All-Purpose, Never-Ending Soccer Thread

Last night's Red Bull game was awful. Anyway, I sat at the bar watching the US game before heading over to the stadium.

Twellman is a striker and like all strikers they are hit and miss. I would like to have seen him put a few away early, but he didn't. He just shanked them.

I would have been much happier if Bradley started Ching. First, I think Ching is a much better striker. Second, he's got the size over Panama for those headers in the box.

 

According to my hastily assembled stats -- career Nats stats are too hired to find on the official u.s. soccer site, if they're even there -- Twellman has 24 caps and only six goals. Three of those came in one game. So he has played 20 games without scoring, when his principle job is to score.
I'm just tired of waiting.

 

Does anyone have any doubt that this story was leaked by Garber?
NYTimes: Mets want to buy MLS team.

No? I didn't think so.

The guy runs his mouth way to much as the Commissioner of a league. This is why I'm scared to death that the rumors of Lalas getting groomed for the job are true. He's another loud mouth self-promoter that can't do shit.

 

I think Dempsey is the best American player. His passes show an imagination and courage that the rest of the American team lacks. Plus, they are mostly accurate, unlike Beasley's and Donovan's.

Either Boca or Demps would be a solid choice at captain. I think the team would benefit from Demps' high-energy style.

As for who shouldn't be captain: Gooch. Man, he's taken a few bottles of clumsy pills since the World Cup. Of course, it would be nice if the refs didn't call a foul on him every time he gets near an opponent. That's got to be frustrating for him.

 

Does anyone (Pastor??) know the last time the US played Canada? The last time I recall was, I believe, 1998 WC qualifying? Canada finished at the bottom of the hexagonal, and I think the US won both games handily.

 

Slate on the "crisis" of the USMNT's kit...

http://www.slate.com/id/2168476

 

Slow news day.....

 

That's the last competitive meeting, but they've played a few friendlies since then. The last one was the first of the pre-2006 World Cup friendlies ... 0-0 if memory serves.

 

I do agree that the U.S. would do well to stick with an identifiable look similar to Brazil, England, Holland, etc.
Personally, I like the current look.
I work out in a t-shirt patterned after that vertical strip with crest kit -- I have a thing about adults wearing uniform jerseys, but not about t-shirts -- and I look good in it.

 

I disagree with your assesment of the Red Bull game, great game to watch and great game for MLS if you're an unbiased MLS fan like me; home team goes up eary 2-0, then wilts and goes down 3-2 before equalizing in the 90th minute, what more could you ask for in entertainment from a soccer match ...

I do agree with your other two points ... While Twellman missed on some quality chances, so does every other striker in the world, and Ching is one of the most underrated players on the U.S. MNT, his toughness and willingness to get his nose dirty are what the team is missing, Johnson will never be that guy above the MLS level ...

 

Every other striker in the world does not go scoreless in 20 out of 24 appearances.
Not every other good striker, anyway.
I'll take my chances with E.J., who has a far better strike rate in international competition.

 

I can't recall how many games, but Rooney went scoreless for a while with England. I'm not saying that Twellman is the answer (far from it actually). I absolutely prefer seeing Ching up top. I would also take Johnson over Twellman. I just don't think the guy is as horrible.

As to the US jersey...
I am 100% in agreement. The team needs something identifiable. I know there are others that weren't so sold on it, but I loved it for the symbolism and uniqueness: the wavy red and white vertical stripes. I hated the faux-denim look from that same year. But the waving red and white stripes really appealed to me.



Sure, the trim would need some updating and the US logo would need to be a stitched on patch, but I thought it was fairly unique and rather patriotic.