All-Purpose, Never-Ending Soccer Thread

He was an excellent player with the Metros in his second year. Worked his behind off, especially in the game against Chivas to make the playoffs. I do miss Shep's new ways of calling him lazy while praising the any white player.

 

Change "any white player" to "any player Shep's sports agency represents" and you're dead on the money.

SGR worked his ass off. That isn't really a question. The guy just couldn't finish. If you needed someone to take a ball in the box and put it into the ESC, he would be your man. Outside of that, forget it.

Maybe. But he seems to be asking for too much money. Sorry, no dice.

 

Small point of order -- teams like Argentina, Colombia and Paraguay can both play with skill and hack. Just depends on how the match is going.

Incidentally (and not at all ironically), the Argies are apparently bringing an all-domestic squad to the Copa America. Apparently their manager worked out some deal with the Argentine FA. Still won't be easy by any stretch, but at least we'll get a look at a few new faces.

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CR,

"the less physical back lines of MLS?" Who would that be, exactly? They all seem to be able to thug it up when necessary.

 

Did any of the stories following the Guatemala game have Landon Donovan calling out the players on the team for their crappy play?

 

1) No.

2) Why would he? It was a meaningless friendly with a bunch of international greenhorns that was three months before any meaningful competition. Look at the game in its proper context, folks, and don't forget this is how we tried to play Guatemala not too long ago.

 

I agree with the thought that Eddie Johnson is thisclose to being done. But he'll continue to get chances thanks to our total lack of depth at forward. Taylor Twellman is not a world-class forward, but it's really cute when his fans get hot and botherd after he scores in friendlies. The Guatemala game was ugly, and actually gives me pause for the Gold Cup. That will be a team we seek a result against; hopefully they have indeed tipped their hand strategy-wise.

Still, I really like what I have seen this year, even if it is friendlies. That Feilhaber-Bradley pairing in midfield has nice potential (looks like we may successfully close the book on how we're going to replace Reyna and O'Brien in the middle. Now if those kids could stay healthy . . . .). If we manage to win the Gold CUp, it will be because these youngsters have been phased in so well in these friendlies.

At this point, I hope if Gulati tries to break off Bob Bradley, fans go ballistic. No matter who the Euro Gulati thinks he's bringing in is. It is very clear that US soccer should move forward from here, and that Gulati needs to lose the foreign coach fantasy.

 

FACT.

 

I heard a South American journalist talking about that this week. She said that he's getting the team together weekly to build some team unity. It was on the Guardian podcast and they kept asking why they'd bring a B-team to Copa America. She kept defending it, saying that this team would eventually get poached and all be playing in Europe so it's just more like a A- and A1-team.

 

Newcastle lost late again today. Man we're in a horrid run of form. From the last sixteen of the UEFA Cup to just 8 points clear of the drop in a months time. Yikes

 

I don't know much about soccer, but during the interview after the game Donovan shredded the younger players for not understanding how to play in games where the opponent packs the box.
He also vaguely called out Bradley for the starting lineup and the team in general for not trying hard enough to win. Just because it is a friendly, he said, the team still should be trying to win and playing harder.

 

I think the Argy league is one of the best feeder systems in the world. If the Albiceleste brings any youth resembling the quality of Real Madrid poaches Fernando Gago and Gonzalo Higuain....the U.S. could be in for a looong afternoon.

I hope Riquelme makes up his mind about returning. It'd be great to see El Mago distributing from center mid.

 

Journalists love Donovan because he says what he thinks. Donovan is gonna reach a point where powerful people in US soccer tell him to STFU, because he talks out of his ass at times.

This was one of those times. He did a lot of talking last year during the friendlies, then flopped in the meaningful games. So maybe he needs to STFU and concentrate on continuing to help the greenhorns out for the runup to the Gold Cup. You know who I mean; the greenhorns who have the balls to stick it out in Europe and really appreciate the chance to represent the national team.