The Fullback Files

MLS Dogpile | The East Is A Ferocious Snarling Mess

2009-07-20T10:48:00.000-04:00

So if there was any over-riding picture to take home from this weekends' action, it has to be that the East is a ferocious snarling mess, and the West will be thankful for it. Why? Consider that all those Eastern sides that were busy spanking...

The Boss-Man Chuckles

2009-07-20T09:57:00.004-04:00

Is it just me, or does Tommy seem uncharacteristically jovial in his post-game comments?

Screaming for a Feilhaber | a USA Match Reaction

2009-07-19T19:19:00.000-04:00

Bob sent out an MLS domestic all-star team to take on Panama, and that only seems appropriate, given the physical, oft-times brutal approach of the Panamanian team. One hopes that perhaps that was Bob's reasoning for including Jay Heaps, who was...

The Veterans' Response | a DC United Match Reaction

2009-07-19T15:59:00.000-04:00

Much of DC United's surprising early season form (surprising, at least, from the vantage point of the "woe is us" pre-season) has been attributed to the consistently impressive displays of the new youth movement in United's locker room (Jakovic,...

Checking the First Box

2009-07-16T15:04:00.001-04:00

I mentioned the Szetela-to-United rumors in the omnibus WIWFC post yesterday, and today the deal is done. So what are we denizens of the dank blogosphere to think? Has United just upgraded its core of promising youngsters, or did we just import a...

WIWFC (In July!) | The Omnibus Post

2009-07-15T10:43:00.001-04:00

Rather than my usual modus operandi of splitting the "What I Want For Christmas" analysis/FO rant/starry-eyed wishlist into several posts, instead I'm going to try to cram it all into one steaming jambalaya. Ready or not... Roster Rundown Let's...

Thanks, Bob!

2009-07-14T22:23:00.003-04:00

You know what? For a couple of days there I was actually feeling a bit guilty about choosing to watch a DC United league match Saturday night instead of a tournament elimination game for the national team (way to go, scheduling homunculi!). But...

MLS Table Talk | Layers in the Labyrinth

2009-07-14T08:53:00.000-04:00

You see all those asterisks up there? You know, the ones attached to every team from fourth to thirteenth? They indicate that MLS's byzantine tie-breaker rules are in play. Allow me, if you will, a brief divergence into what parity has wrought...

Some USA Tidbits...

2009-07-13T20:42:00.000-04:00

If it seems that I've been paying the Gold Cup about as much respect as US Soccer is, that's because the Fullback clan has been in full Family Summertime Fun Mode of late. I got home Saturday night just in time to watch the US huff and puff for...

MLS Dogpile | Change Sandwich

2009-07-13T08:05:00.000-04:00

Once again, MLS plodded on with the Gold Cup sucking away players (and, quite probably, dozens of fans as well). And the Alpha Dogs really could have used the likes of Ching and Holden (and, quite probably, some video replay equipment) as they got...

You Got Mud On Your Face...

2009-07-10T10:07:00.000-04:00

Big Disgrace. How's that for a two word summary of Mexico's farcical 1-1 draw with Panama in the Gold Cup that rambled on past midnight (for me at least) owing to brawls, cards, injuries (feigned and otherwise), an incompetent ref, and fan...

FBF Glossary: The Phoenix

2009-07-09T10:53:00.002-04:00

The people have spoken, Santino Quaranta is...The Phoenix! Sure, I'll fall back on Q, Q1, or Tino from time to time (old habits die hard), but here on FBF, we've officially designated DC United's (and the USA's!) midfielder/forward "The Phoenix"...

MLS Table Talk | Parity Pileup

2009-07-09T09:55:00.000-04:00

The entire league has now dragged themselves across the halfway mark, save the Revs (c'mon, guys, pick up the pace!). And while the Parity Pileup isn't quite as severe as it was last year, the potential is still there for it to get pretty...

More From the Open Cup...

2009-07-09T09:10:00.003-04:00

As an addendum to my abbreviated Open Cup reaction post, cut short owing to a lack of visuals, may I present (courtesy of BTB)... And let us consider for a moment... * I appreciate some of the things that Fred brings to the party, but for $200k+...

The Phoenix Has Landed | a USA Match Reaction

2009-07-08T23:49:00.000-04:00

So where to begin? Bob runs out a couple of changes (Hooray, Tino!) and watches a pretty poor opening 45 yet elects to do nothing about it (save, presumably, some harsh words in the locker room). Instead he waits until after the hour mark to bring...

Listening to Limarzi | a Match Reaction Compendium

2009-07-07T21:56:00.000-04:00

Alright, let's do the whirlwind catchup game after my extended (and unintended) absence... DC United 1 : 1 Columbus Crew (MLS) Going by the highlights, recaps, and various reactions across the digital landscape, it looks like we, once again, let...

MLS Dogpile | If a SuperLiga Falls In the Woods...

2009-07-07T19:30:00.000-04:00

So here I am at long last, back from the (walking) dead to try and squeeze in the Dogpile before we get to the midweek Open Cup action. SuperLiga, the Gold Cup, and the Open Cup are wreaking their particular havoc with MLS rosters and schedules...

Holiday Programming Note

2009-07-03T10:22:00.003-04:00

Like many of you, I will be on the road this weekend, engaging in the usual American pass-times of hanging out on decks, eating (and drinking...sigh) too much, building bonfires, and firing little rockets into the sky. In other words...not...

Line 'Em Up

2009-07-02T16:38:00.000-04:00

In taking a look at the crew Bob has assembled for the Gold Cup, I wouldn't fault you for wondering where his formational thinking is trending. Does he go back to the staggered, single-striker experiments? Keep two deep in central midfield? ...

The Bob Bashing Returns in 3...2...1...

2009-07-02T16:16:00.001-04:00

So how much goodwill does four goals in the knockout stages, a 2-0 win over the #1 ranked team in the world, and reaching a first-ever final of a FIFA tournament get you? In my estimation, that runs you about one selection of Jay Heaps for national...

MLS Table Talk | Not With A Bang...

2009-07-01T14:07:00.000-04:00

Still stumbling through the scheduling muck thrown up by SuperLiga and hemorrhaging players to various summer international tourneys, Major League Soccer crosses the halfway mark, not with a bang, but a whimper. A quick gander at the table reveals...

Phew! | An Abbreviated DCU Match Reaction

2009-06-30T21:29:00.003-04:00

I'm not going to do a full match reaction post for DC's 2-0 victory over Ocean City in the Open Cup. Suffice it to say, it wasn't inspiring. A PK goal 15 minutes from time made it 1-0 after Gomez trotted on as a sub to chip N'Silu into space and...

Out of Africa...

2009-06-29T11:09:00.000-04:00

...with lessons in hand. So what did we learn in the Confederations Cup? It's a strange boat we find ourselves in this week. Are we far removed from the creeping despair that led to the universal wailing and gnashing of teeth in the wake of the...

MLS Dogpile | The Pile Nonplussed

2009-06-29T09:53:00.000-04:00

In the midst of a sinking SuperLiga (Is anybody paying attention to this tournament this year? Does it last another?) drawing more than a quarter of the MLS teams away from action, and with many of MLS's domestic stars away making a dramatic run at...

The Agony of Defeat | a USA Match Reaction

2009-06-29T07:57:00.000-04:00

If you were following me on Twitter, you would have seen my reaction, as it happened, in all its knee-jerk, frazzled-nerve, obscene glory. From the disbelieving joy of the first 45 to the creeping, inevitable gloom as we closed on 90 minutes, it...