Dempsey heads top-15 list of American performances in Europe

“Let’s come right out and say it: Clint Dempsey is having the best season ever by a U.S. international in Europe. With his late equalizer against Chelsea on Monday, the Fulham sniper now has 16 Premier League goals this season. The only Premier League players who have more goals in all competitions than Dempsey’s 22 are Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Sergio Aguero.” SI

Vamos Indios!

“The first time I meet Marco Vidal, he tells me I need to hop on YouTube. If I want to understand why he willingly lives in the world’s most dangerous city and why he plays for the Indios of Ciudad Juárez fútbol club and why he feels the Indios are a special team, then I’ve got to watch what happened after his Indios defeated the Esmeraldas of León back in 2008. Juárez and León (a 440-year-old tannery town in the exact center of Mexico) had played a two-game series, home and home, for the highest of stakes. The losers were to stay in minor league obscurity, earning little money and waiting at least a year for even a chance to change their station in life. The winners would rise into the Primera, Mexico’s top league. International TV every week. Big-time paychecks. Home games against glamorous clubs like Chivas of Guadalajara and road trips to such soccer shrines as the 105,000-seat Estadio Azteca, in Mexico City.” Grantland

This Love Is Not For Cowards: Salvation and Soccer in Ciudad Juárez
“More than ten people are murdered every day in Ciudad Juárez, a city about the size of Philadelphia. As Mexico has descended into a feudal narco-state-one where cartels, death squads, the army, and local police all fight over billions of dollars in profits from drug and human trafficking-the border city of Juárez has been hit hardest of all. And yet, more than a million people still live there. They even love their impoverished city, proudly repeating its mantra: ‘Amor por Juárez’.” amazon

Players strike in Peru points way forward

“Professional football walks an uneasy line between business and culture. As businesses go, football is unorthodox. Success is measured in trophies, not profits, and the relationship between the clubs is more like partners than true competitors. Clubs need each other and without enough opponents to sustain a season-long calendar there is no professional football.” BBC – Tim Vickery

Kljestan’s brilliance in Belgium merits long look from Klinsmann

“When the NCAA men’s basketball tournament takes center stage in about a month, we’ll hear plenty usage of the term “blind résumé.” It is a comparison method for decision-makers to look at the body of work for teams on the tournament-field bubble without being clouded by predetermined bias linked to a school’s name or conference affiliation. While it is far from an exact science, the blind résumé provides a meat-and-potatoes breakdown of who merits consideration for inclusion based on tangible accomplishments, leaving name and reputation out of the equation.” SI

Transfer window could prove quiet for Americans playing overseas

“With the European transfer window back open, there’s no better time for the annual tradition of taking inventory of which Americans could be on the move over the next month. The only thing is, there’s not really that many that need to go anywhere at all. In contrast to last year at this time, most top-tier American players find themselves situated in favorable and productive club situations, and instead of using the winter months to plot moves for more playing time, they’re preparing for the next phase of their respective seasons.” SI

Americans Abroad: Whitbread back for Norwich, eyes chance with U.S.

Zak Whitbread
“It would be easy for Zak Whitbread to look back at the last nine months and think about what could have been.With better-timed good health, the 27-year-old Norwich City center back may already be on his way to the international career that has yet to materialize. In the midst of helping the Canaries earn promotion to the Premier League last spring, Whitbread was called in for the United States’ friendlies against Argentina and Paraguay in March, only to be forced to withdraw with a back injury. Not only did he miss a chance to acclimate himself with the U.S. setup for the first time on the senior level, but he missed what would’ve essentially been a tryout for the U.S. Gold Cup roster.” SI

World Soccer Daily: 10 stories you need to read, November 25th, 2011

“Milan have opened talks with Carlos Tevez’s advisors about a January move for the Manchester City striker. At present, there have been no direct talks between City and Milan over the transfer as Tevez’s advisor first seeks to broker a deal with the Italian champions. Although negotiations are at an early stage, it’s understood that both parties have reached agreement on a couple of significant issues that have stalled his career at City: Tevez will not leave the country when Milan have a game scheduled and, provided he’s in the mood for it, the Argentinian has even deigned to play football when asked to do so by his coach.” World Soccer (Video)

Los Angeles Galaxy 1-0 Houston Dynamo: Donovan moves upfront to score the winner

“LA Galaxy dominated for almost the entire game, but had to wait until the 71st minute to go ahead through Landon Donovan. Galaxy coach Bruce Arena made one enforced change from the win over Real Salt Lake. Chad Barrett’s ankle injury meant he was unavailable, so Adam Cristman was given the nod to play upfront alongside Robbie Keane.” Zonal Marking

Beckham’s Last Stand

“On a sun-drenched day in Southern California, it’s hard to imagine a more peaceful vibe than the one at The Home Depot Center. A dog frolics on the grass in front of the south goal. The scent of honeysuckle fills the air. Landon Donovan leans back in a bleacher seat and shares a wish he wouldn’t have dreamed of three years ago: that Los Angeles Galaxy teammate David Beckham extend his expiring contract and turn down overseas suitors (Paris! London!) to return to MLS next year.” SI

World Cup rights bidding to have major implications for U.S. soccer

“Next Wednesday is one of the most important days of the next decade for soccer in the United States. That’s when bids are due in Zürich, Switzerland, for the U.S. broadcast rights for World Cups ’18 and ’22. ESPN, NBC and Fox are expected to bid for the English-language rights, while Univisión and NBC-owned Telemundo are expected to be in competition for the Spanish-language rights. After the bids are submitted on Wednesday — there will be no formal presentations, as there were for the Olympic rights bids earlier this year — the FIFA executive committee will meet on Thursday and could reach a decision on the winners as soon as that day.” SI

Hope Solo, on her toes

“Could they please just let her dance in flats? That’s what I thought as I watched Hope Solo fight her way through a jive in high-heeled converse sneakers. Letting Solo dance in flats would make this whole Dancing With the Stars thing less anxiety provoking. Who isn’t worried about her turning her ankle? Those joints are of national importance! I have been so preoccupied by her feet I’ve scarcely noticed this season’s gender drama.” From A Left Wing

Jones, Bradley, Holden sit and wait to play; more Americans Abroad

“What could have been a landmark weekend in the seasons of three first-choice U.S. national team midfielders turned out to be nothing more than a wait-till-next-time occasion. Jermaine Jones remained an afterthought at Schalke despite not being moved during the recent transfer window; Michael Bradley failed to see the field in his first game as a member of Chievo Verona in Italy; and Stuart Holden’s anticipated comeback to Bolton’s first team was put on hold for at least another week.” SI

Three thoughts on U.S.-Mexico

“Three quick thoughts following the U.S.’s 1-1 tie against Mexico in a friendly on Wednesday night …” SI

The American Outlaws

“American patriotism is a heart on sleeve affair. As a visitor to the United States there is a sense that you’re never more than a few hundred yards from a flagpole flying the Stars and Stripes. American children pledge allegiance to the flag at school, and the national anthem is sung at all levels of sporting events, not just show piece finals. There is then perhaps an irony that America’s main spectator sports provide little opportunity to cheer on American national teams in major sporting events. Enter football to fill the void.” In Bed With Maradona

On the Border

“To understand the soccer rivalry between the United States and Mexico, you have to start with the Border. I don’t mean the border, the physical region where the two countries intersect. I mean the Border, the mythologized, only quasi-geographical territory where the idea of America and the idea of Mexico bleed together. The border, the physical region, is a place with a real climate and real people, an economy, cities, maquiladoras, drug trafficking, checkpoints, and so on. The Border, the psychic region, is a sun-obliterated desert where law and chaos expire into each other and civilization dissolves. It’s a terrain of rattlesnakes, liquor, and bones, the place where criminals run to escape. Lonnie Johnson was singing about the Border in 1930, when he recorded ‘Got the Blues for Murder Only’.” Grantland – Brian Phillips

Clint Dempsey and the Fate of America

“Clint Dempsey is not an angry person. Countless profiles Adam Spangler’s ‘The Game Don’t Care’ at This Is American Soccer is the one worth reading. of the United States and Fulham star reveal a family man who loves his wife Bethany, his children (Elysia and Jackson), and his large family. They tell the touching tale of a young Clint sacrificing his soccer dreams so his talented sister Jennifer could pursue her tennis career, only returning to his expensive travel team after she tragically passed away from a brain aneurysm. A grown Dempsey chats with kids to help them reach their goals. He’s a nice guy.” Run of Play

Jurgen Klinsmann: U.S. must develop more attack-based style
“The first thing you notice is the shirt. Jurgen Klinsmann is wearing a blue-and-red Nike shirt with the badge of the U.S. national team as we sit down on Sunday for our first private interview since he took over as the U.S. coach. For some reason, seeing Klinsmann in the team gear for the first time rams home the point more than anything else so far. He’s here. The World Cup-winning German really did take the job.” SI

Klinsmann Calls In 22 Players to Face Mexico on Aug. 10 in Philadelphia

“U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has named a 22-player roster that will travel to Philadelphia in advance of the match against regional rival Mexico on Aug. 10 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The match will be the first for the former FIFA World Cup and European Championship winner at the helm of the U.S. Men’s National Team since being named head coach.” US Soccer

Klinsmannismus

“‘We are ourselves’ — that’s what Jürgen Klinsmann wanted to teach the players of Bayern Munich. He wanted them to ‘open up’; he wanted to get to know them, to ‘look inside’ them, to meet their emotional needs. It was a philosophy of liberation — of helping players to get beyond the Wanderer in a Sea of Foginhibitions of consciousness, back to some easy inner self. The Inner Game of Football. Zen. From Songs of Experience back to Songs of Innocence.” Run of Play

A guide to the 2011 Copa America

“Think football is over for the summer? Think again. From July 1st to the 24th, the ten nations comprising the CONMEBOL Confederation of South America, plus two guest countries, will play out the 43rd Copa America in Argentina. If you’re familiar with past tournaments, then you’ll know to expect some beautiful football, some drama, some hilariously shameless cheating, and some great spectacle, both on and off the pitch. It’s a fine showcase for South American football and for my money the most entertaining and passionate football on earth.” Three Match Ban – 2011 Copa America: Part One – The Minnows, Part Two – The Outsiders, Mexico & Costa Rica, Part Three – The Under-Achievers, Colombia & Peru, Part Four – The Over-Achievers, Paraguay and Ecuador, Part Five – The Contenders, Uruguay and Chile, Part Six – The Giants, Argentina and Brazil

Parables

“In October 2001, the national football teams of France and Algeria faced off in a long-awaited, and (at least in principle) “friendly” international game at the Stade de France in Paris. The event was trumpeted as an opportunity for reconciliation, a symbolic end to the conflict between the two countries, and an opportunity for a French nation increasingly shaped by it’s Algerian immigrant population to find peace within itself. But from the beginning, the match was something else: the stadium was packed with fans of the Algerian team, most of them French citizens of Algerian background. Many booed and whistled not just at the French national team (sparing only Zinedine Zidane), but also — loudly — at the French national anthem.” Soccer Politics

Mexican Wave

“On Saturday night, the United States men’s national soccer team lost 4-2 to Mexico in the final of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the regional championship of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Between Mexico’s early dominance, Team USA’s shocking surge ahead, and the Americans’ post-halftime futility, the match was a weird miniature of recent domestic soccer history. The United States was terrible (1950-1990 inclusive), then suddenly pretty good (2002 World Cup), then prone to squandering leads (2009 Confederations Cup final vs. Brazil) and stalling (USA-Ghana 2010) after exciting moments (USA-Algeria, also 2010).” Slate – Brian Phillips

Mexico exploits porous U.S. defense
“Breathless, frenetic, utterly absorbing: Mexico was a 4-2 winner in the Gold Cup final, a score line that didn’t seem quite to reflect its superiority, yet so open was the game that the U.S. had enough chances to have itself won the game by a two-goal margin. This was thrillingly end-to-end, a game in which midfields barely existed, settled by the porousness of the USA’s back four. In the end, it simply presented too many chances to Mexico.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

Mexico claim Gold Cup glory
“Pablo Barrera scored twice as Mexico came from 2-0 down against USA to win a dramatic CONCACAF Gold Cup final 4-2 at the Rose Bowl. USA appeared to have taken control of the game as Michael Bradley and Landon Donovan put them two goals to the good inside the first quarter of the game, but Barrera and Andres Guardado levelled before the break and the former struck again before Giovani Dos Santos clinched victory.” ESPN

U.S. player ratings against Mexico
“U.S. player ratings vs. Mexico (scale of 1-10).” SI

YouTube – USA 2 Mexico 4

U.S. trio prove their worth in do-or-die win over Panama in Gold Cup

Clint Dempsey
“They are the three most famous players in U.S. men’s soccer — Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and Freddy Adu — and on a night when their team needed them most, they combined on a goal that helped each player overcome a personal challenge in addition to the one from a pesky Panama team in a hard-fought Gold Cup semifinal.” SI

United States 1-0 Panama: Donovan and Adu come off the bench to help break the deadlock
“Clint Dempsey scored 15 minutes from time to put the US into the Gold Cup final. Bob Bradley kept faith with the XI that overcame Jamaica – Jozy Altidore went off injured in that game, and his replacement Juan Agudelo started here. This meant that Landon Donovan was again on the bench.” Zonal Marking

United States 2-0 Jamaica: US dominate centre

“A deflected strike from Jermaine Jones and a cool Clint Dempsey finish put the US into the semi-finals of the Gold Cup. Bob Bradley left out Chris Wondolowski and Landon Donovan, bringing in Sacha Kljestan behind Jozy Altidore, and Alejandro Bedoya on the right. He was dealt an early blow with Altidore’s injury, meaning Juan Agudelo had to replace him upfront.” Zonal Marking

Milutin Soskic leaves indelible mark on U.S. goalkeeping technique

“Being honest, there isn’t much about U.S. soccer that people in England envy, but we do wish we had a similar glut of goalkeeping talent. Over the last 10-15 years the U.S. has produced an extraordinary number of high-class goalkeepers, so many, in fact, that it’s begun to spoil Sylvester Stallone’s performance in Escape to Victory (because there, of course, half the joke was that he was an American who played football and had to play in goal so he could use his hands).” SI

Bradley faces high-pressure stakes against Guadeloupe in Gold Cup

“Here’s what Tuesday’s U.S. game was supposed to be: a meaningless Gold Cup group-stage finale against Guadeloupe (9 p.m. ET, Fox Soccer, TeleFutura), a tiny Caribbean island that (as part of France) isn’t even allowed to compete in World Cup qualifying.” SI

Guadeloupe vs. U.S.A.: The Joys of the Gold Cup

“Tomorrow night, in Kansas, we’ll be able to enjoy one of those fixtures that makes the Gold Cup such a pleasure to some of us, and a rather mystifying affair to many others. Indeed, the Gold Cup competition, while it takes place year after year in the U.S., seems to largely fly under the radar for many in this country — except, of course, for fans of the Mexican national team, and for those of the Central American and Caribbean teams for whom it represents perhaps the most important international competition.” Soccer Politics

“You’ve Never Heard of Chicharito?”
“That was the dismayed, slightly disbelieving, question posed by a fan of a Mexico team last night to the North Carolinian worker at the food stand getting him a beer and hot dog. We were at the Carolina Panthers stadium (actually named, of course, after a large financial institution, the Bank of America), and it was clear that the phenomenon of tens of thousands of people needed to go to the bathroom and buy food during a sharply circumscribed fifteen-minute period was strange and overwhelming to a system set up for U.S. football.” Soccer Politics

Gold Cup 2011: US Falls To Panama 2-1, and this was a player’s loss
“What follows is the match recap I wrote last night for The Shin Guardian. The only changes are a few links I thought I would add, and one more disclaimer. Below where it reads ‘This loss isn’t on Bob Bradley’, after a spirited comment discussion at TSG, I’ll amend slightly. Yes, Bob Bradley’s tactics weren’t perfect. But he had a plan (attack Panama’s right flank, (Try) to establish width. His substitutions were (with the possible exception of Goodson off instead of Ream) spot on.” Yanks are coming

I’m In Love But I’m Lazy

“The US national team is part of that élite group referred to in England by their demonym rather than by the name of the country. At the last World Cup, for instance, England were shut out by Algeria after drawing against the Americans. They beat Slovenia but they lost to the Germans. It could be regarded as something of a badge of honour, like being criticised by the TaxPayers’ Alliance. Last summer, an English football website published a link to footage of American fans celebrating Landon Donovan’s goal against Algeria. Readers were advised to ignore the ‘obnoxious’ chanting of ‘USA! USA! USA!’” The Carvalho Peninsula

Recap: USA 0 – 4 Spain

Philips Wouwerman, Battle Scene
“Saturday’s friendly between the USA and Spain sadly provided what many American fans were fearing, with the World Champions thoroughly dominating possession on the way to a four-goal win. The re-match of the memorable 2009 Confederations Cup semifinal took place in Foxboro, Massachusetts in front of a packed crowd of more than 64,000, just three days ahead of the US beginning their quest for a fourth Gold Cup title and a spot in the coveted 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil.” Yanks Abroad

Santi Cazorla helps Spain rout U.S.
“After allowing three goals in a 13-minute span, United States goalkeeper Tim Howard pounded his hands on his thighs in frustration. And there was still another half to go. ‘When you get knocked down, you see what you’re made of,” Howard said Saturday after World Cup champion Spain overwhelmed the U.S. 4-0 in an exhibition that the Americans used to tune up for the Gold Cup.” ESPN

Friendly – USA 0-4 Spain
YouTube

Positive statistics highlight the negative reality of MLS

“Earlier this month, Major League Soccer proudly announced the launch of the Castrol Index to ‘objectively’ rank its players’ performances. As if the modern game was not already burdened with enough useless statistics, we can now enjoy the benefits of this ‘proprietary technology’ that purports to track around 1,800 player movements per game, and then produce a league table of ranked individuals. The first monthly table told us what we possibly already knew: Thierry Henry is the best player in MLS.” WSC

A Pacific Passion Play

“The moment when the Pacific Northwest succumbed to soccer nirvana came during—what else?—a steady downpour at 8:03 p.m. last Saturday at Qwest Field in Seattle. On the night the Seattle Sounders and the Portland Timbers resumed the fiercest rivalry in American club soccer, a sellout crowd of 36,593 watched in awe as the Emerald City Supporters unveiled a 23,000-square-foot display of nine green-and-blue banners telling the pictorial story of the Sounders’ DECADES OF DOMINANCE over their Oregon neighbors—like cave paintings of a modern-day sports culture.” SI

Will MLS Ever Have Its Own Clasicos ? After A Month of Barca-Real: We Wonder Aloud

“Soccer fans, heave a collective sigh of relief – no pun intended. So much theater, so much wrestling, so much on the line, so much falling over coupled with ankle grabbing and head embracing — the four Clásicos are finally over. Now back to football. Is there so much on the line (millions of dollars aside) when Real Madrid and Barcelona meet that the players have to forsake playing the game for a bout (or four consecutive rounds) of shadowboxing? Do we even have anything close in MLS?” Yanks are coming

Great Managers Matter, and Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool Revival Should Teach US Soccer A Lesson

“As all of my regular readers know, I am a red-blooded Liverpool fan. Given the choice, I never walk alone. As such, much was my dismay when earlier this year, my beloved Reds found themselves in the relegation zone during the first few months of the EPL season. At the same time, since January, I have become elated with their success with King Kenny Dalglish at the helm. The turn-around has been remarkable, and yet paradoxical at the same time. While the personnel changed somewhat (sulky Torres out, Suarez and Carroll in), this small change in personnel to me should not a complete turn-around make.” Yanks Are Coming

Real Salt Lake’s and CONCACAF Glory: #MLS4RSL Ain’t #REALBS

“This infographic about Real Salt Lake’s road to the two-legged final of the CONCACAF Champions League is pretty damn awesome, and more than worth glancing at ahead of tomorrow’s second leg in Salt Lake, with the Americans tied 2-2 on aggregate with Monterrey of Mexico. It’s informative for the newbie, and interesting enough for the nerd.” Pitch Invasion

Xolos Rising

“It took decades, but in the end it was just a short journey to find something seemingly so far away: the transcendent football experience. On a Sunday morning in April, soccer fan Dean Mitchell leaves his home in San Diego and heads south towards the border. The barren desert geography doesn’t change much between his home and Tijuana, Mexico, but nearly everything else brightens once he passes that wall, including Dean’s mood. Crossing the border on foot it takes literally one step to enter a completely different world – away from a soccer niche to a land hot with football fever.” this is american soccer

Hello, New World!

“This Thursday night, 14 April 2011, the Timbers Army will sing the official ‘Star Spangled Banner’ at a stadium in the heart of Portland, Oregon, and the local football club will play its first home match in America’s top division. The Timbers face Chicago’s Fire. The match will occasion large amounts of beer consumption on premises and in the surrounding neighborhoods, and play its own small part in hastening the decline of the traditional nation-state.” Run of Play

Portland readies for home debut, Beckham rants; more mailbag
“There’s something that just seems right about the match between Portland, Ore., and soccer. You can see for yourself tonight when the Portland Timbers host their historic first MLS home game (ESPN2, 11 p.m. ET) against the Chicago Fire in what figures to be a festive cauldron in their refurbished downtown stadium.” SI

For Bob Bradley’s USMNT, Paraguay was Tactical Progress

“For those of you that have been living in a cave, the USMNT squared off against Argentina and Paraguay this week. The events were enough to make a “tactical analyst” such as me salivate. Let’s get right into what I saw over the two games: After the first match (Argentina), fellow writer Jon Levy wanted an immediate tactical reaction. I told him ‘no’ because I did not feel capable of writing anything conclusive watching that game. What I saw against Argentina was the tale of two halves (obviously).” The Yanks Are Coming

Chandler shines in Paraguay loss, leads German-American invasion

“It’s still early, of course, but the chances are more likely that we’ll remember this week’s two U.S. national-team friendlies less for the results — a 1-1 tie against Argentina and Tuesday’s 1-0 loss to Paraguay — than for the initial impacts made by some young American players.” SI

United States (USA) 0-1 Paraguay – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – Friendly
The 90th Minute

U.S. earns tie with Argentina

Juan Agudelo, 18
“At the final whistle, Juan Agudelo walked over to Lionel Messi. ‘I was like, “Yeah, I’m good friends with Thierry Henry,”‘ the 18-year-old American forward said. ‘I just wanted to introduce myself: Juan Agudelo.’ Agudelo’s 59th-minute goal gave the United States a surprising 1-1 tie against Argentina in a high-profile exhibition game on Saturday night before 78,936 at the New Meadowlands Stadium.” ESPN

Young Agudelo trends upward in U.S. draw against Argentina
“In the journalism world, one of the rules you often hear is this: Three examples qualifies as a trend. And we now have three examples that 18-year-old U.S. forward Juan Agudelo is a promising forward to watch at the international level.” SI

Three thoughts: U.S.-Argentina
“Three thoughts after the U.S.’s 1-1 tie against Argentina on Saturday night…” SI

United States (USA) 1-1 Argentina – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – Friendly
The 90th Minute

U.S. aims to stop Argentina’s Messi

Lionel Messi
“The last time the U.S. played Argentina, in 2008, the result was proof that a 0-0 score line could still produce a thrilling soccer game. U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard stood on his head, and a huge crowd in the Meadowlands saw the Americans survive going toe-to-toe with supernova Lionel Messi and his talented Argentine teammates.” SI

Rebuilt To Last

“Charlie Davies has seen the photograph. Taken on the morning of Oct. 13, 2009, it shows the back section of a gray Infiniti SUV, sheared clean in half by the impact of a horrific one-car accident on the George Washington Parkway in northern Virginia. One passenger in the vehicle died. Davies, a blazing striker who had emerged as a vital piece of the U.S. World Cup puzzle, was in the back. Partway through the ride he had put on his seat belt, a move that probably saved his life. ‘When I saw the car, I thought, Was I really in there?” says Davies. “How could someone just six inches in front of me die and I’m still alive?’” SI

Style Over Substance

“The orchestrated crescendo of Parisian boos that greeted Kasabian front man Tom Meighan as he walked onstage at the L’Olympia in the French capital. Adorned in the red of England’s latest away shirt, the stunt on the surface appeared to be little more than a brazen example of jingoistic marketing, designed to appeal to the white-van-driver that lurks deep within every England fan.” In Bed With Maradona

The Cult of Clint

Clint Dempsey
“Alexi had the hair. Claudio brought the technique. And Brian McBride displayed such a wholesome, hardworking, can-do aesthetic they named a pub after him. Of all the American soccer players who have toiled in Europe, however, is there anybody better — or more revered — than Fulham’s Clint Dempsey?” NYT

Les Bleus Turnaround May Be Nigh, Giuseppe Rossi’s Azzurri, and Other International Date Musings

“Today would have been a USMNT match day but as I noted yesterday, the Federation made the safe and correct call in cancelling the Yanks’ fixture against Egypt in Cairo. There were plenty of FIFA internationals on the menu however, and at least a few storylines worth visiting on this busy day on the pitch. Here are three thoughts and observations.” The Yanks Are Coming

Just for Now, USMNT Fans Should Tap the Brakes on Bunbury/Agudelo Hype

“For the first time since the inception of this blog, writers of TYAC have not touched on a USMNT match – the USA-Chile match last week. At this point, a comprehensive analysis serves no purpose for two reasons…” The Yanks Are Coming

Dancing with U.S. Soccer: A Gentleman’s History of Bogling and Boon-Boo-Ree featuring Juan Agudelo, Teal Bunbury & Pablo Ramirez

“And so it began with A Gentleman’s History of the Stanky Legg. An opportunity to use goal celebration dances to learn about ourselves and share some of what we are with our friends around the world. I know, it’s just a game, right? Well, it doesn’t have to be just a game.” Nutmeg Radio

Three quick thoughts: U.S.-Chile

“Three thoughts after the U.S.’s 1-1 tie against Chile in a matchup of two B-squads in Carson, Calif., on Saturday night…” SI

U.S. vs. Chile instant analysis
“Join SI.com staff and writers (Grant Wahl, Jen Chang, Steve Davis, George Dorhmann and Avi Creditor) for live analysis and discussion of the U.S.men’s national team game against Chile on Saturday.” SI

Thoughts On USA’s 1-1 Draw With Chile On January 22, 2011
“The United States played their first international in several months and here’s a few of my thoughts on it. It was a 1-1 draw with Chile and as usual consisted of young players who have little experience with the National Team.” The 90th Minute

Maybe We Should Just Give David Beckham Everything

“This David Beckham character has the world in his palm. After successful stints at Manchester United and Real Madrid, Beckham decided to pursue a new challenge in America (the North one). As part of Beckham’s unique deal with MLS, he was given the option to purchase an MLS club if he stays with the LA Galaxy for the remainder of his contract. That’s a good deal for Team Beckham. And now, long-time Daily Mail football writer Martin Samuel wants to give Beckham English football.” Nutmeg Radio

Dancing with U.S. Soccer: A Gentleman’s History of the Stanky Legg and a Look to the Future

“Goal scorers have pumped fists, stripped down, slid on the ground, assembled in Voltron-like formations with teammates, climbed on top of teammates, screamed at television cameras, pointed to the heavens, made out with their team badges, assaulted corner flags, paid tribute to pregnancies by giving birth to soccer balls, displayed shirts with birthday and freedom messages, planted corner flags like an explorer, snorted end lines, and sprinted off into a corner to share a few dance moves with an adoring or enraged public. Anything and everything goes after scoring a goal. That’s the beauty of the soccer celebration.” Nutmeg Radio

Is The Future Of Football In The USA?

“Many of us have watched our team drift away from the clubs with big cash and thought; this isn’t right, is there an alternative? Screw the cash, revolution is in the air, here’s Nick Rosano on the MLS.” In Bed With Maradona

MB 90 Donde: What’s Next For US Soccer’s Best Prospect ?

“Michael Bradley; he’s a household name to the frequent visitors of this distinguished soccer blog. It is kind of weird to actually type out the full name that Bobbo saw fit to give him though. Junior, MB90, Coach’s Kid, whatever you want to call him, Bradley’s a top performer for a Yank in Europe, and at 23 years old, he’s just entering his prime. So where will the future take the young midfielder? And why must he get out of Borussia Mönchengladbach as soon as possible? Let’s kick the ballistics.” (Yanks are coming)

USA-South Africa Final Thoughts and Player Ratings

“As usual, though a bit late, here are three quick thoughts and player ratings from Wednesday’s 1-0 United States Men’s National Team victory over South Africa in the Nelson Mandela Cup. I promise to litter a bit of optimism in my piece without discounting Dr. Crowley’s egg-nog sized glass of pessimism. I found a few things in the Yanks Cape Town performance particularly worthy of optimism, and since we’re nearing the holidays and that’s the season of perpetual hope, I’ll begin there.” (Yanks are coming)

Embracing History

Rockville Maryland Soccer Club, 1928-29
“History, specifically American soccer history, is top of mind these days. I’m taking a few days away from the bill-paying job, and while I’m mostly serving as a toddler’s jungle gym at erratic intervals that are threatening the viability of my…male paraphernalia, I’m also doing my best to keep up with the goings-on in the soccer world (frankly, I need a 12-step program to break my addiction to my newsreader and Twitter), provide as much content here as vacation-affected motivation will allow, and visit family that deserve a modicum of my attention.” (Match Fit USA)

Sporting KC is nothing new as far as Europhilia goes in US Soccer
“Couple of items of business today. First, a hearty thank you for your responses yesterday; I’m glad to know you haven’t all signed up to some sort of football news reading technology that made you USSF D-2 geniuses in a matter of seconds. I’d be a little ticked if I’d missed out on that.” (A More Splendid Life)

History Incorporated, The Quest to Preserve America’s Soccer Heritage
“Americans are among the world’s greatest hoarders and collectors. Drive down any road in this country and it will not be long until you pass by an antique store or a collectibles shop. Go to a flea market and it is possible to find a wide array of items ranging from 19th Century artifacts to last year’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. It is a cultural phenomenon that is both fascinating and profound. It is a reality most Americans take for granted. For in America, as the logic goes, if you hold on to anything long enough, eventually it will be worth something.” (Box Score News)

United States 1, South Africa 0: Some Negative In A Good Result

“Just before kickoff Neil sent an email to the TYAC staff that said ‘BORNSTEIN is your captain gentlemen. Try not to kill yourselves.’ I wrote back ‘I hate to tell you I told you so…..’ because Neil and I had a talk about this last weekend and I was convinced that this was going to happen. Levy countered with a couple jokes about his tribe. I thought the TYAC e-mail string would end there, but it was not to be. Apparently, today was the day where collectively as a unit, all major players at TYAC decided, at least for a little while, that we were going to e-mail bomb one another for the day in celebration of the last USMNT game of the year.” (Yanks are coming)

South Africa 0-1 USA – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – Friendly
(The 90th Minute)

KC Barcelona

“I have a new piece in Slate on the MLS Cup and why the league doesn’t do more to connect fans with American soccer history. MLS has had a lot of success marketing stars, but for various reasons—largely because it’s been so keen to distance itself from the failure of the NASL—it’s done very little to foster the kinds of traditions that could give the American game an identity beyond the latest branding campaign. American soccer history is a lot deeper and more interesting than most people realize; it’s full of great stories that fans have never been told.” (Run of Play)

Passing on the Past

Dave van den Bergh
“Last Sunday night, with one final smolder for the cameras, David Beckham conveyed his hairstyle off the pitch and out of the MLS playoffs. The L.A. Galaxy’s 3-0 loss to F.C. Dallas—a game in which Beckham’s slow-wilting sprout of a ponytail was an accurate meter of his side’s fortunes—deprives the competition of its most telegenic team. It also sends unheralded Dallas on to face the Colorado Rapids on Sunday in the least obviously glamorous sports final since, oh, the 2010 World Series. Instead of mashing CTRL-V on Beckham and his teammate-turned-World-Cup-hero Landon Donovan, the marketing wing of MLS now faces the task of selling a championship game contested by two teams who don’t even fill their own stadiums.” (Slate)

An Assist for Soccerreform: Why Promotion/Relegation in U.S. Soccer Might Be the Answer

“Yesterday on the American Soccer Show, Ted Westervelt, founder of Soccerreform.us, shared his views on why he finds the current MLS structure to be an impediment to the soccer’s growth in the United States. He then attempted to lay out his alternative vision for the professional U.S. soccer system. After listening to Westervelt deliver his argument using a variety of metaphors and anecdotes (there’s talk of wolves and various canine experiments), I realized that several important details were missing from his vision (although a more robust argument can be found on his here on his website). As a public service, I want to help Westervelt out.” (Nutmeg Radio)

Bradley’s Lack of Commitment to New Tactics Deeply Concerning

“OK it’s been a week, and a rough week at that. The USMNT played Columbia last Tuesday, and I had planned to write my normal post-game, but after the match I was too furious to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard as it were). I decided to calm down for a few days, but then the weekend came, and I got to experience the worst sports weekend I can remember in my lifetime. Let me explain.” (Yanks are Coming)

October Friendlies: Final Thoughts, US-Colombia Player Ratings

“Three thoughts from the October set of friendlies and then player ratings from last night’s nil-nil snoozer against Colombia. Keep in mind the thoughts are from both games, not just last evening.” (Yanks are coming)

U.S. experiments in dour draw

“Here’s the important thing to remember when it comes to experiments in soccer, or anywhere else for that matter: sometimes the results are gonna stink. Testing a different tactical arrangement was certainly worth a look-see. And who has enough imagination to say what Tuesday’s new formation would have looked like with Landon Donovan in one of the wide spots? U.S. coach Bob Bradley arranged his team in (ostensibly) a 4-3-3 for Tuesday’s friendly with Colombia outside Philadelphia.” (SI)

USA 0-0 Colombia – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – Friendly
(The 90th Minute)

New Cycle, New Tactics: Thoughts on USA-Poland

Landon Donovan
“I found the Poland match yesterday incredibly interesting tactically. No intro required for this one. Let’s get right into what I saw: As I’ve written several times, one of my biggest problems with Bob Bradley as a coach is his reliance (until now) on elementary-style tactical decisions. One of my biggest arguments for hiring someone else instead of Bradley was that after the Charlie Davies injury, Bradley’s inability to adjust his 4-4-2 boot-and-run tactical/lineup decisions was inexcusable. Although the boot-and-run, sideline drill, flag drill techniques served us pretty well at the Confed. Cup, I have always maintained that it took a miracle against Egypt to even put us in position to play Spain.” (The Yanks Are Coming)

U.S. changes expected vs. Colombia
“Change was in vogue as the United States tied Poland on Saturday to open a pair of fall friendlies. And there will surely be more as coach Bob Bradley’s Americans complete the back end of the set Tuesday against Colombia at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. Colombia will have an extra day to rest following a 1-0 win over Ecuador at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., on Friday. It was the latest promising result for the South American mid-tier side, which narrowly missed a berth for South Africa 2010. Mexico had to work hard for a 1-0 win over Los Cafeteros last month, and the Colombians had defeated Venezuela 2-0 four days earlier.” (SI)