Daily Soccer Fix

This World Cup is gonna be a little different

2010-03-17T15:16:26Z

Going to South Africa this summer? Better be ready to fight off the menacing baboons!

Here’s something to consider as you start making plans for World Cup watching parties this summer … or, if you’re one of the lucky ones, as you prep for that 16-hour flight into Cape Town or Johannesburg:

A bunch of FIFA and national team worker bee types just went to South Africa for some early preparation and reconnaissance. FIFA folks were getting acquainted with procedures and logistics and such. The national team officials were scouting; assessing the available medical services, checking out hotels, making plans for news conference sites, etc. Mostly mundane stuff.

Until the baboons started attacking!

OK, that’s an exaggeration. But not much of one. Read on ...

Until the baboons started attacking!

OK, that’s an exaggeration. But not much of one.

Here’s a great story that made the rounds among these folks:

At the official FIFA hotel, one man who was in town to get familiar with his duties was awakened by someone / something rattling around in his room. He soon discovered it was a baboon. His room was on the second floor, but because the hotel was situated on a bit of a hill there was a certain ground access to the second floor. Maybe not for you and I … but the runway was apparently clear if you happen to be a baboon.

Well, hotel staff has dealt with this before. It was no biggie. The man went to the front desk. The staff sent someone to shoo the little bugger away and all was well in the world.

Until the poor fellow went to breakfast the next day. When he returned, his room had been tossed. It was a complete mess. The baboon had obviously returned.

I heard this story while visiting with some folks who had returned recently from that trip. At that point, I had but one thought:

This World Cup … it’s gonna be a bit different.

There have been other tales, not necessarily related to World Cup, that are much less benign. In all seriousness, security is a huge concern. The next story I write about strange happenings of a major global event staged in a developing country, well, let’s hope it has a comical bent, too.

Soccernet is out; SI.com is in

2010-03-16T14:14:58Z

Just like Weezy Jefferson ... movin' on up!

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There’s a lot of movement these days in our little niche market of U.S. soccer writers. Scribes (and editors, too) are scurrying about like roaches when the lights flick on, in fact.

So you might need to sleuth around a bit to locate your favorite writer, editor or blogger right now. As for yours truly, you’ll no longer find my work at ESPN Soccernet. Rather, the folks over at SI.com asked me to pick up my pens and pencils and wander over to their site. I was thrilled to oblige.

I’ll mostly be covering MLS, perhaps occasionally sticking my journalistic oars into international waters. (I’ll also continue to write for the MLSnet site and for this site, of course.) My first piece at SI.com went up yesterday.

The move from Soccernet wasn’t a difficult call. You needed a CSI techie to find MLS articles these days over at Soccernet now, not just my own, but those written by esteemed former ESPN colleague Jeff Carlisle. Ives Galarcep moved over to FoxSoccer.com earlier this year. New management is in charge at Soccernet, and I don’t get the feeling that MLS is a big part of the plan going forward.

There is some other shifting, zigging and zagging in the domestic soccer journo world. As I know that much yawning will greet that news, I won’t beat down the audience with particulars. But more good stuff is on the way; it will benefit readers and supporters as the options expand. There will be more folks talking and squawking soccer on ever increasing and improving platforms. That can’t be a bad thing.

Beckham's injury: what it means

2010-03-15T18:16:13Z

Beckham limps out of the World Cup picture Sunday

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No one can be joyous about David Beckham’s injury. No matter what you think of Brand Beckham, his array of handlers, his growing mosaic of tattoos, the appearance of hypocrisy when it comes to supporting MLS, etc., it’s really bad karma to cheer any injury.

That doesn’t mean that we can’t gather ‘round the water cooler and bat around what it all means. To put a finer point on it, what will Beckham’s Achilles tear, suffered Sunday at the San Siro, mean to the happenings June 12 in South Africa? The United States meets Beckham’s England that day in Rustenburg.

Short answer: not much.

It would be fair to call Beckham’s role on England’s squad this summer “ceremonial.” On the other hand, he certainly wasn’t going to be a central figure in Fabio Capello’s plans. Beckham has 115 caps for England. His run over three previous World Cups has been storied. But he was a marginal performer in 2010 World Cup qualifiers, and he was tethered to the bench as England’s first 11 topped Egypt in the latest friendly.

Beckham’s role on this team was always going to be as a tactical option off the bench. His free kicks and pinpoint crosses can still change a match. But at 34 years old, especially in such a demanding tournament, he was never going to lave the legs to be a first-choice weapon.

As for MLS, the 4-6 month recovery prognosis means Beckham could be back on the field as early as August. (He wouldn’t have returned until late July anyway.) That would leave 8-10 matches of regular season action, assuming he could return in that time frame. (Update: Officials who performed surgery say Beckham will be out until September, which means he may not play at all in MLS this year.)

My guess: We’ll see Beckham again in a Galaxy shirt. And this will increase the chances that Beckham plays in Major League Soccer in 2011. His time in an England shirt and in an AC Milan kit are almost surely over.

Let's do keep it all in perspective. He's been to three World Cups, after all, more than 99.8 percent of all pro soccer players. I heard a guy on FSC lament, "the poor guy," because Beckham has worked so hard to get to South Africa. I don't know about your world. But in my world, David Beckham not getting to a FOURTH World Cup isn't going to ruin my day. We all work through misfortune. All in all, this guy has family, fame and fortune. That's more than enough for most mortals.

An open letter to ESPN: your soccer broadcasts overfloweth with British accents

2010-03-14T13:53:58Z

ESPN: Scouring the globe for soccer voices. Well, parts of the globe, anyway.

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Dear, ESPN

How’s it going at the Worldwide Leader Mothership? I do hate to bother you chaps … you are probably nibbling on fish and chips while knee deep in a marathon of The Office at this very moment. (British version, of course!)

But I was hoping you could tell me what this means: “That might be worth a bob if you’re having a little bit of a plunder on it!”

I heard that today on one of your networks, from Tommy Smyth. You know the guy. Thick glasses. Lots of opinions. Some of ‘em right. Anyway, what the eff does that mean, mates?

I suppose Smyth is saying that such-and-such is a good bet. OK. Fair enough.

But here’s my point: He knows the ESPN audience is primarily in the United States, right? Well, we don’t talk like that! We don’t “buy petrol for the motorway,” we buy “gas for the highway.” We don’t go to the loo, for piss sakes, we go to the freakin bathroom!

“Hey, mate, would you run up on the lift and fetch me torch and me mac? It’s frightfully dark and wet out!”

Go say that around the auto assembly plant in Michigan or around the weekly Tuesday meeting of the local fraternal order in the heartland and see if you don’t get sacked with an atomic wedgie.

I’m on this British accent thing again because you guys just announced your lineup for World Cup broadcasts. Talk about a kick in the nads to the American soccer establishment! Here’s the opening line from your announcement:

“ESPN's World Cup telecasts will have a British accent.

Adrian Healey, Derek Rae and Ian Darke have been hired by ESPN for its U.S. broadcasts at this year's World Cup and will join Martin Tyler to give the network British play-by-play announcers for all 64 games beginning June 11.”

Man, that’s a fine “How Do You Do” for Yankee viewers …and announcers.

(FYI: If you’re wondering how a guy like little ol me, who started writing for your Disney sister outfit ESPN Soccernet back in 2005, has the brass ones to go biting the hand that feeds him … well, stay tuned, boys ….)

If I’ve got me facts right, I believe Healy, Darke and Tyler are English. Rae is Scottish. I know that Rae often works side-by-side on ESPN soccer shows with Janusz Michallik, who is Polish. That’s when he’s not working with Shaka Hislop, who isn’t fooling anyone with all those Trinidad and Tobago caps. He was born in London. He played professionally in England. He’s as English as Daniel freakin’ Craig, bless is 007 heart.

They are fine announcers, all. They know TV and they know which end of a soccer ball is up. Hell, I’d love to invite ‘em round to the pub sometime, as I’m sure they have a fortnight worth of tales! This isn’t meant to impugn any of these good fellows.

Besides all that, I love England. Just got back, in fact. I even drove a bit on this trip. It was a bit of a challenge, steering wheel on the right, stick shift on the left and all. But I stuck to two golden rules of UK driving. “Stay left. Try not to die!”

But couldn’t you guys at ESPN squeeze an American voice into the play-by-play lineup? Is American soccer such a craphole wasteland that a guy like JP Dellacamera can’t get a bite of the play-by-play mic?

You remember Dellacamera, right? He’s the gentleman of abundant knowledge and fine voice who brought many, many U.S. national team and other pro games into America’s living rooms. (Slightly off subject, he’s a good dude, too. And one day I’m gonna hunt down the rascal who stole the periods in the JP, and I’ll give that dude a good talking-to.)

I’m going to help spread the word to everyone: if they want to catch some of JP’s good work from South Africa this summer, they’ll have to tune into their regular local, uh, soccer radio station. Such a thing doesn’t really exist around where I live. And probably anywhere else. But never mind that.

I see that JP has been relegated to ESPN radio. I haven’t talked to him about all this, but I could bet a bob that he ain’t happy about it, if I was up for having a bit of a plunder on it. (See what I did there? Hee-hee.)

You guv’nahs over at ESPN did manage to wedge in one American voice. Former U.S. captain John Harkes will handle some of the analyst duties. (So will Efan Ekoku, a Manchester-born former Nigerian national teamer. Apparently at ESPN, “diversity” means a lot of English guys who managed to play for other nations.)

OK, so you tossed us a bone with Harkes. But he’s not even the top U.S. analyst! He’s gotten more comfortable behind camera and the mic, but he still defaults to trite soccer truisms and coach-speak way too often. You could play a drinking game with Harkes’ favorite go-to phrase, “cover and balance.” I don’t think anybody else has actually said “cover and balance” since Harkes was playing at Sheffield Wednesday back in the early 1990s, but never mind that for now.

But where is Glenn Davis, who does good work for ESPN platforms when he isn’t gigging on regional networks? Where is Kyle Martino, who seemed like such a natural when he retired early and went right into the booth a couple of years ago? Or what about Brian Dunseth, who just keeps getting better and better in his analyst work? Greg Vanney, who picked up some regional work last year, shows a lot of promise as an analyst.

Well, if I run into any of those American soccer voices, the ones you guys like to marginalize, I’ve got a tip for em:

Try to spend some time abroad. Best bet is England. Try to pick up a trace of an accent. Maybe even write a note to the suits at ESPN when you do it. Tell ‘em what’s up. And it probably wouldn’t hurt you to mention that you ate a lot of bangers and mash and sticky toffee pudding while there. Oh, one more thing! Spell “colour” and “glamour” with the extraneous “u.” They eat that stuff up.

Cheer-io!

Your good mate, Steve

Should he stay or should he go now? Landon Donovan’s days at Everton almost up

2010-03-12T15:59:28Z

More English fare in Donovan's days ahead? We'll see ...

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Landon Donovan’s 10-week loan spell at Everton has unfolded famously. His run for the grateful EPL side, surely a watershed in Donovan's career, is nearly done and the American attacker is scheduled to re-join the Los Angeles Galaxy next week.

Everyone around Everton wants him to hang out a bit longer, keeping his address in Liverpool -- not far from Penny Lane and the abandoned orphanage at Strawberry Fields -- for as long as possible.

In one regard, I understand the desire around Everton to hold onto Landon Donovan past this weekend’s trip to Birmingham. The reasons have been well documented; he’s been all that and a bag of crispy chips.

But let’s spin this puppy around, look at it from 180 degrees t’other side and see what we may see: Fact is, in the most practical sense, I’m not sure why Everton is so kickin’ keen on keeping the lad.

Donovan has proven his ability as EPL-worthy, that’s not in doubt. But how much can he realistically effect movement in the table at this point?

Everton currently sits 9^th in the EPL table. The Toffees would need to make up seven points on Liverpool to gain sixth place and a spot in Europa League play for 2010-11. Impossible? No. Improbable? Si.

However you slice it, David Moyes’ men would need one hell-bent, audacious run to challenge for any of the six spots that will cinch European competition for next year.

Meanwhile, splendid form since early January has escorted Everton safely beyond the scary forest where relegation monsters live. The world would practically have to end in order for Everton to approach relegation danger. (Even if Everton lost all 10 of its remaining matches, it would probably still be OK.)

Plus, Moyes’ side is now stripping a few names off the injury list; that bustling infirmary was the very reason Everton so badly needed a stop-gap presence like Donovan in the first place. So such a tragic collapse is all but impossible.

The odds are stacked highly that Everton will finish right where it’s at, in the cluster of mid-pack teams, undecorated perhaps, but cushioned from the concussion of relegation explosions below.

So … Is it really so necessary to keep Donovan, a man who didn’t even start the Toffees last two EPL matches? (A little birdie in Everton told me Donovan was fighting through some illness last week, which contributed to Moyes’ choice not to start Donovan in his Goodison Park farewell.)

It seems clear that he will do more for the Los Angeles Galaxy than he will do for Everton going forward.

I can just see some people now, huffing and puffing at that statement, getting their snobby shorts in a terrible twist over such sacrilege. How could I even draw a comparison between MLS and EPL?

Here’s how: I know a lot of people out there don’t respect MLS and wouldn’t cross the street to throw a cup of water on an MLS player if he was on fire. Whatever.

But the fact is, some people do have an interest in the league. Some supporters consider what happens in MLS important. To wit: the league will kick off on March 25. The Galaxy debuts two nights later. Bruce Arena’s team may be the reigning league runner-up, but without Donovan or David Beckham, it’s a fairly tame lot.

In fact, it’s probably not a very god team. Bruce Arena did a lot in 2009 to instill organization on the field and a healthy esprit de corps off it.

But without Donovan or Beckham, any Galaxy game is a scoreless draw waiting to happen.

And if you are a Galaxy season ticket holder, having spent your hard-earned cash in a day that plenty of people don’t have much of it, how happy are you that neither of the personnel heavyweights are around? No disrespect to Alan Gordon, but he’s not selling many seats at the HDC these days.

Clearly, ongoing labor discord is the wildcard here. If there aren’t any matches to play here, Donovan is better served by remaining in England. But if the suits can get things sorted out, he serves a better purpose in MLS.

Now, as for Donovan re-joining Everton on a permanent basis in the summer transfer window …. that’s an entirely different debate.

Everton fans love them some Landon Donovan

2010-03-11T02:03:29Z

Spotted at the official Everton fan shop, just down the lane from Goodison Park. They do love this Yank

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LIVERPOOL, England – By the time Landon Donovan was done at Goodison Park on Sunday, I was fairly sure Everton officials were about to rename the stadium after the guy.

Our little soccer party moved up north from London into the land of the Beatles and Liverpool FC. The northern port city is also home to Everton, which gets short shrift in terms of fan attention in the city. (I told one local that I had gone to Goodison Park the day before. “Ah. To atone for your sins, eh?”)

But they do love them some Landon Donovan around the old and somewhat dank Goodison grounds.

Even for a cynical journalist – “That glass is half empty, I tell ya!” – seeing the affection for Landon Donovan was moving. I know it’s a little late, and you may have heard the tale of Sunday’s appearance at Goodison, so I’ll be brief.

As they announced the subs prior to kickoff, the round of applause for Donovan was louder than it was for some of the starters. As he came on late, the cheers were loud and surely earnest. As he blazed a ball into the hapless Hull City goal, the place came apart.

Then came the chants. “USA! … USA … “

It happened again as he set up Everton’s final goal in the 5-1 win. And then at the final whistle, as he took a short little walk to clap for the fans, the “USA! … USA! … “ chant rang anew.

Remember, these aren’t just Everton fans. Presumably, they are England fans, too. And this same “USA!” will meet England on June 12. It’s been in all the papers, so they all know.

Such is the affection for a guy who earned the admiration and respect quite quickly, not only by fans but by teammates, too. None of them had a bad word to say, and all talked of hopeful efforts to keep the American attacker around Goodison a little while longer.

A day at Fulham; the tyranny of the 0-0 tie is overrated

2010-03-08T09:29:45Z

The view from our seats at cozy little Craven Cottage.

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Also file under: Something to email your jackhole friend who likes to make fun of soccer

LONDON, England – I watched a 0-0 soccer match Saturday. And loved it.

I know that the scoreless draw is frequently a punch line, a slow-moving target for unoriginal people who like to make fun of soccer. Ever notice that this (thankfully shrinking) lot is stocked with the same lame-o douches who, in high school, thought they were funny, but really were just boors who made cliché jokes at someone else’s expense? Either that, or they’re just one of these sad, scared simpletons who see soccer’s advance up the American culture food change as a metaphor for a world that’s changing and passing them by. But I’ll stay on point here …

Here’s what the grandstanding dillyweeds don’t get about soccer – but somehow seem to understand about a low-scoring, riveting pitcher’s duel in baseball: the 0-0 draw is equally riveting, so long as something is truly at stake.

To wit: yesterday’s match at Craven Cottage truly meant something to Cottagers fans. Fulham, as many of you know but some may not, is hardly one of England’s money clubs. Strapped with a small ground and unadorned in historic glory, the West London club languishes in the shadow of nearby, highfalutin Chelsea.

This year, Fulham has done well enough to stay above relegation peril. Generally, the fight to remain in England’s top tier keeps things interesting at the old-school ground of 24,000, which abuts the Thames. (That breeze coming off the river makes Craven Cottage a particularly chilly place!)

On the other hand, Fulham won’t challenge for one of England’s top spots. So it’s been a pretty good season, but one that’s now destined to gallop home minus much high drama.

There’s one huge exception: the FA Cup. The esteemed all-comers tourney has lost a little sheen lately, but it remains a valuable, storied trophy in England, one worth bleeding for.

Fulham met Tottenham yesterday in a quarterfinal (a quarterfinal cup tie, in the national parlance.) And this game meant something.

A Fulham win would summon an appearance at historic Wembley Stadium, since that’s where FA Cup semifinals (and the final) are staged. For a club such as Fulham and its fans, landing an FA Cup semifinal spot at Wembley would be truly memorable stuff.

So that’s the background. If you went to Saturday’s match as an American spectator or just caught the action on TV back in the States, it probably wasn’t that exciting. A free kick lashed toward Fulham’s goal in the 19^th minute was the first shot taken. And, in all honesty, a cautious match on both sides produced precious few good chances.

By the 60^th minute, it was increasingly clear that one goal could well be enough to claim the day. So, if you cared about one team or the other, as the minutes wore on you were increasingly drawn toward the edge of your seat.

Generally, as a journalist, neutrality covers you like a rash. It just becomes part of your DNA, like jonesing for morning coffee. But on the occasion when I gather the vacation muse, I can allow myself the luxury of caring. (Hint: making a wager helps! You’d be surprised how much your “give-a-shit” factor improves for nothing more than a $10 bet.)

So every time the ball gets played into Bobby Zamora – Fulham really does ask so, so much of its hard-working target striker – the excitement builds. Every time Damien Duff, who has lost a step but can still be deliver a game-turning moment, found a little room on the right, the supporters stand up and lean breathlessly forward.

And every time Tottenham carries possession into danger areas at the other end, usually a move orchestrated by the smoothly slippery Luca Modric, breaths are held throughout the grounds.

The shot goes wide! Exhale. Clap nervously.

Sure, if you’re watching from Scranton or Souix Falls or San Antonio back in the States, just killing time and with no vested interested, 4-3 is a better match, one considerably higher in entertainment value.

But fans at Craven Cottage all had “vested interest” in pocket as they made their way into the grounds, past the shops and brownstones along Fulham Road. The match did finish 0-0, but it was a big time just the same.

Note: My dateline said London. Truthfully, this post was written on the 9:15 a.m. train into Liverpool Lime Street Station on Sunday. So it was probably sent from somewhere near the Runcorn stop. (Hee-hee. “Runcorn” is a funny word. There’s the 12-year-old in me again.) … Today’s match is Everton-Hull City at Goodison Park – Landon Donovan’s final match at Everton’s home ground. Cheers, all!

The halftime beer rush: part of the English football experience

2010-03-07T13:19:35Z

"American John" between our new friend and the lovely and well-bundled Stephana at Fulham's nearby pub

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LONDON, England – I sometimes poke fun at soccer fans in our land. Well, to be more specific, at some Americans who attend soccer matches.

There is a distinction: “Proper fans” understand how to watch a match. “Visitors” frequently do not, God love ‘em.

The proper way to watch a match that lasts just 90 minutes is, of course, to take your seat, turn your gaze toward the field and actually absorb what’s happening in front of you. Leave all the boozin’, babe watching and buffet bustin’ for the before, the halftime and the after. Not necessarily in that order.

The rows, seats and aisles in the United States are often a regular buzzing beehive of activity, even during the match. Some fans just can’t wait until halftime for their slice of pizza and 16 oz. of soda goodness. I just chuckle.

Well, here’s the other side of it, the one advantage to being a “visitor” rather than “supporter”: the mad, Benny Hill-type halftime rush at the venerable England grounds.

Our little group went to Fulham’s Craven Cottage on Saturday. (I’ll post just a bit more on the match itself later.) My friend – who will now be known as American John due to a nice man we met before the game at the pub – lives nearby and is a Cottagers’ season ticket holder. So he hits the Golden Lion, the unofficially official supporters’ pub I suppose, before matches. We had one there (but declined the mercilessly overcooked burger, as we’ve been here before.)

We got another beer at the grounds, finishing up as I made my 11/5 wager on the draw at the on-ground betting shop. (Ka-ching!)

American John (also known in my friends’ circle as “Carl” … but that’s another story) announced just before halftime that he was getting up a couple minutes early to grab everyone a halftime beer.

You see, that truly is a formidable exercise, a challenge that demands planning, decisive action, and the kind of precision timing seen only in special forces operation and on pit row of NASCAR tracks.

Almost everyone on site at an English football ground – with the exception of a few pitifully underdressed hoochie mama types, who dismiss the blustery cold and truly sacrifice their delicate lady skin in order show a little more of it – is there to actually see the game and cheer, cheer, cheer for the home team. So they all remain happily tethered to their seats for the 45-minute duration, and almost everyone has the same plan, one weighted beautifully with Homer Simpson-esque simplicity: get a beer at halftime!

So upon halftime whistle, there is an explosion of humanity at the overmatched service areas reserved for beer sales. One moment, it’s calm as a chapel on Saturday night. The next, hundreds of men aged 18-68 are smashed together like rush hour on a Tokyo subway, ablaze in anxiety, hoping against hope to be one of the lucky lads to actually claim a precious halftime beer.

As American John said: “If you don’t leave your seat a minute or so early, then there’s about a 30-second window of opportunity during that rush to the beer stand. After that, you’re probably out of luck.”

Greetings from London Heathrow ... fantastic soccer ahead

2010-03-06T10:50:07Z

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Let’s see: good beer at great pubs, fantastic soccer, betting at the matches, spectacular atmosphere, ear-pleasing accents and a chilly day that just won’t make way for the sun … yep, I must be in England!

Greetings from London Heathrow, where the annual extended-weekend soccer trip is beginning in quite inglorious fashion, at a dank airport coffee shop while my girlfriend waits for her AWOL bag.

Ordinarily, it wouldn’t matter. She’s a global traveler and she’s dealt with worse. But since her cold-weather gear is packed away, and since we’ll be at Craven Cottage in a few hours for Fulham’s FA Cup match against Spurs, she needs that damn bag!

I’ve sat in plenty of UK stadiums, but the one other time I’ve been to Craven Cottage was one of the coldest experiences. It sits right on the Thames, so the wind blows cold off the water.

We’re meeting up with friends today. Tomorrow we meet up with others at Goodison Park, where we’ll see Landon Donovan’s final match with Everton – for now. We’re debating a run to Wigan to see Liverpool on Monday. Then we’ve got a nice little buffet of choices on Tuesday in and around London. Suggestions?

I take this trip once a year, usually with my boyz. Yeah, I spell it with a “z” … because that’s the kind of silliness that ensues on those trips. Lots of pull my finger and other shenanigans that remind us once and for all: there’s a 12-year old tucked not too far inside every male of the species. Anyway, this one will be a little more tame since the Queen Fixer is about. Either way, I’ll tell you all about it … well, most of it.

(By the way, if you’re local and you know where the Daily Soccer Fix HQ is located … don’t get any ideas about raiding the residence. The border collie is too smart for her own good, but she’d fold pretty quick in a fight. The Rottie mix, he’s beefy, but he’s generally a sweet dog and you might even talk your way past him. But the Great Dane … she’s crazy as an outhouse rat, and the warrior spirit is strong in that one. If you’re lucky she’ll just eat your junk as a snack and leave the rest of you intact. That’s IF you get off light.)

Talking Stuart Holden's injury and bias behind the ref's whistle

2010-03-04T19:51:41Z

I'm showing FIFA officials a red card here

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If it weren’t for bad luck, the United States soccer team would have no luck at all. If it was raining delicious gummy bears, some poor American player would get hit in the head with a half-rotted turnip.

Add poor Stuart Holden to the injury list, which was just starting to get back to a manageable place before the latest addition to the treatment table. Holden has a fracture in his right leg (courtesy of Nigel de Jong’s recklessness) that will keep him out six weeks. The emerging U.S. midfielder should be able to get back for Bolton’s last two or three league matches. But he’s certainly not guaranteed any playing time there, and inaction at that point could seriously dent his chances of contributing in South Africa (or even making the roster, for that matter). He’s young (and therefore lesser established), he’s an American and he’s just a loan player, all of which could contribute to him having a tough time getting into matches even when he is deemed fit enough to play. Suffice to say, the situation is hardly ideal.

Speaking of de Jong’s wayward tackle, I’ve got a thought on that. Click forth for said thought:

Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir deserves a taint punch for his inexplicable, lame inaction on de Jong’s stab, which could easily have been a straight red. It underscores a point that I’ve made before: when the U.S. team wades into the choppy waters of the world’s game, the Americans rarely gain any benefit of the doubt.

It’s been this way for a while. How much of a body did Oguchi Onyewu really put on the Ghana striker that day four years ago in Nuremberg? Was Eddie Pope’s second yellow really a yellow a few days before that? Going back a little further, if Torsten Frings had been wearing a U.S. shirt, would he have been whistled for the handball in the 2002 World Cup quarterfinal? I’m thinking the answer is somewhere between, “Probably” and "Damn right he would!" Or more recently, did Ricardo Clark or Michael Bradley do enough to merit expulsion in last summer’s Confederation’s Cup?

I know it’s not Bob Bradley’s way, but maybe there will be a moment just before matches commence in South Africa where the U.S. manager makes a point of all this to the world’s press. Or, perhaps it’s on U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati to take the case to the public, to call out FIFA’s officials for what appears to be some low-level bias that tilts the field slightly toward the big boys. I know this happens all over the world, and that the United States isn’t the only nation affected. Italy, England, Germany, Brazil, etc., will generally be favored against mid-level sides in any call that could fall ether way.

It happens at league level, too, where powerful clubs are afforded preferential treatment over the lesser heeled.

It’s been this way forever, don’t you know? The rich Man is always keeping the poor man down!

Sorry to go all “power to the people” on you. I suppose you could even argue that these heavyweights have earned this particular spoil.

Even so, it might not hurt for Bradley or Gulati to force the issue, to run it up the flagpole of public opinion in the World Cup run-up, just to see if it flies.

I’ll have a couple more of these opinions upon deeper reflections of Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to the Oranje at Amsterdam ArenA. So check back later today.

Notes from the Netherlands-United States friendly in Amsterdam

2010-03-03T22:34:55Z

Once again, we see that the United States team under Bob Bradley is better when it’s pressed, when put into action against quality competition.

Was the United States great Wednesday at the Amsterdam? No. Did the Bradley Bunch do OK against a very good Dutch side? More or less, yes. Jonathan Bornstein obviously had a couple of brain farts. Michael Bradley struggled with his passing and Robbie Findley once again failed to exploit what was surely his last chance to claim a starting assignment in South Africa. But otherwise, the Americans held up adequately. Don't knock “Adequate” in this case. "Adequate" is acceptable on the road against such a class foe.

I know the product Wednesday in those new Nike blues wasn’t great, and I know the Dutch had better chances over 80 minutes. Still, a 2-1 loss to a side so stacked with midfield options that it can bring Real Madrid’s Rafael van der Vaart off the bench is hardly an awful night.

Click through for five thoughts on the match that will surely have you nodding your head in agreement:

1. The United States doesn’t have a John Heitinga at the moment. The Dutch center back is what every good defense needs, a reliable communicator, someone to settle the back, make all the simple plays and move possession cleanly into the midfield. Nor does the U.S. generally have defenders as comfortable with the ball as the Dutch men of the rear guard. We knew that already, but the contrast was telling as U.S. defenders created some nervous moments with balls from the back that were something less than perfect. FYI: last possession for theUnited States before about 1 minute and 14 seconds of almost total Dutch possession leading to the second goal: Bornstein’s big pass out of the back that went nowhere.

2. The United States doesn’t have a Wesley Sneijder at the moment. OK, this one clearly falls into the “You don’t freakin’ say!” category. The Dutch playmaker was a midfield tour du force, absolutely ruling the middle of the Amsterdam ArenA park. He worked well with Nigel de Jong and Mark van Bommel in Holland’s 4-3-3, but he was even more effective in spurts upon van der Vaart’s second-half introduction. Jose Torres looks like the closest thing Bradley’s team will have to a creator. And, suffice to say, Torres is no Sneijder.

3. Mistakes in the back will be punished with ruthless prejudice in the World Cup. For Bornstein, who gave up the first-half penalty kick and probably should have been whistled for another, such sloppiness in the final third could prove particularly damaging to his cause. (Especially with Heath Pearce coming off a nice match against El Salvador, and then producing a couple more nice moments in mop up time Wednesday.) Heck, even the Dutch learned a lesson about the jeopardy of defensive inattention. No one on the ESPN broadcast mentioned it, but what a piece of shoddy defending by the Dutch on the late U.S. goal! No one ever bothered to mark Carlos Bocanegra, who floated in completely unchallenged as the Netherlands switched off. Credit to Bocanegra for exploiting the blunder.

4. We did see about 15 minutes of what so many U.S. fans believe the team needs to do: address the flagging depth at striker by utilizing Landon Donovan as a second forward underneath a target man. As Alejandro Bedoya checked in just past the 60-minute mark, DaMarcus Beasley went from the right to the left, Bedoya manned the right and Donovan slid into the slot beneath striker Jozy Altidore. (Not that you’d know any of this listening to ESPN analyst John Harkes, who never mentioned the tactical adjustment.) How’d it work out? No real effect. Bradley wasn’t having a good day passing and Maurice Edu doesn’t look ready to step up to this level. So Donovan really didn’t have much in the way of support behind him.

5. Stuart Holden was having a fairly productive match before de Jong’s reckless work. The U.S. staff sent Holden for precautionary x-rays. Let’s hope for the best, especially as Holden has just gained a toehold on a starting spot forBolton. I’d say that if Holden is healthy and in form, we won’t have to worry as much about seeing Beasley out there. Otherwise, it would be a stretch to say that we had any real revelations from the match. Bornstein’s bad night will probably have some carry-over. As mentioned, Bradley’s passing was off and Edu isn’t back into form after his injury struggles. Pearce made the most of limited minutes. Bocanegra and Jay DeMerit did OK in the middle. Tim Howard was solid as ever. Jonathan Spector was occasionally pushed beyond his comfort zone on the right. Findley couldn’t find a way through; again, that’s no revelation. Jozy Altidore wasn’t outstanding, but he did have his moments. That’s about what you’d expect of such a young talent.

U.S.-Netherlands: a big night in Amsterdam awaits

2010-03-02T21:20:34Z

World class competition awaits Bob Bradley's U.S. team in Amsterdam

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Wednesday’s happenings at the Amsterdam ArenA will be worth watching for about 78 different reasons, but let’s be clear about this much:

It’s pretty late in the game, so to speak, for radical changes in the makeup of Bob Bradley’s United States side. The manager has certainly experimented around the edges over the last 30-or-so months, but he’s been working with the same core formation and same central personnel corps for three years. He’s hardly the sort to start tossing stuff against the wall willy-nilly at this point, hoping against hope that something sticks.

So, if you find yourself thinking about Wednesday's contest (2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2) against the formidable Oranje, conquer any urge to initiate a sentence with the words, "We should try this ..."

Like I said, it's a little late for that now. Eleventh-hour gambits can only make things worse, believe it.

On the other hand, adjustments and tweaking can still be done. For instance, if the poor options currently available at forward prove too high a hurdle to overcome, Bradley has a couple of cards to play. The most likely adjustment at this point would be moving Landon Donovan into gap, beneath a target forward. That may be the best tact for getting the optimum amount of talent on the field, with DaMarcus Beasley or Jose Torres finding their way into the match along the left.

Either way, we’ll know more about the personnel as the level of competition moves up a couple of weight classes. The lightweights and middleweights of CONCACAF are safely stowed until the next qualifying cycle. A Netherlands outfit with a full Dutch delight of talent represents a potential hornets’ nest of trouble.

So, about 100 days away from U.S.-England in South Africa, we’ll know a little more about where, exactly, this team stands. We’ll know if Beasley is any closer to being relevant in the World Cup conversation once again. We’ll know if Jonathan Spector has the confidence and requisite maturity in his game to deal with the Dutch treats that lurk – and rest assured, the U.S. rear guard will be tested by a diverse set of heavy-weapon options. Someone, for instance, will have to deal with winger Arjen Robben.

We’ll know if Donovan can create some gaps in the Dutch defense, even in the absence of qualified support troops. We’ll know if Jozy Altidore, still quite raw at this level, can make runs that are shrewd enough and assertive enough to take advantage of the Dutch central defense. That area is, quite possibly, the only thing resembling a weakness on this Netherlands team.

We’ll see if the United States midfield, which has been about three-quarters settled for a year now but is far from a finished product, can avoided being swamped under a bevy of skill and smarts. The Dutch midfield, with the likes of Nigel de Jong, Wesley Sneijder, Mark van Bommel and Rafael van der Vaart, really does represent world class balance. They’ll come equipped with a full complement of ideas.

Particularly of interest will be whether Maurice Edu, not far back from injury and still fairly green at this high level, is up for the job and able to cope?

We may get to see if Stuart Holden can continue his climb up the player pool pecking order. The former Houston Dynamo man, who has drawn high marks in two consecutive starts at Bolton, has probably done enough at this point to earn a place on the 23-man U.S. roster in South Africa. Right now, he’d been in a reserve role, nearer to the end of the bench than the front of it. A productive night in Amsterdam could further shake up the order, perhaps making Holden relevant in the conversation of who might be off the bench first in South Africa. Heck, a big night could even make Bradley think more seriously about using Clint Dempsey or Donovan in that withdrawn forward role, with Holden perhaps assigned a first-team spot on the outside.

Remember, this is it. There are no more national team gatherings until Bradley musters the troops in mid-May for the important training camp before World Cup departure.

Here’s who I’d like to see start Wednesday:

Howard

Spector Bocanegra DeMerit Bornstein

Bradley Edu

Holden Donovan

Altidore

Johnson

Oh, Canada! ... Why can't you get your soccer act together?

2010-03-01T16:17:57Z

Where is soccer's place in the land Homer Simpson humorously dubbed "America Junior?"

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When I was a wee lad, I saw hockey as soccer’s cousin. To broaden the metaphor, it was a likeable, if a little kooky cousin who lived in another state.

So hockey was an oddly cool sport. (Later, I had a falling out with hockey, the way families sometimes do, but let’s not get sidetracked here.)

Yesterday’s Gold Medal Olympic hockey game was terrific stuff. As my SB Nation brother Dave Clark said on Facebook, I just can’t get too upset over Canada’s victory over the United States. Our country won plenty of medals in Vancouver, and Sunday’s win meant so, so much more to Canada. The fans of the United States have dined generously at the Olympic Medal buffet and should be sated. Gold in hockey would have amounted to a second helping of desert. (Except for the relatively small legion of passionate hockey supporters in our country – I understand how much victory would have meant for that segment.)

Related to all this was this piece in today’s New York Times, helping to put in perspective how hockey is de facto religion for our northern neighbors. Obsession is clearly not too strong a word.

That got me thinking -- maybe this helps to answer one of my long-standing questions about Canada: why the country can’t get its soccer house in order?

Canada last qualified for a World Cup in 1986. Some of you reading this weren’t born then (which saved you from the scourge of acid wash jeans; but, again, let’s not get sidetracked). They should have accidentally fallen into at least one World Cup since then.

Quick, who was Canada’s best player ever? Anyone, anyone? I guess I’ll go with Tomasz Radzinski … but I’m open for suggestions from those who know their Canadian soccer. (I do know that it could have been Owen Hargreaves, but he opted to play for England instead.)

Canada is the third most populated land in North America, after the United States and Mexico. It is more than four times larger than Honduras, which will be in South Africa this summer. It is far larger than Costa Rica and it dwarfs Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, all of which have appeared at World Cups since Canada. (The Canadians were shut out and lost all three first-round matches at Mexico '86.)

So, population and available pool of athletes shouldn’t be an issue.

So I started thinking this morning: we only have so much human capacity for obsession. In the simplest terms, if you’re 20 percent obsessed with hockey as a nation, that leaves ample room for making flirty eyes with other sports, football, soccer, baseball, curling, equestrian, etc.

But if you’re 80 percent obsessed, all those other sports truly are fighting for the scraps. I guess I’m developing an understanding of a land that may trend more toward the 80 than the 20.

Again, that’s a simplistic assessment, more “starting point” than “finish line.” I know there’s more involved in a country that can’t sort out its soccer scene. But maybe it gets me a little further along in understanding why.

Stuart Holden debuts at Bolton

2010-02-26T18:06:03Z

Even in a loss, Holden's debut will help usher along his World Cup roster prospects

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Amid the clutter of U.S. national team matches, Champions League greatness and MLS labor discord that’s all over the place, Stuart Holden’s debut at Bolton got lost in the shiffle-shuffle.

On the one hand, launching your career in a 4-0 loss is hardly ideal. Tottenham spanked Bolton at White Hart Lane in an FA Cup 5th round replay. So now Holden’s team is out of the prestigious competition while simultaneously stuck in the relegation-zone ditch in the EPL league table. Well, at least they ain't Portsmouth.

On the other hand, Holden received some pretty solid reviews. If you get a 6 (scale of 10) on a night when your team has been clobbered by four goals, you must have done something right.

Here are a couple of reports on Holden’s outing, one from The Daily Mail (it has ratings included), one from Goal.com and one from The Guardian. (The last one really doesn't say anything about Holden; but since I took the time to find it, there 'tis for ya.)

Bottom line: it’s a little like going out on a first date and having a pretty good time – before your girl finishes the night attached to a toilet, throwing up due to bad clams. Even if wasn’t your fault, there might be a bit of bad association to overcome.

Pay attention! Important U.S. national team news is hidden in here

2010-02-25T22:56:09Z

Here’s your all-important U.S. roster for the next week’s trip to the land of dikes and funky wooden Dutch shoes. Study up, because you can bet a perfectly poured Guinness this is pretty close to what the final 23-man roster will be this summer – well, minus the small army of walking wounded. If all the U.S. casualties of the moment were being treated by the same doc, the office would look like lunch rush at the In N Out.

Clint Dempsey, Charlie Davies, Ricardo Clark, Oguchi Onyewu, Steve Cherundolo and Benny Feilhaber are all unavailable due to injury. Otherwise, here ‘tis, the 20 named today for next week’s match in Amsterdam against the Oranje:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Tim Howard (Everton)

DEFENDERS (7): Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes), Jay DeMerit (Watford), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Frank Simek (Sheffield Wednesday), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)

MIDFIELDERS (7): DaMarcus Beasley (Rangers), Alejandro Bedoya (Orebro), Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Landon Donovan (Everton), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Stuart Holden (Bolton Wanderers), José Torres (Pachuca)

FORWARDS (3): Jozy Altidore (Hull City), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake), Eddie Johnson (Aris Thessaloniki)

Click forth and then lean in for the important math.

There are 20 names listed. You can rest assured that Dempsey, Onyewu, Feilhaber and Cherundolo will be on this summer’s roster if they are healthy, and all are expected to be. So will Davies if he can pull off this stunning recovery, although I continue to have my doubts. Clark? He’s still on the bubble – but still in the fight.

So if you don’t count Clark or Davies, that adds up to 24. We all know, more or less, who is safe. And we all know, more or less, who has just one foot in South Africa and still needs to do something to propel himself over the finish line. Go ahead and add Sacha Kljestan, Brian Ching and perhaps Chad Marshall into the “still in the fight” list. Otherwise …

Here’s where today’s announcement is quite telling: If you haven’t seen a name mentioned so far in this post, he probably shouldn’t be studying up on great dinner spots in South Africa. Freddy Adu, Kenny Cooper, Chris Rolfe, Kyle Beckerman, Robbie Rogers, Frankie Hejduk, Jermaine Jones, Jeff Cunningham, Brad Davis, Jimmy Conrad, Marvell Wynne … it ain’t lookin’ good, fellows. Some of those are clearly filed under “No kidding!” But for a player who is healthy, but not on next week's roster, that's as close to “official” as you’re going to get in early March. And obviously, there are plenty of others who have been in a U.S. shirt over the last year (Geoff Cameron, Brad Evans, Edgar Castillo, etc.), but they have clearly been long shots all along.

Injuries do happen, so things can still change. But we know a lot more this afternoon than we did this morning.

US 2, El Salvador 1; The good and bad

2010-02-25T16:14:32Z

Sacha Klestan: he needed a big night, and got one

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Finally, a couple of U.S. men stepped up and issued a declarative assertion for manager Bob Bradley: You should take me to South Africa!

Sacha Kljestan recorded the stoppage time winner over El Salvador in rainy Tampa. More than that, he had a solid match all the way around, and it will go a long way to moving him up the list of candidates for the final 23 this summer.

Here was the good and the bad from Wednesday's 2-1 win.

GOOD: On a night when the United States wasn’t doing well at moving the ball quickly enough, Kljestan was one consistently doing so. Through good movement off the ball, attention to his spacing and consistent restriction to just one or two touches, Kljestan did more than his part to keep the ball moving. That may not strike you as scintillating stuff, but if everybody had been so focused on attention to detail and rapid ball movement, the Untied States would have won beaten this ragamuffin of a team 4-0 or 5-0. Kljestan’s late runs into the penalty area were timely, although it looked like his night would be incomplete, dragged down by a couple of opportunities that he really should have put away.

In the end, Kljestan did calmly finish the sequence that mattered most, and he may well have earned a place on next week’s roster for the match against Holland.

Otherwise, Jonathan Bornstein had a second consecutive solid night. This time he was at center back (where he played for much of the 2009 MLS season with Chivas USA.) He's done enough; he'll be in South Africa.

Clarence Goodson continues to impress Bradley, although a little more information directed toward Brad Evans, or better communication with the experimental right back, may have prevented the U.S. from conceding a silly goal.

Heath Pearce was always in the attacking end, which says a lot when he was playing left back. In the end, it may not be enough for a spot in South Africa, but he’s back on the radar, at least.

Finally, the match showed that, at this point, Brian Ching probably still has more to offer than Conor Casey. Ching may have limitations, but he understands urgency and the need for decisive action in the final third. His goal was well taken, but just as nifty was the quick combination and his choice to give the ball right back to Kljestan on the game-winning sequence.

The Bad: First, it has to be said that El Salvador does not look like a good team right now. Past a goalkeeper who did have a very good match, the Central American side was a bit of a mess. The United States needed to win this match by two or three goals. Here's why it didn't:

The work in the final third was generally awful. Some of it was just technical imprecision (sloppy or thoughtless crosses, for instance). But too much of it was down to a lack of aggressive action. That’s inexcusable for players who needed desperately to make a difference. Bradley needed to see players willing to ruthlessly seize the initiative, willing to show some audacity and make the moment. Robbie Rogers missed chances to cross the ball and Robbie Findley missed chances to bring others into a sequence or attack defenders aggressively at points when El Salvador was off balance defensively. Brad Davis and Casey gave away balls when they really weren’t under heavy pressure. (Davis did have other moments where he looked dangerous, and his set-piece ability remains useful.)

Generally, outside of Kljestan, the midfielders and forwards simply didn’t look confident in moving the ball through the final third. With roster spots just begging to be taken, several players once again missed on opportunities to impress.

I was bothered by Findley, in particular. He simply has to do more to “make the game.” He’s got to be more assertive with the ball, become more of a predator, pouncing on chances to go at defenders. Without the ball, he’s got be more aggressive as well. It’s just not good enough to jog around, looking to react as the sequences develop. He’s got to create movement with sharper, harder runs off the ball. He needs to force defenders to make choices, opening up lanes for others and creating the kind of temporary confusion that will give him space once he does get the ball.

Otherwise, Brad Evans clearly wasn't comfortable as a right back. That was just an experiment, probably with an eye on the future, so there’s not much more to say about that one.

Kyle Beckerman found his footing somewhat, delivering some of the same intensity he does so regularly at MLS level. On the other hand, flagging foot speed and passing that too frequently lacks authority will hold him back at the international level.

Sacha Kljestan just called; he wants his mojo back

2010-02-23T16:42:40Z

Sacha Kljestan ... just about out of time

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Also file under: What a wild-ass difference a year makes

Just one year ago, Sacha Kljestan was on top of the world, kickin' butt and takin' names on a breathtaking climb up the U.S. Soccer personnel ranks. He was coming off trial at Celtic, the Scottish giant and the mop-topped midfielder's would-be address. There, Kljestan could fulfill his destiny as the next great U.S. midfielder. Or so everyone assumed.

At the end of January Kljestan was all that and a bag of chips, recording all three U.S. goals in a cracking 3-2 win over Sweden. That was just days after the Chivas USA midfielder from nearby Huntington Beach had returned from Glasgow, with pep in his step over what looked like an impending move to the SPL. Sweden manager Lars Lagerback himself declared Kljestan a player who appeared locked and cocked for European success.

Major League Soccer had a reported offer dangling in the neighborhood of $3 million. (Don’t you think MLS would like a do-over on this one?) Meanwhile, U.S. manager Bob Bradley was looking at a slashing, swashbuckling attacker who was about to spend 18 months prior to South Africa 2010 steeling himself in a rugged league, where winning isn’t just requested, it’s absolutely essential. What a sweet set-up. The rest of us were lifting our pencils along a similar train of thought, about to write in Kljestan to the starting World Cup lineup.

By the way, Celtic wasn’t believed to be the only option. The Daily Mail in England reported that Holland’s FC Twente and Heerenveen, the French league’s Monaco and Germany’s Wolfsburg were all lurking nearby, considering a run at Kljestan if things went South at Celtic Park.

That was all just more than 12 months ago. So what happened?

MLS and Celtic couldn’t agree on a deal (in negotiations that were almost surely complicated by the notorious sell-on clauses, which frequently muck up these matters). From there, for whatever reason, Kljestan shrank noticeably in MLS matches. Where he was large and in charge before, the Chivas USA man was suddenly “just another guy” around MLS parks. The bummer factor of a huge career move that almost was surely played a part.

So it went in national team matches, with Kljestan making little noise in matches for Bradley.

Kljestan did rise a bit toward the end of the MLS campaign, but the confidence and instincts that had soared previously now seemed badly dented, still in need of major repair.

So here we are, about one year later, and this is where Kljestan finds himself:

In need of a dominant performance in a relatively obscure February friendly just to get himself back into real consideration for the 23-man roster that will go to South Africa.

Robbie Rogers, Jose Francisco Torres and Stuart Holden have lapped Kljestan in the pecking order of reserve outside midfielders. Possibly Brad Davis, too.

The United States takes on El Salvador on Wednesday in Tampa Bay. This should be a camp and a match arranged, more or less, for MLS players to train at a higher level than they would with their clubs, which are just getting to full speed over the league’s long pre-season. Instead, it has turned into an important opportunity for a few players as Bradley continues to make 11th-hour roster assessments for that all-important South African roster. Ideally, the selections would be 95 percent made in the manager’s mind by now – but they ain’t.

Injuries and significant reduction in form by players like Kljestan are the reason.

The Chivas USA midfielder still has a chance – but it’s a slim one.

Defending Donovan. Sigh. We've seen this flick before, eh?

2010-02-22T21:57:06Z

It's like standing in a free kick wall. I'll do it ... but I've been there before, and I'd prefer someone else take his turn.

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You ever watch a soap opera? Don’t you get the feeling that you’ve seen that same story before? It’s because you have.

It's in that frustrating, cyclical bent that I (again … sigh) find myself defending Landon Donovan. See? We’ve been here before.

I was on Marcelo Balboa’s radio show last night and, yep, there I was once again, hearing complaints about the guy. (Landon, that is ... not Marcelo.) Man, I might as well be on Donovan’s payroll. Say! Does such a thing exist?

I’ll say it for the 89^th time (and that’s just this month!): I don’t understand all the outright hostility toward Donovan. But here was more it, this time coming from Marcelo's co-host. I respect people's opinions and I try to hear their arguments, but some of them just don't wash. I do truly think some of it is the province of group-think. It’s fashionable within a certain set to knock the guy, and it’s dangerous within the group dynamic to go against the grain. So people pile onto Donovan in order to establish themselves in the order.

One of Marcelo’s co-hosts dragged out the argument that “Donovan coasts through MLS games.”

Oh, Sweet Jesus, we haven't put that one to bed by now? While we’re at it, let’s start arguing about Friendster vs. Facebook, too. In other words, that argument died an inglorious death around 2007. I thought. But it helps makes my point that people are so attached to a herd mentality here that they continue to lob grenades that have clearly been identified as duds.

To wit: There was certainly a time when Donovan did have difficulty retaining focus over an extended period. I wrote about it. That was a clear deficiency in his game. But he copped to it and then worked to improve it.

He may not be as quite as sparky on a given Saturday as he was on the previous Wednesday, but that's the same with every athlete at very level. I really don't think he shrinks over entire matches, as once was the case. In April and May of last year, for instance, he absolutely carried the Galaxy offense for about a third of the season. He performed on high rev match after match, scoring or assisting on all but one Galaxy goal over one long, early stretch.

I also heard that he’s a drag for the media, that he comes across as something less than a likeable guy. Personally, I don’t see it. When I’ve asked to speak to Donovan, he gets on the phone. When he sees me in a locker room, he says hello. If I ask him for a few minutes, he stops what he’s doing and chats. When U.S. Soccer folks ask him to stop in mixed zone settings for a group that has requested him, he does.

Believe me, I’ve been around athletes who “big time” reporters and fans with a fierce regularity, and he’s not one of them. I have a real chip on my shoulder about athletes who don’t want to do their part for fans and reporters. The implication is this “I’ll take the money, the lifestyle and the fame, but I’ll do it on my terms. I’ll let everyone else deal with the media and such … I’ll just take the good stuff.”

Donovan isn’t one of them. He does his part and then some.

So, again … If you don’t believe Donovan is the 100 percent, complete player that he could have been had he remained in Europe at a younger age, fair enough. But get the rest of your argument sorted out – and stop dragging out all the tired, inaccurate myths about the guy.

(I’ll be in England in a couple of weeks for my annual soccer trip. If I run into Donovan in a pub or something, dude owes me a cold one!)

Where Olympic hockey once met soccer

2010-02-22T17:31:23Z

It looked a little like this ...

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Because I like to tie most things in life back to soccer, a real quick personal story:

If you’re old enough to remember the night, you know exactly where you were when the Americans beat the USSR in hockey back in 1980. (That Miracle on Ice moment is topical now for the 30-year anniversary, and because of the ongoing Olympics.) That will forever be the most remarkable moment I’ll ever witness in sports, for all its upset value in the athletics arena, but also for all its Cold War implications against the mean ol' Red menace. That my “all-time sports moment” won’t be about soccer might be sad, except for this:

I watched the first part of that game but left at the last possible moment for a little appointment I had that night: I was in 8^th grade, scheduled to play an indoor soccer game. (It was at a neighborhood gym, a soccer-futsal hybrid played with walls, augmented by tables turned sideways, and a soccer ball covered in felt. Seriously! Felt. It reduced the bounce factor the way weighted futsal balls do now.)

Done with my match, I hustled home to see the last few minutes of the US-Soviet third period, eating a sandwich in my room, watching on a 13-channel black-and-white TV. It was absolutely amazing.

Talking Red Bull Arena, Man U, Man City and new blogs

2010-02-21T22:05:53Z

All my writing mojo today went a piece that just went up at ESPN Soccernet. It’s about Red Bull Arena, which looks like the Shangri- and the La of U.S. Soccer Stadiums. But curiously, the hype seems a bit muted, so I kicked the Red Bull can down the street to see where it would go. Weigh in if you like.

Past that, I’m afraid the little pen in my brain is out of ink.

Instead, I’ll do what my pal Dave Clark did over at Sounder At Heart already: tip the valued Daily Fix readers to SB Nation’s newest soccer blogs. If you haven’t seen it, check out our new Manchester United blog. Yes, I know it’s a bit of a bummer weekend. But the sun will shine again on you Red Devils, I'm sure. And when it does, Noah Gordon will be there to tell you all about it at The Busby Babe. If you don’t know why a Man U blog would be known as The Busby Babe, bone up on your history here.

Across town, meanwhile, Manchester City is increasingly in the thick of things. So our new blog devoted to Mancini’s Mancs is at Bitter And Blue. It’s written from the UK by Danny Pugsley, who may be a bit blue and even a little bitter after seeing his team slog through an unsatisfying 0-0 draw with Liverpool. So check it out, too.

SB Nation is continuing to build its soccer empire and you’ll soon be seeing the roster expand in force, starting with new blogs on MLS and EPL sides. Trust me on this. I know people.