Category: USMNT

A Drastic Shift for Team USA

September 7th, 2011 · Biggy · Constantly Offside, USMNT One comment

Two losses in a row. For this, Bob Bradley would have met his untimely demise on twitter. Calls for his head, for major change, for a certain German out of California. A coach’s favorite has been downright unimpressive in back to back games. But now this German is here, and he is in control. Yet two losses in a row?! HireBobBradley has already popped up on twitter. Robbie Rogerstein has shown what most MLS fans have known to be true for years. So do we panic yet? A certain president promised change, and we rallied behind him and hope. What most people forget is that true, long lasting change takes time and effort. Especially when you are rebuilding the core beliefs of a system from the ground up, which is what Jürgen Klinsmann is currently tasked with.

Many of you remember World Cup 2010 as we watched an American team full of promise

A US soccer fan's life in the past was spent on the edge

win their group for the first time ever at the World Cup. What many people forget is that to get there, the US came through a brutal stretch of qualification where they did not dominate games against opponents that needed to be and should have been dominated. The US played very reactive soccer, mastering the ‘Bend but do not break’ defense and slicing and dicing opponents with killer counterattacks. The US was known for their steely demeanor, an incredible will to win and the ability to capitalize on mistakes while minimizing their own. That and Tim Howard’s sheer beastmode ability made them a threat to beat any team on a given day at the international level. Spain likely remembers this quite well from the Confederations Cup. However, they were never a team who would come out and tire you out by pinging the ball around, probing and possessing while seizing up small gaps with incisive passes and perfect runs. If you were facing the US you did not need to plan around the US attacking strategy, as they were constantly defending and reacting. Out of this rose no real attacking style or identity, and although they were fun to watch, every game was full of tension. You never knew if the US would score as no true offensive game plan leading to consistent, good chances surfaced. Certainly Charlie Davies injury changed the ability of the US to impose the game on their opponent, but the true definition of a good team is depth. Leading up to the World Cup it was amazing how many people pointed out the large number of irreplaceable parts the US had. You could point to almost half the starting eleven where the drop off in talent between the starter and sub was immense. Could a team really compete on the international stage consistently without an identity and with so many breakable parts? As we saw after Steve Cherundolo’s injury in the Gold Cup final, it was clear they could not. But certainly losing games against mediocre opponents isn’t the way to reconcile these problems is it?

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One Giant Step Backwards

June 6th, 2011 · Chamo · USMNT One comment - Tags: , , , , ,

Even Torres scored....

There is a lot that can be said about the USMNT’s “performance” against Spain on Saturday, but almost none of those words would be positive. In fact, the backlash of that game could potentially dismantle the team’s chances at the upcoming Gold Cup. While missing their top stars (which is completely baffling outside of Landon Donovan’s exclusion) a Spain team initially comprised of only 5 players that started the World Cup final completely dismantled the US defense and midfield.

Spain dominates every team they play possession-wise, and all USMNT supporters knew that possession was going to be at a premium when the game began. That said, fielding a less than full strength squad against the best team in the world probably wasn’t Bob’s finest idea (and if you know me at all, I think he NEVER has a good idea). Instead, Bradley decided to start with an ultra defensive lineup of misfits, some of which could (and should) have seen their last game in a USMNT kit on Saturday.

It may have been a mistake to schedule such a high profile match just 3 days before the start of an important tournament, but after its scheduled you still need to honor your agreement. Instead of saving face and “resting” his top players, Bradley blatantly exposed just how big the drop off the USMNT second rate players are compared to that of a footballing nation like Spain. Players that don’t regularly start for La Furia Roja showed no different style or poise than the like of Iniesta, Xavi and Pedro, while second rate Americans like Spector, Klesjtian and Rogers looked as though they didn’t even want to be there.

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DC United vs Seattle Sounders – May 4th

May 11th, 2011 · Laz · Constantly Offside, MLS, USMNT, World Cup 2010 One comment - Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Start of 2nd Half

Excuses for not writing: accepted to grad school, tore ACL for the 3rd time, Sharks playoff hockey, and lastly, moved across the country to Washington DC, which brings us to the focus of this article, DC United vs. Seattle Sounders.  When Groupon (shout out) offered decent tickets to the game for a good price, I could not pass up the opportunity. After settling in Foggy Bottom in NW DC and with RFK on the same metro line as me, I had no excuses. Ticket: $16, Metro ride: ~ $2. Alcohol: $10-15

I will not provide a comprehensive analysis of the match because I simply do not want to and who in God’s name would want to read it. Go to soccernet for all I care.

However, Charlie Davies’ goal in the 52’ was a good piece of play with a nice ball played down the right side and a well placed cross, allowing Davies to cash in from about 4 yards out and provide us with a lovely rendition of the stanky leg.  The goal came moments after I explained to two less informed soccer fans that Charlie Davies is a poacher.  Now before you get angry, I realize this is probably an unfair and inaccurate assessment of him as a player.  However, I do not see this as a bad thing whatsoever (Filippo Inzaghi has made himself quite the career out of that role). While I do not think the two are the same player my message is such, THE USMNT NEEDS A PLAYER LIKE THIS. Someone who will simply score goals, not always the pretties, but who cares?  Davies doesn’t necessarily have to be that player, and maybe he isn’t, although it’s tough to argue with his scoring record thus far.  Nevertheless, the USMNT desperately needs a player who can simply be in the right place at the right time and score goals.  ZERO goals from US forwards in the 2010 World Cup ringing any bells for anyone?  I’m not looking for some miracle forward from the US, how about someone who can get a deflection and put it in the net.  How about ANY forward who can put it in the back of the net?  The USMNT’s laundry list of issues will not be solved by this, but scoring goals never hurt any team.

Yup, no transition.  Being an avid EPL (English Premier League for you amateurs) the quality of football in the game was pretty poor with a few moments of genius, as is the story for most MLS games.  But the most surprising game play was with about 7-10 minutes left and DC United up a goal.  They played by far their best football of the match.  They focused on possession, keeping the ball on the ground, swinging it from side to side, with no giant rush to get the ball in the 18.  It is easy to understand why they would play this way, protecting a one goal lead, but I would love to see an MLS team play the entire game like this! Unfortunately, most MLS teams do not possess the technical skills to play this way, as was displayed by DC United when they tried their best to give the ball away in their own defense.  But it was fun to watch and exciting to see an MLS team does actually occasionally value possession and the ball staying on the ground.  The bottom line is the MLS will become a better league when teams can increase their technical ability and attempt to keep possession of the ball for more than 2-3 passes.  This should be obvious, yet I NEVER SEE IT when I watch an MLS game.  I hope to see this transition in the MLS soon because the faster it happens, the quicker the USMNT begins to have a roster with a little depth.  While it is still a must for USMNT players to play in Europe for us to have any chance of competing, an improving domestic league can only strengthen our national team.

Start of 2nd Half

The Foreign Review: USA v Arg. & Par.

March 29th, 2011 · Chamo · USMNT No comments - Tags: , , , ,

You keep smiling boy. You are good.

3 Quick Points:

  1. I apologize for both of our lack of posts, Biggy is incredibly busy with work, and I’m trying to graduate sometime in the next century so I put the site on hold for a while.
  2. I realize I’m not really all that foreign… having been born in Biggy’s favored US of A, but I have no emotional investment in the well being of the USMNT, and I hold a foreign passport… so for the sake of the argument, I maintain my foreign-ness.
  3. Even though we aren’t posting, we are very active on Twitter, and can be really entertaining, though Biggy has used it to push his techno music love more than anything recently.

Now onto the meat of the post.

Agudelo is going to be better than Altidore and Davies combined. He is the smartest striker the US has seen since McBride, has a presence well beyond his years, and his composure, even against a team as talented as Argentina, is second to none on the USMNT.

Random Agudelo outburst aside, Argentina’s dominance in the first half isn’t even a debatable topic. They looked like Barcelona playing a Sunday-league team from the Bay Area. Messi was dancing through defenders like they were standing still, and the weak point of Argentina’s squad, their defense, never had to actually defend. I haven’t looked at the stats, but I would not be surprised if Argentina had over 75% of the possession in the first period of the game.

The second half was an entirely different story. The introduction of a second striker to clean up what was a confused and hectic center of midfield, as well as a right back actually capable of keeping pace with the likes of Di Maria inspired a respectable USMNT comeback. I firmly believe that the US actually dominated the bulk of the second half, with a few defensive miscues that Argentina probably should have converted. The biggest difference maker was the man between the sticks, Timmy Howard. I can’t remember a performance more remarkable than his show against Argentina, making no less than three remarkable saves against Messi, as well as multiple more against the rest of the Argentina contingent.

The main notes that came out of the Argentina game are these:

  • Bob Bradley needs to make his initial lineup, then think about how he would change it if they were losing, and then scrap his initial plan and START with the players he SUBBED on at the half. Bob tends to always favor the conservative, but when you know a team has a week defense, and you decide to play one striker against them, you will not succeed.
  • On the striker note, Altidore has no idea what he is doing as a lone striker. I’m sure I’ve mentioned that at some point before, but he looks lost, always tries to attack if he gets the ball, and gets frustrated. He doesn’t know hold-up play at all, and simply is crafty or fast enough to take on an entire defense on his own. He is a remarkable player, but not by himself.
  • Agudelo, on the other hand, could potentially play as a lone striker (though I realize he is lacking some of the size). He has the mentality of a seasoned veteran, and it was the most refreshing thing to watch when he came on and settled the attack down, keeping possession and capping it by scoring a well taken opportunity without having the jitters of a typical 18 year old in his situation.
  • Chandler, who I didn’t even know existed, is really good.
  • Spector can’t play defense.
  • The most atrocious aspect of the game was the pitch. I’m not sure what it was that was wrong with it, but the ball couldn’t bounce, everything was slow, and everyone was falling over on it. Why they decide to play on these pitches is beyond me, when you bring a major soccer nation to play you, please make sure the pitch is of a respectable nature.

Then the Paraguay game begins, and Bob finally found his balls. Two strikers from the get go, and a defense that might actually be able to contain quick players.

Unfortunately, the poor possession game that plagued them in the Argentina game for the first half returned, though not to such an extreme nature. The biggest issue with Bradley’s tactics seems to be that they change so drastically every game. Even after fielding a side similar to the second half against Argentina, the squad opted to play a flanking outside back style, which certainly wasn’t how they approached the second half against Arg (most likely out of fear that Di Maria would torch them down the left).

While unfortunate to be trailing, the USMNT struggled to make chances in the first half, particularly near the Paraguay goal, as the best opportunity was a speculative, yet impressive, 30 yd hit from Dempsey. Paraguay played a very aggressive style early on, which tends to fluster Altidore, despite his typical size advantage. Jozy’s one goal in Turkey, besides seeing the pitch more, should be to learn to play a big-man game, body up people and attack their size, not their speed. He showed glimpses of this before the World Cup last year, but has seemed to regress into a softer style (which could be due to a complete lack of playing time).

Second Half Notes:

  • Tim Ream is rather impressive. Chandler and Ream could be set for some long USMNT careers.
  • Dempsey seems to try to do too much while playing for the National Team. I never see him try as many tricks in Fulham games as he attempts to pull against other National squads.
  • Jermaine Jones shouldn’t wear #13…. every time I see him I think its Rico Clark.
  • Agudelo is way too good to be 18. I’m calling a Little League World Series situation on this one, show me his birth certificate.
  • Bad Decision Bob made the only decision I wanted him to make! He actually took off Altidore and allowed Agudelo to play as a single striker, which both myself and our friends over at TSG wanted to see.
  • Paraguay doesn’t offer much of an attacking threat except from set pieces.
  • American Outlaws finally got a shout out on FSC!
  • The Dirty Mustache made an appearance. Proof that Bob Bradley is still half-retarded.
  • Kyle Martino doesn’t know the difference between a fingertip and a palm…
  • Agudelo is really, really good.

Overall, the US has some promising youth, but struggle to prove that Bob Bradley is capable of making great decisions before the games begin.

Starting Point: AGUDELO AGUDELO AGUDELO AGUDELO

March 28th, 2011 · Biggy · USMNT One comment - Tags: , , ,

We need more epic player songs. AO does a great job now, but there is always room for improvement. So I present to you, the first cut of AGU DELO (set to black and yellow) brought to you by everyone’s boy, Brian Mechanick. I encourage anyone and everyone to revise, improve, and start freestyling this. GET IT.

Yeah ah ha
you know who it is
Agudelo, Agudelo,
Agudelo, Agudelo

Yeah ah ha
you know who it is
Agudelo, Agudelo,
Agudelo, Agudelo

Yeah ah ha, you know who it is
Scoring goals, he does it big
Yeah ah ha, when U.S got nothin
only 18 years old, now that’s somethin
Reppin the Yanks when you watch him you know everything
Agudelo, Agudelo,
Agudelo, Agudelo
He puts put it down from NYC to South Africa
Agudelo, Agudelo,
Agudelo, Agudelo

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Why the January Friendly is so important

January 24th, 2011 · Biggy · CO soccer trips, Constantly Offside, USMNT, photography 3 comments

LA tailgate. In the sun. In Jan. Rough life.

4. It started with four, four years ago. 4 guys driving down to LA from San Luis Obispo on a cloudy January day in 2008 to watch some American soccer. 2007 was a good year to be on the West Coast, there was a full first team friendly against China in San Jose (the last full first team friendly on the West Coast? I think so) before the Gold Cup and a Gold Cup group stage match at the HDC. 2008 was a new year, and we were off to support the US. I remember the weather sucking and us watching Donovan score a PK directly in front of US. We drove home that night after yelling a lot and me enjoying the game but being disappointed that we were some of the only fans standing and cheering the entire time. The following year our group more then doubled to ten to see Sacha bag a hattie and us to yell SASSSSCCCHHHHAAAAAAAAAA all night. We got there earlier, brought food and drinks and knocked the ball around in the parking lot. Some other American fans forgot their ball and asked if they could join us, we said certainly. We shotgunned beers with them as an exchange of goodwill and American soccer. What is better then that?

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A Game Worse than England v. Algeria

October 13th, 2010 · Chamo · USMNT One comment - Tags: , , , , , ,

Sorry for the severe lack of posts recently, especially on my end. Club soccer has started up for me again which leaves me with little time between training, class, and games to watch matches, let alone write about them. That said, yesterday I was able to watch the USMNT take on Colombia in a match that I thought would be interesting, at least tactically, given the player options that were available to Bad Decision Bob. Unfortunately what I got was a match that was much, much more boring and excruciating to watch than when my England team took on Algeria during the World Cup.

I was astounded to see that Bradley had actually <gasp!> decided to give the 4-3-3 a try, though the player selection for his experiment was questionable at best. Holden, though formerly an outside player, has been solely playing center mid recently, and it showed as he was asked to play right wing in the first half. I’ll comment on the abomination that was Brek Shea’s debut later. Jozy looks lost without a strike partner, and quite obviously has NO IDEA how to play the striker in a three man front system.

In the center there was an even scarier selection of players. It looks as though Bob wanted to run a Chelsea-style triangle system in the middle, with one more defensive CM, one slightly more attacking, and a linking player in the middle. This, however, was shot to hell within four minutes of the start of the game, and eventually it looked as though Mr. SweatPants scrapped the plan and just yelled at both Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones to get more advanced, while Edu was left to sit defensively. Bradley ran around the entire first half like a chicken with his head cut off, Jones tried to find space and distribute, but received only hospital balls all game, and Edu didn’t look ready to play a match at all, in fact Tiddlywinks might have been more up his alley last night.

The back line was the “shining light” of the lineup last night, which I say simply because they weren’t the most abysmal thing on the field. Onyewu looked a bit more stable, Pearce had a decent first half defensively, Lichaj was solid and easily had the best debut of the two newbies, and Guzan saved the USA from losing the match in the first 10 minutes.

While I have focused almost exclusively on the USMNT and their failings, let me mention that Colombia was equally as useless in this match, and couldn’t string together more than two consecutive passes the entire second half. Both teams played like they had no idea who their teammates were on the pitch, and looked completely devoid of creativity the entire match.

Here are just a few notes from the match that I noticed:

  • I realize he is the coaches son, but does he have to play every 90 minutes of every match (including friendlies) every time there is an international break? Aside from goalkeeper, the one position that has tons of depth is center midfield, but we are not graced with the option of watching a pairing (or three man set, as in last night’s case) without Baby Brad on the field.
  • On that same note, Michael Bradley was the WORST player on the field yesterday for the USMNT, his passing was terrible, his positioning was worse, and he tried way too hard to force the ball in the attacking half through the Colombian back line.
  • Jermaine Jones, on the other hand, was solid and looked the most composed in a frantic game. I realize fans don’t want to embrace the German star just yet, and don’t want to give him too much faith or credit after two friendly matches, but I shudder to think what the USMNT center would look like with a Jones-Torres pairing (Jones’ defensive strength and poise with Torres’ linking ability).
  • Jozy can’t play a three man front system. He sits on the last defender, which isn’t how he should be playing. He should check to the ball, draw the defense with him offering lanes for the outside men to utilize.
  • However, he had no support from his outside players. Holden never really played right wing all match, dropping much too far back in defense to be considered a winger, while Brek Shea spent the first half running away from the ball at every opportunity.
  • Lichaj is good, I can see why TSG has a huge man-crush on the kid.
  • Heath Pearce played impressively in the first half when the US was under the most pressure, but was completely useless when attacking, especially in the second half when the US dominated possession.

Overall it was simply an ugly, boring match. Neither team deserved to win or lose. I think there were three total shots in the match from both sides combined (1-Colombia, 2-USA) and at most Colombia should have scored the one chance they got (nice save by Guzan) and Jozy should have put away his headed opportunity (Poor header placement).

45 Minutes in Cape Town

September 22nd, 2010 · Biggy · CO soccer trips, Constantly Offside, USMNT, World Cup 2010 One comment - Tags: , , ,

How do you define your team’s World Cup and your support for them? In my case, it was 45 minutes in Cape Town.

Let me paint you a picture. One you likely remember clearly, with simple thoughts. Most of them include swear words. Mine certainly did. After a promising draw against England where Altidore scuffed the post and sent my heart on a path it likely will never recover from, team USA looked to have steam behind them as they faced Slovenia. We were in Cape Town for the England-Algeria game, one that I will never forget thanks to the fact it was so boring a bird roosted on the goal for the entire second half undisturbed. Strike and I got decked out and we headed to the fan zone in Cape Town to find lots of our brethren ready to cheer on our boys. A pleasant surprise to say the least. A day full of anticipation and wonder was off to a marvelous start as we approached kick off with nice weather and lots of USSSSSSAAAAAAAA chants. Quickly that day turned into a nightmare. If the Brazil – USA Confederations Cup first half felt like I was walking in a dream, this was the utter and total opposite. I was stranded in a nightmare that I could not believe was real.

By halftime, I was near tears. Completely frustrated and helpless. It’s not often that you see everything you have dreamed of slipping away right in front of your eyes. I remember just getting down on my knees and praying. Desperately. That my team, the guys who had come inches from locking up the driver seat only days before were suddenly inches from boarding a flight home after a meaningless game against Algeria. Everything I believed in was being pushed to the brink. Could I deal with heartbreak in two consecutive summers? Where would I find Flamin Hot Cheetos and Entourage seasons one through three to console me like I had for two straight days after the US-Mexico game at Azteca? How would I get past this one? These thoughts were blazing through my head like heat searing my soul. I was clinging to a thread of hope, a desperate string that a team that looked utterly worthless in the first half could deliver a miracle on the world’s biggest stage. I had turned down Chamo’s offer to buy me a very large beer because I knew if the score stood I would quickly become irrational and alcohol would not help that cause in the least. And then 45 minutes began.

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The Evil Return of Bad Decision Bob (and the Options that Could Have Been)

September 2nd, 2010 · Chamo · Constantly Offside, MLS, USMNT One comment - Tags: , , , , ,

And here I thought his time was up

In a shocking turn of events that makes no sense to most USMNT fans, even those that liked the bald-headed poor decision maker, Bob Bradley has been hired on for four more years of torturing Biggy and providing enormous amounts of comedy fodder for Chamo.

Seemingly a second choice decision from Gulati, it was made only after it was clear Jürgen Klinsmann still wanted Gulati to step off his preaching chair and let the coach actually change the system. Of course Mr. Gulati never had any intention of removing his ever-present political roster choices from the cards, so he fell back on his bald headed friend, Bob Bradley.

That said, Bradley also looked for greener pastures in Europe, and was even tipped to get a chance to manage at Aston Villa given the American Randy Lerner connection, but nothing ever came to fruition. Frankly, the Villa move would have spelled disaster for Bradley, and he was better off looking for a smaller European spot that wasn’t in the turmoil that the Midlands team currently sees itself in.

So, despite a flurry of names being thrown out from all ends of the USMNT supporters sections, from Pekerman to O’Neill, Sunil Gulati offered Bob his second stint at the helm.

Let me get a few things out of the way:

  1. Forget all this garbage about second term coaches. The reason you get hired on as a second term National team coach is because you did something right the first time, so naturally you are already set up for failure. This is why the statistics go against the second term men. It would seem insane not to have hired Bruce Arena back after his miracle run in 2002.
  2. In reality, there really weren’t a whole lot of options. Klinsmann of course is always on the list, but all these names were pretty much just a whole lot of hearsay. The real pool was a bunch of current MLS coaches, but only a few have any national experience (Like my choice, Sigi).
  3. Regardless of your belief, the USMNT is just as political as the Argentinian team, meaning Gulati and the higher-ups like to have a certain amount of control over the player pool and development. This limits your managerial options, because coaches like Klinsmann won’t deal with it.

Why it was the Wrong Decision:

1) Favoritism: Bob Bradley has given a lot of players opportunities to play for the National Team in controlled arenas, which is great. However, when it comes to the important matches, Bob plays favorites.

Even in friendlies, Bob is unwilling to alter a good selection of players. Michael Bradley, DaMarcus Beasley, Rico Clark, Brian Ching, Oguchi Onyewu, Robbie Findley, Jonathan Bornstein, and Carlos Bocanegra are all examples of Bad Decision Bob’s favoritism. While in certain cases he is forgiven because a lack of positional depth (Bornstein) other times he is not (Rico Clark, I can name at least 3 other CM’s in the player pool better than him).

The issue with this comes down to the talent he will end up wasting. Jose Francisco Torres is the best center mid the USMNT has ever seen in terms of passing ability, poise on the ball, and control. However, since he refuses to pull Baby Brad off the pitch, even for a friendly match, you are unlikely to ever see how Torres pairs with Edu, or Holden, or even Benny for that matter. That is just one example of where favoritism hurts the US.

I can smell the French from here.

2) Futbol: I’m not talking about Brazilian Samba football, but I am talking about learning some attacking possession, not boot and run. The US has been playing the same slingshot offense for years, and refuses to go away from it. They possess it in the back, then boot it forward and hope that Jozy, Chuck D, or, now that Bradley is back at the helm, Robbie Findley can chase it down and start something.

It’s no wonder that the US forward line scored less goals than England’s (England had one… USA had none). The US relied on the impressive Landon Donovan to provide all the attacking prowess in the World Cup, but the Ghana game showed what happened once a team stuck someone on him the entire match.

People often point out that the US out possessed three of the four teams they played in South Africa. Possession does not equate directly to attacking ability however. The USMNT possession is too far away from the goal, and you hardly ever see a winger fight to the corner, not see an option and pass it back to start the play over. The team needs a mindset overhaul from a foreign coach, even if only for two years, so they can learn patient football.

3) Expectations: Aside from winning the 2014 World Cup, Bob cannot succeed. I know I already said to forget about the second term coach syndrome earlier, but this is different.

With everything Bradley has achieved for the US, with the success at the Confederation Cup, a decent World Cup, the 2007 Gold Cup victory, Bob cannot possibly succeed. Every small mistake will be scrutinized, any loss will be torn apart.

The USSF was better of finding a replacement, if nothing else, to detract from the watchful eyes that will undoubtedly be placed on Bad Decision Bob every match till 2014.

The Other Possibilities:

Jürgen Klinsmann:

  • Advantages: Knows how to play the game, and can teach the US to play with some attacking flair. Could get the most out of Jozy, and would utilize JFT. Possibly most important, he would completely revamp the youth system to produce more quality players, earlier in their careers, at the expense of a college education. Lives in California, has National Team experience.
  • Disadvantages: Sunil Gulati would be bitter the entire time that someone else came in and did his job better than he did, while he was still technically hired (I’m referring to the youth system). Also unlikely to have instant success since he would likely change the entire way the USMNT plays. Could potentially be a huge failure.

Martin O’Neill

  • Advantages: Out of a job currently, but known for getting the most out of players considered to be mediocre, or not performing at their potential. Northern Irish, so would likely produce a USMNT vs. Northern Ireland friendly that Biggy and Chamo have been dreaming of for years. Also wears sweatpants to all games, so aesthetically not a huge change for USMNT supporters, though the glasses would be a new touch.
  • Disadvantages: No National Team coaching experience, British accent, and like Klinsmann, likes to have more power over his team than owners are willing to allow him. Would likely transform Jozy into Heskey, which would horrify USMNT fans.

José Pekerman:

  • Advantages: I was surprised at the amount of people who threw this name around. I really don’t believe he was ever an option, but talk about learning to play beautiful football, this would be your man. Again, likely see more creative players than run and gun, get rid of Findley, see more JFT. HUGE emphasis on youth production.
  • Disadvantages: English… The whole language barrier potential issue. He, too, would likely want a revamp on the youth system, and Gulati seems unwilling to let anyone tell him how to run his program.

Any MLS Coach:

  • Advantages: Know the MLS system, see the upcoming talent and know the system in the US. Likely wouldn’t demand anything from Gulati like the big wigs were. Some have USMNT experience (Sigi).
  • Disadvantages: No change in style of soccer. Nothing too interesting, basically implementing a non-bald Bob Bradley.

Disagree with me? Let me know in the comments!

Man of the Match

July 12th, 2010 · Biggy · Constantly Offside, USMNT One comment - Tags: , , ,

So my boy Cym out in NYC has been getting it DONE during the World Cup. First, he heckled Giuseppe Rossi at a charity soccer event during the group stage, which deserves a medal or a nobel prize or something of the like. Just stellar work Cym. Yet he went and one upped himself. Apparently a friend of his was in South Africa for a Sports Management program and she got an exclusive shot of something that I was hoping to see at the World Cup but hadn’t:

Oh yes, that is Landon Donovan’s Man of the Match award from the US-Algeria game. Is it jealous in here or is it me?