Tag: U.S. Soccer

I know it is college football Saturday, and the NFL will take center stage on Sunday, but right smack in the middle of the two, Team U.S.A. will play in a hostile environment in Honduras at 10PM EST to see if they can qualify for the 2010 World Cup. This one is a game where I just hope we come away with some points; that would be a victory for this U.S. squad. In soccer, there is no shame in a tie.

Go USA!

Thanks to a little luck, Team USA now sits at the top of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying table. The luck? First, the US managed to win an away game against T&T. I would have expected it to be easier, but a win is still worth 3 points, even if the win is not all that pretty. Second, last night El Salvador beat Costa Rica 1-0, and Mexico beat Honduras 1-0, both of these were good results for the US.

I only got to see the final 20 minutes of the Trinidad & Tobago game, and I think lackluster sums it up pretty well.

The Americans probably won’t spend much time thinking about the negatives from their 1-0 victory against Trinidad & Tobago on Wednesday night, not when the three points helped them move into first place in the skin-tight CONCACAF qualifying standings. However, at some point they need to look at the match and think about why they struggled yet again to dispose of one of the weaker teams in the qualifying group.

It all comes down to a month from now when the US travels to Honduras (October 10), and then plays host to Costa Rica (October 14). I never would have thought the US would struggle to qualify for the World Cup, but such is the state of American soccer, which is bitterly disappointing.

I am not getting to watch the match tonight; at least not the first half. Just checked in and much to my surprise the game was nil-nil at the half.

This is really a must win game for the U.S. I hope they do not fart around and let this one slip away.

Jozy Altidore went from the MLS to the Spanish league for a good $10 million, and now he is going to Hull City of the English Premier League.

The 19-year-old forward has agreed to join Hull on loan this season. He has limited experience at top-level European soccer, but was impressive in helping the United States reach the Confederations Cup final in South Africa in June.

In some ways I want to say “good for Altidore” then again I also wish our best talent would stay at home and make the MLS great. The reality is that it is probably good for our young and upcoming stars to get experience against the top competition. I wish Altidore the best, and now have a new favorite Premier League club.

In other U.S. soccer news, the National team for the August 12 face off against Mexico has been set.

With a lifetime record of 0-22-1 in Mexico and currently in second place of final-round qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the U.S. looks to pick up points on the road to start the second half of the hexagonal after posting a 3-1-1 record through five games. Mexico sits in fourth place in the group with a 2-3-0 record. The top three teams automatically advance to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, while the fourth-place team will participate in a two-leg playoff against the fifth-place team from South America.

I had no idea we sucked so bad on Mexican soil. We need to at least bring home a draw.

As they were getting ready to start the second half, I told my boys that the first five minutes and the final ten (if we were still in front) were going to be a nightmare. Sure enough, we did it again. Another quick goal; this time in the first minute of the second half!

The U.S. never looked the same again. Sure, there were a few quality opportunities, but for the most part they seemed to sit back and watch Brazil, until it was too late, and then they seemed like they were too winded to hold a solid defensive line.

It is hard for me to be disappointed at a 3-2 loss to Brazil. The U.S. should not have even been playing, much less taking a 2-0 lead into the half. I am not sure how often FIFA tournament finals opportunities come around; this was a first for Team USA, hopefully it is a sign of a building team.

We still lack quality strikers. I just do not get why Davies continues to hold a starting forward position. Maybe it is for the lack of opportunities. In the first half the defensive backs played much better, but it just seems like we lack something. I could be reading it wrong, but I think we need someone that can better connect the defensive backs to the midfielders.

All in all, I am disappointed, but in this loss I see great hope for the future of American soccer, and I see the U.S. making a decent run in the 2010 World Cup, assuming they can get a decent draw. The Confederations Cup has shown this team that they can win against quality opponents, so hopefully the team can build on this foundation. Besides, how often do you get to say that we let one get away against Brazil?

Donovan in the 26th minute. 2-0 USA! I am not believing what I am seeing. 65 and some odd minutes to glory!

The defense is holding its line. Howard is making remarkable saves, and the U.S. is actually attacking. What a great way to spend Sunday afternoon with my boys.

U-S-A! U-S-A!

Hold on baby, hold on!

Ok, 80 more minutes until glory, which is probably too much to ask of this team against Brazil. Inside of 10 minutes, I am feeling a ton of pride!

USA 2 – Spain 0? Wow! Un’fing real. Last week I counted this team dead and done; begged them to show some pride.

… the U.S. is just not that creative, lacks a serious attacking striker. Besides, the defense will let us down at some point in the game with a boneheaded mistake.

At this point I just want to see Team USA not completely embarrass itself against Egypt. I known Italy and Brazil are the best of the best (FIFA #4 and #5 respectively as of June 3), but we should not be out of our league against top competition. Egypt is ranked #40, so this afternoon is a good chance to show if we are going make a decent recovery or if we just want to pack up and go home with our tails tucked between our legs.

I love being proved wrong. While the U.S. may not be the better team, it looks like they were better than Spain today. That is good enough for me, and shows major progress in our soccer program. Happy days! The best part is that I get to watch the finals this Sunday. Tomorrow we will learn if we take on Brazil or South Africa.

A 3 – nil victory over Egypt is hardly a miracle, but man does this one feel good! At the start of the Confederations Cup I said I was expecting a 1-1-1 record; anything else was a bonus. I figured that the US would end up with a tie and a loss in the first two games. I really did not expect the U.S. to advance, and as I wrote this morning, today I was just looking for the National Team to show some pride. They did that and more as they kicked the crap out of Egypt on the way to advancing to the semis this Wednesday against Spain.

Today Team USA was not altogether pretty. The defense continued to be exposed, and the good side turned the ball over too much in the middle of the pitch. The U.S. pounded the ball, and had plenty of quality shots. In the end, the results could have been even better. But why complain about the score?

Thanks to Brazil’s 3-0 spanking of Italy, the US, and their 1-2-0 record advance on tie breakers, despite losing to Italy at the start of the tournament. Who would have guessed?

USA! USA! USA!

Team USA solidified its hold on second in CONCACAF 2010 World Cup qualifying with a nice 2-1 come from behind win over Honduras. Last night was almost a complete disaster, but in the end, the three points brings Team USA within 2 of Costa Rica, and 5 clear of El Salvador.

It looks like the US is on solid ground, but there are some serious issues in front of them. With upcoming Confederations Cup games against Italy, Brazil, and Egypt, I think the US squad is in for some serious disappointment. They really need to get sorted out in a hurry. I would be happy with a draw with Italy, and a win over Egypt, but that may be too optimistic the way the US has played the last couple of games.

But with the Hexagonal now halfway done, there are still plenty of concerns for Bradley. The upcoming Confederations Cup was presumed to be a time where he could fine-tune things against top-notch competition. Yet now there are plenty of questions surrounding the makeup of the U.S. midfield, and with Brian Ching out for “another two or three weeks” with a hamstring injury, the forward situation remains equally unsettled.

The way the U.S. has started its recent matches is also alarming. The Americans have fallen behind early in three of their last four games, and while they’ve been able to secure a win and a draw out of those matches, it’s clear that playing with that kind of fire just can’t continue in the second half of the Hexagonal.

All this soccer talk makes me want to get a new PS3 soccer experience, but it seems like there is never time.

Nice corner from Donovan, and Bocanegra dived in for a beautiful header to pull ahead 2-1. A good 22 minutes left to play. Hope Team USA does not go completely defensive or they will not salvage this victory.

Nice penalty kick to draw even at 1-1 in the 42 minute! Landon Donovan has been serving up great ball after great ball. Thank goodness we have such a talented player on our side to get us even right before the half.

USA! USA! USA!

Un f’ing believable. Not only is Chicago pretty much a home game for Honduras, but Team USA had the indignity of going down 1-0 within the first five minutes.

This time Dempsey made a stupid mistake at midfield, and Honduras quickly capitalized on a quick counter strike. Just like that, Team USA may be done.

I am not sure what it is with this team, but they cannot hold a defensive line, they lack chemistry, and they just look a little bit bewildered at times. Good Lord, I can only hope for a tie.

Not sure how I forgot that the US had a World Cup qualifier last night against Costa Rica, but I am glad I missed the 3-1 loss. Sounds like the US defense was a mess from the start.

Still, the United States remains in good position to qualify for its sixth straight World Cup as long as it wins its remaining home matches, which include games against El Salvador (Sept. 5 at Sandy, Utah) and Costa Rica (Oct. 14 at Washington).

Let’s hope this Saturday vs. Honduras in Chicago proves easier.