All-Purpose, Never-Ending Soccer Thread

to continue the MLS debate, it should be noted that the league has improved drastically since last year in overall level of play, the designated player rule has helped with the additions of Angel and Reyna and soon to arrive Blanco and Beckham, but i think it is more than that ...

Teams have stepped up their scouting of South American players, and in my mind, that is the best talent pool in the world, bringing in players like Juan Toja, Carlos Marinelli and Luciano Emilio in their primes has not only added much needed offensive flair to the league, it has further legitimized the league on the global scale far more the the DP rule that brings in 30 somethings who are are on the tail ends of their careers (although Angel looks like he could play in MLS for another 5-10 years)

 

Fire let Sarachan go

After producing only one win in the team's last eight games, the Fire has let head coach Dave Sarachan go. The team was 4-6-2 under Sarachan this season. Assistant coach Denis Hamlett will take over as interim head coach.

The team will hold a press conference at 12:30 this afternoon to officially make the announcement. Sarachan will not be on hand for the press conference.

More details to come

http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/soccer_redcard/

It seems like the move had to be made given the Fire's struggles, but on a personal note, Dave is one hell of a nice guy. We lived about five minutes from each other back when I lived in the 'burbs. And his son, Ian, also was a great kid.

 

England exits the European U-21 championships the way it does every other tournament -- penalty shootout.
This one was amazing, requiring about 16 kicks per team before the tie finally was broken.
Anton Ferdinand hit the crossbar after Scott Carson had rescued England with his only shootout save. And that was that.

 

US lineup vs. Canada:

GK: Keller -- 100th cap for KK. Altruism from Bob or concern over Howard's yellow card?
D: Bornstein, Boca, Gooch, Hejduk -- same as before.
M: DMB, Bradley, Mastroeni, Donovan -- two D mids?
F: Dempsey playing in the hole behind Johnson.

Seems like an awfully conservative line-up from Bob. Now is not the time to start playing scared.

 

Canada

GK: Onstad
D: Jazic, Hastings, Hainault, Stalteri
M: DeGuzman, Nash, Hutchinson, Bernier
F: DeRosario, Gerba

 

Mexican ref today ... Armando Archundia.

I remember the US having Benito Archundia before, but can't recall this guy.

 

US with good high pressure in the first five minutes. Donovan takes a decent crack from 25 yards, which Onstad palms away.

Gerba shows the reason he's in the lineup. The Dude sells Keller short on a backpass, KK clears and gets a Gerba boot to the gut for his trouble.

 

12': Keller gets knocked around during a clearance again, this time by DeRosario. No foul called, Canada corner comes to nothing.

 

20': Bornstein gets a yellow for a professional foul on Bernier. Got beat 1v1 on the outside and resorted to the old two-point takedown.

Ensuing set piece is cleared. Set pieces are the only way Canada's really put Keller under any pressure so far.

 

28': Bocanegra gets a yellow. Tried to help after DeGuzman beat a double team and ended up sending the Canuck into a full forward somersault. I've seen red cards given for less in CONCACAF.

31': Long ball out of the Canadian back line. Keller and Boca foul up the clearance, Gerba plows into Keller (again), Canada wastes the corner, but gets a free kick when Boca whacks Gerba from behind.

This is DeRo territory, about 22 yards out, just off to the left. DeRo takes it ... the initial kick is charged down, the deflection comes to Gerba in an offside position.

 

40': FRANKIGOL!

DMB's free kick from the right went over everybody, Bornstein played it back to the top of the box where Hejduk one-times it (with the outside of his foot, no less) off the post and past Onstad.

The stars really are aligned today....

 

41': Donovan booked for what I can only assume is simulation. Nash made some contact as he was going by. A dive? Questionable, at best. That's three yellows to none, Mr. Guimaraes.

45': Long ball puts Beasley behind the Canada defense. Onstad comes out and misses the ball, clipping Beasley, who the Canuck accuses of diving (not even close). Donovan does the squat-and-kiss routine, rolls it right down the middle. Too bad Onstad guessed to his right ... 2-0 US.