The visitor's box, that is. Rapids forward Conor Casey, who has battled an inflamed knee this season, got into the elevator after the Galaxy/Rapids game ended to go down to the locker rooms.
"They could have used you today, Conor," I told him.
He nodded. "Yeah. I wanted to be there. I thought, maybe I'd get to make the bench, in case they need me."
"Fernando didn't want to risk it, did he?" I questioned.
He shook his head. "Naw."
"Well, he probably doesn't want you to push it and get injured again. You guys have a playoff run to make, don't you?"
He smiled. "Exactly."
The elevator opened and Luis and I headed out. Luis asked me if I'd interviewed Conor before.
"Nope," I answered. "He's probably wondering who the heck is asking him all these questions."
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Joe dishes the dirt
In what could be a turning point in the history of our blog, we now have documented proof that some players read it - or at least have informants who read the material, then deliver hopefully accurate approximations of what we actually write.Truth be told, I felt rather awkward standing there post-game, realizing the swing the conversation was taking. Billy Witz of the LANewsGroup took the lead. As usual, he'd been tracking the nitty-gritty of the behind-the-scenes Galaxy action. He probed Joe Cannon for more information, and suddenly, a tidbit of info I'd doled out here on the blog took centerstage.
Here it is - the complete, uncut, exchange on the topic. There was a group of us interviewing Joe, including a reporter from Germany's Bild. I wonder if he was confused as heck, or if even Bild knows about the LA Riot Squad.
(Unless otherwise noted, Joe is doing all the talking)
Billy Witz: Oh, no?
No, I think what happened was a misunderstanding over something I said. I think a couple of them made a comment about me going back to
Me: (to Billy) Is he blaming me?
No, I’m not blaming. (To Billy) She said I rambled, though. I kinda didn’t like that. I don’t mind paraphrasing, but you know. I could get to the point probably a little quicker, but I like the attention.
It’s just something, though, that I’ve always tried to have, a good relationship with the fans. Today, they threw down a scarf from them. It’s a win for them. Like it or not, they’ve been here through this roller-coaster. It’s just as tough for me as it’s been for everyone else in this room. Even the media has been associated with this. So much hype and so much potential in this season – it’s tough. (to no one in particular) Let’s go out tonight and celebrate this one and then starting Monday get ready and do it again.
Me: It’s a Riot Squad scarf?
Yeah. (Joe took the scarf out of his locker, where he'd hung it over the rod, and held it out on display. Great photo op, but none of us had cameras) They threw it to me before the game. I think it was a “no hard feelings”.
Me: Oh, it happened before the game.
Yeah. I think there was a little misunderstanding there. (to me) I’m not going to point any fingers.
Me: It’s my fault?
No, not at all. They thought I wanted to go back to
Me: You did say “someday”.
Maybe. I have family there and who wouldn’t want to come back and live close to your family? But at the same time, I bought a house here. It’s not because I want to leave anytime soon.
Me:
Redondo. I live with Ante Jazic, our left back when he’s healthy. I don’t know where he is now. He’s probably in the Stadium Club, throwing a few back already. It’s good. I’ll be here for a long run, hopefully. Let’s be honest, if we keep winning, good things will happen, so let’s keep winning.
Morning biz
I have some audio clips from the Colorado-Galaxy match that I'll post later. It might not be until way later but I'll post them.
Also, we'll be doing a running blog here of the Chivas-New York match as well so keep an eye out for both.
Also, we'll be doing a running blog here of the Chivas-New York match as well so keep an eye out for both.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Expansion time
When I was in college, I worked in retail, and the staff issues there were pretty simple. If there was extra work, more staff was hired.
That was my take when the SuperLiga was first announced. I was surprised that the league hadn't expanded the rosters. It just made sense - if teams were going to do more work, to have more players on hand to bear the load.
Depth is probably the biggest issue for most MLS teams today. The Galaxy are a prime example of that, but so is Toronto, for instance.
That was my take when the SuperLiga was first announced. I was surprised that the league hadn't expanded the rosters. It just made sense - if teams were going to do more work, to have more players on hand to bear the load.
Depth is probably the biggest issue for most MLS teams today. The Galaxy are a prime example of that, but so is Toronto, for instance.
Flashy guy
We'll have to wait until Sunday to watch Ronaldinho play against the US but you can watch this clip of him right now.
Simply amazing.
Simply amazing.
DC United @ Chivas USA
In case you missed it.
Usually, when a team has two goals such as the ones Chivas USA did, you'd consider the squad lucky - but Chivas USA really did play well in the match. Most who saw it would say the draw was deserved.It's also just fun to watch that first Chivas USA goal - Ante Razov scoring with his hiney, basically.
Where's Becks?
Though it seems as if he's absent because we don't see him on the field, David Beckham is still clocking in for duties with the Galaxy. An injury hasn't kept David away from his new team. Cobi Jones reported that Beckham comes in regularly. "Yeah. He’s here today. He’s been around quite a bit. Obviously, he’s frustrated with his situation, but he’s encouraging us. He’s part of this team and he wants to see us do well and be successful."
Later on, coach Frank Yallop clarified that David works on rehab while the Galaxy players practice. I'd guess this way David can also participate in all the team meetings as well.Oh Brother, where art thou?
Interviewing Alan Gordon yesterday, I caught sight of the tattoo on his right arm. I asked about it, and he turned slightly so I could read it for myself: Zaher.
"That’s my buddy, who died in college. His name was Joe Zaher. (UCLA's) Mike's brother. He was my good friend and he passed away in a car accident. That’s just my way of remembering him."
Six Oregon State players got tattoos in memory of Joe. Alan had played with Joe in 2002 at OSU after transferring in as a junior.
Mike got his own tattoo in honor of his brother.
Another brother, Zac, will attend Joe and Alan's alma mater this fall.
"That’s my buddy, who died in college. His name was Joe Zaher. (UCLA's) Mike's brother. He was my good friend and he passed away in a car accident. That’s just my way of remembering him."
Six Oregon State players got tattoos in memory of Joe. Alan had played with Joe in 2002 at OSU after transferring in as a junior.
Mike got his own tattoo in honor of his brother.
Another brother, Zac, will attend Joe and Alan's alma mater this fall.
Out Foxed
A the Galaxy practice, a group of reporters was discussing Galaxy general manager Alexi Lalas dealing with upset Galaxy fans on Fox Football Fone-In. Apparently, Lalas fielded questions from some pretty irate folk. Curious, I brought up the experience when talking to him.
"Did you see the show?" he asked before I could say anything else.
"Actually, I didn't," I had to admit.
"What? Why?" Lalas demanded.
"I don't get Fox Soccer Channel," I told him. "That's an expensive cable package."
"How can you cover soccer without that channel?" Lalas wanted to know.
I didn't want to get into the topic of a reporter's budget, so I changed the subject, and eventually Lalas answered my questions about the show. Here's a sample.
"It’s a show where fans are given the ability to call in and state concerns. Obviously, it was an opportunity for us to give them the chance to talk to somebody who is in charge of the team they love."
"I’m not justifying, I’m answering questions. All I can tell our fans about the direction that we’re heading is that we’re doing everything in our power to fix the problems that exist and to try to, in some ways, give people a little perspective about what this organization has gone through and how that has affected us."
"Having said that, it’s not our fans’ responsibility to understand everything that goes on behind the scenes. Ultimately, they want a team that wins and it’s our responsibility to give them that."
"Did you see the show?" he asked before I could say anything else.
"Actually, I didn't," I had to admit.
"What? Why?" Lalas demanded.
"I don't get Fox Soccer Channel," I told him. "That's an expensive cable package."
"How can you cover soccer without that channel?" Lalas wanted to know.
I didn't want to get into the topic of a reporter's budget, so I changed the subject, and eventually Lalas answered my questions about the show. Here's a sample.
"It’s a show where fans are given the ability to call in and state concerns. Obviously, it was an opportunity for us to give them the chance to talk to somebody who is in charge of the team they love."
"I’m not justifying, I’m answering questions. All I can tell our fans about the direction that we’re heading is that we’re doing everything in our power to fix the problems that exist and to try to, in some ways, give people a little perspective about what this organization has gone through and how that has affected us."
"Having said that, it’s not our fans’ responsibility to understand everything that goes on behind the scenes. Ultimately, they want a team that wins and it’s our responsibility to give them that."
"We are nothing if not self-critical. Looking at what was done and the way we went about doing things and trying to tweak things here and there to get things going in a positive direction."
Friday, September 7, 2007
Speculate, capitulate
Well, why wait until Monday? Antonio Cue knows very well who Chivas USA's new GM/CEO is going to be. He's just waiting to announce it officially. Let me tell everyone that Cue was pretty excited about this new guy, and he specified this is someone who knows the league. I'm throwing out my top candidates. 1. Peter Wilt: The heart and soul of the Chicago Fire's early success, great with fans, a true soccer brain and just an overall quality person. Would come highly recommended by Bob Bradley, who still has Cue's ear on many matters.
On the other hand, Wilt is apparently a big part of the push for an MLS team in Milwaukee, and has, according to Luis Arroyave, already denied that he has accepted the Chivas USA job.
2. Jurgen Klinsmann: Nothing would rankle many Galaxy fans more - and Cue would love that. Plus, Klinsmann's curiosity for new challenges might find this post appealing. He's been spotted around the Home Depot Center lately. Everyone assumed it was for the Galaxy job, but perhaps not.
3. Jorge Campos: The Galaxy's first-ever signing has been retained by Chivas USA in a scouting capacity for some time. He would bring major name recognition, and be proof that Chivas USA is still committed to offering opportunities to Hispanics at all levels of the organization.
4. Fabio Capello: Ok, he knows nothing about MLS, so that probably eliminates him as an option, but Cue was talking about a big move.
5. Steve Pastorino: Knows the league very well, but definitely doesn't qualify on the big move scale.
6. Doug Logan: Knows MLS, since he was once comissioner. Is he doing anything else terribly important at the moment? I think not. He speaks Spanish, as well.
7. John O'Brien: That's what he's been up to all this time - business classes in preparation. Those ten minutes on the field also qualify as MLS experience.
8. Tab Ramos: It's not as if Alexi Lalas was really qualified when he started managing in the league, either.
9. Ramon Ramirez: Chivas USA's first signing still has name recognition value and some league experience. More rehab experience, really.
10. Eric Wynalda: Bored at ESPN and tired of his playing comeback with the Bakersfield Brigade, Eric decides it's time to show Bruce Arena that he really does know how to better run an MLS team.
Anyone else got any other ideas?
Leon and Cue
Chivas USA originally said Javier Leon left his post as CEO but Antonio Cue later made it sound like it was Cue's decision to move in a different direction.
Here's what I could gather from what he told us yesterday before the start of the Chivas-DC match.
Here's what I could gather from what he told us yesterday before the start of the Chivas-DC match.
Just fooling around.
Here's what Frank Yallop had to say on the timetable for Chris Albright's return. "He’s probably four to six weeks away. Doing that and playing are two different things. He knows that, but it’s great to see him out here."
Beast from East
Ah, D.C.
Ah, D.C. fans.
They're, well, pretty dedicated.
I was pinch-hitting for Danny Bueno and covering the road team for the game last night, so that meant a couple of DC stories.
Anyway, with a few leftover quotes, I thought I'd toss them in here and see if the DC faithful could figure out who said what.
"We need to bring more concentration to our next match, so what happened tonight doesn’t happen again. We’ve got to improve that."
Ah, D.C. fans.
They're, well, pretty dedicated.
I was pinch-hitting for Danny Bueno and covering the road team for the game last night, so that meant a couple of DC stories.
Anyway, with a few leftover quotes, I thought I'd toss them in here and see if the DC faithful could figure out who said what.
"We need to bring more concentration to our next match, so what happened tonight doesn’t happen again. We’ve got to improve that."
"Unfortunately, mistakes happen. They capitalized on it."
"They seemed to get a lot of life out of that goal."
"I hit it – I’ll have to watch it on the replay."
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Leon out
Chivas USA might have finally settled into some form of consistency on the field this year but the front office is rather unsettled.
After GM Whit Haskel left the club in the preseason, CEO and interim GM Javier Leon is no longer with the club. The club announced that he "is leaving his post to pursue other endeavors."
Still, it sounded more like it wasn't his idea to leave.
Said Antonio Cue: "You don’t do changes when everything is bad. You do changes when things are good, going well and you have to adjust things. That’s the reason behind it."
We'll have more on this tomorrow, including some audio of Cue.
After GM Whit Haskel left the club in the preseason, CEO and interim GM Javier Leon is no longer with the club. The club announced that he "is leaving his post to pursue other endeavors."
Still, it sounded more like it wasn't his idea to leave.
Said Antonio Cue: "You don’t do changes when everything is bad. You do changes when things are good, going well and you have to adjust things. That’s the reason behind it."
We'll have more on this tomorrow, including some audio of Cue.
Lalas on San Jose
I asked Alexi Lalas if he thought the expansion of SJ would have a big affect on the current rosters of MLS teams, in terms of diluting the talent pool. "It remains to be seen what the rules are going to be for this expansion and how they’re going to go about stocking their team. In the past they’ve been a very organic type of team in terms of the players that they’ve gotten. I don’t know if they’re going to continue to do that or if they’re going to look outside of the league. I don’t know what’s going to happen. But they’re going to want to get back to the level that
Road to respect
All season long, I've felt Chivas USA has been better than people have given them credit for. Before the year, the talk was more about the losses of Bob Bradley, Paco Palencia and Juan Pablo Garcia and less about who was here. Maykel Galindo was an unknown and many wrote the club off as a possible one-year wonder.
I've followed with keen interest the Collective Power Rankings compiled by Jeff, a reader and fellow blogger. Basically, he takes a lot of the power rankings that are out there and averages them out. The consensus for most of the season has had Chivas floating between 5-9 or so, and mostly they've been closer to double digits than the top.
I've felt this has been somewhat unfair. I mean, here you have a team with an 8-1-1 record at Home Depot Center in which they've allowed five goals while scoring 19. Earlier in the year, they had problems winning away from home but they have three road wins now and all of them have been by shutout.
Now, I think this will be a time for them to either gain more respect or for me to get in line with others. Like Ante Razov told me in one of the stories I linked below, this next stretch will show a lot about what kind of team Chivas has. Tonight, Chivas plays DC United, one of the best clubs in the league and perhaps the only team as hot as Chivas. Sunday, Chivas will play New York who is a cup contender despite their inconsistencies.
Four or six points and they should not only vault themselves to the top of the western table but also into a position of respect. Three or fewer and the team will prove that they've got a long way to go still.
Anyway, here are a couple of stories I wrote for MLSnet.com on the match; a match preview for the DC-Chivas encounter and a story on Chivas' mentality, which is growing stronger every day.
I've followed with keen interest the Collective Power Rankings compiled by Jeff, a reader and fellow blogger. Basically, he takes a lot of the power rankings that are out there and averages them out. The consensus for most of the season has had Chivas floating between 5-9 or so, and mostly they've been closer to double digits than the top.
I've felt this has been somewhat unfair. I mean, here you have a team with an 8-1-1 record at Home Depot Center in which they've allowed five goals while scoring 19. Earlier in the year, they had problems winning away from home but they have three road wins now and all of them have been by shutout.
Now, I think this will be a time for them to either gain more respect or for me to get in line with others. Like Ante Razov told me in one of the stories I linked below, this next stretch will show a lot about what kind of team Chivas has. Tonight, Chivas plays DC United, one of the best clubs in the league and perhaps the only team as hot as Chivas. Sunday, Chivas will play New York who is a cup contender despite their inconsistencies.
Four or six points and they should not only vault themselves to the top of the western table but also into a position of respect. Three or fewer and the team will prove that they've got a long way to go still.
Anyway, here are a couple of stories I wrote for MLSnet.com on the match; a match preview for the DC-Chivas encounter and a story on Chivas' mentality, which is growing stronger every day.
Chivas China
Club Deportivo Guadalajara is trying to expand its empire to the Far East.
According to mediotiempo.com, the club commonly known as Chivas will branch out to the People's Republic of China. The report says that Chivas officials will make it official in a presentation in the city of Hefei in the coming days.
The report says that Chivas and Omnilife owner Jorge Vergara traveled to Hefei to set up an Omnilife plant and also decided to start a soccer club there.
Interesting. Not sure about the Mexican population in China though I'd venture to guess that it's nonexistent. Also not sure what type of club the new Chivas China will be. However, if I could offer up some advice, I'd tell him two things: 1) don't field second-division players and 2) don't piss off the locals.
According to mediotiempo.com, the club commonly known as Chivas will branch out to the People's Republic of China. The report says that Chivas officials will make it official in a presentation in the city of Hefei in the coming days.
The report says that Chivas and Omnilife owner Jorge Vergara traveled to Hefei to set up an Omnilife plant and also decided to start a soccer club there.
Interesting. Not sure about the Mexican population in China though I'd venture to guess that it's nonexistent. Also not sure what type of club the new Chivas China will be. However, if I could offer up some advice, I'd tell him two things: 1) don't field second-division players and 2) don't piss off the locals.
Soccer speakers
The annual Soccer Symposium will be held on Oct. 4 in Los Angeles, the day before the Soccer Player of the Year is handed out. Every year, the symposium attracts some well-known and influential speakers, and this year is no different.
The lineup will consist of US soccer coach Bob Bradley, Mexico federation general secretary Decio De Maria and Galaxy GM Alexi Lalas. This sort of mirrors the 2005 lineup when then-US coach Bruce Arena, US soccer president Robert Contiguglia, Mexico U-17 coach Jesus Ramirez and Chivas USA owner Antonio Cue spoke.
This year's release said there would be some announcements made during the speeches, and we could again see something reflecting 2005. In '05, Arena announced how the build-up to the World Cup would look like, where the team would train, some of the friendlies they'd play, etc. If only I'd have told him "Don't use the 4-5-1 against the Czechs" then I might have saved everyone some heartache.
Perhaps this will give us a look at the calendar for both the US and Mexico with regards to next year will look like or maybe (fingers crossed) they'll announce a friendly for next year to make up for the botched Azteca one from this year.
Not sure what Lalas would announce, though I'm sure Galaxy fans right now would like for him to announce his resignation.
This event and the Honda Player of the Year are put on by Futbol de Primera, which really does a great job to bring this to us every year. On an aside, this event is usually very formal. The first year I went, I was severely underdressed and felt like a dork but the next year, which I guess was last year, I wore a suit and fit right in. I need to get a new suit for this year's event, though.
The lineup will consist of US soccer coach Bob Bradley, Mexico federation general secretary Decio De Maria and Galaxy GM Alexi Lalas. This sort of mirrors the 2005 lineup when then-US coach Bruce Arena, US soccer president Robert Contiguglia, Mexico U-17 coach Jesus Ramirez and Chivas USA owner Antonio Cue spoke.
This year's release said there would be some announcements made during the speeches, and we could again see something reflecting 2005. In '05, Arena announced how the build-up to the World Cup would look like, where the team would train, some of the friendlies they'd play, etc. If only I'd have told him "Don't use the 4-5-1 against the Czechs" then I might have saved everyone some heartache.
Perhaps this will give us a look at the calendar for both the US and Mexico with regards to next year will look like or maybe (fingers crossed) they'll announce a friendly for next year to make up for the botched Azteca one from this year.
Not sure what Lalas would announce, though I'm sure Galaxy fans right now would like for him to announce his resignation.
This event and the Honda Player of the Year are put on by Futbol de Primera, which really does a great job to bring this to us every year. On an aside, this event is usually very formal. The first year I went, I was severely underdressed and felt like a dork but the next year, which I guess was last year, I wore a suit and fit right in. I need to get a new suit for this year's event, though.
First MLS, next USMNT
New Chicago Fire acquisition Wilman Conde may follow in the footsteps of Carlos Llamosa and teammate Diego Gutierrez.
Like Llamosa and Gutierrez, Conde is from Colombia and the latter aspires to play for the US national team. While Llamosa's international career was more distinguished than Gutierrez's, both represented their adopted country nonetheless.
It would be interesting to hear Gutierrez's opinions on Conde not only joining the Fire but his thoughts on the Conde's aspirations of playing for the US. Gutierrez is a level-headed guy who can put things into perspective better than most and it's beneficial for Conde to have a player of his caliber around.
As far as Conde's club career, his addition will only help Chicago out and continue to make the club into a playoff contender. If the Fire can mesh better than they have been and continue to improve, they might peak right around mid-October and if they have enough points to get into the postseason, they could be a serious threat to reach the playoffs. Of course, the Western Conference teams probably would prefer Chicago stay in the east but if the Fire finish fifth in the East but ahead of Colorado, they'd play as the West's number four seed, which would make things interesting indeed.
Like Llamosa and Gutierrez, Conde is from Colombia and the latter aspires to play for the US national team. While Llamosa's international career was more distinguished than Gutierrez's, both represented their adopted country nonetheless.
It would be interesting to hear Gutierrez's opinions on Conde not only joining the Fire but his thoughts on the Conde's aspirations of playing for the US. Gutierrez is a level-headed guy who can put things into perspective better than most and it's beneficial for Conde to have a player of his caliber around.
As far as Conde's club career, his addition will only help Chicago out and continue to make the club into a playoff contender. If the Fire can mesh better than they have been and continue to improve, they might peak right around mid-October and if they have enough points to get into the postseason, they could be a serious threat to reach the playoffs. Of course, the Western Conference teams probably would prefer Chicago stay in the east but if the Fire finish fifth in the East but ahead of Colorado, they'd play as the West's number four seed, which would make things interesting indeed.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Looking forward
I've been looking forward to the Chivas USA-DC United match on Thursday for several reasons. This is a matchup of the two most complete clubs in the league at this moment. Chivas is the best home team while DC is the best road team and...
Well, I was going to give you plenty of reasons to tune in or go out to the stadium but MLSnet.com's Jeff Bradley beat me to it.
Well, I was going to give you plenty of reasons to tune in or go out to the stadium but MLSnet.com's Jeff Bradley beat me to it.
Good news, bad news
Chicagoland soccer fans might be in for a treat, but it'll cost them.
Brazil will have a training session at Toyota Park on Saturday that will be open to the public. Problem is, it costs $20.
Normally, I couldn't justify paying for a training session. However, this is Brazil and a strong Brazilian squad at that. Not saying I'd pay $20 for that but I guess I wouldn't think it a bad thing necessarily.
I still think the match itself is a overpriced, so this probably falls along the same lines.
Brazil will have a training session at Toyota Park on Saturday that will be open to the public. Problem is, it costs $20.
Normally, I couldn't justify paying for a training session. However, this is Brazil and a strong Brazilian squad at that. Not saying I'd pay $20 for that but I guess I wouldn't think it a bad thing necessarily.
I still think the match itself is a overpriced, so this probably falls along the same lines.
Honda Player of the Year finalists
Landon Donovan, Tim Howard and Carlos Bocanegra were selected as the three finalists for the Honda Player of the Year. The award will be handed out Oct. 5 in L.A. and I expect it to be a landslide victory for Donovan.
Still, I have to scratch my head about the finalists. I voted for Donovan and Howard but I'm not sure Bocanegra belongs in the mix. I voted for Benny Feilhaber for second place and I still think that he had a tremendous year for the US national team. It's not often a player scores the game-winning goal in a cup final, and to do it against the United States' main rival only adds to it.
I wonder how much of it had to do with Bocanegra's status and longevity with the national team. Feilhaber was only capped this year while Bocanegra has been a part of the World Cup team and qualifying and has been pretty much a mainstay for years. I don't think that should have counted against Feilhaber. I believe Feilhaber had a better overall performance in both Gold Cup and Copa America than Bocanegra, who at times looked shaky manning the backline.
If he continues his path of development, though, I suspect Feilhaber will have many more chances to finish in the top third of this prestigious award and perhaps may even win it one day. And if it takes another cup-winning goal for that to happen, so be it.
Still, I have to scratch my head about the finalists. I voted for Donovan and Howard but I'm not sure Bocanegra belongs in the mix. I voted for Benny Feilhaber for second place and I still think that he had a tremendous year for the US national team. It's not often a player scores the game-winning goal in a cup final, and to do it against the United States' main rival only adds to it.
I wonder how much of it had to do with Bocanegra's status and longevity with the national team. Feilhaber was only capped this year while Bocanegra has been a part of the World Cup team and qualifying and has been pretty much a mainstay for years. I don't think that should have counted against Feilhaber. I believe Feilhaber had a better overall performance in both Gold Cup and Copa America than Bocanegra, who at times looked shaky manning the backline.
If he continues his path of development, though, I suspect Feilhaber will have many more chances to finish in the top third of this prestigious award and perhaps may even win it one day. And if it takes another cup-winning goal for that to happen, so be it.
Benefit of the doubt
My first reaction to the US roster on Monday was 'Where the hell is Jozy?'
Later, I found out that he was nursing some sort of injury. Today, I read that he won't travel with New York for Sunday's game at Chivas USA.
So while the fact remains that Bob Bradley didn't call Jozy Altidore in for the first time, now we know that there may have been an injury concern there.
Still, Altidore needs to be part of the Switzerland match. Yes, he's only 17 but he's shown he can play at a high level already and if he's not perhaps the best forward prospect the U.S. has ever had, then I don't know what a talented youngster looks like.
Later, I found out that he was nursing some sort of injury. Today, I read that he won't travel with New York for Sunday's game at Chivas USA.
So while the fact remains that Bob Bradley didn't call Jozy Altidore in for the first time, now we know that there may have been an injury concern there.
Still, Altidore needs to be part of the Switzerland match. Yes, he's only 17 but he's shown he can play at a high level already and if he's not perhaps the best forward prospect the U.S. has ever had, then I don't know what a talented youngster looks like.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Friendly no more?
It looks like the United States-Catalonia match won't happen after all.
It's disappointing for this match to fall apart. It would have done the US players well to play in Nou Camp against some talented players but it wasn't meant to be. Not sure if the US can slide in another opponent on such short notice. As the date is on an international fixture date - and a big Euro qualifier date - it seems the U.S. may be out of options.
US fans will have to settle for Brazil in Chicago and Switzerland in Basel to close out this year's calendar, a pair of challenging and important matches for sure but a calendar that will suffer thanks to the Spanish FA.
It's disappointing for this match to fall apart. It would have done the US players well to play in Nou Camp against some talented players but it wasn't meant to be. Not sure if the US can slide in another opponent on such short notice. As the date is on an international fixture date - and a big Euro qualifier date - it seems the U.S. may be out of options.
US fans will have to settle for Brazil in Chicago and Switzerland in Basel to close out this year's calendar, a pair of challenging and important matches for sure but a calendar that will suffer thanks to the Spanish FA.
Clock strikes midnight
The upstart USL sides are no more.
New England beat Carolina 2-1 while FC Dallas just finished off Seattle 2-1 in the US Open Cup semifinals. The Revolution will visit FC Dallas in early October to play for the Dewar Cup while the RailHawks and Sounders are left to ponder what might have been.
Neither USL team played lightly as both matches went into extra time. But it was in extra time where both unraveled. Actually, Carolina finished regulation with 9 men but the Revolution scored early in extra time and held on.
FC Dallas, meanwhile, also scored early in extra time, added a penalty-kick goal and staved off a final charge from Seattle which included a goal from the hosts.
It's tough for both USL sides to come this far only to fall apart in extra time. From what I saw of the Seattle-Dallas match, the Sounders played strong but their final touch inside the box let them down. Adrian Serioux was a beast in the back for Dallas, though. He was seemingly around every ball and disrupted Seattle often.
Looking toward the final, FC Dallas will finally host the final that eluded them the last two years. In some ways, it's like 2005 for the Galaxy in how the Galaxy failed to reach MLS Cup when it was here in '03 and '04 but won the double in '05. Not saying FC Dallas will reach MLS Cup but now they have a chance to play for a title at home in front of their fans after having failed miserably to do so when they had the chance the last two years.
For the Revolution, it's a chance to go to Pizza Hut Park and actually win a final. While FC Dallas didn't reach either MLS Cup final in Frisco, the Revs made both, but lost both in heartbreaking fashion.
It should be an interesting final but I'd be lying if I said that I didn't want one of the USL teams to upset one of the big boys. Oh well.
EDIT: Carolina actually finished regulation with nine men while New England had 10 at the end of 90 minutes.
New England beat Carolina 2-1 while FC Dallas just finished off Seattle 2-1 in the US Open Cup semifinals. The Revolution will visit FC Dallas in early October to play for the Dewar Cup while the RailHawks and Sounders are left to ponder what might have been.
Neither USL team played lightly as both matches went into extra time. But it was in extra time where both unraveled. Actually, Carolina finished regulation with 9 men but the Revolution scored early in extra time and held on.
FC Dallas, meanwhile, also scored early in extra time, added a penalty-kick goal and staved off a final charge from Seattle which included a goal from the hosts.
It's tough for both USL sides to come this far only to fall apart in extra time. From what I saw of the Seattle-Dallas match, the Sounders played strong but their final touch inside the box let them down. Adrian Serioux was a beast in the back for Dallas, though. He was seemingly around every ball and disrupted Seattle often.
Looking toward the final, FC Dallas will finally host the final that eluded them the last two years. In some ways, it's like 2005 for the Galaxy in how the Galaxy failed to reach MLS Cup when it was here in '03 and '04 but won the double in '05. Not saying FC Dallas will reach MLS Cup but now they have a chance to play for a title at home in front of their fans after having failed miserably to do so when they had the chance the last two years.
For the Revolution, it's a chance to go to Pizza Hut Park and actually win a final. While FC Dallas didn't reach either MLS Cup final in Frisco, the Revs made both, but lost both in heartbreaking fashion.
It should be an interesting final but I'd be lying if I said that I didn't want one of the USL teams to upset one of the big boys. Oh well.
EDIT: Carolina actually finished regulation with nine men while New England had 10 at the end of 90 minutes.
Open Cup drama
I've been glued to the internet for the last hour or so. I've been watching the Seattle-FC Dallas Open Cup semifinal and it's been a very entertaining match. It's 0-0 at the end of regulation. Seattle's controlled play but hasn't been tidy in front of the Dallas goal while the visitors have had a few chances but have withstood the Seattle barrage.
I'd have watched it from the beginning but my daughters had different ideas.
Anyway, if you're not watching it - it's about to go to extra time - go here and finish watching it. Great game thus far.
I'd have watched it from the beginning but my daughters had different ideas.
Anyway, if you're not watching it - it's about to go to extra time - go here and finish watching it. Great game thus far.
It's our fault, too
I have to admit that I'm not so blind as to miss the reality that I'm part of the David Beckham hype. Honestly, I cringe a little every time I read another article that mows down MLS and the Galaxy for hyping up Beckham. Because - really, if it wasn't Beckham, would anyone bother to write that article? Every piece talking about how built up Becks is compounds the issue - it actually builds him up more. Newspapers and media outlets around the world which had no idea what MLS was are now taking time out to slam it. It's a twisted kind of progress for the league that was acheived with Beckham's signature. I thought about this in the context of the Women's World Cup. There's really not a lot that U.S. soccer can do to hype up the U.S. women's team. No matter how excellent they are, they can't get coverage in a media outlet unless that's the decision that editors make. U.S. soccer can't force them to write a story. Editors go with what they think will grab people's eyeballs. Beckham does that. He does that even under the tragedy of his injured ankle and knee. There will be shots of him bending over or receiving a phone call that will garner a huge amount of hits. So I was not surprised to get more requests for articles when Beckham came in. I started writing away, trying my best to keep an objective perspective on the entire situation. The hype machine was in effect, and I was a cog. And yet, so are you. No one who has ever read a Beckham article or clicked on a link for him can say otherwise. In fact, there are so many of those out there, that it's their response that mushrooms and triggers more Beckham news. Even focused editiors tend to double check attendences on games, then sigh and get on the phone to ask for another article on Beckham. MLS signed him, sure, but the hyping of Becks was comitted by many beyond the reach of the league. Ultimately, that was driven by readers as well. We're all emeshed in the culpability.San Oswaldo hurt
Oswaldo Sanchez, who doubles as Santos Laguna goalkeeper and USMNT Supporters' No. 1 Enemy, will be out of action for some three months, which means he may not play again this season.
Sanchez separated his shoulder at the end of the Santos-Atlante match on Saturday. The injury, which was the same one he suffered last season, will probably require surgery, according to reports.
Here's a story on it, with a picture that some US fans will probably revel in.
Sanchez separated his shoulder at the end of the Santos-Atlante match on Saturday. The injury, which was the same one he suffered last season, will probably require surgery, according to reports.
Here's a story on it, with a picture that some US fans will probably revel in.
Galaxyed out
I don't know the last time such a bad MLS team garnered so much attention as the L.A. Galaxy have lately. Their fall from grace really isn't anything new; this team's been average for many years now. But all eyes were on the Galaxy because of David Beckham and now that he's gone and the club has 3 wins in 19 games, everyone's wondering what the hell happened.
I covered what was one of the worst team in MLS history as Chivas USA went 4-22-6 in 2005. Not saying the Galaxy will lose 20 games but this season is starting to feel a bit like that one. With Chivas then, they lost games every way possible: they blew 80th-minute leads, they blew 80th-minute draws, they'd fall behind early and play strong the rest of the way but come up short, or they'd just get their asses handed to them.
The Galaxy is also finding new and interesting ways to lose; they blew a halftime lead in a game they should have scored much more than once, they lost in penalties to one of the best teams in the Western Hemisphere, they lost a high-scoring match and, of course, they suffered through a few good ol' fashioned routs.
I think I'm starting to get a headache from this Galaxy season and I need some time away. I guess it's a good thing we have two MLS teams in this market, and the other team is a legitimate MLS Cup contender.
I covered what was one of the worst team in MLS history as Chivas USA went 4-22-6 in 2005. Not saying the Galaxy will lose 20 games but this season is starting to feel a bit like that one. With Chivas then, they lost games every way possible: they blew 80th-minute leads, they blew 80th-minute draws, they'd fall behind early and play strong the rest of the way but come up short, or they'd just get their asses handed to them.
The Galaxy is also finding new and interesting ways to lose; they blew a halftime lead in a game they should have scored much more than once, they lost in penalties to one of the best teams in the Western Hemisphere, they lost a high-scoring match and, of course, they suffered through a few good ol' fashioned routs.
I think I'm starting to get a headache from this Galaxy season and I need some time away. I guess it's a good thing we have two MLS teams in this market, and the other team is a legitimate MLS Cup contender.
Wanted: fresh bodies
Injuries have taken their toll on the Galaxy but throw in suspensions and international duty and the cupboard grows more barren by the minute.
Already without David Beckham, Chris Albright, Ante Jazic, Kelly Gray, Quavas Kirk, Ty Harden and Joe Cannon, the Galaxy will be forced to make do without Carlos Pavon (Honduras), Landon Donovan (USMNT) and Troy Roberts (suspension).
Let me see who might be available for selection...
Steve Cronin; Mike Randolph, Abel Xavier, Kyle Veris, Chris Klein; Kyle Martino, Kevin Harmse, Peter Vagenas, Cobi Jones; Alan Gordon, Edson Buddle.
That leaves Gavin Glinton, Mike Caso, Josh Tudela and Lance Friesz on the bench. Maybe Frank will be forced to throw Israel Sesay out there, or maybe things haven't gotten quite that bad.
Now, perhaps some of the walking wounded might heal in enough time to play. I think Kirk falls int that category. But this has just gone from absurd to ridiculous.
They'll get Donovan and Roberts back for Chivas, though Roberts wasn't quite 100 percent to begin with. Perhaps Cannon will be well enough to play by then as well. But the Galaxy just has to hope that nobody else goes down because they've got games on Saturday, Thursday, Sunday, Wednesday, Sunday, Thursday, Sunday to close out September.
Already without David Beckham, Chris Albright, Ante Jazic, Kelly Gray, Quavas Kirk, Ty Harden and Joe Cannon, the Galaxy will be forced to make do without Carlos Pavon (Honduras), Landon Donovan (USMNT) and Troy Roberts (suspension).
Let me see who might be available for selection...
Steve Cronin; Mike Randolph, Abel Xavier, Kyle Veris, Chris Klein; Kyle Martino, Kevin Harmse, Peter Vagenas, Cobi Jones; Alan Gordon, Edson Buddle.
That leaves Gavin Glinton, Mike Caso, Josh Tudela and Lance Friesz on the bench. Maybe Frank will be forced to throw Israel Sesay out there, or maybe things haven't gotten quite that bad.
Now, perhaps some of the walking wounded might heal in enough time to play. I think Kirk falls int that category. But this has just gone from absurd to ridiculous.
They'll get Donovan and Roberts back for Chivas, though Roberts wasn't quite 100 percent to begin with. Perhaps Cannon will be well enough to play by then as well. But the Galaxy just has to hope that nobody else goes down because they've got games on Saturday, Thursday, Sunday, Wednesday, Sunday, Thursday, Sunday to close out September.
Welsh is out
Toronto FC cut ties with Andy Welsh and sent him to English Championship side Blackpool. Welsh is just another of the players who failed with Toronto FC, but what makes Welsh's failure startling is just how much he was pulling down.
Welsh made $215,000 this season with the expansion club. To put that in perspective, only one member of Chivas USA earns more (Ante Razov) and only two Galaxy players make more (Landon Donovan, David Beckham), and the Galaxy has the highest payroll in the league.
It may seem like wasted money for a guy who had one goal and three assists in 16 starts and 20 total games, but it's better to cut your losses now and get something for him while you can.
Just another lesson for TFC to learn from.
Welsh made $215,000 this season with the expansion club. To put that in perspective, only one member of Chivas USA earns more (Ante Razov) and only two Galaxy players make more (Landon Donovan, David Beckham), and the Galaxy has the highest payroll in the league.
It may seem like wasted money for a guy who had one goal and three assists in 16 starts and 20 total games, but it's better to cut your losses now and get something for him while you can.
Just another lesson for TFC to learn from.
Seattle USOC story
Here's the finished product, my PE column for Tuesday on the underdog Seattle Sounders.
The story sort of just ends, and it did end a bit early. Unlike the web, where you have endless space, newspaper stories sometimes get trimmed to fit into a hole.
Here's the final quote that didn't make it into the story.
"MLS teams come in with a little bit of ‘Well, it’s a lower division’ and they might have that type of mentality,” Schmetzer said. “When you are the supposed underdog you can really play with a lot more freedom. You’re not supposed to win. You just play a little bit of a looser game. It seemed like on those days, things kind of clicked in.”
The story sort of just ends, and it did end a bit early. Unlike the web, where you have endless space, newspaper stories sometimes get trimmed to fit into a hole.
Here's the final quote that didn't make it into the story.
Monday, September 3, 2007
LB Mexico rankings (Sept. 3)
1. Santos (5-0-1). Only blemish thus far was blowing two-goal lead to tie Atlante this week.
2. Pachuca (4-1-0). No letdown as Tuzos rout San Luis after thrilling SuperLiga finale.
3. Atlante (3-0-3). Win, draw in four-day span; strong results for rising squad.
4. America (3-1-2). Strong victory Sunday doesn't exactly offset midweek loss at Morelia.
5. Toluca (3-2-1). 3-1 losers on Wednesday and 4-0 winners on Sunday; Diablos Rojos probably closer to Sunday's result.
6. Cruz Azul (4-2-0). Welcome to the party, Maquina Celeste.
7. Morelia (3-1-2). Beat America and Monterrey by identical 2-1 scores.
8. Chivas (2-2-2). Did well to recover from bad loss at Santos.
2. Pachuca (4-1-0). No letdown as Tuzos rout San Luis after thrilling SuperLiga finale.
3. Atlante (3-0-3). Win, draw in four-day span; strong results for rising squad.
4. America (3-1-2). Strong victory Sunday doesn't exactly offset midweek loss at Morelia.
5. Toluca (3-2-1). 3-1 losers on Wednesday and 4-0 winners on Sunday; Diablos Rojos probably closer to Sunday's result.
6. Cruz Azul (4-2-0). Welcome to the party, Maquina Celeste.
7. Morelia (3-1-2). Beat America and Monterrey by identical 2-1 scores.
8. Chivas (2-2-2). Did well to recover from bad loss at Santos.
Supersmall, superbad
The Virgin Islands isn't the smallest FIFA registered country, population-wise. Monaco and San Marino are both smaller. However, the U.S. VI is still pretty small, with only a populace of about a hundred thousand total to draw from for their team. Not surprising then, that the squad is one of the worst-ranked FIFA teams. They do have an interesting claim to fame, though. Apparently MacDonald Taylor, one of their players, holds the record for being the oldest player to participate in a FIFA match. He was 46 when he took the field versus St. Kitts and Nevis in 2004, in a qualifying game for the 2006 World Cup.
Poor Salazar
Poor Fernando Salazar. The Pachuca defender is mentioned only as an afterthought detail in countless news articles about David Beckham's latest injury. What's often overlooked is that after the two clashed in the same tackle, Salazar left the game with the exact same injury as Beckham - a sprained right knee.
Of course, this raises a simple question about many reports that have rushed in to blame the Galaxy, Lalas, Yallop and Beckham himself for over-working their newest and greatest asset. Mind, I don't disagree with the prevalent opinion that it was a bad idea to play David so much. What I have a problem with is the quick leap to the conclusion that this caused his knee injury.
It probably didn't help the situation when Beckham himself said that he didn't know if he was overcompensating for his weak ankle on the tackle (going in a little slower than he would have) in the post-game press conference. A key point there is that Beckham admitted to not knowing if that played any factor. But then so many articles came out about how playing Beckham while he was still recuperating led to his injury. The tone taken in many of the pieces was that the Galaxy had basically asked for this to happen to David by playing him.
True, Beckham could not have injured his knee if he wasn't playing at all. But it's also true that he could have injured it even if his ankle was perfectly healthy. I'm probably not the first one to point this out to David, but he's never been lightning-quick on his tackles. A completely fit Salazar suffered the same injury, so it's possible that a fit Beckham could have done so as well. Instead of the sprain being due to the Galaxy's neglect to care for David, it could have simply been one of those things that happens in pro sports all the time.
As a writer, though, I recognize that the dramatic portrayal of a hobbled and exhausted Beckham heroically being stoic about how his club team is exploiting him is more compelling. So too is the storyline that the Yanks screwed up royally with David and got their just desserts with the result. Salazar is an inconvenient detail for both those themes, so he's basically left out entirely by anyone trying to drive those two points home.
Of course, this raises a simple question about many reports that have rushed in to blame the Galaxy, Lalas, Yallop and Beckham himself for over-working their newest and greatest asset. Mind, I don't disagree with the prevalent opinion that it was a bad idea to play David so much. What I have a problem with is the quick leap to the conclusion that this caused his knee injury.
It probably didn't help the situation when Beckham himself said that he didn't know if he was overcompensating for his weak ankle on the tackle (going in a little slower than he would have) in the post-game press conference. A key point there is that Beckham admitted to not knowing if that played any factor. But then so many articles came out about how playing Beckham while he was still recuperating led to his injury. The tone taken in many of the pieces was that the Galaxy had basically asked for this to happen to David by playing him.
True, Beckham could not have injured his knee if he wasn't playing at all. But it's also true that he could have injured it even if his ankle was perfectly healthy. I'm probably not the first one to point this out to David, but he's never been lightning-quick on his tackles. A completely fit Salazar suffered the same injury, so it's possible that a fit Beckham could have done so as well. Instead of the sprain being due to the Galaxy's neglect to care for David, it could have simply been one of those things that happens in pro sports all the time.
As a writer, though, I recognize that the dramatic portrayal of a hobbled and exhausted Beckham heroically being stoic about how his club team is exploiting him is more compelling. So too is the storyline that the Yanks screwed up royally with David and got their just desserts with the result. Salazar is an inconvenient detail for both those themes, so he's basically left out entirely by anyone trying to drive those two points home.
US roster for Brazil
Finally, the US released its roster for the upcoming Brazil match. It's an interesting roster, to say the least. Even though this weekend falls on an international calendar, Bob Bradley chose to leave some MLS players with their clubs.
I must say, I'm disappointed that Jozy Altidore is not on the list. I was hoping Altidore would get the call for the first time against Brazil and that Bradley would use this game as preparation for the long haul and bring in youngsters that will help the US down the road. But Altidore was not called upon.
Bradley only called in five MLS players which goes against what I had thought would happen. I figured Bradley would call in an MLS-heavy squad because the game is here in the States and rely on the European contingent again for October matches in Catalonia and Switzerland, but that's not the case.
Here's the roster:
GOALKEEPERS: Tim Howard (Everton), Chris Seitz (Real Salt Lake).
My take: Howard is a no-brainer. Seitz had an impressive Under-20 World Cup, so it stands to reason that he would be looked at for the future. This call-up is in preparation for future matches and to help him acclimate to the national team. I wouldn't expect him to play, and I still think the number two spot is Brad Guzan's to lose.
DEFENDERS: Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Jay DeMerit (Watford), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard Liege), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock), Frank Simek (Sheffield Wednesday), Jonathan Spector (West Ham).
My take: Jose Burciaga fans, forget about it. This was possibly his best shot of getting called up to the U.S. and it didn't happen. It's over, and frankly though he's good in league I don't know that he's better than the two left backs on this roster in Spector and Pearce - and you guys know how I feel about Jonathan Bornstein. Again, I'd like to see more from Onyewu but this defensive group is solid. More than solid. Jimmy Conrad would have been a nice call-up as well.
MIDFIELDERS: DaMarcus Beasley (Rangers), Michael Bradley (Heerenveen), Bobby Convey (Reading), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado).
My take: Another solid group. I like what Mastroeni offers in the middle of the field. I'd like to see him paired up with Benny Feilhaber. With Beasley on one flank and Dempsey on another, that seems pretty solid. Still, I don't think there's a vast drop-off from Mastroeni to Bradley and really from Beasley to Convey.
FORWARDS: Davy Arnaud (Kansas City), Eddie Johnson (Kansas City), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles), Josh Wolff (1860 Munich).
My take: Arnaud, EJ, Wolff... just like old times. Wait... Arnaud? Did I just type that correctly? Okay, that's surprising, more so than Seitz's call. Arnaud has been a solid MLS player for several years at Kansas City but he didn't seem the type to get a nod. He's 27 and hasn't been part of the US before. But Jimmy Conrad was in the same boat when he first started getting called up to the U.S. in 2005 and he's in my opinion the best US central defender right now. I didn't think much of Wolff when he was in his MLS prime, though he always seems to play well against Mexico. This is his chance to see how much playing in Europe has helped him and if it will help him try and secure a spot on the U.S.
Overall, it's a very solid group despite the lack of MLS players. Again, I'd have liked to have seen more youngsters on this team and maybe see what kinds of players Bradley has in mind for qualifying and the 2010 World Cup. But he seemed to have left MLS teams alone for the most part which doesn't allow for such call-ups.
What do you think? Anyone's absence surprise you? How strong do you think this roster is?
I must say, I'm disappointed that Jozy Altidore is not on the list. I was hoping Altidore would get the call for the first time against Brazil and that Bradley would use this game as preparation for the long haul and bring in youngsters that will help the US down the road. But Altidore was not called upon.
Bradley only called in five MLS players which goes against what I had thought would happen. I figured Bradley would call in an MLS-heavy squad because the game is here in the States and rely on the European contingent again for October matches in Catalonia and Switzerland, but that's not the case.
Here's the roster:
GOALKEEPERS: Tim Howard (Everton), Chris Seitz (Real Salt Lake).
My take: Howard is a no-brainer. Seitz had an impressive Under-20 World Cup, so it stands to reason that he would be looked at for the future. This call-up is in preparation for future matches and to help him acclimate to the national team. I wouldn't expect him to play, and I still think the number two spot is Brad Guzan's to lose.
DEFENDERS: Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Jay DeMerit (Watford), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard Liege), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock), Frank Simek (Sheffield Wednesday), Jonathan Spector (West Ham).
My take: Jose Burciaga fans, forget about it. This was possibly his best shot of getting called up to the U.S. and it didn't happen. It's over, and frankly though he's good in league I don't know that he's better than the two left backs on this roster in Spector and Pearce - and you guys know how I feel about Jonathan Bornstein. Again, I'd like to see more from Onyewu but this defensive group is solid. More than solid. Jimmy Conrad would have been a nice call-up as well.
MIDFIELDERS: DaMarcus Beasley (Rangers), Michael Bradley (Heerenveen), Bobby Convey (Reading), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado).
My take: Another solid group. I like what Mastroeni offers in the middle of the field. I'd like to see him paired up with Benny Feilhaber. With Beasley on one flank and Dempsey on another, that seems pretty solid. Still, I don't think there's a vast drop-off from Mastroeni to Bradley and really from Beasley to Convey.
FORWARDS: Davy Arnaud (Kansas City), Eddie Johnson (Kansas City), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles), Josh Wolff (1860 Munich).
My take: Arnaud, EJ, Wolff... just like old times. Wait... Arnaud? Did I just type that correctly? Okay, that's surprising, more so than Seitz's call. Arnaud has been a solid MLS player for several years at Kansas City but he didn't seem the type to get a nod. He's 27 and hasn't been part of the US before. But Jimmy Conrad was in the same boat when he first started getting called up to the U.S. in 2005 and he's in my opinion the best US central defender right now. I didn't think much of Wolff when he was in his MLS prime, though he always seems to play well against Mexico. This is his chance to see how much playing in Europe has helped him and if it will help him try and secure a spot on the U.S.
Overall, it's a very solid group despite the lack of MLS players. Again, I'd have liked to have seen more youngsters on this team and maybe see what kinds of players Bradley has in mind for qualifying and the 2010 World Cup. But he seemed to have left MLS teams alone for the most part which doesn't allow for such call-ups.
What do you think? Anyone's absence surprise you? How strong do you think this roster is?
Salutations, Slovakia
Another newbie to the blog stopped by today. Slovakia has never qualified for the World Cup, but for a good part of their history, they were joined with what is now the Czech Republic. Now that Slovakia is on its own, "The Fighting Jondas" are trying to make it to the Euro championships in honor of Slovakia. Unfortunately, captain Robert Vittek suffered a knee injury. The Nurnberg striker will be out for a while, so Slovakia will have to rally without him.
Focus on Seattle
When the U.S. Open Cup resumes on Tuesday, two United Soccer League sides will be right in the thick of things. I called Seattle coach Brian Schmetzer to talk a little bit about his club. The Sounders will host MLS side FC Dallas on Tuesday while Carolina will visit New England earlier in the day.
I asked Schmetzer to tell me a little about his side.
"By USL standards," Schmetzer told me, "I think we have a good team."
I've only seen Seattle play once so I'll have to take his word for it. But given that the time I saw them, they dropped a 3-1 whipping on a team I consider one of Major Leauge Soccer's best, I'm not about to argue that.
I asked Schmetzer to explain the driving force behind his team's previous Open Cup wins - the 3-1 fourth-round victory over Chivas USA and the 5-0 quarterfinal win over Colorado.
"I think there is kind of a combination of things that have propelled us into the semifinals. Overall the top half of the USL teams on any given day I think can compete - I’m not going to say win – but I think they can compete with MLS teams... My team is a motivated team for big games. We tanked a game (Friday) against Minnesota. We had problems against Minnesota a couple of weeks ago right after the game against Colorado. There again, that’s kind of just human nature... My guys were definitely much, much more motivated for the MLS and the Open Cup games than some of our recent league games."
Some MLS clubs take the Open Cup seriously but others seem quite more focused on the regular season. I wanted to know what Schmetzer thought about this perception, whether he felt slighted that MLS clubs might look at the Open Cup as a hindrance rather than a must-win trophy.
"I can’t speak for the mindset of the people in the MLS but I can only give you this perspective," Schmetzer told me. "If I was coaching in the MLS, I would take every game seriously whether it was a league game, an Open Cup or SuperLiga. Those guys are paid to win regardless of which tournament it’s in."
Some clubs like Houston and DC United crashed out of this year's Open Cup with a reserve-laden side, but Schmetzer felt that there is plenty of talent on an MLS roster to pull out results regardless.
"They can’t use that as an excuse," he said. "Even the reserves that come on, if they’re going to play in an Open Cup game in an early round against a USL team, even the MLS reserves need to take the game seriously. Whether you are a starter on an MLS team or you are the 13th player or the 14th player on an MLS team and you are getting an opportunity to play in the Open Cup or a SuperLiga match."
When USL sides play MLS clubs, especially deep in the tournament, it seems the USL clubs might have extra support. Everyone loves an underdog, and part of what makes cup tournaments like this one special is that factor - the local pub side knocking out the big boys. Seattle isn't exactly a pub side, but the Sounders aren't in the top flight either and thus don't get the national attention MLS clubs receive.
Seattle will undoubtedly have many fans pulling for them on Tuesday. I'm sure Houston Dynamo supporters would love nothing more than to see FC Dallas suffer the same fate as Colorado and Chivas USA while many USL fans might be supporting their brethren as well.
"It will only help my team so I’m pleased about that," Schmetzer said. "We’re expecting a big crowd. It should be anywhere from 10-12,000 people, which is a big crowd for us. The atmosphere, the build-up to the game, you look on the blogs and you see guys trying to predict the games, it just gives my guys that little bit of added excitement to the match to a team that’s already excited to be there."
With the Sounders' run to the Dewar Cup comes extra attention. Let's face it; I wouldn't have called the Seattle Sounders coach otherwise. There aren't any USL-1 teams in Southern California so I'd have no reason to interact with him. But now that Seattle is on the verge of making history, media far from Seattle have focused their gaze on the Emerald City.
"I’m happy that we’re getting a little bit of (attention)," Schmetzer said. "I just hope that the team can go out there and give a worthy effort out there and whatever happens at the end of the day the best team is going to win and I just hope that my team is prepared mentally and physically and that we give them a good game."
With Seattle having knocked out two MLS clubs and primed to do the same against a third, I asked Schmetzer if he felt that his club was carrying the USL flag against MLS clubs.
"Not at all," he said.
Instead, it's just one group of USL players he was concerned about.
"I’m not pitting us as league vs. league. I’m pitting this as a bunch of guys I’ve had (for a while), some for four years and this group of guys deserves the attention that they get," Schmetzer said. "The players on the team have worked their balls off and they deserve the attneiotn that they are getting because they are playing a high caliber of soccer right now. I want them to win and I want them to receive the accolades because the players have worked hard for it."
I asked Schmetzer to tell me a little about his side.
"By USL standards," Schmetzer told me, "I think we have a good team."
I've only seen Seattle play once so I'll have to take his word for it. But given that the time I saw them, they dropped a 3-1 whipping on a team I consider one of Major Leauge Soccer's best, I'm not about to argue that.
I asked Schmetzer to explain the driving force behind his team's previous Open Cup wins - the 3-1 fourth-round victory over Chivas USA and the 5-0 quarterfinal win over Colorado.
"I think there is kind of a combination of things that have propelled us into the semifinals. Overall the top half of the USL teams on any given day I think can compete - I’m not going to say win – but I think they can compete with MLS teams... My team is a motivated team for big games. We tanked a game (Friday) against Minnesota. We had problems against Minnesota a couple of weeks ago right after the game against Colorado. There again, that’s kind of just human nature... My guys were definitely much, much more motivated for the MLS and the Open Cup games than some of our recent league games."
Some MLS clubs take the Open Cup seriously but others seem quite more focused on the regular season. I wanted to know what Schmetzer thought about this perception, whether he felt slighted that MLS clubs might look at the Open Cup as a hindrance rather than a must-win trophy.
"I can’t speak for the mindset of the people in the MLS but I can only give you this perspective," Schmetzer told me. "If I was coaching in the MLS, I would take every game seriously whether it was a league game, an Open Cup or SuperLiga. Those guys are paid to win regardless of which tournament it’s in."
Some clubs like Houston and DC United crashed out of this year's Open Cup with a reserve-laden side, but Schmetzer felt that there is plenty of talent on an MLS roster to pull out results regardless.
"They can’t use that as an excuse," he said. "Even the reserves that come on, if they’re going to play in an Open Cup game in an early round against a USL team, even the MLS reserves need to take the game seriously. Whether you are a starter on an MLS team or you are the 13th player or the 14th player on an MLS team and you are getting an opportunity to play in the Open Cup or a SuperLiga match."
When USL sides play MLS clubs, especially deep in the tournament, it seems the USL clubs might have extra support. Everyone loves an underdog, and part of what makes cup tournaments like this one special is that factor - the local pub side knocking out the big boys. Seattle isn't exactly a pub side, but the Sounders aren't in the top flight either and thus don't get the national attention MLS clubs receive.
Seattle will undoubtedly have many fans pulling for them on Tuesday. I'm sure Houston Dynamo supporters would love nothing more than to see FC Dallas suffer the same fate as Colorado and Chivas USA while many USL fans might be supporting their brethren as well.
"It will only help my team so I’m pleased about that," Schmetzer said. "We’re expecting a big crowd. It should be anywhere from 10-12,000 people, which is a big crowd for us. The atmosphere, the build-up to the game, you look on the blogs and you see guys trying to predict the games, it just gives my guys that little bit of added excitement to the match to a team that’s already excited to be there."
With the Sounders' run to the Dewar Cup comes extra attention. Let's face it; I wouldn't have called the Seattle Sounders coach otherwise. There aren't any USL-1 teams in Southern California so I'd have no reason to interact with him. But now that Seattle is on the verge of making history, media far from Seattle have focused their gaze on the Emerald City.
"I’m happy that we’re getting a little bit of (attention)," Schmetzer said. "I just hope that the team can go out there and give a worthy effort out there and whatever happens at the end of the day the best team is going to win and I just hope that my team is prepared mentally and physically and that we give them a good game."
With Seattle having knocked out two MLS clubs and primed to do the same against a third, I asked Schmetzer if he felt that his club was carrying the USL flag against MLS clubs.
"Not at all," he said.
Instead, it's just one group of USL players he was concerned about.
"I’m not pitting us as league vs. league. I’m pitting this as a bunch of guys I’ve had (for a while), some for four years and this group of guys deserves the attention that they get," Schmetzer said. "The players on the team have worked their balls off and they deserve the attneiotn that they are getting because they are playing a high caliber of soccer right now. I want them to win and I want them to receive the accolades because the players have worked hard for it."
No bang for their buck
Off the field, the Galaxy has reaped the benefits of having landed David Beckham. Their investment has yielded tremendous ticket sales, jersey sales and unprecedented media attention (at least among MLS teams).
On the field, though, Beckham has been a bust. He has played a total of 310 minutes over six games and might not play another meaningful match for the Galaxy until 2008.
Beckham will receive $6.5 million for his services, which makes his on-the-field output staggeringly worse.
I was going to do a breakdown of his cost-per-minute for the Galaxy but Steve Davis beat me to it. Steve takes a look at the league's dependence on Beckham and the ramifications of his injury.
As far as the cost-per-minute breakdown...
Games (6): $1,083,333 per game
Starts (4): $1,625,000 per start
Minutes played (310): $20,968 per minute
Goals (1): $6,500,000 per goal
Assists (3): $2,166,667 per assist
On the field, though, Beckham has been a bust. He has played a total of 310 minutes over six games and might not play another meaningful match for the Galaxy until 2008.
Beckham will receive $6.5 million for his services, which makes his on-the-field output staggeringly worse.
I was going to do a breakdown of his cost-per-minute for the Galaxy but Steve Davis beat me to it. Steve takes a look at the league's dependence on Beckham and the ramifications of his injury.
As far as the cost-per-minute breakdown...
Games (6): $1,083,333 per game
Starts (4): $1,625,000 per start
Minutes played (310): $20,968 per minute
Goals (1): $6,500,000 per goal
Assists (3): $2,166,667 per assist
What Joe said
I got an email asking for more specifics about what Joe Cannon said about playing for San Jose one day.
While I explained in the comments of an earlier post that I asked Joe specifically about SJ, and it wasn't anything he volunteered, it was a legitimate question that I'd asked to a few ex-Earthquakes already (Jimmy Conrad - "Who knows? Maybe." Brian Ching - "I don't know. Not right now.")
I paraphrased Joe's response for a reason - he rambles sometimes. It was easier to get the gist of his response out in a paraphrase. Here's what he said - (I've still edited the parts where he talks about talking for too long - I had to turn my tape over at one point).
"I always like to think of my time - when I come to an organization, that I want to do something for them, like winning a trophy. That's important for me, and for the fans. No matter where I've been - Colorado, I mean, I was disappointed to leave there without ever having won anything the whole time I was there. We didn't even win a conference title. I wanted to win something special here as soon as possible, because when you're replacing a long-time player, you want to prove yourself, so that's what I'm focused on now. That's why this hurts. It's just hard, and disappointing. But I've got family in Northern California, near the San Jose area. Someday it would be nice to go back there and play, mainly for that reason. I enjoyed my time there - that organization gave me my start in MLS. I'm glad they're back in the league. That's a possibility for the future, I guess. I really want to win something here first."
While I explained in the comments of an earlier post that I asked Joe specifically about SJ, and it wasn't anything he volunteered, it was a legitimate question that I'd asked to a few ex-Earthquakes already (Jimmy Conrad - "Who knows? Maybe." Brian Ching - "I don't know. Not right now.")
I paraphrased Joe's response for a reason - he rambles sometimes. It was easier to get the gist of his response out in a paraphrase. Here's what he said - (I've still edited the parts where he talks about talking for too long - I had to turn my tape over at one point).
"I always like to think of my time - when I come to an organization, that I want to do something for them, like winning a trophy. That's important for me, and for the fans. No matter where I've been - Colorado, I mean, I was disappointed to leave there without ever having won anything the whole time I was there. We didn't even win a conference title. I wanted to win something special here as soon as possible, because when you're replacing a long-time player, you want to prove yourself, so that's what I'm focused on now. That's why this hurts. It's just hard, and disappointing. But I've got family in Northern California, near the San Jose area. Someday it would be nice to go back there and play, mainly for that reason. I enjoyed my time there - that organization gave me my start in MLS. I'm glad they're back in the league. That's a possibility for the future, I guess. I really want to win something here first."
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Greetings, Lebanon!
Luis is right, we haven't really kept up on our new visitors. So there's been an oversight of a few countries that were never acknowledged. Lebanon, for one, has visited our blog.Lebanon's most famous current player right now is probably Youssef Mohamad, a defender for FC Koln in the 2 Bundesliga. He moved to Germany from Olympic Beirut.
Greetings Afghanistan!
In the early days of Sideline Views, Andrea and I would take pleasure in welcoming readers from different countries to the blog. If you look at the Greetings! section here, you'll see where we've had readers from. But that subsided a bit after we stopped getting unique countries to our blog. I mean, there are only so many countries, right?
Well, I just noticed a visitor from Afghanistan. Seems Sideline Views has now been read by someone from that part of the world.
I couldn't tell if it was some U.S. military member reading the blog or an Afghan or someone else. But greetings to whoever it was! I hope we provide a positive outlet for you amidst the difficult times that nation is going through.
Well, I just noticed a visitor from Afghanistan. Seems Sideline Views has now been read by someone from that part of the world.
I couldn't tell if it was some U.S. military member reading the blog or an Afghan or someone else. But greetings to whoever it was! I hope we provide a positive outlet for you amidst the difficult times that nation is going through.
Lights Blaring rankings
1. DC United (13-6-3). Flexed muscles on road; rest of league should be trembling.
2. New England (12-5-6). Got caught by D.C. but still in prime position for one of East's top two spots.
3. Chivas USA (11-6-3). Host DC on Thursday; is it an MLS Cup preview?
4. Houston (11-7-6). Defense proves vulnerable, offense proves reliable even without Ching, Jaqua.
5. New York (11-9-3). And an Angel shall guide them.
6. FC Dallas (11-8-3). USOC was on their minds... how else can they explain 4-0 ass-kicking?
7. Chicago (7-10-5). Best double-digit loss team in the league by far.
8. Kansas City (9-9-6). Gained back a little respect they lost in Utah with gritty draw in Houston.
9. Colorado (7-9-7). Conor Casey's got some talent after all...
10. Columbus (6-7-10). ... as Sigi's side will attest to.
11. Real Salt Lake (4-11-6). Doubled season win total in span of four days.
12. Toronto (5-12-5). Is it time to blow up the roster for the third occasion?
13. Los Angeles (3-11-5). The stars have aligned into a black hole.
2. New England (12-5-6). Got caught by D.C. but still in prime position for one of East's top two spots.
3. Chivas USA (11-6-3). Host DC on Thursday; is it an MLS Cup preview?
4. Houston (11-7-6). Defense proves vulnerable, offense proves reliable even without Ching, Jaqua.
5. New York (11-9-3). And an Angel shall guide them.
6. FC Dallas (11-8-3). USOC was on their minds... how else can they explain 4-0 ass-kicking?
7. Chicago (7-10-5). Best double-digit loss team in the league by far.
8. Kansas City (9-9-6). Gained back a little respect they lost in Utah with gritty draw in Houston.
9. Colorado (7-9-7). Conor Casey's got some talent after all...
10. Columbus (6-7-10). ... as Sigi's side will attest to.
11. Real Salt Lake (4-11-6). Doubled season win total in span of four days.
12. Toronto (5-12-5). Is it time to blow up the roster for the third occasion?
13. Los Angeles (3-11-5). The stars have aligned into a black hole.
Heart checks
It seems the recent deaths in the soccer world may lead to some more awareness for players' physical conditions.
Some renowned cardiologists have brought some attention to the topic and want an increased number of routine tests on soccer athletes to try and detect heart conditions that may lead to distressing and possibly fatal situations.
It's a step in the right direction. Soccer is not going to change from the brutally physical sport it is. Perhaps unlike any other team sport, soccer is the most physically demanding and players may a heavy toll.
In a typical training session, soccer players run and run and run and then they go through some drills that might involve a soccer ball and then they run and run and run some more. Take that and multiply it by four (an average number of training sessions for many clubs) and then by 40 or so (an average number of weeks leagues are in play) and you get some idea of how much players run in training. Add to that however many games a team will play and that's a lot of running.
It only takes a small heart condition to put a player's life in serious jeopardy, but according to these doctors it only takes a small test to prevent that.
Some renowned cardiologists have brought some attention to the topic and want an increased number of routine tests on soccer athletes to try and detect heart conditions that may lead to distressing and possibly fatal situations.
It's a step in the right direction. Soccer is not going to change from the brutally physical sport it is. Perhaps unlike any other team sport, soccer is the most physically demanding and players may a heavy toll.
In a typical training session, soccer players run and run and run and then they go through some drills that might involve a soccer ball and then they run and run and run some more. Take that and multiply it by four (an average number of training sessions for many clubs) and then by 40 or so (an average number of weeks leagues are in play) and you get some idea of how much players run in training. Add to that however many games a team will play and that's a lot of running.
It only takes a small heart condition to put a player's life in serious jeopardy, but according to these doctors it only takes a small test to prevent that.
Steve's take
It wasn't Joe Cannon in the nets for the Galaxy in this latest match, as the regular Galaxy starter was nursing a groin strain. Steve Cronin stepped in and though he did well in the main during the match, the lack of game sharpness probably cost him a bit.Steve had a few things to say on the game.
"The first one, Pete lost the ball in the midfield. I think he was unaware that there was a guy behind him when the ball was cleared. He lost the ball and they played a good ball through to Robbie Findley. He beat Mike and I came out – I had a good angle and I think I got a little bit too excited and started to lean a little bit. I could have done better, but hats off to him, he put it right inside the post. The second one was a free kick, almost identical to the one at the end of the first half. I tried to hold the one in the second half, in the first half, I just tried to punch it away. Second half, the ball was coming in slower, and I think I had too much time to think about it. I tried to hold it, but I coughed it up. Eddie did well on that, but that’s a goal that shouldn’t have happened."
"It just wears on you. This is my first game on the field for the way things have gone this season and I don’t feel any different now than when I was on the bench getting the same result. I think it wears on everybody, top to bottom. I know the people in the front office are feeling it too. They have to deal with fans that call them up and send emails complaining about spending more money on season tickets and they’re coming out to see a team that isn’t winning. That translates down to us, but at the same time, if you worry about that too much, it distracts you from your job. Soccer’s a tough game – sometimes things just don’t go your way. It’s amazing to our team to have the quality of players that we have and still get these results consistently.”
The Messiah debuts
Hailed by many as the Mexican savior, Giovani Dos Santos debuted for Barcelona earlier Sunday.
Dos Santos replaced Thierry Henry in the 62nd minute with Barcelona holding a 2-0 lead over Atletico Bilbao. Dos Santos showed some flashes but he also showed that he's just a pup and still has plenty of room for improvement.
Dos Santos nearly scored but he pushed an open 15-yarder wide of the goal. He drew a red card on a Bilbao defender when he scooped up a ball and started to race downfield on a counterattack.
Perhaps he'll blossom into one of the best Mexican players of this generation or maybe he won't. He's talented as hell, that's for sure, but I guess I'm just a bit leery of anointing a teenager as the next big thing. That's a lot of pressure for a pair of 18-year-old shoulders.
Barcelona, by the way, won 3-1. Fellow Mexican Rafael Marquez was sent off after picking up his second yellow card of the match late in the game. Barca's third goal should not have counted as Yaya Toure's long-distance shot hit the underside of the crossbar, bounced on the goal line and out into the box, but the referee ruled that it had gone over the goal line.
Dos Santos replaced Thierry Henry in the 62nd minute with Barcelona holding a 2-0 lead over Atletico Bilbao. Dos Santos showed some flashes but he also showed that he's just a pup and still has plenty of room for improvement.
Dos Santos nearly scored but he pushed an open 15-yarder wide of the goal. He drew a red card on a Bilbao defender when he scooped up a ball and started to race downfield on a counterattack.
Perhaps he'll blossom into one of the best Mexican players of this generation or maybe he won't. He's talented as hell, that's for sure, but I guess I'm just a bit leery of anointing a teenager as the next big thing. That's a lot of pressure for a pair of 18-year-old shoulders.
Barcelona, by the way, won 3-1. Fellow Mexican Rafael Marquez was sent off after picking up his second yellow card of the match late in the game. Barca's third goal should not have counted as Yaya Toure's long-distance shot hit the underside of the crossbar, bounced on the goal line and out into the box, but the referee ruled that it had gone over the goal line.
Opening up
I just got off the phone with Brian Schmetzer. He was watching film of FC Dallas but he was nice enough to stop and take some time to talk to me about the U.S. Open Cup.
Schmetzer, in case you don't know, is head coach of the Seattle Sounders. The USL-1 side will play FC Dallas on Tuesday at Qwest Field in a U.S. Open Cup semifinal.
I'm writing the story up for The Press-Enterprise and it'll run on Tuesday. Look out for it then, but also keep an eye out for some of the things he said that because of room won't make it into the column, which I'll post here.
Schmetzer, in case you don't know, is head coach of the Seattle Sounders. The USL-1 side will play FC Dallas on Tuesday at Qwest Field in a U.S. Open Cup semifinal.
I'm writing the story up for The Press-Enterprise and it'll run on Tuesday. Look out for it then, but also keep an eye out for some of the things he said that because of room won't make it into the column, which I'll post here.
The Philly fanatic
Last night, I showed my post on Philadelphia expansion to Greg Daurio, who was steaming about it before he even finished reading the first sentence.
"What? What do you know about Philadelphia? It's a great sports town and it has an awesome soccer tradition!"
Greg played soccer in Philly as a lad, so he knoweth of what he speaketh. He used to play against Chris Albright's high school (William Penn Charter School, where Bobby Convey also attended) and likes to point out that they'd beat Chris' team.
"It's a joke post," I explained. "I was trying to encapsulate some of the ridiculous arguments against soccer. You couldn't tell I was kidding?"
He read the post again. "Well, I can see now how you were going over the top."
I turned to Luis. "Luis, did you think I was serious when you read the post? Lunatic fringe of soccer fanatics? Philadelphians have strong arms because of eating so many cheesesteaks? You knew, didn't you?"
Luis was noncommital. "I thought you might be serious. I wasn't sure."
"What? What do you know about Philadelphia? It's a great sports town and it has an awesome soccer tradition!"
Greg played soccer in Philly as a lad, so he knoweth of what he speaketh. He used to play against Chris Albright's high school (William Penn Charter School, where Bobby Convey also attended) and likes to point out that they'd beat Chris' team.
"It's a joke post," I explained. "I was trying to encapsulate some of the ridiculous arguments against soccer. You couldn't tell I was kidding?"
He read the post again. "Well, I can see now how you were going over the top."
I turned to Luis. "Luis, did you think I was serious when you read the post? Lunatic fringe of soccer fanatics? Philadelphians have strong arms because of eating so many cheesesteaks? You knew, didn't you?"
Luis was noncommital. "I thought you might be serious. I wasn't sure."
Roberts reports in
Troy Roberts' red card (due to two yellows) was something of the nail in the coffin for the Galaxy.
"The first one - we lost the ball in transition and got caught. You take a chance - you've got to stop either the ball or the man. I ended up getting him, which prevented him getting through, but at the same time, they had the free kick and that's what they ended up scoring off of. It wasn't the prettiest goal, but it found its way in. On the second one (yellow card), it was a foul, but it wasn't deserving of a yellow. But the referee made a decision with the sideline. He went over and talked to the sideline guy, and the sideline guy must have told him it was a yellow, but if you have to go and talk to the sideline guy, I don't know how you can make that decision and give me a yellow and send me off. That changes the game, too, putting us a man down when we were trying to get one back."
"We played a solid first half. We came out in the second half trying to do the same thing. Momentum is a very delicate thing. Once they got that first goal, the momentum was in their favor and another one came. We could have done a better job on both their goals, but I really don't know what else to say about it. It's tough."
"That's up to the guys up top - the bosses. I like Frank. I think he's a great coach. It would be sad to see him go, but that's out of our control."
"We want to win for Frank, but we want to win for ourselves, too. I don't think any of us feel safe if we're losing games and not having a successful season. There's going to be changes, like there has been. We're all trying to keep our positions and keep our spots. You can't get too comfortable. We have to get results and we haven't been getting them. We'll see what happens."
"The first one - we lost the ball in transition and got caught. You take a chance - you've got to stop either the ball or the man. I ended up getting him, which prevented him getting through, but at the same time, they had the free kick and that's what they ended up scoring off of. It wasn't the prettiest goal, but it found its way in. On the second one (yellow card), it was a foul, but it wasn't deserving of a yellow. But the referee made a decision with the sideline. He went over and talked to the sideline guy, and the sideline guy must have told him it was a yellow, but if you have to go and talk to the sideline guy, I don't know how you can make that decision and give me a yellow and send me off. That changes the game, too, putting us a man down when we were trying to get one back."
"We played a solid first half. We came out in the second half trying to do the same thing. Momentum is a very delicate thing. Once they got that first goal, the momentum was in their favor and another one came. We could have done a better job on both their goals, but I really don't know what else to say about it. It's tough."
"That's up to the guys up top - the bosses. I like Frank. I think he's a great coach. It would be sad to see him go, but that's out of our control."
"We want to win for Frank, but we want to win for ourselves, too. I don't think any of us feel safe if we're losing games and not having a successful season. There's going to be changes, like there has been. We're all trying to keep our positions and keep our spots. You can't get too comfortable. We have to get results and we haven't been getting them. We'll see what happens."
Martino weighs in
Kyle Martino had some things to say about the loss to Real Salt Lake, the penalty on him that wasn't a penalty (at least not one that was called) and the coaching situation.
More from RSL
Real Salt Lake's locker room was a somewhat festive place after their 2-1 win over the Galaxy on Saturday. I talked to Eddie Pope who was quite talkative as well as Nick Rimando, among others.
I asked Pope about his goal and about their playoff aspirations.
Rimando, meanwhile, was pretty blunt about the penalty kick Landon Donovan took. He said if Landon had scored that, the game would have been over.
I asked Pope about his goal and about their playoff aspirations.
Rimando, meanwhile, was pretty blunt about the penalty kick Landon Donovan took. He said if Landon had scored that, the game would have been over.
The PK
Me: When's the last time you missed two in a row? We had to go back to '05 to find when you'd missed one.
Landon: Never. It's just - no.
Me: Never?
Landon: Never. Especially in consecutive games. Everybody misses, I guess. I smashed it. It almost went behind his head when he saved it. He had a good save. I told myself I was just going to hit it hard. Give him credit - he made a good save on it.
Me: After Pachuca, you talked about how it would have made a difference if you hit it low, but you didn't hit this one low, either. Why?
Landon: I don't know. It's an instinctual thing. When you get up to the ball, you decide. I tried not to overthink it, but I couldn't have done more than that. I wanted to hit it hard and I wanted to hit it that way. He did a good job to get to it.
Landon: Never. It's just - no.
Me: Never?
Landon: Never. Especially in consecutive games. Everybody misses, I guess. I smashed it. It almost went behind his head when he saved it. He had a good save. I told myself I was just going to hit it hard. Give him credit - he made a good save on it.
Me: After Pachuca, you talked about how it would have made a difference if you hit it low, but you didn't hit this one low, either. Why?
Landon: I don't know. It's an instinctual thing. When you get up to the ball, you decide. I tried not to overthink it, but I couldn't have done more than that. I wanted to hit it hard and I wanted to hit it that way. He did a good job to get to it.
Frank's fate
Front office administrations always insist that they're not going to buckle to pressure from fans to fire coaches, but the pink slips tossed by Crew fans for Greg Andrulis, the "Fire Sampson" chants and banners in 2006 from Galaxy fans and the "Fuera Bradley" shouts in New York would indicate otherwise.
The movement to rally fans against Frank Yallop has been less united. Perhaps enough fans still believe in his reputation as a top MLS coach. Perhaps they do believe that the Galaxy have been somewhat victimized by the schedule. Perhaps they don't believe starting all over again is really a step forward. Perhaps they've just started to campaign for his dismissal.
Frank was, as usual, inclined to an optimistic view on signs of discontent, specifically the banner the Riot Squad unfurled after the Real Salt Lake loss.
"I did see that sign. It is what it is. I said to the guys in there, ‘The fans didn’t boo us off. We lost at home again, but they didn’t boo us off.’ We lost on Wednesday. I think the fans are seeing something that’s there. It’s not a complete nightmare, where they’re just running by us and we’re terrible. What was the sign again anyway? We’re effin knackered too, Frank. Yeah. You can take it two ways. I think they’re trying to hopefully back me up, and I’m going to take it that way. I will say this, and I hope you write this - I think the fans have been unbelievable for us. I really do. I mean, they have endured a tough year and they’ve backed the players up. They see that effort and they see that commitment and they see that we stick with it. It’s not like they see people not trying and not giving a hoot. They clapped us off, which makes me think that maybe, they’re at least seeing a team that is trying."
In the first half, the pressbox was buzzing about how well the Galaxy were playing, but the scoreboard is the final judge and jury. I told Luis at the half, "Yikes - they've played so much better than Real, but the longer they don't put them away, the more problems they'll have. Especially after the game against Pachuca, the Galaxy defense will be more tired and vulnerable. Real will put Andy Williams and Robbie Findley in and they're going to torture them. It's not going to be good."
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Landon post-game
Landon Donovan after the loss to Real Salt Lake.
I got there late so there's no talk from him about his missed PK but he talks about a lot of other stuff.
I got there late so there's no talk from him about his missed PK but he talks about a lot of other stuff.
Jason Kreis on the streak
Okay, maybe it's a stretch to call it a streak. But I did so to Jason Kreis and he laughed about it.
Here's audio of our little post-game chat.
Here's audio of our little post-game chat.
Post game presser
I didn't have time to stick around for the whole thing because I had to get to RSL's locker room but here's some of what Frank Yallop had to say after the Galaxy's loss to Real Salt Lake.
Riot Squad, they are pissed
The members of the Riot Squad had a message for Frank Yallop after the loss versus Real Salt Lake."We're effing knackered too, Frank!!"
No hangover
Letdown is apparently not in Pachuca's vocabulary.
Three days after beating the L.A. Galaxy in a thrilling and exhausting SuperLiga final, Pachuca returned home and whipped San Luis 4-1.
Thus far, San Luis has been pretty solid in the Mexican league, having gone 3-1-1 before losing to los Tuzos.
Pachuca was actually down 1-0 at halftime but the champs came out and dropped four goals in the second half. Juan Carlos Cacho and Christain "Chaco" Gimenez each scored a goal while defender Paul Nicolas Aguilar - who didn't play against the Galaxy - had the club's third and fourth goal of the game.
Three days after beating the L.A. Galaxy in a thrilling and exhausting SuperLiga final, Pachuca returned home and whipped San Luis 4-1.
Thus far, San Luis has been pretty solid in the Mexican league, having gone 3-1-1 before losing to los Tuzos.
Pachuca was actually down 1-0 at halftime but the champs came out and dropped four goals in the second half. Juan Carlos Cacho and Christain "Chaco" Gimenez each scored a goal while defender Paul Nicolas Aguilar - who didn't play against the Galaxy - had the club's third and fourth goal of the game.
Prognosticating disaster
Before the start of the Mexican season, I thought about who could win the championship. I ruled out Pachuca simply because no team but one has repeated since Mexico started playing its two seasons a year in 1996. Chivas and America both had big losses and didn't really do a whole lot to fill holes. Cruz Azul... no way. Toluca lost their coach and I figured it would take Jose Pekerman one season to adjust to coaching in Mexico.
I thought about Tigres... hmmm. They intrigued me. Mario Carrillo's exit was addition by subtraction in and of itself but to land Americo Gallego was a stroke of brilliance, I thought. Walter Gaitan might be rejuvenated under his countryman while Kikin Fonseca will have spent an entire preseason with the club and still has quality in him despite his fall from national team grace.
So I picked them. And they are absolutely horrible.
Tigres lost to Chivas 1-0 on Saturday and are now 0-4-1 with all of one goal scored this season. I guess the only saving grace I have is that Pachuca started off the Apertura 2006 season at 0-4-1 under a new coach who like Gallego had won with Toluca (Enrique Meza) who was also on the hot seat after five games. Pachuca didn't win the league that year but they reached the semifinals and won Sudamericana.
Not that I foot for Tigres or anything but I wish the club I'd have hitched my wagon on would have won a stinking game by now.
No truth to the rumor, though, that I picked Michigan to win the Sugar Bowl.
I thought about Tigres... hmmm. They intrigued me. Mario Carrillo's exit was addition by subtraction in and of itself but to land Americo Gallego was a stroke of brilliance, I thought. Walter Gaitan might be rejuvenated under his countryman while Kikin Fonseca will have spent an entire preseason with the club and still has quality in him despite his fall from national team grace.
So I picked them. And they are absolutely horrible.
Tigres lost to Chivas 1-0 on Saturday and are now 0-4-1 with all of one goal scored this season. I guess the only saving grace I have is that Pachuca started off the Apertura 2006 season at 0-4-1 under a new coach who like Gallego had won with Toluca (Enrique Meza) who was also on the hot seat after five games. Pachuca didn't win the league that year but they reached the semifinals and won Sudamericana.
Not that I foot for Tigres or anything but I wish the club I'd have hitched my wagon on would have won a stinking game by now.
No truth to the rumor, though, that I picked Michigan to win the Sugar Bowl.
Twisted logic
Philadephia clearly does not deserve, nor does it actually want, a Major League Soccer team. There's a reason that the city didn't make the mistake of jumping on to the soccer bandwagon in 1996. After all, the city was the country's first capital, so Philadelphia knows what is All-American, and soccer clearly isn't it. Philadelphia has gotten this far without soccer, and continues to resist attempts by MLS to get suckered into joining the latest version of the sport that has never really caught on in this country.
Red-blooded sports like the NFL, the NBA, and baseball have been embraced by Philly fans for years, but clearly, no true Philadephian can get behind a game that cancels the use of the hands that have developed a good part of their strength hefting so many cheesesteaks.
A recent poll revealed that interest to bring MLS to Philly is minimal - a majority of responders did not vote for the city to receive an MLS team. In fact, the idea of an MLS team even failed to win 30 percent support.
The lunatic fringe that supports soccer is better suited to the towns that are predisposed to an empty-headed worship of worthless celebrities, like Los Angeles. Philadelphia should remain a pure bastion of real U.S. sports. After all, Ben Franklin never played soccer.
Red-blooded sports like the NFL, the NBA, and baseball have been embraced by Philly fans for years, but clearly, no true Philadephian can get behind a game that cancels the use of the hands that have developed a good part of their strength hefting so many cheesesteaks.
A recent poll revealed that interest to bring MLS to Philly is minimal - a majority of responders did not vote for the city to receive an MLS team. In fact, the idea of an MLS team even failed to win 30 percent support.
The lunatic fringe that supports soccer is better suited to the towns that are predisposed to an empty-headed worship of worthless celebrities, like Los Angeles. Philadelphia should remain a pure bastion of real U.S. sports. After all, Ben Franklin never played soccer.
Tri for Brazil
Hugo Sanchez called in what many are billing as Mexico's next superstar as Giovani Dos Santos will join the Mexican national team for upcoming games against Panama and Brazil.
Dos Santos was also joined by fellow prime prospect Carlos Vela and are part of squad mixed with youth and experience.
The entire squad: Goalkeepers: Sergio Arias (Dorados), Alfonso Blanco (Pachuca), Luis Michel (Guadalajara), Guillermo Ochoa (America)
Defenders: Adrian Aldrete (Morelia), Israel Castro (Pumas), Julio Dominguez (Cruz Azul), Omar Esparza (Guadalajara), Jonny Magallon (Guadalajara), Edgar Mejia (Guadalajara), Hector Moreno (Pumas), Fausto Pinto (Pachuca), Carlos Salcido (PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands)
Midfielders: Patricio Araujo (Guadalajara), Fernando Arce (Morelia), Edgar Castillo (Santos), Emmanuel Cerda (Tigres), Jaime Correa (Pachuca), Andres Guardado (Deportivo La Coruna, Spain) Jose Guerrero (Atlante), Jorge Hernandez (Atlas), Gerardo Rodriguez (Pachuca), Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul)
Forwards: Juan Carlos Cacho (Pachuca), Nery Castillo (Shakhtar Donetsk, Ukraine), Giovani Dos Santos (Barcelona, Spain), Luis Landin (Morelia), Juan Carlos Mosqueda (America), Carlos Vela (Osasuna, Spain), Cesar Villaluz (Cruz Azul)
Dos Santos was also joined by fellow prime prospect Carlos Vela and are part of squad mixed with youth and experience.
The entire squad: Goalkeepers: Sergio Arias (Dorados), Alfonso Blanco (Pachuca), Luis Michel (Guadalajara), Guillermo Ochoa (America)
Defenders: Adrian Aldrete (Morelia), Israel Castro (Pumas), Julio Dominguez (Cruz Azul), Omar Esparza (Guadalajara), Jonny Magallon (Guadalajara), Edgar Mejia (Guadalajara), Hector Moreno (Pumas), Fausto Pinto (Pachuca), Carlos Salcido (PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands)
Midfielders: Patricio Araujo (Guadalajara), Fernando Arce (Morelia), Edgar Castillo (Santos), Emmanuel Cerda (Tigres), Jaime Correa (Pachuca), Andres Guardado (Deportivo La Coruna, Spain) Jose Guerrero (Atlante), Jorge Hernandez (Atlas), Gerardo Rodriguez (Pachuca), Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul)
Forwards: Juan Carlos Cacho (Pachuca), Nery Castillo (Shakhtar Donetsk, Ukraine), Giovani Dos Santos (Barcelona, Spain), Luis Landin (Morelia), Juan Carlos Mosqueda (America), Carlos Vela (Osasuna, Spain), Cesar Villaluz (Cruz Azul)
Alexi answers
What's funny is that I talked to Alexi Lalas and Frank Yallop as well, but at different times than Luis. A crowd of reporters, including Luis, was around Lalas while I talked to Frank by myself. Then they all switched over to Frank, and I went to talk to Alexi. I'm sure they repeated themselves in some respects, but here's some of what I got from Alexi."I have and continue to have great faith in Frank Yallop. We’re pretty simple and direct in how we deal with each other. I understand the realities of this world that he’s been thrust into and the challenges that this season has brought. This is the Galaxy now. This is what this world is about. We need people that can function and thrive in this environment. That’s our new reality."
"I think that as we go forward, there are certainly things that we’ve learned over the past couple of months. But if
Yallop post-training
Frank Yallop talks about the team after Friday's training session. He's not quite as candid as he was after the Pachuca game but he drops an f-bomb, proving he's still got it.
No regrets
I asked Frank Yallop about his reaction at the SuperLiga press conference, where he dropped a few f-words to describe how worn out his players were.Frank shrugged.
"I said what I said. I wasn’t planning on saying anything. I normally try to explain what’s going on, where we’re disappointed by the result, but when you get a question like I was asked – I was disappointed that I was asked that. That’s how I reacted. I try to make sure that I’m speaking the truth and I was speaking the truth there."
Alexi Lalas on aftermath
Alexi Lalas talks about David Beckham's injury and the team's situation.
I asked him about the friendlies the team has scheduled in October and November.
I asked him about the friendlies the team has scheduled in October and November.
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