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Planting the Seed of Soccer Across America: Danny Beerseed - 0 comments
Photo Credit: Eduardo Verdugo/AP
Editor's Note: Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but It bends toward justice”. Sometimes we American soccer fans get wrapped up in the day-to-day, Monday morning quarterbacking (or centerbacking), knee-jerk reactions and miss out on the big picture. This weekly column will focus on picking out the larger themes and issues of Major League Soccer and the American game.
This is a common and occasionally problematic phenomenon in international soccer, though not typically here, where the announcement of a friendly with Russia is 1,000 times more likely to set off a wave of Rocky IV references (guilty) than of proxy wars or missile crises. England still occasionally plays Germany, and when they do it seems half the populace genuinely believes it’s 1939 or 1982 while the other half is desperately waving their smartphones and pointing at the Gherkin to remind them that it’s not.
But Mexico is different, at least for me. I grew up in a part of the country that began experiencing its first big wave of immigration from Mexico and Central America right as I hit my teenage years. I heard people say and really mean of these new Hispanics coming into our small town the kind of things I would say jokingly about Belgians. Nobody I know hates Belgians, so that seemed safe. But cursing Mexicans for being Mexicans? That’s a little too close to real life. So for years, the passions of this particular rivalry seemed just a little too extreme for me. I rooted for a win and a good performance, not the utter destruction of the hopes and dreams of a nation of loathsome wretches.
Now it seems many, including Herculez Gomez, feel the rivalry is tilting that direction on its own. The cartoon villains and heroes - the Borgettis and the Lalases and the other guys who could just as easily have waged their never-ending battle for continental supremacy (Sorry, Canada) via a Saturday morning TV series - have fallen away. In a certain light, Rafa Marquez become less utter embarrassment to the game and more of the last of a dying breed, a lone-wolf commando deep behind enemy lines wreaking havoc on American soccer from the inside, a Sólido Serpiente with less stealth and more stock faces of righteous indignation.
Nowadays, the players each side collectively hates the most are really just the ones we each fear the most: Dos Santos and Chicharito, Landon Donovan and his weak bladder. Maybe this game seemed more subdued because Donovan were still off on the Spider-Man 2 phase of his career, hanging up the supersuit so he could try living life as just plain old Landon. (Even Spider-Man’s villains all like Peter Parker.) Or maybe it’s because it just seems a lot easier to work up the appropriate level of bile for a big-time international rivalry when the enemy looks like this rather than this.
Part of it may be that that second face looks very much like one that could be starring for our team. The number of dual-nationals in the both the full squad and youth programs has risen to the point that stories like this one on Omar Gonzalez and mystique of the Azteca will either disappear entirely or proliferate to the point that they dominate the entire soccer media landscape, Agent Smith-style.
This could take the rivalry one of two ways:
1) A continuing cooling of temperatures like the one we’re experiencing now as players grow up together, play on youth teams in either country with one another and find themselves on the same teams in MLS, Liga MX or in Europe, or
2) The idea of two teams full of Giuseppe Rossi’s meeting in Gold Cups and WCQ’s for decades to come inspires fanbases to new levels of passion and vitriol. Either way, I’m excited for the first Mexican-media article about an American-born Mexican player and the aura that surrounds Crew Stadium.
Personally, I think one seems more likely. The goals of these teams have evolved over time., Being called the best team on the continent is something of a backhanded compliment for two fanbases who are hoping to see their teams move into the world’s elite. Mexican fans think they have a chance because they’ve won everything else at the lower levels; U.S. fans because we’re always holding out hope that the team’s just about to turn the corner. Beating each other will always be especially nice, but in order to be considered successful, they’ll have to beat plenty of other teams as well.
Like those damn, dirty Dutch. I never did like the Dutch.
About Eric
Eric Betts is a freelancer writer who lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and his dog Lando (yup). He is a contributing writer for "The Other 87 Minutes", their brilliance featured every Tuesday on the Free Beer Movement in the form of "the Tuesday 10" or the "Tuesday XI". While attending the Emory University he won "College Jeopardy"
Planting the Seed of Soccer Across America: Danny Beerseed - 0 comments
Crazy like a fox.
Mexico 0, U.S. 0
"And ... Annnnd .... Annnnnd ... you put the load right on me." -- The Weight, The Band
***
That was kind of a dud, huh?
Did either Mexico or the U.S. muster a quality attempt for 94 minutes of drab, uninspiring soccer?
Okay, that's an even too cynical by my blackhearted standards way to look at Tuesday's game for Estadio Azteca in Mexico City in CONCACAF World Cup qualification.
Realistically, if you're a fan of the stars and stripes, 0-0 has never tasted so sweet.
The lede here is this: when the draw for the Hex came out most expected the U.S. to walk away from the first three matches with four points. All it took was the second-ever point in World Cup qualifiers at the Azteca to make that math add up, but the 2-1 loss at Honduras last month seems a distant memory.
That's what matters.
After three of 10 Hex matches the U.S. is tied in second place on four points with Costa Rica and Honduras. In first? Yep, you guessed ... Panama! Mexico -- the big bad wolf of CONCACAF -- has only mustered three draws in its first three matches, two at home.
What in the wild and wacky world of Steve Sampson is going on here?
But yeah, let's do Hex math some other time and instead praise a job well done by a makeshift American team, that featured (gasp) two MLSers -- Matt Besler and Omar Gonzalez -- as rocks of Garb-raltar in the center of the U.S. defense.
Everybody else, sans maybe Maurice Edu (stepping in for Jermaine Jones in both spirit and fan ire), acquitted themselves well. Did Clint Dempsey, or any other attacker, do all that much? Not really, but that's beside the point after a match like this.
Did the U.S. get lucky that Edu running over Javier Aquino late in the second half and not getting called for a penalty? Damn straight the U.S. did. Never mind it still doesn't make up for all the woeful calls from CONCACAF's finest which have screwed the team over the years.
How did the U.S. survive Mexico getting 15 corner kicks and Javier Hernandez missing -- point blank -- late? Who cares?
The seemingly doomed U.S. qualification ship has been righted.
The mystic the Mexicans had playing at the Azteca appears a thing of the past.
Really it's hard not to look at this Mexican side and not think one thing ... it's soft. Guys like Rafa Marquez and those goons might not have the technical pedigree the current El Tri unit has, but they ground out games. You feared that team. You hated that team.
Come at me, amigo.
These guys, for all the youth tournaments they've won, almost seem too nice.
This seems to be an overarching trend for most international teams -- nobody likes playing as the favorite -- where they have to take it to the opposition for 90 minutes. Even mighty Spain, masters of death by possession where shocked by Finland 1-1 last week, although it came back Tuesday to win 1-0 at France, but the point stands.
Mexico's performance tonight was a lot like we've seen by the U.S. in recent games -- albeit against CONCACAF minnows. When the onus of the attack falls onto them, it becomes very difficult to unlock a committed, disciplined defense. The play looks listless. The fans grumble. The players huff and puff and try to do something positive, or the opposition runs out of gas.
This isn't club soccer where you're training with a team for about 40-odd weeks a year. Eventually you'll find a combination that clicks. With the international windows, you're basically throwing together a team and getting a couple days training. Frustration sets in a lot easier.
Tuesday Mexico didn't really do anything to gravely worry the U.S. and it appeared set up for the Americans to pull off a classic counter-attacking goal against the run of play and steal all three points. Andres Guardado and Gio Dos Santos were flat-out awful, which was nice since they've roasted the Americans so many times in the past. The U.S. clogged the passing lanes to prevent 1-2 combinations and flushed most of attack out wide.
Tonight you could say the pressure of playing in front of 90,000 (or whatever the actual number was) home fans was a burden, not an advantage. Every minute the clock ticked toward 90 and the score stayed 0-0 it hurt Mexico and lifted the U.S.
You know what, as one of my cranky co-workers would say, "that's your problem."
And it is: Mexico's problem.
Klinsmann and crew cross the border with four points in their pocket.
The U-S-A is feeling A-OKAY right now.
Funny what a couple days -- and a Hex-changing snowstorm -- can do.
Other Quick Thoughts:
Reference to the HBO show, "the Wire."
* Nice hour pregame show by ESPN, first class work.
* That said, it really does feel like the heat from the U.S./Mexico rivalry has come a little off the boil regardless of what happened in the 1990s and 2000s. There seems much more mutual respect and less out-and-out resentment on both sides of the border.
* Great late save by Brad Guzan -- was it his only one?
* Another strong game by DaMarcus Beasley at left back, especially by the end of it he could barely walk. Playing out of position with a yellow card for almost 80 minutes is impressive.
* Gonzalez looks the real deal in the center of the defense. (As per usual, let's not overreact and anoint someone ahead of time, but this case it seems a safe bet.)
* Grahamn Zusi -- who knew -- would make two terrific defensive plays including running back into his own penalty area to head away a dangerous cross.
* Besler, making his second cap, seemed a recipe for disaster. You thought Mexico would, "hack the bone, HACK THE BONE" but El Tri (running theme) didn't do much to pressure the defense outside the first 15-odd minutes.
* Michael Bradley produced the only real American attack, which was blocked away after a darting run into the box. Still, Bradley was never out of position providing cover to the U.S. center backs.
* Donovan, Bocanegra, Cherundolo, Johnson, etc., as they say in the NFL: Next man up.
Planting the Seed of Soccer Across America: Danny Beerseed - 0 comments
Editor's Note: This is our "get fired up" post for US international matches. We re-post it for every US match. Share it with your friends.
Today's the day the U.S. Men's National Team takes the field in a World Cup Qualifier on the road to Brazil.
Today's the day they face Mexico in Estadio Azteca.
Today's the day we take the win and move on to the next match.
Today's the day that Guzan will shine, Dempsey will lead, goals will be scored, and timely tackles will be made.
Today's the day we sit down with friends and fellow soccer fans and cheer on the home team.
Today's the day we invite someone new to come along and experience the power of a soccer match.
Today's the day they'll get a free cold one to enjoy while watching the sport we so desperately love and the team we'd follow to the ends of the earth (or Brazil!).
Today's the day we ask a non-soccer fan to join our footballing family.
The Free Beer Movement is about spreading the love of American soccer to all corners of the nation and no day is better than today. Today, the pride and joy of our nation's game takes the field in order to continue its push towards the greatest sporting spectacle of all-time, the World Cup.
The past, present, and future of American soccer all take the field today to join in one cause, to win, and to move on to the next level.
It is days like this we, as American soccer fans embrace, as our national team fights for our country's continued respect on the international stage and to stake a claim as the best team in North and Central America.
Games like today are bigger than any game; bigger than any MLS game, and bigger than your son or daughter's kick around in the park.
Our local colors blend. There are no more yellow and black of the Columbus Crew or orange and white of the Houston Dynamo or the black and red of DC United; today there is only RED, WHITE, and BLUE.
These are the days that our nation's best and brightest shine on the field for 90 minutes. For themselves, for soccer, but mostly for you... the American fan and their country... the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
These are the days that you have to get up as a soccer fan in America.
So grab you friends, grab those soccer fans, grab those ones you want to become soccer fans, and most importantly grab some really cold beers because today's the day we support our National Team and our national game we love so much.
Planting the Seed of Soccer Across America: Danny Beerseed - 0 comments
The United States men's national team walks into Estadio Azteca tonight with a huge momentum boost from Friday's "snow-pocalypse" match against Costa Rica.
You were probably looking for a beer to drink during with the last game and we failed you because we were too busy tailgating in Denver to order our team of monkeys to bang one out on the ol' typewriter. You can have this one though... it's still cold.
When one thinks of Mexico and beer they're stuck with very few choices that don't conjure up images of college spring break "Save Water, Drink Beer" Coronas on the beach and the inevitable hangover that accompanies indulging in such things. A beer like that is certainly to be avoided not only because it's terrible (unless buried in a michelada) and, well, it's Mexican and this is exactly the wrong time to be supporting Mexico.
So why not try and beat the Mexicans at their own game? Tonight when you're tuning into another late Michael Orzco Fiscal winner you should be holding onto Ska Brewing Company's "Mexican Logger" lager. It's craft in a can and it kicks Corona, Dos XX, Pacifico, or other light lager right in the can.
Additionally it's from Durango, Colorado. Colorado. USMNT fans have some happy memories of that place if my short-term memory serves me right. Granted it's a six hour jaunt to Denver and the site of Friday's whitewash of the Ticos, but they're all buried in the same snow up there so it should be just as inspiring.
A bit of saaz hops to top it all off and a Mexican caricature that looks more like the Landon Donovan lottery commercial "Mexican" that any El Tri fan I've ever met and there's your Ska "Mexican Logger" and our brew recommendation for this crucial Hex match.
And something, something about chopping down Mexico.
"Momentum? Momentum is the next day's starting pitcher." -- Earl Weaver
***
Momentum is a nebulous term once you apply it to the world of sports, as opposed to the realm of physics where, you know, it actually means something what with co-signs, velocity, all that jazz.
Is momentum nothing more than a staple for lazy sportswriters? Is it the bane of people who attend the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference and who think sports are played devoid of emotion inside a vacuum and or Excel spreadsheet? Probably.
But could it actually be something that exists during the course of a sporting event or over a period of time? Maybe.
The most fair way to look at it is that momentum exists, to a degree, yet it's not tangible. It's here today, gone tomorrow.
Sure the winning team usually has "momentum" on its side and the losing team didn't. (Admission: in my real-life job where I get paid to write about sports, I've disinterestedly asked a coach or player about, "how much having the momentum" helped them win or lose.)
Momentum seems to be something we as fans watching seem to readily identity over the course of a game or series of time, whereas the players -- managers and coaches especially -- seem to downplay, hence the Weaver quote to start this jam off.
Ever since the referee whistled full time Friday night to confirm the United State's 1-0 win Costa Rica in snowy Dick's Sporting Goods Park would indeed be official in the FIFA record books, it's been hard not to think about "Uncle Mo."
You'd think, in basic terms, the U.S. -- once again with it's "back against the wall," needing three points to kick start its 2014 World Cup Qualifying campaign -- would get a huge bump from digging down deep in the whiteout conditions of Commerce City, Colo., going into Tuesday's showdown with Mexico at the Azteca.
By the same token, the snow and wind masked any real conclusions to draw from the match. Soccer isn't meant to be played in conditions like that (a-doi!). You can point to Costa Rica playing its home games on artificial turf at the Saprissa Stadium, the elevation of Mexico City, or whichever other of CONCACAF's road pitfalls you fancy. The fact remains, whatever obstacles those homefield advantages pose, it's still the game of soccer between the white lines. What happened in Colorado Friday, was awesome to watch on television and made for some great Instagram fodder, but it wasn't soccer.
Or it wasn't soccer that we see 99.9 percent of the time.
Don't take this the wrong way.
This isn't denigrating what the U.S. players did Friday. Gutting out the win and making Clint Dempsey's goal stand up for close to 75 minutes with the No. 2 keeper and makeshift defense in miserable (unplayable) conditions is commendable. It's more that, because of the outlandish weather scenario, trying to divine anything other than the three points in the bank is foolhardy. (If you think about it perhaps it's the way all games in the Hex ought to be analyzed. Results are results. Points are points. No more. No less. Style points don't qualify you for a World Cup.)
It's also why it would be dangerous with the U.S. heading into Mexico City to think the team had turned a page. For all the goodwill winning Friday did, those positive vibes are likely limited to inside what was reportedly a fractured locker room. There's probably a bond forged by the players and a lot more smiles on the plane to Mexico City. Beyond that?
The problems the unnamed players had about Klinsmann and assistant Martin Vazquez that they're under-prepared tactically (and in over their heads) are still bubbling beneath the surface. One result -- even in Ice Station Impossible -- isn't going to paper over all the hard feeling some players have toward Klinsmann.
Sure it was a night anyone watching won't soon forget, if only for the novelty of it, but what it tells us about the U.S. team before the Mexico game is probably very little -- or very little we didn't already know considering the team's track record for positive results when everything outside appears to be crumbling.
And it must be said: Mexico isn't going to be in a very good mood Tuesday night after it blew a 2-0 lead on the road against Honduras to draw 2-2. El Tri is, believe it or not, a point behind the U.S. in the Hex standings after draws in its first two matches.
On the topic of momentum, a couple months ago it appeared as if Mexico would sweep through qualifying and position itself as a firm favorite in Brazil next summer based on its youth team successes and Gold Medal at the London Games. It hasn't exactly worked out that way for El Tri through its first two matches.
Watching Mexico play vs. Honduras it had the air of a team that expected to win, call it complacency. When things went a little awry there was a lot of wild gesturing toward the referees or players trying to do it all by themselves. Mexico is also going to be without captain "Maza" Rodriguez due to yellow card accumulation Tuesday meaning manager Chepo de la Torre likely turns to either 25-year-old Hugo Ayala or rising star Diego Reyes, who's only 20 but was part of the Gold medal-winning squad in London. Losing Maza might not be a terrible turn of events for Mexico since he was beaten by Carlo Costly on Honduras' first goal then gave up the penalty that led to the equalizer.
If this was chess, it'd be trading, say, rooks with Klinsmann opting not to use ex-captain Carlos Bocanegra for these matches.
Mexico looks vulnerable and with the U.S. winning last August in a friendly for its first victory ever at the Azteca, there's never looked like a better time to win a game that counts in the smog of Mexico City. Of course, Andres Guardado, Javier Hernandez and Gio Dos Santos will pose a much tougher test for the American defense in the beehive of the noise the Azteca figures to be compared to what Costa Rica could muster in the snow of Colorado.
Uncle Sam certainly has "Uncle M"o on its side when it heads South of the Border.
Mexico, decidedly, does not.
If you think it's going to matter when the game kicks off, well, you haven't been paying attention over the last 25 years.
Other Stuff:
* Snow or not, Klinsmann appeared to get the defense lineup correct, with Geoff Cameron at right back, Clarence Goodson and Omar Gonzalez in the middle and evergreen DaMarcus Beasley at left back. It's only two games in 2013, but perhaps the stink of playing at Stoke City is rubbing off on Cameron. The player he was during the 2012 is becoming a more distant memory. (Once again anointing an American player "the future" based on 2-3 games might not prove accurate. Who knew?)
Many have lauded Beasley's performance and it was just what you'd want from a veteran closing in on 100 caps. How he fares against the pacey, technical attack of Mexico in normal conditions is another story.
* Klinsmann played his seemingly preferred three-pronged attack against Costa Rica in Jozy Altidore, Dempsey and Herculez Gomez. U.S. Soccer listed it as a 4-2-3-1 -- again not that it mattered in the snow. Will the German coach be that aggressive on the road? He doesn't have a lot of other options.
* The U.S. plays in snow on Friday. Mexico played in 100-degree heat. Training staffs going to be working overtime in the three days between the matches. Klinsmann's caught a lot of heat for a different lineup in every match. He may need to make changes by necessity. Soccer players might have superhuman endurance but running around for two hours in the snow has to snap a lot out of you, especially at altitude.
* History won't smile too fondly on Steve Sampson, but he did manage the U.S. to it's only qualifying points at Mexico. This clip in 1997 is proof!
Why did Mexico ever go away from the Aztec imagery inside its shirt?
* Altidore looked more comfortable having balls played to him, as opposed to having to drop deep. Not a shocker. With Maza out and Mexico likely having to scramble to fill the hole next to Johnny Magallon, the AZ forward could be in line for a productive day. If anything Altidore attempted a shot from the edge of the box that set up Dempsey's goal vs. Costa Rica.
Altidore is not Mario Balotelli. You can't just throw him up top all by his lonesome and expect him to conjure up some magic. He needs link-up play and service to prove effective.
* Mexico No. 1 Guille Ochoa is listed at 6-foot-1. He looks tiny. Maybe it's an optical illusion and why the height-challenged Jorge Campos wore such garish outfits during his career. In any event, if I'm the U.S. I take as many shots as I can at the top corners and have guys crashing the six-yard box, ie. Dempsey and Bradley, looking for rebounds.
* Jermaine Jones, love him or hate him, does serve a role in the U.S. team, even if he does dumb things, like give a Costa Rican player a face wipe for no reason to set up a dangerous free kick in the second half Friday. In any event, he's out for the Mexico game, which can only be seen as a negative considering the chemistry he and Michael Bradley have established in the "double-pivot" in the center of the field. Swapping in Maurice Edu is a like-for-like change, but when is the last time we've seen him go the full 90 in an important match for the U.S.? Barring a complete midfield overhaul its Edu or Kyle Beckerman getting the start.
* Longtime friend of the blog, aimorris, will be attending the game with his brother. Give him a follow on Twitter.
Wouldn't it make perfect sense for Klinsmann to finally use the same XI in back-to-back games following the snow? Not going to happen since Jones is out with an ankle injury. With the Schalke midfielder out, a 4-4-2 in a tight diamond might make sense. It still seems more likely Klinsmann adds another midfielder to try to clog it up for Mexico, if he does that it probably has to drop Altidore. It would be quintessential Klinsmann to throw Joe Corona into the lineup out of left field.
Option 1 (4-4-2):
GK -- Guzan
DEF -- Cameron -- Goodson -- Gonzalez -- Beasley
MID -- Zusi-- Bradley -- Edu -- Dempsey
FOR -- Altidore -- Gomez
Option 1a (4-4-1-1):
GK -- Guzan
DEF -- Cameron -- Goodson -- Gonzalez -- Beasley
MID -- Zusi -- Bradley -- Edu -- Shea
SS -- Dempsey
F -- Gomez
(I'm making this guess Sunday, blindly. Figure to be way off.)
Closing Thought:
Boil away all the "do or die" statements, the exposés, the players on surf vacations, the injuries, whatever, through the first two matchdays of the Hex (six games), the U.S. and Honduras are the only teams to notch wins. The four other games finished in draws.
The U.S. isn't going to qualify with a win Tuesday -- it sure would help -- but there's a long way to go until this is over in October. Same thing with a loss or a draw, nothing is going to be decided.
Realistically we're going to know if this is going to be a rote qualification process or if we're going to be sweating it out until the end come June. In a 12-day period the U.S. plays at Jamaica and then hosts Panama and Honduras.
That's when Klinsmann will either make his bread or start really feeling the heat in the kitchen.
Jozy Altidore made a cutting run atop the 18-yard box in the 16th minute. His shot bounced of a Costa Rican defender, and with the goalkeeper caught wrong footed, Dempsey was there to snatch up the leftovers into the open goal mouth for his 23nd international goal.
If surviving the Denver snow fall was one difficult task the USMNT will face another tall order immediately in their away leg match against Mexico on Tuesday at Estadio Azteca. Mexico is coming off a road shocker, giving up a two-goal-Chicharito-manufactured lead, only to draw at two apiece. The U.S. has already breached the walls of Azteca back in August, but a World Cup Qualifying match against El Tri will certainly be coach Jurgen Klinsmann's and his team's toughest task to date.
The match is on Tuesday, March 26th with coverage beginning at 8:30pm CT on ESPN.
Planting the Seed of Soccer Across America: Danny Beerseed - 0 comments
"It's just like pulling off a Band Aid." -- Cop with a Mustache, There's Something About Mary
***
Everybody got their pitchforks and torches on standby?
This could get ugly ... for Jurgen Klinsmann, anyways.
Safe to say based his Klinsmann's roster selection for Friday's vital CONCACAF 2014 World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica it hasn't been the best week of all-time for the German. Then when you throw in some articles that have painted a picture of the German-born coach, to quote the English terraces -- YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING -- the level of rancor from the usually staid American soccer media (and fans) is growing increasingly toxic.
It's not Rafa Benetiz at Chelsea level, yet, but if the U.S. doesn't beat Costa Rica and gets embarrassed at the Azteca on Tuesday by Mexico people aren't going to be too happy, regardless of how many cool stories about Klinsmann flying helicopters are leaked by the Pravda department of the U.S. Soccer House in Chicago.
There's a lot swirling around at the moment so let's access some facts, first:
* The U.S. lost it's first of 10 "Hex" games last month at Honduras.
* Landon Donovan, Tim Howard, Steve Cherundolo, Jose Torres, Fabian Johnson, Timmy Chandler, Danny Williams, Jonathan Spector (anyone else?) were all unavailable for these two matches, through injury, sickness or personal wanderlust.
* Former U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra was dropped entirely by Klinsmann, opting for a defense with a combined 12 World Cup qualifying caps.
* In 23 games in charge of the U.S. Klinsmann has never used the same starting XI in consecutive games.
Skewing all this are the lingering doubts -- despite high-profile results in friendlies -- that the U.S. hasn't taken the strides forward everyone expected when Sunil Gulati axed Bob Bradley in the summer of 2011 and hired Klinsmann.
Get to the choppa!
Let's first start with the Bocanegra issue, which was almost a Catch-22 for Klinsmann.
For one, let's pretend Bocanegra wasn't pinned to the bench for a team in the relegation zone in the Spanish second division and was playing regularly at Racing Santander. It's not like over the last year or so Bocanegra hasn't lost a step -- this is common knowledge for U.S. fans. We've all seen this. We all knew it would be beyond risky to try to coax another World Cup campaign around a 33 year old defender -- two years ago. This isn't a new revelation.
So if Klinsmann picks Bocanegra and he shows the form and declining speed we've seen and gets torched in either game, we all get pissed off. ... Why would you play Bocanegra? I can see the fork sticking out of his back from space!!! Per Mertesacker could beat him in a foot race!!!
For whatever "leadership" Bocanegra would bring to the table, let's not try to build him up into Fabio Cannavaro at the 2006 World Cup or something on that par. Bocanegra was an excellent player for nearly a decade for the U.S., but his time is up.
The real issue here is Klinsmann's done a lousy overall job -- especially in the defense -- of transitioning the squad from the team that's been almost unchanged at the core at both the 2006 and 2010 World Cups (Donovan, Dempsey, Onyewu, Bocanegra, Howard, Cherundolo) to something new. Coaxing all these international games for over a decade with almost all the same key players isn't exactly a recipe for success, is it?
Playing Devil's Advocate, suppose Gulati never hires Klinsmann. Bob Bradley likely leads the U.S. into Brazil -- with ease -- using the same core team who all know their roles. Once the team gets to Brazil, we're facing the same questions if the U.S. has made progress, if it can compete with the elite of the world, can it get past the Round of 16? It's not very exciting. There's not likely any qualifying drama, but the payoff is minimal. We're all probably be bored, too.
Part of this whole transitional mess isn't entirely Klinsmann's fault, considering Omar Gonzalez was out injured with a torn knee for nearly a year, but a lack of preparation leaves the situation where Tony Beltran, Matt Besler and Justin Morrow -- journeymen in MLS -- are the only viable alternatives in defense thanks to a plethora of injuries.
Still, had Klinsmann started the process transitioning into a new-look squad a year ago full-bore, instead of in earnest, we might not be where we are today. It's hard to cook up a scenario, bar every U.S. defensive regular visiting the Springfield Mystery Spot at the same time, where we're in the boat we are now with Goodson being the elder defensive statesman for an American defensive unit.
I'm burned out, bros.
It's hard to entirely blame Klinsmann, too, for Donovan's existential spirit quest. Donovan might be past the age of 30, but he was still figured to be a key figure in the run toward what would be his fourth World Cup. For whatever pressures and burnout Donovan has felt (and it's understandable to a degree) he's not the all-time leading scorer for Germany or Argentina or even a place like Norway. It's doubtful in any other soccer country the international leading scorer deciding -- in his prime -- to blow off crucial qualifiers for a holiday in Cambodia would go down too smoothly. It might be taxing being "face of American soccer" for a decade, but let's be honest in the general sports consciousnesses, Donovan has gotten a huge pass. Chances are people will tune into ESPN2 on Friday and Tuesday and have no idea he won't be there, or more importantly why he isn't.
Donovan staring into the sporting abyss and deciding what looks back at him would've been an issue for Klinsmann or anyone on the U.S. touchline.
Maybe it all boils down to this: very few American fans want to think about or admit, the U.S. might be in a down cycle for players. As said before, you can't keep trotting out the same guys year after year at the international level and expect it to maintain. Think about it this way, beyond Michael Bradley which American player can you feel truly comfortable about as a key player who was new to the roster at the 2010 World Cup moving forward toward the 2014 cycle?
You can go down all the usual roads: MLS, youth development, college soccer, guys in Europe, guys not playing in the Champions League, etc., but the hard truth is the old guard of U.S. players has gotten older, more injury prone and haven't been replaced adequately.
Yes, Fabian Johnson and others have shown some promise in spots, but it's not like a brand-new, no doubt Starting XI has emerged from the American player pool. By the same token Klinsmann could have picked a team and stuck with it, supplementing here-and-there instead of the radical adjustments we've seen match-to-match, but we've watched these games. Who would you pick from the player pool, as it sits, with regularity. It's easy for the players to condemn the tactics when they don't work, but at some point the players have to take their share of the accountability for floundering for long stretches in matches, which usually result in the U.S. digging themselves a big hole.
And it's not all the manager's fault -- something anyone reading this knows I've been harping on for years -- America has't produced a decent wide player or winger in years, if ever. Brek Shea? That's a bit of a reach given his consistency Klinsman, again has compounded the issue, playing a weird system in recent matches where Dempsey and Eddie Johnson (yes, remember we've had to bring him back into the fold which isn't clearly not a sign of how desperate things are) in modified wide-forward spots.
This sort sort of bad feelings happened once before in recent memory at the 1998 World Cup when the U.S. bottomed out as Steve Sampson tried to use the bulk of players from the 1990 and 1994 squads, billowed by a few promising players like Brian McBride and some completely forgettable scrubs like Chad Deering. There was a lot else going on with the 1998 squad, namely a 3-6-1 formation and the extracurricular going on between John Harkes and Eric Wynalda.
It's not the best comparison but it's the closest I can recall when there seemed to be this much internal turmoil simmering in the USMNT camp. The upside of finishing last at France 1998 was the Federation hired Bruce Arena, who used some young blossoming talent in MLS to propel the team to the 2002 World Cup quarterfinals.
We're not there, yet, but without a win vs. Costa Rica on Friday and a representative performance (even in a loss) at Mexico, the rancor among the fans -- and sadly the players themselves -- is only going to mount for Klinsmann and Gulati (a package deal at this point).
Above all, with all his tinkering, baffling tactical decisions, blind spots for Jermaine Jones, etc. Klinsmann certainly hasn't helped himself. He's been dealt a tough hand with the injuries, transitional roster, Donovan situation, etc., which most can understand, only the German seems to make matters worse either thorough his cavalier attitude, strange formations or most damning: the lingering sense that the "Emperor Has No Clothes." By now you can clearly question that Germany's success (and only a third place finish) in 2006 was a product of assistant Jogi Low and the more representative Klinsmann was his ill-fated spell in charge of Bayern Munich.
When he was hired Klinsmann tried to promise the U.S. the moon: a change in philosophy, a fun, attack-first team. Instead we've gotten a team that, for the first time in a while, looks like it's going to qualify for a World Cup by the skin of its teeth -- if that.
The worry here, too, is over the years the U.S. -- certainly under Bob Bradley -- provided it's best results when everybody had written it off. One of these days, that backs against the wall, us against the world, ethos is going to wear off. That's not to say it'll happen Friday night in Denver vs. Costa Rica, but it's hard to remember a time there were so many dark clouds and red flags handing over the heads of everyone associated with the team.
As fans, we were mostly ready for a transition back in July 2011. Except instead of tearing away the Band Aid right away, we've found ourselves in a fine mess -- much like zipping up our privates into our prom pants, like Ben Stiller in "There's Something About Mary." The U.S. roster issues and Klinsmann's decisions -- the bean and franks, if you will -- have left us all in a position fraught with peril.
We all knew this might be coming down the road. Nobody expecting getting out of this position, however, to be this painful.
Miscellany:
* Good news: Both the Costa Rica match on Friday and the Mexico match are on channels almost all Americans already have: ESPN2! (Way it's going, let's take the positives wherever they exist.)
* The way everything's shaken out, Brad Guzan (likely) starting in goal is the least of the U.S.'s concerns. Who'd have thought that?
* Still there's there's a place for Sacha Kljestan to make an impact for the U.S., but much like a lot of guys in this lineup puzzle, there doesn't seem to be a ready-made spot for him the way Klinsmann sets things up. Either him or Zusi at the tip of a midfield trio, backed by Bradley and Jones seems like a solid idea. Somebody needs to be an offensive catalyst.
* Wrote earlier in the month about Jozy Altidore's goal-scoring form for AZ and how it may or may not apply to the U.S. So read that.
* File this away: Terrance Boyd will make an impact coming off the bench as a second-half substitute.
* Costa Rica is unbeaten in nine matches, dating back to a loss to Mexico at the Azteca in September.
* Based on his continual mental lapses for the Red Bulls, the U.S. gameplan should be to attack wherever the Ticos line Roy Miller up in their defense.
* Will Arsenal on-loan youngster Joel Campbell be in the mix for Costa Rica? Alvaro Saborio and Bryan Ruiz are both dangerous players, but aren't exactly speed-merchants. Something to keep an eye on.
* Costa Rica has a midfielder named Yeltsin Tejeda in the mix. Wonder if he enjoys Borscht?
Lineup Guess:
If you can figure out Klinsmann's methodology, buy lotto tickets, too. This isn't what I'd pick, but more in line with what Klinsmann's done lately.
GK -- Guzan
DEF -- Cameron -- Edu -- Gonzalez -- Beasley
MID -- Bradley -- Jones -- Zusi
FOR -- Dempsey -- Gomez -- Johnson
Closing Thought:
For whatever doom-and-gloom scenarios that might go through people's heads over the next 90 minutes, it's hard to come up with a situation where the U.S. -- with four more home games -- can't at least coax a way to finish fourth in CONCACAF, which means a playoff with New Zealand. Remember, unless it's going poorly, few people dwell on what happens in the qualifiers.
Planting the Seed of Soccer Across America: Danny Beerseed - 0 comments
USMNT: What. The. Frick?!?!
Honduras 2, U.S. 1 (FT)
As the dude in the American Outlaws t-shirt at the bar (non-official or @ussoccer-approved) where I watched Wednesday's game said as time expired in San Pedro Sula, "Well, that sucked."
Not exactly the greatest way to kick off the final round of CONCACAF 2014 World Cup Qualifying, was it?
There's a tendency to freak out and overreact after a result like this. I get that. In the grand scheme of things, losing on the road to an improved Honduras -- a team expert-at-life Nate Silver's numerology said would win -- isn't necessarily reason to panic. If the U.S. wins its home games, beats Jamaica away and gets some points vs. Costa Rica and Panama it's going to go to Brazil, regardless of the results vs. Mexico.
If the U.S. walked away from the Honduran heat with a draw, or protected Clint Dempsey's very nice goal which put them ahead in the first half, great. We would all have forgotten this match and moved on.
However, the way the U.S. played was ... well ... reason to freak out in earnest. You'd think, for whatever the numbers say, the U.S. is still better than Honduras.
Here's what I know, without slipping into hyperbole:
1. In the second half the U.S. created one solid chance to score, a shot by Dempsey deflected out for a corner.
2. Jozy Altidore, not to single him out, didn't distinguish himself given the starting spot as a lone forward by Jurgen Klinsman. (His PR firm in the U.S. media likely won't mention is name today, just a hunch)
3. Klinsmann's open, attack-minded 4-3-3 with Altidore up top and Eddie Johnson and Dempsey in support, created few chances throughout the match.
4. The greenhorn U.S. defense, including the competitive debuts for all intents and purposes for Timmy Chandler and Omar Gonzalez didn't pay off.
5. Tim Howard made a debatable decision to come off his line (due to a complete team defensive lapse, mind) and got burnt by Jerry Bentgson for the game-winner in the 79th minute.
6. Both teams played on the same grass in the same heat. Hard to use that as an excuse, though the Bundesliga winter break didn't exactly benefit the U.S. today in seamy Central America.
Here's what I don't know:
1. If Carlos Bocanegra had started, the U.S. defense would've been an air-tight, lock-down unit.
2. If Klinsmann played a more conservative gameplan, started Herculez Gomez or others, the result would have been different.
3. (And here's the scary thing) I don't, for the life of me, know if Klinsmann knows what he's doing.
That's the scary prospect here. For all that Klinsmann has talked about, changing the U.S. culture, not much is different. Sure the U.S. now has a win under its belt at the Azteca and Chandler is now cap-tied to the American cause, but beyond that?
Other coaches have gone to Central America and lost, but Klinsmann's run of excuses for the team's inability to put together a tight, tidy and complete 90 minutes of soccer has all but run out.
Ultimately the bare minimum anyone who cares about the U.S. National Team cares about is making the World Cup. It's the standard and it's pass fail. Right now, judging by the last round, too, Klinsmann is in danger of failing. There's justified lack of confidence in the team, calling into question his checkered managerial history despite what he did with Germany in 2006.
There's no need to go overboard, here, since Klinsmann is the coach for the U.S. through this cycle no matter what, considering his ties to Sunil Gulati.
Is this result the end of the world? No. Hardly.
Does it instill much reason to believe anything is going to change going forward? Nope.
Does it make the home game in Denver in March vs. Costa Rica a "must-win"? You bet.
Hard to figure any player walking off the field today will be too proud of their performance, either.
It all seemed to be setting up on a plate for a patented U.S. smash-and-grab, do nothing for the bulk of the match, only to grab a late result. Except today Howard had a shaky moment of indecision and wasn't able to bail out the lackluster defense. It's okay, I guess, Howard has bailed the U.S. defense out more times than we can all count. It underlines the slim margin the Americans play with each time out.
The U.S. wasn't good Wednesday, nor was it god-awful. It's not like Honduras played exceedingly great and ran them off the field. The heat was likely some cause of this for both sides. Given a chance to make a play late, Oscar Boniek Garcia and Bentgson did so and made the Americans pay, not unlike they've done to numerous opponents throughout the years.
Again, this isn't writing off the team. Come the end of the year, people will be looking for ways to book flights to Brazil, perhaps finding a room with Karl Pilkington's drag queen friend.
The sky isn't falling.
Yet.
Other stuff:
* Impossible to gauge this, but would the "experience" of Bocanegra made a difference on either Honduras goal? There's a chance, maybe, a player with Bocanegra's track record wouldn't switch off completely on the first Honduran goal (which lets face it was a hell of a bicycle kick by Juan Carlos Garcia). Perhaps. There's just as good a chance he'd have gotten skinned on the second goal like Geoff Cameron and Omar Gonzalez.
* Juan Carlos Garcia, take a bow. Hell of a goal.
* Overall the U.S. defense was, if you're into the numbers thing, in the 4.0 or lower match rating . Cameron looked like a guy who's played the entire season in the midfield for Stoke City. Who's the alternative? Matt Besler? Thawing out Oguchi Onyewu? Hard to argument the high-risk, high-reward gamble Klinsmann tried with his defense didn't come up completely bust, particularly with Chandler and Fabian Johnson ineffective on the flanks.
* Not to pick on them but the Bundesliga guys (Jones, Danny Williams, Chandler, F. Johnson) didn't look sharp. Again Klinsmann rolled the dice playing all of them in an important game when their league only just resumed its play from a few weeks off. Going from the cold of Northern Europe to the tropics of Honduras is going to be a shock to the system for anyone.
* U.S. surprisingly got a break on a call, with the first would-be Honduras go-ahead goal properly waved off for offsides. Go figure.
* Few things are as inexcusable as giving up the equalizer like the U.S. did in the 40th, barely four minutes after Dempsey's strike. Hold the lead up halftime and it's a different match for the final 45. Would the U.S. have bunkered down and held it? The way the defenders played, probably not. Still, it's deflating to give up the tying goal that soon after you go ahead.
* Complaining about Jermaine Jones is like complaining about the weather at this point. Klinsmann has a blind eye for him and will keep using him, for better or for worse. He was pretty good Wednesday, with a great visionary pass to set up Dempsey's goal. Jones only made it through about 60 minutes until Maurice Edu had to come on.
* There's another time for this, yet it's a bit ridiculous fans in America could watch: England, Germany, France, Brazil and Mexico play with ease, but many had to result to McGyver-like means to watch the U.S. play.
* Ray Hudson, everyone's favorite Geordie announcer, is remarkably subdued when Lionel Messi isn't around.
In Closing
This song seems oddly appropriate tonight as we sob ourselves to sleep, crying into our red scarves:
Planting the Seed of Soccer Across America: Danny Beerseed - 0 comments
Editor's Note: We're continuing our contributions over at the SB Nation U.S. soccer blog, Stars and Stripes FC with this same piece. Check 'em out as they've got other great stuff than just FBM contributing.
Our USMNT - Honduras Game Day Beer Recommendations
Today the United States men’s national team travels down to steamy San Pedro Sula, Honduras for the first match of their Hexagonal round of World Cup Qualifying.
For anyone that’s ever been to San Pedro Sula or Honduras… it’s quite the place. I lived there for a while and experienced life, love, and libations.
Wait? What was I even talking about?
Oh yeah… libations.
If you’re ever in Honduras chances are it will be on the beautiful Bay Islands. Roatan, Utila, or less likely, La Guanaja. Wherever you are in Honduras you’ll find three beers: Barena, Port Royal, or Imperial (not the Imperial from Costa Rica that’s wildly available in the U.S.). Each one is a relatively light beer. Barena a Bud or Coruna knock-off; Port Royal similar to Heinekin right down to the green bottle; and Imperial is a bit darker like a Negra Modelo. Each one delightful on a white sandy beach in front of clear, blue water far away for the throat-clogging pollution surroundings of Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano.
But you probably didn’t come here to read about a bunch of tropical beers that are hard to find here. You want your good ol’ American craft beer fix for this afternoon’s game.
If it’s a lighter lager fare you’re looking for on par with today’s USMNT location then we’ve got a few well-crafted pilsner lagers to sip on during the afternoon. Plus, they’re not too heavy on the ABV for you to get back to your desk after that “doctor’s appointment” you had.
The light lager has typically been a category of beer that craft brewers have left well alone to the domain of the macro-brewers. Times are changing though. In order to bridge the “craft gap”
between macro drinkers and those who love their double-triple-IPA-cherry-barrel-aged-stouts (note: not a real style... yet) craft brewers are now using their talents to take on this typically tame beer style.
Our game day recommendations for best craft pilsners:
New Belgium Brewing Co. “Shift” Pale Lager (Fort Collins, CO)
Victory Brewing Co. “Prima Pils” (Downington, PA)
Lagunitas Brewing Co. “Pils” (Petaluma, CA)
Oskar Blues Brewing Co. “Mama’s Little Yella Pils” (Longmont, CO)
Each of these is sure to be a “refreshing” change of pace from any macro-pilsners or crazy craft concoctions you might normally imbibe. And leave you somewhat ready for getting back to the desk or not falling asleep at the dinner table tonight.
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Remember these two? Yeah... it's been a long four years since the last "Hex". (Photo Credit: Soccer By Ives)
Editor's Note:This is our "get fired up" post for US international matches. We re-post it for every US match. Share it with your friends.
Today's the day the U.S. Men's National Team takes the field in their first "Hexagonal" World Cup qualifier on their road to Brazil 2014.
Today's the day they face Honduras in San Pedro Sula.
Today's the day we take the win and move on to the next match.
Today's the day that Howard will shine, Dempsey will lead, goals will be scored, and timely tackles will be made.
Today's the day we sit down with friends and fellow soccer fans and cheer on our team.
Today's the day we invite someone new to come along and experience the power of a soccer match.
Today's the day they'll get a free cold one to enjoy while watching the sport we so desperately love and the team we'd follow to the ends of the earth (or Brazil!).
Today's the day we ask a non-soccer fan to join our footballing family.
The Free Beer Movement is about spreading the love of American soccer to all corners of the nation and no day is better than today. Today, the pride and joy of our nation's game takes the field in order to continue its push towards the greatest sporting spectacle of all-time, the World Cup.
The past, present, and future of American soccer all take the field today to join in one cause, to win, and to move on to the next level.
It is days like this we, as American soccer fans embrace, as our national team fights for our country's continued respect on the international stage and to stake a claim as the best team in North and Central America.
Games like today are bigger than any game; bigger than any MLS game, and bigger than your son or daughter's kick around in the park.
Our local colors blend. There are no more yellow and black of the Columbus Crew or orange and white of the Houston Dynamo or the black and red of DC United; today there is only RED, WHITE, and BLUE.
These are the days that our nation's best and brightest shine on the field for 90 minutes. For themselves, for soccer, but mostly for you... the American fan and their country... the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
These are the days that you have to get up as a soccer fan in America.
So grab you friends, grab those soccer fans, grab those ones you want to become soccer fans, and most importantly grab some really cold beers because today's the day we support our National Team and our national game we love so much.
If you're like me, your sleep pattern over the last week has been flushed straight down the toilet. You're twisting. You're turning. You're having bad dreams -- nightmares in fact.
All because of one man: Roger Espinoza.
Goodness gracious, did you see the Honduran midfielder's debut for Wigan Athletic in the Barclay's Premier League vs. Stoke City last week? To call his move from Sporting Kansas City to the world's BEST league seamless would be an understatement. This was like Bruce Dickinson sliding in for Paul Di'Anno as frontman of Iron Maiden, albeit without the codpiece.
Let's put it this way, who needs RedTube.com, when you've got Espinoza's heat maps from that match.
This was a performance on par with Ferenc Puskas for Real Madrid vs. Eintracht Frankfurt in the 1960 European Cup final, a masterclass.
Truthfully, when the U.S. National Team heads to Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano in San Pedro Sula on Wednesday (3 p.m., CST, beIN Sports) for the first match of the final round of CONCACAF World Cup 2014 Qualification (aka the Hex) I'm not sure how the Americans can even dream of winning all three points. Even a draw seems far-flung, considering the U.S. couldn't do much of anything in its friendly last week with Canada, drawing 0-0 in Houston.
If U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann is ever going to play his dream lineup of Tim Howard protected outfield by 10 clones of Jermaine Jones, this is the match. Bunker down. Dump and run. Pray for a point.
Honduras is that damn good.
***
Look, I trust anyone still reading this little old blog to pick up on the sarcasm. Pretty sure I laid it on there thicker than an bottle of Mrs. Butterworth left out in the January snow.
For whatever the reason, this" fear of our shadow" seems to be a overwhelming tone percolating around the U.S. these days. Qualification to the seventh straight World Cup is going to be nigh on impossible.
Klinsmann doesn't know what he's doing.
The U.S. doesn't have anyone -- specifically forwards -- who can score.
Realistically there are two concrete, irrefutable issues to worry about with the U.S. under Klinsmann's watchful, forward-thinking, motivational rah-rah eye.
1. The slow starts.
Why the U.S. falls behind early due to mental lapses in the defense, or only plays well when it's right up against the gun is baffling. It's a bit of a double-edged sword, too.
Sup, Fräuleins
The same mentality that allows the team to slip up, conceding sloppy goals is, to some degree, the same one that lets to pull something from nothing, as seen in the win at Mexico, the late draw vs. Russia and throughout the previous round of qualification.
Perhaps the immediate equalizer vs. Antigua (in a 3-1 win) or allowing a goal to Guatemala in the fifth minute in a must-win match isn't huge trend, but it's definitely something and strange why it takes something bad to happen for Klinsmann's teams to get into gear -- even as he stands with a wry smile on his face on the touchline.
2. Three Defensive Midfielders Don't Work.
In 2012 Klinsmann fielded five lineups that started with some combination of Jones, Michael Bradley (not really a "defensive midfielder," in truth but you know what we mean), Maurice Edu, Kyle Beckerman or Danny Williams together in a midfield trio/triangle/thee headed Cerberus with a penchant for yellow cards. The U.S. went 2-2-1, including 1-1-1 in qualifiers, including the nadir of the year -- the loss at Jamaica.
Following that defeat, when every U.S. fan was in full-on panic mode, Klinsmann went back to the tried-and-true 4-4-2 formation, relying on Herculez Gomez and Clint Dempsey up top. It produced two wins.
The 4-4-2, soccer's missionary position, will never win many plaudits from Internet know-it-alls like Zonal Marking (who should probably go into coaching because he's that wise and seemingly never once been wrong when it comes to filling out his starting XI), but it seems to be effective for the U.S. Is it the rapturous, swashbuckling play of a mid-table Portuguese League team, no. I'll have to grant you that.
That's what probably needs to be drilled into people who have the masochistic tenancy to actually want to watch the U.S. throughout the next 10 months. It's not going to be fun. It's not going to be fluid. If you want that, watch Barcelona (#morethanaclub) every week and laugh along with Ray Hudson ever so retweetable commentary. Sadly, our pal Jermaine Jones is never going to tap dance atop a champagne bubble and into the stratosphere like Lionel Messi -- few are.
Realistically if you want aesthetically pleasing soccer, there's no shortage of it on American television these days unlike the late 1990s when pretty much the only exposure we had to the game were U.S. matches, international tournaments or MLS. (RIP Tampa Bay Mutiny. #neverforget) Nor are qualifiers aren't going to have the feel of Chelsea scoring eight goals in a Premier League match in September
Qualifying for the World Cup is enjoyable in the sense the games are full of meaning, but -- by golly -- has the U.S. proven it's not exactly best to pay that close attention to how the Brazilian 2014 sausage is made.
Something else to keep an eye on, is for some reason the U.S. struggles when it's supposed to win. Throw that out against the mini Caribbean nations, although Antigua and Barbuda proved not to be pushovers last round, but when the U.S. goes into a game as a favorite, with the onus on them to carry the run of play through attacking, it never seems to go off smoothly. Conversely, when America plays a team it's supposed to get creamed by, it usually surprises and does well.
Why this happens goes back to the whole idea that the U.S. is better when it can use it's athleticism to play on the counter-attack as opposed to having to play in possession since American players aren't strong with their first-touches or creative passing.
And for all the talk of how hard it is to play on the road in CONCACAF, which it surely is, how many disasters has the U.S. had in the last two decades save for trips to the Azteca? Off the top of my head, there was the game Jose Torres got undressed on the plastic pitch of the Saprissa in Costa Rica and the loss at Jamaica last October. Otherwise the U.S. usually does enough to get a draw or sometimes win, which equals a smooth qualification process.
Still, there's no reason for the U.S. to go into qualification lacking confidence. Yes, the teams in CONCACAF are improved, but the U.S. -- look up and down its roster -- is still better (not counting Mexico) and has better resources within its federation. Let's not undersell the U.S., as we seem to have. For all the caveats and asterisks that come with it, how many other teams in the final six of CONCACAF boast a player who's the top scorer (now second) in a European league like Jozy Altidore is in the Dutch Eredivisie?
Yes, the U.S. roster is unbalanced and isn't blessed with players in the Champions League, barring everybody's favorite midfield enforcer, Jones. By CONCACAF standards, it's still very good.
Qualification for the U.S. isn't going to be easy.
But it's not as impossible as some people are making it sound, either.
It just won't be all that pretty or fun to digest.
Other Stuff:
* The biggest thing to watch in this game is the likely midfield partnership between Jones and Bradley. Let's hope Bradley takes the front foot here, leading the way. It's baffling why in 2012 the U.S. seems to differ and take all it's cues from Jones -- a bit player at Schalke 04 only recently back from suspension. To Jones' credit, at least, he was the one guy seemingly willing to step up and try to carry some of the play, for better or worse.
Bradley only gets better and should be the rock the team is built on the next few seasons.
* Kind of a big deal (buried in the final line of the USSF's release on Monday about the 23-man roster) is that Bradley, Dempsey, F. Johnson, Zusi and Edu are a yellow card away from a one-match ban since CONCACAF in its infinite wisdom doesn't reset discipline from the previous rounds. So at least two massively important players (Bradley, Dempsey) are a whistle away from missing the next game, in Denver on March 22 vs. Costa Rica or the March 26th trip to the Azteca. This seems important.
* Poor Timmy Chandler, about to get cap-tied by the U.S. since he'll likely start at right back with Steve Cherundolo injured. Hard to think of anything worse that could happen to anyone in the realm of soccer, bar sharing a hotel room with Nemanja Vidic. Let's all pour out a Bitburger to mourn his career as a German international. Auf Wiedersehen.
* At the expense of writing 1,000 words about Altidore, which probably could be done with ease, few Americans are going to care he's scored 15 goals for AZ in the Dutch Eredivisie this campaign (second to Vitesse's Wilfried Bony) if he puts in another fruitless, low work-rate shift for the U.S. Altidore should start at forward, but another U.S. paradox existed in 2012 that the less pedigreed Herculez Gomez continually outshone him on the international stage.
It's worth noting at AZ this season Altidore has played exclusively as a loan center forward/striker in a classic Dutch 4-3-3, with steady service from the wingers, scoring many goals on headers. By the same token, Altidore's best days as a U.S. player probably came during his brief partnership up top with Charlie Davies.
If Altidore is as talented as we've been lead to believe by some U.S. journalists, do we really need to make excuses for which formation he plays in?
* Landon Donovan doesn't want to play soccer as his spiritual quest of surfing the coasts of all seven continents continues. He doesn't want to play? Let's move on. Donovan isn't going to play forever and if he eventually wants to get back in the fold, it can only be considered a good thing down the road. Until Donovan's "head is right," let's not worry about him. Next man up, as the saying goes.
* It's confusing Klinsmann seems so in love with Maurice Edu, who the German coach still wishes he could convert into a center back. Since he transfer to Stoke City from Rangers in late August and subsequent loan to Bursaspor in Turkey, the Maryland product has played in two games.
* Geoff Cameron, for what I've seen of Stoke City (a treat to the eyes and ears), hasn't lined up at center back, playing on the right of defense or the midfield. Even so, this doesn't seem a concern since he's played well as a defender while wearing the U.S. shirt.
* I've always enjoyed Brad Davis, if only for set piece delivery.
* Good that Sacha Kljestan is in the mix, if only for cheap jokes about him being a hipster I can make on Twitter. (He's the only laughing. His wife, wowee, zowee.) Could he form a partnership with Bradley? Would that midfield tandem work, at least at home?
* For what it's worth, Carlos Bocanegra's Racing Santander is currently in last-place in the Spanish second division. This is likely due to the club's league-low 19 goals scored and not necessarily its defense. Hard to say, as I don't watch the Segunda. Please do not throw rotten fruit at me for revealing this to a world audience. I should be more cultured than I am. Unclean. UNCLEAN!!!
* Genuinely terrific development, all Mexico 2014 Qualifiers will be on ESPN in English (although they're much more enjoyable on Univision with Pablo Ramirez) whereas most U.S. fans will have to scramble to find a way to access to road qualifiers for the Americans via the lack of cable operators carrying beIN Sport. Please DO NOT revert to accessing an illegal internet stream. You'd be better served burning down 10 acres of Brazilian rain forest if you're going to be that big of a monster.
Lineup Guess:
A safe, simple 4-4-2 on the road. If Klinsmann tries to get too cute with his preference for wingers (on a team with very few at its disposal) its a recipe for peril. The 4-4-2 is about as "sexy" Jemaine Clement singing on "Business Time," but it's effective -- socks on or off.
GK -- Howard
DEF -- Chandler -- Cameron -- Bocanegra -- Johnson
MID -- Zusi -- Bradley -- Jones -- B. Davis
FOR -- Dempsey -- Altidore
Final Thought:
A win would be great, a draw okay and a loss wouldn't be the end of the world. That's the quality, first-class analysis you come to this site to read, right?
Planting the Seed of Soccer Across America: Danny Beerseed - 0 comments
Our USMNT - Canada Beer Recommendation(s)
Editor's Note: We're continuing our contributions over at the SB Nation U.S. soccer blog, Stars and Stripes FC with this same piece. Check 'em out as they've got other great stuff than just FBM contributing.
As an American craft beer drinker there’s really no better symbol for U.S-Canadian beer relations than the classic 1995 film, “Canadian Bacon”. The premise is that a faltering U.S. President dreams up a plan to make Canada our new enemy.
The whole conflict begins when American John Candy attends Canadian hockey game and, after a string of anti-Canadian statements by him and his friends, belts out, “I'll tell ya another thing: their beer sucks!
The crowd stops and turns toward Candy, as do the players, and a huge riot breaks out. Eventually the incident boils into a full-blown international incident.
Candy was mostly likely referring to one of their macro-beers such as Molson’s or Labatt’s, but when craft beer is compared we’re certain that:
“Their beer STILL sucks!”
Now both American AND Canadian craft beer has come a long way since 1995 and we mostly say that to get a rise out of any Canuck that might wander onto this post, but when compared head-to-head American craft beer, like pretty much anything when compared to Canada, comes out on top.
How much does the United States dominate in craft beer? Consider Beer Advocate’s list of top 250 beers. A Canadian brewery, Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel’s Peche Mortel (an AMERICAN Double Stout), doesn’t arrive until the 43rd spot and a second one, Unibroue’s La Fin Du Monde (a Belgian Tripel), shows up in 70th place. Granted Canadian craft beers are hard to come by and harder to rate, but still…..
WE’RE NUMBER ONE AND NUMBER TWO AND NUMBER THREE AND NUMBER FOUR…… AND WE’RE NUMBER 42!
You get the idea.
So what’s a full-of-patriotism, rub-it-in-Canada’s-face American soccer and craft beer fan to drink for today’s international friendly?
We’re going to recommend a beer style that plays on the former plan the United States military held in the early 1930s to invade Canada in the event of a war with Great Britain: War Plan Red. Once World War II broke out and the British (and by extension, the Canadians) and the U.S. were all allies the plan was shelved, but not de-classified until 1974. Canadians have always been suspicious of an U.S invasion; as they should be since we’ve tried (and failed) three times and apparently harbor some fears to this day.
American soccer and craft beer fans… arm yourself with a red ale!
You know, that stuff we used to read stuff on. You might remember it referred to as "papyrus." It was made out of wood pulp, or something. It's hard to really say. This "paper" was invented by the ancient Egyptians and, presumably, the manufacturing process was taught to them by the same aliens who built the pyramids. My memory of all this is a little fuzzy. Forgive me.
Anyways, ancient man used to use paper and often bound these pages into volumes called, "books." Which were read to gain knowledge and or entertain you before television was invented.
One day I stumbled across one of these "books" in my daily adventures and took it home with me. "The Rough Guide to Cult Football" it was titled. Something told me this would find a perfect home resting comfortably atop the lid on my toilet for reading material, as the fear of dropping an iPhone and or iPad into the bowl would be worse than having your pinky finger lopped off.
This book was full of fun tidbits, profiles, charts, pictures, anecdotes etc. about football, or what we uncouth Americans call, "soccer." (A sport played with your feet.) Basically fun stuff from the Time Before, aka when soccer was available on television 24/7/365 to Americans -- so roughly 2001.
Throughout this tome, there are numerous shots by the British writers at America's attempt to play the sport. In fact, here's one in list form, including a dig at ESPN analyst and ginger extraordinaire, Alexi Lalas. There are swipes, too, at the defunct NASL. If you lived in a cave and had no knowledge of the outside world (but somehow had this book) you'd get the picture Americans attempting to play the sport of soccer would be akin to chimpanzee's hammering away at a typewriter -- albeit less hilarious. (It's unlikely someone living in isolation in the woods would draw parallels to something based off a Simpsons joke, but you never know.)
Reading all this -- and knowing a little bit how the Brits think -- there's a definite fearful tone in the writing. Why would British hacks take so much pleasure in perpetuating the myth Americans don't know a thing about soccer unless, deep down, they were afraid of the Colonies one day conquering the sports like we Yanks have done nearly all other team sports, well the ones we care about anyway. Let Denmark have Team Handball.
Why don't the English crack wise about China's inability to raise its soccer profile?
China has a robust economy, over a billion citizens and a communist government pushing excellence in sports -- see the Beijing Olympics -- yet soccer in the country languishes in the backwaters. China has played in one World Cup -- 2002. It's current national team is comprised entirely of players from it's own domestic league, the Chinese Super League which in the last two days saw high-profile players Didier Drogba and Niclas Anelka jump ship barely a year into their contracts.
Remember Dong Faagzhuo? Allegedly this nascent Chinese superstar, signed to Manchester United last decade?
Yeah, me neither.
And yet, here we are as we hit the main course of 2014 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying. Seemingly not a day goes by where somebody hatches an idea why the United States lags behind the world soccer powers like Brazil and Spain nearly 25 years since the "modern era" since the 1990 World Cup. Monday it was ESPN's Roger Bennett writing a long story theorizing why the United States hasn't produced a star player like Lionel Messi. Read it if you haven't, if only to stir the juices in your brain.
Everybody who's ever watched an American soccer game or considers his or herself a fan has probably spent plenty of time speculating on the subject.
It's flawed youth development that only cares about trophies.
It's MLS's closed system where the clubs can't directly train their own youth academies like the rest of the world.
It's the broken college/pro idea all other American sports use.
It's because American players want to get an education.
It's because the USSF hasn't figured out how to integrate America's growing Hispanic population.
It's because not enough players are in Europe.
It's because we lost Giuseppe Rossi to Italy.
It's because MLS doesn't have promotion and relegation.
It's because there aren't enough Americans on Champions League clubs.
The USSF doesn't have enough oversight.
The USSF has too much oversight.
American kids play other sports.
The United States is too big geographically.
It's because LeBron James decided to play basketball instead of soccer.
It's because of something Bob Bradley did, so it's likely his fault.
Or it's because of the Mayans.
That about covers about all the arguments.
In short, it's probably some of these and all of these or none of these. Maybe we're all wasting too much thinking about all this, losing focus on the other details, or beyond that even enjoying the games at hand, such as Tuesday night's all-important traditional end of January friendly, this time against Canada in Houston. (9 p.m., ESPN2)
Sometimes it feels like the amount of time we (myself included) have poured into figuring out why America hasn't conquered the world of soccer, is staggering. Never-mind these facts:
1. the U.S. is almost an automatic World Cup qualifier, reaching the knockout rounds two of the last three competitions (and... The U.S. is one of only seven nations to reach the last six World Cups -- along with Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Italy, South Korea and Spain)
2. Out of the 200-plus nations in FIFA, eight have won a World Cup. Eight, is simply astounding.
Could the U.S. be further along? Should we as fans expect a little more than a place in the Round of 16 in the World Cup? Definitely.
By the same token, can we all of a sudden transplant Barcelona's La Masia training ground, bottle up whatever magical water flows there and plop it into the fields of America and replicate the results? Obviously not. You could observe what a Barcelona does for months, or the German youth system, but applying it to America and simply snapping your fingers and expecting results is asinine.
If there is one thing I'll say is a definite factor in the hindrance of U.S. soccer development is the difference where most American parents wouldn't want their children, at say, 13 training with a pro club with maybe the outside shot of a pro contract by the time he's 18. In Europe or around the world this isn't balked at, yet for so many American parents the driving force is the almighty college scholarship, so nearly all decisions for their soccer-playing children are made with that in mind, not the greater development of the sport in the country. Call it a sense of entitlement. "My little Hunter plays U12 on Rockingham United. He's a shoo-in for a spot on Stanford's college team."
Right.
Take a big country like Brazil. There's thousands upon thousands of kids playing against each other around the clock. It produces better players and weeds out the weaker ones, much like what we have with basketball in America. If you go to a playground, maybe you'll see some talent kids playing hoops, yet only the best of the best are going to a Division I school and even less to the NBA.
In the more abstract sense, let's keep looking at basketball.
European basketball clubs and academies continually produce players, fundamentally sound players. You know all the stereotypes. Guys who can pass, shoot, make free throws, etc. Solid all-around basketball players. You can take that player, stick in at an American college and chances are he'll do fairly well even if ... HE'S SOFT! (because every single European to play basketball is softer than a wedge of brie.)
As fundamentally capable as that player is, line him up against a guy like LeBron James who is physically unlike nearly 99.99999999999999999999999999 percent of the human population and there's going to be a gap. There is something inherently special about LeBron on the basketball court, something that no matter if you took someone with a base level of skill, trained him for eight hours a day for years, he'll never be able to replicate.
Or even take a basketball player like J.J. Redick. Not an overwhelming physical player. There's no shortage of 6-foot-4 shooting guards. Redick, for whatever reason, has that knack for the 3-point shot and has carved out an NBA career from it. He's able to to that one thing on the court very, very well.
This might apply to soccer even more, but in a different way. It goes back to my long-held theory that of all the sports, soccer is art. It can be played so many different ways to create beauty. It's not purely physical. If it were, 6-foot-7 Peter Crouch would theoretically a better player than the 5-foot-7 Lionel Messi. If Everton left back Leighton Baines walked past you on the street, you'd never think he's a borderline world class player.
There probably isn't a magic formula for what makes a world-class soccer player, though some would argue that Messi has the ideal height. There are so many little different skill sets in the game, and with the proper coaching can be used and molded into a successful team. There's yet to be a team of 11 Franz Beckenbauers, who at his pomp could conceivably play anywhere on the field.
No matter where you stand on the U.S. soccer development paradigm, we can agree the America has produced a steady string of solid, physically fit, capable soccer players with high stamina. Where the U.S. lags far behind the world is finding creative, soccer-minds. There aren't many Americans who we think of as crafty and cagey. When we do have an example of a highly intelligent American player, it's Claudio Reyna. To wit, granted these are the top examples, but the U.S. hasn't produced guys like Xavi or Andrea Pirlo -- or even their non-union Mexican equivalents. (Note, that's another Simpsons reference.) Instead the definitive players of the brief Jurgen Klinsmann era are gritty grinders like Jermaine Jones.
Here's the thing, in soccer you can win with a guy like Jones.
No, seriously, stop laughing.
Goal by MLS, still counts as one on the scoreboard.
It's not easy, but international soccer isn't always about cramming the most individual talent possibly in the starting XI. It's finding a system that works and limiting mistakes. As the U.S. under Bradley (and Klinsmann) proved, sometimes all it takes is one fortunate moment over the span of 90 minutes to produce a result, ie. vs. Spain, Italy, Mexico etc.
When the U.S. takes on Canada Tuesday, or plays at Honduras in a qualifier next Wednesday, do you think when the ball touches the feet of Graham Zusi do you think he's worrying about the fact he played at Maryland or was only a second-round MLS pick? Or when Mixx Diskerud collects a pass he's remembering how he came up through the Stabaek youth system in Norway and played briefly in Belgium before he could legally buy a can of Budweiser in the United States?
We as fans worry about this stuff a lot more than the players, or even Klinsmann, although his comments to the Wall Street Journal might say otherwise. On the eve of qualification, it doesn't seem the German-born coach is too worried about pedigrees or which club pays your wages, he wants guys with hunger who are driven to consistently be the best they can be -- sounds decidedly American, doesn't it?
It speaks to that insecurity we as American soccer fans are ingrained to feel. That the rest of the world scoffs at us, while the mainstream media in our country laughs behind our backs about the sport.
In the words of the great Dr. Steve Brule, "Who cares?"
If, next week vs. Honduras, (a game that's fairly important) are we going to care if a goal is scored by Terrance Boyd who came up in the Hertha Berlin youth set-up in Germany or if it's Chris Wondolowski, who played with something called the Chico State Wildcats as a kid? Probably not.
Look, this isn't something people are going to like to hear, but we've been talking about U.S. soccer player development for years and it has moved at a glacial pace. Everyone who cares about soccer has an opinion on it, but enacting something that's comprehensive and works seems a bridge too far -- if for the immediate future. There are so many forces at play, things unique to America compared to the rest of the world trying to copy or emulate another system will take years to take root. Instead whomever is the U.S. coach or in a position or power with the USSF is going to have to accept the situation and make it work the best for him.
There isn't a magic bullet. And to think a wealthy country of 310 million people needs one to compete is a defeatism mentality, a fall-back excuse for when the United States -- at all levels, especially the youth -- comes up short. The player pool is deep enough to find 23 solid international players at any given time.
Realistically, whatever success the U.S. has on the soccer field is going to be wrought the "American Way." For better or for worse ... and whatever that ultimately means.
Look it up in a book. Maybe it'll have a definition.
Planting the Seed of Soccer Across America: Danny Beerseed - 0 comments
The United States Men's National team posted a 9-2-3 record for 2012 (their best winning percentage ever), notched important international friendly wins away to in Italy and Mexico, and saw Michael Bradley emerge as the "general" of this team. Yet, for all their success Landon Donovan was mostly absent and the Nats backed their way into the final round of World Cup Qualifying (not including the U-23 disaster).
What will 2013 bring? Hopefully qualification for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and a foundation for success there.
Look back on all the goals (seven from Clint Dempsey) for 2012 with this video from U.S. Soccer.
Planting the Seed of Soccer Across America: Danny Beerseed - 0 comments
Sure you've seen "The American Outlaws" on TV. It's all those crazy peopple behind the goal at U.S. national team matches.
This short film is a touching and slighty insane tribute to the immense atmosphere that they bring to each and every match (including more and more away games).
"For his excellence at the highest levels of the sport, U.S. Soccer announced U.S. Men's National Team forward Clint Dempsey as the 2012 Male Athlete of the Year. Dempsey led U.S. scorers in 2012 with six goals, including five in the Semifinal Round of 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying. The forward was also a big part of the USA's memorable win against Italy on Feb. 29, tallying the lone goal in the 1-0 victory in Genoa. He now has 30 goals in his career, tied with Brian McBride for third all-time. In England, Dempsey concluded his career at Fulham as the team's all-time leading scorer in the Premier League before moving to Tottenham in August in one of the highest-profile deals ever for an American abroad."
So the American script under Jurgen Klinsmann survives to live another day and make the long winter before the qualifier against Honduras in February a little more palatable.
This game was the United States, as it stands currently in a nutshell.
Sloppy play in your own half to give up a goal? Check.
Minimal creativity from the midfield? Check.
Tim Howard standing on his head to make a bunch of athletic saves? Check.
Listless, nothing performance for most of the night? Check.
Finding a way to pull out a completely improbable result? Check.
The U.S. truly is infuriating.
Why the team, continually, finds a way to play its best with it's back against the wall doesn't make sense. Maybe this is being too harsh after -- twice -- coming back from down a goal to get a draw at Russia, yet this type of performance happens time and time again.
It is the best and worst quality of this team rolled into one.
They're never out of a match until the full time whistle ... but they seem to always make it too damn hard for themselves. Repeatedly.
I don't get it. Doubt anyone does.
Full credit to Michael Bradley for spearheading the comeback with an absolute beauty of a goal to make it 1-1. On the volley, off the post. Just brilliant stuff. If there's one thing almost all U.S. fans can agree on -- which is harder than it sounds -- build the squad around the Roma midfielder, then fill in the rest of the pieces.
Bradley, too, set up the eventual tying goal in stoppage time after Russia had gone ahead in the 85th thanks to a careless penalty given up by Clarence Goodson. Bradley fired the ball in, Terrance Boyd knocked it down and Mix Diskerud was in the right place to deflect his shot into the net.
Not pretty and the result flatters the overall performance, but hey, it's never good to lose to Russia if only for dated 1980s Cold War-era cinema references.
(RIP Patrick Swayze.)
Other Stuff:
* Guess we have to talk about Jozy Altidore, right? Do we have to? Can we all simply agree scoring goals in Holland and international soccer are two different Vehn diagrams? It's one thing not to score, it's another to be unable to complete a pass. Any wonder both U.S. goals were set up on knockdowns by subs Juan Agudelo and Boyd?
* The less said about Jermaine Jones, the better. Again, this is nothing personal but he must have a Svengali-like mind meld with Klinsmann for the German coach to keep playing him. And why the U.S. players all defer to him is mind boggling. And yes, he played much of the second half as a left wing.
* As bad as the giveaway was by Danny Williams to set up Russia's first goal, there's still more promise in him than Jones.
* Suffice to say, Klinsmann's love of the three-man defensive minder midfield could come back to haunt the U.S. in games that matter in 2013.
* Josh Gatt? Promising, but let's not go overboard. He's an option out wide at this point, beyond that? Solid debut for the Molde man overall.
* Howard better sleep in an oxygen tent between now and 2014 because the Americans are sunk without him. Does any other keeper make such an impact internationally, game-in, game-out as he does? Or is that a little bit of Ian Darke-level hyperbole?
* Taylor Twellman actually said, before the Diskerud goal that a 2-1 loss would be better than a 1-1 draw for the U.S. on the ESPN broadcast. Well then.
* If this all sounds overtly negative, let's end on praising Michael Bradley once again. He's really really good.
Our USMNT - Canada Beer Recommendation(s)
