Mouthing Off: Belgium 4 - USMNT 2

Just a few comments on the USA - Belgium game from Correspondent Scott...

What's the deal with Lexi Lalas sounding as if he is in a huge argument every time he comments, daring someone to disagree?  Lighten up Big Red. You're wrong sometimes just like the rest of us - like when you insisted Geoff Cameron pushed off on his goal and that the Belgians were up in arms.  Neither did he push off (it was a nudge at best in the context of a professional soccer game), nor did the Belgians complain.  Just because you don't have anything to say doesn't mean you get to make things up - and try to make us believe it by saying it with a snarl.

And while Taylor Twellman at least called out Lalas a bit on his comment, and made a few insightful observations throughout, his ability to banter and wittingly fill a conversation void falls well short of the mark yet.  Ian Darke (who needs his eyes checked if he really thought Romelu Lukaku was offside even with the yellow line on the monitor) must have felt like he was playing verbal pitch and catch with a one-armed two-year-old.  Maybe he had a bad night but it was enough to make me wonder what kind of a job Gus Johnson would have done. Yikes.

The display on the field wasn't much better.  While the final possession statistic was close to 50/50, and the US did create a few nice chances, Belgium dominated the game more or less from start to finish.  Throw in a dash of horrendous defensive lapses and you have a recipe for a 5-1 drubbing.  That the score was only 4-2 was due to the magnanimity of the referee who waived off a pretty clear handball on Damarcus Beasley in the box at one end (the hand lingered and was too far away from the body not to call it) but then punished a Belgian defender at the other end when he was struck on his arm tucked firmly into his body.

Sticking Your Finger in the Socket: Round 17 in the BPL

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Some brief thoughts on the first round of matches during the busy December holiday season -- part of what makes the BPL the best League in the world:


o Talk about a competitive league.... Prior to playing Manchester City mid-week, Stoke had won four games in a row. That mini-streak was good enough for a club record, which shows just how tough it is to win consistently in the Premier League.

o And speaking of a tough league in which to win a match, our own Correspondent Ed was taught a fantasy footballing lesson this week, when he matched up against our Dear Leader (the title is once again up for grabs, with Kim Jong-Il's recent demise), farlieonfootie. 76-57 only begins to tell part of the tale, and the result was in even before the last match of the round kicked off.  Good try, Ed, but just not good enough.

o For my money, Charlie Adam's just not cutting it at Liverpool. And neither is Stewart Downing. Adam missed a crucial penalty against Wigan on Wenesday, and the last time Downing scored in the League for the Scousers was, well, never. Combine those two with the towering failure that is Andy Carroll, and realize that one reason Kenny is complaining so much about the referees this season is to take the spotlight away from his three underperformers....

o If it's the holiday season, that means two things: fixture congestion and hangovers. Arsenal seemed to suffer from both at the outset of the busy period, appearing dazed and confused before Yossi Benayoun's 88th minute winner saved their blushes against a truly terrible Aston Villa squad. Robin Van Persie scored -- again -- for the visitors, tying him with Thierry Henry's club record of 34 goals in a calendar year, and leaving him only two short of Alan Shearer's League record. The Flying Dutchman will be sad to see 2011 come to an end, as an injury-free year has allowed him to truly showcase his stuff, which is easily amongst the best in the world.

The Aftermath

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As you'll no doubt notice after reading this piece by Coach Mark, there's some internal dissent here at the corporate office regarding our level of satisfaction with Coach Bob Bradley.  But before you get to that, here's Mark's final thoughts on the US National Team  after its painful loss to Mexico in Saturday night's Gold Cup final:

We'll call it a wrap at 4-2. Loss aside, it was one of the more entertaining soccer games you'll ever see. Who was it that said there's no scoring in soccer?

The game Saturday night against the best Mexican team I've ever seen provided a nice final exam for the US in the Gold Cup. Here are my final Gold Cup remarks on the first post-World-Cup version of the U.S. National team:

Starting from the rear, Steve Cherundolo showed why he should be considered an American legend. At 31 he's still going strong. The main question surrounding Cherundolo is whether he can he hang on for one more Cup.

Middle of the Road?

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If it's Tuesday it must be Coach Mark,  back today with additional analysis of the US Mens National team, which is in action tomorrow in the Gold Cup Semi-final vs. Panama. 

The U.S.' 2-0 victory over Jamaica on Sunday provides a nice segway to talk about the U.S. midfield prospects for the next World Cup.

The first three games of the Gold Cup showed Bob Bradley's challenge in the U.S. midfield, and Sunday's game offered some potential solutions. The problem that the US has is that it has too many players who play the same position and offer similar skills: Jermaine Jones and Michael Bradley are clones; defensive, physical midfielders who will run until their legs fall off ,and bring some skill into the attack, but not enough to create chances at the highest levels of play. Bob Bradley likes them both on the field at the same time. It's a tough pairing from a goal creation standpoint, and over the last ten games the two defensive mid lineup has produced a dearth of goals. They are both hard players to take off the field and Bradley has been unwilling of late to go to a more conventional midfield arrangement.

But they are not the only problem in the US attack. Equally as challenging is that Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey are both best when they are playing the second forward position. Bradley has been trying them on the flanks with very little success (or success from the flanks, anyway). Whether by design or sheer stubbornness, Clint Dempsey seems to play where he wants to on the field regardless of where you put him. He likes to tuck in just behind the forward and get that ball at the top of the penalty box. Occasionally, he likes to drop deeper and play some center midfield, a position he has shown an increasing ability to handle. Bradley has tried him on the left flank, the right flank, and when the US gets behind in a game, at the 2nd forward where he belongs. Despite being designated in these three different positions, he always seem to crowd the middle and take that second forward or attacking midfield spot, designed assignment be damned.

Weekender

Once again, columnist Ed is wrong on both the facts and his point of view.  But by now you've come to expect all that, wrapped up in the neat little package that is farlieonfootie:

Turns out my attendance at a certain 40^th birthday party this weekend saw me and the girlfriend put on a bit of a show as Laverne & Shirley (what can I say, other than that I’m a team player with a bubbly smile?), and ended up with a little over the top social drinking, some difficulty in remembering the appropriate safe-word (turns out it’s “Mufasa!!!” and not “Oklahoma!!!” for months beginning with “M”), and ultimately, a lot of “My head’s going to explode if someone doesn’t do something about the sun, like put it out” the next morning. 

So I’m sorry to say to you, Mom, and to my other 57.3 loyal readers worldwide, that I missed the return of Charlie Adam (my second-favorite Charlie went big in a 2 - 2 draw that kept the Tangerines alive), as well as a miserable effort by Spurs (which I won’t even discuss parenthetically, although I will use a parenthetical comment to make that point).  But fortunately for you, I did get to see Sunday’s games, and I think a few comments are appropriate.

CHELSEA FINISHING STRONG

First, I have to say that the bossman was so caught up on hating David Luiz that he almost forgot to notice how much better Chelsea is with a healthy Lampard and with . . . . . David Luiz.  Who was it that said that Luiz was more important a pick-up than Fernando?  Oh that’s right, it was me.  Me, me, me.  Oh how I’d like to gloat more, but sadly we all know there is no credit to be taken because it was pretty obvious that Torres was both unneeded and would prove to be unhelpful.  I’m not sure what happened to this guy, but in addition to losing any ability to shoot, he seems to have lost all of his pace.  Seriously, I think farlieonfootie might give him a race right now -- at least if there were some kind of boiled ham trophy for the winner.

Anyhow, despite the fact that it is simply verboten to say it, Lampard looked good all game, as he pushed the ball to each open area and helped Chelsea completely dominate the match.  As for City, I hate to agree with the bossman, but there is absolutely nothing to enjoy about City right now as they play with zero style and even less creativity.  Only Silva is of any interest to watch.

Timely

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Old Trafford / Manchester, England / March 19


The Reds take the pitch once more this afternoon with a back four that isn't first choice by any stretch of the imagination, but with hope that their attacking lineup will create more opportunities than the visitors from just up the road in Bolton. Today marks the first start in ages for both Nani and Valencia on the wings -- forcing Ryan Giggs into the middle of the pitch -- and once again Sir Alex looks to the in-form pairing of Rooney and Chicharito to provide the offense.

Despite the Gaffer's intent, it's Bolton with the game's first real opportunity, and when Elmander lays a ball off in the box United are fortunate that Fabrice Muamba's resulting shot is rushed and poor when the ball gets stuck in this feet. It's not the most confident of beginnings for the makeshift back four -- composed today of Brown, Smalling, Evans and Evra -- and Sir Alex must be crossing both fingers and toes that the patchwork defense will hold together for the full 90 minutes.

The teams trade wild shots in an active opening, with Rooney coming closest for the home side. There's a shout from Chicharito for a handball on Bolton defender Gary Cahill, but referee Andre Marriner wants none of it. The call could have gone either way, in my opinion, but Chicharito looks peeved while flashing a hint of frustration, an emotion which has rarely been seen from the Little Pea.

Carny Folk and Organ Grinders

Not a lot going on in advance of a return to real football: after a two week hiatus, the EPL and other domestic footie leagues are back in action starting tomorrow, and I for one will be well pleased. Chuffed, I think the Brits might say, but that sounds slightly dirty to my American ears, so I'll leave it at pleased and move on.

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Rock of Gibraltar.  Chelsea's stingy defense is looking a bit shaky in advance of this weekend's away trip to Villa Park.  If John Terry is unable to recover from the back injury he sustained in training for England last week, Jose Bosingwa and Paulo Ferreira would get rare starts, given that Terry's regular center back partner Alex is already ruled out with a thigh injury.  As this would represent Bosingwa's first start in almost a year, my guess is that Terry will play on Saturday whether he can walk or not.  He certainly can't run anymore, even on a good day.  Unless it's after a teammate's wife, in which case he's still apparently very quick.

Carnival Time.  In honor of the Oktoberfest dinner I attended last night, I thought it appropriate to link to a great article that appeared in the New York Times a few days ago about der surprise leaders of the Bundesliga, Fußball-Club Vorwärts Orient Mainz e.V  (or, for those of you who read this blog in English, FSV Mainz).  [Ed. Note: And the Bundesliga wonders why it's popularity lags behind that of the other European leagues.  Perhaps they should start by renaming their teams.  Just reading their team names makes understanding a German wine label seem comparatively easy.]   

Regarding the dinner, yes, I know Oktober should have a "c" rather than a "k" in this part of the world, and I further know that the "real" Oktoberfest is celebrated in Germany in September, but I'm going to do it my way: with a "k," but in its proper month.  That being said, the Gray Lady's article is well worth a quick read.  Among other things, I learned that whenever Mainz scores a goal (which they're done quite often this year), their fans break out into this little ditty, which is a traditional German carnival song.  [Ed. Note: I wonder if German Carny folk look like the ones here in the US.  Just askin'.]  I'll be hoping to hear some carny music on Saturday as Mainz go for their eighth consecutive win, and set a Bundesliga record for the most victories to begin a season, as they face off against ex-red Ruud van Nistelrooy and Hamburg.   

Fits Like a Glove.  Nice article in ESPN on  my boy @stuholden.  The kid's fit right in at Bolton, and managed to avoid the overseas woes experienced by many American players, including Oguchi Onyewu and even @Landondonovan in his first two Euro stints.  [Ed. Note: We won't even mention Freddy Awho?  Last I checked he had no club to play for after Thessaloniki in Greece, Benfica in Portugal, and even Sion in the Swiss league all cast him off.  Talk about a fall from grace, but we'll save that for another column].  Holden's already made a believer of Wanderers' bossman Owen Coyle, and now he's set to make a believer out of you.  You show 'em Stu -- you're a true talent.

I'm a fan, and I'm farlieonfootie for October 15th.

Finally, a Match

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He's Good, But is He That Good?!  Ryan Giggs came out recently and said that Nani has become the new Cristiano Ronaldo, filling a void that United has felt since CR7's departure two years ago. Based on current playing form, Nani may indeed be able to hit Giggs' formidable target of 20 goals scored and 20 more created, although by my reckoning those two totals combined would still fall short of Ronnie's record 42 goal haul a few years back. I agree with Giggs' overall sentiment, though, and if Nani can become more clinical in the final third of the pitch, there may be no stopping him.

So Charlie Davies May Not Actually Be a Speed Merchant, Just a Liar.  I don't know which makes you want to question this guy's judgment more: that Charlie Davies was caught speeding 125 MPH last week in France a year after almost dying in a car crash that seriously derailed his soccer career, or that Davies now says a teammate was driving the car that got pulled over, and he switched places with him at the last minute so his teammate could avoid the infraction. If this latter story is true, it's even more amazing, as Davies was a passenger in the car that wrecked outside DC last October, so you'd think he'd be even more sensitive to riding shotgun in a car streaking through France at roughly the speed of light. Guess again. If you're the coach (are you reading this Bob Bradley?), one would think you would seriously question this guy's decision making process.

Speaking of Coach Bradley and the US Mens' National Team, they were in action last night in Chicago, playing the Polish National Team (hold your jokes), and drawing 2-2. Although I only managed to eke out second half viewing, several thoughts jumped out at me while watching:

Jermaine Jones Could Be Good.  Very good, in fact. Although he previously played some friendlies for the German National Team, because he was never capped in a true international Jones was allowed to switch his allegiance to his mother country from der faterland and join the Stars and Stripes. Based on his perfomance last night, the move agrees with him. Jones' sharp, incisive, and often long, pinpoint passes, which the US has lacked in recent years (let's be honest: forever), led to several scoring opportunities and at leat one goal. Well done, Jermaine.

Jozy Altidore is Not Sharp Right Now, But it's Not His Fault. Altidore did a nice job holding up the ball and imposing his physical style on the Pole's central defense, but he missed finishing several clear cut chances in front of goal. Unfortunately for the USMNT, Altidore is not appearing regularly (in fact, I think that's stretching the truth: I don't think he's appeared at all in La Liga) for Valencia, so he can't expect to be clinical with his finishing right now.  The chances last night were probably some of the first real "game condition" opportunities he's had since the World Cup. Playing in Europe may be great for Altidore's development IF HE ACTUALLY PLAYED, but if he's not in a regular lineup he should seriously consider coming back to the US and playing over here. At least he'd know what to do with the ball when he gets it.

Maurice Edu Played Out of Position Last Night, But Still Managed to Look Impressive. His regular football with Rangers in the Scottish Premier League must be helping, as Edu's fine World Cup form seems to have carried over into the Fall. I still look back in disbelief that Bradley started Ricardo Clark (are you kidding me?) over Edu in the fatal game against Ghana last June. For that mistake alone he probably should have lost his job.

Stu Holden Had a Nice Game. In addition to being a regular Tweeter (@stuholden), Stu has developed into a nice taker of US corner kicks. The second goal last night resulted from a dangerous Holden kick into the box, and he almost repeated the feat in the game's dying seconds. With deleiveries like that, did we miss @LandonDonovan last night?  Methinks not too much.

And finally, there's this bit of news:


Wayne Rooney Wants a Mid-Winter Break in the Premier League. And he probably wants it right now, so he can avoid the media spotlight a bit longer.

A glare that I'll gladly take from him. And that's farlieonfootie for October 10.