USA-Trinidad & Tobago 9/10/08

You know what I love the most about a good old fashioned USA-Trinidad & Tobago match?

The obligatory flashback of Paul Caligiuri's "shot heard round the world" during World Cup qualifying back in 1989. Ah, '89. A time of neon snap bracelets, men's mesh belly shirts, and Quantum Leap.

For those of you that require a summary: the final spot from CONCACAF was to be decided by the winner of the USA-T &T qualifying match on November 19, 1989 in Port of Spain. Before a crazed Trinidadian crowd that was absolutely possessed by national pride, Caligiuri's goal ensured the USA the three points necessary to claim their first trip to the World Cup in 40 years. It was, at the time - and still today, perhaps - the biggest victory for U.S. Soccer since the US's upset victory against England at Belo Horizonte, Brazil during the 1950 World Cup.

Anyway, I was just an 8-year-old boy when the grainy images of Caligiuri's shot floating into the T & T goal were originally broadcast into a few big box, wood paneled television sets. I didn't know what the World Cup was. I barely knew what soccer was for that matter. The only soccer ball I had been in contact with was a half-deflated model at my grandparents' apartment. It would take me another few years - USA '94 to be exact - before the sport returned under my radar. Being the host, the US was guaranteed a spot for that tournament.

But back in 1989, things were far from certain. There was no major pro outdoor league. The most popular form of soccer was played indoors. I have a vague memory of Tatu bicycle-kicking a goal or two, courtsey of a sports highlight video I received for Christmas. This scene still sticks out in my mind, even today. Chris Berman, who narrated the clip, exclaimed "Tatu! Tatu! The play! The play!"

Here was this crazy, short guy (Tatu, not Chris Berman) who, with his back parallel to the artificial turf, whipped his right leg into the air, and launched this incredible shot over his head - and into the goal. Over his head. Into the goal. Really. Over his head. Into the goal.

In all of my eight years, I had never seen anything like that. Soccer? Hmmm...

Then, my friend asked me to play catch with the baseball in the backyard. I grabbed my glove and promptly forgot all about soccer for the next five years.

Sigh...

******

Meanwhile, whose idea was it to bring Shaka Hislop on board for last night's telecast? I mean, don't get me wrong - I think Shaka brings a refreshingly unique perspective to the normal tandem of J.P. Dellacamera and John Harkes. He did a solid job behind the studio desk during the network's coverage of Euro 2008.

But three equals one too many in a soccer broadcast booth, and that equation was painfully visible last night. Shaka's comments seemed forced, as if there was a quota on Shaka's insight in between the typical J.P. & Johnny banter. Poor Shaka. Around the 67th minute, I had almost forgot that he was even there, until Harkes made a criticism of his relative Makan Hislop, a defender for T & T.*

(*And it was at that moment that I could sense a wee bit of awkwardness radiating from the press box. It seemed like Shaka was none too pleased with Harkes' assessment, and acted accordingly with a silent protest for much of the match until J.P. had to continually re-introduce Shaka to meet the Shaka quota.)

My heart bled for Shaka. Watching your country get outplayed by the USA is one thing. Watching your country get outplayed by the USA with the Captain for Life right next you - that's a special kind of torture. I can't imagine what Shaka did to deserve this. I tried to recall all of his matches against the Revolution. I had nothing.

I suppose it could have been worse. It could have been Eric Wynalda. At least the Cap and Shaka seemed to have reconciled by the 89th minute while discussing E.J.'s less than stellar performance off the bench.

Meanwhile, it was great to see the Yanks* firing on all cylinders, even if there were a handful of defensive breaches that made it seem like a courtesy goal was in order. Really, the game should've been something like 5 or 6-0. A clanked shot here. A lucky save there. It could have been a bloodbath. Needless to say, everyone in the striped Abercrombie polos and navy shorts earned their post-match orange wedges.

(*As a Red Sox fan, I'm just warming to the idea of calling my country's national team "Yanks." It's taken some time. I'm getting there. Slowly.)

*******

After Deuce (Clint Dempsey) proffered his post-match assessment, the Deuce (ESPN2) showed a wonderful documentary entitled "Kicking It." The 2-hour feature showcased the incredible plight of those vying to play in the Homeless World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa.

A brief background of "homeless" soccer. The game is essentially an organized form of street soccer, with 4-on-4 teams playing on an enclosed pitch and a hard surface. Teams train well in advance to prepare for this event, despite their circumstances. To them, this is the World Cup, and they take it quite seriously.

The storyline focused on a handful of players. One such player was a Dublinite named Damien, a 23-year-old meth addict whose life seems to have landed him at rock bottom. But the promise of playing football has inspired him to strive for an admirable goals - kicking the ball in the homeless world cup, and kicking his drug addiction.

Another player is a Kenyan named Alex, a 29-year-old who's struggling to get by cleaning toilets in one of the dirtiest slums you'll see. His job is absolutely disgusting by any measure. But he's inspired to play football professionally. To that end, he labors to help in the construction of a pitch in the heart of the slum.

And yet, one of the most fascinating figures is Jesus, a 62-year-old man with a boyish grin from Spain residing in a shelter, cast away from his family. Described by his coach as someone who was "a very bad guy," Jesus actually spent 10 years in prison and tried to kill himself at one point. But football keeps him going, and plays the game with the enthusiasm of a school boy in the playground. Incredibly, his aged body does not seem to have betrayed his efforts, and plays the game remarkably for a man of his age.

You see, this is just another example of why I LOVE SOCCER/FOOTBALL so much. The beautiful game has this incredible magnetic pull to draw so many different people from so many different backgrounds together to accomplish the same goal: to play football. These players come from Kenya, Spain, Afghanistan, and the U.S. They're united by a round ball with a 27-28" circumference.

And for a few precious moments, they're not homeless.

They're footballers.

Because I'm a bad, bad blogger

Esteemed Readership,

I have failed you the past fortnight. Instead of delivering the regular articles, features, and random thoughts ready for semi-daily chastisement (sp?), I have been remiss in updating this little blog o' mine. Surely, your soccer landscape has become like desert as a result. For this, I truly do apologize.

Anywho, here are some random thoughts for to lessen the enormous amount of unused brain cells that have dogged you these last two weeks.

*USSoccer.com just released the U-23 roster, and there is not a single Revolution player listed, even though Adam Cristman has been called into camp in the past. Obviously, cases (very convincing ones, in fact) could be made that Freddy and Jozy obviously deserve spots up front. That'll be a given for the next half-decade, whether it be U-23s or the full men's team. Robbie Findley is an intruguing selection, but Charlie Davies? Yes, he was probably one of the best collegiate forwards last year before he scuttlebutted to Norway. But during his previous US MNT stints, he really hasn't shown much at all. For real. Why isn't Cristman on the latest roster? I smell another anti-Revolution conspiracy!

*Woke up this morning just in time to catch SportsCenter's Top 10 players. At number 3: an actual La Liga highlight in which a Valencia player (I was just waking up - I'm wasn't conscious enough to remember his name) deftly headed a free kick into the ol' onionbag. Brilliant goal. Soccer...on Top 10 Plays? That sound you hear is my disdain for ESPN deflating.

*Lastly, Revolution camp's been fairly quiet. No word on whether Mauricio Castro has joined the team. There hasn't been mention of it in the Official Revolution Blog posted on their website. Hey, it could be worse: at least it's not some overweight, washed up former superstar we're waiting on.

The case for Joe-Max Moore

It might take a miracle for Joe-Max Moore to make the list of inductees for this year’s National Soccer Hall of Fame enshrinement.

Although he gained an impressive 48.2% of the vote during his first year on the ballot, Moore will be hard-pressed to make the cut this year. Stacked against fellow repeat nominees Marco Etcheverry and Carlos Valderrama and newcomers Preki and Ernie Stewart, Moore will likely have to wait at least another year before becoming the second Revolution player to be fitted for a scarlet jacket (Alexi Lalas being the first in 2006).

However, there should be zero doubt that the fourth-leading scorer in US Men’s National Team history (24 goals), not to mention the second best scorer in New England Revolution history (41 goals) is worthy of such an illustrious honor. It’s simply a matter of time. For some perspective, look back at pro soccer’s landscape in the early-to-mid 1990s.

While the national team began to bloom internationally and the Revolution just birthed, Moore emerged as the man who successfully helped steer both ships during the mid-1990s. Moreover, Moore wasn't just a member of the first edition of the Revolution; he was a tremendous influence on professional soccer’s re-emergence in New England.The fantastic mixture of the Revolution and the thrice-named striker was first cast back on July 27, 1996.

The club was mired in mediocrity and was in desperate need of a goalscorer. Enter Joe-Max Moore. Freshly picked by MLS from the German club FC Nurnburg and allocated to New England, Moore made an almost immediate impact, scoring two goals in just his second game with the Revs, a 2-0 victory against San Jose in front of the Foxboro faithful on July 31st.

The following week, he was named FujiFilm Player of the Week, officially signaling the beginning of the Moore era along Route 1. Despite missing the first 18 games of the season, he went on to become the club's leading scorer, scoring an astounding 11 goals in 14 games.From 1997-99, Moore regularly launched balls into the back of the net, scoring 26 goals in 61 matches. A string of injuries and national team call ups limited his numbers during the 1997 and 1998 seasons, but 1999 saw Moore re-emerge as a premier striker.

Fully fit and rested, the Oklahoma kid tore through MLS competition with 15 goals and 8 assists, good enough to be named an MLS All-Star. After his monster ’99 season, Moore elected to return to Europe to play for Everton in the English Premier League, where the injury bug followed and limited him to only 27 league matches between 2000 and 2002.

By the end of the 2001-02 season, the series of injuries that dogged his career were beginning to take their toll. A knee injury sustained during the 2002 World Cup eventually led to his release from Everton at the end of the calendar year.Out of a contract and a shortlist of options, Moore contemplated a stateside return.

As if Disney had conjured up the script, the fan favorite was welcomed back by New England in 2003, although the toll on his legs had made him a noticeably changed player. With the remarkable scoring rate diminished, he somehow reinvented himself as a superb passer, allowing the goalscoring tandem of Taylor Twellman and Pat Noonan to shine. Yet, the thirst for the goal remained unquenchable, and Moore recorded four goals of his own in sixteen matches during the 2003 season.

But 2004 was a different story. He saw limited action in only three matches, as his ravaged legs finally began to betray him. Undaunted, he planned to make a triumphant return in 2005. Unfortunately, the final scene of his career had already been completed. The gifted, gutsy striker suffered the one final injury during the preseason that forced him premature retirement at the age of 34.

To this day, Moore's name is still synonymous with the Revolution. His tireless efforts and contagious energy brought the fans back to Foxboro clamoring for more. Nearly four years after his final match, navy blue jerseys bearing the familiar number nine are still sprinkled among the numbers worn by today's players. In fact, many Revs fans cite Everton as their favorite EPL club because of Moore, and many more are well aware that before Twellman, this club belonged to one Joe-Max Moore. When the club searched for an identity during the late-1990s, Moore gave it the perfect avatar: a creative, yet lethal finisher that wowed the Foxboro Faithful.

With the retirements of three original MLS players (Cobi Jones, Eddie Pope, and Chris Armas) after the 2007 season, it's fair to say that had his damaged legs not betrayed him, the crafty striker could have very well taken a farewell bow with his fellow original MLS stars.

Sadly, unlike his peers, Moore was never afforded the chance to retire on his own terms. Today, he has distanced himself from the game somewhat, and has become a public face for a nutritional beverage.

Yet, it will only be a matter of time before Moore makes his triumphant return – one surely deserved – when he is someday enshrined in his sport’s National Hall of Fame.

A star is born...

*For those of you who watched last night's US-Mexico match, you just witnessed a star being born.

Thrown into the wolf den known as the fiercest rivalry in North America, the much-heralded Jozy Altidore shined. Even without the deft header he scored to put the States up 2-1, the 18-year-old looked like a man amongst boys many times. Although his defending may have been suspect at times, he unquestionably displayed the qualities to be a thoroughbred up front for many years. Good news for the National Team, bad news for MLS.

It's worth noting that World Soccer magazine recently profiled the "Top 50 Teens" in world football, and amazingly, omitted Altidore in this group. Memo to World Soccer: get your heads out of your arses.

*For all the criticism made of the decision to can Eric Wynalda from the ESPN broadcasts, and the ensuing wrath that followed, John Harkes isn't that bad. Sure, he's nowhere near as entertaining as Waldo. In fact, he's actually as personable as a cardboard cut out. But, what can't be said is that he doesn't provide good insight on the match. Whatever his shortcomings are in terms of personality, he (almost) makes up for in his knowledge on the game.

That being said, him and JP Dellecamera make a pretty good broadcasting team. Is it as good as the Dave O'Brien, Waldo, and Tommy Smyth presentations? Give me two more matches before I decide. Now, a Waldo and Smyth duo in the booth? Why, that would be a match made in soccer heaven.

The Monday Morning Question

Ok, so now that Pat Noonan's packed his bags for Norway, the purveying myth endures: that player moves abroad will somehow improve the National Team by having its players play in Europe. Personally, I buy that excuse about as often as Paris Hilton buys her own lemon drop shots.

So let me ask you:

Does Pat Noonan's move overseas benefit the national team?

Discuss!

US-Argentina post-match reaction

Aaaiiiiiiiiiyeeeeeee!

That was my AIM away message last night after watching last night's USA-Argentina game at my buddy Tony's house. While the 25-mile drive up to Norfolk, MA to watch the game, in living color, was better than lifelessly staring at 22 red and blue dots on MatchTracker, it was a tough drive home, as I contemplated what Bob Bradley could have done better.

It was a 20-minute drive starting on North Street in Norfolk, through Route 1, onto 495, connecting to 95, and finally onto 195, Exit 6, and by the time I pulled into my driveway, I couldn't think of anything. I suppose it was just the inevitable that Argentina, currently ranked 5th in the world, would find a way to win. Boy did they ever, and in convincing fashion, as they manhandled their American counterparts 4-1.

When Eddie Johnson was pulled down in the box early on, leading to the US's first goal off the ensuing PK, I had hope. Hope that this was not going to be box office bomb it had been promised to be by so many prognosticators. Said hope lasted less than three minutes, before Hernan Crespo capitalized on a Kasey Keller mishandled ball for the equalizer.

The Americans played admirably, and did well to suffocate a exceptionally potent Argentinean offense comprised of Crespo and Lionel Messi for an hour. Then, as if the clock had struck midnight of the boys in pinstriped blue, their stalwart defending turned into a pumpkin, and the Argentineans feasted. Crespo struck for the go-ahead in the 64th, followed by a Pablo Aimar tally in the 78th, and capped off with one final dagger to the heart by Carlos Tevez in the 85th. If my hair were long enough to grasp, I would have ripped most of it out.

So I took a deep breath, and tried to put on a smilie face and figure out, aside from the four goals and Argentinean dominance in the final third of the match: what went right for Bradley's boys?

It was nice to see the young guys -Feilhaber, Bornstein, Wynne and Mapp - get some minutes on international soil. Although the score was unflattering, the experience acquired by these gentlemen is invaluable, since there is no substitute for playing a formidable team like the Argentines miles away from home.

Eddie Johnson performed well in space, but there were at least two instances where he had a clear shot on net and passed instead. Conrad and DeMerit played well for 64 minutes, and truly asphyxiated an "oh no, not those guys" front line of Messi and Crespo until the wheels on the pumpkin fell off. The Argentines struggled to assemble their attack for the first two-thirds of the match, and much credit is due to Conrad & Co. Then, in the words of Nick Hornby, "it all went to crap."

One question that begs prior to the Paraguay tilt on Monday is whether Bradley elects to go with Brad Guzan in goal, or remains with Keller. The 101-cap veteran looked more like a nervous rookie last night, and Crespo's first goal in the 11th came off a critical misjudgment of a dangerous ball in the box.

Another question is whether we'll see Twellman and EJ up front again, or if it will be EJ and Herculez Gomez, who came in as a late-game sub for Twellman.

While Paraguay will certainly pose another challenge, it shouldn't be of the same variety that Argentina brought forth last night. While they thumped Colombia 5-0 in their opening match, the US is a much better squad, and proved it for 64 minutes last night. That being said, it's time draw the curtains on last night's match, and begin looking ahead toward Monday.

The real nitty gritty

"Summer breeze makes me feel fine, blowing through my mind "- Seals & the Crofts

Hours before tonight's USA-Argentina Copa America game - a game in which the Americans are without their Beasleys, Dempseys and Donovans - we can only hope that the Twellmans, Conrads, and EJs provide enough spark for us to escape Venezuela without the embarrassing after-effects of a horrendous tournament like the ones achieved last year in Germany.

For what it's worth, it will be at very least, an interesting exhibition of how our younger players handle their trade in third-world working conditions. How will Charlie Davies endure a smorgasbord of Spanish swears being hurled his way? Can Benny Feilhaber adjust to scene of the twenty-foot fences being patrolled by armed guards, and playing in what is essentially a prison yard? Despite both having played in Europe, where the atmosphere is of greater intensity than in the U.S., none of the youngins' home stadia is anywhere near the prison riot level seen at previous USA matches played in structures that could double as home training bases for terrorists and guerilla warlords.


Oh, and by the way, the team they're playing is currently ranked 5th in the world. Ye gods. This could get ugly.


But before it does, let's just take a minute to realize that this is a very young team. Despite the results, it will be a good test for the lower-capped guys who've only played in the most luxurious American stadia before, at very worst, a large pro-Mexican crowd at Soldier Field on Sunday. If you want to gauge whether the other balls employed onto the pitch are of the steel variety, then this is the perfect venue to do so.


It is also ample opportunity for guys like Taylor Twellman, Jay DeMerit and Ricardo Clark to make a name for themselves. All three are players that have yet to have their efforts rewarded with World Cup action, and their resolve in these matches could prove to be a deciding factor before the club is assembled prior to South Africa.


So don't be frustrated if the success attained by the boys in pinstriped blue is a few stories down from the level it was during Gold Cup competition. View these next matches as soccer’s version of basic training; it will separate the men from the boys.

Sunday Morning Striker: Back in the win column

The Revs and Toronto FC kicked off on Saturday night on the artificial surface that they first played on back in April – a match in which the Revs thoroughly spanked the so-called Reds 4-0. Nevertheless, for the third match in a row, the Revs played a much lesser club in the standings, but this time came away with the just reward of three points by taking the 3-0 result.

At 7:35pm ET, the Revs kicked off to begin the match, and early on set the offensive tempo by controlling the Toronto end of the pitch. The Canadians only exacerbated their situation with some questionable passing and a rather unorganized defending policy.

At 7:49pm ET, in the 13th minute, Avery John put himself at the top of the box and mailed a pass directly into the mixer. The ball bounced off of defender Kevin Goldthwaite’s leg and right to a sneaky Andy Dorman, who lassoed the gift deflection and sailed it past the keeper for the opening goal of the match. 1-0, Revs.

While the Revs controlled the ball for a large part of the first half, Toronto eventually clawed its way into the opposite end. On a Toronto free kick just above the left corner of the box at the 26 minute mark, the Revs backline blocked the initial kick, and then proceeded to wall up two more consecutive shots, and the threat dissipated soon thereafter.

As the Revs continued to dominate possession, it was only a matter of the time before the home side acquired goal number two. At 8:10pm ET, Jeff Larentowicz catapulted a pass over two defenders en route to an airborne Pat Noonan, who headed the ball past a diving Djekanovic and into the net for the second goal of the match at the 33rd minute mark. 2-0 Revs.

In the 37th, Toronto crashed again. Jeff Cunningham rocketed a hard shot toward Matt Reis that was deflected away, but created a dangerous rebound that trickled back toward Toronto’s Danny Dichio, who attempted to steer it back on net before Jay Heaps guarded the line and kicked away the menacing ball.

With time winding down in the half, Andy Dorman raced down the heart of the field, and sent in a left-footed shot from the top of the box that skipped feet away from the side post, narrowly missing a potential third goal for the lads from New England in the 45th minute.

As Toronto kicked off for the second act, the Revs immediately continued their dominance of both the ball and the Toronto end of the pitch and reclaimed the rhythm they orchestrated in the first half. The Revs peppered Djekanovic with a Shalrie Joseph free kick in the 49th, then a Dorman surface-to-air missile in the 54th that required an acrobatic save by the Yugoslavian keeper.

Toronto countered with an obligatory rush in the 60th minute, but was effectively snuffed out before it ever reached Reis' zip code, as the ball unsurprisingly journeyed back toward the Toronto end of the pitch.

New England continued their mastery of the adidas MLS teamgeist match ball, and it became increasingly apparent to be that another goal was imminent. Said imminent goal materialized at 9:09pm ET, during the 81st minute, when Dorman, who had barely missed the Revs’ third goal of the match in the 45th, took a beautiful ball from Cristman and delivered the ball wide of Djekanovic and into the back of the net. 3-0 Revs.

The remainder of the match became a passing clinic, as the navy and red played a fine game of keep away from the Canadians for the final few minutes, en route to the home club’s first victory in over a month.

Stat of the Match, Part 1: With their win vs. Toronto, the Revs have now won all three home matches on FieldTurf.

Stat of the Match, Part 2: Andy Dorman has scored three of his five goals this season vs. Toronto.

Stat of the Match, Part 3: Pat Noonan has scored three goals in his last two matches.

Stat of the Match, Part 4: The Revs have allowed 0, 4, 0, 3 & 0 goals respectively in each of their last five matches.

Stat of the Match, Part 5: Toronto FC manager Mo Johnston is 0-2-1 all time vs. New England.

Random observation of the match: Prior to the beginning of the second half, the PA announcer touted Gillette’s new “Phantom” razor, which the company touts as being so smooth, you’ll barely feel the blade.

Ok, two things: a phantom is invisible – by that principle, because the razor itself is quite visible, isn’t that deceptive advertising? Secondly, the Revs are currently unadorned with any sponsorship labels on their kits this year. Hello, anyone home at Gillette? Why doesn’t Gillette sponsor the Revs? It would be a perfect marriage between the local soccer team and the local razor conglomerate.

The AND1 “OH BAY-BEE!” Play of the Match: In another display worthy of a mixtape DVD, Wells Thompson found himself with his back to the proverbial wall as Toronto made a rare excursion into Revolution territory. As Toronto FC midfielder Andy Welsh paced down the left flank, Wellsie kept up with him step-for-step. Then, when Welsh tried to get cute with spin move, Thompson simply poked the ball between the red-shirted poseur. Once again, the sweet move drew the approval of young kids covering their mouths in stunned amazement, and then waving their oversized tees in delight.

As an aside: Should the Revs or MLS ever put out a mixtape/DVD, Wells Thompson should be given a “streetball” name, in the same vein as “The Professor”, “Hot Sauce” and “The Pharmacist”. SMS will get to work on Wellsie’s street name in the coming weeks.

Sour sequence of the match: In the final minutes of the first act, Jeff Larentowicz hit the turf after it appeared that he has gotten poked in the eye by an unidentified Toronto FC defender. The harm required Larentowicz to visit the sideline for medical attention. Less than tow minutes thereafter, Toronto cornered as James Riley was grounded with an injury as well. Riley traded spots with Larentowicz on the sidelines. Luckily, both appeared to be ok, although Larentowicz was substituted for at the commencement of the second half.

Who did the Krafts root for? Patriots 9, Revolution 3. No, your eyes do not betray you. The Revolution and the Patriots actually played to a 9-3 score Friday night in front of a sold-out crowd. And guess what? They played two more times this past weekend…in York, PA, as the York Revolution and Somerset Patriots square off in Atlantic League baseball action.

The soccer gods chortled: After beginning the season 4-6-2, Dave Sarachan was fired as manager of the Chicago Fire this week. Revs fans remember well that it was Sarachan who successfully badgered the league office last fall to have Shalrie Joseph suspended for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals last year after the Grenadian "elbowed" Fire midfielder Ivan Guerrero during Game 1. Like Revs fans, the soccer gods also have a crystal clear memory of this incident, and doled out punishment accordingly.

The soccer gods did not chortle: SMS counted at least three instances in which Shalrie Joseph was hard tackled – and all three went unseen by referee Alex Prus.

Why not the Tea Men? As you may know, SMS has been known to allow himself to be distracted by other sports like baseball and hockey when there’s no soccer on the telly. Such was the case on Friday night, when the Padres and Red Sox squared off in San Diego both wearing vintage, 1980-style throwback jerseys.

This scene got SMS thinking…why not have the Revs don throwbacks as well? Picture this: the normally navy and red Revs in the garish, mustard yellow and red kits of their predecessors: the New England Tea Men! Revs marketing department, SMS’s agent is standing by to take your calls regarding more can't-miss marketing campaigns.

Rhode Island Stingrays Update: SMS previously stated that the Rays had a formidable challenge when the Cape Cod Crusaders came to town for Saturday night’s PDL match up. The Crusaders are among the elite PDL teams in the Northeast, and to drive home the point, they went 14-0-2 last season. So true to form, the Rays battled, but could not muster the firepower to counter a five-goal output by the 2006 champs, as they fell 5-2. Jeffrey Gonsalves continued his goal-scoring streak by netting both of the home club’s pair of goals, while Rays keeper Joshua Ford had his hands full, to say the least, as he had to come up with ten saves just to keep the score somewhat respectable.

US Women’s National Team Update: Instead of the usual individual player feature, SMS decided to devote this section to the entire team, after their 2-0 win against Brazil Saturday afternoon. Kristine Lilly scored in the 1st minute directly from a free kick at the corner of the box, and Abby Wambach scored in the 17th, as the US women continued their incredible streak of dominance (35-0-7) since manager Greg Ryan took over in 2005.

By the way, how cool are those new WNT gold jerseys? SMS loved them, and in fact, may have to pick one up prior to their World Cup in September. What’s that you say? It’s a chick jersey? As a comfortably secure 26-year-old male, SMS has no problem donning the jersey of one of the best teams in the world.

Next stop on the tour is Hartford, CT on July 14, and yours truly will be there to support the best women’s team in the world against Norway.

“I’m going, going/back back/to Cali, Cali…” Ok, so SMS is not going to California anytime soon, but the Revs are next week as they face Chivas USA for the first time this season. The match will thankfully be on TV38, which improves the chances that SMS will be able to watch the game live after catching the local Stingrays at Pierce Field at 7:30pm. It doesn’t get any better than this!

Finally, although the victory warrants more than what SMS can give right now, a big congratulations to the US Men’s National Team on their amazing 2-1 victory over Mexico in capturing the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup! How exquisite was Benny Feilhaber’s heat-seeker in the 73rd minute? Unquestionably - the greatest goal in recent US MNT history. Great job guys!

US Men thrill, seize Gold Cup over Mexico

If you were lucky enough to see it, you witnessed one of the greatest US MNT matches in history.

The 2-1 victory over across the border rival Mexico gave millions of US Soccer fans hope that the nightmare of last year's World Cup can finally be replaced by the American triumph that occurred on a sunny and warm Chicago afternoon.

During the past 365 days, the US MNT has endured a humiliating early exit from the World Cup, the termination of Bruce Arena as manager, a five month period of managerial limbo followed by another five month period of the same. And yet, all of the distractions, follies and bad fortune were put on the backburner after a beautiful two-hour Sunday afternoon affair between two biting rivals.

After Mexico took a 1-0 lead in the waning minutes of the first half, the Americans found themselves in unfamiliar territory during Gold Cup action: trailing an opponent. More importantly, the Mexicans looked recharged at the beginning of the second half; ready to purchase goal number two as they maintained possession for lengthy spells.

It wasn't until Brian Ching was brought down in the box that led to the American answer. Landon Donovan converted the ensuing penalty kick - his 35th career MNT goal, tying him with Eric Wynalda as king of the mountain - and the Americans finally came alive. On paper, it was simply two sides pitted against each other for a shiny golden trophy. On the battlefront, it was a fierce battle for bragging rights of North and Central American football superemacy.

Although the Mexican crowd clearly dominated the Soldier Field seats, with the Americans effectively playing in front of a hostile crowd, the sudden hush that overcame the pro-Mexican crowd after Benny Feilhaber's 73rd minute cruise missile the was absolutely priceless. It was a seminal moment in US Soccer history.

If this game didn't make you a believer in US Soccer, at least temporarily, then you missed a wonderful display of what this team - and by extension, American soccer - can accomplish.

U.S. battle Panama for 2-1 victory; Advance to Gold Cup final four

Almost one year ago to the date, Gillette Stadium welcomed U.S. supporters to view the U.S.-Italy World Cup match live on the large screens within the stadium. On Saturday afternoon, the stadium played host once again to US supporters, this time with their team in significantly closer proximity, as the Americans battled Panama to a 2-1 victory in the Gold Cup Quarterfinal round.

Almost immediately the Americans set the offensive tone when, in the 2nd minute, the U.S. penetrated the Panamanian box as Landon Donovan split a vulnerable Panama defender before he mailed a dangerous shot on Panama keeper Jaime Penedo.

An early scare occurred in the form of Man on Fire DaMarcus Beasley injured himself in the 6th minute. Although grounded for a few anxious minutes, the gritty midfielder returned to his feet soon after, surely allowing Sam’s Army to breathe a sigh of relief.

Soon after said scare, Taylor Twellman raced into the box in the 9th minute and launched a left-footed shot that just missed the goal by inches.

After a Panamanian corner kick in the 18th minute, the Bradley’s boys quickly counterattacked when Donovan raced down the heart of the pitch leaving one defender in his wake and took an acute-angled shot on goal that was batted away by Penedo.

Things got ugly in the wake of the ensuing corner kick, when Peneda appeared to have a launched a back-of-the-neck pulldown of a defenseless Twellman. What should have warranted at very least, a yellow, went uncarded, and the match was gradually turned into a rather fisticuff-filled match halfway through the first half.

Minutes later, in the 26th, Donovan airmailed a corner that Twellman headed toward goal for what would have been the first goal of the match had the crossbar not gotten in the way, of course. Four minutes later, Dempsey decided to try and get in on the offensive display when he slid into a shot that skipped into the clutches of a diving Peneda in the 30th minute.

Undeterred, Panama found its first scoring opportunity a minute later when Blas Perez snuck into the box before three U.S. defenders and directed a tantalizing shot that went mere feet wide of the U.S. goal in the 31st minute.

In a bout of incredibly comical luck, Twellman escaped his mark, turned, and launched a brilliant shot that was inadvertently blocked by his former Rev teammate Dempsey in the 38th minute.

As the second half commenced, the U.S. kicked off hoping to spark an offensive series that would produce a goal. The halftime stat sheet showed that while the Panamanians had the advantage on total possession (52%), the Americans acquired more quality chances (three shots on goal to one for Panama).

In the 48th, Perez raced down the pitch on a jailhouse break that gave Howard his first true test of the match when marched right up to his doorstep like a menacing girl scout before firing a hard shot on Howard. The Everton keeper passed the test with flying colors, and denied Perez the back of the net.

A critical moment occurred in the 57th minute; Donovan was haphazardly tackled after he crashed the box, leading to a penalty kick. Donovan accordingly stepped up and skipped in career Gold Cup goal number ten (most in US Men’s National Team history), which cued the flying streamers from the Sam’s Army contingent behind the Panama net.

Less than five minutes later in the 62nd, Carlos Bocanegra headed a spectacular right flank free kick engineered by DaMarcus Beasley for pay dirt, giving the Americans the 2-0 lead midway through the second half. An ominous sign hanging from the Fort (yes, it’s still the Fort even during non-Revolution events) implored “Release the Hounds,” and said hounds had been effectively uncaged during this sweet five-minute sequence.

More trouble ensued in the 76th minute when Manuel Torres hard tackled Clint Dempsey in what was a sure-fire card eliciting offense. Torres attempted to plead his case, with teammates offering expert witness testimony. But it was all in vain as referee Neil Brizan issued Torres his second yellow card of the match, and the subsequent red card ejection, which left his teammates in the unfortunate predicament of having to make up a two-goal difference a man down with fifteen minutes left in the match.

Despite the one-man disadvantage, Panama attacked like bats out of hell in the 84th minute, when Perez escaped three hapless American defenders and rolled into the middle of the box before firing a hard shot into bottom corner of the U.S. goal, cutting the U.S. margin in half, 2-1.

With four minutes of stoppage time added, Panama had its work cut out if it were to acquire the equalizer one man down. They hurried to reassemble the attack, but failed to find the back of the net, giving the U.S. the all-important quarter final victory in front of the Foxboro faithful.

US Dominate El Salvador, 4-0

As the video camera peered in on Clint Dempsey during the playing of the American National Anthem prior to Wednesday night’s US-El Salvador Gold Cup match, the former MLS star-turned Fulham FC savior stoically peered at the very crowd that cheered him when he first made his Revolution debut just over three years ago. And it was Dempsey, upon his return to the Gillette Stadium pitch, who became an offensive catalyst by constantly finding himself in the attacking mix during the Americans' 4-0 victory over El Salvador.


The U.S. kicked off for the first half in an unconventional in a 3-4-3 formation, and Dempsey was placed in his familiar attacking midfield role. Right off the bat, the US displayed the one-touch passing that helped them go undefeated early on in the first two games of the tournament.


The Salvadorans tempered the U.S. attack with a developing offensive sequence in the 6th minute, causing Tim Howard to smother the ball out of harms way. But by and large, the US controlled the tempo of the match for large chunks of the first half, whereby thsquad surely owned the on the El Salvadoran side of the field.


At the 20 minute mark, Dempsey broke through the El Salvadoran back line and put a wicked side-heeled shot on goal that was stuffed by keeper Miguel Montes. Deuce struck again in the 24th minute when he pulled the trigger on a shot deep within the box that struck the side post. It was clearly evident that the Nacogdoches Kid was determined to take the leading role on this, his former center-stage.


By the 28th minute, the Americans had engineered a string of well-placed passes, patiently weaving through the El Salvadoran half of the pitch, as the El Salvadorans struggled to keep up with the well-organized and exquisitely-executed attack.


Then, in the 33rd minute, for the all the entire display of technical soundness, the U.S. finally beared down on clinching the opening salvo, when it awarded a spot kick on the left flank when DaMarcus Beasley was manhandled on the attack. Although the spot kick failed to materialize into the back of the net, a corner kick was awarded when the ball bounced off an El Salvadoran defender and rolled past the goal line.


Seconds later, Donovan launched an outswinging corner kick into the box that deflected its way to the top of the box and fortuitously fell to the feet of Beasley. Beasley hit the deflection in stride and skipped the ball past the keeper for the opening goal of the match in the 34th minute, giving the Americans the 1-0 lead.


“It was important to get that first goal,” said Beasley, during his post-match press conference. "We knew El Salvador was going to be very compact and difficult to break down."

Throughout the second half, the El Salvadoran side was able to come up for short gasps of air, but the U.S. relentlessly pushed their victim’s head under water time after time in relentless pursuit of conquering their opponent's territory.

In the waning minutes of the first act, the Americans opened up on two simultaneous scoring chances; the first as Donovan raced into the box, stopped halfway, and turned to pass to Beasley at the top of the box in the 43rd minute. Perhaps still pumped over his goals mere minutes before, an excited Beasley launched kick that sailed well over the cross bar into the seats. Seconds later, the Americans re-organized the attack and sent in an odd-man infiltration that featured the speedy Beasley on the left. Beasley took the final pass and floated another shot that sailed over the goal.


Controversy erupted in stoppage time, when Michael Bradley kicked a shot that caught the arm of a El Salvadoran defender planted in the box, to which referee Benito Archundia awarded a penalty kick to the U.S. Donovan took the kick and initially launched the dead ball right into the wall erected by keeper Montes. However, the referee awarded Donovan another try after Archundia determined that the El Salvadoran keeper left the goal line prematurely. On the do-over, Donovan’s second attempt rang true, and the ball coasted into the corner of the net for the 2-0 lead just before halftime.


El Salvador manager Carlos De Los Cobos vehemently protested the call, and was subsequently ejected at the end of the first half for the protest.


“I didn’t think it was a good call,” said the El Salvadoran manager through a translator after the match. “(Archundia) did not like the way I talked to him, but I did not disrespect him.”


The El Salvadorans took the second half kick off determined to, at very least, avoid embarrassment in the second frame, and at very best, tried to block out the morale-deflating call at the end of the first half. Midfielder Julio Martinez enthusiastically clapped and implored his team to pick themselves up in the frame.


A welcome sight at the start of the second half was the emergence of Taylor Twellman who went in as a substitute for Donovan, giving the U.S. side a total of three players on the pitch who sported (past and present) the home Revolution red, white, and blue.


The El Salvadorans wasted little time in trying to stake their flag in the U.S. end, on a couple of less than threatening advancements in the first ten minutes of the half. The U.S. reclaimed their majority ownership of the ball soon there after as they dispossessed their opponent of the ball time after time.


In the 57th minute, U.S. defender Oguchi Onyewu stonewalled a hard charging Juan Campos, which resulted in a scary collision just before the box. For said stonewalling, a yellow card was issued to the 6-4 defender, and the El Salvadorans were awarded a free kick – their first set piece of the match. Alfredo Pacheco took the spot kick, and laced a left-footed shot just wide of goal, giving his side its first true scoring chance.


As the bright lights of the Gillette Stadium light towers shone upon the field, the U.S. hunkered down on a zone-like defense. Although De Los Cobos’ boys seemed to discover better chances in the U.S. end due to a “bend but not break” defensive mindset, the El Salvadoran attack ultimately wilted every time.


The ES tried its best to muster the kind of scoring chances the US did almost at will. In the 72nd, ES Jose Martinez raced through his defender, turned, and launched a rocket just over the cross the bar, giving the El Salvadorans a rare chance to, at very least, smash the hopes of a shut out for the Americans.


In the 73rd, the US counterattacked yet again when Brian Ching ran up the heart of the El Salvadoran half. Just as the defenders converged upon him, he sent a perfect pass to Taylor Twellman who took a touch, and calmly glided toward goal before sending the ball past the keeper for the third American goal of the match, in front of his home Revolution crowd.


The remainder of the match became, for all intents and purposes, a game of high-stakes “keep away” on the part of the U.S. players, as the Americans performed well in this popular elementary school exercise for the remainder. Seemingly uncontent to sit on their three-goal advantage, an interesting sequence materialized in the 81st minute when Dempsey tried to join his former teammate Twellman appearance on the goal sheet by rendering a majestic shot across the box that was deflected away by the paw of keeper Montes.


With two minutes of stoppage time added to the second half, the Americans gave one more go at goal. In 90th minute, Ching again crashed the left flank and served the ball to Clint Dempsey, who then immediately passed to his immediate right in directly the path of a gate-crashing Beasley. Beasley took the pass in stride and sent in a ground laser into the goal for his second goal of the match just before extra time commenced. Seconds later, the toot of the final whistle shrieked, as the Americans won in convincing fashion, 4-0, thus earning them CONCACAF Gold Cup Group B Title.


“(It was) a good win for us. It’s especially nice that when the game opened up in the second half, to see some of the soccer that we put together," said manager Bob Bradley after the match.

Three Revs called to MNT duty

US Men’s National Team manager Bob Bradley named his Gold Cup roster on Thursday, and among the names set to hit pitch in our nation’s kits are Revolution stars Michael Parkhurst, Steve Ralston, and Taylor Twellman. Of course, with their club team on a stretch hotter than Ocean Drive in July, the question surely begs: how will the Revolution be affected by the trio’s three-week absence?

If there is one secret that the Revs can pride themselves on is the incredible amount of depth the currently possesses. Through a wonderful combination of a remarkable health and a higher grade of talented players off the bench in contrast to last year, the Revs have courted Lady Luck quite admirably. Thus, there appears to be formidable crop of players ready to plug the holes left behind in the wake of the trio’s three-week national team excursion.

No one can question that a club will suffer when three of its key players abruptly depart for an extended amount of time. To pretend that matters will be conducted in a “business as usual” fashion without the trio would be to assume that American Idol would not miss a beat without Simon, Randy, and…Simon, of course.

The greatest loss, on paper, is obviously Twellman’s, simply because you cannot replace the league’s goal scoring czar by inserting a wildly-talented rookie or even steel hardy veteran. No chance at all. All you can do is somehow compensate for the loss by inserting the next best player. The natural assumption would be a healthy Pat Noonan and Twellman’s understudy, Adam Cristman, up front for the Revs to fill the void left by the Best XI striker. Of course, the dilemma is that Noonan and Cristman have yet to play together during the regular season, and there may be some noticeable growing pains and awkward moments, comparable to that of a new couple on its first series of dates.

Michael Parkhurst’s absence would more than likely be filled by veteran Avery John, who spotted for Parkhurst during the first handful of matches while the 2005 MLS Rookie of the Year convalesced after suffering an injury during the preseason.

But John, a fourth-year defender who hails from Trinidad and Tobago, may be called upon for national team action for his native country as well. That being said, don’t be surprised to see Nicol undertake a youth movement on the Revolution back line by inserting rookies Gary Flood and/or Amaechi Igwe, both of whom have seen considerable action on the Reserve Team this year.

Of course, perhaps the most compelling loss is perhaps the one left by the departure of Steve Ralston. Has anybody come to embody the Revolution style of play more than the captain himself? While Joe Franchino served admirably as skipper during his tenure before relinquishing his duties this winter, Ralston appears to have been born for the role. Statistically, he has already eclipsed his assist total from last year (six so far, after chipping in five last year), and has been the go-to guy when corner kicks arise. It should come as no surprise that the MLS iron man has been the architect in chief on nearly half of all Revolution goals (15) this season.

But these are all tangible matters, easily analyzed and digested in quantitative terms. What cannot be measured is the grit and headstrong determination the club plays with when Ralston leads his troops into battle on the pitches of MLS stadia. The club has played with an immeasurable amount of tenacity and confidence since Ralston, who has played every minute of every Revolution match thus far, was wisely appointed captain by Nicol prior to the season.

Even though the top club in MLS has rarely played from a deficit this season, it’s the club’s fortitude when ahead – a recurring deficiency last year – that has proven to be a wonderful reflection of Ralston’s ability to keep his teammates focused even in the dying minutes of sure victory. In essence, the mental lapses displayed by last year’s squad have all but vanished this far in to the season, due in large part to Ralston’s presence on the pitch.

So who will take over as club captain with Ralston away? While Franchino would seem to be a logical choice, his willingness to accept his former role may be cooled, after stepping down from the post only months ago. Shalrie Joseph has publicly stated in the past that he will not accept the role in light of his contract squabbles with the team. A logical choice would be the fiery Jay Heaps, who fits the mold of a veteran leader who has seen the club through fortune and famine, much like Ralston.

It is worth noting that the Revolution schedule is considerably light while Ralston, Twellman and Parkhurst all perform Gold Cup duty. Amazingly, the trio may only miss two MLS matches, as New England plays Columbus (June 16) and Toronto FC (June 23), both at home, during the June 6-24 international tournament.

Although the impact of the trio’s departure should be fairly limited in terms of regular season matches, should the Revs suddenly lose their winning ways during these games, it may cause the dreaded hiccup in the middle of the club’s fantastically successful run.

And yet, with an accompanying Copa America tournament commencing soon after on June 28th, the Men’s National Team may have call upon other Revolution players, such as Matt Reis and Pat Noonan, to fill that tournament roster for the National Team’s second consecutive summer tourney.

Needless to say, while the Revs certainly have their hands full while defending their spot atop the standings, many of its key contributors also have their plates full with pending National Team duty as well. Nonetheless, the Revs are in good position to temporarily fill the voids with both seasoned stalwarts and promising prospects.

Good thing Lady Luck has apparently warmed to the cat calls of a deserving club.

Meet the New Boss; Same as the Old Boss!

US Soccer announced that the interim label affixed to Bob Bradley has been ceremoniously removed on Wednesday, as it appears that the rumored hush-hush negotiations with other candidates (i.e. Juergen Klinsmann and...Juergen Klinsmann) have apparently reached an impasse, thus granting Bradley more permanent control of the US Men’s National Team managerial reins.

In an exercise of near comic futility, US Soccer President Sunil Gulati successfully demonstrated how far away soccer is from ever getting its act together here in the States by conducting a ten-month long process of determining the "winner" of the US MNT coaching competition.

What does this exercise in futility showcase? First and foremost, it displays complete ineptitude to fill one of the most important vacancies in American sports. Could you imagine any other professional North American sports team spending ten months to determine its manager or head coach? The talking heads at US Soccer preoccupied themselves with Klinsmann for so long that when he ultimately replied nein, the heads scrambled to find a quick-fix replacement. Enter: Bob Bradley, fully equipped with the insufferable interim tag.

Secondly, granting the job on a temporary basis to Bradley only instilled the idea among anyone with a pair of functioning brains cells that this was merely a front to buy more time for Gulati & Friends to try and sweeten the deal for Klinnsman, or to find the next best alternative. Note to readers: the next best choice was not Bradley.

Of course, all the while US Soccer was attempting to get its act together, Bradley admirably conducted himself in the very manner his bosses had miserably failed to do, by displaying leadership and integrity all while the guillotine hovered above. Bradley guided his charges to a 3-0-1 record with the scarlet letter "I" placed on his chest. By posting an undefeated record at the helm, Bradley saved US Soccer immeasurable face in the wake of the circus that became trying to find his replacement.

After the Germany ‘06 debacle, and Bruce Arena's accompanying unceremonious exit, Gulati needed to make a firm statement that its priorities were to address the deficiencies uncovered during the summer. Arena's removal was the first step. The second one should have been to hire a reputable manager to steer the squad back toward the success it experienced back in 2002. It was absolutely critical that the situation be handled with the utmost precision and care.

What did they do instead? They embarrassingly stumbled before the press days before Christmas, after failing to deliver the toy at the top of nearly every American soccer fan’s Christmas list, and hastily packaged the best available option in Bradley, with the caveat that he was merely the handed the job on the interim basis.

What’s the matter, Sunil, Bora Milutinovic wasn’t available?

Did US Soccer make the right move to hire Bradley on a full-time basis? Yes. In essence, it was the only move Gulati & Friends could make, after leaping through circus hoops and rings of fire to find themselves a manager. In the process, they came out looking like the laughing stock of international soccer. Of all the things the world's lone superpower can accomplish, hiring a manager to lead its national soccer team seems to be its Achilles heel.

In little over a year, US Soccer went from the sanctioning body overseeing one of the world's rising soccer squads to the present-day joke that no respectable international coach, like Klinsmann or Jose Pekerman, would even take, despite the allure of taking a over a squad that will more than likely qualify for the 2010 World Cup.

By vanquishing Bradley's "interim" label, Gulati did what any nearsighted bigwig would do: maintain the status quo. Sadly, this move is, quite frankly, the only decision it could make after months of continued mismanagement. After all, which self-respecting coach would throw his hat into this kind of three-ring circus?

Where else in professional sports has such a spectacle occurred? It took four months to name an interim, and another six to fill the vacancy permanently with the very same gentleman who carried the interim label. Talk about "meet the new boss; same as the old boss."

How the hell is soccer ever going to win over American fans when the shot callers at US Soccer continue to undermine the efforts of its own national team?

It's quite sad really, that after years of progress on the field, the suits and ties that probably haven't kicked a soccer ball since the Carter Administration have undermined its own players by running a program with the kind of misguided direction that Britney Spears would be envious of. Nothing gives the air of stability like bungled negotiations with your first, second, and maybe even third choice, for a managerial vacancy.

US-Guatemala Post Game Thoughts

Thoughts on Wednesday night's game:

Like four-inch pocket blades in the sides of the Goodyears, the Guatemalan National Team deflated the tires of the US Men’s National Team ride. The beautiful game, this was not. In fact, it was the ugly game. This was the kind of game of that makes Bea Arthur look like Christina Aguilera, for even a sideline of half-naked Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders couldn't have redeemed the outward appearance of this game. Then again...

I suppose the stomach-turning scene could be attributed to two deciding factors: the Guatemalans’ shameless zeal on defending (hence the 4-5-1 opening formation) and the weary legs of the US players, who had just taken a 3-1 result from Ecuador just three days prior. Put the two in a blender, add two cups of physical play and a referee who looked more like a bystander than actual arbiter, and you have one of the most unwatchable games on national television since the 2006 MLS Cup back in November.

So much for the stereotype that Central American sides are often more creative than their European counterparts – last night’s horror debunked that myth. I don't know if last night's strategy was typical of the Guatemalans, or if it was a specifically-tailored game plan enacted after watching the Americans throttle their Ecuadorian opponents on Sunday. If the latter was the case, then credit the Guatemalans for really making the game a long, drawn-out nightmare of a match for the Americans, complete a packed midfield, relentless (uncalled) fouls and an endless series of long balls. Essentially, it was a style of play that the Americans were largely unprepared for, especially after facing the complete opposite style of play employed the Ecuadorians.

Eddie Johnson’s National Team run is about as stagnant as Ben Affleck’s acting career. He needs to find a way to break this goal-scoring slump ASAP. Credit ESPN commentators Rob Stone and Eric Wynalda for calling out Bradley's decision to keep Johnson in the starting eleven. Zero goals in 12 games for a forward of his talent is beyond a slump and it should be cause for Bob Bradley to have EJ find his confidence elsewhere, whether it be in MLS, Portuguese Liga, or USL - wherever - before coming back for another National Team call up. If he's not going to find his form in MLS (where he tallied a whopping two goals last year), he certainly won't find it in international competition.

I hate devoting more lines to the unflattering aspects of Wednesday night’s horror show, but the game provided more than enough fodder for it. I think if you tally up the time that the ball was in the air, it would have qualified for bonus Capital One frequent flier miles. If this is the style of play that the US intends on employing versus Guatemala during the Gold Cup in June, then I can bypass the Tylenol PM as my primary sleep aid on the night of June 7th. Speaking of long balls...

Is there an international long ball launching competition among goalkeepers that I don't know about? Kasey Keller, as good of a keeper as there is, annoyingly launches those goal kicks as if FIFA was one the cusp of outlawing them altogether. Methinks Keller is a frustrated football place kicker, who ultimately found that the talent to rocket air-filled spheres translated well to soccer. I wanted to (and actually did) scream "RELAX KASEY!" in response to said goal kicks (much to the chagrin of my studious brother, who was preparing for an exam in the adjacent room). Hey Kasey, how about actually allowing your players to get upfield before you clear the runway for takeoff? Enough with the Hail Mary boots - it isn't Randy Moss on the receiving end of those booming kicks of yours.

Four games, three wins, one tie - no losses. 3-0-1. Undefeated. Whichever way you spell it, Bob Bradley has yet to lose with the dreaded “interim” label prefixed before his title. Now, one would think that the prospect of shedding the label was not enhanced by last night's game. But, let me say this: Bradley wasn't outcoached, nor has he been outmatched during his current (albeit, short) tenure. His boys were simply outmuscled and, quite frankly, abused by a Guatemalan squad that wasn't at all playing for a result. It was a dogfight from start to finish, with little opportunity for the pretty one-touch passing drills and the creative dribbling in open space that were prominently featured in Tampa last weekend.

It would be an absolute farce if US Soccer doesn't give the job to Bradley at this point. After three months of evaluations, camps, and games, I cannot adequately convey how much of a setback it would be for the men’s program to come this far, essentially find itself considerable success, only to take the eraser to the blackboard and completely wipe out all that was learned. Much has been accomplished up until this point, and with two very important international tournaments on tap for this summer (Copa America and the Gold Cup), it would be disconcerting if Bradley was relinquished of his duties at this critical juncture. If this whole charade is part of an elaborate, well-thought out plan by the talking heads at US Soccer to undermine the progress of a convalescing squad of players whose collective psyche was absolutely shattered last June during the World Cup, then maybe we can all look forward to the wonderful prospect of an absent United States side in South Africa three years from now.

Now, onto the less insightful observations…

The team came out in those pinstriped royal blue fashion faux paus once again. In fact, it occurred to me that these very jerseys look like pajama tops, sans the buttons and left-breast initial. Apparently, these ill-designed shirts were said to have contained some magic powers that, the players hypothesized, allowed them to play so well vs. Ecuador. Surely, these magical pinstriped garments could only aid in the players’ efforts vs. Guatemala, right? Not so much, as this hypothesis was quickly dismissed with the 0-0 draw. Hopefully, this will prompt the return of the classic white and blue kits come June 2nd vs. China.

Once again, my opinion was not solicited for Eric Wynalda's red card/yellow card/game ball feature. The yellow card to NY Red Bull for continuing to play on turf was unusual - the club doesn't own the field it plays on. If anything, the criticism is misdirected, as Red Bull is at the mercy of the powers that be at The Meadowlands over the turf they play on. If Wynalda really wanted to point out the evils of artificial turf currently pervading MLS pitches, he should have called out Bob Kraft, who recently installed field turf at Gillette Stadium. A red card for FIFA President Sepp Blatter for the reported lack of preparation on the part of South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup also seemed to be misdirected. The idea that South Africa is unprepared is one that was fodder for internet chat rooms about six months ago. Game ball to Landon Donovan for his chase of Wynalda's own 34 career US MNT goal plateau appeared to be more of a "I swear I don't hate him for potentially breaking my record this year" statement. Eric, I was never under the impression that you spited Landycakes in the first place. In any event, it was classy remark that your only regret “was not being able to play with him.” A nice statement made by a guy who, curiously, couldn't stick with a club for longer than a season or two during his professional career. Hmmm…

Now, I will give a game ball to you, Eric Wynalda. Every US MNT and MLS game should be called by you. You are refreshingly unabashed in your on-air criticisms of players, refs, and coaches alike, however wrong or right you are. Yet, you are dire need of a new writer for your halftime feature. I hear there's this Portuguese kid with an Irish name that is quite the writer -maybe he could help you out with this.

Without any more National Team games until the post-Memorial Day weekend, you have been given a reprieve of my tired rants and commentary of said games for 64 days. In the meanwhile, beware of the forthcoming bashing I shall unleash on US Soccer once they make an announcement on the managerial position.

The Forgotten Man

He seemed ready to tackle the world's best on the world's biggest stage. He was supposed to help anchor a formidable American defending corps that included Oguchi Onyewu, Steve Cherundolo and Carlos Bocanegra. This was going to be Cory Gibbs' chance to shine in front of millions at the World Cup. Then, before this dream could be fully realized, he injured his knee during a pre-World Cup warmup against Morocco. Dream dashed. There would be no World Cup appearance for the talented defender.

Now nine months removed from Germany '06, where is the Cory Gibbs blip on the US MNT radar? With three international friendlies under its belt this year and one more on tap tonight vs. Guatemala, it appears that Gibbs is presently a non-echo on said radar. Interim manager Bob Bradley has brought in an array of players, both stateside and abroad, in an effort to evaluate those who he plans on unleashing during this summer’s important international tournaments: the Gold Cup and Copa America. However, in each of Bradley's training camps, Gibbs' has been has been inconspicuously absent. Unable to get his foot back in the door, the chances of Gibbs reclaiming a roster spot before Memorial Day appears to be as slim as Lloyd Christmas getting a date with Mary Swanson.

While we know that Bradley is certainly making a concerted effort to try and establish a roster of "his guys", it appears that Gibbs is nowhere near that list. Perhaps there are still concerns that his reputation as an injury-prone player scares some, for he has yet to even appear in a Premiership match this season. It was no secret that Gibbs was a favorite of former MNT manager Bruce Arena, for whom Gibbs accumulated all of his 19 national team caps under, and perhaps, he's simply seen as an "Arena guy" rather than a "Bradley guy." Then again, the team’s depth on its defending line is fairly deep, with Gooch, Conrad, Cherundolo already in place, and an influx of youth in form of Jonathan Bornstein (21), Heath Pearce (22) and Jonathan Spector (21), all of which leaves Gibbs as a very odd man out.

So for argument sake where does Gibbs fit into the picture? Apparently, he does not fit in at all – at least not in the foreseeable future. During his convalescence, Conrad emerged as one of the squad's better defenders while Onyweu, Cherundolo and Carlos Bocanegra have all solidified their spots on the team. Ironically, it was Conrad who was the beneficiary of Gibbs’ knee injury. Unfortunately, it would probably take a series injuries within the defending corps in order for Gibbs just to get a second look at. Until that happens, it appears that we may have seen the last of Mr. Gibbs in the navy, blue, and white kit of the US Men’s National Team.

US-Ecuador Post Game Thoughts

Quick thoughts after yesterday's US-Ecuador friendly:

Although the US got on board right after the rooster crowed with Landon Donovan's twine kisser less than a minute in, the squad really wasn't clicking on all cylinders until the end of the first half. There was much confusion between defenders Oguchi Onyewu and Jimmy Conrad, who looked about as stumped as Nicole Ritchie and Paris Hilton on an episode of Jeopardy! The Ecuadoreans acquitted themselves well as they kept the US defenders flat-footed until the Gold and Blue ultimately ran out of 93 octane around the 50th minute. Give Ecuadorean forwards Caicedo and Carlos Tenoriouch credit for really giving the Americans a formidable test, and quite honestly, forcing Bob Bradley's boys to drop it into fifth gear a few times.

The most impressive aspect of the game besides the Landon Donovan hat trick was the string of one-touch passing in the midfield. Playing refined and rather beautifully at times, this appeared to be a different look for the squad, perhaps due to the newbies (Benny Feilhaber and Michael Bradley). A preview of coming attractions? I certainly hope so.

Along the same lines, the one touch passing and more attack-minded soccer on display has changed my opinion of the US Men's National Team coaching situation. Before yesterday, I held the opinion that Bob Bradley wasn't the man for the job. I stand corrected. If yesterday’s game was indicative of how the team will be playing during the upcoming Gold Cup and Copa America tournaments, then Bradley has shown that the dreaded "interim" tag is no longer deserved. Give the man the job already, Sunil. Bradley has yet to lose, and has beaten two pretty good teams. Too much has been invested to turn back and start from scratch. And I don't care if Jurgen Klinsmann has a sudden change of heart...Bradley has already shown he is capable. What's the phrase I'm thinking of? Oh yeah...one in the hand is better than two in the bush. Give Bradley the job already, and be done with it. I haven't seen this kind of indecision since Colie kept waffling between her boyfriend and Alex on the Real World Denver.

Landon, Landon, Landon (one for each goal)...where was this little goal-scoring streak of yours last summer? Dude, you go off on a goal scoring heist (5 goals in 3 games in 2007) and you have alot of people wondering "What's with this guy?" Please, rip that damn "Hello, My Name Is: Inconsistent" label of your chest and continue your brilliant play throughout the summer. Please Landycakes, do this when it really counts!

Along with the great flashes of brilliance, there were some unfortunate lowlights. You could see Clint Dempsey wanted to open it up a bit, but just couldn't find his rhythm. Same thing for his buddy Eddie Johnson. Both of them are much better than what they’ve showed during the past two games.

Welcome back, DeMarcus Beasly. Glad you could join us this time around.

If you want to know what I thought about those Orlando Magic-like pinstriped jerseys, refer to my previous post on this very topic. And yes, I still feel the same way, even after watching them in action under the warm sunny Tampa sun. They still suck. I just hope the team doesn't feel that these sweatshop specials are somehow lucky and wear them again and again.

How about that Raymond James Stadium pitch? It looked like Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia had a chip-shot competition there the day before. Some of the passes uncomfortably took lives of their own, causing more missed connections than a Jet Blue flight. As I was watching the US-El Salvador U-17 game (which also took place at RJS) on ussoccer.com over my Corn Flakes and OJ before the US-Ecuador lunchtime tilt, there were more than a few instances where many passes were bouncing and diverting from their intended destinations. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the primary tenant of Raymond James, haven't played a snap there since December. And even though there were a handful of college bowl games played there in January, one would have to believe that there would still be plenty of time to prepare the pitch for soccer. There's no excuse for these sub-par field conditions.

Speaking of the Bucs...how annoyed was Bruce Arena at Dave O'Brien's comparison of Oguchi Onyewu to a football player (namely Bucs receiver Michael Clayton)? Yes, Bruce, we know you're fed up with the mundane comparison, but do us a favor and just suck it up, please. We soccer fans were all newbies at one point, and if a simple (albeit, exhausted) comparison of Gooch's stature to that of a football player induces some tangible insight for some newcomers, please, remove yourself from the booth. Go back to the Meadowlands and coach that fine senior squad you've assembled there. Thanks.

No one asked me what I thought of Eric Wynalda's inaugural red card/yellow card/game ball halftime feature. I liked it...especially when he called out US Soccer President Sunil Gulati to make up his damn mind about the coaching issue. However, the yellow card for Alexi Lalas warning him not to get wrapped up in the David Beckham hype was weird, although his point for doing it was admirable. Wynalda asserted that, despite the deserved attention Becks will receive when he touches down in LA, Lalas should not forget about making sure Cobi Jones, who will call it a career after 2007, gets his fair share of attention as well. Kudos, Mr. Wynalda.

For more uninspired analysis, check back Wednesday night after the US-Guatemala game. Until then, Death to the Pinstripes and Long Live Landycakes!

An Appreciation for Cobi Jones

Cobi Jones first caught my attention when he appeared on the cover of a shiny new issue of SI for Kids back in May 1994. He, along with then-US Men’s National Teammate Alexi Lalas, were cartoonishly displayed pulling each other's trademark hairstyles (Jones with his dreadlocks and Lalas with his shaggy red goatee) in a humorous attempt to cajole a smile out of a 12-year-old reader like myself.

It's been 13 years since that very magazine was firmly clutched in my warm preadolescent hands. Since then, it's fair to say that not only has Cobi Jones become the face of Major League Soccer (a league that didn't even exist at the date of the publication), but the face of American soccer as well. The announcement of his retirement following the 2007 season is tearful news to anyone who follows the American game. Likewise, it's also a gift to every MLS fan: the opportunity for a season-long farewell to not only one of the league's greatest players, but one of its greatest ambassadors.

To truly appreciate what Cobi has achieved during the course of his illustrious soccer career - a career he did envision lasting beyond high school - one must recall the sport's landscape during early 1990s. The US Men's National Team, which had successfully wormed its way into its first World Cup in forty years, was prematurely booted out of Italia '90. Although USA '94 held much promise in terms of the country's acceptance of soccer, there were no guarantees of success thereafter. Top-flight professional soccer had been absent from the American sports scene since the North American Soccer League folded in 1985, and the league's demise was a stark reminder that it would take more than hopes and dreams to firmly establish a top-tier circuit.

When USA '94 arrived, there was Cobi, playing alongside a band of Yanks performing surprisingly well, before bravely bowing out 0-1 to eventual champion Brazil. The commercial success of USA '94 gave soccer enthusiasts renewed hope that soccer could flourish someday. The debut of Major League Soccer, originally scheduled for a Spring 1995 launch, was instead delayed until the following year. Meanwhile, Cobi waited patiently in England, playing for Coventry City in the EPL. When MLS finally got its act together in 1996, there was Cobi, ready to take on the challenge of convincing a country that had long shunned the game that soccer had a place among the landscape.

During the first years of the league, predictions of the league's imminent fold were fodder for many detractors. The contraction of Miami and Tampa only fueled further speculation that American pro soccer was in trouble. All the while, there was Cobi yet again, grinding his wheels for the only MLS club he would ever play for, the Los Angeles Galaxy, in a market crucial to the league's success.

It is only fitting that Cobi says goodbye after the 2007 season, a season which will mark the arrival of international soccer icon David Beckham in July. For a brief time, an international icon will play alongside an American icon. Forget the idea that this is a "passing of the torch" moment, with Cobi's "goodbye" coinciding with Beckham's "'ello"as this wonderful transition. Beckham, despite his worldwide appeal and undeniable skill, will never scale the frontiers that Cobi overcame so admirably his career.

In short, he was a driving force behind the league's success. Beckham will arrive at a critical moment for MLS - however, it's because of players like Cobi that MLS was able to reach this critical juncture in the first place.

He could have played out his career at Coventry City or another EPL club, and made a name for himself with the English. He could have basked in the glow of three World Cup appearances and 164 national team caps, only to skip town in between for the stability that international leagues provided. He could have thrived abroad, well outside of the realm of an American soccer culture which absolutely needed its very own homegrown heroes. He didn't. He chose instead to confront the skeptics, detractors and critics of pro soccer in the States by becoming not only one of MLS’s flagship players, but a de facto spokesman as well. He could have found professional success elsewhere. Instead, he chose something else. He chose to be a pioneer.