Bob Bradley to resign as head coach, Jurgen Klinsmann to replace him

After watching the United States get destroyed by Brazil at the New Meadowlands Stadium, all I can say is it was torture for me to watch the full 90 minutes of the game. Seeing Findley come on the pitch gave me nightmares from the 2010 World Cup.  The only positive out of that game was probably the right post (that prevented about 10 goals for Brazil) and Brad Guzan (who somehow, along with the woodwork kept a clean sheet in the second half). I guess this means we have depth at GK (which has always been a positive for the U.S.) but we need a new coaching staff as this game proves that all the players of 2010 won't work in 2014. Besides, just watching Brazil's youth from this game, does any country have a chance to win it in four years IN Brazil? Let's just gave them the 6th golden star now unless Uruguay shocks the World again (see 1950 World Cup).

I do have some good news which I can confidently report. Sources from the BigSoccer forum and World Soccer Reader have reported that Coach Bob Bradley told his players at the end of the game vs Brazil, he is on his way out the door, and that was the last game he would manage for the Stars and Stripes. I do want to say that Bob Bradley did take US Soccer to places it has never gone before, (finals in the Confederations Cup anyone?) however, he sometimes got stuck with lineups that made even the casual fan go insane, (Robbie Findley, Ricardo Clark? when we practically all begged to see Gomez and Buddle get a shot considering the streaks they were on.) The USA-Brazil game proved that Bradley took the team as far as he could go, and if the United States did the same with Bradley as they did with Arena (another World Cup) it would end disastrous for the yanks in 2014 just like it was in 2006.

The other news from Big Soccer is that Jurgen Klinsmann will replace Bob Bradley. While it is not official yet, they are still "in the talks" and it should be announced he will be the coach within the next few weeks. This is a positive move for US Soccer. While he is not the perfect pick (my dream pick would be David Moyes or Jose Mourinho) we all have to be realistic in that US soccer can't afford a "dream manager" besides, how's Capello working out for England? While the USSF wants an "American Coach" (no nation has won the World Cup with a foreign coach), the manager has lived in the United States for over 12 years, fluent in English, knows soccer here, and he lead Germany to third place in 2006, which his then assistant coach, Joachim Low, did the same as head coach in 2010. I think the United States needs a European Coach for the next cycle. We need the European style of play (just watch German passing), with the never give up, never dive, American attitude.

Do I think Klinsmann wins us the World Cup? Realistically no, (until I'm back on the roller coaster everyone was on watching them play in South Africa) but I expect him to build the team into a Top 10 soccer country, and a superpower for the future. Right now, we are about 16th place in the World, which the 2010 World Cup proved that.

Just watch this segment on what Klinsmann thinks is wrong with US Soccer. He is exactly right:


Bob Bradley showed the World we can compete with the best. Now we need a manager who can show the World we can beat the best every time were on the pitch. He can build us into a World Soccer Powerhouse, which will allow us to possibly win the 2022 World Cup, if we are the host nation.

Jurgen Klinsmann, the next US Soccer Head Coach, hopefully taking the yanks to Brazil in 2014 and making the United States a better soccer nation.

Christian N.


Christian is a Philadelphia Native, and is a political & sports columnist for several Newspapers across North America. He is also a season ticket holder of the Philadelphia Union and can be followed on Twitter along with his Website.

Sources: 

1. http://www.thefinalthird.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/jurgen-klinsmann.jpg
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07O6qsZT7lc
3. http://worldsoccerreader.com/2010/08/bob-bradley-set-to-depart-as-us-manager/

Final Reflections on the World Cup 2010

This World Cup will be remembered for many things, as there were a lot of firsts in it. This was the First World Cup hosted in Africa, it's the First time a European Team won outside of Europe, it's the First time a team losing it's First game wins the trophy, and it's the First time Spain has won it all and they truly deserved it.

Having said that, that was one ugly final game. Both teams weren't trying to win, they were trying to hurt the opponent, and they were doing their best Cristiano Ronaldo diving impersonations on the field. I wanted a good match, a we certainly didn't get that which I am disappointed, but, at the end of the day, at least the team that played better, won. 


The best thing on the pitch, was by far British Police Officer and the Referee of the Match, Howard Webb. He was also far from perfect too. My opinion as a neutral, was he did the best he could and I feel bad for him. He probably gave more cards in this game than traffic citations in his career as a cop. More than double of cards were handed out in this match than the previous World Cup Final record. The sad part is each was card was definitely deserved, in fact he should have given more cards. You can tell he didn't want to send anyone off early to try to make this a fair match. He tried to keep the players under control, but, the players wouldn't listen so he finally had to send off Dutch defender, Johnny Heitinga. Nigel De Jong should have been sent off too for the karate kick to the Spanish player Xabi Alonso, but was only given a yellow card early in the first half. At least FIFA gave this game to the best referee in the World, because if it was any other ref from this World Cup, you probably would have had players seriously injured and a bloody final that would determine the Mixed Martial Arts Champions for the next four years.

What I also learned is that I should have trusted Paul the Octopus in my prediction. The only two things that went undefeated in this World Cup was New Zealand (0-0-3, placing third in their group, ahead of previous champions Italy, but failing to advance) and Paul the Octopus (8-0-0), not even Spain can match his record.

Paul has announced, after going flawless in this World Cup, that he has retired from International Competition and will return to his aquatic life in Germany with a World Cup Trophy in his tank.

I can also report from sources I have in Germany (who goes by the name of Joe), that Paul actually pulled a mussel which won't allow him to guess in future games. We will all miss his talents in the future and it's a shame we won't be able to see him play in the next cycle, but I can't blame him for going out in style.

Speaking of the next cycle, check back often for more World Cup coverage, because the journey to Brazil in 2014 begins tomorrow.

Christian N.


Sources:

1. http://www.thatsfamous.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/spain.jpg
2. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/10604336.stm

A Final for the Books

Once again, I'm starting my post with an apology. I've been a counselor at a sleepaway summer camp with limited connection to technology during this whole month or so, and most would notice that the blog has been suffering. I was able to watch the U.S. fall to Ghana(with a stroke of misfortune, I may add), and highlights for every other game, and I plan on watching every game when I get home. The good news for me is that I will be able to watch the Final tomorrow, and I assure you, it will be a Final for the history books.
Coming into the tournament, I knew that the Netherlands had a definite chance of maybe sneaking into the semifinals, maybe even the finals. Okay, I actually predicted them to win in the only bracket that I filled out (), but who's counting?(I am!)I knew that the Netherlands would come in with the attacking mindset, and attack they did, scoring at least 2 goals in every game except against the Japanese. Now critics would be quick to note that the teams they have played so far aren't exactly known for their defending. In my opinion, Brazil was the best defensive team they played and they still dropped 2 goals on the world's theoretically best team and confused them all game long. With an all-star cast featuring Van Persie, Van Bommel, Robben, Kuyt, Huntelaar, Sneijder, etc., the Dutch will try to control Spain through the midfield and feed the ball to its strikers using quick passing to throw the Spanish off guard like they did to Brazil. The only place I can see a problem arising for the Netherlands is in the back. Granted, they have allowed a total of 3 goals in 5 games, but goalie Sander Boschker is a replacement for highly acclaimed Edwin Van der Sar, and he may break down under such high pressure. If the Spanish can break the Dutch defense early, this game may be over quickly. But if the Netherlands can continue what they have been doing, which has led to a pretty impressive 25 game win streak, the Netherlands will win.
Speaking of the Spanish, it would be hard to say that the Spanish are going to lose this game. Every aspect of their game is impeccable, and as Miroslav Klose put it, "They have been playing together for several years, they are very cohesive, their moves come automatically,". The Spanish reflect the pace and fluidity of La Liga in their national team, and it shows. The world's #2 has been tearing through the World Cup, taking out Germany in the semi-finals. That's the same German team who dropped 4 goals on both England and Argentina. Spain not only managed to contain Germany's nasty attack, but they outclassed them through the midfield and generally made Germany look silly all game long. That's hard to do, and if anything, it shows just how good Spain is. I could go through the list of all of Spain's amazing players, Puyol, Villa, Xavi to name a few. Or, I could tell you that Fernando Torres, widely considered to be one of the best players in the EPL, didn't start for them against Germany. That's how you know that a team has class. Both teams are going to look to control the game through the midfield, only one of them will. It may come down to a lucky goal, or one team may dominate the other. It may come down to penalty kicks(I hope not), it may be a beauty in extra time that puts the game away. However, any way that the game ends, it should be a majestic thriller, every Final is a game for the ages, let's hope for excitement that doesn't involve making soccer look like MMA(headbutts, anyone?). Anyways, it will be a night of firsts, and one of those will be the first World Cup victory for either Spain or Netherlands. I'm defying the Octopus:
Netherlands 2- Spain 1(OT)

Paul the Octopus vs Mani the Parakeet: Spain vs Netherlands

On Wednesday, I wrote an article talking about how Paul the Octopus has been the best story in this World Cup, and that he should be allowed to pick the World Cup Finals. Well, the oracle has spoken, and predicted Spain will defeat the Dutch for the championship, and that the Germans will defeat Uruguay for third place.

Out of nowhere, a new oracle arrives to the scene, Mani the Parakeet. The owner of Mani, claims that Mani has predicted every quarterfinals game correctly, and Spain over Germany in the Semi-finals, but, predicted Netherlands-Uruguay game incorrectly. So Mani is not perfect in this World Cup.

I'm not sure who to trust here. Paul has predicted every German game correctly so far (and there is evidence of it) but has not been tested on game not having the Germans play in it. Mani, has no evidence of predicting the quarterfinals games, but give the parakeet the benefit of the doubt. So this means the bird can predict games excluding his favorite team.

If I had to say which one of these "oracles" to trust, I would say Paul the Octopus, hands down, but I wish he was tested outside of a German World Cup game. I'm sure Mike, the other contributer to this blog, and soccer "expert" could go into vast detail about the Spanish Golden Team of All Stars that could only be compared to the USA Basketball team, taking on a solid Dutch side labeled as a Dark Horse this entire World Cup, a good title to always have going into the Final.

On Sunday, it's sure to be a battle of two European Powerhouses with one finally being able to claim a golden trophy of their own and have a golden star above their logo on their jerseys for the rest of time. It will also be a battle of Oracles, an octopus vs a parakeet to see which one can guess the final game correctly, and possibly become the story of this World Cup as Zidane's headbutt was in 2006.

My prediction: I say Paul but definitely guesses the last German game correctly, and Deutschland will finish in 3rd place. For the Winner, of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, I say.....

win it all. Mani and Paul, will have guessed one game wrong in this World Cup. I hope Paul goes undefeated, but that is my prediction, because Paul only guessed German games before, his luck will run out in Spain vs Netherlands. Now Mike can give real advice on who will win this World Cup based on talent, and style on both teams.

Christian N.


Christian is a Philadelphia Native, and is a political & sports columnist for several Newspapers across North America. He is also a season ticket holder of the Philadelphia Union and can be followed on Twitter along with his Website.

Sources: 

1. http://sports.rediff.com/report/2010/jul/09/football-world-cup-2010-paul-mani-uttam-take.htm
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlands

Paul The Octopus is The Best Story of this World Cup

This World Cup will be remembered for many things. The First World Cup in Africa, the first time the host nation failing to advance out of their group, the first European team winning the World Cup outside of Europe, possibly the first time (Spain) a team winning the World Cup after losing their first game in the group stage, and finally two teams, who have never won the World Cup, (Netherlands, Spain) one can claim they finally made it all the way, and both are powerhouses of Soccer. The Dutch have been dubbed "the best team to never win it all" and they hope that label can go to the coffin on June 12.


There is of course, the controversy as well, such as people dying trying to get to the games, crime way up, transit not being able to meet the demands of the people at these games, corruption, and oh, and how could we forget the worst refereeing in human history in one month's time from USA-Slovenia, USA-Algeria, England-Germany and the list goes on.

The amazing, true story in this World Cup is, Paul the Octopus. This "German Squid" has predicted every game correctly and is 6-0. What they would do (as seen in the picture) is place a treat in two boxes (with the country's flag on the box) and whichever treat he grabbed first would turn out to be the winner of the game. 


He was laughed at when he picked Serbia over Germany after the Germans crushed Australia 4-0, but Paul got the last laugh. When he picked Spain over Germany, Germans held their breath, but this "oracle" was right again, and is now becoming popular all over the World. He hasn't been tested with a soccer game that did not have Germany in it, but let him try to predict the World Cup final, because it seems that you cannot change the "fate" Paul places on the losing team and I think many betting people want to take Paul's "advice" before they go to Vegas.  


Christian N.


Christian is a Philadelphia Native, and is a political & sports columnist for several Newspapers across North America. He is also a season ticket holder of the Philadelphia Union and can be followed on Twitter along with his Website.


Sources: 

1. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/06/paul-the-octopus-stuns-ge_n_636118.html
2. http://publicmb.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/2010-logo.jpg

Game of the Day!: Day 1: South Africa vs. Mexico

Once again, sorry I haven't posted in a while, high school has kept me more than busy, but now I'm here, and the World Cup has started, so I'm happy. After watching the first game, it's safe to say that South Africa is playing much better than their rank would indicate they are. First of all, they played solid defense against an explosive Mexican team who have many strikers that can score at will. When Mexico scored, it wasn't so much a Mexican goal as it was a blown play by the Bafana Bafana defense, if the last defender would've held the line and pushed up, the three Mexican attackers would have been easily offside, and the South African's may have had a stunning 1-0 win over the 17th ranked Mexicans. Unfortunately for South Africa, that last defender did not push up, and Rafa Marquez had a wide open shot from 6 yards out that no international player should miss.

Also, the South African attack was running on all cylinders. Mexico dominated the play for most of the first half, however, the momentum began to swing around the 40' minute, when South Africa had a succession of corner kicks, and the Mexicans were rocking on their heels, although just minutes earlier, the Bafana Bafana had been in serious danger a few times. South Africa then proceeded to have the better of the play for basically the rest of the game. While Mexico kept trying to push the ball through the middle with failed through ball after through ball, South Africa was controlling Mexico's defense with sweet 1-2 passing and sneaky runs that cut through Mexico's defense. South Africa was rewarded when they broke Mexico's defense again, and the Mexican keeper could only stare in horror as the attacker's shot flew off the outside of the post and out of play. Incredibly, Mexico was lucky to have scrapped a point out of this great start for the tournament and the host nation, when almost everyone had the Mexicans as the overwhelming favorites to take 3 points from the match. Mexico may be in danger yet, and South Africa is looking to keep performing as they did in their opener, because if they do the will advance out of their group.

Let's Analyze Groups!: Group A

Hello all, sorry I haven't posted in a month or so, but life can be busy, you know? So on to Group A, a group that I'll label as The Misfits. Here we have the host nation, a subdued Uruguay, a France team who, after reaching the final of the 2006 World Cup, arguably shouldn't have even qualified for this year's tournament, and... Mexico. Let's start with the host nation, South Africa.

Ranked at a less than appeasing 90 by FIFA, South Africa qualified for this year's World Cup by hosting the tournament. The recent FIFA Confederations Cup should be the most recent measure of their form, right? Well, if it does, the team nicknamed the Bafana Bafana are in good shape to at least make it out of the group stage. They advanced out of their group by beating measly Iraq and New Zealand and a loss to the current Kings of Soccer, Spain. However, the semifinal match showed at least South Africa's defensive competence, only conceding to powerhouse Brazil late on a corner. Also, in the 3rd place match, they led Spain at one point before eventually losing to the Spainards. If this performance is any semblance to how S.A. will play in the World Cup, they look to be in solid shape. I predict that they will surprise Mexico and take the #2 spot in Group A, behind France, despite only having won one game total in previous World Cups. Besides, no host nation has ever failed to move past the group stage.

Speaking of France, remember November 18th, last year? Well, I'll refresh your memory. That was the day on which France and Ireland were playing the 2nd leg of a playoff to get into the Cup. Oh, you're starting to remember? Well, then you probably remember Theirry Henry handling the ball inside the box off of a free kick, then crossing the ball to William Gallas who easily headed it into the twine. If the ball hadn't gone into the net, the playoff would've been tied at 1-1, both away goals, and would've gone to overtime, but instead, France advanced over Ireland and caused international uproar not only from soccer commentators, but also from networks like ESPN who could probably care less about soccer and just common people who don't really follow soccer. Replays of the match were called, Henry was blasted, but nothing was changed, and rightfully so, replaying the game or taking away the goal would go directly against the spontaneity that makes soccer the brilliant sport that it is.
Anyways, enough rambling about that incident, let's look at the actual team. France has obviously been a soccer powerhouse these past few years, being led by huge names such as Patrice Evra, Florent Malouda, and their captain... erm... Theirry Henry! In 2006, France reached the finals of the World Cup, where they faced Italy, and lost in Penalties, it was a compelling game that included the infamous "Zidane headbutt". They didn't qualify for the most recent Confederations Cup, and they barely qualified for the Cup this year, yet they're ranked 10 by FIFA, although I do agree with this, since they are a powerhouse. To add, France is one of the few teams with a World Cup victory, (Uruguay, also in Group A, being another) claiming one in 1998, when they defeated Brazil 3-0 in the final. I believe that the qualifying scare will unite the French and vault them to the top of Group A. That, and the fact that any 11 players that they send out to the pitch are the highest of class.

Now, soccer fans, if I asked you who won the first inaugural World Cup, unless you knew the answer off of the top of your head, you'd most likely tell me a country that has been at the top of the soccer ladder throughout its existence, maybe someone like Brazil, or Argentina, maybe England, who popularized the game. I doubt that you'd ever guess the country with the capital of Montevideo, Uruguay, that is. That's right, the inaugural World Cup(the first recognized by FIFA, any way) was held in none other than Uruguay, where the host nation beat the Argentines 4-2 in the Finals. Uruguay also won the Cup in 1950, winning one of the most famous soccer matches ever against host Brazil, 2-1. Enough said about Uruguay's past though, let's talk about their future. Interestingly enough, their FIFA ranking at the moment is 18, although they only qualified for South Africa through a play-off against Costa Rica (2-1 agg.). It's hard to tell how good their form has been recently, other than their Copa America semi-final appearance in 2007. However, their near-miss on qualification(2 teams trailed them by a mere 1 point to get Uruguay's 5th place in the W.C. group qualifying stages), I don't see them making it very far in this tournament. I'll say 4th place and an early exit in the group stages.



Finally, on to Mexico, who in recent times, has been overshadowed in the international soccer community by their northern neighbors, the U.S. Speaking of the U.S. vs. Mexico, Mexico has bested the U.S. in their last two prominent matches, a 2-1 beating in W.C. qualifying and a 5-0 whooping in the finals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, although we have to keep in mind that Mexico was really playing a U.S. C-team. In Mexico's last 4 World Cup appearances, they have made it out of the group stage to the round of 16 and lost there each year. Looking at Mexico's recent form, they didn't qualify for the Confederations Cup and placed 3rd in the 2007 Copa America. They are a strong team, ranked 1 better than Uruguay at 17, but they are also in a strong group, and I don't think they will be able to make it out. I'm predicting a 3rd place finish for the Mexicans and a snapping of their 4 tournament streak of getting to the Round of 16.

To recap, I'll give you how I think the group will play out:
1. France
2. South Africa
3. Mexico
4. Uruguay

Regardless of the results, this group is going to be one of the most intriguing of the tournament, with 3 teams ranked in FIFA's top 20, and the host nation, this group surely will not fail to disappoint.

*Photo sources*
http://www.grasshopperimports.com/market/mexico%20flag.jpg
http://www.ee.adfa.edu.au/staff/hrp/Quiz/capitals/flags/uy1.gif
http://i891.photobucket.com/albums/ac120/alexmoreau/France_flag_300_2.png
http://www.zslic.co.za/mobile/images/south_africa_flag.jpg

The Union's Toughest Opponent is the Union

Four games into the MLS season, and the toughest team the Philadelphia Union has played, is the Philadelphia Union. First game was all Seattle after Stahl was sent off with two yellow cards. The second game, the Union went up 2-0 against their foe DC United only to let the game tie up by stupid mistakes from Orozco and Seitz. Luckily Le Toux could score a hat-trick off of a free kick as the Union would take 3 points at Home vs DC United.

Game 3 vs Toronto FC showed a Philadelphia Union team dominating their opponent. Califf would then make a stupid play which would give him a red card and the team going down to Ten Men. On the free kick, Seitz literally lets the ball slip through his hands and Toronto FC go up a goal. The Union were still the better team even with 10 men, and were able to tie the game by a beautiful cross by Roger Torres to be smashed into the back of the net by Jordan Harvey. Seitz would give up a penalty after missing the ball on a breakaway, allowing De Rosario to score once again, this time on a Penalty Kick. People started to question why Seitz is starting after two huge mistakes, and think Brad Knighton should get a chance between the pipes.

Game 4 vs  the New York Red Bulls showed the Union in control virtually 90% of the game besides the last ten minutes. The stadium appeared to have more Sons of Ben than Red Bull Fans as Le Toux could not score on two golden opportunities in the first half as Seitz made a miraculous save against Juan Pablo Angel. Second half the Red Bulls would be quick to score off of a cross that Seitz should have punched the ball out, instead he hit his teammate. The Union were quick to comeback as Le Toux would score his fourth goal of the season and the game tied 1-1. Once again Orozco would make a stupid play as he would commit hand-ball in the box as he failed to clear it. This would allow Angel to score from a PK and the Red Bulls would go up 2-1. The Union would miss 3 more golden opportunities, as the Red Bulls would capture all three points in the game.

The Philadelphia Union continue to shoot themselves in the foot. This team could be 3-0-1, as they certainly have played that way, but their actual streak is 1-0-3 with two very hard games coming against the LA Galaxy and Real Salt Lake before the return home against FC Dallas at Lincoln Financial Field. There is no clear weakness on this team. They are making stupid mistakes that should never happen in a soccer game. So far the team keeps handing victories to the other side by their own mistakes, which is why the Philadelphia Union's toughest opponent so far this season, has been themselves.

Christian N.

Christian is a Philadelphia native, and political and sports columnist for several newspapers across North America. He is also a Philadelphia Union Season Ticket Holder and can be followed on Twitter and his Website.

The MLS Labor Strike: USA Soccer now in Team USA's hands

I am sitting here, typing this article not only as a disgruntled, would-be fan of the Philadelphia Union, but as a disgruntled fan of USA Soccer. On March 11, just 5 days ago, the MLS players voted in favor of going on strike if a new labor deal isn't reached by March 22, 3 days before the beginning of the MLS season.
Of course, hearing this as a Philadelphia Union season ticket holder, my first reaction was anger, but not anger at the players who voted to strike, anger at USA Soccer. The MLS is already a league with limited support, New York, a city which normally has maximum support for its many sports teams, only puts up an average of 12,229 fans per Red Bulls game, and who knows how many of those are visiting fans capitalizing on the abysmal Red Bull support? I'm aware that the Red Bulls are getting a new stadium this year, I'm just using them as an example of the minimal respect and support the MLS receives.
Now let's put this into perspective. It could be worse, it could be way worse. Imagine if the year was 2011, and not 2010, and imagine that the US hadn't advanced past the group stage in South Africa. Answer me this question: who would care about USA Soccer? You have a failing league that treats its players in a less than favorable way, and you have a failing team that seemingly cannot win when it matters. What would be the inspiration for upcoming kids playing soccer and upcoming MLS and USA Soccer fans to care? Luckily for us, the World Cup is just about 3 months away. If Team USA does well, it's going to make people care about soccer in this country. However, if Team USA does poorly, and the MLS still hasn't reached a deal with its players yet, what would be the point of watching soccer for many Americans? This being said, the fate of USA Soccer right now rests in Team USA's hands, hopefully they won't disappoint.

The Donovan Experiment

Back in 2007, Major League Soccer would sign soccer star David Beckham for a 5 year deal to the Los Angles Galaxy. The league would create new rules as to how players of Beckham's caliber could be signed by any team, and not greatly impact the team's salary cap. Some would say the " Beckham Experiment" has failed because the club has failed to win a championship, and even missed the playoffs in Beckham's first season with the Galaxy.

There would also be a ton of controversy when Beckham said he would like to remain with AC Milan after being loaned to them. Landon Donovon even questioned Beckham's commitment to the Galaxy, MLS, and even soccer in America.

Flash-forward in winter of 2009/2010. Donovan signs a $1,000,000+ contract with the LA Galaxy. Everton FC, one of the most successful clubs in England, suffers many injuries to its roster, and at one point, some feared, the club that has played the most top-flight soccer games in the country, could be relegated. Manager David Moyes would turn to the American Star to help his club in the January transfer window, where they would agree to a loan until mid March.

The "Donovan Experiment" at Everton has been incredibly successful. Since joining the club, the team has won 6 games, lost 3, and tied 1. The club, fans, manager, Donovan, even Americans want to see him stay at Everton, but it appears he will return to Los Angeles unless there is a work stoppage in MLS.

If you were able to watch the match vs Hull City, Landon would come on at about the 70th minute with a 3-1 lead and the entire stadium chanting USA USA USA!. Landon would make a cross to Yakubu, only to see Yakubu's shot go into the stands. Landon would then score a beautiful goal with teammate Phil Neville saying USA USA USA meanwhile the fans chanting "Sign him up!"

Donovan's work in under 20 minutes was not done. What could have been his second goal, Landon would instead pass it to his teammate Rodwell, where the ball would go in the back of the net. Rodwell then picked Landon and carried him to the stands.

I never would have guessed England should be the place the USA team should play its home games because you don't here that passion in the states.

While Beckham must be thinking "what goes around, comes around" everyone is on Donovan's side. Either way, The Beckham-Donovan feud and experiments will be continued in the very near future either in MLS, or the USA/England World Cup Match on June 12.

Either way, expect Donovan to return to Everton, even if he should play in Los Angeles this season, because the Donovan Experiment has worked for the toffees.

Bob Bradley and the Yanks

After watching the United States take on the Netherlands, Bob Bradley has some  issues with the Yanks. There were some positive moments in the game, but I don't know if Bradley is willing to change his coaching philosophy because of them.

The negatives are that if we do not have our A-team healthy and match fit, the United States is probably not going to make it past the group stage. We just don't have the depth on the roster that can comfortably fill some spots in the top 11. The good news is most should be ready with the big question mark on Charlie Davies return. If Charlie cannot make it back, it could be very hard for us to score. My solution would be to place Clint Dempsey up top along with Jozy Altidore, and have Brian Ching on the bench. The yanks (and Bob Bradley) like to play a 4-5-1, which I cannot stand. I fear this is what Bradley will use unless Davies can return, because it fits right into Bob Bradley's bunker mentality. Don't let them score, and pray the one good chance we get in 90 minutes will go in the back of the net. Unfortunately, while our defense isn't horrible, it can't stop many teams outside of CONCACAF for the entire match.

There were some positives coming from the game vs the Dutch. When the U.S. was down 0-2, with about 15 minutes left to play, we actually started to go on the offensive. When we did, we had the #3 team in the World playing on their heels and backpedaling. We would score one goal, and had two other fantastic opportunities. The U.S. could have won the game in the last 15 minutes. If we played like that for the entire 90 minutes, winning would have been within our grasp. We can play good offensive soccer against ANY team in the world, and the Confederations Cup proved that against Egypt and Brazil.

Unfortunately, attacking is not in Bob Bradley's philosophy, and he probably wants to use the 4-5-1, the exact formation Bruce Arena used in 2006, and it did not get us into the round of 16. If Charlie Davies can play, we will use the 4-4-2, which gives me much more hope this team will play with some offense in their mind. The United States is very dangerous on the attack, and if they can play like that before and during the World Cup, I like our chances making the quarter-finals, which is not an easy task.

Christian N.
Christian is a Philadelphia native, and political and sports columnist for several newspapers across North America. He is also a Philadelphia Union Season Ticket Holder and can be followed on Twitter and his Website.

The Big Questions

As the World Cup approaches, I will attempt to examine some of the major questions surrounding the upcoming tournament. So, my big questions are as follows:
Will the U.S. be able to get out of the group stage?

Can the U.S. finally prove that it can play in a tournament that matters?

Will South Africa be able to host the World Cup without a disaster?

Who will be wearing the captain's band for England when June comes around? Rooney? Rio Ferdinand?

Can anybody stop Brazil and Spain? If so, who?

Will England be able to break its recent history of early World Cup departures and failures?

Who will emerge from the Group of Death? (This time around, be very weary of Group G, featuring Brazil, Portugal, the Ivory Coast, and the not-so-threatening North Korea)

Speaking of North Korea, will they score a goal?

Does France deserve to be in this tournament?

Feel free to post up any questions, as I'm sure I'm missing some, and comment on any of the questions. I'll be posting up a response to these questions relatively soon, so stay tuned.

Yanks Abroad: Looking Across the Pond for the World Cup

The one huge difference for the United States in World Cup 2010 compared to 2006 is where the yanks play. In 2006, 12 players on the roster played outside of the United States with 11 players based in MLS and the reserve roster contained all MLS players. Of the 12 players who played overseas in 2006, 4 would return to play in the MLS. 


After a very disappointing result in the World Cup, Bob Bradley would replace Bruce Arena as coach of the team. Despite many criticisms of coach Bradley, the one thing he insisted was players playing in Europe. 


Assuming these player are not injured by June, (which many are at the moment), including what appears to be a miraculous comeback by Charlie Davies after a deadly car crash, here is a look of the potential roster for the team.

Altidore
Davies
Donovan
Clark
Bradley
Dempsey
Spector
Bocanegra
Onyewu
Cherundolo
Howard

Of the starting 11, all play in Europe (Donovan plays for LA Galaxy but is currently loaned to Everton FC and Clark left MLS after the 2009 season). 


Even potential substitutes such as Jermaine Jones, Jay DeMerit, Edgar Castillo, Clarence Goodson, Stuart Holden*, Jose Francisco Torres, and Benny Feilhaber play outside MLS. Our best goalkeepers currently play for Premier side teams such as Howard, Friedel, Hahnemann, and Brad Guzan is a backup behind Brad Friedel. Expect the Yanks to have a roster filled with players who play outside of the United States.


Because of this, the team should perform much better in this World Cup compared to 2006, even though they were ranked 4th in '06 and will be about 16th by the time the World Cup begins in June. While the MLS is young, stable league, that has potential in the future. We simply cannot rely on it for players in huge international competitions.  


Just to compare, the United States came in second place in the 2009 Confederations Cup with a roster similar to stated above. They beat the #1 team in the world Spain in the semi-final, and dominated Brazil in the first half of the final only to blow it in the second half. 


A few weeks later, the roster would be filled with MLS stars in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, a competition of nations in North America. While this team would make the final, their competition was very weak getting there, the only competition coming from Mexico in the Final. The United States would lose 5-0.


MLS players just cant compete on the Worlds Stage, although it is a great league to show the world the potential United States players have, and players can prove their talent to European Clubs. This is why the United States should should continue to look across the pond for their players. If they can compete with the best in club competiton, the Yanks will be able to compete with the best in International competition.


In the next few months, The US team is playing some huge opponents that will provide a great litmus test for the World Cup. Here is their schedule: 

March 3, 2010	U.S. Men vs. Netherlands	2:30 p.m. ET	Amsterdam ArenA Amsterdam, Netherlands	ESPN2 and Galavision
May 25, 2010	U.S. Men vs. Czech Republic	TBD
May 29, 2010	U.S. Men vs. Turkey	2 p.m. ET	Lincoln Financial Field Philadelphia, Pa.	ESPN2 and Galavision

The games in May will probably consist the starting lineup for the World Cup, and since I am from Philadelphia, hopefully I can cheer on the yanks in their final home game before heading off to South Africa.


In order for the United States to improve in international soccer competitions, they need to look towards Europe, not in the MLS, and that is why I predict the Yanks could make it beyond the round of 16 in South Africa.


Christian N.
Christian is a Philadelphia native, and political and sports columnist for several newspapers across North America. He is also a Philadelphia Union Season Ticket Holder and can be followed on Twitter and his Website.


Contact Christian






[*=left MLS after 2009 Season] 

The World Cup is Knocking

It's hard to believe, but believe it. The event that people wait four years for, the event that brings many of the world's nations together on a single, spectacular stage, is coming. It's a wonderful time, a brilliant time, a time in which countries like North and South Korea could be on the same field, and not for a war. It brings in even the most casual of sports fans, and engulfs them in passion for their country. When a nation wins it, it not only gives them bragging rights, it gives them a high sense of nationalism, and God knows we need that right now. I know I'm excited, and you should be too. Because the World Cup is coming in about 4 months, and the beautiful game will surely be played beautifully. Heroes will be made, hearts will be broken, but in the end, soccer will be played, and soccer will unite the world.
As a Philadelphia sports fan, and a U.S. soccer sports fan, I haven't seen much winning of championships in my lifetime.(Disregard the fact that I'm also a Manchester United fan). When the Phillies won the world series in 2008, it was one of the happiest moments in my life, but it would come nowhere close to what I would feel if the U.S. could take home the trophy in South Africa. In this blog, we will exploring all of the stories for the World Cup, as well as posting previews for each group, pre-Cup analysis, and analysis throughout the whole tournament. If you don't want anything to do with the World Cup, then this blog is not for you. However, if you love the World Cup(as you should), then stay tuned, because the World Cup is knocking.