World Soccer

As expected, the USSF released the first batch of names Monday for Jurgen Klinsmann’s spring camp in advance of five matches to be played between May 26th and June 12th.  The initial 16 names, out of a total 29 expected by the end of the week,  consist primarily of foreign-based players whose seasons have ended, and MLS players whose teams have no more league games prior to the international break.  These 29 will then be…
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  “Sometimes something’s got to happen before something is going to happen”  – Johan Cryuff   In the final years of his life rumors abounded regarding chess legend Bobby Fischer.  Whispers of anonymous online games played at a grand-master level, evaluations of move sequences posted on message boards that showed an unparalleled understanding of the game.  From his Icelandic Elba the exile reached out thru dementia and paranoia like a spirit from another world, leaving…
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Following a remarkable victory over Italy and a debacle in Nashville during Olympic qualifying,  the US Men will once again take the field May 26th, starting a round of friendlies and leading into the first World Cup  Qualifier of 2012.  US Mens National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann is about a month away from naming his May camp roster for the Yanks.  The end of most of the European seasons, and a series of FIFA dates…
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  WHAT SCORING PROBLEM? Clint Dempsey is the man.  If there was ever a doubt of this, Deuce’s 2011-12 campaign with Fullham has to put it to rest.  With 22 goals in all competitions, and a good chance of netting twenty in league play,  Clint has shattered records for club and country.  His recent goals put him past Michael Bradley’s 16 for Heerenveen in 2007, and into sole possession of the highest scoring season by…
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Soccer fans all know the moments when even live the world moves in slow motion.  In our memories the crowd is muted, a ball hangs in space, a body dives, a sound half way between a swish and a rip as the net stretches, strains, the ball drops to the grass. The sound comes back full, the roar filling your ears, the players move at normal speed again, but something, always, is irrevocably altered. There…
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In 2011 the Senior National team lost a first round match to Panama in the Gold Cup.  There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth, questioning of the coach’s system, player selection, the ability of the two lynchpins of the offense to play together, etc.  The US team was doomed; it probably wouldn’t make it to the quarter finals, much less the finals that seemed its destiny days before.  The US went on to beat…
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There’s a moment in most sports films where the plucky underdogs, having overcome the odds and hung in with their dominant,  vaguely oppressive opponents, come up with a miracle play to win the big game, the music plays and everyone goes home happy.  Americans love this story.  Saturday we got to live the flip side. All credit to the Canadians, who banked some of their top talent against El Salvador in order to roll out…
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The Junior Nats will take the field Saturday night in Nashville, three points in their pocket and looking for more.  A victory would all but lock up a first place finish in group A, and there’s no reason to expect anything but another clear victory for the US over the boys from the Great White North. Junior Yanks versus America’s beanie LP Field, Nashville, Tennessee 7 PM ET TV:  Universal Sports Network, MUN2 (English, no…
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Joe Corona is an interesting guy.  Interesting because of his convoluted national team history.  Interesting because he commutes across the US / Mexico border every day.  Interesting because of his ready-for-endorsements last name.  But mostly, interesting because in the 11th minute last night, he chested down the rebound of a Freddy Adu free kick, and without settling the ball, drove it into an empty net to give the US a 1-0 lead. Corona would add…
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The day is upon us, the torch is in sight, and four games are all that stand between the US U-23s & the London Olympics.  We’ve gone over the roster, looked at the previous Olympic team, and all that remains is to kick back, grab some PBR (the beer that keeps on giving) and watch the games, starting tonight with Cuba. Junior Yanks vs. Los Cubanos Pequenos  Junior Yanks  versus Los Cubanos Pequenos LP Field,…
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