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.

USA vs Honduras Preview

Well our gracious host Bruce is off to party it up in Chicago so I (Graham of Advantage Played), am going to give you a little preview of your Saturday footballing action.



AP

First, if you are in the Twin Cities metro area there is the usual watch party over at:
The Sweetwater Grill and Bar
at the Best Western Kelly Inn
161 Saint Anthony Ave
I-94 & Marion
St Paul
(651) 224-6373

If you want to watch with other USA fans check out the list of official soccer pubs. Otherwise go to any bar that has a TV. They all are on ESPN.


AP

USA v Honduras
Hexagon Matchday 5
Saturday June 6
Kick off at 7pm Central, ESPN, ESPN360, The Internet
Live from Soldier Field in Chicago IL

AP

Check out the Current CONCACAF Table

Upcoming CONCACAF fixtures

Colorado’s Conner Casey has been called up to the National Team. I love this move. If only he had been in Costa Rica.

Even if we lose to Honduras we will still stay up. Till next round. Let’s not make the last game a must win.

Watch out for the Wizard's Roger Espinoza who will be playing for Honduras. He's a badass.


AP
Winning and Losing
There isn’t much you can do after Wednesday’s game but shake your head at the performances that were put in. The fear of yellow cards sunk deep into our hero’s hearts and left them quaking in their boots. Instead of pounding their influence deep into the bumpy turf they passed, tackled, committed, dribbled, and crossed like they didn’t really care that much. Exhaustion showed in their faces. When the “Oles” rang down they hung their heads in shame.

But still one bad performance is just that. There is time and room for redemption. We can’t be haters. The game is behind, the team needs our cheers. This time it will be different right? The USA will be at home, surrounded by support, on a field they are use to. They won’t have to face an extremely loud and hostile crowd.

Getting It Right

But how will Bradley fix the problems?

1. First he should not start players who can’t get any time at all for their clubs. If you don’t get any playing time and just practice, a week or two of intense practice with the Nation Team isn’t going to help much.
   
   
2. Don’t preach to the players too much about yellow cards. Yes, they are dangerous, and just two puts you out for the next game, a ridiculous rule. But without that edge and passion we have seen the consequences.
   
   
3. Try and settle the players into their natural positions. Yes footballers can play more than one position. They have the experience, knowledge, and thousands upon thousands of hours of play and practice but still when told to do a job they are not 100 percent use to some will step up to the challenge and others will wandering in mediocrity. Make it easy for them. This is a team that doesn’t have the extensive time and practice to become a super solid group.

Ok everyone; go get your drink on. Go to a pub and yell, go the game and cheer, go to a local bar and chant till all the baseball fans glare at you. They are just jealous.