farlieonfootie

For Everyone, Everywhere: Scott on the USWNT's World Cup Triumph

2015-07-10T14:34:00.001-04:00


photo by Nabeel H	via PhotoRee

Scott reflects on a remarkable run:

With the Women's World Cup trophy safely ensconced in team USA's display case, a reflection on the tournament feels in order. I must admit, I was captivated by Team USA's unwavering march to the Final and found myself swept up in the excitement that made that Final the most watched US soccer event in history, men's or women's, drawing more viewers than Game 7 of the World Series or the final games of the NBA Final and Stanley Cup Final. If there was any doubt before that soccer is in America to stay, such thoughts were smashed by the Women’s World Cup Champions.

For me, once I mentally accepted that I was not watching the men's World Cup, and just accepted the differences, I found the whole tournament very enjoyable. It is clear that the women have more time on the ball which often means a more thoughtful progression of play. I subsequently watched the US Men v Honduras and the increased speed of play was very apparent. What I've come to appreciate is that the differences in the women's game make it just that - different - certainly not worse. Exhibit A was the breathtaking Final which was exhilarating to watch as an American soccer fan, regardless of the gender of the players.

Let's hope the US Men learn from the US Women and improve as the Gold Cup tournament progresses because they were also below their best in their opener. The women, of course, did just that - slowly finding their feet in the group stage before changing tactically for the knockout games and seeing it all come together in a dominating performance over reigning World Cup champions Japan. There was a bit of fortune to USA's early goals in the Final but there was no denying their inevitability - from the perfectly executed turf-burning corner delivery to the audacity that saw the game's hero, Carly Lloyd, shoot and score by lobbing the Japanese goalie from midfield. The confidence, awareness and skill needed to score from there is hard to describe to non-soccer watchers. But if I explain that I've only ever seen Wayne Rooney, David Beckham, Luis Suarez and Charlie Adam match such a feat, perhaps that helps with perspective. Truly stunning.

A transformation that began June 8th culminated July 5th in front of a large TV at a 9-year-old girl's birthday party, with adults and children of all ages celebrating the joy and beauty of a game that is for everyone, everywhere. And if the happenings broadcast before me weren't enough for the final shove over the women's international soccer edge, my 9-year-old soccer-loving daughter's rapt attention and celebrations were. I'm all in for Team USA and women's international soccer.

This is farlieonfootie for July 10.

The Final Word: Germany 1 - Argentina 0 (ET)

2014-07-14T09:05:00.000-04:00


photo by Miriam Poppe	via PhotoRee

Scott has some final thoughts about the Final:

Germany didn't look nearly as dangerous as they have in previous games but they did just enough.

I can't help thinking that a healthy DiMaria might have swung this game the other way.

That was a spectacular take and finish by Goetze.

Messi looked so dangerous throughout and it was almost a pity to see him go home empty handed. His last gasp free kick, however, perhaps belied his concentration.

I never thought I would see they day when more Germans were diving than South Americans.

Except for getting the Neuer/Higuain clatter spectacularly wrong, this was a well-officiated game.

I really love how the refs were instructed to hold their cards as the more free-flowing games were very entertaining. Only the Brazil-Colombia game got out of hand.

Is Muller a diver? He sure went down easily a couple of times.

Higuain blew 2 primo chances - the first because it seems he is intimidated by Neuer and couldn't get a 1 on 1 shot even on target and the other because he doesn't seem to understand the concept of offside even when he has a clear view of the last defender.

Manuel Neuer is a studly sweeper-keeper. Did you see him take the throw in!?

Argentina chicks are hot.

Ian Darke is one of the best announcers ever - astute, witty, knowledgeable and gracious. Plus, I feel like I'm playing FIFA Soccer on the Wii when he speaks.

Schweinsteiger looked like the Allstate mayhem guy by the end of the game.

Bottom line - this game could have gone either way but Germany were the better team over the tournament so I suppose it's fitting that they won.

Does Klinsmann get any credit?

This is farlieonfootie for July 14.

The Aftermath: Belgium 2 - USMNT 1 (Continued, Part 3/3)

2014-07-04T08:00:00.000-04:00


photo by U.S. Department of State	via PhotoRee

More analysis of the reasons behind the USMNT's 2-1 loss to Belgium:

Ed: I think the European leagues are better, but I don't think the MLS is a bad training ground. The problem is not training -- that's coming around pretty well in the USA -- it's just that the players aren't that good. Deondre Yedlin is all USA and all MLS, but he's clearly a talent. Landon Donovan was the same. Plus there are lots of guys who didn't make our roster who've been hoofing it in Europe for a while. Eric Lichaj pops to mind.... And how much did Sunderland help Jozy Altidore's game?

Along these lines, please remind me which basketball academy produced LeBron James and Michael Jordan, and how going to college hurt Tim Duncan's game. (My delusional 9 year old has already told me that he was going to go to college first rather than just trying to go pro even though the latter is probably better -- I can only imagine he overheard a Coach Mark diatribe on that one). The idea that we need a European-style academy system for soccer has always seemed a bit silly to me. It's too much along the lines of those people that think they could make the PGA tour if they just trained more as a kid.... Or even the coaches at the Barcelona camps that will train your kid to be as good as Xavi and Iniesta. Come on!

I agree with the line regarding Adrian Peterson, but think that day is already here with guys like Yedlin making the team. When we get to a critical mass with these type of guys we will become dangerous. I would love to see Sergio Ramos try to mark Adrian Peterson (or Yedlin for that matter), or any NFL-level running back or defensive back that decided to play soccer instead. Football youth participation is already down due to concussions; soccer is up due to TV. TV will eventually make the difference, though for some reason I think the journey will be more fun than the destination in this case. There's a certain charm to being an underdog that you don't get when you're expected to win. Plus I want my kids to get playing time before all the elite athletes jump in!

Mark: The target striker issue that B* mentioned is dead on. With as many quality defenders and even midfielders (albeit defensive ones) that we have produced, we can't seem to find one good target striker out of 25 million soccer players. That's kind of nuts. In our history there has only been one true US target player that has ever played in one of the four major leagues (Brian McBride). He wasn't sensational, but he did the job even at the Premier League level. Not being able to win a ball at the forward spot was as big as issue yesterday as not having the precision playmaker.

Altidore is probably the closest thing to a target player, but he's only a hair above six feet tall and is of average pace, when most countries have a 6'2 or 6'3 guy or a guy who's just really strong and fast. Altidore has not been able to crack the Premier League yet which tells you where our best stands.

A Terrance Boyd/Altidore progression might get us there, but there are not many target choices out there at any level of US soccer. Was really surprised Boyd or Eddie Johnson didn't come as they give us at least so backup combination of size and speed up front.

On another note, the MLS is creeping up the ranks. I believe it had 37 players in the world cup which was behind The Bundesliga, English, French League, Italian and Spanish but ahead of Holland which is considered a pretty good league. The new $90 million dollar TV contract will raise level of play another notch.

The problem is also the kind of players we have. We have six holding mids, six defenders, six goalies, two second forwards (one of whom we didn't bring), one target guy, zero attacking mids and no wings. That's a really imbalanced lineup.

Another concern is how few field players we have in the four big leagues. Five years ago, we had Bradley, Dempsey, Gooch, Bocanegra, Cherundolo, Beasley, Donovan (part time), and McBride plus three goalies playing and having some success overseas.

In this cup we had Geoff Cameron, Fabian Johnson and two goalies that are playing big time soccer. That's not headed in the right direction. I think it's temporary as there are two dozen under 21 American's playing on various reserve teams, but we are in the middle of a bit of a talent lull between what was our "Silver Age" (can't quite call it Gold) of American soccer (the Dempsey, Donovan, Beasley, McBride, Cherundolo era) and the next generation.

Let's pray the next generation has a target man. (None really on the horizon right now)

Mark; I think we all agree that Reggie Bush, even if he started the game at age 12, would have been a handful. And if Dwyane Wade had picked up soccer at age 13 he'd still be our starting center back right now. And I think you could probably put LeBron James in the penalty area right now and he'd win more head balls than any player in US soccer. So sad, but they'll eventually see the light.

Scott: Altidore developed in Holland. And just because some Americans don't make it overseas doesn't mean that right now that's not the best way for our best players to improve.

We all agree that as our super athletes go to soccer more and more our team will improve. But until MLS is up to snuff, we won't be able to compete if those athletes aren't playing against the better competition. I'm not saying it's about training - I think we have good training. I'm saying that who you play against day in and day out makes a big difference when you get to a tournament. It is no different than your A team only playing against your B team all year and then going to a tournament and playing in the premier division.

MLS will catch up (look how far it has come already) but until it does, it won't produce the number of quality players we need, only those few who excel despite, not because of it.

This is farlieonfootie for July 4.

The Aftermath: Belgium 2 - USMNT 1 (Continued, Part 2/3)

2014-07-03T11:44:00.003-04:00


photo by robert.melok	via PhotoRee

Mark: When you look at it from a shots-on-goal standpoint it's easy to be dark. We spent most of the tourney on the wrong end of a shooting gallery. But that happens when you are playing counter attacking soccer. The problem was we left the only good counter attacking player in the country at home. I don't think green was the answer although he had a big play. I think we did "ok" but I think it was in spite of our coaching not because of it. My coach rank for Cups is Bruce Arena, Bora Milutinovic followed by a tie with Bob Bradley and Klinsmann, and Steve Sampson is a distant last.

B* (Name changed to protect the innocent): I agree. No one will ever be able to convince me that Klinsmann does not regret his choice to exclude Landon Donovan. More specifically, I believe that regret flashed brightly in front of him when Chris Wondolowski missed from point blank, as Donovan buries that goal. US soccer is heading in the right direction, but we need goal scorers in a major way.

Scott: I'm still sick about the whole thing. Wondo was put in the game for exactly that reason. Feel bad for him.

I'm probably too much of an optimist, but I disagree with Mark about Klinsmann's ranking and I think he is dragging US soccer forward. The problem is, we all want it to happen faster than it is. We are light years away from 1990 and 1994, and we will only continue to improve. Just look at where our expectations are now and how disappointed we are when we get knocked out. I wish there were a way we could do it every year, because we improve every cycle and, mark my words, in another 20 years USA will be among those teams that can actually win the whole thing. Granted, I said something similar after 1994 - it's just happening slowly....

I have to agree with the comment about MLS. For us to do significantly better before 20 years from now, we need more players playing in top leagues. MLS will catch up one day (or at least close the gap enough) but until that happens it doesn't give our national team players what they need, with few exceptions.

We said all along that we would need to play our best and then get lucky to go very deep in this tournament. Well, we got lucky against Ghana and then Belgium for 90 minutes, but only Tim Howard played his best so we got bounced. And yet, it was still there for the taking with Wondo's miss and when we had them pinned to the ropes for the last 10 min of extra time.

Searching for the good, I point at those last 10 min. Quite frankly, I think it is more amazing that we didn't score during that time.

I agree with the Michael Bradley positioning comments and that we lacked the attacking center-mid we needed to link play. I'm still positive about Bradley going forward.

Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler were pretty solid and DeMarcus Beasley, remarkably, was as well. I was disappointed in Graham Zusi and Alejandro Bedoya and also a little in Clint Dempsey. Even with Thibault Courtois rushing out, I think he could have done better with that planned free kick.

At the end of the day, it's not like we were going to win the whole thing so at least now I can get a little more work done.

B*: All good observations. I like Klinsmann, and really liked our play for about 70 minutes in the Portugal game where we controlled possession. What I don't like is the lack of strikers, true offensive strikers, that plagues our team. That deficiency is what made the Donovan omission so startling to me. Donovan has the opportunity that Wondolowski had in the 91st minute to win and he buries it. Given we did not have Jozy Altidore, we were a bit doomed offensively as eventually Zusi and crew would play more to their normal human levels as opposed to the games of their life that they played against Ghana and Portugal.

Bottom line, with Howard's superhuman efforts we had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation, Jones executed a killer header and Wondolowski couldn't even put the ball on frame. If the US seriously wants to contend, we need goal hounds, and this team lacked that element. Great run, we turned heads, but with the athletes that we have we should be in the quarters every year. US Soccer needs to start a campaign that focuses on how bad concussions are in the NFL and get some of those guys into soccer. If Adrian Peterson played soccer, or Reggie Bush, lights out! GO USA!

This is farlieonfootie for July 3.

The Aftermath: Belgium 2 - USMNT 1 (Part 1)

2014-07-02T16:14:00.000-04:00

The inter-office debate rages on:

Mark: Well that was a heart breaker. My random thoughts: we are back at 1994 watching "Bora Ball" and the all-heart team try to dodge twenty shots and then steal the game with a goal. That wasn't the style Klinsmann was supposed to bring in. This was a great exhibition of heart, but we got outshot and outpossessed dramatically in three of the four games. There could have been some very lopsided losses in this Cup for us.

Ed: That's a step too far< I think. Klinsi didn't promise possession, just more attacking soccer. And when we got the ball we did attack in numbers. Plus there was no team that played a tougher four opponents. But no, we are not as technically gifted as Belgium's golden generation or Germany. But we were surprisingly close to Portugal on that regard.

Mark: Michael Bradley is the toughest player to ever play for the US national team, but should never play another game as an attacking midfielder. Klinsmann really did a poor job of casting him.

Ed: Completely agree. He never looked better than when he orchestrated from the holding position in extra time. I was reminded how solid he is back there where he should be. He simply doesn't have the speed or creativity or desire to take on players and space in the attack. Dempsey does, and dempsey also looked better when he returned to the number 10 spot.

Mark: Jermaine Jones is a beast, but like Bradley was expected to carry the team offensively and he just does not have the distribution ability.

Ed: Agreed again! A tough holder who makes for a great spine. Guys like that thrive on the premier league and his muscle made us better. But destroyers are never also creators.

Mark: Kyle Beckerman is a tremendous position player, and we missed him today. The middle was far more open without him in there. Belgium had far more opportunities than German which is a stronger side. Was shocked he got pulled.

Ed: Can't say, really. Cameron made Fellaini look pretty ineffective. But Beckerman had a good tourney for a slow dude with big hair.

Mark: Why does it seem like we switch formations every game in the World Cup under Klinsmann?

Ed: I think that's called tactics and I'm okay with it. The Dutch switched their formation at halftime against Mexico and it paid off, we can switch game to game if we have too.

Mark: It's hard for me to believe that Bedoya, Davis and Zusi are the best three wings we have in the American system. The guys who created all of our chances were by no coincidence the fast guys on the team (Johnson, Yedlin, Beasley). If you are not that skilled at least be super athletic. Our three outside backs had far more 1 v 1 ability than our three wings did. That can't happen.

Ed: I take exception to Zusi as I think he's proved his value on qualifiers and MLS. But no, he doesn't yet make the Belgian or German team, but that's a bit of a tough ask.

Mark: The post script to that is how could you leave Eddie Johnson, and Donovan off a team that clearly had speed (and strength) issues up top and on the wings. Now that the cup is over, I can re-affirm there is no way their omission did not hurt our chances.

Ed: Donovan yes. Finishing is kind of key and he does that. He's also clutch. He's also...wait, we've been down this road before I think.

Mark: Omar Gonzalez is an absolute beast. Has been for a long time in the MLS and its great to see it on the world stage. Besler is tremendously savvy and really solid. He got physically overpowered by a beast forward today (we need one of those).

Ed: Both are excellent. Besley stumbled clumsily more than being overpowered. It happens after playing so many minutes. We have two good central defenders - don't remember many USA teams with that. K deserves credit for defensive organization as well.

Mark: Love what Deondre Yedlin brings to the table.

Ed: The question is always asked as to what the USA is on order to develop out style. What we are is a country of super fast and athletic guys. See, e.g., the nba and nfl. Few guys in Europe match that kind if freakish athleticism. Yedlin's biggest problem was that he didn't realize how good he was. I think he could have taken on and busted by defenders more often.

Mark: The commentator was talking about the continued US lack of technical skill (which in my mind was a clear regression from previous years), but the US also has to bring better athletes to the table. In a country as large as ours, it's hard to believe that we can't find a guy who is 6'2 and can run as a striker. Altidore is the closest thing we have to a target man and he's only 6'1 and isn't that fast. The athletic domination of Belgium's back line over our players up top was striking. Jermaine Jones was the only player up top who could even compete for a head ball.

Ed: We lack technical skills compared to Germany and Belgium, but was it so obvious against Portugal? Regression? Sorry, Claudio Reyna and Ernie Stewart don't make it out of that group. We are better just not in the top tier....yet.

Mark: Going forward Klinsmann can't go with three defensive midfielders. It doesn't matter how good you defend, if you can't hold the ball you'll eventually get beat. And we can't hold the ball. The bad passes from the Bradley, Jones, Cameron trio was well over a dozen. It's hard to win when you turn over that many possession unnecessarily. They are all very good at what they do, but they all have the same skill set and they can't be on the field together.

Ed: Agreed and awful. I think largely a result of Bradley not a proper no 10. We had no depth (second principle of attack) because he can't penetrate (fourth and most important principle of attack).

Mark: Fabian Johnson need to become a wing on this team, and Yedlin can take the right back spot. Maybe in four years with Green on the left and Johnson on the right we'll have an attack again.

Ed: Four years from now is forever. I expect some new 20 something to fill a lot of the roster. And remember, while I was dead wrong about Beasley - a guy who had a heck if a tourney -- he's going to be as old as you are now by the next World Cup so I would think left back us our biggest priority.

Mark: We have a nice looking backline for the next cup with only the left back spot open. John Brooks is just a kid. He might fight his way into the mix. Chandler is quality depth, and did not even play this cup.

Ed: Agreed.

Mark: We'll certainly have better wing play than the horrible cast we put together this year. Green and Johnson would be the obvious front runners.

Ed: Green looked very good on the ball, never mind his goal.

Mark: Bradley will move back to defensive mid for the next cup, and Cameron might settle in next to him. Bradley is a ferocious competitor and a great anchor to the team as a veteran. Love his leadership.

Ed: For as much hate he got from the press and fans, when players on his team didn't know what to do with the ball they gave it to him. He's our schweinsteiger, another guy who shouldn't play no 10.

Mark: The huge question is who takes over as the playmaker and up top. I have to think Dempsey is likely done or at least a sub in the next cup. The Striker from Austria probably is in the mix up top and we need somebody with a big body like him. There are a couple young latin strikers floating around the system that are raising eyebrows. I have to think sooner or later one arrives. I am not sold on Altidore mainly because of his injuries and playing time issues. He's not getting younger, either. (hard to believe I am saying that. How time flies.)

Ed: Green perhaps? These careers are too short. Dempsey never really got to show everything he had in the position he was forced to play. I miss him and his awesome name and his disgruntled attitude already.

Mark: As the playmaker I'd look out for Louis Gil, maybe Diego Fagundez who is a 20 year prodigy that plays for New England, or maybe even Notre Dame's Harry Shipp who will likely be MLS rookie for the year. There are a couple other dangerous players out there. There is a center mid on the Fulham reserve team who is starting and will be 21 next cup. Little young, but worth keeping an eye on.

Ed: No comment.

Mark: Overall I think this cup was a success considering we decided to end the Landon Donovan era a little early. There was certainly nothing dull about it. It became the transition cup rather than next cup being the transition cup. There is a lot to like about our ability to breed quality defenders and defensive mids, and there is a whole crop of young talent on reserve teams in Germany, England, Mexico and MLS that should show up in the void created by the departures of Dempsey, Donovan, and every backup striker or wing currently on the team. From a talent standpoint, I have to think we'll have more to work with next cup. The Donovan Dempsey combo was special. It was a quick ten years, but will all the kids playing this sport, someone is going to step up and be better than them.

Ed: Agreed! Now I'm crying again like at the end of the game. How am I going to watch the rest of this World Cup without my U S of A?!?

This is farlieonfootie for July 2.

Impossible is Nothing: Germany 1 - USMNT 0

2014-06-26T19:53:00.001-04:00

Coach Mark and Correspondent Ed weigh in on the USMNT's advancing through the Group of Death to the Round of 16:

Mark:

So we backed into the next round. There is no sport in the world that can bring you that anti-climatic feeling like soccer. We lost, and we won at the same time. Muted high fives everywhere.

You got to like the competitiveness of this team. The team has the personality of Jermaine Jones, Michael Bradley and Kyle Beckerman, which is 100% scrappy hustle. Unfortunately it also has their offensive skill set.

Bradley has looked like a defensive mid pretending to be an attacking mid the whole tournament. Jones ended up playing target man part of the game because he's the only player on our offense who has the physical strength to compete for balls with a player on his back. We had a terrible time controlling the ball in our midfield to come into the attack.

I think Clint Dempsey's doing a good job faking the striker position. He's not fast enough to go by anybody, and not strong enough to play target, but he's got such a great feel getting in good spots and is the only guy with any precision on the team so he can survive.

I thought Omar Gonzalez was terrific today. Horribly tough spot to be put into, but he was a beast in the air, and showed a faster recovery step than Geoff Cameron. I think Cameron had a terrible game the other day, but he's a player. I would not mind seeing him sub into the defensive midfield to end a game. I thought it was kind of lousy that he got pulled after such a rough game when he was so solid during qualifying, but Gonzalez justified the decision, at least for today.

This team's Achilles' Heel is a complete lack of speed and precision on the offensive side. Dempsey and Graham Zusi (who I thought was very good today) are the only two offensive creators who have any precision on the final pass or shot. But neither of those two guys has the speed to threaten vertically.

Bradley's been just awful in front of the goal. Bedoya is basically an invisible player, and plays like a third outside fullback with a hustle-only game and Brad Davis showed why he got passed over three times for World Cups when he was in his prime. He's too slow and not tough enough on defense. It was a miracle we survived him today.

Outside of flashes of creation by Zusi, we got nothing from our wing players. When you look at the Achilles' Heel of the team, no attacking speed, and no precision in the final third either with the pinpoint pass or the pinpoint shot, it's all the more remarkable that Klinnsman left Donovan behind. I don't think Donovan would have missed the open netter that Bradley had last game, or the almost open netter that Bedoya slammed into two oncoming defenders rather than burying into the left corner. Donovan would have been on the end of at least one of those, maybe both, and we'd be feeling great about things going into the tourney. It's pretty clear Donovan got left behind for Julian Green, who is not going to play in this Cup, and was given a spot to secure his commitment to US soccer. That's kinda nuts.

I like this team's personality and chemistry a lot, and their defense has been much better than I thought it would be. Maybe leaving Donovan behind helped in those two categories. But every time we fail to connect in the counter attack on open passes, or missed these open netters, I think of Donovan.

P.S. Demarcus Beasley has survived three games without giving up a goal. That's a record for US left back.

P.S.S. I forgot about Zusi's two blown corner kicks. Those were awful. I'd like to retract my positive comments on his performance. That's another spot where I'd like to have had Donovan.

MLS Soccer's blogger had analysis of the omission in his game rankings. "Toothless wide performances" is a more elegant a description than I gave.

"On the down side, it was quite frustrating to watch the US neglect to run at Benedickt Höwedes after he went into the book early. After another pair of toothless wide performances with the ball (and Julian Green still unused), one also cannot help but think the team is doing this all the harder way without Landon Donovan. Grimace or gripe if you will, but his strange absence is still a valid issue."

Ed Responds:

I agree w most of what you said. Unfortunately, it's not just speed, it's overall "goodness". The 4-1-4-1 today put too much pressure defensively (and offensively in possession) on Beckerman, who's too slow to be Paul Scholes and not skilled enough, either. Fabian Johnson was great last game and absent today offensively and I'm not sure why. Donovan and not Bradley is a better fit for the no 10 position. I also want more of Yedlin out there. He's not great, but he's crazy fast. We have three holders, two of which are clones of each other. That said, you need to rest guys this tournament, so I liked the different guys out there even if they didn't perform. I would have liked to see Mix Diskerud get a turn to rest Beckerman.

This is farlieonfootie for June 26.

Chile Con Carnage: Footballing Thoughts on England and the USMNT

2013-11-20T06:07:00.001-05:00

Photo by gkdavie on Flickr

Ed is not optimistic about Brazil:

Watching England battle Chile was sad at first. They just don't seem to have the players. Big guys with strong arms against small guys with quickness and footwork. Not a fair fight. Chile's players just seemed better at the sport, and ended up dominating in a 2 to 0 win that the English tabloids described as "Chile Con Carnage." Even Wayne Rooney, who looked the most dangerous of England's players, seemed a distant second to Alexis Sanchez. Sanchez had everything and reminded of a smaller but no less dangerous Sergio Aguero. I've never seen much of Sanchez on Barcelona -- it always seems that Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta outshine him. But perhaps it's more a question of there being only one ball, because even against Brazil last night he seemed the most dangerous and effective player on the pitch.

So is England really that bad? No, but they're not that good, either. Ultimately, England doesn't have too many players that can just beat you with the ball in the final third. While there are poachers and strikers that can beat you without -- Robert Lewandowski and Robin Van Persie come to mind -- those that can just run at players make an enormous difference. See, for example, Luis Suarez, Aguero, and of course Messi. England's best at this is the newcomer Andros Townsend. And perhaps there's Theo Walcott, whose speed makes up for his lack of skill and allows him to get past defenders.

What about the USA? Well, more of the same problem. Sadly, I still think we are more or less a dumbed down version of England. This isn't so bad and is much better than it used to be. But in the game against Scotland the team really struggled with creativity in passing, and until Breck Shea and his ridiculous haircut came onto the field no one seemed dangerous or able to beat anyone. A great coaching instructor commented that he believed that every country had a style of play, and for the USA it had to do with our conditioning. Even at the very end of a long game against Angola game four years ago Landon Donovan was able to make a 70 yard run at full sprint and finish a goal. But I'm not so sure of that. I think we're still finding our style. And I expect the US style to be something that contains a little bit of every other element, except our players are going to be bigger and faster than yours.

Wait, did you catch that bit about great coaching instructors? I hope so, because I finally took the time to pick up my first coaching license, courtesy of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. And yes, the instructors were outstanding. Their ability to teach and to instruct how to teach was humbling. They were all Americans, and it was clear that we were getting the very smallest bit of their knowledge in the two days of training. It was interesting that while they were sculpting their students, their styles and methods also seemed to be entirely open to style, as if they wanted us to find our own. They knew the history of the game in America and abroad. They were out of shape, had old school ACL scars, were unmarried, and generally completely devoted and focused solely on what they did. Perhaps most importantly, many of this group of 'A' licensed coaches all focus on youth training, ages 9 to 12. Little kids learning to play. Which means I've never felt better about the future of USA soccer.

This is farlieonfootie for November 20.

My Favorite Uncle Sam

2013-09-12T07:49:00.001-04:00

Ed weighs in on the U.S.'s Cup Clincher:

It was a pleasure to watch the good ol' US of A beat up on Mexico. Apparently there are no Mexicans in Columbus, Ohio, which makes games there seem like home games as opposed to games in other parts of our country. I've never been much of a fan of people who cheer for the team of their country of origin over their country of citizenship. But I guess it's a changing world....

The USA put together a win with many of their B-team in the field. Kyle Beckerman wasn't outstanding but played one of his best games as a pro. Clarence Goodson looked, well, good. Eddie Johnson showed that he was a different level of athlete, and Tim Howard seemed to erase all notions that he isn't the USA number one.

The first thirty minutes of the game Mexico poured it on and the US players looked terribly mediocre. It seems sometimes that Jermaine Jones takes at least that long for his touch to become something other than wooden. He's a tough enforcer, but I question how effective he is in light of his giveaways, penalties -- another close one in the box -- and yellow cards. Sometimes I think all of the US players, with the exception of maybe Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey, need more Coerver drills.

I can't say I started out as the biggest fan of US Coach Jurgen Klinsmann, but he has delivered and brought many new players into the mix. I think he has more talent than coaches prior to him, but he also has the team playing with enthusiasm rather than scared. Ultimately the test will be the World Cup and how well he does. But this start couldn't be better and for that he deserves lots of credit.

A question I have for Klinsmann is US soccer in general. Perhaps that's not truly his purview, but I would welcome more input and direction from him on the style and training of American youth. What should we be looking for in players? And how best can we develop them? I've never believed academies are the only way to train kids in youth sports -- basketball seems to do just fine without them -- but I am curious as to other ways that the system could be modified.

Right now the USA team has quite a few players that are playing or could play top division soccer throughout the world. This says lots for the distance we've travelled. The journey is incomplete, but I think we've reached a point where each year will be better than the last, if not in result then at least in personnel.

A final thought on Mexico. I frankly don't think it's the coach, I think the talent isn't as good as people believe and the other teams of the world have gotten better. Other than Chicharito, a guy who doesn't seem to see the field that much any more for United, Mexico lacks top tier talent right now. Bill Parcells used to say "you are what your record says you are." For Mexico, this couldn't be more true.

This is farlieonfootie for September 12.

Golden

2013-08-02T11:42:00.002-04:00


photo by Muffet	via PhotoRee

Scott is always good for some thoughts on the beautiful game, but never more so than when he's writing about the US Men's National Team:

It may be cliché to call USA's Gold Cup championship bittersweet due to Stuart Holden's injury, but clichés persist because of their aptness. When I think about the fact that my disappointment is only a shadow of what that young talent is experiencing, despite the brave words he tweeted, I am crushed. After taking the reins of the US team at the 2009 Gold Cup, the trajectory of his career seemed certain. But a broken leg courtesy of Nigel de Jong followed by a gash and torn ACL courtesy of Johnny Evans led to over 2 years of rehabilitation. He was just getting back into the national team and I believe his performance would have gotten him more looks with the "A" team and, ultimately (in my opinion) a place in Brazil. I am crushed.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, someone who crushed it in the tournament is Landon Donovan. His stats were gaudy as he flitted about looking as if he hadn't taken a single day away from the sport. Just asked Panama's Quintero who was more than just a little shocked when the veteran was able to track down the speedster. Donovan will be in Brazil. And he will be fundamental to our success. Will he start against Costa Rica in Sept? I don't know for sure but I would guess that he will be there but start on the bench. Landon Donovan coming off the bench in the 60th minute would be a scary thing for all in San Jose.

I am guilty, like most people, of not saying anything when officiating is good but chiming in when it is poor. So I'm happy to report that I thought the referee did a very good job in the Final. He certainly did a better job than the semi-final referee who allowed open season with tackles. On the contrary, he reined in players as appropriate, kept his cards in his pocket unless needed, and did a very good job with the advantage rule. Interesting that it was the same guy who officiated the Snow Bowl game between Costa Rica and the US.

I would say that Donovan, Eddie Johnson and Clarence Goodson all made very strong claims to be included on the roster for the next qualifying games. Interesting that it was Freddy Adu who helped Johnson come out of his funk and resume his quality play. Bedoya received lots of praise from the announcers, and did contribute to a couple goals, but had a very heavy touch on many occasions and seems just another year or so away from prime time. I continue to shake my head in disbelief of how effective Beasley is at the back but agree with those who say that he will struggle when he is consistently matched up with the big, fast elite forwards that he will meet in the World Cup.

You know, some people don't like Eric Wynalda as an announcer but I think he does a pretty good job, even if he does seem to emulate Chris Berman at times (e.g. "the AMERICAN Clint Dempsey). I like his enthusiasm, willingness to say what is on his mind and he certainly knows the game - for example, showing how Parkhust's run created the space for the cross that led to the goal. I don't always agree with him or like him, but he makes watchable TV for me. Then again, I liked the Golden Girls, so what do I know?

In closing, a quick word on the Real Madrid v. LA Galaxy game from Thursday night. First, it was interesting how I, a Real Madrid fan, found myself pulling for the MLS team, wanting them to redeem themselves from last year's thumping in a similar fixture and craving for them to earn more respect for the game in the US. In my opinion, they did just that. Even without Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane, the Galaxy not only hung with one of the best teams in the world, but looked dangerous at times. They didn't pack it in and defend, but rather possessed and created. There is no shame in losing 3- 1 to such a team, especially when the Spanish team's third goal was due to a goalkeeping error from the until-then excellent Brian Rowe. And boy did the 19-year-old Jose Villarreal make a statement for continued looks by the US National team. His goal was a thumping left footer from the edge of the area after juking two Real Madrid defenders - world class.

This is farlieonfootie for August 2.

The USMNT Has Some MOMENTUM

2013-07-13T10:51:00.001-04:00


photo by eschipul	via PhotoRee

The tide has turned. It wasn't that long ago (1 year) that people were reporting complaints from the US camp about Jurgen Klinsmann while Mexico was sauntering through their pre-hex group, after winning the Gold Cup for the second consecutive time. But now the US has spanked two minnows and Mexico can't seem to buy or even borrow a goal, going down to Panama in a recent outing. Not that Panama isn't a worthy opponent, it's just that this latest defeat is yet another point on the downward spiral that will inevitably see Chepo ousted.

And what to make of Canada's latest humiliation - a 1-0 defeat to the Caribbean powerhouse known as Martinique? Any time you lose to an overseas territory of France with a fort as its capital, it's time to shift gears. I mean, I know Canada isn't actually as big as the Mercator projection on my map would have you believe, but population does matter and Canada's is 85 times bigger than their islander opponent's. When the pool is that much bigger it should be a cinch to field a better team and win. Must be too much lugeing going on north of our border.

Against Belize, Wondolowski took full advantage of Herculez Gomez' forced rest due to artificial turf by notching a hat trick before half-time. Being in the right place at the right time certainly helped, as did some sloppy defending, but one has to wonder if finally translating his MLS goal-scoring proficiency to the international game will help Wondo to a roster spot in Brazil.

I watched the Belize game in Spanish, which is always fun. The commentators are just like Gus Johnson but with even more enthusiasm and 10 times more knowledge. And you gotta love that they call Torres "El Gringo Torres."

Other things I love are Landon Donovan and Stuart Holden. The former, before being money (as always) on an undeserved penalty, set up the latter, whose composure on the ball is impressive and very welcome, for a goal that will surely boost the returning midfielder's spirits and prospects.

I had to keep reminding myself that this was only Belize as we looked awesome - winning the ball back quickly, defending well, passing well and creating and converting chances.

Maybe it's a trend - we also looked pretty good against Guatemala. My Alpharetta friend, Steve, not even a huge soccer fan unless he is betting on the game, was impressed by Damarcus Beasley's play in that game. Calling the slight defender "My Guy" throughout, Alpharetta Steve liked his explosiveness and commented that "anything can happen" when he gets the ball.

This was also the game that saw Donovan instantly reclaim his spot on the team (in my mind anyway) by scoring twice. Holden also made a late cameo in this game, showing the creativity and tenacity that will see him in the starting 11 come World Cup time.

Clarence Goodson looked solid defensively and surprisingly dangerous going forward. Likewise, Brek Shea, when he came on, needed a minute to get into the game but then provided some nice service and impressed with his speed.

What was not impressive was Nick Rimando's communication and clearing skills. It was evident he needs to let his defenders do the footwork and clear the ball for him because on 3 separate occasions it seemed he called a retreating defender off the ball only to muff the clearance, once very dangerously.

Still after 6 goals in each of the last two games and Cuba on tap next, I like the momentum and USA's current direction.

This is farlieonfootie for July 13.

A Road Map

2013-07-05T16:34:00.001-04:00


photo by thejourney1972 (South America "addicted")	via PhotoRee

Scott sounds off:

Beating Spain 3-0 is one thing. But doing it by completely off-balancing them for large portions of the game (including most of the opening 20 min), by harassing and pressuring high up the pitch and throughout midfield, is really something. Sure, Brazil had some luck - David Luiz' goal-saving slide (how did the ball manage to go over the bar?) and Segio Ramos' missed penalty. Not to mention a first goal that was the antithesis of Joga Bonito. But it takes a little luck to go all the way. After all, Spain was only in the final due to one missed penalty by Italy in the semi-final.

While Spain was beaten convincingly, that is not to say that they were dominated, despite the cacophonous Selecao fans. La Roja was able to take the reins from time to time and create opportunities. They were just less able to do so than normal, due to Brazil's gameplan, and it made all the difference. I'm not sure many teams can pull off what Brazil did but they certainly laid out a roadmap for victory over the defending world champions. And with all due respect to the Bossman, with similar effort and fan support, I think they can do it again in 2014, Confederations Cup Curse notwithstanding.

While I think it is still too early to be sure of Neymar's immediate impact at Barca (fitting into the system, Messi, etc.) there is no denying he has the chops to be the real deal. His goal in the Final was textbook field-awareness, skill and power - shuffling back onside, deft first touch and powerful left-footed strike to the only place that would have beaten Iker Casillas from that angle. I just might have to watch more La Liga next year.

One thing I do have to agree with farlieonfootie on is that Neymar needs to stop the diving and play acting. At a July 4th party in the otherwise void of European football known as Alpharetta, Georgia, I had the pleasure of a short chat with Anders, a 16 year old visiting from Denmark. When mention of the former Santos phenom was inevitably made, my new young friend's first words, after granting the player's talents, were "he's a diver." Out of the mouths of near babes...

This is farlieonfootie for July 5.

Mouthing Off: Belgium 4 - USMNT 2

2013-05-30T15:57:00.001-04:00

Just a few comments on the USA - Belgium game from Correspondent Scott...

What's the deal with Lexi Lalas sounding as if he is in a huge argument every time he comments, daring someone to disagree? Lighten up Big Red. You're wrong sometimes just like the rest of us - like when you insisted Geoff Cameron pushed off on his goal and that the Belgians were up in arms. Neither did he push off (it was a nudge at best in the context of a professional soccer game), nor did the Belgians complain. Just because you don't have anything to say doesn't mean you get to make things up - and try to make us believe it by saying it with a snarl.

And while Taylor Twellman at least called out Lalas a bit on his comment, and made a few insightful observations throughout, his ability to banter and wittingly fill a conversation void falls well short of the mark yet. Ian Darke (who needs his eyes checked if he really thought Romelu Lukaku was offside even with the yellow line on the monitor) must have felt like he was playing verbal pitch and catch with a one-armed two-year-old. Maybe he had a bad night but it was enough to make me wonder what kind of a job Gus Johnson would have done. Yikes.

The display on the field wasn't much better. While the final possession statistic was close to 50/50, and the US did create a few nice chances, Belgium dominated the game more or less from start to finish. Throw in a dash of horrendous defensive lapses and you have a recipe for a 5-1 drubbing. That the score was only 4-2 was due to the magnanimity of the referee who waived off a pretty clear handball on Damarcus Beasley in the box at one end (the hand lingered and was too far away from the body not to call it) but then punished a Belgian defender at the other end when he was struck on his arm tucked firmly into his body.

Aside from the handball, I have to say I was impressed with Damarcus Beasley, and not for the first time recently. I'm ready to officially announce his renaissance. After blazing onto the international stage with success, alongside fellow then 20-year-old Landon Donovan, at the 2002 World Cup, he fell into ignominy soon after when plagued by injuries and trying to fight back to fitness. At the 2006 World Cup every pass he made was either backward or lateral. But here he is 7 years later at the age of 31 in a new position at left back, containing the likes of the physical specimen that is Lukaku and taking on players down the flank. Welcome back, Mr. Beasley. And congratulations on your 100th cap.

In closing, I would be remiss if I didn't comment on the happiness I felt upon seeing Stuart Holden trot out onto the field around the 80th minute. His journey back from that horrific injury has been long, hard and fraught with setbacks. Once the future hope of US soccer, he is back in the shallow end again, even getting playing time with Bolton toward the end of last season. Good luck, Mr. Holden.

This is farlieonfootie for May 31.

He Gets No Respect, I Tell Ya

2012-10-20T07:30:00.000-04:00

Photo by NathanF on Flickr

Full Disclosure: Although Correspondent Scott wrote this piece, Correspondents Mark and Ed unwittingly contributed to it via drunken comments made while watching the USA-Guatemala game on 10/16/2012.

Clint Dempsey led the Premier League in scoring by a midfielder last year; was behind only Robin Van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Kun Aguero in scoring overall; and had previously not only played a pivotal role in saving his then-new team from relegation in 2007, but also went on to be a key to their run to the finals of the Europa League after that. He was rookie of the year in his domestic league before making the jump to the EPL and has become the backbone of his national team. With such a resume, one would think that Clint would be revered, respected and rewarded. Instead it seems he is only begrudgingly acknowledged by the British media and “worth” only a paltry £6 million in a transfer to Tottenham (Liverpool not wanting to pay a dollar more, to their detriment).

So, the question is “Why?” A large sampling of three biased Americans agree that it’s because he is American. Give him a passport of any EU country or an Asian country and he would be heralded as the second coming, a la Shinji Kagawa. But, despite rivaling Chicharito’s jam-packed highlight reel of being in the right place at the right time for a sliding tap-in goal, his stars are overpowered by his stripes which merely serve to imprison him in a confounding and belittling cell of second-rank status. I tell ya’....

If respect were measured by the impact one has on a team, Clint would shine since his previous team has plummeted and his current team has soared. Or if it were measured by that other uncanningly reliable barometer of truth – gambling (or in this case, fantasy soccer) – he would similarly sparkle as everybody wanted the tattooed scoring machine last year. For crying out loud, he deserves at least a modicum of respect for joining the ranks of professional athletes whose insanely hot wives wouldn’t look at them twice were it not for their ability to earn obscene amounts of money making balls succumb to their will.

Yet, despite the attention, deservedly so, that Landon Donovan gets, it’s the tattooed, perpetually sweaty/angry Dempsey who now seems to singlehandedly lift team USA when it needs it most, whether it be via a brace against Guatemala or the three other goals he scored in the latest round of qualifying. He’s a talented warrior - when he steps on the pitch the other team is the enemy and he let’s them know it, from scowls and jawing to shoulder shrugs to the nearest official. Fortunately, he doesn’t go down as easily as he used to. Now he just seems genuinely to be offended that the opposing player would disrupt his genius with a pedestrian foul. As if he feels he has risen from the redneckness of Nacogdoches to the royalty of London, that the commoners who deign to compete with him should have the good manners not to touch him. Of course by royal fiat it is decreed that he can touch them as hard as he likes.

Even his back story is worthy of the respect not given - staying after practice to shoot low and in the corner over and over again (a trademark Dempsey goal), and driving 2 hours each way to Dallas from Nacogdoches as a child to pit his burgeoning talent against greater competition.
But just like that King of Comedy - he of the tie-wriggling, self-deprecating humor - this USA star continues to get no respect… I tell ya’.

This is farlieonfootie for October 20.

Apt Cliche: US 1 - Jamaica 0

2012-09-15T07:30:00.000-04:00


photo by Hazel Motes	via PhotoRee

Scott returns to our pages with some thoughts on the USA's Crucial 1-0 victory over Jamaica earlier this week:

A Tale of Two Halves may be a cliche but cliches are popular because they are apt and last Tuesday night's game between USA and Jamaica was the epitome of this one. Determined to avenge their loss in Kingston just four days earlier, the Americans unequivocally dominated the first half, declaring open season on Jamaica's woodwork and 'keeper, the latter responding brilliantly and the former repeatedly bouncing away scoring hopes. The second half, on the other alternate-universe hand, saw those same Americans, in the waning minutes especially, playing grade-school kickball.

The seismic shift in this game can be directly traced to the 56th minute when Herculez Gomez scored off a freekick because Dwayne Miller picked that moment to be human and botch the save. Almost immediately, USA began to play more cautiously. Whereas before the US players would patiently string together tens of passes, now they began to get nervous and boot the ball up field, presumably with one eye on the clock. Whereas the first 55 minutes were filled with possession dominance and multiple chances on goal, the Red,White and Blue now seemed to turn yellow, afraid to continue in that same style.

Jamaica, for its part, was now the team passing and pressing, with such sudden style change clearly affecting the Americans, contributing to their ever-increasing reticence to continue what had worked so well in the first period. Ultimately, a fine late save by Tim Howard preserved the unnecessarily narrow victory, but not before Jamaica threw the kitchen sink at us.

On the night, Graham Zusi, in particular, impressed. He was consistently dangerous on the attack and useful on defense. For not having played much with the National Team, he dictated an unusual amount of the proceedings in a positive, creative fashion.

Also impressive was one of Stoke City's newest signings, Geoff Cameron. An imposing figure in the central defense, he poked away balls, muscled forwards and otherwise thwarted what counterattacks the Reggae Boys concocted. My biggest compliment for this youngster is that I rarely cringed, as I so often do, when our opponents had possession in our final third.

Also ameliorating my cringes was the ageless Steve Cherundolo who effortlessly snuffed out potential dangers by plucking the ball away from Jamaica's left forward after seemingly tapping him on one shoulder and stealing from the other side. All this, of course, was in between incessant, skillful runs forward during which he juked, passed and crossed like a veteran winger. We can only hope that Stevie continues to belie his age, at least through July 2014.

I was disappointed in Francisco Torres. Yes, Taylor Twellman was aroused when the Mexican-American tracked back to make a sliding tackle at one point (even if he did miss the ball) and waxed on until he could think of something else to say. But I found his offensive efforts stilted, lacking in creativity, and quite often leading to a surrender of possession. Perhaps he suffered from the inevitable comparison to the surging Zusi, but I, even as a Torres fan, was underwhelmed.

My overall assessment is that much progress has been made but much more is needed. I like the direction Jurgen Klimsmann is taking the team, especially the emphasis on possession and high-energy play. That 3 critical points were earned, despite the second half let down, is a feather in the German's cap. And with Antigua & Barbuda away and Guatemala at home, the table is set for USA to grace the final group of six.

This is farlieonfootie for September 15.

The State of the States

2012-09-14T07:30:00.000-04:00

Correpondent Ed on the current state of soccer development in the United States:

In the '80's, soccer training was trapping and passing. It was full 11 v 11 games from the earliest of ages. It was not having coaches who played the game or understood the game. It was rigid positioning, and tactics – poor tactics – only. We never saw soccer on television. We had no heros, no posters on the wall, no teams, no players to emulate. In short, we didn't know what we were doing.

I know twin boys that are seven. One can juggle a soccer ball off the ground. Both can do scissors, step-overs and Cruyff turns. The boys and their team train almost exclusively on footwork. At the end of each practice they engage in one v. ones. Sometimes many of the boys have to be told to stop laughing during the competitions because they are having so much fun. For most of the boys this is their 4th year and 10th season. Many have jerseys of their favorite international players; some play fantasy soccer online. These boys are just a few of the millions.

America beat Jamaica one to nothing in a must win game on Tuesday. They dominated the pitch for most of the first half. Landon Donovan and Michael Bradley did not play. Graham Zusi from the MLS was a game changer. Two big, strong defenders with international experience, Geoff Cameron and Carlos Bocanegra, dominated the center of the pitch. America won the game one to nothing, but hit about a half a dozen posts on the way there.

America is nowhere near the level of the top teams in Europe or Brazil. We still don't have as many academies as the rest of the world. And we still lose most of our best athletes to American football and basketball. But the beast is starting to awaken. Just ask the twins.

This is farlieonfootie for September 14.

Dread in the Land of Dreadlocks: Jamaica 2 - US 1

2012-09-09T07:30:00.000-04:00


photo by Fabian Bromann	via PhotoRee

If one were searching for subtle differences between the Bob Bradley era and the Jurgen Klinsman era in US Soccer there are plenty of signs apparent to the observant viewer -- the US' recent friendly victories in Italy and Mexico to name just a couple -- and last night gave us yet another: when's the last time you remember the Nats grabbing an away goal in a World Cup qualifier before the contest was even a minute old? Strike another first for Klinsman and US Men's soccer, as Clint Dempsey took the scoring honors, receiving a surprise start and the ball at his feet in front of a gaping net within the same sixty seconds.

But as evidence that the team remains a work in progress one need look no further than minutes two through ninety of the same game. The US allowed the Jamaicans to boss the midfield, and although the game was not decided in open play, the US never generated enough scoring opportunities to deserve a win -- or even a draw for that matter. The resulting 2-1 loss puts significant pressure on Klinsi and the Nats to rebound with a win over the very same island nation side in only four day's time -- that the second game will be played in the slightly friendlier confines of Columbus, Ohio has to be counted on as a significant advantage.

Although Jamaica equalized halfway through the first 45, their opening goal was not due to a total US team breakdown, but rather two Kyle Beckerman gifts: the first when he committed a weak attempt at a tackle just outside of the 18 yard box, and the second coming as he deflected the resulting free kick past a flummoxed Tim Howard to give the home side their equalizer. By this point in the action US fans were likely asking if Beckerman -- he of the rastafarian dreadlocks -- was momentarily confused as to which side he was playing for.

The game muddled back and forth for the rest of the first half and the majority of the second half, as well -- Klinsi's not a miracle worker, after all -- before the Jamaicans seized the advantage with a half hour left, from yet another free kick, this one from closer to 25 yards out. Luton Shelton took the honors and the three points on offer for Jamaica with a swerving stunner that beat Tim Howard to the far post, the kick the result of continued Jamaica pressure on an American side that lacked several of its best players, including Landon Donovan and Michael Bradley.

It's back to the drawing board as the pressure mounts on the current edition of the US Men's National Team -- we'll learn an awful lot about the team and its new coach by watching how they react to the latest setback.

This is farlieonfootie for September 9.

The Reign in Spain: Spain 4 - Italy 0

2012-07-03T07:30:00.000-04:00


photo by pasotraspaso	via PhotoRee

Columnist Scott -- a veritable dynasty of the written word himself -- passes judgment on a Spain team that may go down as the world's best ever:

Vicente del Bosque has been alternately extolled and vilified by the media throughout the Euro tournament which just concluded, but Spain's victory over Italy in the 2012 Final can't be interpreted as anything other than vindication for La Roja Furia's coach. Attacking from the start despite that nontraditional formation that lacked a formal striker, the Spanish instantly placed the Azzuri on their heels and needed fewer than 15 minutes to go ahead. Cesc Fabregas could have put it only one place for David Silva, which he skillfully did for the diminutive Manchester City playmaker to head home at full stride.

Silva's Manchester City teammate, Mario Balotelli, however, had his Super Mario cape confiscated in Kiev. A frustrating day for the mohawked phenom saw him limited mostly to pot shots from distance. Spain's back line, and Sergio Ramos in particular, deserve credit for personifying Mario's kryptonite as they consistently withstood and reciprocated the Italian's muscling style of play.

But the victory was not all Spain all the time. When Xavi put Jordi Alba thru to double the lead, Italy responded valiantly for 10 - 15 minutes as they sought to bring the game back into reach. But then Spain re-asserted their dominance once more and mostly controlled from then on, showing frequent flairs of the type of football their critics had recently insisted they were lacking.

When Italy did threaten, Iker Casillas was more than up to the task, parrying away a couple hard shots and swatting away a pair of dangerous corners.

****

Coaching questions must be asked of Cesare Prandelli who inserted Giorgio Chiellini into the lineup despite the Juventus defender struggling with fitness and missing earlier games. While he may be the best Italy has, that is only true when he's 100 percent fit. Not surprisingly, Prandelli was made to pay when forced to substitute the fullback in the 21st minute as the injured hamstring tweaked again.

Tactics and coaching do matter. To wit, when Prandelli then subbed again in the 56th minute, it was his third and final instead of his second. That proved to be a fatal flaw when Thiago Motta went down to injury after only minutes on the pitch and the brave Azzuri were forced to play the balance of the game with only 10 men.

Pulling two goals back with 11 healthy players is a monstrous feat against the reigning world champions - it's impossible with only 10. This axiom was proven when the stretched and tiring Italians conceded twice more in the final 10 minutes.

****

The first concession was to Fernando Torres who came on with 15 minutes to go. When the Chelsea star was played through in the 84th minute, he cooly and expertly found the side netting past a well-positioned but still-beaten Buffon.

Four minutes later, Torres also played part in the next goal, unselfishly cutting the ball back for his streaking Chelsea compatriot, Juan Mata, who also had only recently entered the fray. Torres, much-maligned for most of the Blues' season, also won the Golden Boot award, beating out several other notable strikers (including Super Mario) who also scored 3 goals due to his having played fewer minutes. !Bien hecho, Niño!

Some will point to how long Italy played with 10 men and how, with almost even possession (which still boggles my mind given the game I witnessed), things might have gone differently. But no excuses can be made. Spain was the better team and won, with the last two goals merely being exclamation points scribbled by talented and hungry substitutes.

****

The significance of Spain's victory cannot be overstated. After years of underperforming on the international stage prior to 2008, they are now the first European team to win three consecutive international tournaments and the only team to defend a European Championship. They are now being mentioned in the same breath as the greatest teams of all time.

And perhaps they should be. While France and the Netherlands flamed out in a blaze of conflated egos, and Germany, Italy and Portugal lost their mojo when it mattered most, only Spain has consistently slogged through years of games, winning both ugly and pretty, to hoist those consecutive trophies. Perhaps they looked to be a waning dynasty at the start of the tournament, but they regrouped and passed their way to victory, Arsene Wenger's unflattering assessment notwithstanding.

It is with great anticipation that we now look forward to Brazil 2014. Will A Selecao end Spain's dynasty with home-court advantage? Vamos a ver.

This is farlieonfootie for July 3.

Unless: Italy 2 - Germany 1

2012-06-29T07:30:00.000-04:00


photo by Ed Yourdon	via PhotoRee

So, Germany had never beaten Italy, but as this column right here clearly told you, and in language that would be familiar to any student of economic bubbles worldwide, this time things were going to be different. Sure, Germany had never -- not once -- beaten Italy in a major football tournament, but we all saw the raw power, the sheer athletic might of this current squad from Deutschland. You couldn't help but notice it and be suitably impressed. And who were these Italians that faced them, other than a less than potent version of their predecessors, a team without an effective striker, that had a tough time finding the net, a group that had won only one of its tournament games to date in 90 minutes, and only two years removed from the bunch that failed to qualify for the knockout round of the most recent World Cup...? So this game had no chance of even being close, did it?

Unless.

Unless a certain Andrea Pirlo -- a 33 year old, six years removed from being the most valuable player at the 2006 World Cup, who has undoubtedly been the player of this year's Euro tournament -- is there to block a ball off the line in the game's first seven minutes, a ball that has already evaded a haplessly waving Gianluigi Buffon, that is headed into the back of the net to provide an early German lead and begin the rout.

Unless Italian striker Mario Balotelli could lose his marker and capitalize on a pinpoint accurate Antonio Cassano cross, nodding it past German 'keeper Manuel Neuer to give Italy a surprise 1-nil lead halfway through the first 45 minutes, a lead that would represent the inaugural German deficit of the entire Euro qualifying campaign and tournament.

Unless minutes later, Balotelli were to split the German center backs, and take dead aim at the opposition net, rocketing the ball past a shellshocked Neuer and creating a two goal advantage for the Italians, sowing havoc in the German defense and creating serious problems for the Teutonic game plan heading into the interval.

Unless Gigi Buffon were to find a way to rewind the years and stretch every inch of his long, lean body to stop a laser-like Marco Reus free kick from slipping just under the bar and keep the Germans off the board and the shutout intact at the hour mark.

Unless the Italians could make the German midfield look more like England's midfield, negating such big-club superstars as Mezut Ozil, Sami Khedira and Bastian Schweinsteiger for a full 90 minutes, allowing the men from der Deutschland possession but not penetration, keeping the danger well at bay and looking nothing more than comfortable throughout the entire match.

Unless every well struck German ball were to sail just over the bar, time and again ending up behind the goal instead of in it, frustrating both the players on the pitch and gradually sapping the spirit of their countrymen in the stadium and the millions of fans of German football watching the match round the globe.

Unless Buffon were to deny Mats Hummels from close range as regulation time wound down, the latter man scuffing his foot into the ground rather than getting some power into the ball and providing a desperate boost to Germany's late comeback effort.

Unless even a handball in stoppage time that led to a well struck Ozil penalty and a German goal is not enough to deny the Italians a victory they so richly deserved by this point.

So, unless all of the above were to happened -- a far-fetched scenario, that -- the game was pretty much in the bag for the Germans, negating the need to even watch the match. And that would have been a lot to ask for, by any stretch of the imagination....

Surely, there's no way it could have happened like that -- could it?

This is farlieonfootie for June 29.

Business As Usual: Italy 0 - England 0 (4-2 PK)

2012-06-25T07:30:00.000-04:00


photo by Tambako the Jaguar	via PhotoRee

Thoughts I had while watching England lose to Italy on penalty kicks:

Overall: I'm not surprised England lost. Let's face it, Italy has a very good team.... Ultimately, though, I have to disagree with all those who said that England "exceeded expectations" this year by making it as far as they did. Shouldn't England at the very least be expected to make the knockout stage of a major tourney -- or have expectations fallen so low that this, too, is now a gift...? It's not as if the English won their knockout game and advanced to the semifinals....

o Is this the current state of English football? Should a team packed with Premier League "stars" such as Wayne Rooney, John Terry, Steven Gerrard, Joe Hart, et al -- England's "golden generation" of footballers -- go down meekly without creating much in the way of chances during a match to a team that was definitely beatable? Is this the "new" England of low expectations and early knockouts? If it is, thank God they're not my team, because this is a group of guys that appear to be going nowhere in a hurry. And it's not like the weight of great expectations burdened the English team this year.... No, this was a squad full of individual stars that never learned to play as a team.

o If only I'd known what was to come: Although the game got off to a rollicking start -- Daniele De Rossi's wicked slice off the bar, and an English ball falling to one of the few players on the pitch who was incapable of finishing it (thanks, Glenn Johnson) -- with more chances in the first five minutes than France saw all game on Saturday, that was known simply as "upfronting" the action. Long periods of torpid play followed, with England so knackered by extra time that they were physically unable to string more than even one or two passes together.

o Does the position of Italian Manager also come with its own suit contract....? How do those guys always manage to look so casually cool and well dressed....?

o England's defensive posture lacks explanation: fall back and don't pressure the ball. I know about keeping your shape, but the English conceded possession and position to the Italian opposition at virtually every opportunity.

o Joe Hart was completely out of position when Mario Balotelli broke clear on goal midway through the first half. It pains me to say this, but it was only an outstanding play by John Terry that saved a goal. Terry was the only English defender running at full tilt, and it was solely down to his hustle that the scoreline remained knotted at zero. Sad but true fact: John Terry was England's best player yesterday.

o I really don't understand James Milner (nor do I understand Roy Hodgson's propensity to play him ahead of both Walcott and the Ox). Milner is a player who can look brilliant at times -- see City 6 - United 1, for example -- and completely and utterly ordinary at others. Unfortunately for England, yesterday's lineup featured the latter of the two Milners.

o The Three Lions appeared to come out for the second half with a different playbook, pressing the ball more and creating turnovers. Unfortuantely, the new look lasted only until they fatigued and then it was back to the "old" England: concede possession cheaply, and drop back quickly.

o I'll go on record saying that I liked Woy's changes at the hour mark, taking off an ineffective Danny Welbeck and Milner for Andy Carroll and Theo Walcott. Speed and height were just what the doctor ordered. The duo made an immediate impact on the game -- too bad they weren't inserted earlier.

o There's no shirt pulling at Euro 2012? Don't tell that to John Terry, as Daniele De Rossi almost swapped kits with him mid-match on a free kick in the Italian 18-yard box. That should've been a clear penalty, and was likely the worst blown call of the match.
o If only: Wayne Rooney's bicycle kick in stoppage time would've been the goal if the tournament.

o Jordan Henderson as England's third substitute for the evening? That's an indictment of English football, as well as Roy Hodgson's selection methods. Where is Michael Carrick when you really need him?

o Dog tired: England was thoroughly incapable of doing anything other than hoping for penalties during the last ten minutes of the match.

o Otherwordly: Andrea Pirlo's penalty kick? You can't fake class.

o As several Twitteratis noted, hoping for penalties and then winning a game you didn't really deserve to doesn't hapen all that often. Despite Chelsea's victory in the Champions League to the contary, this is not a viable strategy, Roy. Better get back to work.

o Meanwhile, I hope the Italians don't get too full of themselves after a victory over England. The Germans steamroller is coming on Thursday.
This is farlieonfootie for June 25.

The Business End: Spain 2 - France 0

2012-06-24T07:30:00.001-04:00


photo by j.reed	via PhotoRee

If we're getting down to the business end of the Euro 2012 tournament, we must be talking about Spain:

o If anyone out there is the least bit surprised by the comfortable nature of the Spanish victory yesterday -- positively Barcalounger-ish -- you should ask yourself the following question: what in the world were the French doing in the Euro 2012 Quarterfinals anyway? This was a team that had won one -- count it, one -- game at a major international tournament since 2006. And that was over a Ukraine side that failed to reach the knockout round of a tournament played on its home ground.

o For all the talk about France's vaunted midfield -- featuring Malouda, M'Vila, Ribery, Cabaye among others -- they were completely asleep for Spain's first goal of the day, allowing Xabi Alonso to ghost in completely untouched for a free header. In fact, the midfielders' view of the action was so good, so close up, that Laurent Blanc should think about charging his players a price equal to
the highest ticket for the privilege of watching Spain cut them apart.

o It may have taken Spain a while to get rolling, but they began to dominate possession about halfway through the first period, and looked in a completely different class than their Pyrenean neighbors by the interval. Second gear is seemingly enough against almost all teams but a very select few. And the French aren't in that group.

o The game got a tiny bit more interesting around the hour mark, as the French seemed to both 1) attack more and 2) wear down from their constant defending. The result was a bunch of chances for the Spanish and a more exciting game to watch for the neutral fan.

o I guess Karim Benzema got his just desserts for coming out pre-tourney and bragging that Manchester United had made repeatedly approaches to sign him. Based on your rather unproductive shgowing at the Euros, Karim, I could show you about 600 million fans that are glad you didn't pull the trigger.

o In the end, the Spanish victory was about as confortable as a 1-nil victory can be -- until Xabi Alosno added a second from the spot in stoppage time to give us the final score. The French were never really in the game and only rarely offered even the meekest of threats to the Spanish net. In the words of Correspondent Ed's favorite band -- Orleans, for those of you asking -- Spain is "still the one" to beat.

This is farlieonfootie for June 24.

El Gringo, El Nino y La Pulga: Thoughts on Jose Torres, Fernando Torres and Lionel Messi

2012-06-17T07:30:00.001-04:00


photo by jebb	via PhotoRee

Correspondent Scott is in a Spanish speaking state of mind as he tackles the USMNT, Euro 2012, and even Lionel Messi's nickname:

Watching the USA vs. Antigua & Barbuda game last week, I was surprised to see Jose Torres at left back. Even more surprising was to hear what the Mexican announcer kept calling him - El Gringo. I love it - a slur turned affectionate nickname! Torres has embraced the nickname and so have a legion of female Pachuca fans who have dubbed themselves "Mexicanas Muy Gringas." It fits - he was born in Texas to a Mexican father and American mother, then moved to Mexico at age 16 to play with the Pachuca youth team before rising through the ranks and now starring for that senior team. With family in the US but living and playing in Mexico (and now married to a local Pachuca girl), he is quintessentially Mexican-American. He was spared having to decide between the US and Mexican national teams as the Americans came calling and, although he was on the Mexican team's radar, they never did. He is what made America and I'm proud to have him on our team.

Personally, I like Torres as a playmaker and like seeing him in the lineup. I'm unconvinced about him on defense though - his forays forward were dangerous but ultimately led to crosses rather than through balls. I like his vision for through balls but his crosses need some work. And, defensively, he was a liability at times. Nice experiment but get El Gringo in the midfield, Jurgen.

The USA team is still a work in progress. While they are on the path to "win at home and draw away" qualifying success, more is now expected from a nation of over 300 million people where the excuse of soccer not being the main sport is losing its relevance with each passing year. Especially with Southern neighbors kicking it up a notch as Giovanni Dos Santos and Chicharito have started to hit stride and vanquish the likes of Brazil. Some may not like the USA's 28th place FIFA ranking but it's pretty accurate. We are top 20 at best and more likely top 25 right now. But with that Klinsmann magic, who knows?

Another Torres, Fernando that is, needs more time on the field, both for club and country. It is criminal how this peaking talent moved to Chelsea and has plummeted in form. I still say he is getting his mojo back (despite his misses against Italy) and just needs more playing time as a starter to recapture his magic. As I'm typing this I see he just scored a brace against Ireland. Bravo, El Nino!

Lionel Messi's nickname is, apparently, La Pulga. While being called "the flea" can't be that good, he really is. Messi's hat-trick performance against a motivated Brazil on neutral ground was extraordinary and his third goal was sublime. While technically it was a friendly, it was anything but that with continental pride on the line.

I have come to the conclusion, perhaps belatedly but honestly as a Real Madrid fan, that Messi already deserves to be mentioned along with Pele and Maradona. He is a game changer - Barcelona would not be same team without him. Moreover, he exudes class by continuously exhibiting humility, deference to the team and an aversion to going down easily despite being marked man. At only 24 years old, I wouldn't be surprised if a decade from now we talk about Messi being the best ever and, oh yeah, there were those two other guys. And, as for Neymar... get a real nickname, Juninho.

This is farlieonfootie for June 17.

Pedestrian Crossing: More Thoughts on Euro 2012

2012-06-15T07:30:00.000-04:00


photo by iboy_daniel	via PhotoRee

The Euro express rolls on:

o Although they won on Wednesday, Portugal looked rather pedestrian for the supposed 7th best team in the world. If not for Silvestre Varela's 87th minute strike, the European papers would have been sharpening their knives on the stunningly poor effort turned in by Cristiano Ronaldo. Instead, Varela saved his compatriot's bacon with a world class winner.

o Although Twitter was filled in the game's aftermath with regular fans and even media types lining up to label the game a classic -- due to the Dane's fight back from 2-nil and then the late Varela winner -- in truth the contest was anything but classic to my eyes. Filled by long portions of ugly and thoroughly uninspiring football, the game was punctuated by two brief periods in which multiple goals were scored, leading to a score line that made the game seem more exciting than it actually was. Here's an important lesson for you: don't confuse close final scores with "classic" games. This one was rather ugly, plain and simple.

o For all of their supposed "superstars" -- Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani, Raul Meireles and Pepe among them -- Portugal has never struck me as a great team. If I remember correctly, they barely made the last World Cup, and -- including yesterday's narrow victory -- they've done nothing in Euro 2012 to disabuse me of my opinion.

o Ronaldo looks as if the weight of the world is hanging on his slight shoulders. Every shanked shot or lost ball was met with hands in the air or that faraway wistful look. His complete and utter bollocksing of a virtual empty netter in the game's 78th minute made it look as if the ghost of Fernando Torres was possessing the Real Madrid man's body.

o On the other hand, Michael Ballack is having a much better tournament, albeit off the pitch in his role as a commentator for ESPN. The Leverkusen man is growing on me -- he's not afraid to speak his mind, in contrast to many other athletes who toe the politically correct line. Acting like Johnny Miller, Ballack -- seemingly having found his feet while calling England's win on Monday "ugly" -- is a breathe of fresh air on the airwaves, and I would rather listen to him for days at a time than have to hear another second of Alexi Lalas.

o So, how about those Dutch....?

o Everyone's talking about Mario Gomez -- and why shouldn't they be -- but for my money Bastian Schweinsteiger is the man who is making the German train run on time. Afforded all the space in the world by the Orangemen on Wednesday, Schweini carved them apart like a starving man with a sharp knife and a juicy schweinhaxe in front of him.

This is farlieonfootie for June 15.

Beauty or the Beast? Thoughts on England vs. France, and Euro 2012

2012-06-12T07:30:00.000-04:00

Photo by Loren Javier on Flickr

More thoughts, as the Euros roll ever onward:

o Beauty or the Beast? Or, in other words: What to make of the English Team's performance in their first round game against France yesterday? Michael Ballack and Alexi Lalas got into a rather fierce debate on ESPN about how to interpret the Three Lions' effort: while Lalas thought it was just what the doctor ordered, and even pronounced it a thing of "beauty," Ballack disagreed as vehemently as can someone who has had their personality surgically removed. For the record, I agree with the unemotional German. Is parking the bus and looking for the rare counter against the French really the best the founding nation of football has to offer....?

o Although the 1-1 draw did neither team any harm, it also didn't do much to help their cause with the host nation still for both to play. England fans had better hope there is more in the tank than the team showed on Monday. England under Uncle Woy retreated into a defensive shell early and often -- pulling off the rather amazing feat of showing the French how to retreat -- and were only very reluctantly coaxed into attacking.

o With Ashley Young, Danny Welbeck and Alex Oxlaid-Chamberlain on the pitch, England should have displayed some deadly speed and ambition in attack. Instead, they consistently ceded possession to their rivals from across the Channel, and seemed more than happy to defend their lead and then satisifed to play for a draw once Samir Nasri drew the French level.

o Yesterday's early match was Exhibit A in why I don't love first round games. There's too much at stake as both teams know they can't afford an early slip up. The first round of this year's tournament has produced several uninspired games in which both sides played cagily, preferring the type of defensive postures that commonly produce nil-nil or 1-1 draw to looking for an outright win.

o Fortunatelty, that wasn't the case when Spain met Italy, a match that paired the winners of the last two World Cups. Unsurprisingly, this game also produced the best match of the tournament's first round, and although the action ended at 1-1, the game was played with anything other than a cantenaccio mindset, and both sides should really have scored more. The end result was just about fair.

o Spain look bored to me, as if they need a new challenge after winning the last European Championship and World Cup. For the record, no team has ever repeated as European Champion, and although there's always a first time, I don't think 2012 will be it. None other than Cesc Fabregas admitted that the team had never practiced the 4-6-0 that they sent out against Italy, and it looked almost as if Coach Vincente Del Bosque was daring his team to take their game to the next level. Unfortunately for the Spanish, the Italians gave almost as good as they got.

o Without the focal point of a striker, Spain to me looked like Barcelona without Messi: all tiki and no taka.

o Why Del Bosque kept his formation intact until late in the game is a mystery to me, and why he chose to insert Fernando Torres rather than Fernando Llorente is a mystery, wrapped in an enigma, inside of a riddle. The diminutive Spanish midfield looked as if they were tilting at windmills as cross after cross flew over their heads -- exactly the kind of situation that would have been tailor made for Llorente, one of the few Spanish strikers who can be counted on to score with his head.

o And what are we to make of Fernando Torres' introduction late on in the match? If nothing else, 'Nando's continued struggles brought some much needed comic relief to an otherwise tense atnosphere.

o Luka Modric looked world class in the Croatia game, didnt he? But then again, regular readers of this space would know that we've been really long-term admirers of the little Croat (going back all the way to Column Two). Although Spurs fans may not like it, I can't help but imagine how much better Modric would look in a United kit, pulling the strings for Rooney, Young, Welbeck, et al.

This is farlieonfootie for June 12.

Argentina and Messi Take Out the Euro-Trash

2012-06-10T07:30:00.001-04:00

Photo by DrabikPany on Flickr

Several thoughts, but not many, after a hard couple of days watching Euro 2012:

o Including the action in Europe, easily the best football game of the day was played in the United States -- Argentina's 4-3 victory over Brazil was fun to watch, fluid and dynamic, with goals, footwork and fancy passes galore. Anyone that didn't enjoy that one won't enjoy football.

o I'd like to see Pele repeat his assertion that Neymar is better than Lio Messi with a straight face. Neymar may be good, but his game is nowhere near as good as Messi's and his haircut is patently ridiculous. Maybe Messi can lend the Brazilian the hat (trick) that he scored to cover up the My Little Pony look.

Neymar Coloring Pages, by Coloringpagesforkids on Flickr

o Speaking of world class, does anyone still think Wojciech Sczcesny is that kind of 'keeper? Let's hope not, after his ridiculous display against Greece on the Tournament's opening day. Although neither of his mistakes cost his team points, it's only a matter of time: the kid is not ready for Prime Time.

o Robert Lewandowski looks good. His first half goal was a textbook illustration of how to put the ball in the back of the net. With thirty goals in 2011/2012, his skills shouldn't come as a surprise, but if you weren't watching the Bundelsiga, you may not have realized that guy is bringing his 'A" game.

o Germany looked decent, but not great -- but beware. Teams that grind out three tough points early on in a tournament usually raise their game as the matches get more important.

o In contrast, Portugal never really got started. Cristiano looks as if he spent more time working on his hairdo than his ball skills, and Nani was a complete non-factor.

o I saw a completely meaningless stat after Denmark's 1-0 upset of the Netherlands: the loser had 28 shots vs the winner's 8. Who cares?

o The Dutch are in some serious hot water. Having to beat Germany in game number two just to stay alive was definitely not in coach Bert Van Marwijk's gameplan.

This is farlieonfootie for June 10.

Euro-fun

2012-06-07T07:30:00.000-04:00


photo by What Makes The Pie Shops Tick?	via PhotoRee

The Euro’s are upon us, and the respective national teams in place and ready to go. Here are Columnist Ed’s thoughts on three of the more relevant sides (to him, at least).

1. Spain

This may be the last hurrah for Xavi, arguably the best midfielder in the history of the game. Spain once again seems the class of Europe. Their success will largely be a matter of how much they care about this Euro title. After winning the biggest prize world football, I’m just not sure whether the fatigued pros want it enough.

2. England

Not sure who’s left to play on the England team. Frank Lampard out and Jordan Henderson in. Eewww. Gareth Barry also out (yawn) and replaced by Phil Jagielka. And of course, most recently out is Gary Cahill after an outrageous push that deserved a red by Belgian forward Dries Mertens -- although it only got a yellow. (The push was intentional and malicious, and as bad as the injury was it could have been worse.) Oh, and Jack Wilshere never even made it to the initial team due to injury. So where does England stand?

Actually, not so bad, I think. England usually suffers from outrageously high expectations. For the first time they can play the role of the underdog. And this despite more speed than I can remember up top with Danny Welbeck, Ashley Young, Theo Walcott, and Alex Oxlaide-Chamberlain. There’s also that Rooney guy coming back after a suspension. Needless to say, these guys can break and they can score on the break.

As for the midfield, Scott Parker and Stephen Gerrard should be able to hold down the fort, although this is a weakness of this team even with Barry in the lineup. In short, these guys are neither terrific possession guys nor terrific runners. As much as I love Stevie G, and as much as I suspect he will do well in the Euro’s, he doesn’t seem to have the flash he did a few years ago. And perhaps it’s his ankle injury, but Scott Parker has also looked a step too slow in the friendlies.

As for the defense, I think England will be fine with Ashley Cole, John Terry, Phil Jagielka, Martin Kelly and Glenn Johnson. Cahill would have been nice, but this squad will be fine.

Finally, Manager Hodgson will have this team playing disciplined and tight football. It probably won’t be easy on the eyes, but I suspect more games just like the one they played against Belgium. For most of the game, Belgium looked the better team, but England was of course the most lethal. You simply cannot get too aggressive with the finishers England has up top, and sometimes when you dominate possession you tend to forget their skill and push too far forward.

3. Germany

Typically I would have high expectations for the Germans, but their psyche can’t be great after most of the German team simply coughed it up in the Champions League final against Chelsea. Will this energize the Germans or will it torture them? Only time will tell, but I suspect the latter.

This is farlieonfootie for June 7.