wolf stansson

NYC FC http://media.balls.ie/uploads/2014/04/andrea-pirlo-wine1.jpg

I think that highlight video got yanked for some editing due to the NZ keeper's [expletive] ME IN THE ASS moment. Some Arsenal fan put a dope mix of every Zelalem touch together. The nutmeg at 4:26 and the assist at 4:48 are the best parts, but he clearly has a next level understanding and presence on the ball. He receives beautifully, passes beautifully and the pairing with Hyndman in the central MF is really impressive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVX2tP1jWwY&app=desktop

All aboard the hype train: http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/zelalem-shines-as-u20-mnt-drops-new-zealand_aid36600 Highlights (nsfw language): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqBnvv8LhfA That's some men vs boys stuff.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/fifa/11642610/Uefa-plots-to-break-away-from-Fifa-and-host-a-rival-tournament.html It has to be done to force Blatter out and eliminate Qatar. Nah. That's a bluff. All they need is corporate sponsors to boycott.

Seriously. I mean, off the top of my head in no particular order: Agudelo Altidore Johansson Boyd Davies Dempsey Morris Rubin Wondo Zardes Dwyer (is he eligible yet?) And then I'm sure a ton of dudes from the u-23 and u-20's who I'd rather see than Bobby Wood. He's a victim of not being in MLS. Maybe if I got to see him more often, I'd be less of a hater.

I've never been able to be fully sucked into actually considering myself a fan of an EPL team. I'm sure it'll happen when a champions league team has a USMNT dude starting every game. That's definitely my hook. Tottenham is always solid, always entertaining enough but never win anything. They're like the Portland Trailblazers of the EPL. They've got DeAndre Yedlin and Cameron Carter-Vickers on the books, so there is an American angle there. Both of those guys could be starting on their back line for years to come after they break through. I personally think their fans and front office are insufferable and don't really like them. They have a weird sense of entitlement that usually only exists in fan bases of actually great clubs, but they never win enough to justify that entitlement so they're constantly cycling players and coaches in and out and never give a squad or manager a chance to build anything substantial organically. USMNT Roster for upcoming friendlies v Netherlands and Germany: G - Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake), William Yarbrough (León) D - Ventura Alvarado (Club América), John Anthony Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders), Michael Orozco (Puebla), Brek Shea (Orlando City SC), DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham) M - Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Mikkel Diskerud (New York City FC), Miguel Ibarra (Minnesota United), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Jermaine Jones (New England Revolution), Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt), Danny Williams (Reading) F - Juan Agudelo (New England Revolution), Aron Jóhannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Bobby Wood (Erzgebirge Aue), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy) Good to see Danny Williams back in one piece. Good to see Agudelo getting his due. As always, a few head scratchers and head shakers from Klinsy. You can cobble a solid starting eleven out of this, but the depth is trash.

You know the Knick and Nets exist, right? The Bulls under Paxson have always been savvy roster builders. Gibson, Butler, Mirotic, Nocioni, Asik...they find contributors and sometimes stars where other teams don't.

Sunil speaks: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/29/sports/us-soccer-will-support-blatter-rival-in-fifa-election.html?_r=0

Nice profile of Juan Agudelo on Grantland today. http://grantland.com/the-triangle/usmnt-new-england-revolution-juan-agudelo-rebirth/ Would love to see a lineup with Dempsey, Altidore and him on the field at the same time in the Gold Cup.

It's like the NCAA if you're into watching teens play sports. You hate them, but you can't do anything about them.

Heh

Poor guy. Hopefully being abroad shelters him from the bat [expletive] insane expectations that are going to come with being the next great USS hype.

IT'S LIT Y'ALL "@SunilGulati: Pleased to report that Gedion Zelalem has been cleared by #FIFA to represent @ussoccer"

Grantland is great. I don't think his writing had anything to do with that, but his pull to recruit all that talent sure was. Hope it stays as good.

They really are next level together in terms of what MLS has to offer. Obviously they're both pretty special players in terms of talent and being underrated globally in their generation and Seattle was fortunate to have the chemistry work so well, but more teams should try to replicate it. The quick passing short game around the area allows them to break down almost any style on almost any field. Whether they're going up the wings, playing the long ball or working through the middle it doesn't matter as long as the ball finds one of their feet anywhere in the opponents half. It's probably impossible to replicate, but I just don't know why a team would invest in a David Villa or a Thierry Henry without someone paired on the field right next to them to take advantage of the intuitive movement and one touch abilities that is missing everywhere else in the league. It sucks when you have a guy like Thierry Henry in your league for 4 years and it takes you 4 years to find a guy that knows where to go when Henry has the ball. The Donovan-Keane/Martens-Dempsey pairing is the only way to get the most value out of a DP forward. Otherwise you end up watching David Villa and Thierry Henry getting pissed off at their teammates for 90 minutes for not knowing where and when to be.

Montreal being trash in the league and also being the first CCL champ is also extremely MLSish.

That would've been the most MLS thing in the history of MLS things.

Looked like a helluva a party, too.

US 3-0 over Mexico in u-23. Morris scored and ran their back line ragged all night. Univision gave him man of the match but Cropper deserved it. Could've easily been 3-0 if not for some spectacular blocked shots. It was funny, in the second half the commentators were arguing over whether or not you're allowed to compare anyone to Donovan. Color guy kept saying Morris reminds him of LD in his young San Jose days. Pbp guy wasn't having it. Mexico had better possession in the first half but in the second half their legs just failed them vs the U.S. fitness, size and speed. Couple of TM set pieces.

It looked more likely that the knee-on-knee with Mayo was the issue. Looked really painful but not anything that will cause him to miss significant time.

US v Mexico U-23 match will be on univision on Weds. http://www.sounderatheart.com/2015/4/20/8457523/us-u23-roster-jordan-morris Andrea Canales with a great twitter rant re: Klinsy

I love Clint Dempsey as villain. This was ok too.

Interesting article on the proliferation of MLS media rights abroad. http://www.ibtimes.com/american-soccer-surprisingly-huge-overseas-1884869 Another great reason to never switch to the winter season beyond logistics. Fills the offseason soccer void in other countries.

Yeah, he's a Seattle home grown but I bet he goes to Europe first. I think the Sounders having the depth of attacking options they have has played a part in his not going pro. He'd be behind Dempsey, Martins, Neagle and Pappa. I know he trains with them in the summer and is in contact with Sigi about his options.