It seems like it's an annual thing now, which I guess it is. What's the saying about twice being a coincidence and three times a pattern or something?
Anyway, for the third year running a Mexican team has reached the final of the Copa Sudamericana. Pumas lost to Boca Juniors on '05 and Pachuca beat Colo Colo in '06. Now, it's America's turn to go against a South American giant... um, well, okay, a South American lightweight. I'm guessing a few people think America is playing an English club.
America will play Arsenal de Sarandi tonight in the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final. Tonight's game is in Azteca and Wednesday's return leg is in Argentina.
When this has come up before, I wonder what other fans do. For instance, when Cruz Azul reached the 2001 Copa Libertadores final, it seemed like there were suddenly a lot of Cruz Azul supporters. I think that Cruz Azul gained a lot of attention and a lot of support from non-Cruz Azul fans because they were a Mexican club and were competing against a South American team in an historic event.
Now, that novelty has worn off. But the fact that a Mexican club will meet a South American team in the tourney final has not changed. So is there a feeling of support among non-America fans simply because they are from Mexico?
I would guess not. Any Chivas fan worth his/her salt is not going to support America under any circumstances, and if they do then you've got to question their mental sanity. Pumas fans, well, Tenoch and Julio summed it up best with their "Puto el que le vaya al America" mandate. I think Cruz Azul fans too would not necessarily pull for America.
But those teams have bitter rivalries with America. What about fans of Morelia or Tigres, who don't necessarily have America on their hate lists? What about Atlante fans, Tecos fans (El Guero and the five other UAG supporters) or Santos fans?
Honestly, I think that there is still an element of Mexican fans who would put country before club and support America. There are others who would not be upset if a Mexican club won Sudamericana (especially at the expense of an Argentine team) and there are others who will root hard against America. I wonder, though, which of those categories has more fans.
WARNING *** thin-skinned MLS fans might want to stop reading here ***
I guess this is one area where MLS and Mexico differ. I'm guessing if it was an MLS team, be it Houston, New England, New York or L.A., most MLS fans would get behind that club, whether they pull for that team during the season or not.
If you ask me where I stand on the topic, I think America fans should root for America and non-America fans should not. How would an America win benefit Monterrey? How did Pachuca's win last year benefit the rest of the 17 teams? I'd say the same thing if DC would have made it this far.
What's good for the goose isn't necessarily good for the gander.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Bummer for Bease
DaMarcus Beasley is done for the year. After hurting his knee in a Champions League match on Tuesday, Beasley will have surgery and will likely miss the remainder of the SPL season.
How does this affect his standing on the USMNT? In the first half of next year, Beasley probably won't play any role on it. He'll miss the Mexico game on Feb. 6 and whatever other friendlies the US schedules afterward. He could be healthy by the June qualifiers, though the US won't need him to get past Barbados/Dominica. He should be healthy by the fall and could see action in the semifinal qualifying round which starts in August.
Obviously, this is a much bigger blow for his club career. Beasley went through some tough times before settling in with Rangers and was faring well for himself. Though he won't be starting from zero once he gets back, he's going to fight another uphill battle to establish himself whenever his knee allows him to play again.
How does this affect his standing on the USMNT? In the first half of next year, Beasley probably won't play any role on it. He'll miss the Mexico game on Feb. 6 and whatever other friendlies the US schedules afterward. He could be healthy by the June qualifiers, though the US won't need him to get past Barbados/Dominica. He should be healthy by the fall and could see action in the semifinal qualifying round which starts in August.
Obviously, this is a much bigger blow for his club career. Beasley went through some tough times before settling in with Rangers and was faring well for himself. Though he won't be starting from zero once he gets back, he's going to fight another uphill battle to establish himself whenever his knee allows him to play again.
En fuego
Chivas USA lost to Fresno 3-1 on Thursday night. Don't have lineups, though I do know Lawson Vaughn played since he was in the picture accompanying the story from the Fresno Bee.
Not sure if Jesse Marsch played. I hope he got the night off to watch his beloved Packers go down in flames in Dallas. That would have been better than playing a meaningless game in Fresno. It's kind of ironic that Marsch played for so long in Soldier Field being the big Packers fan that he is.
Not sure if Jesse Marsch played. I hope he got the night off to watch his beloved Packers go down in flames in Dallas. That would have been better than playing a meaningless game in Fresno. It's kind of ironic that Marsch played for so long in Soldier Field being the big Packers fan that he is.
Perfect Pumas
When the InterLiga calendar came out, I was excited that Pumas UNAM would finally be a part of the tournament. Since I began covering the tournament in 2005, Pumas hasn't been a part of the field because of their league results, both good and bad.
Now, though, they may again evade InterLiga once again. Pumas destroyed Santos by 3-0 on Thursday in the first leg of their semifinal series. Pumas need only to avoid a three-goal loss to advance to the finals, where they'd face the Chivas-Atlante survivor.
Pumas upset Toluca in the quarterfinals with a win-at-home-tie-on-the-road formula that they'll try to follow up with on Sunday in Torreon. Pumas, though, wasn't content with settling for just a win. They wanted to take care of business at home, which they did.
All season long, Pumas hasn't been one of the flashier clubs. They certainly weren't as flashy as Santos or Toluca but now they are poised to return to the final for the first time since Hugo Sanchez guided Pumas to consecutive league titles in 2004.
Pumas, incidentally, would qualify for the CONCACAF Champions Cup by winning the Mexican league and thus would be ineligible to participate in Copa Libertadores, for which InterLiga serves as a qualifying tournament. No Libertadores, no InterLiga. Nimodo.
Now, though, they may again evade InterLiga once again. Pumas destroyed Santos by 3-0 on Thursday in the first leg of their semifinal series. Pumas need only to avoid a three-goal loss to advance to the finals, where they'd face the Chivas-Atlante survivor.
Pumas upset Toluca in the quarterfinals with a win-at-home-tie-on-the-road formula that they'll try to follow up with on Sunday in Torreon. Pumas, though, wasn't content with settling for just a win. They wanted to take care of business at home, which they did.
All season long, Pumas hasn't been one of the flashier clubs. They certainly weren't as flashy as Santos or Toluca but now they are poised to return to the final for the first time since Hugo Sanchez guided Pumas to consecutive league titles in 2004.
Pumas, incidentally, would qualify for the CONCACAF Champions Cup by winning the Mexican league and thus would be ineligible to participate in Copa Libertadores, for which InterLiga serves as a qualifying tournament. No Libertadores, no InterLiga. Nimodo.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Subjective judgment
All the Houston Dynamo fans who screamed at the injustice of Khano Smith's "headbutt" in the MLS final - take a moment to think back to Nate Jaqua's elbow in the Western Conference final. Both were fouls that I thought deserved a red. Not surprisingly, I didn't get any emails from Houston fans about how the refs missed the call on Jaqua - they were fine with that one.
Basically, that's the way I feel about the outcry over the DP grandfathering of players making DP money before the DP rule. It's funny to think that so many people grouse about how cheap MLS can be, but then want rules enforced to punish the clubs that were willing to spend money.
What I also find amusing is those who say that MLS should have just instituted the grandfathering rule permanantly from the start.
Well, the reality is that if the guys ran MLS had that much foresight, the league would be further along. Because they're not infallible prophets, they didn't make a decision without first seeing how the designated players would actually affect the league. Instead, what they did was give themselves a one-year window to see whether or not having a DP and a DP-like player would give teams too much of an advantage.
They soon discovered that in MLS, the whole is more important than the DP parts. No teams with DP players made it to the final. Teams are often better off with players who are slightly second-tier, at least as far as the national team level, because then they won't be missing as much time from their teams.
Yet for the league to say that DP players don't matter would be foolish. The fact is, MLS received more attention this year than any other in its existence because of players like Blanco, Beckham and Angel. If team owners had hesitated in going after those players because it might mean disrupting the chemistry a squad had because of perhaps being forced to give up stars they already had, the league, fans, and other players themselves would suffer for it. Increased exposure is good for everybody in MLS - well, except for perhaps the refs, because it just seems to make more people complain about them.
That doesn't mean that I was really in favor of the grandfathering extension. I was hoping the league would add another DP slot to everyone in the league. Chivas USA could have made good use of that. I understand, though, that it might be premature to add a DP when so many teams haven't even made use of the one they have.
Anyway, I asked Landon about it, and had to give credit that he immediately recognized his own impartiality.
Basically, that's the way I feel about the outcry over the DP grandfathering of players making DP money before the DP rule. It's funny to think that so many people grouse about how cheap MLS can be, but then want rules enforced to punish the clubs that were willing to spend money.
What I also find amusing is those who say that MLS should have just instituted the grandfathering rule permanantly from the start.
Well, the reality is that if the guys ran MLS had that much foresight, the league would be further along. Because they're not infallible prophets, they didn't make a decision without first seeing how the designated players would actually affect the league. Instead, what they did was give themselves a one-year window to see whether or not having a DP and a DP-like player would give teams too much of an advantage.
They soon discovered that in MLS, the whole is more important than the DP parts. No teams with DP players made it to the final. Teams are often better off with players who are slightly second-tier, at least as far as the national team level, because then they won't be missing as much time from their teams.
Yet for the league to say that DP players don't matter would be foolish. The fact is, MLS received more attention this year than any other in its existence because of players like Blanco, Beckham and Angel. If team owners had hesitated in going after those players because it might mean disrupting the chemistry a squad had because of perhaps being forced to give up stars they already had, the league, fans, and other players themselves would suffer for it. Increased exposure is good for everybody in MLS - well, except for perhaps the refs, because it just seems to make more people complain about them.
That doesn't mean that I was really in favor of the grandfathering extension. I was hoping the league would add another DP slot to everyone in the league. Chivas USA could have made good use of that. I understand, though, that it might be premature to add a DP when so many teams haven't even made use of the one they have.
Anyway, I asked Landon about it, and had to give credit that he immediately recognized his own impartiality.
"I’m probably biased. It’s hard to say, under one set of rules, you go get a player and then all of a sudden you can’t have that player unless you trade something away for him. I don’t think that’s a good thing to do to teams. The teams that went out and got players shouldn’t be punished. I think it was the right thing to do. I’m sure that other teams may not agree."
Also, I got confirmation from a Galaxy official that Landon does indeed have a no-trade clause in his contract. It's also likely that Landon isn't the only one in MLS with such a stipulation.
Pan-Pacific Championship
Yes, it's in Hawaii. What a perfect excuse to go, no? Unfortunately, it's probably a no-go. Anyway, here are more deets.
Major League Soccer (USA), the J.League (Japan) and the Hyundai A-League (Australia) today announced an unprecedented and innovative partnership in the creation of a new international soccer tournament to be hosted in Honolulu, Hawaii: the Pan-Pacific Championship (PPC), which will crown the top club from the Asian and North American soccer confederations.
The four teams to participate in the 2008 tournament are: reigning MLS Cup champion Houston Dynamo and Haleiwa, Hawaii native Brian Ching; the Yamazaki Nabisco Cup Champion Gamba Osaka, with 19-year-old Japanese sensation Michihiro Yasuda and J.League star Yasuhito Endo; the 2007 SuperLiga finalists Los Angeles Galaxy, whose international roster includes English superstar David Beckham and perennial MLS all-star Landon Donovan; and a club to qualify from the Hyundai A-League Final Series, which concludes in February 2008 ahead of the Pan-Pacific Championship.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
A-league versus MLS
Sydney FC won, but there's nothing about the Galaxy going down to nine men in the AP article. The Galaxy blog has more details.
Five alive
In many ways, this upcoming two-week stretch will be a unique one in Mexico.
The Apertura season is down to four teams as Santos will play Pumas and Chivas will meet Atlante in the Liguilla semifinals. But those aren't the only clubs alive in the quest for glory. Club America will play Arsenal de Sarandi of Argentina in the Copa Sudamericana final.
It's not every week that a Mexican club has the opportunity to capture South American glory. Of course, it's happened three years running now in this tournament as Pumas and Pachuca reached the Sudamericana final in 2005 and 2006 respectively.
At least one Mexican club will add to its mantle in the coming weeks. My money's on Santos simply because how dominant they have been all season long. But I also think that America has a great chance of walking away with international glory. Arsenal is a strong opponent - their 2-1 win over Boca Juniors on Sunday and run to the Sudamericana final will attest to that. But America should have as motivation the chance to claim its first-ever South American championship.
The Apertura season is down to four teams as Santos will play Pumas and Chivas will meet Atlante in the Liguilla semifinals. But those aren't the only clubs alive in the quest for glory. Club America will play Arsenal de Sarandi of Argentina in the Copa Sudamericana final.
It's not every week that a Mexican club has the opportunity to capture South American glory. Of course, it's happened three years running now in this tournament as Pumas and Pachuca reached the Sudamericana final in 2005 and 2006 respectively.
At least one Mexican club will add to its mantle in the coming weeks. My money's on Santos simply because how dominant they have been all season long. But I also think that America has a great chance of walking away with international glory. Arsenal is a strong opponent - their 2-1 win over Boca Juniors on Sunday and run to the Sudamericana final will attest to that. But America should have as motivation the chance to claim its first-ever South American championship.
Planning ahead
With the announcement of the recent World Cup qualifying draw, the USMNT learned its upcoming path to the 2009 Hexagonal and ultimately the 2010 World Cup.
But what was also learned should benefit Major League Soccer as well. Whether it actually translates into a beneficial scenario to the fans is another thing, but given the league's track record it probably will mean more logjams ahead for the American soccer fan.
The US will open with either Barbados or Dominica on matchdays in June with specifics to be determined. But the semifinal round will be played on the following days:
Wednesday, Aug. 20
Saturday, Sept. 6
Wednesday, Sept. 10
Saturday, Oct. 11
Wednesday, Oct. 15
Sunday, Nov. 19
While the MLS schedule won't be announced until sometime in late January or February, whoever makes up the league schedule should go ahead and avoid scheduling games on those specific days.
Shutting down for entire weekends, especially in September and October, is probably out of the question. But for sure MLS can avoid scheduling midweek games in August, September and October. While that won't prevent MLS teams from losing key players to the national team, it would at least let fans follow the international game without having to ignore the domestic product.
For years, MLS has done nearly everything wrong when planning its calendar with accordance to the international fixture dates and international tournaments. How MLS can continue to play during the World Cup is beyond me. MLS commish Don Garber told us before the 2006 season that the league wouldn't play through the 2010 World Cup. I'm going to hold him accountable for those words when the World Cup comes around next time.
Anyway, the US has now a series of important dates spread out over the latter part of 2008. It's not the federation's responsibility to try and avoid scheduling games that would conflict with the league. It's the other way around, and typically other countries just shut down. Again, the league would likely never consider simply not scheduling dates on weekends in during the season. The least they could do is to not schedule any games on USMNT matchdays.
And while we're on the topic, here's the calendar for Hexagonal matchdays in 2009:
Wednesday, Feb. 11
Saturday, March 28
Wednesday, April 1
Saturday, June 6
Wednesday, June 10
Wednesday, Aug. 19
Saturday, Sept. 5
Wednesday, Sept. 9
Saturday, Oct. 10
Wednesday, Oct. 14
There you have the matchdays. No excuses, MLS.
But what was also learned should benefit Major League Soccer as well. Whether it actually translates into a beneficial scenario to the fans is another thing, but given the league's track record it probably will mean more logjams ahead for the American soccer fan.
The US will open with either Barbados or Dominica on matchdays in June with specifics to be determined. But the semifinal round will be played on the following days:
Wednesday, Aug. 20
Saturday, Sept. 6
Wednesday, Sept. 10
Saturday, Oct. 11
Wednesday, Oct. 15
Sunday, Nov. 19
While the MLS schedule won't be announced until sometime in late January or February, whoever makes up the league schedule should go ahead and avoid scheduling games on those specific days.
Shutting down for entire weekends, especially in September and October, is probably out of the question. But for sure MLS can avoid scheduling midweek games in August, September and October. While that won't prevent MLS teams from losing key players to the national team, it would at least let fans follow the international game without having to ignore the domestic product.
For years, MLS has done nearly everything wrong when planning its calendar with accordance to the international fixture dates and international tournaments. How MLS can continue to play during the World Cup is beyond me. MLS commish Don Garber told us before the 2006 season that the league wouldn't play through the 2010 World Cup. I'm going to hold him accountable for those words when the World Cup comes around next time.
Anyway, the US has now a series of important dates spread out over the latter part of 2008. It's not the federation's responsibility to try and avoid scheduling games that would conflict with the league. It's the other way around, and typically other countries just shut down. Again, the league would likely never consider simply not scheduling dates on weekends in during the season. The least they could do is to not schedule any games on USMNT matchdays.
And while we're on the topic, here's the calendar for Hexagonal matchdays in 2009:
Wednesday, Feb. 11
Saturday, March 28
Wednesday, April 1
Saturday, June 6
Wednesday, June 10
Wednesday, Aug. 19
Saturday, Sept. 5
Wednesday, Sept. 9
Saturday, Oct. 10
Wednesday, Oct. 14
There you have the matchdays. No excuses, MLS.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Presto change-o
I was mildly relieved that Preston Burpo was not snatched up by San Jose in last week's expansion draft. Now, I'm scratching my head trying to figure out why Chivas was so quick to ship him out of town.
Preston Burpo is now with San Jose after the expansion team dealt its fourth-round SuperDraft pick next year to Chivas in exchange for the 35-year-old goalkeeper. With Brad Guzan linked to a move abroad, it seemed like Burpo was a valuable player to keep around. Now, if Guzan does make a move to Europe, Justin Myers and Sam Reynolds are next in line to play the position.
Surely Burpo is more valuable than a fourth-rounder. Chivas struck gold in 2006 when taking Jonathan Bornstein in the fourth round but more often than not fourth-round picks struggle for playing time and are non-factors with their teams.
Either Chivas is certain that Brad Guzan is not going anywhere next year or they have other plans to fill the goalkeeping position.
As far as San Jose goes, now Frank Yallop need not worry about a starting goalkeeper. Burpo is a solid goalie and will provide some grit back there. He knows Jason Hernandez and will have an instant connection with one of his central defenders. And Yallop can go out and get a young goalkeeper and groom him if he pleases or he could choose to focus his attention on other positions. Another upshot is that Burpo used to play for Seattle for so long the Sounders might be interested in bringing him back when they join MLS in 2009 and might give up more than the fourth-rounder San Jose did to get Burpo from Chivas. Yeah, Kasey Keller and Seattle have been linked for years but Burpo nonetheless was a popular Sounder for many years.
Preston Burpo is now with San Jose after the expansion team dealt its fourth-round SuperDraft pick next year to Chivas in exchange for the 35-year-old goalkeeper. With Brad Guzan linked to a move abroad, it seemed like Burpo was a valuable player to keep around. Now, if Guzan does make a move to Europe, Justin Myers and Sam Reynolds are next in line to play the position.
Surely Burpo is more valuable than a fourth-rounder. Chivas struck gold in 2006 when taking Jonathan Bornstein in the fourth round but more often than not fourth-round picks struggle for playing time and are non-factors with their teams.
Either Chivas is certain that Brad Guzan is not going anywhere next year or they have other plans to fill the goalkeeping position.
As far as San Jose goes, now Frank Yallop need not worry about a starting goalkeeper. Burpo is a solid goalie and will provide some grit back there. He knows Jason Hernandez and will have an instant connection with one of his central defenders. And Yallop can go out and get a young goalkeeper and groom him if he pleases or he could choose to focus his attention on other positions. Another upshot is that Burpo used to play for Seattle for so long the Sounders might be interested in bringing him back when they join MLS in 2009 and might give up more than the fourth-rounder San Jose did to get Burpo from Chivas. Yeah, Kasey Keller and Seattle have been linked for years but Burpo nonetheless was a popular Sounder for many years.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
First date
The Galaxy are getting checked out by their new coach. "He enters a room, he’s a presence," said Chris Albright of Gullit.
Attention on Alexi
If anyone thought that having David Beckham on a team that Ruud Gullit was coaching meant no one would pay any mind to Alexi Lalas, they'd be wrong.
CONCACAF draw
And here are the results from our neck of the woods, well, at least for many of us.
Group 1A
Dominica v Barbados
United States v Winner
Group 1B
Turks and Caicos Islands v Saint Lucia
Guatemala v Winner
Group 1C
Bermuda v Cayman Islands
Trinidad and Tobago v Winner
Group 1D
Aruba v Antigua and Barbuda
Winner v Cuba
Group 2A
Belize v Saint Kitts and Nevis
Winner v Mexico
Group 2B
Bahamas v British Virgin Islands
Jamaica v Winner
Group 2C
Dominican Republic v Puerto Rico
Honduras v Winner
Group 2D
Canada v Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Group 3A
US Virgin Islands v Grenada
Winner v Costa Rica
Group 3B
Suriname v Montserrat
Winner v Guyana
Group 3C
El Salvador v Anguilla
Panama v Winner
Group 3D
Nicaragua v Netherlands Antilles
Haiti v Winner
The US could send a third-string side and still beat Barbados or Dominica. Ditto for Mexico and Belize but St. Kitts actually put up a fight the last time they met in qualifying (in 2004) so they'll need at least a couple of first-teamers.
So if form holds, these will be the following groups for the semifinal phase:
United States
Guatemala
Trinidad & Tobago
Cuba
Mexico
Honduras
Jamaica
Canada
Costa Rica
Panama
Guyana
Haiti
The US would have an easier go at it than Mexico. Honduras and Jamaica, those aren't exactly walkover wins.
Group 1A
Dominica v Barbados
United States v Winner
Group 1B
Turks and Caicos Islands v Saint Lucia
Guatemala v Winner
Group 1C
Bermuda v Cayman Islands
Trinidad and Tobago v Winner
Group 1D
Aruba v Antigua and Barbuda
Winner v Cuba
Group 2A
Belize v Saint Kitts and Nevis
Winner v Mexico
Group 2B
Bahamas v British Virgin Islands
Jamaica v Winner
Group 2C
Dominican Republic v Puerto Rico
Honduras v Winner
Group 2D
Canada v Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Group 3A
US Virgin Islands v Grenada
Winner v Costa Rica
Group 3B
Suriname v Montserrat
Winner v Guyana
Group 3C
El Salvador v Anguilla
Panama v Winner
Group 3D
Nicaragua v Netherlands Antilles
Haiti v Winner
The US could send a third-string side and still beat Barbados or Dominica. Ditto for Mexico and Belize but St. Kitts actually put up a fight the last time they met in qualifying (in 2004) so they'll need at least a couple of first-teamers.
So if form holds, these will be the following groups for the semifinal phase:
United States
Guatemala
Trinidad & Tobago
Cuba
Mexico
Honduras
Jamaica
Canada
Costa Rica
Panama
Guyana
Haiti
The US would have an easier go at it than Mexico. Honduras and Jamaica, those aren't exactly walkover wins.
Far east draw
Here's the Asian results. The top two teams in each group advance to the final stage, which will feature two groups. The top two in those groups qualify directly to the World Cup and another team will face the Oceania winner for another spot.
Group 1
Australia
China
Iraq
Qatar
Group 2
Japan
Bahrain
Oman
Thailand
Group 3
South Korea
North Korea
Jordan
Turkmenistan
Group 4
Saudi Arabia
Uzbekistan
Lebanon
Singapore
Group 5
Iran
Kuwait
United Arab Emirates
Syria
Group 1
Australia
China
Iraq
Qatar
Group 2
Japan
Bahrain
Oman
Thailand
Group 3
South Korea
North Korea
Jordan
Turkmenistan
Group 4
Saudi Arabia
Uzbekistan
Lebanon
Singapore
Group 5
Iran
Kuwait
United Arab Emirates
Syria
Grim stuff
So I'm waiting with mild anticipation to find out the preliminary draw results for the 2010 World Cup.
I ran across this to remind me that while the tournament should feature good soccer, it's one that I'm definitely watching from afar.
I ran across this to remind me that while the tournament should feature good soccer, it's one that I'm definitely watching from afar.
Two in, two to follow
Chivas beat San Luis 1-0 and Atlante beat Cruz Azul 2-1 as each team advanced to the semifinals of the Mexican Apertura 2007 liguilla.
The two will now wait for today's results to see who they face next. Santos leads Morelia by a 2-0 aggregate and will host Monarcas today while Pumas visits Toluca also up by 2-0.
Anything can happen in the playoffs, but I'd like to see Chivas and Pumas cross paths at some point. For that to happen in the semis, Morelia would have to upset Santos and I don't see that happening. In fact, I'm not so sure Pumas will hold on to their lead heading to Toluca. Nemesio Diez isn't exactly the easiest place to come away with a result, but then again they need only to lose by one goal, draw or win to go through.
The two will now wait for today's results to see who they face next. Santos leads Morelia by a 2-0 aggregate and will host Monarcas today while Pumas visits Toluca also up by 2-0.
Anything can happen in the playoffs, but I'd like to see Chivas and Pumas cross paths at some point. For that to happen in the semis, Morelia would have to upset Santos and I don't see that happening. In fact, I'm not so sure Pumas will hold on to their lead heading to Toluca. Nemesio Diez isn't exactly the easiest place to come away with a result, but then again they need only to lose by one goal, draw or win to go through.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Getting it
The Galaxy are off in Australia now, where new coach Ruud Gullit has a chance to see his players in action. They, in turn, have the opportunity to work with their new coach and learn from him. I asked Chris Albright before he left for the trip about what made ex-players effective coaches.
"They get it," Chris explained. "They just get it. I can’t explain it to you guys, because you don’t get it. To be fair, I don’t get reporting. They understand the experiences [of players]."
Just as I was thinking that there wasn't that much to understand about reporting, since we're really not that complicated, Billy Witz chimed in.
"We make it up," he told Chris.
Chris nodded.
"I know man. They fabricate."
Friday, November 23, 2007
First legs complete
The respective first legs of each quarterfinal series in Mexico are over. There were some surprising results...
Santos 2, Morelia 0. Okay, so this isn't one of them. But it's particularly significant because Edgar Castillo scored a goal for Santos. Can't say for sure but he might be the first American to ever score a goal in a Mexican league playoff game. It was also significant because it was the first goal of Edgar Castillo's career.
The goal is about halfway through this clip. It's about 8 minutes of game action. The goal is in the 19th minute or so, and it's pretty much continuous action.
As for the rest of the games:
San Luis 1, Chivas 1; Chivas just need a draw at home to go through.
Atlante 1, Cruz Azul 0; Atlante played without top scorer Giancarlo Maldonado and get to go home for the second leg. Looks like it's lights out for blue cross.
Pumas 2, Toluca 0; Toluca needs a massive effort at home.
Santos 2, Morelia 0. Okay, so this isn't one of them. But it's particularly significant because Edgar Castillo scored a goal for Santos. Can't say for sure but he might be the first American to ever score a goal in a Mexican league playoff game. It was also significant because it was the first goal of Edgar Castillo's career.
The goal is about halfway through this clip. It's about 8 minutes of game action. The goal is in the 19th minute or so, and it's pretty much continuous action.
As for the rest of the games:
San Luis 1, Chivas 1; Chivas just need a draw at home to go through.
Atlante 1, Cruz Azul 0; Atlante played without top scorer Giancarlo Maldonado and get to go home for the second leg. Looks like it's lights out for blue cross.
Pumas 2, Toluca 0; Toluca needs a massive effort at home.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Rolling heads
In 2006, I pointed out to Landon Donovan that after his club team and national team suffered disappointing losses, both of his coaches had lost their jobs.
"It's my fault, now?" asked Landon.
I'd actually meant to lead into a question about the difficulty of starting over on both levels at the same time.
These days, David Beckham is facing the same situation now that his England coach, Steve McClaren, has been fired.
David played well against Croatia, registering the assist on England's equalizer, but then the team conceded yet another late goal. We saw a lot of those watching the Galaxy this year.
"It's my fault, now?" asked Landon.
I'd actually meant to lead into a question about the difficulty of starting over on both levels at the same time.
These days, David Beckham is facing the same situation now that his England coach, Steve McClaren, has been fired.
David played well against Croatia, registering the assist on England's equalizer, but then the team conceded yet another late goal. We saw a lot of those watching the Galaxy this year.
Admitting the obvious
One coaching change and a couple months after the actual event, USWNT midfielder Leslie Osborne states what seemed clear to many observers, no matter how many members of the team denied it at the time.
The change in goal before the Brazil game definitely had repercussions that took a toll on player performance.
It shouldn't be such a landmark moment that someone on the team finally just says the truth of that, but it is, because no other member, (other than Hope Solo) has done so. Part of me sympathizes that at any point, the squad was trying to sell this, "We were fine, it was no problem at all," line like they were some super-human roster completely untouched by something that would throw any team around the world, male or female.
There's solidarity and then there's denial. One shouldn't have to lead to the other. That's why Osborne's other statement puzzles me a bit, about how the players should be able to overcome the coaching if need be. That's not the way it should be. Coaching should be an asset to the team, not a handicap. If a coach's moves are an undeniable impediment to the team's performance, then it shouldn't be only one member of team standing alone in saying so.
The change in goal before the Brazil game definitely had repercussions that took a toll on player performance.
It shouldn't be such a landmark moment that someone on the team finally just says the truth of that, but it is, because no other member, (other than Hope Solo) has done so. Part of me sympathizes that at any point, the squad was trying to sell this, "We were fine, it was no problem at all," line like they were some super-human roster completely untouched by something that would throw any team around the world, male or female.
There's solidarity and then there's denial. One shouldn't have to lead to the other. That's why Osborne's other statement puzzles me a bit, about how the players should be able to overcome the coaching if need be. That's not the way it should be. Coaching should be an asset to the team, not a handicap. If a coach's moves are an undeniable impediment to the team's performance, then it shouldn't be only one member of team standing alone in saying so.
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