Klinsmann, the BMW and the Bug

My first car, back in my college days, was a 1974 Volkswagon Bug. It had a funky black and gold paint job, a weird anti-theft system where it wouldn't start unless the fan button was pushed in, no radio, a balky clutch, no air conditioning and and a tendency to shake violently at speeds over 50 mph. 

I loved that car. It ran fine on the cheapest gas. I could push the side swivel windows to get a nice breeze on my face on a hot day. I never got a speeding ticket in that car. I would draft behind trucks on the freeway to minimize the shaking. The front space under the hood had plenty of storage. Parts were pretty inexpensive and some simple repairs and oil changes I learned how to do myself. 

My friends loved it because no one felt bad about getting beach sand in my car, a cooler would fit under the back seat, and they could hear/spot my vehicle coming from a considerable distance. They dubbed it MGD.

Mine looked like this, except with a black hood, and not quite as pristine.

Anyway, not all my friends at this time were broke artists. One had just finished medical school and celebrated by purchasing a beautiful BMW. Determined to keep it looking/running perfectly, he opted out of beach and camping trips, bought only the most expensive gas and got it washed and detailed regularly. 

He trusted me to drive it and I got my first speeding ticket in that car, partly because it traveled so smoothly I didn't feel I was going fast at all. 

On the other hand, he couldn't drive my car without getting incredibly frustrated. He'd forget how to start it, couldn't get a good feel for the clutch and would stall often, would panic when the shaking started, and broke the swivel mechanism on the driver's window trying to adjust it. 

But this was all the car's fault, always. "How can you drive such a piece of crap?" was his constant question. 

I'd just shrug. My car worked for me, I knew how to work with it, it got me places and it was mine. 

"Let's go in Andrea's car," my buddy Rachel said when we were planning a road trip up the coast with friends. "If we go in the doctor's BMW, he won't let us eat in the car or pull off the road for anything interesting." 

Anyway, that's my analogy for the USMNT. Clearly, the team is more like my Bug, and my argument has never been that the players are so good that they deserve a better coach than Klinsmann. It's more that because the team isn't that good, they need a better (more versatile, more inspirational, more creative, more tactical) coach. 

Me and the MGD, back in the day. 

Klinsmann is like the BMW-driving doctor, wondering why he can't coach the USA like he did Germany, refusing to adjust his approach and blaming the players every time things don't work, even when he makes a huge mistake (LD, the broken window swivel). 

I used to be pretty generous with my car. If someone needed to borrow the MGD for any reason, my only condition was that they know how to drive a stick shift. But after I fixed the window swivel, I barred the doctor from driving my car ever again. I realized I had to look out for what was mine, and if he wasn't going to be careful with it, I had to draw that line. 

He acted like it was no great loss, of course. Who would want to drive that piece of crap USMNT? 

Benny Drops the Mic on Jurgen Klinsmann

Benny at MLS media day

Benny Feilhaber lobbed some truth bombs on the USMNT situation with Jurgen Klinsmann today. Reporters who still cover the squad will no doubt have more complete quotes and analysis and so on, but personally, I agree with Feilhaber a lot (more so than with Wambach or LD's comments, for example). Anyway, here's what I transcribed from the MLS media roundtable session.

(Benny was asked about being in the LA area at the same time as the USMNT team, and how did he feel about not getting a look under JK)

For me personally, I’ve accepted the fact that Jurgen’s not going to call me. If I played the year that I played this last year and didn’t get called, I’m not getting the opportunity under Jurgen. That’s something I just have to accept. It’s - I wouldn’t say frustrating,  I’m almost sad, because I feel like I’m playing the best soccer of my career, but I don’t get the opportunity to play for my country. So yeah, it’s something that I’ve just kind of accepted. It just is what it is. It’s not going to happen with Jurgen as the coach.

Does that drive you at all? Do you use that as motivation?

Not really. A lot of people get driven by things that they don’t get.  I’m more driven by being able to do things, like more in a positive way, I guess. I loved winning MLS Cup with Kansas City, I loved winning Open Cup, I love performing at a high level every week last year, getting goals and getting assists. All that stuff drives me. The accolades that come with it are not the thing that I’m thinking of, but that’s nice, too. All those good things drive me to continue playing well and I’m hoping that I continue that way this next year and for however long I can keep playing.

Jurgen seems to have an issue with MLS – does that surprise you for the coach of the US national team?

I don’t know. I’m sure there are some other coaches that said some negative things about MLS as well, but – is it surprising? Not really. From what I see, I think that Jurgen takes some players in MLS and uses the fact that they’re in MLS to maybe not call them up or whatever. You look at some of the top players that played this year – you take a Sacha Kljestan, you take a Dax McCarty, you take a Matt Hedges, I’m sure you could go on and on, these guys aren’t getting an opportunity. So it’s not just me, there’s people like that. There’s people in Europe, too. I can’t name a lot of guys, because I don’t know some of the younger guys, but like an Eric Lichaj, he’s been playing well in Europe for countless years and he hasn’t really been given any opportunity either, so, you know, there’s guys in MLS and guys in Europe who don’t get opportunities with Jurgen for whatever reason. I think that a lot of these issues  - and maybe I’m going off topic a little bit, but a lot of these issues that some people have with foreign players getting called in – I have zero problem with that. I think FIFA allows national teams to get players that weren’t necessarily born in certain countries, and I think that’s an advantage that any national team coach of any team should take advantage of, but I don’t think that that Jurgen calls in the best players that are available to him. That for me is a problem.

Benny back in his USMNT days

There’s players that are better than other players that he doesn’t get – that don’t get an opportunity with the national team. That for me is a bigger deal than anything else. Everybody points fingers at certain things, but for me, that’s the most important thing. I think the – I’m just talking now, because I know this wasn’t the question, but in regards to how a coach should approach a team, not just a national team, but just any team, there’s obviously two duties: One, that’s making the best team that you can possibly make with the players that are available to you and Two, try to continuously improve that team so that it doesn’t stall in any way and continues to improve. And for me, Jurgen seems to try to do the second one without doing the first one. He’d rather put young guys on the team who could potentially become important on the team and leave out players who can make the team  better right now. And for me, that’s the number one job of the national team coach – of any coach – is not to make the team as good as he can make it in five years, but to make it as good as he can make it right now and to continuously improve it for five years.  That he doesn’t do -  his job. Because there are players in the pool that do not get called in that have performed well enough on the field to get an opportunity. That is my biggest problem with how Jurgen selects his players. 

Mas y Mas Gio

More leftover quotes on Gio/Galaxy. 

Head coach Bruce Arena

Players are getting better. We’ve had a long year. We’ve had a lot of injuries and absences for periods of time. For the most part, we’re over the hump and hopefully, we can get our team healthy and ready for the last nine season games and hopefully for the playoffs.

--Injuries?

We’ll see. Baggio should be back soon.

--Expectations? 

Not at all. We have to step on the field and play well each and every game and try to win. All that other stuff is all garbage and hype. We don’t talk about championships yet.

--Supporters' Shield?

It’d be nice to have. The way the league is made up right now, with the regular season schedule, it’s hard, because too many teams play without their players for so many games. The Supporters’ Shield is an awkward goal to have, given that a number of teams play without their players for long periods of time. So it makes that difficult.

--Robbie Rogers Achilles heel issue?

Every player has injuries and deals with it differently. He’s playing 90 minutes now.

--Dallas?

They’re a good team. I haven’t watched them that closely, but Castillo continues to be dangerous player. Diaz is good. Perez has been outstanding goalscorer. Defensively, they’re pretty solid. They’re a good team.

We’ve seen the weather before. We had weather the other day, so it’s not an excuse. Still weather.

--Gio adjustment? There’s been no issues to date. Like any player, they’ll be some ups and downs along the way, but he’s doing very well.

.@OficialGio marked his @MLS debut with a goal and an assist. Recap: http://t.co/s5Kz6lPso6 #LAvSEA pic.twitter.com/6DFcHV4lx3

— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) August 9, 2015

Dan the Man

I mentioned on Twitter today that I could have made my entire "Galaxy teammates adjusting to Gio" piece all on Dan Gargan's quotes. 

To prove it, I'll just leave the ones I didn't use right here. 

We understand the elements (heat in Dallas). It’s not going to be a surprise. We got a good result on the road in Colorado.

That’s what our focus is for the next nine, to sharpen up and tighten some things in our game.

People hyping our team means zero. People’s opinions on a team that hasn’t really played together yet don’t really mean anything. We all know that every day is a new day, so if we don’t prepare and bring our best game to every game, we have just as much opportunity of getting beat as anybody else does. Unless we’re prepared to live up to those expectations on a daily basis, that praise being put on our team doesn’t mean much.

That’s a definite.That’s something that the guys here have understood and adapted to. We understand that when we’re not prepared to play a game, we’re going to get beat because there’s a lot of good teams in this league. We’re adjusted to that and well aware of it. That only helps us, because that raises our level as well.

We’re all here to win titles. Just because Gio comes in and says he wants to win a title, that’s no different than the other 29 guys sitting in that locker room, because they all want to win championships, too. If they were to come in and say, we don’t want to win a championship, that wouldn’t be aligned with what everyone else is thinking. For them to say that they want to come here and win a title, well, of course they do. That’s why they’re coming here and that’s why everyone else is here.

I'm absolutely not satisfied. If that was the case, then what am I doing here? What are we all doing here? If we’re not trying to win? That’s the name of the game. That’s why we play. That’s it. This isn’t rec sports. We’re not out here just for fun. Winning is what we do and what gives us the most joy.

We’re greedy. Bruce has put together a roster that’s capable of doing that. The Supporters’ Shield might be tough to attain at this point, but I don’t think it’s out of reach. Hopefully, if we continue to gel and put the right pieces together and find a good rhythm so that another championship is realistic as well.

Our approach might be a little bit different this weekend. They’re a dangerous team. They play kind of a different style. They have a lot of guys who are able to exploit weaknesses in one on one, which tends to make for a more disjointed game. Our team is focused on maintaining a good 11. This is a good test. It’ll be a formidable opponent.

They both have some very dynamic players. They have that playmaker that sits in the hole and tries to pick out players.

That was a fun piece. Sadly, it was only too easy to convince Alan to do that and show off his abs.

Welcome to the club @OficialGio!! In honor of this momentous occasion, I drew a picture of you for the game #LAvSEA. pic.twitter.com/j8eDTdqMzm

— Daniel Gargan (@HeyDanGargan) August 7, 2015

He’s a good solid veteran. He’s been doing it for a while. Jaime was very good at reactionary saves. Donovan (Ricketts) is more of a presence in goal.

For better or for worse, it could go either way, Gio’s a little bit more instinctual in front of the goal, in terms of creating stuff for himself. Landon was a very selfless player, both ways. If he needed to finish a goal, he’d finish a goal and he would also track back 90 yards to stop a play if he saw that developing. From what I’ve seen from Gio, he’s deadly in front of the net. That’s hopefully where we’ll be able to find him in those positions. We looked to Landon to alleviate a little bit more pressure for us and kind of take over games. Gio will fit in well with our attacking corps and kind of create a bit more. That’s what I’ve seen so far. Both are obviously very talented and very deserving of wearing the #10 for LA. Wouldn’t see much difference there.

Landon was a veteran at this point, and a veteran of the league as well. Gio’s coming in and he’s younger and he’s also new to the league. He probably doesn’t have the same amount of confidence from an understanding of the league. He’s learning and seeing a new culture and environment for himself. That’ll take time for him to get settled and to get comfortable.

Keane’s a link. That’s not only a captain’s responsibility, it’s a friend’s responsibility. He has a relationship with both of them prior to the Galaxy. In order for both of them to feel comfortable, he’s been able to integrate them into the group. It’s not like the other guys on the team have been closed off. We have a pretty good locker room and it’s been very open and welcoming. Both of those guys, Gio and Gerrard, have fit in pretty well.

I’ve been a witness to Stevie coming, and everyone was excited for him. Gio attracts a different fan base. He’s a bit younger. He also has the Mexican side, which is a big community in LA. The response to Gio being signed is a bit different, but the LA Galaxy community is excited to have both of them and rightfully so.

Stevie's Thoughts

I wondered what Steven Gerrard thought about getting to the Galaxy fairly recently and getting asked so many questions about his new teammate, Gio Dos Santos. 

Steven Gerrard in Los Angeles

Turns out, he doesn't mind much at all. 

I was very pleased for him. He was desperate to get out there, onto the pitch. His debut went perfect. Good team performance and he came on and contributed at the end with a goal.

I’m just pleased and smiling that the deals over the line and he’s an LA Galaxy player. I want to form a good relationship with him. I’m excited for him.

I think he’ll adapt a lot quicker than me. He’s used to the climate. He knows the guys better than I do. I’m sure he’ll settle in very quickly and play in good performances with the team. I’m pleased for him. When I heard the news he was coming, I made contact with him. We were both very happy with the pickup.

So Gerrard clearly doesn't mind answering Gio questions. At least, not nearly as much as he minds the extreme weather conditions in some places in MLS. Dan Gargan, his LA Galaxy defender teammate, had a bit of fun with him about dealing with that. 

Stevie’s first two road games were in Houston and Colorado. Dealing with that humidity and then that altitude - after the Colorado game, he was wondering where we were playing next. I told him we’re playing on Mars next. That’s indicative of some of the situations we have to deal with in this league, with the travel and the environments. Seeing that in two of your first three weeks was probably a bit eye-opening, because those are two of the tougher places to play. Dallas will be another one. Might was well see them all early and get them out of the way.

Gio, obviously has played in heat plenty of times. That’s probably tougher on Stevie than it will be on Gio, but still, it’s a tough place to play. Some of that travel and flying three hours, and then playing a game the next day, it’s not easy either. It won’t be easy for either of them, because as far as I know, they’ve never had to deal with that before.

Gerrard seemed to agree that he found the transition difficult.

Houston was wild. That was certainly a big learning curve for me. We spoke about the challenges in the press conference and I said I’d give it my best and that’s what I’ve done.

Yet, though Dallas won't be easy, Gerrard was optimistic about all the games ahead for the Galaxy, especially now with Gio on board.

We can both help each other, on the pitch and off it as well. I said when I signed that all the players and the staff at LA Galaxy made me feel so welcome. I’m sure Gio’s feeling the same. The important thing is that all the players are available. When I signed, we had players in the Gold Cup, some injuries, and we were still trying to get Gio over the line. Now everyone’s fit and available, ready to fight for the team. I think we can go on a winning streak now and become a real force.

For more on how Gio's LA teammates are adjusting to him joining the team - read this!

Oh, Canada Gets Herculez!

Herculez Gomez will now play in Canada for Toronto FC, making him a true North American soccer player, now that he has plied his trade in clubs located in all of the countries that make up NAFTA. 

Having been in Canada recently, I can vouch that it's a cool spot.

 And Herc has always been a cool dude. 

Thus, it should be a good combination. 

Watershed Moments

Last night, Alan Gordon came off the field and was substituted by Giovani Dos Santos for the debut of the Mexican international as a Galaxy player. 

Gordon was already the answer to the trivia question,"Which player came off for David Beckham's debut as a Galaxy player?", so perhaps this is all routine for him. Still, it was an interesting full circle moment.

Gordon was pretty low-key about it, though. 

"I think it's a bigger deal to you guys than it is to me," he said, shrugging. 

I'll have more Dos Santos info later, but for now, here's a picture and my own full circle moment. 

My Beckham interview on NPR.

My Dos Santos interview. 

Both these players were in the same country in 2005. One won.

Radio Days, With Two Different Stars as Main Topic

Years ago, I used to work the graveyard shift at my college radio station. I was on from midnight to 8am, then I hurried to my dorm room to change for a 9am class. Most of what went out on the air at that time was pre-programmed, although I did a short traffic and weather report at the top of every hour. Basically, that job helped me realize radio is both a great and tough medium.

Even before I moved to the LA area, I used to listen to KPCC. When I got the call to come to my local NPR station as a soccer expert guest, I was excited. 

Have to say, I don't think my first time, discussing David Beckham, went all that well.  It probably wasn't advisable to disagree with the host of the radio show that invited me right off the bat. 

My most recent appearance was to talk about Giovani Dos Santos, who honestly, has the potential to be as big a signing in certain ways as Beckham ever was. No, Dos Santos won't have the same world-wide impact, but on a local marketing level, this could be huge. He's much younger, a massive star with the Mexican fans in LA, and more creative on the ball. Dos Santos will still have to play well to justify all the hype, but the potential is definitely there. 

Here is the individual show segment about Dos Santos. Who knows - if Dos Santos plays amazingly tonight in his debut as a Galaxy player, I may be asked back again. It's always the big stories that get media attention.

The Galaxy are also a more balanced team now to support the skills of Dos Santos. With Robbie Keane, Steven Gerrard, Gyasi Zardes and Omar Gonzalez all on board to help carry the burden of garnering wins, Dos Santos shouldn't feel as isolated as Landon Donovan and Beckham seemed to be those difficult years when the Galaxy depended on that duo so much. 

Then and Now - Hugo Perez

So, back in 2007, I spoke to Hugo Perez about U.S. Soccer improving their efforts in developing the Latino pool of soccer talent in the US.

Multiple sources telling me that Hugo Perez is no longer working for U.S. Soccer in any capacity. Released of his duties today.

— J.R. Eskilson (@JREskilson) July 30, 2015

@MC_Bousquette @a_andersonreyes I’m not fond of the fact that Hugo Perez, who was doing great work there & w/U-14s, got let go by Klinsmann.

— Raf Noboa y Rivera (@noboa) July 25, 2015

Now, Perez is looking to take his coaching talents to El Salvador. 

Nacional, con experiencia, me parece que Hugo Perez seria el DT perfecto para la Selección Nacional de El Salvador.

— Gerardo Burgos (@Futbol_Burgos) July 25, 2015

Meanwhile, a few of the USA players with Mexican heritage are developing in that country and also playing for Mexico. Isaac Brizuela and Miguel Ponce are the first wave of talent in this direction that continues with Uvaldo Luna. 

The route of Mexico development isn't really open to Latino players who aren't Mexican, however. I'm pretty sure some squad in Liga MX would have been interesting in signing Oscar Sorto by now if he wasn't Salvadorean and thus, cost them a foreign player spot. 

Major League Soccer teams are improving their development and youth academies, but there's still a long way to go and frankly, the style of MLS isn't always a good fit for players, in terms of learning to be creative and tricky.

In addition, dismissing Latino coaches from U.S. Soccer posts isn't helping the players coming through the ranks to feel valued and that their future lies with the USMNT.

@golalvarado @SoccerInsider US Soccer legends Caligiuri http://t.co/50MJFscj5W and Hugo Perez http://t.co/JfcAcOQKpn talk about Team USA.

— Centro Deportivo (@DeportivoCentro) June 4, 2014

Ronnie in the Twilight

Ronaldinho isn't what he used to be, but that doesn't mean he can't be great in a different way. It also might be enough to help Querataro win the Liga MX title. 

I've met Ronaldinho a few times, back when he was in LA with Barcelona, and later on with Milan. 

He's friendly, playful with press, in terms of a smile and a wave, but he doesn't like doing interviews, at least in terms of stopping to answer many questions in a mixed zone. 

Whose Jersey Did You Get?

I asked Landon Donovan that question once, six years ago. He was exiting the locker rooms at the Rose Bowl and he had a Barcelona jersey slung over his shoulder after a friendly game against the Spanish squad. 

"Pique." Donovan answered, succinctly. 

I wondered what Pique did with his Donovan jersey. 

Just yesterday, I found out, via Twitter. 

Ordenando el armario, aquí tenéis algunas de las camisetas que he ido encontrando. Cuál os gusta más? pic.twitter.com/Jg7c1SB2ee

— Gerard Piqué (@3gerardpique) May 10, 2015

There's Donovan's Galaxy jersey, in the bottom row of uniforms next to Andrea Pirlo's. 

But Donovan actually gave away two jerseys that night in Pasadena. 

Dani Alves has the other. 

LD hasn't tweeted any pictures of his jersey collection yet. 

He's been busy with other stuff, though, like getting married!

I've never been happier. Hope you all had a great weekend! pic.twitter.com/jsT3voFY3f

— Landon Donovan (@landondonovan) May 5, 2015

Super Clasico is finally Set Up

For a while now, Club America v Chivas has been a relatively mild affair, because there hasn't been much at stake between the two squads. But now there is a lot. 

Four-team tie at the top of the LIGA MX. Chivas will move clear with a win or tie tomorrow in the #Superclasico http://t.co/z6aCyvNapU
— ESPN Tri (@ESPNFCtri) April 26, 2015

Meanwhile, defending Liga MX champions Club America are fighting to retain a playoff spot, so there's a lot at stake for them as well. 

.@cesarhfutbol gives his five key players to watch in Liga MX's Super Clasico #Chivas #America http://t.co/puSS4gPsTg
— ESPN Tri (@ESPNFCtri) April 25, 2015

Here's a preview that Tom Marshall and I wrote covering both sides for this big game today. 

As Chivas prepare to host America on Sunday, @mexicoworldcup and @soccercanales break down the Super Clasico. http://t.co/bFnSJIgX8T
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) April 24, 2015

Mike Penner, Bruce Jenner and Me

Years ago, at the great media brouhaha that was the official unveiling of David Beckham, I was walking on the concourse of what is now called Stub Hub Center stadium, when I spotted a tall woman. She, like me, was on her way to the media rooms designated for different groups of reporters. Even though Beckham's move to the Galaxy was a huge story, there weren't that many women covering it, so I noticed her. I stopped for a moment, thinking that she might be an ex-athlete turned reporter, perhaps a former basketball or volleyball player. It even occurred to me that, if so, I should ask her about that, and get a unique perspective that might add some insight into a Beckham event reaction story. She looked somewhat familiar, so I tried to remember where I'd seen her before. Then I realized she was Christine Daniels, the transgender sports writer whose story I'd read about about earlier that year. 

Even before that galvanizing story, I'd read Mike Penner columns/stories in the LA Times for years, but never ran into him in the LA pressbox for Galaxy games, where Grahame Jones had the regular local soccer beat. I'd been keeping up with Christine's blog, and I wondered if it was ok to start with that as a intro comment, "Hi, I've read your blog; I'm a reporter, too, are you going to come to more soccer stuff?" 

But then Christine walked into the suite marked for national media reporters. I went to the one for local media. Maybe I'd see her after the interviews ended, I figured. Or perhaps she'd be out soon again to actually see Beckham play and I could introduce myself in the pressbox before a game. 

Beckham came to the local media interview room last. Christine and most of the other reporters were long gone by the time I stepped out of the suite into the bright sunshine. 

Selfishly, I hoped I would see her again soon. I had friends in the LA pressbox, but sometimes it still felt a little isolating to be the lone female reporter there. I imagined that Christine wouldn't be intimidated, at over six feet, walking into a locker room full of players amped up after a game. I, who was always more comfortable at a keyboard than speaking in person, would sometimes wonder if players refused interviews or ignored my requests for a quote because I was a woman and they didn't take me seriously as a reporter. I figured Christine wouldn't be so easy to brush off. I also thought I could help her if she needed anything translated from Spanish. We could be like a distaff soccer-writing Mutt and Jeff.

Alexi Lalas is Doing Fine, But What About Bob?

Just another day in the soccer-writing life, but now I suddenly have a few hundred more Twitter followers than before. 

It's pretty much Alexi Lalas' fault. 

So @soccercanales is in the midst of a long and interesting twitter dissection of @J_Klinsmann's tenure.
— Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) April 20, 2015

The man has a gift for garnering media attention, so perhaps he's in his best career fit as a sports pundit, but I remember well when his trajectory in sports management seemed unstoppable. 

Instead, Lalas was derailed when he became the ringmaster in the circus that was the LA Galaxy's colossal craziness in the early Beckham years. It's kind of a shame, given his energy and enthusiasm, but living by the propaganda sword means dying by it as well. 

Bob and Alexi Lalas

That's what happened to Lalas, but like the phoenix, he's risen from the ashes of that disaster to do quite well on television. 

Still, I wonder what happened to his little Yorkie, which I believe he told me was named Bob. 

Alexi would bring him to Galaxy practices sometimes. Maybe Bob hides in the TV studio or Alexi's office now. 






Update! Alexi says Bob is fine.

@soccercanales Bob is alive and kicking. He actually got me in trouble a few weeks ago. He says hi.
— Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) April 21, 2015

Once More Into the Ring

Ahead of the big "friendly" USA-Mexico game today, Luis Hernandez has a new commercial for Wells Fargo similar to the Landon Donovan one. It's to introduce a banking app in Spanish. 

Like Donovan's, the scenario is a coach handing out jerseys to players, and Hernandez, as the new addition, uses his banking app to send in his payment quickly. But a crucial difference (as well as a tip of the hat to the Mexican fan loyalty in the rivalry) is that as soon as Hernandez pulls the jersey over his head, his hair magically grows into the long tresses he once sported, complete with a headband. Everyone on his team recognizes him and celebrates having a legend on their team. 

Hernandez then runs to the field in triumph, despite never actually having touched the ball yet. "El Matador" was indeed a Mexico icon. While his Galaxy career wasn't spectacular and he lost to LD and the USA in 2002 in the World Cup, he gets the last laugh here.

Matosas Going Nowhere?

So I wrote on Matosas and the latest struggles for Club America. 

Meanwhile, this dude just offered a GIF visual of the same situation. 

El América de Matosas. pic.twitter.com/sna48B521m
— Judas Iscariote (@Mr_Bukowski) March 29, 2015

Here's a more statistical, analytical tack. 

En #GloriaAbsoluta, @FutIncorrecto analiza tácticamente la era Matosas | http://t.co/19ccz77aLm pic.twitter.com/ofNgVsQROw
— VAVEL Magazine MX (@VAVELMagazineMX) March 28, 2015

21 Not Gunning For Those Above

Yes, the title is a reference to the Green Day song. 

Memo has proved himself against world's best teams before

It's also a reference to my latest article. Mexico is ranked at 21 and it isn't playing any teams ranked higher of late. At least, not until their Costa Rica friendly. 

Ok, I know the rankings aren't everything, but Argentina was on a USA tour at the same time as Mexico. Why not schedule that? 

Mexico did manage to win both friendly matches of 2015 thus far. So - anyone want to predict El Tri's first loss this year? Let me know your guess if you have one. 

If You're Happy, Then You Know It

Is it possible to rate happiness? If so, how much does that factor into a team sport like soccer?

We've seen disgruntled teams implode in tournaments, and we've also seen teams where everyone was smiling, looking like they're having a great time, genuinely friendly with each other, do very well in games. 

But is happiness measurable as a factor to winning?

What about personal preference? Would a player prefer to be part of a team that was a happy one? 

The truth is, most players will say that they want to play for the best team they can, regardless of the camaraderie among teammates. They'll take sullen silences and diva attitudes in return for winning. 

Then again, losing a lot probably doesn't improve a team's attitude or ambiance. The US have only won 2 of their last 11 games. 

William Yarbrough and Ventura Alvarado are eligible for both the USA and Mexico. 

Mexico seems to be having more fun under Piojo. If that matters to the duo, it could play a factor in any final decision, should Mexico ever come calling for their services. 

If you could choose, which would you pick and why?

W. Yarbrough y V. Alvarado futbolistas mexicanos que no fueron contemplados por el Piojo Herrera, pero si para EUA pic.twitter.com/bVB7Evvvlc
— Frecuencia Deportiva (@FD1370) March 25, 2015

Matosas Offers His Resignation

Whoo, hooo! Fall on one's sword in a great show of sacrifice - or is it really? 

I have doubts. 

So do others. 

@mexicoworldcup @soccercanales Didn't Matosas pull the same cry baby tantrum at Leon multiple times over his tenure?
— Robert Villasenor (@rvilla18) March 23, 2015

hahahahahaha if matosas wants to quit let him quit tf , I didn't want him on @CF_America from the beginning anyways . #Matosas #America
— ℓiƶɛttɛ .♡ (@liiiiiizz_) March 23, 2015

Anyway, never fear, Matosas fans, he's not going anywhere yet. 

Americanistas, estén tranquilos, @gusmat_dt seguirá con ustedes. http://t.co/rw7Lt8MUuW pic.twitter.com/KibEw7JQ37
— juanfutbol (@juanfutbol) March 24, 2015

F.C. Fashion Choice - FC Dallas.

Yep, the FC Dallas logo is now apparently all the rage abroad in England. 

When you're as 🔥 as us, even @GemmaAnneStyles takes notice. Did @Harry_Styles buy that shirt? #DTID pic.twitter.com/viWGg0T7Ze
— FC Dallas (@FCDallas) March 22, 2015

But, as I have noted before, FC Dallas has a way of getting into the hands of the most stylish kids. 

Gwen Stefani with kids, check out Kingston's FC Dallas kit