The Soccer Thread

[shnsajax]

Beautiful pass, nice 1st goal.

[shnsajax]

apparently in Haiti they don't play with offsides and players are allowed to grab, pull, and shove the other team. The US looks sloppy, but its understandable considering you can't go more than 60 seconds without a whistle.

[Jon]

Wow that's some awful defense.

[USSoccer]

I know this is our D team, but are we really going to get worked by Haiti?

[USSoccer]

This game should put to rest the notion that Michael Parkhurst is an International-caliber player.

[wolf stansson]

This game should put to rest the notion that Michael Parkhurst is an International-caliber player.

Really, there's only three on the field right now that you could even call prospects. Cooper, Robles and Holden. Neither of them will ever be starters.

[wolf stansson]

Damn, that was a rocket.

[wolf stansson]

Btw, Altidore's agent confirmed my suspicion that the Olympiakos move isn't happening yet. They are still negotiating with teams in the Prem, Budesliga and La Liga.

[Jon]

WOWZA!

[wolf stansson]

Stu Holden has balls man. He's going to be a great bench option. Unbeaten group stage record stands.

[wolf stansson]

Rogandino just called Holden the pride of Clemson University. That's probably the dude who plays for AC Milan.

[USSoccer]

Love me some Holden. Davies showed well despite this game playing to none of his current strengths, but should have done better after the Haitian miscue.

 

That ref was wet, hot ass, btw...

[wolf stansson]

Telefutura's feed is so much better than FSC's. I think it's a low-res HD.

[USSoccer]

Something just occurred to me:

 

Howard (Everton)

Spector (West Ham United)

Gooch (AC Milan (!!!))

Demerit (Watford)

Boca (Rennes)

 

 

Dempsey (Fulham)

Jones (Schalke)

Mikey ('Gladbach)

Donovan ('Gals)

 

Altidore (Villarreal)

Davies (Sochaux)

 

10 out of 11 projected WC starters are European based, and 5* of them will be playing in European Cup comps next term (Jozy pending).

 

Our bench:

 

Edu (Rangers)

'Dolo (Hannover)

Marshall (Columbus)

Bornstein (Chivas USA)

 

Benny (Aarhus)

Torres (Pachuca)

Holden (Houston)

Rogers (Columbus)

Clark (Houston)

 

Ching (Houston)

 

Guzan (West Ham)

Hahnemann (Wolves)

 

Only 6 of your 23 from MLS.

 

OUT (Reserve Roster):

 

Sacha K. (BAD FORM)

Beasley (Died circa 2005)

Adu (No burn=no World Cup)

Hejduk (Last man cut)

EJ (Cardiff via Fulham, also died circa 2005)

Casey (bad & lazy)

Cooper (Bradley hates him)

Pearce (2nd to last guy cut)

Califf (bad)

Mastro (died earlier this year)

Arnaud (not good enough)

Conrad (definitely not good enough)

Beckerman (certainly not good enough)

 

Anyway, that's my 2010 roster, projected based on current form/quality, assuming health holds.

 

Our first XI is pretty good, actually. Our bench isn't, and our reserves suck. We still need more depth, as all this GC has done is show that 3 guys (Marshall, Rogers and Holden) are ready, and it showed that one (Adu) isn't.

Edited July 12, 2009 by USSoccer

[USSoccer]

GREAT crowd at Toyota Park tonight. Credit to the Fire fans-that looks like a sellout to me. They deserve better than nil-nil.

 

I need to get out to a game this season.

[wolf stansson]

Only thing I'd add to your roster is that barring unforeseen circumstance, Jermaine Jones will definitely be on our WC roster. Castillo would have to fight it out with Bornstein if he converts.

[USSoccer]

Only thing I'd add to your roster is that barring unforeseen circumstance, Jermaine Jones will definitely be on our WC roster. Castillo would have to fight it out with Bornstein if he converts.

 

I had Jones in the first XI. Assuming he doesn't choke Bradley to death or something, he and Mikey are going to be our CM's for the rest of the cycle.

 

BTW, have you seen the whoareya.com shirts? I'm eying the Deuce one as well as the USMNT snake one.

 

EDIT: Sacha should be on my reserve list.

[wolf stansson]

I have a who are ya Chelsea shirt. It fits weird. The sleeves are too long for the torso.

 

I'ma order from here. They use American Apparel t's.

http://store.objectivo.com/

 

That's my s.

 

Edit - i'm getting these.

 

http://store.objectivo.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image//f/i/file_23_5.JPG

 

http://store.objectivo.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image//d/e/deuce.JPG

 

http://store.objectivo.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image//f/i/file_23_1.JPG

 

http://store.objectivo.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image//f/i/file_19_13.JPG

 

 

Someone needs to do a Michael Bradley shirt.

[USSoccer]

I like that Deuce one there more than the one from whoareya. The "Don't Tread" one is pretty tight too.

 

I thought someone had a Mikey shirt out there already...

[wolf stansson]

Landon is about to get done by the best PR team in professional sport.

Becks Blasts Back

"I have played with the biggest teams in the world and the biggest players and not once have I been criticized for my professionalism. It's important to get this cleared up and I will be speaking to Landon either this evening or over the next couple of days."

 

Landon was right about everything he said, but incredibly dumb to try and go up against the 19 Management spin machine. Incredibly dumb. Beckham will come out of this smelling like a rose somehow.

[USSoccer]

Landon is about to get done by the best PR team in professional sport.

Becks Blasts Back

"I have played with the biggest teams in the world and the biggest players and not once have I been criticized for my professionalism. It's important to get this cleared up and I will be speaking to Landon either this evening or over the next couple of days."

 

Landon was right about everything he said, but incredibly dumb to try and go up against the 19 Management spin machine. Incredibly dumb. Beckham will come out of this smelling like a rose somehow.

 

I don't give an ish. I like the new Landon and F Beckham.

 

I hope we advance, play England in a knockout game and LD scores the winner.

[Jon]

GREAT crowd at Toyota Park tonight. Credit to the Fire fans-that looks like a sellout to me. They deserve better than nil-nil.

 

I need to get out to a game this season.

They're a well organized group (or groups, rather). Unfortunately, the move to Bridgeview hasn't been a total success. Particularly since it's in Bridgeview.

[Guest]

Aguirre was suspended for three games.

 

I watched most of the first half and a couple minutes of the second half of the Haiti match and yeah, we didn't look like anything special in that game. Holden had a great goal but for the most part, it was a forgettable match.

 

Of course, I do like that Bradley at least gave this group a chance - there was no point not to. They had already advanced and the game meant nothing.

[wvcbxl]

I'm not going to argue that they are comparable. I'm just going to assert that Jozy only getting 4-5 games a year against top opponents in their champions league matches and the two legs against Panatinaikos isn't going to make much of an impression on his experience level than playing 90 minutes a game in MLS. I suppose there is something to be said for living in a foreign country since that's where his career is headed long-term. If it's only a year though, there's no point in learning Greek and he might not get 90 minutes a game. He left MLS because he thought he was ready to make a permanent move to a top flight league and get everything that comes with that. If he had other options like England, Spain or Germany, I hope he chooses that.

 

A valid argument (even throwing in to games against the likes of PAOK and AEK, which shouldn't be underestimated)

 

The way I see it, there's two ways to the top: get yourself noticed playing internationally for either your country or your team from a second tier league in European Cup competition (SPL, Eredivisie, Greece, Turkey, even throw in Portugal and Belgium for good measure) or sign young with a top team and bide your team in their youth or reserve team. Actually playing on national on European TV seems the better of those options to me, so I wouldn't worry too much about a young player going to Greece for a year. :wink:

[shnsajax]

Landon is about to get done by the best PR team in professional sport.

Becks Blasts Back

"I have played with the biggest teams in the world and the biggest players and not once have I been criticized for my professionalism. It's important to get this cleared up and I will be speaking to Landon either this evening or over the next couple of days."

 

Landon was right about everything he said, but incredibly dumb to try and go up against the 19 Management spin machine. Incredibly dumb. Beckham will come out of this smelling like a rose somehow.

 

I don't give an ish. I like the new Landon and F Beckham.

 

I hope we advance, play England in a knockout game and LD scores the winner.

 

I wonder if Landon even thought he would still be on the Galaxy. Any why he is still on the Galaxy?