My thoughts on Hugo Sanchez's firing for SI.com.
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Monday, March 31, 2008
Bouncing celebration
D.C. United will head to Pachuca for the first leg of the clubs' CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal series on Tuesday. The odds are against D.C. pulling out any type of result. Since the tournament switched to the current format in 2002, Mexican teams hold a 33-6 aggregate score over MLS clubs in games played in Mexico. Still, D.C. held their own in Guadalajara a year ago but came up short 2-1.
Still, D.C. fans may not be too upset with a Pachuca goal or two as long as this fan is there to celebrate.
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Still, D.C. fans may not be too upset with a Pachuca goal or two as long as this fan is there to celebrate.
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Nkong to EPL?
Thanks to reader E.A. for this tip...
Alain Nkong has been linked to English side Tottenham in what would be a multimillion dollar deal.
Nkong, the former Rapids washout, saw his stock climb in helping Atlante win the Apertura 2007 title and then scoring a clutch goal in the African Nations Cup. His spot with Atlante, though, is no more as he has not played for them since last year's playoffs.
Anything to help Nkong get some playing time in a top league would be welcomed but such a move would be a fantastic opportunity for the Cameroon striker.
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Alain Nkong has been linked to English side Tottenham in what would be a multimillion dollar deal.
Nkong, the former Rapids washout, saw his stock climb in helping Atlante win the Apertura 2007 title and then scoring a clutch goal in the African Nations Cup. His spot with Atlante, though, is no more as he has not played for them since last year's playoffs.
Anything to help Nkong get some playing time in a top league would be welcomed but such a move would be a fantastic opportunity for the Cameroon striker.
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Fuera Hugo
If you've been waiting to hear my reaction to Sanchez's sacking, well, you'll have to wait a little bit longer. I wrote something up for SI.com on the matter and it will be up sometime Tuesday morning probably.
In short, though, Sanchez's bark was far worse than his bite.
One thing I didn't get to in the column was how this could tarnish his reputation as a player. Obviously, no one can take away his remarkable feats with Real Madrid. But will the public be able to separate Hugo the Coach from Hugo the Player? Right now, I would say no, not too easily but in the future, well, time heals most wounds.
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In short, though, Sanchez's bark was far worse than his bite.
One thing I didn't get to in the column was how this could tarnish his reputation as a player. Obviously, no one can take away his remarkable feats with Real Madrid. But will the public be able to separate Hugo the Coach from Hugo the Player? Right now, I would say no, not too easily but in the future, well, time heals most wounds.
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Lambo Slaughtered
Yeah, I couldn't resist. But poor Josh really did take a beating.
From the FC Dallas press release:
FC Dallas today confirmed that rookie and Generation adidas goalkeeper Josh Lambo sustained a concussion and fractured jaw during Sunday’s Reserve Division contest against Chivas USA. The 17-year old will have surgery today to repair the fractures and is expected to be released from the hospital on Tuesday. He is expected to be out of action for at least 6-8 weeks.
“We’re obviously saddened with the unfortunate injuries Josh sustained,” said FC Dallas head coach Steve Morrow. “He has made tremendous progress throughout the preseason, but at this moment our thoughts are on his health and well being. We’re comforted that his family is here and wish him a complete and quick recovery.”
The injury occurred when Lambo collided with Chivas USA’s Anthony Hamilton just five minutes into the Reserve match. After being attended to on the field by team medical personnel, Lambo walked off the field and was replaced by guest player Matt Wideman. He was then transported to a Baylor hospital where he remained overnight.
Lambo was selected by FC Dallas with the eighth overall selection in the 1st Round of the 2008 MLS SuperDraft. After the team loaned goalkeeper Ray Burse to Portland, Lambo became the backup keeper to Dario Sala in the team’s season opener against Chivas USA.
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From the FC Dallas press release:
FC Dallas today confirmed that rookie and Generation adidas goalkeeper Josh Lambo sustained a concussion and fractured jaw during Sunday’s Reserve Division contest against Chivas USA. The 17-year old will have surgery today to repair the fractures and is expected to be released from the hospital on Tuesday. He is expected to be out of action for at least 6-8 weeks.
“We’re obviously saddened with the unfortunate injuries Josh sustained,” said FC Dallas head coach Steve Morrow. “He has made tremendous progress throughout the preseason, but at this moment our thoughts are on his health and well being. We’re comforted that his family is here and wish him a complete and quick recovery.”
The injury occurred when Lambo collided with Chivas USA’s Anthony Hamilton just five minutes into the Reserve match. After being attended to on the field by team medical personnel, Lambo walked off the field and was replaced by guest player Matt Wideman. He was then transported to a Baylor hospital where he remained overnight.
Lambo was selected by FC Dallas with the eighth overall selection in the 1st Round of the 2008 MLS SuperDraft. After the team loaned goalkeeper Ray Burse to Portland, Lambo became the backup keeper to Dario Sala in the team’s season opener against Chivas USA.
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The announcement
Decio de Maria: The committee presented a detailed report and analysis of the situation and I can inform everyone that two conclusions were reached – the first one, that the relationship between Hugo Sanchez and the national team has been terminated.
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Cuidad Juarez Roster
Pia has named her roster for Olympic qualifying.
Any thoughts on who is there and who isn't, share in the comments.
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Any thoughts on who is there and who isn't, share in the comments.
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Hugo is gone
Booted from the head coaching job of El Tri. My main man, Jesus Ramirez, is taking over as interim coach. It's possible that "Chucho" could also get the job permanently, like Bob Bradley did the USMNT job. What a fall from grace to straight-out disgrace Hugo had!
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Heads will roll
Club America president Guillermo Canedo White has announced his resignation, effective after the season. Club America is in a terrible crisis, having compiled just two wins after 12 weeks of the Clausura 2008 season. Already coach Daniel Brailovsky saw the axe in week 6 but replacement Ruben Omar Romano has won zero games in six league games and two out of four Copa Libertadores matches.
The playoffs are out of reach at this point, so America's only hope is to throw all of its efforts in Libertadores, where they sit even with Deportivo San Martin on six points, and hope to make something out of this wretched season.
Under Canedo, America won the Clausura 2005 title as well as the 2006 CONCACAF Champions Cup. Also, America were beaten finalists in both the Clausura and Copa Sudamericana a year ago.
Change is necessary; the only question being how severe. With Canedo's resignation it appears, however, that the change will be drastic.
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The playoffs are out of reach at this point, so America's only hope is to throw all of its efforts in Libertadores, where they sit even with Deportivo San Martin on six points, and hope to make something out of this wretched season.
Under Canedo, America won the Clausura 2005 title as well as the 2006 CONCACAF Champions Cup. Also, America were beaten finalists in both the Clausura and Copa Sudamericana a year ago.
Change is necessary; the only question being how severe. With Canedo's resignation it appears, however, that the change will be drastic.
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Lakota Branch rankings (March 31)
Well, one week is in the books. Not quite time to crown anyone MLS Cup '08 champions or bury any club quite yet. We'll save that for, well, at least April... or maybe a little later than that.
1. New England. Thorough thrashing of MLS champions.
2. Kansas City. Lopez-Trujillo pairing looked dominant.
3. Chivas USA. Withstood unexpected loss of Claudio Suarez and scored clutch late equalizer.
4. Houston. Dynamo struggled in early part of 2007 too and came out just fine.
5. DC United. Did United have Pachuca on its mind?
6. Colorado. Despite losses due to injury everywhere on the field, Rapids looked dominant.
7. Chicago. Blanco needs offensive support.
8. FC Dallas. Seven minutes and a terrible clearance away from opening with home win.
9. New York. Wonder if not playing week one will hurt or help Red Bulls.
10. Real Salt Lake. Defense spotless for 91 minutes, but still not good enough.
11. Columbus. Was Crew that good or TFC that bad? Probably somehwere in middle.
12. Los Angeles. Scary thing is, it can get worse.
13. Toronto. Not even 2,500 traveling fans can motivate this sad sack of a team to score.
14. San Jose. Others' terrible play won't move 'Quakes up the chart... yet.
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1. New England. Thorough thrashing of MLS champions.
2. Kansas City. Lopez-Trujillo pairing looked dominant.
3. Chivas USA. Withstood unexpected loss of Claudio Suarez and scored clutch late equalizer.
4. Houston. Dynamo struggled in early part of 2007 too and came out just fine.
5. DC United. Did United have Pachuca on its mind?
6. Colorado. Despite losses due to injury everywhere on the field, Rapids looked dominant.
7. Chicago. Blanco needs offensive support.
8. FC Dallas. Seven minutes and a terrible clearance away from opening with home win.
9. New York. Wonder if not playing week one will hurt or help Red Bulls.
10. Real Salt Lake. Defense spotless for 91 minutes, but still not good enough.
11. Columbus. Was Crew that good or TFC that bad? Probably somehwere in middle.
12. Los Angeles. Scary thing is, it can get worse.
13. Toronto. Not even 2,500 traveling fans can motivate this sad sack of a team to score.
14. San Jose. Others' terrible play won't move 'Quakes up the chart... yet.
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Actonel Celebrex rankings
1 .New England Revolution - Nicol has added dangerous speed to a strong system with Mansally and Nyassi
2. Kansas City Wizards - They flamed out last season after a fast start, but right now, Claudio Lopez fits in well
3. Colorado Rapids - A number of injured starters didn't faze the Rapids - young players stepped up under the leadership of Christian Gomez
4. Columbus Crew - Moffat makes a great first impression; Hesmer saves a penalty. Sigi is bringing the kids up right.
5. Chicago Fire - Blanco did just what he had to do, right when he had to do it.
6. Chivas USA - Ay Papi! Galindo waits nearly as long as Blanco to pull out the equalizer for Chivas USA
7. FC Dallas - Toja is clearly back to pre-injury form, Cooper clearly isn't.
8. Real Salt Lake - So close to glory there. This team has never had a winning record.
9. New York Red Bull - Altidore and Angel can prove to be a potent combo, just like vodka and Red Bull.
10. Houston Dynamo - Sure, a 3-0 loss is spanking, but the Dynamo are proven winners when it really counts
11. San Jose Earthquakes - Will version 2.0 recall the glory days, or the bumpy path of the Clash?
12. DC United - Gallardo may have the name for DP money, but Gomez had the goods, and now he's gone.
13. Los Angeles Galaxy - The penalty call was atrocious, but so was the 4-0 loss.
14. Toronto FC - Overall play and inability to convert the penalty - poor. The traveling fans - class.
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2. Kansas City Wizards - They flamed out last season after a fast start, but right now, Claudio Lopez fits in well
3. Colorado Rapids - A number of injured starters didn't faze the Rapids - young players stepped up under the leadership of Christian Gomez
4. Columbus Crew - Moffat makes a great first impression; Hesmer saves a penalty. Sigi is bringing the kids up right.
5. Chicago Fire - Blanco did just what he had to do, right when he had to do it.
6. Chivas USA - Ay Papi! Galindo waits nearly as long as Blanco to pull out the equalizer for Chivas USA
7. FC Dallas - Toja is clearly back to pre-injury form, Cooper clearly isn't.
8. Real Salt Lake - So close to glory there. This team has never had a winning record.
9. New York Red Bull - Altidore and Angel can prove to be a potent combo, just like vodka and Red Bull.
10. Houston Dynamo - Sure, a 3-0 loss is spanking, but the Dynamo are proven winners when it really counts
11. San Jose Earthquakes - Will version 2.0 recall the glory days, or the bumpy path of the Clash?
12. DC United - Gallardo may have the name for DP money, but Gomez had the goods, and now he's gone.
13. Los Angeles Galaxy - The penalty call was atrocious, but so was the 4-0 loss.
14. Toronto FC - Overall play and inability to convert the penalty - poor. The traveling fans - class.
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Sunday, March 30, 2008
Orozco update
Until recently, Americans abroad updates found regularly across the Web have mostly -if not fully - focused on Americans plying their trade in Europe. Now, Michael Orozco has left his mark on the U.S. national team, albeit the Under-23 side, and suddenly eyes are focused on the Southern California native and his potential future with the U.S.
We'll keep tabs on him right here for those interested in following Orozco's career with San Luis if the Mexican First Division along.
In his first game back with San Luis, Orozco started and played 83 minutes in a 2-0 loss to Jaguares. The setback kept San Luis from slicing into Chivas' lead in both Group 3 and the overall league table. San Luis sits in second place in both, with 22 points from 12 games. Orozco has played seven games this season for a total of 451 minutes. He has two yellow cards as well as a red card this year.
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We'll keep tabs on him right here for those interested in following Orozco's career with San Luis if the Mexican First Division along.
In his first game back with San Luis, Orozco started and played 83 minutes in a 2-0 loss to Jaguares. The setback kept San Luis from slicing into Chivas' lead in both Group 3 and the overall league table. San Luis sits in second place in both, with 22 points from 12 games. Orozco has played seven games this season for a total of 451 minutes. He has two yellow cards as well as a red card this year.
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On trial
It's not really a trial but Monday is when the Mexican Soccer Federation will rule on Hugo Sanchez's fate.
Sanchez has not lived up to expectations with El Tri since taking over in late 2006. He failed to win the Gold Cup and failed to reach the Olympics despite promises to the contrary - he actually promised an Olympic medal. Also, Mexican supporters have pointed to his tactical shortcomings as additional proof that Sanchez must go.
Mediotiempo.com breaks down exactly what will happen on Monday here. Basically, the league's owners, along with FMF hierarchy, will decide his fate.
The options Mediotiempo gives for what may happen are these:
1. Hugo Sanchez will stay, perhaps with strings attached.
2. Hugo Sanchez will be dismissed and a replacement coach will be hired immediately.
3. Hugo Sanchez will be dismissed, an interim coach will be named and a search for a new coach will begin.
During and shortly after the Olympic debacle, I thought Sanchez should stay. His main job is as full national team coach, not the Under-23 coach. However, I had a friendly chat with a reader recently via e-mail about the matter and I started to feel differently. If Sanchez can't get an Under-23 Mexican team with strong talent out of the group stage, what makes me think he can get the full national team into the World Cup, or even past the semifinal phase of qualifying?
Sanchez always likes to talk about statistics. Here are some statistics regarding Sanchez:
- In 13 friendlies under Sanchez, Mexico has scored 23 goals and given up 19.
- In 11 matches in official competitions under Sanchez, Mexico scored 17 goals and surrendered 9.
- Sanchez is 0-1 in finals, 1-1 in semifinals and 2-0 in quarterfinals.
What do they say? Well, like many things in soccer, it's very subjective. On one hand, Mexico's offense can score goals but the defense is porous at times. In six friendlies, Mexico has given up two or more goals; the semifinal loss to Argentina was by 3-0 as well.
The results are mixed with the senior team but the Under-23 team was a complete disaster.
Mexican supporters seem to have lost faith in Sanchez. In both print and broadcast reports, a majority of supporters have said they feel Sanchez should be fired. Perhaps the league owners feel the same way.
We only have hours to go before we find out Sanchez's ultimate fate, and perhaps they won't be hemming and hawing on the issue like I am.
ADD: This story from Mexican wire service Notimex brings up the issue of lost money. By not winning the Gold Cup and thus not qualifying for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup as well as missing out on the Summer Olympics, the federation suffered damaging financial losses in potential advertising revenue.
So, aside from the on-the-field results, the FMF will also consider Sanchez's off-the-field losses as well. And the financial losses aren't very subjective, unless you are trying to figure out exactly how much money was lost.
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Sanchez has not lived up to expectations with El Tri since taking over in late 2006. He failed to win the Gold Cup and failed to reach the Olympics despite promises to the contrary - he actually promised an Olympic medal. Also, Mexican supporters have pointed to his tactical shortcomings as additional proof that Sanchez must go.
Mediotiempo.com breaks down exactly what will happen on Monday here. Basically, the league's owners, along with FMF hierarchy, will decide his fate.
The options Mediotiempo gives for what may happen are these:
1. Hugo Sanchez will stay, perhaps with strings attached.
2. Hugo Sanchez will be dismissed and a replacement coach will be hired immediately.
3. Hugo Sanchez will be dismissed, an interim coach will be named and a search for a new coach will begin.
During and shortly after the Olympic debacle, I thought Sanchez should stay. His main job is as full national team coach, not the Under-23 coach. However, I had a friendly chat with a reader recently via e-mail about the matter and I started to feel differently. If Sanchez can't get an Under-23 Mexican team with strong talent out of the group stage, what makes me think he can get the full national team into the World Cup, or even past the semifinal phase of qualifying?
Sanchez always likes to talk about statistics. Here are some statistics regarding Sanchez:
- In 13 friendlies under Sanchez, Mexico has scored 23 goals and given up 19.
- In 11 matches in official competitions under Sanchez, Mexico scored 17 goals and surrendered 9.
- Sanchez is 0-1 in finals, 1-1 in semifinals and 2-0 in quarterfinals.
What do they say? Well, like many things in soccer, it's very subjective. On one hand, Mexico's offense can score goals but the defense is porous at times. In six friendlies, Mexico has given up two or more goals; the semifinal loss to Argentina was by 3-0 as well.
The results are mixed with the senior team but the Under-23 team was a complete disaster.
Mexican supporters seem to have lost faith in Sanchez. In both print and broadcast reports, a majority of supporters have said they feel Sanchez should be fired. Perhaps the league owners feel the same way.
We only have hours to go before we find out Sanchez's ultimate fate, and perhaps they won't be hemming and hawing on the issue like I am.
ADD: This story from Mexican wire service Notimex brings up the issue of lost money. By not winning the Gold Cup and thus not qualifying for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup as well as missing out on the Summer Olympics, the federation suffered damaging financial losses in potential advertising revenue.
So, aside from the on-the-field results, the FMF will also consider Sanchez's off-the-field losses as well. And the financial losses aren't very subjective, unless you are trying to figure out exactly how much money was lost.
Read more...
Week one trends
The first week of games in the 2008 MLS regular season is in the books after Chivas USA and FC Dallas played to a 1-1 tie on Sunday afternoon. Some of the trends I noticed from this weekend's slate of games:
- Home teams outscored road teams 13-2 and posted a 4-0-2 record.
- Foreigners accounted for 11 goals. Three American-born players scored - Steve Ralston, Adam Cristman, Colin Clark - while Chicago knocked a goal into the back of its own net.
- Some of the more high-profile acquisitions paid immediate dividends. Kansas City's new frontline accounted for both goals in a 2-0 win over DC United as Ivan Trujillo and Claudio Lopez each tallied in their first game in Kansas City blue. Meanwhile, Christian Gomez scored on a penalty kick in the Rapids' 4-0 rout of the Galaxy.
- New coaches went 0-2-1 in their debuts, though all three debuted on the road. Denis Hamlett's Chicago Fire tied 1-1 at RSL while John Carver's Toronto FC and Ruud Gullit's LA Galaxy lost their MLS coaching debuts. Hamlett of course was the interim boss in Chicago a year ago so if you count that as his coaching debut, then scratch him off this note.
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- Home teams outscored road teams 13-2 and posted a 4-0-2 record.
- Foreigners accounted for 11 goals. Three American-born players scored - Steve Ralston, Adam Cristman, Colin Clark - while Chicago knocked a goal into the back of its own net.
- Some of the more high-profile acquisitions paid immediate dividends. Kansas City's new frontline accounted for both goals in a 2-0 win over DC United as Ivan Trujillo and Claudio Lopez each tallied in their first game in Kansas City blue. Meanwhile, Christian Gomez scored on a penalty kick in the Rapids' 4-0 rout of the Galaxy.
- New coaches went 0-2-1 in their debuts, though all three debuted on the road. Denis Hamlett's Chicago Fire tied 1-1 at RSL while John Carver's Toronto FC and Ruud Gullit's LA Galaxy lost their MLS coaching debuts. Hamlett of course was the interim boss in Chicago a year ago so if you count that as his coaching debut, then scratch him off this note.
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Giants in crisis
The crisis among the giants has reached a new low. The league's richest team has officially bottomed out, after suffering a 4-0 loss to a club barely considered "top flight;" in fact, the club has struggled to compete in the league and should be relegated.
Finger pointing is rampant but there doesn't appear to be anything the club can do except reach deep down inside, find some fortitude and play like their fans expect them to year in and year out.
Panic button? That's already been pushed time and time again, and coaches and some officials may be lucky to still have paychecks in the coming weeks.
Such is life for Club America, after losing at lowly Veracruz by 4-0 on Saturday.
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Finger pointing is rampant but there doesn't appear to be anything the club can do except reach deep down inside, find some fortitude and play like their fans expect them to year in and year out.
Panic button? That's already been pushed time and time again, and coaches and some officials may be lucky to still have paychecks in the coming weeks.
Such is life for Club America, after losing at lowly Veracruz by 4-0 on Saturday.
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Road goal
The only team to score a road goal on the opening weekend in MLS - barring some last-minute heroics for Chivas USA - was the Chicago Fire. Cuauhtemoc Blanco buried a stoppage-time equalizer as the Fire escaped Salt Lake with a point in a 1-1 draw.
Afterward, RSL coach Kreis admitted that Blanco made a special play, but also took a swipe at the Fire's best player.
It was about one special player who made one special play and didn't do really anything else the entire game - except run around and whine.
ADD: Papi scored! Chivas USA pulled out a 1-1 tie as Maykel Galindo scored in the 84th minute at FC Dallas. That makes two road goals in the five games played this weekend.
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Afterward, RSL coach Kreis admitted that Blanco made a special play, but also took a swipe at the Fire's best player.
It was about one special player who made one special play and didn't do really anything else the entire game - except run around and whine.
ADD: Papi scored! Chivas USA pulled out a 1-1 tie as Maykel Galindo scored in the 84th minute at FC Dallas. That makes two road goals in the five games played this weekend.
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From two assists to nothing
Here's audio of what Landon Donovan had to say about the Galaxy's 4-0 loss to Colorado.
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Deal with it
I get the sense after the 4-0 loss to Colorado that the big red PANIC button has already been pushed for many Galaxy fans, and perhaps, within the organization as well.
That might be part of the problem, actually.
Last season, the team lacked cohesion and cooperation. Yet, due to the pressure piled up when losses mounted (as well as injuries), the Galaxy roster kept changing. Many trades were made and the lineup shuffled. Guess what? No great improvement in performance.
There were certain factors affecting the match last night. The coaching changes the Galaxy have gone through, for years now, leave each new coach in an interesting position. They are basically stuck with the old coaches' team for a while. Ruud has to play with at least some players Frank Yallop chose, even if he wouldn't have made the same choice. Landon Donovan and Carlos Ruiz hadn't played a competitive game together yet. Both Landon and David Beckham had to deal with jet lag and weariness from international games on Wednesday. The altitude in Colorado was a factor. The poor penalty call was another negative factor.
Forget the 4-0 scoreline to take a different look. Last night, the Galaxy kept the score versus Colorado close for longer than the Houston Dynamo did the New England Revolution. (2-0 by halftime) Yet I doubt anyone with the Dynamo, fan or otherwise, is freaking out at the team's supposed ineptitude.
What gives a team perspective, though, is history. The Dynamo could be calm, if unhappy about their loss. They're the defending champions of MLS. No 3-0 loss (to a Twellman-less Revs, no less), or 6-1 loss (to Gamba Osaka) is going to take that away and make them panic. They have an off night, they can go back to Houston and regroup. Two MLS trophies in a row give them the confidence to ride things out. A few changes may be made, but the team believes in the core of their players. That familiarity shows on the field, even when they don't have their best day.
The Galaxy meanwhile, have to deal with the taint of the past two years - failure to reach the playoffs. That shame clings, and it probably keeps everyone jittery. The semi-collective meltdown after the bad call reveals this. The fans, both the newbie Beckham arrivals and some of the faithful who remember fondly when Galaxy teams always made the playoffs, are apoplectic. The real impact, though, is if the front office is already planning more moves. So much for building continuity if that starts to happen.
Bottom line, with two championships in hand recently, the Dynamo have more than earned the benefit of the doubt when they take a spanking. They will probably bounce back. The Galaxy haven't that same benefit. Ruud Gullit kept his cool, relatively, but his ability as coach will be tested in this situation - reviving his team after a loss that is so demoralizing and begins his tenure with a losing note.
An even more sour note is the injury to Ruiz.
Here, another team also provides perspective - two veteran players went down with injuries on the first day of this MLS season.
Yet New England regrouped, and the team even scored a final goal with their veteran, Steve Ralston, off the field due to injury. The Revs could have been disheartened, but they continued to take the play to Houston.
Ralston's injury was a fluke, though. He fell over a player and landed badly on his shoulder. It's a shame, but no one is really to blame.
I understand that O'Brien, the young player who felled Ruiz, might be looking to impress his coach, but scissoring tackles from behind aren't the way to do that. Hustle and score, or make excellent plays, like New England's rookies, to make a positive impact.
So the Galaxy might miss Ruiz for a while. The Revs finished off their triumph without Ralston and played the whole time without Twellman. Granted, Colorado wasn't at full-strength, either, but Houston had a tired Brian Ching and no Rico Clark.
Can the Galaxy contain the fall-out of their opening-day fiasco and bounce back? Of course they can - whether they will is another matter. Veteran or rookie, the pressure on the Galaxy is intense by MLS standards. The one player I'm not really worried about freaking out in the wake of the setback is David. He's been hung in effigy after World Cup 1998, for heaven's sake. He can handle this, but he can't carry the team alone. The rest of the players have to toughen up and suck it up, big time. Every team is going to come at them, excited at the attention a victory over the Galaxy will earn. No ref will want to be seen as favoring Beckham's team. That's just the way it is. The Galaxy players have to learn to deal.
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That might be part of the problem, actually.
Last season, the team lacked cohesion and cooperation. Yet, due to the pressure piled up when losses mounted (as well as injuries), the Galaxy roster kept changing. Many trades were made and the lineup shuffled. Guess what? No great improvement in performance.
There were certain factors affecting the match last night. The coaching changes the Galaxy have gone through, for years now, leave each new coach in an interesting position. They are basically stuck with the old coaches' team for a while. Ruud has to play with at least some players Frank Yallop chose, even if he wouldn't have made the same choice. Landon Donovan and Carlos Ruiz hadn't played a competitive game together yet. Both Landon and David Beckham had to deal with jet lag and weariness from international games on Wednesday. The altitude in Colorado was a factor. The poor penalty call was another negative factor.
Forget the 4-0 scoreline to take a different look. Last night, the Galaxy kept the score versus Colorado close for longer than the Houston Dynamo did the New England Revolution. (2-0 by halftime) Yet I doubt anyone with the Dynamo, fan or otherwise, is freaking out at the team's supposed ineptitude.
What gives a team perspective, though, is history. The Dynamo could be calm, if unhappy about their loss. They're the defending champions of MLS. No 3-0 loss (to a Twellman-less Revs, no less), or 6-1 loss (to Gamba Osaka) is going to take that away and make them panic. They have an off night, they can go back to Houston and regroup. Two MLS trophies in a row give them the confidence to ride things out. A few changes may be made, but the team believes in the core of their players. That familiarity shows on the field, even when they don't have their best day.
The Galaxy meanwhile, have to deal with the taint of the past two years - failure to reach the playoffs. That shame clings, and it probably keeps everyone jittery. The semi-collective meltdown after the bad call reveals this. The fans, both the newbie Beckham arrivals and some of the faithful who remember fondly when Galaxy teams always made the playoffs, are apoplectic. The real impact, though, is if the front office is already planning more moves. So much for building continuity if that starts to happen.
Bottom line, with two championships in hand recently, the Dynamo have more than earned the benefit of the doubt when they take a spanking. They will probably bounce back. The Galaxy haven't that same benefit. Ruud Gullit kept his cool, relatively, but his ability as coach will be tested in this situation - reviving his team after a loss that is so demoralizing and begins his tenure with a losing note.
An even more sour note is the injury to Ruiz.
Here, another team also provides perspective - two veteran players went down with injuries on the first day of this MLS season.
Yet New England regrouped, and the team even scored a final goal with their veteran, Steve Ralston, off the field due to injury. The Revs could have been disheartened, but they continued to take the play to Houston.
Ralston's injury was a fluke, though. He fell over a player and landed badly on his shoulder. It's a shame, but no one is really to blame.
I understand that O'Brien, the young player who felled Ruiz, might be looking to impress his coach, but scissoring tackles from behind aren't the way to do that. Hustle and score, or make excellent plays, like New England's rookies, to make a positive impact.
So the Galaxy might miss Ruiz for a while. The Revs finished off their triumph without Ralston and played the whole time without Twellman. Granted, Colorado wasn't at full-strength, either, but Houston had a tired Brian Ching and no Rico Clark.
Can the Galaxy contain the fall-out of their opening-day fiasco and bounce back? Of course they can - whether they will is another matter. Veteran or rookie, the pressure on the Galaxy is intense by MLS standards. The one player I'm not really worried about freaking out in the wake of the setback is David. He's been hung in effigy after World Cup 1998, for heaven's sake. He can handle this, but he can't carry the team alone. The rest of the players have to toughen up and suck it up, big time. Every team is going to come at them, excited at the attention a victory over the Galaxy will earn. No ref will want to be seen as favoring Beckham's team. That's just the way it is. The Galaxy players have to learn to deal.
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Opening slowly
My story for The Press-Enterprise.
All told, three stories written, plus several blog posts, plus another non-Galaxy story written for MLSnet.com.
I better get to sleep.
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All told, three stories written, plus several blog posts, plus another non-Galaxy story written for MLSnet.com.
I better get to sleep.
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Disjointed squad
Greg Vanney said he felt the Galaxy was disjointed from the start. Audio of his thoughts here.
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Saturday, March 29, 2008
At Abel's request
Just got back from the locker room and Abel Xavier walked by a couple of us media guys. As he walked by, he, uh, well, um...
"The ref is a fucking disgrace. Put that in the paper."
You got it, Xavi.
EDIT: I heard "big letters" but I was mistaken apparently. Xavi's accent sometimes gets the best of me.
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"The ref is a fucking disgrace. Put that in the paper."
You got it, Xavi.
EDIT: I heard "big letters" but I was mistaken apparently. Xavi's accent sometimes gets the best of me.
Read more...
Injury woes start
Just got off the phone with the Galaxy press rep. Preliminary diagnosis on Ruiz - a right medial collateral ligament sprain.
In case that sounds familiar to Galaxy fans, that's what Beckham got late last season. The Galaxy are going to follow up with their doctors once the team gets home, but it looks like Ruiz will be out for some time - a month if it's a medium sprain, a few months if it's a bad one, or a couple of weeks if it's a light sprain. The way he was screaming when he went down, I'm not optimistic.
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In case that sounds familiar to Galaxy fans, that's what Beckham got late last season. The Galaxy are going to follow up with their doctors once the team gets home, but it looks like Ruiz will be out for some time - a month if it's a medium sprain, a few months if it's a bad one, or a couple of weeks if it's a light sprain. The way he was screaming when he went down, I'm not optimistic.
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Rapids/Galaxy running blog
Colorado has been hit heavy by injuries. They've got a very young lineup in. No Ugo or Herc.
The Galaxy have Ruiz, Donovan and Beckham, all their big guns, out there.
3 - Colin Clark beats the LA defense, but his cross goes out. Doesn't bode well for the LA D, though, already criticized for being old and slow.
5 - Touches are a bit off for both teams. The Galaxy don't show the cohesiveness in attack of the Revs. In fact, they hold off a Rapids attack in the box - Steve Cronin catches the ball.
7 - The altitude isn't going to help Landon or Becks recover from jet lag. Ruiz may be the one who comes through. Ely Allen wins a good ball, gets it to Becks, long pass to Ruiz, he goes far post, but not much on the ball, Bouna Coundoul saves.
11- GOAL! Pete can't get the ball from Christian Gomez, falls down, then Xavier fouls CG. Christian sends in the FK - it's as excellent as he usually hits, bisects the wall, off the post, falls to Terry Cooke, who first-times it into the net past Cronin. Yowzer! 1-0 Colorado.
15 - Clavijo may be coaching his way out of danger. The Rapids may be reaping the benefits of good reserve play (they won the reserve league twice) here, because their players look comfortable.
17- Jose Burciaga charges upfield and lets loose from long distance.
18 - Beckham cross to the box cut off by Coundoul.
21 - Galaxy working the ball around, trying to find space in the tight, pressuring Rapids defense.
23 - Pires earns the Galaxy a FK with a surging run. Beckham takes, Coundoul catches. Rapids counter, but the Galaxy recover.
26 - Donovan and Ruiz interchange, DiRaimondo fouls Ruiz. Long FK for Becks, but he gets the ball to Donovan -almost - Coundoul picks it off .
27 - Another FK - it's in the box, pops out, Donovan heads it back in, Bouna catches.
28 - Galaxy FK - Becks takes, Erpen touches it out before Ruiz can get there. Corner.
29 - Donovan takes the corner - goes far post - misses pretty much everybody, though. Too high.
30 - The Galaxy had a decent run of possession there, but it appeared very deliberate and slow - not dynamic. This squad has yet to gel. Becks crosses for Ruiz, Erpen heads it away, out for a throw. The Galaxy work the ball around, then Gavin kicks too long, out for a goal kick.
33 - Basic possession seems to be such an issue for the Galaxy. They work so long and hard just to hang on to the ball, let alone push it forward - Beckham sends a long pass to lead out both Donovan and Ruiz. Coundoul goes down battling for it. Hangs on.
36 - Bouna bleeding a bit, but he swishes his mouth out and looks ok. It might be that he bit his lip in the fall.
38 - Colorado counter! Gomez sends the ball forward, it's crossed to Clark, Vanney just hits it off Clark to go out. So close to the second.
39 - Colorado corner. It's cleared, Donovan loses the ball, Gomez gets it, shoots, Cronin barely punches it over. Colorado corner. Cleared.
42 - Deep Galaxy throw. Colorado counter. Cooke can't beat Gavin for a cross, but the Rapids to keep the ball to provoke a foul and then a FK. Good position. Pete heads the service away for a FT.
44- Galaxy D hassle Cummings into putting the ball out. GK. Ruiz gets fouled near midfield. Beckham serves it in - HOW IS THAT NOT A GOAL? The ball gets to Donovan, who beats Coundoul's dive, lays it back for Ely Allen. On the replay, though, it was tough for Allen to poke the ball in - A Rapids defender was well-placed to hold him off, even as the ball bounced invitingly close.
45 - Beckham puts in another excellent ball for Ruiz - who is very close to making contact to score, but just misses. The Galaxy are gaining momentum, but the Rapids escape to halftime with their lead intact.
LB here, interjecting on AC's great running blog. Some on-the-site observations: it's cold but not as cold as I thought it would be. The press box here is out in the open so I'm prepared for a chilly evening but so far it hasn't delivered. Landon and Carlos aren't connecting but they haven't played much together, in fact, it's the first time they've played in the same game together and it shows. Beckham's had some chances but the Rapids are doing well to turn away the crosses, well, most of them. However, the Rapids are giving up a lot of free kicks in their own third, and they're playing with fire there. The atmosphere is, well, not quite as amped up as it should be. The stands are packed but it's been fairly quiet. Okay, off to the warmth of the indoors for a few minutes before the second half starts.
And now, back to AC ...
Hi Luis! Nice to have you pop in for a visit.
48 - Gavin in on the attack - but the ball pops out on him for a GK. Alan Gordon is in for Allen.
49 - Brandon McDonald is in for the Galaxy.
50 - Gordon fouls Gomez, who goes down very hard.
52 - Passes going awry for the Galaxy - they're not in sync and give up a corner. Cooke sets up. It's cleared.
57 - Ruiz caught offsides. It was a good run, but the connection problems of the Galaxy continue.
58 - A PK!? Wow. I didn't see that. Xavier poked at the ball from behind Cummings, who kept his feet, but Abbe Okulaja blew the whistle immediately. Huh. It's both amazing that that PK was called, but especially amazing that Abbe called it. He usually is leaning very far to the other side - calling very few fouls. Xavier is livid. Becks hold him off, even as he argues, too. Landon is yelling at Abbe.
59 - It's to no avail. Gomez takes the PK. He's very good at these. He sends Cronin the wrong way. GOAL. 2-0. Rapids.
Ruud is upset, yet trying to calm his players at the same time.
61 - Pires to Gordon in the box - but Coundoul is out to smother the shot.
Fox loses signal. Or my cable company does. No fun.
65 - Troy Roberts coming in for Michael Gavin. Colorado has yet to make a sub.
67 - But why mess with what is clearly working? GOAL! Colorado counter impeccably - Cooke to Cummings with a precise throughball that leaves Cronin exposed. He comes out fast, but Cummings evades his dive and pushes the ball into the open net. 3-0.
69 - Obviously, the Galaxy were pushing high to score, but they're getting spanked here.
72 - Herculez is in the game. He just got a yellow. This will confuse the announcers. Hey - Herc has his first name on his jersey again. Last year, the league made him put Gomez.
75 - Donovan in the box, can't put the ball in against Coundoul, out for corner, cleared.
78 - Galaxy knocking it around more calmly. They're looking to learn, perhaps from this match, take a consolation goal. But Colorado still on the attack. They launch a counter. Cronin catches the shot.
80 - GOAL! Colin Clark beats Xavier on the dribble, Pires tries to cover, but Clark gets by him and puts it fast and low between the post and Cronin. 4-0.
This could match the Galaxy's worst defeat ever - in 2002 to New York, which was a 5-0 loss.
84 - Almost! Herc in the box, beats Cronin, shoots, but Xavier just footsaves it. Rebound to Terry Cooke - Galaxy defenders falling in the box. Finally, the ball gets cleared.
89 - Fernando Clavijo looks so happy. His job has been in jeopardy. Now a high-profile win.
90 - Xavier tackle - he gets in Abbe's face and it's a red!
Xavier is out of the game. The Galaxy are down to ten men. They clear the FK, Ruiz at least is still trying to play, he runs out the ball - oooh, tackle from behind. Cieran O'Brien. That seemed unnecessary. They're already up by four, and that was a scissor tackle. Ruiz goes down screaming, clutching his knee.
Landon is there two seconds later, screaming at O'Brien. He shoves him and yells. Defending Ruiz. LD might get carded out. Abbe restores order, finally, and then red cards O'Brien. LD still upset. Ruiz still on the ground. He gets stretchered off. That might be bad.
FK, Galaxy get a header - Gordon, I think, but it pops wide of goal.
Final Whistle
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The Galaxy have Ruiz, Donovan and Beckham, all their big guns, out there.
3 - Colin Clark beats the LA defense, but his cross goes out. Doesn't bode well for the LA D, though, already criticized for being old and slow.
5 - Touches are a bit off for both teams. The Galaxy don't show the cohesiveness in attack of the Revs. In fact, they hold off a Rapids attack in the box - Steve Cronin catches the ball.
7 - The altitude isn't going to help Landon or Becks recover from jet lag. Ruiz may be the one who comes through. Ely Allen wins a good ball, gets it to Becks, long pass to Ruiz, he goes far post, but not much on the ball, Bouna Coundoul saves.
11- GOAL! Pete can't get the ball from Christian Gomez, falls down, then Xavier fouls CG. Christian sends in the FK - it's as excellent as he usually hits, bisects the wall, off the post, falls to Terry Cooke, who first-times it into the net past Cronin. Yowzer! 1-0 Colorado.
15 - Clavijo may be coaching his way out of danger. The Rapids may be reaping the benefits of good reserve play (they won the reserve league twice) here, because their players look comfortable.
17- Jose Burciaga charges upfield and lets loose from long distance.
18 - Beckham cross to the box cut off by Coundoul.
21 - Galaxy working the ball around, trying to find space in the tight, pressuring Rapids defense.
23 - Pires earns the Galaxy a FK with a surging run. Beckham takes, Coundoul catches. Rapids counter, but the Galaxy recover.
26 - Donovan and Ruiz interchange, DiRaimondo fouls Ruiz. Long FK for Becks, but he gets the ball to Donovan -almost - Coundoul picks it off .
27 - Another FK - it's in the box, pops out, Donovan heads it back in, Bouna catches.
28 - Galaxy FK - Becks takes, Erpen touches it out before Ruiz can get there. Corner.
29 - Donovan takes the corner - goes far post - misses pretty much everybody, though. Too high.
30 - The Galaxy had a decent run of possession there, but it appeared very deliberate and slow - not dynamic. This squad has yet to gel. Becks crosses for Ruiz, Erpen heads it away, out for a throw. The Galaxy work the ball around, then Gavin kicks too long, out for a goal kick.
33 - Basic possession seems to be such an issue for the Galaxy. They work so long and hard just to hang on to the ball, let alone push it forward - Beckham sends a long pass to lead out both Donovan and Ruiz. Coundoul goes down battling for it. Hangs on.
36 - Bouna bleeding a bit, but he swishes his mouth out and looks ok. It might be that he bit his lip in the fall.
38 - Colorado counter! Gomez sends the ball forward, it's crossed to Clark, Vanney just hits it off Clark to go out. So close to the second.
39 - Colorado corner. It's cleared, Donovan loses the ball, Gomez gets it, shoots, Cronin barely punches it over. Colorado corner. Cleared.
42 - Deep Galaxy throw. Colorado counter. Cooke can't beat Gavin for a cross, but the Rapids to keep the ball to provoke a foul and then a FK. Good position. Pete heads the service away for a FT.
44- Galaxy D hassle Cummings into putting the ball out. GK. Ruiz gets fouled near midfield. Beckham serves it in - HOW IS THAT NOT A GOAL? The ball gets to Donovan, who beats Coundoul's dive, lays it back for Ely Allen. On the replay, though, it was tough for Allen to poke the ball in - A Rapids defender was well-placed to hold him off, even as the ball bounced invitingly close.
45 - Beckham puts in another excellent ball for Ruiz - who is very close to making contact to score, but just misses. The Galaxy are gaining momentum, but the Rapids escape to halftime with their lead intact.
LB here, interjecting on AC's great running blog. Some on-the-site observations: it's cold but not as cold as I thought it would be. The press box here is out in the open so I'm prepared for a chilly evening but so far it hasn't delivered. Landon and Carlos aren't connecting but they haven't played much together, in fact, it's the first time they've played in the same game together and it shows. Beckham's had some chances but the Rapids are doing well to turn away the crosses, well, most of them. However, the Rapids are giving up a lot of free kicks in their own third, and they're playing with fire there. The atmosphere is, well, not quite as amped up as it should be. The stands are packed but it's been fairly quiet. Okay, off to the warmth of the indoors for a few minutes before the second half starts.
And now, back to AC ...
Hi Luis! Nice to have you pop in for a visit.
48 - Gavin in on the attack - but the ball pops out on him for a GK. Alan Gordon is in for Allen.
49 - Brandon McDonald is in for the Galaxy.
50 - Gordon fouls Gomez, who goes down very hard.
52 - Passes going awry for the Galaxy - they're not in sync and give up a corner. Cooke sets up. It's cleared.
57 - Ruiz caught offsides. It was a good run, but the connection problems of the Galaxy continue.
58 - A PK!? Wow. I didn't see that. Xavier poked at the ball from behind Cummings, who kept his feet, but Abbe Okulaja blew the whistle immediately. Huh. It's both amazing that that PK was called, but especially amazing that Abbe called it. He usually is leaning very far to the other side - calling very few fouls. Xavier is livid. Becks hold him off, even as he argues, too. Landon is yelling at Abbe.
59 - It's to no avail. Gomez takes the PK. He's very good at these. He sends Cronin the wrong way. GOAL. 2-0. Rapids.
Ruud is upset, yet trying to calm his players at the same time.
61 - Pires to Gordon in the box - but Coundoul is out to smother the shot.
Fox loses signal. Or my cable company does. No fun.
65 - Troy Roberts coming in for Michael Gavin. Colorado has yet to make a sub.
67 - But why mess with what is clearly working? GOAL! Colorado counter impeccably - Cooke to Cummings with a precise throughball that leaves Cronin exposed. He comes out fast, but Cummings evades his dive and pushes the ball into the open net. 3-0.
69 - Obviously, the Galaxy were pushing high to score, but they're getting spanked here.
72 - Herculez is in the game. He just got a yellow. This will confuse the announcers. Hey - Herc has his first name on his jersey again. Last year, the league made him put Gomez.
75 - Donovan in the box, can't put the ball in against Coundoul, out for corner, cleared.
78 - Galaxy knocking it around more calmly. They're looking to learn, perhaps from this match, take a consolation goal. But Colorado still on the attack. They launch a counter. Cronin catches the shot.
80 - GOAL! Colin Clark beats Xavier on the dribble, Pires tries to cover, but Clark gets by him and puts it fast and low between the post and Cronin. 4-0.
This could match the Galaxy's worst defeat ever - in 2002 to New York, which was a 5-0 loss.
84 - Almost! Herc in the box, beats Cronin, shoots, but Xavier just footsaves it. Rebound to Terry Cooke - Galaxy defenders falling in the box. Finally, the ball gets cleared.
89 - Fernando Clavijo looks so happy. His job has been in jeopardy. Now a high-profile win.
90 - Xavier tackle - he gets in Abbe's face and it's a red!
Xavier is out of the game. The Galaxy are down to ten men. They clear the FK, Ruiz at least is still trying to play, he runs out the ball - oooh, tackle from behind. Cieran O'Brien. That seemed unnecessary. They're already up by four, and that was a scissor tackle. Ruiz goes down screaming, clutching his knee.
Landon is there two seconds later, screaming at O'Brien. He shoves him and yells. Defending Ruiz. LD might get carded out. Abbe restores order, finally, and then red cards O'Brien. LD still upset. Ruiz still on the ground. He gets stretchered off. That might be bad.
FK, Galaxy get a header - Gordon, I think, but it pops wide of goal.
Final Whistle
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Revs/Dynamo running blog
Pregame show is still on. It's strange to see Chris Albright in a Revs jersey. He's probably relatively comfortable on the squad, though. He knows quite a few of the players from national team camps, for example.
Max Bretos and David Beckham, one on one. Max can't keep his hands still. David looks far more calm. Shots of Ruud and Cobi, standing together, coaching. If Ruud grows his dreads again, Cobi will resemble a smaller version of Ruud. No one, not even Beckham, got a bigger cheer at the FanFest than Cobi, by the way.
Max gets the skinny on David Beckham's plans - he says he sees himself in Los Angeles for a long time, even beyond the end of this contract. So much for those in England who expected their glamor couple back immediately.
Chris Sullivan makes Max's hands look lazy. He's moving them at hyperspeed.
LD gets the sit-down with Max. He talks about spacing and having new attacking options with David healthy and Ruiz on board.
Great montage of Dynamo/Revolution duels. When it mattered, though, the Dynamo kept coming out on top. On the other hand, NE would like revenge any time, so they should come out tough in front of their home crowd.
2- NE come out charging. Larentowicz just wound up from outside. Onstad took care of it. He also had a foot save on a Castro shot.
7 - This game may be called First Kick, but another MLS game has already started and is almost finished. Real Salt Lake leads the Chicago Fire by a goal.
10 - Houston is getting their legs underneath them, having more success hooking up with Wondolowski. Taylor Twellman didn't start for the Revs, by the way. Adam Cristman is in. Turns out that TT's right knee is sore. He was a late scratch.
12 - CK for Houston. Holden takes it. Robinson heads it down, but a bit wide.
13 - Abdoulie Mansally nearly links up with Cristman in front of goal. Brian Mullan lost the ball and Mansally took advantage, drawing out Onstad, then passing to Cristman, who couldn't quite get there.
16 - GOAL! Mansally shoots after Sainey Nyassi slips into the box. The new guys are fast. Onstad dives, saves, but the rebound falls to Steve Ralston, trailing the play. Ralston buries it. 1-0 Revs
17 - Mullan going the other way crosses for DeRo, but he can't quite get his header attempt down and into the goal.
I'm not sure why, but Fox isn't running a game clock or score graphic on the game. It sucks because I'm not keeping track, so I have no idea how much time has passed.
25 - Mansally goes by Kenny, by the way, in case anyone was confused by me using his proper first name at the start of this blog. He's a good pick up for NE, adds a lot of speed to the attack. That gives him an advantage of sorts over Pat Noonan, who now plays in Europe. Pat brought class play and a great touch, though.
30 - Hey, the score graphic is back. Thank God. Houston sets up for a FK. Cleared out by Nyassi, who headed the ball way out of the box. Nice.
32 - GOAL! New England gets a FK of their own. Jeff took it, hit really hard it the way he always does, and Onstad saved it by knocking it down - right to Adam, who headed it into the goal. 2-0 New England.
34 - Houston goes the other way, Holden gets a good pass but misses the ball a bit, shot goes wide. Oooh, the other way, Adam has a chance, puts it wide.
35 - Corey Ashe gets a nice pass from Holden - puts it high.
37 - A shot of Houston coach Dom Kinnear. He's yelling, but he doesn't look terribly upset. He knows the season is a marathon, not a sprint. Well, it's a marathon until the playoffs, then it's a sprint for the championship.
40 - Mullan isn't having a great game. He's usually one of my favorite players, tricky and skilled, but the pressure from NE is troubling him and he keeps giving up the ball.
42 - NE look really good. Dorman who? Twellman who? Nicol has these guys solid. Cristman sneaks a shot , but Onstad saves.
44 - I shouldn't pick on Brian, though, no one for Houston is having a great game. They might be distracted by their upcoming CONCACAF match, because they seem a bit distracted.
45+ DeRo with a driven shot just before halftime - it bends wide. He might be working his way into this match, however. I look for the entire Houston team to regroup and come out charging in the second half.
Halftime
"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." Houston has come back before, specifically against the Revs, so I don't expect New England to let up, even though I think the Dynamo will challenge them
50 - Sure enough, the energy of both teams is high. NE still has the upper hand, though, and nearly added a third goal..
56 - Rev FK, cleared, but Revs recover and still pressure the goal.
60 - SAVE! Holden a classic cross, Mullan dives for the header, Mat Reis dives to make a great save. So close.
61 - Ralston is on the ground, having fallen heavily on his shoulder. He doesn't look happy.
63 - Subs come in, while Ralston walks off. Pat Ianni is in for Brian Mullan. Gary Flood is coming in for Ralston. Ashe moves to right back for Houston.
65 - The Revs look shaken at the loss of their veteran leader. Houston looks to take advantage, but Boswell skies a shot after a scramble from a Houston corner. That's not going to do it.
68 - Franco Caraccio is in for Wondolowski. NE's tactic of defending by controlling the play and pushing forward is done. They've dropped back without Ralston, and Houston has a lot more of the ball.
69 - Heaps on a counterattack, puts his shot wide.
72 - Shalrie into be box, his cross gets put out for a corner. NE looking better, though the Dynamo escape when Jeff's soft shot gets easily caught by Onstad.
76 - Cristman on the breakaway! He jukes his defender, he's in alone against Onstad! He drives the ball - right into Onstad's knee. Funny. The announcers give Onstad credit for a great save. Bogus. If you don't move, it's not a great save, it's the attacker hitting you with the ball and you just happen not to fall over.
80 - Holden puts a shot high. Thing is, it's been NE doing as much attacking as Houston, so the Dynamo are starting to look a little desperate and tired.
81 Kenny Mansally is going out, and getting a big cheer from the crowd. He has looked great. Kheli Dube comes in for him.
84 - Ching earns a corner. Mulrooney to take. Reis comes out for it - he catches it.
86 - Wade Barrett earns another corner for the Dynamo. Caraccio has a snap header to the far post, but it goes wide.
87 - Ching goes out, Geoff Cameron in for him.
88 - Caraccio with a bike in the box! Sweet, but sadly, it's high and wide. Nice try. Houston throwing themselves at the NE goal, but the Revs are hanging tough and still looking to punish the Dynamo on the counter.
90 - Props to the Rev fans. It must be very cold, but they sound loud, and they're cheering hard for their team's great start as time ticks down. Well done.
90 +Wade with a late charge in the box, tries a cross and/or shot, but it hits side netting.
GOAL! Nyassi picks off a Mulrooney pass, runs the ball all the way into the box, gets a bit of space with a stepover, then fires a hard shot that beats a diving Onstad. Kickass, that was. 3-0 - Revs dominate versus their championship nemesis.
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Max Bretos and David Beckham, one on one. Max can't keep his hands still. David looks far more calm. Shots of Ruud and Cobi, standing together, coaching. If Ruud grows his dreads again, Cobi will resemble a smaller version of Ruud. No one, not even Beckham, got a bigger cheer at the FanFest than Cobi, by the way.
Max gets the skinny on David Beckham's plans - he says he sees himself in Los Angeles for a long time, even beyond the end of this contract. So much for those in England who expected their glamor couple back immediately.
Chris Sullivan makes Max's hands look lazy. He's moving them at hyperspeed.
LD gets the sit-down with Max. He talks about spacing and having new attacking options with David healthy and Ruiz on board.
Great montage of Dynamo/Revolution duels. When it mattered, though, the Dynamo kept coming out on top. On the other hand, NE would like revenge any time, so they should come out tough in front of their home crowd.
2- NE come out charging. Larentowicz just wound up from outside. Onstad took care of it. He also had a foot save on a Castro shot.
7 - This game may be called First Kick, but another MLS game has already started and is almost finished. Real Salt Lake leads the Chicago Fire by a goal.
10 - Houston is getting their legs underneath them, having more success hooking up with Wondolowski. Taylor Twellman didn't start for the Revs, by the way. Adam Cristman is in. Turns out that TT's right knee is sore. He was a late scratch.
12 - CK for Houston. Holden takes it. Robinson heads it down, but a bit wide.
13 - Abdoulie Mansally nearly links up with Cristman in front of goal. Brian Mullan lost the ball and Mansally took advantage, drawing out Onstad, then passing to Cristman, who couldn't quite get there.
16 - GOAL! Mansally shoots after Sainey Nyassi slips into the box. The new guys are fast. Onstad dives, saves, but the rebound falls to Steve Ralston, trailing the play. Ralston buries it. 1-0 Revs
17 - Mullan going the other way crosses for DeRo, but he can't quite get his header attempt down and into the goal.
I'm not sure why, but Fox isn't running a game clock or score graphic on the game. It sucks because I'm not keeping track, so I have no idea how much time has passed.
25 - Mansally goes by Kenny, by the way, in case anyone was confused by me using his proper first name at the start of this blog. He's a good pick up for NE, adds a lot of speed to the attack. That gives him an advantage of sorts over Pat Noonan, who now plays in Europe. Pat brought class play and a great touch, though.
30 - Hey, the score graphic is back. Thank God. Houston sets up for a FK. Cleared out by Nyassi, who headed the ball way out of the box. Nice.
32 - GOAL! New England gets a FK of their own. Jeff took it, hit really hard it the way he always does, and Onstad saved it by knocking it down - right to Adam, who headed it into the goal. 2-0 New England.
34 - Houston goes the other way, Holden gets a good pass but misses the ball a bit, shot goes wide. Oooh, the other way, Adam has a chance, puts it wide.
35 - Corey Ashe gets a nice pass from Holden - puts it high.
37 - A shot of Houston coach Dom Kinnear. He's yelling, but he doesn't look terribly upset. He knows the season is a marathon, not a sprint. Well, it's a marathon until the playoffs, then it's a sprint for the championship.
40 - Mullan isn't having a great game. He's usually one of my favorite players, tricky and skilled, but the pressure from NE is troubling him and he keeps giving up the ball.
42 - NE look really good. Dorman who? Twellman who? Nicol has these guys solid. Cristman sneaks a shot , but Onstad saves.
44 - I shouldn't pick on Brian, though, no one for Houston is having a great game. They might be distracted by their upcoming CONCACAF match, because they seem a bit distracted.
45+ DeRo with a driven shot just before halftime - it bends wide. He might be working his way into this match, however. I look for the entire Houston team to regroup and come out charging in the second half.
Halftime
"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." Houston has come back before, specifically against the Revs, so I don't expect New England to let up, even though I think the Dynamo will challenge them
50 - Sure enough, the energy of both teams is high. NE still has the upper hand, though, and nearly added a third goal..
56 - Rev FK, cleared, but Revs recover and still pressure the goal.
60 - SAVE! Holden a classic cross, Mullan dives for the header, Mat Reis dives to make a great save. So close.
61 - Ralston is on the ground, having fallen heavily on his shoulder. He doesn't look happy.
63 - Subs come in, while Ralston walks off. Pat Ianni is in for Brian Mullan. Gary Flood is coming in for Ralston. Ashe moves to right back for Houston.
65 - The Revs look shaken at the loss of their veteran leader. Houston looks to take advantage, but Boswell skies a shot after a scramble from a Houston corner. That's not going to do it.
68 - Franco Caraccio is in for Wondolowski. NE's tactic of defending by controlling the play and pushing forward is done. They've dropped back without Ralston, and Houston has a lot more of the ball.
69 - Heaps on a counterattack, puts his shot wide.
72 - Shalrie into be box, his cross gets put out for a corner. NE looking better, though the Dynamo escape when Jeff's soft shot gets easily caught by Onstad.
76 - Cristman on the breakaway! He jukes his defender, he's in alone against Onstad! He drives the ball - right into Onstad's knee. Funny. The announcers give Onstad credit for a great save. Bogus. If you don't move, it's not a great save, it's the attacker hitting you with the ball and you just happen not to fall over.
80 - Holden puts a shot high. Thing is, it's been NE doing as much attacking as Houston, so the Dynamo are starting to look a little desperate and tired.
81 Kenny Mansally is going out, and getting a big cheer from the crowd. He has looked great. Kheli Dube comes in for him.
84 - Ching earns a corner. Mulrooney to take. Reis comes out for it - he catches it.
86 - Wade Barrett earns another corner for the Dynamo. Caraccio has a snap header to the far post, but it goes wide.
87 - Ching goes out, Geoff Cameron in for him.
88 - Caraccio with a bike in the box! Sweet, but sadly, it's high and wide. Nice try. Houston throwing themselves at the NE goal, but the Revs are hanging tough and still looking to punish the Dynamo on the counter.
90 - Props to the Rev fans. It must be very cold, but they sound loud, and they're cheering hard for their team's great start as time ticks down. Well done.
90 +Wade with a late charge in the box, tries a cross and/or shot, but it hits side netting.
GOAL! Nyassi picks off a Mulrooney pass, runs the ball all the way into the box, gets a bit of space with a stepover, then fires a hard shot that beats a diving Onstad. Kickass, that was. 3-0 - Revs dominate versus their championship nemesis.
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On a jet plane
Luis is either in Denver already or in flight right now to catch the Galaxy in their opener. Meanwhile, here is his Galaxy preview.
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Counting down
I started out with a simple premise, find today's news articles about Beckham and make a list of a trend I'd noticed - Beckham articles that don't mention the name of the team he now plays for vs Beckham articles that do. Then I realized that there's a heck of a lot of news articles on Beckham, even in one day. Anyway here's a sampling. I got tired after about 20 articles.
Becks (no Galaxy mention): One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven
Becks (with Galaxy mention): One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten
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Becks (no Galaxy mention): One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven
Becks (with Galaxy mention): One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten
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Friday, March 28, 2008
Kickabouts
I'm not really sure what Lawrence Donegan is on about in this article, saying that 600 journalists were locked out of Beckham's presentation last year. I was probably among the last three reporters to get credentialed and hustled inside the event, and there were not a bunch of press kept out anywhere that I know of. Strange inclusion of something that, to my knowledge, never happened.
I'd agree that there is pressure on the Galaxy. There should be. That's what professional sports is about.
Finally, the baking sun in Carson? It's nice mild sunshine out here right now. Wait for summer to trot out the baking references.
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I'd agree that there is pressure on the Galaxy. There should be. That's what professional sports is about.
Finally, the baking sun in Carson? It's nice mild sunshine out here right now. Wait for summer to trot out the baking references.
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Orozco content
A little article on Michael Orozco's return to San Luis. He mentions specifically that he was glad to help the U.S. qualify for the Olympics, and that he's excited about the possibilities reaching that goal may hold for his career and his family.
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Shaka blog
Shaka Hislop is writing on MLS this year for the Guardian, which may end up being more of a contribution to the league than he made when he was actually playing here.
Shaka doesn't seem to have kept up on the trade of Chris Albright to New England, but he does laud the defender's skill. I agree. That's why I put Chris on my fantasy team. Shaka should join our experts league on Soccernet. I'd be curious to see how an ex-MLS player would evaluate former teammates and rivals.
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Shaka doesn't seem to have kept up on the trade of Chris Albright to New England, but he does laud the defender's skill. I agree. That's why I put Chris on my fantasy team. Shaka should join our experts league on Soccernet. I'd be curious to see how an ex-MLS player would evaluate former teammates and rivals.
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Play prophet
This question isn't the usual quiz. This is the roster pic page in the USMNT media guide. Most years, there are a couple of players pictured who barely end up playing any national team games at all. Then there are unheralded players who didn't make the pic page who end up contributing to the national team in a big way. In your opinion, who is missing from the page? Who is there, but won't impact the team much? For example, before the Poland game, a few people might have said Eddie Lewis for the second question. Anyway, prophesy here and make a case for your choice. If you were right, when we revive this post towards the close of the year, you can gloat.
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Galaxy Update
All players except Ante Jazic and Charles Alamo got on the bus for the flight to Denver. Yes, that means Julian Valentin is traveling. He didn't participate today in the practice, but he ran a little on the side and could be set for the reserve match on Sunday.
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Galaxy sign Pires
Alvaro Pires is now officially part of the team. Good thing, too, since the Galaxy had already included him in the media guide.
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Abracadabra
Which MLS team has the 2nd thickest media guide?
Which MLS team has a columnist on the field?
Which MLS team did not play most games for twelve seasons in the state that makes up part of its name?
Which MLS team is the favorite of Brit Tim Lovejoy?
Which MLS team could conceivably feature a "Cat in a hat-trick"?
Click to preview.
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Which MLS team has a columnist on the field?
Which MLS team did not play most games for twelve seasons in the state that makes up part of its name?
Which MLS team is the favorite of Brit Tim Lovejoy?
Which MLS team could conceivably feature a "Cat in a hat-trick"?
Click to preview.
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Signed up
Apparently there are mini-leagues allowed in the ESPN Fantasy format, but I'm required to join the expert one with a bunch of other soccer writers, so no little Sideline Views minileague - unless someone else (cough, cough) wants to start one.
I was so intent on bargain-hunting my team that I had money left over. I might go back and make changes. I thought about turning my managership into a proxy for readers here - Hey readers, who should I trade?-type of thing, but I've decided that I've got to suck it up and figure the fantasy thing out on my own. More or less. Suggestions and tips are welcome.
I named my team FirstTime, not only for the obvious (I'm a fantasy-league newbie), but also, that's how I like my strikers to take shots.
I won't reveal my entire player list (not sure if that's not easily accessed by outsiders on the site, though), but if anyone cares enough to ask if I signed a specific player, I'll answer.
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I was so intent on bargain-hunting my team that I had money left over. I might go back and make changes. I thought about turning my managership into a proxy for readers here - Hey readers, who should I trade?-type of thing, but I've decided that I've got to suck it up and figure the fantasy thing out on my own. More or less. Suggestions and tips are welcome.
I named my team FirstTime, not only for the obvious (I'm a fantasy-league newbie), but also, that's how I like my strikers to take shots.
I won't reveal my entire player list (not sure if that's not easily accessed by outsiders on the site, though), but if anyone cares enough to ask if I signed a specific player, I'll answer.
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Crystal ball
It's the day before the 2008 MLS season opens, which is the perfect time to pick your MLS champion. Me, I decided on DC United. I see United winning their fifth league championship right here at Home Depot Center.
Please share with us your own predictions, whether it's the league champ, the MVP, goal-scoring leader, etc. Right now is the time to tell me you think RSL will shock the world, or that Houston will become the first club to win three cups in a row, or that the Galaxy will return to glory, or whatever club you fancy.
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Please share with us your own predictions, whether it's the league champ, the MVP, goal-scoring leader, etc. Right now is the time to tell me you think RSL will shock the world, or that Houston will become the first club to win three cups in a row, or that the Galaxy will return to glory, or whatever club you fancy.
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Thursday, March 27, 2008
The Trillium Cup
What is a trillium? Well, here's a picture. Now, who can explain what the Trillium Cup is?
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Let's get this season started!
Whooo, hooo! I'm ready. The MLS team media guides came in. Mine got a little scratched up in transit, but that just makes them look like I've already been hard at work.
Anyway, whose cover do you like the best? I split the pics up by conference.
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Phone call
Me: I didn't see the England/France game, but I read a lot of articles about it. It's interesting to contrast that with the pieces written about the Galaxy preseason. Have you noticed how when Beckham plays with the Galaxy and his teammates blow the crosses he sends in, it's all proof of how they're not good enough to play with him? On the other hand, when he plays with England and sends in crosses that aren't converted, it's not his teammates who are at fault at all. It's MLS play that is dragging Beckham down - if he wasn't a member of the Galaxy, he'd be sending in more and better crosses, apparently.
Well, yeah. That's just the way it is.
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Well, yeah. That's just the way it is.
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Next step
My Chivas USA season preview for MLSnet.com is up. It's actually divided into two stories. For the main story I talked to some of the guys about what the goals were for this season and how they felt their squad measured up. The other one is more of the club's framework, with the projected starting lineup and more of the statistical stuff.
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FCD's position
FC Dallas GM Michael Hitchcock told me straight out that they will not trade thier DP slot away. He also said they wouldn't be interested in trading for a DP slot, so when it comes to filling DPs, they will keep their eyes open and try for the right player if he comes along. They felt the right player was Denilson a year ago but that did not turn out as they had hoped.
You'll have to read the SI.com story to see what else Hitchcock said about the DPs, both in terms of his club and in the overall effect of the league.
Anyway, FCD fans, how do you feel about your club's position? Happy that they aren't afraid of pulling the trigger on such a deal? Or anxious to get that spot filled?
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You'll have to read the SI.com story to see what else Hitchcock said about the DPs, both in terms of his club and in the overall effect of the league.
Anyway, FCD fans, how do you feel about your club's position? Happy that they aren't afraid of pulling the trigger on such a deal? Or anxious to get that spot filled?
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RSL and their DP
In my conversation with RSL coach Jason Kreis, we discussed the Designated Player rule. RSL is not shy about making deals and in fact have been an active club in recent months. I wanted to get his take on the DP to see if they were planning on using it, if trading it would be an option and how they valued their DP.
You'll have to read the story I linked below to see exactly what he said but in short RSL listens to offers. Kreis sort of alluded to some offers being nothing short of ridiculous.
Now, I don't know the RSL front office very well and I've only spoken to Kreis a few times but based on our conversation I don't think we'll see RSL use their DP spot soon. And Kreis even said they'd listen and have listened to offers for their DP spot.
What do you think, RSL fans? Would you want to see your team trade away the DP slot? Do you want the club to pursue a DP in the summer or by the end of the year or do you want to see how this club evolves first? After all a DP does not equal success, as last year's MLS Cup finalists would attest to.
ADD:
I also asked Jason Kreis about how he handles outside expectations, high or low, as the opinions regarding RSL range from darkhorse to bottom-of-the-table material.
It’s important to establish where those expectations are coming from. We certainly can’t control what people are saying or what they’re thinking about our club so it’s important for us to not worry about it. It’s important that we choose what we’re going to focus on, stay focused on that, try to improve on the areas we need to improve upon and if we do those things we know that in the end the results will come.
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You'll have to read the story I linked below to see exactly what he said but in short RSL listens to offers. Kreis sort of alluded to some offers being nothing short of ridiculous.
Now, I don't know the RSL front office very well and I've only spoken to Kreis a few times but based on our conversation I don't think we'll see RSL use their DP spot soon. And Kreis even said they'd listen and have listened to offers for their DP spot.
What do you think, RSL fans? Would you want to see your team trade away the DP slot? Do you want the club to pursue a DP in the summer or by the end of the year or do you want to see how this club evolves first? After all a DP does not equal success, as last year's MLS Cup finalists would attest to.
ADD:
I also asked Jason Kreis about how he handles outside expectations, high or low, as the opinions regarding RSL range from darkhorse to bottom-of-the-table material.
It’s important to establish where those expectations are coming from. We certainly can’t control what people are saying or what they’re thinking about our club so it’s important for us to not worry about it. It’s important that we choose what we’re going to focus on, stay focused on that, try to improve on the areas we need to improve upon and if we do those things we know that in the end the results will come.
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Pricey tale
Alright, the story on the Designated Player rule is up on SI.com.
It actually started because I was telling my editor Jonah Freedman about the ages of certain players and then I realized that most of the DPs had in fact played three World Cups ago. So I wanted to see what people around the league thought.
Basically, the DP rule has been a boon. Club and league officials are excited at the types of players that have been brought in and everyone I talked to compared it favorably to one of the best elements from the early days of MLS, when there were international characters like Marco "El Diablo" Etcheverry, Jorge Campos, Carlos "Pibe" Valderrama and Roberto Donadoni. The league went away from that, probably because of salary concerns, but now that those issues can be dealt with we are starting to see a new wave of players come in. And those who I talked to were excited about that.
Many might assume that since a guy is 32 and is now in MLS, it's a last resort and the player couldn't really hack it elsewhere. To a certaint extent, there is some truth to that though I wouldn't put it so bluntly. Juan Pablo Angel had fallen out of favor at Aston Villa while Marcelo Gallardo was in a bleak situation in France. But to say that it was either MLS or off to the retirement home wouldn't be putting it correctly. Like Francisco Palencia said a year ago, MLS isn't a graveyard for elephants. I mean, America probably would love to have Cuauhtemoc Blanco back.
Anyway, as the story points out, it's unrealistic to assume that an MLS team would be in the running for a mid-20s world star even if the team could afford his salary. Transfer fees would likely rule out any such move, and an MLS team couldn't compete with the deep pockets of some of the world's upper crust.
The story is kind of a progress report on the DP rule if you will. Some teams have used it, some teams have traded it away and other teams are waiting for the right player to come along. I asked Michael Hitchcock about the possibility of seeing all 14 DP slots used this year or all 15 being used in 2009 and he said he didn't think that was likely to happen. In a way, it's kind of like the sponsorship deals. Some teams went out and signed those deals right away and others haven't yet done so. Like everything else in this league, the DP rule is evolving and will continue to do so. But this is one of the things, though, that has been a positive for the entire league even if only a few teams have taken advantage of it.
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It actually started because I was telling my editor Jonah Freedman about the ages of certain players and then I realized that most of the DPs had in fact played three World Cups ago. So I wanted to see what people around the league thought.
Basically, the DP rule has been a boon. Club and league officials are excited at the types of players that have been brought in and everyone I talked to compared it favorably to one of the best elements from the early days of MLS, when there were international characters like Marco "El Diablo" Etcheverry, Jorge Campos, Carlos "Pibe" Valderrama and Roberto Donadoni. The league went away from that, probably because of salary concerns, but now that those issues can be dealt with we are starting to see a new wave of players come in. And those who I talked to were excited about that.
Many might assume that since a guy is 32 and is now in MLS, it's a last resort and the player couldn't really hack it elsewhere. To a certaint extent, there is some truth to that though I wouldn't put it so bluntly. Juan Pablo Angel had fallen out of favor at Aston Villa while Marcelo Gallardo was in a bleak situation in France. But to say that it was either MLS or off to the retirement home wouldn't be putting it correctly. Like Francisco Palencia said a year ago, MLS isn't a graveyard for elephants. I mean, America probably would love to have Cuauhtemoc Blanco back.
Anyway, as the story points out, it's unrealistic to assume that an MLS team would be in the running for a mid-20s world star even if the team could afford his salary. Transfer fees would likely rule out any such move, and an MLS team couldn't compete with the deep pockets of some of the world's upper crust.
The story is kind of a progress report on the DP rule if you will. Some teams have used it, some teams have traded it away and other teams are waiting for the right player to come along. I asked Michael Hitchcock about the possibility of seeing all 14 DP slots used this year or all 15 being used in 2009 and he said he didn't think that was likely to happen. In a way, it's kind of like the sponsorship deals. Some teams went out and signed those deals right away and others haven't yet done so. Like everything else in this league, the DP rule is evolving and will continue to do so. But this is one of the things, though, that has been a positive for the entire league even if only a few teams have taken advantage of it.
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DP thoughts
I just filed my latest SI.com column. In the piece, I explored a bit how the DP dynamics have worked and how the market sort of set itself in terms of older players being the targets. It's no coincidence really how every designated player enterting this year is older than 30. Denilson was 29 when he came here but he thus far has been the exception.
Anyway, as I say in my column, it's not necessarily something negative.
I talked to FC Dallas GM Michael Hitchcock and RSL coach Jason Kreis about the DP spots. I wanted to talk to those two clubs specifically because FC Dallas used theirs and has it back available for use and RSL hasn't used theirs and is on the outside looking in. I asked each how it's helped the league, their goals for the DP slots in terms of bringing in players, what the value would be in terms of trading a DP slot and if they'd consider trading it. You'll have to wait for the column be published to find out what they said, but I'll be posting more about it later once it hits the Web.
In the meantime, it's more writing for me. Got a Sacha Kljestan feature I need to get cracking on.
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Anyway, as I say in my column, it's not necessarily something negative.
I talked to FC Dallas GM Michael Hitchcock and RSL coach Jason Kreis about the DP spots. I wanted to talk to those two clubs specifically because FC Dallas used theirs and has it back available for use and RSL hasn't used theirs and is on the outside looking in. I asked each how it's helped the league, their goals for the DP slots in terms of bringing in players, what the value would be in terms of trading a DP slot and if they'd consider trading it. You'll have to wait for the column be published to find out what they said, but I'll be posting more about it later once it hits the Web.
In the meantime, it's more writing for me. Got a Sacha Kljestan feature I need to get cracking on.
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Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Muy barato!
Cuauhtemoc Blanco, that is. He's a good buy in the fantasy league.
Here's the Spanish version.
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Here's the Spanish version.
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First opponent
Barbados beat Dominica 1-0 in Bridgetown and won the series on a 2-1 aggregate. Barbados will now play the United States in a two-leg series for the right to advance to the semifinal phase of World Cup qualifying. The first match will be played June 15 at Home Depot Center.
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Ruud fires up the troops
Ruud Gullit was game, but the best Fan Fest rally speeches need to follow simple rules - be loud, be simple, be brief. The most memorable speech of this kind still belongs to Laker guard Byron Scott, way back in the Showtime Era, after the Lakers had won championships twice in a row.
"Threepeat!"
It's perfectly appropriate, it gives the crowd something to chant, but realistically, can only be used this season by the Houston Dynamo. Anyway, I'm sure Ruud's speeches will get better. David Beckham's was actually worse. He didn't get close enough to the microphone, so no one heard anything he said.
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"Threepeat!"
It's perfectly appropriate, it gives the crowd something to chant, but realistically, can only be used this season by the Houston Dynamo. Anyway, I'm sure Ruud's speeches will get better. David Beckham's was actually worse. He didn't get close enough to the microphone, so no one heard anything he said.
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More trivia from the record book
Who was the first player in league history to be named MLS Player of the Month twice in the same season?
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Jonny reacts
I had the chance to talk to Jonathan Bornstein on the phone just now, after the United States' 3-0 win over Poland. I had intended to talk to him about the upcoming season but I took the opportunity to ask him a few questions about the US win.
I first asked him what his thoughts were on the game.
"It's a huge win. Obviously in the past the United States has not always got the result they wanted when they went to Europe. To go to Poland and get a 3-0 victory is very big. I thought we scored some great goals, played some good soccer and it was pretty exciting to watch."
Bornstein knows Bob Bradley well, having played for him both with Chivas USA as well as with the national team. I asked Bornstein what Bob's reaction was probably like in the locker room after the game.
"I think he's just letting them enjoy the victory. When he was here with Chivas, whenever we had a big win he just let the guys enjoy it. But then it will be back to work the next time they have a chance. There's a lot you can get from a win like that. Obviously there were some good things and things that need to be fixed. He'll just let the guys have a good time and enjoy the victory as much as they can."
Bradley called on three MLS-based players but Bornstein was not one of them. It's difficult to bring guys in without having played a competitive match in months, as is Bornstein's case. Offseason surgery kept him from participating in the United States' January camp and kept him from playing against Sweden and Mexico earlier in the year. I asked Bornstein how this match motivated him in terms of his upcoming prospects with the national team.
"It definitely motivates me a lot. I'm watching the positioning of our current fullback Heath Pearce and taking a look at the job he's doing and just trying to learn as much as I can by watching it from a different perspective. Hopefully I'll get the chance to be on the team again and be in a position where I'm the one who is performing. So it's definitely motivating in a positive way."
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I first asked him what his thoughts were on the game.
"It's a huge win. Obviously in the past the United States has not always got the result they wanted when they went to Europe. To go to Poland and get a 3-0 victory is very big. I thought we scored some great goals, played some good soccer and it was pretty exciting to watch."
Bornstein knows Bob Bradley well, having played for him both with Chivas USA as well as with the national team. I asked Bornstein what Bob's reaction was probably like in the locker room after the game.
"I think he's just letting them enjoy the victory. When he was here with Chivas, whenever we had a big win he just let the guys enjoy it. But then it will be back to work the next time they have a chance. There's a lot you can get from a win like that. Obviously there were some good things and things that need to be fixed. He'll just let the guys have a good time and enjoy the victory as much as they can."
Bradley called on three MLS-based players but Bornstein was not one of them. It's difficult to bring guys in without having played a competitive match in months, as is Bornstein's case. Offseason surgery kept him from participating in the United States' January camp and kept him from playing against Sweden and Mexico earlier in the year. I asked Bornstein how this match motivated him in terms of his upcoming prospects with the national team.
"It definitely motivates me a lot. I'm watching the positioning of our current fullback Heath Pearce and taking a look at the job he's doing and just trying to learn as much as I can by watching it from a different perspective. Hopefully I'll get the chance to be on the team again and be in a position where I'm the one who is performing. So it's definitely motivating in a positive way."
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Latecomer's blog dos
Mexico vs. Ghana - Hugo's last game?
I'm late to this one, too, having just switched over after the U.S. game finished.
Mexico is losing by a goal, scored by Essien. I interviewed Essien when he was here - he was a decent interview, though he maintains this interesting nonchalant, above-it-all air that I think he picked up from Mourinho.
65 - Franco (El Naturalizado) nearly evens things up with a header. Very close.
67 - Guardado is chasing balls around like crazy, but to no avail.
72 - Nery wins a FK on the corner of the box, but the service isn't great and Ghana clear.
74 - Sinha (El Naturalizadito) is in the game now, and he hit a burner of an outside shot that went wide by not a lot.
75 - Nery into the box but doesn't get a shot or a pass off. That looked more promising, but turned out not so.
77 - GOAL! Mexico takes advantage of a poor backpass, by Essien, I think, and an even worse decision by Ghana goalkeeper Fatau to not straight clear the ball. He tries to take a touch instead, and the ball rebounds invitingly towards Carlos Salcido. Fatau panics and lunges for the ball feet first, missing most of it and pushing the ball against Salcido's legs. It bounces over the fallen keeper leaving Salcido an open goal. Hilariously bad, but it's a goal still. 1-1.
79 - Bofo is in for Nery now. If Mexico pulls out a win helped by such a bad Ghana error, will Hugo keep his job?
82 - Mensah gets a yellow for a handball near midfield. Junior Agogo leaves the field for Eric Bekoe.
Guardado works hard, hassling a defender deep into Ghana territory, prompting a bad pass that gets to Bofo, who goes into the box and gets fouled by Eric Addo. PK!
86- Pavel Pardo to take. GOAL! He nails it. Absolutely textbook. I wish Guardado could get an assist or something, because he did the hard work to set up that play. He did it on tired legs, too, since Bofo just came in. 2-1, Mexico.
88 - Hugo Sanchez should buy Fatau dinner or something. The Ghanian goalkeeper didn't look horrible on the PK, but he was beyond-words bad on the first goal.
90 - Ghana with a chance, but Ozzy (no-relation-to-Hugo) covers it.
90+ Essien nearly scores again, but it's wide. CK last gasp for Ghana. Cleared.
Final whistle. Hugo may live on, but not if the fans holding up signs of Hugo, Fuera! get their way.
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I'm late to this one, too, having just switched over after the U.S. game finished.
Mexico is losing by a goal, scored by Essien. I interviewed Essien when he was here - he was a decent interview, though he maintains this interesting nonchalant, above-it-all air that I think he picked up from Mourinho.
65 - Franco (El Naturalizado) nearly evens things up with a header. Very close.
67 - Guardado is chasing balls around like crazy, but to no avail.
72 - Nery wins a FK on the corner of the box, but the service isn't great and Ghana clear.
74 - Sinha (El Naturalizadito) is in the game now, and he hit a burner of an outside shot that went wide by not a lot.
75 - Nery into the box but doesn't get a shot or a pass off. That looked more promising, but turned out not so.
77 - GOAL! Mexico takes advantage of a poor backpass, by Essien, I think, and an even worse decision by Ghana goalkeeper Fatau to not straight clear the ball. He tries to take a touch instead, and the ball rebounds invitingly towards Carlos Salcido. Fatau panics and lunges for the ball feet first, missing most of it and pushing the ball against Salcido's legs. It bounces over the fallen keeper leaving Salcido an open goal. Hilariously bad, but it's a goal still. 1-1.
79 - Bofo is in for Nery now. If Mexico pulls out a win helped by such a bad Ghana error, will Hugo keep his job?
82 - Mensah gets a yellow for a handball near midfield. Junior Agogo leaves the field for Eric Bekoe.
Guardado works hard, hassling a defender deep into Ghana territory, prompting a bad pass that gets to Bofo, who goes into the box and gets fouled by Eric Addo. PK!
86- Pavel Pardo to take. GOAL! He nails it. Absolutely textbook. I wish Guardado could get an assist or something, because he did the hard work to set up that play. He did it on tired legs, too, since Bofo just came in. 2-1, Mexico.
88 - Hugo Sanchez should buy Fatau dinner or something. The Ghanian goalkeeper didn't look horrible on the PK, but he was beyond-words bad on the first goal.
90 - Ghana with a chance, but Ozzy (no-relation-to-Hugo) covers it.
90+ Essien nearly scores again, but it's wide. CK last gasp for Ghana. Cleared.
Final whistle. Hugo may live on, but not if the fans holding up signs of Hugo, Fuera! get their way.
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Alexi answers
I had the opportunity to talk to Alexi Lalas on the phone earlier today. I’m working on my Galaxy season preview for The Press-Enterprise and I figured it would be good to talk to the Galaxy’s general manager about his club.
I can’t put everything he said on here; after all, I’ve got to save some of his better stuff for the PE. But I had some leftover quotes and wanted to share them here.
This year, the Galaxy is quite possibly the largest unknown quantity in the league. The collective exploits and talents of David Beckham, Landon Donovan and Carlos Ruiz are well known, as are Chris Klein and Greg Vanney but the squad could go either way in terms of how much the young players contribute, how the team comes together and how the Galaxy’s depth responds when called upon.
I asked Lalas if he felt he had done enough to put together a competitive squad.
“For all intents and purposes we have three designated players in Landon, David and Carlos,” Lalas said. “There is a lot of talk about all of our eggs in one basket and the lack of depth but I think you are going to see some young players come to the front. I think you are going to see some of the players have the experience of 2007 really blossom this year.”
As far as adding to the roster, Lalas ruled out the possibility of bringing in any player from outside of the league before the summer. While the team has three players whose salaries do not count against the cap, Lalas said the club’s hands were tied when it came to adding players, just like any other club in the league.
“We have a core of players… that have incredible experience and are adding to this team,” he said. “Every MLS team wants to have as much depth as possible and it’s difficult in our league because of the lack of mechanisms and were no different than any other team.”
Given that the Galaxy has missed out on the MLS postseason in each of the last two seasons, making the playoffs this year might be an acceptable goal or accomplishment. However, Galaxy players have talked often during the preseason about winning championships and not just making the postseason. I asked Lalas what he would consider to be a successful year.
“I hesitate to lower our expectations or dumb it down because the fact is that regardless of the performance for the last couple of years – and not making the playoffs, which is an incredible disappointment and unacceptable for the Galaxy – the expectations continue to be high both internally and externally.”
Clearly, the expectations for the Galaxy are to reach the playoffs and make noise once there.
“For us, we expect to make the playoffs and expect to challenge for cups,” Lalas said. “But we are approaching this year very differently in terms of the philosophy we are pulling from training to games to the off the field way we treat this team.”
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I can’t put everything he said on here; after all, I’ve got to save some of his better stuff for the PE. But I had some leftover quotes and wanted to share them here.
This year, the Galaxy is quite possibly the largest unknown quantity in the league. The collective exploits and talents of David Beckham, Landon Donovan and Carlos Ruiz are well known, as are Chris Klein and Greg Vanney but the squad could go either way in terms of how much the young players contribute, how the team comes together and how the Galaxy’s depth responds when called upon.
I asked Lalas if he felt he had done enough to put together a competitive squad.
“For all intents and purposes we have three designated players in Landon, David and Carlos,” Lalas said. “There is a lot of talk about all of our eggs in one basket and the lack of depth but I think you are going to see some young players come to the front. I think you are going to see some of the players have the experience of 2007 really blossom this year.”
As far as adding to the roster, Lalas ruled out the possibility of bringing in any player from outside of the league before the summer. While the team has three players whose salaries do not count against the cap, Lalas said the club’s hands were tied when it came to adding players, just like any other club in the league.
“We have a core of players… that have incredible experience and are adding to this team,” he said. “Every MLS team wants to have as much depth as possible and it’s difficult in our league because of the lack of mechanisms and were no different than any other team.”
Given that the Galaxy has missed out on the MLS postseason in each of the last two seasons, making the playoffs this year might be an acceptable goal or accomplishment. However, Galaxy players have talked often during the preseason about winning championships and not just making the postseason. I asked Lalas what he would consider to be a successful year.
“I hesitate to lower our expectations or dumb it down because the fact is that regardless of the performance for the last couple of years – and not making the playoffs, which is an incredible disappointment and unacceptable for the Galaxy – the expectations continue to be high both internally and externally.”
Clearly, the expectations for the Galaxy are to reach the playoffs and make noise once there.
“For us, we expect to make the playoffs and expect to challenge for cups,” Lalas said. “But we are approaching this year very differently in terms of the philosophy we are pulling from training to games to the off the field way we treat this team.”
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Latecomers blog
Hi ya'll
The blog starts now because I'm finally home from the other, bill-paying job.
The U.S. has a 2-0 lead on Poland. Headers from Bocanegra and Onyewu on corner kicks from Landon Donovan, yeah, that guy who should have been left at home, right?
Timmay, C-Boc, Baby B, Heath (the one still alive), Stevie C, Demps, EJ, LD, Chingy, Rico(not-always-sua-ve), Gooch,
46- Donovan CK - Maybe he's picked up tips from Becks, but Landon's kicks are looking pretty good.
48 - Weird defensive choice from Bocanegra there. He won the ball, then hit a softy to a covered teammate to lead to a FK in a good spot, Poland serves it in, it's headed away - Landon is out on the break - chip him, dang it, he goes for the post and misses by inches.
50- Poland is definitely looking to attack now. If the defense can hold, the U.S. should get chances on the counter.
52 - Correction - LD's first assist was off a free kick, not a corner.
54 - I kinda like the anthracite, but I'm not sure anything about it says US - except maybe it's a reference to our military domination?
54 - A chilena! A bike clearance, by Rico, I think. I hate the Fox Sports guys - they didn't even notice it. Dang, Spanish announcers love that stuff.
55 - Stevie C shows he plays in Germany - Look Ma, no gloves! Matusiak shoots- just over the bar.
57 - Poland is circling the U.S. goal. They'll succeed or give up a counter.
Counter chance, EJ out on the break, he corrals the ball in the box and then hits the most aimless cross ever. It goes all the way to midfield, and only the speed of Rico manages to get to it and continue the attack. Rico gets back upfield, beats Boruc, rebound is up, Ching is surrounded, Dempsey gets to it, shoots into someones legs, can't quite get the rebound, Poland clears.
64 - Poland isn't pushing quite as hard. The U.S. hasn't scored again, but has established a credible enough threat on the counter, that Poland can't just attack.
66 - Smolarek gets a half-shot off, but it's over the bar.
69 - Oh, yeah, the U.S. subbed out Brian Ching, LD, and Gooch. In came Jay DeMerit, Josh Wolff, and Eddie Lewis, who just took a corner kick. Poland cleared it.
71 - If the U.S. beats Poland soundly, does that raise U.S. assistant coach Peter Nowak's profile to get the Poland job someday?
73 - Specs is in for Stevie C - also with no gloves. GOAL! Dang, the old man of the U.S. team still has it - or maybe those "American Beckham" jokes from years ago were somewhat valid. Eddie "Not a Lamb Chop" Lewis nails the FK right into the goal. 3-0.
76 - Poland CK It kind of misses everybody, but a Dempsey foul at the top of the arc leads to a Poland FK. It hits the wall.
79 - Lewie, Lewie, oh, baby - stands over another U.S. FK and swerves it in to the box. Jay DeMerit gets there and nearly heads it in for another goal. So close.
82 - Poland's frustation shows in a pushing foul on Wolff.
84 - Lewie Prima! He shakes his defender on the wing and crosses - it's de-lovely, but the U.S. forwards are offsides. Dang, that was pretty.
85 - Hale and hearty Heath is off, subbed for Bennyboy, the other Derby guy.
87- Now Rico gets the ragdoll toss from the grumpy Polish players. The FK is a long one, but still gets into the box and almost to Johnson in a dangerous spot.
89 - Feilhaber puts a through ball behind the defense into space. There's a delay of "who, me?" and then Dempsey runs for it. Looked like a miscommunication there, or maybe Clint is tired.
90 - Poland FK, looking for the consolation. Nothing doing.
EJ with a late run into the box, but he makes a poor choice as soon as he gets there with the ball and loses it.
Final Whistle. The U.S. wins in Europe, elevating Bradley's stats on that count a bit.
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The blog starts now because I'm finally home from the other, bill-paying job.
The U.S. has a 2-0 lead on Poland. Headers from Bocanegra and Onyewu on corner kicks from Landon Donovan, yeah, that guy who should have been left at home, right?
Timmay, C-Boc, Baby B, Heath (the one still alive), Stevie C, Demps, EJ, LD, Chingy, Rico(not-always-sua-ve), Gooch,
46- Donovan CK - Maybe he's picked up tips from Becks, but Landon's kicks are looking pretty good.
48 - Weird defensive choice from Bocanegra there. He won the ball, then hit a softy to a covered teammate to lead to a FK in a good spot, Poland serves it in, it's headed away - Landon is out on the break - chip him, dang it, he goes for the post and misses by inches.
50- Poland is definitely looking to attack now. If the defense can hold, the U.S. should get chances on the counter.
52 - Correction - LD's first assist was off a free kick, not a corner.
54 - I kinda like the anthracite, but I'm not sure anything about it says US - except maybe it's a reference to our military domination?
54 - A chilena! A bike clearance, by Rico, I think. I hate the Fox Sports guys - they didn't even notice it. Dang, Spanish announcers love that stuff.
55 - Stevie C shows he plays in Germany - Look Ma, no gloves! Matusiak shoots- just over the bar.
57 - Poland is circling the U.S. goal. They'll succeed or give up a counter.
Counter chance, EJ out on the break, he corrals the ball in the box and then hits the most aimless cross ever. It goes all the way to midfield, and only the speed of Rico manages to get to it and continue the attack. Rico gets back upfield, beats Boruc, rebound is up, Ching is surrounded, Dempsey gets to it, shoots into someones legs, can't quite get the rebound, Poland clears.
64 - Poland isn't pushing quite as hard. The U.S. hasn't scored again, but has established a credible enough threat on the counter, that Poland can't just attack.
66 - Smolarek gets a half-shot off, but it's over the bar.
69 - Oh, yeah, the U.S. subbed out Brian Ching, LD, and Gooch. In came Jay DeMerit, Josh Wolff, and Eddie Lewis, who just took a corner kick. Poland cleared it.
71 - If the U.S. beats Poland soundly, does that raise U.S. assistant coach Peter Nowak's profile to get the Poland job someday?
73 - Specs is in for Stevie C - also with no gloves. GOAL! Dang, the old man of the U.S. team still has it - or maybe those "American Beckham" jokes from years ago were somewhat valid. Eddie "Not a Lamb Chop" Lewis nails the FK right into the goal. 3-0.
76 - Poland CK It kind of misses everybody, but a Dempsey foul at the top of the arc leads to a Poland FK. It hits the wall.
79 - Lewie, Lewie, oh, baby - stands over another U.S. FK and swerves it in to the box. Jay DeMerit gets there and nearly heads it in for another goal. So close.
82 - Poland's frustation shows in a pushing foul on Wolff.
84 - Lewie Prima! He shakes his defender on the wing and crosses - it's de-lovely, but the U.S. forwards are offsides. Dang, that was pretty.
85 - Hale and hearty Heath is off, subbed for Bennyboy, the other Derby guy.
87- Now Rico gets the ragdoll toss from the grumpy Polish players. The FK is a long one, but still gets into the box and almost to Johnson in a dangerous spot.
89 - Feilhaber puts a through ball behind the defense into space. There's a delay of "who, me?" and then Dempsey runs for it. Looked like a miscommunication there, or maybe Clint is tired.
90 - Poland FK, looking for the consolation. Nothing doing.
EJ with a late run into the box, but he makes a poor choice as soon as he gets there with the ball and loses it.
Final Whistle. The U.S. wins in Europe, elevating Bradley's stats on that count a bit.
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Not found in the MLS record book
Which new Galaxy signing was born in Germany and can thus go play abroad if he impresses this season with the team?
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Bragging Rights
ESPN's new MLS fantasy game has a bit of a twist. There's an "experts" group comprised of some writers and editors that cover soccer. I'm one. It will be my first fantasy league of any kind, actually, so I'm not sure I'm qualified as an expert.
Last year, Luis and I ran a simple "pick 'em" game of sorts right here on the blog, where we chose the winners of the MLS match-ups every week. He pretty much ran away with that one, although at one point late in the season, I started catching up. Then I decided the Galaxy's lucky streak couldn't last and kept picking them to lose or tie. They kept winning, and that messed up my comeback completely.
I've always preferred the artistry of soccer to the statistics, and since fantasy play, I've been told, is stat-dependent, I'm not optimistic about my performance. Even if people don't sign up for the league, they can probably check in on occasion to see how horribly I'm doing.
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Last year, Luis and I ran a simple "pick 'em" game of sorts right here on the blog, where we chose the winners of the MLS match-ups every week. He pretty much ran away with that one, although at one point late in the season, I started catching up. Then I decided the Galaxy's lucky streak couldn't last and kept picking them to lose or tie. They kept winning, and that messed up my comeback completely.
I've always preferred the artistry of soccer to the statistics, and since fantasy play, I've been told, is stat-dependent, I'm not optimistic about my performance. Even if people don't sign up for the league, they can probably check in on occasion to see how horribly I'm doing.
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JOB on the beach
"Where did John O'Brien go?" say the plaintive emails I get every now and again. It's not that I'm ignoring the requests, but Johnny O. seems to prefer a low profile.
Short of stalking the guy, I can't really track his whereabouts. I've put in a few requests for interviews, but he's declined to talk about what he's up to these days. I did hear that he'd occasionally pop up for a soccer game here and there, with Hollywood United F.C., for example.
Anyway, he's now supposedly playing in this beach soccer tournament.
So, he's not dead, or in the Witness Protection Program, still getting in a little soccer, and working on his tan, I suppose.
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Short of stalking the guy, I can't really track his whereabouts. I've put in a few requests for interviews, but he's declined to talk about what he's up to these days. I did hear that he'd occasionally pop up for a soccer game here and there, with Hollywood United F.C., for example.
Anyway, he's now supposedly playing in this beach soccer tournament.
So, he's not dead, or in the Witness Protection Program, still getting in a little soccer, and working on his tan, I suppose.
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Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Donovan's Polish exam
The U.S. will face a tough European test in Krakow on Wednesday as a Polish squad with its sights set on Euro 2008 will stand in the Americans' way.
The roster was nearly composed of all European-based players save for three MLS standouts, one of them being Landon Donovan. The Galaxy ace will undoubtedly go down as the United States' all-time caps leader when all is said and done, but there are some questions whether Donovan should have even been called into this match. Ridge Mahoney of Soccer America brings this up here.
He makes a strong case for not having called in Donovan. There tends to be a comfort factor when Donovan is on the field, and without him there another player would be forced to step up and take a more assertive role. Granted, Donovan has been rather quiet in recent U.S. games but that doesn't diminish his usefulness to the team.
Like Ridge mentions, I can see why Bob Bradley called him in. He's a valuable player and will be for the foreseeable future. Without Donovan on the team, the U.S. would still have the games against England, Spain and Argentina to get Donovan and his teammates ready for World Cup qualifying.
Anyway, what do you think? Should Donovan be an automatic call-up? Or should Bradley keep him off the team in select matches?
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The roster was nearly composed of all European-based players save for three MLS standouts, one of them being Landon Donovan. The Galaxy ace will undoubtedly go down as the United States' all-time caps leader when all is said and done, but there are some questions whether Donovan should have even been called into this match. Ridge Mahoney of Soccer America brings this up here.
He makes a strong case for not having called in Donovan. There tends to be a comfort factor when Donovan is on the field, and without him there another player would be forced to step up and take a more assertive role. Granted, Donovan has been rather quiet in recent U.S. games but that doesn't diminish his usefulness to the team.
Like Ridge mentions, I can see why Bob Bradley called him in. He's a valuable player and will be for the foreseeable future. Without Donovan on the team, the U.S. would still have the games against England, Spain and Argentina to get Donovan and his teammates ready for World Cup qualifying.
Anyway, what do you think? Should Donovan be an automatic call-up? Or should Bradley keep him off the team in select matches?
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More trivia
Another question, or questions I suppose, and a bit more difficult than the first one.
In the 1996 Inaugural Player Draft - the one where Brian McBride was taken first overall - five current MLS head coaches were among the 160 players chosen.
1. Name the five coaches.
2. Which one was drafted first?
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In the 1996 Inaugural Player Draft - the one where Brian McBride was taken first overall - five current MLS head coaches were among the 160 players chosen.
1. Name the five coaches.
2. Which one was drafted first?
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Can it be Rio?
The first two names on my England captain poll were easy ones, then I added Beckham because of John Terry's own suggestion (not to me personally, I'll hasten to add).
I thought about the last name to add for a bit. Wayne Rooney? Too young. Rio Ferdinand? Too stupid, I thought. Come on, people, remember the missed drug test? That was completely dumb. So I settled on Hargreaves, though he didn't turn out to be a popular poll choice.
Capello, the vote that really matters, picked Rio.
I didn't see that one coming at all. So much for thinking Capello was a logical guy.
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I thought about the last name to add for a bit. Wayne Rooney? Too young. Rio Ferdinand? Too stupid, I thought. Come on, people, remember the missed drug test? That was completely dumb. So I settled on Hargreaves, though he didn't turn out to be a popular poll choice.
Capello, the vote that really matters, picked Rio.
I didn't see that one coming at all. So much for thinking Capello was a logical guy.
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First player of month
A little trivia courtesy of the Fact and Record Book.
Who was named Player of the Month for April 1996, the first such award in league history?
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Who was named Player of the Month for April 1996, the first such award in league history?
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Change in playoffs
According to the MLS Fact and Record Book, there will be a shift in the playoff format for the 2008 season. Eight teams will still get in but this year the top three teams in each conference are guaranteed of a spot. After the top three from each conference, the two teams with the most points will go regardless of conference.
It's a slight shift from last year when the top two in each conference were guaranteed a spot followed by the four teams with the most points. The format allowed the Kansas City Wizards to get in as the four seed in the West as they finished even with Chicago with 40 points but lost out on the tiebreaker. Under the previous system, Colorado would have gotten in with 35 points.
It's a minimal change, but a change nonetheless. It would not have affected last year's playoffs, for instance.
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It's a slight shift from last year when the top two in each conference were guaranteed a spot followed by the four teams with the most points. The format allowed the Kansas City Wizards to get in as the four seed in the West as they finished even with Chicago with 40 points but lost out on the tiebreaker. Under the previous system, Colorado would have gotten in with 35 points.
It's a minimal change, but a change nonetheless. It would not have affected last year's playoffs, for instance.
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Preseason rankings
Here's how I see the teams entering the 2008 MLS season.
1. Houston. Defending champions already have quarterfinal win under their belt.
2. DC United. Like Houston, CONCACAF Cup campaign successful thus far.
3. Chivas USA. Brad Guzan a green light for the opener.
4. New England. Pat Noonan's loss significant but Revs still more than solid.
5. Kansas City. Claudio Lopez and Carlos Marinelli will shred defenses this year.
6. Chicago. Depth is question mark with this squad.
7. Colorado. Christian Gomez leads league's deepest midfield.
8. FC Dallas. Offensive strength in numbers with Toja, Cooper, Rocha, et al.
9. Los Angeles. Big Three a pretty damned good trio, but defense huge question mark.
10. New York. Instability reigns with Red Bulls.
11. Real Salt Lake. Collection of South Americans needs to shine.
12. Toronto FC. Roster offers better starting point than a year ago.
13. Columbus. Losses outnumbered gains.
14. San Jose. Only one way to go.
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1. Houston. Defending champions already have quarterfinal win under their belt.
2. DC United. Like Houston, CONCACAF Cup campaign successful thus far.
3. Chivas USA. Brad Guzan a green light for the opener.
4. New England. Pat Noonan's loss significant but Revs still more than solid.
5. Kansas City. Claudio Lopez and Carlos Marinelli will shred defenses this year.
6. Chicago. Depth is question mark with this squad.
7. Colorado. Christian Gomez leads league's deepest midfield.
8. FC Dallas. Offensive strength in numbers with Toja, Cooper, Rocha, et al.
9. Los Angeles. Big Three a pretty damned good trio, but defense huge question mark.
10. New York. Instability reigns with Red Bulls.
11. Real Salt Lake. Collection of South Americans needs to shine.
12. Toronto FC. Roster offers better starting point than a year ago.
13. Columbus. Losses outnumbered gains.
14. San Jose. Only one way to go.
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Monday, March 24, 2008
On the doorstep
It's not every day you get an MLS Fact and Record Book delivered to your doorstep but that's what showed up in front of mine. I'll probably be spending lots of time with this during the season.What I like about this one more than the last two editions is that I don't have to look at some screaming Houston players every time I want to check a fact or a record. The last two covers featured Dynamo players celebrating with the MLS Cup. Simplicity is better sometimes.
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Road less traveled
I first covered an MLS game in 1998 - DC 1, Galaxy 0 at the Rose Bowl - but I don't usually get to travel much. I've been to Pizza Hut Park and went to Spartan Stadium in 2005 for a game but that's about the extent of my MLS travels. As a freelancer, you have to foot your own bill for traveling, and there's no way I'd come close to selling enough stories to cover my losses.
So when the chance arose to go to Colorado this weekend for the Galaxy's season opener, I took it. It's actually a three-for-one trip, as my wife can use a few days in Colorado for business purposes and we can visit family that lives in Colorado Springs.
Anyway, this will be the first away season opener I'll be at and I'm looking forward to it. I can't really picture the game yet - I still can't imagine Christian Gomez wearing a Colorado jersey fighting against Carlos Ruiz wearing Galaxy colors. But it should be an experience I'll hopefully share with a sold out Dick's Sporting Goods Park crowd. It's been in the 80s out here in SoCal so I just hope that the dip in the weather isn't too severe.
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So when the chance arose to go to Colorado this weekend for the Galaxy's season opener, I took it. It's actually a three-for-one trip, as my wife can use a few days in Colorado for business purposes and we can visit family that lives in Colorado Springs.
Anyway, this will be the first away season opener I'll be at and I'm looking forward to it. I can't really picture the game yet - I still can't imagine Christian Gomez wearing a Colorado jersey fighting against Carlos Ruiz wearing Galaxy colors. But it should be an experience I'll hopefully share with a sold out Dick's Sporting Goods Park crowd. It's been in the 80s out here in SoCal so I just hope that the dip in the weather isn't too severe.
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Sunday, March 23, 2008
Better late
Hopefully the next time the US plays a game, we'll find out who is on the squad before the entire team is all but together. The US is in Krakow for a match against Poland but the roster wasn't revealed until around 72 hours before the start of the match.
The Under-23's Olympic qualifying games probably had something to do with the timing of the roster announcement, as it was not until Saturday that the roster was posted on US Soccer's Web site.
Only three MLS players made the cut, and it's no surprise two of them came from Houston who just played two CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal matches. Match fitness is lacking across MLS and it wouldn't have made much sense to take guys who, in some cases, haven't played a competitive game in months.
Landon Donovan is the exception, of course.
Goalkeepers: Marcus Hahnemann (Reading FC), Tim Howard (Everton FC)
Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham FC), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jay DeMerit (Watford FC), Cory Gibbs (Charlton Athletic), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)
Midfielders: Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Eddie Lewis (Derby County)
Forwards: Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC), Eddie Johnson (Fulham FC), Josh Wolff (1860 Munich)
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The Under-23's Olympic qualifying games probably had something to do with the timing of the roster announcement, as it was not until Saturday that the roster was posted on US Soccer's Web site.
Only three MLS players made the cut, and it's no surprise two of them came from Houston who just played two CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal matches. Match fitness is lacking across MLS and it wouldn't have made much sense to take guys who, in some cases, haven't played a competitive game in months.
Landon Donovan is the exception, of course.
Goalkeepers: Marcus Hahnemann (Reading FC), Tim Howard (Everton FC)
Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham FC), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jay DeMerit (Watford FC), Cory Gibbs (Charlton Athletic), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)
Midfielders: Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Eddie Lewis (Derby County)
Forwards: Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC), Eddie Johnson (Fulham FC), Josh Wolff (1860 Munich)
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For the title
The U.S. and Honduras are battling it out for the title in Olympics qualifying. It's mostly a prestige thing now, since both teams have qualified. Honduras hasn't gotten a shot on goal, but has held off the U.S. all game long. The match is now in overtime.
10th minute of overtime: Gaven is down in the box. It looks like it should be a PK, but nothing given.
13th: GOAL! Marvell Wynne gets called for a foul. Honduras sets up, gets the ball into Georgie Welcome, who gets a bit of space and smashes the ball past Dominic Cervi. It bounces off the crossbar and in. 1-0.
15th. I started blogging mostly because I expected this to go to penalties, and I wanted to analyze the U.S. strategy in such a situation, but Honduras now holds the lead. Michael Orozco and Pat Ianni were both beaten on the play that led to the goal.
2nd overtime period. CK for the U.S. comes to nothing. Kamani Hill was cramping, but he's back up now.
19th - CK for U.S. comes to nothing. The Honduran fans are thrilled and noisy.
20 - The U.S. is no doubt frustrated, because they pushed the pace of the game and created the vast majority of chances, but that's no excuse for not executing.
22- Gaven helps earn another CK, but the U.S. does nothing with this one as well.
23 - Another CK for the U.S. Nothing working for the U.S. in that regard.
24- Jozy bike in the box - he misses the ball. The U.S. players are tired; their passes are going awry, but they keep pushing. That deserves credit.
25 - The U.S. is missing key players who were released once the team qualified. Freddy Adu, Sal Zizzo, Charlie Davies and Jonathan Spector have gone back to their teams in Europe.
28 - Honduras playing the same smart, not-pretty defense that simply works.
29 - Wynne gets booked for a yellow. He walks away from a writhing Welcome and snaps at his old UCLA teammate, Ianni, when Ianni says something to him after the card is given.
30 - Now Ianni gets called for the foul on Welcome, as he throws out all his limbs while going down.
Final whistle. The U.S. is resigned - the Honduran players celebrate with their fans. Honduras is the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying champ. This might be the beginning of a renaissance for Honduran soccer, which had slumped for a bit. The U.S., meanwhile, learns a lesson in wasted opportunities.
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10th minute of overtime: Gaven is down in the box. It looks like it should be a PK, but nothing given.
13th: GOAL! Marvell Wynne gets called for a foul. Honduras sets up, gets the ball into Georgie Welcome, who gets a bit of space and smashes the ball past Dominic Cervi. It bounces off the crossbar and in. 1-0.
15th. I started blogging mostly because I expected this to go to penalties, and I wanted to analyze the U.S. strategy in such a situation, but Honduras now holds the lead. Michael Orozco and Pat Ianni were both beaten on the play that led to the goal.
2nd overtime period. CK for the U.S. comes to nothing. Kamani Hill was cramping, but he's back up now.
19th - CK for U.S. comes to nothing. The Honduran fans are thrilled and noisy.
20 - The U.S. is no doubt frustrated, because they pushed the pace of the game and created the vast majority of chances, but that's no excuse for not executing.
22- Gaven helps earn another CK, but the U.S. does nothing with this one as well.
23 - Another CK for the U.S. Nothing working for the U.S. in that regard.
24- Jozy bike in the box - he misses the ball. The U.S. players are tired; their passes are going awry, but they keep pushing. That deserves credit.
25 - The U.S. is missing key players who were released once the team qualified. Freddy Adu, Sal Zizzo, Charlie Davies and Jonathan Spector have gone back to their teams in Europe.
28 - Honduras playing the same smart, not-pretty defense that simply works.
29 - Wynne gets booked for a yellow. He walks away from a writhing Welcome and snaps at his old UCLA teammate, Ianni, when Ianni says something to him after the card is given.
30 - Now Ianni gets called for the foul on Welcome, as he throws out all his limbs while going down.
Final whistle. The U.S. is resigned - the Honduran players celebrate with their fans. Honduras is the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying champ. This might be the beginning of a renaissance for Honduran soccer, which had slumped for a bit. The U.S., meanwhile, learns a lesson in wasted opportunities.
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Alexi Lalas to STH
Season ticket holders had the opportunity to hear a speech from Lalas about the Galaxy and to ask him questions (this clip is from the first few minutes of the openingspeech). Lalas was upfront with everybody, but he does tend to be long-winded at times. At one point, a Riot Squad member nearby muttered, "Lexi, we'd like you more if you didn't talk so much. Let's get to the next question, please."
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AC - but it wasn't me!
I'm not the only AC around.
Anderson Cooper's interview with David airs tonight on CBS. Keith Sharman, one of the CBS producers for the feature, called Luis and I earlier this month to get some of our views on Beckham.
The sportswriter angle is different from that of the gossip sites like the one I linked - they're more risque, for sure.
Actually, there is a double entendre going on with the local reporters and Becks. The most coveted of interviews is an individual one, and few have gotten such access, though many have requested. I'm on a list somewhere, I think.
It's common to hear pressbox chatter about the topic, when people are discussing their latest interview subjects.
"Have you done David yet?"
"Nope, still waiting to get him alone."
"I've had my Becks one-on-one already - he's great."
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Anderson Cooper's interview with David airs tonight on CBS. Keith Sharman, one of the CBS producers for the feature, called Luis and I earlier this month to get some of our views on Beckham.
The sportswriter angle is different from that of the gossip sites like the one I linked - they're more risque, for sure.
Actually, there is a double entendre going on with the local reporters and Becks. The most coveted of interviews is an individual one, and few have gotten such access, though many have requested. I'm on a list somewhere, I think.
It's common to hear pressbox chatter about the topic, when people are discussing their latest interview subjects.
"Have you done David yet?"
"Nope, still waiting to get him alone."
"I've had my Becks one-on-one already - he's great."
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Easter egg hunt
At the FanFest event yesterday, the Galaxy won their scrimmage versus the San Fernando Valley Quakes 3-1. The match was a short one - two thirty-minute halves. All the Galaxy goals were scored in the first half as Carlos Ruiz, Michael Gavin and Landon Donovan notched goals. Willie Sims scored late in the second half for the Quakes. Yes, that Willie Sims.
David Beckham subbed out of the match late and was later on stage with the team for introductions. Donovan was already headed to LAX to join the U.S. national team roster - he left immediately after the scrimmage. GM Alexi Lalas also gave an address to Galaxy season ticket holders.
Still, the most interesting part of the FanFest was what happened afterwards. I joined Martin Rogers of Yahoo Sports and Galaxy media dude Justin Pearson for a drink at a local sports bar (where we watched Stanford and UCLA cut their wins so close).
On the way there, Martin, who still retains many media contacts in his native England, got a call asking about Beckham's "injury". Apparently, a photographer had sent to his agency a photo of Beckham stretching after the scrimmage with a caption about how he was subbed out of the match due to a groin injury. The deadline to go to press in England was rapidly approaching, and a number of papers wanted to run the image. They needed a quote or an official "no comment" from the Galaxy. While I sat bemused in the backseat, Martin was on the phone to London, saying that he thinks Beckham is fine, but he's working on getting an official quote, while Justin was trying to drive while also on his phone, calling Lalas, and then the team trainer, Armando Rivas, to get the official quote "Beckham is fine" on a frenzied timeline. Then both phones started to run low on battery and there was much "Can you hear me?" going on. Later, Martin told me that a photographer could make thousands of dollars off such a picture, and just defend himself against distortion by saying he described what he thought was going on. Martin figured some papers would run the photo anyway, but I haven't found one online yet.
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David Beckham subbed out of the match late and was later on stage with the team for introductions. Donovan was already headed to LAX to join the U.S. national team roster - he left immediately after the scrimmage. GM Alexi Lalas also gave an address to Galaxy season ticket holders.
Still, the most interesting part of the FanFest was what happened afterwards. I joined Martin Rogers of Yahoo Sports and Galaxy media dude Justin Pearson for a drink at a local sports bar (where we watched Stanford and UCLA cut their wins so close).
On the way there, Martin, who still retains many media contacts in his native England, got a call asking about Beckham's "injury". Apparently, a photographer had sent to his agency a photo of Beckham stretching after the scrimmage with a caption about how he was subbed out of the match due to a groin injury. The deadline to go to press in England was rapidly approaching, and a number of papers wanted to run the image. They needed a quote or an official "no comment" from the Galaxy. While I sat bemused in the backseat, Martin was on the phone to London, saying that he thinks Beckham is fine, but he's working on getting an official quote, while Justin was trying to drive while also on his phone, calling Lalas, and then the team trainer, Armando Rivas, to get the official quote "Beckham is fine" on a frenzied timeline. Then both phones started to run low on battery and there was much "Can you hear me?" going on. Later, Martin told me that a photographer could make thousands of dollars off such a picture, and just defend himself against distortion by saying he described what he thought was going on. Martin figured some papers would run the photo anyway, but I haven't found one online yet.
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Saturday, March 22, 2008
Becks answers
It's hard to hold a camera and a recorder at the same time, so I did it only briefly during the time David Beckham came over to answer questions from the press yesterday.
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Friday, March 21, 2008
The Captains chat
The two U23 captains, Maurice and Sacha (representing Southern California here, I must point out) give their viewpoints on the U.S. mission to return to Olympic competition.
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In the know
Me: "So they reported on SportsCenter last night, in a little clip from ESPN Deportes, that Beckham might buy the Galaxy once he finishes playing. All the other press reports have said, he has an option to buy an MLS team, but didn't specify which one. Your history with the team goes way back, do you think AEG would sell the Galaxy to Becks?"
"Phil [Anschutz] is not selling the Galaxy."
Me: "Well, not now, but in the future."
"No way. He's not selling the Galaxy. He never planned to sell the Galaxy. That's the team he has always planned on keeping."
Me: "What about a share of the Galaxy? Like how Magic Johnson is a part owner of the Lakers?"
"Maybe something like that could happen. But I don't see Phil selling the entire Galaxy team or a controlling share to anybody."
Who was I talking to? I can't say, but it was someone who always seems to know stuff like what I asked about.
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"Phil [Anschutz] is not selling the Galaxy."
Me: "Well, not now, but in the future."
"No way. He's not selling the Galaxy. He never planned to sell the Galaxy. That's the team he has always planned on keeping."
Me: "What about a share of the Galaxy? Like how Magic Johnson is a part owner of the Lakers?"
"Maybe something like that could happen. But I don't see Phil selling the entire Galaxy team or a controlling share to anybody."
Who was I talking to? I can't say, but it was someone who always seems to know stuff like what I asked about.
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Los goles
Highlights of Saprissa's 3-0 win over Atlante. Saprissa will play Houston in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
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Intensity and instructions
I don't think I ever saw Yallop or any MLS coach do a finishing drill quite like this one. Usually players just line up to take shots. Sometimes they'll do a quick pass to the crosser and then run for the goal to shoot. But as one can see here, Ruud has an entire running sequence set up, and then the guy doing the drill has to repeat it. It's like trying to finish and do a shuttle run (anyone remember those?) at the same time. It looks exhausting.
Actually, as this clip starts, Alan Gordon has just run it twice. He did his little back and forth sequence, but the pass that came in was so bad, that Ruud was yelling, "Come on! He does all that running and that's what you give him? You've got to do better!" So Alan went one more time and appeared ready to keel over. David Beckham runs after Alan, then Carlos Ruiz starts, just as the video ends.
I didn't see who sent the bad pass. I turned to look when Ruud yelled, but I couldn't tell. I then switched the camera on to capture footage of the drill. Soon after, the Galaxy's press officer stopped by to inform all the reporters of the restrictions on asking David Beckham questions. If you couldn't understand the audio, basically, we couldn't ask anything about the English national team.
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Actually, as this clip starts, Alan Gordon has just run it twice. He did his little back and forth sequence, but the pass that came in was so bad, that Ruud was yelling, "Come on! He does all that running and that's what you give him? You've got to do better!" So Alan went one more time and appeared ready to keel over. David Beckham runs after Alan, then Carlos Ruiz starts, just as the video ends.
I didn't see who sent the bad pass. I turned to look when Ruud yelled, but I couldn't tell. I then switched the camera on to capture footage of the drill. Soon after, the Galaxy's press officer stopped by to inform all the reporters of the restrictions on asking David Beckham questions. If you couldn't understand the audio, basically, we couldn't ask anything about the English national team.
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Galaxy guys scrimmage
Sorry that the camera angle isn't great. It's not easy to shoot decent video from a digital camera, but I didn't get another chance to try it. The whistle at the end of the clip was from Ruud Gullit, ending the scrimmage.
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To be fair. . .
If I point out mediotiempo's gaffe on Eddie Gaven, I have to link this Toronto Sun story.
Puerto Rico? No, Amado Guevara went to his native Honduras to play after leaving Chivas USA. He's the captain of Motagua.
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Puerto Rico? No, Amado Guevara went to his native Honduras to play after leaving Chivas USA. He's the captain of Motagua.
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Strong Language
In light of Mark Cuban's disparaging comments recently about blogs and bloggers, a Galaxy staffer and I were discussing some of the crucial differences between blogs and articles in print.
He mentioned that he thought Luis, for example, was more outspoken on this blog than he is in other outlets, pointing out that Luis will occasionally swear on our blog.
"I guess I do that, too," I admitted. "Sometimes I'll cuss or make fun of something in a way I probably wouldn't write elsewhere. It's our blog - we never rated it PG."
Sometimes, when people are just expressing themselves, those words come out.
Like during an interview with Ruud, for example.
Interesting that he made the comparison to Real Madrid, no? Beckham was on the squad during that era where they couldn't get the big wins despite having many stars.
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He mentioned that he thought Luis, for example, was more outspoken on this blog than he is in other outlets, pointing out that Luis will occasionally swear on our blog.
"I guess I do that, too," I admitted. "Sometimes I'll cuss or make fun of something in a way I probably wouldn't write elsewhere. It's our blog - we never rated it PG."
Sometimes, when people are just expressing themselves, those words come out.
Like during an interview with Ruud, for example.
Interesting that he made the comparison to Real Madrid, no? Beckham was on the squad during that era where they couldn't get the big wins despite having many stars.
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Thursday, March 20, 2008
Fans are a priority
The Galaxy Fan Fest this weekend is apparently the last obligation for Becks before he leaves to join England's national team. Yep, Galaxy fans, the team captain is holding off on flying out over the pond (or so say team sources) until he takes part in the preseason event.
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Who knew?
Eddie Gaven scored the winning goal to send the U.S. to the Olympics. I know they probably picked this story up on wire services, but did anyone at mediotiempo watch the game? At all?
It's about as accurate as the birthplace on the Jesus Padilla player profile.
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It's about as accurate as the birthplace on the Jesus Padilla player profile.
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Monstrous roar
Costa Rican side Deportivo Saprissa beat Atlante of Mexico 3-0 on Thursday and advanced to the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals. Saprissa will meet MLS champs Houston for a trip to the final.
Saprissa actually only scored one goal. Atlante had a pair of own goals as Jose Daniel Garcia and Gerardo Omar Castillo each scored a goal on their own goal. Armando Alonso bagged Saprissa's only goal of their own early in the second half.
Houston had problems against Pachuca a year ago, surrendering five goals in Pachuca. On one hand, it's probably a good thing Houston doesn't have to go to Mexico given Mexican clubs' 33-6 aggregate score against MLS teams on Mexican soil in this tournament's history. Then again, Saprissa's home turf isn't exactly a walk in the park. Saprissa, nicknamed El Monstruo, is about as tough of an away game as there is in Central America.
Funny things happen down there too. Atlante had two own goals there. In 2006, the Galaxy played the best first half of soccer they'd played in a long time - including the double-winning 2005 season - and held a 2-0 lead at halftime. But somehow Saprissa clawed their way back into the game and sent it into extra time where a phantom foul call set up a free kick which led to the match-winner and subsequent tournament winning goal.
Houston will host the first leg so they'll need to do better than a two-goal win as they did against Pachuca in the first leg a year ago. Atlante took a 2-1 aggregate score into Saprissa and crashed out spectacularly.
If Houston reaches the final, they will have earned their trip.
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Saprissa actually only scored one goal. Atlante had a pair of own goals as Jose Daniel Garcia and Gerardo Omar Castillo each scored a goal on their own goal. Armando Alonso bagged Saprissa's only goal of their own early in the second half.
Houston had problems against Pachuca a year ago, surrendering five goals in Pachuca. On one hand, it's probably a good thing Houston doesn't have to go to Mexico given Mexican clubs' 33-6 aggregate score against MLS teams on Mexican soil in this tournament's history. Then again, Saprissa's home turf isn't exactly a walk in the park. Saprissa, nicknamed El Monstruo, is about as tough of an away game as there is in Central America.
Funny things happen down there too. Atlante had two own goals there. In 2006, the Galaxy played the best first half of soccer they'd played in a long time - including the double-winning 2005 season - and held a 2-0 lead at halftime. But somehow Saprissa clawed their way back into the game and sent it into extra time where a phantom foul call set up a free kick which led to the match-winner and subsequent tournament winning goal.
Houston will host the first leg so they'll need to do better than a two-goal win as they did against Pachuca in the first leg a year ago. Atlante took a 2-1 aggregate score into Saprissa and crashed out spectacularly.
If Houston reaches the final, they will have earned their trip.
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Keeping mum in any language
I did interview Alvaro Pires today.
The first thing I asked him, speaking Portuguese, was: "Do you speak Spanish?"
A lot of Brazilian players learn Spanish easily - that's the way I always talked with Marcelo Saragosa, for example.
Alvaro answered in Portuguese, "I don't speak Spanish."
"My Portuguese is very bad," I told him (still speaking Portuguese) He just grinned.
"OK," I finally said. "You speak Portuguese, and I'll speak Spanish?" He nodded.
So that's how we got through the interview. Towards the end, I tried to get Pires to 'fess up to what he had said to Saragosa and Rocha during the fracas with Becks in Dallas. Pires was holding both of his countrymen off at one point. When reporters asked about what happened, Dallas goalkeeper Dario Sala never explained what words were exchanged, so I was hoping Pires could enlighten me.
Maybe the language gap helped him dodge the question.
"As the game was almost over in Dallas, there was a disagreement with Beckham and two Brazilians on the Dallas team. On TV, I saw you talking with Saragosa - what did you say to him, and what did he say to you?" I asked.
"Oh, yes, Saragosa is also Brazilian and we spoke together," answered Pires.
"What did he say?"
"Oh, I don't really remember," Pires said. Then he smiled again.
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The first thing I asked him, speaking Portuguese, was: "Do you speak Spanish?"
A lot of Brazilian players learn Spanish easily - that's the way I always talked with Marcelo Saragosa, for example.
Alvaro answered in Portuguese, "I don't speak Spanish."
"My Portuguese is very bad," I told him (still speaking Portuguese) He just grinned.
"OK," I finally said. "You speak Portuguese, and I'll speak Spanish?" He nodded.
So that's how we got through the interview. Towards the end, I tried to get Pires to 'fess up to what he had said to Saragosa and Rocha during the fracas with Becks in Dallas. Pires was holding both of his countrymen off at one point. When reporters asked about what happened, Dallas goalkeeper Dario Sala never explained what words were exchanged, so I was hoping Pires could enlighten me.
Maybe the language gap helped him dodge the question.
"As the game was almost over in Dallas, there was a disagreement with Beckham and two Brazilians on the Dallas team. On TV, I saw you talking with Saragosa - what did you say to him, and what did he say to you?" I asked.
"Oh, yes, Saragosa is also Brazilian and we spoke together," answered Pires.
"What did he say?"
"Oh, I don't really remember," Pires said. Then he smiled again.
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Ambassador for soccer
David Beckham's trip to New York came at a bit of a price, though he probably considered it worthwhile, helping those kids in Harlem and honoring Pele. Word was that he got to today's practice without having slept yet. He actually looked good in practice, though, but these shots are when he was just a bit off. In one, he missed the goal high, in the other, LD beat the defensive effort of Becks and got a shot off. Cronie saved it, though.
I didn't get to talk to David. He did do a few media interviews for TV, but was then hustled off, to sleep, presumably.
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The U.S. is in
Freddy scores twice, and Sacha has the capper while Canada is shut out.
Sorry there was no running blog. I was away from my home base and without net access.
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Sorry there was no running blog. I was away from my home base and without net access.
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G's practice
Who out there has been keeping up on the Galaxy and can identify the players training in the pics? Caption 1,2,3, and 4 correctly.
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Honduras is in
Honduras beat Guatemala in penalties to advance to the Summer Olympics. Honduras missed once in penalties but Guatemala missed twice, including one in the seventh round that sailed over the goal.
The game finished without any goals in 120 minutes of regulation and extra time.
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The game finished without any goals in 120 minutes of regulation and extra time.
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Knee's healing
Brad Guzan said he'd probably play against FC Dallas in the season opener on March 30. I believe him.
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Mexico's roster for Ghana
Hugo Sanchez will coach again, at least for one more game. Mexico will play Ghana in London on Wednesday, and here are the players he will count on.
Oswaldo Sanchez, Moises Munoz, Jesus Corona; Carlos Salcido, Ricardo Osorio, Aaron Galindo, Fausto Pinto, Israel Castro, Julio Cesar Dominguez; Pavel Pardo, Andres Guardado, Fernando Arce, Gerardo Torrado, Antonio "Zinha" Naelson; Carlos Vela, Antonio De Nigris, Nery Castillo, Juan Carlos Cacho, Adolfo Bautista, Guillermo Franco, Giovani Dos Santos.
Of note:
- Guillermo Franco, the source for much of the criticism that hounded Ricardo Lavolpe in his final months in charge of El Tri, was brought back into the squad by Hugo Sanchez.
- Sanchez, an ardent supporter of using only Mexican-born players on the national team before he took over as coach, has called up players born in the United States, Argentina and Brazil to the senior side.
- Aaron Galindo returns to the fold. Galdino and Salvador Carmona were booted from the 2005 Confederations Cup squad after each tested positive for steroids. Carmona was eventually banned for life for having tested positive again after he was suspended for one year. Galindo, meanwhile, went to Spain and is now playing for Eintrach Frankfurt in the German Bundesliga.
- Ten of the 21 players called in play in Europe.
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Oswaldo Sanchez, Moises Munoz, Jesus Corona; Carlos Salcido, Ricardo Osorio, Aaron Galindo, Fausto Pinto, Israel Castro, Julio Cesar Dominguez; Pavel Pardo, Andres Guardado, Fernando Arce, Gerardo Torrado, Antonio "Zinha" Naelson; Carlos Vela, Antonio De Nigris, Nery Castillo, Juan Carlos Cacho, Adolfo Bautista, Guillermo Franco, Giovani Dos Santos.
Of note:
- Guillermo Franco, the source for much of the criticism that hounded Ricardo Lavolpe in his final months in charge of El Tri, was brought back into the squad by Hugo Sanchez.
- Sanchez, an ardent supporter of using only Mexican-born players on the national team before he took over as coach, has called up players born in the United States, Argentina and Brazil to the senior side.
- Aaron Galindo returns to the fold. Galdino and Salvador Carmona were booted from the 2005 Confederations Cup squad after each tested positive for steroids. Carmona was eventually banned for life for having tested positive again after he was suspended for one year. Galindo, meanwhile, went to Spain and is now playing for Eintrach Frankfurt in the German Bundesliga.
- Ten of the 21 players called in play in Europe.
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Levels of Mexican confidence
Mexican publication Reforma took a nationwide poll regarding Hugo Sanchez's job approval amongst fans. Among the findings:
Should Hugo Sanchez stay on as coach?
56 percent said NO
40 percent said YES
4 percent were unsure
Who should replace Hugo Sanchez as coach?
51 percent were unsure
10 percent said JAVIER AGUIRRE
7 percent said RICARDO LAVOLPE
6 percent said JESUS RAMIREZ
Will Mexico qualify for the 2010 World Cup?
54 percent said YES
36 percent said NO
10 percent were unsure
How big of a failure is not reaching the Olympics?
36 percent said bad but NOT ONE OF THE WORST in Mexican soccer history
24 percent said ONE OF THE WORST in Mexican soccer history
17 percent said it was A SMALL SETBACK
13 percent said it was THE WORST-EVER FAILURE in Mexican soccer history
4 percent said it SHOULD NOT BE SEEN AS A FAILURE
6 percent were unsure
Is Mexican soccer in a crisis or is this just a bad result for the Under-23 team?
53 percent said it was just a BAD RESULT
40 percent said Mexican soccer is in a CRISIS
7 percent were unsure
Who is responsible for the Under-23's bad results?
43 percent said HUGO SANCHEZ
28 percent said SOME OF THE PLAYERS
13 percent said FMF OFFICIALS
12 percent said EVERYONE IS EQUALLY RESPONSIBLE
4 percent said other
Do you feel the media had some responsibility in the Under-23's failure to reach the Olympics?
72 percent said NO
20 percent said YES
8 percent were unsure
[According to Reforma, this was based on a survey done by telephone across Mexico on March 18, 2008, based on questions asked of soccer fans 16 years of age or older. There is a 4.8 percent margin of error. I'd post a link but it's a pay site.]
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Should Hugo Sanchez stay on as coach?
56 percent said NO
40 percent said YES
4 percent were unsure
Who should replace Hugo Sanchez as coach?
51 percent were unsure
10 percent said JAVIER AGUIRRE
7 percent said RICARDO LAVOLPE
6 percent said JESUS RAMIREZ
Will Mexico qualify for the 2010 World Cup?
54 percent said YES
36 percent said NO
10 percent were unsure
How big of a failure is not reaching the Olympics?
36 percent said bad but NOT ONE OF THE WORST in Mexican soccer history
24 percent said ONE OF THE WORST in Mexican soccer history
17 percent said it was A SMALL SETBACK
13 percent said it was THE WORST-EVER FAILURE in Mexican soccer history
4 percent said it SHOULD NOT BE SEEN AS A FAILURE
6 percent were unsure
Is Mexican soccer in a crisis or is this just a bad result for the Under-23 team?
53 percent said it was just a BAD RESULT
40 percent said Mexican soccer is in a CRISIS
7 percent were unsure
Who is responsible for the Under-23's bad results?
43 percent said HUGO SANCHEZ
28 percent said SOME OF THE PLAYERS
13 percent said FMF OFFICIALS
12 percent said EVERYONE IS EQUALLY RESPONSIBLE
4 percent said other
Do you feel the media had some responsibility in the Under-23's failure to reach the Olympics?
72 percent said NO
20 percent said YES
8 percent were unsure
[According to Reforma, this was based on a survey done by telephone across Mexico on March 18, 2008, based on questions asked of soccer fans 16 years of age or older. There is a 4.8 percent margin of error. I'd post a link but it's a pay site.]
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US on verge of Olympics
The United States will try to get to Beijing via Nashville. If the US can beat Canada, they will have punched their ticket to the Olympic games and will have made up somewhat for missing out in 2004.
Of course, Canada will be no easy task. In fact, Canada is in an enviable position as all the pressure is on the United States and their offense has scored more than one goal from the run of play.
For the United States, the lack of offense is worrisome. The team just can't finish. Perhaps Jozy Altidore's injury concerns hampered him during the first round but other forwards, namely Chad Barrett and Robbie Findley, have struggled to put shots on goal, let alone in the back of the net.
Defensively there are no such concerns. The United States' defense has played solid since the start. The revelation has been Michael Orozco, but that's only because many American fans were unfamiliar with him. Prior to the tournament, Patrick Ianni was getting a lot of play and hype on the backline and Orozco was the unknown player. Still, Ianni was not a regular starter for Houston last season while Orozco starts for San Luis of the Mexican First Division, so the Orange native is seemingly talented and is proving as much.
Here are a couple of game previews from the Canadians' point-of-view: this one from Canada.com and this one from the National Post's Colin Smith (the picture accompanying this last one is not the best picture).
And here is a story from Ridge Mahoney for the USA Today.
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Of course, Canada will be no easy task. In fact, Canada is in an enviable position as all the pressure is on the United States and their offense has scored more than one goal from the run of play.
For the United States, the lack of offense is worrisome. The team just can't finish. Perhaps Jozy Altidore's injury concerns hampered him during the first round but other forwards, namely Chad Barrett and Robbie Findley, have struggled to put shots on goal, let alone in the back of the net.
Defensively there are no such concerns. The United States' defense has played solid since the start. The revelation has been Michael Orozco, but that's only because many American fans were unfamiliar with him. Prior to the tournament, Patrick Ianni was getting a lot of play and hype on the backline and Orozco was the unknown player. Still, Ianni was not a regular starter for Houston last season while Orozco starts for San Luis of the Mexican First Division, so the Orange native is seemingly talented and is proving as much.
Here are a couple of game previews from the Canadians' point-of-view: this one from Canada.com and this one from the National Post's Colin Smith (the picture accompanying this last one is not the best picture).
And here is a story from Ridge Mahoney for the USA Today.
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Another club joins the blogging ranks
Chivas USA launched its own blog and became the latest MLS club to have its own such outlet.
But it will have some work to do if it can get to the level of what I consider the best MLS team blog out there.
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But it will have some work to do if it can get to the level of what I consider the best MLS team blog out there.
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Star power
Becks is apparently willing to fly around for MLS events, including this one in New York, where he honored Pele yesterday.
(The Galaxy had a day off from training Wednesday, in case anyone was wondering if Becks skipped out on practice.)
It's actually the second time Becks has acted on behalf of Harlem Youth Soccer. He ran a clinic there last year.
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(The Galaxy had a day off from training Wednesday, in case anyone was wondering if Becks skipped out on practice.)
It's actually the second time Becks has acted on behalf of Harlem Youth Soccer. He ran a clinic there last year.
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Rocky Mountain Whine
In general, U.S. Soccer coaches have a rule about calling in overseas players - they don't do it unless they're going to play them. Honestly, why subject someone to the travel if they're not going to step on the field?
However, over in Colorado, they're apparently worried that Beckham will miss the opener there. Yet at the same time, they question whether Becks will even get a cap.
First of all, three days rest is much more what Beckham got last year when he played the entire match for England versus Germany before flying back to an MLS match versus Chivas USA the next day. Secondly, if he only plays part of the match or not at all, why wouldn't he be fine to play in Colorado? Finally, perhaps MLS learned about marketing matches, any matches, as "Come see a certain someone" because players do get injured and that's just part of the game.
Maybe they're actually marketing this as "Come see the Galaxy" and if people haven't figured out that David Beckham is a member of that team, well, they're probably too far out of the soccer loop to be converted into fans anyway.
Beckham will likely play, barring injury, in both games - the one in France and the one in Colorado.
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However, over in Colorado, they're apparently worried that Beckham will miss the opener there. Yet at the same time, they question whether Becks will even get a cap.
First of all, three days rest is much more what Beckham got last year when he played the entire match for England versus Germany before flying back to an MLS match versus Chivas USA the next day. Secondly, if he only plays part of the match or not at all, why wouldn't he be fine to play in Colorado? Finally, perhaps MLS learned about marketing matches, any matches, as "Come see a certain someone" because players do get injured and that's just part of the game.
Maybe they're actually marketing this as "Come see the Galaxy" and if people haven't figured out that David Beckham is a member of that team, well, they're probably too far out of the soccer loop to be converted into fans anyway.
Beckham will likely play, barring injury, in both games - the one in France and the one in Colorado.
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Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Brad's back
Well, it was actually his knee that he injured but Brad Guzan participated in his first full training session today since he injured his knee a few weeks ago. He made a few great saves and was his usual vocal self during the short-sided game. How close is he to being 100 percent? He said he was all but fit right now, maybe 95 percent healthy.
He's in the mix for next week's U.S.-Poland game and in fact someone from the US team was out at training today and Brad may in fact not only return for the season opener but he might even get to go to Poland after all.
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He's in the mix for next week's U.S.-Poland game and in fact someone from the US team was out at training today and Brad may in fact not only return for the season opener but he might even get to go to Poland after all.
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Joe was kidding
But was Bob joking as well?
Joe D'hippolito was being funny when he suggested in the comment of a recent post that Steve Sampson should take over as coach of Mexico. The U.S. and Mexico have successfully taken turns with coaches before, as was the case with Bora Milutinovic (who is probably available, I haven't checked), but I know Joe isn't a Sampson fan.
However, I just got this email in my inbox and I don't know Bob as well, so he might be serious.
Although it would always be a better situation for the US teams to
improve. Having Sanchez as the top guy in Mexico will give the US a
much better chance. I recommend the FMF should look long and hard at
Steve Sampson.
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Joe D'hippolito was being funny when he suggested in the comment of a recent post that Steve Sampson should take over as coach of Mexico. The U.S. and Mexico have successfully taken turns with coaches before, as was the case with Bora Milutinovic (who is probably available, I haven't checked), but I know Joe isn't a Sampson fan.
However, I just got this email in my inbox and I don't know Bob as well, so he might be serious.
Although it would always be a better situation for the US teams to
improve. Having Sanchez as the top guy in Mexico will give the US a
much better chance. I recommend the FMF should look long and hard at
Steve Sampson.
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Back in town
Well, sort of - back in Southern California, at least. Can anyone guess who and what he's doing here?
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Need Somebody to love
Hugo Sanchez had a leg up on any coach angling for the job of coaching Mexico. Not only was he Somebody, he was Mexico's most famous Somebody, the player who was the best ever from that country.
Admit it, there's a glamor attached to such people. They thrilled fans on the field, so people look to them to do it again from the sideline. Somehow, we imagine it to be part of the natural order of things - great player can equal great coach. Many times, it doesn't always work out that way, but what is clearly evident is that famous ex-players often get chance after chance that nobodies (who may be VERY good coaches) will never get.
Frankly, that's how Jurgen Klinsman got the job for Germany. It's not like Ruud Gullit has done a lot of coaching, either.
It may be that the admiration people have felt for so long for Hugo Sanchez may carry him through his latest tribulations. But no question, if he was Juan Sanchez, or basically any other Mexican coach, he'd probably be toast.
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Admit it, there's a glamor attached to such people. They thrilled fans on the field, so people look to them to do it again from the sideline. Somehow, we imagine it to be part of the natural order of things - great player can equal great coach. Many times, it doesn't always work out that way, but what is clearly evident is that famous ex-players often get chance after chance that nobodies (who may be VERY good coaches) will never get.
Frankly, that's how Jurgen Klinsman got the job for Germany. It's not like Ruud Gullit has done a lot of coaching, either.
It may be that the admiration people have felt for so long for Hugo Sanchez may carry him through his latest tribulations. But no question, if he was Juan Sanchez, or basically any other Mexican coach, he'd probably be toast.
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Found in translation
I got an email asking for the translation of the Ruiz interview. That makes the email sound demanding, but it was really nice, thanking us for the videos and pictures we post and calling us the best blog. OOOOhhh, flattery! But it works.
Anyway, here's what Ruiz said - my questions aren't there, but you can probably figure what I asked by his answer.
Asia . I played the three games there, and I scored three goals in one game. That gives me confidence, as a forward. I hope to continue with those results. I feel good physically, and there’s still time before league play begins, so I’m going to continue to get ready and be 100 percent and help the team improve every day.
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Anyway, here's what Ruiz said - my questions aren't there, but you can probably figure what I asked by his answer.
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Tuca the janitor
Before Tuesday, I thought Ricardo "Tuca" Ferreti might be angling for the position of coach with the Mexican national team. He has been critical of certain decisions by both the federation (remember his tirade against a friendly in LA versus who he called Guate-peor?) and current coach Hugo Sanchez (Ferreti, a Brazilian, said recently he did not believe in calling in foreigners to the national team). He seemed to be taking the same approach that landed Sanchez the job - well, minus the back-to-back championships - as Sanchez was a harsh critic of former coach Ricardo Lavolpe.
But then on Tuesday Ferreti said otherwise.
"The only position in which I have absolutely no interest in is coach of the Mexican national team. If you were to offer me a job as a janitor, perhaps I'd be interested but the national team coaching job does not interest me. I've been a candidate four times but don't even put me in there because I won't go. Even if I were the last coach in the world I wouldn't go."
Listen to the audio of it on this mediotiempo.com story.
Tuca has had success in league before and won a championship with Chivas. When Francisco Palencia was here with Chivas, Tuca's name was one he threw out that he'd rather see in charge of El Tri instead of then-coach Ricardo Lavolpe. Both are now with Pumas.
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But then on Tuesday Ferreti said otherwise.
"The only position in which I have absolutely no interest in is coach of the Mexican national team. If you were to offer me a job as a janitor, perhaps I'd be interested but the national team coaching job does not interest me. I've been a candidate four times but don't even put me in there because I won't go. Even if I were the last coach in the world I wouldn't go."
Listen to the audio of it on this mediotiempo.com story.
Tuca has had success in league before and won a championship with Chivas. When Francisco Palencia was here with Chivas, Tuca's name was one he threw out that he'd rather see in charge of El Tri instead of then-coach Ricardo Lavolpe. Both are now with Pumas.
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Name game
Grahame Jones of the LA Times takes a look at the expansion teams coming into the league and what they might be called. As Grahame points out, it seems like a minor detail in the grand scheme of things but it's something that must be figured out.
He points out the existence of St. Louis Soccer United and wonders if MLS could stand to have two United clubs.
That might confuse non-soccer fans but if St. Louis gets a team and names it United, it probably wouldn't be too confusing to us. American sports is transfixed on city names and nicknames as part of the full team name but many clubs in the world don't have their city names on their logo or as part of their name or anything. The Buenos Aires xeneizes? Not quite.
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He points out the existence of St. Louis Soccer United and wonders if MLS could stand to have two United clubs.
That might confuse non-soccer fans but if St. Louis gets a team and names it United, it probably wouldn't be too confusing to us. American sports is transfixed on city names and nicknames as part of the full team name but many clubs in the world don't have their city names on their logo or as part of their name or anything. The Buenos Aires xeneizes? Not quite.
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Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Not much funny
Pretty serious for a cartoon.
"Can I help you with your baggage, sir?" asks the porter.
"No, he can walk by himself," Little Tri answers, pointing to Hugo.
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"Can I help you with your baggage, sir?" asks the porter.
"No, he can walk by himself," Little Tri answers, pointing to Hugo.
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United rout
D.C. United thumped Harbour View of Jamaica by a 5-0 score on Tuesday and advanced to the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal by virtue of a 6-1 aggregate score. D.C. will await the winner of the Pachuca-Motagua series, which is even at 0-0 entering Wednesday's second leg.
A former Galaxy player had a hand in the rout. Santino Quaranta assisted on one of the later goals. Quaranta came on as a second-half substitute.
I think the Galaxy made some questionable moves over the last 12-18 months or so but getting rid of Quaranta was definitely not one of them. He has talent still and he did do some good things for the Galaxy but he was not going to find success out here. If he regains his form and does well, it's probably because he needed the change of scenery.
It's too bad it couldn't have worked out. Quaranta could have helped this midfield out, but his upside here was minimal at best.
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A former Galaxy player had a hand in the rout. Santino Quaranta assisted on one of the later goals. Quaranta came on as a second-half substitute.
I think the Galaxy made some questionable moves over the last 12-18 months or so but getting rid of Quaranta was definitely not one of them. He has talent still and he did do some good things for the Galaxy but he was not going to find success out here. If he regains his form and does well, it's probably because he needed the change of scenery.
It's too bad it couldn't have worked out. Quaranta could have helped this midfield out, but his upside here was minimal at best.
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Carlito's Way
Here's the article I mentioned was coming from my Carlos Ruiz interview.
Out of curiosity, if Carlos was to get a new nickname, what should it be? Suggestions are welcome.
Oh, and so you can hear Carlos himself, here's the audio.
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Out of curiosity, if Carlos was to get a new nickname, what should it be? Suggestions are welcome.
Oh, and so you can hear Carlos himself, here's the audio.
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Guess again
I was clearing out my digital recorder and I found this, which made me laugh again. Who is the guy bragging?
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Sniffing around again
El Lobo is working on a move back to MLS. Wonder how motivated he will be in games versus the team that dumped him, Chivas USA.
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Many points of view
Here's what one guy thinks of Beckham.
Here's another view - with a bonus quick commentary on the growing soccer savvy of American fans.
This guy makes a literary comparison - to F. Scott Fitzgerald, of all people.
This one gives MLS a couple of props.
This guy has obviously never heard of the SuperLiga games that sold out at PHP, or the MLS Cup finals that did the same.
This writer cracks on Babayaro - and the Galaxy.
Ok, now I'm tired. You get the idea. Many viewpoints.
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Here's another view - with a bonus quick commentary on the growing soccer savvy of American fans.
This guy makes a literary comparison - to F. Scott Fitzgerald, of all people.
This one gives MLS a couple of props.
This guy has obviously never heard of the SuperLiga games that sold out at PHP, or the MLS Cup finals that did the same.
This writer cracks on Babayaro - and the Galaxy.
Ok, now I'm tired. You get the idea. Many viewpoints.
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More on Sanchez
Though some would say "Moron Sanchez."
Anyway, here's my PE column on the matter. I wasn't able to sell any stories to them for the qualifying tournament so this was my chance to fill on my readers on the exciting week of action at Home Depot Center.
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Anyway, here's my PE column on the matter. I wasn't able to sell any stories to them for the qualifying tournament so this was my chance to fill on my readers on the exciting week of action at Home Depot Center.
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Monday, March 17, 2008
Tall tale
Stories about David Beckham's off-the-field life are sometimes pulled out of thin air. The recent reports about his supposed longing for life in London are one.
And so is this one. I just coincidentally ran across this on a non-soccer site today. It's too bad not all Beckham rumors can be debunked as easily or thoroughly as this one.
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And so is this one. I just coincidentally ran across this on a non-soccer site today. It's too bad not all Beckham rumors can be debunked as easily or thoroughly as this one.
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Main points
Earlier today,
But before he took any questions, he made a few points up front. Gazidis said that while the infrastructure of the league has been developing and that the sport is in a “very healthy condition” with new investors and partnerships around, “nothing will be more important than how the game progresses on the field.”
“The goal as we go through this period of expansion is not just to keep our level of play at where it is today but to continue to take it forward and raise it so that the league a decade from now is substantially stronger than it is today.”
Over the next five years, however, the league’s quality of play might be tested. In 2008, there will be 14
So where will all those players come from?
“In short- to medium-term as we go through expansion, we have to focus on the international player pool in order to continue to develop our product,” Gazidis said. “We’re not going to be able to develop overnight new domestic players in the domestic market and so the international player pool is where we look. We’ve accompanied that with an increase and a simplification in our international player limits so that we’re now going into 2008 with eight international players per team.”
Gazidis said that
But the league is not just concerned about the short term. Whereas a decade ago many wondered if the league would still be around in a few years, now the league has no such worries. Now, it can focus on such things as developing players.
“This short term investment in the international marketplace is also being accompanied by a medium- to long-term investment in player development… so that ultimately we are able to supply Major League Soccer primarily from our domestic home-grown player pool,” Gazidis said.
The league is moving towards having all of its clubs having youth academies this year and eight of them, and maybe a ninth, will be free of charge to participating players, Gazidis said. It might take a while for this to pay off but to have a player come up through a club’s youth development system to the first team should happen in the next few years, he said.
“This really is an investment in the medium- to long-term so we won’t really see the fruits of a lot of these endeavors until we’re five, six or seven years out from when we started instituting them.”
As far as the 2008 season goes, rosters might be getting sorted out as Opening Day approaches but that does not mean players won’t be joining
There have been “21 new international players since
“We’re still early for the cycle of imports. At this time last year for example we’d signed only about a third of our international players that ended up coming in during the course of 2007 so there will continue to be significant signings through March and April… and then again when the window opens in July and August.”
U.S. Soccer, Gazidis said, will determine the participants in the CONCACAF Champions League. Coupled with SuperLiga, the new tournament will provide some much-needed competition for
“Having our players play against teams from overseas in meaningful games is very important for the development of our teams and our players and we have a very full complement of international competition this year. They also increase the intensity of the regular season by providing incentives for regular season finish in regular season games. Together with the fact that we are expanding our league to 14 teams so now only 8 of 14 will make our playoffs, we think there will be an added element of intensity and importance to every regular season game in 2008. We think it will be the most important and intense regular season we’ve ever had.”
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Anatomy of a fracaso
Mexico failing to get out of the group stage in this Olympic qualifying tournament is a failure. Not even the most positive approach could paint the picture any other differently.
But to understand the depths of this failure - and the depths of many Mexican supporters' animosity and possible hatred of coach Hugo Sanchez - you need only examine just how many resources were poured into the Under-23 national team.
Many called this the Golden Generation of Mexican soccer, since the current young generation (19-22 year-olds or so) were part of Mexico's Under-17 World Championship squad of 2005. Already, the groundwork for future successes was seemingly laid in Peru. Elements of that team participated in the 2007 U-20 World Cup but the team fell short of reaching the final.
Still, the Olympics were supposed to have been another crucial part of their development. Hugo Sanchez even went so far as to promise a medal in the Beijing games.
The task of identifying players and pieceing together the Under-23 roster began in Denver in August 2007. Mexico played Colombia and lost 1-0 but that match saw the inclusion of guys like Santiago Fernandez, Edgar Castillo, Cesar Villaluz and Julio Cesar Dominguez, players who would go on to play a key role in the final Under-23 squad.
On Oct. 17, 2007, Mexico played Guatemala in Los Angeles. Like the Colombia match, this game featured some senior roster players such as Jonny Magallon and Gonzalo Pineda but included mostly players from the Under-23 pool. Three players who many felt would have made a difference in Carson this last week played in that game as Carlos Vela, Giovani Dos Santos and Andres Guardado all played in that match. Still, Mexico ended up losing to Guatemala 3-2.
Mexico tried to secure the participation of the aforementioned trio from their respective Spanish clubs but were unsuccessful in doing so. But the talent that remained was seemingly sufficient. The team gathered for preparation in early February as several Mexican clubs had to do without their participating players for the tour. Thus clubs like America (Guillermo Ochoa, Enrique Esqueda, Juan Carlos Silva) and Cruz Azul (Julio Cesar Dominguez, Cesar Villaluz) had to make do without some key players for quite a long stretch of the season (and in some cases international tournament matches).
Mexico lined up five friendlies as preparation for the tournament; three in Mexico and two in the United States. Everything seemed fine as Mexico started off with a 2-0 win over Chile. But then Ecuador beat Mexico 1-0 and Paraguay held Mexico to a scoreless draw. While the results suddenly were drying up, the squad itself was getting valuable time with each other.
Mexico then played a pair of games here in the United States, but both games were draws - a 1-1 tie with Australia and a scoreless game against Finland.
Yet despite the lack of results, Sanchez and the players were presenting a confident demeanor entering the tournament and even up until the final game.
So, ultimately Mexico not only had a talented roster to draw from - its league is one of the strongest on this side of the world - but the team spent a great deal of time together with nothing but this qualifying tournament to prepare for.
Mexico could have gotten its squad together two days before the start of the tournament and many would have expected the team to advance nonetheless. But having spent more than one month together, playing games, training, etc., it makes it even more catastrophic that Mexico did not so much as get out of the group stage.
When you look at it that way and couple it with previous broken promises, then, it's no wonder why many are calling for Sanchez's head.
Read more...
But to understand the depths of this failure - and the depths of many Mexican supporters' animosity and possible hatred of coach Hugo Sanchez - you need only examine just how many resources were poured into the Under-23 national team.
Many called this the Golden Generation of Mexican soccer, since the current young generation (19-22 year-olds or so) were part of Mexico's Under-17 World Championship squad of 2005. Already, the groundwork for future successes was seemingly laid in Peru. Elements of that team participated in the 2007 U-20 World Cup but the team fell short of reaching the final.
Still, the Olympics were supposed to have been another crucial part of their development. Hugo Sanchez even went so far as to promise a medal in the Beijing games.
The task of identifying players and pieceing together the Under-23 roster began in Denver in August 2007. Mexico played Colombia and lost 1-0 but that match saw the inclusion of guys like Santiago Fernandez, Edgar Castillo, Cesar Villaluz and Julio Cesar Dominguez, players who would go on to play a key role in the final Under-23 squad.
On Oct. 17, 2007, Mexico played Guatemala in Los Angeles. Like the Colombia match, this game featured some senior roster players such as Jonny Magallon and Gonzalo Pineda but included mostly players from the Under-23 pool. Three players who many felt would have made a difference in Carson this last week played in that game as Carlos Vela, Giovani Dos Santos and Andres Guardado all played in that match. Still, Mexico ended up losing to Guatemala 3-2.
Mexico tried to secure the participation of the aforementioned trio from their respective Spanish clubs but were unsuccessful in doing so. But the talent that remained was seemingly sufficient. The team gathered for preparation in early February as several Mexican clubs had to do without their participating players for the tour. Thus clubs like America (Guillermo Ochoa, Enrique Esqueda, Juan Carlos Silva) and Cruz Azul (Julio Cesar Dominguez, Cesar Villaluz) had to make do without some key players for quite a long stretch of the season (and in some cases international tournament matches).
Mexico lined up five friendlies as preparation for the tournament; three in Mexico and two in the United States. Everything seemed fine as Mexico started off with a 2-0 win over Chile. But then Ecuador beat Mexico 1-0 and Paraguay held Mexico to a scoreless draw. While the results suddenly were drying up, the squad itself was getting valuable time with each other.
Mexico then played a pair of games here in the United States, but both games were draws - a 1-1 tie with Australia and a scoreless game against Finland.
Yet despite the lack of results, Sanchez and the players were presenting a confident demeanor entering the tournament and even up until the final game.
So, ultimately Mexico not only had a talented roster to draw from - its league is one of the strongest on this side of the world - but the team spent a great deal of time together with nothing but this qualifying tournament to prepare for.
Mexico could have gotten its squad together two days before the start of the tournament and many would have expected the team to advance nonetheless. But having spent more than one month together, playing games, training, etc., it makes it even more catastrophic that Mexico did not so much as get out of the group stage.
When you look at it that way and couple it with previous broken promises, then, it's no wonder why many are calling for Sanchez's head.
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The goals and the misses
Second-half highlights from Sunday's Mexico-Haiti game.
At the end of the game, as soon as the final whistle blows, the commentator says: "Tomorrow, if Hugo Sanchez has any dignity, he will submit his resignation" and then goes on to criticize the coach some more on his failures and on the failures of this team in general.
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At the end of the game, as soon as the final whistle blows, the commentator says: "Tomorrow, if Hugo Sanchez has any dignity, he will submit his resignation" and then goes on to criticize the coach some more on his failures and on the failures of this team in general.
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The ones who will decide
So who recognizes them and can tell our readers what they are saying about Hugo Sanchez? Even if you don't understand Spanish, body language says a lot.
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Tri torn up
The little Mexico soccer mascot is beaten up, and perhaps confused.
"One goal kept me from Beijing," he says to Hugo. (Actually, Mexico would still have needed to get past the U.S. to qualify.)
"But if it means you're gone, it's worth it!"
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"One goal kept me from Beijing," he says to Hugo. (Actually, Mexico would still have needed to get past the U.S. to qualify.)
"But if it means you're gone, it's worth it!"
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Becks back in Dallas
Cesar - the little emperor
Carlos Vela and Giovanni Dos Santos got most of the attention in Peru while winning the U17 World Cup with Mexico, but I was always impressed with Cesar Villaluz. I was happy when Cruz Azul, my favorite Mexican club team, signed him up. He's done pretty well on the field, even given Mexico's exit at the Olympic qualifying tournament, but I also admire how he handled himself after that fiasco. He's young, but he was honest and calm in admitting that he and his team fell short.
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Grassy knoll soccer
Canada's coach, Nick Dasovic, was perhaps justified in acting like the possibility of collusion to affect the match outcome was beneath his consideration or response, but I remember plenty of Canadians (including Ante Jazic, who spoke to me about it) were convinced that CONCACAF had screwed them in last year’s Gold Cup. Jazic thought it was a CONCACAF conspiracy to put the U.S. and Mexico in the final.
In fact, a Canadian reporter here was talking to me about that, "Yes, everyone thinks that the Gold Cup semifinals were fixed, so the Federation could have its two marquee teams in the final for better ratings.”
I mentioned that ratings climb when Mexico plays, but the U.S. isn’t much of a difference-maker, as witnessed by the very small U.S. contingent in Soldier Field for the Gold Cup. “Mexico fans are very loyal – if their team was in a final versus anyone else from CONCACAF, they would watch.”
Anyway, the point is, it’s not as if the Canadians (and any nationality who ever has had trouble with a loss) haven’t ever wondered about conspiracies themselves, so any implication that only Mexicans think that way is wrong.
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In fact, a Canadian reporter here was talking to me about that, "Yes, everyone thinks that the Gold Cup semifinals were fixed, so the Federation could have its two marquee teams in the final for better ratings.”
I mentioned that ratings climb when Mexico plays, but the U.S. isn’t much of a difference-maker, as witnessed by the very small U.S. contingent in Soldier Field for the Gold Cup. “Mexico fans are very loyal – if their team was in a final versus anyone else from CONCACAF, they would watch.”
Anyway, the point is, it’s not as if the Canadians (and any nationality who ever has had trouble with a loss) haven’t ever wondered about conspiracies themselves, so any implication that only Mexicans think that way is wrong.
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The way it is
Haiti's coach Wilner Etienne doesn't sugarcoat it.
"We have some players who can play at a high level, and there are some players who we can’t count on. Some players wouldn’t pass the ball. Some players have proven their quality and they’re the ones in the plans of the senior team."
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On call
Over the next few days, you may see Ivan Gazidis' name pop up often around the news. The MLS Deputy Commissioner will be on a conference call later today to the media and we'll have the opportunity to ask him questions regarding, well, anything and everything.
The press release mentions the following topics:
- New player acquisitions, the Designated Player rule
- International competition - SuperLiga, CONCACAF Champions Cup, Champions League
- 2008 MLS schedule
- Roster rules
- Youth development
I imagine those are the things most of us would be interested in talking to him about. I know that I'll be writing stories on many of those issues in the coming weeks and probably will hit the second one hard at some time during the summer.
I'll keep you guys posted if anything interesting comes up. The call is supposed to start at 11 am PT.
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The press release mentions the following topics:
- New player acquisitions, the Designated Player rule
- International competition - SuperLiga, CONCACAF Champions Cup, Champions League
- 2008 MLS schedule
- Roster rules
- Youth development
I imagine those are the things most of us would be interested in talking to him about. I know that I'll be writing stories on many of those issues in the coming weeks and probably will hit the second one hard at some time during the summer.
I'll keep you guys posted if anything interesting comes up. The call is supposed to start at 11 am PT.
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It's in the cards
When I was younger, I was into baseball cards. I collected lots and lots of baseball cards and by the time was about 15 or so I had quite a collection. Eventually it was a hobby that I couldn't keep up with, as both the price and types of cards skyrocketed and I lost interest.
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Then, when MLS came around I worked part-time at an elementary school and one of the things I used as rewards and incentives were soccer cards. I gave them all away of course but I remember some cool-looking cards. A favorite of the students was the Jorge Campos card but the Carlos Valderrama card was pretty popular too.
Lately, when I go to Target I've been checking their trading cards periodically to see if they have any soccer cards but usually end up leaving the section wondering why there are all these other types of cards but no soccer ones.
On Saturday, though, I learned that there are indeed soccer cards out there. Jaime Cardenas showed me a pack of cards he got from a friend, and among the cards he got in his pack as a David Beckham card.
These cards are put out by Upper Deck but beyond that I have no info, well, except for these pictures of course.
Some of the other cards in the deck that I didn't take pictures of were a Ronnie O'Brien, Nico Hernandez, Eddie Pope and some special Freddy Adu card.
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Two new reps
If nothing else, CONCACAF will have two different representatives in Beijing from the last Olympic games. Costa Rica didn't even reach this qualifying tournament while Mexico were done in by Guatemala and terrible finishing.
The U.S. missed out on the 2004 games but were in Sydney for the 2000 Olympics - likewise for Honduras. Guatemala played in the 1988 Olympics in Korea while Canada last had a chance to play in the men's soccer in 1984.
Anyway, here's Jaime Cardenas' story for the LA Times on Sunday's matches.
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The U.S. missed out on the 2004 games but were in Sydney for the 2000 Olympics - likewise for Honduras. Guatemala played in the 1988 Olympics in Korea while Canada last had a chance to play in the men's soccer in 1984.
Anyway, here's Jaime Cardenas' story for the LA Times on Sunday's matches.
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Letting them have it
Monday's cover of Cancha, a Mexican sports daily:
Roughly translated, it says:
Idiots don't go to China
> El Tri misses chances in ridiculous manner and is incapable of beating 9 Haitians by 5 goals
> The best generation in recent years is out of the Olympics and Hugo Sanchez endures his worst failure
ADD:
And here's another version of Monday's Cancha cover. Not sure but I think this one ran in Mexico City while the other in Guadalajara.
Rough translation:
OUT!
> Mexico won't go to the Olympic games; is incapable of beating 9 Haitians by 5 goals
> Another promise Hugo does not fulfill; he said he would win the 2007 Gold Cup but lost in the final; said he would win a medal in Beijing and does not even qualify
> Canada will go to semifinals instead of Mexico after routing Guatemala
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Sunday, March 16, 2008
At the presser
Jaime Cardenas is not getting any Christmas cards from Canada's Nick Dasovic. Jaime asked in the press conference if there was any agreement between Canada and Guatemala for the game. Nick, trying to keep his emotions in check, refused to answer that question.
Here's how I would have phrased it, "Nick, conspiracy theories being what they are, some people are going to wonder if there was any agreement between Canada and Guatemala for this game - what would you say to those people?"
Hey, I figure, if there's a question a reporter feels needs to be asked because people at large will wonder about it, then blame "those people" for the question.
Scott French says, "I thought [Jaime's] question was tongue-in-cheek." Jaime said it was, a little bit, and he wanted to hear the reaction. You can hear the reaction of reporter Nick Green clearly - he's the one laughing.
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Dead Teams Playing
No seriously, who expects Mexico to put up five goals? Haiti just needs to win, though, and that would knock out Canada.
Anyway, they kick off.
Grahame's here - he said he was reading the blog and decided he had to come to the second game after Canada scored the third goal. He was pretty surprised to find out they scored two more.
5 - Five of the Haitian players are wearing gloves - are they kidding? It's not that cold.
6 - Mexico FK Edgar Andrade puts it wide. "They need a goal every 15 minutes," says Grahame. "So they're still on pace."
13 - Wow - The post has turned against Mexico - Two players are in the box with shots. The first is parried by Johnny Placide and goes off the bar, the rebound falls, another shot - the other post.
17 - GOAL! Mexico! Just as Grahme speculates that Mexico could, if they really are giving up, throw this game and knock out Canada by losing, a long cross comes in to Villaluz and he heads it into goal. They're slightly off the 15 minute pace, though.
19 - Haiti is looking dangerous on the counter - Leonel Saint-Preux is blowing past everyone.
26 - Sony Norde from long-range. We're all wondering what the heck he was thinking, but then it nearly went in.
29 - RED CARD! Edgar Andrade gets taken down by Judelin Aveska. He's the last man back and the red gets pulled by ref Joel Aguilar. It's not a PK, though. Aguilar spots it right outside the box. The FK gets defelcted for a CK, which gets cleared. Grahame points out that Mexico is behind the clock pace for goals, but they do have a man advantage now.
40 - Technical problems, but during that span, Mexico haven't scored, though they had three close calls.
41 0 Haiti CK - Memo comes out and catches it. Pablo Barrera runs the length of the field with the ball, then hits a cross that drifts out of bounds by just a bit. What a waste.
44 - Mexico is putting in long crosses. They're getting away from the short-pass, quick moves that served them so well earlier. Haiti is tall and athletic enough to fend off the longball tactic.
Yellow for Barrera now, he cleated Fabrice while fighting for the ball.
45 - Mexico's fans are incensed - a foul on Castillo in the corner of the box gets spotted just outside, no PK. Castillo takes the FK, it gets cleared out, he sends a cross back in and Alan Zamora heads it over the bar.
Yellow for Santiago Fernandez - dissent for arguing an offside call.
Halftime - Grahame notes that Mexico now needs a goal every nine minutes.
47 - Landin is in. The crowd is subdued, though.
48 - Six shots on target for Mexico, but only one goal.
50 CK Mexico. Castillo hits it short, then in side the box the cross bumps off the Hatian defender's arm. Crowd wants a PK, but ref waves the contact off as incidental.
53 - What can I say, there's not a lot of urgency in this match right now. Mexico are so far behind what they need to qualify that the discouragement must be inevitable.
54 - Enrique Esqueda redirects a cross in the box, right to goalkeeper Johnny Placide.
56 - Castillo is in the box again - goes down, no call. The fans and Hugo Sanchez are especially upset by that one. Security better protect Aguilar after the game.
58 - The press box is trying to figure out when is the last time the Olympic team of Mexico scored more than one goal in a game. I think we might have to go back to when they beat the U.S. in Jalisco four years ago
60 - GOAL! Mexico! "Now they need a goal every five or six minutes," says Grahame. "Ooh, here comes one. They've got five or six guys running in the box. One of them has to make it."
Sure enough, Edgar Andrade does. 2-0 Villaluz had the cross
62- Castillo is in the box, goes down, no PK.
63 - GOAL! Haiti! On the counter, Leonel, who Grahame is picking for a move to MLS, gets a quick flick pass, moves to a better angle and knocks it just inside the post. 2-1
68 - Another attack in which Mexico had numbers up and should have done better, but the cross goes over the goal and out of bounds.
70 - GOAL! Mexico Edgar Andrade passes to Enrique Esqueda in the box, who sends a toe-poke pass to Santiago Fernandez, who puts it away. 3-1 Mexico
72 - Landin in the box - fires straight to the keeper. Grahame "Not the baby-faced assasin - the baby-faced asinine" Trust, they're not the same thing.
73 - Ugh, miss of the year. Fernandez alone in front of goal gets a pass and somehow, from four feet away, kicks it too hard and it goes over the goal. Incredible. No one can believe he missed that.
74 - Castillo into the box again, doesn't fall down, centers past the goalkeeper - and Fernandez redirects it wide of the goal. I think he was six feet away in front of an open goal that time, though.
78 - About five guys on Mexico's team touch the ball in the box, but no one gets a shot off. PK! Dangerous play - a Haitian player kicked high in the box during that tangle.
79 - Cesar takes it - Placide saves! Dang, this is not good for Mexico.
80 - The pressbox is now thinking that Mexico's team has blown so many chances that Hugo Sanchez simply can't be blamed for this. It's evil juju or something.
82 - Andrade on the wing has three teammates running for his pass and he overshoots all of them with a way-too-hard cross. Wow.
83 - A shot off the post by Mexico - Yikes.
83 - GOAL! Mexico - A three on one, and this time, Mexico doesn't screw it up. Esqueda scores. 4-1 Mexico
84 - 86 Fighting and shoving breaks out at the center circle. The ref brings out the red for Jaqueson Jean, but Haiti argues it for a long time.
89 - GOAL Mexico! Haiti, surprisingly isn't playing defensively. They still have their forwards, what's left of them, up. A counter springs three players and the one defender there is easily avoided, as is the charging goalkeeper. Landin scores it. 5-1
90+ Five minutes of stoppage time. Mexico needs one more goal to send this to a tiebreak.
Now Haiti has players back. They run the offsides trap well and Mexico gets caught in it. They try again. Landin 1v1! Placide saves! Foot save alone against Landin.
Silva has hurt his arm, but he plays on - they've used up their subs.
Placide picks the ball of Landin's foot in the box. It's the last charge.
Final whistle. Mexico falls one goal short. "You know what it came down to?" Grahame says. "They missed that penalty. They didn't get the gimme goal."
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Anyway, they kick off.
Grahame's here - he said he was reading the blog and decided he had to come to the second game after Canada scored the third goal. He was pretty surprised to find out they scored two more.
5 - Five of the Haitian players are wearing gloves - are they kidding? It's not that cold.
6 - Mexico FK Edgar Andrade puts it wide. "They need a goal every 15 minutes," says Grahame. "So they're still on pace."
13 - Wow - The post has turned against Mexico - Two players are in the box with shots. The first is parried by Johnny Placide and goes off the bar, the rebound falls, another shot - the other post.
17 - GOAL! Mexico! Just as Grahme speculates that Mexico could, if they really are giving up, throw this game and knock out Canada by losing, a long cross comes in to Villaluz and he heads it into goal. They're slightly off the 15 minute pace, though.
19 - Haiti is looking dangerous on the counter - Leonel Saint-Preux is blowing past everyone.
26 - Sony Norde from long-range. We're all wondering what the heck he was thinking, but then it nearly went in.
29 - RED CARD! Edgar Andrade gets taken down by Judelin Aveska. He's the last man back and the red gets pulled by ref Joel Aguilar. It's not a PK, though. Aguilar spots it right outside the box. The FK gets defelcted for a CK, which gets cleared. Grahame points out that Mexico is behind the clock pace for goals, but they do have a man advantage now.
40 - Technical problems, but during that span, Mexico haven't scored, though they had three close calls.
41 0 Haiti CK - Memo comes out and catches it. Pablo Barrera runs the length of the field with the ball, then hits a cross that drifts out of bounds by just a bit. What a waste.
44 - Mexico is putting in long crosses. They're getting away from the short-pass, quick moves that served them so well earlier. Haiti is tall and athletic enough to fend off the longball tactic.
Yellow for Barrera now, he cleated Fabrice while fighting for the ball.
45 - Mexico's fans are incensed - a foul on Castillo in the corner of the box gets spotted just outside, no PK. Castillo takes the FK, it gets cleared out, he sends a cross back in and Alan Zamora heads it over the bar.
Yellow for Santiago Fernandez - dissent for arguing an offside call.
Halftime - Grahame notes that Mexico now needs a goal every nine minutes.
47 - Landin is in. The crowd is subdued, though.
48 - Six shots on target for Mexico, but only one goal.
50 CK Mexico. Castillo hits it short, then in side the box the cross bumps off the Hatian defender's arm. Crowd wants a PK, but ref waves the contact off as incidental.
53 - What can I say, there's not a lot of urgency in this match right now. Mexico are so far behind what they need to qualify that the discouragement must be inevitable.
54 - Enrique Esqueda redirects a cross in the box, right to goalkeeper Johnny Placide.
56 - Castillo is in the box again - goes down, no call. The fans and Hugo Sanchez are especially upset by that one. Security better protect Aguilar after the game.
58 - The press box is trying to figure out when is the last time the Olympic team of Mexico scored more than one goal in a game. I think we might have to go back to when they beat the U.S. in Jalisco four years ago
60 - GOAL! Mexico! "Now they need a goal every five or six minutes," says Grahame. "Ooh, here comes one. They've got five or six guys running in the box. One of them has to make it."
Sure enough, Edgar Andrade does. 2-0 Villaluz had the cross
62- Castillo is in the box, goes down, no PK.
63 - GOAL! Haiti! On the counter, Leonel, who Grahame is picking for a move to MLS, gets a quick flick pass, moves to a better angle and knocks it just inside the post. 2-1
68 - Another attack in which Mexico had numbers up and should have done better, but the cross goes over the goal and out of bounds.
70 - GOAL! Mexico Edgar Andrade passes to Enrique Esqueda in the box, who sends a toe-poke pass to Santiago Fernandez, who puts it away. 3-1 Mexico
72 - Landin in the box - fires straight to the keeper. Grahame "Not the baby-faced assasin - the baby-faced asinine" Trust, they're not the same thing.
73 - Ugh, miss of the year. Fernandez alone in front of goal gets a pass and somehow, from four feet away, kicks it too hard and it goes over the goal. Incredible. No one can believe he missed that.
74 - Castillo into the box again, doesn't fall down, centers past the goalkeeper - and Fernandez redirects it wide of the goal. I think he was six feet away in front of an open goal that time, though.
78 - About five guys on Mexico's team touch the ball in the box, but no one gets a shot off. PK! Dangerous play - a Haitian player kicked high in the box during that tangle.
79 - Cesar takes it - Placide saves! Dang, this is not good for Mexico.
80 - The pressbox is now thinking that Mexico's team has blown so many chances that Hugo Sanchez simply can't be blamed for this. It's evil juju or something.
82 - Andrade on the wing has three teammates running for his pass and he overshoots all of them with a way-too-hard cross. Wow.
83 - A shot off the post by Mexico - Yikes.
83 - GOAL! Mexico - A three on one, and this time, Mexico doesn't screw it up. Esqueda scores. 4-1 Mexico
84 - 86 Fighting and shoving breaks out at the center circle. The ref brings out the red for Jaqueson Jean, but Haiti argues it for a long time.
89 - GOAL Mexico! Haiti, surprisingly isn't playing defensively. They still have their forwards, what's left of them, up. A counter springs three players and the one defender there is easily avoided, as is the charging goalkeeper. Landin scores it. 5-1
90+ Five minutes of stoppage time. Mexico needs one more goal to send this to a tiebreak.
Now Haiti has players back. They run the offsides trap well and Mexico gets caught in it. They try again. Landin 1v1! Placide saves! Foot save alone against Landin.
Silva has hurt his arm, but he plays on - they've used up their subs.
Placide picks the ball of Landin's foot in the box. It's the last charge.
Final whistle. Mexico falls one goal short. "You know what it came down to?" Grahame says. "They missed that penalty. They didn't get the gimme goal."
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Canada/Guatemala running blog
Flags are coming out. Speaking of flags, I can't find a Canadian one in the entire stadium. There's even a couple of Haiti flags here. Where's the Maple Leaf?
FIFA anthem. It's sunny here in LA, but there's a brisk breeze. Perfect soccer weather. That's true of a lot of days in SoCal, though.
Joe D'Hippolito thinks this day could be historic. It could be, he says, Hugo Sanchez' last game as Mexican coach. Let's see what Canada does about that.
No one on Canada's team is singing their anthem. What's up with that? It's a nice song, and more singable than most.
Kickoff!
1- Guatemala with the first foray into Canadian territory. Their players look loose and relaxed, as befits a team which has already advanced. Canada seems nervous, a couple of shank passes already.
3- Guatemala is putting on a clinic of controlled possession.
7- Will Johnson sends in a through ball for Ricketts - he's almost to it in the box, but Jerez just barely slidekicks it first.
11 - Rickets with a long cross to the front of the goal, but it's too high for Johnson. Guatemala goes the other way and gets a shot off, but Wagenaar snuffs it.
13 - Jacovic clears out a dangerous ball in the box, close FT for Guatemala, and Villa's in the box, low cross, Jairo Arreola misses it. To be fair it slid by quickly, but the open goal was waiting.
18 - Canada is much more organized on defense now. Granted, the entire team seems like it's defending but they're closing the gaps Guatemala was using earlier.
19- Contreras takes an outside shot, doesn't get it on frame, though it threatened.
20 - FK for Guatemala, two players going for a header. I wasn't sure who would get the call. Contreras takes it, it defelcts off the wall for a corner. Corner taken poorly, or mishit. GK
24 - Will Johnson has some great individual play on the left wing, holding off three players before sending in a pass, but it's all for naught was Tyler Rosenlund is offside.
27 - Graham Ramaldo is floored by a tackle by Erwin Morales - Canada's players want a red card - they're holding up two fingers, and they don't mean the peace sign, but their opinion that Morales went in two-footed, a red card offense. Jose Guerrero opts for a yellow instead. the FK is wasted when Canada fouls in the box.
30 - Another FK, this time farther out. Same thing happens, though.
31- Now Guatemala has a FK - it's cleared, Ricketts on the counter - stopped.
34 - Hainualt stops an incoming cross, leads to a CK that's cleared and a long-range outside shot that goes over the bar.
38 - Little midfield battles all over the place, but few scoring chances from either side.
40 - Mexican conspiracy fans say that Guatemala didn't put in all their starters for this match to make it easier for Canada to win and perhaps eliminate Mexico. When Jairo Arreola misses a volley in the box, those same fans probably think he did it on purpose. He doesn't look happy about it, though.
42- Jaime Vides clears a ball and pegs a security guard facing away from the field. The crowd cheers. It hasn't been an exciting match, so I can't say that I blame them.
43 - The Mexican fans are cheering for Guatemala, of course, which probably confuses at least some of the Chapines fans, since they were fighting with the Mexican fans on Friday.
44- A FK for Canada. GOAL! Will Johnson stands over it and powers it past the right side of the wall. It took a slight deflection, which probably confused Jerez, and slips just inside the post for the goal. Johnson runs to the bench to celebrate. 1- 0 Canada
Halftime - Well, so far the script of Hugo's Last Stand is taking shape. On the other hand, Canada has had the lead twice already this tournament, and yet only has a tie and a loss.
46 - GOAL! Guatemala starts with ten men. Avila is on the bench and Jean Marquez hasn't checked in yet. Canada takes advantage, Will Johnson dribbles the keep, Jerez, and Guatemala can't quite clear it in time, it crosses the line. 2-0 Canada
56 - Mexico fans are glum.
57 - GOAL! It gets worse for Mexico. Off a corner, Johnson serves it in. Canada heads the ball towards goal, it goes off the post and falls at the feet of Ricketts, who one-times it into goal. 3-0 Canada
59 - Dub-J is charging all over the place, but this time he gets called for the foul for running straight into a Guatemalan defender.
62 - OK, Wagenaar isn't getting an MLS contract now. He handles the ball outside of the area and the ref is right on top of it. FK just outside the top line, with the wall inside the box. Contreras finds a gap inside the wall - Wagenaar dives, SAVE. Ok, maybe he's got a chance for a trial somewhere still.
65 - Canada is officially the highest-scoring team in the qualifying tournament. Big Willie is the player with the most goals, and that's after having sat out a match.
68 - Guatemala has possession now, Canada is sitting back, saving their strength and trying to hold the lead this time. I'd say it's safe, the win, that is, but it could make a world of difference for Mexico if Guatemala pull one or more back.
70 - Jonny Brown goes down in Canada's box, but no call. Arriving fans are having a shock at the scoreboard. Nikolas Ledgerwood gets grabbed on a breakaway, and it's a yellow for Guatemala.
73 - Wagenaar saves another shot. The Tenner (WJ) tried to take off on a counter, gets tackled hard and goes down, rolls around a bit, buying his teammates a bit of a breather.
75 - Wow Johnson with an outside shot that Jerez has to jump for. He can't control it and Ledgerwood gets to it in the box, but the defense shuts off his angle and then steals the ball back.
77 - Guatemala is looking discouraged and unmotivated. I don't think they're throwing the match, but 3 goals down is a lot to come back from, and they've got the semi's to worry about. They need to get out of here injury-free. Yes, the would have liked to give their many fans a better show, but why kill themselves with effort now? As I type that, though, the team gets 2 corners in a row. Canada fights them all off, though.
80 - HOLY CRAP! Canada on a break, countering. Ricketts races ahead of his defenders on the right, has (Yes he)Will running on the center, Ricketts crosses - GOAL! Jerez cheated forward to cut the cross off and instead, the ball bent into the net behind him. 4-0.
83 - Well if karma did think the Canadians got screwed by Haiti in the fair play/pass-the-ball back sequence of the last game, karma is getting some serious revenge in the universe, helped along by (Can and)Will and Co.
85 - Some Mexico fans look like they want to leave even before the Mexico game starts.
88 - Canada, no lie, nearly got another goal when a tired Guat defender just missed his clearance attempt in the box.
89 - A Mexican reporter next to me is announcing on radio, saying that North America (Canada/US) and Central America (Guatemala/Honduras), will represent CONCACAF in the Olympics. He doesn't think there's any way Mexico can make it.
90 - FK for Guatemala, but it's pretty far out, about 25 yards from the arc - it's hit way off target.
GOAL! CK for Canada, they're taking their time with it. Tyler Rosenlund serves it in. Johnson subbed out. It clears everyone in the box - except for Kyle Hall. He volleys it into the goal - straight roofs it. Grahame, that one was for you, for making fun of this striking ability last game. 5-0.
Final whistle. UNBELIEVABLE.
I have never seen the fans of a team beaten as badly as Guatemala celebrate so much. They don't care, though, they're going to the semis and they know Mexico probably isn't. Mexico fans look so grumpy, especially when the Guatemalan fans cheer Haiti's entrance onto the field. I predict more fights again.
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FIFA anthem. It's sunny here in LA, but there's a brisk breeze. Perfect soccer weather. That's true of a lot of days in SoCal, though.
Joe D'Hippolito thinks this day could be historic. It could be, he says, Hugo Sanchez' last game as Mexican coach. Let's see what Canada does about that.
No one on Canada's team is singing their anthem. What's up with that? It's a nice song, and more singable than most.
Kickoff!
1- Guatemala with the first foray into Canadian territory. Their players look loose and relaxed, as befits a team which has already advanced. Canada seems nervous, a couple of shank passes already.
3- Guatemala is putting on a clinic of controlled possession.
7- Will Johnson sends in a through ball for Ricketts - he's almost to it in the box, but Jerez just barely slidekicks it first.
11 - Rickets with a long cross to the front of the goal, but it's too high for Johnson. Guatemala goes the other way and gets a shot off, but Wagenaar snuffs it.
13 - Jacovic clears out a dangerous ball in the box, close FT for Guatemala, and Villa's in the box, low cross, Jairo Arreola misses it. To be fair it slid by quickly, but the open goal was waiting.
18 - Canada is much more organized on defense now. Granted, the entire team seems like it's defending but they're closing the gaps Guatemala was using earlier.
19- Contreras takes an outside shot, doesn't get it on frame, though it threatened.
20 - FK for Guatemala, two players going for a header. I wasn't sure who would get the call. Contreras takes it, it defelcts off the wall for a corner. Corner taken poorly, or mishit. GK
24 - Will Johnson has some great individual play on the left wing, holding off three players before sending in a pass, but it's all for naught was Tyler Rosenlund is offside.
27 - Graham Ramaldo is floored by a tackle by Erwin Morales - Canada's players want a red card - they're holding up two fingers, and they don't mean the peace sign, but their opinion that Morales went in two-footed, a red card offense. Jose Guerrero opts for a yellow instead. the FK is wasted when Canada fouls in the box.
30 - Another FK, this time farther out. Same thing happens, though.
31- Now Guatemala has a FK - it's cleared, Ricketts on the counter - stopped.
34 - Hainualt stops an incoming cross, leads to a CK that's cleared and a long-range outside shot that goes over the bar.
38 - Little midfield battles all over the place, but few scoring chances from either side.
40 - Mexican conspiracy fans say that Guatemala didn't put in all their starters for this match to make it easier for Canada to win and perhaps eliminate Mexico. When Jairo Arreola misses a volley in the box, those same fans probably think he did it on purpose. He doesn't look happy about it, though.
42- Jaime Vides clears a ball and pegs a security guard facing away from the field. The crowd cheers. It hasn't been an exciting match, so I can't say that I blame them.
43 - The Mexican fans are cheering for Guatemala, of course, which probably confuses at least some of the Chapines fans, since they were fighting with the Mexican fans on Friday.
44- A FK for Canada. GOAL! Will Johnson stands over it and powers it past the right side of the wall. It took a slight deflection, which probably confused Jerez, and slips just inside the post for the goal. Johnson runs to the bench to celebrate. 1- 0 Canada
Halftime - Well, so far the script of Hugo's Last Stand is taking shape. On the other hand, Canada has had the lead twice already this tournament, and yet only has a tie and a loss.
46 - GOAL! Guatemala starts with ten men. Avila is on the bench and Jean Marquez hasn't checked in yet. Canada takes advantage, Will Johnson dribbles the keep, Jerez, and Guatemala can't quite clear it in time, it crosses the line. 2-0 Canada
56 - Mexico fans are glum.
57 - GOAL! It gets worse for Mexico. Off a corner, Johnson serves it in. Canada heads the ball towards goal, it goes off the post and falls at the feet of Ricketts, who one-times it into goal. 3-0 Canada
59 - Dub-J is charging all over the place, but this time he gets called for the foul for running straight into a Guatemalan defender.
62 - OK, Wagenaar isn't getting an MLS contract now. He handles the ball outside of the area and the ref is right on top of it. FK just outside the top line, with the wall inside the box. Contreras finds a gap inside the wall - Wagenaar dives, SAVE. Ok, maybe he's got a chance for a trial somewhere still.
65 - Canada is officially the highest-scoring team in the qualifying tournament. Big Willie is the player with the most goals, and that's after having sat out a match.
68 - Guatemala has possession now, Canada is sitting back, saving their strength and trying to hold the lead this time. I'd say it's safe, the win, that is, but it could make a world of difference for Mexico if Guatemala pull one or more back.
70 - Jonny Brown goes down in Canada's box, but no call. Arriving fans are having a shock at the scoreboard. Nikolas Ledgerwood gets grabbed on a breakaway, and it's a yellow for Guatemala.
73 - Wagenaar saves another shot. The Tenner (WJ) tried to take off on a counter, gets tackled hard and goes down, rolls around a bit, buying his teammates a bit of a breather.
75 - Wow Johnson with an outside shot that Jerez has to jump for. He can't control it and Ledgerwood gets to it in the box, but the defense shuts off his angle and then steals the ball back.
77 - Guatemala is looking discouraged and unmotivated. I don't think they're throwing the match, but 3 goals down is a lot to come back from, and they've got the semi's to worry about. They need to get out of here injury-free. Yes, the would have liked to give their many fans a better show, but why kill themselves with effort now? As I type that, though, the team gets 2 corners in a row. Canada fights them all off, though.
80 - HOLY CRAP! Canada on a break, countering. Ricketts races ahead of his defenders on the right, has (Yes he)Will running on the center, Ricketts crosses - GOAL! Jerez cheated forward to cut the cross off and instead, the ball bent into the net behind him. 4-0.
83 - Well if karma did think the Canadians got screwed by Haiti in the fair play/pass-the-ball back sequence of the last game, karma is getting some serious revenge in the universe, helped along by (Can and)Will and Co.
85 - Some Mexico fans look like they want to leave even before the Mexico game starts.
88 - Canada, no lie, nearly got another goal when a tired Guat defender just missed his clearance attempt in the box.
89 - A Mexican reporter next to me is announcing on radio, saying that North America (Canada/US) and Central America (Guatemala/Honduras), will represent CONCACAF in the Olympics. He doesn't think there's any way Mexico can make it.
90 - FK for Guatemala, but it's pretty far out, about 25 yards from the arc - it's hit way off target.
GOAL! CK for Canada, they're taking their time with it. Tyler Rosenlund serves it in. Johnson subbed out. It clears everyone in the box - except for Kyle Hall. He volleys it into the goal - straight roofs it. Grahame, that one was for you, for making fun of this striking ability last game. 5-0.
Final whistle. UNBELIEVABLE.
I have never seen the fans of a team beaten as badly as Guatemala celebrate so much. They don't care, though, they're going to the semis and they know Mexico probably isn't. Mexico fans look so grumpy, especially when the Guatemalan fans cheer Haiti's entrance onto the field. I predict more fights again.
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Pregame
Starting Lineups -Canada/Guatemala
Graham Ramalho/ Ricardo Jerez C
Dejan Jakovic / Erwin Morales
Andrew Hainault C/ Pablo Solorzano
NikolasLedgerwood/WilfredVelasquez
Andrazes Ornoch/Jairo Arreola
Will Johnson/Jose Manuel Contreras
Tosaint Ricketts/Marvin Avila
Tyler Hemming /Rafael Morales
Tyler Rosenlund/Jaime Vides
Keegan Ayre / Abner Trigueros
Joshua Wagenaar/ Carlos Villa
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What does it mean to be Mexican/American?
David Keyes takes a look at how the Jesus Padilla situation has affected the identity of Chivas Guadalajara, which has made it official now that it's not Mexican-born that matters, but whether one is born eligible for Mexican citizenship (people born into the citizenship of another country must later apply for Mexican citizenship through their parents).
Though some may think that Luis and I blew this story open, I'd point out that Chivas was clearly moving in that direction (signing foreign-born Mexican players) anyway. Even if people don't believe our source who told us that the Chivas administrators knew very well that Jesus was born and raised in San Jose, California, when they signed him at 14, one only has to look at the fact that the club brought in Carlos Borja quite a while before we broke the story about Jesus Padilla.
Borja not only was born and grew up in the U.S., but he developed and played with the U.S. youth national teams for years. That's documented and well-known. Chivas might have thought they could sneak Padilla into their roster without anyone ever checking his birthplace (and it DID work for a while), but there's no way they could get away with trying that with Borja. It's hard to buy that Chivas would waste time signing him with their Tapatio reserve team unless they were looking ahead to changing the "Mexican-born" policy anyway.
If you read Grahame's article, his opinion of Michael Orozco as the best player on the field for the U.S. versus Honduras is clear. Mexican reporters told me that they think Edgar Castillo has been the best player for Mexico at the U23 games out here. Thing is, their positions could've been reversed - Castillo could have played for the U.S. and Orozco for Mexico.
Who will "Gringo" Padilla end up playing for? Who knows.
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Though some may think that Luis and I blew this story open, I'd point out that Chivas was clearly moving in that direction (signing foreign-born Mexican players) anyway. Even if people don't believe our source who told us that the Chivas administrators knew very well that Jesus was born and raised in San Jose, California, when they signed him at 14, one only has to look at the fact that the club brought in Carlos Borja quite a while before we broke the story about Jesus Padilla.
Borja not only was born and grew up in the U.S., but he developed and played with the U.S. youth national teams for years. That's documented and well-known. Chivas might have thought they could sneak Padilla into their roster without anyone ever checking his birthplace (and it DID work for a while), but there's no way they could get away with trying that with Borja. It's hard to buy that Chivas would waste time signing him with their Tapatio reserve team unless they were looking ahead to changing the "Mexican-born" policy anyway.
If you read Grahame's article, his opinion of Michael Orozco as the best player on the field for the U.S. versus Honduras is clear. Mexican reporters told me that they think Edgar Castillo has been the best player for Mexico at the U23 games out here. Thing is, their positions could've been reversed - Castillo could have played for the U.S. and Orozco for Mexico.
Who will "Gringo" Padilla end up playing for? Who knows.
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Grahame cracks
For all those who thought I was too snarky in my U.S./Honduras running blog, I refer you to the estimable Grahame Jones, who pulls no punches in his assessment.
Jones also gets Compean, Mexico's federation president, to admit that Hugo Sanchez might be at risk depending on today's outcome. I like how Compean is wry about the whole situation, though - he'd previously said that Hugo was Plan A, Plan B and Plan C.
Now he says there's room for a Plan X - and it could mean no Hugo.
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Jones also gets Compean, Mexico's federation president, to admit that Hugo Sanchez might be at risk depending on today's outcome. I like how Compean is wry about the whole situation, though - he'd previously said that Hugo was Plan A, Plan B and Plan C.
Now he says there's room for a Plan X - and it could mean no Hugo.
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Fair play?
Here it is (though it's not great quality), that first goal of Haiti versus Canada that Canadian coach Nick Dasovic was so unhappy with.
I know a lot of our readers have played soccer, and I'm curious as to what their definition of "fair play" is. Would you have kicked the ball back to Canada if you were playing them? If you were Canada, would you have assumed that you'd get the ball back, or be on your guard just in case? What's the value of following the unwritten laws of soccer if the other team breaks them?
Share thoughts in the comments section.
Oh, and by the way, does anyone agree with Nick's characterization of his countrymen as "nice, naive Canadians"?
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Bottle thrower
You certainly don't want to see things like this happen too often. It happened during a Betis-Atletico Bilbao match on Saturday, which was suspended 2-1 in the 72nd minute.
Here's what the goalkeeper, Armando, looked like afterward.
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Here's what the goalkeeper, Armando, looked like afterward.
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Save Sanchez
Everything will be decided tonight when Mexico plays Haiti in the Olympic qualifying finale. If Mexico wins, El Tri could advance as the Group B runner up and would face the U.S. in a do-or-die semifinal Friday in Nashville.
Anything short of a victory - and even a win is no guarantee of advancing - and this Olympic campaign would go down as a major disappointment for Mexico.
While El Tri's fate will be decided tonight, coach Hugo Sanchez's own future will be up for review on March 31. By then, the Olympic ticket will have been punched or revoked and the senior team will have played Ghana in London.
However, if what many thought was inconceivable comes to fruition and Mexico does not get out of the group stage, that should not signal the end of Sanchez's coaching tenure. As embarrassing or catastrophic a fate that would be, it would be the Under-23's fate and not the full national team's. And however you spin it, the Under-23 national team is not as important as the senior side.
With the full national team, Sanchez has had mixed results as well. Mexico lost in the Gold Cup 2007 final and bowed out in the semifinals of the 2007 Copa America. He's had his share of setbacks in friendlies (losing to Paraguay in Azteca perhaps the most painful). But the national team is evolving and well into this current cycle. Sanchez has brought in the next generation of national team talent in Giovani Dos Santos, Carlos Vela, Nery Castillo and Jonny Magallon; has given more responsibility to players such as Guillermo Ochoa and Andres Guardado; and has moved Mexico into the post-Blanco, -Borgetti and -Oswaldo era.
Sure, he might go down as the worst Under-23 coach in Mexico's history - at least based on results. Even then, you could argue that Mexico would have had a better fate with Vela, Dos Santos and Guardado in tow. And surely results may have been better with three Spanish league players on the field.
Mexico committed to Sanchez for four years. His project and plans were based on South Africa, not Beijing. Sacking Sanchez because of the Olympic team's failures could potentially harm the full national team, as a new coach would have roughly three months to prepare for World Cup qualifying. Such preparation is more than just filling out a roster of 20 players and lacing up the boots against a regional foe. That involves identifying players who will help now and in the future, deciding on which players would be best suited for this year's semifinal phase and (if El Tri qualifies) the 2009 final round as well as the World Cup itself, and figuring out what opponents would be best suited for friendlies to help Mexico adequately prepare for each stage of upcomi
Anything short of a victory - and even a win is no guarantee of advancing - and this Olympic campaign would go down as a major disappointment for Mexico.
While El Tri's fate will be decided tonight, coach Hugo Sanchez's own future will be up for review on March 31. By then, the Olympic ticket will have been punched or revoked and the senior team will have played Ghana in London.
However, if what many thought was inconceivable comes to fruition and Mexico does not get out of the group stage, that should not signal the end of Sanchez's coaching tenure. As embarrassing or catastrophic a fate that would be, it would be the Under-23's fate and not the full national team's. And however you spin it, the Under-23 national team is not as important as the senior side.
With the full national team, Sanchez has had mixed results as well. Mexico lost in the Gold Cup 2007 final and bowed out in the semifinals of the 2007 Copa America. He's had his share of setbacks in friendlies (losing to Paraguay in Azteca perhaps the most painful). But the national team is evolving and well into this current cycle. Sanchez has brought in the next generation of national team talent in Giovani Dos Santos, Carlos Vela, Nery Castillo and Jonny Magallon; has given more responsibility to players such as Guillermo Ochoa and Andres Guardado; and has moved Mexico into the post-Blanco, -Borgetti and -Oswaldo era.
Sure, he might go down as the worst Under-23 coach in Mexico's history - at least based on results. Even then, you could argue that Mexico would have had a better fate with Vela, Dos Santos and Guardado in tow. And surely results may have been better with three Spanish league players on the field.
Mexico committed to Sanchez for four years. His project and plans were based on South Africa, not Beijing. Sacking Sanchez because of the Olympic team's failures could potentially harm the full national team, as a new coach would have roughly three months to prepare for World Cup qualifying. Such preparation is more than just filling out a roster of 20 players and lacing up the boots against a regional foe. That involves identifying players who will help now and in the future, deciding on which players would be best suited for this year's semifinal phase and (if El Tri qualifies) the 2009 final round as well as the World Cup itself, and figuring out what opponents would be best suited for friendlies to help Mexico adequately prepare for each stage of upcomi