The Soccer Thread

[Guest]

Adebayor is useless yet AVB leaves him on and takes Defoe off.

[Guest]

[expletive]

[Guest]

It's not the reason Tottenham is losing but this ref hasn't given them anything today. Walker even got a yellow for diving when he pretty clearly got clipped.

[Guest]

YES!! THANK YOU ADEBAYOR!

 

Inter needs two now to advance.

[USSoccer]

-Mix is one of those guys that looks meh in practice and then goes out and plays well in games. Coaches like JK can't handle those guys. I'd say if he keeps getting overlooked by Captain Vaporware, he's going to play for Norway.

 

-JK/USSF/SUM scheduling these friendlies before qualifiers is one of the stupider things any US coach has ever done in my life. Aside from the fact that he has some weirdass notion in his head that our team isn't very fit, now we're going to schedule games like this AFTER he runs the guys into the ground after long Euro seasons? Before a critical stretch of games? It's an idiotic moneygrab and they need to knock it the [expletive] off.

[Guest]

Champions League draw (first leg at the home of the first team listed):

 

PSG-Barcelona

Bayern-Juve

Malaga-Dortmund

Real-Galatassaray

 

Europa League

Chelsea-Rubin Kazan

Tottenham-Basel

Fenerbahce-Lazio

Benfica-Newcastle

 

Pretty happy about the draw. Not only did Tottenham avoid Chelsea and a trip to Russia, but Chelsea has to go to Russia on April 11, three days before playing Tottenham in the EPL.

[wolf stansson]

Rivalry day in MLS has been GREAT so far.

 

Seattle hosting Portland on nbcs next. NYRB v DC was phenomenal on NBC this morning.

 

Obafemi Martens should feature in Seattle today. He and EJ are maybe the two fastest strikers in the league and theyre paired together. Should open up a ton of space for a midfield that loves space.

 

Anybody have opinions on Jack McInherney? Might just be a great MLS striker not internationally but I like his game. He's tough as hell in the box.

[wolf stansson]

The US needs wingers and Steve Zakuani has his burst back. Just sayin.

[USSoccer]

Anybody have opinions on Jack McInherney? Might just be a great MLS striker not internationally but I like his game. He's tough as hell in the box.

 

I rate him, and want to see him at the next level to see if he has the speed of thought to compete there, because he's athletic enough and dickish enough to be successful there.

 

He's a high floor guy and he's still pretty young.

[USSoccer]

The US needs wingers and Steve Zakuani has his burst back. Just sayin.

 

I don't think he's a citizen yet.

[wolf stansson]

Sounders are gonna be scary when they find their chemistry. Tough draw today though. Porter is feeling himself.

[CubInOK]

Dempsey on the bench for Spurs today, will be available for USA-Costa Rica.

[Guest]

Clint on for the second half. Hopefully he provides a spark because that was a crap first half.

[Guest]

What a terrible performance. Tottenham had two good chances, both for Defoe, which he hit right at the goalie. Only four points up on Arsenal and they have a game in hand.

 

Hopefully they can regroup after the international break because it's only going to get tougher. At Swansea, home to Everton, at Chelsea, home to ManCity are the next four matches with a pair of Europa League games sandwiching the Everton game.

[Guest]

Dempsey on the bench for Spurs today, will be available for USA-Costa Rica.

 

Excellent.

[wvcbxl]

I was watching the AZ-Ajax game while doing some stuff at home this afternoon, and Jozy seemed to play really well. Nice finish on the second AZ goal too.

[wolf stansson]

I was watching the AZ-Ajax game while doing some stuff at home this afternoon, and Jozy seemed to play really well. Nice finish on the second AZ goal too.

He's played really well against Ajax this year. 3 games, 5 goals.

[shnsajax]

I was watching the AZ-Ajax game while doing some stuff at home this afternoon, and Jozy seemed to play really well. Nice finish on the second AZ goal too.

He's played really well against Ajax this year. 3 games, 5 goals.

 

I would not feel horrible if he went to Ajax next year, though he needs a new challange.

[wolf stansson]

GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa - 5/3 SO), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire – 0/0), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake – 0/0)

DEFENDERS (6): Tony Beltran (Real Salt Lake – 0/0), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City – 0/0), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City – 6/0), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy – 1/0), Clarence Goodson (Brondby – 5/0), Justin Morrow (San Jose Earthquakes – 0/0)

MIDFIELDERS (9): DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla – 26/6), Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake – 2/0), Michael Bradley (Roma – 20/5), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana – 1/0), Maurice Edu (Bursaspor – 10/0), Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04 – 6/0), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht – 13/0), Brek Shea (Stoke City – 2/0), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City – 4/0)

FORWARDS (5): Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar – 18/6), Terrence Boyd (Rapid Vienna – 2/0), Clint Dempsey (Tottenham Hotspur – 27/11), Herculez Gomez (Santos – 6/2), Eddie Johnson (Seattle Sounders FC – 12/10)

 

Uh, what? Our defense suuuuuuuucks. Is Jurgen taking these games for granted as a win and a loss as clearly as it looks like he is?

[USSoccer]

Grant Wahl ‏@GrantWahl

US injuries/illness worse than even realized. All out: Castillo, Chandler, Cherundolo, Howard, F. Johnson, Spector, J. Torres, D. Williams.

 

Morrow and Beltran being called up in context of this makes sense. I kind of like it. I rate both guys, we were never winning away to MEX anyway. They should be able to handle the CRC game.

[wolf stansson]

Welp, Guzan is going to get the chance to show those shot stopping skills of his.

[USSoccer]

Welp, Guzan is going to get the chance to show those shot stopping skills of his.

 

I'm excited for him to get a shot.

[wolf stansson]

@LeanderOnFOX

As if this U.S. roster isn't scary enough, Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey are one yellow card away from a one-match suspensions. #US-MEX

[shnsajax]

@LeanderOnFOX

As if this U.S. roster isn't scary enough, Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey are one yellow card away from a one-match suspensions. #US-MEX

 

If it was going to happen at Azteca would not be the worst place to lose them as stealing points will be tough enough. Can't afford to lose them for any home games. Clint should be fine, Bradley going 9 more games without a card won't happen.

[wolf stansson]

Shots fired!

http://aol.sportingnews.com/soccer/story/2013-03-19/jurgen-klinsmann-us-mens-soccer-coach-national-team-usa-american-world-cup-2013

 

Over the past several weeks, Sporting News has spoken to 22 individuals with ties to the U.S. national team or its members—including 11 current players based in MLS or abroad. The remaining sources make their living in American soccer and have reliable relationships with players, coaches and executives. Sources were offered anonymity in exchange for their anecdotes, observations and opinions. Those identified by name are Klinsmann and three players who spoke shortly before Sporting News commenced reporting this story.

 

What emerged over the course of these discussions was near unanimity regarding the players’ flagging faith in Klinsmann, his staff and his methods, along with the squad’s absence of harmony.

 

In conversation after conversation, the same themes emerged:

 

— Klinsmann and chief assistant Martin Vasquez either lack the tactical acumen and game-day chops to successfully lead the team or fail to communicate their wishes effectively.

 

— Too much time and too many resources are spent on initiatives that don’t translate to the field.

 

— Constant lineup changes and building resentment over the perceived importance and attitude of the German-born players are harming team chemistry.

 

It looked so much like the September setback in Jamaica that one source said, “You’re judged as a coach based on what he learned from the first round of qualifying. Nothing.”

 

This is [expletive] terrible. Brutal.

Friday's captaincy is a huge litmus test for JK. There are rumors he's giving it to Jermaine Jones. Now, I normally don't give a [expletive] about the arm band, but the players do care about it. If Michael Bradley isn't wearing it on a squad without Donovan, Howard and Bocanegra, Jurgen has lost the plot and the loyalty of arguably his best player (Bradley). He's such the obvious choice that if it isn't him, it's because of Michael's resentment over his dad's departure, JK's lack of understanding the US setup and player or both.

 

This really makes me wonder about Landon too. Is part of his retreat from the game, specifically the national team (he'll be with the Galaxy when it matters but the US), because of the debacle Klinsmann put him through at Bayern. His ineptitude fucked Landon royally and cost him a chance at the biggest move of his career.

 

“Have you read Philipp Lahm’s book?”

 

That was the response from a U.S. national team player when asked about the tactical issues the U.S. is experiencing under Klinsmann and Vasquez.

 

Lahm, the German national team captain, wrote an autobiography two years ago in which he criticized several former coaches, including Klinsmann. The pair worked together when Klinsmann managed Germany from 2004 to 2006 and Bayern Munich in 2008-09.

 

“We practiced little more than fitness (at Bayern). Tactical things were neglected. The players had to get together before (games) to discuss how we wanted to play,” Lahm wrote. “After six or eight weeks, all the players knew it wouldn't work with Klinsmann. The rest of the season was damage limitation."

 

Brutal.

Edited March 19, 2013 by wolf stansson