The Soccer Thread

[brinoch]

Agreed.

[wvcbxl]

Not sure the video will show for you guys, but I'll give it a go anyway.

Belgian TV piece on Anderlecht's summer training, with a Sacha Kljestan interview at about 2:10:

 

http://www.sporza.be/permalink/1.812493

[USSoccer]

Klinsmann on USSF:

 

"Looking at the game yesterday you had three really quality players that did not live up to their expectations, Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard. They were not there. It was not there game last night and if they do not step up to the world stage then you cant expect Michael Bradley and the other ones to pull it all off. I think its really important that they lay out a philosophy for US Soccer and say where do we want to go. I mean hopefully by the end of the the US will get the WC 2022... and so you need to know how to develop the players. It is very difficult within the American culture to talk about that topic because you are the only country in the world that has the pyramid upside down. That means you pay for having your kid play soccer, because your goal is not that your kid becomes professional soccer player because your goal is that your kid gets a scholarship in high school or college. Which is completely opposite form the rest of the world...and it si a tough one because soccer is very similar to basketball you need it out of the lower class environment. Soccer worldwide is a lower environment sport. We all got up from moderate families and fought our way through. You need to keep this hunger throughout your life and I compare it to basketball because all these guys are coming form the inner cities so you need to find ways, whatever they may be to connect with the Hispanics, connect with everyone and get the kids that are really hungry. To get the kids on a technical level that are able to perform and what I mean by technical level is first touch. The first touch yesterday was not there and you cannot afford those in the WC."

 

He's wrong about Clint not showing up and right about everything else

[Exile on Waveland]

Yeah, I heard that earlier on World Cup Live. Don't understand the Dempsey comment, he was excellent yesterday.

[Guest]

Is there any chance at making a run at Klinsmann again or has that bridge been burned?

[wolf stansson]

Is there any chance at making a run at Klinsmann again or has that bridge been burned?

I think Bradley is the odds-on favorite to coach in '14, but Klinnsy is second.

 

Some of the latest Landon rumors.

 

Everton wants him:

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/football/859090/TOFFEES-WANT-TO-BRING-DONOVAN-BACK.html

The American forward scored an injury-time winner against Algeria to send USA into the last 16 in South Africa.

 

And Donovan, who scored twice in a three-month loan spell at Everton last season, is back on David Moyes' radar, with the Scot hoping to seal a permanent deal for the 28-year-old.

 

Moyes wanted to keep Donovan for longer but LA Galaxy ruled out a move - although the Toffees boss is determined to get him again.

 

Donovan became a fans' favourite on Merseyside when he moved there last January and claimed he would be open to joining Everton again.

 

MLS side LA Galaxy are determined to keep hold of Donovan again and if Moyes can't persuade them to let him go permanently, he will ask for a loan deal similar to the one arranged last season.

 

An insider at Goodison said: "The manager was really impressed with Landon and tried to keep him at the club.

 

"There's always a chance of him coming back but it's a question of what LA Galaxy want."

 

He's also a main target of the world's biggest spenders:

 

http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/world-cup/news/sources-worlds-richest-club-eyeing-donovan--fbintl_ro-donovan062710.html

Yahoo! Sports has learned that English Premier League team Manchester City has identified Donovan as one of its top targets in the gigantic summer spending spree by owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a member of the ruling family of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

Man City sent a scout to watch Donovan “in all four games” that the American played during the World Cup, according to a source who is familiar with the team’s player acquisition dealings. Another source close to the club confirmed to Yahoo! Sports that there is “significant interest” in Donovan.

[shnsajax]

I would be happy with either one of those moves.

[reggiemiller rules]

Apparently Arteta wants a move back to Spain, to be closer to his family. If so Everton would have a much bigger need for Landon, and would have some money to get him with.

[USSoccer]

PPL Park in Philly looks awesome. Watching MLS after 3 weeks of World Cup? Notsomuch.

[wolf stansson]

PPL Park in Philly looks awesome. Watching MLS after 3 weeks of World Cup? Notsomuch.

When Sebastian LeToux and Pat Noonan are tearing a game up, you may as well be watching a different sport.

 

The park does look sweet though. I like the bridge over head. Danny Mwanga looks like someone possibly worth naturalizing.

[inari]

The world cup got me interested enough that I'm going to try and catch a few Fire games. I assume the gap between MLS talent and EPL talent is something like MLB to AA though, right?

[Guest]

The world cup got me interested enough that I'm going to try and catch a few Fire games. I assume the gap between MLS talent and EPL talent is something like MLB to AA though, right?

 

Yep, there's definitely a gap in quality. However, that can work in your favor, as you're more likely to see exciting back and forth action and more goals over the course of the game.

[wolf stansson]

Yeah there's much more parity. Plus the fact that you can actually afford a ticket is nice.

[inari]

$15 for great seats. No kidding.

[USSoccer]

PPL Park in Philly looks awesome. Watching MLS after 3 weeks of World Cup? Notsomuch.

When Sebastian LeToux and Pat Noonan are tearing a game up, you may as well be watching a different sport.

 

The park does look sweet though. I like the bridge over head. Danny Mwanga looks like someone possibly worth naturalizing.

 

Zakuani is as well.

[TruffleShuffle]

PPL Park in Philly looks awesome. Watching MLS after 3 weeks of World Cup? Notsomuch.

 

it's actually in chester, PA which is about 15 miles south of center city, philly. [/nitpicking]

[wolf stansson]

Zakuani is as well.

I'm pretty sure he's already a citizen. We just have to sell him on the program. I could easily be wrong about his citizenship status though.

[bukie]

Per Grant Wahl, the USMNT will not receive an invite to Copa America 2011, since CONMEBOL was unhappy that the US brought the B-team to Copa 2007.

[Guest]

So they'll just invite some other CONCACAF team that's no better than our B team? That smacks of bitterness.

[shnsajax]

Per Grant Wahl, the USMNT will not receive an invite to Copa America 2011, since CONMEBOL was unhappy that the US brought the B-team to Copa 2007.

 

We would end up doing the same thing this time around as the Gold Cup will end up being more important for us.

[jersey cubs fan]

What does the national team's schedule look like over say, the next two years? And how does that conflict with club team seasons? When does qualifying for the next world cup begin?

[Guest]

What does the national team's schedule look like over say, the next two years? And how does that conflict with club team seasons? When does qualifying for the next world cup begin?

 

Someone like Wolf can answer this much more completely and accurately, but the next real competition will be the Gold Cup, with friendlies interspersed before WC qualifying begins in (I think) late 2011 or 2012. As for club conflicts, there are typically scheduled dates where everyone is playing international competition so there aren't scheduled club dates. The Gold Cup is in the summer during the club off-season. If they win that, they win a spot in the Confederations Cup, which is Summer 2013 I believe.

[Jon]

The next big event will be the 2011 Gold Cup next summer. There's no real bidding process for it and I think most people are operating under the assumption that the US will host it once again.

 

The only match currently scheduled right now is a friendly on August 10th against Brazil in NJ.

[Guest]

What does the national team's schedule look like over say, the next two years? And how does that conflict with club team seasons? When does qualifying for the next world cup begin?

 

Someone like Wolf can answer this much more completely and accurately, but the next real competition will be the Gold Cup, with friendlies interspersed before WC qualifying begins in (I think) late 2011 or 2012. As for club conflicts, there are typically scheduled dates where everyone is playing international competition so there aren't scheduled club dates. The Gold Cup is in the summer during the club off-season. If they win that, they win a spot in the Confederations Cup, which is Summer 2013 I believe.

 

2010 qualifying for CONCACAF started in February 2008 but the US had a bye in the first round and didn't start until June 2008. I assume the 2014 qualifying will be similar.

[wolf stansson]

Yeah the cycle usually goes

World Cup

Gold Cup/sometimes Copa America

$High Profile Friendlies$/Qualifying

Qualifying/Confed's Cup hopefully/Qualifying

World Cup

 

With the various friendlies always sprinkled in between the major stuff every few months.