Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Some Soccer News for Nov 30, 2016

It's Day 335 of 2016.




We all know about the horrible plane crash on Monday night in Colombia that killed almost everyone involved in the Brazilian club Chapecoense, but most of us know next to nothing about the team, and the awful sadness that has enveloped the city of Chapeco. by Simon Romero of the New York Times.

dN

MLS Playoffs
Lots of preview material to read:
Semifinals Schedule
2nd Leg
-Sun Nov 27
Colorado Rapids 0-1 Seattle Sounders - SS advances 3-1 on aggregate - SS goal by Jordan Morris.
-Wed Nov 30
Toronto v Montreal (2-3) - 6:00pm CT on FS1

Final is in Toronto if TFC wins tonight.
Final is in Seattle if Montreal wins tonight.

MLS Cup Final:
-Sat Dec 10
Seattle + ???

dN

Someone has leaked the 2017 MLS game ball. Its different:


dN

Let me first say that I hate rumors... There are a lot of rumors swirling around the internet about the NASL. I don't know what to read or believe or anything. But there is plenty of talk of the New York Cosmos going belly up, followed by the whole league going belly up, followed by multiple teams jumping ship to the USL. If you want to stay abreast of the rumors I suggest you check out these Twitter feeds (you don't need Twitter to read them, just a browser):

dN

On Monday the New York Cosmos laid-off most employees, told players they are free to look for other teams, and left many people unpaid. Yesterday their sibling TV company One World Sports did the same thing. By Andrew Bucholtz of Awful Announcing.

dN

Our very smart Friend-In-Football Mr T. Zathras has put together a great quiz for fans of USMNT:
Can you name the USMNT players Capped by Jurgen Klinsmann?
  • I got 63 on the Klinsmann list. And a 60 on the Arena list. Let me know your scores.

dN

Bruce Arena knows he needs to add to the attack for the USMNT. By Doug McIntyre of ESPNFC.

Arena did a long sit down interview with the crew at MLS Extra Time Radio. [VIDEO] By Andrew Wiebe and David Gass of MLSsoccer.com.

dN

Refreshments: du Nord Music Mix Vol 106 (download + extract)

dN

Liga MX Apertura Liguilla Semifinals:
Semifinals Schedule:
1st Leg
-Wed Nov 30
Leon(8) v Tigres(3) - 8:30pm CT on Univision Deportes
-Thu Dec 1
Necaxa(7) v America(5) - 9:00pm CT on Univision Deportes
2nd Leg
-Sat Dec 3
Tigres(3) v Leon(8)
-Sun Dec 4
America(5) v Necaxa(7)

Americans in Liga MX Liguilla:
  • William Yarborough - Leon
  • Jose Torres - Tigres
  • Ventura Alvarado - America



The Bird Is The Word

posted by brucio at 16:00 0 Comments From Mental Giants Like Me & You (Click to add yours here Muchacho!)

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Some Soccer News for Nov 29, 2016

It's Day 334 of 2016.




In devastating news, Brazilian team Chapecoense from Chapeco, Santa Catarina, Brazil was on their way to Medellin, Colombia for the 1st Leg of the Copa Sudamericana Final against Atletico Nacional when their air plane crashed in the mountain Cerro Gordo.
  • 76 people are dead. Rest In Power.
  • 3 players, Alan Ruschel, Jackson Follman and Neto survived, along with a journalist, a flight attendant and a flight crew member.
  • The team flew commercial airlines from Sao Paulo to Santa Cruz, Bolivia where they changed to a private charter, which is the plane that crashed.
  • The best coverage is from Brazilian newspaper O Globo. (in Portuguese)
  • Damn, this is some really sad news!

In a wonderful gesture the director of Atletico Nacional has asked CONMEBOL to award the Sudamericana championship to Chapecoense.

dN

Minnesota United introduces new head coach Adrian Heath:


Here is the story on the Heath hiring:

An interview with Heath about his new job and his ambitions. By Paul Tenorio of Four Four Two.

dN

Bruce Arena laid out his plan for the USMNT:

Someone who for a short time shined as a USA international player was John O'Brien. What does he think of the re-hiring of Bruce Arena? By Miguel Delaney of ESPNFC.

dN

Yesterday people were talking about one of Jurgen Klinsmann's biggest accomplishments was getting the team out of the Group Of Death at the 2014 World Cup. So I started thinking about this Group Of Death concept. It is always tagged the day the draw is made. But I realized, like the Golden Ball this tag should be applied post-tournament when the facts are in, not pre-tournament when its just pure speculation. The Group Of Death as we know it rarely lives up to its billing.

dN

18 year old American Josh Perez made his debut for Fiorentina yesterday, coming on as a sub in the 75th minute. He is a midfielder. They lost 4-2 at Inter.

Another American, 21 year old forward Jack McBean, formerly of the LA Galaxy, made his debut at Coventry City (English League One, third division) on Saturday. He also came on as a 75th minute sub. They lost 1-2 v MK Dons.

dN

MLS Playoffs - Semifinals Schedule:
2nd Leg
-Sun Nov 27
Colorado Rapids 0-1 Seattle Sounders
-Wed Nov 30
Toronto v Montreal (2-3) - 6:00pm CT on FS1

If Toronto wins then they host the Final. If Montreal wins the Final is played in Seattle.
  • Come on Montreal!

dN

Toronto FC is focused on winning Wednesday night and will think about hosting MLS Cup after that. By Kurt Larson of the Toronto Sun.

dN

The Impact are prepared for hostility! By Bill Beacon of the Canadian Press. Via the Gazette.

dN

Sporting Kansas City has signed head coach Peter Vermes to a new contract.

dN

USWNT have been knocked out of the Women's U20 World Cup.
  • USWNT U20 lost 1-2 to North Korea in the Semifinals in Added Extra Time.
  • USA came from behind to tie the game in the dying seconds of regular time only to see N Korea score immediately off the AET kickoff.
Semifinals Results:
-Tue Nov 29
USA 1-2 North Korea
Japan 1-2 France
Final:
-Sat Dec 3
North Korea v France

dN

Coming up this weekend in Europe:
-Sat Dec 3
Manchester City v Chelsea
Barcelona v Real Madrid
-Sun Dec 4
Lazio v Roma



The Bird Is The Word

posted by brucio at 16:32 0 Comments From Mental Giants Like Me & You (Click to add yours here Muchacho!)

Monday, November 28, 2016

Some Soccer News for Nov 28, 2016

It's Day 333 of 2016.


Seattle Sounders are into MLS Cup Final.
  • After making the playoffs in all 8 seasons in MLS, this is the clubs first trip to the championship.

MLS Playoffs - Semifinals Schedule and Results:
  • Seattle will host the final if Montreal beats Toronto. Otherwise the Sounders head to Ontario for the championship game on Dec 10.
  • Colorado lost at home for the only time this season. Not a good time to have that happen.
  • Rapids lose war of attrition that is usually their forte at altitude. By Daniel Boniface of the Denver Post.
  • Colorado had 16 shots, and Seattle keeper Stefan Frei had 0 saves. That is poor shooting.
  • Jordan Morris spent the 48 hours prior to the game in bed with the flu, then started, got the crapped knocked out of him for 90 minutes and still got the game winner. One helluva effort.
  • A truly ugly Semifinal game. Lets hope Wednesday is better.
1st Leg
-Tue Nov 22
Montreal Impact 3-2 Toronto - MI goals by Dominic Oduro, Matteo Mancosu + Ambroise Oyongo. T goals by Jozy Altidore + Michael Bradley.
Seattle Sounders 2-1 Colorado Rapids - SS goals by Jordan Morris + Nicolas Lodeiro (PK). CR goal by Kevin Doyle.

2nd Leg
-Sun Nov 27
Colorado Rapids 0-1 Seattle Sounders - SS advances 3-1 on aggregagte. SS goal by Jordan Morris.
-Wed Nov 30
Toronto v Montreal - 6:00pm CT on FS1

Seeding for hosting MLS Cup:
  1. Toronto
  2. Seattle Sounders
  3. Montreal Impact

dN

LA Galaxy wasted no time in filling half of Bruce Arena's job: Peter Vagenas has been named General Manager.

dN

With Bruce Arena now the former LA Galaxy head coach the team has released some of his very best quotes during his reign. By Adam Serrano of the LA Galaxy.
  • The funniest: "Actually, analytics in soccer, if no one here has figured it out, doesn’t mean a whole lot. Analytics and statistics are used for people who don’t know how to analyze the game."
  • My favorite: "At the end of the day, there’s 11 players on the field. And once in a while it’s 10."

dN

NASL has sunk further into crisis with word of lack of funds for champions New York Cosmos. By Dave Martinez of Empire Of Soccer.
-The gist of what is happening:
  • "The team hasn’t taken ticket deposits for next year."
  • "The location of their 2017 home venue remains a mystery."
  • "Players are being shopped for transfer."
  • "Payroll isn’t being met."
  • "Staff are being furloughed."

Also: "The NASL is conducting a Board of Governors meeting this Tuesday to address the future of the league."

dN

Today is a grand day in music! One of my favorite and one of the most interesting artists of the 2000s releases a new single today!
  • Burial - "Young Death" + "Nightmarket"


dN

Things for US Soccer to consider when hiring the next head coach. Mostly good old fashioned common sense with some CONCACAF and USA specifics mixed in. By Gabriel Marcotti of ESPNFC.
  • The 2nd part of this article has the best insight for us die-hards.

dN

Only one person was able to split open the Jurgen Klinsmann myth during the 5 year spell, and he paid with his job - why not read what that person thinks will be the Klinsmann legacy. By Brian Straus of Sports Illustrated.
  • To me, this is the most damning: "Among the seven U.S. teams that have qualified for the World Cup in American soccer’s modern era, Klinsmann’s side took the fewest shots per 90 minutes, yielded the most and eclipsed only the 1994 squad in possession."

dN

Trinidad + Tobago follow suit with the USA and fired their head coach after losing the first two World Cup qualifiers - Stephen Hart has been shown the door.
  • The whole federation is a mess, no surprise, courtesy of the crook Jack Warner.

dN

USWNT in Women's U20 World Cup
  • USA on to the Semifinals, coming from behind to win 2-1 in the Qfinals over rivals Mexico!
  • 2 substitutes got the USA goals - Ally Watt and Kelcie Hedge.
Quarterfinal Results:
-Thu Nov 24
North Korea 3-2 Spain
Japan 3-1 Brazil
-Fri Nov 25
USA 2-1 Mexico
Germany 0-1 France
Semifinals Schedule:
-Tue Nov 29
USA v North Korea - Tonight at midnight CT on FS1.
Japan v France
Final:
-Sat Dec 3

dN

The Bob Bradley + Swansea City Tracker:
  • Note - A very wild win on Saturday. The first win for Bradley. Leading 3-2 with 16 minutes to play they gave up 2 goals and trailed 4-3 as stoppage time began. But they got goals in the 1st and 3rd minutes of added time to dramatically win it.
  • Results - Sat Nov 26 W 5-4 v Crystal Palace
  • Standings - 19th Place, 2 Points + -5 GD into Relegation
  • Up Next - Sat Dec 3 at Tottenham (its going to be a very rough run with 7 more games to play before the transfer window opens in January)

dN

Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action. From the Guardian.

dN

Liga MX Apertura Liguilla Quarterfinals:
  • There will be no repeat Champion in Mexico as Pachuca is OUT.
  • 3 of the 4 lower seeds advanced! Including the #7 and #8!
  • Tigres the #3 is the highest seed left.
1st Leg
-Wed Nov 23
Leon(8) 3-0 Tijuana(1)
Necaxa(7) 2-1 Pachuca(2)
Pumas(6) 2-2 Tigres(3)
America(5) 1-1 Guadalajara(4)
2nd Leg
-Sat Nov 26
Tijuana 3-2 Leon - Leo adv 5-3 on agg
Necaxa 0-0 Pachuca - Nec adv 2-1 on agg
Tigres 5-0 Pumas - Tig adv 7-2 on agg
Guadalajara 0-1 America - Ame adv 2-1 on agg

Semifinals Schedule:
1st Leg
-Wed Nov 30
Leon(8) v Tigres(3)
Necaxa(7) v America(5)
2nd Leg
-Sat Dec 3
Tigres(3) v Leon(8)
America(5) v Necaxa(7)

Americans in Liga MX Liguilla:
  • William Yarborough - Leon - in goal for both legs as they advance.
  • Miguel Ibarra - Leon - not in uniform for either leg as they advance.
  • Michael Orozco - Tijuana - started the 1st game and on the bench in 2nd game but they are knocked out.
  • Paul Arriola - Tijuana - not in uniform for either leg but they are knocked out.
  • Jose Torres - Tigres - subbed on in 1st game and on the bench in 2nd game as they advance.
  • Omar Gonzalez - Pachuca - went the distance in both legs but they are knocked out.
  • Ventura Alvarado - America - on the bench for the 1st leg and STARTED and went 83 minutes in 2nd leg as they advance. Only his 2nd appearance of the whole season.

dN

The Miguel Herrera + Tijuana Tracker:
  • Results - Playoffs - Quarterfinals - Wed Nov 23 L 3-0 at Leon, Sat Nov 26 W 3-2 v Leon
  • Standings - Knocked out of playoffs in Quarterfinals on 5-3 aggregate score
  • Up Next - Apertura season is over

dN

RB Leipzig are from the old East Germany, owned by Red Bull, but not allowed to call themselves that, and are roundly loathed by most German fussball fans. They are also in first place above mighty Bayern. By Barry Glendenning of the Guardian.

dN

A former Yugoslavian club with a history dating back to 1932 was torn apart by war in the 1990s. Today 2 teams, FK Trepca and KF Trepca, claim the same history and colors, but little else, beyond sadness. By James Montague of the New York Times.

dN

USL team Arizona United has been renamed Phoenix Rising. OK then.



The Bird Is The Word

posted by brucio at 15:59 1 Comments From Mental Giants Like Me & You (Click to add yours here Muchacho!)

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

I'm Stuffing A Turkey

See you next week.

posted by brucio at 21:34 0 Comments From Mental Giants Like Me & You (Click to add yours here Muchacho!)

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Some Soccer News for Nov 22, 2016

It's Day 327 of 2016.


Jurgen Klinsmann is out. I just have to say it again.

And my name sake and Zen master Bruce Arena has been named as the new national team coach:


I am not surprised or disappointed by this hire. Its not the sexiest choice. But I really think with the issues at hand the US federation went for safe, simple and solid. Klinsmann was a longer term plan that had ground to a halt and and begun to spin down the drain. Now its all about plugging the holes, and winning games to take the team to Russia. Then they can get back to the bigger plan.

US Soccer president Sunil Gulati had a press conference today to answer all the questions everyone is asking. I had hoped to include the transcript of that conference call here, but its not been posted by the time I am ready to close up shop for the day. So you will just have to go search that out on your own.

This is the best summation of Jurgen Klinsmann's problems at the helm of the USMNT. By Doug McIntyre of ESPNFC.

Words from the man who released the bats on Klinsmann back in the winter of 2013, showing that the structure wasn't high quality wood as promised, but rather cheap veneer. By Brian Straus of Sports Illustrated.
  • After his excellent expose in 2013 Straus found himself out of a job and shunned by US Soccer. He has been back in the fold the past year or two but it can't have been comfortable for him.

You know whats gonna happen in 2018 don't you? Klinsmann will get another national team job, that team will qualify for the World Cup and then be drawn into the group with the USA!

Getting back to Bruce Arena for a moment:
  • He will most assuredly say that some of the media don't know what they're talking about!
  • Arena will show off his championship level sarcasm skills.
  • Bruce won't contradict himself, fail to take responsibility, or make promises he can't deliver.
  • And at some point he will bitch about some aspect MLS.

Arena says that their WILL be a domestic player training camp in January.

And finally I would love to see Steve Cherundolo as part of Bruce Arena's USA staff, and be the eyes and ears in Europe.

Sunil Gulati (paraphrasing): "Our fans are far more intelligent about the game then they were 15 or 20 years ago." Touche!

American holding midfielder Danny Williams, currently playing great at Reading, is the first USMNT player to talk about the new head coach and says he is willing to show what he is made of. By Brian Sciaretta of American Soccer Now.

dN

LATE ADDITION:
A hearty thank you message from Jurgen Klinsmann has been posted on his Facebook page. [VIDEO]

dN

Key members of the USA Women's national team were on 60 Minutes Sunday night to talk about their pay and what they see as unfairness and inadequacy. [VIDEO] From 60 Minutes.
  • The collective bargaining agreement between the team and federation dissolves at the end of the day on Dec 31.

A breakdown of that interview and a deeper look at the issues and big questions. By Beau Dure of the Guardian.

dN

Great note from the U20 Women's World Cup. By Mike Woitalla of Soccer America.
  • USA and France ended the group stage tied on points, goal differential, goals scored, goals allowed and head to head. Amazing. So how did the USA get the #1 seed and France the #2? They NEXT tie breaker was yellow card and the USA had 0 while France had 1. Wild.

dN



dN

MLS Playoffs - Semifinals Schedule:
1st Leg
-Tue Nov 22
Montreal Impact v Toronto - 7:00pm CT on ESPN
Seattle Sounders v Colorado Rapids - 9:00pm CT on FS1

dN

So, who does the LA Galaxy hire as their new head coach:
  • Arena's top assistant Dave Sarachan left the team last week, so there will be no promotion for him.

dN

FC Dallas just keeps rolling forward with its plan for total domination on a minimal budget, signing another 15(!) year old from their academy to the senior squad - Bryan Reynolds. That makes 17 of them signed now.

dN

Liga MX Apertura Liguilla Quarterfinals:
1st Leg
-Wed Nov 23
Leon(8) v Tijuana(1)
Necaxa(7) v Pachuca(2)
Pumas(6) v Tigres(3)
America(5) v Guadalajara(4)

dN

UEFA Champions League - Group Stage - Big Teams - Matchday 5:
  • Have already advanced to the knock out rounds: Arsenal (A), Atletico Madrid (D), Bayern Munich (D), Dortmund (F) and PSG (A).
-Tue Nov 22
Sporting 1-2 Real Madrid
Sevilla 1-3 Juventus
-Wed Nov 23
Celtic v Barcelona
Monchengladbach v Manchester City

Americans in the UCL:
  • Christian Pulisic - Dortmund - Tue Nov 22 - Gets the start and was always in the middle of a chaotic wide open game that they won 8-4 v Legia. 12 goals in 1 game is nuts AND a UEFA Champions League record.
  • Fabian Johnson - Monchengladbach - Wed Nov 23 v Man City



The Bird Is The Word

posted by brucio at 15:56 0 Comments From Mental Giants Like Me & You (Click to add yours here Muchacho!)

Monday, November 21, 2016

Some Soccer News for Nov 21, 2016

It's Day 326 of 2016.


Jurgen Klinsmann is gone.



I did not think US Soccer would do this. But seriously, what the fuck do I know.

Bruce Arena is wide speculated to be the next head coach, possibly as soon as Tuesday. We shall see.

These two interviews with Jurgen Klinsmann were probably the end of the line. He was defiant and contradictory and insulting:

Regardless of all of this, I loved how much attention Klinsmann brought to soccer in America. He really raised the profile as few others could have.
dN

How did things go in the five big rivalry matches in Europe over the weekend:
-Sat Nov 19
Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal
Borussia Dortmund 1-0 Bayern Munich
Atletico Madrid 0-3 Real Madrid
-Sun Nov 20
Fenerbahce 2-0 Galatasaray
AC Milan 2-2 Inter Milan

  • The biggest fall out from rivalry weekend is Bayern falling out of the first place in Germany for the first time since September 2015!
  • Due to that loss for Bayern the new surprise leader in the Bundesliga is RB Liepzig!
  • Now American Terrence Boyd needs to get full healed and join the Liepzig first team on the field!

dN

The Bob Bradley + Swansea City Tracker:
  • Results - Sat Nov 19 D 1-1 at Everton
  • Standings - 20th Place, 5 Points into Relegation
  • Up Next - Sat Nov 26 v Crystal Palace

dN

The Miguel Herrera + Tijuana Tracker:
  • Results - Fri Nov 18 L 2-1 at Veracruz
  • Standings - 1st Place - Regular season is over
  • Up Next - Playoffs - Quarterfinals - Wed Nov 23 at Leon, Sat Nov 26 v Leon

dN

MLS Playoffs - Semifinals Schedule:
1st Leg
-Tue Nov 22
Montreal Impact v Toronto - 7:00pm CT on ESPN
Seattle Sounders v Colorado Rapids - 9:00pm CT on FS1
2nd Leg
-Sun Nov 27
Colorado Rapids v Seattle Sounders - 3:00pm CT on ESPN
-Wed Nov 30
Toronto v Montreal Impact - 6:00pm CT on FS1

Seeding for hosting MLS Cup:
1 Colorado Rapids
2 Toronto
3 Seattle Sounders
4 Montreal Impact

dN

All hail the great and powerful Ignacio! By Paul Tenorio of Four Four Two.

dN

Nicolas Lodeiro of Seattle Sounders named MLS Newcomer Of The Year.
  • Other two finalists were Ola Kamara of Columbus Crew and Jelle Van Damme of LA Galaxy.

dN

The time is ripe for more cooperation between MLS and Liga MX. By Tom Marshall of ESPNFC.

dN

In 2015 the top-seven largest sporting crowds in Canada were all soccer matches.
  • Montreal v America in CCL and 6 Women's World Cup games.

dN

Liga MX Apertura Liguilla Quarterfinals:
  • Leon bumped Toluca out of the final playoff spot in the final round of the regular season.
-Wed Nov 23
Leon(8) v Tijuana(1)
Necaxa(7) v Pachuca(2)
Pumas(6) v Tigres(3)
America(5) v Guadalajara(4)
-Sat Nov 26
Tijuana v Leon
Necaxa v Pachuca
Tigres v Pumas
Guadalajara v America

dN

UEFA Champions League - Group Stage - Big Teams - Matchday 5:
  • Advanced to the knock out rounds: Arsenal (A), Atletico Madrid (D), Bayern Munich (D), Dortmund (F) and PSG (A).
-Tue Nov 22
Sporting v Real Madrid
Sevilla v Juventus
-Wed Nov 23
Celtic v Barcelona
Monchengladbach v Manchester City

Americans in the UCL:
  • Christian Pulisic - Dortmund - Tue Nov 22 v Legia
  • Fabian Johnson - Monchengladbach - Wed Nov 23 v Man City

dN

USWNT in Women's U20 World Cup group stage:
  • It will be USA v Mexico in the Quarterfinals on Fri Nov 25!
-Mon Nov 14
USA 0-0 France
-Thu Nov 17
USA 3-1 New Zeland
-Mon Nov 21
USA 1-1 Ghana

Group Stage Standings
5 USA
5 France
3 New Zealand
2 Ghana

Quarterfinals:
-Thu Nov 24
North Korea v Spain (Game 25)
Japan v Brazil (Game 26)
-Fri Nov 25
USA v Mexico (Game 27) - 12:00am (end of Thu) Fri Nov 25 on FS1.
Germany v France (Game 28)
Semifinals:
-Tue Nov 29
Winner 25 v Winner 27
Winner 26 v Winner 28
Final:
-Sat Dec 3

dN





The Bird Is The Word

posted by brucio at 16:02 4 Comments From Mental Giants Like Me & You (Click to add yours here Muchacho!)

Friday, November 18, 2016

Some Soccer News for Nov 18, 2016

It's Day 323 of 2016.


Robbie Keane has left the LA Galaxy. His contract was up and the two sides decided not to pursue a new deal.
  • Good luck finding another player who was as successful as Keane in his 5+ years with the Galaxy. He was a pleasure to watch.
  • No idea where he goes next. I can't imagine him signing for very many, if any, MLS teams. But Keane has said he is not done playing.

dN

Five good choices this weekend for big European club rivalry matches:
-Sat Nov 19
Manchester United v Arsenal - 6:30am CT on NBCSN
Borussia Dortmund v Bayern Munich - 11:30am CT 0n FOX
Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid - 1:45pm CT on beIN Sports
-Sun Nov 20
Fenerbahce v Galatasaray - 11:00am CT - no American TV
AC Milan v Inter Milan - 1:45pm CT on beIN Sports

dN

What does this mess with USMNT head coach Jurgen Klinsmann say about US Soccer president Sunil Gulati who hired him? By Brian Straus of Sports Illustrated.

dN

Former top notch American player Alecko Eskandarian was forced out of soccer due to repeated concussions. He tells his own sad story. From the Players Tribune.

dN

Investors in St Louis have rolled out their plan to attract MLS. By Mike Faulk of the St Louis Post-Dispatch.

dN

Jozy Altidore is having a terrific season for Toronto on and off the field. By Doug McIntyre of ESPNFC.
  • TFC's Semifinal match up with Montreal could be a something special. Lets hope.
  • The 1st Leg in Montreal is nearing a 61,000 ticket sellout.

dN

The 5 most important topics around MLS and US Soccer this week are dissected. By Steve Davis at FC Dallas.
  • The best one this week: How does Dallas start next season without Mauro Diaz? Answer: Maybe signing Javier Morales who just left Salt Lake. He might be the perfect short term solution. But he probably still wants a multi-year biggish money deal, which is why he is no longer in Salt Lake.

dN

Word from the Bay Area is that Lew Wolff is still the majority owner of the San Jose Earthquakes. It was only the Oakland A's that he sold his shares in.

dN

With word out that Keane and Gerrard have left MLS this week a list has been made of the absolute worst big name/big money signings in MLS history. By Scott French of Four Four Two.

dN

A former English Premier League Player told a horrifying story of being sexually abused by a powerful coach from a young age. This story is so twisted that I am not sure how he survived. By Daniel Taylor of the Guardian.

dN

The Bob Bradley + Swansea City Tracker:
  • Standings - 19th Place, 6 Points into Relegation
  • Up Next - Sat Nov 19 at Everton

dN

The Miguel Herrera + Tijuana Tracker:
  • Standings - 1st Place, 3 Point Lead
  • Up Next - Fri Nov 18 at Veracruz - Final game of regular reason

dN

Liga MX
  • Already qualified for the playoffs: Tijuana (33), Pachuca (30), Tigres (30), Guadalajara (27) and America (27).
  • 3 more playoff spots are still open, and these teams are vying for them:
25 Necaxa - NEXT: Sat Nov 19 at Guadalajara
24 Pumas UNAM - NEXT: Sun Nov 20 at Puebla
24 Toluca - NEXT: Sun Nov 20 v Santos Laguna
-----
23 Leon - NEXT: Sat Nov 19 at Cruz Azul
22 Monterrey - NEXT: Sat Nov 19 at Morelia

dN

Copa Libertadores will be greatly enlarged starting with next year. 44 teams will take part, and  from the opening to final games 42 weeks will pass. That is crazy big. Via ESPNFC.
  • Due to this decision by CONMEBOL Mexico has decided that they will no longer be able to participate. More on that via ESPNFC.



The Bird Is The Word

posted by brucio at 15:21 0 Comments From Mental Giants Like Me & You (Click to add yours here Muchacho!)

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Some Soccer News for Nov 17, 2016

It's Day 322 of 2016.


Rumor spread this morning the Jurgen Klinsmann was going to Chicago to meet with US Soccer honchos to talk about his future as head coach. Later in the day word went out that Klinsmann was in Germany, not Chicago. False alarm.

dN

Now is the time to fire Jurgen Klinsmann, or stick with him through this cycle of qualifying no matter what happens. By Steven Goff of the Washington Post.

dN

I heard a sports psychologist say that if you are going to make a change in your tactics you need at least 4 months training to implement that, but 1 year is preferable to achieve desired results.
  • See: USMNT shifting to 3-5-2 against Mexico as a prime example of what NOT to do. If this was a serious consideration then they should have started this process right after Copa America and stuck with it till they got it right.

dN

Soccer in the United States, from top to bottom, is the soft option. Hmmmmmmm. By Matthew Hall of the Guardian.

dN

Enter Sandman [VIDEO]
  • You will really like this. I know I did.
  • No, its not a Bernie Sanders thing.

dN

Vines: du Nord Music Mix Vol 105 (download + extract)

dN

The beautiful and powerful Chicano Park is San Diego is in line to become a National Historic Landmark. From the San Diego Union Tribune.
  • I visited this park 2 years ago and the giant murals blew me away.
  • There was a park in the city that was mainly used by Latinos and in the 60s the city decided to build a freeway right through it.
  • The citizen took it upon themselves to not let the park die or divide them.
  • They used the giant pillars that supported the freeway as their mural and told their stories in vibrant colors.
  • It is a beautiful place to visit. I highly recommend you check it out.
  • A huge thanks to Sasha who first took me there.

dN

Three college basketball players from University of Wisconsin talk politics, race, athletics and more. By Marc Tracy of the New York Times.

dN

Interview with Victor Montagliani, president of CONCACAF. We still know very little about him and what his ideas are for the region. [VIDEO] From Leaders.

dN

Andre Blake of Philadelphia Union has been named MLS Goalkeeper Of The Year.
  • Other finalists were Tim Howard and Luis Robles.

dN

Zac MacMath gets his job back in Colorado after Tim Howards injury ended his season, and boy oh boy are they ever lucky to have kept him. By Jeff Carlisle of ESPNFC.

dN

It looks as though Benny Feilhaber was very close to leaving Sporting Kansas City but a last minute intervention stopped that from happening. He signed a new deal to stay with SKC yesterday. By Sam McDowell of the Kansas City Star.

dN

This is exciting: Dallas has signed 15 year old Jesus Ferreira as their latest player from their academy to turn pro.
  • He is the son of former Dallas star and league MVP in 2010 David Ferreira.

dN

San Jose Earthquakes owner Lew Wolff has sold his stake in the Oakland A's baseball team to his business partner John Fisher, and Earthquakes president Dave Kaval has been promoted to president of both the A's and Earthquakes. From the AP. Thanks to Joe for the heads up.
  • I don't know if that means Wolff sold his share of the Earthquakes too.

dN

Dave Sarachan, long time assistant coach under Bruce Arena at LA Galaxy, has left his job to pursue a head coaches position.
  • Sarachan was the head coach at the Chicago Fire for several years.
  • Him leaving LA leads me to believe that the Galaxy job is not being offered to him and Bruce Arena is likely going nowhere.

dN

DC United has completed the purchase of attacking midfielder Luciano Acosta from Boca Juniors. He played in DC on a loan deal last season and became better and better as the season wore on.

dN

Keepin em all in house I guess: Portland Timbers have hired just retired player Jack Jewsbury as Director of Business Development.

dN

The Bob Bradley + Swansea City Tracker:
  • Standings - 19th Place, 6 Points into Relegation
  • Up Next - Sat Nov 19 at Everton

dN

The Miguel Herrera + Tijuana Tracker:
  • Standings - 1st Place, 3 Point Lead
  • Up Next - Fri Nov 18 at Veracruz - Final game of regular reason

dN

Liga MX - last game of the Apertura regular season.
  • Already qualified for the playoffs: Tijuana (33), Pachuca (30), Tigres (30), Guadalajara (27) and America (27).
  • 3 more playoff spots are still open, and these teams are vying for them:
25 Necaxa - NEXT: Sat Nov 19 at Guadalajara
24 Pumas UNAM - NEXT: Sun Nov 20 at Puebla
24 Toluca - NEXT: Sun Nov 20 v Santos Laguna
-----
23 Leon - NEXT: Sat Nov 19 at Cruz Azul
22 Monterrey - NEXT: Sat Nov 19 at Morelia

dN

USWNT in Women's U20 World Cup group stage:
-Mon Nov 14
USA 0-0 France
-Thu Nov 17
USA 3-1 New Zealand
-Mon Nov 21
USA v Ghana

Group Stage Standings
4 USA
3 New Zealand
2 France
1 Ghana

dN

The EPL has signed a TV deal in China worth $700M over 3 years. Insane.

dN

Five great choices this weekend for big European club rivalry matches:
-Sat Nov 19
Manchester United v Arsenal - 6:30am CT
Borussia Dortmund v Bayern Munich - 11:30am CT
Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid - 1:45am CT
-Sun Nov 20
Fenerbahce v Galatasaray - 11:00am CT
AC Milan v Inter Milan - 1:45pm CT



The Bird Is The Word

posted by brucio at 15:38 0 Comments From Mental Giants Like Me & You (Click to add yours here Muchacho!)

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Some Soccer News for Nov 16, 2016

It's Day 321 of 2016.


Minnesota United has hired former Thunder player and coach Amos Magee as Director of Player Personnel. Fantastic.

Manny Lagos asked the other 4 men at the table to touch Amos Magee and then smell their hand, "He smells like a winner! Right?!?!"


dN

USMNT World Cup Qualifying:
-Tue Nov 15
Costa Rica 4-0 USA - CR goals by Johan Venegas, Cristian Bolanos + Joel Campbell(2).

My USA Notes:
  • I got the Every Four Years Painful Costa Rica Meltdown Blues.
  • Well, that was rough. Then again so is every trip to Costa Rica.
  • You can't blame this one on the formation.
  • The sad part is that any mystique the USA ever had in CONCACAF is completely gone. Not one team is intimidated to line up against them. So many first time losses to these countries have leveled the playing field. It will take a decade or more to rebuild that shield.
  • The USA has 4 months to fix what is wrong or bring in a new coach.
  • "We didn’t imagine to go into the hexagonal with two defeats right in the beginning." - Jurgen Klinsmann. You didn't? Cuz all of us did. We all imagined it and knew it was possible. There is no surprise here.
  • I didn't see Fabian Johnson or Christian Pulisic on the field. I thought I saw their names in the starting lineup.
  • For the 2nd game in a row John Brooks was a disaster. And he is considered one of our best and brightest.
  • For the good of the team Jermaine Jones can't keep playing for the USA. They have no spot for him on the field, yet the coach won't replace him in the line up. he must retire now.
  • Matt Besler at fullback in World Cup qualifying? Really? Seriously?
  • In the first half the two teams were pretty even. A 0-0 score after 45 would have been OK.

One major soccer journalist finally calls for Klinsmann to be removed from the job. By Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated.
  • As the day has worn on others have hinted at the same thing.

So what's next? By Brian Sciaretta of American Soccer Now.

Analyzing a game like this is never easy, fun or satisfying. But he does it anyway. (Probably with a stiff drink in his hand.) By Matt Doyle of MLSsoccer.

dN

The Hex - CONCACAF World Cup qualifying:
  • Panama celebrated like they qualified for the World Cup.
  • Costa Rica celebrated like they expected to win without issue.
  • Honduras got one of the few (maybe the only) win in which they were the favorite.
  • The USA stunk the place out. This morning the smell was so strong in the locker room that the stadium cleaning crew just set fire to the place.
Matchday 2
-Tue Nov 15
Costa Rica 4-0 USA
Honduras 3-1 Trinidad + Tobago
Panama 0-0 Mexico

Standings:
(2 of 10 games played)
6 Costa Rica (+6)
4 Mexico (+1)
4 Panama (+1)
3 Honduras (+1)
0 T+T (-4)
0 USA (-5)
  • Matchdays 3 + 4 will be held on Fri Mar 24 and Tue Mar 28.

dN

Vines: du Nord Music Mix Vol 105 (download + extract)

dN

Sporting Kansas City has announced that both Benny Feilhaber and Ike Opara have signed new contracts with the team.

dN

Portland Timbers named The Notorious N.E.D. Ned Grabavoy as Director of Scouting and Recruitment.
  • Like a lot of MLS teams, hiring more white guys.

dN

Chris Pontius of Philadelphia Union named Comeback Player Of The Year
  • Other finalists were Frank Lampard and Kevin Molino.

dN

3-4-1-2. The latest formation craze that all the hip kids are gushing over. As explained by Jonathan Wilson of the Guardian.

dN

The Miguel Herrera + Tijuana Tracker:
  • Standings - 1st Place, 3 Point Lead
  • Up Next - Fri Nov 18 at Veracruz - Final game of regular reason

dN

Liga MX - Final round of the regular season:
  • Tijuana (33), Pachuca (30), Tigres (30), Guadalajara (27) and America (27) have already advanced to the playoffs.
  • And the other 3 playoff spots are up for grabs. Here is who is in the the race:
25 Necaxa - NEXT: Sat Nov 19 at Guadalajara
24 Pumas UNAM - NEXT: Sun Nov 20 at Puebla
24 Toluca - NEXT: Sun Nov 20 v Santos Laguna
-----
23 Leon - NEXT: Sat Nov 19 at Cruz Azul
22 Monterrey - NEXT: Sat Nov 19 at Morelia

dN

CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying:
Matchday 12
  • With a loss Columbia falls from 3rd to 6th place and out of the qualifying positions.
  • And with 2 wins Chile goes from 6th place to 4th and back in to contention.
  • Argentina also moves up 1 and back into the playoff position.
-Tue Nov 15
Ecuador 3-0 Venezuela
Bolivia 1-0 Paraguay
Chile 3-1 Uruguay
Argentina 3-0 Colombia
Peru 0-2 Brazil

Standings
(12 of 18 games played)
27 Brazil (+19)
23 Uruguay (+13)
20 Ecuador (+6)
20 Chile (+4)
-----
19 Argentina (+2)
-----
18 Colombia (+0)
15 Paraguay (-6)
14 Peru (-2)
7 Bolivia (-21)
5 Venezuela (-15)



The Bird Is The Word

posted by brucio at 15:46 0 Comments From Mental Giants Like Me & You (Click to add yours here Muchacho!)

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Some Soccer News for Nov 15, 2016

It's Day 330 of 2016.


CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying:
-Tue Nov 15
Costa Rica v USA - Estadio Nacional, San Jose - 8:00pm CT on beIN Sports

dN

Tonight is not a must win for the USMNT. That only happens when you will be eliminated if you don't win. But this game his huge. And the odds are very very very long.

Head coach Jurgen Klinsmann talks to a handful of journalists down in Costa Rica late yesterday. By Grant Wahl of Sports Illusrated.
  • Its interesting that Klinsmann criticizes Bradley and Jones for not defending good enough, but says their best qualities are when they go forward and attack, and that's what he wants them to do, attack. Not defend?

Set piece defending (and other things) is killing the USMNT. By Paul Kennedy of Soccer America.
  • Time to bust out my Iron Skillet Training Method. Fans come to training. 23 of them are picked and handed a cast iron skillet. 1 for each player on both sides of the ball and 1 for the coach. Every time someone makes a mistake the assigned fan clobbers them over the head with the iron skillet. It does not take long to fix problems with my proven and trademarked training system.

No surprise here but Klinsmann and Michael Bradley completely disagree on what position suits Bradley's talent best. By Ives Galarcep of Goal.com

The Bobby Wood and Jozy Altidore connection. By Sam Borden of the New York Times.
  • Some really interesting stuff here about Woods early days in Germany - not good.

Why is it so hard to play in places like Costa Rica around CONCACAF. The USA players give their input. By Doug McIntyre of ESPNFC.

KISS - will the USA Keep It Simple Stupid in Costa Rica? By Brian Straus of Sports Illustrated.

Pregame analytic prognostication. By Matt Doyle of MLSsoccer.

Tim Howard's abductor muscle injury is so bad that he will need surgery to repair it. Damn.

dN

USA Roster:
G
Brad Guzan - Middlesbrough
Ethan Horvath - Molde
William Yarbrough - Leon
D
Matt Besler - Sporting Kansas City
Steve Birnbaum - DC United
John Brooks - Hertha Berlin
Cameron Carter-Vickers - Tottenham
Timmy Chandler - Eintracht Frankfurt
Omar Gonzalez - Pachuca
Fabian Johnson - Monchengladbach
Michael Orozco - Tijuana
DeAndre Yedlin - Newcastle
M
Alejandro Bedoya - Philadelphia Union
Michael Bradley - Toronto
Lynden Gooch - Sunderland
Julian Green - Bayern Munich
Jermaine Jones - Colorado Rapids
Sacha Kljestan - New York Red Bulls
Christian Pulisic - Dortmund
Caleb Stanko - Vaduz
Graham Zusi - Sporting Kansas City
F
Jozy Altidore - Toronto
Alan Gordon - LA Galaxy
Aron Johannsson - Werder Bremen
Bobby Wood - Hamburger

dN

The Hex - CONCACAF World Cup qualifying schedule:
Matchday 2
-Tue Nov 15
Costa Rica v USA - 8:00pm CT on beIN Sports
Honduras v Trinidad + Tobago - 4:00pm CT
Panama v Mexico - 8:00pm CT

Standings
(1 of 10 games played)
3 Costa Rica (+2)
3 Mexico (+1)
3 Panama (+1)
---
0 USA (-1)
---
0 Honduras (-1)
0 T+T (-2)

Matchdays 3 + 4 will be held on Fri Mar 24 and Tue Mar 28.

dN

Costa Rica roster:
G:
Leonel Moreira - Herediano
Keylor Navas - Real Madrid
Patrick Pemberton - Alajuelense
D:
Johnny Acosta - Herediano
Leonardo Gonzalez - Herediano
Allan Miranda - Herediano
Ronald Matarrita - New York City
Bryan Oviedo - Everton
Jose Salvatierra - Alajuelense
Michael Umana - Alajuelense
Kendall Waston - Vancouver Whitecaps
M:
Randall Azofeifa - Herediano
Cristian Bolanos - Vancouver Whitecaps
Celso Borges - Deportivo la Coruna
David Guzman - Saprissa
Yeltsin Tejeda - Lausanne
Johan Venegas - Montreal Impact
Rodney Wallace - Sport Recife
F:
Joel Campbell - Sporting CP
Ariel Rodriguez - Bangkok Glass
Bryan Ruiz - Sporting CP
Marco Urena - Brondby

dN

We are hearing more from Bob Bradley in the past few months than we ever heard in all his previous years combined. Talking about Swansea today and USA yesterday and today. By Martin Rogers of USA Today.

dN

Steven Gerrard has left the LA Galaxy. No surprise there. He did very little for the team.

dN

CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying:
-Matchday 12
-Tue Nov 15
Ecuador v Venezuela
Bolivia v Paraguay
Chile v Uruguay
Argentina v Colombia
Peru v Brazil

Standings
(11 of 18 games played)
24 Brazil
23 Uruguay
18 Colombia
17 Ecuador
-----
17 Chile
-----
16 Argentina
15 Paraguay
14 Peru
5 Venezuela
4 Bolivia




The Bird Is The Word

posted by brucio at 13:59 0 Comments From Mental Giants Like Me & You (Click to add yours here Muchacho!)

Monday, November 14, 2016

Some Soccer News for Nov 14, 2016

It's Day 319 of 2016.


Congrats to the New York Cosmos on winning NASL Championship.

dN

Press Conference with US Soccer president Sunil Gulati. Held before USA v Mexico. By Paul Kennedy of Soccer America.

dN

USMNT World Cup Qualifying:
-Fri Nov 11
USA 1-2 Mexico - USA goal by Bobby Wood. Mex goals by Miguel Layun + Rafael Marquez.
-Tue Nov 15
Costa Rica v USA - Estadio Nacional, San Jose - 8:00pm CT on beIN Sports

My USA Notes:
  • 5-3-2? You line up in a 5-3-2 to start this game?
  • The coach strikes again. The guy who thinks he is smarter than all of us blew it for about the 10th time. How he still has a job is beyond my comprehension. The USA has always been best in a 4-4-2 and in the biggest game in 2 1/2 years he sends them out in a formation they have no idea how to play in. Pathetic. Please.
  • After the game the coach called it a 3-4-3. Nice try buddy. You don't even know what formation you sent your players out in?
  • The team defending on the ONLY CORNER KICK OF THE GAME for Mexico was a complete disaster. Lets break it down. 1. No one protecting for a cross to the front post. 2. No one standing at the back post. 4. Players losing marks, or not knowing who to mark. 4. Goalkeeper off his line. That's an F. Iron Skillet needed.
  • First USA home loss in qualifying to Mexico since 1972.
  • First USA home loss in qualifying since 2001.
  • Klinsmann loves to break streaks! USA had never lost to Jamaica until him. USA had never lost to Guatemala before him. USA had never lost at home to Panama before him. And now this. Sure they won in Mexico, but it was a friendly - those don't matter.
  • Having to use your subs for 2 fullbacks and an injured goalkeeper is inexcusable.
  • Tim Howard has a strained abductor muscle and has left the team. He won't play for Colorado in the MLS playoffs either. Shame.
  • Of all the people to let beat you - Marquez the super villain. Are you kidding me???
  • The Mexico keeper Talavera was beatable.
  • Brad Guzan is not the answer.
  • I don't think a single USA player had a good first half besides Howard.
  • Yes the USA got better. But not until they were down a goal and nearly 3 (a cross bar and a post in the first half for Mexico.)
  • High marks to Altidore, Wood and Pulisic for giving it everything they had with very little help all game long.
  • After the game the coach blamed the players for the poor first half performance. End of story. Again.
  • Its funny, the longer I think about this game the madder I get!

A review of USA-MEX from the analytical side of things. By Matt Doyle of MLSsoccer.

dN

More thoughts on initial formation the USA rolled out v Mexico - I really am pissed off:
  • When you line up with 3 centerbacks who are all used to playing with 2 you are essentially playing with 10 men.
  • When you line up with 2 defensive midfielders who are both used to playing with 1 you are essentially playing with 10 men.
  • When you do both of those things at the same time you are essentially playing with 9 men.
  • Did the USA look like it was playing with 9 men in the first 30 minutes of that game against Mexico?
  • It sure looked like that to me.
  • And when you line up with 7 defensive minded players and give up a goal it’s a complete and utter disaster.
  • When you never line up in a certain formation and then you choose to do it in a huge game against your biggest rival you come off like a fool who thinks you are smarter than everyone else.

dN

USA Roster
G
Brad Guzan - Middlesbrough
Ethan Horvath - Molde
Tim Howard - Colorado Rapids
William Yarbrough - Leon
D
Matt Besler - Sporting Kansas City
Steve Birnbaum - DC United
John Brooks - Hertha Berlin
Cameron Carter-Vickers - Tottenham
Timmy Chandler - Eintracht Frankfurt
Omar Gonzalez - Pachuca
Fabian Johnson - Monchengladbach
Michael Orozco - Tijuana
DeAndre Yedlin - Newcastle
M
Alejandro Bedoya - Philadelphia Union
Michael Bradley - Toronto
Lynden Gooch - Sunderland
Julian Green - Bayern Munich
Jermaine Jones - Colorado Rapids
Sacha Kljestan - New York Red Bulls
Christian Pulisic - Dortmund
Caleb Stanko - Vaduz
Graham Zusi - Sporting Kansas City
F
Jozy Altidore - Toronto
Alan Gordon - LA Galaxy
Aron Johannsson - Werder Bremen
Bobby Wood - Hamburger

dN

The Hex - CONCACAF World Cup qualifying schedule:
Matchday 1
  • The 3 road teams won every game on Friday night. Impressive.
  • I had a feeling that the USA might be the 4th best team in the confederation. Lets hope they improve and not regress even further.
  • Christian Bolanos of Vancouver and Ronald Matarrita of NYC got the goals for Costa Rica.
  • Panama got its goal from 21 year old Fidel Escobar (What A Name!) who plays for Sporting CP II.
-Fri Nov 11
USA 1-2 Mexico
Honduras 0-1 Panama
Trinidad + Tobago 0-2 Costa Rica

Matchday 2
  • Panama has a huge chance to make a statement at home against Mexico.
  • Costa Rica has never lost to the USA at home.
-Tue Nov 15
Costa Rica v USA - 8:00pm CT on beIN Sports
Honduras v Trinidad + Tobago - 4:00pm CT
Panama v Mexico - 8:00pm CT

dN

The USA needs to go to Costa Rica and do what it has not been able to do in the past - get a point or three. By Steven Goff of the Washington Post.
  • The last time the USA got a point in Costa Rica was 1985.

If you are one of those people who wants Jermaine Jones out of the line up then you better hope he gets hurt, cuz otherwise he is playing. By Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated.

The bigger picture of World Cup qualifying for the USA. By Brian Straus of Sports Illustrated.

Projected weather in San Jose Costa Rica at game time is upper 60s and rain.

dN

Costa Rica roster:
  • They lost 2 players due to injury and have added 2 to replace them.
G:
Leonel Moreira - Herediano
Keylor Navas - Real Madrid
Patrick Pemberton - Alajuelense
D:
Johnny Acosta - Herediano
Francesco Calvo - Saprissa
Cristian Gamboa - Celtic
Leonardo Gonzalez
Allan Miranda
Ronald Matarrita - New York City
Bryan Oviedo - Everton
Jose Salvatierra - Alajuelense
Michael Umana - Alajuelense
Kendall Waston - Vancouver Whitecaps
M:
Randall Azofeifa - Herediano
Cristian Bolanos - Vancouver Whitecaps
Celso Borges - Deportivo la Coruna
David Guzman - Saprissa
Yeltsin Tejeda - Lausanne
Johan Venegas - Montreal Impact
Rodney Wallace - Sport Recife
F:
Joel Campbell - Sporting CP
Ariel Rodriguez - Bangkok Glass
Bryan Ruiz - Sporting CP
Marco Urena - Brondby

dN



dN

NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament - 1st Round, 64 teams:
-Sat Nov 12
Minnesota 0-0 North Carolina State - NCS wins 3-2 in Penalty Kick Shootout.
  • Minnesota is out. Losing in penalties after regulation and overtime went scoreless.
  • This was a very big upset. But after seeing MN play twice in person this season I knew goalkeeping was their weak link.

dN

NASL Final:
-Sun Nov 13
New York Cosmos 0-0 Indy Eleven - NYC wins 4-2 in Penalty Kick Shootout.
  • Cosmos are repeat champions and have won the Soccerbowl in 3 of the 4 years they have been in the league.
  • Sadly there were over 400 empty seats in a stadium that only holds 2600. Oof.

dN

Laurent Ciman of Montreal went the full 90 for Belgium as the middle of 3 centerbacks and they beat Estonia 8-1 in UEFA's World Cup qualifying.

dN

Frank Lampard has announced he will not return to NYC for next season.

dN

Jamison Olave has joined the caravan out of Salt Lake.
  • Javi Morales is already gone and lots of rumors say other veterans could go too.

dN

Montreal has sold more than 50,000 tickets for Leg 1 of the MLS Semifinals v Toronto on Tue Nov 22. Capacity is around 60k. They will sell it out.

dN

USWNT in Women's U20 World Cup group stage:
-Mon Nov 14
USA 0-0 France
-Thu Nov 17
USA v New Zeland
-Mon Nov 21
USA v Ghana

dN

USWNT year ending friendlies:
  • Two easy wins.
  • Thu night USA outshot Romania 30-4.
  • Last night USA outshot Romania 31-0.
-Thu Nov 10
USA 8-1 Romania StubHub Center, Carson CA - USA goals by Christen Press (3), Tobin Heath, Morgan Brian, Alex Morgan (2) + Maria Ficzay (OG). Rom goal by Laura Rus.
-Sun Nov 12
USA 5-0 Romania - Avaya Stadium, San Jose CA - USA goals by Teodora Meluta (OG), Crystal Dunn, Christen Press, Morgan Brian (PK) + Samantha Mewis.

dN

UEFA World Cup 2018 qualifiers: 10 talking points from the latest matches. From the Guardian.



The Bird Is The Word

posted by brucio at 16:24 2 Comments From Mental Giants Like Me & You (Click to add yours here Muchacho!)

Friday, November 11, 2016

Some Soccer News for Nov 11, 2016

It's Day 316 of 2016.


Congrats to Christian Ramirez and Justin Davis of Minnesota United who have been named NASL Best 11 for the 3rd consecutive season. (see the rest of the list below)

dN

Lets Get This Hexy Started!

Its gameday! USA v Mexico in Columbus - CONCACAF World Cup qualifying. 6:45pm CT on FS1.

The United States Men's National Team is the most ethnically diverse soccer team in the world. By Simon Evans of the Washington Post.

dN

If you are a talented Mexican-American kid living near the border its a tough decision on where to go try and be a pro - stay in the USA or move to Mexico? By Sam Borden of the New York Times.

dN

All the match previewing you can handle:
Doug McIntyre of ESPNFC
Jeff Carlisle of ESPNFC
Tom Marhsall of ESPNFC
Noah Davis of ESPNFC
Jason Davis of ESPNFC
Caitlyn Murray of Fox Sports
Thomas Hautman of Fox Sports
Michael Arace of Columbus Dispatch
Allison Ward of Columbus Dispatch
Kellen Becoats of Columbus Dispatch
Brian Straus of Sports Illustrated
Steven Goff of Washington Post
Graham Parker of the Guardian

dN

USA Roster
G
Brad Guzan - Middlesbrough
Ethan Horvath - Molde
Tim Howard - Colorado Rapids
William Y4arbrough - Leon
D
Matt Besler - Sporting Kansas City
Steve Birnbaum - DC United
John Brooks - Hertha Berlin
Cameron Carter-Vickers - Tottenham
Timmy Chandler - Eintracht Frankfurt
Omar Gonzalez - Pachuca
Fabian Johnson - Monchengladbach
Michael Orozco - Tijuana
DeAndre Yedlin - Newcastle
M
Alejandro Bedoya - Philadelphia Union
Michael Bradley - Toronto
Lynden Gooch - Sunderland
Julian Green - Bayern Munich
Jermaine Jones - Colorado Rapids
Sacha Kljestan - New York Red Bulls
Christian Pulisic - Dortmund
Caleb Stanko - Vaduz
Graham Zusi - Sporting Kansas City
F
Jozy Altidore - Toronto
Alan Gordon - LA Galaxy
Aron Johannsson - Werder Bremen
Bobby Wood - Hamburger

dN

The Hex - CONCACAF World Cup qualifying schedule:
  • Matchday 1
-Fri Nov 11
USA v Mexico - 6:45pm CT on FS1
Honduras v Panama - 1:30pm CT
Trinidad + Tobago v Costa Rica - 5pm CT
  • Matchday 2
-Tue Nov 15
Costa Rica v USA - 8:00pm CT on beIN Sports
Honduras v Trinidad + Tobago
Panama v Mexico

dN

Mexico roster:
G
Guillermo Ochoa - Granada
Alfredo Talavera - Toluca
Jesus Corona - Cruz Azul
D
Diego Reyes - Espanyol
Hector Moreno - PSV Eindhoven
Carlos Salcedo - Fiorentina
Miguel Layun - Porto
Hugo Ayala - Tigres UANL
Rafael Marquez - Atlas
Nestor Araujo - Santos Laguna
Oswaldo Alanis - Guadalajara
M
Hector Herrera - Porto
Jonathan dos Santos - Villarreal
Andres Guardado - PSV Eindhoven
Marco Fabian - Eintracht Frankfurt
Giovani dos Santos - LA Galaxy
Jesus Duenas - Tigres UANL
Orbelin Pineda - Guadalajara
Jurgen Damm - Tigres UANL
F
Carlos Vela - Real Sociedad
Jesus Manuel Corona - Porto
Raul Jimenez - Benfica
Javier Hernandez - Leverkusen
Hirving Lozano - Pachuca
Oribe Peralta - America

dN

My cautionary note on tonight’s game:
The last proper test of the USMNT game was a brutal 0-4 loss to Argentina in the Copa America. It was the single worst performance I have witnessed from the USMNT in a meaningful game. I had never seen our team get so thoroughly dominated. Yet the outcry from fans and media was muted at best - very little anguish. I think that is a big big mistake.
Today against Mexico and Tuesday at Costa Rica are more important that we can imagine right now. Two losses will put the USA in a hole in World Cup qualifying for sure, but the larger worry is the resulting lack of confidence within the team that could be too big to overcome.
Is this the cycle we don't qualify for the World Cup?
If recent youth team failures are a harbinger then the lights are most certainly dimming or at least flickering. The USMNT needs to win tonight, or things could get ugly, quickly.

So if the ships sinks they are all going down together. No life rafts. No rescue mission. OK:


dN

The USA Women played their 2nd to last game of the calendar year, a friendly in San Jose CA, and beat Romania 8-1. Christen Press led the way with 3 goals and an assist. The same two teams play again on Sunday in Carson CA.

dN

The powerful singer and wordsmith Leonard Cohen has passed away. RIP Lenny.

dN

Do-over: du Nord Music Mix Vol 104 (download + extract)

dN

Matt Hedges of Dallas named MLS Defender Of The Year.

dN

NCAA Womens Soccer Tournament - 1st Round, 64 teams:
-Sat Nov 12
Minnesota (#4) v North Carolina State (#13) - 7pm CT at Elizabeth Robbie Stadium in St Paul

dN

NASL Final Schedule:
-Sun Nov 13
#1 New York Cosmos v #2 Indy Eleven - 6pm CT on CBS Sports Network

dN

Tampa Bay Rowdies owner Bill Edwards pulled out of NASL because of its ties to Traffic Sports that have not been resolved. And other NASL tales of woe. By Matthew Hall of the Guardian.

dN

Miami FC owner Riccardo Silva reflects on his first season in NASL. Lots of topics here. From the Telegraph.

dN

NASL Best 11 for 2016
G
Matt VanOekel - FC Edmonton
FB
Ayoze - New York Cosmos
Justin Davis - Minnesota United
CB
Albert Watson - FC Edmonton
Carlos Mendes - New York Cosmos
M
Nazmi Albadawi - Carolina RailHawks
Juan Arango - New York Cosmos
Joe Cole - Tampa Bay Rowdies
Michel - Rayo OKC
F
Christian Ramirez - Minnesota United
Eamon Zayed - Indy Eleven

dN

A review of the top Americans in the Bundesliga after the first 1/3 of the season. By Raphael Honigstein.

dN

CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying:
  • Some BIG winners last night and 1 major shift in the standings.
  • Brazil blasted their rival Argentina who have now fallen out of the 5th place playoff spot and into 6th. And the game wasn't as close as the score.
  • Chile got a point and are now into the playoff zone.
  • Columbia jumping over Ecuador from 4th to 3rd changed.
  • Paraguay stumbled badly too, having a chance to win at home and jump into the top 4, but no.
  • Last place team Venezuela came to life and scoring almost as many goals as in the first 10 games combined. What?

Matchday 11-Thu Nov 10
Colombia 0-0 Chile
Venezuela 5-0 Bolivia
Uruguay 2-1 Eduador
Paraguay 1-4 Peru
Brazil 3-0 Argentina

Standings
(11 of 18 games played)
24 Brazil
23 Uruguay
18 Colombia
17 Ecuador
-----
16 Argentina
-----
15 Paraguay
15 Chile
11 Peru
5 Venezuela
4 Bolivia

Matchday 12
-Tue Nov 15
Ecuador v Venezuela
Bolivia v Paraguay
Chile v Uruguay
Argentina v Colombia
Peru v Brazil



The Bird Is The Word

posted by brucio at 13:48 0 Comments From Mental Giants Like Me & You (Click to add yours here Muchacho!)

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Some Soccer News for Nov 10, 2016

It's Day 315 of 2016.


Can Minnesota United keep Christian Ramirez on the roster in the move to MLS? By Jeff Rueter of Fifty Five One.

What is the immediate future for the rest of the Minnesota United roster and staff? By David La Vaque of the Star Tribune.

dN

1 day until USA v Mexico in Columbus - CONCACAF World Cup qualifying. 6:45pm CT on FS1.

dN

I guess we know the media's focus of this game:
Pulisic - Vice
Pulisic - The Herd
Pulisic - ESPN
Pulisic - Washington Post
Pulisic - Sports Illustrated
Pulisic - Bundesliga
Pulisic - Four Four Two

dN

Mexico is focused on not losing 2-0. By Tom Marshall of ESPNFC.

dN

USA Roster
G
Brad Guzan - Middlesbrough
Ethan Horvath - Molde
Tim Howard - Colorado Rapids
William Y4arbrough - Leon
D
Matt Besler - Sporting Kansas City
Steve Birnbaum - DC United
John Brooks - Hertha Berlin
Cameron Carter-Vickers - Tottenham
Timmy Chandler - Eintracht Frankfurt
Omar Gonzalez - Pachuca
Fabian Johnson - Monchengladbach
Michael Orozco - Tijuana
DeAndre Yedlin - Newcastle
M
Alejandro Bedoya - Philadelphia Union
Michael Bradley - Toronto
Lynden Gooch - Sunderland
Julian Green - Bayern Munich
Jermaine Jones - Colorado Rapids
Sacha Kljestan - New York Red Bulls
Christian Pulisic - Dortmund
Caleb Stanko - Vaduz
Graham Zusi - Sporting Kansas City
F
Jozy Altidore - Toronto
Alan Gordon - LA Galaxy
Aron Johannsson - Werder Bremen
Bobby Wood - Hamburger

dN

The Hex - CONCACAF World Cup qualifying schedule:
  • Matchday 1
-Fri Nov 11
USA v Mexico - 6:45pm CT on FS1
Honduras v Panama
Trinidad + Tobago v Costa Rica
  • Matchday 2
-Tue Nov 15
Costa Rica v USA - 8:00pm CT on beIN Sports
Honduras v Trinidad + Tobago
Panama v Mexico

dN

Mexico roster:
G
Guillermo Ochoa - Granada
Alfredo Talavera - Toluca
Jesus Corona - Cruz Azul
D
Diego Reyes - Espanyol
Hector Moreno - PSV Eindhoven
Carlos Salcedo - Fiorentina
Miguel Layun - Porto
Hugo Ayala - Tigres UANL
Rafael Marquez - Atlas
Nestor Araujo - Santos Laguna
Oswaldo Alanis - Guadalajara
M
Hector Herrera - Porto
Jonathan dos Santos - Villarreal
Andres Guardado - PSV Eindhoven
Marco Fabian - Eintracht Frankfurt
Giovani dos Santos - LA Galaxy
Jesus Duenas - Tigres UANL
Orbelin Pineda - Guadalajara
Jurgen Damm - Tigres UANL
F
Carlos Vela - Real Sociedad
Jesus Manuel Corona - Porto
Raul Jimenez - Benfica
Javier Hernandez - Leverkusen
Hirving Lozano - Pachuca
Oribe Peralta - America

dN

Do-over: du Nord Music Mix Vol 104 (download + extract)

dN

Rafael Esquivel, former president of the Venezuela football federation, has plead guilty to the US Dept of Justice charges in the FIFA Scandal. From the AP.

dN

Juan Arango of New York Cosmos named NASL Golden Ball winner as league's best player.
  • Completely deserved. Great player on a great team.

dN

Tim Hankinson of Indy Eleven named NASL Coach Of The Year.
  • Congrats to him cuz he did a remarkable job of lifting Indy to heights we didn't think possible.
  • I voted for Giovanni Savarese.

dN

Jordan Morris of Seattle Sounders named MLS Rookie of the Year.
  • Other 2 finalists were Jack Harrison 0f New York City and Keegan Rosenberry of Philadelphia Union.

dN

Montreal Impact has sold over 40,000 tickets for MLS Semifinal Leg 1 game v Toronto on Tue Nov 22.

dN

The five hot topics in and around MLS this week. By Steve Davis of FC Dallas.com.

dN

Jake Edwards, president of the USL, talks seasons end, their structure and the future. By Paul Kennedy of Soccer America.

dN

CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying schedule:
  • Round 11
-Thu Nov 10
Colombia v Chile
Venezuela v Bolivia
Uruguay v Eduador
Paraguay v Peru
Brazil v Argentina
  • Matchday 12
-Tue Nov 15
Ecuador v Venezuela
Bolivia v Paraguay
Chile v Uruguay
Argentina v Colombia
Peru v Brazil

Standings
(10 of 18 games played)
21 Brazil
20 Uruguay
17 Ecuador
17 Colombia
-----
16 Argentina
-----
15 Paraguay
14 Chile
8 Peru
8 Bolivia
2 Venezuela



The Bird Is The Word

posted by brucio at 15:23 6 Comments From Mental Giants Like Me & You (Click to add yours here Muchacho!)

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