Top 10 Moments in US Soccer since WC 2006

1) Spain - beating Espana 2-0 in the semis of the 2009 Confederations Cup sent shock waves around the world.  It was one of the greatest moments in US Soccer history, period.

2) Bornstein's header vs Costa Rica - His improbable score with seconds left not only helped the US avoid losing at home, but secured Honduras' qualification over Costa Rica and most importantly, sealed the US' top spot in Concacaf qualification over Mexico.  It also lifted US soccer's spirits after Charlie Davies' accident horrific accident.  The emotional celebration after this game was unforgettable.

3) Gold Cup 2007 Final - Benny Feilhaber's golazo secured a 2-1 victory over hated rivals, Mexico and won the region's tournament.  This critical win secured a place in the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa.

4) 2-0 vs Mexico Feb 2009 - Not only did we beat Mexico, we beat them dos a cero, the seemingly preferred score vs el tri this decade.  Also, Michael Bradley's brace officially shut up all of his critics, who could no longer justify their cries of nepotism.  Bradley would be the force at CM to replace Reyna.

5) Brazil first half - Scores in the Confed Cup final by Dempsey and Donovan launched US soccer nation into a 1st half euphoria.  They believed they could win a FIFA tournament final for the first time.  Too bad the momentum could not be carried into the 2nd half.

6) WC Qualification! - a 3-2 hard fought victory in Honduras secured US' place in the World Cup 2010 with just 1 game left.  While of the utmost importance, qualification was already a near certainty.

7) US 3-0 over Egypt, Brazil 3-0 over Italy - After 2 brutally disheartening losses vs Italy and Brazil, we needed those 2 exact scorelines in order to advance from our group.  Dempsey scored the final goal to put us into the semis vs Spain.

8) Leading 1-0 at Azteca - Charlie Davies' blazing speed and great touch helped the US go ahead at Azteca, where the US hardly scores, much less expects to win.  If Donovan had not been stricken by the swine flu, the US might indeed have won.

9) Jozy Altidore emerges - Hat trick vs Trinidad & Tobago announced the arrival of a long-awaited new young force at striker.

10) 2-0 vs Mexico in Feb 2007.  While Bradley made his debut (which I personally attended) a month earlier, this victory went a long way in securing his place as permanent coach in leading the US to WC 2010.  Also, it continued our dominance over el tri once again.

Aussie Oy!

The US prevailed 3-1 in the last warm-up game before England.  I think the offense showed that it is ready but the defense is still a cause for concern.  The Aussies had plenty of good opportunities that England will finish.  The fact that neither Bocanegra and Onyewu went the full 90 means that Bradley is still concerned about their fitness.

Good:

Buddle - First goal proved that he belonged here instead of Ching.  Second goal was a result of doing what good strikers do: be in the right position to score should the chance come.

Dempsey - Threatening the whole game.  Seems to be in good form.  Had a goal called back and his assist to Findley was blatantly missed.

Donovan - While Dempsey was more influential, Landon still seems to be on his game.  Did provide Gomez' assist.

Cherundolo - pretty much sealed his starting spot.  Also provided excellent cross of Buddle.

Bradley - Helped control midfield flow and did the dirty defensive work well.

Howard - thankful for Timmy.  I'd really rather have Friedel as a backup over Guzan or Hahnemann.

Bocanegra - solid, no-nonsense.  can't be too critical with Bornstein behind him.

Goodson - Played solidly again and has injected himself into race for possible starting spot if Gooch can't go.

Gomez - Good goal after Landon's hard cross to close out game.


Bad:

Findley - missed 2 relatively easy goals.  A striker needs to finish.

Hahnemann - tried to hand the backup role back to Guzan today.  While he was a strong shot-stopper, he was a heart attack waiting to happen everytime a cross was sent in.

DeMerit - seemed to be outplayed and shaky.  Gap narrowing between him and Goodson.

Clark - can't remember anything he did today.  Is Bradley really thinking of starting him over Edu?



Got a run out:

Onyewu - another warmup for that knee.

Bornstein - no huge gaffes today.

Beasley - looked better than summer of 09.


Guys who didn't play: Guzan, Holden, Edu, Torres, Feilhaber, Altidore, Spector

I thought Holden would have a bigger role to play than this.  I wonder if Beasley has supplanted him as first wide mid off the bench.  Edu needs to play over Clark, please.  Torres should perhaps play against Algeria and Slovenia, where we might have opportunity to possess the ball more.  Ditto for Feilhaber.  Spector seems to be having a bad year.  Whatever happened to those beautiful crosses from the Confed Cup?  Jozy's ankle needs to get better in a hurry.  I don't care how many goals Buddle can score against the Aussies, Jozy still has the experience on the big stage.

I like Dempsey's head to head man-up confrontations.  It reminds me of two elk going at it on planet earth.

John Wooden 1910 - 2010

Sports Illustrated US Men's Soccer Covers

I thought I'd post SI's covers of US Men through the years.  Its not much, but its something.  Props to them for doing their part to showcase the US squad before or during the Cups.

1994 Earnie Stewart (vs Columbia)

2002 World Cup Preview

 2002 Landon Donovan (vs Mexico)

2006 World Cup Preview

2010 World Cup Preview

It makes sense that the USMNT didn't get on the cover before WC 1994 since the real story was the fact that this country was hosting the greatest sporting event in the world for the first time.  It also makes sense that SI was too busy covering Jordan's 6th championship in May and June of 1998 to pay attention to the US (even though a small mention on the corner of one week would've been nice).  But 2 covers in a month's span in 2002 makes up for it.  If we do well this year, I'm sure the US will get some more love again.

I would have done the same thing for ESPN mag but they thoroughly ticked me off with that ridiculous Rossi cover last month, which I will not post here cause it doesn't deserve to be seen ever again anywhere.  The punk kid posed with a ball painted with the US flag with the headline - "Meet America's Best Hope at the World Cup".  Oops.  Any soccer expert, including their recently departed columnist Jen Chang, could've told them months ago that Rossi probably wasn't going to make Italy's WC squad, which he didn't.

Hey ESPN, put Donovan, Dempsey or Howard on the cover, you morons.  And no, a separate WC preview edition doesn't count.  In fact, Rossi has as many ESPN covers as Donovan does (which he shared back in 2002 with Mathis and Beaz). ONE.  And only having 2 mags a month (another reason I'd never subscribe to espn mag) instead of SI's four isn't an excuse this year especially since you put Rossi and Eto'o on back to back covers.  This really calls for a boycott.  At least your web content is fine.

The Imperfect Game of Baseball

Baseball's unwillingness to sacrifice tradition for doing the right thing is archaic and pathetic.  It also cost the Tigers' Galarraga a perfect game yesterday.  With just 1 out away from perfection in the 9th, a grounder was fielded and the subsequent throw to first beat the runner by half a step - a call that umpires see correctly probably, what, at least 95% of the time?  However, umpire Joyce called it incorrectly and to his credit, admitted and apologized for it after seeing the replay.  Thus, Galarragga incredulously lost his perfect game - a phenomenon that has only happened 20 times in history.

I have to reiterate what I've said for years.  Why is there not instant replay in baseball?  There is no game clock.  There is about 30 seconds between each pitch.  Every viewer on TV sees a replay 5 seconds after it happens.  Why can't there be an umpire upstairs who reviews each play and signals down when something should be reviewed?  Or why can't each manager be given something like 5 challenges per game?  I am not talking about balls and strikes, but every single play in the field can easily be reviewed.  Baseball is the only sport where you can be just about 100% correct.  To me it is inexcusable that they don't treasure accuracy.  Its laughable that a sport so concerned about exact stats embraces human error in their umpires.  Galarraga was robbed but it wasn't really the ump's fault.  Its baseball's fault.

With word this morning that Selig won't overturn the call, its clear that the commissioner is as impotent now as he was during the steroid era.  This is not about precedent.  This is about doing the right thing.  Baseball clearly has no interest in that.

NBA thoughts in the midst of a World Cup season

-This has been the most boring playoffs in a long time.  I think only one series even went 7 games.  Both conference finals were clearly over after 2 games.

-Lebron tanked a series for no apparent reason.  It was almost as if someone was blackmailing him or something.  A no show in a pivotal Game 5 AT HOME?  Shocking.  Now we'll be forced to sit through a whole summer of free agent talk.  Personally, I hope he goes back to Cleveland and finishes what he couldn't, or wouldn't, do this postseason.

-Nash is just unbelievable at 36.  He is blowing away every stereotype that a white, foreign NBA player can't win.  He's also one of the best 3 point shooters to ever play PG.  Phil Jackson pointed out that he pass the ball with either hand every possible way and manage to get it to a shooter's "pocket".  I think the two time MVP (Kobe's only got 1, haha) is a top 5 PG of all time.

-Dwight Howard needs to step his game up.  He's being exposed as a mediocre playoff center with limited offensive game.

-How did the Kings end up with the 5th pick when the worst they could've done is 6th?

-Kobe's 4 or 5 jumpers in the 4th quarter vs the Suns were incredible.  They played great defense on him on every single J but he buried them anyway.

-Celtics are only team that could stop the Lakers because of the length of Perkins and Garnett up front and the athleticism of Rondo at PG.

-Still, I think the Lakers will win it all because they have the home court in Game 7.  I can't believe #2 Dallas and last year's western conf finalist, Denver, both went down 1st round.  I can't believe that dwarf teams, Jazz and Suns, were the only obstacles in the Lakers' way.  And I can't believe that the Cavs and Magic, both of whom have home court advantage over the Lakers didn't even make the Finals.  ugh.

-Even if Kobe wins another ring this year, it will still only be his 2nd championship as the #1 guy.  Its important to remember that Shaq was the Finals MVP those years.  But honestly, another ring should place him as a top 10 player of all time.

Immigrant influence on US' team

Giuseppi Rossi, after brazenly posing for ESPN magazine with a ball painted with the US flag earlier this month, was cut from the final Italy squad today.  While I know that he never intended nor ever said that he would play for the US, his celebrations after scoring against the US in the Confederations Cup was entirely disrespectful and deserved the criticism he received from US fans.  After all, he was born and raised here.  In my opinion, if he wants to play for Italy, that's his prerogative, but to disrespect the country of his birth is an entirely different offense.  Also, he continues to say things such as feeling American off the field, but being Italian on the field.  Huh?  I know that he will probably make the WC in 2014 (if not this year as an injury sub) but for at least the next 4 years, I am happy that justice has been served.

Neven Subotic is a different case altogether.  Though he was born in Yugoslavia to Serbian parents, he also spent some time in Germany before moving to the US.  Here, he played for the US in the U-17 FIFA World Championship but was controversially not selected for the U-20 squad.  This likely led to him turning his back on the US and deciding instead to play for Serbia.  I don't have nearly the same feelings toward Subotic as I do against Rossi.  Subotic was not born in the US and only spent his teenage years here.  His parents are not from here.  And unfortunately, he was rejected from upward mobility in the US ranks.  He should be, in every way, free to choose.  Unlike Rossi, Subotic will be playing in the World Cup this year and it could be especially interesting if Serbia and the US happen to meet in the 2nd round.

Personally, I think that a player should only play for his country of birth.  If he chooses to play for another (and FIFA's current rules apply), then he must give up citizenship first in the country of his birth.  Dual citizenships is a ridiculous idea to begin with.  You must be loyal to one and only one.  (If there was a war, who do you fight for anyway?)  Rossi should be made to give up the privilege of his US citizenship.  Should he do that, I would no longer have any problem with him.

One thing I love about the US is the fact that we are a blend of different cultures.  In most other countries, one's ethnicity and one's nationality are the same.  To be Mexican is to be one in race and nationality.  In America, we are free from such narrow-minded thinking.  We are ethnically whatever our parents are, but we are American in our nationality.  It is not race that bonds us together but instead it is the freedom of opportunity that this great country represents.  Our loyalties should never be about what we are born as, it should be what we believe in.  In essence, we are better than that.

Our national soccer team represents this blend so well.  Look at the immigrant parents of so many of our players.  Most came here for a better life.

Landon Donovan - father from Canada.

Tim Howard - mother from Hungary.

Oguchi Onyewu - parents from Nigeria.

Stuart Holden - born in Scotland, moved here at age of 10.

Ricardo Clark - father from Trinidad & Tobago.

Benny Feilhaber - born in Brazil to Brazilian mother and Jewish-Austrian Brazilian father. Moved here at age of 6.

Jose Francisco Torres - father from Mexico.

Jozy Altidore - parents from Haiti.

Edson Buddle - father from Jamaica.

Robbie Findley - parents from Trinidad & Tobago.


Carlos Bocanegra - father possibly from Mexico?

Jonathan Bornstein - Jewish and Mexican heritage.

Herculez Gomez - Mexican-American parents.