Some Soccer News for Oct 12, 2015

Lets begin with USA-Mexico:
If you watched the game you know that it wasn't nearly as close as the score would indicate. Yes, the USA did a great job fighting back twice to tie the game. But Mexico deserved the 3-2 win all the way.
-More notes:
-Bobby Wood has 3 goals for the USA - against Netherlands, Germany and Mexico. Wow.
-USA has lost 4 of its last 5 games.
-Klinsmann had never lost to Mexico before.
-The last time the USA lost to Mexico was the 2011 Gold Cup Final when after going up 2-0, they gave up 4 unanswered and Bob Bradley lost his job.

Up next is USA v Costa Rica on Tuesday at Red Bull Arena in Harrison NJ.
-Looks like 6pm CT kickoff. I am going to watch the game at the Sweetwater in St Paul. Anyone want to join me?

The USA released these players after Saturdays game: Nick Rimando, DaMarcus Beasley, Matt Besler, Kyle Beckerman, Michael Bradley, Graham Zusi, Clint Dempsey and Chris Wondolowski.

And the USA called in these players for Tuesdays game: Bill Hamid, Mix Diskerud, Lee Nguyen, Brek Shea and Andrew Wooten.

So here is the full roster for the Costa Rica game:
G: Brad Guzan, Bill Hamid, Tim Howard
D: Ventura Alvarado, Geoff Cameron, Brad Evans, Fabian Johnson, Michael Orozco, Tim Ream, Jonathan Spector
M: Alejandro Bedoya, Mix Diskerud, Jermaine Jones, Lee Nguyen, Brek Shea, Danny Williams, DeAndre Yedlin
F: Jozy Altidore, Bobby Wood, Andrew Wooten, Gyasi Zardes

If was in charge my starting 11 from that roster would be:
Hamid
Yedlin, Cameron, Ream, Shea
Bedoya, Williams, Nguyen, Johnson
Altidore, Zardes

dN

Oh yeah, the USA Olympic team was beaten 2-0 by Honduras on Saturday too, which knocked them out of an automatic spot in the Olympics. The USA must now beat Canada on Tuesday and if they win that then they will take on Colombia for an Olympic berth. Not going to be easy at all.

dN

Word coming from Red Bull Leipzig is that American forward Terrence Boyd has had complications from his knee surgery that occurred 10 months ago and must undergo another procedure on his repaired knee. Oof.

dN

Bill Manning has been named the new president of Toronto FC.
-Listen to my sit down interview with Manning while he was President of Real Salt Lake.

dN

What is the future for some of the biggest names on the Chicago Fire - Mike Magee, Jeff Larentowicz and Jon Busch? By Orrin Schwarz of the Daily Herald.

dN

Minnesota United clinched the 3rd spot of 4 available in the NASL playoffs.
-MNUFC beat Fort Lauderdale 2-1 on first half goals by Pablo Campos and Daniel Mendes. Both goals were excellent team goals with multiple players involved.
-Full match highlights.

More Minnesota & NASL notes:
-Cosmos and Ottawa had already clinched NASL playoff spots.
-Simple mathes tell us there is 1 spot left.
-Somehow NO teams have been eliminated from the playoffs.
-Tampa Bay, Fort Lauderdale and Edmonton are in the best position to claim the final playoff spot.
-Since losing to the Cosmos 2-1 on Aug 5 Minnesota has 8 wins and 3 ties, grabbing 29 out of 33 points.
-Minnesota is now within 3 points of Ottawa for the fall title and 1 point behind Cosmos for the overall title (with a game in hand.)
-Minnesota goes to Indy on Saturday, and I will be there!
-Then Minnesota finishes the regular season with home games against Atlanta and San Antonio.
-Minnesota has scored 50 goals in 27 games this season. Only shut out twice.

dN

My old podcasting pal Wes Burdine did an interview with former Minnesota United player Miguel Ibarra about life with Leon in Mexico.

dN

It will be Rochester Rhinos v LA Galaxy II on Friday night for the USL championship.

dN

Only 8 of the 24 places for Euro 2016 are still in play, and this week is the last round of the group stage (3 spots will get filled.) After that we get some sort of the usual convoluted playoffs for those last 5 spots. (I think!?!?)



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