For all the talk about Klinsmann bringing in fresh faces, he has yet to give any US player their first cap. He'll have another 2 chances with Hamid and another German-born newcomer, Daniel Williams. I thought Danny was a wide back, but he's listed at mid.
GK:
Tim Howard, Bill Hamid, Nick Rimando
Def:
Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, Steve Cherundolo, Timothy Chandler, Michael Orozco Fiscal, Tim Ream, Jonathan Spector
Mid:
Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Maurice Edu, Brek Shea, Kyle Beckerman, Jeff Larentowicz, Daniel Williams
For:
Landon Donovan, Jozy Altidore, Juan Agudelo, DaMarcus Beasley, Teal Bunbury
Observations:
- Gooch is back! It seems that his play at Sporting Lisbon, including that thunderous headed goal last week, has brought him back into the national picture. He is clearly in his finest form since his knee injury back in Dec '09. Great news, considering he'll still be in his prime in '14, while Boca probably won't be. Hmm, where is Clarence Goodson?
- Tim Ream continues to get the call when his club form is deteriorating rapidly. I blame that classless and dirty Rafael Marquez, who is clearly sabotaging one of our young prospects. Meanwhile, Omar Gonzalez, George John and Zak Whitbread continue to get overlooked.
- No Edgar Castillo. Obviously Klinsmann saw what we saw. Also, with no other options, I'm guessing Timmy Chandler starts at LB? Or Williams maybe?
- Rimando - what does it mean that Klinsmann is now bringing in a 3rd GK? Will Hamid get an appearance finally? We know one thing: Brad Guzan is way out of the picture until he gets some PT.
- Michael Bradley - now that he's settled and impressed at Chievo, let's see how Klinsmann rates him compared to Edu and Beckerman.
- Missing attacking midfielders of note: Kljestan, Adu, Feilhaber, Bedoya and Rogers. Diskerud, Gatt and other younger ones will likely have to show their stuff in the Olympics first. Fabian Johnson is out injured.
- Stuart Holden - sad for him as he is out for another 6 months after more knee damage was discovered. Will he ever catch a break?
- Beasley gets another look after a good run of form in Mexico. Will he get deployed wide in Rogers' place?
- Jozy Altidore just scored another goal today, this time in Europa League action, bringing his scorching season total to 7.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
NFL Week 4 Predictions
Week 3 Record: 11-5
Season Record: 32-16
Panthers at Bears - The Bear's fake on the punt return was a sight to see. lame holding call.
Bills at Bengals - Bills are 1 of 3 undefeated teams, but most surprising by a country mile.
Titans at Browns - Losing Britt hurts, but Hasselbeck will find a way in this one.
Lions at Cowboys - Lions' undefeated streak ends here. Oh wait, Dallas' center is horrible, nm.
Vikings at Chiefs - This time Minnesota doesn't lose its halftime lead.
Redskins at Rams - My NFC West pick isn't looking so good right about now.
49ers at Eagles - Vick's right, he should've gotten the call on his injury play.
Saints at Jaguars - New Orleans just might be peaking too early.
Steelers at Texans - Pitts announces its intentions to the AFC crown.
Giants at Cardinals - Giant letdown after big win in Philly. AZ's mad about div loss.
Falcons at Seahawks - Turner won't be held down like that 2 weeks in a row.
Broncos at Packers - With all the attention on Brady and Vick, Rodgers is quietly dominating.
Patriots at Raiders - Can it be, that the Belicheats lose twice in a row? I hope so.
Dolphins at Chargers - Rivers has got to get it together. Why is Gates perenially injured?
Jets at Ravens - NY got punked by the Raidas on Sunday. Ravens still looking for respect.
Colts at Buccaneers - Indy D was impressive, Curtis Painter was not.
Season Record: 32-16
Panthers at Bears - The Bear's fake on the punt return was a sight to see. lame holding call.
Bills at Bengals - Bills are 1 of 3 undefeated teams, but most surprising by a country mile.
Titans at Browns - Losing Britt hurts, but Hasselbeck will find a way in this one.
Lions at Cowboys - Lions' undefeated streak ends here. Oh wait, Dallas' center is horrible, nm.
Vikings at Chiefs - This time Minnesota doesn't lose its halftime lead.
Redskins at Rams - My NFC West pick isn't looking so good right about now.
49ers at Eagles - Vick's right, he should've gotten the call on his injury play.
Saints at Jaguars - New Orleans just might be peaking too early.
Steelers at Texans - Pitts announces its intentions to the AFC crown.
Giants at Cardinals - Giant letdown after big win in Philly. AZ's mad about div loss.
Falcons at Seahawks - Turner won't be held down like that 2 weeks in a row.
Broncos at Packers - With all the attention on Brady and Vick, Rodgers is quietly dominating.
Patriots at Raiders - Can it be, that the Belicheats lose twice in a row? I hope so.
Dolphins at Chargers - Rivers has got to get it together. Why is Gates perenially injured?
Jets at Ravens - NY got punked by the Raidas on Sunday. Ravens still looking for respect.
Colts at Buccaneers - Indy D was impressive, Curtis Painter was not.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
NFL Week 3 Predictions
Week 2 Record: 12-4
Season Record: 21-11
49ers at Bengals - A disheartening OT loss to the Cowboys, of all teams. Gotta win this one.
Patriots at Bills - They can't keep up with NE's 2 TE set, but I like Buff's white helmets.
Dolphins at Browns - Taking Miami. No real reason. They'll win one of these weeks.
Broncos at Titans - Tenn pulled off biggest Wk 2 upset. They are my preseason div champ...
Lions at Vikings - Gotta love the NFL: Good GM, Draft, coaching - you can turn things around.
Texans at Saints - Brees looks like his old self after last season's debacle (22 ints).
Giants at Eagles - (Why did I draft Vick 1st round?) Eagles win with or without him.
Jaguars at Panthers - Okay. I was wrong about Cam. 854 yards in first two games? sick.
Jets at Raiders - I'm actually rooting for Oakland in this one.
Ravens at Rams - Ray Rice's Ravens recognize redemption vs Rams. heh.
Chiefs at Chargers - Good thing Jamaal Charles didn't fall to me in either draft.
Packers at Bears - Rodgers v Brady shootout would be very interesting right about now.
Cardinals at Seahawks - Kolb and Fitzgerald finally connected. Not good for div rivals.
Falcons at Buccaneers - Going with the minor upset. ATL is not as good as NO this year.
Steelers at Colts - Peyton for MVP this season. 3 win team without him?
Redskins at Cowboys - Romo will probably take a painkiller and try to play.
Season Record: 21-11
49ers at Bengals - A disheartening OT loss to the Cowboys, of all teams. Gotta win this one.
Patriots at Bills - They can't keep up with NE's 2 TE set, but I like Buff's white helmets.
Dolphins at Browns - Taking Miami. No real reason. They'll win one of these weeks.
Broncos at Titans - Tenn pulled off biggest Wk 2 upset. They are my preseason div champ...
Lions at Vikings - Gotta love the NFL: Good GM, Draft, coaching - you can turn things around.
Texans at Saints - Brees looks like his old self after last season's debacle (22 ints).
Giants at Eagles - (Why did I draft Vick 1st round?) Eagles win with or without him.
Jaguars at Panthers - Okay. I was wrong about Cam. 854 yards in first two games? sick.
Jets at Raiders - I'm actually rooting for Oakland in this one.
Ravens at Rams - Ray Rice's Ravens recognize redemption vs Rams. heh.
Chiefs at Chargers - Good thing Jamaal Charles didn't fall to me in either draft.
Packers at Bears - Rodgers v Brady shootout would be very interesting right about now.
Cardinals at Seahawks - Kolb and Fitzgerald finally connected. Not good for div rivals.
Falcons at Buccaneers - Going with the minor upset. ATL is not as good as NO this year.
Steelers at Colts - Peyton for MVP this season. 3 win team without him?
Redskins at Cowboys - Romo will probably take a painkiller and try to play.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
NFL Week 2 Predictions
Week 1 Record: 9-7
Week 2 Predictions:
Raiders at Bills - Fitzpatrick doesn't get 4 TDs again, but gets another win.
Chiefs at Lions - Stafford's got Lions offense on all cylinders. So much for my KC playoff call.
Ravens at Titans - Baltimore's beatdown of the Steelers announces their SB intentions.
Browns at Colts - Patriots without Brady? 11-5. Colts without Manning? uh oh.
Buccaneers at Vikings - McNabb had 39 yards passing. 39.
Bears at Saints - Chicago can't keep up with Brees.
Jaguars at Jets - Romo gifted a W to the Jets with 2 stupid turnovers in the 4th.
Seahawks at Steelers - 7 turnovers on defense, 1 TD on offense? never again.
Cardinals at Redskins - Grossman actually looked good vs NY. Can they string 2 together?
Packers at Panthers - Lets see if Newman can hang 422 yards on this D.
Cowboys at 49ers - Ugh, I hate picking against SF, but they can't score enough points.
Bengals at Broncos - Raiders were definitely better, but Cincy is still one of the worst in the L.
Texans at Dolphins - Henne's 416 yards vs NE made fans forget about Orton.
Chargers at Patriots - I'm not picking against Brady, though his 517 yards are inflated by Welker's 99yd TD.
Eagles at Falcons - Vick's triumphant return to Atlanta will be the headline story.
Rams at Giants - It could happen, but I'm not ready to pick Eli to lose two in a row.
Week 2 Predictions:
Raiders at Bills - Fitzpatrick doesn't get 4 TDs again, but gets another win.
Chiefs at Lions - Stafford's got Lions offense on all cylinders. So much for my KC playoff call.
Ravens at Titans - Baltimore's beatdown of the Steelers announces their SB intentions.
Browns at Colts - Patriots without Brady? 11-5. Colts without Manning? uh oh.
Buccaneers at Vikings - McNabb had 39 yards passing. 39.
Bears at Saints - Chicago can't keep up with Brees.
Jaguars at Jets - Romo gifted a W to the Jets with 2 stupid turnovers in the 4th.
Seahawks at Steelers - 7 turnovers on defense, 1 TD on offense? never again.
Cardinals at Redskins - Grossman actually looked good vs NY. Can they string 2 together?
Packers at Panthers - Lets see if Newman can hang 422 yards on this D.
Cowboys at 49ers - Ugh, I hate picking against SF, but they can't score enough points.
Bengals at Broncos - Raiders were definitely better, but Cincy is still one of the worst in the L.
Texans at Dolphins - Henne's 416 yards vs NE made fans forget about Orton.
Chargers at Patriots - I'm not picking against Brady, though his 517 yards are inflated by Welker's 99yd TD.
Eagles at Falcons - Vick's triumphant return to Atlanta will be the headline story.
Rams at Giants - It could happen, but I'm not ready to pick Eli to lose two in a row.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
NFL Week 1 Predictions
Saints at Packers - Rodgers outduels Brees in the battle of the last two SB champs.
Falcons at Bears - Bears pull a minor upset at home.
Bengals at Browns - Wow, what a great way to start the season. Not boring at all.
Bills at Chiefs - A dominant running game, Arrowhead home advantage
Eagles at Rams - Vick and the Philly offense comes out with a bang.
Lions at Buccaneers - A couple years ago, this would've been a yawner. Bucs edge em.
Titans at Jaguars - Hasselbeck outplays whoever that is that's starting at Jags QB.
Steelers at Ravens - Can a divisional title be won in the 1st week? Steelers steel one.
Colts at Texans - Here's hoping Peyton comes back better than ever next year.
Panthers at Cardinals - I'm going with Arizona in my survivor league.
Vikings at Chargers - I've picked SD to go to the Superbowl, so it starts here.
Seahawks at 49ers - Really, would I really pick the niners to lose to Carroll?
Giants at Redskins - Eli Manning has something to prove this year. Grossman is still Grossman.
Cowboys at Jets - In another upset, I'm taking Garrett's 'Boys.
Patriots at Dolphins - The fact that Brady is talking that way about Moss doesn't bode well for 85.
Raiders at Broncos - Oakland wins unless Tebow starts.
Falcons at Bears - Bears pull a minor upset at home.
Bengals at Browns - Wow, what a great way to start the season. Not boring at all.
Bills at Chiefs - A dominant running game, Arrowhead home advantage
Eagles at Rams - Vick and the Philly offense comes out with a bang.
Lions at Buccaneers - A couple years ago, this would've been a yawner. Bucs edge em.
Titans at Jaguars - Hasselbeck outplays whoever that is that's starting at Jags QB.
Steelers at Ravens - Can a divisional title be won in the 1st week? Steelers steel one.
Colts at Texans - Here's hoping Peyton comes back better than ever next year.
Panthers at Cardinals - I'm going with Arizona in my survivor league.
Vikings at Chargers - I've picked SD to go to the Superbowl, so it starts here.
Seahawks at 49ers - Really, would I really pick the niners to lose to Carroll?
Giants at Redskins - Eli Manning has something to prove this year. Grossman is still Grossman.
Cowboys at Jets - In another upset, I'm taking Garrett's 'Boys.
Patriots at Dolphins - The fact that Brady is talking that way about Moss doesn't bode well for 85.
Raiders at Broncos - Oakland wins unless Tebow starts.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
NFL 2011-12 Season Predictions
Most of the national sports media were in a frenzy last weekend about the start of college football and realignment, but not me. Yeah, I watched UCLA's defense get shredded by Houston (- is it obvious to only me that Brehaut is clearly our best game QB?). Yeah, I'm following the realignment news as Oklahoma and Texas may make the move to the Pac-16 (and Cowherd believes that UCLA football would get left behind permanently in an arms race of funds that we can't afford). But college football won't mean much to me until they have a legitimate way to determine a champion, namely a playoff. (Perhaps forming the four 16-team superconferences will resolve this for us. However, college bball will get run over in this football moneygrab.) Anyway, NFL is where its at. These are my season predictions.
AFC East - Champ: Patriots
Though Brady and Belicheat haven't done well in the playoffs since that epic 2007 failure, they still managed to win 14 games last season, including the last 8. Brady even ran away with the MVP. Rex Ryan can guarantee all the championships he wants, but I have a hard time seeing how a Sanchez-led team can beat out Brady's. Miami has no faith in Henne and I have none in Reggie Bushleague. As for Buffalo, Fitzpatrick, Stevie Johnson and Fred Jackson make decent fantasy players at times. But it probably won't be enough to finish out of the AFC East cellar.
AFC North - Champ: Steelers
The Steelers D allowed the least amount of points in the regular season last year. With Big Ben at the helm, they should have more than enough offense to win the division again. Though Cleveland should be better, the Ravens will again claim 2nd place. Cincinnati might have the difficult decision of picking Andrew Luck next year or staying with Andy Dalton.
AFC South - Champ: Titans
Let me just say I have no clue how this division will play out. I'm going to guess that even if Peyton comes back just a few games into the season, he won't be himself for a few months at least. There are even rumors that he might not be himself ever again. Since his football intelligence is his most outstanding attribute, I think he can once more be successful even with weakened physical tools, but at the very least it will take him some time to adjust. Last season, the Colts weren't even really that dominant, so without a full-strength Peyton? In the meantime, the Texans could easily become the class of the division, but against my better judgement, I'm going to guess that the Titans will surprise everyone and eek out enough wins to take the division. The Jags may regret cutting their starting QB and essentially giving up just days before their first game when the division crown is so attainable.
AFC West - Champs: Chargers
The Chargers' missing the playoffs last year was a special teams-caused anomaly. They will be back to 11 or 12 wins. The Chiefs will finish 2nd and the Raiders and Broncos can battle it out for last. If Tebow plays eventually, then I'll say Broncos finish 3rd.
Wildcards: Jets, Chiefs
NFC East - Champs: Eagles
If Michael Vick is the same player as last year, the Eagles should have no problem. However, Andy Reid needs to bring in Ricky Henderson to give Vick some in-depth training on sliding. I like Dallas under Jason Garrett to finish above the Giants this season. New found discipline should help all that talent achieve more than they have before. The Giants seem to be set for a down year while the Redskins are always set for a down year.
NFC North - Champs: Packers
Hard to believe that the Packers weren't even division champs last season. This year, they will be the force-to-be-reckoned-with all season. I'm not sure how the Bears managed to win 11 last year, but I think they get beat out by the Lions for runner-up. A healthy Stafford and a tough D-line will finally help Detroit start to forget the Matt Millen days. Am I really predicting that Adrian Peterson will be on a last place team? I guess I am.
NFC South - Champs: Saints
I'm still shocked by Matt Ryan's success but I'm predicting that Brees and the Saints will be supremely motivated by the upstart Falcons and regain the divisional crown. The Bucs might be young and promising, but the Falcons have already arrived and will grab the first wildcard spot. Carolina will let it become the Cam Newton show to the tune of 3 wins.
NFC West - Champs: Rams
Last season I predicted that the Rams would be the worst team in the league. That's how quickly you can turn it around in the NFL. With a solid draft, a solid coach and solid personnel moves, you can be relevant within a couple years. Though they fell 1 game short last season to the hated Pete Carrolls, Sam Bradford and company will be one year better. The jury is out on Kevin Kolb but I think he'll just be mediocre this first year. So lets say the Cardinals finish 2nd, 49ers 3rd, and Seahawks 4th.
Wildcards: Falcons, Cowboys
AFC Championship game: Chargers over Steelers
NFC Championship game: Saints over Eagles
Superbowl: Saints over Chargers
I didn't take the Packers because its hard to win two in a row these days. And I'm not sold on Reid and Vick in the playoffs. So I'm going to say Brees wins his 2nd to seal his legacy.
AFC East - Champ: Patriots
Though Brady and Belicheat haven't done well in the playoffs since that epic 2007 failure, they still managed to win 14 games last season, including the last 8. Brady even ran away with the MVP. Rex Ryan can guarantee all the championships he wants, but I have a hard time seeing how a Sanchez-led team can beat out Brady's. Miami has no faith in Henne and I have none in Reggie Bushleague. As for Buffalo, Fitzpatrick, Stevie Johnson and Fred Jackson make decent fantasy players at times. But it probably won't be enough to finish out of the AFC East cellar.
AFC North - Champ: Steelers
The Steelers D allowed the least amount of points in the regular season last year. With Big Ben at the helm, they should have more than enough offense to win the division again. Though Cleveland should be better, the Ravens will again claim 2nd place. Cincinnati might have the difficult decision of picking Andrew Luck next year or staying with Andy Dalton.
AFC South - Champ: Titans
Let me just say I have no clue how this division will play out. I'm going to guess that even if Peyton comes back just a few games into the season, he won't be himself for a few months at least. There are even rumors that he might not be himself ever again. Since his football intelligence is his most outstanding attribute, I think he can once more be successful even with weakened physical tools, but at the very least it will take him some time to adjust. Last season, the Colts weren't even really that dominant, so without a full-strength Peyton? In the meantime, the Texans could easily become the class of the division, but against my better judgement, I'm going to guess that the Titans will surprise everyone and eek out enough wins to take the division. The Jags may regret cutting their starting QB and essentially giving up just days before their first game when the division crown is so attainable.
AFC West - Champs: Chargers
The Chargers' missing the playoffs last year was a special teams-caused anomaly. They will be back to 11 or 12 wins. The Chiefs will finish 2nd and the Raiders and Broncos can battle it out for last. If Tebow plays eventually, then I'll say Broncos finish 3rd.
Wildcards: Jets, Chiefs
NFC East - Champs: Eagles
If Michael Vick is the same player as last year, the Eagles should have no problem. However, Andy Reid needs to bring in Ricky Henderson to give Vick some in-depth training on sliding. I like Dallas under Jason Garrett to finish above the Giants this season. New found discipline should help all that talent achieve more than they have before. The Giants seem to be set for a down year while the Redskins are always set for a down year.
NFC North - Champs: Packers
Hard to believe that the Packers weren't even division champs last season. This year, they will be the force-to-be-reckoned-with all season. I'm not sure how the Bears managed to win 11 last year, but I think they get beat out by the Lions for runner-up. A healthy Stafford and a tough D-line will finally help Detroit start to forget the Matt Millen days. Am I really predicting that Adrian Peterson will be on a last place team? I guess I am.
NFC South - Champs: Saints
I'm still shocked by Matt Ryan's success but I'm predicting that Brees and the Saints will be supremely motivated by the upstart Falcons and regain the divisional crown. The Bucs might be young and promising, but the Falcons have already arrived and will grab the first wildcard spot. Carolina will let it become the Cam Newton show to the tune of 3 wins.
NFC West - Champs: Rams
Last season I predicted that the Rams would be the worst team in the league. That's how quickly you can turn it around in the NFL. With a solid draft, a solid coach and solid personnel moves, you can be relevant within a couple years. Though they fell 1 game short last season to the hated Pete Carrolls, Sam Bradford and company will be one year better. The jury is out on Kevin Kolb but I think he'll just be mediocre this first year. So lets say the Cardinals finish 2nd, 49ers 3rd, and Seahawks 4th.
Wildcards: Falcons, Cowboys
AFC Championship game: Chargers over Steelers
NFC Championship game: Saints over Eagles
Superbowl: Saints over Chargers
I didn't take the Packers because its hard to win two in a row these days. And I'm not sold on Reid and Vick in the playoffs. So I'm going to say Brees wins his 2nd to seal his legacy.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
US Soccer vs Costa Rica at HDC, (& Belgium)
Took my eldest to the match vs Costa Rica on Friday night. It never actually occurred to me that we might lose this match. I figured if we could draw vs Mexico, we could definitely win at HDC vs a Costa Rica team without its best player. In 3 games, Klinsmann's side has only scored 1 goal and managed 1 draw. That would be 1 point in a tournament group stage. Not the start we were looking for, but hey, there are probably at least 5-7 more games to get better before WC qualifying next June.
So, the Home Depot gatekeepers actually tried to tell me that my 2 year old needed a ticket. Besides the fact that I called in before I bought my ticket and was assured that it was fine, why in the world would a 2-year-old need his own seat? Even when he sits in my lap, his head doesn't even reach my chin. Those idiots tried to tell me that I had to purchase an additional ticket right then and there. Right, so I'm going to sit in my seat, but my 2-year-old needs to sit in his seat in an entirely separate section by himself? Oh, you mean he can sit with me if I bought another ticket? But if he can sit in my lap, why should I need to buy another one? Moronic. Pauley Pavilion, AT&T Park, the Rose Bowl, Staples Center - none of those place require a tix for 2 year olds. But Home Depot Center has such great viewing angles that a 2-year-old can sit in his own seat. Oh wait, it doesn't. Anyway, I asked the gatekeeper to talk to a supervisor. The supervisor then escalated it up to someone else. The answer was no. I simply went to another gate and this time someone with common sense let us in.
Surprisingly, even with all the hype around Klinsmann's hiring, there were entire empty sections (in both corners on the TV camera side). We sat in the West endzone however and with AO just to our right, it made for an energetic night. But, we got to our 4th row seats (just behind the left goal post - Howard's left) nearly an hour early and were able to leisurely eat our sack dinner (hey, it takes awhile for my 2 year old to eat) while watching the pitch being watered (why do they do that anyway?), AO march in, and eventually Howard and Hamid warmup directly in front of us.
I think my son enjoyed the warmups more than any other part of the game since he actually saw goals being scored. All except the national anthem that is, or as he calls it: "the fireworks song", which we've been working on daily for the past few months. He knows the words better than Christina Aguilera, that's for sure. Still, he's always had the supernatural gift of sitting and watching entire sporting events without getting overly restless or having to use the potty.
I was pretty excited about the starting lineup when I saw the 10 field players warming up. Besides seeing stalwarts in Howard, Jozy, Boca and Landon in action at an early season friendly, we were also going to get to see young stars, Shea, Torres and Chandler. Again, the only regret is that Dempsey couldn't make this match.
Had Landon scored on that perfect setup from Brek Shea in the 6th minute, it would have been a complete evening. It was right in front of us. Perhaps we wouldn't have been so susceptible to their counterattacking goal in the 2nd half either had LD scored.
While most people in the endzone seats stood the entire game, it just so happened that the first four rows of people on the left side of our section didn't. Can you imagine holding up a 30lb weight for 95 minutes? Plus, toddlers are squirmy. Anyway, there was this one annoying guy in the first row who stood for awhile holding up his scarf. But on TV replay at home, I was able to pick myself and my son out on a crowd shot because of that guy.
Okay, back to the game (and the one vs Belgium). Its too early in Klinsmann's tenure and too unimportant of a match to do player ratings and all that analysis. So here are my observations.
- Our scoring deficiencies were not just because of Bob Bradley. In the final third, we've still struggled to make the last pass in creating a goal scoring opportunity, Shea's assist to Donovan aside. In both games, Jozy and Juan never really had great chances. In light of Jozy's recent goalscoring feats in Holland, its clear that he just needs the ball in the right place.
- Landon Donovan was completely uninvolved for most of the crucial 2nd half, especially surprising because Klinsmann deployed him centrally instead of out wide.
- Torres' skill set is perfectly suited for the central role right in front of the 6 (central defensive midfielder). I'm not sold on him being a full-time starter yet, especially with Holden still in the mix, but there is no doubt that he should be a regular call-up. You could argue that he was our best player in this 2 game series. Bradley clearly was mistaken in not bringing Torres back after the WC.
- As much as Bradley caught heat for playing 2 defensive-minded central midfielders, the truth is that they were asked to be box-to-box 2 way players. In actuality, Klinsmann is the one who prefers to play a destroyer-type who stays at home in front of the defensive four the entire game to protect them as well as be the link to our attackers with quick and simple distribution. In this role, Klinsmann has tried Beckerman and now Edu, both of whom have put in solid performances. Bradley and Jones may also eventually contend for this role, although Klinsmann may believe that Bradley has the skill set to move up into the attack more since he started him at attacking mid vs Mexico. For me, that is yet to be seen.
It must be said that Jermaine Jones has been a big disappointment this summer. I thought he was the missing piece who would help us dominate central midfield against technical teams like Mexico. However, he was a non-factor in both of those rivalry games.
- Brek Shea is by far the biggest revelation. While Bradley had called him in previously and would likely have brought him into the fold again after the Gold Cup, who knows how quickly would Shea have been given all the opportunities that he's had under Klinsmann. To me, Robbie Rogers is showing himself to merely be a speedster and not a great soccer player, but Shea seems to have a more complete package - speed, technical quality, vision, guts - to contribute right now. Of our attacking midfielders, he joins Donovan, Dempsey and Holden as our indispensable core, in my opinion. Torres, Adu and Bedoya possibly make up the 2nd tier. (Diskerud, Feilhaber, Rogers and Fabian Johnson have work to do).
- Just as we anticipated, Timothy Chandler is the RB in waiting. We should be set for the next 2 WCs if all goes well. Fortunately, there is no need to rush either as Cherundolo may be playing at a high level for a few years still.
- LB. Well, Klinsmann has certainly given Castillo a chance to grab hold of the starting spot. I don't believe that he's the LB of the future. He makes far too many defensive errors and its not like he has been lighting the world on fire offensively either. At this point, I am far more comfortable with Lichaj or even Chandler spending time there. Hopefully, Klinsmann continues tryouts for many other players in the games to come.
- At centerback, I like Klinsmann's plan of pairing a young prospect with Bocanegra. In Orozco's two games back there, I was not made comfortable with him either, although much more so than Castillo. Costa Rica's lone goal seemed to be the result of his error. Currently, the Bocanegra-Goodson tandem is still our best. We shall see if Klinsmann intends to try out more bodies, such as George John, Zak Whitbread or even Omar Gonzalez.
- Tim Howard made some spectacular saves in both games. It would have been nice to get Hamid some PT, but we actually needed Howard to clean up much of the backline's mistakes.
- Clint Dempsey is our finest player. While Landon has the most accolades, Clint seems to be unmatched in quality and competitive desire. Against Belgium, Klinsmann deployed him centrally as well, interestingly with the #8 shirt (and awarding Landon's #10 to Torres, who previously wore #8 vs CR). If both Donovan and Dempsey were available, I'd be curious to see if they'd play centrally together, just below Jozy. Of course, one or the other could always slide up as the 2nd striker as well.
- Klinsmann said last month, "We’d like to double the positions so there’s always a challenger behind each established player, whoever occupies that position". Here's my guess at who the starters and challengers might be if the WC started tomorrow and everyone was healthy, using the traditional numerical positions as best as I understand.
It must be said that his preferred formation going forward is still unclear since a 4-2-3-1, a 4-4-2 or a 4-1-4-1 will each require a different combination of roles for those attacking midfielders/wingers.
1 Goalkeeper - Howard (Hamid, Yelldell?)
2 Right Back - Cherundolo (Chandler)
3 Left Back - Lichaj (Loyd, Pearce, Chandler, Castillo,?)
4 Right Centerback - Goodson (Orozco, John?, Whitbread?)
5 Left Centerback - Bocanegra (Ream)
6 Central Def Mid - Bradley (Edu, Jones, Beckerman)
7 Right Winger - Holden (Rogers, Bedoya)
8 Attacking Central Mid - Dempsey (Torres, Adu)
9 Center Forward - Altidore (Agudelo)
10 Attacking Central Mid - Donovan (Kljestan, Feilhaber?)
11 Left Winger - Shea (F. Johnson, Bedoya)
-----------------9 Jozy------------------
11 Shea--------------------------7 Holden
------10 Donovan-----8 Dempsey-------
---------------6 Bradley-----------------
3 Lichaj----5 Boca--4 Goodson---2 Dolo
---------------1 Howard---------------
So, the Home Depot gatekeepers actually tried to tell me that my 2 year old needed a ticket. Besides the fact that I called in before I bought my ticket and was assured that it was fine, why in the world would a 2-year-old need his own seat? Even when he sits in my lap, his head doesn't even reach my chin. Those idiots tried to tell me that I had to purchase an additional ticket right then and there. Right, so I'm going to sit in my seat, but my 2-year-old needs to sit in his seat in an entirely separate section by himself? Oh, you mean he can sit with me if I bought another ticket? But if he can sit in my lap, why should I need to buy another one? Moronic. Pauley Pavilion, AT&T Park, the Rose Bowl, Staples Center - none of those place require a tix for 2 year olds. But Home Depot Center has such great viewing angles that a 2-year-old can sit in his own seat. Oh wait, it doesn't. Anyway, I asked the gatekeeper to talk to a supervisor. The supervisor then escalated it up to someone else. The answer was no. I simply went to another gate and this time someone with common sense let us in.
Surprisingly, even with all the hype around Klinsmann's hiring, there were entire empty sections (in both corners on the TV camera side). We sat in the West endzone however and with AO just to our right, it made for an energetic night. But, we got to our 4th row seats (just behind the left goal post - Howard's left) nearly an hour early and were able to leisurely eat our sack dinner (hey, it takes awhile for my 2 year old to eat) while watching the pitch being watered (why do they do that anyway?), AO march in, and eventually Howard and Hamid warmup directly in front of us.
I think my son enjoyed the warmups more than any other part of the game since he actually saw goals being scored. All except the national anthem that is, or as he calls it: "the fireworks song", which we've been working on daily for the past few months. He knows the words better than Christina Aguilera, that's for sure. Still, he's always had the supernatural gift of sitting and watching entire sporting events without getting overly restless or having to use the potty.
I was pretty excited about the starting lineup when I saw the 10 field players warming up. Besides seeing stalwarts in Howard, Jozy, Boca and Landon in action at an early season friendly, we were also going to get to see young stars, Shea, Torres and Chandler. Again, the only regret is that Dempsey couldn't make this match.
Had Landon scored on that perfect setup from Brek Shea in the 6th minute, it would have been a complete evening. It was right in front of us. Perhaps we wouldn't have been so susceptible to their counterattacking goal in the 2nd half either had LD scored.
While most people in the endzone seats stood the entire game, it just so happened that the first four rows of people on the left side of our section didn't. Can you imagine holding up a 30lb weight for 95 minutes? Plus, toddlers are squirmy. Anyway, there was this one annoying guy in the first row who stood for awhile holding up his scarf. But on TV replay at home, I was able to pick myself and my son out on a crowd shot because of that guy.
Okay, back to the game (and the one vs Belgium). Its too early in Klinsmann's tenure and too unimportant of a match to do player ratings and all that analysis. So here are my observations.
- Our scoring deficiencies were not just because of Bob Bradley. In the final third, we've still struggled to make the last pass in creating a goal scoring opportunity, Shea's assist to Donovan aside. In both games, Jozy and Juan never really had great chances. In light of Jozy's recent goalscoring feats in Holland, its clear that he just needs the ball in the right place.
- Landon Donovan was completely uninvolved for most of the crucial 2nd half, especially surprising because Klinsmann deployed him centrally instead of out wide.
- Torres' skill set is perfectly suited for the central role right in front of the 6 (central defensive midfielder). I'm not sold on him being a full-time starter yet, especially with Holden still in the mix, but there is no doubt that he should be a regular call-up. You could argue that he was our best player in this 2 game series. Bradley clearly was mistaken in not bringing Torres back after the WC.
- As much as Bradley caught heat for playing 2 defensive-minded central midfielders, the truth is that they were asked to be box-to-box 2 way players. In actuality, Klinsmann is the one who prefers to play a destroyer-type who stays at home in front of the defensive four the entire game to protect them as well as be the link to our attackers with quick and simple distribution. In this role, Klinsmann has tried Beckerman and now Edu, both of whom have put in solid performances. Bradley and Jones may also eventually contend for this role, although Klinsmann may believe that Bradley has the skill set to move up into the attack more since he started him at attacking mid vs Mexico. For me, that is yet to be seen.
It must be said that Jermaine Jones has been a big disappointment this summer. I thought he was the missing piece who would help us dominate central midfield against technical teams like Mexico. However, he was a non-factor in both of those rivalry games.
- Brek Shea is by far the biggest revelation. While Bradley had called him in previously and would likely have brought him into the fold again after the Gold Cup, who knows how quickly would Shea have been given all the opportunities that he's had under Klinsmann. To me, Robbie Rogers is showing himself to merely be a speedster and not a great soccer player, but Shea seems to have a more complete package - speed, technical quality, vision, guts - to contribute right now. Of our attacking midfielders, he joins Donovan, Dempsey and Holden as our indispensable core, in my opinion. Torres, Adu and Bedoya possibly make up the 2nd tier. (Diskerud, Feilhaber, Rogers and Fabian Johnson have work to do).
- Just as we anticipated, Timothy Chandler is the RB in waiting. We should be set for the next 2 WCs if all goes well. Fortunately, there is no need to rush either as Cherundolo may be playing at a high level for a few years still.
- LB. Well, Klinsmann has certainly given Castillo a chance to grab hold of the starting spot. I don't believe that he's the LB of the future. He makes far too many defensive errors and its not like he has been lighting the world on fire offensively either. At this point, I am far more comfortable with Lichaj or even Chandler spending time there. Hopefully, Klinsmann continues tryouts for many other players in the games to come.
- At centerback, I like Klinsmann's plan of pairing a young prospect with Bocanegra. In Orozco's two games back there, I was not made comfortable with him either, although much more so than Castillo. Costa Rica's lone goal seemed to be the result of his error. Currently, the Bocanegra-Goodson tandem is still our best. We shall see if Klinsmann intends to try out more bodies, such as George John, Zak Whitbread or even Omar Gonzalez.
- Tim Howard made some spectacular saves in both games. It would have been nice to get Hamid some PT, but we actually needed Howard to clean up much of the backline's mistakes.
- Clint Dempsey is our finest player. While Landon has the most accolades, Clint seems to be unmatched in quality and competitive desire. Against Belgium, Klinsmann deployed him centrally as well, interestingly with the #8 shirt (and awarding Landon's #10 to Torres, who previously wore #8 vs CR). If both Donovan and Dempsey were available, I'd be curious to see if they'd play centrally together, just below Jozy. Of course, one or the other could always slide up as the 2nd striker as well.
- Klinsmann said last month, "We’d like to double the positions so there’s always a challenger behind each established player, whoever occupies that position". Here's my guess at who the starters and challengers might be if the WC started tomorrow and everyone was healthy, using the traditional numerical positions as best as I understand.
It must be said that his preferred formation going forward is still unclear since a 4-2-3-1, a 4-4-2 or a 4-1-4-1 will each require a different combination of roles for those attacking midfielders/wingers.
1 Goalkeeper - Howard (Hamid, Yelldell?)
2 Right Back - Cherundolo (Chandler)
3 Left Back - Lichaj (Loyd, Pearce, Chandler, Castillo,?)
4 Right Centerback - Goodson (Orozco, John?, Whitbread?)
5 Left Centerback - Bocanegra (Ream)
6 Central Def Mid - Bradley (Edu, Jones, Beckerman)
7 Right Winger - Holden (Rogers, Bedoya)
8 Attacking Central Mid - Dempsey (Torres, Adu)
9 Center Forward - Altidore (Agudelo)
10 Attacking Central Mid - Donovan (Kljestan, Feilhaber?)
11 Left Winger - Shea (F. Johnson, Bedoya)
-----------------9 Jozy------------------
11 Shea--------------------------7 Holden
------10 Donovan-----8 Dempsey-------
---------------6 Bradley-----------------
3 Lichaj----5 Boca--4 Goodson---2 Dolo
---------------1 Howard---------------
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Klinsmann's Open Practice at HDC
I took the family out to the Home Depot Center for US Soccer's open practice on Wednesday. It really was a nice gesture by Klinsmann - at least I'm assuming it was his idea, if not, at least he embraced it - and I'd estimate about 2,000 fans took advantage of the hour-long free session (and free parking). They opened about a 5th of the stadium (section 101-109?) for the fans.
Its always a thrill to see members of the national team in person and even though I'm massively disappointed by Dempsey's absence (which we now know was a result of failed transfer talks to Arsenal), seeing Howard, Donovan, Bocanegra and Altidore reminded us that this was indeed the 1st team. By the way, as cool as it would have been to see Dempsey at such a big-time club, he may have had inconsistent playing time at a bad time for Arsenal. It may be better for him to keep his vital role on a middle of the pack EPL. On a further tangent, Michael Bradley will become the 3rd American behind Lalas and Onyewu (yes, g rossi is no true american to me) to ever play for an Italian side, now that he's been bought by Chievo.
Speaking of Alexi Lalas, he was also on hand to take in the session (and sign autographs) while Claudio Reyna was on the sidelines spending time with Klinsmann's staff this week, as expected. I never actually did pick out Tab Ramos however.
Klinsmann and last summer's Studio 90 host opened the session with a mostly generic welcome interview, but he did mention that he would like to have these open practices before every home game to give US fans more access to the players. That seems like a great way to create interest and a real sense of attachment for fans. I think he is sensing the burgeoning popularity of this team on the national sports consciousness.
He also made sure to let us know that the training would be pretty light and his statement pretty much set the tone for how the team practiced next. For the most part, it was a lackluster and sloppy session.
After a warm-up stretch, jog and cone work, the squad split into two groups doing variations of 2-touch passing drills at just moderate speed.
Next came a crossing and finishing drill - Torres, Pontius, Chandler, F. Johnson, Shea, Rogers and Castillo were stationed on the outside alternating crosses into the box for a pair of attackers (everyone else including defenders) trying to score on Howard and Hamid. (A goal was placed midfield and created a small field.) Torres was unquestionably the standout crosser, placing quality balls time after time with his left foot. I'm still wondering though why we would put Torres into a winger role.
Anyway, the finishing on the other hand was fairly mediocre. I don't know how most of their practices look, but most were not sharp and displayed poor touch. Surprisingly, Kljestan seemed to be one of the most confident and sharpest finishers on the day, while Agudelo, Ream and Larentowicz were particularly off.
Lastly, Klinsmann setup a 2-touch 9 vs 9 game on that short field. 2 rotating players per each team per side were stationed on the outside and not permitted to come in centrally. Though one team wore orange jerseys and the others wore the gray training shirt (and everyone in red shorts in case you care), Landon wore a blue shirt. I joked that it was like a red practice bib for QBs: "Don't be tackling the all-time US scorer!" or "Dempsey's not here so its only fair if Landon plays both ways". But I realized a few minutes into it that he was indeed playing the equivalent role of all-time-QB, always facilitating the offense. So to be accurate, it was actually 9v9 +1.
Perhaps it was the half-sized field or the fact that you have 15 guys crowded into a narrow central space, or Klinsmann's demand for 2 touches only, but good chances were hard to come by. Only after probably about 15 minutes of play did we finally see a goal, which then officially closed practice for the day. I can't remember who scored - perhaps Agudelo or Edu.
After cool down stretches, the players came to greet the fans. We decided to try and get a picture with some of them but couldn't get closer than the 2nd row. Carlos Bocanegra, who closed the session with a few comments and thereby made plainly obvious Klinsmann's choice of captain for the near future, was greeting family in front of us and afterwards at least signed my cap (CB3). Since Boca was in my class at UCLA and won a national championship our freshmen year, it was very cool. I guess it's time to shelf the hat and buy and new one.
Its always a thrill to see members of the national team in person and even though I'm massively disappointed by Dempsey's absence (which we now know was a result of failed transfer talks to Arsenal), seeing Howard, Donovan, Bocanegra and Altidore reminded us that this was indeed the 1st team. By the way, as cool as it would have been to see Dempsey at such a big-time club, he may have had inconsistent playing time at a bad time for Arsenal. It may be better for him to keep his vital role on a middle of the pack EPL. On a further tangent, Michael Bradley will become the 3rd American behind Lalas and Onyewu (yes, g rossi is no true american to me) to ever play for an Italian side, now that he's been bought by Chievo.
Speaking of Alexi Lalas, he was also on hand to take in the session (and sign autographs) while Claudio Reyna was on the sidelines spending time with Klinsmann's staff this week, as expected. I never actually did pick out Tab Ramos however.
Klinsmann and last summer's Studio 90 host opened the session with a mostly generic welcome interview, but he did mention that he would like to have these open practices before every home game to give US fans more access to the players. That seems like a great way to create interest and a real sense of attachment for fans. I think he is sensing the burgeoning popularity of this team on the national sports consciousness.
He also made sure to let us know that the training would be pretty light and his statement pretty much set the tone for how the team practiced next. For the most part, it was a lackluster and sloppy session.
After a warm-up stretch, jog and cone work, the squad split into two groups doing variations of 2-touch passing drills at just moderate speed.
Next came a crossing and finishing drill - Torres, Pontius, Chandler, F. Johnson, Shea, Rogers and Castillo were stationed on the outside alternating crosses into the box for a pair of attackers (everyone else including defenders) trying to score on Howard and Hamid. (A goal was placed midfield and created a small field.) Torres was unquestionably the standout crosser, placing quality balls time after time with his left foot. I'm still wondering though why we would put Torres into a winger role.
Anyway, the finishing on the other hand was fairly mediocre. I don't know how most of their practices look, but most were not sharp and displayed poor touch. Surprisingly, Kljestan seemed to be one of the most confident and sharpest finishers on the day, while Agudelo, Ream and Larentowicz were particularly off.
Lastly, Klinsmann setup a 2-touch 9 vs 9 game on that short field. 2 rotating players per each team per side were stationed on the outside and not permitted to come in centrally. Though one team wore orange jerseys and the others wore the gray training shirt (and everyone in red shorts in case you care), Landon wore a blue shirt. I joked that it was like a red practice bib for QBs: "Don't be tackling the all-time US scorer!" or "Dempsey's not here so its only fair if Landon plays both ways". But I realized a few minutes into it that he was indeed playing the equivalent role of all-time-QB, always facilitating the offense. So to be accurate, it was actually 9v9 +1.
Perhaps it was the half-sized field or the fact that you have 15 guys crowded into a narrow central space, or Klinsmann's demand for 2 touches only, but good chances were hard to come by. Only after probably about 15 minutes of play did we finally see a goal, which then officially closed practice for the day. I can't remember who scored - perhaps Agudelo or Edu.
After cool down stretches, the players came to greet the fans. We decided to try and get a picture with some of them but couldn't get closer than the 2nd row. Carlos Bocanegra, who closed the session with a few comments and thereby made plainly obvious Klinsmann's choice of captain for the near future, was greeting family in front of us and afterwards at least signed my cap (CB3). Since Boca was in my class at UCLA and won a national championship our freshmen year, it was very cool. I guess it's time to shelf the hat and buy and new one.
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