Five Talking Points: RUS 2:2 USMNT

1. The scouting report on the USMNT is pretty clear for opponents.  High pressure, high intensity for the first 15-20 minutes will likely yield a goal.  Jurgen Klinsmann has got to find a tactical or a psychological solution to this problem for the USMNT.  One tactical solution for the U.S. is to just be frenetic for the first 20 minutes, run at defenses, long balls out of the back, open the field and let the superior physical fitness carry them through the half and into the second half.  If the solution is psychological--Klinsmann needs to hire a new sports psychologist and pronto.
2. Klinsmann needs to find a true left-sided midfield player.  The trio of Bradley, Jones, and Williams/Edu does not provide enough linkage in the midfield to do all the things that need to distribute the ball out of the back and connect to the strikers.  Maybe a healthy Donovan (who has played on the left for both club and country) could do it.  Some might say Dempsey, but the defensive responsibilities take Dempsey away from where he is best.  I think the answer is probably someone new, which is a worry heading into the World Cup Qualifiers.
3. Gatt--it is pronounced "Gatt" as in rhymes with "cat" I am sure his family was cringing and groaning every time Ian Darke mispronounced his name--showed some promise.  He was not significantly worse in the first 15-20 minutes of the game than anyone else.  The boy is fast and he has an eye for attack.  I think given that he trained for all of about two hours--maybe three--with the MNT before this game, I can't say he doesn't deserve more call ups.
4. Can we finally put an end to the Geoff Cameron doubts?  He has been consistent all year long at centerback.      
5. Overall team performance is a C+.  Were it not for the late game heroics of Bradley and Diskerud, as well as the never say die effort (another U.S. trademark is seems), then this would a lot lower grade.

Player Grades:

Howard--8      What can you say, he kept the U.S. in the game--as usual.

Chandler--6     Impressed with his movement and defensive skills.  

Cameron--7    Provided lots and lots of lateral cover, but has to be expected with F. Johnson and Chandler moving foward.

Bocanegra--5  Left early for an injury, played okay during limited time.

F. Johnson--5.5  looked suspect at times, but played well out of the back.

Gatt--5.5             See above.

Bradley--8.5     Man of the match performance.  Brilliant, and technically difficult, strike for a goal.  

Jones--5.5        He is not the attacking link we need out of a midfielder, but didn't totally suck either.

Williams--4.5    Although he found the game in the second half, I was wondering if Klinsmann was going to pull him out in the first half.

Gomez--6         Made a nuisance of himself, buzzed around, but not his best performance.

Altiodre--6.5    Was getting back and helping defend, working hard, had a few chances that didn't break his way.

Subs

Goodson--6     Had one golden chance on goal, some fine defensive work, and bad decision on fouling for the late penalty.  Still not going to supplant Bocanegra or Cameron in the central defense.

Edu--6             Compared to Williams, Edu was miles better.  Sharp and mistake free.

Kljestan--5       Didn't have as much an impact as I think he could or should have.  But workmanlike effort.

Agudelo--5.5    Smart header to set up Bradley, fair impact on the match which is what subs should do.

Boyd--5           Not really enough time

Diskerud--6     and yeah, that is all goal.  Not really enough time otherwise to make an impact.

Jozy Altidore Getting Sick on De Haag Defense

the boys at The Original Winger/Bumpy Pitch have video of Jozy Altidore's goal over the weekend against ADO Den Haag.  Check the skill!

Five Talking Points About USMNT Russia Friendly

So, with the final FIFA Friendly of the year on Wednesday, USMNT Coach Jurgen Klinsmann finally announced a squad, here it is:

GOALKEEPERS- Tim Howard (Everton), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS- Carlos Bocanegra (Racing Santander), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Nuremberg), Maurice Edu (Stoke City), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim)
MIDFIELDERS - Michael Bradley (Roma), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Joshua Gatt (Molde), Joe Gyau (Hoffenheim), Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim)
FORWARDS- Juan Agudelo (Chivas USA), Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), Terrence Boyd (Rapid Vienna), Herculez Gomez (Santos Laguna)

So my Five Talking Points:

1.  Klinsmann went young.  The average age of this squad is 25.7 with six players aged 30 or more (Bocanegra, Gomez, Goodson, Howard, Jones & Rimando).  By contrast, the squad in the Antigua and Guatamala World Cup Qualifiers had an average age of 28.4 and nine players age 30 or more (the previously named six, plus Beckerman, Cherundolo and Gordon).  Youth is a good thing and of course a friendly is designed to see what young players can do on an international stage.  But will Klinsmann play some of those youngsters?  I hope so.  I would like to see Sean Johnson play, along with Gatt, Gyau, Boyd and Agudelo.  That is five of the permissible six subs---seems good to me.

2.  Rumor has it that Timmy Chandler is committed to the U.S.  Well, until he is cap tied to the U.S. in a qualifier or Gold Cup, I have been burned too many times before.  Seeing is believing Timmy, seeing is believing.

3.  Speed aplenty in this squad.  Chandler, F. Johnson, Gatt, Gyau, Boyd and to a lesser extent Agudelo represent some speedy guys.  Will Klinsmann's tactics use that speed?  I hope so.  

4.  Sacha Kljestan has a chance here to show what he can do.  Will he start?  I hope so.  I would like to see him on the right in 4-4-2, but if Klinsmann goes 4-3-3, Kljestan will suffer as the midfielder dropped.  Kljestan is an attacking midfielder.  Unless he has improved his box to box play, he will not supplant Bradley, Jones or Williams without an injury.

5.  Is Altidore out of the doghouse?  Sure seems like it, but as his form for AZ Alkmaar suggests, for him to be effective, he needs to be running at defenses and getting good service in the box--will Klinsmann use him that way?  Let's just say that I am not betting the farm on it.

Line-up I would like to see:

-----------------Gomez---------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------Altidore-----------------------------

Kljeston----------------Bradley---------------------------Gatt----------
---------------------------Williams-----------------------------------------

F. Johnson--Bocanegra---Cameron--------Chandler---------

--------------------S. Johnson----------------------------------------

Line-up we are more likely to see

----Agudelo-------------Altidore-------------Gomez------------

----------------------------Bradley------------------------------
--------------Jones---------------------Williams-------------------

--F.Johnson---Bocanegra---Cameron------Chandler-----

-------------------------Howard---------------------------------

American Soccer Community--Bigger and Stronger Than Ever

Just as the Baby Boom changed the face of American demographics.  The Millenial generation will change the face of soccer fandom in America.

In 1996 Major League Soccer kicked off it's inaugural season.  Coming on the heels of the very successful (in terms of attendance and revenue) 1994 World Cup, Major League Soccer faced a big uphill battle.  fighting for market share in a saturated (oversaturated?) sports market, and coming not long after the failure of the old North American Soccer League, there were a lot of people who predicted and maybe even hoped that professional soccer in the United States would fail.

To be sure, MLS went through its growing pains, but soccer is on the verge of a significant shift in support.  ESPN's Roger Bennet  profiled Rich Luker, a sports social scientist who runs the ESPN Sports Poll, who had this to say about soccer in America:

The U.S. soccer audience is also unique in Luker's eyes. "It is a true community. The only group that comes close are college sports fans or followers of the Grateful Dead. They embrace soccer as a communal lifestyle as opposed to a personal experience or a community that only exists on gameday." 

However, Luker also believes soccer is underperforming. "It's a sport that should have been doing well a long time ago." The social scientist is well positioned to make that claim. He partnered with MLS back when it was planning the launch of the league in 1994. "We discovered 30 percent of American households contained someone playing soccer. The only game that comes close to that massive number is baseball." 

 Luker's analysis points to soccer being on the cusp of an explosion in this country, and there are many reasons.  The first is that the growth and speed of online services and expansion of cable sports channels (which needed content) means that there are more soccer games, of differing levels available for fans.  A soccer fan in the States now can find dozens of games on TV or online in a given weekend (often numbering over 100 games during some weeks), 52 weeks a year.  So the easy ability to see the games is making inroads to fandom, allowing fans to build a connection to a favorite team, even on another continent.  The easy availability of soccer viewing (not to mention its consistent timing) makes it easy for fans to enjoy their soccer and they can do it either by themselves or in the company of like-minded folk, the communal nature of soccer that Luker refers to.

But here is a more fundamental basis which I alluded to above--the Millennial Generation.  There is a whole generation of boys and girls who not only play soccer, but also are fans who have had the opportunity to see live professional soccer in their own country.  They have their own heroes now.  Sure Messi, Ronaldo, and other famous players can be seen regularly on TV and occaisionally here in the United States, but they can also see Beckham, Dononvan, and others right here in the states.  That is where MLS has made significant inroads.  MLS' slow steady progression, coupled with an very public effort by NBC/Universal family of networks to boost the game has built a community the only way it can be done, slowly.

But the game is also building an even broader fan base outside of MLS.  A good idea of the growth of the game from a fan and supporter viewpoint is found at lower levels of the game.  Even at the college level, some schools are drawing significant crowds to games.  Just this year, the University of California Santa Barbara drew over 13,000 fan for a single game.  UCSB averages well over 3000 fans a game, as do other title contenders such as Maryland and Akron.  For college games.

Even at the high school level, while nothing beats the social draw of the Friday night football game, soccer games are drawing more fans than just the parents and family of the players.  Sure, crowds are measured in the low 100 fans, it is the fact that students are coming to support their team that makes a difference.  It is the student fans that matter.

These students, aged 14-17, are the generation that will alter the soccer community in America.  These teenagers have grown up in a country with its own developing league, with access to world soccer unmatched in previous years.  Whether it is the fact that they are fans of DC United or Manchester United or Inter Milan, the access to the favorite teams means they learn more about the game.  They have role models to emulate on the field.  They learn the rules, the tactics, the style of play of their game and the come to follow their team.  Just like the baby boomer generation followed the Yankees, the Dodgers or the Red Sox, modern teenagers no longer abandon the sport of soccer when they enter high school.  Indeed many are embracing it because their non-playing schoolmates embrace it.  The fact that these young men and women no longer feel the stigma of playing soccer as opposed to football or baseball, they are seen as true athletes and supported as such.

The Millennial Generation is the first in the United Statess that cannot remember a sports landscape without MLS.  they will pass on their love of the game to the next generation, so that in 20-30 years, 40,000 fans at an MLS game will not be restricted to Seattle.

The Veteran and The Rookie

DC United is the highest seeded team left in the MLS Playoffs.  After downing the New York Red Bulls (AGAIN!!!), and ensuring the the trophy case in Harrison, NJ remains empty for another year, DC United are two games away from not only their first appearance in the MLS Cup match, but hosting the game as well.  The Houston Dynamo certainly have a say in that.

But last night, in what can only be described as a roller coaster of a match, DC United's veteran and rookie made magic in the dying minutes of the game.  Robbie Russell and Nick DeLeon, two players who probably could not be more different, combined for a lovely goal that put the Black and Red into the Eastern Conference Finals.  

Russell played a far different role last night than I think usual for him.  On multiple occasions Russell would foray forward, in a similar but distinctly different manner than Andy Najar.  I think Ben Olsen, tactically, may have thought that his counterpart, Hans Backe would expect the less speedy Russell to stay at home more than Najar would have, and thus Olsen slipped the reins on Russell.  

Russell though was clearly thoughtful about the effort's going forward.  He selected his runs well, particularly taking the acres of space in the right channel leading to the only goal of the game.  But Russell was also smart enough to get back quickly, even thought center backs, Brandon McDonald and Dejan Jakovic had him covered deep and Perry Kitchen as well.  

Where Russell relies on experience and practice to make his mark felt, DeLeon was almost all instinct last night.  Not just on the goal, but also in his midfield play.  Ben Olsen ordered DeLeon (who usually starts on the right flank) to switch with Chris Pontius in order to get Pontius more involved in the play.  Initially the move worked well as Pontius was able to get a couple good chances in.  But on the goal, DeLeon was flashing across the penalty area, looking for that cutting pass.

But admidst all the hubbub of the goal and with win, there has been little about how hard that shot was to not only get on target but get past Luis Robles.  Robles was in the right position, but DeLeon had to take a pass that was moving away from him, away from goal and then turn his hips AND get enough power on the shot to edge it past Robles.

Rumor has it that Andy Najar might be sitting out the next series against Houston.  If that is the case, Russell will have his hands full with Brad Davis, so he might not have the authority to go forward, but that might be just as well, at least at BBVA Compass.  

And So It Begins

The MLS coach carousel that is.

On the heap already:  

Jesse Marsch (not to be too much of a rhymer, but that one was harsh although it was supposed to be mutual.

Robin Fraser (when Chris Wondolowski scores more goals on his own than your entire team--well see ya' is all you can expect)

Hans Backe---NYRB still without a trophy.

Who is next?  

My money is on Oscar Pareja. 

Some others who might want to be checking their cell phone before answering would include Paul Mariner--if for no other reason than it is Toronto.  Jay Heaps could be worried, but I think that New England will give him one more year.

The Future of the US Women's Program

The latest news out of U.S. Soccer related to the WNT is the hiring of Tom Semranni to be the next head coach of the USWNT.  I don't know enough about Semranni to offer an opinion on him as a coach, but I do see that he has done a fine job with the Australian WNT, and has a long resume.  He comes into a tough job on the heels of a pretty successful tenure of Pia Sundhage, so good luck to him.

I saw a brief interview with him last night with Max Bretos in the pregame to the Houston-Chicago MLS playoff match.  Bretos asked the question about Semranni's goals with youth development for the women's program.  Semranni's answer was a fairly pat non-answer, full of the usual platitudes of wanting to reach down into the youth ranks and help develop young ladies in the game.  Blah, Blah, blah.

Semranni may have goals and aspirations along those lines, but right now there is no USSF direct sponsorship of development program.  USSF and Sunil Gulati have made it a priority to establish and operate a Development Academy for boys and are now in the planning stages for introducing a U13/14 program to supplement the already existing U16 and U18 programs.  I believe that the Development Academy has done some wonderful things for the development of young men in our country and I am looking forward to the future.

But the same commitment is not there for the girls side.  Yes, there is something called the Elite Clubs National League which has the following Mission Statement.

The Elite Clubs National League, Inc. (“ECNL”) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit member-based organization founded in 2009 to enhance the developmental experience of the female youth soccer players in the United States through: (i) improving the competitive environment through creation of a true nationally-based competitive league with multiple flights; (ii) improving the process for identifying elite female soccer players for the U.S. Soccer youth national teams through a systematic scouting and identification program based on national competition; and (iii) improving the daily training environment at female youth soccer clubs through developing best practices and training and organizational guidelines for its member clubs.

What is missing from that Mission Statement is any affiliation with USSF.  Kudos to the founder of the ECNL for recognizing the need for systemic development of young female players, whether it is for the national teams, colleges, foreign clubs or a (as yet defined) domestic league.

However, I think it is tragic that the most successful soccer program in the United States, i..e. the WNT, does not have the imprimatur of USSF for a systematic development program for girls.  The WNT has actual World Cup Titles, Olympic Gold Medals and a string of success.  The U.S. may have been able to ride the power of Title IX for a few decades, but the rest of the world is catching up.  Mexico, Japan, Canada, Germany, and probably a dozen other nations are pouring money in the development of the women's game and the U.S. will not be able to maintain its superiority for long if it does not move to catch up.

Many of the Boys Development Academy Programs no doubt have in the infrastructure in place to initiate a girls program at the U16 and U18 levels without much effort. In terms of logistics, how hard is it to have the boys and girls teams travel together  for matches (leaving aside the normal teenage hormonal problems associated with that).  Talent identification for the youth national teams and ultimate the senior WNT and colleges and subsequently, a professional league, should not be haphazard or left to chance.  If the USSF is serious about truly supporting the growth of the women's game in this country, it must be seen to be making a real effort to bring a girls Development Academy in to being.

The founders of the ECNL are to be commended for the effort, 52 clubs in three years is no easy feat, so they have laid the groundwork.  I don't want those efforts to be totally supplanted, but USSF would do wise to bring those founders into the USSF fold and allow them, with full USSF sanctioning to truly bring about a girls development academy.

My Best XI + 3 for 2012

On the heels of my Best XI Under 24, here is my Best XI + 3 for 2012.  Why the +3?  Well, a coach gets substitutes, doesn't he?  So here we go.


Goalkeeper:  
Jimmy Nielsen (Sporting Kansas City) in what has to be a consensus goalkeeper of the year winner, Nielsen was a rock in the goal for the Eastern Conference winners.  While his habit of licking his lips is nerve wracking, the fact that he has an anemic 0.79 Goals Against Average and a league leading 15 shutouts, if the big Dane doesn't win Goalkeeper of the Year then the fix is in.

Honorable Mentions:  Michael Gspurning (Seattle Sounders FC), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake), Dan Kennedy (Chivas USA), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire)

Defenders (3):
Todd Dunivant (LA Galaxy) despite a brief spell on the bench due to injury, I believe that Dunivant is the best left back in the league.  Consistently one of the best defenders in the league, he also contributes heavily in the attack.

Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City):  The non-mercurial half of the leagues' best centerback pairing, Besler goes about his job with a quiet competence that belies his impact.  Not only is he strong in the air and strong in the tackle, he can pick up the ball and transition into the attack very well.  That is necessary in Peter Vermes' dynamic 4-3-3.

Young-Pyo Lee (Vancouver Whitecaps):  Admit it, you thought he wouldn't adapt to the MLS' phsyicality very well.  It's okay, I didn't think so either and I bet that Martin Rennie is glad that he did adapt well.  I think it unlikely that Vancover makes the playoffs without the Korean workhorse on the flanks.  With one goal and four assists on the year, with 33 starts, the veteran international certainly made a mark in the league.

Honorable Mentions:  Brandon McDonald (DC United), Jamison Olave (Real Salt Lake), Victor Bernardez (San Jose Earthquakes), Aurelien Collin (Sporting Kansas City), Arne Freidrich (Chicago Fire); Heath Pearce (New York Red Bull)

Midfielders (4):
Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)  The assist leader for the league in 2012, the set piece master had a break out year, yielding national team call ups (and caps) and generally serving as a leader on the pitch.

Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo):  Why Davis is not getting national team call-ups remains a mystery.  Another set piece maestro, Davis also marauds along the left flank, whipping in cross after cross.  When Davis is playing well, Houston is playing well--you do the math.

Chris Pontius (DC United): What a wonderful thing it is to be healthy for an entire season.  Leading the Black and Red with 12 goals this year, Pontius stepped up in the absence of Dwayne DeRosario by donning the captain's arm band and leading the team down the stretch.

Osvaldo Alonso (Seattle Sounders FC):  a holding midfielder's holding midfielder, Alonso has defined the role in MLS with steady, consistent play that sometimes goes unheralded.  A precision passer and tenacious tackler, Alonso helped Seattle concede the second fewest goals of any team this year (just less than a goal a game average).

Honorable Mentions:  Mauro Rosales (Seattle Sounders FC); David Ferreira (FC Dallas), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy); Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake); Marvin Chavez (San Jose Earthquakes), Mike Magee (Los Angeles Galaxy);


Forwards (3)
Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)  Let's see, 27 goals and 7 assists.  That is all.

Kenny Cooper (New York Red Bulls)--maybe Cooper has found a place with 18 goals this season, the big man is contributing like never before.  Maybe it is because every is keying on Thierry Henry or something else, Cooper has found a stride.  Can he keep doing it next year is of course, always the mystery, but this year, he earned him a spot.

Alvaro Saborio (Real Salt Lake):  Yeah, yeah, I know--might as well pick the top three goals scorers and call it a day.  But the job of a striker is to score goals and with 17, Saborio would have been in the hunt for the Golden Boot with Cooper had it not been for Wondo's wonder season.

Honorable Mentions:  Fredy Montero (Seattle Sounders FC), Eddie Johnson (Seattle Sounders FC), Kei Kamara (Sporting Kansas City), Robbie Keane (Los Angeles Galaxy); Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls)

Super Subs (3):
Alan Gordon (San Jose Earthquakes):  Seriously everyone, if you need a goal in the clutch is there anywhere else to turn this season the this journeyman?  He is so good he did it for the United States Men's National Team when everyone was was like, "Klinsmann is out of his mind!"  13 goals and 7 assists in 23 appearances, mostly off the bench.  Yeah--that qualifies as a super sub.

Chris Birchall (Columbus Crew):  He may not be the greatest player ever, he may not be the classiest player ever, but if you need to kill off a game and need to supplement your back line or add a second holding midfileder, I don't think there are many better at that limited role than Birchall.

Steven Lenhart (San Jose Earthquakes):  Yes, he is the player that everyone loves to hate unless he is on your team.  He has no particularly great skills, unless you count annoying the crap out of opponents and fans, but here is what he brings:  tenacity, work ethic and yes, goals--10 of them to be exact.  His goal scoring total, mostly as a substitute, is better than the top scorer on 11 teams in the league.


--------------------------Nielsen---------------------------

---Lee----------------Besler------------------Dunivant------

---------------------------Alonso----------------------------
---Zusi--------------------------------------Davis----------
---------------------------Pontius---------------------------

--Wondolowski-------Cooper--------------Saborio-------

Not a perfect formation, but lots of heft.

My MLS Best XI 2012 (U24)

The MLS season is done and just before Hurricane Sandy came along to bust everything up.  Of course, lots of season awards are being dished out and the Playoffs are upon us.  So, with the season concluded, it is time to name some Best XI's.  I will have two in the next two days--an overall Best XI and, in keeping with MLS' 24 under 24 theme, a Best XI under 24.

Best XI under 24.

Goalkeeper:  Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire).  There are really only two names to consider in this category, Sean Johnson or Bill Hamid.  You could not go wrong with either of these guys between the pipes.  Johnson played more games, faced more shots, had more saves and a pretty good Goals Against Average (1.24).  Hamid, other the other hand, lost his starting job to Joe Willis and had to fight to get it back, posted a miniscule 1.03 GAA and seemed to come up with big saves when he needed to.  In the end, I just had to toss a coin and went with Johnson.  Sean Johnson is the guy.

Honorable Mentions:  Bill Hamid (DC United), Zach McMath (Philadelphia Union), Ryan Meara (Red Bull New York)

Defenders (4):  Sheanon Williams (Philadelphia Union):  There is a reason why you will find a number of young players considered for this XI from Philadelphia, because John Hackworth is used to working with young players and has no problem relying on them.  Williams is a good example, he is an engine on the Union flank, bombing up and down the flank tirelessly.  Strong in defense, with pace and able to whip in a dangerous cross on the attack, Williams is solid, smooth and worthy of watching.  Hopefully a little consistency in the Union technical staff will be helpful.  

Austin Berry (Chicago Fire):  He might be a consensus Rookie of the Year (or at least darn close).  Berry was poised, strong and clearly ready for MLS, even if no one thought him so during the 2012 Draft.  Under the tutelage of Arne Freidrich and Frank Klopas, the Louisville product made his presence felt, but not in a flashy way.  He got the job done, whatever that job was.

Matt Hedges (FC Dallas):  Another rookie, Hedges stepped up and played well for a team that struggled mightily this year.  Hedges is a big guy (like Berry) and clearly strong in the air.  But less noticed is that Hedges can also play with the ball at his feet.  Another Geoff Cameron?  Time will tell, but Hedges earned his pay and then some this year.  

Chance Myers (Sporting Kansas City):  Now in his fifth(!!) year, Myers has blossomed under Peter Vermes' almost frenetic style of play, which suits the active and busy Myers.  Providing lots of width and some good crosses into the powerful striker force.  With seven assists this season, Myers has proven that he can get the job done providing the width to Vermes 4-3-3.

Honorable Mentions:  Andy Najar (DC United), Kevin Alston (New England Revolution), Gershon Koffie (Vancouver Whitecaps), Connor Lade (Red Bull New York)

Midfielders (4):  Perry Kitchen (DC United).  In his second year with United, Kitchen moved into the Defensive midfielder role, his preferred position, and has blossomed into a spectacular leader on the pitch.  Kitchen does what a holding midfielder must do, sit in front of the back four, bust up the plays, tackle and transition.  He has the makings of a solid midfield general in the Kyle Beckerman mold but with the versatility of Shalrie Joseph. 

Juninho (L.A. Galaxy):  With all the big personalities on the Galaxy squad, Donovan, Beckham, Keane, Omar Gonzalez, and Buddle, it is still hard to see how the Galaxy does what it does without Juninho.  A true box to box midfielder with near perfect positioning, a great tackling ability, precision passing and a wicked long range shooting ability, Juninho is the fulcrum around which L.A. pivots--without him I am not sure Bruce Arena's men go far in the playoffs.

Nick DeLeon (DC United):  DeLeon was making a case early in the season for Rookie of the Year.  He hit a wall (like lots of non-defender Rookies) but credit to him for working through it.  During the stretch run when DC United lost Dwayne DeRosario to injury, DeLeon stepped up and played well.  Pairing well with the aforementioned Najar, it is possible that this DC right flank could turn into a nightmare for defenses for their playoff foes and for next year.

Luis Silva (Toronto FC):  If Silva had been anywhere but the train wreck that is Toronto FC, I believe he could have made a much bigger impact on a team.  But toiling in Toronto no doubts has added to his character.  With five goals and five assists, which equates to 25% of Toronto's goal scoring.  Word out of the Toronto camp from Paul Mariner is that he would not have taken Silva as the 4th Pick (Mariner fancied Nick DeLeon).  Not sure if that is smart, unless Mariner is looking to make Silva trade bait.  Still Silva is a great pick and could be a fabulous building block for the constantly rebuilding Toronto FC.

Honorable Mentions:  Luis Gil (Real Salt Lake), Andy Rose (Seattle Sounders FC), Danny Cruz (Philadelphia Union), Felipe Martins (Impacte de Montreal)

Forwards (2):  Jack McInernery (Philadelphia Union).  After suffering lack of minutes under Peter Novak, McInernery got the nod for new coach John Hackworth and blossomed.  Surprisingly strong with his back to the goal and deadly around the goal, the 19 year old pumped in 8 goals (almost 1/4 of the teams goals) and chipped in 3 assists on a team that otherwise suffered for the season.  

CJ Sapong (Sporting Kansas City):  SKC coach Peter Vermes must sometimes think he has died and gone to striker heaven.  Sapong is one of the young engines of creation and goal scoring that put SKC at the top of the Eastern Conference. Sapong's 9 goals and 2 assists helped, but perhaps not as much as his pure energy on the pitch.  Constantly moving, he is hard to keep track of for defenders and that makes him a constant danger.

Honorable Mentions:  Darren Mattocks (Vancouver Whitecaps), Will Bruin (Houston Dynamo)

October Call Ups Yield some Surprises Up Top

U.S. Men's National Team Coach Jurgen Klinsmann announced his squad for the final matches in this round of World Cup Qualifying.  With the next two games away to Antigua & Barbuda and home to Guatamala having massive importance, the squad yielded some interesting surprises up top--in the form of Alan Gordon and Eddie Johnson and the snubs of Jozy Altidore, Terrance Boyd and Chris Wondolowski.
Tthe U.S., Jamaica and Guatamala all have the same number of points (7) in this round with the U.S. tied with Guatamala a the top of the group on goal difference (+2).  The U.S. holds their destiny in their hands, win out and  they are in the Hexagonal.  The best results of match day 5 would be a solid win over Antigua and a Jamaica/Guatamala win by either team.  

But you have to wonder--what the hell is Klinsmann thinking?  Altidore, Boyd and Wondolowski have been in form and Altidore and Wondo lead their respective leagues in goal scoring.  Boyd has been finding the back the net regularly as well.  So, the the "whaaa..." question will be answered later.

Here is the full roster:

GOALKEEPERS (3) : Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
       Seriously---this section is getting to be a snoozer.  Howard will start unless injured.  Guzan could get the nod against Guatamala if the U.S. demolish Antigua and Jamaica and Guatamala end in a win for either side. Don't be surprised if Rimando does not travel to Antigua.  


DEFENDERS (8) : Carlos Bocanegra (Racing Santander), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Edgar Castillo (Club Tijuana), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Maurice Edu (Stoke City), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Michael Parkhurst (Nordsjaelland)
         No surprises here.  All these players are playing on good form and this is shaping up to be Klinsmann's go to squad of defenders.  

MIDFIELDERS (8) : Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Roma), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht), Brek Shea (FC Dallas), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
         Apparently, Sacha Kljestan is no longer in the doghouse.  It is very, very, very good to see Bradley back--the U.S. always seem to play much better with him on the pitch.  I like Zusi getting another call, but I don't expect him to be in the game day squad, but who knows.

FORWARDS (5): Clint Dempsey (Tottenham Hotspur), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Herculez Gomez (Santos), Alan Gordon (San Jose Earthquakes), Eddie Johnson (Seattle Sounders)
         Dempsey?  Check.  Donovan?  Check.  Gomez?  Check.  And then the head scratching begins.  Gomez and Demspey have been scoring goals for the U.S. and so it is not a surprise.  Donovan is the talisman who often steps up big in important matches.  But why Alan Gordon and Eddie Johnson.

First the positives on both.  Domestically, there is probably no better off-the-bench striker in MLS than Alan Gordon (although fellow Earthquakes striker Steven Lenhart could make a case).  Gordon has scored 13 times this season, mostly off the bench, and is scoring almost one goal for every 90 minutes on the field.  But here is the key stat, Gordon is converting almost 3 out of every 10 chances he has to score.  He has 25 shots on goal (out of 43 taken) and scored 13.  That is a conversion ratio that probably can't be ignored.  Gordon is a big guy, has a high work rate when coming on with 25-30 minutes left in the match, and has shown that he will take the abuse that a fox in the box has to take while holding the ball.  I would call Gordon a poor man's Brian Ching, but I am not sure the comparison holds up beyond the physical toughness.

Eddie "Grown-Ass Man" Johnson got lost for a few years in Europe, but has found form with the Seattle Sounders.  Johnson has 14 goals on 69 shots with 24 on goal.  That is giving Johnson a 20.2% conversion rate as well.  Johnson and teammate Fredy Montero are the league's best strike duo on any team not from San Jose.  What Johnson needed was an ego that matched his own and a partner with creative skills that Johnson lacks, but a partner who does have the raw physical talent that Johnson possesses.  

But is not all about stats is it?  Surely Klinsmann is not just looking at goals and minutes and conversion ratios, right?  Well, maybe not. What do Altidore, Wondolowski and Boyd have at their club teams, that they don't have at the national team level?  Yep, a midfield full of guys who can feed them the ball.  

What the U.S. has lacked with the big stable of defensive midfielders occupying the midfield slots, are creative passers and ball handlers who can get the ball into the final third and find guys like Wondo, Altidore and Boyd.  Add to that fact that those three players are far better at going at players rather than playing with their back to goal.  Johnson and Gordon are better with their back to the goal than Wondolowski, Boyd and Altidore.  I seriously don't expect Gordon or Johnson to get a start, and at most will get 20 minutes if Klinsmann needs to get a goal to put a game out of reach or to equalize in the latter stages (please avoid this situation).  

But what does this do to the U.S. tactically?  I expect to see Klinsmann field a squad that will put a lot of pressure on Steve Cherundolo to provide width on the right.  I would expect to see an asymmetric 4-4-2 or even a 4-3-3.  

Here is what I expect against Antigua

----------------------------Howard----------------------
Cherundolo ------Cameron--------Bocanegra-----Castillo

----------------------Williams---Jones-------------------
--------Bradley----------------------------Donovan-----------
----------------------Dempsey--------------------------------
-----------------------------------Gomez-----------------------

Now that is a weird set up, and again puts a big burden on Cherundolo to provide width on the right and to a lesser extent Castillo on the left.  But here is where things can be itneresting if the U.S. can make the communication work.  Michael Bradley is the best box-to-box midfielder I think the U.S. has produced in years.  Klinsmann should give him free rein to create, to move around and spray passes around like he can, to get the ball wide and to follow up attacks with his late runs into the box.  Let Donovan, Dempsey and Gomez buzz around the back line and in the hole just in front of the back line and drive the defense crazy with movement.  But the three of them have to be on the same page to make sure at least two of them are crashing the goal area on every cross.  

Let Danny Williams do the holding, he did very well versus Jamaica, and let Bradley and Jones create a little.  Yes, Antigua and Guatamala are going to bunker in these games, the U.S. will have to use the movement of Bradley, Donovan, Dempsey and Gomez to defeat that.  

Having said all that, congrats to Alan Gordon for the call-up.  I bet he thought someone was pranking him when Klinsmann called.