The Soccer Thread

[USSoccer]

Here is Kenny Cooper's goal from yesterday against Houston.

 

http://mls.gotuit.com/?c=2008&p=216774&s=3035586&i=297670

 

With all the long ball we played yesterday and going up agaisnst Rio and JT, Bob Bradley is a joke if he doesn't think a player like Kenny Cooper would have been far, far more useful than Josh MF'ing Wolff.

 

Bah. I realize I'm still whining about a friendly and that's pretty weak. It's just that I'm doing it not because we lost, but because we lost for all the wrong reasons and has been the case with Bob Bradley fielded teams a few times now.

 

That's the thing. If BB had gone out there with a 4-3-2-1 or something, with the correct personnel, and we'd have lost 2-0 or 3-1 or something, fine. However, without LD he assumed he could just plug in Josh [expletive] Wolff and play that godforsaken empty bucket in Wembley against a Top 8 side's A team. That's freaking crap. As someone who really looked forward to these 3 friendlies, I can say with 100% certainty that if that's the best he can do tactically, I'm not looking forward to any of the other 2 games. It was boring, embarrasing football and we didn't deserve to be on that field. There was zerop game plan. No one directing the attack. Our best 3 players were not once in a position to influence the game. Our 2 strikers were not even MLS quality. That can't keep happening. Bradley needs to be able to adjust his formation and tactics to the situation.

 

We need a Technical Director from outside the USSF. Badly.

[MPC]

i don't have much to add about the u.s.-england match because i don't get espn classic.

 

but i have to say i'm getting really pumped for the euros. we're under two weeks until the first game. i'm thinking of hitching my wagon to the dutch squad but it looks like they have a brutal group to advance through. in any case, i'm looking forward to the tournament, i wouldn't mind a team, like greece in '04, that makes a crazy run deep into the tournament.

[shnsajax]

i don't have much to add about the u.s.-england match because i don't get espn classic.

 

but i have to say i'm getting really pumped for the euros. we're under two weeks until the first game. i'm thinking of hitching my wagon to the dutch squad but it looks like they have a brutal group to advance through. in any case, i'm looking forward to the tournament, i wouldn't mind a team, like greece in '04, that makes a crazy run deep into the tournament.

 

If they make it through group play, they will be very well primed to make a run. But yeah its brutal, they could go anywhere from 0-3 to 3-0 if they don't show up.

[Jon]

Barca vs. Chivas for August 3rd at Soldier Field is official. The Fire will soon announce a friendly against Everton on July 30th.

[wolf stansson]

http://www.soccerbyives.net

U.S. national team coach Bob Bradley named his 24-man roster for the United States' friendly against Spain on Wednesday.

 

Pablo Mastroeni and Danny Califf were the new names on the Spain roster, with all 17 European-based players who played against England also being recalled.

 

Here is the list:

 

GOALKEEPERS- Dominic Cervi (out of contract), Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Tim Howard (Everton FC) ]

 

DEFENDERS- Carlos Bocanegra (out of contract), Dan Califf (FC Midtjylland), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jay DeMerit (Watford FC), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Michael Orozco (San Luis), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)

 

MIDFIELDERS- Freddy Adu (SL Benfica), DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers), Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Eddie Lewis (Derby County), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids)

 

FORWARDS- Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Nate Jaqua (out of contract), Eddie Johnson (Fulham FC), Josh Wolff (out of contract)

 

 

Also, apparently Sunil laid a smack down on the FA after the match. As of Wednesday afternoon, those arrogant Brits all thought the 2018 World Cup was theirs for the taking until the oompa loompa whipped it out on them and showed them whats what.

 

We're probably getting World Cup '18.

By Martin Rogers, Yahoo! Sports 10 hours, 18 minutes ago

LONDON, England – Neither the United States nor England are willing to admit it, but the opening bell sounded this week on the political punch-up that will form the bidding process for the 2018 World Cup.

...

In a postmatch conversation with Yahoo! Sports on Wednesday, Gulati dismissed suggestions that the politicking of the bidding process is underway. However, in a round-table breakfast discussion with key British media members on Tuesday, Gulati made a hugely positive impression and left some of the previously cynical U.K. press corps in no doubt that the Stateside threat to an English World Cup is very real.

 

“The numbers were devastating,” said Tim Rich, a football writer for the Daily Telegraph newspaper. “Sunil and his group were thoroughly impressive and it was the power of the raw figures they produced that was really eye-opening.”

...

“There is a fine line when you are talking about the numbers,” Gulati admitted. “In the United States, things are so big that it sounds like you are being arrogant about it.

 

“But the fact is that the attendance record from the 1994 World Cup in the United States still holds, even though there were fewer games played then than now. That World Cup was a record not just for average attendance, but total attendance.

 

“Because of the phenomenon that is the NFL, we also have however many stadiums that can hold 70,000 or 80,000 people. Those are all positives.

 

“There is no a country in the world in a better position in terms of stadium facilities and size. We could have hosted the World Cup in 1998 in stadiums that didn’t even exist when we hosted it in 1994 and we could have done the same in 2002 and not use any stadiums that existed in 1998.”

...

“Some of the figures were quite incredible,” said Alec Wilkinson, a reporter with Sky Sports News. “I think it was something we were not really aware of over here and it made for a strong case.”

[Jon]

I like the sound of that.

[sethuel1]

Too bad Jack Warner will undermine any attempt we make for WC 2018. I'm completely resigned to the fact we're not getting it, already.

 

Also, thank god the OTC (that's Dan Califf, the Orange Traffic Cone) is on the roster for Spain. Let's see him try and man-mark Torres. Hilarious.

[shnsajax]

Too bad Jack Warner will undermine any attempt we make for WC 2018. I'm completely resigned to the fact we're not getting it, already.

 

Also, thank god the OTC (that's Dan Califf, the Orange Traffic Cone) is on the roster for Spain. Let's see him try and man-mark Torres. Hilarious.

 

Spain will win 5-0 if they play the same roster they did vs England. Torres and Cesc together is going to be brutal.

[wolf stansson]

Too bad Jack Warner will undermine any attempt we make for WC 2018. I'm completely resigned to the fact we're not getting it, already.

 

Also, thank god the OTC (that's Dan Califf, the Orange Traffic Cone) is on the roster for Spain. Let's see him try and man-mark Torres. Hilarious.

I'm resigned to the fact that no matter who we put out there, Torres and Villa are going to make all of them look like traffic cones.

[Guest]

I was at a game at the Rose Bowl in 1994, it was amazing. I'd love to see the World Cup back in the States and hopefully close enough to LA.

[Marco4]

I was at a game at the Rose Bowl in 1994, it was amazing. I'd love to see the World Cup back in the States and hopefully close enough to LA.

 

England haven't had the World Cup since 1966, and have even gone to the trouble of coaxing the Trinidad vote.

 

I want to see Bolivia vs. Saudi Arabia in my hometown!

[Guest]

I was at a game at the Rose Bowl in 1994, it was amazing. I'd love to see the World Cup back in the States and hopefully close enough to LA.

 

England haven't had the World Cup since 1966, and have even gone to the trouble of coaxing the Trinidad vote.

 

I want to see Bolivia vs. Saudi Arabia in my hometown!

 

Screw Bolivia vs. Saudi Arabia, I lived 5 miles from the final. I doubt Pasadena would host anything more than Bolivia vs. Saudi Arabia this time around, though.

[shnsajax]

I was at a game at the Rose Bowl in 1994, it was amazing. I'd love to see the World Cup back in the States and hopefully close enough to LA.

 

England haven't had the World Cup since 1966, and have even gone to the trouble of coaxing the Trinidad vote.

 

I want to see Bolivia vs. Saudi Arabia in my hometown!

 

I've got a potential project with Wayne Bridge in the works right now. Hopefully if he plays well this weekend, and we win the deal I can suckup enough for an autographed jersey out of the deal.

[Marco4]

I've got a potential project with Wayne Bridge in the works right now. Hopefully if he plays well this weekend, and we win the deal I can suckup enough for an autographed jersey out of the deal.

 

I don't know if he'll need to play well, to be honest. I don't see an experimental Trinidad team causing him too many problems - but don't tell him that if you're sucking up. Tell him it was all his own work.

 

That's gonna bite me on the ass, isn't it?

[wolf stansson]

Babel is out for the Euros. Tore some ligaments in his ankle. Sorry, sjax.

 

It'd be nice if Liverpool keeps him out of the olympics too.

[shnsajax]

Babel is out for the Euros. Tore some ligaments in his ankle. Sorry, sjax.

 

It'd be nice if Liverpool keeps him out of the olympics too.

 

That sucks, still have a very good squad without him.

[reggiemiller rules]

It really sucks that Babel is out, I was really looking forward to watching him play. Also there is a rumor that Liverpool offered 20 million to Bayern for Ribery. I would assume that the offer got laughed at, but god would I lover to have Ribery along side Gerrard and Mascherano in the midfield.

[wolf stansson]

It really sucks that Babel is out, I was really looking forward to watching him play. Also there is a rumor that Liverpool offered 20 million to Bayern for Ribery. I would assume that the offer got laughed at, but god would I lover to have Ribery along side Gerrard and Mascherano in the midfield.

As if I don't hate Liverpool enough.

[shnsajax]

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson on Sunday claimed the Glazer family, the club's owners, would rather keep the player even if a hypothetical situation arose where he refused to play for the Red Devils.

 

The Scot said: 'I've had a couple of meetings with the Glazers.

 

'Their attitude is, 'to hell with them'. They'd sit a player in the stand, I'm telling you, absolutely no doubt about it, just to prove a point. Not to give in to these people.

 

'They've got balls, I can tell you. I've been delighted with them in that respect.'

 

I hope he doesn't go. I don't like United but I despise Real. As bad as people think the Yankees are calling them the evil empire, they got nothing on Madrid.

[USSoccer]

Jonathan Spector is going to be out with a torn labrum for 3-6 months. Not that it matters in Bradley's system, but he's probably our most skilled central defender with the ball at his feet.

[wolf stansson]

Jonathan Spector is going to be out with a torn labrum for 3-6 months. Not that it matters in Bradley's system, but he's probably our most skilled central defender with the ball at his feet.

That's a bummer for the Olympics. He was by far our most experienced and best defender.

[reggiemiller rules]

Didnt see it posted, but Mourinho is in as Inter's head coach. That could be big for Chelsea, I wonder if Essien and Lampard are going to follow him.

[shnsajax]

EURO pick-em is now ready

 

Group Name:

NSBB

Password:

altidore (lower case)

 

http://games.espn.go.com/euro/frontpage

[wolf stansson]

Spain Roster. I'm real glad we are trotting out such AWESOME lineups during the biggest string of friendlies in US Soccer history. No Donovan, no Altidore.

 

Goalkeepers: Dominic Cervi (out of contract), Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Tim Howard (Everton).

 

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (out of contract), Dan Califf (Midtjylland), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Jay DeMerit (Watford), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard Liege), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock).

 

Midfielders: Freddy Adu (Benfica), DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers), Michael Bradley (Heerenveen), Maurice Edu (Toronto), Eddie Lewis (Derby County), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado).

 

Forwards: Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Nate Jaqua (out of contract), Eddie Johnson (Fulham), Josh Wolff (out of contract).

 

 

------------------------Dempsey---------------

 

---------------Adu------------------------------

Lewis--------------Bradley------------Beasley

 

-----------------Mastroeni----------------------

 

Pearce----Bocanegra---Onyewu---Cherundolo

 

--------------------Howard----------------------

 

I guess that's what I'd go with. Either Mastroeni or Edu backing the midfield allowing Bradley to get forward. If Freddy Adu doesn't play more than 70 minutes in this game, I'm pissed.

[shnsajax]

Spain Roster. I'm real glad we are trotting out such AWESOME lineups during the biggest string of friendlies in US Soccer history. No Donovan, no Altidore.

 

Goalkeepers: Dominic Cervi (out of contract), Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Tim Howard (Everton).

 

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (out of contract), Dan Califf (Midtjylland), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Jay DeMerit (Watford), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard Liege), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock).

 

Midfielders: Freddy Adu (Benfica), DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers), Michael Bradley (Heerenveen), Maurice Edu (Toronto), Eddie Lewis (Derby County), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado).

 

Forwards: Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Nate Jaqua (out of contract), Eddie Johnson (Fulham), Josh Wolff (out of contract).

 

 

------------------------Dempsey---------------

 

---------------Adu------------------------------

Lewis--------------Bradley------------Beasley

 

-----------------Mastroeni----------------------

 

Pearce----Bocanegra---Onyewu---Cherundolo

 

--------------------Howard----------------------

 

I guess that's what I'd go with. Either Mastroeni or Edu backing the midfield allowing Bradley to get forward. If Freddy Adu doesn't play more than 70 minutes in this game, I'm pissed.

 

If we see another 4-4-2 with Johnson and Wolff up front Bradley needs to be fired.