Answer: Which vagabond Welshman indirectly played a deciding role in the 2008-09 Premier League title race?
Question: Who is Jason Koumas?
Sorry for the Jeopardy! style, but I took their online contestant quiz last night and most likely failed miserably.
Anyway, this odd midweek slate of games might have done more to impact the title race than any matchday we've yet seen.
First and foremost, Liverpool might only sit two points off the pace of now penthouse occupying Manchester United, but this weekend might be its last stand. Or specifically Rafa's last stand. If Liverpool loses to Chelsea at Anfield it's not getting up off the mat to answer the bell.
Quite simply, January was Liverpool's Waterloo. (What's with the old milatary references? What's next Sir Alex Ferguson climbing the Alps on elephants?) In the first month of 2009, Liverpool only won one of its five matches -- 2-0 against Preston North End in the FA Cup. In it's three league games, the Reds were 0-3-0, drawing Stoke, Everton and Wigan -- in essence six dropped points. (Ok, you could argue that a draw against Everton wasn't a terrible result, but the way it happened -- Tim Cahill's 87th minute, wide-open header was dropping points.)
I don't exactly want to pile on Liverpool, since I stupidly picked it to win the league in my August predictions. Yet, it seems a 50-50 proposition that Benitez lasts past the season, if he even wants to be at Anfield. Ending the Wigan 1-1 draw with both Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard on the bench isn't exactly the way to win over the wary Liverpool faithful ahead of Sunday's epic against Chelsea, with whom the club is now level on points. (Yeah, but could Rafa have expected Lucas Lieva to stick out his leg and take down Koumas on a suspect penalty call.)
Bottom line, let's make this unusual comparison. Liverpool's season has been like the Batman motion pictures. (No, not my beloved Adam West version.) Take the first months of the season as the credible "Batman" staring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson as the Joker. As the months wore on the movies and Liverpool's performance got worse, until it was running on fumes. So yes, the conclusion is that Liverpool in January was "Batman & Robin" only without Gerrard and Torres prancing around Anfield in molded plastic nipple suits. (And obviously without 'witty' one-liners from Arnold in silver pancake makeup.)
In short, Liverpool needs to reboot its season Sunday against Chelsea. Gerard may wear the superhero cape, but he needs the rest of the squad to step up.(Anyone know which team Christian Bale supports?)
The other huge revelation from the midweek is more succinct -- Why can't Aston Villa win the league?
The Premier League era since 1992 has seen only four clubs win the league -- Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and ... Blackburn Rovers!
Aston Villa are only three off the pace and have a pretty manageable second-half schedule. The only hiccup could be in the small squad gets past CSKA Moscow in the UEFA Cup and has a prolonged stay in Europe.
Based on form, Villa is as hot as anyone and if they're getting goals by Emile Heskey on his debut, something in the karma department is working in their favor.
Beyond that, when healthy Gabby Agbonlahor and Ashley Young create mismatches with every club due to their speed. Brad Freidel is as solid as it comes in goal and Martin O'Neill is a classy manager. Perhaps the only hole is the defense on a whole can be beaten. (And who'd have thought Randy Lerner would be the template for a foreign, namely, American owner?)
Come on, Villa -- Yes you can!
The two other revelations from the midweek -- Arsenal still isn't that great, despite every pundit continuing to speak as if the Gunners are Brasil 1970. The Gunners were extremely lucky Robin van Persie latched onto Abou Diaby's longball in the 93rd minute against Everton at Goodison Park. Tim Howard didn't need to make a save until the second half -- need I say more?
Is Andrei Arshavin a cure-all for what ails Arsenal? Absolutely not. The one silver-ling from Wednesday's draw is that it effectively kiboshed any hope of Everton sneaking into four place. Arsenal is only eight off the pace and five behind Villa for fourth. It's mathematically possible, but Arsene Wenger best hope Martin O'Neill's crew eats some dodgy lasagna down the stretch, or pipping fourth won't happen.
Everton, too, will fall short of the Champions League but not for the efforts of Tim Cahill. The Aussie is on absolute fire and if it weren't for teammate Mikel Arteta would be MVP of the league. Too bad the team can't hold on in the final minutes of a game.
Lastly, before the picks, the league is Manchester United's to lose and if the Red Devils goof up, Chelsea will be there like a circling vulture to pick up the corpse.
Saturday
* Stoke City v. Manchester City -- (Live, Setanta, 7:45 a.m.) Guess I missed the memo that Craig Bellamy is all of a sudden the savior for Manchester City. Then again, maybe he and Mark Hughes share some sort of Welsh mind meld that nobody else knows about. ... Stoke 2, City 1
* Aston Villa v. Wigan Athletic -- (Live, FSC, 10 a.m.) Did anyone else see Hugo Rodallega's thumping freekick hit the post, nearly sinking Liverpool completely on Wednesday? It's a wonder why so few players transfer out of the Mexican League successfully. ... Villa 1, Wigan 0
* Hull City v. West Brom -- Obviously a must win 'six-pointer' for both clubs. ... Hull 2, West Brom 1
* Bolton v. Tottenham -- So apparently Bolton captain Gary Nolan is on the verge of moving to Newcastle? Strange. Almost as strange as Tottenham winning at White Hart Lane, which it did during the week. (Cry about it Gary Megson.) ... Bolton 1, Tottenham 1
* Fulham v. Portsmouth -- Fun reminder of the razor-slim margins on the ass-end of the table, Fulham's had by all accounts a good season for a club of its means, but if Portsmouth wins Saturday at Craven Cottage, it leapfrogs their hosts. ... Fulham 1, Portsmouth 1
* Middlesbrough v. Blackburn -- No light can escape from a blackhole. ... Boro 0, Blackburn 1
* Arsenal v. West Ham -- Another amazing fact, West Ham are only a couple points off a UEFA Cup spot and haven't lost since Dec. 20. Wonder how all these weird international signings fit in, with emerging dudes like Jack Collison. You know what, though, that nice little run comes to a screeching halt at the Emirates. Arsenal might be living off its rep, but still eats up a team like West Ham. ... Arsenal 2, West Ham 0
* Manchester United v. Everton -- (Live, FSC, 12:30 p.m. double-check your local listings on this one since this game was moved from Monday) Maroune Fellaini as you've never seen him. Brilliance! Everton will be a game, but if Cahill is out with the foot injury he picked up on Wednesday, they're going to need somebody, anybody, to step up and at least try the United goal. ... United 2, Everton 0
Sunday
* Newcastle United v. Sunderland -- (Live, Setanta, 8ish a.m.) This is a fun derby for the fans, but do the players care all that much? ... Newcastle 1, Sunderland 0
* Liverpool v. Chelsea -- (Live, FSC, 11 a.m.) Will it matter that Liverpool ended Chelsea's massive unbeaten run at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season? Will it matter that Liverpool seems to be unraveling at the seams? Perhaps the ghosts of Anfield rouse them to a mild dead cat bounce. Why not, right? ... Liverpool 2, Chelsea 1
Last round: 8-2
Season: 103-121
Finally, what's the deal with ESPN scrolling random soccer scores from the around the world lately? Though we have to tolerate ESPN for certain elements of the world game, when he comes to European leagues I'd like it to have a clear separation, like church and state. (Is this a precursor to ESPN acquiring PL rights in the next stage of open bidding? I'll have my fingers crossed, for sure.)
Question: Who is Jason Koumas?
Sorry for the Jeopardy! style, but I took their online contestant quiz last night and most likely failed miserably.
Anyway, this odd midweek slate of games might have done more to impact the title race than any matchday we've yet seen.
First and foremost, Liverpool might only sit two points off the pace of now penthouse occupying Manchester United, but this weekend might be its last stand. Or specifically Rafa's last stand. If Liverpool loses to Chelsea at Anfield it's not getting up off the mat to answer the bell.
Quite simply, January was Liverpool's Waterloo. (What's with the old milatary references? What's next Sir Alex Ferguson climbing the Alps on elephants?) In the first month of 2009, Liverpool only won one of its five matches -- 2-0 against Preston North End in the FA Cup. In it's three league games, the Reds were 0-3-0, drawing Stoke, Everton and Wigan -- in essence six dropped points. (Ok, you could argue that a draw against Everton wasn't a terrible result, but the way it happened -- Tim Cahill's 87th minute, wide-open header was dropping points.)
I don't exactly want to pile on Liverpool, since I stupidly picked it to win the league in my August predictions. Yet, it seems a 50-50 proposition that Benitez lasts past the season, if he even wants to be at Anfield. Ending the Wigan 1-1 draw with both Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard on the bench isn't exactly the way to win over the wary Liverpool faithful ahead of Sunday's epic against Chelsea, with whom the club is now level on points. (Yeah, but could Rafa have expected Lucas Lieva to stick out his leg and take down Koumas on a suspect penalty call.)
Bottom line, let's make this unusual comparison. Liverpool's season has been like the Batman motion pictures. (No, not my beloved Adam West version.) Take the first months of the season as the credible "Batman" staring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson as the Joker. As the months wore on the movies and Liverpool's performance got worse, until it was running on fumes. So yes, the conclusion is that Liverpool in January was "Batman & Robin" only without Gerrard and Torres prancing around Anfield in molded plastic nipple suits. (And obviously without 'witty' one-liners from Arnold in silver pancake makeup.)
In short, Liverpool needs to reboot its season Sunday against Chelsea. Gerard may wear the superhero cape, but he needs the rest of the squad to step up.(Anyone know which team Christian Bale supports?)
The other huge revelation from the midweek is more succinct -- Why can't Aston Villa win the league?
The Premier League era since 1992 has seen only four clubs win the league -- Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and ... Blackburn Rovers!
Aston Villa are only three off the pace and have a pretty manageable second-half schedule. The only hiccup could be in the small squad gets past CSKA Moscow in the UEFA Cup and has a prolonged stay in Europe.
Based on form, Villa is as hot as anyone and if they're getting goals by Emile Heskey on his debut, something in the karma department is working in their favor.
Beyond that, when healthy Gabby Agbonlahor and Ashley Young create mismatches with every club due to their speed. Brad Freidel is as solid as it comes in goal and Martin O'Neill is a classy manager. Perhaps the only hole is the defense on a whole can be beaten. (And who'd have thought Randy Lerner would be the template for a foreign, namely, American owner?)
Come on, Villa -- Yes you can!
The two other revelations from the midweek -- Arsenal still isn't that great, despite every pundit continuing to speak as if the Gunners are Brasil 1970. The Gunners were extremely lucky Robin van Persie latched onto Abou Diaby's longball in the 93rd minute against Everton at Goodison Park. Tim Howard didn't need to make a save until the second half -- need I say more?
Is Andrei Arshavin a cure-all for what ails Arsenal? Absolutely not. The one silver-ling from Wednesday's draw is that it effectively kiboshed any hope of Everton sneaking into four place. Arsenal is only eight off the pace and five behind Villa for fourth. It's mathematically possible, but Arsene Wenger best hope Martin O'Neill's crew eats some dodgy lasagna down the stretch, or pipping fourth won't happen.
Everton, too, will fall short of the Champions League but not for the efforts of Tim Cahill. The Aussie is on absolute fire and if it weren't for teammate Mikel Arteta would be MVP of the league. Too bad the team can't hold on in the final minutes of a game.
Lastly, before the picks, the league is Manchester United's to lose and if the Red Devils goof up, Chelsea will be there like a circling vulture to pick up the corpse.
Saturday
* Stoke City v. Manchester City -- (Live, Setanta, 7:45 a.m.) Guess I missed the memo that Craig Bellamy is all of a sudden the savior for Manchester City. Then again, maybe he and Mark Hughes share some sort of Welsh mind meld that nobody else knows about. ... Stoke 2, City 1
* Aston Villa v. Wigan Athletic -- (Live, FSC, 10 a.m.) Did anyone else see Hugo Rodallega's thumping freekick hit the post, nearly sinking Liverpool completely on Wednesday? It's a wonder why so few players transfer out of the Mexican League successfully. ... Villa 1, Wigan 0
* Hull City v. West Brom -- Obviously a must win 'six-pointer' for both clubs. ... Hull 2, West Brom 1
* Bolton v. Tottenham -- So apparently Bolton captain Gary Nolan is on the verge of moving to Newcastle? Strange. Almost as strange as Tottenham winning at White Hart Lane, which it did during the week. (Cry about it Gary Megson.) ... Bolton 1, Tottenham 1
* Fulham v. Portsmouth -- Fun reminder of the razor-slim margins on the ass-end of the table, Fulham's had by all accounts a good season for a club of its means, but if Portsmouth wins Saturday at Craven Cottage, it leapfrogs their hosts. ... Fulham 1, Portsmouth 1
* Middlesbrough v. Blackburn -- No light can escape from a blackhole. ... Boro 0, Blackburn 1
* Arsenal v. West Ham -- Another amazing fact, West Ham are only a couple points off a UEFA Cup spot and haven't lost since Dec. 20. Wonder how all these weird international signings fit in, with emerging dudes like Jack Collison. You know what, though, that nice little run comes to a screeching halt at the Emirates. Arsenal might be living off its rep, but still eats up a team like West Ham. ... Arsenal 2, West Ham 0
* Manchester United v. Everton -- (Live, FSC, 12:30 p.m. double-check your local listings on this one since this game was moved from Monday) Maroune Fellaini as you've never seen him. Brilliance! Everton will be a game, but if Cahill is out with the foot injury he picked up on Wednesday, they're going to need somebody, anybody, to step up and at least try the United goal. ... United 2, Everton 0
Sunday
* Newcastle United v. Sunderland -- (Live, Setanta, 8ish a.m.) This is a fun derby for the fans, but do the players care all that much? ... Newcastle 1, Sunderland 0
* Liverpool v. Chelsea -- (Live, FSC, 11 a.m.) Will it matter that Liverpool ended Chelsea's massive unbeaten run at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season? Will it matter that Liverpool seems to be unraveling at the seams? Perhaps the ghosts of Anfield rouse them to a mild dead cat bounce. Why not, right? ... Liverpool 2, Chelsea 1
Last round: 8-2
Season: 103-121
Finally, what's the deal with ESPN scrolling random soccer scores from the around the world lately? Though we have to tolerate ESPN for certain elements of the world game, when he comes to European leagues I'd like it to have a clear separation, like church and state. (Is this a precursor to ESPN acquiring PL rights in the next stage of open bidding? I'll have my fingers crossed, for sure.)
Labels: Prem Picks, Premier League, Soccer
Premier League game during the week! What's next dogs and cats living together in harmony?
Anyway, to cleanse the pallet, enjoy this goal from Lionel Messi this weekend. You know I'm not huge on embedded video, but wouldn't it be nice to be this good this easily? (Note: The video that once appeared here was taken down by the YouTubes, go figure.)
(On the other end of the age spectrum, Alessandro Del Piero continues to marvel. Is this a sublime touch or what?)
Tuesday
* Portsmouth v. Aston Villa -- (Live, FSC, 3 p.m.) Emile Heskey, eh? One thing to consider about Aston Villa, its final month of fixtures is v. Fulham, at Fulham, at Middlesbrough, v. Newcastle United. If they can win a game like Tuesday's, it might be calling the shots for fourth place come May. Portsmouth did sign a guy that goes by Pele, that's got to count for something, right? ... Portsmouth 0, Villa 2
* Sunderland v. Fulham -- Nice job by Sunderland, via addition by subtraction and selling Pascal Chimbonda back to Spurs. That should help the Black Cats dressing room, though they still clearly lack a leadership presence. Something to consider for Fulham -- the Cottagers in three matches in January have allowed more goals (6) than they did in November and December combined (5). ... Sunderland 1, Fulham 0
* Tottenham v. Stoke City -- (Live, Setanta, 2:45 p.m.) At this rate before the transfer window closes Spurs will re-sign Jurgen Klinsman and Glenn Hoddle. If I were another team in the League I'd make an offer for every player on the Spurs roster, because you can eventually sell them back in a few months for profit. (The Cudicini signing is a good move.) ... Spurs 2, Stoke 1
* West Brom v. Manchester United -- A funny thing happened to Manchester United, in their pursuit to retain first place they're going to have to rely on the old (Scholes and Giggs) and the super young (Walbeck, etc.). Looks like a perfect time for the Ronaldo show. ... West Brom 1, Manchester United 2
Wednesday
* Blackburn v. Bolton -- Ding, ding, ding. Let's keep it clean and come out boxing. ... Blackburn 1, Bolton 1
* Chelsea v. Middlesbrough -- The hits keep a coming for Jon Obi Mikel, this time it's drink driving. Well done. Middlesbrough are usually decent against the good teams, but not here. ... Chelsea 3, Middlesbrough 0
* Everton v. Arsenal -- (Live, Setanta Broadband, 3 p.m.) Everton are holding it together with duct tape and bubble gum and probably won't have Mikel Arteta. It likely boils down to which Arsenal team shows up, as a win here by the Gunners would be a big statement. Imagine where Aresnal would be in the table if they gave Everton's effort each match? ... Everton 1, Arsenal 1
* Manchester City v. Newcastle United -- (Live, Setanta Broadband, 3 p.m.) Better episode title -- Shay Given, this is your future team? or Where in the world is Robson de Souza? (Robinho) ... City 2, Newcastle 0
* West Ham v. Hull City -- West Ham continues it's thoroughly non-descript season, as it flounders around the middle of the table. The one thing to note is who's still around by next Monday. Hull made a nice coup, signing Jimmy Bullard. It's hard to fathom Fulham couldn't agree to a contract for the player that nearly single-handily saved their collective asses last year. That's the game, I guess. Bullard gives the Tigers another option if Geovanni is off his game. ... West Ham 1, Hull 1
* Wigan v. Liverpool -- (Live, FSC, 2:30 p.m.) Fernando Torres, we've missed you. Liverpool is certainly happy to not be paired against a team wearing solid blue jerseys. Of course teams like Wigan, which like to defend, have caused Liverpool fits all season. Fans better hope Torres and Gerrard didn't use up all their magic on Sunday in the FA Cup. ... Wigan 0, Liverpool 1
Last time: 5-5
Season: 95-119
Anyway, to cleanse the pallet, enjoy this goal from Lionel Messi this weekend. You know I'm not huge on embedded video, but wouldn't it be nice to be this good this easily? (Note: The video that once appeared here was taken down by the YouTubes, go figure.)
(On the other end of the age spectrum, Alessandro Del Piero continues to marvel. Is this a sublime touch or what?)
Tuesday
* Portsmouth v. Aston Villa -- (Live, FSC, 3 p.m.) Emile Heskey, eh? One thing to consider about Aston Villa, its final month of fixtures is v. Fulham, at Fulham, at Middlesbrough, v. Newcastle United. If they can win a game like Tuesday's, it might be calling the shots for fourth place come May. Portsmouth did sign a guy that goes by Pele, that's got to count for something, right? ... Portsmouth 0, Villa 2
* Sunderland v. Fulham -- Nice job by Sunderland, via addition by subtraction and selling Pascal Chimbonda back to Spurs. That should help the Black Cats dressing room, though they still clearly lack a leadership presence. Something to consider for Fulham -- the Cottagers in three matches in January have allowed more goals (6) than they did in November and December combined (5). ... Sunderland 1, Fulham 0
* Tottenham v. Stoke City -- (Live, Setanta, 2:45 p.m.) At this rate before the transfer window closes Spurs will re-sign Jurgen Klinsman and Glenn Hoddle. If I were another team in the League I'd make an offer for every player on the Spurs roster, because you can eventually sell them back in a few months for profit. (The Cudicini signing is a good move.) ... Spurs 2, Stoke 1
* West Brom v. Manchester United -- A funny thing happened to Manchester United, in their pursuit to retain first place they're going to have to rely on the old (Scholes and Giggs) and the super young (Walbeck, etc.). Looks like a perfect time for the Ronaldo show. ... West Brom 1, Manchester United 2
Wednesday
* Blackburn v. Bolton -- Ding, ding, ding. Let's keep it clean and come out boxing. ... Blackburn 1, Bolton 1
* Chelsea v. Middlesbrough -- The hits keep a coming for Jon Obi Mikel, this time it's drink driving. Well done. Middlesbrough are usually decent against the good teams, but not here. ... Chelsea 3, Middlesbrough 0
* Everton v. Arsenal -- (Live, Setanta Broadband, 3 p.m.) Everton are holding it together with duct tape and bubble gum and probably won't have Mikel Arteta. It likely boils down to which Arsenal team shows up, as a win here by the Gunners would be a big statement. Imagine where Aresnal would be in the table if they gave Everton's effort each match? ... Everton 1, Arsenal 1
* Manchester City v. Newcastle United -- (Live, Setanta Broadband, 3 p.m.) Better episode title -- Shay Given, this is your future team? or Where in the world is Robson de Souza? (Robinho) ... City 2, Newcastle 0
* West Ham v. Hull City -- West Ham continues it's thoroughly non-descript season, as it flounders around the middle of the table. The one thing to note is who's still around by next Monday. Hull made a nice coup, signing Jimmy Bullard. It's hard to fathom Fulham couldn't agree to a contract for the player that nearly single-handily saved their collective asses last year. That's the game, I guess. Bullard gives the Tigers another option if Geovanni is off his game. ... West Ham 1, Hull 1
* Wigan v. Liverpool -- (Live, FSC, 2:30 p.m.) Fernando Torres, we've missed you. Liverpool is certainly happy to not be paired against a team wearing solid blue jerseys. Of course teams like Wigan, which like to defend, have caused Liverpool fits all season. Fans better hope Torres and Gerrard didn't use up all their magic on Sunday in the FA Cup. ... Wigan 0, Liverpool 1
Last time: 5-5
Season: 95-119
Labels: Prem Picks, Premier League, Soccer
Who would have thought the Homeless World Cup was played at the Home Depot Center Saturday night?
Oops, that was just U.S. budding star Sacha Kljestan with a raggedy mane looking more like he was stuck in a 1970s time loop with the Dharma Initiative than 2009 at the Home Depot Center in a 3-2 win over Sweden.
Let's dig right into this one. First off in my preview, I assumed Kljestan might not play simply because he was coming back from Scotland after a week of training with Celtic, therefore Bob Bradley wouldn't throw him out there in a semi-meaningless match if he had jet lag. It would appear that the week in Glasgow, or at least rubbing shoulders with Shunsuke Nakamura for a fleeting while paid off for the Seton Hall striker.
I don't recall in the last decade a U.S. player scoring from that far away (35+ yards) on a direct free kick. The only candidate is probably Clint Mathis, anyway. (Yes, the goal might have been massively aided by Sweden Johan Dahlin, who was more out of his element that a lost child roaming into a movie.)
It's unrealistic to expect Kljestan to ever crack a ball that true again, but it ought to put him in the mix with Freddy Adu as the No. 1 set piece taker. (Sorry, Landon.)
The big question after Kljestan's hat trick is where exactly he fits into the 2009 U.S. equation. Can he be effective playing on the ride side of midfield or in a more central/holding role with the 'A Team'? Or does Saturday's performance put Kljestan in line to captain/lead the 'B Team'?
This boils down to a couple factors. First, are we overreacting to three goals (one penalty) against a half-speed Sweden 'F Team'? Second, will U.S. coach Bob Bradley ever have the guts to break up the trio of Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and DaMarcus Beasley and give a guy like Kljestan a chance in the first XI?
More realistically, Kljestan -- if Saturday's showing counts for anything -- deserves a shot to line up next to Michael Bradley in the center of the midfield in the newish 4-5-1 formation Bob Bradley has featured as of late. He did make an impact all over the field on top of the goals. Can Kljestan, though, be an effective link between the defense and offense? Considering the other options are the likes or Ricardo Clark (who was actually pretty decent Saturday night) and Pablo Mastroeni, Kljestan ought to get a look, though that look won't be against Mexico next month.
A lot of his future could tie into if he does move to Celtic, which must have enjoyed last night's showing. If he moves to the SPL, he might not crack the starting lineup immediately (Celtic has a yuge first team.) Would Bradley call him into the team if, like Adu, Altidore, etc., is riding the pine in Europe? Of course, will Kljestan get a lot better with another campaign with Chivas USA?
Other that Kljestan firmly announcing his breakout, not too much else can be culled from the Sweden match.
Most disappointingly neither Charlie Davies or Kenny Cooper furthered their cause as a starting forward. Cooper had the best chance to score, late, when he broke in on the goal but brought the ball too far outside, allowing the Sweden keeper to block it. These two certainly moved toward the Gold Cup team than the Confederations Cup squad. (Speaking of which, did anyone else's heart drop when FSC's Max Bretos erroneously reported in the first half that USSF boss Sunil Gulati said they'd send their better players to the Gold Cup. Yikes. Thankfully that was corrected in the second half, with the Confederations Cup getting top billing.)
Semi-surprisingly Brian Ching was probably the best U.S. player last night. The big Hawaiian was all other the field and his bringing down of Danny Califf's longball, setting up Kljestan's third goal, was the highlight of the night. The only problem with Ching, is two-fold -- do we really want our forward playing that much defense? and can Ching actually hit the target? For one night at least Ching did his best poor-man's Brian McBride impression, albeit without the goals.
The young U.S. backs were okay. On the left, Jonathan Bornstein got forward to send in crossing, which need much more improved accuracy. The Bornstein v. Heath Pearce battle ought to be an epic, right on par with Ali v. Frazier. Marvel Wynne, on the right, needs to become more of a soccer player. He's super fast, but other than that leaves a lot to be desired. Against a good team he'd be exposed and picked apart. Sweden's second goal came when Alexander Farnerud had acres of space to serve a cross in from the left.
Quick hitters -- Troy Perkins did nothing much to distinguish himself in the backup goalie roulette. It was a tough angle, but he might have been able to stop the second goal off the head of Mikael Dahlberg. As long as Tim Howard stays healthy, goalie isn't a pressing concern. ... I think we'll see a decent amount of John Thorrington this year. He's a professional. He won't bring a ton to the table, but he won't take away from it and can play multiple positions. ... Danny 'Buckcherry' Califf was your captain last night and was decent enough, I guess. Could he be counted on to start should Bradley ever move Carlos Bocanegra to left back? The rest of the US defense (Michael Parkhurst and Ugo Ihemelu were forgettable.) ... Robbie Rogers was okay and seems like a certain Gold Cupper. On the other hand, I've seen enough of Chris Rolfe. It's just not going to happen for him. Sorry.. ... Good to see that Eddie Gaven is a little less strung out. It's good to see he could take a break from recording the new Muse album and come on as a second half sub. ... Why didn't the USSF give away tickets to the HDC, just to make it look better on t.v.?
Final thoughts -- Did we learn very much? Not really. The two players that have played with the full national team the most -- Ching and Kljestan -- performed the best. The rest of the players showed they could be used in a pinch for 2010 CONCACAF qualifiers and the Gold Cup. Nobody was truly awful, so that's nice. Too much can't be read into this, either, since Sweden was pretty miserable until the final 30 minutes of the match.
Overall the U.S. did seem pretty lively and confident on the ball, though the lack of finishing from Cooper or Davies was a let down.
Then again, at least Kljestan emerged as a viable player in the starting XI. My only quibble, next time you skip back in time, Sacha, grab me a Dharma jumpsuit from Pierre Chang.
Oops, that was just U.S. budding star Sacha Kljestan with a raggedy mane looking more like he was stuck in a 1970s time loop with the Dharma Initiative than 2009 at the Home Depot Center in a 3-2 win over Sweden.
Let's dig right into this one. First off in my preview, I assumed Kljestan might not play simply because he was coming back from Scotland after a week of training with Celtic, therefore Bob Bradley wouldn't throw him out there in a semi-meaningless match if he had jet lag. It would appear that the week in Glasgow, or at least rubbing shoulders with Shunsuke Nakamura for a fleeting while paid off for the Seton Hall striker.
I don't recall in the last decade a U.S. player scoring from that far away (35+ yards) on a direct free kick. The only candidate is probably Clint Mathis, anyway. (Yes, the goal might have been massively aided by Sweden Johan Dahlin, who was more out of his element that a lost child roaming into a movie.)
It's unrealistic to expect Kljestan to ever crack a ball that true again, but it ought to put him in the mix with Freddy Adu as the No. 1 set piece taker. (Sorry, Landon.)
The big question after Kljestan's hat trick is where exactly he fits into the 2009 U.S. equation. Can he be effective playing on the ride side of midfield or in a more central/holding role with the 'A Team'? Or does Saturday's performance put Kljestan in line to captain/lead the 'B Team'?
This boils down to a couple factors. First, are we overreacting to three goals (one penalty) against a half-speed Sweden 'F Team'? Second, will U.S. coach Bob Bradley ever have the guts to break up the trio of Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and DaMarcus Beasley and give a guy like Kljestan a chance in the first XI?
More realistically, Kljestan -- if Saturday's showing counts for anything -- deserves a shot to line up next to Michael Bradley in the center of the midfield in the newish 4-5-1 formation Bob Bradley has featured as of late. He did make an impact all over the field on top of the goals. Can Kljestan, though, be an effective link between the defense and offense? Considering the other options are the likes or Ricardo Clark (who was actually pretty decent Saturday night) and Pablo Mastroeni, Kljestan ought to get a look, though that look won't be against Mexico next month.
A lot of his future could tie into if he does move to Celtic, which must have enjoyed last night's showing. If he moves to the SPL, he might not crack the starting lineup immediately (Celtic has a yuge first team.) Would Bradley call him into the team if, like Adu, Altidore, etc., is riding the pine in Europe? Of course, will Kljestan get a lot better with another campaign with Chivas USA?
Other that Kljestan firmly announcing his breakout, not too much else can be culled from the Sweden match.
Most disappointingly neither Charlie Davies or Kenny Cooper furthered their cause as a starting forward. Cooper had the best chance to score, late, when he broke in on the goal but brought the ball too far outside, allowing the Sweden keeper to block it. These two certainly moved toward the Gold Cup team than the Confederations Cup squad. (Speaking of which, did anyone else's heart drop when FSC's Max Bretos erroneously reported in the first half that USSF boss Sunil Gulati said they'd send their better players to the Gold Cup. Yikes. Thankfully that was corrected in the second half, with the Confederations Cup getting top billing.)
Semi-surprisingly Brian Ching was probably the best U.S. player last night. The big Hawaiian was all other the field and his bringing down of Danny Califf's longball, setting up Kljestan's third goal, was the highlight of the night. The only problem with Ching, is two-fold -- do we really want our forward playing that much defense? and can Ching actually hit the target? For one night at least Ching did his best poor-man's Brian McBride impression, albeit without the goals.
The young U.S. backs were okay. On the left, Jonathan Bornstein got forward to send in crossing, which need much more improved accuracy. The Bornstein v. Heath Pearce battle ought to be an epic, right on par with Ali v. Frazier. Marvel Wynne, on the right, needs to become more of a soccer player. He's super fast, but other than that leaves a lot to be desired. Against a good team he'd be exposed and picked apart. Sweden's second goal came when Alexander Farnerud had acres of space to serve a cross in from the left.
Quick hitters -- Troy Perkins did nothing much to distinguish himself in the backup goalie roulette. It was a tough angle, but he might have been able to stop the second goal off the head of Mikael Dahlberg. As long as Tim Howard stays healthy, goalie isn't a pressing concern. ... I think we'll see a decent amount of John Thorrington this year. He's a professional. He won't bring a ton to the table, but he won't take away from it and can play multiple positions. ... Danny 'Buckcherry' Califf was your captain last night and was decent enough, I guess. Could he be counted on to start should Bradley ever move Carlos Bocanegra to left back? The rest of the US defense (Michael Parkhurst and Ugo Ihemelu were forgettable.) ... Robbie Rogers was okay and seems like a certain Gold Cupper. On the other hand, I've seen enough of Chris Rolfe. It's just not going to happen for him. Sorry.. ... Good to see that Eddie Gaven is a little less strung out. It's good to see he could take a break from recording the new Muse album and come on as a second half sub. ... Why didn't the USSF give away tickets to the HDC, just to make it look better on t.v.?
Final thoughts -- Did we learn very much? Not really. The two players that have played with the full national team the most -- Ching and Kljestan -- performed the best. The rest of the players showed they could be used in a pinch for 2010 CONCACAF qualifiers and the Gold Cup. Nobody was truly awful, so that's nice. Too much can't be read into this, either, since Sweden was pretty miserable until the final 30 minutes of the match.
Overall the U.S. did seem pretty lively and confident on the ball, though the lack of finishing from Cooper or Davies was a let down.
Then again, at least Kljestan emerged as a viable player in the starting XI. My only quibble, next time you skip back in time, Sacha, grab me a Dharma jumpsuit from Pierre Chang.
Labels: bob bradley, Friendlies, Soccer, USMNT
If a match falls in the woods does it make a sound?
Not to use an old opening line, but that's probably what I'll wrote the last three years before these annual January USMNT friendly matches against Scandinavian 'B' teams. Yes, it'll be nice to see the U.S. home whites in action, too bad most of the bodies inhabiting them likely won't be seen again until January 2010.
Saturday at the Home Depot Center in sunny SoCal it'll be Sweden (8, FSC), sans the likes of Zlatan Ibrohimovic, Kim Källström, Johann Ellmander, etc. Instead it'll be Pontus Wernbloom (great name) Rade Prica and Mattias Bjärsmyr.
Sweden, it would seem, probably fall into the same tier of International teams as the U.S. The Swedes are able to qualify for most major tournaments making four of the last five World Cups and Euros. The best they've done in that time was a third-place finish at USA 1994 -- Thomas Ravelli anyone?
On top of that, Sweden appearing caught in the same crunch as the U.S. when it comes to roster management. Coach Lars Lagerbäck -- who may or may not have more personality than Bob Bradley -- plays a similar, static 4-4-2 formation. He also has to deal with the off-calendar off the Swedish Allsvenskan (currently the 23rd best in the UEFA ratings), which runs March to October along with 'star' players spread across the European continent.
It'd be curious to find out how people in Sweden perceive the Blågult. Are they happy the team simply makes the tournaments so they can show up with their silly viking costumes and drink some cheap continental lager? Are their enough fans tired that the Swedes, as jolly as they might seem, are nothing more than the World Cup equivalent of seat fillers?
Is there growing distaste for the dull, efficient management of Lagerback? More importantly are is the Swedish public going to roust itself in the middle of the night (approx. 3 a.m.) to watch it's second-tier players play the U.S.'s, perhaps, third-rate players? (Let's hope the Swedish players included make an account, and not simply hack and drag all over the field.)
At least we're not alone in our identity crisis.
Talking points
Slim pickings here, but this is what I could boil down:
1. Cooper Trooper -- Kenny Cooper: viable international option or tease? The 6-foot-3 FC Dallas forward is coming off a strong MLS campaign and has the size and skill to be an asset for the U.S. The question, can he bring enough defensively (yes, ironic) to supplant Brian Ching in Bradley's rotation? Two things to consider, Cooper scored his first international goal way back in 2007 in a similar January friendly with Denmark. Second, he scored his only other U.S. goal in the team's last outing against Guatemala in November.
2. Please Hammarby don't hurt 'em -- Charlie Davies, this is your chance. The Boston College product is one of the few Americans in Europe that actually had a productive season, scoring 14 times in 27 league matches for Sweden's Hammarby. The U.S. isn't exactly overflowing with in-form strikers, so Davies is certain to get heavy looks in the coming months. Wouldn't Saturday, against players he's likely familiar with, be a perfect place to start a nice 2009?
3. Wither MLS? -- Is the league viable for players to move into international competitions? More specifically, do American players feel they have a shot to make an impact on the National Team if they're toiling away in MLS rather than some backwater European locale? The problem here likely boils down to this -- plucking a guy in the midst of an MLS season and plopping him down against a CONCACAF team probably works, yet doesn't when throwing him into the deep end of the pool aginat teams like Italy or Brasil.
4. You're No. 3!!! -- Nothing like the seemingly 400-man battle for the No. 3 goalie position (it does come with a nice bonus should the U.S. make the World Cup). Tim Howard is the No. 1 with Brad Guzan assumingly the No. 2. That actually makes Saturday's match pretty important for Jon Busch, Will Hesmer, Dan Kennedy and Matt Pickins (who confuses me with Troy Perkins a la Scott/Steve in 'Lost' season one). These guys won't have too many other chances to strut their stuff, not that it should matter, though the U.S. goal keeping position isn't as deep as it used to be and shutter if Howard somehow gets hurt during an Everton match.
5. Everybody Wang Chung tonight -- As usual, this game doesn't mean too much, so Bradley might be best advised to pull off the reigns ever so slightly and let the team play an open game. Yes, the roster has thinned out with injuries and other things, but why not put on a good show and turn the attitude in the right direction for the busy 2009 year?
Lineup guess
Stress guess, as all six subs will be used. I'll assume Sacha Kljestan won't feature unless as a sub.
GK -- Busch/Hesmer split the game. Both had strong MLS seasons, so it's a good flip.
Def (from right) -- Wynne, Califf, Parkhurst, Parkhurst
Mid -- Gaven, Clark (by default), Holden, Rogers
For -- Cooper, Davies (we all know who and what Brian Ching is, so please Bob, refrain your instinct and let the big Hawaiian come on as a sub. Let these two kids play, what's the point of this game otherwise?)
As usual, I'll post a recap shortly after the match concludes.
Not to use an old opening line, but that's probably what I'll wrote the last three years before these annual January USMNT friendly matches against Scandinavian 'B' teams. Yes, it'll be nice to see the U.S. home whites in action, too bad most of the bodies inhabiting them likely won't be seen again until January 2010.
Saturday at the Home Depot Center in sunny SoCal it'll be Sweden (8, FSC), sans the likes of Zlatan Ibrohimovic, Kim Källström, Johann Ellmander, etc. Instead it'll be Pontus Wernbloom (great name) Rade Prica and Mattias Bjärsmyr.
Sweden, it would seem, probably fall into the same tier of International teams as the U.S. The Swedes are able to qualify for most major tournaments making four of the last five World Cups and Euros. The best they've done in that time was a third-place finish at USA 1994 -- Thomas Ravelli anyone?
On top of that, Sweden appearing caught in the same crunch as the U.S. when it comes to roster management. Coach Lars Lagerbäck -- who may or may not have more personality than Bob Bradley -- plays a similar, static 4-4-2 formation. He also has to deal with the off-calendar off the Swedish Allsvenskan (currently the 23rd best in the UEFA ratings), which runs March to October along with 'star' players spread across the European continent.
It'd be curious to find out how people in Sweden perceive the Blågult. Are they happy the team simply makes the tournaments so they can show up with their silly viking costumes and drink some cheap continental lager? Are their enough fans tired that the Swedes, as jolly as they might seem, are nothing more than the World Cup equivalent of seat fillers?
Is there growing distaste for the dull, efficient management of Lagerback? More importantly are is the Swedish public going to roust itself in the middle of the night (approx. 3 a.m.) to watch it's second-tier players play the U.S.'s, perhaps, third-rate players? (Let's hope the Swedish players included make an account, and not simply hack and drag all over the field.)
At least we're not alone in our identity crisis.
Talking points
Slim pickings here, but this is what I could boil down:
1. Cooper Trooper -- Kenny Cooper: viable international option or tease? The 6-foot-3 FC Dallas forward is coming off a strong MLS campaign and has the size and skill to be an asset for the U.S. The question, can he bring enough defensively (yes, ironic) to supplant Brian Ching in Bradley's rotation? Two things to consider, Cooper scored his first international goal way back in 2007 in a similar January friendly with Denmark. Second, he scored his only other U.S. goal in the team's last outing against Guatemala in November.
2. Please Hammarby don't hurt 'em -- Charlie Davies, this is your chance. The Boston College product is one of the few Americans in Europe that actually had a productive season, scoring 14 times in 27 league matches for Sweden's Hammarby. The U.S. isn't exactly overflowing with in-form strikers, so Davies is certain to get heavy looks in the coming months. Wouldn't Saturday, against players he's likely familiar with, be a perfect place to start a nice 2009?
3. Wither MLS? -- Is the league viable for players to move into international competitions? More specifically, do American players feel they have a shot to make an impact on the National Team if they're toiling away in MLS rather than some backwater European locale? The problem here likely boils down to this -- plucking a guy in the midst of an MLS season and plopping him down against a CONCACAF team probably works, yet doesn't when throwing him into the deep end of the pool aginat teams like Italy or Brasil.
4. You're No. 3!!! -- Nothing like the seemingly 400-man battle for the No. 3 goalie position (it does come with a nice bonus should the U.S. make the World Cup). Tim Howard is the No. 1 with Brad Guzan assumingly the No. 2. That actually makes Saturday's match pretty important for Jon Busch, Will Hesmer, Dan Kennedy and Matt Pickins (who confuses me with Troy Perkins a la Scott/Steve in 'Lost' season one). These guys won't have too many other chances to strut their stuff, not that it should matter, though the U.S. goal keeping position isn't as deep as it used to be and shutter if Howard somehow gets hurt during an Everton match.
5. Everybody Wang Chung tonight -- As usual, this game doesn't mean too much, so Bradley might be best advised to pull off the reigns ever so slightly and let the team play an open game. Yes, the roster has thinned out with injuries and other things, but why not put on a good show and turn the attitude in the right direction for the busy 2009 year?
Lineup guess
Stress guess, as all six subs will be used. I'll assume Sacha Kljestan won't feature unless as a sub.
GK -- Busch/Hesmer split the game. Both had strong MLS seasons, so it's a good flip.
Def (from right) -- Wynne, Califf, Parkhurst, Parkhurst
Mid -- Gaven, Clark (by default), Holden, Rogers
For -- Cooper, Davies (we all know who and what Brian Ching is, so please Bob, refrain your instinct and let the big Hawaiian come on as a sub. Let these two kids play, what's the point of this game otherwise?)
As usual, I'll post a recap shortly after the match concludes.
Labels: bob bradley, Friendlies, Soccer, USMNT
Or, powerless in the face of death.
About a minute or two after Frank Lampard scored an officially licensed trademark pinball goal, which took a carom off Michal Ballack in the 94ish minute Saturday against Stoke City my father called.
The fact that my father called isn't a big deal, the fact he was actually watching a Premier League game might be. He was astounded that somehow Chelsea were able to scored two goals in the final six minutes to shatter a would-be Stoke City upset and also pour some cologne on an otherwise stinkbomb of a performance at Stamford Bridge.
My only reply to my father was, "It happens."
Allow me to clarify, even if it's anecdotal evidence. From the time I've seriously paid attention to professional soccer, it tends to happen quite a bit that a favored/powerful team will fall behind against a "minnow" only to find the reserve to score not only the equalizer, but the winner as well in quick succession. (Another variant on this theme was accomplished my Manchester United Saturday, waiting until the 90th minute to break a 0-0 draw with Bolton.)
This next paragraph might come off as another one of my crackpot theories, but hear me out. Sometimes in games like Chelsea/Stoke City, the underdog actually scores too early. Is Stoke boss Tony Pulis going to toss back Rory Delap's surprising mid-second half tally? Of course not, but scoring with more than 30 minutes to play leaves so much time for the favorite to come back. Once down a goal, the Chelsea-type is going to throw everything forward and usually it's only a matter of time before they breakthrough against the packed-in defense.
Saturday Stoke certainly defended well, but all it took was one missed mark on Belletti and Chelsea were level. Then, at 1-1, Stoke nearly clears away a free kick, only for it to land maybe a yard or two away from a player at the top of the box and directly in the path of Lampard.
That's the biggest downside to the 9/10 men-behind-the-ball stratagem. It can be mightily effective, yet it leaves zero margin for error. You can dig in deep for 90 minutes, but in stoppage time one guy leans down for a split second too long, placing his hands on his knees prior to the opposition taking a corner, and, boom -- you're one point is gone.
But back to my original point (assuming there was one). It's funny how once a favorite/power nails the equalizer, how quickly it crushes the spirits of the other team and leaves them open for another goal before the final whistle. One little crack in the damn and the dream of an upset is kaput.
These teams tend to wilt worse than Ralph Kramden under the hot lights.
Or maybe the other teams are just that good.
A little more on Chelsea -- Is it too early, even with Saturday's win, to say Scolari is mailing it in? Instead of getting the coach Norman Dale or Popeye Doyle version of Gene Hackman, Chelsea appears to have gotten the 'Welcome to Mooseport'
The team lost Joe Cole for the season and despite its largess doesn't have a ready-made replacement on the roster. The Blues now have next to zero width on the left side. Does Scolari, who let Wayne Bridge -- a left footer -- go, have anyone in mind to fill the gaps?
Saturday's win does help to dispel some of the backroom unrest, but as soon as the next hint of trouble surfaces, they'll be back.
We probably can't shovel dirt on Chelsea until after February, which includes make-or-break away games with Liverpool and Aston Villa as well as the first leg of the Champions League knockout round match with an in-form Juventus.
The price tag just went up -- In the summer maybe, but as of right now Sir Alex Ferguson can't sell off Carlos Tevez. Carlito basically willed the lone United goal Saturday all by himself.
Theoretically, what could happen is that in June or July United sell Tevez to Inter or Real Madrid or whomever and use that to fund the long-rumored move for Karim Benzema.
Also, Ronaldo must have had too much of the bubbly in Zurich. In the span of 10 minutes Saturday he mucked up two easy squaring balls, which could have resulted in goals.
Just wondering -- Who has the more crooked nose, Owen Wilson or Steve Bruce? And either way does that qualify Bruce for a role in 'Marley and Me 2'?
Just wondering part 2 -- Is Gareth Bale the worst player in the Premier League? Unfair, obviously, but I do believe Spurs haven't won a league match with him featuring. Maybe he ought to consider a new hairdo, shave the sideburns like Don Mattingly, perhaps.
Fantasy team of the week -- Kent Darcy's La Academia edged a few with 53, thanks to captain Frank Lampard.
Consider me excited -- I'm so excited and I just can't hide it about this afternoon's Liverpool/Everton match that I'm probably going to watch at the bar down the street instead of the laptop. I might even post something right after it's over. For some reason if Liverpool is looking up at Manchester United for two weeks with the FA Cup break, it's not going to be good on their psyche.
About a minute or two after Frank Lampard scored an officially licensed trademark pinball goal, which took a carom off Michal Ballack in the 94ish minute Saturday against Stoke City my father called.
The fact that my father called isn't a big deal, the fact he was actually watching a Premier League game might be. He was astounded that somehow Chelsea were able to scored two goals in the final six minutes to shatter a would-be Stoke City upset and also pour some cologne on an otherwise stinkbomb of a performance at Stamford Bridge.
My only reply to my father was, "It happens."
Allow me to clarify, even if it's anecdotal evidence. From the time I've seriously paid attention to professional soccer, it tends to happen quite a bit that a favored/powerful team will fall behind against a "minnow" only to find the reserve to score not only the equalizer, but the winner as well in quick succession. (Another variant on this theme was accomplished my Manchester United Saturday, waiting until the 90th minute to break a 0-0 draw with Bolton.)
This next paragraph might come off as another one of my crackpot theories, but hear me out. Sometimes in games like Chelsea/Stoke City, the underdog actually scores too early. Is Stoke boss Tony Pulis going to toss back Rory Delap's surprising mid-second half tally? Of course not, but scoring with more than 30 minutes to play leaves so much time for the favorite to come back. Once down a goal, the Chelsea-type is going to throw everything forward and usually it's only a matter of time before they breakthrough against the packed-in defense.
Saturday Stoke certainly defended well, but all it took was one missed mark on Belletti and Chelsea were level. Then, at 1-1, Stoke nearly clears away a free kick, only for it to land maybe a yard or two away from a player at the top of the box and directly in the path of Lampard.
That's the biggest downside to the 9/10 men-behind-the-ball stratagem. It can be mightily effective, yet it leaves zero margin for error. You can dig in deep for 90 minutes, but in stoppage time one guy leans down for a split second too long, placing his hands on his knees prior to the opposition taking a corner, and, boom -- you're one point is gone.
But back to my original point (assuming there was one). It's funny how once a favorite/power nails the equalizer, how quickly it crushes the spirits of the other team and leaves them open for another goal before the final whistle. One little crack in the damn and the dream of an upset is kaput.
These teams tend to wilt worse than Ralph Kramden under the hot lights.
Or maybe the other teams are just that good.
A little more on Chelsea -- Is it too early, even with Saturday's win, to say Scolari is mailing it in? Instead of getting the coach Norman Dale or Popeye Doyle version of Gene Hackman, Chelsea appears to have gotten the 'Welcome to Mooseport'
The team lost Joe Cole for the season and despite its largess doesn't have a ready-made replacement on the roster. The Blues now have next to zero width on the left side. Does Scolari, who let Wayne Bridge -- a left footer -- go, have anyone in mind to fill the gaps?
Saturday's win does help to dispel some of the backroom unrest, but as soon as the next hint of trouble surfaces, they'll be back.
We probably can't shovel dirt on Chelsea until after February, which includes make-or-break away games with Liverpool and Aston Villa as well as the first leg of the Champions League knockout round match with an in-form Juventus.
The price tag just went up -- In the summer maybe, but as of right now Sir Alex Ferguson can't sell off Carlos Tevez. Carlito basically willed the lone United goal Saturday all by himself.
Theoretically, what could happen is that in June or July United sell Tevez to Inter or Real Madrid or whomever and use that to fund the long-rumored move for Karim Benzema.
Also, Ronaldo must have had too much of the bubbly in Zurich. In the span of 10 minutes Saturday he mucked up two easy squaring balls, which could have resulted in goals.
Just wondering -- Who has the more crooked nose, Owen Wilson or Steve Bruce? And either way does that qualify Bruce for a role in 'Marley and Me 2'?
Just wondering part 2 -- Is Gareth Bale the worst player in the Premier League? Unfair, obviously, but I do believe Spurs haven't won a league match with him featuring. Maybe he ought to consider a new hairdo, shave the sideburns like Don Mattingly, perhaps.
Fantasy team of the week -- Kent Darcy's La Academia edged a few with 53, thanks to captain Frank Lampard.
Consider me excited -- I'm so excited and I just can't hide it about this afternoon's Liverpool/Everton match that I'm probably going to watch at the bar down the street instead of the laptop. I might even post something right after it's over. For some reason if Liverpool is looking up at Manchester United for two weeks with the FA Cup break, it's not going to be good on their psyche.
Labels: Monday recaps, Premier League, Soccer
Cue the Jim Mora chestnut -- "Playoffs!?!"
Earlier this week I was listening to Bill Simmons post-NFL Sunday podcast and he bemoaned the lack of rhyme or reason to the league's postseason this year. Also brought into the argument was the MLB playoffs where a team only has to get hot at the end to win.
The NFL's most likely analogue around the world is the Premier League, perhaps only if we judge by revenue.
Just for fun, what would happen if the two league swapped their ways to decide a champion. Bear with me, it would never happen, but why not speculate?
In the NFL, the 16-game regular season would literally become a life of death struggle. Of course, if there wasn't a postseason, things like divisions would become immediately irrelevant. Other issues, what if teams finish with the same record? A one-game playoff?
Obviously this is a pipe dream, but maybe it will gain some merit if the Eagles (9-6-1 in the regular season) face off in Tampa in two weeks against the Ravens (11-5). Will the "best" team for the entire course of 2008-09 lift the Vince Lombardi trophy? Possibly not, but it's never seemed to be a problem in the past.
The NFL generates too much money and excitement during its month-long postseason to ditch it, unless it were to add more games. Bottom line, though, Americans want playoffs so its a moot point.
Now, if there were playoffs in the Premier League, yes shudder at the thought, it would create an entirely new way to look at the league. (Yes, England and the rest of the world have Cup competitions to satisfy this one-off, do-or-die urge.)
Take a team in the middle of the pack, say for example's sake Bolton. What exactly do they have to play for right now, aside from the specter of relegation? The UEFA/Europa Cup?
Suppose there were playoff spots for the top six teams in the league with first and second getting first round byes? Wouldn't that juice things up a little bit? Wouldn't players have more motivation and an actual chance to lift the championship silverware, than simply going through the motions?
Yes, this is blasphemy, I know. It's just that over the last couple weeks I've been thinking about the players themselves on the middle tier teams. What exactly pushes them each weekend? No need to disparage the work ethic of professionals, but it's it pretty easy to go through the motions from time-to-time? You'd hope not, but it probably happens.
As usual, I can scupper my own point, since this year's Premier League is going to be a thriller every weekend up until May with the title chase and the massive relegation lottery keeping our attentions full.
If you were offended by the last couple paragraphs, I sincerely apologize. At least I didn't bring up an MLS argument to the table.
Saturday
* Blackburn v. Newcastle United -- (Live, Setanta Xtra, 10 a.m.) Meet the old boss, same as the old boss. Newcastle seems due a road clunker. ... Blackburn 3, Newcastle United 1
* Bolton v. Manchester United -- (Live, Setanta, 9:30 a.m.) Guess we can put those Carlos Tevez to Inter rumors on hold, now that Wayne Rooney is out for a couple weeks. Must be nice to live a life were you can plug in Carlito from the bench. Bolton show a lot of defensive reserve last weekend at the Emirates. Who's to say they can't do it again against United, a team it's held its own against lately? This one won't be easy for United, especially with Patrice Evra and Rio Ferdinand on the shelf, too. Still, with the chance, amazingly, to wrest the top spot away from Liverpool if only for 30+ hours, Sir Alex's men aren't going to slip up. ... Bolton 0, Manchester United 1
* Chelsea v. Stoke City -- (Live, FSC, 10 a.m.) How quickly has the bloom fallen off of Phil Scolari's rose? Does he even care? He knows that if and when he's relieved of duties at Chelsea another job will be waiting right around the corner. That's the right attitude. Perhaps the problem at Chelsea is a lack of hunger for anything aside from the Champions League trophy. Usually a team like Stoke would seem to be the perfect morsel for Chelsea to get fat against, but the Potters should be in the mood to roll over. That said, they'll eventually wilt sometime around the 77th minute. ... Chelsea 1, Stoke 0
* Manchester City v. Wigan Athletic -- A fun study in contrasts. City are shopping for new clothes at Sax Fifth Avenues, whilst Wigan are bargain hunting at Wal-Mart. After 21 matches, the savvy shoppers are nine points better. Early Wigan 2008-09 DVD title suggestion -- "Wigan Athletic: Turning Shittiness Into an Artform." Anyone else fatigued by the Kaka rumors? ... City 1, Wigan 1
* Sunderland v. Aston Villa -- Martin O'Neil, you can do it. Yes you can. ... Sunderland 1, Aston Villa 2
* West Brom v. Middlesbrough -- Good litmus test to see if either team has given up the fight this early. ... West Brom 1, Boro 0
* Hull City v. Arsenal -- (Live, FSC, 12:30 p.m.) If he wants, Arsene Wenger might be able to end the Hull City dream. He's holding the pin about a millimeter away from the balloon. The Tigers haven't won since Dec. 6, yet are still in eighth place. They can't live off their nice start forever, can they? ... Hull City 1, Arsenal 1
Sunday
* West Ham v. Fulham -- (Live, Setanta, 8:30 a.m.) Fulham hasn't played a league match in over two weeks? Will that help them rest and recoup or blow all of the club's momentum? ... West Ham 0, Fulham 0
* Tottenham v. Portsmouth -- (Live, FSC, 11 a.m.) Give him the stick! ... Tottenham 1, Portsmouth 0
Monday
* Liverpool v. Everton -- (Live, Setanta, 2:45 p.m.) Is Liverpool going to show some fortitude, now that Manchester United is bearing hot-and-heavy down their backs? Or with Rafa's men wilt like Neville Chamberlain? Everton are likely relishing the chance to possibly keep Liverpool from the No. 1 spot. Everton is certainly playing better right now, but even as much as I like Mikel Arteta, Steven Gerrard's heroics likely win out here. ... Liverpool 1, Everton 0
Last round: 5-5
Season: 90-114 (two weather postponements)
Earlier this week I was listening to Bill Simmons post-NFL Sunday podcast and he bemoaned the lack of rhyme or reason to the league's postseason this year. Also brought into the argument was the MLB playoffs where a team only has to get hot at the end to win.
The NFL's most likely analogue around the world is the Premier League, perhaps only if we judge by revenue.
Just for fun, what would happen if the two league swapped their ways to decide a champion. Bear with me, it would never happen, but why not speculate?
In the NFL, the 16-game regular season would literally become a life of death struggle. Of course, if there wasn't a postseason, things like divisions would become immediately irrelevant. Other issues, what if teams finish with the same record? A one-game playoff?
Obviously this is a pipe dream, but maybe it will gain some merit if the Eagles (9-6-1 in the regular season) face off in Tampa in two weeks against the Ravens (11-5). Will the "best" team for the entire course of 2008-09 lift the Vince Lombardi trophy? Possibly not, but it's never seemed to be a problem in the past.
The NFL generates too much money and excitement during its month-long postseason to ditch it, unless it were to add more games. Bottom line, though, Americans want playoffs so its a moot point.
Now, if there were playoffs in the Premier League, yes shudder at the thought, it would create an entirely new way to look at the league. (Yes, England and the rest of the world have Cup competitions to satisfy this one-off, do-or-die urge.)
Take a team in the middle of the pack, say for example's sake Bolton. What exactly do they have to play for right now, aside from the specter of relegation? The UEFA/Europa Cup?
Suppose there were playoff spots for the top six teams in the league with first and second getting first round byes? Wouldn't that juice things up a little bit? Wouldn't players have more motivation and an actual chance to lift the championship silverware, than simply going through the motions?
Yes, this is blasphemy, I know. It's just that over the last couple weeks I've been thinking about the players themselves on the middle tier teams. What exactly pushes them each weekend? No need to disparage the work ethic of professionals, but it's it pretty easy to go through the motions from time-to-time? You'd hope not, but it probably happens.
As usual, I can scupper my own point, since this year's Premier League is going to be a thriller every weekend up until May with the title chase and the massive relegation lottery keeping our attentions full.
If you were offended by the last couple paragraphs, I sincerely apologize. At least I didn't bring up an MLS argument to the table.
Saturday
* Blackburn v. Newcastle United -- (Live, Setanta Xtra, 10 a.m.) Meet the old boss, same as the old boss. Newcastle seems due a road clunker. ... Blackburn 3, Newcastle United 1
* Bolton v. Manchester United -- (Live, Setanta, 9:30 a.m.) Guess we can put those Carlos Tevez to Inter rumors on hold, now that Wayne Rooney is out for a couple weeks. Must be nice to live a life were you can plug in Carlito from the bench. Bolton show a lot of defensive reserve last weekend at the Emirates. Who's to say they can't do it again against United, a team it's held its own against lately? This one won't be easy for United, especially with Patrice Evra and Rio Ferdinand on the shelf, too. Still, with the chance, amazingly, to wrest the top spot away from Liverpool if only for 30+ hours, Sir Alex's men aren't going to slip up. ... Bolton 0, Manchester United 1
* Chelsea v. Stoke City -- (Live, FSC, 10 a.m.) How quickly has the bloom fallen off of Phil Scolari's rose? Does he even care? He knows that if and when he's relieved of duties at Chelsea another job will be waiting right around the corner. That's the right attitude. Perhaps the problem at Chelsea is a lack of hunger for anything aside from the Champions League trophy. Usually a team like Stoke would seem to be the perfect morsel for Chelsea to get fat against, but the Potters should be in the mood to roll over. That said, they'll eventually wilt sometime around the 77th minute. ... Chelsea 1, Stoke 0
* Manchester City v. Wigan Athletic -- A fun study in contrasts. City are shopping for new clothes at Sax Fifth Avenues, whilst Wigan are bargain hunting at Wal-Mart. After 21 matches, the savvy shoppers are nine points better. Early Wigan 2008-09 DVD title suggestion -- "Wigan Athletic: Turning Shittiness Into an Artform." Anyone else fatigued by the Kaka rumors? ... City 1, Wigan 1
* Sunderland v. Aston Villa -- Martin O'Neil, you can do it. Yes you can. ... Sunderland 1, Aston Villa 2
* West Brom v. Middlesbrough -- Good litmus test to see if either team has given up the fight this early. ... West Brom 1, Boro 0
* Hull City v. Arsenal -- (Live, FSC, 12:30 p.m.) If he wants, Arsene Wenger might be able to end the Hull City dream. He's holding the pin about a millimeter away from the balloon. The Tigers haven't won since Dec. 6, yet are still in eighth place. They can't live off their nice start forever, can they? ... Hull City 1, Arsenal 1
Sunday
* West Ham v. Fulham -- (Live, Setanta, 8:30 a.m.) Fulham hasn't played a league match in over two weeks? Will that help them rest and recoup or blow all of the club's momentum? ... West Ham 0, Fulham 0
* Tottenham v. Portsmouth -- (Live, FSC, 11 a.m.) Give him the stick! ... Tottenham 1, Portsmouth 0
Monday
* Liverpool v. Everton -- (Live, Setanta, 2:45 p.m.) Is Liverpool going to show some fortitude, now that Manchester United is bearing hot-and-heavy down their backs? Or with Rafa's men wilt like Neville Chamberlain? Everton are likely relishing the chance to possibly keep Liverpool from the No. 1 spot. Everton is certainly playing better right now, but even as much as I like Mikel Arteta, Steven Gerrard's heroics likely win out here. ... Liverpool 1, Everton 0
Last round: 5-5
Season: 90-114 (two weather postponements)
Labels: English Premier League, Prem League, Prem Picks, Soccer
"Like a freight train baby, choo choo." -- Dennis Hopper to Sterling Sharpe in a bizare mid 90s Nike ad.
Okay, bear with me. It wasn't exactly like I could quote the inspirational "Footprints" as a start to a Monday morning Premier League recap-o-rama. Perhaps, though, Rafa Benitez could use it, stare at it, and calm down a bit. That Friday rant/meltdown toward Sir Alex Ferguson is already backfiring less than 48 hours after it happened, with the Red Devils boss already calling his Liverpool counterpart "troubled and angry." (Shave his head and Benitez is closing on George Costanza territory.)
Now, with a nice and tidy 3-0 smashing of Chelsea Sunday afternoon, Ferguson can kick back with a nice bottle of wine, smile and channel his inner Hannibal Smith -- as in -- "I love it when a plan comes together."
You, like me, are probably worn out by the phrase "games in hand." Is a game in hand worth two in the bush? Sorry. Couldn't help myself with that one. As a result of the frigid weekend throughout England and the rest of Europe, United five points back of first place Liverpool ... with two games in hand. All the weekend commentators assumed United has six points in the bank. It's hard to blame them with the matches coming against perennial United whipping boys Wigan and Fulham.
For me, you could boil down the Sunday's 3-0 result pretty succinctly. Following the second and third United goals the cameras caught slo-mo celebrations of keeper Edwin Van Der Sar followed by Gary Neville. These are two veterans who've each won Champions League medals, yet their faces showed nothing but joy over winning a league game against a hated rival.
This bears merit since in the halcyon days of the Mourinho administration, Chelsea players would have been caught in similar states of ecstasy. (Bad image?) Ironically enough, Mourinho was at Old Trafford on what could turn out to be the night the Chelsea dynasty ended.
The visage of the scarfed-one got me thinking about some of the Portugeezer's later signings. After hitting home runs upon his debut in West London with guys like Ricardo Carvalho, Arjen Robben, (especially) Didier Drogba etc. the later days of Mourinho's stint brought in some suspect players they might have added to Chelsea's malaise, perhaps hoping to ride the core team's coat tails.
To some extent guys like Michael Ballack -- who's lived up to billing -- and namely Andriy Shevchenko and even Ashley Cole were foisted on Mourinho by the club's upper management. Yet players such as Flourent Malouda, Soloman Kalou, Julio Belletti and John Obi Mikel have failed to bring as much to the table as older and less heralded guys like Eidur Gudjohnsen, Damien Duff or even William Gallas brought to the team.
Judging by body language and his quotes, Phil Scolari doesn't seem like the guy with energy to right the Chelsea ship. He seems unsure if he wants to 4-4-2 or 4-3-3. (Deco wide left, huh?) That's a minor quibble to man-marking. For the second league game Chelsea were undone by headers at the far post. Two weeks ago it was Clint Dempsey for Fulham. Sunday it was Nemanja Vidic.
Suffice to say, something is certainly rotten in the state of Chelsea? What it exactly is probably won't be revealed until after the season.
The funny thing is, Chelsea will finish up third or fourth and we'll all label it a massive failure. Such is life in the Premier League.
No matter the result, this was a fun match to watch. The dulcet tones of Jon Champion were a perfect tonic after a 3+ hours of the Dan Dierdorfs of the world. I was beginning to forget how much I relish the minimalist English announcing.
Meanwhile, the brick you hear crashing outside your window is that being crapped out by Liverpool fans around the world. Liverpool might have been able to withstand a run for the Premier League title with Chelsea since, at least pyscologically, they've coped with the Blues in the Champions League. Manchester United? Liverpool fans better cross their fingers the Reds don't wilt like the pre-2004 Red Sox in the face of the Yankees.
Saturday Liverpool again drew Stoke City, this time 0-0 at the Britianna Stadium. Benitez decided to rest his phalanx of strikers, keeping Torres, Keane, et al on the bench, preferring a defensive minded team against the palookas from Stoke.
It wasn't for Steven Gerrard, who twice hit the post in the final seconds -- once on a free kick. Gerrad is only one man. Can a club count on winning the league thanks to weekly heroics from its talismanic captain? We're about to find out.
While this next line might sound crazy -- I'm not writing off Liverpool. This has been a wacky season and I've learned my lesson about jumping to conclusions too early. This season simply doesn't make sense. It's like me, I'm a comedy aficionado, but can't get into 'Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job!' and I hate reality television, but (don't hold it against me) watch 'Top Chef'.
That said, Liverpool has to get its ass in gear, because Sunday's showcase might be just what Manchester United needed to get its season kicked into gear.
Personally I hope Aston Villa hasn't jumped to any either. Who's to say that Villa -- just five points off the pace itelf -- can't rally and win the league? It's not written in stone that the league winners has to come from the 'Big Four'?
Villa is owned by American Randy Lerner. It would behoove him to crib some lines from Miami Dolphins first-year coach Tony Sparano, "Why not us?"
I guess, too, that means I must include fifth place Arsenal which channeled it's pre-Arsene Wenger form and posted a classic "1-0 to the Arsenal" game. Here's a quick recap of Arsenal v. Bolton -- Arsenal passes it around, a player tries a cross, a Bolton player heads it away. Arsenal tries a long shot that goes wide. Repeat.
Niclas Bendtner saved Arsenal with a late goal, which was nearly undone immediately at the other end by Kevin Davies.
Afterward we have Wenger boo-hooing about defensive teams. On top of that Zenit St. Petersburg turned down the Arshavin bid.
Thankfully I'm not a Gooner, because I'd be worn out by this by now.
Miscellany -- Oof, Scott Carson. Doubt he'll be turning out for England any time soon after his howler against Aston Villa. ... I'm about one more week away from biting the bullet and buying a Mikel Arteta Everton shirt. ... Frozen pitches? I guess. ... Gavin McCann, what's up with that hair, brah? Odd to say the least. ... Newcastle 2, West Ham 2, seems about fair. ... The more things changes, the more they stay the same at Tottenham. ... How about Wigan! UEFA Cup or bust! Bring on Metalist Kharkiv!
Fantasy Team of the Week -- Previous weekly winner Drew Konig's Beckhams Priapism earns the honors for 74 -- 30 from Vidic. That's what we call strategy, since he was the 'captain'.
Shameless plug -- I had some musings about Landon Donovan's Bayern debut at FanHouse. There's no point to repeat them, so click here if you're interested.
[Minor Update -- Wednesday Prem Pick, Manchester United 2, Wigan 0]
Okay, bear with me. It wasn't exactly like I could quote the inspirational "Footprints" as a start to a Monday morning Premier League recap-o-rama. Perhaps, though, Rafa Benitez could use it, stare at it, and calm down a bit. That Friday rant/meltdown toward Sir Alex Ferguson is already backfiring less than 48 hours after it happened, with the Red Devils boss already calling his Liverpool counterpart "troubled and angry." (Shave his head and Benitez is closing on George Costanza territory.)
Now, with a nice and tidy 3-0 smashing of Chelsea Sunday afternoon, Ferguson can kick back with a nice bottle of wine, smile and channel his inner Hannibal Smith -- as in -- "I love it when a plan comes together."
You, like me, are probably worn out by the phrase "games in hand." Is a game in hand worth two in the bush? Sorry. Couldn't help myself with that one. As a result of the frigid weekend throughout England and the rest of Europe, United five points back of first place Liverpool ... with two games in hand. All the weekend commentators assumed United has six points in the bank. It's hard to blame them with the matches coming against perennial United whipping boys Wigan and Fulham.
For me, you could boil down the Sunday's 3-0 result pretty succinctly. Following the second and third United goals the cameras caught slo-mo celebrations of keeper Edwin Van Der Sar followed by Gary Neville. These are two veterans who've each won Champions League medals, yet their faces showed nothing but joy over winning a league game against a hated rival.
This bears merit since in the halcyon days of the Mourinho administration, Chelsea players would have been caught in similar states of ecstasy. (Bad image?) Ironically enough, Mourinho was at Old Trafford on what could turn out to be the night the Chelsea dynasty ended.
The visage of the scarfed-one got me thinking about some of the Portugeezer's later signings. After hitting home runs upon his debut in West London with guys like Ricardo Carvalho, Arjen Robben, (especially) Didier Drogba etc. the later days of Mourinho's stint brought in some suspect players they might have added to Chelsea's malaise, perhaps hoping to ride the core team's coat tails.
To some extent guys like Michael Ballack -- who's lived up to billing -- and namely Andriy Shevchenko and even Ashley Cole were foisted on Mourinho by the club's upper management. Yet players such as Flourent Malouda, Soloman Kalou, Julio Belletti and John Obi Mikel have failed to bring as much to the table as older and less heralded guys like Eidur Gudjohnsen, Damien Duff or even William Gallas brought to the team.
Judging by body language and his quotes, Phil Scolari doesn't seem like the guy with energy to right the Chelsea ship. He seems unsure if he wants to 4-4-2 or 4-3-3. (Deco wide left, huh?) That's a minor quibble to man-marking. For the second league game Chelsea were undone by headers at the far post. Two weeks ago it was Clint Dempsey for Fulham. Sunday it was Nemanja Vidic.
Suffice to say, something is certainly rotten in the state of Chelsea? What it exactly is probably won't be revealed until after the season.
The funny thing is, Chelsea will finish up third or fourth and we'll all label it a massive failure. Such is life in the Premier League.
No matter the result, this was a fun match to watch. The dulcet tones of Jon Champion were a perfect tonic after a 3+ hours of the Dan Dierdorfs of the world. I was beginning to forget how much I relish the minimalist English announcing.
Meanwhile, the brick you hear crashing outside your window is that being crapped out by Liverpool fans around the world. Liverpool might have been able to withstand a run for the Premier League title with Chelsea since, at least pyscologically, they've coped with the Blues in the Champions League. Manchester United? Liverpool fans better cross their fingers the Reds don't wilt like the pre-2004 Red Sox in the face of the Yankees.
Saturday Liverpool again drew Stoke City, this time 0-0 at the Britianna Stadium. Benitez decided to rest his phalanx of strikers, keeping Torres, Keane, et al on the bench, preferring a defensive minded team against the palookas from Stoke.
It wasn't for Steven Gerrard, who twice hit the post in the final seconds -- once on a free kick. Gerrad is only one man. Can a club count on winning the league thanks to weekly heroics from its talismanic captain? We're about to find out.
While this next line might sound crazy -- I'm not writing off Liverpool. This has been a wacky season and I've learned my lesson about jumping to conclusions too early. This season simply doesn't make sense. It's like me, I'm a comedy aficionado, but can't get into 'Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job!' and I hate reality television, but (don't hold it against me) watch 'Top Chef'.
That said, Liverpool has to get its ass in gear, because Sunday's showcase might be just what Manchester United needed to get its season kicked into gear.
Personally I hope Aston Villa hasn't jumped to any either. Who's to say that Villa -- just five points off the pace itelf -- can't rally and win the league? It's not written in stone that the league winners has to come from the 'Big Four'?
Villa is owned by American Randy Lerner. It would behoove him to crib some lines from Miami Dolphins first-year coach Tony Sparano, "Why not us?"
I guess, too, that means I must include fifth place Arsenal which channeled it's pre-Arsene Wenger form and posted a classic "1-0 to the Arsenal" game. Here's a quick recap of Arsenal v. Bolton -- Arsenal passes it around, a player tries a cross, a Bolton player heads it away. Arsenal tries a long shot that goes wide. Repeat.
Niclas Bendtner saved Arsenal with a late goal, which was nearly undone immediately at the other end by Kevin Davies.
Afterward we have Wenger boo-hooing about defensive teams. On top of that Zenit St. Petersburg turned down the Arshavin bid.
Thankfully I'm not a Gooner, because I'd be worn out by this by now.
Miscellany -- Oof, Scott Carson. Doubt he'll be turning out for England any time soon after his howler against Aston Villa. ... I'm about one more week away from biting the bullet and buying a Mikel Arteta Everton shirt. ... Frozen pitches? I guess. ... Gavin McCann, what's up with that hair, brah? Odd to say the least. ... Newcastle 2, West Ham 2, seems about fair. ... The more things changes, the more they stay the same at Tottenham. ... How about Wigan! UEFA Cup or bust! Bring on Metalist Kharkiv!
Fantasy Team of the Week -- Previous weekly winner Drew Konig's Beckhams Priapism earns the honors for 74 -- 30 from Vidic. That's what we call strategy, since he was the 'captain'.
Shameless plug -- I had some musings about Landon Donovan's Bayern debut at FanHouse. There's no point to repeat them, so click here if you're interested.
[Minor Update -- Wednesday Prem Pick, Manchester United 2, Wigan 0]
Labels: English Premier League, Soccer
"I don't know where we're going tonight. Obviously Finchy's a sophisticated guy, and Gareth's a culture vulture, so you know will it be opera, ballet? I don't know. I know the RSC's in town, so er... having said that at Chasers, it's Hooch for a pound and Wonderbras-get-in-free night tonight. So I don't know, I don't know who'll win, it's exciting. I'm staying out of it." -- Tim Canterbury, 'The Office'
...And we're back.
To go across the pond and cite the American version of 'The Office', here is a Dwight Schrute postulation. Question, which is the best team in the Premier League right now? The table says Liverpool, but until the Holiday fixture double-header (combined 8-1 victories over Bolton, Newcastle) the Reds looked pretty indifferent. Would Fulham, which hasn't lost since Nov. 1 be considered the 'form' team in the league? How about Everton?
What do you make of Manchester United, which hadn't lost in 14 matches across -- count 'em -- five competitions, until a 1-0 defeat to Derby in the first leg of the Carling Cup semifinals on Wednesday. (Re-read that sentence for full effect.) With the trip of Japan out of the way, but still four competitions lingering on the calendar are United the team to beat, even if they've been a shell of last year's form?
We should learn a lot about Sir Alex Ferguson's team Sunday when it hosts Chelsea at Old Trafford likely without defensive stalwart Rio Ferdinand. The Red Devils -- with two games in hand -- are only seven off first place, yet against the 'Big' teams (Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Aston Villa) United's record stands at two losses, two draws. Hardly championship stuff.
Is United lurking like a darkhouse indie favorite at Oscar time (Ok, a bankrolled indie like something from Miramax), or simply an overwrought costume drama that is named for awards by rote?
And what do we make about Chelsea? The Blues are always, repeat always dangerous. Yet something seems a bit off from past incarnations. That said, Chelsea can go on multiple months without a defeat without really looking that good, which is always a nice thing. As long as the much-maligned Frank Lampard is in the middle of the park, Chelsea can't be counted out.
What's so puzzling about Chelsea is that despite giving up the fewest goals -- 9 -- in the league, its usual rock-tight defense looks a little less formidable. Will the returns of Ricardo Carvalho and Michael Essien change that? Also, will Chelsea's obvious Holy Grail quest for the Champions League title distract it at in the league?
Whatever happens, whichever teams walks away from Old Trafford on Sunday with three points in the bank makes a true statement of intent -- and might make Liverpool Universe quiver in its boots just a little bit.
Saturday
Instead of your normal picks, a New Year's resolution for each club. Lame, I know.
* Aston Villa v. West Brom -- (Live, Setanta, 7:45 a.m.) Villa -- To have the squad depth to sustain a fourth-place finish and for Ashley Young and Gabby Agbonlahor to keep it in their pants. ... West Brom -- To keep up it's open, attacking play in hopes of survival and maybe find a shirt sponsor. ... Aston Villa 3, West Brom 1
* Arsenal v. Bolton -- (Live, Setanta, 9:30 a.m.) Arsenal -- To shit or get off the pot with Arshavin and everything else. ... Bolton -- To realize quickly that Denilson has nothing left in the tank. ... Arsenal 1, Bolton 1
* Everton v. Hull City -- Everton -- To find a way to get David Moyes a striker...any striker. ... Hull City -- To keep on keepin' on. ... Everton 2, Hull City 0
* Fulham v. Blackburn -- Fulham -- To keep giving Clint Dempsey playing time and realize it's time to cut bait with Eddie Johnson. ... Blackburn -- To survive the drop, because Rovers aren't coming back if they fall. (Why would the club turn down the money for Santa Cruz? McCarthy, Roberts and Derbyshire are fairly competent strikers.) ... Fulham 1, Blackburn 1
* Middlesbrough v. Sunderland -- Middlesbrough -- To figure out what it is or stop taking up Premier League space. ... Sunderland -- To keep on dancing. ... Middlesbrough 1, Sunderland 1
* Newcastle United v. West Ham -- (Live, FSC, 10 a.m.) Newcastle -- To keep the microphones in front of Joe Kinnear and Mike Ashley and maybe find a way to keep Shay Given around. ... West Ham -- To stay alive. ... Newcastle 1, West Ham 0
* Portsmouth v. Manchester City -- Portsmouth -- See West Ham. ... Manchester City -- To find a way to finish in the Top 10 before splashing around all that cash. ... Portsmouth 0, City 2
* Stoke City v. Liverpool -- (Live, FSC, 12:30 p.m.) Stoke City -- To figure out a way to survive relegation with the most non-descript team possible. ... Liverpool -- To find a way to keep Fro Torres healthy on Spain duty and keep Steve Gerrard out of nightclubs and maybe for Rafa to switch to decaf. ... Stoke 1, Liverpool 2
Sunday
* Wigan Athletic v. Tottenham -- (Live, Setanta, 8:30 a.m.) Wigan -- To get some damn respect, and a nice fee for Zaki in June. ... Spurs -- To keep on doing what you're doing. The league needs your wily, nily mood swings. ... Wigan 1, Spurs 1
* Manchester United v. Chelsea -- (Live, FSC, 11 a.m.) Manchester United -- To get somebody to drive for Cristiano Ronaldo. ... Chelsea -- To keep letting John Terry take penalties in Europe. ... Manchester United 1, Chelsea 0
Last round: 6-4
Season: 85-110
...And we're back.
To go across the pond and cite the American version of 'The Office', here is a Dwight Schrute postulation. Question, which is the best team in the Premier League right now? The table says Liverpool, but until the Holiday fixture double-header (combined 8-1 victories over Bolton, Newcastle) the Reds looked pretty indifferent. Would Fulham, which hasn't lost since Nov. 1 be considered the 'form' team in the league? How about Everton?
What do you make of Manchester United, which hadn't lost in 14 matches across -- count 'em -- five competitions, until a 1-0 defeat to Derby in the first leg of the Carling Cup semifinals on Wednesday. (Re-read that sentence for full effect.) With the trip of Japan out of the way, but still four competitions lingering on the calendar are United the team to beat, even if they've been a shell of last year's form?
We should learn a lot about Sir Alex Ferguson's team Sunday when it hosts Chelsea at Old Trafford likely without defensive stalwart Rio Ferdinand. The Red Devils -- with two games in hand -- are only seven off first place, yet against the 'Big' teams (Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Aston Villa) United's record stands at two losses, two draws. Hardly championship stuff.
Is United lurking like a darkhouse indie favorite at Oscar time (Ok, a bankrolled indie like something from Miramax), or simply an overwrought costume drama that is named for awards by rote?
And what do we make about Chelsea? The Blues are always, repeat always dangerous. Yet something seems a bit off from past incarnations. That said, Chelsea can go on multiple months without a defeat without really looking that good, which is always a nice thing. As long as the much-maligned Frank Lampard is in the middle of the park, Chelsea can't be counted out.
What's so puzzling about Chelsea is that despite giving up the fewest goals -- 9 -- in the league, its usual rock-tight defense looks a little less formidable. Will the returns of Ricardo Carvalho and Michael Essien change that? Also, will Chelsea's obvious Holy Grail quest for the Champions League title distract it at in the league?
Whatever happens, whichever teams walks away from Old Trafford on Sunday with three points in the bank makes a true statement of intent -- and might make Liverpool Universe quiver in its boots just a little bit.
Saturday
Instead of your normal picks, a New Year's resolution for each club. Lame, I know.
* Aston Villa v. West Brom -- (Live, Setanta, 7:45 a.m.) Villa -- To have the squad depth to sustain a fourth-place finish and for Ashley Young and Gabby Agbonlahor to keep it in their pants. ... West Brom -- To keep up it's open, attacking play in hopes of survival and maybe find a shirt sponsor. ... Aston Villa 3, West Brom 1
* Arsenal v. Bolton -- (Live, Setanta, 9:30 a.m.) Arsenal -- To shit or get off the pot with Arshavin and everything else. ... Bolton -- To realize quickly that Denilson has nothing left in the tank. ... Arsenal 1, Bolton 1
* Everton v. Hull City -- Everton -- To find a way to get David Moyes a striker...any striker. ... Hull City -- To keep on keepin' on. ... Everton 2, Hull City 0
* Fulham v. Blackburn -- Fulham -- To keep giving Clint Dempsey playing time and realize it's time to cut bait with Eddie Johnson. ... Blackburn -- To survive the drop, because Rovers aren't coming back if they fall. (Why would the club turn down the money for Santa Cruz? McCarthy, Roberts and Derbyshire are fairly competent strikers.) ... Fulham 1, Blackburn 1
* Middlesbrough v. Sunderland -- Middlesbrough -- To figure out what it is or stop taking up Premier League space. ... Sunderland -- To keep on dancing. ... Middlesbrough 1, Sunderland 1
* Newcastle United v. West Ham -- (Live, FSC, 10 a.m.) Newcastle -- To keep the microphones in front of Joe Kinnear and Mike Ashley and maybe find a way to keep Shay Given around. ... West Ham -- To stay alive. ... Newcastle 1, West Ham 0
* Portsmouth v. Manchester City -- Portsmouth -- See West Ham. ... Manchester City -- To find a way to finish in the Top 10 before splashing around all that cash. ... Portsmouth 0, City 2
* Stoke City v. Liverpool -- (Live, FSC, 12:30 p.m.) Stoke City -- To figure out a way to survive relegation with the most non-descript team possible. ... Liverpool -- To find a way to keep Fro Torres healthy on Spain duty and keep Steve Gerrard out of nightclubs and maybe for Rafa to switch to decaf. ... Stoke 1, Liverpool 2
Sunday
* Wigan Athletic v. Tottenham -- (Live, Setanta, 8:30 a.m.) Wigan -- To get some damn respect, and a nice fee for Zaki in June. ... Spurs -- To keep on doing what you're doing. The league needs your wily, nily mood swings. ... Wigan 1, Spurs 1
* Manchester United v. Chelsea -- (Live, FSC, 11 a.m.) Manchester United -- To get somebody to drive for Cristiano Ronaldo. ... Chelsea -- To keep letting John Terry take penalties in Europe. ... Manchester United 1, Chelsea 0
Last round: 6-4
Season: 85-110
Labels: Chelsea, manchester United, Prem League, Premier League, Soccer
So, with no Premier League action this weekend it was only fitting to make the first Friday post of 2009 about my favorite topic to rant and rave about -- the USMNT. There probably won't be too many jokes or 'Back to the Future' references, just straight analysis.
Before diving headfirst into what figures to be a meaty post, consider these two numbers:
14 -- The number of matches currently on the calendar -- without factoring the Gold Cup, which could be another six.
51 -- The number of players in Bob Bradley's 25-man roster for the Jan. 24 friendly with Sweden combined with players have been in the team over the last six months.
Suffice to say, both those numbers could increase. It wouldn't be outrageous for Bob Bradley to call in close to 70 players for National Team duty. Is this a good thing? We shall see.
Let's examine the state of the National Team ahead of the busy 2009, shall we?
Positional depth charts/analysis
(This is using the assumption of your typical 4-4-2 scenario.)
Goalkeeper -- Short and sweet, the U.S. has plenty of talent with Tim Howard and Brad Guzan as his deputy. One position Bradley doesn't need to worry about in the least. If anything, they need to work on ball distribution to start attacks. Rating: A-
Left back -- Heath Pearce is your de facto starter, though is VORP rating (value over replacement player) is pretty much zero. He's adequate, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Pearce's only competition is Bradley's would-be adoptive son Jonathon Bornstein. This should actually be a fierce battle and which player goes to the Gold Cup and which goes to Confederations Cup will say a lot. Overall, left back remains a black hole for the U.S. Rating: C-
Central defense -- Though I like to criticize the tandem of Oguchi Onyewu and Carlos Bocanegra, they are solid enough. Will they ever be as cultured as an Italian defense? No, but for CONCACAF they're good enough. Plus they both can get forward and score on set plays, though relying on defenders for offense is a risky proposition. If there's one spot the U.S. has depth in abundance beside goalie, it's here. Guys like Jay DeMerit, Chad Marshall, Danny Califf, Michael Parkhurst and even much-maligned Michael Orozco could step in without much of a dropoff. (Whatever happened to Jimmy Conrad?) Young guys like Sean Franklin or an old hand such as Corey Gibbs could fill in for a game or two.
One thing that would be nice if is the US powers that be placed more value on skill and passing than sheer brute strength in central defenders. Aside from Mexico, the teams in the region are no physical match for the U.S. In a lot of CONCACAF games the defense only needs to make one or two plays, do we have confidence Gooch and Boca will be in the right spot when that happens? Can they cope with speed? If it were up to me, I'd give Bocanegra another shot at leftback. He's made 17 appearances for Stade Rennes there, opposed to just three in the center of defense. The club is in third place in Ligue, so Bradley must consider this option. Rating: B+
Right back -- The U.S. should be able to coax another two years of solid professionalism from Steve Cherundolo. 'Dolo might not bring a ton to the table, but he doesn't take away from it, either. He can score the occasional goal and is adequate enough with delivery from the flanks. Unlike left back there are some other options here, namely Marvell Wynne if he's able to develop some consistency. Rating: B-
Left midfield -- Until writing this you'd say this spot was locked down by DaMarcus Beasley. I like Beasley as much as the next guy and he seems to be one of the few players when he puts on the U.S. shirt shows some guts and doesn't play all wide eyed and innocent. He's been through the wars in Europe with PSV so knows how a big-time soccer player should behave on and off the field. That said, he's fallen out of favor at Rangers, making only four appearances this season. Needless to say, this is a big year for him -- will he return to MLS for a spell? (Could Bradley try to convert him to left back, a la Eddie Lewis? Beasley has always been good getting back to defense. There's time to try this. Another thought.) Bradley should give a youngster like Robbie Rogers a shot to fight for the position or show his worth at the Gold Cup. Rating: B
Central midfielder -- For the time being the U.S. doesn't have a complete two-way midfielder, like the great national teams do. Bradley, too, seems intent of playing two defensive/holding players against any and all opponents. Is this a wise decision considering there's been a bit of a departure from the 'Makalele Role' worldwide, with more emphasis on speed? We'll see.
The U.S. has plenty of thesedefensive types to provide the backline cover -- his son Michael, Maurice Edu, Ricardo Clark, Pablo Mastroeni, Stuart Holden and even Sasha Kljestan or José Francisco Torres. You could even recall a Kyle Beckerman-type, if needed. The question, how can these guys fare against the world's best? Can these control and set the tempo against Brasil and Italy at the Confederations Cup in June? Or will they chase at ghosts? CONCACAF is one thing, but this is the deep end of the pool. The U.S. is going to have to adapt it's gameplay in these games to have any chance. Rating: C
Attacking midfield/second strikers -- Landon Donovan, Freddy Adu, Clint Dempsey, even Stuart Holden. The U.S. has players for this role, but how to effectively use any and all of them remains the million dollar question for Bradley. Against stiffer competition can these guys flash their attacking prowess or simply melt into the background? At least we know Adu can take freekicks with a good rate of success. Rating: B
Right midfield -- Another soft spot in the lineup, assuming a straight 4-4-2. Are Dempsey or Donovan still wasted out here? Eddie Gaven was reborn under Sigi Schmid for Columbus this season and deserves a significant chance. Considering the lack of depth here, a player like John Thorrington could play his way into the mix, even at the age of 29. ... Rating: D+
Forwards -- The Internet fans list compared to Bob Bradley's list here are probably two different sets of encyclopedias. Bradley's list nearly begins and ends at Brian Ching, for better or worse -- depending how you classify Dempsey and Donovan. Fans like myself probably go Altidore, Cooper and then everyone else.
The good thing is that there should be plenty of competition for the striker position. It all depends how Bradley wants to play it. If he wants to go lone striker, Ching is probably best suited as a target man, but can that be counted on for enough offense with Donovan or Dempsey behind him?
One final nugget, fighting for a promotion spot Cardiff City (fourth in the Coca Cola Championship) has only seen fit to start Eddie Johnson three times, and field him nine times overall. He has zero goals and nine shots. You can't squeeze blood from a stone. Sometimes you have to pull off the Band Aid and move on, however painful. ... Rating: B-
Questions/Storylines for 2009
* Will youth be served? -- People like me like to opine ad nausea about the 'A-Team' -- Jozy Altidore and Freddy Adu. All signals from Bradley seem to point toward these two 19-year-olds playing more of a factor after the 2010 World Cup cycle is complete. Let me offer this point, although it's a bit of a stretch. Spain won last June's Euro with only four players over the age of 30 on its roster. Then coach Luis Aragones didn't have an issue with leaving off aged legend Raul in favor of younger dudes like Santi Carzola (23) and David Silva (22).
If Adu and Altidore don't show anything in the opportunities -- hopefully -- give over the year, they don't deserve a spot. But to simply ignore perhaps the best offensive player in the player pool -- Adu -- and potentially more physical striker seems counter productive. Say what you will about Adu, but he is a wizard on the ball, can take free kicks and generally makes something happen when he puts on the U.S. shirt. So what if he's glued to the bench at AS Monaco. He's a play maker, something the U.S. needs.
Let's boil it down to this, who would help the U.S. make strides toward getting past the Group Stage of the World Cup when you're planning the roster -- Adu or a guy like Ricardo Clark?
* What's the formation? -- The U.S. seems limited in a rigid 4-4-2. The personnel doesn't fit. A 4-4-1-1 or better yet 4-2-3-1 seems to best take advantage of the players Bradley has at his disposal. More than a formation, the U.S. would be well-served to develop an identity beyond that of great athletes and questionable soccer players. What
* What's Clint Dempsey's best position? -- Let's simply say that putting Dempsey out on the right side of midfield in a straight 4-4-2 is a waste. Force feeding a lineup with Dempsey and Landon Donovan also doesn't make a lot of sense, since they tend to thrive in similar pockets of the field. This gets thrown out the window if Bradley commits, like Fulham, as Dempsey as a straight-out striker, or slightly withdrawn attacker. Pair him up with Brian Ching, Alitdore or even Adu and see what happens.
* Whither Donovan? -- Are the U.S. ever going to get past the point where it's not totally reliant on Landon Donovan to win games? Will his time at Bayern Munich make him the player we U.S. fans wish he could be? (Is he coming back to the Galaxy, which could hurt affect his availability for all matches. This would be a good thing, simply to see the team exist without him, improved from his stint in Bavaria or not.) Are we just nit-picking anyway? He does put up the goals. Still, can Donovan cater his game with play alongside Adu or as a forward or even better yet on the right side of midfield? Can both he and the team adapt to bring out the best in each other?
* Can Michael Bradley become our version of Cesc Fabregas? -- Or Michael Ballack or Steven Gerrard or Andrea Pirlo, etc. Now, Bradley will never be those players, but an elite two-way midfield maestro would open up so many options for the squad. Bradley has the energy to go up and down the field and a keen eye for goal, but can assert himself and dictate the run of play? Not yet, if ever. If Bradley, or someone else can develop into a true two-way player the U.S. can revert to the 'diamond' midfield, opening up a lot of things.
* Did Bob Bradley, et al learn from 2007? -- You can't half-ass it again, well maybe you can. The Federation, you'd think, would send a full 'A' lineup to South Africa for the Confederations Cup, then fill in the pieces for the less important Gold Cup -- which unlike 2007 doesn't have a berth to the next Confederations Cup on the line. The Confederations Cup cannot become a repeat of the Copa America. Still, it'll be a massive challenge for Bradley and his staff to select teams and prepare them for tournaments so close to one another. (The Confederations Cup ends June 28 and the Gold Cup begins July 2, concurrent to the MLS season.)
* MLS vs. Europe -- It seems younger American players feel compelled to "go to Europe" even if it means the middling leagues of the continent to get a real crack at National Team duty. Bob Bradley has given players in MLS a fair shake, but in important games seems to rely on his Euro dudes. Does this matter? Does it only add to the disjointed-ness of the National Team set up? Is it just something to live with and debate?
Closing thoughts
Was that enough to get your wheels spinning? Did I leave any stones unturned?
Remember, not to make it sound important, we Internet fans are probably the only ones that truly care about the fate of the USMNT. You're not getting reasoned thought and analysis on big media like ESPN, so that leaves us as the only way to voice displeasure or happiness with the state of affairs in Chicago. We're not England or any other nation, where the affairs of the national team is front page news.
This is an important year for the USMNT, too. The Confederations Cup might not mean all that much, but outside the World Cup it's the only chance to gauge how far the team has come against the world's best in a pressurized environment. Play to win it, not to experiment. Show you're the elite team that Nike purports you to be.
At the absolute very least, this should be a fun year to follow the team. Let's hope it holds up its end of the bargain.
Before diving headfirst into what figures to be a meaty post, consider these two numbers:
14 -- The number of matches currently on the calendar -- without factoring the Gold Cup, which could be another six.
51 -- The number of players in Bob Bradley's 25-man roster for the Jan. 24 friendly with Sweden combined with players have been in the team over the last six months.
Suffice to say, both those numbers could increase. It wouldn't be outrageous for Bob Bradley to call in close to 70 players for National Team duty. Is this a good thing? We shall see.
Let's examine the state of the National Team ahead of the busy 2009, shall we?
Positional depth charts/analysis
(This is using the assumption of your typical 4-4-2 scenario.)
Goalkeeper -- Short and sweet, the U.S. has plenty of talent with Tim Howard and Brad Guzan as his deputy. One position Bradley doesn't need to worry about in the least. If anything, they need to work on ball distribution to start attacks. Rating: A-
Left back -- Heath Pearce is your de facto starter, though is VORP rating (value over replacement player) is pretty much zero. He's adequate, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Pearce's only competition is Bradley's would-be adoptive son Jonathon Bornstein. This should actually be a fierce battle and which player goes to the Gold Cup and which goes to Confederations Cup will say a lot. Overall, left back remains a black hole for the U.S. Rating: C-
Central defense -- Though I like to criticize the tandem of Oguchi Onyewu and Carlos Bocanegra, they are solid enough. Will they ever be as cultured as an Italian defense? No, but for CONCACAF they're good enough. Plus they both can get forward and score on set plays, though relying on defenders for offense is a risky proposition. If there's one spot the U.S. has depth in abundance beside goalie, it's here. Guys like Jay DeMerit, Chad Marshall, Danny Califf, Michael Parkhurst and even much-maligned Michael Orozco could step in without much of a dropoff. (Whatever happened to Jimmy Conrad?) Young guys like Sean Franklin or an old hand such as Corey Gibbs could fill in for a game or two.
One thing that would be nice if is the US powers that be placed more value on skill and passing than sheer brute strength in central defenders. Aside from Mexico, the teams in the region are no physical match for the U.S. In a lot of CONCACAF games the defense only needs to make one or two plays, do we have confidence Gooch and Boca will be in the right spot when that happens? Can they cope with speed? If it were up to me, I'd give Bocanegra another shot at leftback. He's made 17 appearances for Stade Rennes there, opposed to just three in the center of defense. The club is in third place in Ligue, so Bradley must consider this option. Rating: B+
Right back -- The U.S. should be able to coax another two years of solid professionalism from Steve Cherundolo. 'Dolo might not bring a ton to the table, but he doesn't take away from it, either. He can score the occasional goal and is adequate enough with delivery from the flanks. Unlike left back there are some other options here, namely Marvell Wynne if he's able to develop some consistency. Rating: B-
Left midfield -- Until writing this you'd say this spot was locked down by DaMarcus Beasley. I like Beasley as much as the next guy and he seems to be one of the few players when he puts on the U.S. shirt shows some guts and doesn't play all wide eyed and innocent. He's been through the wars in Europe with PSV so knows how a big-time soccer player should behave on and off the field. That said, he's fallen out of favor at Rangers, making only four appearances this season. Needless to say, this is a big year for him -- will he return to MLS for a spell? (Could Bradley try to convert him to left back, a la Eddie Lewis? Beasley has always been good getting back to defense. There's time to try this. Another thought.) Bradley should give a youngster like Robbie Rogers a shot to fight for the position or show his worth at the Gold Cup. Rating: B
Central midfielder -- For the time being the U.S. doesn't have a complete two-way midfielder, like the great national teams do. Bradley, too, seems intent of playing two defensive/holding players against any and all opponents. Is this a wise decision considering there's been a bit of a departure from the 'Makalele Role' worldwide, with more emphasis on speed? We'll see.
The U.S. has plenty of thesedefensive types to provide the backline cover -- his son Michael, Maurice Edu, Ricardo Clark, Pablo Mastroeni, Stuart Holden and even Sasha Kljestan or José Francisco Torres. You could even recall a Kyle Beckerman-type, if needed. The question, how can these guys fare against the world's best? Can these control and set the tempo against Brasil and Italy at the Confederations Cup in June? Or will they chase at ghosts? CONCACAF is one thing, but this is the deep end of the pool. The U.S. is going to have to adapt it's gameplay in these games to have any chance. Rating: C
Attacking midfield/second strikers -- Landon Donovan, Freddy Adu, Clint Dempsey, even Stuart Holden. The U.S. has players for this role, but how to effectively use any and all of them remains the million dollar question for Bradley. Against stiffer competition can these guys flash their attacking prowess or simply melt into the background? At least we know Adu can take freekicks with a good rate of success. Rating: B
Right midfield -- Another soft spot in the lineup, assuming a straight 4-4-2. Are Dempsey or Donovan still wasted out here? Eddie Gaven was reborn under Sigi Schmid for Columbus this season and deserves a significant chance. Considering the lack of depth here, a player like John Thorrington could play his way into the mix, even at the age of 29. ... Rating: D+
Forwards -- The Internet fans list compared to Bob Bradley's list here are probably two different sets of encyclopedias. Bradley's list nearly begins and ends at Brian Ching, for better or worse -- depending how you classify Dempsey and Donovan. Fans like myself probably go Altidore, Cooper and then everyone else.
The good thing is that there should be plenty of competition for the striker position. It all depends how Bradley wants to play it. If he wants to go lone striker, Ching is probably best suited as a target man, but can that be counted on for enough offense with Donovan or Dempsey behind him?
One final nugget, fighting for a promotion spot Cardiff City (fourth in the Coca Cola Championship) has only seen fit to start Eddie Johnson three times, and field him nine times overall. He has zero goals and nine shots. You can't squeeze blood from a stone. Sometimes you have to pull off the Band Aid and move on, however painful. ... Rating: B-
Questions/Storylines for 2009
* Will youth be served? -- People like me like to opine ad nausea about the 'A-Team' -- Jozy Altidore and Freddy Adu. All signals from Bradley seem to point toward these two 19-year-olds playing more of a factor after the 2010 World Cup cycle is complete. Let me offer this point, although it's a bit of a stretch. Spain won last June's Euro with only four players over the age of 30 on its roster. Then coach Luis Aragones didn't have an issue with leaving off aged legend Raul in favor of younger dudes like Santi Carzola (23) and David Silva (22).
If Adu and Altidore don't show anything in the opportunities -- hopefully -- give over the year, they don't deserve a spot. But to simply ignore perhaps the best offensive player in the player pool -- Adu -- and potentially more physical striker seems counter productive. Say what you will about Adu, but he is a wizard on the ball, can take free kicks and generally makes something happen when he puts on the U.S. shirt. So what if he's glued to the bench at AS Monaco. He's a play maker, something the U.S. needs.
Let's boil it down to this, who would help the U.S. make strides toward getting past the Group Stage of the World Cup when you're planning the roster -- Adu or a guy like Ricardo Clark?
* What's the formation? -- The U.S. seems limited in a rigid 4-4-2. The personnel doesn't fit. A 4-4-1-1 or better yet 4-2-3-1 seems to best take advantage of the players Bradley has at his disposal. More than a formation, the U.S. would be well-served to develop an identity beyond that of great athletes and questionable soccer players. What
* What's Clint Dempsey's best position? -- Let's simply say that putting Dempsey out on the right side of midfield in a straight 4-4-2 is a waste. Force feeding a lineup with Dempsey and Landon Donovan also doesn't make a lot of sense, since they tend to thrive in similar pockets of the field. This gets thrown out the window if Bradley commits, like Fulham, as Dempsey as a straight-out striker, or slightly withdrawn attacker. Pair him up with Brian Ching, Alitdore or even Adu and see what happens.
* Whither Donovan? -- Are the U.S. ever going to get past the point where it's not totally reliant on Landon Donovan to win games? Will his time at Bayern Munich make him the player we U.S. fans wish he could be? (Is he coming back to the Galaxy, which could hurt affect his availability for all matches. This would be a good thing, simply to see the team exist without him, improved from his stint in Bavaria or not.) Are we just nit-picking anyway? He does put up the goals. Still, can Donovan cater his game with play alongside Adu or as a forward or even better yet on the right side of midfield? Can both he and the team adapt to bring out the best in each other?
* Can Michael Bradley become our version of Cesc Fabregas? -- Or Michael Ballack or Steven Gerrard or Andrea Pirlo, etc. Now, Bradley will never be those players, but an elite two-way midfield maestro would open up so many options for the squad. Bradley has the energy to go up and down the field and a keen eye for goal, but can assert himself and dictate the run of play? Not yet, if ever. If Bradley, or someone else can develop into a true two-way player the U.S. can revert to the 'diamond' midfield, opening up a lot of things.
* Did Bob Bradley, et al learn from 2007? -- You can't half-ass it again, well maybe you can. The Federation, you'd think, would send a full 'A' lineup to South Africa for the Confederations Cup, then fill in the pieces for the less important Gold Cup -- which unlike 2007 doesn't have a berth to the next Confederations Cup on the line. The Confederations Cup cannot become a repeat of the Copa America. Still, it'll be a massive challenge for Bradley and his staff to select teams and prepare them for tournaments so close to one another. (The Confederations Cup ends June 28 and the Gold Cup begins July 2, concurrent to the MLS season.)
* MLS vs. Europe -- It seems younger American players feel compelled to "go to Europe" even if it means the middling leagues of the continent to get a real crack at National Team duty. Bob Bradley has given players in MLS a fair shake, but in important games seems to rely on his Euro dudes. Does this matter? Does it only add to the disjointed-ness of the National Team set up? Is it just something to live with and debate?
Closing thoughts
Was that enough to get your wheels spinning? Did I leave any stones unturned?
Remember, not to make it sound important, we Internet fans are probably the only ones that truly care about the fate of the USMNT. You're not getting reasoned thought and analysis on big media like ESPN, so that leaves us as the only way to voice displeasure or happiness with the state of affairs in Chicago. We're not England or any other nation, where the affairs of the national team is front page news.
This is an important year for the USMNT, too. The Confederations Cup might not mean all that much, but outside the World Cup it's the only chance to gauge how far the team has come against the world's best in a pressurized environment. Play to win it, not to experiment. Show you're the elite team that Nike purports you to be.
At the absolute very least, this should be a fun year to follow the team. Let's hope it holds up its end of the bargain.
Labels: bob bradley, Freddy Adu, Jozy Altidore, Landon Donovan, Soccer, USMNT
