The Sequel Suck Factor

Probably everyone has experienced the sequel suck factor - going to see the second edition of a beloved film and realizing that this new movie is so bad that inevitably, former fond and happy memories of the first edition are forever tainted. 

For me, it was the Matrix Reloaded - with a contrived, convoluted storyline, product placement action sequences, and odd, disconnected acting - that ruined The Matrix for me. I was rooting for Trinity, my fave from the first movie, to die so she'd escape the dreck that was the Reloaded film, and I felt absolutely cheated when Neo magically removed the bullet that killed her and restarted her heart. I still haven't ever seen the third film of the Matrix trilogy. The second movie was so bad, I couldn't be bothered to care about how everything eventually ended.

Sucky sequel

Sometimes the second film is actually as good, or even better, than the first. The Empire Strikes Back comes to mind. However, it's rare. Generally, the pleasant surprise element of whatever original idea the first film in a franchise had is gone, and it's not as good the second time around. 

So the link to something soccer-related is - Landon Donovan is returning to Everton on loan. 

But why? I can guess at various reasons. 

1) He likes it there. The blue side of the Mersey treated him well during his earlier loan stint and with the club struggling this season, Donovan is likely to be welcomed back with open arms. 

2) Cause Klinsy said so. USMNT coach Klinsmann has made it clear to USA players based in MLS that he would like them to train on loan during the offseason, and LD is still hoping for that USA captaincy. Ergo, he goes. 

3) Galaxy job is done. With the MLS championship secured, LD doesn't have the pressure of, 'didn't win the title, shouldn't he rest and focus on that before traipsing off for a loan stint' questions. 

4) Back on the market? Donovan has said before that he would in fact welcome a move to Europe if the offer is right. A showcase turn at Everton might encourage interest. 

5) Knee needs a workout. Donovan was probably more injury-affected this season than ever before, but much of that was kept under wraps. In fact, the exact nature and extent of his 2011 injury woes are still mysterious. It might be something which could actually benefit from game time at this point in the recovery schedule. That would be weird in terms of typical injuries, but strange things are possible.

Now that I've run down some possible reasons for LD at Everton, Part II, Try Harder, here's some reasons why all may not go as well as it did before. 

1) He's older, and Prem defenders are wiser. Donovan's lost a half-step since he was last at Everton, (that's purely my individual measurement, not any scientific fact) and in England, that half-step lost can be deadly. Look at how useless Theirry Henry became once he lost even a little speed. Also, it won't be assumed that the American is completely useless, as might have been the case a bit before. 

2) Expectations are higher. Even if Donovan replicates his earlier success with the club, that may not meet expectations. That's because rather than expecting little, Everton fans are probably looking for a lot more. 

3). The need is greater. Everton need a lifeline. They're like the American middle class right now, getting squeezed from all sides. Creative budgeting isn't doing it when the top clubs keep grabbing up the best players. Donovan wasn't looked at as a savior before, and he might be this time. 

4) Less help, more work. Everton doesn't have Arteta, the midfield maestro who Donovan meshed well with before. The club's offensive output has been paltry. Donovan can't do it alone. 

5) That wonky knee. Though he soldiered through the season and scored the goal that won the Galaxy the title, Donovan didn't have, by his standards, a great year. He's likely not as fit as he was two years ago. 

In time, we'll see how The Striker Strikes Again turns out. Donovan at Everton, The Second Time, could defy the odds and my own pessimism.

It'll Kill You

Fandom, that is. Well, that and Addison's. 

Dempsey, Donovan, Friedel Donnybrook

I sighed a little reading about the dust-up stirred up among fans when Brad Friedel made some remarks to the effect that Landon Donovan took "the easy road" by staying in Major League Soccer, as compared to Clint Dempsey, who plays in England for Fulham. 

Friedel backtracked a bit by going on to explain his comments were not meant to disparage Landon or any other MLS player. His words surely weren't complimentary, however. 

That a player who worked hard to move to England and then has worked very hard to stay there thinks it means more for another player to do the same is perfectly legitimate, though. It's simple preference. 

For people to be upset about that opinion is as pointless as the chocolate versus vanilla debate.  

Both Donovan and Dempsey are good players. Both have accomplished a lot for their respective clubs and for the USMNT. Arguments can easily be made for one or the other as the top USA player today. The winner will always come down to which qualities or achievements are valued more by the person doing the evaluation. 

Debate among fans is good, though, and for some, a rehash of old arguments is still worthwhile, given that history needs to be updated with the latest information and comparisons. 

For me, the Donovan versus Dempsey debate is far less irritating than another, more frustrating argument. 

This is the one I call the 'ghost Donovan' debate. 

This is the argument made by people who believe that if Landon Donovan had stayed at Bayer Leverkusen (either the first -circa 2000- or the second time -circa 2004-), he would have somehow taken his limited playing time and buckled down into a really inspired hard worker who would be the most amazing USA player ever, make it on to some top team like Manchester United or Barcelona, and play well enough that worldwide, there would be admiration for his talent and people would regularly say, "Americans can really play."

The 'ghost Donovan' is better than the real one at every turn. He speaks Dutch and French (stints with Ajax and Lyon) in addition to German, Spanish and English. GD's a little taller, faster, nicer, and dresses better than Donovan.  He makes souffles instead of eating In-&-Out cheeseburgers. 

Yet even with the luxury of imagining a perfect world for GD, the timeline of reality is also a powerful argument. Without the game experience learned in MLS, would Donovan have been ready for World Cup 2002? What would have changed from that point on?

The sad thing about the GD versus LD argument is that it casts a shadow on everything Donovan does accomplish. Apparently, GD would have scored even more USA goals, notched even more assists. LD can't escape the comparisons against a super-idealized, European-playing version of himself. 

I've said before that I firmly believe some of Donovan's most strident detractors are actually his biggest fans when they say he'd be so much better if he played in Europe. I've thought of him as a good player, but not one with huge reserves of untapped potential. In either MLS or abroad, he's been pretty much the same player for quite a while now. He's not going to suddenly crank up to another gear or become a total magician with the ball. What will define his legacy at this point will be his longevity - and his ability to sustain that level of play.

Some have argued that Donovan owed it to other American players to blaze a trail for them abroad, but it's possible that GD would have been considered an American anomaly, made more in Germany, etc, than really produced by the USA. Who knows? Everything about GD is pure conjecture, agonizingly abstract. 

I guess the debate that I want to see one day is one comparing two top USA players, say, Sebastian Lletget and Luis Gill. I'd like to see fans raving on about their speed and skill, their creativity and strength under pressure, citing special shots or moments as evidence of superiority, but completely bypassing as irrelevant the continent of the club teams both represent. It probably won't happen for a long while, but it's better than the tiresome GD versus LD scenario.

Injury Creates Opportunity

When Brad Guzan first joined Major League Soccer in 2005 as a part of Chivas USA, he was in his early twenties, basically just a kid, especially for a goalkeeper. But an injury to starter Martin Vasquez forced Guzan into the starters role and the adversity pushed him to excel, eventually earning a transfer abroad to England. There, he waited. 

And waited. 

Finally, his chance has come.  

Let's hope he makes the most of it.  I predict he will do well.

He remains an Englishman

I haven't had a chance to ask David Beckham of late about his future plans now that he's finally an MLS champion, but my guess is that he's leaving the Los Angeles Galaxy. 

I do think winning that title last night meant a lot to him. He's a competitive player. He wanted to win very badly. 

Yet there's something beyond club glory that has always mattered more to Becks. 

His country. 

For he himself has said it

And it's greatly to his credit,

That he is an Englishman!

Simply put, the Galaxy have always taken a backseat to Beckham's desire to serve his country. I'm not simply talking about playing for England, either, although it's pretty remarkable how far he's flown, or where he's taken loans to help make that happen. 

Whether it has been lobbying for the Olympics, the FIFA 2014 World Cup, attending the royal wedding or whatever, Becks has been pretty much at the beck and call of his homeland. It didn't matter that many in England derided his move to the Los Angeles as the ultimate sellout. Becks remained loyal to helping his country in whatever capacity possible. 

Of course, when Beckham played in Spain for Real Madrid, the club versus country conundrums were less obvious partly because Spain was an easy flight to England for any needed games.  MLS games also conflicted more often with international dates. Even for friendlies, Beckham would choose England.

For, in spite of all temptations

To belong to other nations

He remains an Englishman

Often, though, this loyalty to country was to the detriment of Beckham's MLS club. The two loan deals to AC Milan so Fabio Capello would know for certain Beckham could actually still hit a good cross cut out half of the Galaxy regular season. Plus, Beckham got injured during the crucial second loan right before the 2010 World Cup, so that time away from MLS to try to secure his spot in the England squad was all ultimately for naught. 

Other players might have sulked at home, but Becks went to the World Cup anyway, supporting England from the sidelines. Who knows if that helped, but either way, he was there. 

Ultimately, Beckham's internal compass always points to England. The prospect of playing in the Olympics could be what drives Beckham to Paris St. Germain. Of course, that's a team that would represent Great Britain, the UK as a whole, but that's close enough for Becks, especially with the Olympic games being hosted in London, his home city. 

Simply put, it's probably easier to make the Olympics from Paris, where the future UK coach could easily see that yes, Becks can still hit a cross. It's also probably better for the Galaxy not to lose Beckham for all that time in the summer, when the MLS season will be in full swing. Why should they put too much money competing against PSG for a player who wants to be away again to serve his country?

Of course Becks cares about the Galaxy. I saw that back in 2009, when he puffed desperately on his asthma inhaler to make it through the 2009 final. I saw it in his tears after the final 2011 whistle, when the championship was his at last. Yet if going to Paris helps his chances to make the Great Britain team, I'm betting he'll take that over returning to the Galaxy. 

He remains an Englishman.

Stomp the Stands

The HDC is rocking tonight - even if Chivas USA have been eliminated from the playoffs. I'm here on behalf of Futbol Mundial, at the event sponsored by Chrysler to honor Chivas USA outreach to the community. Mostly they've run a bunch of soccer camps, involving over 300 kids who might otherwise not be in in a soccer camp at all. 

It's great to be back in the stadium. I haven't had an assignment here for a while and I've also been busy teaching. 

One thing I hope any HDC fans remember from tonight is how great the sound is when the upper decks of the stadium are stomped. It shakes the whole place with a thunderous, steady sound when the fans stomp their feet. I hope it happens in the playoffs and for MLS Cup especially. 

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

Sounders - Herediano, CCL Running Blog

TFC pulled off the win over Tauro FC, so lets see what Seattle can do in their CONCACAF Champions League clash versus Herediano. It should be a tougher test. 

Sounders lineup: GK Keller, D Scott, D Ianni, D Hurtado, D Gonzalez, M Carrasco, M Sanyang, M Neagle, M Levesque, F Jaqua, F Noonan.  

Herediano: GK Cambronero, D Montero, D Sanchez, D Calvo, D Obando, D Salazar, M Cordero, M Arias, M Alvarado, F Barbosa, F Andrade

No cohost for FSC's Rogondino? Get Chris Henderson in there. Who cares if he's not impartial? At least he knows the game.

1 - Kickoff. My eyes! They're already bleeding at the sight of the Sounders' glowing neon uniforms.

3 - Rogo seems befuddled at the absence of a color man. He's giving a bunch of side info and ignoring the actual match.

4 - Herediano have a corner. It's played short and then fed in, but Keller catches it.

6 - Rogo's actually calling the game now. There's not much going on, to be fair, though Seattle are probing for chances.

7  - Foul on Neagle gives Seattle a FK. Herediano GK catches that.

9 - I gave up on Rogo. I'm watching the Spanish broadcast of the match. Suddenly it's much more exciting.

11 - Have I mentioned how much I hate artificial turf? It's hard to tell that the pro players are at a high level when the ball keeps rolling long on that stuff. Ruins the game.

13 - Not to say that chewed up grass is a better playing surface, but at least it looks terrible, so it's honest. Plastic grass is a weird cheat - it looks fine, especially from a distance or on television, but it just doesn't play right or true to the game.

14 - Off the post! What a weird play. The Sounders stood around like they expected a teammate to cover the run, and in the end, the ball was in the box and past Keller, but it came off the post. Barbosa with the chance.

16 - Neagle sees yellow for a clip from behind. I think the Herediano player is legitimately hurt - rug burn from his forced slide into the turf.

21 - Leo Gonzalez with a shot/cross - the game is picking up pace.

22 - Nate Jaqua shanks a ball from point-blank range. I'd be surprised, but I saw him do that plenty in person as a Galaxy player back in the day.

23 - Actually, Nate has a legit gripe - his shot appeared to deflect off a defender, but the ref missed it. Bad break.
25 - GOAL! Off a freekick, Herediano's Josemar Arias bends it perfectly into the corner. Nicely done. Seattle are stunned at home. CR teams are no joke. It's a little country, but they take their soccer very seriously. 0-1, Herediano leads.
 27 - What a difference a goal makes - Herediano passing the ball around better now, looking lively.
31 - Seattle appear out of sorts.
32 - Herediano players are falling over now. It's kind of early for the delaying tactic.
35 - Herediano's Cordero earns a yellow. Freekick for Seattle.
 38 - Seattle don't appear creative at all at this point.

42 - Corner for Herediano, but Seattle are able to clear.
45 - Herediano seriously look more likely to score again than the Sounders do to notch an equalizer.
Halftime.
46 - We're back and already Herediano have the first chance of the half. This result, if it stands, will really shake up the CCL group.
51 - Freekick for Herediano. Seattle defense deal with it just fine. They've looked solid, mostly. It's the attacking end that is a shambles at present.
53 - Seattle finally mount an attack, but Noonan isn't able to get a shot off.
54 - Seattle charge in again for a  bit of sustained pressure - oh, that didn't last.
56 - Here come Seattle's cavalry - Freddy Montero and Osvaldo Alonso.
65 - It seems too late for Seattle's supermen (aka, regular starters) to save the day. They haven't really been able to get anything going yet.
68 - Herediano holding on strong.
74 - Herediano even looking more likely to score. Oh, and Sammy Ochoa is the last sub for the Sounders. I miss his old curly hair style.
81 - A Montero shot leads to a Seattle corner.
82 - Which leads to a Jaqua header on goal, though it's saved.  Game might have a goal in in for the Sounders yet.
88 - Or not. After than flurry, nothing credible since.
89 - WOW - What a save to rob Ochoa of a Sounders goal. Ochoa pounded a header on goal, but the stop was made one-handed. Herediano's goalkeeper, Cambronero, was the hero there.
90 - He timewastes on the ensuing corner, though, wasting the goodwill he just built up with his play.
92 - Neagle shoots high from a corner - not a great try, but volleys are hard.
94 - Jaqua finally gets a decent cross, but hits the header high. 
95 - I love the announcer's sarcasm. "Well, we are playing on, due to added time from Cambonero's muscular problem, as he apparently had a problem with his muscles." Yeah, he was wasting time.
Final whistle! Sounders put forth a sorry starting lineup and paid for it. 

A True Mugging In Morelia

 Thievery. Robbery. A mugging.

The crime rate is high in Morelia, and that doesn’t stop from extending onto the soccer fields there.

Estadio Morelos was site of one of the biggest non-violent crimes in Morelia’s recent history. On Tuesday, the Galaxy had a goal and a victory stolen from them.

With the match tied 1-1 in the 90^th minute, Omar Gonzalez smashed a header on goal. Morelia’s Federico Vilar made the save but the ball remained on the goal line. Robbie Keane raced onto it, pushed it into the back of the net and appeared to have given the Galaxy the victory.

But somehow the goal did not stand. Honduran assistant referee Oscar Velasquez raised his flag just as Keane raced away from the goal to celebrate.

Absolute thievery. Total robbery. An atrocious mugging.

Moments later, Miguel Sabah scored the game-winner and the Galaxy walked away empty handed.

The replays show clearly that Keane was at least a yard onside when Gonzalez made contact. Keane passed the last defender sometime after the ball past him. When the ball fell on top of the goal line, Keane was already there.

But that’s because he’s quick and has great instincts, not because he was offside. Perhaps that’s the biggest problem. Velasquez referees the Honduran league, which is not a highly-regarded league in CONCACAF. Mexico is, of course. MLS is getting there. MLS does have top talents such as Keane and perhaps Velasquez is unable to decipher between what a talented goalscorer and what a player who is poaching offside looks like.

Whatever the case is, the Galaxy lost a game they should have won. Stolen from them. Taken right away from them.

It’s a shame really, not just that it happened to the Galaxy but that this happens all the time in this tournament. It’s almost like it’s a requirement to have things like this happen in the CONCACAF Champions League.

It seems that no matter what Champions League game you watch, you almost expect something bad to happen. You expect the game to go to hell in a matter of minutes. Bad calls are as much a part of the game as set pieces. So when the flag was raised and Keane’s goal was harshly called back, it really wasn’t a surprise to anybody.

Anger? Sure, but nobody was surprised.

And that’s the real shame.

Hating On Landon

Landon Donovan and Mexico go hand-in-hand like meat and rabid dogs. It seems that every time Donovan plays against Mexico, be it the national team or a Mexican club, Donovan seems to bring out some emotions from Mexican supporters.

He certainly has drawn some emotions out from the locals here in Morelia.

As the Galaxy began to go through their warm-ups in a mostly-empty and relatively quiet Estadio Morelos on Monday, a shout came down from above.

"Donovan! Fuck you motherfucker! Your ass is mine motherfucker!"

A small group of locals had gotten to a gate where at least part of the field was visible to them. Their villain, Public Enemy No. 1 'round these parts, was down below so why not serenade him?

I wrote a story on some of the issues that perturbs the fans. Donovan has long been a thorn in Mexico's side, having scored five goals against the national team, including the dagger in the 2002 World Cup win over El Tricolor.

Now, on Monday almost without looking for it, we found some pure Donovan hatred. A group of us went to a marketplace to look for soccer jerseys. We wound up talking to one of the vendors for about an hour on various things and the topic of our visit came up. As soon as he found out we were there for the Galaxy-Morelia match, he let loose about Donovan.

"Ask anybody here. Nobody likes him. I heard two guys walking past earlier and they were saying how they were going to go to the game just to talk shit to Donovan."

The vendor, Rafael, was adamant that Donovan did not like Mexicans. He asked several of the people around him "What was it that Donovan said about Mexico?" as if there was something that Donovan had actually said that would have inflamed Mexicans.

If you're talking about goals, that's a good enough reason to dislike Donovan I suppose. And pissing on the field in Estadio Jalisco is something so ridiculous that it's laughable. There's not a field in this planet that hasn't been pissed on.

But perhaps that's where this notion that Donovan does not like Mexicans stems from. At some point, perception certainly became reality and old habits die hard.

Maybe in the United States, Mexican supporters arent' quite as vicious in their attacks over Donovan as they are here. Perhaps since they have the chance to see him play more and, more importantly, they hear him do interviews in Spanish, they have seen for themselves that whatever supposedly racist ideas he carried were never really there.

But don't tell that to the Morelia faithful. If not all, many certainly seem to think he really does not like Mexicans. And you can rest assured that they will let him hear how much they dislike him the moment he takes the field for warm-ups in Estadio Morelos.

Primed For Success

When Galaxy coach Bruce Arena trotted out a different-looking lineup against Colorado, it wasn't just with Colorado in mind.

Sure, Chad Barrett and Paolo Cardozo did well against the Rapids but playing the likes of Barrett, Cardozo, Bryan Jordan and Donovan Ricketts allowed for the Galaxy to rest up some players for Tuesday's match against Morelia.

The Galaxy will face Morelia in a match that could set the club up well for the remainder of the group stage. If the Galaxy beat Morelia, they will have nine points and could be six points clear of the rest of the group of Motagua beat Alajuelense this week. The pressure would be off the Galaxy, not completely off but things would certainly be a bit less tense in Champions League.

Based on what I've seen in recent games and what Bruce Arena has shown, this is my best shot at a Galaxy Starting XI: Josh Saunders; Todd Dunivant, Omar Gonzalez, AJ De La Garza, Frankie Hejduk; Mike Magee, Landon Donovan, Chris Birchall, Sean Franklin; Adam Cristman, Robbie Keane.

That lineup would be a fresh one. Of the 11 players, five did not play on Friday - Saunders, Hejduk, Magee, Birchall, Cristman. A sixth - Keane - played 30 minutes. The rest - Donovan, Dunivant, Gonzalez, De La Garza, Franklin - are extremely fit.

Off the bench, Arena has some options for goals if it comes to it. Barrett made the trip; Cardozo and Miguel Lopez are here as well. The Galaxy are primed for a strong effort and some planning ahead on Arena's part has done the team well.