wolf stansson

Well Seattle itself is just such an awesome city. Like a mini Chicago but with the ocean and mountains but with the same walkability and variety of stuff to do for tourists. The stadium itself is very nice and the atmosphere was fantastic. The view of downtown through the end zone we were in was great. I got tickets two sections over from the supporter's groups behind the South goal so we were close to the action on the field and the stands. On the concourses, the stadium isn't anything special, but you go to watch the game, not walk around outside the stands. Montero is really entertaining to watch live. Even when he's not involved, he's doing all the pesky annoying things and making all the runs that drive defenders and keepers crazy. The way he uses his low center of gravity and quickness to turn defenders is probably second only to Landon if not the best in the league at this point. His finishing is top notch and he's even surprisingly effective in the air for a little dude. He's clearly approaching the next level that only Landon has been on the last few years in terms of MLS players that are just a class above the league. He's a solid passer and the combination he and Fernandez already have is a huge upgrade to Llunjberg. Seattle still lacks the finishing edge if it isn't Montero doing it. They got bogged down in the final third all night until Montero's goal and only later when Fernandez came on did they play with any kind of directness and pace. Blaise Nkufo was abject all game. Just a total turd. He looked like an American striker. Good physically, but no touch, bad finishing and not aggressive enough. Here's a pic I took after the goal: http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm16/dhohulin/P1010185-1.jpg

If we start hearing Bradley to Villa rumors, that would make more sense than the Fulham stuff with Randy Lerner paying the bills. http://www.reporter.am/go/article/2010-08-09-u-s--striker-joins-armenia-s-national-soccer-team Armenia? Really? Btw, the Sounders game kicked ass.

It's certainly possible. He's only on paper 20. It's clear that he's never going to be the superstar he looked like he could become, so even if he does, he'll just be a guy. So if I'm putting his ceiling at Sacha Kljestan or someone like that, I don't really care where he goes or what he does. That would explain Alan Gordon's move across the hallway. I wish Freddy, if he's coming back, would go to New York where he can learn what pro's do from Henry and Marquez. Or go somewhere way out of the limelight like Kansas City or Columbus.

Mike's there.

GOALKEEPERS- Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton) DEFENDERS- Carlos Bocanegra (Saint-Étienne), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United) MIDFIELDERS- Alejandro Bedoya (Örebro), Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus), Jermaine Jones (Schalke), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht) FORWARDS- Edson Buddle (Los Angeles Galaxy), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake), Herculez Gomez (Pachuca) No Jozy clearly hints at an impending move. No Clint? Maybe wants to get in with Hughes. Gooch needs to get in at Milan too.

Nobody else is running with the Jozy to Besiktas story, so it's not close to final I guess.

A little vintage Cleetus to get you through the day.

Jozy to Besiktas looks final: http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/1614/americans-abroad/2010/08/04/2055613/breaking-news-jozy-altidore-set-for-move-to-turkish-club

Considering that I got to see Durant like three times last year, they better be scheduling them nationally.

That dude was a star. I wish we had more entertaining players like him, but without the over partying and injuries.

RSL is the best team in the league, going on form. Kreis has them playing an entertaining, smart brand of soccer. He has become great at maximizing talent and finding his best XI on the MLS level. He'll be our coach in '18.

Jermaine Jones scores: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySYOZ5RhICA&feature=player_embedded#!

Ahaha! Chi Town stand up! Seattle got rid of their rich bum. Chicago got another.

Yura Movsisyan puts in two yesterday, which I believe makes 10 in 16. Apparently there's interest all over Europe for his services.

A relative bargain by Real standards. Mourinho loves his midfield stoppers.

http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2010/07/sounders-add-uruguayan-midfielder-fernandez.html Sounders sign a dp. 24 year old world cup midfielder for Uruguay. They are by far the best run organization in MLS. Actually getting young, rising stars from South America rather than past their prime paycheck grabbers (assuming they offload their past-his-prime paycheck grabber, Freddie Llunjberg in the next few weeks). I'm going to a game in Seattle on August 8th and am getting excited. It'll be my first MLS game.

They need to stick to big clubs, but make sure it's the first game of their tour, not the last.

One English club is said to be Fulham. Not sure about the other.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FmWfayiHQ98/TE9BncPalaI/AAAAAAAABsE/-jSnnNNI10c/s320/fsamerikaankljestan.jpg

According to Ives' tweets, Besiktas are the favorites for Altidore. Guti, Kavechi, Quaresma and coached by Bernd Schuster. Could definitely be worse places for him.

There's no way Chicago isn't one of the venues. Devann Yao scored what was according to the twitter world, a really nice goal in a reserve match for West Ham today. He's on trial. Click the link for an interesting article on Yao, his past and the struggles he's had with the USSF's endemic developmental flaws. Whereas Clint Dempsey succeeded without any help from US Soccer connects and Landon Donovan succeeded while being a constant youth fixture for US youth teams/residence programs, Devann sounds like a similar player but stuck in the middle. On the radar but without the connections. Had he grown up like Landon, he'd be on a team and maybe capped. Had he grown up like Clint, he'd have spent a few years in college soccer and then drafted highly in MLS. Instead, he was stuck in the middle. Known enough to have great youth club pedigree but too unknown for someone to take a chance on him in MLS.

Anyone watch Galaxy-Quakes last night? Arena is doing the same thing with Tristan Bowen that he loved to do with Altidore by playing him on the wing. He's obviously really gifted, but I have no idea what kind of finisher he is because Arena would rather pair Alan freaking Gordon with Buddle. I know they're by far the best team in the league, but that's just [expletive]. Bowen's speed with Buddle would be awesome, I'm just suspicious that he's continuing in the Eddie Johnson/Jozy Altidore mold of they can do everything to create a chance, just not put it away. Bowen physically reminds a lot of Charlie Davies.

There were audible boos every time Henry touched the ball tonight. It wasn't the Man U ratio, but it was probably 60-40 Spurs fans.

Suck it! Awesome US-Mexico final would see 30% American's at the stadium. Lol, as opposed to where? Columbus? Pittsburgh?

Martin Jol staying at Ajax.