Curtain Call

Sorry this one is a little late; I thought I had posted it, but apparently not.

In a lively fashion, Brazil scored 3 goals in the second half to beat the US and win the Confederation Cup for the third time.

The match seemed to favor the US after Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan scored goals in the first half, but Brazil battled back in the second. Luis Fabiano caught the US off guard in the 46th minute and came back less than 20 minutes later with the equalizer. Lucio scored the game winner in the 83rd minute. As the final whistle echoed throughout the stadium, the US had to wonder what they did wrong…

One of the biggest problems that the US faced in the match is the same one that has plagued the team since its creation: depth. With the red card to Bradly during the Spain game; injuries to Edu, Cherundolo, and Ching; and lack of international experience left the US with few strong substitutes that could make an impact to the game.

Another issue was the timing of the US substitutions. Both Sacha Kljestan and Jonathan Bornstein were subbed in after Luis Fabiano’s second goal. Bornstein is a good defender, but he replaced a midfielder, and changed the US changed formation. The formation favored a more defensive approach…one that helped the US defeat Spain. However, the US no longer had a lead and Brazil was able to keep possession of the ball in the US side of the pitch. As a side note, midfielder Conor Casey was substituted for Ricardo Clark, but he made little impact to the game…he was only on for the last 3 minutes of the game.

At the end of the day, Brazil is just a better team. They have amazing depth, great skills, and amazing talent. This was the second time that Brazil beat the US in this tournament. However, the US gave Brazil a run for their money on this outing. For a dress rehearsal in South Africa, the US showed that they can hang with some of the best counties in the world. They looked very shaky and unstable in their first 2 matches, but they found their pace and confidence later in the tournament. The US has the Gold Cup starting in a few days. It will be interesting to see which US squad will show up to play against Grenada…will it be the team that lost to Italy or Brazil (1st game), or the team that beat Egypt and Spain and that held their ground against Brazil? We will find out on the 4th.

A New Hope

For the first time ever the US Soccer team has advanced to the Confederation Cup finals after a major upset against number 1 world ranked Spain. All the pieces seemed to come together for the US in this amazing match: great goalkeeping from Howard, spectacular defense from everyone on the pitch, great heads up playing by the midfielders, and some amazing finishes from the strikers. The US took the lead by a goal from Jozy Altidore in the 25th minute. Clint Dempsey sealed Spain's fate with a great finish in the 73rd minute. Spain was unable to find the back of the US net and was defeated...for the first time since November of 2006. Congrats USA!!!!!

Dressed to Kill?

Ok so the US National Team had a rocky first few games in the Confederation Cup. They looked strong in the first half against Italy, but after the red card to Ricardo Clark, the US was doomed. The second half of the game was devoted to defending and there were very few offensive opportunities for the US. Italy took advantage of being up one man and punished the US with a 3-1 decision after 90 minutes.

America’s next match was against Brazil…that should be enough to describe that situation.

However, with each lose, the US team seems to have learned from their mistakes. In what should have been their final game in the Confederation Cup, the US adjusted their line up and scored 3 goals against a strong Egyptian team that beat Italy and nearly tied Brazil. With the Italians losing to Brazil 3-0 and the Americans winning 3-0, the US advances to play top ranked Spain on Wednesday. I am sure that Spain will come out with a win, but it will be interesting to see how the US will stack up against the Euro ‘08 winners.

The main question on many people’s mind is if the US is ready for the World Cup. The Confederation Cup is supposed to be a “dress rehearsal”, and yet they did not seem ready or prepared to go up against the best in the world. However, I do think that the US is ready for the World Cup. Will they win the World Cup in 2010 in South Africa? No…I’m just being realistic. I think that the US has a lot of young talent and there is a good deal of competition for starting positions. This can only breed a faster, smarter, and more determined squad if Bob Bradley can properly implement his roster.

As far as the dress rehearsal goes, the US did well. They can still learn a few things, but they are heading in the right direction. Some of the things that the Confederation Cup has done for the US team involves:
1) It gives the US more overall experience
2) The US has played against some of the top teams in the world
3) Expose strength and weaknesses in their starting roster
4) Test some of the younger players
5) Legitimize the MLS

With the injury and retirement of several seasoned veterans, the national team is looking for young players to become the backbone. Names like Adu, Altidore, Torres, and Spector are some aspiring youths that can fill much needed positions. However, only Altidore and Spector saw major playing time, while Adu and Torres have yet to set foot on the pitch. In addition, DeMarcus Beasley has come under fire for his poor performances not only in the Confederation Cup but also in the CONCACAF competition. There is definitely a clash between aging experienced veterans and the youth on the squad, and Bob Bradley is caught in the middle of it. Players like Adu, Edu, and Torres may become key players for the US, but they need to be able to step on the pitch during international play in order to prove themselves.

Disciple is also a key issue. The US was awarded 2 red cards (Clark and Kljestan) and four yellow cards (Spector, Bradley, Onyewu, and Bornstein) in only 3 games. If this is a sign to come for the World Cup, then this will plague the starting roster and will have a major impact on player selection. If the US wants to field their best roster, they will have to address the disciple issue.

It is vital that the US takes what they have learned and apply it in the remaining qualification games. The key to the US’s survival depends on how well the young stars perform. The key to the MLS survival depends on how well the US national team does at the World Cup in South Africa. As I mentioned before in earlier postings, the success of the national team dictates the success of their league.

Real Means Business

Remember the saying that revenge is a dish best served cold, but in Real Madrid’s case, it is a dish best served with cold hard cash. After losing the Spanish Premier League to Barcelona this season, Real Madrid has opened up their wallet and has made some pretty amazing moves to sign and attract the best players in the world. This week alone Real has signed Kaka from AC Milan and Ronaldo from Manchester United. Ronaldo’s contract is the largest in football history. The next players on Real’s shopping list include the likes of Valencia striker David Villa, Bayern Munich midfielder Franck Ribery, and Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso. David Villa was linked to a move to Chelsea, but Valencia just turned down Chelsea’s proposal today. This latest action might be a signal that Villa may be on the verge of signing for Real Madrid. Frank Ribery is still the talk of the town since his contract has expired with his German club and is a hot item on every clubs list. If Real Madrid can sign all of the players on their shopping list, then this club will not only win the Spanish Premier League, but probably the UEFA Champions League.

With these recent actions, it will be interesting to see how both Manchester United and Chelsea will go about their summer transfer lists with Ronaldo’s move and Villa’s interest in Real Madrid.

Get ready for the Confederations Cup as many national teams gear up. This is a great mock World Cup as Team USA will play the likes of Italy and Brazil.

Transfer News

Just because the season has ended abroad does not mean that things are cooling down in the football world. There have been several major changes to rosters in the Premier League and even more speculations of potential moves.

Recently, Manchester City has announced that they have successfully completed a transfer of Aston Villa’s Gareth Barry. Barry has been with Aston Villa for the last 12 seasons, however, he was interested in a move last summer, but the transfer window closed before anything concrete could happen. Man City has also confirmed their interest in one of the hottest strikers on the market, former Manchester United striker Carlos Tevez. If Manchester City can capture Tevez, then this club may be able to crack the top 4 next season.

At Liverpool, both Gerrard and Torres have signed new contracts and have confirmed their future with the Reds.

The Premier League Champions, Manchester United, have not made any changes to their roster with the exception of Carlos Tevez. However, the club has announced a new shirt deal with Aon Corporation for the 2010/11 season.

The big news has come out of Stamford Bridge. Roman Abramovich has attracted AC Milan’s manager, Carlo Ancelotti to England. With this move, hopefully Chelsea can build a championship team around Ancelotti. In addition to just acquiring Ancelotti, the AC Milan manager has many ties to other superstar players like Beckham and Kaka. Chelsea and Real Madrid are very interested in Kaka, and are currently in a bidding war for this midfielder. Also, Roman Abramovich’s appeal in Russia has attracted the likes of CSAK star Yuri Zhirkov. Although this is all speculation, Michael Ballack has penned a new contract with the club. I don’t understand why Chelsea would offer him another chance, but maybe they actually have a plan for him. When he signed in 2006, he had problems cracking into the starting line up. He was fairly unproductive with only 1 goal in 29 games. It is not that he is too old or outmatched in England; he just doesn’t seem to fit Chelsea’s style of play. Ricardo Carvalho has request a transfer from the London club after a unsuccessful personal year with his injury.

I’ll keep you guys updated. Until then, US Men’s National Team plays tonight…Go Red, White, and Blue!!!!!!!