How can we make the United States fall in love with soccer? Buy your friends a beer and watch as a lifelong love affair with the beautiful game begins.
Learn more.
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
"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.
Planting the Seed of Soccer Across America: Danny Beerseed - 0 comments
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?
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.
There's probably a very rote way to discuss Tuesday night's 2014 CONCACAF World Cup qualifier from Columbus, Ohio, including two massive, mandatory points which must be discussed.
1. The U.S. took care of business and got three points, erasing the memory of the ugly defeat in Kingston three days ago.
1a. Jurgen Klinsmann's five lineup changes, notably taking big gambles on Graham Zusi and Jose Torres in the midfield, among the most prominent, paying dividends.
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I'll try to make this a little more unique that what you can probably read in 502 other places. As you may or may not know by now I've probably watched the majority of U.S. National Team games over the years on the couch next to my dad. Needing to do laundry -- and get home-cooked meal from mom -- I went to my parents place to kill a couple of birds with one stone.
As soon as I walked in, my dad already said he was nervous about the result and proceeded to grill me on all the what-if scenarios should the U.S. fail to beat Jamaica later that night. Fun stuff.
Hours passed and the game began. Usually my dad will talk throughout, while I'll bury my head into my phone and fall into the Twitter wormhole. Tonight, dad didn't talk. He was locked in from the start, with his leg slowly, steadily starting to twitch and tap as the clock ticked toward 90 at Crew Stadium.
By the time the whistle sounded, like many others, my dad let out a massive sigh of relief.
Thank you Herculez Gomez for your free kick goal in the 55th minute that saved me a trip to the emergency walk-in clinic. (As Nate from ohyoubeauty pointed out on Twitter, we could have lived without Ian Darke's strained 'No. 9 shirt scoring on 9/11' remark.)
Perhaps in 2012 the U.S. should be beyond sweating out nervy 1-0 results vs. a team like Jamaica -- on homesoil -- yet it beats the alternative.
The most important part of Tuesday's win is it puts destiny to advance (hard to think we're thinking like this) to the final Hexagonal back in the Americans hands with a trip to Antigua and Barbuda followed by a home game with Guatemala in October. Six points very ready for the taking, with the U.S., Jamaica and Guatemala now all even on seven points with two matches to play.
Now that the dust has settled after 180 minutes of soccer against the Reggae Boyz not all that much has changed in the grand scheme of U.S. soccer.
* Klinsmann still loves his rugged midfield hardman Jermaine Jones while the public doesn't.
* We still don't quite know what the U.S. "style" of play under the German coach is going to develop into.
* Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan still haven't found a way to get on the field in a U.S. shirt at the same time.
* The U.S. hasn't morphed into Brazil 1970 or Holland 1974, either.
If there's any one takeaway, it's that Geoff Cameron's emergence in a central defensive role eases some consternation of having to rely on 30-somethings like Carlos Bocanegra and Oguchi Onyewu in Brazil two years from now. That's a definite plus. Small sample size, yes, but an encouraging one nonetheless.
With any luck Klinsmann realized that that a midfield comprised of three hard-tacklers with limited passing vision isn't going to take the U.S. to the next level. It might be nice to get some hard tackles vs. Brazil in a friendly, but with a packed in opposing defense -- not so much.
What struck me as odd about the two Jamaica games, despite a total of four goals being scored, is how few chances either side produced.(*) That's going to happen when three of the four goals are from free kicks. Friday, in the U.S. loss, it had two shots on goal, whereas Jamaica had four. Tuesday each side had one apiece.
(*) We tend to never think about it as fans, but the condition of the pitch makes such a difference in how a game is played. The immaculate surface in Columbus certainly aided the U.S. possession game in the first half.
That's a little misleading since the U.S. caught Liverpool-syndrome in the first half, hitting the post numerous times as well as being denied by keeper Dwayne Miller on some excellent saves. Credit, though, to Danny Williams (at home in a defensive/shield role) and Zusi for taking some shots from distance.
Through it all, yes, the U.S. probably should have been ahead comfortably at the half, but that's soccer. How many times have the Americans been kept in games but for the one-man heroics of Tim Howard in goal? Even with it still 0-0 it was an encouraging half with Torres and Zusi looking assured on the ball, plus Gomez -- on top of his later goal -- was much more active coming back to get involved in the attack, same with Clint Dempsey although his misguided backheels at the center line weren't necessarily the best idea of the night. (His GIF-face notwitstanding, it was not Dempsey's best showing -- seemed out-of-sync. Strange he played the full 90, too.)
This will sound odd, but Jones -- despite his unloved status -- was effective Tuesday, even as he was clearly targeted again by the Jamaicans. His game is a lot like Michael Bradley, running box-to-box and playing a high-incident, blood-and-guts style. On a weekly basis at Schalke this is very useful, a little less in the international game. He might be a "defensive" minded player, or at least that's what we think of him, but he's not quite that holding guy who starts attacks or relieves pressure. Realistically the best we've seen from Jones is when he makes runs forward into the box, not breaking up attacks or shielding the defense.
Put it this way, we think of every European player as the almost magical combination of first touch goodness and tactical nous. While the technique of the average Euro player is probably better than elsewhere, players like Jones show there is more than one side to the beautiful game.
But back to the game itself, as we've seen on a nearly weekly basis with Arsene Wenger's Arsenal, it's no fun to play when the opponent sticks 10 guys behind the ball. The U.S. didn't dip their heads or get frustrated and the Gomez goal came at the right time before the Americans lost direction and started throwing the kitchen sink at the Jamaicans, hoping to get lucky. (See Mexico's offensive vs. the U.S. at the Azteca last month.)
The final 20 minutes were nervy.
The idea of "defensive" guys like Maurice Edu coming on seems good on paper, but lest we forget possession is a weapon and an effective way to play defense -- look at Spain. Dropping both Zusi and Torres left the U.S. midfield much less composed. Jones-Edu-Williams together, yes, can break up plays but the game didn't exactly call for that. Then again, killing off a game is never the U.S. forte -- look at the loss to Guatemala in June where an 83rd minute goal turned a 1-0 win into a 1-1 draw that basically put the U.S. in this do-or-die game Tuesday night as much as the loss to Jamaica did.
This is nitpicking, yet it seemed like Klinsmann was tinkering with something that was working.
The U.S. can take a bow, if it wants, for doing the business required. The great, loud and supportive fans in Columbus did deserve that, at least.
Otherwise, there's still a lot of work for Klinsmann left to do. Realistically, bar the fluke goal in the first minute for Dempsey Friday, the U.S. created only a handful of scoring chances in the run of play vs. Jamaica.
Michael Bradley and Donovan returning, if healthy, next month should help sort a lot of this out, especially if Klinsmann decides to keep the effective 4-1-3-2 formation from Tuesday and slot Bradley and Donovan into these roles rather than reverting to the 4-3-3 Klinsmann likes to use despite the fact the U.S. isn't blessed with very many wide forward options. Donovan for either Zusi or Torres and Bradley for Jones, on paper, would seem like a no-brainer.
Hell if we want to unravel the orange peel even further, the U.S. -- bar a total collapse -- is going to make it to Brazil in 2014, but we're still almost at square one about what it's going to do once it gets there.
In any event, it was a nice night for Gomez, who deserves a moment to shine.
He's never going to play in the UEFA Champions League or set the world alight, but he fits that classic American mold that's won a lot of matches over the years -- he works his ass off and tries his best. Gomez was one of the guys who, after the loss to Jamaica was frank about the team's play and said it needed to improve.
Tuesday night in Columbus the U.S. did just that ... barely.
Sometimes barely is more than enough, in the end.
As the saying goes, "three points are three points."
Planting the Seed of Soccer Across America: Danny Beerseed - 0 comments
Dempsey gets the tally against Jamaica in 2011. (Photo Credit: Alex Brandon, AP)
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 their road to Brazil 2014.
Today's the day they face Jamaica in Kingston.
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 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
Donovan gets a warm (beer, urine, whatever) reception at Azteca. Photo Credit: Getty Images
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 friendly to prepare for the road to Brazil 2014.
Today's the day they face Mexico, on their turf, in Estadio Azteca, in Mexico City.
Today's the day we take the win and move on to the next match.
Today's the day that Howard will shine, Landon 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.
If you were anywhere near a TV Friday afternoon/evening, then you likely already know that the World Cup is in danger of falling behind in the all-important opening ceremonies arms race. The Busby Berkeley song and dance numbers are nice, but now they’re competing with pyrotechnics, stunt and wirework and the complete history of Western Civilization (minus all the bad parts). It’s time for the World Cup to up its game. Here are ten suggestions for how to do that in 2014 and beyond.
1. Borrow from the Olympics and start the 2014 tournament by telling the history of association football. Build a replica of London’s Freemason’s Tavern, where the Laws were codified, then have half of the participants leave in a huff to walk the Earth in exile until they arrive in England in time for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
2. As the host nation, the arrival of the game in Brazil will get its own special segment. As soon as Charles Miller steps off the steamship, the whole stadium will explode into a recreation of Carnival.
3. After the dancers are gone, one-up them by bringing on 800 freestyle jugglers to perform at the same time. These should be relatively easy to find in any given block of Rio de Janeiro.
4. Have a group of flying Pep Guardiolas defeat a giant inflatable Sepp Blatter.
5. Like all FIFA sponsored events, there will be a nod to the youth: a giant soccer ball will be rolled onto the center of the pitch, and after a pause, the soccer ball will begin to move, and it will be revealed that it is actually 500 child gymnasts who had linked together to create the ball.
6. Play up the fact that your tournament is the world’s greatest sporting event with tasteful montages from World Cups past. Highlight the game’s wonderful moments, the skill (Zidane’s headbutt in 2006), the beauty (highlights from the 1990 final), and the poetic (juxtaposing moments such as when the West Germans had their goal denied in the 1966 final with Lampard’s non-goal in 2010.)
7. A group of French actors will recreate, step-by-step, the final of the 1970 Final. When Carlos Alberto scores that famous goal, the entire 1970 Brazilian team will emerge to celebrate the goal.
8. An Oscars-style remembrance montage, featuring every famous Brazilian player who has passed on. Fat Ronaldo will be mistakenly put onto the montage.
It's not a World Cup if there's no U2.
9. Performance by U2.
10. Pele obviously gets to light the World Cup torch for the tournament in Brazil. In 2018, he and Diego Maradona will (finally) fight to the death to see who gets to do it. I’m thinking Kalashnikov’s at ten paces, in tribute to the host nation.
What is this new site we're exposing you too? We'll let them explain:
"The Other 87 seeks to provide something that’s not instant analysis or eve of matchday previews. Think of us as the good bits of your favorite soccer coverage: the profiles that examine what makes a certain player tick, the historical background that sheds some light on how the sport has evolved to the present day, the silly features that are more than just tacking names on a list, but considering and explaining why each one deserves to be there.
O87 wants to be a home for soccer writing that makes you think, but that also treats the game as just that, a game. The greatest game, the one we obsess over and fixate on, to the point where we can’t read that gas costs 3.43 a gallon without thinking of Ajax’s 1995 Champions League winning team. But a game nonetheless.
“When you play a match, it is statistically proven that players actually have the ball three minutes on average. The best players – the Zidanes, Ronaldinhos, Gerrards – will have the ball maybe four minutes. Lesser players – defenders – probably two minutes. So, the most important thing is: what do you do those 87 minutes when you do not have the ball…. That is what determines whether you’re a good player or not.” –Johann Cruff
Planting the Seed of Soccer Across America: Danny Beerseed - 0 comments
LADUMA is now available for sale on DVD, BluRay, and HD Digital Download. Check out www.laduma-film.com to get a copy. Also, LADUMA will be screening in Columbus, Ohio on August 12th at the Arena Grande at 2pm. The event will be hosted by One Goal artist Dean Parham, who worked on the animation in the film and designs all of One Goal's posters.
In 2010 the U.S. national team traveled to the World Cup with high hopes. Equally important was the historic decision to award South Africa the hosting rights, the African continent's first. LADUMA, the Zulu word for "goal" or "golazo" is an American documentary about the twin stories of the USMNT, its supporters, and the South Africa during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Free Beer Movement interviewed Ashwin Chaudhary (who along with Jon Korn filmed and produced their movie) about what LADUMA is all about, their experience in South Africa, and plans for Brazil in 2014.
Free Beer Movement: Why did you want to make this documentary despite the disappointments of both the film's main focuses (South Africa's first round elimination and the USMNT falling to Ghana)?
Ashwin Chaudhary: In the soccer sense, LADUMA is the Zulu word for "GOAL!" or "GOLAZO!", and it's said with that same exuberance by South African soccer commentators when somebody scores. It literally translates to "it thunders," and it has a connotation of achievement. We felt it was the perfect name for our documentary, because the film is about the great achievement of South Africa successfully hosting the World Cup, and the USMNT winning the group. It's about that one moment where everything comes together, the one moment you'll never forget. For South Africa, it was the Tshabalala goal against Mexico. For us, it was Donovan's group winning goal against Algeria.
FBM: Describe the gameday experience before, during, and after a World Cup match.
AC: Although the end result for both South Africa and USA was disappointing, that's not really what the World Cup is about. Once you're there, and meeting soccer fans from all over the world, you really that the World Cup is a a celebration of what we all have in common, no matter whether we're from Ghana, Chile, Japan, or Mexico. We wanted to show what the World Cup EXPERIENCE was like, regardless of what happened on the pitch.
FBM: Why was it important to tell South Africa's (the team and the nation) story as well in LADUMA?
AC: We wanted to include South Africa's story in the film because we were completely taken by the culture, the people, the music - everything. This was no "ordinary" World Cup - it was the 1st ever World Cup in the continent of Africa, and we felt the setting of this story was just as important as the story itself. Those people know how to party, but there's a humility and warmth to the way they celebrate. Also, in South Africa, soccer is the black man's game, whereas rugby is the white man's game. Hosting the World Cup was affirmation of this soccer culture which is such a big part of South African identity. There's really no way to describe it, but everybody needs to visit South Africa at some point in their life.
FBM: One of the coolest things about LADUMA was the fact that you used still photography (as certain parts of the pictures grew or came into focus) where others might have used film clips. Talk about the decision to go that route and how it affected the film.
AC: The decision to use photos in the game scenes as opposed to video was initially budget driven, since a second of FIFA footage pretty much costs more than the whole film's budget. But with the animated stills, we were able to create sort of an alternate, dream-like universe. You can always look up the actual highlights on YouTube, but the LADUMA experience is unique.
FBM: How was the beer in South Africa?
AC: Ah, the beer! As far as South African brews, we mostly drank Castle, which is pretty common over there. It's pretty hoppy and tasty. Also, sadly, lots and lots of Budweiser. We actually did some corporate video work for Budweiser at the World Cup which helped cover some of our travel costs. Plus, Bud was the only beer they sold at all the games, but at least we felt pretty patriotic while drinking it.
What are your plans for this next World Cup qualifying cycle? Will we see another documented journey through the Hexagonal? Perhaps one with American Outlaws in Brazil as well? Or are there other soccer-related projects you're brainstorming?
AC: For Brazil 2014, we're focused on the World Cup more so than qualifying. We want to raise money and get sponsors before the tournament, as opposed to after. With better preparation and preproduction, and (hopefully) a deep run by the Yanks, the Brazil film can be even better than LADUMA. But we'll still be traveling to Qualifiers and documenting the journey to the World Cup, so stay tuned to our website www.onegoalusa.com as we announce the games that we'll be at. We're planning on being in Jamaica later this year, and possibly Antigua. We're always looking to coordinate with new Outlaws and US Supporters, so email us - info@onegoalusa.com to let us know what matches you'll be at!
LADUMA is now available for sale on DVD, BluRay, and HD Digital Download. Check out www.laduma-film.com to get a copy. Also, LADUMA will be screening in Columbus, Ohio on August 12th at the Arena Grande at 2pm. The event will be hosted by One Goal artist Dean Parham, who worked on the animation in the film and designs all of One Goal's posters.
Planting the Seed of Soccer Across America: Danny Beerseed - 0 comments
Created for the 2010 World Cup "War of Soccer Independence Day" match against England these Photoshopped Revolutionary War paintings are still very timely. Perhaps, except the ones featuring Bob Bradley, but still pretty cool.
Enjoy!
"Yankee Doodle Landy and Teammates Vanquish Beckham"
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 qualifying on the road to Brazil 2014.
Today's the day they face Guatemala, on their turf, in Guatemala City..
Today's the day we take the win and move on to the next match.
Today's the day that Howard will shine, Landon 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
Of course you remember this goal.
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 an international friendly to help prepare for the first round of World Cup qualifying.
Today's the day they face Brazil in our nation's capital, Washington, D.C.
Today's the day we take the win and move on to the next match.
Today's the day that Howard will shine, Landon 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
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 an international friendly to help prepare for the first round of World Cup qualifying.
Today's the day they face Scotland in Jacksonville, Florida
Today's the day we take the win and move on to the next match.
Today's the day that Howard will shine, Landon 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.
Check out all the great FBM gear in our "Swag Store".
Planting the Seed of Soccer Across America: Danny Beerseed - 0 comments
Alexi Lalas is a former U.S. National Team defender (96 caps), appearing in two World Cups and was U.S. Soccer's Male Player of the Year in 1995. Lalas was the first American to play in Italy in the modern-era and then returned to the United States to be a part of the group of high profile American soccer players to launch Major League Soccer. He's now an on-air commentator for ESPN.
Needless to say he's got an impressive soccer résumé and today he's answering our questions as a part of our "12-Pack" Interview Series.
Free Beer Movement: You were the first American in the modern-era to play in Italy. It was a time when very few Americans played abroad. What was it like to live and play there?
Alexi Lalas: I became a better player and a better person through the experience. At the time, Serie A was the biggest league in the world which meant that every Sunday I was facing world-class strikers. Adapting to the language, culture and the fishbowl that is soccer over there was not always easy but it gave me a life experience that still pays dividends to this day.
From a soccer perspective, it was incredible to see the tactical detail that is part of the Italian soccer DNA. The way we trained and prepared, and especially the way we organized defensively, was something I had never seen before. It made me look at the game and my position in a different way. It’s too bad that more Americans haven’t had the opportunity to pay in Italy, but Serie A has changed a lot and it’s no longer the league it once was.
FBM: What is it like to suit up for the National Team; to wear your country's colors? Explain that to some who will never get to have that experience.
AL: It’s hard to explain without using clichés. I believe that the inherent patriotism of Americans is fundamental to who we are. It’s often ridiculed or misunderstood, especially from the outside. But I think it’s the one of the characteristics that helps define us and helps unite us.
So when you’re given the opportunity, even through sport, to represent your country, you’re also representing everything that it stands for. I always took pride in that honor and responsibility. From the jersey, to the anthem to the performance, for me, it was ultimately about being an American and soccer was simply the vehicle.
FBM: What's your best memory playing for the U.S. National Team?
AL: World Cup 1994 changed my life. I lived the power of what a World Cup can do to an individual. It gave me credibility, opened doors and enabled me to have a career in soccer.
The win over Colombia at the Rose Bowl in front of 100K people will always be special. It was one of those “moments” that I’ll never forget.
FBM: In 1996 you returned to the U.S. to play for the New England Revolution and help break ground for Major League Soccer. What was it like to be a part of the early days of the league and resurrected professional soccer in America?
AL: MLS in the early days was like the Wild West, on and off the field. We were often making it up as we went along. But I think we made many more good than bad decisions.
One of the proudest moments of my life is being a part of the start of MLS and I think it will remain a source of pride when I’m old and grey. I’ve said it before, MLS is like la Cosa Nostra, it’s our thing. It’s not perfect, but it means everything to me.
FBM: This summer's World Cup was a watershed moment for American soccer in terms of how it broke through into the mainstream, if just for a few days, following the Algeria match. Where does American soccer go from here? How do we build on that moment? Not only the National Team, but the domestic league as well?
AL: We just keep chuggin’ along. I know we’re all looking for that magic bullet, and a successful World Cup certainly helps. But the success of soccer in the U.S. is going to come from a series of moments, some bigger than others, from which we continually step up to another level.
Sometimes we kick ourselves for what we have yet to achieve, but we also have to pat ourselves on the back for how far we’ve come in a relatively short period of time. We’ve got a long way to go and there are many things we need to improve, but I don’t think that any other country could have grown the sport as fast as we have.
FBM: You're a quality, but colorful commentator for ESPN. How are you enjoying your time at the World Wide Leader in Sports?
AL: Love it. I recognize that I’m in the entertainment business and I make no bones about it. My job is to be informative and entertaining. Finding the proper balance is what makes you good and finding it consistently is what makes you great. I’m not there yet, but I think I’m getting better. I’m paid to have an opinion, people don’t always agree with me, but that’s part of what makes it interesting and why I watch sports. I try to be objective and fair without losing the passion and energy that I think is needed to do this job. Hopefully I can keep doing it for many years.
FBM: Continuing on the topic of ESPN. Your network has gotten a bad rap for its perceived hostility towards soccer in the past, but with stepped up coverage of the English Premier League and, obviously, their phenomenal coverage of the World Cup this summer. Is that criticism misplaced? What about their coverage of Major League Soccer, though?
AL: You should always expect more from ESPN, we’re the “world-wide leader in sports”. But it it’s also a business and I think we all understand that soccer doesn’t yet generate the revenue that the other sports do.
This summer, for the first time, we gave the American public a World Cup that wasn’t dumbed down or diluted. We were inclusive and respected the fact that many people were watching simply for the event, but we didn’t hold people’s hands. This actually gave the World Cup more relevancy and credibility even for the casual viewer because it mirrored the way that other major sports are broadcast.
MLS is a problem. I’ll be honest; the MLS rating need to improve. We have to find a way to translate the excitement that we see in many markets to viewership. I know the proverbial chicken and egg argument about marketing/promotion and it’s legitimate, but we can’t simply look to ESPN to solve the problem; MLS has to figure out a way to make the league, the games and the players more relevant to the general public.
FBM: You spoke at the first-ever American Outlaws Rally in Las Vegas in March. What role do fans like the Outlaws play in the support of the team and the growth of the game here?
AL: It’s not lip service when I say that supporter’s groups like The American Outlaws are as important, and in many cases more so, than any of us who ever kicked a ball. They have sustained and nourished our sport through the lean years and, thanks in large part to the new media explosion, are starting to be real influencers.
I often talk about the soccer army that has been amassing over the years and now has started to come above ground. The battle has only just begun, but I like our odds. The soccer culture is unique and it is enticing to a generation that sees soccer as a legitimate American sport and not just a niche activity. The supporter’s groups are a big reason why the sport has survived, and an even bigger reason why it will thrive.
Less-Than-Serious-But-Just-As-Important-Questions
FBM: Do you ever give you brother, (MLSSoccer.com and Goal.com writer) Greg, a hard time for having a more successful soccer career than him?
AL: All the time. I routinely break him down until he’s a sniveling, broken shell of human being. Then I pump him back up and do it all over again…it’s really quite amusing. But I really do love him and he's 10 times the writer that I’ll ever be (but don’t tell him I said that).
FBM: You were famous for rocking some pretty epic facial hair during your playing career. What led to the decision to lose it? Too much for MLS boardrooms? Will it ever make a return, like a some sort-of band reunion tour?
AL: In 2000 I was in Sydney, Australia working the Olympics. On one of the last nights my girlfriend and I hit the town hard. We returned to the hotel and one thing led to another, I never back down from a dare from a beautiful woman. Now it should be noted that my then-girlfriend has since become my wife and mother to my children. Ah, the things we do for love.
As far a return of the goatee; maybe when we host another World Cup. It’ll be like when Cher recently sported her 1980’s era “Turn Back Time” outfit on the MTV Awards. I’m a sucker for nostalgia.
FBM: When you're not on camera what's your beer of choice?
AL: Guinness. Like a Porsche, there is no substitute.
FBM: 1994 U.S. World Cup jerseys.... ugliest shirts ever? What did you think back then?
AL: Yes, but also, I suppose, the most memorable. I think there was this notion that faux denim would be the next big fashion craze and that we would have been ahead of the curve…not so much. The fact that we were able to succeed in spite of our horrendous attire is a testament to our team.
I’ll never forget the first time Bora (USMNT coach "Bora" Milutinović) saw the jersey, the man speaks 5 languages and he still couldn’t find the words to express his complete and utter disbelief. Of course it could have been worse; it could have actually been real denim!
Many thanks to Alexi for taking the time to answer our 12-pack of questions. We leave you all, dear readers, with Alexi's 1997 appearance on an ESPN SportsCenter commercial:
1. Borrow from the Olympics and start the 2014 tournament by telling the history of association football. Build a replica of London’s Freemason’s Tavern, where the Laws were codified, then have half of the participants leave in a huff to walk the Earth in exile until they arrive in England in time for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
Ashwin Chaudhary: In the soccer sense, LADUMA is the Zulu word for "GOAL!" or "GOLAZO!", and it's said with that same exuberance by South African soccer commentators when somebody scores. It literally translates to "it thunders," and it has a connotation of achievement. We felt it was the perfect name for our documentary, because the film is about the great achievement of South Africa successfully hosting the World Cup, and the USMNT winning the group. It's about that one moment where everything comes together, the one moment you'll never forget. For South Africa, it was the Tshabalala goal against Mexico. For us, it was Donovan's group winning goal against Algeria.
FBM: Why was it important to tell South Africa's (the team and the nation) story as well in LADUMA?
AC: Ah, the beer! As far as South African brews, we mostly drank Castle, which is pretty common over there. It's pretty hoppy and tasty. Also, sadly, lots and lots of Budweiser. We actually did some corporate video work for Budweiser at the World Cup which helped cover some of our travel costs. Plus, Bud was the only beer they sold at all the games, but at least we felt pretty patriotic while drinking it.
Alexi Lalas: I became a better player and a better person through the experience. At the time, Serie A was the biggest league in the world which meant that every Sunday I was facing world-class strikers. Adapting to the language, culture and the fishbowl that is soccer over there was not always easy but it gave me a life experience that still pays dividends to this day.
