The most recent round of 2014 World Cup qualification matches was dubbed a sort of make-or-break affair for the United States Men’s National Team.  Having lost their first match away to Honduras, any further slip-ups could have meant that America would be in grave danger of missing out on the next World Cup, which would have been the first American absence since 1986.  Such an occurrence would be tragic for American soccer, but fortunately the team played fantastic in their two matches against Costa Rica and Mexico, and found a blessed piece of good fortune that earned the team a valuable 4 points of a possible 6.

The Costa Rica game was massive.  With a blizzard raging, the weather meant that the teams would be equally balanced and anyone could favor from a lucky bounce or slippery mistake on the frozen field in Denver, Colorado.  Fortunately, the break fell to America in just the 15^th minute as a deflected Jozy Altidore shot fell right into the path of Clint Dempsey, who pounced upon the opportunity and gave America the lead.

Naturally, the Costa Rica officials have cried foul to FIFA, but the result will stand nevertheless.  And although I predicted that these matches would be goal-fests, this lone goal was actually the single goal scored in both matches!  The American defense was able to set up shop and withhold any legitimate chances from Costa Rica.  It was a terribly strange match because of the snowy conditions, and in many respects cannot show us much about how America would play in sweltering Brazil, but a tough 3 points earned is a success for me!

The second match was billed as the big test.  Playing in Mexico’s sacred Azteca Stadium has been a nightmare for past American soccer players in World Cup qualifiers, and became even a tougher task when one considered the defensive lineup of Brad Guzan in goal, DeMarcus Beasley at left back, and center back Matt Besler making just his second ever international appearance.

Both Beasley and Besler were struggling early and picked up yellow cards in the match’s early goings.  Mexico was eating up our defenders and creating many chances, but for some reason they simply couldn’t score.  An American defender would always help break up the play at the pivotal moment, or shots would go high and wide.

Mexico had two fairly clear shouts for a penalty kick, but even the referee wouldn’t help them find the goal as he waved the claims away.  In the end, Mexico was never able to find a breakthrough, and the Americans were able to hold down the fort for the duration of the game.  One of the broadcasters even described it as the “Defending of the Alamo” as Mexico lined up for another one of their 15 corner kick attempts on the night as time winded down.  The point earned was just the second ever at Azteca for America in their history of competitive matches.

And so America is now sitting rather comfortably in the CONCACAF group with 4 points from 3 matches.  Although only in 3^rd position, there are still 7 games to go to determine the final spots in the table, and one must be feeling quite good about the American hopes considering they have already travelled to two of the most challenging locations for qualifying and will have an abundance of home matches to close out the campaign.  A big step has been taken towards the World Cup in these most recent qualification matches for America!

Now is the time!  The American 2014 World Cup hopes are on thin ice due to the 2-1 loss in Honduras, and with a home match against Costa Rica on Friday and a rough trip to Mexico city on Tuesday, this team will surely need to find a result or else watch the panic button get mashed repeatedly surrounding America’s qualification hopes.

Additionally, with key components missing from the American roster due mostly to injuries, the ragtag group will need to come out firing on all cylinders, most importantly on offense.  Missing from the defensive makeup of the American soccer team are Carlos Bocanegra, Steve Cherundolo, Fabian Johnson, Timmy Chandler, Jonathan Spector, and most importantly, goalkeeper Tim Howard.

So what is this group to do, when the starting center backs in both games will be Omar Gonzales and Geoff Cameron?  America simply needs to out-score their opponents.  Goals will surely be conceded, especially in the away match in Mexico.  Will America have the firepower to compete in a shootout?

I think so.  Clint Dempsey has been named captain and is far and away the nation’s best player.  Michael Bradley is an imposing figure in the heart of the American midfield, and his forward venturing ways often result in goals and decent opportunities.  This is also a huge moment for Jozy Altidore.

Although the striker has had a phenomenal season in the Netherlands for AZ Alkmaar, breaking the record for goals scored in a European club season by an American, Altidore hasn’t scored a single goal for the red, white, and blue since 2011.  Coach Jurgen Klinsmann even dropped Altidore last fall for several games due to his poor national team performances.  America needs their top striker to step it up now more than ever.

Further making the task difficult is the omission of Landon Donovan, the face of American soccer for the last decade, who has taken an extended leave of absence from the game.  His playmaking impact will surely be missed, but other American forwards like Eddie Johnson, Terrence Boyd, and Herculez Gomez can produce some fireworks, and we must hope that they do.

So how does this set of games look to shape up for America?  I think that they can handle Costa Rica at home, and will emerge victorious 3-2.  The trip to Mexico will not be as fruitful, and although I do hope for an unexpected draw or improbable victory, I do fear that this test will be too tough and that America will lose 3-2.

Either way, the long list of absentees on the defensive side for America should result in some fun, high goal-scoring games.  And due to the fact that 4 of the 6 teams in the CONCACAF group will progress in qualification, America will probably be fine regardless of the outcome in these two games against some of the toughest opponents in the group.  However, if America stumbles in these two games and has 0 points from the first three matches, there will definitely be serious panicking that could even result in Klinsmann losing his job.  American soccer is on the brink of a serious challenge, and they must produce during these two key games.

Two games into the 2013 MLS season, and my champion-predicted New York Red Bulls have earned just a single measly point.  Although one can argue that starting a season with two cross-country trips isn’t ideal for any team, the way that the Red Bulls have lost these games is entirely unacceptable.  In both matches, the Red Bulls had started off well, and were leading deep into the games before end-of-game collapses and conceding late goals have cost them vital early season points.

It all started in Portland against the Timbers, where Mikael Silvestre, as predicted, had several blunderous moments to gift the Red Bulls a 3-1 halftime lead.  But in the second half New York fell asleep and the Timbers fought back to a draw.  An 83^rd minute own goal by Jamison Olave was painful and sour, but the Timbers clearly deserved this game and had several chances to win as time expired.

Then the Red Bulls travelled to the San Jose Earthquakes, which is no easy task given the fact that the Earthquakes were last season’s points champions, but once again they gave away a lead, this time in more painful fashion.  Leading 1-0, the defence was outdone by a brilliant Adam Jahn goal in the 84th minute, but the sucker punch came in stoppage time.  The Earthquakes were awarded a penalty, and Luis Robles actually saved Chris Wondolowski’s effort, but the Red Bulls were penalized for encroachment by Roy Miller and the kick was retaken.  Wondolowski converted and the whole episode was eerily similar to last season’s playoff game against D.C. United where the Red Bulls were denied a successful penalty kick for encroachment and later suffered a late-game concession of a goal to end their season.

So what can the New York Red Bulls do in this sad continuation of last year’s misery?  Well, Thierry Henry and Tim Cahill need to step it up.  Neither has scored or produced a single assist in the first two games.  For two English Premier League stars this is unacceptable.  Likewise, the team needs to focus, especially later in games.  Both matches saw them concede late in the match while they were absolutely dominated.  Clearly the pangs of last season still ring in the players’ hearts, and it will be a tough limp to shake, but someone like Henry needs to begin making plays for the Red Bulls or else they could quickly become the laughingstock of the entire MLS.

Life isn’t going to get any easier any time soon either for the Red Bulls, who will host D.C. United this weekend, but maybe they can avenge last season’s misfortune and put their late-game collapses to bed.  Then the Red Bulls hit the road again.  In fact, they have a miserable early season schedule that includes 5 away games in the first 7 matches.  Although it will even out as the season progresses, the Red Bulls are facing a very difficult task and are currently unable to answer for it.  Let this be a call to action for the New York Red Bulls.  Yes, last season hurt, and these first two games have done little to ease the pain, but if this team is to be taken for real in 2013 they need to start winning and competing late in games!

Premier League Week in Review (March 5^th-March 11^th)

While this was a weekend where some of the Premier League teams competed in the FA Cup, there were other teams whose focus was solely on the Premiership.

Liverpool vs Tottenham

Anfield played host to the Tottenham Hotspurs in what turned out to be an enthralling matchup in front of 45,000 supporters. A rare brace from Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen meant nothing in the end as Liverpool came from 2-1 down to win 3-2 thanks to two goals in the last half-hour of play.

Luis Suarez opened the scoring in the 21^st minute after some brilliant play on the left by Coutinho and Jose Enrique. Behind the back double pass between those two before Coutinho eventually slipped Enrique in (who got a bit lucky with his first touch) before the Spaniard played a sublime through ball to Suarez who tapped into the near post before the onrushing Tottenham goalkeeper, Hugo Lloris, could do anything about it. This goal now puts Suarez on 22 goals for the season, 3 ahead of Robin Van Persie for the race for the Golden Boot.

Vertonghen equalized from a header after receiving a beautiful wide service from Gareth Bale. Vertonghen and Tottenham’s second goal came courtesy of a weak clearance by Jamie Carragher (who made his 500^th Premier League appearance on this game) before the Belgian would score in the near post leaving no chance for stand-in keeper Brad Jones.

Kyle Walker gave Liverpool a huge life-line as he played an awful ball back to Hugo Lloris from the half-way line that drew the Tottenham keeper off of his race in a foot race with Stewart Downing. He won the race, but miffed the clearance and Downing was through on goal with only Vertonghen guarding the empty net where he eventually shot the ball between his legs for the equalizer.

The game winner came off of a Steven Gerrard penalty kick in the 82^nd minute after Benoit Assou-Ekotto seemingly pulled down Luis Suarez.

Why this Game was Important?

With neither Chelsea of Manchester City playing the League this weekend, Tottenham were handed a huge psychological advantage in the race for Champions League places. They soured the opportunity to move 5 points above Chelsea in 3^rd and only 2 shy of Manchester City in second place. Rather, they can now be passed by Chelsea with their game in hand.

On the other side, Liverpool keeps their slimmest hopes of a top-four finish alive with this monumental win. They are in great form right now and are not the team that others want to play against with their form.

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The CONCACAF U20 Championship match ended with Mexico dominating an extra time period en route to a 3-1 victory for the trophy.  The young Americans fought valiantly, but clearly were an over-matched side against a U20 Mexican team that many rank among the top nations in the world.  Although some reporters have brought up the fact that America’s decent play excused getting beaten by our fiercest rival, I personally feel that the boys have a lot of growing up to do, in many facets of the game.

First and foremost I was appalled at goalkeeper Cody Cropper who tripped Mexico’s goal-scorer Julio Gomez after he scored a brilliant bicycle kick goal from a corner kick.  Such disrespect is atrocious and Cropper was fortunate not to be sent off for the violent and dangerous play.  Obviously in the heat of such a big game those antics are explainable, but they cannot be excused.  The goalie needs to be the most clear-headed and mature member on any team, not the guy who’s going to do something brash.

Cropper currently plays for the Southampton’s youth academy and has a golden opportunity to grow up in the talented English Leagues.  He could definitely do with a boost of maturity before we start thinking of him ever becoming a future number 1 keeper for America.

Now as for the actual game itself, America’s players need to get off to a quicker start.  Based on match reports, and particularly the hopeful praise by Fox Soccer writer Kyle McCarthy, it seems as if the team is simply pleased to have competed against Mexico and lasted until extra time.  What bugs me about this is that the United States benefited from a very questionable penalty decision to score their only goal of the game.

Likewise, they got off to a terrible start and absolutely wretched defending by the entire backline led to a Mexican goal in the 4^th minute.  Several other early chances followed.  And though we ought to commend the boys for not imploding from the terrible start, the fact remains that Mexico outdid them with two brilliant goals.

Jesus Corona showed great resilience and fight to chase down the ball and score the opening goal.  And what more can one say about Julio Gomez’s bicycle kick than he looks like a future Mexican star in the making?

The American boys did little to invite such projections.  Save for a few decent crosses, they didn’t really produce much offensively and we were lucky to see the game into extra time.  Perhaps this is a bit pessimistic, but it just seems to be more of the same for American soccer, as players never show the grit to kill off opponents.  Fortunate refereeing got them back into the Championship match, but in the end only pure talent could separate the sides.  Let’s hope that the team hits the practice field in preparations for the U20 World Cup this summer, where hopefully we will see the Americans build off of their semi-successful U20 CONCACAF tournament run.

Just 18 years old, Kekuta Manneh is one of the most exciting prospects to enter the MLS in quite some time and has the possibly the highest upside and potential of any soccer player in the 2013 MLS Draft.  Hailing from the African nation of Gambia, Manneh is both quick and highly composed in front of goal.  Since his arrival to America playing for Texas semi-pro developmental teams like the Texas Rush, Lonestar SC, and the Austin Aztex, Manneh has scored tons of goals.

At just age 18 with so much skill, Manneh has actually trained with the Chelsea youth team and has also been scouted by Arsenal. These are two of the top teams in the English Premier League and typically only recruit the best players in the world.  However, Manneh enlisted in the MLS draft and was selected 4^th overall by the Vancouver Whitecaps.

At Vancouver, Kekuta Manneh will team up with an exciting batch of young forwards that includes Jamaican speedster Darren Mattocks and Mexican American, Omar Salgado.  Forming a young trio with burning speed, the Whitecaps should be one of the most exciting teams to watch in the MLS this year, and they could surprise the league with a strong offensive unit.

The Vancouver Whitecaps just squeaked into the MLS Cup Playoffs last season but were ousted by eventual champions, the Los Angeles Galaxy.  However, with David Beckham’s departure, the Galaxy may suffer a bit of a setback leaving the Western Conference of the league wide open for a newcomer.

Perhaps suggestions of a dominating year for Kekuta Manneh may be a bit premature considering the forward is just 18 years old and entering his first serious play at the professional level, but one must suspect that Manneh’s ability to take over the MLS is more a matter of when than if.  Manneh is one of the most composed youngsters around in front of goal.

Don Gemmel, the technical director of the Rush Soccer club described Manneh as “the best pure finisher I have ever coached”.  Simply said, this is the type of player that takes his chances and creates many as well with his impressive speed.  Perhaps it is too early to make the comparison, but he sounds like a young Thierry Henry.  The Whitecaps won’t be facing Henry and the New York Red Bulls until June, but by that time perhaps Kekuta Manneh will be an integral part of the lineup.

Overall the Whitecaps will need to start scoring some more goals.  Defensively, they have a great veteran leader in Jay DeMerit, but players like Mattocks, Salgado, and now Manneh will need to take the next step for a team that only scored 35 goals last season.

The MLS will need to be a bit patient with Kekuta Manneh as the striker is just 18 years old, and might take a few years to become a world-class striker, but if he can develop and learn at the Vancouver Whitecaps, Manneh may become a premier striker that puts American soccer development on the map.

Premier League Week in Review (February 24^th-February 26^th)

Tottenham vs West Ham

In front of 35,000 supporters at Upton Park, Gareth Bale continued his path into stardom as the 23-year old had another performance for the ages for Tottenham. He scored a brace with an ever-so-important 90^th minute game-winning strike that is sure to break into the top goals of the year chart.

Bale opened the scoring against the Hammers in the 13^th minute before the relatively forgotten Andy Carroll leveled from the penalty spot in the 25^th minute. West Ham would eventually take the lead through a Joe Cole goal, but the Spurs substitute, Gylfi Sigurdsson, equalized in the 76^th minute after a Gareth Bale free kick saw the ball being scrambled inside the box.

Jussi Jaaskelainen was in top gear for West Ham despite the 3-goal outburst as he had plenty of top class saves, but there was no denying Gareth Bale’s 90^th minute screamer. Bale found himself on the ground after being flattened by a tackle before getting the ball back and taking a shot towards the far post upper 90 from 25 yards out to seal the 3 points for Tottenham in this London derby.

Why this Game was Important?

The best player in the Premier League this season has been Gareth Bale and he has continued to show his superiority with a rare blend of strength, skill and speed that can only be matched by Cristiano Ronaldo. In terms of the Premier League standings, Tottenham have now passed Chelsea to solely take 3^rd place in the crucial fight for Champions League football. On the other end of the table, West Ham continues to plummet and now finds themselves only  2 games above the relegation zone.

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Arsenal vs Aston Villa

After being humiliated by Bayern Munich in the Champions League and by Blackburn in Cup play, Arsenal could not afford to lose again. They were playing 18^th placed Aston Villa and came up with a 2-1 win with a brace from their Spanish hero, Santi Cazorla in front of 60,000 supporters at the Emirates. The first of Cazorla’s two strikes came in the 6^th minute after his initial shot was blocked. He was fortunate to have a second crack at goal and took full advantage with a lovely curling effort past American keeper Brad Guzan (who came up with many crucial saves).

Arsenal had several more chances that they did not capitalize on and they were made to pay for it in the 68^th minute. Guzan punted the ball long and Carl Jenkinson was unable to control the ball before Weimann took matters into his own hands by dribbling nearly half the field before a week shot found its way past Szczesny. Arsenal, continuing to throw numbers forward in search of a winner, were lucky not to go behind throughout the game, but the gamble paid off in the 85^th minute as Cazorla latched onto a Nacho Monreal cross to give Arsenal all 3 points.

Why this Game was Important?

Arsenal is a club who has lost their top-dog status in recent seasons. They continually sell their top players to rival clubs every season and in doing so, have not won a trophy for 8 years. If they fail to make the Champions League and all the money that comes with it, Arsenal may be in big trouble so the race for 4^th place is huge. Similarly, with Aston Villa, they were once a club fighting for Europa League spots but have now seen their stock dramatically fall to the point that they are favored to be relegated and every game now becomes a massive one.

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The big news in the MLS offseason was clearly that David Beckham has moved on to Paris.  However, life will go on and there are tons of other exceptional players still residing in the league, though I fear none are quite as handsome as the former England captain.  Oh well.  After Beckham capped a glorious exit with a MLS Cup victory with the Los Angeles Galaxy, what do we have in store for us in 2013 in America’s favorite soccer league?

Look out for D.C. United.  After finishing last year in 3^rd place overall in the MLS standings, D.C. United reached the Conference Finals before succumbing to the powerful defence of the Houston Dynamo.  D.C. United has a great balance of promising youth and veteran leaders on their team.  The main star and creative force is Canadian Dwayne De Rosario.  At 34 years old, he has shown the wisdom to make smart plays and still has enough in the tank to lead this team to greatness.  But what excites me most is this team’s promising young crop of players highlighted by MLS Rookie of the Year runner-up Nick DeLeon.  The 7^th choice in last year’s MLS draft had a fantastic season in midfield capped off by a glorious last gasp goal against the New York Red Bulls in the last season’s conference semi-finals in a heated match facing stars like Thierry Henry and Tim Cahill.  Such poise and big-game impact makes me believe that DeLeon is for real.  Additionally, this team has a great young goalkeeper in Bill Hamid, who has already earned a cap with the USA National Team and is just 22 years old.  25-year-old striker Chris Pontius has been steadily rising in his first few years in the league and appears set to be a crucial player in 2013.  The team also traded for Casey Townsend, the number 5 pick in last year’s draft who could become an integral young star in D.C. United’s future.  This team looks destined for greatness and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them late in the MLS Cup playoffs again this year.

Will the Galaxy win 3 MLS Cups in a row?  With Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane still pulling the strings offensively, this Galaxy team is still a force to be reckoned with.  Perhaps some of the allure will be missing without Beckham, but they will still be among the best teams in the MLS. Their backline is also impressive with both Omar Gonzalez and Todd Dunivant.  Dunivant is a steely MLS veteran while Gonzalez is a 24-year-old star in the making who has earned several call-ups to the American National team.  I think that the task of winning a 3^rd straight MLS Cup may be too tall an order for the Galaxy, but they will be in the conversation throughout the year and are rightly one of the favorites.

2013 looks sure to provide another exciting season of MLS soccer.  Play is set to begin in just 2 weeks and will surely see interesting new happenings in the game.  I do sense that this could be the Red Bulls’ year since Tim Cahill and Thierry Henry will have had more time to gel with one another and should become a great tandem.  There will be a long ways to go this season to see how it all plays out.  Get ready for some MLS soccer soon!

The final stage of 2014 World Cup qualification got off to a horrendous start yesterday with the USA falling 2-1 in Honduras.  Although America has 9 more games to right this wrong and qualify for Brazil next year, the game showcased a monumental problem for America and better provide a serious wake up call to the players who will surely be disappointed and frustrated with how they played in this match.

Although Honduras didn’t take the lead until the 79^th minute, they deserved to win this game and were clearly the better side.  The game stats reveal that Honduras had 57% of the possession, and they dictated the match from the early goings.  Although a lovely piece of skill by Jermaine Jones and Clint Dempsey saw America take the lead against the run of play, the fact that Honduras fought back will have surprised no one.

Juan Garcia’s fabulous bicycle goal off of a corner surpassed the skill of Dempsey’s goal to equalize just moments later.  But when some terrible and lazy defending literally gave the game to Jerry Bengston and Honduras, one has to question the backbone of the American soccer team.

Geoff Cameron and Omar Gonzalez should not be anywhere near the American starting lineup again after this goal.  Both players were equally lazy in defending the opportunity and could have prevented the loss with a bit of grit and determination.  Yes, the conditions were difficult with high humidity and temperatures in the 80’s, but that can hardly be an excuse.  If America is able to reach Brazil, you’d better expect similar weather conditions, and if the USA can’t still provide enough of a spark to play hard late in the game, we will be embarrassed at the World Cup.

Offensively, the USA was woeful as well in this game.  Jozy Altidore will have won no more of Jurgen Klinsmann’s faith with his one-shot performance, and he rarely got a sniff at goal.  Although he can avoid blame through his despicable support that he received, Altidore didn’t make enough effort to get into the action and come back to fight for the ball. The only players who looked capable in this match were Michael Bradley, Tim Howard, and Clint Dempsey.  Everyone else seemed to be taking the game too relaxed and it costed the team in the end.

Yes, Landon Donovan was sorely missed and could have provided some serious help, but this team cannot depend upon a player considering retirement.  The talent amongst the team is clearly there, highlighted by the prestigious European clubs that our players represent, but there seems to be a definite lack of intensity in the American team.  That belief and hard work was clearly missing from the American side as they allowed Honduras to pass their way around and dictate the entire game.  We can only hope that this defeat provides a wake up call to the American team, and that their effort will improve as qualification plows on through the spring.  If not, we could very easily see the USA humiliated and unable to qualify for the 2014 World Cup.  Let’s hope the next match shows a more dedicated team!

FA Cup Week in Review

Oldham Athletic vs Liverpool FC

In front of only 10,295 supporters at Boundary Park, Oldham Athletic pulled off one of the finest upsets in the FA Cup this year. Oldham currently sits 19^th out of the 24 spots in League One (that is the 3^rd division in England), yet somehow managed to defeat Liverpool by a score of 3-2. Matt Smith was the hero for Oldham as he notched an unlikely brace in the first half to set the tone positively for Oldham. These were the first goals that Smith has scored and it was great timing. His first goal came only 3 minutes into the game and was soon equalized in the 17^th minute by Luis Suarez. In the first half stoppage time, Smith added his and Oldham’s second to send themselves into the dressing room up a goal. Reece Wabara added another goal for Oldham in the 48^th minute. It wasn’t until the 80^th minute that Liverpool again found the net by Joe Allen but it was too late at this point as Oldham looked destined to take an historic win.

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Leeds United vs Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham followed Liverpool’s crash out of the FA Cup with a 2-1 humbling to Leeds United at Elland Road in front of 30,000 supporters. Luke Varney set Leeds on the right foot with a 15^th minute opener, but it was teammate Ross McCormack with a strike to remember in the 50^th minute. His short gave Friedel no chance and more importantly gave Leeds some breathing room that they ended up needing as Clint Dempsey pulled one back on 58 minutes. Tottenham never really looked like scoring after this though as Gareth Bale had a game to forget.

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Brentford vs Chelsea FC

At Griffin Park, Fernando Torres rescued Chelsea with an 83^rd minute equalizer to send the match into a replay after a final score of 2-2. Brentford opened the scoring late in the first half from Marcello Trotta and Oscar found the net in the 55^th to tie the game up. Turnbull then gave up a penalty on Adeyemi that Brentford capitalized on to give them sights of another FA Cup upset. The Chelsea stars finally awoke and Chelsea started to move the ball better and create some chances. They finally broke through with Torres curling an 18 yard effort into the top corner. Both Lampard and Mata had chances to win it, but a tie was a deserving scoreline.

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Stoke City vs Manchester City

Stoke City suffered another home loss (after losing to Chelsea 4-1 in the league a couple days ago) to a Manchester City squad that used an 85^th minute winner from an ever increasing likely source of Pablo Zabaleta. Both teams had chances to score early on with Tevez looking sharp for the Citizens. Matthew Etherington also had a fine game and was able to work his way on the wing for several dangerous crosses. Kompany limped off for City forcing Mancini to play a three-man backline and it was here that Stoke City grabbed a foothold in the game, but to no luck as finishing was not on show for either team in a 1-0 win for Manchester City.

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