Archive for the ‘ World Cup ’ Category
The United States qualified for its sixth straight World Cup, winning 3-2 away against Honduras. It was an awesome sight. It would have been significantly more awesome had I not had to watch on a grainy Internet feed half-obscured by a Honduran chat room. Continued at The Big Lead * This was written before knowledge [ READ MORE ]
Here we would say “keeping a clean nose,” but the British “squeaky bum time” is more graphic and more suitable. As the qualification schedule nears its end, here are four prominent countries that may have trouble qualifying for the 2010 World Cup. Their situations are listed in order of urgency. Portugal: During his last stint [ READ MORE ]
We documented U.S. soccer’s hostility toward a critical journalist. We mentioned their campaign of misinformation. This matters because most in the United States are not well grounded in soccer. They’re undiscerning about information. This results in delusions that ramp up hype and subsequent revenue, but eliminate accountability. Progress. To the public, U.S. Soccer’s summer was golden. The USMNT [ READ MORE ]
Bob Bradley opted for experience in the United States’ 2-1 defeat to Mexico. Experience is only valuable when it is experience at being good. Brian Ching is a good MLS player, but he should not be starting pivotal games for the national team. Altidore gives the U.S. multiple angles of attack. He forces defenses to [ READ MORE ]
David Beckham gave a press conference, concerning his return to the LA Galaxy. After Grant Wahl confronted him, the meme became how Beckham’s England career adversely affected his commitment to MLS. Beckham has been culpable for much since his arrival in the US. However, criticizing him playing for England is unfair. Beckham misses MLS-time for [ READ MORE ]
No factor affects the perception of soccer in the United States more than the success of the men’s national team. American success has come in blips, but not enough to hold the interest of a hostile audience. The solution is simple: produce better players. Doing so, however, is complex. Improvement requires a radical rethinking of [ READ MORE ]
The US flirted with prominence at the Confederations Cup, but the real South African test comes in 2010. Qualification should be inevitable, and the next few months will be spent finalizing squad positions. The US should field a similar 4-4-1-1 formation, morphing into a 4-5-1 or a 4-4-2 depending on how advanced the secondary striker [ READ MORE ]
The U.S. Lost 3-1 to Costa Rica, But Don’t Panic Costa Rica beat the U.S. Mens National Team 3-1 last night. The score only looks that good because Landon Donovan made an irrelevant injury time penalty. Like getting it on after thirty years of marriage, the team looked tired, disinterested and pathetic. They played horribly. [ READ MORE ]
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