I’m left with more questions than answers as the dust settles on the American’s run at the 2014 FIFA World Cup tonight. As a bit of background, as someone who has worked in sports, loves sports, listens to sports on the radio, and seeks out live sporting events of all types on television – I allow myself to turn into a full fledged fan (short for fanatic) for two or three teams, primarily. The USA men’s soccer team, the Chicago Bears, and the Chicago Blackhawks. You can, if you’d like, call me a “Fan Boy” in regards to these teams.
This means I scream at the television during their games, pump my arms when good things happen, and often times set my calendar based on their schedules. I am a Cubs fan as well, but at 162 contests per season, it doesn’t get the same energy from me as the others do. The Chicago Fire get plenty of my energy, and a growing amount of my unbridled fandom. I follow MLS closely, more than most soccer fans I know.
This fandom, combined with my unapologetic fascination with Twitter, means I process things I read from all different directions quickly, while at the same time trying to reserve judgment on most ‘viral’ or trending topics.
I’ve greatly reduced my consumption of pregame shows of all kinds (on purpose, even if I magically find the time) over the last 5-6 years, I didn’t watch the ESPN documentary (or whatever it was) of the USA team over the last month or so, and I think in-game interviews with coaches, managers, and the like are ridiculous. For this reason, I love Greg Popovich’s in-game, on camera efforts.
So on Tuesday night, after watching extra time in the US’s 2-1 loss and training a new young goalkeeper for the first time in a 1-on-1 session, I continue to read the debate about US Soccer’s strengths, weaknesses, and so on. We all seem to know the best way to develop players, the best countries, the worst countries, the best fitness drills, exactly why Messi or Ronaldo is ABSOLUTELY better than the other.
I’m left wondering how these declarations are so definitive.
Major League Soccer sucks. Tiki-taka is dead. MIchael Bradley is awful. Michael Bradley is better than this. Michael Bradley is our best option at that position. James Rodriguez pronounces his name HAHM-ez – and all those clubs missed on him? Alexi Lalas is an idiot. Taylor Twellman says stupid stuff all the time. Jurgen Klinsmann is so smart. Jurgen Klinsmann is an idiot. FIFA is awful. Luis Suarez is a crazy person. Luis Suarez should have been banned for life. Luis Suarez’s suspension is too long. Penalty kicks are awesome. Penalty kicks are cruel.
The ball is round, folks. That’s what we know. Very little beyond that is off limits when debating this great game.
The ESPN bottom line kept reminding us about Messi’s assist tonight. Sure, his effort was spectacular. But the narrative seems more important than the result. I’m getting tired of your approach, Booyah Network.
Here’s what I’m realizing this World Cup finals:
I’m going to apply for an American Outlaws chapter in Dubuque, Iowa.
I will explain this game to anyone who will listen, generally any time, anywhere. If you already know the game, I’ll debate the intricacies of it at length in person (or in the comments), not on Twitter.
We rely more on a country’s past than we do their present when analyzing teams at the World Cup level. Tell me more about what you see today, in this 90 minutes, not how it compares to what we know about them historically. This tournament happens every four years, not every four weeks.
I believe CONCACAF is gobs better than people give it credit for. Plenty will disagree. I stand by it.
I’m gonna grow a Tim Howard beard this fall. I did the long-haired thing as a graduate assistant. This seems like the 30-something thing to do. Michael Mueller will be happy about this. You are a dirty, dirty man, Michael.
You’re allowed to hate the other team’s goalkeeper, but you better love the hell out of yours. #Howard #Navas #Ochoa
Somewhere in my Twitter timeline you’ll find my early admiration for both Kyle Beckerman (pictured) and DeAndre Yedlin. Klinsmann’s agreement is either a testament to my vision of the game or makes me an idiot. LIke I said, the ball is round.
I’ll gladly take part in a United States Soccer Federation open forum on how to take this game to the next level in our country. Development, marketing, player selection, or whatever. I’ll pull up a chair, listen, and contribute. Call me, Sunil. I can be at the Soccer House in Chicago in about three hours.
I can’t wait to be in Costa Rica in a month with the Duhawks.
A week in July with Panch, the Gold Cup, and my awesome wife
Actually, there’s no sex in this entry. I just needed something to get your attention since it has been SO DAMN LONG since I’ve sat down and done this.
Below you WILL read about: Seattle, the United States men’s national team, Portland, Canada, old friends, beer, the Gold Cup, Jimmy Conrad, scarfs, Sunil Gulati, Mexico, and Timbers Army.
Let’s start with The Hex games from June. In the interest of space, you get 10 words on each game. I was glued to my TV 90 minutes at a time, while also enjoying some time away from the computer and with my son.
At Jamaica:
Outplayed the Reggae Boyz. Nearly blew it. Evans the hero.
Vs. Panama:
Best USA has looked under Klinsmann. Jozy. Overcame cards, injuries.
Vs. Honduras:
Nine points. Clean sheet. More Jozy. Top of the table.
And now July. It took a while to pull the trigger on the tickets, but Mrs. Inclusive Beechwood Aging and I took a week to watch the Pacific Northwest Gold Cup games, visit a friend, and explore Portland and Seattle. We did all of this without our little guy. Boy does that significantly change the dynamics of eight hours in a plane and seemingly as many hours in the airports. It also allows us time to concentrate on our relationship.
It worked out that we were able to get to Chicago in time for the July 7 contest between the Fire and Sporting KC at Toyota Park. Our flight to PDX was early Monday, and we got to spend Sunday afternoon with my family. It was hot, it was bobble head day, and it was a Fire loss. It also gave me a quick chance to say hi to Jacob – in the Fire ticket office – who did great work for me at Loras College as a student worker in the Sports Information office. He was very busy and it was great to see him briefly in his professional element, where he’s been successful and spread his wings. It was also my first trip to Toyota Park in a couple years. The stadium is great, and really close to (old) home.
Fast forward to Monday morning.
The early flight out meant gaining two hours and getting essentially a full day in Portland. Pancho (my transplanted Forest Park friend and Portland resident) picked us up, we got to his apartment quickly, dropped bags, and got a bro-hug in. Before you know it, he’s catching up on some work (from home) and we are walking the edge of the Portland State University campus while scrounging for lunch and taking in the fresh air of the Pacific Northwest.
Since there’s never a second chance for a first impression – my Chicagoan/Midwest gut reaction:
Portland is easy to navigate, friendly, “weird” (in an affectionate way), has the feel of a major city without the overcrowding of a major city, clean, and very clearly the tattoo parlors and piercing places do very well. It is a mashup of art, ocean and river access, good food, micro-brewed beers, and friendly people. My wife took special notice of the occasional public ‘loo’ so as to keep the dark alley urinators in check. As I said, affectionately “weird”.
Dinner time rolls around and we’ve got VooDoo Donuts in hand, a feel for the layout of the city, train passes for a couple days, and an urge to buy something NIKE. Pancho reminds us the food options are limitless and the IPA selection is too much to cover in just a couple days. We trek out to Bridgeport Brew Pub, Deschutes, and beyond as we zig-zag the area with our Peruvian tour guide – all of a year into his residency in the Rose City. The highlight was probably the Root Beer Braised Pork Belly at Deschutes. Egg yolk, pretzel bread, and creamy mustard accompany the porky plate. My friends and waistline can vouch for my distance ahead of the bacon boom. This was as wonderful a slice of pig I’ve ever had.
The night closed out with a trip to the 30th Floor of Portland City Grill for another appetizer to fill us up before heading home. It was a great view, and the spicy Asian peanut salad was essentially inhaled by the three of us.
As we made our way back to the apartment, we made one unexpected stop: the lobby of the hotel the U.S. Men’s National Team were staying at ahead of Tuesday’s game with Belize. Jose Torres and another player who I didn’t get a good look at were standing on the sidewalk near the entry as they stepped off the bus. We detoured to the lobby and snapped a few photos of a random Gold Cup sign. I would have offered my starting eleven to Klinsmann had I run into him, no doubt. Alas, we kept moving before the front desk staff realized we were under the influence of the IPA’s and generally up to no good.
Tuesday morning was a calf-busting hike to the top of Multnomah Falls. The sheer size of the quickly rural Portland area is impressive. I enjoyed every minute of the ascent. My wife enjoyed every moment of the descent.
After a shower and a quick bite to eat from a street cart, the afternoon was spent on a boat tour of the Columbia River – taking in the many bridge styles and history of the city.
Based on the upbeat and intoxicated recommendation of Panch the night prior, we hopped on the train to Lardo for dinner. The cider beer was great and the Double Burger and Dirty Fries were as glorious as he said they would be. Just blocks from Jeld-Wen Field, things were just about perfect over the first part of the trip.
The Gold Cup game was the culmination of our time in Portland, with the rental car scheduled to depart for Seattle on Wednesday morning.
We arrived during Costa Rica vs. Cuba and took our time in the merchandise shop. That nearly cost me the United States scarf you see in my Twitter profile pic (below). There was one left as we continued to the Timbers section of the official shop inside the stadium. As we exited the store, it had been snatched up by someone else. Then the closest stand-alone shop on the concourse ran out, and I overheard the staff trying to track down what was left for another customer. All hope was nearly lost as I bought a beer on the way to the section we were sitting in. Head down and kicking proverbial rocks on the way to my seat, out of the corner of my eye, I saw IT. Outside the stadium, a single scarf lie in wait at the tent behind the Timbers Army section. With the help of a friendly ticket-taker, I hustled out, claimed the last one in the building, and had my first souvenir of the trip.
Who knows if years from now anyone outside of The American Outlaws will remember ‘The Extra W Game’. But we were there, and I snapped some solid photos of Wondo’W’lowski scoring goals in the first half. Landycakes netted a PK. I took a sweet video of the national anthem performed by Timbers Army (below). We stood for most of the game with a great view of the field. The USA won easily.
We took our time leaving Jeld-Wen, knowing we were hopping on a train back to the apartment. Mix Diskerud stuck around to sign some autographs. As we exited our section in the corner near the Sunset Porsche luxury boxes, I realized USSF President Sunil Gulati was seated with one other gentleman. I took a brief second to thank him for “everything he does for US Soccer” and asked him “to keep us moving forward”. It was an unexpected handshake and moment, and it was also nice of him to oblige. I shake my head at the organization sometimes, but at the end of the day he has a tough job. We caught our train and slept like babies.
Wednesday we ate a nice breakfast at Pine State Biscuits, shopped a bit at NIKE, and then took the scenic route to Seattle near the coast (and through their construction season). We arrived in time for our early dinner reservations at the Space Needle and enjoyed a solid meal, a nice glass of wine, and what has to be the most unique dining view our country has to offer.
On our way into town, we (read: the Mrs.) changed our Wednesday night accommodations to Eagle’s View Bed & Breakfast in Burien, minutes from the Space Needle and downtown Seattle. How can I explain this place…? When you combine the climate of the Pacific Northwest with the amenities of a bed and breakfast, a great host, an amazing view, and wonderful conversation – places like this have a way of sticking with you. Eagle’s View will stick with us for a long time.
The next day (after a second helping of the blintzes at breakfast) was Pike Place Market…all morning. And we could have stayed longer.
The place is amazing. It is a blend of flower shops, seafood stands, fresh produce, street vendors, restaurants, and specialty shops. We did spend some time at Pike Place Fish Market, Three Girls Bakery, the original Starbucks, and a handful of other places. The photos we took will never do that place justice. It is such a collection of art, culture, colors, and energy.
We spent the afternoon walking around the port, eating lunch, and eventually made our way back over to the Space Needle again. Before long, it was time to take the rental car back, eat dinner, and rendezvous with Panch. Our legs were tired, but we were very much looking forward to soccer game #3 of the trip – Mexico versus Canada at Century Link Field.
There are players on the Mexico national team that I enjoy watching. Unfortunately, this was very much their ‘B team’. The Mrs. (a Mexican-American), myself, and Panch all showed up sporting our El Tri gear. Our section was another mix of those who wanted to sit vs. stand. We stood when appropriate and sat when it made sense for the majority of our section. The first goal Mexico scored (off a corner kick) was both a relief and a chance to cheer sarcastically for the die-hard fans who have watched their team struggle to score goals this calendar year. There was no shortage of The Wave, ani-Chepo sentiment, or live music.
I fully expected an 80%-20% crowd in favor of our southern neighbors at Century Link Field – balancing the vicinity to Canada with the fact this wasn’t a hockey game. What we got was 97%-3%. The 97% got the three points they were hoping for in a 2-0 win.
Another few rounds of post-game drinks at a nearby watering hole and then we called it a night. We headed to the hotel and decided on a time for our host to get us to Sea-Tac in time for our flight out on Friday morning.
Two final soccer thoughts on the Pacific Northwest:
1. Jeld-Wen, Timbers Army, and the city of Portland are THE prototype on how to proudly support a club in the United States. Free Beer Movement will also gladly return there based on the beer selection. Following the MLS All-Star game in Kansas City, where Jimmy Conrad is known as the King of Kansas City – and now with role as analyst for the Timbers on TV, I’m claiming his new nickname – The Prince of Portland.
@JimmyConrad I'll be tuned in, awaiting your one-of-a-kind analysis (and credit for the name). Keep up the good work! I enjoy it.
2. Since we’ve returned, Clint Dempsey has landed in Seattle with the Sounders. What a perfect fit for Deuce and the league. There’s so much more to examine with the move, but I’m going to keep this particular post moving.
We were back at Midway Airport relatively on time and drove back to Dubuque on Friday night. We smashed the schedule full of good eats, soccer, and great company. It was a tremendous success overall, if I do say so myself.
My haul coming home; a Chicago Fire scarf (and the Austin Berry bobblehead), a US soccer scarf from my first USMNT game (the last one the stadium had, according to the employee), a Timbers Army t-shirt from their supporters group near the train stop, a skull cap from Pike Place Market (the guys who throw the fish), and a Starbucks coffee mug. My son’s gifts included a Fire jersey, a Sounders jersey, and a mini Space Needle. No USA hoops shirt though…and I looked. My wife brought home everything from NIKE gear to a blown-glass yellow ducky.
I’ll gladly do it all over again.
Hoping to get at this more often, including a look at MLS salary release yesterday. Thank you for getting through all 2,200 words of this.
BEFORE YOU GO:
Two DPs, for the Fire?! NICE.
A-Rod should just go away.
The NCAA is inching closer to imploding on itself, thanks to Johnny Football and the NCAA Shop search tool.
If you are a golf fan and don’t watch Feherty on Golf Channel, start doing it.
And if you don’t listen to Soccer Morning online (or Stitcher, wherever) from 9-10:30 AM central time, you’re missing out. I prefer the KickTV Talk YouTube channel.
Sometimes it is actually more fun to write about things this way. Take more than a few hours, or days, to digest it all. Then sit down and see if the thoughts and feelings are the same.
Costa Rica in Colorado:
What a mess. Most of the game, I went back and forth between thinking ‘Wow, this is embarrassing that they’re gonna keep playing this game’ and ‘Wow, this is awesome that they’re gonna keep playing this game’. I think the latter had more to do with the jumbo beers at Los Aztecas.
In the end, Dempsey finds the back of the net before the snow truly piles up and Guzan does plenty to get the win. Forget about every other piece of everything that was debated about the American lineup heading into this game. The conditions after about the 20th minute all but demand that you throw the game film in the trash.
We needed three points, we got three points.
Mexico at Azteca:
The one game in the Hex you just hope isn’t cringe-worthy, and it turned out all right! Let’s give the US team credit for halting their fair share of El Tri attacks and thank the hosts for not being in their best form (three played, three draws). I thought it could be the perfect scenario for the Mexicans to quiet their critics and leap to the top of the table with five points. Turns out, Guzan, and probably most importantly, Besler, were very good. I thought Besler was great, actually, and deserved Man of the Match distinction.
While I understand Beasley’s inclusion in the lineup, boy did they target him and boy did he look like a hot mess over the last ten minutes.
After it is all said and done, you take a point home with you. And look at this! We’re sitting on four points, one off the top of the table – and yet just two ahead of the bottom. Not a single team has more than one win after three games.
June is going to be a slugfest. Down to Jamaica, where the rebuilt Reggae Boys might be down and out after Mexico exacts their revenge. Then Panama and Honduras come stateside.
Maybe, just maybe, Klinsmann’s understanding of his roster is best displayed during a stretch like this when he doesn’t have his top choices available in the back. Based on this notion, I’ll be curious to see what he does with Landon Donovan.
I’m sure he has a headache today too – REUTERS/Tim Shaffer
Actually, I shouldn’t say Klinsmann did. Fabian Johnson probably deserves some of the credit. As do the other defenders unavailable due to injury. And now Brian Straus has turned that headache into a migraine after writing this piece about JK and friends. (A little more on this later).
I have absolutely no idea who is going to play left back. And somebody get Jurgen a few cups of his favorite coffee, because I don’t see how he’s not losing sleep over the defender situation for the next five days ahead of Game 2 of The Hex.
Hell, if training at full speed with these six defenders results in so much as a tangle up and a sore ankle, we’re in for a long Friday night in Denver.
I’m going to offer two lineups in a second here – the one I’d like to see and the one I think JK is going to send out in Denver.
Let me start by saying that based on the way the Americans have played under Klinsmann so far, the central defense must be top priority. If he was OK going with Geoff Cameron and Omar Gonzalez on the road to start the Hex, and one of the two goals conceded was a back-to-goal wonderstrike, then I say let them go out there and play Friday night again. At home. Alongside each other for the second straight game. You’ve already used a different starting 11 in every game as head coach. In my opinion, leave these two alone. I think they should get a chance to show some growth.
Before I go any further, let me remind you of the opponent – Costa Rica. With all the worries of our back line, I haven’t heard much talk about the Ticos. They played 4-4-2 that pushed three into the attack without hesitation if they sensed blood in the water from what I watched of the replay late last night with Ruiz and Saborio the biggest threats to score. The visitors in Panama, they played fast, high pressure. They did this on the road and appeared to be seeking all three points. They knocked the ball out wide to start almost every attack. And it didn’t appear they deviated from what appeared to be their game plan the entire 90 minutes, eventually earning a road point.
1. Your one shot at continuity in the back is to leave Cameron and OG where they were for Honduras.
2. Do everything in your power to score twice at home in the opening 30 minutes like Panama did.
3. They’re going to play a similar formation from Game 1 of the Hex.
If my math is right, somebody is going to be out of position on the back line unless Klinsmann trots out TWO zero cap guys. My pick is Edu out wide, which JK hinted at in his quote sheet linked above. Gimme Beltran on the right.
Midfield – Captain Bradley, Sacha, and Beckerman. You can plant Beckerman in front of the two CB and leave him there for 90 minutes for all I care. I like the guy just how he is: consistently boring. He can also play a flighted ball to a useful place at any given point in time to the strikers. He won’t do much in the air, but oh well. Plenty of folks won’t agree with me putting him in here – again: no wand, my blog. This gets three technically strong guys on the field. They’ll defend out of pride – which is what would be in my pregame speech to this unit.
Top Three: As I said following Honduras, just get Jozy the ball on his foot. Let him make a decision. Gomez and Deuce will each log a minimum of one quality shot on goal. Hopefully those go in.
No sitting back and feeling these Ticos out. If this is truly a must-win – play for an early goal at home like the Panamanians did. Two even. Then don’t panic – either with subs or with passes.
In the back: Seems to me the Edu to CB and bumping Cameron out wide makes plenty of sense. JK’ll test Goodson.
In the midfield: Dempsey sits under Jozy, and he sticks with the tandem of Bradley and Jones.
Up top: Johnson gets a run to start and Gomez remains a threat from his spot.
I have a hard time with Jermaine Jones. Like, a really hard time. If he gives up a dangerous free kick in front of our depleted back line that results in a goal it will take every bit of restraint I have not to throw my beer at the television. It’s like he puts on the USA jersey and turns into a vigilante midfielder. I prefer the less intense version that spends some time running hard at the opposition’s goal.
Side notes:
Guzan is going to be all right and is the best choice.
I’ll take as much Brek Shea as he is fit enough to give.
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So then there’s the Sporting News article from this morning by Brian Straus.
My thoughts:
Klinsmann isn’t on the hot seat. He wasn’t hired on a whim. I gotta believe he’s got a long leash.
Any player who thinks they are above getting out of their comfort zone in order to succeed is just being foolish, including and especially at the USMNT level.
The part that made me wonder the most was the part about Lahm’s book. “Damage limitation” he said. Ouch.
I am, however, tired of the fitness, IQ, and nutrition stuff. If it was a manifesto on professional behavior early in his tenure, that’s fine. Just say it in plain English and provide the resources. Then go back to coaching a football team.
That German-American clique stuff makes you sound like your camps are held in a junior high girl’s bathroom. Knock that shit off. If you lack ‘team chemistry’ that’s one thing. Anonymously pointing fingers like that at this point does no good.
In my 10 Things I Hope To See In 2013 post I started with what I deemed ‘controlling’ the four home Hex matches against teams not nicknamed El Tri.
My Friday night prediction sure to go wrong: Murica, 3 – Ticos, 1. Goals by Jozy, Clint, and either Bradley, or, let’s say Cameron on a set piece.
Until this sentence, Landon Donovan and the Mexico national team (well, except for my reference to the older entry) were NOT mentioned in this post.
OK – maybe Amazon was a stretch. They’re not exactly known for their apparel/replica stuff. Let’s go to a sporting goods website. Namely – Dick’s Sporting Goods. EVERY SEASON STARTS AT DICK’S, remember!
But not the USA qualification season for the Brazil 2014 World Cup apparently.
The rundown – Home: Fan Shop: MLS & International Soccer: NIKE
How’d we do? 28 items total, 11 of them soccer balls, three of them branded for the USA – including two for the centennial. Two USA tops: a t-shirt and a hoodie. Like, a dozen frickin ‘prematch shirts’ whatever the hell those are. And ONE jersey, the Dutch (not in orange).
I guess at least they have a healthy MLS selection. After all, Dick’s is the sponsor of the venue hosting a World Cup qualifier in nine days, where Team USA would be wearing these things if it wasn’t the centennial (and they still might wear the hoops? I didn’t see anything in the March 1 release noting when the centennials would be worn the first time).
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Look, if the hoops kits were an 11-month thing, fine. I like them – and I get others don’t. But I’m shocked at the lack of success I had finding these things online in places I thought would have what I was looking for. My son has no fewer than six full toddler kits in his drawers from his godmother and godfather who travel a lot internationally and enjoy outfitting their nephew in some sweet stuff.
In a house divided (my wife is Mexican-American), I’m looking to even that dresser drawer out a bit on his birthday – during a qualification year. I don’t want to spend $60-plus on something he’ll wear for a year or two. I just want a decent replica kid’s jersey – possibly with shorts. Within a few clicks.
I get where we stand on the global football stage and that nearly every soccer-playing boy under 14 years old on the planet wants to be Leo Messi, but how do you not see the upside that merchandise (jersey) sales have for your brand and budget? You put together those shiny Facebook photo albums and less than a year later I can’t find one for my kid? You aren’t USA Water Polo for cripes sake.
How do I know that? Go read this. “We’re” ranked #32 by FIFA (down four spots from the previous release) in what I believe is a patriotic and soccer-hungry country. I really hope they’re selling toddler and youth jerseys for $15 in Denver next Friday night for Game 2 of The Hex. Flood the whole damn 2-12 year old demographic with USA jerseys and see what happens, would you please? It’s not like you’ve reproduced the ’94 kits!
If Uncle Tim – that long-ago high school football hero who “doesn’t get” soccer and is now balding – makes fun of his Where’s Waldo shirt at barbeques this summer, so be it! At least he’s acknowledged it! On September 10, 2013 when Mexico comes north, they’ll both be glued to their TV sets, and those young boys could be wearing their kits, chanting “U-S-A”.
Hey, did I do this search for a jersey wrong? Very possibly.
Did US Soccer and NIKE do this wrong? No doubt in my mind.
But hey, the Oregon Ducks have elevendy billion football uniform combinations, so we’re all good.
This is obviously long overdue, but I’ve committed to commenting on each of the Hexagonal games in the qualification process for the Americans, and will likely chip in with at least a couple of thoughts on El Tri over the course of 2013.
When I wasn’t spreading my pico de gallo on top of my steak tacos at Salsa’s here in Dubuque, I was watching what felt like a pretty free flowing first 45 minutes. There were small stretches of significant possession – as there should be in any high level soccer match.
After 36 minutes, Dempey’s one-touch effort gave the Americans the lead. It was a touch and effort we’ve grown to expect from Dempsey. He stepped up, on the road, to score the team’s first goal of the Hex. Things were looking up. There were still 55 minutes remaining, but it would take only four for the hosts to answer.
Juan Carlos Garcia put his stamp on the game after a lackadaisical defensive effort by the USA on a set piece. Garcia’s eyes opened wide as he took a chested pass (you read that correctly) and whacked it between two defenders and past Timmy Howard. It was something that, quite frankly, I’m not sure anyone on the field at that time in an American jersey is capable of. It also set the stage for an entertaining final 45 minutes.
Will the Americans push the pace and try to earn the full three points? How picky will the teams be going forward? Maybe the Hondurans would be OK with one point and be selective going forward? Which attacking players will Jurgen take off – and then – who will be the replacement?
The second half included three early substitutions to bring on Edu, Kljestan, and Zusi. Williams, Jones, and Eddie Johnson stepped off. The attack by the Americans seemed to fade a bit over the final 25 minutes, and the final ten were truly forgettable. That includes the defense being picked apart for the game’s final goal – the game-winner – for Honduras. Let’s not forget there were just two shots recorded as ‘on goal’ over the entire 90 minutes.
Here’s what stuck out to me:
The Cameron/Gonzalez experiment as center backs would have gone better with someone other than Tim Chandler. I don’t have much evidence to support why – he just looks slow to me.
Eddie Johnson out wide. I was OK with it. I didn’t expect him to play all 90 minutes there, but if you’re going to play someone out of position out wide, why not start Kljestan? Or put Dempsey out there with Gomez and Jozy up top? Felt a bit like Johnson was rewarded for his positive play – but rewarded by a start out of position.
I’m just about done with Jermaine Jones. I know he played the ball that Deuce finished – but alongside/near/with Michael Bradley – I just don’t think it works. And he still fouls too damn much. Opposing players prefer to see him out there because they’re OK with him logging yellows and giving up restarts. I don’t believe most talented players opposed by him in the formation fear him. Bradley needs someone who does that to opposing managers.
Get Jozy the ball more.
I think Tim Howard made a mistake on the game-winner. That wasn’t easy to type. I think he’s fantastic. He is also a leader. I think he saw an inexperienced group (pairing rather) in front of him leave a crease to the Hondurans and he wanted to save the day. Cameron was flat-footed for sure, but he can force a tougher-angled shot if not called off. Omar didn’t do him any favors by being late to recognize Bengston headed to the prime real estate.
The Table: Thanks Mexico and Costa Rica’s late strike! Now we’re looking up at one team with three points… instead of three teams. That actually kept even more Chicken Littles from piling on following this result.
Next: Costa Rica on March 22. I’m keeping an eye on three things:
I’m actually going to listen closely to JK’s comments ahead of this game. With time to marinate on that loss and evaluate what he saw, what he says and who is in uniform for this next contest in Denver will tell you more about him than anything I can think of over the last 12 months.
Does Hercules Gomez get 45 or more minutes? If so, I think he nets one. If not, Jozy MUST score. I fully expect Dempsey to get hacked every time he touches it and/or when he starts a run.
Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey are both on yellows. Mexico is March 26. If those two aren’t careful against the Ticos and forced to sit out the first – I’m exceedingly nervous about what El Tri could do at Azteca in response to last year’s win by our boys.
An unpretty night in Houston doesn’t mean the end of US Soccer, which you might have thought was the case based on Twitter’s response to the first half. (via houstondynamo.com)
Look, the United States game against Canada on Tuesday night wasn’t all that fun to watch. But what were you expecting? Seriously. My Twitter feed was stuffed full of soccer knowledgeable people unsatisfied by the US’s efforts against Canada after 10, then 20, then 30, then 45 minutes. Have you people never sat through a 0-0 soccer game before? YOU WERE every annoying non-soccer fan I’ve met for 45 minutes there. I hope you’re happy with yourself.
This was not the A-Team. This was barely the B-Team. Were you seriously expecting a Champion’s League final?
I’m not going to sit here and say I was entertained, but I spent some time looking for things to be impressed with – not grumbling every 45 seconds about a lack of progress.
It felt like Evans was barely around or on the ball. Eddie Johnson and Chris Wondolowski had some touches in the attacking third. Canada packed it in. Omar Gonzalez was…well…he was a part of a clean sheet against a team that countered a few times with a talented striker. The first 8-10 minutes were clearly nervous times for the American group of second- and third-stringers.
Here’s two things I would have preferred to see more of:
1. Some shorter range passing. I’m not asking you to be Barcelona, just be less of a high school varsity team with two good players running up top.
2. Set pieces that looked set. Just get me to believe that something good could happen every time. There were Canada fouls early. No US goals, though. And by the way, they had three weeks to prepare some on the training field and execute them.
While I don’t always agree with Alexi Lalas (I’ll admit that sometimes I do), a part of his halftime discussion with Taylor Twellman is one that needs to be had, and I still haven’t heard Klinsmann and US Soccer clarify.
It started with a (stupid) question about an ‘American Messi’ and evolved into the curiosity of how to identify a national team player when you see one in a country as geographically large and as populated as ours. There was a mention of ‘regional soccer’ – whatever that might turn out to be. There was no mention of what Klinsmann SPECIFICALLY wants to see from players he’s considering – or a manifesto from the US Soccer office on what they believe – beyond the curriculum they put out a couple years ago.
Sometimes it’s not just the players who make you feel like you’re watching grass grow. When discussions like this break out and there’s no mention of the national team’s manager’s preferences or the Federation’s stance, it feels like I’m watching the national team grow at a grass-like rate.
Ultimately, the team is no further from qualifying for Brazil 2014 now than they were this morning. And Klinsmann was clear this was going to be a chance for game minutes and a test for many who were in camp all month.
If you watched some Houston grass grow on your couch on a Tuesday night with a beer in your hand – let’s not act like you didn’t have the power walk away from it. If the end product after watching this grass grow is a ‘beautifully manicured lawn’ in the summer of 2014, you’ll be more than fine.
I’m definitely looking forward to February 6. Honduras should offer something to keep Twitter quiet. And Klinsmann will give us a lineup with actual expectations.
I hope he got what he wanted out of January in California. Not doing that would be the crime of this month with the Men’s National Team. Not what we saw tonight.
All three branches of the U.S. government get behind a ban on assault weapons and high volume magazines. First, this is one of my solutions to a multi-, multi-faceted problem regarding gun violence in the United States. With some more thought and research, I’ll share that ‘solution’ at a later time. I can even wrap my brain around ‘concealed carrying’ based on the Constitution. Civilians owning military style guns and these sleeves of ammunition that carry unnecessary amounts of bullets is an easy fix. Cross your fingers, America.
Someone in a major men’s sport currently on a roster comes out of the closet. It is time. Shake up the locker rooms, let everyone write their reaction columns, and we can scratch this one off the ‘social implications on sports’ stories waiting to be covered – and then move on.
The Chicago Bears spend six of their seven draft selections on offensive lineman. There just has to be some strength in numbers here. 10-6 is good. 3-5 after a 7-1 start is not. I’d much rather be a Bears fan than Jaguars, Chiefs, Jets, Dolphins, Titans, Raiders, Lions, Cardinals, Buccaneers, Rams, or Bills. The other should be on a linebacker to replace Urlacher/help Briggs and Roach or a tight end to catch a ball and put stress on the opposing defense’s secondary/linebackers. The team might be turning a big page in this chapter of the franchise after Emery is done with this off season shakeup. Lovie was the first. I’m curious to see who is next to go and who replaces him.
No one recreates a decent movie from my childhood (and ruins it). Looking at you, everyone in Hollywood. Total Recall comes to mind. And probably more so, my angst is directed at anyone that unnecessarily did something in 3D instead of taking a chance on a decent script no one has heard of. (Titanic, Monsters Inc., Raiders/Lost Ark).
CNN truly balances out Fox News and MSNBC without schtick. I’d really like someone to give me in depth news – the good and the bad, on television, without a partisan slant or gimmicks for silly entertainment ratings. The opportunity is there, and yet they leave me feeling unsatisfied almost every time I turn them on. Adding Bourdain will also bring me in as a viewer. Let him do his thing, please, suits.
No one screws up as badly as many news organizations did with the SHES/Newtown names, numbers, victims, shooter’s name. What a disgrace to the profession that 6 hours of television was.
Major League Soccer moves to the single table format. Not gonna happen, but I have to put it on the list. It is a dream of mine. East/West, three rounds of playoffs, All-Star game, all these other ploys for the ‘average American sports fan in the key demographics’. I have a lot of wishes for the league, but this seems easiest to enact. The FIFA calendar would be a close second. NWSL success is an indirect soccer #3. And leave Sepp Blatter alone. As a U.S. soccer fan, I take very little from anything he ever says. Let’s get our house in order first, then take on big, bad, corrupt FIFA bosses.
The under-4 minute TV timeout in NCAA basketball goes away. Three automatic stoppages in each half and the impending team timeouts down the stretch are plenty! My gawd! If it is a close game at that 4-ish minute mark, we don’t need the extra 90 seconds for a commercial – the teams will use the timeouts they’ve hoarded to let you pay your bills. If it is a blowout, we just want it to be over anyways. The first three ruin the flow of the game as it is. At least down the stretch, I expect some game/clock management to come into play.
I learn to cook more dishes…and read more. Not a lot more, just enough for a few people – and my stomach/pallet – to notice. Then, I’d like to knock out a few good books a year. I’m starting 2013 with ‘The Signal and the Noise’ by Nate Silver.
Matthew scores 326 goals in his summer soccer leagues this year. He’s four years old in 2013 for those scoring at home. A guy can dream, can’t he?
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