Then Tim Howard needs to stand on his head lol

I feel like we're spoiled because of international futbol broadcasts.

If I watch a Premier League match, for example, and then an MLS game comes on, it depresses me about the state of the game in the US. Not only because our best athletes play other sports, but also because the level of coaching and strategy seems so much higher overseas. I see so many poor decisions made with the ball in MLS compared to Euro matches, and the pace is so much faster over there due to quicker decisions and better team play, but that's just what I've noticed.

Unfortunately Stu Holden is out injured. He was superlative for Bolton this season, and would help the men's national team out tremendously in my opinion.

Maybe you're right yes, Donovan is not complete shite. Donovan is a middle of the road player for me. Again, Donovan performs well in MLS, but the competition in MLS isn't exactly Quarterfinals of Champions League. He did alright at Everton, but I don't think it was anything out of the ordinary in regards to talent in the Premier League.

Quad I'm glad you pointed that out. What you're talking about is what we [football world] call having a 'football mind.' Having the vision and anticipation to create plays is lacking in the American game. Watch any Champions League tie and at some point, you're bound to see a defense unlocked in less than 5 passes. The movement off the ball, the vision and the ABILITY to distribute the ball with inch perfect precision is not yet at the level it needs to be for America. What we call 'talented' in this country is average in Europe and South America. Honestly, most of the USMNT ability is to be expected when playing in a top flight club in Europe. Meaning their best is the minimum to even see playing time at a Premier League, Bundesliga or La Liga club. In football you have your standard players who are expected to have the basic fundamentals, then there are your exceptional players who have the talent to consistently perform well, and then you have your top drawer superstars, your Messi's, Ronaldo's, Rooney's, Sneijder's, Robben's etc. The BEST of the US is an average player in Europe or South America. I'm not trying to get on a eurosnob high horse and belittle the talent of American footballers, as we are improving, but we're still miles away from completely closing the gap.

End of an era for Ballack:

Germany's Joachim Low confirms Michael Ballack's international career is over - Goal.com


Sad to see him go, I really like Ballack.

Yes, an end of an era. But you have to admit the new era in German national football is really bright. So while it is depressing to see Ballack go, there's plenty of younger German footballers to carry the torch - Lahm, Schweini, Ozil, etc.

Even if Lahm kinda went "nooo captaincy is mine!" haha

Ballack :(

He better not end at 99 and get to 100 :mad:

and lets not say USA is eh.. Lets remember they shoulda beat this good German team who made the finals

YouTube - ‪2002 World Cup Quarter Finals: Germany vs United States‬‏

Lets look at the US side from that time.

1 Brad Friedel
3 Greg Berhalter
2 Frankie Hejduk
4 Pablo Mastroeni
23 Eddie Pope <-Local DC legend
22 Tony Sanneh
21 Landon Donovan
7 Eddie Lewis
5 John O'Brien
10 Claudio Reyna
20 Brian McBride

These were QUALITY players we had then. I thought for sure that that squad during the '02 would take us to the semi finals, but we were unlucky. I think if we did beat Germany in that game, there was a good chance we would get to the final, because remember, Germany faced South Korea in the semifinal, and we had already held them to a 1 all draw in our group stage. As I said before, the US is moving in the right direction, we're just not there yet. Our best needs to get better. We'll see how the rest of the Gold Cup shapes up, and hopefully it will mean our qualification for the Confederations Cup come 2013 in Brazil.

The US team right now has some good players too. We just have no teeth!

Tim Howard
Steve Cherundolo
Oguchi Onyewu - when healthy
Clarence Goodson
Carlos Bocanegra
Stu Holden
Landon Donovan
Michael Bradley
Clint Dempsey
Jozy Altidore
Juan Aguedelo

I agree. With out a shark in the box, you won't get very far. Add Onyewu to the list of quality players. If he stays healthy, he is a rock in defense. Reminds me of Alex.

Well find out how they do sunday. Phelan I am mad at you :mad:

http://www.kckrs.com/wp-content/uplo...am_1112kit.jpg

plainest kit ever?

haha jones dived. but overall a MUCH improved display...that stemmed from donovan coming off the bench as a super sub??? oh my.

feel bad for altidore, but aguedelo played brilliantly in his stead.

Agreed. Credit Dempsey for playing at a high level the entire match. He should wear the number 10 shirt.


Chelsea 'agree deal' with Porto's André Villas-Boas over manager's job | Football | guardian.co.uk

Here we go again.

Kinda liked the USA's red kits. I like them better in blue, but I thought those were sharp.

Really? I really like their red kits. I think it's sharp.

Then again, I support a club that wears red and white...so yeah, maybe I'm just partial :rofl2:

Jon - might be good for you guys. Maybe Falcao will follow his boss into a Chelsea blue uniform. Drogba and Falcao leading the line = Gooner head asplode!!!!!!

(and yes I'm still ignoring Torres)

That's alright, we're ignoring him still too. You know, this is not a milestone to be proud of:

Chelsea break world record for manager Andre Villas-Boas following Portuguese's switch to Stamford Bridge - Telegraph

Record breaking £50 million transfer for Fernando Torres, now the highest capped management transfer in EPL history. I like Villas-Boas, but for christ's sake. I'd be content with just keeping a management team for more than 2 seasons and focus on player development. We still want Ray Wilkins back.

Villas-Boas coached under Mourinho, so hopefully he will bring some of that Portuguese flair back to the Bridge. We used to fly beautifully under Mourinho, so hopefully we can get some of that back. And if the new manager can finally bring us a European crown, it will all be worth it.


Did anyone else read about Leonardo's move to PSG from Inter?
Inter seek new coach as Leonardo joins PSG - ESPN Soccernet

I thought he did a decent job at Inter. He brought them back from the slump that was Rafa Benitez to finish runners up, still with a Champions League place. And PSG? I can understand leaving for Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, but Paris Saint Germain? I suppose he wants to build a legacy there. They have passionate supporters, let me tell you. I was in Paris the night of a PSG home game in which the home side won, and the streets were on the brink of riot at 1am.

Portugese flair = diving & whinging?

No that's Spanish flair. Well, I suppose it may as well be the same, all Iberian that. I just enjoy watching Sporting, Benefica and Porto's style of play. Especially watching Porto during their champions league winning campaign under Mourinho, they were a joy to watch.

But...Mourinho parks the bus now. Where's the flair? :/

BTW - PSG probably attracted Leonardo b/c they're the Man City of Ligue 1. SH*T tons of money to invest in players, so he could be playing FIFA11 for all he cared. Just toss stupid money at things and it'll work out...right?

Falcao rumored now to join Villas-Boas in Chelsea....that's 30 million euros (I think euros) in that transaction, which is...what, 27ish million pounds?

So, with 13.3 million to Villas Boas, plus 27 for Falcao if he goes, and Torres for 50 million, and tossing in salaries for good fun...the Blues have just pissed away about 100 million GBP in three people.

My mind = officially blown

Wenger, meanwhile, has spent...uhhh......:facepalm:

Flair's been a bit diminished since moving to Madrid, but his seasons at Chelsea and Inter were amazing. Especially Chelsea during 04/05 season. Robben, Drogz and Gudjuohnssen in full flight was a joy to watch. 04-05 year was fantastic.

Yeah, is winning the Champions League worth £100 million? To Roman, yes, yes it is. You only get €9 million for winning, but winning the CL comes added television revenue. It isn't close to the £136 million Madrid/Barca get annually though.

It strikes me that Sunderland have made a bunch of signings under the radar that may help them out quite a bit. Ji Dong-Won is the latest to go to the Stadium of Light; the 'next Park Ji-Sung', they say, even though Ji is a striker...? :wtf: But South Koreans are typically high-work rate, no nonsense players. As long as he can support the 'flair' of Gyan, it'd work out okay IMO.

They're still trying for Conor Wickham but I doubt he'll go to Sunderland if a bigger club comes calling.

Weird thing is - why aren't Sunderland going for any midfielders? They'll have a somewhat ramshackle defense, awful midfield, and a good front line. Seems like something's gone haywire over there...unless I missed something.


Oh, and Spain U-21s are losing to Belarus. Hehe.

bwu - still fighting

To all of you - anybody know a channel showing J-league games???? I'm getting sick and tired of crappy uStreams lol. I want to watch my Urawa Reds before they fall into J-2 :facepalm:

MyP2P.eu :: Japanese J-League schedules, watch live Japanese J-League on your pc.


Download Veetle. It's online, but if your connection is good, it will be just as good as network broadcast.

<3

Speaking of Porto, I really like Hulk. I wonder if he's available.

why the fvck does this kind of loyalty only exist with RvP and EF? For his sake, I hope the guy impresses during preseason training and earns a spot on the bench.

Emmanuel Frimpong: I will never leave Arsenal | Arsenal Blog & Arsenal News

Lichaj is a stud, pace and steel.

Adu added some creativity, good to see him back out on the pitch.

Dempsey with the excellent poach.

Bradley and Jones were rocks in the center.

End Analysis.

Was a good match. :usa:

They've definitely improved leaps and bounds since the group stage, they seem to be gelling more as a team and learning how each other plays, they're gonna need to have a masterclass to get past mehico in the final, that is of course, if there isnt a shock upset tonight..

watching mexico, I've noticed a few things.

1. They pour everyone, EVERYONE forward in Attack.

2. Two central defenders are terrible for pace

3. Guardado and Hernandez are the two main passing routes

And my analysis

1. This team can be scored on from the counter attack

2. Agudelo can use pace through the middle

3. Eliminate Guardado and Hernandez from the equation and mexico becomes a one dimensional team.

Sounds just like...erm...Arsenal.

Credit BB for having the balls to bring Donovan off the bench. He does better off the bench, when people around him start to tire, he can use his not-so-much pace to burst into an open area and play a dangerous cross like he did today.

He definitely looks like hes lost some speed over the years, was easily the fastest man on the squad in the 02' world cup. Another one who's lost alot of pace is Cherundolo, that guy cant beat anyone to save his life now:rolleyes:

And now that you mention it, yeah, Mexico does remind me of Arsenal:icon17:

Their stamina throughout the match was pretty ridiculous, must be all them days training at Azteca. Only way we'll beat them is to get physical and hit them on the counter.

Oh look, Ashley Young signs for ManUre.... ok now i'm starting to get pissed, FVCKING DO SOMETHING WENGER!!!!!!

It's not even July yet, man. We'll be alright.

Psssh, Cesc says he admires Pep when he was a soccer player, and everybody goes berserk about how it's Cesc saying he wants to go to Barca.

My my, aren't we a touchy bunch now.

I'm patient man, but when I see all of our rivals strengthening their squads in the first few weeks of the window and all we have is some unproven charlton youth academy kid, frustrates me to no end. The least they can do is stop the speculation and let us know who we're at least attempting to prise, Gervinho will add a fair bit of pace and flair to the attack, but shit, even he isnt confirmed yet. Nasri hasnt extended his contract and we have no backup plan in place for him. Clichy is out and we dont have anyone lined up for that yet (yes, we're linked with Enrique, but nothing solid). All these promises of world class signings are starting to get old and I want to know our intent.

And i'm a bit pissed about the whole Ashley Young thing, he would have made an excellent addition to the squad and I cant believe Wenger didnt go for him, especially when we supposedly have a higher transfer budget than ManUre. Once again, the turds are going to be the team to beat next year.

Completely agree with everything this dude says.

Arsenal Mania - News - Don't tell me Arsenal couldn't afford Ashley Young

Who's to say Arsenal didn't reach out to him? Also you have to remember, for a footballer to have the chance to play at the most decorated club in English football history, that's a hard opportunity to pass up. I don't like United in the least bit, but I can't discredit their history in the English game, and the incredible things they've accomplished under Fergie. The lure of representing a club like United in England and in the Champions League is difficult to pass up.

I'm happy for Ashley Young, I knew there was only a matter of time before one of the big boys swooped in and took him from Villa. He's a great player, he's a great attitude, and he deserves the chance to win a title domestically and in Europe. At £15 million, he will be a great signing for years to come. I think under Sir Alex's direction, he could be one of the best British wingers for a long time.

^ yep. Honestly, given the recent slide, I'm not surprised at all that Young chose Utd if Arsenal went in for him. Based on recent years and potential, and also with the history of the clubs, who would you play for? We're biased because we're obvious Gooners, so of course we'd say 'Arsenal', but for the same amount of money, Man Utd is not exactly a middling club in a middling league. They're world renowned, and a damn good team to boot, so credit to Young for getting on their radar. Of course, it's also Wenger's policy not to throw 'more money' a la City to get a player, so...yeah, go figure. And to reinforce Jon's point, Arsenal are NOT guaranteed CL football yet. We have to get the job done to get into the competition.

With that said, I hope Wenger gets all of his signings done in early July, so he can get the team put together for a really, REALLY tough start to the next season. August looks like the bear.

Jose Enrique, I hear, would bring Joey Barton with him. Do you really, REALLY want the Toon Terror in red and white? Hell no, I would rather get Leighton Baines if Everton will release him.

The more I hear about Samba's price tag, the more I plead "PLEASE GET JAN VERTONGHEN", but eh, I'm not the manager.

Again, it's June. July is when the **** will hit the fan if Wenger does not state his intent and powering through some signings. But I give him time...for now.

In other news: there's some unsettled rumors regarding Rossi, maybe he won't go to Barca after all. Wonder where else he would go...?

:wtf: