News for your Friday (2-26-10)

GUEST BLOGGER: Graham Fox, a friend in futbol of du Nord from the greater Kanasas City area pitches in with the second of his two posts this week.

dN

Well it’s been a week of essays and just a little news. So for your Friday I’m going to hold back on my self-righteous rants and just give you a little straight up news. A lot has happened this week that du Nord hasn’t covered yet so let’s end the week with a few of the highlights.

US National Team
As I’m pretty damn sure you know by now, the US pulled out a decent win over El Salvador thanks to a strong header by Ching and some nifty interplay between Ching and Kljestian. The El Salvador goal keeper did some big sucking on both goals to help the US out.

There were a lot of chances in both directions of which the US had the majority of.


dN

Box Scores

dN

Schaerlaeckens over at SoccerNet with synopsis and player ratings.

dN

USSoccer.com’s wrap up.

dN

Jones from the LA Times tells the game's story.

dN

The US announced their new set of jerseys as well. I’m a fan, but I know some people aren’t digging the “beauty contest sash” look.


dN

The roster for the Netherlands game on the 3rd of March has been announced. No huge surprises, but most of the MLS players are out of this one. It’s all international experience baby!

dN

Bornstein, Pearce, and Findley are the MLSers who’ve battled their way into a game overseas.


MLS Labor Messacure

Well the CBA deadline is now passed but the Player’s Union has, for the time, told the players to keep working.

dN

I hear there has to be a vote by all the players before they can call a strike. I hope it doesn’t come to that and someone budges.

dN

It’s really annoying to hear about offers and concessions and lots of talk without being able to view any primary sources. Maybe we should just blindly trust all the press releases!

dN

The MLS Player’s Union issued a press statement.

dN

As did the League on MLSNet.com.

dN

Jimmy Conrad stepped out a couple of days ago with some bad news.

dN

Canales wonders, “Who are the biggest losers in all this?”

Random MLS Team News

So just where in the world are all the MLS teams at right now? Let’s check it out!

dN

Chicago – Mexico
Chivas – LA
Colorado – Phoenix (Travel Schedule)
Columbus – Phoenix
DC United – Florida
FC Dallas – Florida (Disney tourney)
Houston – Florida (Disney tourney)
Kansas City – Phoenix (Preseason schedule)
LA Galaxy – Phoenix
New England – Florida (beating up on college teams)
Red Bulls – Florida (Disney tourney)
Philly – Mexico
RSL – Arizona (Losing to USL sides)
San Jose – Bay Area
Seattle – Spain
Toronto – Florida (Disney tourney)

dN

Most of the clubs in Florida are participating in the Disney tournament. It’s sponsored by ESPN but its not on TV. Hmmmm.

dN

Look they are building a stadium in KC!. I hope some of you come out on opening day vs DC United and say hi. I think Bruce will be there, and I know I will!

dN

May 22nd brings a Czech vs Turkey friendly to the new Red Bulls Stadium.

Music for Your Workday







Till next time – Graham Fox (grahamfox@gmail.com)

Dirty Oyster News

GUEST BLOGGER: Adam Spangler, the Maestro of This Is American Soccer and a true friend in futbol of du Nord.

dN

The idea of taking this site beyond links bounces around Mr. McGuire's mind, which is like the Atlanta freeway with soccer and music knowledge as the cars--no one is driving the speed limit, and nobody is safe. It's packed in there, but sometimes, what with the increasing prevalence of Twitter and quick-hit soccer blogs multiplying like Gremlins, the big man wonders what the point is.

We talked about it when Bruce came on Waiting For Gaetjens, and in our insular world that feeling can easily creep in, but out there too, beyond the brothels of social media, are plenty of people who aren't all day absorbing the latest in soccer news, gossip, and stories (when there are any of those). And for that du Nord is the Baroda Pearls in an ocean of smelly, empty oysters. His genius begins with a grain of sand.

And the greater community we live in, with all due respect to the BigSoccers out there, started with du Nord.

and now the news...

oh, and this is me.

US Soccer

TAMPA--USA beats El Salvador 2-1 to the thrill of nobody. In a game when each and every player's immediate future is up for grabs, I was hoping for a better overall effort. The fact that even after a long winter camp these guys haven't played together much plays a big part in that, but when put in that spot, coming out with guns blazing probably isn't the worst call. The often slow, hot and cold effort, topped with the all too usual poor finishing just isn't going to cut it. I give the B-minus team a B-minus.

ESPN's post-game highlights/breakdown video.

Player ratings from Soccer America if you are into that kind of thing. Few if any have done it longer than them, so if you have to, get them here.

Postgame interviews on video with players and coach Bradley.

A new writer for Soccernet, brought over from Europe, Leander Schaerlaeckens, wants Bradley to change formation away from 4-4-2. Good luck with that. But Leander gets a tip of the hat for coming on Waiting For Gaetjens and talking about something we can all agree on: The story of Joe Gaetjens is fascinating, especially after reading Leander's piece on the mythical 1950 hero that will be on espn.com/worldcup starting Friday morning. He reported out the most detail we've seen to date.

That episode of Greg Lalas' and my podcast will be available on iTunes even earlier Friday morning. Alexi Lalas joins us as well to talk national team. I may or may not say something to the effect of Alexi's 1994 team could beat the present day team.

Steve Davis has the spot-on breakdown of which player made the most out of the game, but it doesn't have much of a shelf life because the roster for the 3.3 game in Holland was dropped:

GOALKEEPERS: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Tim Howard (Everton)
DEFENDERS: Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes), Jay DeMerit (Watford), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Frank Simek (Sheffield Wednesday), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)
MIDFIELDERS: DaMarcus Beasley (Rangers), Alejandro Bedoya (Orebro), Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Landon Donovan (Everton), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Stuart Holden (Bolton Wanderers), José Torres (Pachuca)
FORWARDS: Jozy Altidore (Hull City), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake), Eddie Johnson (Aris Thessaloniki)

• MLS guys called in: Bornstein, Pearce, Findley
• Non-MLS guys not called in: Cooper, Castillo, Adu
• Interesting choices to watch: Bedoya, Edu, Torres, Pearce, Findley, Eddie Johnson, Beasley, DeMerit, Spector, Simek, Goodson, Holden
• Notable names left off: Kljestan, Rogers, Ching, Casey

Bedoya, Torres, and the Rangers' boys have me drooling for some fresh looks. Then again, there's something to be said for letting the 11 guys you think will start against England in South Africa get as much time together as possible.

Those that aren't in Holland--well, you've got to worry about their chances. They aren't gone--the injuries the team sustained this year alone prove that out. But guys like Sacha and Ching--what's the percentage chance they have going to South Africa? Injuries, torrid form--all still possible--but the over/under line just went down for all those guys today. Ching probably has the highest chance considering his position and the trust Bradley appears to have in him. The thinking with the Houston foward could be, "We all know what he brings, so let the others battle it out." Hence Findley and EJ called in. Sacha has a couple of months to kill it or be killed. Even if it's the latter, I don't think we've seen the last of him.

Some of the names the USMNT might be seeing on the field in Amsterdam:

Michel Vorm (FC Utrecht), Maarten Stekelenburg (Ajax), Piet Velthuizen (Vitesse Arnhem); Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Ron Vlaar (both Feyenoord), John Heitinga (Everton) Edson Braafheid (Celtic), Joris Mathijsen (Hamburg ), Andre Ooijer (PSV Eindhoven), Gregory van der Wiel (Ajax); Mark van Bommel and Arjen Robben (both Bayern Munich), Otman Bakkal, Orlando Engelaar and Ibrahim Afellay (all PSV), Nigel de Jong (Manchester City), Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan), Rafael van der Vaart (Real Madrid), Wout Brama (FC Twente), Stijn Schaars (AZ Alkmaar), Demy de Zeeuw (Ajax); Ryan Babel and Dirk Kuyt (both Liverpool), Klaas Jan Huntelaar (AC Milan), Eljero Elia (Hamburg).

George Vecsey has a light, but nice, little column going here about Bradley traveling to Europe to watch his players, and then ruins the whole thing by jumping on the "we have to have an American coach" wagon. The way he says it sounds as if our European players are naive children looking for a security blanket. I thought we were passed that.

Played in Tampa before the big boys played, the U17 boys whooped up on Mexico last night 4-1, but it doesn't make me feel any better about Azteca last summer, or the Gold Cup final for that matter.

Hope Solo kicks ass. 2 penalty kick saves in a 2-0 shutout against Iceland in the USWNT's Algarve Cup opener. I'd like to see Lindsey Vonn do that. And settle down Julia Mancuso, Hope has you covered on controversy too.

Which sadly still feels like the last thing we heard from the USWNT. The link above goes to the St. Louis Democrat because, why not? It's not like anyone could watch this game, and unfortunately the US Soccer Matchtracker was broken on Wednesday. Is it just me or has this team disappeared from public consciousness? Sad for what is still the world's #1 women's team.

THE MIXTAPE

The MLS CBA deadline #3 came and went today. Do I hear 4? Or should we just forget about this all together for another year? Nothing is clear, but for now they have no agreement, no scheduled talks, but no strike or lockout.

Goff has the lawyered statements from both sides.

I'm so sick of this topic but the future of MLS does hang in the balance, so it's deserved the attention. It's just tough when so little is actually known. My one curiosity: how many times were the words 'Soccer United Marketing' uttered during the bargaining?

By the way, bargaining? I love that word used here. Makes me think of haggling with a vendor off Canal Street, down a hallway, through a door, through a room and another door, up a flight of stairs, to a windowless room full of fake Rolexes and bags that become Kate Spade Bags with a sticker.

Yanks Abroad update us on Dustin Corea, another young American who wants nothing to do with MLS.

Landon grew up in MLS, and now there's a Facebook page set up by fans of Everton to keep him in Liverpool after his loan comes up next month. Not bad.

The new National Team away kit was officially released by Nike. It's their lightest, stretchiest, most permeable jersey ever. Each jersey is made from 8 plastic bottles. But all the talk will be about what it looks like. Here it is:




This is new to me--pasting entire AP reports on a newspaper blog. What else is there to say? But OK, there's your 3 big stories of the day--FIFA all but giving away World Cup tickets at this point; Wayne Bridge quits England over a girl or because he is one; and maybe you've heard there is a possible MLS players' strike/league lockout coming?

Button Button Who's Got the Button? Can someone make me a Willy Wonka-afied soccer something or other? American soccer as the Great Glass Elevator or something? Gat damn I love that movie. Sorry, what I meant to say was this lovely lady has your buttons. Like Bruce Arena once said--I'm paraphrasing--go be a good soccer consumer.

Which of course means also grabbing the new Bumpy Pitch Hoody before they are gone.

I'm very happy to see the indy soccer marketplace slowly growing up with the sport's culture.

Read Greg Seltzer because he is good for you. like food.

DeRo is apparently not making it rain.

ENDERS

Worst Headline of the day goes to the Philadelphia Daily News:

"Union’s new stadium sure to have electric atmosphere"

Compared to the Philadelphia Inquirer: "PPL signs naming-rights deal for soccer stadium."

If you are not listening to the new Sade album, or Questlove's swift.fm playlist, you should be.

Some news for Wednesday, Feb 24, 2010

GUEST BLOGGER: Joe The Nebraskan, a old workmate of Bruce who knows as much about everything as anyone you could ever meet

dN

Hi kids, uncle Joe the Curmudgeon here filling in for Bruce, who is busy making a move on the Queen... now get off my pitch! I've spent days making it nice and you whippersnappers come in with your boxing rings, your x-games ramps, your concert seating and absolutely destroy my pitch! Sod off!

Wait, I am not the groundskeeper at the Home Depot Center. But anyone who watches L.A.'s only professional football teams surely knows that the HDC has the most abused pitch of any club. Thanks, AEG, for putting profits before the quality of playing surface.

Which brings us to the MLS Collective Bargaining Agreement. Gentlemen, get it done. A strike would be a very bad thing right now for everyone. But player movement issues (Free Agency) and low wages for developmental and mid-level players has to be addressed. This league should pay if it wants to grow. The league needs to invest in players and bring up the quality of the game, which will put more butts in seats, imho. The bargaining extension is due to end at midnight Thursday the 25th, so we are in the final 48 hours until who-knows-what. I still find it incredulous that a player who make a wage of $300/wk can start alongside one who makes $17,000 a week or more. MLS isn't exactly swimming in profits, but they need to invest and bring up the level of play and pay.

Will MLS really lockout the players? What's your take on MLS and collective bargaining? Leave some comments below.

Now, on to the important stuff...heh

---US Men's National Team---

Here's the United States Roster for tonight's MNT friendly versus El Salvador in Tampa:

1 Perkins, Troy GK D.C. United 7/0

3 Gaven, Eddie M Columbus Crew 6/0

4 Marshall, Chad D Columbus Crew 11/1

5 Cameron, Geoff M Houston Dynamo 0/0

6 Pearce, Heath D FC Dallas 29/0

7 Beckerman, Kyle M Real Salt Lake 11/1

8 Davis, Brad M Houston Dynamo 4/0

9 Casey, Conor F Colorado Rapids 18/2

10 Findley, Robbie F Real Salt Lake 2/0

11 Ching, Brian F Houston Dynamo 43/10

12 Wynne, Marvell D Toronto FC 4/0

13 Bornstein, Jonathan D Chivas USA 26/2

14 Rogers, Robbie M Columbus Crew 10/1

15 Goodson, Clarence D IK Start (Norway) 8/2

16 Kljestan, Sacha M Chivas USA 22/3

17 McCarty, Dax M FC Dallas 3/0

18 Rimando, Nick GK Real Salt Lake 3/0

19 Cunningham, Jeff F FC Dallas 13/1

20 Pontius, Chris M D.C. United 0/0

21 Evans, Brad M Seattle Sounders 3/0

Just one player does not have MLS connections, Clarence Goodson.

The El Salvador Roster:

1 Miguel Angel Montes GK CD EAGLE

2 Deris Umanzor Guevara D CD EAGLE

3 Rudis Alberto Corrales F CD EAGLE

4 Martin Shaw M CD AGUILA

5 Dagoberto Portillo Gomero GK CD FAS

6 Marvin Rene Gonzalez D CD FAS Central

7 Mordecai José Henríquez D CD FAS Central

8 Alfredo Alberto Pacheco D CD FAS

9. Ramón Ulises Flores M CD FAS

10 Juan Carlos Moscoso M CD FAS

11 Manuel Alejandro Salazar D CD FIRPO

12 Dennis Jonathan Alas M CD FIRPO

13 Andres Flores M METAPAN

14 Alex Escobar Rosales D METAP

15 Odir Joshua Flores M METAP

16 Arturo Alvarez M San Jose Earthquakes

17 Ramon Sanchez M San Jose Earthquakes

18 Osael Volante Romero M Chivas USA

Unless I have the positions wrong, it appears that El Sal has one main forward, Corrales.

Start Time From Raymond James Stadium in Tampa is 7 ET - 6 CT - 5 MT - 4 PT.

Live coverage is available on ESPN Classic or Galavision

Surface: Grass

After tonight's game, the USMNT will head to Amsterdam, and a March 3 matchup against the Orange of Netherlands. Set your DVR's now as game time for the mid-week match is 2:30pm ET - 1:30 CT - 12:30 MT - 11:30am PT. The game will be on ESPN2 and Galavision

**CONCACAF**

International Friendly Match:

-Wed Feb 24

Mexico : Bolivia

Live from Candlestick Park, San Francisco on Telemundo.

Time: 11pm ET - 10 CT - 9 MT - 8 PT

---ENGLAND---

**FA CUP**

Replays of tied Round of 16 games:

-Wed Feb 24

Aston Villa : Crystal Palace

Stoke City : Manchester City

West Brom : Reading

Tottenham : Bolton

---UEFA---

**CHAMPIONS LEAGUE**

ROUND of 16 - First leg:

Results from Feb 23

Olympiacos 0:1 Bordeaux

Stuttgart 1:1 Barcelona

-Feb 24

CSKA Moskva : Sevilla

Inter Milan : Chelsea

Have a nice day.

No mascots in football! A myth of cryptozoological proportions.

GUEST BLOGGER: The Super Rookie, a fiend of the highest order, with an unrivaled passion for all things bike racing and futbol fanaticism, pitches in for today while Brucio travels the world for a week.

dN

All of you loyal readers of this wonderful website have heard the fantastic news of professional soccer being saved in the Twin Cities with the creation of NSC Minnesota in the newly-formed USSF Division 2 soccer league. With a new team comes an ever expanding list of necessities in order to field a team come opening day. At the top of the list of needs are players, coaches, money and all the other good stuff that we expect from a top-notch professional sports organization. Near the bottom of the list, where it rightfully belongs, is the creation of a team mascot.

All too often, being an American soccer fan comes with many disparaging comments from other "football" fans who know the "real" way the sport is played in Europe, specifically, in Europe. Yet, in England almost all of the teams have a visible mascot that masquerades around the stadium and city to spread the word of their professional sports team. How often does your favorite Manchester United fan speak of Fred the Red? Hell, he would probably get destroyed in a fight with his eastend lunar equivalent Moonbeam (seen here with his girlfriend Moonchester).

Why is it that we in America are held up to a standard of sport that doesn't even exist in other parts of the world? Recently, a posting on the NSC Minnesota facebook page suggesting ideas for a mascot were met with responses like, "I'm not sure why a mascot is needed for a soccer team...you don't need a mascot. You need more passionate fans." Really? I think the Thunder had some pretty passionate fans, as will this new team. Plus, the Minnesota Thunder had a kick ass mascot named, Thor. Why can't a mascot go hand-in-hand with the passionate soccer fans and continue to meet the expectations of professional sports fans the world over?

The next time someone tells me about how "real" football teams don't have mascots I will point them over to Football Mascots. They will get to see some amazing mascots that have infected the sport with their collective awkwardness. For instance, if I lived in West Ham the first phone call I would make for my child's birthday party would be to secure an appearance by Herbie the Hammer. If I was trying to impress the ladies with my swagger I would have Mr. Posh from Peterborough United show up to chauffeur me around the city (chicks dig dudes with monocles).

Having a mascot that forces people to ask questions is a good problem to have. A few of us here in Minnesota have gotten behind the idea of having the new mascot of NSC Minnesota be Nessy the Loch Ness Monster. Sure, it may be confusing on how we came to this rationalization (NSC spells out Nessy, think text speak and not phonetics), but that is a the beauty of it. Who cares if it doesn't makes sense to the average person. It is about building awareness. Asking questions raises awareness!

Fans of the Minnesota Wild are still confused on what exactly Nordy is, and T.C. is much too simple for the Minnesota Twins. Why not mix it up a little bit and make people scratch their heads like Sammy the Shrimp of Southend United?

Sometimes communities adopt mascots, once created for individual teams, as a symbol for their entire community. The most prominent example of this is of Youppi, the former mascot of the now defunct Montreal Expos. Upon losing a place in the world of baseball it was quickly announced, to much fanfare, that the Montreal Canadians had signed Youppi as a free agent! This example is the beauty of the entire thing! Mascots are meant to be stupid, they are meant to be out there and idiotic (who remembers the creation of the San Diego Chicken), but if we have learned anything it is that they actually work, as proven by the mass adoption of mascots by almost the entire Football Association in England.

So, if you want to see NSC Minnesota follow the lead of Inverness Caledonian Thistle of the Scottish league and adopt Nessy's cousin, NSC. Feel free to join The Believers and spread the word about the movement to create the greatest mascot in all of USSF Division II soccer.

For the record, my third favorite mascot in professional soccer (after Thor and Nessy) has to be the cleverly named Chester Field Mouse of Chesterfield FC in League Two.

It's All About the Money

GUEST BLOGGER: Graham Fox, a friend in futbol of du Nord from the greater Kanasas City area pitches in with the first of his two posts this week.

dN



As the season rapidly approaches, so our expectations and excitement grows as a whole slew of new coaches and players are entering and exiting the league. Many teams look completely different as new coaches start to really change and shake things up. From Kansas City to New York, Chicago to Chivas, and Toronto to Philly, new coaches and players are all lining up for a season that, sadly, might not happen on schedule.

It’s hard to tell from the media what exactly is happening. The league says they have put forth proposals on everything the players have asked for. The players say they are being denied basic human rights. They are tired of being stuck in limbo. The one item they really want, free agency (guaranteed contracts), is the one item the league does not want to bend on. The secrecy surrounding the negotiations makes it hard for any of us to know exactly what is going on.

If you’ve ever been involved in negotiations around a product, service, or disagreement you know the posturing that happens as both parties try to come to an agreement. How much is empty gesturing and chest thumping and how much is real? When the Player's Union or MLS officials talk to the press, how much can we really trust? At this point everything that is said is a chip being played.

The league says free agency is detrimental and could ruin MLS. They’ve done case studies and those case studies sure prove how bad that would be. What? You want to destroy everything we hold dear? Remember the NASL? No the old NASL, not the new one. Remember how that went down in flames? Free agents will bring that upon us. The seven horsemen of the apocalypse will ride down upon us when Kevin Hartman makes a move on his own. When Lee Nguyen goes to Dallas, the seventh seal will be broken and some babies will die and shit.

Meanwhile the players claim that every league in the world, even the very smallest ones take better care of their players than MLS does. In bondage to a cruel league. The players state that there will be no more deadline extensions. And in truth, the player’s side of the story is much closer to the truth than MLS’ side.

What’s going to happen if nothing gets resolved? Well we are in for a storm that no fan wants to see. Which side will you stand on?

I know I’m always going to side with the players, especially as they fight for rights and freedom rather than simply a higher salary.

This battle between players and management is not new to US Soccer history. The US National team had to a fight a similar battle when they were being overused and underpaid. Executives at the top rarely have the player’s best interests in mind. If a union, organization, or player shows that he can be walked over, almost every executive will do so.

There’s a reason MLS has a player’s union. And it’s not because everyone wants to get together and party. It’s because all this glitter and hype of soccer in the USA isn’t about the beautiful game. It’s not about who wins the MLS cup. It’s not about entertaining us with soccer. It’s defiantly not about giving guaranteed contracts and allowing free agents.

It’s all about the money. And if having free agents and guaranteed contracts threatens control and revenue stream, the league will fight it tooth and nail.

Regular News Below
Bruce did a small regular Monday news update just below. Keep scrolling, you're almost there.

See you Friday - Graham Fox (grahamfox@gmail.com)

Some Early News for Mon Feb 22, 2010

REMINDER: BRUCE IN ENGLAND

Any chance that anyone out there reading this will be at the Southampton v Walsall game on Sat Feb 27? I will be, and would love to meet any readers also in attendance! Just drop me an email.

I will also be spending the majority of next week in London on business. And who knows, we may run into each other. I always love my trips to the Old Smoke, hopefully this one will be no different.

In my little bit of free time I hope to hit some record stores (Peckings, Dub Vendor, Honest Jon's etc.) and see some modern art (Tate Modern of course). Those are two of my fave things about that great city. Oh, and I can't forget about the La Hore Kebab House just off Commercial Road in the Whitechapel area of East London.

And yes, that means guest hosts all week long. Enjoy them. I am sure you will.

Graham Fox will be back later today with a very exciting update for you!

STARTERS

Herculez! Herculez! Herculez Gomez! He has scored his 3rd goal for Puebla since his move to Mexico in January. Fantastic for him! Sadly they lost 3-2 at home to Guadalajara. The other interesting thing for Gomez is that he has taken Carlos Ruiz's spot in the first 11.

dN

Another huge weekend at Everton for Landon Donovan and Time Howard as they knocked off #2 Manchester United only a few days after knocking off #1 Chelsea. 3-1 was the final score for the red hot blue team from Liverpool.

MLS COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT

The current deal expired on Jan 31, 2010, but the two sides agreed to originally extend it until Feb 12, and now a further 13 days to Feb 25. Negotiations are said to be going well.

dN

Ridge Mahoney of Soccer America talks to a MLS Players rep, midfielder Chris Klein of the Los Angeles Galaxy, who is NOT saying good things about the negotiations on the new agreement with MLS.

MLS NEWS

Potential future USA star midfielder Luis Gil has signed with MLS will find his new team out on Monday via a lottery.

SOCCER IN AMERICA

Much like Mexico has done, Argentina will try to take advantage of the huge commercial prospects in America. The national team has done a deal with Cardenas Marketing to begin promoting friendly matches in our country. They will play their first match under this agreement sometime later in 2010, after the World Cup. Interesting.

TEAM USA

Official Team Blog
-Interview with Robbie Rogers
-Q & A with Chris Pontius

The USA team is now in Tampa preparing for Wednesday's game.

dN

Friendly Match & Score:
USA v El Salvador - 6pm Central on ESPN Classic
Venue: Raymond James Stadium - Tampa FL
NOTE: The USA U17 team will play the El Salvador U17 game that same day prior to the senior squads meeting.

dN

Here is the USA roster for that game.
G:
Troy Perkins - DC United
Nick Rimando - Real Salt Lake
D:
Jonathan Bornstein - Chivas USA
Clarence Goodson - Start
Chad Marshall - Columbus Crew
Heath Pearce - FC Dallas
Marvell Wynne - Toronto FC
M:
Kyle Beckerman - Real Salt Lake
Geoff Cameron - Houston Dynamo
Brad Davis - Houston Dynamo
Brad Evans - Seattle Sounders
Eddie Gaven - Columbus Crew
Sacha Kljestan - Chivas USA
Dax McCarty - FC Dallas
Chris Pontius - DC United
Robbie Rogers - Columbus Crew
F:
Conor Casey - Colorado Rapids
Brian Ching - Houston Dynamo
Jeff Cunningham - FC Dallas
Robbie Findley - Real Salt Lake

AMERICANS IN EUROPE

Game Action: (only those that played are listed)

ENGLAND - Premier League
Jozy Altidore - Hull City - came on as a sub in the 65th minute but they lost 3-0 at West Ham.
Landon Donovan - Everton - played the entire match as they beat Manchester United 3-1 at home.
Brad Friedel - Aston Villa - played full 90 as they won 5-2 at home over Burnley.
Marcus Hahnemann - Wolverhampton - played the whole match but lost 0-2 at home to Chelsea.
Tim Howard - Everton - played the whole match as usual and they beat Manchester United 3-1 at home.
Jonathan Spector - West Ham - went the distance as they won 3-0 at home over Hull.

ENGLAND - Championship League
Kenny Cooper - Plymouth Argyle - came on as a sub in the 76th minute as they tied Leicester City 1-1 at home.
Jay DeMerit - Watford - went the full 90 getting a Yellow Card as they drew 2-2 at Scunthorpe United.
Frank Simek - Sheffield Wednesday - played the whole game but lost 0-1 at Ipswich Town.

ENGLAND - League One
Jemal Johnson - Stockport County - started and went 87 minutes, scoring a huge goal as the last place team won 0-1 at Exeter. But they are 13 points from safety.
Jon-Paul Pittman - Wycombe - came on as a sub in the 88th minute as they drew 1-1 at home against Millwall.

FRANCE - Ligue 1
Carlos Bocanegra - Rennes - started but was pulled at half time as they lost 1-2 at home to Lille.

GERMANY - Bundesliga
Michael Bradley - Monchengladbach - went the distance as they traveled to Hoffenheim and came away with a 2-2 draw.

Greece - Super League
Eddie Johnson - Aris Thessalonika - played the entire match but they lost 1-0 at AEK Athens.
Freddy Adu - Aris Thessalonika - started but was subbed out at half time as they lost at AEK Athens 1-0.

NETHERLANDS - Eerste Divisie
Charles Kazlauskas - Helmond Sport - played the whole match, scored the first goal and they won 3-0 at home over RBC Roosendaal.

AMERICANS IN MEXICO

PRIMERA DIVISION
Edgar Castillo - UANL Tigres - went the distance as they traveled to America and got a 2-2 tie.
Herculez Gomez - Pueblo - started and played 73 minutes, scored another goal but lost 3-2 at Guadalajara.
Jose Francisco Torres - Pachuca - went the full 90 as they drew 2-2 at Chiapas.
Marco Vidal - Indios Juarez - went the distance as they drew 0-0 at home with Cruz Azul.

CONCACAF

International Friendly Match & Score:
-Wed Feb 24
Mexico v Bolivia - in San Francisco CA

ENGLAND

FA CUP
Replays of tied Round of 16 games:
-Wed Feb 24
Aston Villa v Crystal Palace
Stoke City v Manchester City
West Brom v Reading
Tottenham v Bolton

Advanced: Chelsea, Portsmouth, Birmingham and Fulham.

Some News for Fri Feb 19, 2010

BRUCE IN ENGLAND

Any chance that anyone out there reading this will be at the Southampton v Walsall game on Sat Feb 27? I will be, and would love to meet any readers also in attendance! Just drop me an email.

I will also be spending the majority of next week in London on business. And who knows, we may run into each other. I always love my trips to the Old Smoke, hopefully this one will be no different.

In my little bit of free time I hope to hit some record stores (Peckings, Dub Vendor, Honest Jon's etc.) and see some modern art (Tate Modern of course). Those are two of my fave things about that great city. Oh, and I can't forget about the La Hore Kebab House just off Commercial Road in the Whitechapel area of East London.

And yes, that means guest hosts all week long. Enjoy them. I am sure you will.

STARTERS

US Soccer reports that Oguchi Onyewu took to the field with the USA players training for the El Salvador game next week. Onyewu went through some drills, then sat down to do a video interview. Hooray Beer.

dN

So now that Mark van Bommel is officially listed for the Netherlands squad that will face the USA on Mar 3 (see full roster in TEAM USA section below), do we go to dark humor and start a pool for the American player that he hurts. He is one brutal footballer. I have rarely seen a game where he does not maim an opponent.

CHARLIE DAVIES

In the video we linked to yesterday you could really see the difference in Charlie's face from before the accident. It looked puffier for lack of a better term. Do you think that is still swelling, or from all the plastic surgery he has had. I read somewhere that they literally peeled his face down to do the repairs to forehead, eye socket and cheekbone. Wow.

PODCASTS

I made a guest appearance on this weekend edition of Waiting for Gaetjens. I thoroughly enjoy talking to Adam about soccer, and having Greg along aint half bad either. And I must confess that this have become my favorite podcast, so I am doubly honored to join them. Download or listen here.

dN

MLS Talk does an audio interview with Steve Davis, a writer for ESPN Soccernet, MLSnet, and his own site Daily Soccer Fix. He just might be du Nord's very favorite writer in American soccer.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Matches & Scores - Round of 16 - 1st Leg:
-Tue Feb 23
Verein fur Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V v Futbol Club Barcelona
Olympiacos Club of Fans of Piraeus v Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux
-Wed Feb 24
Football Club Internazionale Milano Societa per Azioni v Chelsea Football Club
Central Sports Army Club Moscow v Sevilla Futbol Club Sociedad Anonima Deportiva

MLS COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT

The current deal expired on Jan 31, 2010, but the two sides agreed to originally extend it until Feb 12, and now a further 13 days to Feb 25. Negotiations are said to be going well.

dN

Richard Snowden of Soccer 365 compares MLS's player movement restrictions to Wal-Mart personal policies. Oof. Now THAT is bad.

TEAM USA

Official Team Blog

dN

Friendly Match & Score:
USA v El Salvador - 6pm Central on ESPN Classic
Venue: Raymond James Stadium - Tampa FL
NOTE: The USA U17 team will play the El Salvador U17 game that same day prior to the senior squads meeting.

dN

Here is the Netherlands roster for the game against the USA on Wed Mar 3 in Amsterdam.
G:
Maarten Stekelenburg - Ajax
Piet Velthuizen - Vitesse Arnhem
Michel Vorm - FC Utrecht
D:
Edson Braafheid - Celtic
John Heitinga - Everton
Joris Mathijsen - Hamburg
Andre Ooijer - PSV
Giovanni van Bronckhorst - Feyenoord
Gregory van der Wiel - Ajax
Ron Vlaar - Feyenoord
M:
Ibrahim Afellay - PSV
Otman Bakkal - PSV
Wout Brama - Twente
Nigel de Jong - Manchester City
Demy de Zeeuw - Ajax
Orlando Engelaar - PSV
Arjen Robben - Bayern Munich
Stijn Schaars - AZ Alkmaar
Wesley Sneijder - Inter Milan
Mark van Bommel - Bayern Munich
Rafael van der Vaart - Real Madrid
M/F:
Ryan Babel - Liverpool
Dirk Kuyt - Liverpool
F:
Klaas Jan Huntelaar - AC Milan
Eljero Elia - Hamburg

CONCACAF

International Friendly Match & Score:
-Wed Feb 24
Mexico v Bolivia - in San Francisco CA

ENGLAND

Top Premier League Team Standings (26 games played)
58 Chelsea - Next: Sat Feb 20 at Wolverhampton
57 Manchester United - Next: Sat Feb 20 at Everton
52 Arsenal - Next: Sat Feb 20 v Sunderland
45 Manchester City (25 games played) - Next: Sun Feb 21 v Liverpool
- - - - -
44 Liverpool - Next: Sun Feb 21 at Manchester City
43 Tottenham - Next: Sun Feb 21 at Wigan
42 Aston Villa - Next: Sun Feb 21 v Burnley

dN

FA CUP
Replays of tied Round of 16 games:
-Wed Feb 24
Aston Villa v Crystal Palace
Stoke City v Manchester City
West Brom v Reading
Tottenham v Bolton

SCOTLAND

SPAIN

Top La Liga Team Standings (22 games played)
55 Barcelona - Next: Sat Feb 20 v Racing Santander
53 Real Madrid - Next: Sun Feb 21 v Villarreal
43 Valencia - Next: Mon Feb 22 v Getafe
39 Sevilla - Next: Sat Feb 20 at Mallorca
- - - - -
37 Mallorca - Next: Sat Feb 20 v Sevilla
35 Deportivo La Coruna - Next: Sat Feb 20 v Xerez

FRANCE

Top Ligue 1 Team Standings (24 games played)
51 Bordeaux - Next: Sat Feb 20 v Auxerre
48 Montpellier - Next: Sat Feb 20 at St Etienne
44 Lille - Next: Sun Feb 21 at Rennes
- - - - -
43 Lyon - Next: Sun Feb 21 at Sochaux
42 Marseille (23 games played) - Next: Sun Feb 21 v Nancy
42 Auxerre - Next: Sat Feb 20 at Bordeaux

GERMANY

Top Bundesliga Team Standings (22 games played)
48 Bayer Leverkusen - Next: Sun Feb 21 at Werder Bremen
48 Bayern Munich - Next: Sat Feb 20 at Nurnberg
45 Schalke - Next: Sun Feb 21 at Wolfsburg
- - - - -
39 Hamburg - Next: Sat Feb 20 v Eintracht Frankfurt
36 Dortmund - Next: Sat Feb 20 v Hannover

ITALY

Top Serie A Team Standings (24 games played)
54 Inter - Next: Sat Feb 20 v Sampdoria
47 Roma - Next: Sun Feb 21 v Catania
45 Milan (23 played) - Next: Sun Feb 21 at Bari
39 Napoli - Next: Sun Feb 21 v Sienna
- - - - -
39 Sampdoria - Next: Sat Feb 20 at Inter
38 Juventus - Next: Sun Feb 21 at Bologna

COPA LIBERTADORES

GROUP STAGE - February Matches & Scores:
-Tue Feb 16
Libertad 2-0 Blooming - Lib goals by Victor Caceres & Rodolfo Gamarra.
Colo Colo 1-0 Italia - CC goal by Esteban Paredes.
-Wed Feb 17
Universitario 2-0 Lanus - Uni goals by Piero Alva & Gianfranco Labarthe.
Cuenca 1-4 Banfield - Cue goal by Gabriel Mendez(PK). Ban goals by Walter Erviti, Sebastian Fernandez(2) & James Rodriguez.
-Thu Feb 18
Alianza 4-1 Estudiantes - Ali goals by Wilmer Aguirre(3) & José Fernández. Est goal by José Ernesto Sosa.
Universidad 1-0 Caracas - Uni goal by Juan Manuel Olivera(PK).
-Tue Feb 23
Morelia v Nacional
Internacional v Emelec
Italia v Velez Sarsfield
-Wed Feb 24
Corinthians v Racing Club
Monterrey v Nacional
Juan Aurich v Bolivar
Cruzeiro v Colo Colo
Flamengo v Universidad Catolica
-Thu Feb 25
Once Caldas v Sao Paulo
Blooming v Lanus
Universitario v Libertad

dN

Standings (6 Rounds):

Grupo 1
1 Cerro Porteno (Paraguay)
1 Independiente Medellin (Colombia)
Corinthians (Brazil)
Racing Club (Uruguay)

Grupo 2
3 Once Caldas (Colombia)
3 Sao Paulo (Brazil)
0 Nacional (Paraguay)
0 Monterrey (Mexico)

Grupo 3
6 Alianza Lima (Peru) (2pd)
3 Estudiantes de la Plata (Argentina) (2pd)
0 Bolivar (Bolivia)
0 Juan Aurich (Peru)

Grupo 4
6 Libertad (Paraguay) (2pd)
6 Universitario (Peru) (2pd)
0 Lanus (Argentina) (2pd)
0 Blooming (Bolivia) (2pd)

Grupo 5
3 Cerro (Uruguay)
0 Deportivo Quito (Ecudador)
Internacional (Brazil)
Emelec (Ecuador)

Grupo 6
6 Banfield (Argentina) (2pd)
3 Club Nacional (Uruguay)
0 Morelia (Mexico)
0 Deportivo Cuenca (Ecudador) (2pd)

Grupo 7
3 Velez Sarsfield (Argentina)
3 Colo Colo (Chile)
0 Cruzeiro (Brazil)
0 Deportivo Italia (Venezuela)

Grupo 8
3 Universidad de Chile (Chile)
0 Caracas FC (Venezuela)
Flamengo (Brazil)
Universidad Catolica (Chile)

Some News for Thu Feb 18, 2010

STARTERS

Everton fans have named Landon Donovan as their Player of the Month for January.

dN

American Herculez Gomez (LA, Colorado, KC) scored his second goal of the new season for Puebla, and it was the late game winner!

CHARLIE DAVIES

He has arrived back in France at his club Sochaux, and their website has a great video interview with him.
-A short but very touching moment occurs when some older fans greet Charlie outside the teams headquarters. (I have been a real softy this week.)












UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

The 1st Leg of the Round of 16!

dN

The three biggest talking points of Wednesday's games were:
-The Arsenal goalkeeper and his 2 giant blunders that cost them both goals
-Bayern Munich were clearly offside on their game winning goal
-Fiorentina got a Red Card on a play that should have only been a mild Yellow.

dN

Rob Hughes of the International Herald Tribune reviews both of Wednesday's matches.

dN

Matches & Scores - Round of 16 - 1st Leg:
-Tue Feb 16
Olympique Lyonnais 1-0 Real Madrid Club de Futbol - OL goal by Jean Makoun.
Associazione Calcio Milan 2-3 Manchester United Football Club - ACM goals by Ronaldinho & Clarence Seedorf. MUFC goals by Paul Scholes & Wayne Rooney(2).
-Wed Feb 17
Futebol Clube do Porto 2-1 Arsenal Football Club - Por goals by Silvestre Varela & Radamel Falcao. Ars goal by Sol Campbell.
Fussball-Club Bayern Munchen 2-1 Associazione Calcio Fiorentina e Florentia Viola - BM goals by Arjen Robben(PK) & Miroslav Klose. Fior goal by Per Kroldrup.

-Tue Feb 23
Verein fur Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V v Futbol Club Barcelona
Olympiacos Club of Fans of Piraeus v Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux
-Wed Feb 24
Football Club Internazionale Milano Societa per Azioni v Chelsea Football Club
Central Sports Army Club Moscow v Sevilla Futbol Club Sociedad Anonima Deportiva

dN

A variation to the format this year sees the matches spread out over 4 days instead of 2, giving more TV space for the teams.

SALVADOR CABANAS

He has been moved out of the Intensive Care Unit, or whatever its called in Mexican hospitals. Great to hear.

STORY OF THE DAY

Hey lookee here - some pinhead from the Telegraph in England pulls his head out of John Terry's ass long enough to realize that maybe MLS isn't so bad after all.
-Now I can finally get some sleep at night.

THIS IS WHAT ITS ALL ABOUT

Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated gets to see the movie I told you about last week - Pelada. It sounds great!

MLS NEWS

The Dallas Morning News with an article on FC Dallas's Brek Shea. Will he have a breakout year?
-"...there is a chance van den Bergh could come back, if he is willing to sign for less money. FCD still owns his MLS rights, and Hyndman said Wednesday that van den Bergh is "still in our minds."

dN

The Toronto Sun looks at the role of players getting try-outs in MLS preseason camps.

dN

One of Kansas City's newest signings Stephane Auvray (pronounced Ahh-vray) is a central holding type midfielder, who I am told has sweet hair. I didn't know much about the guy, so I asked the right people, and they were kind enough to fill us all in.

dN

Charlie Coor of ESPN Chicago looks at Fire midfielder Justin Mapp and says the player is getting a fresh start this spring.
-How many fresh starts is he going to get before they dump his underwhelmingness.

dN

Joshua Mayers of the Seattle Times catches up with the Sounders yesterday in Spain for an update.

dN

Mayers writes today about the teams 3-0 loss to Rosenborg at La Manga.
-And post game quotes from coach Sigmund Schmid.

dN

The Seattle Post Intelligencer on a couple of Sounders trialists, and training in Spain.

MLS RUMORS

The Jamaica Gleaner reports on youngster Devon Hodges who they say is on the verge of signing with Colorado and teaming up with his countryman Omar Cummings.
-If he has the same spirit as Cummings then they would be getting a good one.

MLS COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT

The current deal expired on Jan 31, 2010, but the two sides agreed to originally extend it until Feb 12, and now a further 13 days to Feb 25.

The Miami Herald tries to decipher what the MLS players are angling for in a new CBA.

USL NEWS

The USL is slowly posting their countdown of the Top 25 USL First Division players of the past Decade:
25-21
20
19
18
17
16
15
14

13 - David Hayes

US SOCCER NEWS

Paul Gardner of Soccer America talks to newly reelected US Soccer President Sunil Gulati. Here is Part 2 of 2.
-And Part 1 from Wednesday in case you missed it.

USA WORLD CUP 2010 SOUTH AFRICA

Brent Latham at Yanks Abroad plays a game of "What if..." with the USA World Cup roster.
-Some great scenarios played out here!

dN

Soccer 365 with some of that Guus Hiddink speculation/theory/conjecture talk.
-The less lively version of the "What if..." article.

TEAM USA

Ives Galarcep at Fox Soccer looks at the reasons behind this next USA game.

dN

Clemete Lisi of the US Soccer Players Assoc does a Q & A with Brian Ching.

dN

Official Team Blog

dN

Friendly Match & Score:
USA v El Salvador - 6pm Central on ESPN Classic
Venue: Raymond James Stadium - Tampa FL
NOTE: The USA U17 team will play the El Salvador U17 game that same day prior to the senior squads meeting.

AMERICANS IN EUROPE

Maurice Edu went the full 90 for Rangers on Wednesday as they beat St Mirren in the Scottish Cup Round of 16, 1-0.
-DaMarcus Beasley did not dress for this game.
-Their Quarterfinal match will be on Sat Mar 13 at Kilmarnock.

dN

Stuart Holden did not start or make the bench for Bolton on Wednesday in their scoreless draw at Wigan.

dN

Yanks Abroad talks to a 16 year old, Will Packwood, at Birmingham City's academy in England.

AMERICANS IN MEXICO

Herculez pulls off a big one, but everyone else struggles.

Game Action: - Mid-week matches

PRIMERA DIVISION
Edgar Castillo - UANL Tigres - Thu Feb 18 v Santos Laguna
Herculez Gomez - Pueblo - came on as a sub in the 63rd minute, and scored the games only goal in the 87th as they won 1-0 at home over San Luis.
Sammy Ochoa - Estudiantes Tecos - came on as a sub in the 74th minute but they lost at home 3-4 to Monterrey.
Jose Francisco Torres - Pachuca - started and 74 minutes but they lost at home 0-1 to Guadalajara.
Marco Vidal - Indios Juarez - started, got a Yellow Card, and then got absolutely drilled 7-1 at Atlas. Oof.

dN

Coming Up: - Mid-week matches

PRIMERA DIVISION
Edgar Castillo - UANL Tigres - Thu Feb 18 v Santos Laguna

UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE

Round of 32, 1st Leg happens this week. Here are the results.

dN

2nd Leg matches will be played next week.

ENGLAND

The Norwich Evening News reports on an American who is trotting around the USA looking for investors for Norwich City.
-He is the same guy who set up the deal for Hicks & Gillette to buy Liverpool. Now there is a ringing endorsement.

dN

The Daily Mail reports on Portsmouth's on going massive money problems. They have asked for permission to sell players outside the transfer window to raise cash.

FRANCE

COUPE DE FRANCE - Quarterfinals
-Tue Mar 23
Lens v St Etienne
Monaco v Sochaux
Quevilly v Boulogne
Auxerre v Paris St Germain

dN

COUPE DE LA LIGUE - Final
-Sat Mar 27
Bordeaux v Olympique Marseille

COPA LIBERTADORES

The Group Stage, which runs through to Apr 22.

dN

GROUP STAGE - February Matches & Scores:
-Tue Feb 16
Libertad 2-0 Blooming - Lib goals by Victor Caceres & Rodolfo Gamarra.
Colo Colo 1-0 Italia - CC goal by Esteban Paredes.
-Wed Feb 17
Universitario 2-0 Lanus - Uni goals by Piero Alva & Gianfranco Labarthe.
Cuenca 1-4 Banfield - Cue goal by Gabriel Mendez(PK). Ban goals by Walter Erviti, Sebastian Fernandez(2) & James Rodriguez.
-Thu Feb 18
Alianza v Estudiantes
Universidad v Caracas

dN

Standings (6 Rounds):

Grupo 1
1 Cerro Porteno (Paraguay)
1 Independiente Medellin (Colombia)
Corinthians (Brazil)
Racing Club (Uruguay)

Grupo 2
3 Once Caldas (Colombia)
3 Sao Paulo (Brazil)
0 Nacional (Paraguay)
0 Monterrey (Mexico)

Grupo 3
3 Alianza Lima (Peru)
3 Estudiantes de la Plata (Argentina)
0 Bolivar (Bolivia)
0 Juan Aurich (Peru)

Grupo 4
6 Libertad (Paraguay) (2pd)
6 Universitario (Peru) (2pd)
0 Lanus (Argentina) (2pd)
0 Blooming (Bolivia) (2pd)

Grupo 5
3 Cerro (Uruguay)
0 Deportivo Quito (Ecudador)
Internacional (Brazil)
Emelec (Ecuador)

Grupo 6
6 Banfield (Argentina) (2pd)
3 Club Nacional (Uruguay)
0 Morelia (Mexico)
0 Deportivo Cuenca (Ecudador) (2pd)

Grupo 7
3 Velez Sarsfield (Argentina)
3 Colo Colo (Chile)
0 Cruzeiro (Brazil)
0 Deportivo Italia (Venezuela)

Grupo 8
Universidad de Chile (Chile)
Caracas FC (Venezuela)
Flamengo (Brazil)
Universidad Catolica (Chile)

WORLD CUP 2010 - SOUTH AFRICA

The Associated Press with an article on the huge lack of VIP tickets being sold to this World Cup. Via Sports Illustrated.
-What a bummer. Think of how great this could have been if everyone went el cheapo instead of Price Gouge City.

PODCASTS

EPL Talks as audio of interviews with one time Manchester United goalscoring duo Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke. Aaahh, the good old days.

Some News for Wed Feb 17, 2010

STARTERS

The USA will play 2 games in the run up to the World Cup, starting with the Czech Republic on Tue May 25 (location TBA), and Turkey on Sat May 29 in Philadelphia at Lincoln Financial Field.
-Turkey has hired Guus Hiddink as they new head coach. He will take over the team after the World Cup as they head into Euro 2012 qualifying.
-My buddy Sasha says he heard the Czech game will be in Hartford CT.

dN

Freddy Adu has bagged another goal. Second game in a row for him. Aris won 3-0 in the Greek Cup. No Short Corners has the video.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

The competition has resumed with the 1st Leg of the Round of 16!
-A variation to the format this year sees the matches spread out over 4 days instead of 2, giving more TV space for the teams.

dN

Matches & Scores - Round of 16 - 1st Leg:
-Tue Feb 16
Olympique Lyonnais 1-0 Real Madrid Club de Futbol - OL goal by Jean Makoun.
Associazione Calcio Milan 2-3 Manchester United Football Club - ACM goals by Ronaldinho & Clarence Seedorf. MUFC goals by Paul Scholes & Wayne Rooney(2).
-Wed Feb 17
Futebol Clube do Porto v Arsenal Football Club - Live at 1:30pm Central on FSC
Fussball-Club Bayern Munchen v Associazione Calcio Fiorentina e Florentia Viola - Delayed at 4:00pm Central on FSC
-Tue Feb 23
Verein fur Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V v Futbol Club Barcelona
Olympiacos Club of Fans of Piraeus v Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux
-Wed Feb 24
Football Club Internazionale Milano Societa per Azioni v Chelsea Football Club
Central Sports Army Club Moscow v Sevilla Futbol Club Sociedad Anonima Deportiva

dN

Rob Hughes of the International Herald Tribune on the Man U win.

QUOTE/FACT/STORY OF THE DAY

Houston Dynamo forward Luis Landin to Jeff Carlisle of ESPN Soccernet: "The level of soccer in this country has impressed me, from my first day in the league up until today. In Mexico we're all under the wrong impression that the level of soccer in the U.S. is low. However, that is definitely not the case. When you get here, you find out quickly that the level of play is very high. Does it need to improve still? Definitely, but the level of soccer is currently very good. When you come to MLS, you have to come ready to play." See full article below in MLS News section.

WHY?

The USL reports today that one of my favorite little known players could be in serious health problems. Marco Terminesi who currently is playing indoor with the Milwaukee Wave is thought to have a brain tumor, but ongoing tests will hopefully reveal the answer. He played last season for my Minnesota Thunder and was an instant fan favorite with his explosive speed, goal bound instincts and infectious attitude. I am sending out all the best for Marco, and ask you to do the same.

MLS NEWS

Center Line Soccer gives us an update from the San Jose Earthquakes preseason camp.

dN

The Chicago Tribune looks at how preseason is going for the Fire and their new head coach Carlos The Conch.
-Brian McBride: "The training as been organized for a whole different type of play — making sure we are moving the ball and keeping possession."

dN

Sam Stejskal of Chicago Now digs further into this idea of the Fire playing a new style and formation.

dN

Buzz Carrick of 3rd Degree gets Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman why they went to all the trouble of scouting and signing Ghanaian full back Aziz Ansah in December, only to cut him loose 2 months later.

dN

Jeff Carlisle of ESPN Soccernet asks the question that is on the mind of many a Houston Dynamo fan: What is the future of high priced Luis Landin?

MLS/SUM BUSINESS

MLS has hired Greg Lalas (of Goal.com and Sports Illustrated) as Editor-In-Chief and Jonah Freedman (of Sports Illustrated) as Managing Editor of the official league website - MLSnet.com.

MLS RUMORS

Is Kansas City about to sign outside midfielder Igor Krostov? He is 22 and from Moldova. Any other info has been basically impossible to find. But we can learn all about him when the club makes it official.

MLS STADIUM BUILDING

Down The Byline, a KC Wiz fan blog, has unearthed some nice new stadium documents and details for their new digs.
-A little more update.

Lookin' good:












US SOCCER NEWS

Paul Gardner of Soccer America talks to newly reelected US Soccer President Sunil Gulati. This is Part 1.

TEAM USA

Yanks Abroad brings us up to speed on the ankle injury suffered by Benny Feilhaber.
-It looks like he will not play against the Netherlands on Mar 3.

dN

Centerback Clarence Goodson of Start in Norway has rejoined the team training in California for next weeks game. He is now the only non-MLS player on the roster. What does this mean for his World Cup chances. I would say they just went up.

dN

Official Team Blog
-Video interview with Brad Davis and Jeff Cunningham.

dN

Friendly Match & Score:
USA v El Salvador - 6pm Central on ESPN Classic
Venue: Raymond James Stadium - Tampa FL
NOTE: The USA U17 team will play the El Salvador U17 game that same day prior to the senior squads meeting.

AMERICANS IN EUROPE

Game Action: (only those that played are listed)

ENGLAND - Championship League
Kenny cooper - Plymouth Argyle - came on as a sub in the 61st minute as they drew 1-1 at home against Swansea City.
Jay DeMerit - Watford - Tue Feb 16 at Queens Park Rangers was postponed due to a "waterlogged pitch".
Frank Simek - Sheffield Wednesday - went the full 90 but lost at home 0-2 to Doncaster Rovers.

ENGLAND - League One
Mike Grella - Leeds - came on as a sub in the 60th minute but they lost 1-2 at home to Walsall.

GREECE - League Cup - Quarterfinal - Replay
Freddy Adu - Aris - got the start, went 66 minute minutes and scoring another goal as they beat Xanthi at home 3-0.
Eddie Johnson - Aris - came on as a sub in the 76th minute as they won 3-0 at home over Xanthi.

SCOTLAND - League Cup
Maurice Edu - Rangers - went the full 90 as they won 1-0 at home over St Mirren.

UEFA - Europa League - Round of 32 - 1st Leg
Landon Donovan - Everton - went the distance as they beat Sporting at home 2-1. They second leg is in Lisbon.
Tim Howard - Everton - played the entire match as usual and beat Sporting at home 2-1.

AMERICANS IN MEXICO

Coming Up: - Mid-week matches

PRIMERA DIVISION
Edgar Castillo - UANL Tigres - Thu Feb 18 v Santos Laguna
Herculez Gomez - Pueblo - Wed Feb 17 v San Luis
Jose Francisco Torres - Pachuca - Wed Feb 17 v Guadalajara
Marco Vidal - Indios Juarez - Wed Feb 17 at Atlas

UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE

Round of 32, 1st Leg happens this week with one game on Tue Feb 16 and the rest on Thu Feb 18. Here are the match-ups.

FRANCE

COUPE DE FRANCE - Round of 16
-Wed Feb 17
Lens 2-1 Brest
-Already advanced: PSG, Quevilly, Boulogne, Sochaux, Auxerre, Monaco & St Etienne.

dN

COUPE DE LA LIGUE - Semifinals
-Wed Feb 17
Lorient 1-4 Bordeaux
-Marseille has already advanced to the Final.

EUROPE

Jonathan Wilson of the Guardian reviews Guus Hiddink's term in charge of Russia.

COPA LIBERTADORES

The Group Stage, which runs through to Apr 22.

dN

GROUP STAGE - February Matches & Scores:
-Tue Feb 16
Libertad 2-0 Blooming - Lib goals by Victor Caceres & Rodolfo Gamarra.
Colo Colo 1-0 Italia - CC goal by Esteban Paredes.
-Wed Feb 17
Universitario v Lanus
Cuenca v Banfield
-Thu Feb 18
Alianza v Estudiantes
Universidad v Caracas

dN

Standings:

Grupo 1
1 Cerro Porteno (Paraguay)
1 Independiente Medellin (Colombia)
Corinthians (Brazil)
Racing Club (Uruguay)

Grupo 2
3 Once Caldas (Colombia)
3 Sao Paulo (Brazil)
0 Nacional (Paraguay)
0 Monterrey (Mexico)

Grupo 3
3 Alianza Lima (Peru)
3 Estudiantes de la Plata (Argentina)
0 Bolivar (Bolivia)
0 Juan Aurich (Peru)

Grupo 4
6 Libertad (Paraguay) (2pd)
3 Universitario (Peru)
0 Lanus (Argentina)
0 Blooming (Bolivia) (2pd)

Grupo 5
3 Cerro (Uruguay)
0 Deportivo Quito (Ecudador)
Internacional (Brazil)
Emelec (Ecuador)

Grupo 6
3 Banfield (Argentina)
3 Club Nacional (Uruguay)
0 Morelia (Mexico)
0 Deportivo Cuenca (Ecudador)

Grupo 7
3 Velez Sarsfield (Argentina)
3 Colo Colo (Chile)
0 Cruzeiro (Brazil)
0 Deportivo Italia (Venezuela)

Grupo 8
Universidad de Chile (Chile)
Caracas FC (Venezuela)
Flamengo (Brazil)
Universidad Catolica (Chile)

Some News for Tue Feb 16, 2010

STARTERS

Landon Donovan & Tim Howard got a shot at some UEFA Europa League action today as they hosted Sporting of Portugal in a Round of 32 First Leg match. Everton won the game 2-1, but the away goal could cost them dearly. They held the lead until very late when a defender was called for a Penalty and given a Red Card. Howard could not stop the PK. Donovan was voted by Everton fans as the Man of the Match.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

The competition has resumed with the 1st Leg of the Round of 16!

A variation to the format this year sees the matches spread out over 4 days instead of 2, giving more TV space for the teams.

dN

Matches & Scores - Round of 16 - 1st Leg:
-Tue Feb 16
Olympique Lyonnais v Real Madrid Club de Futbol - Live at 1:30pm Central on FSC
Associazione Calcio Milan v Manchester United Football Club - Delayed at 4:00pm Central on FSC
-Wed Feb 17
Futebol Clube do Porto v Arsenal Football Club - Live at 1:30pm Central on FSC
Fussball-Club Bayern Munchen v Associazione Calcio Fiorentina e Florentia Viola - Delayed at 4:00pm Central on FSC
-Tue Feb 23
Verein fur Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V v Futbol Club Barcelona
Olympiacos Club of Fans of Piraeus v Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux
-Wed Feb 24
Football Club Internazionale Milano Societa per Azioni v Chelsea Football Club
Central Sports Army Club Moscow v Sevilla Futbol Club Sociedad Anonima Deportiva

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Noah Davis of Goal.com wonders whether or not a David can slay the Goliaths is this years tournament.

TRAGEDY IN HAITI

CNN gives us a Q & A with Ynes Jean-Bart, the head of the Haitian Football Federation.
-He was one of the lucky few to get out of the headquarters building alive. 30 other members died in the earthquake.

CNN also has an article on rebuilding the countries football infrastructure.

Thanks to Steph for sending this our way.

TWITTERVERSE

CharlieDavies9: "Last Night in the US for a while. Enjoying some good home cooking. Then rehabbing like a beast in France and back on the field soon. Bless"

Wow, just wow.

Thanks to BQ for the heads up on this very exciting post.

THIS IS WHAT ITS ALL ABOUT

Greg Seltzer writing for Soccer 365 clears his mind of all current things football.

MLS NEWS

Ridge Mahoney of Soccer America looks at the situation of former KC Wiz goalkeeper Kevin Hartman. Where does he go next?

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Seattle has done new deals with 3 of their players - the team has bought outright the contract of centerback Jonh Kennedy Hurtado (he had been on loan from Deportivo Cali), given midfielder Brad Evans a contract extension, and resigned centerback Tyson Wahl.

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The Delaware County Daily Times talks to Union head coach Peter Nowak about his team's start to preseason.

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Rumor has it that the Union will play friendlies in Mexico in the next two weeks against the 3 Guadalajara teams Chivas, Atlas and Estudiantes Tecos (formerly UAdG). Thanks to Ronny for the news. [And thanks to Andrew for the correction on where Los Tecos are stationed.]

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New Kansas City signing Stephane Auvray from Guadeloupe writes a "welcome" article for the KC Star.
-He played last year at Nimes Olympique in France Ligue 2

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David Falk of the Examiner reports that former New York centerback and Jungle Warfare user Jeff Parke is getting another try out with Seattle.

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The Seattle Times with an article on the Sounders talented Latino contingent.

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Nat Borchers of Real Salt Lake jumps on the Salt Lake Tribune soccer blog to tell us about his team in early preseason.

MLS COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT

The current deal expired on Jan 31, 2010, but the two sides agreed to originally extend it until Feb 12, and now a further 13 days to Feb 25. Negotiations are said to be going well.

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Nick Green of the Daily Breeze says that MLS needs to "loosen its purse strings."
-He has a few more things to say on his blog, 100 Percent Soccer.

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John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Daily News looks at what happens when you go the other way and just spend spend spend.

USL NEWS

The USL has begun posting their countdown of the Top 25 USL First Division players of the past Decade:
25-21
20
19
18
17
16
15
14

Will any of my beloved Thunder make this list??

SOCCER IN AMERICA

Coming May 20 & 21 to the Silverdome in Detroit: the Green Soccer Bowl - Ghana v Puerto Rico and Kenya v Malaysia.
-More from the Detroit Free Press.
-I don't want to be Mr. Negative here, but what do you think the odds are of this event actually taking place? I give it 6-1 against.

TEAM USA

JERMAINE JONES UPATE! JERMAINE JONES UPATE! JERMAINE JONES UPATE!
Ives Galarcep of Soccer By Ives gives a link to the first Jermaine Jones update we have had all year long. (Here is the original article from Der Westen in German.)
-He is making slow progress, but the injury appears healed and he is working with a ball at his feet.

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Official Team Blog

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The Original Winger has a video interview with Jonathan Bornstein.

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Friendly Match & Score:
USA v El Salvador - 6pm Central on ESPN Classic
Venue: Raymond James Stadium - Tampa FL

AMERICANS IN EUROPE

The Liverpool Daily Echo talks to Everton captain Phil Neville who very much wants the team to buy Landon Donovan.
-They know their best bet to get Donovan is again next January in a similar move as this year. That's not much.

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Yanks Abroad talks to former USA great and current Technical Director at NAC Breda in the Netherlands, Earnie Stewart.

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Game Action: (only those that played are listed)

ENGLAND - Championship League
Kenny cooper - Plymouth Argyle - Tue Feb 16 v Swansea City
Jay DeMerit - Watford - Tue Feb 16 at Queens Park Rangers
Frank Simek - Sheffield Wednesday - Tue Feb 16 v Doncaster Rovers

ENGLAND - League One
Mike Grella - Leeds - Tue Feb 16 v Walsall

UEFA - Europa League - Round of 32 - 1st Leg
Landon Donovan - Everton - went the distance as they beat Sporting at home 2-1. They second leg is in Lisbon.
Tim Howard - Everton - played the entire match as usual and beat Sporting at home 2-1.

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Coming Up: (all possible players are listed)

ENGLAND - Premier League
Stuart Holden - Bolton - Wed Feb 17 at Wigan

ENGLAND - Championship League
Frank Simek - Sheffield Wednesday - Tue Feb 16 v Doncaster Rovers

GREECE - League Cup - Quarterfinal - Replay
Freddy Adu - Aris - Wed Feb 17 v Xanthi
Eddie Johnson - Aris - Wed Feb 17 v Xanthi

AMERICANS IN MEXICO

Coming Up - Mid-week matches:

PRIMERA DIVISION
Edgar Castillo - UANL Tigres - Wed Feb 17 v Santos Laguna
Herculez Gomez - Pueblo - Wed Feb 17 v San Luis
Jose Francisco Torres - Pachuca - Wed Feb 17 v Guadalajara
Marco Vidal - Indios Juarez - Wed Feb 17 at Atlas

UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE

Round of 32, 1st Leg happens this week with one game on Tue Feb 16 and the rest on Thu Feb 18. Here are the match-ups.

ENGLAND

Everton's giant mop-head Marouane Fellaini will be out 6 months after surgery to repair ruptured ankle ligaments.

FRANCE

COUPE DE FRANCE - Round of 16
-Wed Feb 17
Brest v Lens
-Already advanced: PSG, Quevilly, Boulogne, Sochaux, Auxerre, Monaco & St Etienne.

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COUPE DE LA LIGUE - Semifinals
-Wed Feb 17
Lorient v Bordeaux
-Marseille has already advanced to the Final.

ITALY

Rob Hughes looks at the still influential dirtiest man in Italian footbal, Lucky Luciano Moggi. He of the Juventus referee fixing scandal of '06.

COPA LIBERTADORES

The Group Stage, which runs through to Apr 22.

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Tim Vickery of the BBC looks at the role the Mexican teams play in this tournament.
-That TV money is an important factor.

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GROUP STAGE - February Matches & Scores:
-Tue Feb 16
Libertad v Blooming
Colo Colo v Italia
-Wed Feb 17
Universitario v Lanus
Cuenca v Banfield
-Thu Feb 18
Alianza v Estudiantes
Universidad v Caracas