Posts Categorized as ‘World Cup 2014’

United States, World Cup 2014

Will Mad-Brad ever get another Call-up?

Seriously, what does Brad Davis have to due to earn a call up to the USMNT? The Houston Dynamo midfielder is consistently one of the best players in the MLS, yet without fail Davis’ name is left out of the US roster. He has often been dubbed “the left-footed David Beckham” and has been an MVP candidate for the MLS. Even with these accolades Davis cannot find playing time with the USMNT.

It is not like Davis is a one-year phenomenon either. In 2009 he led the league with 12 assists and added five goals to his name, and in 2010 he posted the same numbers. This year nothing has changed, and Davis is putting up MVP type numbers and leads the league in assists with 13. (more…)

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Featured, United States, World Cup 2014, World Cup 2018/2022

Costa Rica Is Klinsmann’s Opportunity

These next two friendlies, the first real ones of the Jurgen Klinsmann era, will tell us more about the United States under Zee German than the Mexico match did. The game against the bitter rivals showed a group that wanted to play for its new coach, that was excited to play for its new coach, and a manager who had rekindled the flame that was lacking near the end of Senor Bradley’s tenure.

Now, stage two (of many).

And while it’s too early for referendums on players or the coach – decision time will come, people, I promise – the next two matches offer a nice little window into the new world of American soccer.

Here’s a theory: The Costa Rica tilt will tell us more than the Belgium one. (more…)

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10 Kit Essay, World Cup 2014

Why the USMNT Glass Might Actually be Half Full?

The optimism that had taken over US Soccer after finishing second in the Confederations Cup, winning the CONCACAF qualifying group, and the USMNT winning their group in the World Cup, suddenly died over the past year. The glass was not even half empty for the US, instead the cup was bone dry.  There was a good reason for the negative outlook on US Soccer.

Last year the U-20 squad failed to qualify for their World Cup, the U-17 squad only won a game in Mexico, and the USMNT blew their 2-0 lead against Mexico in the Gold Cup Final.  It was not only the USMNT struggling, but most Americans were not performing well abroad, and Real Salt Lake lost to Monterrey in the CONCACAF Champions League final. The only good news in the US camp was Clint Dempsey continuing to score for Fulham, and a bench player, Juan Agudelo, in the MLS scoring goals for the National team.  (more…)

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United States, World Cup 2014, World Cup 2018/2022

On Playing Attack-Oriented Soccer

NOAH DAVIS - So Jurgen “The Savior” Klinsmann wants to play an attacking style.

That’s great. It really is. How much fun would it be to watch an American squad that presses the initiative, attacks the goal, and generally takes the game to its opponents?

But wanting and doing are two different things.

Alexi Lalas is the champion of the “Has a coach ever said he’d play a defensive style?” line of thinking. And there’s some truth to that argument. No manager is going to start off a press conference talking about staying compact and eeking out wins with unattractive soccer. (Well, maybe no one other than Bob Bradley.)

Klinsmann does seem to want to play aggressively. He’s a forward with an attacking pedigree. Landon Donovan used the “attacking” rhetoric in his comments about the new coach. The rest of the players in camp have echoed those sentiments.

So the will is there. The question is whether that will will become a reality. (more…)

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United States, World Cup 2014

How Dempsey Got The US’s Groove Back

NOAH DAVIS - I wrote a little story about Clint Dempsey for Run of Play. He’s the best example of what American soccer needs because he’s simultaneously skilled and pissed, talented and terrifying.

The piece was penned before Sunil Gulati went out and fired BoB, but it’s even more true now.

Jurgen Klinsmann can talk all he wants about creating an American system – and he does – but that won’t solve what ails the US right now. What the Stars and Stripes need is some anger.

They don’t need a “latino-infused attack,” an “attacking style,” or any other ridiculous adjective clauses. That is in the future. That is for Klinsmann and his vision of an American utopia, the same vision that Gulati sees from his post at US Soccer House in Chicago.

That all needs to happen. And it will.

But this is the present, and the view is not pretty; it’s not filtered through a sepia instagram.

The American team is struggling. (Hence, you know, the new coach.)

They need to start winning. (See Brent’s comments on this elsewhere on the site.) They need to start playing better. They need, right now, to follow Dempsey into the fire.

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10 Kit Essay, United States, World Cup 2014

If the USMNT had a Draft Pick….

ANTHONY MANNINO- The USA- Mexico game exhibited that the USMNT has its fair share of problems at key positions. This made me wonder (after watching the recent NBA draft) if the US could take one great player at one position what position should they take. To decide what position I will delve into what went wrong during the Gold Cup, and find out what position the USMNT needs the most.

The only limitation is that I will be picking a position for the US not a particular player, and with the expectation that the position I pick would be an immediate starter. Really, this is just a fun way of looking at what the USMNT is missing. The US is now on the clock with the first pick in the draft. (more…)

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10 Kit Essay, Gold Cup, World Cup 2014

Thoughts on USA-Mexico

ANTHONY MANNINO- If the loss to Panama was unacceptable, then the loss to Mexico is just disappointing. Not from the standpoint that the USMNT was the better team, but they had control of the match 22 minutes into the game. Mexico controlled the possession, but some how, some way US had a 2-0 lead. After the two goals the US defense was torn apart by Giovani Dos Santos, Pablo Barrera, and Andres Guardado.

It is not just losing to Mexico that is the problem, but not being able to play in the Confederations Cup is a huge blow for the US. Mexico will now be able to warm up for the World Cup against Spain, Brazil, Japan, winner of the Copa America, and the winner of next year’s Euros. Every team Mexico will play is a quality opponent. The US will play in the 2013 Gold Cup, and the best team they will likely face is the Mexican B team. That valuable experience is what these two squads were fighting for tonight, and Mexico won that battle. (more…)

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Gold Cup, United States, World Cup 2014

Kljestan’s Confidence at an All Time High

ANTHONY MANNINO in Houston- It must be the one of the most disappointing days in a soccer player’s career when their name is not part of their country’s World Cup roster. Last year Sacha Kljestan experienced that disappointment. However, Kljestan did not let missing the World Cup affect his play, and a few days later he signed with the most successful club in Belgium, Anderlecht. The move has paid off for Kljestan, and playing in the Champions League for a competitive club has helped the midfielder’s confidence.

“I feel more confidence from Bob. Obviously, I think like I said since I have been over at Anderlecht my consistency everyday, my mentality, my training, my confidence has gotten to an all time high,” Kljestan said. “So right now I feel really good about myself and my ways of helping the team, so I feel confident right now. I think my coaching staff has confidence in me, and I think most importantly above all my teammates have confidence in me, and finding in the game, and helping join the defense to the attack. So I think overall it has been good.” (more…)

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10 Kit Essay, United States, World Cup 2014

The US will be fine for the Gold Cup, but…

ANTHONY MANNINO- The perception of Bob Bradley’s United States National team is that the squad is “the comeback kings.” The title was well earned after the US squad fell behind on three separate occasions during the world cup, and were able to come back to tie the game each time. The negative side to the title, “comeback kings” is the number of early goals Bradley’s squad gives up. Still, do the stats support the perceptions? Looking back on the US record, here is what I found out statistically about the US squad since the Confederations Cup. (more…)

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United States, World Cup 2014

Bradley Calls 24 Players for January Camp

It’s a young group, led by Tim Ream, Omar Gonzalez, Juan Agudelo, and 10 Kit 2011 breakout star Teal Bunbury.

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (4): Dominic Cervi (Celtic), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Matt Pickens (Colorado Rapids), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (9): A.J. DeLaGarza (Los Angeles Galaxy), Sean Franklin (Los Angeles Galaxy), Omar Gonzalez (Los Angeles Galaxy), Ugo Ihemelu (FC Dallas), Zach Loyd (FC Dallas), Ryan Miller (Halmstads BK), Tim Ream (New York Red Bulls), Anthony Wallace (Colorado Rapids), Marvell Wynne (Colorado Rapids)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Eric Alexander (FC Dallas), Alejandro Bedoya (Örebro), Sam Cronin (San Jose Earthquakes), Mikkel Diskerud (Stabaek), Jeff Larentowicz (Colorado Rapids), Dax McCarty (D.C. United), Brek Shea (FC Dallas)
FORWARDS (4): Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls), Justin Braun (Chivas USA), Teal Bunbury (Sporting Kansas City), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

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