seven years to seriously step its game up with regards to soccer broadcasting. The World Cup is an event that deserves the best and appropriate investment (which I hope Fox can make; it does no good if they overpay for the rights but don't have the follow-up cash to actually put on a good show from top to bottom).
Ultimately, this whole situation sort of reminds me of the 2022 World Cup bidding process, with Qatar surprising the US to nip the final prize. To be honest, I'm actually more surprised with this. But in either case, I think serious doubts (justifiably) remain as to whether or not these hosts can actually pull off such an enormous role.
Does this mean anything for US Soccer? Specifically, will this loss lead ESPN to back off of its recently augmented attention to soccer as whole? It's hard to say. The higher-ups at ESPN like the game (contrary to popular belief), but in the end, they'll look to do what helps their bottom line. The English Premier League will likely be something they seek to invest in, as will the European Championship. They'll also likely continue to have a sizable footy presence on ESPN3.com, with coverage of leagues and competitions across the globe.
But what about MLS? Could MLS be the one that draws the short straw in all of this, getting relegated to the backseat (or worse?) once more after a recent boost in the quality of coverage? Once again, a lot will come down to a business decision, and MLS might be viewed as a relatively low cost property with good potential for growth. Thus, ESPN has an incentive to push that coverage if they feel it will help the bottom line down the road. But will that be a strong enough incentive without the World Cup in tow? Obviously, we don't know what conversations are going on in Bristol, but I don't that's an unreasonable fear to have.
This has the potential to be a momentous step back if ESPN scales back its own efforts to promote the domestic game and the sport as a whole. But that's an "if"- we wouldn't see the impact of that until after 2014, most likely, at which point MLS (and ESPN, for that matter) may be in a very different position that helps (or hurts) its cause. It also depends on whether ESPN is able to retain rights to the European Championship (and perhaps get other marquee tournaments like Copa America, the Confederations Cup, or the UEFA Champions League), giving them a major property to build around during a cycle's worth of footy coverage. That could help maintain ESPN's interest in building soccer interest wherever it can, as tournaments like the European Championship can provide a similar (albeit, admittedly, smaller) ratings boon for a month during the summer.
But, again, that's up in the air at this point.
I hate to be so wishy washy, but it's the truth: no matter how much we try to look into the crystal ball, there are so many variables in play and unforeseen changes in the environment. It's really hard to say what will happen, in the end.
But the bottom line is that this has injected a sense of uncertainty that has been absent for a little while. After securing deals with ESPN and NBC for the next couple of years, MLS now seems to be in a much less comfortable spot, with both of those deals expiring in 2014 (which, clearly, will be an even bigger moment now that ESPN's soccer pipeline has changed in a fairly substantial way). Who knows where MLS (and ESPN) will be then? We'll just have to wait and see how it plays out, as the league looks to continue to grow and command more attention from mainstream sports outlets. But uncertainty is never particularly settling, and so it's no surprise that there's some overt hand-wringing over this outcome within the media and the American soccer fan base.
I've enjoyed ESPN's coverage and have never been too enamored with Fox's efforts, but I'll reserve my ultimate judgement for tournament time. But with two very suspect hosts (Russia and Qatar) and some justifiable doubts about the broadcaster (not to mention some about Telemundo, who won the Spanish-language rights over Univision), 2018 and 2022 could very well end up being regression for World Cup coverage.
In a post yesterday in which I mentioned that the USMNT will play France in a November friendly, as well as Guatemala in 2014 World Cup qualifying next year, I also speculated on who the Yanks might play in the second November match day. It turns out, it didn't take long for my questions to be answered.
US Soccer announced today that the USMNT will take on Slovenia in Ljubljana on November 15th in a rematch of the 2010 World Cup group stage classic. The match, which will be the final one of 2011 for the USMNT, will air on ESPN2, ESPN3.com, and Galavision, with the kickoff time still to be determined.
Slovenia just wrapped up an unsuccessful Euro qualifying campaign, finishing two points behind second place Estonia in Group C. They finished on a high note, though, with a win over Serbia that allowed Estonia to move on to the playoff round. They'll provide another solid test for the Yanks, a second-tier opponent that provides a nice balance with the friendly against first-tier France.
This match, for obvious reasons, will evoke a lot of reminiscing from myself and others, so prepare to be deluged with images of Michael Bradley, Landon Donovan, and Koman Coulibaly's glazed stare in the weeks leading up to the match. To jump right into it, here is a great look back at that match and all of its stomach-turning moments:
And, for the heck of it, here's a blast from the past from the USSD vault: my reaction to the USA-Slovenia draw (a.k.a. the Koman Couli-folly), entitled "The 5 Stages of USA Grief", posted just an hour or so after the conclusion of the match. Ah, memories...
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Back to this November, though. For all you kit nerds out there, there's this little tidbit: the USMNT-Slovenia friendly may be the last match in which Slovenia wears their green and white kits, with a switch to a white, red, and blue look coming in 2012.
Why did Slovenia- a country whose flag is white, red, and blue- wear green and white in the first place? And why are they switching? You can find those answers in this post from earlier in the year, in which I address those questions and several other international kit oddities.
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There will be the usual preview when this match gets closer, but for now, just enjoy reliving that memorable June day where the paths of these two teams last crossed.
It's been quiet around here for the last couple days, but for good reason. Instead of typing about soccer, I was out playing, heading up the east coast for a weekend tournament that kept me away from USSD. Naturally, there was news to discuss as soon as I left, so let's catch up with some of the big USMNT-related items from the weekend:
USMNT v. France, Paris; November 11th
Jurgen Klinsmann and company will face their stiffest test yet during the next international break, as they head to Stade de France for a meeting with Les Bleus. The match was officially announced on Friday after speculation that the friendly would happen so long as France managed to win their Euro qualification group and avoid the November playoff round. A draw over Bosnia and Herzegovina did the trick, and now we've got that rumored match.
A loss or draw against France would mean that the Yanks would finish a calendar year with a losing record for the first time since 1997. [Note: I had previously been saying 1995, but upon further review- with a point in the right direction from the Sporting News' Brian Straus, it seems that I erred amidst all the data, miscounting what was actually a losing record in 1997.] Take that as you'd like; remember, 11 of the Yanks' 17* results this year will come from friendlies, not competitive matches. I just think it's an interesting statistic to note.
(*This assumes a second friendly will be added in November)
The match is set to be broadcast on ESPN2, ESPN3.com, Univision, and Univision.com, with a 3 PM ET kickoff.
Yanks Get Guatemala
As expected, Guatemala has had no trouble in rising to the top of its CONCACAF second round World Cup qualifying group. Thanks to their 3-1 win last week and a 1-1 draw between Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Saturday, los Chapines have clinched first place in the group and a spot in the third round with two matches remaining (both against Grenada, for those curious).
As a result, the USMNT will now have a third round group that includes Jamaica and Guatemala, plus either Haiti or Antigua and Barbuda (more on that below). This means that the Yanks will have to make another trip down to Guatemala City, as well, the last of which gave us this memorable (and ugly) match:
I still cringe every time I see Eddie Lewis get rocked by that flying elbow, and I still get worked up when I see Carlos Ruiz catch Tim Howard with a kick to the head. That was one hell of a game from an emotional perspective, with a roller coaster ride featuring a foolish Steve Cherundolo red, the Lewis incident, Carlos Bocanegra's goal, some big stops from Howard, and plenty of chipiness. If that's any indication, we're in store for another heated match come 2012.
The final team in Group A of the third round of CONCACAF qualification will come down to Haiti or Antigua and Barbuda, as mentioned above, with Curacao and the mighty US Virgin Islands already eliminated. Antigua hold a two point lead (Haiti dropped points at home to Curacao in a surprising result last week) heading into the final pair of matches, which pit the top two sides against one another. I've said multiple times that Antigua are capable of knocking off Haiti, and the help from Curacao makes that an even more real possibility. We'll see if Haiti are able to regroup or if Antigua can secure a couple of historic results to advance even deeper into World Cup qualifying.
Third round matches will begin next June and wrap up in October, with the top two sides advancing to the final round of CONCACAF qualifying.
France Booked; Who's Next?
There are two FIFA match days in November. Right now, the USMNT only has one friendly scheduled. Conventional wisdom would suggest that they will soon announce a second match (which will be played in Europe, per various reports).
That begs the question: who's it going to be?
8 UEFA sides will be unvaialable because of Euro 2012 qualifying playoffs. Per FIFA.com, the only already-qualified teams who do have an opening for a November 15th friendly are Russia, Greece, and Denmark, while third place finishers like Romania, Scotland, and Norway also seem to be available (I say "seem" because FIFA can sometimes miss a thing or two in updating schedules, and I'm not on top of the individual UEFA sides to know if something is missing).
There's also the possibility of playing an African side on neutral turf, with teams like Nigeria Cote d'Ivoire, and Ghana seemingly available. (Sorry, but Bob Bradley's Egypt is not one of the teams free; they'll be in Doha, Qatar on the 14th to take on Brazil.)
Ultimately, I think we'll see two Euro sides, and if I had to guess, I'd say Russia, who originally scheduled a friendly with Poland on the 15th only to have it fall through after they asked for the match to be moved to the 11th. Sound kind of like a team who may have been trying to accommodate another opponent? I guess we'll soon find out.
Whether it ends up being Russia, Greece, Denmark, or someone else, it seems that the USMNT will have two more good tests in November as they try to put all the pieces together under Jurgen Klinsmann.
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After a busy week or so, things have finally calmed down some, so be sure to come by this week for plenty of new material.
Better late than never, here are some haphazardly thrown together thoughts on the USMNT's 1-0 loss to Ecuador Tuesday night.
There's no two ways around it: the Yanks have scored just twice in 450 minutes of play under Jurgen Klinsmann. For all the talk of free-flowing, attacking soccer, there just hasn't been much to show for it to this point.
Is it the formation? Is there too little structure in the Klinsmann "do what comes natural" strategy? Or is this simply reflective of the fact that Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey, two pillars of the US attack for years, have yet to take the field together since the Gold Cup final? I'm inclined to say the latter is the most important thing, but I do wonder if and how Klinsmann's staff will tactically adjust going forward. The Yanks fell into long stretches of stagnancy in the attacking half, with few dangerous runs and, consequently, few scoring opportunities produced.
Fatigue may have played a factor, as Jozy Altidore got the start just a couple of days after an industrious and effective outing in Miami. Selections could have also played a part, particularly in the central midfield, where the Yanks lacked the kind of offensive thrust or vision they got out of Jose Torres.
Ultimately, I think the jury is still out on Klinsmann attack, despite it's low returns to date, as we have yet to see Donovan and Dempsey take the field together. If and when Donovan returns, I expect to see him as the right mid, adding width and a vertical threat that Daniel Williams didn't quite bring to the table (and, in turn, freeing up Williams to challenge for a central role). A front four of Brek Shea, Dempsey, Altidore, and Donovan would a potent one, with support from the outside backs and (ideally) a steady center mid pairing that isn't afraid to get involved in the attack.
That center mid pairing is crucial, though: who does that include right now? Maurice Edu didn't have the greatest performance against Ecuador, playing too slow on the ball at times and getting caught in possession, while Kyle Beckerman- while not poor- did not quite distinguish himself either, a relevant distinction given the competition he faces at his position. Klinsmann is high on Beckerman, but ultimately he needs to find the proper mix of defensive bite and offensive support.
Will that come with a healthy Jose Torres paired with Michael Bradley? Or will it come with Daniel Williams or possibly even a resurgent Jermaine Jones sliding into the defensive mid role? As has been the case over the last couple of years, there is no shortage of options, but Klinsmann will have to sift through and find the optimal pairing and arrangement. Until then, the Yanks will suffer in possession and in pressing into the final third.
The biggest bright spot of the night came on the defensive side of the ball, as Oguchi Onyewu turned in a Man of the Match type performance (and even brought back the awesomely intimidating "Gooch stare" when an opponent dared to raise an elbow when leaping for a 50/50 ball). Gooch looked like his pre-injury self, breaking up attack after attack with strong tackles, aerial challenges, and savvy positioning. Perhaps most encouraging of all, though, was his eagerness- and effectiveness- in getting forward with the attack and pressing the issue. I jokingly said on Twitter that Gooch was our best playmaker on the night, but there was some truth behind the hyperbole: Onyewu, not known for his on ball skills, did a pretty decent job offensively, even in some spots that we're not accustomed to seeing him.
Ultimately, that is the big feather that Klinsmann can put in his cap going into November and beyond: Oguchi Onyewu is sharp, healthy, and a clear starter at center back, giving the Yanks a steady veteran pairing with Carlos Bocanegra playing alongside him.
On the outside, Timmy Chandler was solid once again and looks like the left back of the foreseeable future, particularly with Eric Lichaj sidelined by a hip injury. Don't look now, but he's quietly held his own against Eden Hazard and Antonio Valencia; that's pretty darn impressive for someone who is just being converted to left back. Steve Cherundolo, despite some struggles, still managed to hold the fort down at right back as well, contributing to a good performance from the starting back four. When healthy, expect this to be the go-to back line for Jurgen Klinsmann.
The substitutes...well, they weren't so sharp. Jonathan Spector was put in at right back, a curious decision in my opinion because of his lack of minutes there in the past 18 months or so (he's been almost exclusively a center mid at the club level), and one that did not work particularly well. While Spector has some ability, he just doesn't seem to cut it as an international level outside back, unsurprising given his lack of reps there. I'd be curious to see if Klinsmann looks at Spector as a center mid instead in the future or if he seeks another outside back option for depth (e.g. Todd Dunivant, Sheanon Williams (Philly bias, but he has been very good this year in MLS), etc.) instead of shoehorning Spector back into an increasingly unfamiliar role.
But Spector was not largely responsible for the lone goal conceded in the match, so he has escaped much criticism. The same can't be said of Tim Ream, whose poor marking allowed the header that beat Tim Howard. There are a couple elements to this that I have thought about. For starters, it doesn't come as a huge surprise, as Ream's form has been middling at best for long stretches of 2011 with both club and country. At this point he just doesn't have the ability or confidence to tangle with international forwards, something he'll have to develop over time. It also raises the question once again, though: why bring Ream, someone who hasn't been playing particularly well for months now, into camp over someone like Omar Gonzalez, who is a top defender in all of MLS? Still a bit of a head-scratcher for me, which hopefully gets sorted out in the November camp.
The final piece, though, is why bring Ream on in that spot? The defense was stout, and replacing a center back at that stage of the match is a difficult situation for the substitute to be thrown into. Okay, Carlos Bocanegra was likely feeling some fatigue at that stage of the match, having played plenty of minutes with the quick turnaround between matches, but surely he could have legged out the final chunk. And if he couldn't, that again goes back to the issue of initial roster selection: was Ream really the best choice as center back depth, when players like Omar Gonzalez, Clarence Goodson, George John, and even Geoff Cameron were left out?
At this point, at least Klinsmann and his staff have something in the way of an answer (I hope) with regards to Ream's readiness for the international stage, which should allow them to move on to other prospects in their search for center back depth.
And ultimately, as drab as it sounds, that's what these matches are about: learning more about the player pool. Looking back on just this short two match break, we saw plenty that will likely influence things going forward, namely Gooch's resurgence, the struggles of Ream and Michael Orozco Fiscal (and, to a lesser extent, Spector at outside back), and the effectiveness of Timmy Chandler and Brek Shea down the left wing. As other players get healthy and new ones come in, we'll see the full squad start to really take shape, even if the results lag behind them.
It's hard not to acknowledge the results, though, which have left the USMNT at 5-3-7 (W-D-L) in 2011, on the brink of the team's first losing year since 1995. Many have reiterated what has been said here time and time again, that friendly results are not important, but rather playing well is. But there seems to be some serious questions as to whether the US is in fact playing well, with the conversation often swinging back to the glaring stat of just two goals in 10 halves of play. Defensively, there's a good deal to be happy about. Offensively, there's still plenty of work to be done.
It'll take tactical adjustments, the return of old faces, and the injection of new ones, but the Yanks must begin to sort out the offensive side of the ball soon. With European friendlies to be scheduled for November, one has to wonder what a couple of non-threatening losses to top European sides would to instill confidence in a system already struggling to turn its wheels. Might that lead to the USSF scheduling second tier teams to get closer games? I kind of doubt it, especially if someone like France or Germany is looking for a game. But it's hard not to consider the players' perspective in all of this and wonder what goes on behind close doors and between their ears as the Klinsmann era has hit the ground stumbling, for lack of a better phrase.
I don't mean to imply anything with that last sentence, good or bad, but rather just that I wonder how the players are feeling and how that might change for better or worse with the friendlies to come.
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I had the better part of two days to digest Tuesday's performance, and while uninspiring at the offensive end, it's hard to be entirely critical just yet given the fact that we have yet to see all of the best players take the field at once under Klinsmann. As we've seen in years past, just having Landon Donovan in the squad can provide a huge boost, so we'll have to wait and see what that and other lineup adjustments are able to produce.
Do I still have questions about tactics or roster selection? Absolutely. But those can be answered in a significant way when the November rosters are announced, and those friendlies are played. Until then, we just have another tough pill to swallow as the Yanks look very much like a side going through a significant remodeling process.
I plan on taking a big picture look at what we've learned thus far under Klinsmann in the coming days, but as far as Tuesday night goes, it was just more of the same: a learning experience, and another lump for the Yanks to take on the road to World Cup qualifying next June.
The group stage of Euro 2012 qualification came to an end today. All told, 12 of the 16 spots for next summer's tournament are now filled, while eight other teams have secured a spot in the playoff round to be played in November.
Here are the 12 teams that have qualified:
Poland, co-host (2nd appearance)
Ukraine, co-host (1st)
Germany (11th)
Russia (10th)
Italy (8th)
France (8th)
Netherlands (9th)
Greece (4th)
England (8th)
Denmark (8th)
Spain (9th)
Sweden (5th)
Sweden qualified as the best second place finisher, while the other teams (apart from co-hosts Ukraine and Poland) qualified as group winners. France secured an automatic berth thanks to a late draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina today, while Denmark nabbed the top spot in their group by defeating previous leaders Portugal.
The results of the final day saw the following eight teams qualify for the playoff round:
Portugal
Croatia
Ireland
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Czech Republic
Turkey
Montenegro
Estonia
The draw, to be held on Thursday in Poland, will be seeded, with the eight teams split up into two pots of four based on UEFA coefficients. It will put teams from Pot 1 against teams from Pot 2 in a two-legged aggregate series to be played during the November international break.
The only teams in the playoff round that have never reached the Euro finals before are Estonia (who are in the midst of a remarkable turnaround, having bottomed out at a FIFA ranking of 137 in 2008), Bosnia and Herzegovina (who were a solid, dangerous team throughout 2010 World Cup qualification, and continued that form through this campaign), and Montenegro (who continue to punch above their weight in their first Euro qualification process).
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Stay tuned for an update after the draw is held on Thursday.
The Yanks wrap up their October international break tomorrow with the first ever USMNT match held at Red Bull Arena. They'll take on Ecuador, who are coming off a 2-0 home win over Venezuela last Friday in their first World Cup qualifier (not to mention a 3,000 mile flight from Quito to New York over the weekend). The CONMEBOL side will present the US with a good test, with solid players at both ends of the field.
Here are four things I'll be watching for when the two sides square off in Harrison, New Jersey:
1. Antonio Valencia: Some have wondered if Timmy Chandler might get the nod at right mid, with Jonathan Spector playing at left back. But with Manchester United's Antonio Valencia likely lining up on the right wing, I expect Klinsmann to go defense first and give Chandler another run out at left back.
The match-up will be another challenge for Chandler, who held his own against Eden Hazard during the Belgium friendly and continues to learn the ropes at an unfamiliar position. Valencia has pace and skill and is a focal point of the Ecuador attack, having created both of his team's goals against Venezuela last Friday:
Chandler will have to be wary of Valencia when wandering forward from his left back spot, as he was guilty of not tracking back quickly enough at times v. Honduras. If he's able to prevent or limit Valencia's service from the wing, it will remove a dangerous aspect of Ecuador's attack and make things that much simpler for the rest of the defense.
The group stage of Euro 2012 qualification will wrap up tomorrow. 5 teams will earn a spot in the 16 field, while 8 others will book a spot in the playoff round to be played in November.
Here's a rundown of the biggest games to watch for tomorrow, with some background and viewing information:
Group A
Belgium at Germany- 1 PM ET, ESPN2 and ESPN3.com: Belgium (15 points) can clinch a spot in the playoff round with a win tomorrow, but it's a tall task to do so on the road against Germany, who have a perfect 9-0-0 record in qualification. At their heels in the table are Turkey (14 points), who will be favorites to come away with a win in their final home match against Azerbaijan (despite a surprising 1-0 loss to Azerbaijan earlier in qualification).
Group B
Aremnia at Ireland- 1:45 PM ET, ESPN3.com: Russia will clinch the top spot in Group B barring the biggest upset in UEFA history, so the match between Armenia (17 points) and Ireland (18 points) in Dublin will determine who finishes in second. One-time USMNT prospect Yura Movsisyan will try to help his team on to the road win and put Armenia one step closer to their first ever Euro berth, while Ireland will look to secure at least a draw.
Group C
Serbia at Slovenia- 2:45 PM ET, foxsoccer.tv: Estonia (16 points) will be keeping an eye on this one, as they've already finished group play and currently sit just a point ahead of Serbia for second place. Serbia (15 points) will need a win at Slovenia in their final match to jump ahead of Estonia, who own the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Group D
Bosnia and Herzegovina at France- 3 PM ET, ESPN3.com: These teams have already assured themselves of the top two spots in Group D, but either can finish out on top. France (20 points) will need just a draw, while Bosnia (19 points) will have nothing to lose in pushing for a win at Stade de France, which should make for an entertaining game.
Group F
Greece at Georgia- 1 PM ET, ESPN3.com: After a huge win against Croatia on Friday, Greece can clinch a spot in Euro 2012 with a draw at Georgia tomorrow. A loss would the leave the door open for Croatia to nab the automatic berth with a win at home v. Latvia.
Group H
Portugal at Denmark- 2 PM ET, ESPN3.com: Portugal can take the top spot in the group with a win or a draw, while Denmark will do so only with a win at home. There's also a pretty good chance that the second place team in this group will still earn an automatic berth as the best second place team in qualification, though for the sake of brevity I won't go into all the scenarios.
Group I
Scotland at Spain- 2:45 PM ET, ESPN3.com: The only thing standing between Scotland and a spot in the playoff round is an away match at defending Euro and World Cup champs Spain. Piece of cake, right? A win would clinch second place for the Scots, while a draw would only be enough if Lithuania defeat third place Czech Republic (trailing Scotland by 1 point) at home. Scotland could also squeak through despite a loss if Lithuania are able to beat the Czechs, something they already did on the road earlier in qualification by the score of 1-0.
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Once all the games are played tomorrow, we'll know 12 of the 16 teams that will play in Euro 2012, as well as the 8 teams who will take part in the four two-legged playoffs next month.
The draw for the playoff round will then be held on Thursday in Poland, with the teams being seeded according to their UEFA coefficients.
The draw will be held on October 29th to determine the four groups, two of which will be played exclusively in Gabon, while the other two will be played entirely in Equatorial Guinea.
Missing out on the tournament are some of the big boys of African football, namely Egypt, Cameroon, Algeria, South Africa, and Nigeria. Just two of the last 12 tournament champions will be participating (Tunisia and Cote d'Ivoire), with just five of the sixteen teams having won an African title in the past (Morocco, Ghana, and Sudan being the others).
Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire will be the favorites, but there's a lot of variability behind that, with several teams capable of punching above their weight. It should make for another exciting Africa Cup of Nations, which USSD will cover in more depth as the January 21st opener gets closer.
It wasn't always pretty, but Jurgen Klinsmann finally got his first win of his tenure, as the USMNT beat Honduras 1-0 last night in rainy Miami. Here are the highlights:
The match was a step forward from the last international break, with significant improvement in several areas. With that being said, though, there is still plenty of room for improvement, as the Yanks struggled at times to control the match and, later on, kill it off.
Defensively, there were far too many turnovers out of the back and some missed marking assignments that nearly cost the US dearly. Carlos Bocanegra and Steve Cherundolo, among others, were not at their sharpest, but Tim Howard was stellar in goal, producing several quality stops in both halves.
Offensively, it's a new coach, but the same old story: poor finishing. The Yanks created opportunities in the final third, but just couldn't put them away, a lack of execution that could have robbed Klinsmann of his first win had Honduras finished better themselves.
Before we delve into those negatives, though, we'll focus on the positives. And the biggest bright spot of the night was none other than Clint Dempsey, who showed his class and confidence time and time again as the engine of the attack. Beyond just the goal (which was a skillful, composed display), Dempsey was spectacular, reading the game well with his passing, off-ball movement, and connections with teammates. He was denied a brace by a suspect call, but it didn't take much away from what was still a Man of the Match performance.
In a free role behind Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey thrived, and I'd like to see him utilized there again. Ultimately, it's hard to argue against this being his team in the offensive end. He is the top player and should be a focal point of the attack. And I think Klinsmann recognizes that and will continue to seek to get him close to goal with more offensive liberties.
The other star of the night was Tim Howard, who bailed out his defense on a couple of occasions. Sometimes it's easy to take him for granted, but a match like last night reminded us all just how nice it is to have a world class keeper between the posts as the last line of defense.
Elsewhere, Jozy Altidore surely placated some fans by carrying his club level form to the international level. While he didn't score a goal, Jozy turned in a strong performance up top, making smart, probing runs off the ball that opened up the attack. He also held up the ball well when needed and made several good passes, most notably the lovely ball across the box that Brek Shea scuffed in front of goal. After some lackluster outings (with minimal service), Jozy was confident, involved, and effective, a very encouraging sign going forward.
While the aforementioned Shea did bungle a sitter that should have put the game away, it was just one blemish in an otherwise solid outing. He and Timmy Chandler combined well down the left side, with Shea providing dangerous service from the wings, including the pass that eventually found Clint Dempsey on the lone goal of the match. Shea has taken his opportunity with the USMNT and run with it, impressing during his time on and staking a serious claim to a regular starting role going forward.
Timmy Chandler, meanwhile, looked much more comfortable getting forward from his left back spot this time around after sitting back a decent bit against Belgium. Perhaps it was because Honduras' attackers weren't quite as threatening, or perhaps he just had a better understanding of his new position; either way, he added an extra dimension to the attack, using both his left and right foot to link up with Shea and provide service.
On the other wing, Daniel Williams' debut was solid, though not particularly remarkable. He showed flashes of his ability and looks like a worthwhile project who could have a bright future with the squad going forward.
A project that isn't quite so worthwhile, though, is the Michael Orozco Fiscal experiment, which added another dud to the sample space last night. Orozco Fiscal struggled in marking (most obviously when he was beaten by Carlo Costly's god awful fake-back heel move that he has done every single time I have watched him) and wasn't particularly effective distributing the ball either, which was supposed to be the skill that he brought to the table. Instead, he simply looked a significant step below the necessary game speed, getting caught in bad spots and turning the ball over.
In the end, Orozco Fiscal just isn't an international quality center back. And if Klinsmann and his staff cannot see that yet, I am at a loss. His distribution is middling at best, and his defensive play is inadequate; at some point, the realization must be made that shoehorning a style into this player pool is sacrificing a significant defensive improvement for no real gain in attacking ability.
Orozco Fiscal came off at half, which I initially believed to be because of his poor performance, but Klinsmann said post-game that the substitution was related to Orozco Fiscal taking a knock in the first half, a statement I couldn't help but dissect in search for its meaning. Was Klinsmann simply trying to protect a player who was in over his head by attributing his substitution to something like an injury? Or does he really believe that injury may have hampered Orozco Fiscal's performance, and that he is still a worthwhile project? I sincerely hope it's not the latter, as there are several superior alternatives that should not be benched or ignored in favor of someone who has not done enough to merit another call-in in the near future.
One of those superior alternatives is Oguchi Onyewu, whose good form with Sporting earned him 45 minutes last night. Yes, Onyewu missed a wide open net with a volley, but really, that's not what he's here for (as frustrating as it may have been). In the end, he was solid defensively, dominating in the air and making a couple of good tackles. Gooch might not be the ideal possession center back, but if healthy and on form, he a worthy national team starter, something Klinsmann may need to concede in adopting more of a hybrid approach to his attacking strategy. It's notable, as well, that Carlos Bocanegra seemed to be more effective in the second half with a more experienced and familiar center back partner, creating a more capable defense on the whole.
In the center of the midfield, it was more or less a mixed bag. Maurice Edu was serviceable, as was Michael Bradley in his time on, making a couple of good defensive reads to break up Honduran attacks. Edu also gave us a moment of unintentional comedy on Dempsey's goal, raising his arms in frustration when Deuce had the ball at his feet and failed to lay it off, only to keep them up in celebration when Dempsey buried his half-chance. Check it out in the highlights above, with Dempsey and Edu laughing about it afterwards.
Kyle Beckerman, meanwhile, was not at his sharpest. A lot was being asked of him as the lone defensive mid, but even with that in mind it was far from Beckerman's best performance. Now, contrary to what some believe, Beckerman has been decent with the Yanks under Klinsmann, but he didn't do his case much good last night after getting the start ahead of Michael Bradley.
Some have suggested that a lack of familiarity with those around him could have played a factor, along with the weather. But my issues with Beckerman's game weren't so much his offensive play, but rather his 1 v. 1 defense and positioning. Too often, he was turned by an attacker or forced to foul, something which afforded Honduras space and set piece opportunities in the attacking half. I wouldn't be surprised to see Michael Bradley assume Beckerman's role against Ecuador, as he's played primarily as a deep-sitting center mid with Chievo over the past couple of weeks (effectively, I might add), with Edu and Williams also capable of sliding back.
As far as the other substitutes go, Juan Agudelo was lively once again and did well to help create the opportunity that led to Clint Dempsey's disallowed goal. He would be deserving of a start, particularly if Klinsmann is looking to give Altidore or Dempsey a break, but for now it seems that he will fill the super-sub role, and he's done it pretty well thus far.
Jonathan Spector, meanwhile, wasn't too busy defensively, but reminded us that he can serve in a quality ball with the cross that found Dempsey's head on the goal that was taken back. DaMarcus Beasley added some pace and veteran guile on the wing, as well, with some satisfactory defensive hustle and attacking aggression.
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Overall, there were some bright spots, and the match was a step forward. But Honduras was able to get a few too many scoring opportunities for any US fan's liking, while the Yanks failed to kill off the game, two things that will need to improve in the coming friendlies.
But the monkey is off the group's back, as they finally found a win after several months of drought, which certainly doesn't hurt.
Looking forward to the Ecuador match, I expect a Onyewu-Bocanegra partnership from the start, which should help tighten things up at the back. I also wonder if Klinsmann will shuffle things in the midfield and how that might impact both sides of the ball. Offensively, I think the Dempsey-Altidore pairing will deservedly get another run, as the Yanks look to just put the finishing touches on the quality scoring opportunities that they have been able to create, with an even greater emphasis on flank play.
Ecuador is coming off a 2-0 win over Venezuela last Friday in their first World Cup qualifier, making the 3,000 mile trip from Quito to New York over the weekend. They'll provide another solid test in the first USMNT match played at Red Bull Arena, the preview for which will be posted tomorrow.
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Enjoy the win, folks, as ugly as it may have been; it's the first we've experienced since June 22nd v. Panama in the Gold Cup semifinals.
The USMNT will take on Honduras tonight at 6 PM ET in Miami. The Yanks enter the match on a four match winless skid, with zero wins, two losses, and a draw coming during Jurgen Klinsmann's brief tenure. Since Klinsmann's debut against Mexico, the US has managed to score just one goal in 270 minutes, playing a lot of lackluster, disjointed soccer along the way.
Will they be able to right the ship in the next week? Matches on home soil against Honduras and Ecuador would seem to be a good opportunity to do so, but we probably would have said the same about the Costa Rica friendly as well. While, as always, results aren't crucial in friendlies, it has come to the point that a failure to win a game would start to raise some serious questions about the merits of Klinsmann's methods and strategy to this point. There's also a bit of history that the Yanks will want to avoid:
The USMNT has not finished a calendar year with more losses than wins since 1995 (5-3-6, W-D-L). This year, the Yanks have a record of 4-3-6, with likely four more matches remaining in 2011 (Honduras and Ecuador this week, and probably two UEFA teams in November). If they'd like to avoid making some unfortunate history, the US will need to take home the first wins of the Klinsmann era soon.
With that in mind, here's what I'll be watching for tonight:
1. Formation/Tactics Changes?
I've already expressed a little frustration that Klinsmann has not fully utilized his opportunities to experiment with personnel. Along the same lines, these friendlies present an opportunity to tinker with the formation and tactics as well, which the USMNT coaching staff should not overlook.
Against Belgium, the Yanks were deployed in what essentially amounted to a 4-1-4-1 (regardless of what it was announced as), which left far too much of a burden on the defensive midfielder going both ways. Maurice Edu had too much ground to cover while breaking up attacks and was the sole link between the back line and the more advanced mids, a combination that often led to space for Belgian attackers and slow, disjointed attacks for the Yanks. Once a second defensive mid was put in, however, things settled down, as the Yanks were able to both defend and possess more comfortably.
With that in mind, I would like to see Klinsmann try out a 4-2-3-1 this evening, with Michael Bradley (newly accustomed to a deeper role thanks to his minutes with Chievo Verona) sitting alongside Maurice Edu or Kyle Beckerman behind a trio of more advanced midfielders.
Formation is not the only area to experiment, either; there's also the matter of tactics. In the last couple of games, the Yanks have tried- with minimal success- to possess the ball and play the kind of free-flowing attacking soccer that Klinsmann sought to implement. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the reality, as attack after attack have fizzled in the final third, not to mention the significant amount of time that Yanks have spent on their heels defending after turning over the ball. Why is this happening?
One explanation would be that the slower build-up is allowing opposing defenses to organize behind the ball, specifically in marking up Jozy Altidore up top. So perhaps the proper prescription would be to focus more on a high-tempo attack that emphasizes finding the wings early and allowing them to attack with pace so as to keep the back line unsettled, creating space for the striker and trailing midfielders. Without Jose Torres in the middle, this would seem to be fitting as well, as he was the most adept at the slower possession game that was utilized in the last couple of friendlies.
2. The Wings
I'm curious to see how the starting XI shakes out now that Landon Donovan is unavailable. Will Clint Dempsey slide central into the attacking center mid role, or will Klinsmann simply push Michael Bradley forward and put Maurice Edu and Kyle Beckerman behind him? Or will he instead really look to push the tempo on the wings and put DaMarcus Beasley and Brek Shea on the outside? Neither is a natural righty, but they both add pace and are capable of getting behind the defense or cutting centrally. There's also the possibility of putting Juan Agudelo on the right wing to get him and Jozy Altidore on the field at the same time. It would sacrifice something defensively, but it would free up substitute minutes for guys like Teal Bunbury and Edson Buddle. I don't think it's particularly likely, but it's a thought.
What I'd be very eager to see, though, is Timmy Chandler pressed up as a right mid, adding pace and crossing ability as well as good defensive understanding out wide. This would leave a gap at left back that would need to be filled, though, with the only alternatives being Jonathan Spector, DaMarcus Beasley, or Steve Cherundolo (whose right back spot would then have to be filled by someone else). It's a little too much to ask of this current crop of players, I think, but it's something to consider in the future if Cherundolo and Chandler continue to merit space in the starting XI.
Regardless of who starts out wide, it will be critical that they get involved early and often to keep the Honduran outside backs on their heels, something that has both an offensive and defensive value. It will also be on the center mids and back four to find the outside mids after breaking up an attack. As previously mentioned, good service from the outside will also be crucial to get Jozy Altidore appropriately involved in the match.
3. Jozy and Juan
Will Jozy Altidore be able to career his club level form to the national team? I think a large part of that may depend on the tactics used, as I said earlier, and what kind of service and support Jozy is able to get.
Juan Agudelo, meanwhile, has been a spark off the bench; will he continue to perform well, and might that parlay itself into a start tonight or on Tuesday?
4. Left Back
Timmy Chandler, all things considered, acquitted himself pretty well at left back against Belgium, managing to get the job done defensively against a pretty talented array of attackers. He didn't get forward as much as he normally does, though, which may have been partly because of his defensive responsibilities and partly because he was still trying to find his feet in a new position.
After reminding us all of his attacking prowess with some strong Bundesliga performances in the last week, though, might Klinsmann be inclined to try him out on his natural right side, switching Cherundolo over to the left side. In the end, though, I expect Chandler to stay on the left side next to Carlos Bocanegra, who does a pretty good job of managing young defenders alongside him.
Once again, though, reviving the Beasley at LB experiment and allowing Chandler to play right mid is an extremely intriguing possibility. It wouldn't be without justification, either: with Puebla, Beasley has played at times as a deep outside mid, effectively serving as an outside back in a five man back line. Most will have sour memories of the game at Saprissa a couple of years ago, but I would be curious to see this happen at some point. With that being said, I don't expect to see it utilized.
5. Center Back Pairing
Will Oguchi Onyewu, riding a strong run of form with Sporting Lisbon, slide into the starting XI alongside Carlos Bocanegra? Or will Klinsmann try out Michael Orozco Fiscal once again, or try Tim Ream out? I'd be surprised if it's the latter given it would mean two lefties at center back, so Ream might be more likely as a late sub for Bocanegra if the US manage to get a safe lead.
While Onyewu doesn't play the kind of possession game that Klinsmann might want, he's a better center back than Orozco Fiscal. And if Klinsmann is keen to maximize his on-field ability, he'll play the cards that he's been dealt, which at this point in time means sacrificing a little in the way of passing out of the back in favor of a more veteran pairing with better positioning.
I think a lot of people will be surprised if and when Onyewu sees the field this break. He's finally healthy and has been displaying the old aerial explosiveness that we had grown accustomed to before his knee injury.
6. The Scoreboard
This might seem to fly in the face of what I've said time and time again: that the results in friendlies don't really matter, and that it's instead more important just to see a progression in the squad. But at this point, progression means wins against inferior opponents. If the USMNT fails to come away with a win tonight, expect the grumbling from fans and the pressure on the team to continue to build.
7. Miami Weather
The weather might play a huge factor tonight, as there are apparently torrential downpours making their way through southern Florida at the moment. Hopefully the field holds up and the weather cooperates, though.
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That's it for now. Check in to Twitter tonight, where I'll tweet some in-game thoughts, and be sure to come by tomorrow to check out some post-match thoughts and assessments.
The game will be aired on Fox Soccer and Univision at 6 PM ET. Enjoy the game, folks.
This is the kind of week that USSD lives for: a full slate of international action, with World Cup qualifiers, continental qualifiers, and marquee friendlies across the globe. There's plenty of good stuff on tap this weekend, so let's not waste anytime and just jump right in to one big preview of the upcoming international break.
Euro 2012 Qualifiers
To date, six of the 16 slots for Euro 2012 have been filled, with Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Germany joining co-hosts Ukraine and Poland. By the end of next Tuesday, six more tickets will be punched for UEFA's quadrennial championship, with eight other teams securing a place in the playoff round.
In Group A, Germany will play a big role in determining which team- Belgium or Turkey- finishes second in the group, as both teams will take on Jogi Low and company in the next week. Germany's match at Turkey tomorrow should be particularly entertaining and tense thanks to the ties between the countries and Mesut Ozil's Turkish heritage, which Turkish fans surely will not ignore.
Group B is setting up for a tight finish, with the top four teams separated by just three points. Russia (17 points) looks like a safe bet to go through at the top of the table, but they'll likely have to take at least a point at Slovakia (14 points) to control their own destiny headed into the final match day. Ireland (15 points) and Armenia (14 points), meanwhile, could be in store for a dramatic final match in Dublin if the two are able to get by foot-of-the-table Andorra and Macedonia, respectively. In the event Russia is unable to take a point from their road match at Slovakia, there's also a chance that Ireland could be playing for the top spot in the table. If Slovakia is able to beat Russia, they too will have a shot at the top of the table, likely needing a win at Macedonia and for Ireland and Armenia to drop points at some point in the final match days. Needless to say, Group B is going to have a fantastic finish, with just two of these four teams living on past next week.
It’s no secret that Jurgen Klinsmann would like to tap into the United States’ Latin American influences and bring a more Latin style to the USMNT. He said this upon getting the head coaching job, and he’s reiterated it in subsequent interviews. We’ve also seen this fairly clearly early on in his tenure, with players like Edgar Castillo, Michael Orozco Fiscal, and Jose Torres earning substantial minutes over the course of the first three matches of Klinsi’s reign.
But the idea of implementing a Latino style and Latino influences is a vague one, try as we might to simplify it, that, in my opinion, needs to be examined further. This concept is not without substantial ramifications (it’s basically dictating the USMNT’s identity and approach right now), and so I’d like to delve deeper into it. Admittedly, it’s quite a thing to tackle, as it comes back to the whole overarching identity concept that can be so difficult to approach. But I’ll try, and more than anything I’d be interested in simply sparking a discussion in the comments section or on Twitter. Before even getting into the whole soccer side of things, let’s just take a step back and look at this anthropologically: what is “Latino”? The label of “Latin American” applies to the Spanish and Portuguese parts of the Western Hemisphere, from the Dominican Republic to Mexico to Chile. It’s a sweeping title that, while united by linguistic origins, groups together populations and countries that have stark differences. Argentines are distinctly different from Mexicans, just as Brazilians are distinctly different from Peruvians.
This manifests itself on the soccer field, as well. While the idea of a “Latino” style of play is often referenced without much in the way of a second thought, I find it a bit too overarching, lumping together Mexico, Central America, and all of CONMEBOL under one umbrella. But having watched the Gold Cup and Copa America this summer and countless other games in years past, it’s quite obvious that not all Latino countries play “Latino” soccer. Paraguay has been more Bradley-Ball than beautiful game, for instance. But nevertheless, the general idea persists, with “Latino” style being more or less characterized by flair, expression, and attacking play.
Does Mexico play the same as Panama? Hardly. And that’s something I think gets lost in the shuffle of diction. Perhaps “Latino” isn’t the word Jurgen Klinsmann is looking for. Perhaps “Mexican” is more accurate- we saw first-hand the kind of entertaining, attacking soccer that they can play when they took home the Gold Cup title. But is that style confined to Mexico? Again, hardly. And Klinsmann would know this: his German side has played some very free-flowing, attacking-oriented footy in years past. So is the “Latino” style really Latino, or just referring to a small subset of that subset, which in turn isn’t even globally unique?
To an extent, it is representative of Latin America. Cultures influence the styles that we see in national teams. But I still worry about the potential implications of attaching such a label and pursuing such a strategy.
For one, I worry that it lacks focus. As I’ve said, “Latino” is a very broad concept that encompasses a variety of styles, cultures, etc. Might Klinsmann just be chasing a shadow by pursuing something that is still somewhat vague? And how might the pursuit of this idea influence his decisions? Could we see typecasting? Are two similar players substantially different because one has a certain last name, and the other does not, and does that influence roster selection? We know by now that that certainly does not apply to guys like Carlos Bocanegra and Omar Gonzalez, players with Latino heritage that play a distinctly “stereotypically American” (for lack of a better phrase; i.e. less technical, more physical) game. Guys like Clint Dempsey, Brek Shea, and even Landon Donovan, meanwhile, play with flair and aggression in the attacking end. Or could there be biases with regards to the leagues players play in, or in the shaping of what Klinsmann has already referred to as his "core"?
Is it just an issue of word choice? Should Klinsmann instead say a “Texan” or “Californian” or “Southwestern” or “Mexican” style? Should he just leave it at “attacking”?
It’s all well and good to want to implement a certain style, but I would just worry that what is being pursued may be too vague or- perhaps related- unattainable. Consider the player pool and recent selections: Michael Orozco Fiscal gets called in over the seemingly deserving Omar Gonzalez, presumably because he is better in distribution, along with Tim Ream, who has struggled for much of 2011 with club and country. If Orozco Fiscal and Ream are to be the purveyors of this Latino style, might Klinsmann be shoehorning an approach into a player pool that isn’t quite ready for it? Or if Orozco Fiscal continues to be called in despite middling performance, does that speak to a failing on the part of the Latino focus? This is something to consider as World Cup qualifying approaches.
On the one hand, such a plan would take time, with someone like Ream being brought along and developed, and so patience should be preached. But in the end, the pool might seem to indicate that what would ultimately be more realistic to expect is a hybrid approach, with the Reams and Sheas mixed in with the Altidores and Bocanegras. And if anything, that last sentence illustrates a key point: would Klinsmann be more successful pursuing a hybrid approach that incorporates attacking style with strong defensive play as well, mix “Latino” with “stereotypical American” to get the genuine “American” approach? After all, if the national team is truly to reflect the country’s identity, wouldn’t it be an amalgamation of the various cultural influences within (and, as Jermaine Jones, Timmy Chandler, and others illustrate, outside) our borders?
In the end, though, Klinsmann is part-politician, as well, and the promise of more “Latino” futbol surely helped placate some of the masses. But until it manifests itself on the field, there will be questions about the strategy’s merits, if not simply the word choice, for some of the reasons I’ve listed above.
As we move forward, it will be interesting to see how the pool evolves and whether or not the idealized Latino style becomes more or less attainable. The last cycle showed us how sharply things can change as unknowns emerge and other players blossom, so no one really knows just how things might look in 2013 or 2014. It must be said, as well, that a focus on "Latino" could distinctly influence that development as Klinsmann's influence is felt at the U-23, U-20, and U-17 levels, for better or for worse.
As I finish this set of ramblings, though, I find myself unconvinced by even my own assessment. Once again, it just goes to illustrate that the concept of USMNT identity is a layered and complex one. This is really more an open-ended question about what Klinsmann should pursue and how he should do it. Let’s see if it becomes a little bit clearer with the upcoming friendlies against Honduras and Ecuador.
For those who aren't too familiar with it, the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is the oldest ongoing soccer competition in America and falls under the umbrella of the US Soccer Federation. Tonight, the 2011 edition comes to a close, with Seattle looking to win their third straight title as they play host to the Chicago Fire.
Here are some numbers on the tournament to prime you for this evening:
98: This is the 98th edition of the US Open Cup, though tonight will only be the 97th final played. Why? Because in 1940, Baltimore SC and Chicago Sparta did not play a final, instead sharing the title.
1913: The first US Open Cup, known then as the National Challenge Cup, began in 1913 before finishing in the spring of 1914. Yes, that's right: the US Open Cup started before World War I. It's that old.
15: Since MLS' inaugural season in 1996, MLS teams have one 15 US Open Cup titles (including this year). The lone exception? 1999, when the Rochester Raging Rhinos of the A-League topped the Colorado Rapids at Crew Stadium.
2: Only 2 teams have ever won three consecutive US Open Cup titles- Greek American AA, a New York City based club, won the tournament in 1967, 1968, and 1969, while Stix, Baer and Fuller FC of St. Louis won in '33, '34, and '35. Seattle will look to join this exclusive club tonight, having already won the 2009 and 2010 tournaments.
8: Of the 20 MLS teams (18 current, plus the now-defunct Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny), only 8 have won the US Open Cup. They are Sporting KC, the New England Revolution, FC Dallas, the Columbus Crew, DC United, the LA Galaxy, the Chicago Fire, and the Seattle Sounders.
13: Since 1996, 13 of 16 finals have been between two MLS teams. The most recent case when a non-MLS side made it to the last round was in 2008, when the Charleston Battery fell to DC United in the final.
4: The Chicago Fire have the most US Open Cup titles of any MLS club, with 4. 4 is also currently the longest gap the club has ever gone between titles, with previous triumphs separated by just one or two years.
0: The Seattle Sounders have never lost a US Open Cup game as an MLS team, having won the tournament in each of the club's first two seasons and reaching the final in 2011.
31,311: The largest attendance at a US Open Cup final came last year in Seattle. With reports indicating that upwards of 35,000 fans will be on hand tonight, it looks like this bar will be raised once again.
8: Of the 11 US Open Cup matches that the Sounders have played in their brief history, all but three have been decided by just one goal.
2-1: The Sounders have won each of the last two finals by a score of 2-1, at DC in 2009 and at home in 2010 v. Columbus.
5: The most successful clubs in tournament history are Bethlehem Steel and Maccabi Los Angeles, both of whom won the tournament 5 times. A win by the Chicago Fire tonight would equal that mark.
2-1, 0-0: The two finalists have already met twice in the 2011 MLS regular season. Seattle won 2-1 at home in April, while the two sides played to a scoreless draw in Chicago in June.
10: The match kicks off tonight at 10 PM ET on Fox Soccer. See who hoists America's oldest soccer trophy and books a spot in next year's CONCACAF Champions League. Fredy Montero and Dominic Oduro are in fine form for their respective clubs, and the atmosphere should be spectacular once again, so be sure to tune in.
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1-0: For the hell of it, my own prediction. With USMNT great Kasey Keller between the posts, Seattle keeps a clean sheet at home and makes it a three-peat in a front of the home fans.
It was another busy weekend for Yanks abroad. Here's a quick recap of the best performances:
Gooch run continues: Oguchi Onyewu started and played 90 minutes once again for Sporting Lisbon, who picked up a 1-0 win on the road. When Onyewu starts, Sporting are now 6-0-0 in all competitions, allowing just 0.833 goals per game (compared to 1.00 goals per game in the matches he did not start). Let's hope Onyewu can keep that form going with both club and country in the coming weeks.
Buddle bags brace: Edson Buddle, just days after missing out on Jurgen Klinsmann's latest roster, made another good case to get called in next time around. The former Galaxy star scored the first two goals and assisted another in a 5-3 Ingolstadt loss. Check the goals out here and here. Gatt, Molde take one step closer: It's not every day that an American is making serious contributions to a title-contending team in Europe, let alone one who is just 20 years old. So it's kind of noteworthy that Josh Gatt has been a regular starter for Molde FK, who are inching ever closer to their first ever Norwegian Premier League title. They took one big leap towards that on Sunday when they beat second place Tromso by a score of 2-0 on the road, pushing their lead to 10 points over Rosenborg and Tromso (both of whom have a game in hand). Gatt played all 90 once again for MFK.
Howard saves a penalty. Again: Tim Howard has now saved 4 of the last 7 penalties he's faced for Everton, including this stop over the weekend v. Liverpool in the Merseyside derby:
Everton would go on to lose by a score of 2-0 after a very questionable red card reduced them to 10 men.
Dempsey scores, assists in romp: Fulham fans had plenty to cheer about at Craven Cottage over the weekend thanks to a 6-0 thrashing of QPR. Clint Dempsey scored the Cottagers' fifth goal and set up the sixth; check out the highlights here.
Chandler gets forward: Timmy Chandler helped set up two goals in Nuremburg's 3-3 draw with Mainz, showing the kind of offensive prowess that has many USMNT fans excited about the future at right back. Check them out here:
Beasley continues good form in Puebla loss: Last but not least, DaMarcus Beasley continued his fine run of form by scoring a goal in Mexican league action over the weekend against San Luis (and Michael Orozco Fiscal):
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That's it for now. There won't be much club play to discuss for the next week or so, so start getting pumped for the full slate of international play that's on tap. I'll have a mega-preview of all the competitions, as well as a preview of USA-Honduras, in the next couple of days. Be sure to stop by and check it out.
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