Call it a Friday grab bag in the wake of the USMNT losing to the Netherlands on Wednesday.
* First, great job, as always, with the comments. Everyone that posts brings a nice new take to the table and makes me think, or more importantly makes me consider if I'm a total idiot. Well done guys.
* Add Stuart Holden to the U.S. walking wounded, where he joins Charlie Davies, Oguchi Onyewu, Clint Dempsey, Steve Cherundolo and Benny Feilhaber.
Maybe Holden comes back in time for the World Cup after the Nigel de Jong not-so-friendly studs up tackle. Maybe he doesn't.
The biggest worry now, is that the U.S. could, in theory, field a lineup in South Africa with nearly half the starting lineup coming off injuries.
That's not a recipe for success.
Yes, there's about three or four weeks for the team to convene before June 12 and train. But is that going to get these guys in 90-minute game shape? Fitness if the hidden key to the World Cup, since you need guys that can go for a full 90 up to three times in a little over a week and follow that with possibly 120 minutes.
Are we sure that all these injured players, who'll be working back into game shape, will be ready to push it to the limit when South Africa rolls around?
Of all the injured parties, Davies, naturally is the biggest question mark. At this point anything the U.S. gets from Sochaux-man is a bonus, even it's its only as an emotional lift.
Who worries me the most is Onyewu. It's doubtful he sees the field for AC Milan the rest of the season. (My guess is the club isn't too happy he got hurt on U.S. duty and there will be quiet parting of the ways after the World Cup. Perhaps Silvio Berlusconi hooks him up with a Gabibbo doll as a parting gift.) Suppose Onyewu is healthy by April, how many games does he get outside the scheduled friendlies in late May with the Czechs and Turkey?
At least Jay DeMerit showed he's back from his eye injury and can marshall the center of the U.S. defense, if needed. Of course, a healthy Onyewu allows Carlos Bocanegra to shift to the left and put to bed the issue of "JB". (In the event JB is ever dropped by Bob Bradley expect it to play out kind of like the end of "Old Yeller.")
* Anyone have a solid formation they want to toss out with the U.S. in light of Wednesday's game? Is Landon Donovan and or Dempsey going to be forced to play forward? Does Holden's injury now open the door for Alejandro Bedoya?
So many question that we really won't know the answers for until the doctor's reports are back in.
At the very least you can probably build around Michael Bradley and Maurice Edu in the center of the midfield and go from there.
Right now it's up to the imagination and creativity of Bradley the Elder. Goodie.
* As bleak as the U.S. outlook appears today, let's not forget, even as miserable the first team looked in Amsterdam, Group C still might be the softest group at the Cup.
England is England, which means it has good players ... with the mental toughness to battle through adversity about on par with a high school freshman girl who just had something nasty written on her locker. You know the English supporters that travel to the game are expecting something, like, eight goals in the first six minutes, or out will come the cat calls.
We might watch the English players week-in, week-out in the Premier League, but when the Three Lions get together, anything seems in play. You could get the range from "England 5, Germany 1 ... Michael Owen is No. 1" or you could get Borat's moustache causing the comical Paul Robinson own-goal vs. Croatia. Anything is in play.
England is a squad that will beat itself, collapsing on itself like a dying star when things go wrong.
And with England, the players don't need to just deal with the sometimes unrealistic expectations of a couple hundred geeks on the Internet like the U.S. does, they have the whole nation piling on the pressure to, "bring the Cup back home." They think they're elite, but in actuality, they aren't.
England might beat the U.S., the Three Lions do have Rooney after all, but they aren't the Dutch, or Brazil, or Spain or even Germany, Italy or France (the later three all on their best days, mind you) that can blow the American oars out of the water with relative ease.
Saying that, even if the U.S. loses to England, Slovenia and Algeria are eminently winnable matches.
Slovenia is probably right on par with the U.S. I won't pretend to say I know the inner working of Matjaž Kek's squad. In fact, you could easily say they were the product of a qualifying group who's two favorites and 2006 World Cup/2008 Euro qualifiers Poland and the Czech Republic, weren't exactly juggernauts. Hell, San Marino, which got outscored 47-1 was grouped with Slovenia, which finished second on the group by going 4-1-0 at home and beating Slovakia (the group winners) on the road. For what it's worth Slovenia's one one blemish was a 0-0 draw with the Czechs, who also defeated them away.
Edging Russia in the UEFA playoff was nice, but Slovenia isn't a world beater.
If the U.S. plays its game -- solid counter attack, disciplined, goal-scoring set pieces -- they should get a result. The key here is if they lose to England, they need to probably get three vs. Slovenia to make their lives easier.
Algeria? The Desert Foxes scare me. Literally.
Suppose they have no chance to advance out of the group come the final match on June 23 in Pretoria? Algeria could a) roll over b) play for pride c) play for a little too much pride, i.e. taking out their frustrations on the U.S.
Maybe I'm reading a little too much in the African Cup of Nations semifinal vs. Egypt, where they got three red cards against their bitterest of bitter rivals. When the going get tough Algeria starts to act like a big drunk guy that you just bobbed in the nose -- it gets scary. Think Nigel de Jong's tackle on Holden, but actual malicious intent.
Even in a depleted state, the U.S. looks better than Algeria and should be able to exploit them on set plays.
So yeah, the gap between the U.S. and the world football elite is still enormous. But a second-place finish in Group C means a possible game against the Germans in the knockout rounds, which isn't the worst scenario in the world.
* Not sure, honestly, how I feel about JP Dellacamera being relegated by ESPN to radio-only duty. As much as I like Martin Tyler, pairing him with John Harkes is like pairing an in-his-prime Jason Kidd with an NBDL washout. (If anyone can make somebody else look good, it's Tyler or Kidd.)
We'd probably be better off with Dellacamera, and perhaps, a stronger game analyst. It's too bad for Dellacamera, though, to get demoted less than 100 days from the Cup.
In theory it would be nice to have an American call at least the USMNT games, but I'm not running a network. John Skipper is, and he's said he doesn't want to "dumb it down" any more. (Of course, is adding an accent class-ing it up?)
Still, it might be refreshing to hear a non-Yank on the U.S. game since it'll be a relatively objective opinion, not the mild Gulati-ized/Nike version of the truth being told.
All the British accents will be weird. I'm a fan of Adrien Healy's out-the-top stuff. Derek Rae? Guess he'll be better without Auld Onions sitting next to him in the Bristol broom closet. Alan Darke? If he's calling it with Efan Ekoku, that's a win.
At the very least it's a departure from Dave O'Brien and Marcelo Balboa, which is a good thing.
Guess Max Bretos is too green to pull off the ESPNEWS desk.
Stay tuned.
* Speaking of tuning in, "Parks and Recreation" continues to fire on all cylinders, Olympics be damned. Ron Swanson is the balls. Sadly, "The Office" ... what a mess. Surprised Jim and Pam didn't name their kid Sharkgirl.
Prem Picks:
Word of warning, with the FA Cup, I've never seen such a disjointed and outright strange fixture list than this round. You'll have to check the games next week for television, since it all seems up in the air.
Saturday:
* West Ham United v. Bolton -- (Live, FSC, 10 a.m.) When I glanced over at the table today, I had to do a double-take. West Ham has only won six league games? Same with Bolton? Actually six is the "mode" number in the Prem table right now with four other clubs sitting on it too, Sunderland, Wigan, Wolves and Burnley. If you're into numerology (and frankly, who isn't?) that's 666,666, (Cue the Iron Maiden) as it were. Stupid Satanic jokes aside, we might as well lump these six into a game of musical chairs, will four will be left playing next season and the others, well, it's best not to speak of the dead. One thing to watch in this match is the gaggle of misfit forwards that could see the field, Mido, Benni McCarthy and Guille Franco for the Irons, and Johan Elmander and Ivan Klasnic for Bolton, which obviously lose Holden for the immediate future. Hello Vlad Weiss? ... West Ham 2, Bolton 1
* Arsenal v. Burnley -- (Live, Fox Sports Espanol, 10 a.m.) Fun fact, Burnley have one away point this season. That doesn't bode well coming to the Emirates. Amazing as it sounds, Arsenal can claim a share of first place, at least for a couple hours. Interesting to see how Arsene Wenger plays this one, what with Porto coming to North London three days later. Will he possibly risk a replay of the Carling/FA Cup disasters, sending out a second-choice squad that should theoretically be able to handle Burnley? Burnley have shown an ability to score quickly on the counter attack, so Wenger can't take the Clarets too lightly. First 15 minutes could decide this one, if the Gunners nick one, it turns into a rout, if not, it could be a battle for 90. ... Arsenal 2, Burnley 0
* Wolves v. Manchester United -- (Live, FSC, 12:30 p.m.) I've said it once, I'll say it again, Wolves have shown next to nothing this season. Put it this way, if you're playing "FIFA 10" Mick McCarthy's team might be the last chosen of the 20 Premier League squads on offer to use. Hell, I know I've personally played more games with Newcastle United than the Mustard Tigers. (Sorry for admitting that.) United? We know the drill at this point, Luis Valencia, meet the head of Wayne Rooney. Rinse, lather, repeat. And Michael Owen done for the season? Stunner.. ... Wolves 1, Manchester United 3
Sunday:
* Everton v. Hull City -- (Live, FSC, 11 a.m.) Maybe this is a bit harsh, but Hull City are sort of like one of those old characters in a western that gets kicked in the head trying to geld a horse. They're alive, but basically comatosa lying in a bed. Hull has one win in 14 matches, yet still they linger with just as good a chance of any of the other struggles. Paging Dr. Bullard. Okay, enough about them. How about Everton, in what is likely Landon Donovan's Goodison Park goodbye? The Toffees probably won't have Louis Saha, who pulled out of the France squad in the midweek. The orange-haired Frenchman has been just as integral to Everton's rivival as anyone, and the team doesn't have a ready-made replacement. Sorry, Yakubu isn't nearly the complete package as Saha. Either way, I think we'll see some goals due to the shoddy Hull defense. ... Everton 3, Hull City 1
Monday:
* Wigan Athletic v. Liverpool -- (Live, ESPN2, 3 p.m.) Does Rafa risk Fernando Torres on the league's worst pitch? It's a gamble. Still, Liverpool seems to have gotten its act together, though it might be due a stinker. Hugo Rodellega could prove to be a thorn in the Reds' side. ... Wigan 1, Liverpool 1
Tuesday:
* Sunderland v. Bolton -- I surfed around for some Sunderland stuff Thursday. Nearly every story had headlines about "fighting" and "toughness". Well, one of these days this team has to win. And if you can't beat a thoroughly mediocre Bolton team at home, you don't deserve to stick around. Outside of Fantasy, Darren Bent's 15 goals might be the 15 least important goals in recent league history. ... Sunderland 1, Bolton 0
* Portsmouth v. Birmingham City -- Out of curiosity, what would be the attraction of some foreign investor propping up Portsmouth, especially once the team is eventually relegated? Fratton Park alone would be a deterrent. If you're looking to get into English football, wouldn't a club with a better foundation and infrastructure make more fiscal sense? Of course nobody ever said football was full of wise decisions. ... Portsmouth 1, Birmingham City 1
Last round: 4-4
Season: 141-129
* First, great job, as always, with the comments. Everyone that posts brings a nice new take to the table and makes me think, or more importantly makes me consider if I'm a total idiot. Well done guys.
* Add Stuart Holden to the U.S. walking wounded, where he joins Charlie Davies, Oguchi Onyewu, Clint Dempsey, Steve Cherundolo and Benny Feilhaber.
Maybe Holden comes back in time for the World Cup after the Nigel de Jong not-so-friendly studs up tackle. Maybe he doesn't.
The biggest worry now, is that the U.S. could, in theory, field a lineup in South Africa with nearly half the starting lineup coming off injuries.
That's not a recipe for success.
Yes, there's about three or four weeks for the team to convene before June 12 and train. But is that going to get these guys in 90-minute game shape? Fitness if the hidden key to the World Cup, since you need guys that can go for a full 90 up to three times in a little over a week and follow that with possibly 120 minutes.
Are we sure that all these injured players, who'll be working back into game shape, will be ready to push it to the limit when South Africa rolls around?
Of all the injured parties, Davies, naturally is the biggest question mark. At this point anything the U.S. gets from Sochaux-man is a bonus, even it's its only as an emotional lift.
Who worries me the most is Onyewu. It's doubtful he sees the field for AC Milan the rest of the season. (My guess is the club isn't too happy he got hurt on U.S. duty and there will be quiet parting of the ways after the World Cup. Perhaps Silvio Berlusconi hooks him up with a Gabibbo doll as a parting gift.) Suppose Onyewu is healthy by April, how many games does he get outside the scheduled friendlies in late May with the Czechs and Turkey?
At least Jay DeMerit showed he's back from his eye injury and can marshall the center of the U.S. defense, if needed. Of course, a healthy Onyewu allows Carlos Bocanegra to shift to the left and put to bed the issue of "JB". (In the event JB is ever dropped by Bob Bradley expect it to play out kind of like the end of "Old Yeller.")
* Anyone have a solid formation they want to toss out with the U.S. in light of Wednesday's game? Is Landon Donovan and or Dempsey going to be forced to play forward? Does Holden's injury now open the door for Alejandro Bedoya?
So many question that we really won't know the answers for until the doctor's reports are back in.
At the very least you can probably build around Michael Bradley and Maurice Edu in the center of the midfield and go from there.
Right now it's up to the imagination and creativity of Bradley the Elder. Goodie.
* As bleak as the U.S. outlook appears today, let's not forget, even as miserable the first team looked in Amsterdam, Group C still might be the softest group at the Cup.
England is England, which means it has good players ... with the mental toughness to battle through adversity about on par with a high school freshman girl who just had something nasty written on her locker. You know the English supporters that travel to the game are expecting something, like, eight goals in the first six minutes, or out will come the cat calls.
We might watch the English players week-in, week-out in the Premier League, but when the Three Lions get together, anything seems in play. You could get the range from "England 5, Germany 1 ... Michael Owen is No. 1" or you could get Borat's moustache causing the comical Paul Robinson own-goal vs. Croatia. Anything is in play.
England is a squad that will beat itself, collapsing on itself like a dying star when things go wrong.
And with England, the players don't need to just deal with the sometimes unrealistic expectations of a couple hundred geeks on the Internet like the U.S. does, they have the whole nation piling on the pressure to, "bring the Cup back home." They think they're elite, but in actuality, they aren't.
England might beat the U.S., the Three Lions do have Rooney after all, but they aren't the Dutch, or Brazil, or Spain or even Germany, Italy or France (the later three all on their best days, mind you) that can blow the American oars out of the water with relative ease.
Saying that, even if the U.S. loses to England, Slovenia and Algeria are eminently winnable matches.
Slovenia is probably right on par with the U.S. I won't pretend to say I know the inner working of Matjaž Kek's squad. In fact, you could easily say they were the product of a qualifying group who's two favorites and 2006 World Cup/2008 Euro qualifiers Poland and the Czech Republic, weren't exactly juggernauts. Hell, San Marino, which got outscored 47-1 was grouped with Slovenia, which finished second on the group by going 4-1-0 at home and beating Slovakia (the group winners) on the road. For what it's worth Slovenia's one one blemish was a 0-0 draw with the Czechs, who also defeated them away.
Edging Russia in the UEFA playoff was nice, but Slovenia isn't a world beater.
If the U.S. plays its game -- solid counter attack, disciplined, goal-scoring set pieces -- they should get a result. The key here is if they lose to England, they need to probably get three vs. Slovenia to make their lives easier.
Algeria? The Desert Foxes scare me. Literally.
Suppose they have no chance to advance out of the group come the final match on June 23 in Pretoria? Algeria could a) roll over b) play for pride c) play for a little too much pride, i.e. taking out their frustrations on the U.S.
Maybe I'm reading a little too much in the African Cup of Nations semifinal vs. Egypt, where they got three red cards against their bitterest of bitter rivals. When the going get tough Algeria starts to act like a big drunk guy that you just bobbed in the nose -- it gets scary. Think Nigel de Jong's tackle on Holden, but actual malicious intent.
Even in a depleted state, the U.S. looks better than Algeria and should be able to exploit them on set plays.
So yeah, the gap between the U.S. and the world football elite is still enormous. But a second-place finish in Group C means a possible game against the Germans in the knockout rounds, which isn't the worst scenario in the world.
* Not sure, honestly, how I feel about JP Dellacamera being relegated by ESPN to radio-only duty. As much as I like Martin Tyler, pairing him with John Harkes is like pairing an in-his-prime Jason Kidd with an NBDL washout. (If anyone can make somebody else look good, it's Tyler or Kidd.)
We'd probably be better off with Dellacamera, and perhaps, a stronger game analyst. It's too bad for Dellacamera, though, to get demoted less than 100 days from the Cup.
In theory it would be nice to have an American call at least the USMNT games, but I'm not running a network. John Skipper is, and he's said he doesn't want to "dumb it down" any more. (Of course, is adding an accent class-ing it up?)
Still, it might be refreshing to hear a non-Yank on the U.S. game since it'll be a relatively objective opinion, not the mild Gulati-ized/Nike version of the truth being told.
All the British accents will be weird. I'm a fan of Adrien Healy's out-the-top stuff. Derek Rae? Guess he'll be better without Auld Onions sitting next to him in the Bristol broom closet. Alan Darke? If he's calling it with Efan Ekoku, that's a win.
At the very least it's a departure from Dave O'Brien and Marcelo Balboa, which is a good thing.
Guess Max Bretos is too green to pull off the ESPNEWS desk.
Stay tuned.
* Speaking of tuning in, "Parks and Recreation" continues to fire on all cylinders, Olympics be damned. Ron Swanson is the balls. Sadly, "The Office" ... what a mess. Surprised Jim and Pam didn't name their kid Sharkgirl.
Prem Picks:
Word of warning, with the FA Cup, I've never seen such a disjointed and outright strange fixture list than this round. You'll have to check the games next week for television, since it all seems up in the air.
Saturday:
* West Ham United v. Bolton -- (Live, FSC, 10 a.m.) When I glanced over at the table today, I had to do a double-take. West Ham has only won six league games? Same with Bolton? Actually six is the "mode" number in the Prem table right now with four other clubs sitting on it too, Sunderland, Wigan, Wolves and Burnley. If you're into numerology (and frankly, who isn't?) that's 666,666, (Cue the Iron Maiden) as it were. Stupid Satanic jokes aside, we might as well lump these six into a game of musical chairs, will four will be left playing next season and the others, well, it's best not to speak of the dead. One thing to watch in this match is the gaggle of misfit forwards that could see the field, Mido, Benni McCarthy and Guille Franco for the Irons, and Johan Elmander and Ivan Klasnic for Bolton, which obviously lose Holden for the immediate future. Hello Vlad Weiss? ... West Ham 2, Bolton 1
* Arsenal v. Burnley -- (Live, Fox Sports Espanol, 10 a.m.) Fun fact, Burnley have one away point this season. That doesn't bode well coming to the Emirates. Amazing as it sounds, Arsenal can claim a share of first place, at least for a couple hours. Interesting to see how Arsene Wenger plays this one, what with Porto coming to North London three days later. Will he possibly risk a replay of the Carling/FA Cup disasters, sending out a second-choice squad that should theoretically be able to handle Burnley? Burnley have shown an ability to score quickly on the counter attack, so Wenger can't take the Clarets too lightly. First 15 minutes could decide this one, if the Gunners nick one, it turns into a rout, if not, it could be a battle for 90. ... Arsenal 2, Burnley 0
* Wolves v. Manchester United -- (Live, FSC, 12:30 p.m.) I've said it once, I'll say it again, Wolves have shown next to nothing this season. Put it this way, if you're playing "FIFA 10" Mick McCarthy's team might be the last chosen of the 20 Premier League squads on offer to use. Hell, I know I've personally played more games with Newcastle United than the Mustard Tigers. (Sorry for admitting that.) United? We know the drill at this point, Luis Valencia, meet the head of Wayne Rooney. Rinse, lather, repeat. And Michael Owen done for the season? Stunner.. ... Wolves 1, Manchester United 3
Sunday:
* Everton v. Hull City -- (Live, FSC, 11 a.m.) Maybe this is a bit harsh, but Hull City are sort of like one of those old characters in a western that gets kicked in the head trying to geld a horse. They're alive, but basically comatosa lying in a bed. Hull has one win in 14 matches, yet still they linger with just as good a chance of any of the other struggles. Paging Dr. Bullard. Okay, enough about them. How about Everton, in what is likely Landon Donovan's Goodison Park goodbye? The Toffees probably won't have Louis Saha, who pulled out of the France squad in the midweek. The orange-haired Frenchman has been just as integral to Everton's rivival as anyone, and the team doesn't have a ready-made replacement. Sorry, Yakubu isn't nearly the complete package as Saha. Either way, I think we'll see some goals due to the shoddy Hull defense. ... Everton 3, Hull City 1
Monday:
* Wigan Athletic v. Liverpool -- (Live, ESPN2, 3 p.m.) Does Rafa risk Fernando Torres on the league's worst pitch? It's a gamble. Still, Liverpool seems to have gotten its act together, though it might be due a stinker. Hugo Rodellega could prove to be a thorn in the Reds' side. ... Wigan 1, Liverpool 1
Tuesday:
* Sunderland v. Bolton -- I surfed around for some Sunderland stuff Thursday. Nearly every story had headlines about "fighting" and "toughness". Well, one of these days this team has to win. And if you can't beat a thoroughly mediocre Bolton team at home, you don't deserve to stick around. Outside of Fantasy, Darren Bent's 15 goals might be the 15 least important goals in recent league history. ... Sunderland 1, Bolton 0
* Portsmouth v. Birmingham City -- Out of curiosity, what would be the attraction of some foreign investor propping up Portsmouth, especially once the team is eventually relegated? Fratton Park alone would be a deterrent. If you're looking to get into English football, wouldn't a club with a better foundation and infrastructure make more fiscal sense? Of course nobody ever said football was full of wise decisions. ... Portsmouth 1, Birmingham City 1
Last round: 4-4
Season: 141-129
Labels: English Premier League, fox soccer, Prem Picks, Soccer, USMNT
I think Onyewu's physical health is far more important than his number of games played. Even if Gooch never got hurt, would he be getting much playing time in Milan? Gooch going to the San Siro kind of destined him to be the guy who was the first choice for his nation but languished (gathering rust) at his club.
I echo your thoughts on British announcers for the World Cup. I love Martin Tyler, but how weird is it going to be to listen to him for the big Ingerland-Yanks game on American TV? How weird will it be for Tyler to call the game for 'the other guys'?
The US-England game will be exciting as hell, and the only USMNT group stage game that does NOT start before 7am on the west coast. Drinking and jokes about poor dentistry will certainly be involved. But ... BUT ... It is the US's performance in the other two matches that matter. Our tournament is Algeria and Slovenia. Period.
Is Mr. Edu's first name commonly pronounced 'Morris' in the UK? Or are the ponces on Sky just unable to wrap their tongues around the Pomputus of Midfields REAL name? At least the Sky announcer only called him DeMarcus once last weekend.
the office needs to go away. been that way for a while. take a hint from the British office and go out on top. P&E is doing well.
You are absolutely right to be scared of Algeria. Guys are brutal & stupid at the same time, and that doesn't make for a good mix. I've watched a bit of Algeria qualifiers, out of curiosity, and I was always appalled by the way they were overly aggressive.
The semi against Egypt is extremely representative of what they are "capable" of.
But my question is : will they reproduce that behavior on the global scene, with millions of people watching? If the team/staff is smart (which I can't say for sure) then they'll calm themselves.
Parks and Recreation is amazing. The only other show on TV right now in the same league is Modern Family, but Parks is better. Second seasons for NBC comedies are always better. I actually thought last night's Office was good - I laughed out loud several times. The viral video jokes need to stop though.