USSoccer

Pipe Dream: Clint and Bale to Real for 100m and that Spanish U-20 striker. /B2BFutbol

Wait, why the F is Clint on a flight to Seattle?

Yeah, that is funny. It's got to be a translation thing; I know Iceland isn't the most cosmopolitan place but if it's really the right phrasing, I kind of want to sit in on their meetings. It's like a room full of Zoolanders.

The Reyna Rule, yes.

Did you see that press release? It's like da bum wrote it in a fit of rage. I couldn't believe a UEFA FA let that go out. I'm sure it's a translation thing, but I love this line: Really paints a great image of the Federation literally saying "What, WHY?" upon hearing the news and having some dude say "must be the money, man" as an answer. Well...as dumb as it sounds, it might not necessarily be wrong. My memory could be hazy, but in 2012 if a player was called into every camp and got capped, he could have earned an extra $500k in bonuses. I'm guessing his income potential with the USMNT, should he make the WC roster, would dwarf whatever he could get from the Iceland FA. That, and playing in the WC puts him in the shop window for clubs around the world with a good tournament, and C.R.E.A.M might have been one of the factors.

Did you see that press release? It's like da bum wrote it in a fit of rage. I couldn't believe a UEFA FA let that go out.

Done and done. I think we've outgrown the clipart crest. Great news on Shea, and it's crazy that anyone at ESPN decided to run with that rumor. Clint still has some hard feelings toward MLS for denying that Charlton bid (which in retrospect was absolute good fortune for all involved).

This first game will be everything. If they get 3 points and their confidence back at home, I bet they'll take Panama at home too and they'll largely be through. But if they drop points at home to Honduras, that puts them +1 on them with @USA, v.PAN, @CR while Honduras has v.PAN, v.CR, @JAM. If those two play to 0-0 or 1-1 in Azteca, would you put your money on Mexico beating out Honduras at that point, even spotting them a point? I don't think I would. And that doesn't even mention Panama, who's likely at 9 points after Jamaica at home, so even if Honduras falters there's still some pressure. I agree; that first game is going to be huge. They need to get their confidence back big time; they are not this bad. They need to stop playing games at Azteca. That place is doing them more harm than good at this point.

LOLMexico. Although I still refuse to believe they are as terrible as the last 4 months have made them out to be. I also refuse to believe that they'll end up 4th; I can see a scenario where they beat us in Columbus. Sooner or later they'll have to start stringing some points together...right?

Wow, that's great news on Johannsson. Really great news. He's orders of magnitude better than the GAM

-Mix came in and played really well. Of the Important Things from this GC, him showing up and being an option is right there. -Shea as a late game sub is totally different than Shea as a starter. -Ready for LD to get in with the first choice side now. -Absolutely gutted for Holden; to do your ACL like that after working so hard to come back...that was tough to watch.

-Goodson is terrible; I wouldn't let this Gold Cup's defensive performance outweigh all the terrible he's shown in the last 3 years. -The difference with Lampard and Gerrard is that those two wouldn't defer to the other. Donovan and Dempsey can play well together, but they've never really been on the field for a significant amount of time in this system. If it were me, I'd simply plug LD in for Zusi and then done.

I think the Strauss article brought a lot of things to the forefront more quickly than it would have otherwise. Whether or not it brought the players together, focused them all, changed some of JK's approach or whatever, it seems as though that's the tipping point. There is a marked difference in his tactical approach this year as opposed to 2011-2012. The key is that 4th attacker. In 2012 we were playing games with maybe 3 at best; most games featured Dempsey and Altidore on an island by themselves while we played guys like Danny Williams out of position. That stopped. That's huge. There are still some things that will need to be done, though, primarily where to play Donovan and Dempsey, assuming JK brings LD back into the XI for the Sept qualifiers.

And Bonds's last 3-5 were his best weren't they? This wasn't just about longevity. He had his best years or at least close to it at the end. This wasn't about extending his career while putting up similar or slightly worse numbers. He had all time years. What is your point? How does that refute anything that anyone is saying about his pre-1998 seasons?

How do you know he "got 200 homers due to PED's?" Because BALCO used to put that on their labels.

What's funny is that I've been in my office listening to all sorts of illogical derp all day about all manner of things, and just when I said "welp, it isn't going to get any more ridiculous than that", BAM, this thread and Wilson just drop the mic on dumb. You're wrong. PED's have been around for 70 years, all the Billy Crystal/Bob Costas fap-idols of baseball were at the least using an illegal substance in amphetamines, and Barry Bonds was the best player in baseball before he went all Ken Griffey Gigantism.

After how terrible he was on Saturday, it was really great to see Shea score.

Wynalda is such a weirdo. Also, PTFC's crowd is so great. Legitimately great. All of the Cascadia teams have fantastic support. I wish the Fire had even half that.

Yeah, he's finishing goals from 3 yards out against teams with like 2 professionals on it. Everyone needs to be prepared for him to slam against the wall of reality as soon as he starts being defended by competent players. This tournament is still all about Donovan, Holden, Mix and Shea. Mix and LD have been really good. Holden wasn't good today, and Shea looks drunk. I will say that I was impressed with a couple of those flick finishes he's had on crosses, and in defense of his chances, Edson Buddle was on the 23 man roster in 2010. That said, it's hard to see a spot for Wondoloski right now, with Altidore and Gomez entrenched, Boyd and Johnson being chosen for qualifiers, and Donovan and Dempsey as forward-capable attacking midfielders. Worth noting that he's pretty clearly going to get that chance ahead of a McInerney or Bruin if things change in the next 8 months though, all it would take is an injury to one player and maybe a lack of form from another. He's got a shot to be the last forward taken; it really depends on what happens with our other mids I think. If Holden works out for example, that's one less mid you need to take since he can play as an inverted wing. Right now, he's a bumslayer for me. But he's giving himself a chance. I still think he's not good enough against mid level opposition and higher.

Yeah, he's finishing goals from 3 yards out against teams with like 2 professionals on it. Everyone needs to be prepared for him to slam against the wall of reality as soon as he starts being defended by competent players. This tournament is still all about Donovan, Holden, Mix and Shea. Mix and LD have been really good. Holden wasn't good today, and Shea looks drunk.

No. CONCACAF is special in that regard. Also, I really like the camera work by Fox today. That's about all I like about this particular combination of players. Castillo and Gooch, if JK has any sense, should be getting crossed off the WC23 potential list right now.

At first glance I thought someone was executing Muller.

Don't get me wrong; watching Spurs last year blew. I really grew to dislike that team and their fans; if Clint found a lateral move that worked, fine. I'd just get annoyed if he moved to a Sunderland level team and I definitely don't see the sense in it from Tottenham's perspective. Although playing time ahead of the World Cup matters, too...

That article is unsubstantiated bull. Par for the silly season. The Fulham loan rumors popped up as a result of some fan message board banter. Furthermore, why would Spurs sell a guy who isn't on high wages and can play any of the front 6 positions if needed? That versatility is something managers love. AVB played Clint and started him most of the year when he was healthy, even after a slow start. He clearly rates him. Defoe is out, Adebayor is probably gone as well, and they've not yet signed a striker. AVB is not selling Clint.

It's hard for me to get too wound up in the Gold Cup right now. Regardless of CONCACAF rigging it so the off year one matters, sort of, this tournament for me is all about: -Re-integrating Donovan -Evaluating Holden's health -Evaluating Mix, Shea, McInierney and some of the other younger fringe guys. Watching Chris Wondo(w)lowski knock in a hat trick against a rec team is just annoying, because as much as I want our team to win, always, all it's going to do is get some people foolishly wound up thinking he's all of a sudden a viable international player. Ditto for any strong performances from Goodson and Gooch.