wolf stansson

Sigi? Kinnear? Surely not Kreis, too soon. Now? Crazy.

For about half the teams, they'll lose less money by losing an entire season and getting what ownership is demanding than by actually operating under what the players want.

You're right. Why do I remember getting up early that day?

Something like 16 million for the US-England game (which was at like 5 in the morning) but maybe that was ABC. I don't recall.

It really didn't take much psychic ability to see this coming. It certainly doesn't seem like a Donovan-Dempsey thing after Clint's goal celebration when Landon was benched and brought on late. The whole not being able to talk [expletive] in front of the coach's kid makes sense. Also, some of the older guys have to be losing their voices as more and more younger guys come in. I'm a traditionalist - I like it the way it is. TBH, I prefer the old FA cup way: keep playing replay games until you get a result. That would never work in international tournaments though. Isn't golden goal the traditional way? I thought silver goal was introduced within the last 20-30 years. Those were both were experiments from the late 90's, early 00's. The traditional way is 2x15mins extra time, then a penalty shoot-out. Either way, I like the old NASL shootouts more than PK's. Give's the keeper more of a chance, it's more exciting and takes more skill.

Hey Michael Bradley, stop being a [expletive]. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/andrea_canales/07/14/mbradley.incident/index.html?sct=sc_wr_a2

Also, screw Julie Foudy, Hope Solo and whoever else wants to perpetuate that myth when it's convenient. Stop running your mouth and just win the game. Beating Brazil in dramatic fashion doesn't validate our national superiority complex. It just means you beat a good team in dramatic fashion. Enjoy it for what it is. Stop shoving your whack patriotism down our throats.

Frankly, I'm shocked at how few stories about how much sheer "Americanness" and "American Spirit" Japan showed in never giving up, fighting to the death and achieving their manifest destiny. Seriously, kiss my ass ESPN, stop propagating nonsense stories like this whenever a US soccer team wins. I know as an American sports media outlet that can't resist the easiest story line ever, you love it when we are the perceived under dogs, but just shut up. Soccer style as metaphor for national identity is an old, worn out cliche and you can't call it manifest destiny when they win and ignore it when they lose.

Their coach did a great job. The US's weakness this whole tournament has been giving up easy turnovers and failing to finish chances unless it's coming off of Wambach's head. Japan played their possession, made their little Barcelona passing triangles, but really, had no problem letting the US gain possession at which point they'd drop 10 behind the ball. If you can't possess in the final third and you can't finish chances, a team like Japan that can maximize their own chances and bunker the defense will have a good shot at upsetting you. That said, the US was by a long way the better team and by a fair margin the best team in that tournament. That's why tournaments are cruel though. You can be the best, but if you're not the best on the day, you're out.

Bingo. People always argue about the MLS vs Europe path. Mention the NCAA route and it's anathema to soccer purists. Fact is, some paths are better than others, but they ultimately won't be what tips the scales. Obviously, I'd love every promising young American to go live in Barcelona and train at La Masia or at Ajax, but what truly matters is [expletive] work ethic. You hear fans and pundits whine about how much time they waste in development by going to play in college and playing seasons in MLS before they go abroad all the time. But just think about Clint Dempsey, Brian McBride and Claudio Reyna, the three non-keeper Americans who we have been able to count on most in big games, who have made the biggest impact on the global club scene and our most respected internationals ever. They didn't train with an elite youth academy. They went to college. They started at the bottom and worked their way to the top. Now, I'm not saying that they wouldn't have been even better had they been raised in a traditional, European youth set up. They probably would have been better. What I'm saying is that what has separated them is their hunger. Pure desire and determination to do the work. They get dropped from teams and were out of favor with managers, but they busted their ass to turn it around. The thing about the youth club setup that works so well other than the technical expertise and experience from the instruction is the competition. Systems like Ajax, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, AC Milan etc are pure football darwinism and even if you're a ridiculous super stud like Lionel Messi or Wayne Rooney when you're young, you'll always have senior players to keep you humble. We don't have that in MLS (we will). When Jozy Altidore was 17-18, even if he wasn't the consistently best player on his team, it was widely apparent that he was as gifted or more gifted than anyone. If you go back to somewhere early in this thread, you'll find a post by me talking about a goal he scored for New York 3 or 4 years ago where he just looked like a man among boys. Beat one defender to the ball, shrugged off another and buried it into the upper 90 from the edge of the box. At 18 he never really had to compete for his career's life. Clint Dempsey, Reyna, McBride; guys like that had supreme competitive desire. Not everyone has that, sometimes you have to learn. Sometimes you're just a kid who gets bad career advice. For every Marc Pelosi who goes to Liverpool, Fabian Hurzeler at Bayern or Jo Gyau at Hoffenheim, who we have yet to see emerge, we've had tons of Kenny Cooper, Jovan Kirovski and Danny Karbassiyoun types who just for whatever reason (injury, work ethic, talent?) who never make it out of their elite academies. For Jozy it certainly won't be talent that holds him back.

Well let's be honest, and this isn't a slight on the Eredivisie which is obviously better than MLS, if he can't contribute at Alkmaar, he has no business being in Europe. Much like Adu, there's no point wasting your time in leagues comprable (or in Freddy's case) below MLS level if you're supposedly National Team quality. If you fail somewhere like Holland, Portugal or France, don't waste time stepping down a level in Europe, just come home.

Nothing yet from Dutch sources, only the FOX Sports story being cited. ETA: apparently confirmed on Twitter: @jozyaltidore17 2 mil Euros w/performance bonuses and resell % that would get it close to the $10 mil Villarreal paid NY. So in a sense they're betting on him, but the Eredivisie has always been kind to strikers so it looks to be an ok deal for everyone.

They're maybe the most skilled midfield in the tournament. They're possession has been their strength. . . . And that's what I get for making ish up. Well to be fair, that's just what I've heard. I've only watched the Brazil-US game. Jozy to Alkmaar is done: http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/usa/story/Jozy-Altidore-signs-with-az-alkmaar-from-villarreal-move-to-dutch-eredivisie-071411

They're maybe the most skilled midfield in the tournament. They're possession has been their strength.

Because it's Ian Darke and he's English and those are the words he uses? Plus any American who talks about the sport feels obligated to speak British. It's hard not to use the catchphrases. It fits the sport, it's the short hand we hear when we watch, when we read and when we listen.

He just wasn't mentally prepared to learn about red cards.

Yeah man, play it cool. Good call.

Seriously it took over 3 hours, I wish they were all as short as Matt Holliday's round was. HAHAHA is that a shot? Because I'm a Cardinals fan? You really killed me there. The joke ref would totally give you a straight red for that, lolol.

WHEN IS THIS LAME HOME RUN BS GOING TO END SO I CAN WATCH CARLOS BOCANEGRA PLAY SOFTBALL VS KATE UPTON AND OTHERS?

It's probably the most recognizable rules infraction punishment in all of sports. In the history of mankind. With the possible exception of Caesar doing the thumbs up thumbs down thing. Nope, still more famous.

Yeah. The rule was if you got a red card, you had to answer three US Civics test questions correctly or else you'd have to tie one of your legs to a rope connected to a post next to the corner flag so you could only play in the corner.

I played guitar almost all my life but I've never heard of anything that you can plug into to make it louder. This isn't microphones...#dabumonamplification I played golf all my life but I've never heard of anything that you can ride to get around the course faster. This isn't the airport...#dabumoncarts I played nintendo all my life but I've never heard of anything that will give you 30 extra lives in Contra. This isn't game genie...#dabumonupupdowndownleftrightleftrightbabaselectstart

OH MAN

A little monday morning trivia. Q. Who is the first (and only) American born player to win a men's FIFA world cup event at any level? A. Mexico u-17 GK, Richard Sanchez (FC Dallas), is the first American-born player to win a FIFA World Cup at any level. Next on my morning to do list, I'm gonna try to get the stray eyelash out of my eye using the pliers on my leatherman because I'm a glutton for punishment.

He meant he's played FiFA on playstation his whole life.