At the start of the Clausura 2008 season, few American soccer fans had heard of Michael Orozco. Now, though, he's become a part of the U.S. national team system and will represent the U.S. in the upcoming Summer Olympics.
And while he'll be away for perhaps one-fourth of the upcoming Apertura 2008 season, he will at some point go back ad try and reclaim a spot on the club.
A native of Orange, Calif., Orozco broke through with San Luis in the Apertura 2007 season. He started 15 of 16 games that season and logged 1,325 minutes. A season ago, Olympic qualifying and injuries limited him to 11 games - all starts.
Orozco will likely miss a minimum of four games but could be away for as many as six matches with the U.S. Olympic team. When he gets back, he may have to battle with Adrian Gonzalez Tahuilan to reclaim a starting spot. It's a fight that he should not have much problem winning.
Still, San Luis' season will plow forward without Orozco. If the club is in a good position in league when Orozco returns from China, it may initially be difficult for Orozco to win a spot back. In many ways then, San Luis' early-season success or failure might dictate how quickly Orozco gets himself back in the mix.
Potentially, Orozco's success with the U.S. Olympic team could elad to more international call-ups. Orozco could thrust himself in the mix with the senior national team, which may lead to more absences.
At some point, though, all of the international experience will benefit Orozco at the club level as he only stands to improve his play while defending his colors.
Well, well, Don Garber refers to more journalists turning out for the All-Star events this year than ever before (over 300 credentialed). I, of course, am at home. Most of all, I'm sad I missed out on so much free food. (Last year's ESPN-hosted party had a chocolate fountain and three kinds of free beer).
Anyway, here are a few articles that caught my attention this morning.
Becks! With video.
Funny the didn't mention the game today, though. Probably not West Ham fans.
Ha, ha, ha! Cough, cough.
Shilton hears Beckham's footprints.
So who was in the white limo? Don Garber?
Martin! Martin is taking a break from changing baby nappies to write about soccer again. Actually, he's been multitasking on that for a while.
Hey, it's apparently safe these days to like soccer.
The league has started to worry about losing talent to clubs abroad who can pay more.
Mark Zeigler argues, a little obliquely, that a Wambach-focused team might have stunted the development of the U.S. Women's National Team. I'll take it a step further.
Mark's argument has some solid validity, I think.
Yet I'd also say that viewpoint works under a different spin. By the very nature of a pro sports career, there's a certain Toys 'R Us (I don't wanna grow up) dynamic going on.
It's pretty obvious that in general, all pro athletes enjoy something of a Peter Pan existence. Soccer is a game, after all. They started playing as children and now they get paid to continue to do so. How many of us get paid to do something we did as kids? (Well, ok, as a kid I was writing a lot of overwrought poetry, but no, I've never been paid for that).
As long as soccer stars can still perform at a top level, though, they remain in a team structure that's in some ways similar to their development days. Coaches will always call their men's team players "boys", no matter if the squad has a plethora of over-30 veterans with gray hair and four kids apiece. "The boys did great today." "The boys stunk up the stadium today."
Coaches will often be daddy figures to their charges, with enormous authority to decide the fate of those involved with a club.
The fish bowl of a pro team structure sometimes makes it difficult for players to mature into self-sufficient adults. Instead of learning from struggling with new concepts, they're asked to focus on what they're already good at, and they are often pampered and watched over in many different ways. Fans, teammates and owners will forgive a lot of a player who can put the ball in the back of the net, so sometimes the incentive to be a decent person is actually lacking. A mean streak will often be glossed over as "toughness" and many see vanity as the accepted element of a star.
With women, a slightly different tweak on that dynamic exists. Though I can't specifically recall Pia Sundhage using the the term "girls" (she uses "players" a lot), I have heard former coaches do so, as well as a lot of the other national team level coaches. I also heard a more about "protecting" players (exhibit A: No weights are ever released for the USWNT players, apparently to avoid hurt feelings of self-consciousness).
One of the things that I believe really cramped the individual development of the U.S. women was the lack of pro play elsewhere. No one on the team played abroad. Only the college players have known anything but the USWNT structure lately. Turning the national team into a residency camp extended the sorority mentality far beyond what was healthy. The players hardly ever got a break from each other. People fell into roles and pecking orders were established without a chance to really change them. The dynamic suprise players (like Shannon Boxx emerging from WUSA play) didn't come along any longer.
The "queen bee" of the team was pretty clearly Wambach.
I guess my point is that any career has pitfalls. The trick in soccer is to try to maintain the childish love and enjoyment of the game while taking care to mature in other regards, behaving professionally and appreciating the sport. It's a balance, of course.
San Jose, Calif., native Jesus Padilla had a once-promising career at some point. But now, he seems firmly entrenched in the second division. That much was evident last season when he spent all but a brief moment of his time with Tapatio.
How much has changed entering the Apertura 2008 season? Not a whole lot.
Padilla played in Chivas' preseason match against FC Dallas but by the end of SuperLiga was back on Guadalajara preparing for the start of Tapatio's Primera A campaign. A goal scorer by trade, Padilla is in fact fulfilling that role for Tapatio. He scored a goal in Tapatio's first match of the Primera A season.
Yet the team has apparently chosen to go in a different direction. With the loss of Omar Bravo to Deportivo la Coruna in the offseason, Chivas had a big hole to fill up top but Padilla's opportunity to fill that role was brief. Omar Arellano will likely get more playing time in Bravo's absence.
Continued success with Tapatio may or may not open doors for Padilla. A season ago, Padilla was able to play in two league games as well as two Copa Libertadores matches. Perhaps if injury or international duty takes some players away, Padilla may find his place on the first team. Otherwise, it could be more of second-division soccer for Padilla.
I don't mind the MLS All-Star game. I know that may not sound like a ringing endorsement of the event and it's not. I write this not to defend the league, because to me, liking the game is a matter of preference, like peanut butter. If one travels around the world at all, one realizes that outside of the U.S., most people really don't care for peanut butter.
I realize the All-Star game is similarly unique to American sports, but not really. Almost every league puts together a list at the end of the season that compiles the best players in a First XI. Fans can only imagine how such a squad would actually perform, though. Even FIFA has a World Cup team when that tournament ends that puts together the best participants on paper. The All-Star Game goes one step beyond that recognition and actually puts their team on the field for one game.
I think that's kind of exciting, even if the result is ultimately meaningless.
(Though anything that gets Chelsea fans tripping over themselves to tell everyone exactly how meaningless their 2005 loss to the MLS All-Stars was, can't be all bad).
West Ham isn't a great opponent, though. Honestly, I blame the turf. No one has said that Liverpool backed out of the All-Star game because of the field, but it remains a plausible theory. It is that much of a negative factor.
But it wasn't as if the game was going to be canceled just because the opponent wasn't really of superior caliber. That's what will make everyone appreciate the future matches versus AC Milan, Boca Juniors, Lyon, Bayern Munich and Everton. Bringing in an outside opponent is also a great tip of the hat to the international aspect of the beautiful game.
I actually find the MLS All-Star Game format superior to that of the other U.S. sports. The East/West division in the NBA means some ultimate combinations never happen - Kobe isn't passing to Kevin Garnett, for example.
David Beckham with a cross to Juan Pablo Angel, though? Oh, yeah. Cuauhtemoc Blanco working a give and go with Landon Donovan? Money, honey. It's the best of the best in MLS and I think it's worth watching, even with griping about venue, schedule, and the travesty of Guillermo Barros Schelotto's exclusion.
Then again, my Brazilian friends think I'm crazy to like peanut butter.
New Mexico native Edgar Castillo took a shot with Santos Laguna as an 18-year-old. Winning an open tryout, he eventually earned a chance at playing in the first division. At the age of 22, Castillo is an established member of the reigning Mexican league champion and a budding star with the national team.
Here's how he stands entering the Apertura 2008 season.
Castillo enjoyed his finest season as a pro in the Clausura 2008. He not only played a key role on the club, he also hoisted his first leauge trophy. A stalwart on the left side, Castillo may play a bit more centrally in the absence of Daniel Luduena. Santos' creative central midfielder is recovering from knee surgery and did not participate in any of Santos' SuperLiga games.
If and when Luduena returns, Castillo will probably shuffle back to the left side of the field. Along with right-sided player Francisco Torres, Castillo gives Santos a blazing speed burner in what could be one of the fastest wide combinations in Mexico.
Barring injury, Castillo should blossom into one of the league's most dangerous left-sided players - if he isn't there already.
Castillo may also break through on the senior side. While he already has a pair of caps for the full national team under his belt, those came with the team ex-coach Hugo Sanchez assembled for Olympic qualifying. Castillo also participated on the ill-fated squad but did not do damage to his personal cause. He could be an option for new coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, though the left side is seemingly Andres Guardado's domain.
English power Arsenal snapped up Carlos Vela from Chivas de Guadalajara after Vela helped Mexico win the Under-17 World Championship in 2005.
After a pair of years abroad for seasoning, Vela returned to Arsenal over the summer. On Tuesday, he finally made his Gunners debut.
Vela played the first half of Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Hungarian side Szombathelyi. He was active in his limited time as he set up an early chance and had an opportunity of his own, which he failed to capitalize on.
Still, it's a step in the right direction for Vela. Winning a starting spot seems a monumental challenge for Vela but earning some playing time is probably within his reach.
I'm not a TFC supporter but even I'm starting to get frustrated.
I can just imagine how the Red Patch Boys feel about their club's latest setback.
Toronto FC failed to qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League as Montreal nabbed Canada's lone spot in the upcoming tournament. Needing just a win, Toronto FC actually went ahead early but could not seal the deal. Montreal got an equalizer from Rapids washout Roberto Brown and held on for a 1-1 draw.
It must be incredibly frustrating for TFC fans to pack the house only to watch their team score one goal a game, or many times actually see them score no goals at all. But this is a slap in the face, losing out on the chance to participate in what could have been an exciting event for the team and its fans. To add insult to injury to Toronto fans, it's Montreal's team that gets to go and represent Canada.
Not sure what Toronto needs but they need something. Perhaps it's time for the front office to work something out with Chicago instead of being the reported stubborn fools they've been. Toronto needs something; otherwise there will be more frustrating draws at BMO Field this season.
Beau takes the temperature of Beckham fever these days. It's not scorching, but it's warm.
Let's personalize the phenomenon for Sideline Views folk. How has Beckham joining MLS affected you? Not at all? Some? Explain.
First of all, Rob Hues, it's Grahame, not Graeme. Also, I'd like to offer my own thoughts on what California offers soccer.
I mean, I'm not sure that I even understand the point of the recent article - is it that California allowed Jurgen to relax and Beckham to smile? That's all one can put together about the state and soccer? As the surfers here would say, lame.
California has given the U.S. national team, at every level, more players than any other state. It maintains three Major League Soccer teams responsible for four league championships in the 12 year history of MLS. The first goal in league history was scored in the state (Eric Wynalda, San Jose).
The weather allows players to practice and improve their skills year-round and attracts clubs such as Chelsea to train here. In the past ten years, more international teams have played exhibitions in the state than anywhere else in the Americas. California stadiums have hosted the finals of three FIFA World Cups.
California gave birth to AYSO, the youth organization that introduces millions of American children to the sport.
The player widely considered the best on the U.S. squad at present, Landon Donovan, is a native Californian who spent by far the bulk of his development and professional career here.
Notable players who have played on California teams include George Best (LA Aztecs and SJ Earthquakes), Johan Cruyff (LA Aztecs) , Teófilo Cubillas (LA Aztecs), Hugo Sanchez (San Diego Sockers), and Jurgen Klinsmann (Orange County Blue Star)
The soccer culture here is diverse, with obviously a large number of Mexican and Central American players, but also Brazilian expats, Argentine expats and English expats can be found at any park pickup game. The mix and meld of styles offers players of various talents chances to shine and broadens their understanding of the sport. More soccer leagues, more youth clubs and more adult teams exist in California than in any other U.S. state.
California contains the current national champions of women's university soccer, USC, as well as past champions Santa Clara. Men's colleges in the state have won the title eleven times, while one university, UCLA, has developed more players in the professional ranks, both at home and abroad, than any other U.S. school.
Klinsmann began his coaching career here, serving as assistant to then-Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid. Rinus Michels coached here (LA Aztecs), and Guus Hiddink played (SJ Earthquakes)before turning to coaching.
Of course California is a place to relax, and that philosophy is an integral part of the state of mind here. But Californians are also serious about their soccer, and Beckham's smile is only a very small part of that.
Mexico's Apertura 2008 season is upon us. In a few days, 18 clubs will begin yet another season that promises to bring with it high drama, memorable goals and exciting matches.
Among the dozens of players who will see action this season are a small band of American-born players, our beloved Sangre americana lot.
Here is the first of several previews I will present to you about the respective players and how they stand in terms of prospects for the upcoming season. We'll begin with the latest addition to the First Division: Dallas native Marco Antonio Vidal.
Vidal, 22, has yet to play in the Mexican First Division. However, he stands to play quite often for the newly-promoted Indios de Ciudad Juarez. A midfielder, Vidal played a key role for Indios over the last calendar year. He played a total of 42 games for Indios in the Primera A division.
In the preseason, Vidal has seen plenty of action for Indios as his importance to the club will seemingly not change much in the top flight.
Vidal, though, will be surrounded by some experienced players, including players such as Manuel "Tripa" Perez, Andres Chitiva and Edwin Santibanez. If Indios coach Sergio Orduna wants to start the season off with some experience in the midfield, perhaps Vidal will wait to debut in the top flight.
An interesting side note: Vidal, as his bio from Indios' web site shows, actually had a shot with Chivas de Guadalajara despite his American birth.
Except I have no link to prove it. Oh well. If you read this blog regularly, you already know all about Jose Francisco Torres and how he told me he turned down a chance to play for the United States in the Olympics this summer.
I decided to write a bit on him during my weekly Tuesday column for the Press-Enterprise. But the story isn't on the web.
Again, it's nothing new to you. But I know there are people who still like their soccer news in print form. Plus, the story may get some play outside of the sports pages. I didn't present the story in any sort of controversial manner - you'll have to take my word for it - but a story on an American playing in Mexico who turns down the chance to play in the Olympics for the US is bound to get some play in the mainstream media.
I'll probably write more on Torres for other outlets, not the same story for sure but some of the stuff I didn't get to as well as some of the more soccer-specific parts of the chat we had.
Keith Savage and Lance Parker were great sports on Tuesday. They, the professional athletes of the bunch, took it easy on the amatuer freelance writers. As a token of my gratitude for that and for them letting us use their clubs, I tried to get some good pictures of the duo in action.
I got several good shots of them. Here's a sampling.
See if you can find the golf ball in each shot.
David Beckham will wear limited edition adidas gold Predator soccer cleats this Thursday at the MLS All-Star game in Toronto.
adidas only made 2,000 pair and they are available exclusively at Eurosport (www.soccer.com) for $200 each.
Aufweidersen, Adieu. Adios. Since I've been out golfing today, I hadn't read about Abel Xavier's farewell tour of spite on Galaxy coach Ruud Gullit in particular and the organization in general.
Here's a sampling of it.
Though it amuses me that Xavier is clearly venting, and to more than one press outlet, I'm not really surprised. It happens when players leave who don't want to go and don't have the discipline (or perhaps the incentive) to be professional about it.
Last season, Santino Quaranta left the Galaxy in a fit of pique, complaining to media that the Galaxy locker room was a mess, that Yallop hadn't wanted to trade him, that Lalas and Yallop weren't speaking. Turns out that Quaranta had his own demons to contend with at the time. He certainly wasn't playing his best soccer in those days, and neither has Xavier lately.
I'm not saying the Galaxy locker room didn't have problems then and doesn't have them now. Every locker room has issues, frankly. Some more than others, of course.
As a journalist, I liked Xavier being outspoken. Yet he avoided taking responsibility for his failings on the field. He'd say the entire team was to blame ("The responsibility to defend is on the entire team."), the ref, whatever. He believed in expressing his opinions and he had a lot of them. I remember once when Xavier was upset about a game and talking on and on about the officiating to the assembled press. The locker room emptied out of other players, but Xavier was still detailing his issues. Landon Donovan walked by and remarked dryly, "And that's the short version." I think he was kidding, but there's an element of truth behind those jokes.
Some coaches can calm emotional players down. Some don't tolerate things that distract the team.
It's pretty clear where Ruud Gullit falls. The question now is - did Gullit err in the move to get rid of Xavier? Opine here if you like.
Landon Donovan's declaration that he wants to play in England isn't new.
Frankly, he's said that for years, and at one point, was going to go on loan to a team there, Portsmouth. That deal got nixed because of a change in the international transfer window.
LD said last year he'd like to go to Spain or England. I asked him this year about a move abroad, and he said the same thing. He said he'd be interested in Italy and France, too.
Basically, any top league abroad except for Germany, was the impression I got. Yet he isn't pining to go. He's said he's open to offers and would consider them.
Here's part of what I wrote for Futbol Mundial magazine about Donovan's status about a month ago. I'm surprised more wasn't made of it then. Then again, it was consistent with what he'd said before. The only thing that changes is if an offer is made from somewhere LD would like to go.
Inevitably, with Donovan playing so well, the issue comes up as to where else he might be willing to go. Playing alongside Beckham has created incredible exposure for the entire Galaxy team. It’s not that Donovan was an unknown quantity before, because he certainly opened eyes with his breakout performance at the World Cup in 2002. Yet now, his notoriety is at an entirely different level.
“I’m more recognized and more noticed now than I’ve ever been,” Donovan acknowledged. “What’s happening is that David is bringing the spotlight and other players are taking advantage of it and making names for themselves and it’s been good for all of us.”
Now that Donovan has clearly moved to another level of both consistency and versatility, it’s easy to see his game fitting in well on a quality team at the highest level of club soccer. The two questions that remain are simple. One, has any team in Europe been intrigued enough to come calling for his services this year? Two, would Donovan go?
“No,” Donovan answered simply to the first query.
The second response was a bit more complicated. That’s understandable, given that Donovan’s wife, Bianca Kajlich, is a successful actress currently starring on a CBS sitcom. It would be difficult to sustain such a career anywhere other than Los Angeles.
“Here and now is what I worry about,” said Donovan about going abroad. “Someday, if there’s a chance, then it’s possible. But for a lot of reasons, my family situation, my contract situation, I’m not going anywhere for a while. But maybe someday.”
Meanwhile, immediate goals and scoring more of them, are what Donovan is concentrated on.
“I think about getting through this year and finding a way to be good this year,” Donovan said. “Then if an opportunity comes, where something happens, whether it be next year, the year after, the year after, or maybe never, then we’ll cross that bridge. But I don’t go home and think, ‘When can I go play in Europe?' If it happens, it will happen.”
Greetings all. Sorry for not posting today, but we are out at Griffith Park participating in Chivas USA's annual golf tournament. We are trying to figure this golf thing out, but so far not so good. Andrea and I are paired with Keith Savage and Lance Parker and they are carrying the foursome for sure.
As the start of the Mexican Apertura 2008 season approaches, I was doing some work for the upcoming editions of Sangre americana, where I keep tabs on American-born players in Mexico.
What I failed to notice is that the Primera A season got underway and we had two American-born players as well as a naturalized citizen see action. Two of them even scored a goal.
Jesus Padilla (San Jose, Calif.) and Carlos Borja (Orange, Calif.) each played for Tapatio in a 3-1 loss to Leon. Padilla started and went the distance while Borja came on as a late-game substitute. Padilla nabbed the only goal for Tapatio in the loss.
Sammy Ochoa (Michoacan-born US citizen) scored a goal for Tecos. Ochoa came on at halftime of Tecos UAG's match against Salamanca down 1-0 and scored the equalizer in the 63rd minute.
I'll be keeping tabs of Padilla, Borja and Ochoa as well as the full contingent of Americans in the Mexican First Division for the upcoming season. Keep an eye out on those in the coming days leading up to the start of the Apertura 2008 season.
