Kartik Krishnaiyer and Daniel Feuerstein break down a bad week for the USMNT and talk about the USL/TOA mess.

On Monday, we will have an MLS Cup special wrap up show.

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Major League Soccer Talk’s Robert Jonas, and Kartik Krishnaiyer were among the voters in Set Piece Analysts World Cup Power Poll.

The United States finished 24th in the survey of prominent soccer bloggers and tweeters in the United States. Mexico was 9th and Honduras, 28th.

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UPDATE:

USL has released the following statement

USL press release
Friday, November 20, 2009

TAMPA – In response to the Team Owner’s Association (TOA) announcement that the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Crystal Palace Baltimore will be joining a prospective new professional soccer league, United Soccer Leagues (USL) has issued the following statement:

“Both the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Crystal Palace Baltimore have contractual commitments to USL to play in the 2010 USL First Division (USL-1) season. USL will pursue all actions to protect its interests and those of the USL-1 teams from any breach of contract caused by Tampa and Baltimore.”

“USL further believes TOA is tortuously interfering with USL-1 team owners that are contractually obligated to participate in the 2010 season. TOA has made several misleading statements in a variety of press releases to taint the reputation of USL and its long history of developing the sport of soccer in the United States and Canada. USL will vigorously defend its legal interests against the TOA’s tortuous interference in contractual relationships with its team owners.”

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After that cesspool of a result in Paris on Wednesday, it is nice to turn our attention to a league where the sportsmen are pure, the referees are beyond reproach and the game is always played with a spirit of manly honor – the MLS.  Or something like that.

Sunday’s game will feature the best team in the west this season against the best team in the west right now.  The Galaxy may have had the better season, but Real Salt Lake has put all the pieces together when it matters most.  Some random thoughts…..

Real Salt Lake has yet to face this Galaxy team.  RSL drew the Galaxy at home and beat them away this season.  Both games preceded David Beckham’s return from AC Milan, and Landon Donovan missed the game the Galaxy lost while on duty for the USMNT.  Their last meeting was all the way back in mid June, and the Galaxy are a significantly different team.  With both Beckham and Donovan on the field and Omar Gonzalez a more skilled and confident player in the back, RSL should not draw much confidence form their previous performance against the Galaxy.

The battle of the two Becks.  In the game within the game, it is the David Beckham vs. Kyle Beckerman match-up that should be the most intriguing.  Holding midfielder Beckerman will be tasked with preventing Beckham from spraying his passes all over the field.  The energetic Beckerman will be trying to deny Beckham the ball and harass him into a quick pass when he does get it at his feet.  For RSL to win, Beckerman has to deny Beckham space to operate. 

The two will also be sporting the worst hair styles in the league.  If Beckham retains the mess that sat on his melon against Houston, it will be Beckham’s tribute to 80’s Norwegian band A-Ha vs. Beckerman’s absurd Rasta-do.

It is not just a game; it is also an audition.  It is probably a long flight from Denmark to Seattle, but that is OK for Bob Bradley.  He has a lot to think about.  Where is he going to get upfront speed to replace Charlie Davies?  Where is he going to get some midfield presence that can complete a pass?  Who is going to toughen up a back line that looks very porous without Gooch?   For Robbie Findley, Beckerman and Gonzalez, this game is an opportunity to help Bradley answer some of those questions.  If any of them make the team that goes to South Africa next summer, it will be as fringe players, but Bradley is looking at a depth chart that suddenly looks pretty shallow, and he is coming to Seattle to find some more options.

Is this Donovan’s last game with the Galaxy?  It very well might be.  Donovan is at the height of his powers and put those powers on display this summer in South Africa.  He has proved all he can prove in the MLS, and while he may not wind up as the MVP this year, it is hard to argue that Donovan is not the league’s best player.  While I think that Germany is not in Donovan’s future, Spain, France or England might be.  I understand that Carlos Bocanegra has talked to Donovan about how the French Ligue One may be a perfect compliment for Donovan’s skills, but wherever he goes, Donovan has to find the right fit.  He needs a team that will value his speed in their scheme and where he can be, at least a little, assured of getting some important playing time.  Wherever he winds up, if this is Donovan’s last game, he will want it to be a memorable one. 

Seattle is up for it.  Yesterday in Seattle, there was a ceremony as the MLS Cup was carried off a ferry by Sigi Schmidt and paraded into Qwest Field.  Last year, when the game was at the Home Depot Center, I think the MLS Cup was ceremoniously dropped off by UPS.  The best story in the MLS all year has been the way Seattle has embraced the game and acted as a role model for the rest of the country.  With tickets for the final going for hundreds of dollars each on Stub Hub, I expect a boisterous, fun crowd in Seattle, and if Don Garber announced the final was going there again next year, I doubt anyone would fight him too hard on that.

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The United States played two tough European opponents and were defeated in both matches. But we certainly learned something from both games, and thus this European Adventure has been useful for Bob Bradley.

• The US has its style: tactically Bob Bradley is modeling his team after what Carlo Ancelotti did at AC Milan. Two deep holding midfielders who go box to box, wingers who push inside and can hold the ball, and two strikers, one a target player and the other a workabee. Michael Bradley grew up a Milan supporter, so this setup will be comfortable for both father and son.
• The US has difficulty defending teams with a distinct attacking style. Slovakia under Vladimir Weiss counter attacks and doesn’t sustain a high defensive line. This allowed the US to control the midfield and the flow of the game. Slovakia was still dangerous on the counter but the game was very even. Denmark, however has had a distinct style of football with attacking flair for years. Even without most of its regulars, The Danes exploited the US’ tendency to man mark and to chase the ball, creating space and sustaining positive possession. This was even more disappointing because the Danes were without most of the nation’s top attacking threats.
• Jeff Cunningham’s work off the ball is needed with the lazy, unfit Jozy Altidore on the pitch. Cunningham has had the reputation of a goal poacher who cannot do anything without his pace. But in a cameo Saturday and on Wednesday he showed that he works hard off the ball and does the work Altidore either cannot or is simply unwilling to do.
• Frankie Hejduk’s age is becoming a factor.
• Jonathan Bornstein is rough around the edges but makes the right runs forward at the right times.
• Benny Feilhaber can hold the ball, but he’s more effective playing deep sending long balls forward. His crossing still needs work.
• Ricardo Clark is hit or miss.
• Stuart Holden is a keeper and needs to play in Europe.
• Losing to Slovakia may worry people, but the performance was decent. Losing to Denmark, even with a Danish “B” side has to be expected in Aarhus. Denmark as I have written before will be very strong next summer. Losing to them is shameful only to those who don’t know anything about their program. The Danish side right now is much stronger than the US, and much deeper as well. A US victory would have been a notable upset.

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In the first part of our 2009 MLS Cup Final preview, the Real Salt Lake and Los Angeles Galaxy players were assessed and compared, with a slight advantage being measured for the Galaxy. In this continuation of our analysis, attention is paid to the coaches and intangibles for both clubs.

The Coaching:

The Los Angeles Galaxy was a mess during the summer of 2008. They had just lost a 3-2 decision to the San Jose Earthquakes on a late goal by Ryan Cochrane, and a very disturbed David Beckham groused to the press after the game about the team’s lack of confidence. We would later learn in Grant Wahl’s The Beckham Experiment that this was the low point for the club. The players were not communicating, and head coach Ruud Gullit was already eyeing his exit from MLS. Just weeks later, after a sweep of the dysfunctional front office, Bruce Arena was handed the reigns to the Galaxy. Biding his time following an ignominious term as leader of Red Bull New York, Arena was prepared for the spotlight that came with coaching the world’s most famous player.

While the remainder of that year continued to be a circus at The Home Depot Center, the stage was being set for a return to prominence in 2009. Arena cleaned house of those he could or would not work with, and then brought in the mid-level veterans he knew could be successful in the MLS environment. Savvy draft picks in defenders and ex-Maryland teammates Omar Gonzales and A.J. DeLaGarza contributed immediately to a 10-game stretch to start the season that saw LA lose only once. The team began to gel around their coach, and the confidence to win grew each week. Even the summer return of Beckham couldn’t derail the Galaxy this season — Arena made sure he would integrate back into the squad seamlessly — and they went on to finish atop the Western Conference. Bruce Arena brought the Galaxy from worst to first in just one season. This Sunday marks his fourth trip to the MLS Cup Final — where he won twice at the helm of DC United — and the sixth trip for the Galaxy franchise.

Meanwhile, the scene is much different in the Beehive State, where MLS playing legend Jason Kreis is in his third year in charge of Real Salt Lake. Hired shortly after retiring as a player from the club, Kreis has quickly become a respected manager around the league. When he retired early in the 2007 season, Kreis had scored 108 career goals in MLS — good for best in league history at the time. That attack-minded attitude became his trademark when it came to tactical decisions at RSL. By employing constant pressure on their opponents, Salt Lake continues to create myriad scoring opportunities. His win/lose/tie record is nothing to be excited about, but his teams have done enough to get into the playoffs the past two seasons. A near miss in last years Western Conference Finals was redeemed with passage through the Eastern Conference Championship this post season. He preaches self-belief and hard work to his charges, most exemplified by midfielder Kyle Beckerman, and a never-give-up attitude. Always considered the underdog in these playoffs, especially when it comes to road games, Kreis has employed his attack-first mentality to perfection in toppling two very tough opponents in Columbus and Chicago.

Advantage: Los Angeles Galaxy — Arena has the trophies to prove it.

The Intangibles:

There are few certainties in sports — that’s why they play the games — save for the underdog crying out for respect against a seemingly undefeatable opponent. Since the 2009 playoffs began, Real Salt Lake has worn the underdog label with aplomb. Their surprising success in reaching the MLS Cup would not have been predicted entering their final game of the season against the Colorado Rapids. With just one win in their five prior matches, RSL required a win over their Rocky Mountain rivals just to sneak into the playoffs as the eighth seed (after winning tiebreakers against those same Rapids and DC United) with 40 points. Their season ending form was just average, but their playoff form has risen to another level. They have all the confidence in the world after two straight road victories, and look forward to their match in Seattle.

The field and weather conditions on Sunday should help Real Salt Lake as well as their attitude. Qwest Field offers up the much maligned artificial playing surface the club may remember from their days playing on a similar field at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Utah. Additionally, the weather will be very cool, with a good chance of rain — much closer to what you’d see in their home state and not sunny Southern California.

Lastly, the inspiring story of midfielder Andy Williams’ wife’s battle against cancer has helped the team rally around the cause. Williams has continued to impress even with the weight of those personal issues, and his teammates will be eager to reward his dedication.

Down in Los Angeles, the three year soap opera of Galaxy soccer that has followed David Beckham’s historic signing reaches a more stable stage with their MLS Cup Final appearance. As mentioned earlier, LA was last in the league at the end of 2008 and looking nothing like the Super-Club that former GM Alexi Lalas imagined them to be. What the guidance of Bruce Arena and the leadership of veteran signings like Gregg Berhalter and Tony Sanneh have been able to do for the club is impressive. Sanneh in particular has been a revelation for the club, without haven’t logged very many meaningful minutes during 2009. Virtually out of the game when Arena signed him earlier this year, the veteran has brought professionalism to the club that many felt was lacking. Add in other veterans like Chris Klein and Eddie Lewis, and there is a swagger to the Galaxy’s play that was missing during three prior years of missing the post season.

And, of course, there is David Beckham. The face of MLS is on the precipice of achieving a remarkable feat in professional soccer — league championships for three different clubs in as many countries. Beckham has been often criticized for his seemingly disinterested approach to playing in the U.S., but nobody watching this post season can fault him for his efforts. His intensity on the field, sometimes viewed as a form of petulance, can lift an entire team to success. Now on the biggest stage for soccer in America, David Beckham will want to add MLS Champion to his resume.

Advantage: Los Angeles Galaxy — The Beckham Experiment will be a success.

That completes the two final categories to consider for this MLS Cup Final preview. The indicators overwhelmingly point to the Los Angeles Galaxy as the team better prepared to beat Real Salt Lake. Thus, the stage is set for the Galaxy to hoist their third MLS Championship trophy this Sunday in Seattle.

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In my EPL Talk piece yesterday, I discussed all of the reasons that Ireland’s potential qualification was better for World Football than France’s would be.  Much of this thought process centered on the importance of American market to the success of the World Cup.

But alas, Giovanni Trapattoni’s side was defeated at the hands of Thierry Henry’s France. (pun intended) This is despite the fact that Trapattoni had been able to get a group of Championship and low end Premier League players (with a few exceptions) to play at a level higher than that of an allegedly world class French squad.  One of these (allegedly) world class players, Henry is consistently linked with Major League Soccer.

Henry is however, an acknowledged cheat. The player whose international career has never replicated his club form admitted that his handling of the ball was deliberate. Desperately unable to break down a well organized Irish side employing Trapattoni’s legendary tactics, the player who preaches fair play did exactly the opposite to qualify his nation illegitimately for its fourth successive World Cup. (Ireland has only been to three World Cups in its footballing history)

Henry is a footballer whose recent and blatant actions have brought the sport into disrepute, across the globe. In the United States a perception exists about diving and cheating in football. This perception which ails many a casual sports fan from truly embracing football would only be furthered by the signing of Henry. I would urge any and all MLS teams that have considered using a DP slot on Henry to cease the thought immediately.

Henry owns a home in Miami and loves New York. This makes him more willing and able to move to the US than most recognizable footballers.  But that is not reason enough to bring to America, a player whose actions and blatant disregard for the rules of this beautiful game have been made perfectly clear.  American impressions of this sport are created by snapshot moments: Pele’s dribble, Maradona’s hand of god, and Zidane’s head butt. Those impressions sadly last longer than they should, because by and large the average American sports fan really doesn’t get Football.

Few will know about Henry’s good work in the Stamp Out Racism campaign, nor his genteel demeanor. Nor do they care. Henry is perceived as cheat from here forward and this means that Don Garber and MLS team execs need to cross Henry off any potential list of DP signings in the near future.

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Welcome from Land Shark Stadium in Miami. Honduras, a World Cup qualifier from CONCACAF takes on Peru here. Down in Montevideo, Costa Rica fell 2-1 on aggregate in Uruguay for the final spot in South Africa. Earlier today, a US side made up largely of reserves was beaten by a Danish side made up almost completely of reserves 3-1. Leave your comments on all the matches here and I will be back shortly with more thoughts.

Some thoughts on the US game:

Jeff Cunningham’s goal was a piece of class, and Stuart Holden once again showed he rarely if ever runs out of ideas. But otherwise the US attack looked dysfunctional.

The US back four was terrible, particularly Frankie Hejduk, for whom age may finally be a factor. Jonathan Bornstein, whom I complimented just four days ago was poor as well. The central midfield pairing of Benny Feilhaber and Michael Bradley were terrible, and Jozy Altidore was again a big miss.

But the news isn’t all bad for Bornstein his picture is all over this stadium. He is a hero in Honduras, even if unknown at home.

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Before the playoffs began, the consensus was that the teams in the Western Conference were more prepared to the lift the MLS Cup in Seattle on November 22^nd. Little did we know then how prophetic that sentiment was, as we now have both entries in the Final representing the West. The Los Angeles Galaxy — the top seed out of the West entering the post-season — and Real Salt Lake — vanquishers of the best the East had to offer — face off at Qwest Field with the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy at stake.

In a two-part article to conclude tomorrow, we’ll break down the aspects of both teams going into the Final. Today we’ll focus on the players — tomorrow the coaching and intangibles. And while LA versus RSL may not be the glamour match-up that some had hoped for (sorry Cuauhtemoc Blanco), the storylines for MLS Cup XIV are nonetheless compelling.

The Offense:

The Los Angeles Galaxy relies heavily on their team captain Landon Donovan to spark the offense. Not only as a goal-scorer (12 on the season), Donovan plays the role of provider as well (6 assists) for a Galaxy team that scored the second fewest goals in the Western Conference. “The Specialist” David Beckham also plays a big part of the offense — see his pinpoint cross to Donovan in the Chivas USA first round, second leg victory that set-up the winning goal. Looking past the star power, the players that need to step up in the attacking third are strikers Edson Buddle and Mike Magee. Neither player has shined this season, especially an injury-slowed Buddle; however, if either player can take advantage of the service expected from Donovan and Beckham, they will get scoring opportunities against a rather ordinary RSL defense.

Salt Lake enters the MLS Cup Final with a Jekyll-and-Hyde offense — a dominating performance against the Columbus Crew in the first round, and a scoreless draw in the Eastern Conference Final — that relies on the dynamic Robbie Findley and Fabian Espindola, with a possible replacement in Yura Movsisyan. Unfortunately for RSL, their strikers have not finished the excellent scoring opportunities afforded them throughout the 2009 season. Now would be a great time for leading scorer Findley to regain his form, and Movsisyan — with one foot out the MLS door — needs to focus on this game.

Advantage: Los Angeles Galaxy — proven leadership and experience.

The Midfield:

Real Salt Lake unquestionably has quality and depth in the midfield. Attacking midfielder Javier Morales, in tandem with Kyle Beckerman, give the Lakers a potent duo in the center of the field. Both looked sharp so far this post-season, and will be asked to show poise in controlling possession in Seattle. Out on the wings young Canadian Will Johnson and the veteran Andy Williams provide good skill going forward, but are somewhat limited in their defensive play. Against Chicago, the midfield quartet sparkled at times — they must continue that form to keep the possession advantage in favor of RSL.

While Landon Donovan tends to contribute primarily in the attack, David Beckham often plays over the entire field. When Beckham drifts back into the defensive midfield role, he is quite effective. However, the Galaxy offense suffers without him pressing forward. LA needs Dema Kovalenko to take over the responsibility of being the primary defensive midfielder. Out on the wings, Eddie Lewis and Chris Klein have the skill and experience to make their impact in the Cup Final. Beckham holds the key for this group — he wil dictate whether they succeed of fail this Sunday.

Advantage: Real Salt Lake — better overall quality.

The Defense:

The Los Angeles Galaxy was the worst defensive team in 2008, so they could only be expected to improve this season. Central defending partners Gregg Berhalter and Omar Gonzalez have proven to be a dominating force in the middle for the Galaxy, as they anchored a squad that let in half as many goals (31 versus 62) in 2009 as compared to last season. Combined with outside backs Sean Franklin, Todd Dunivant, and A.J. DeLaGarza, Los Angeles boasts a very stingy back line. Any post-season jitters were exorcised in the first round, first leg match with Chivas USA, and the Galaxy has not conceded a goal in more than 250 minutes of playoff action. Throw in the dominating presence of goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, and Los Angeles appears primed to continue that scoreless streak this Sunday.

Real Salt Lake is no slouch on defense either with talisman Jamison Olave leading his back four. But the real hero in Salt Lake is goalkeeper Nick Rimando. Not an imposing figure at just 5’-9”, Rimando clearly knows his positioning during the flow of play and on set pieces. He masterfully controlled the Eastern Conference Final shoot-out with three saves on the Chicago Fire. Even when he didn’t reach the ball, he guessed which way to go on all but one shot. Rimando may be the perfect antidote to David Beckham’s set piece danger in the Final.

Advantage: Los Angeles Galaxy — they have found the right combination.

The Bench:

RSL do not feature a marquee player the likes of Donovan or Beckham; instead they feature a roster of consistent performers. Beyond their starting XI, the Lakers field a substitutes’ bench highlighted by former USMNT hero Clint Mathis. The midfielder has often been called into games this season late in the second half to provide poise in possession and a dangerous addition to the offense. In the attack, whichever of the three front-line strikers doesn’t start the game will certainly take the field before the final whistle. Last week against Chicago it was Espindola, but Movsisyan has often played that role this season. Finally, penalty kick hero Ned Grabavoy provides ample relief in the midfield. A very solid player, Grabavoy can cover in defense when the team is leading or contribute confidently in the attack if RSL needs some late game offensive heroics.

If the Galaxy has one weakness as a team, it is with their bench. Whether due to injuries or out-of-form players, LA will notice some significant drop-off in quality when their substitutes are called upon. Attacking players Jovan Kirovski and Alan Gordon are experienced, but don’t start for a reason. Gordon especially seems to be a roll of the dice when he plays — great at times against Houston last week, but other times often ineffective. In the midfield, national team players Eddie Lewis and Chris Birchall could spark the Galaxy offense if needed late in the game.

Advantage: Real Salt Lake — Mathis is the man.

One of the lessons learned in this post season was how futile it was to predict the winners of the matches ahead of time. In a league that features a competitive balance among its member teams, forecasting match results may as well be done with the flip of a coin. Having said that, and by looking at the players expected to see action this Sunday in Seattle, the Los Angeles Galaxy seems to possess the edge in quality and experience. However, there are more factors that need to be considered before making a pick for the 2009 MLS Cup — we’ll turn our attention to the coaching and intangibles in tomorrow’s continuation of the Final preview.

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It’s a tough situation Bob Bradley finds himself in. With very few friendly dates left before South Africa to test our best against quality opposition, today’s game against Denmark appears to be a dud. The US is without its two most recognizable field players, Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey, while the Danes basically have a “B” side at their disposal which excludes such recognizable names as Daniel Agger and Niklas Bendtner.

So Bradley finds himself, much like his opposite number Morton Olsen trying to figure out spots 16 thru 23 for his World Cup selection today. Following the 1-0 defeat to Slovakia, where few players not already on the plane to South Africa stood out, Bradley will use this as an occasion to ascertain the value of new players.

One such player Edgar Castillo of Tigres was a disappointment for me this Primera Division Apertura campaign. But his previous friendly performances for Mexico were adequate, creating a strong presence on the left side of defense and pushing forward with timely runs and outstanding crosses.
Another such player, Dax McCarty could be a key to providing depth off the bench in South Africa. McCarty may not have the build of some of his counterparts in the player pool, but his record at the youth level in critical matches speaks for itself.

With the last day of World Cup qualifying going on simultaneously with this friendly and a match here in Miami involving CONCACAF qualifier Honduras tonight (they face Peru), I likely will not provide the usual post match coverage until tomorrow. But feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section

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