MLS Playoff Race Heats Up with 1 Month Left in 2012 MLS Season

Posted on September 28, 2012 by nrspiller@gmail.com

The MLS Season is drawing to a close and that means teams are in a tough race to earn a vital playoff spot. With just over one month remaining on the schedule, only three teams have clinched a spot, and most of the league will have to be at their best in order to progress in the last few matches of the season.

2012 has been dominated by the San Jose Earthquakes and their star striker, Chris Wondolowski, who has scored a league-best 22 goals. The team currently has 60 points and has already clinched a playoff spot. Right behind them is the Los Angeles Galaxy, the 2011 MLS Champions. Surviving a poor start to the season, the Galaxy is now the hottest team in the league. Having not lost in their last 9 matches, Landon Donovan and David Beckham look to be ever so hungry to repeat in the MLS and also are already locked in to the playoffs. The only other Western Conference team to qualify already is Real Salt Lake, who is led by their fantastic goalie, Nick Rimando. His latest save earned him his 6^th MLS Save of the Week this season.

No other team has cemented a playoff spot and the race will be very tight in the Eastern Conference. The New York Red Bulls had a hot start to the season, but have cooled off considerably and now sit just 3^rd in the Eastern Conference. Thierry Henry and Kenny Cooper still have high goal scoring marks on the season and lead a potent attack, but they need to pick up some points in the last month to really make a mark. Sporting Kansas City now leads the group and hasn’t lost a game since July. Forward Kei Kamara is leading the team in goals and has provided an excellent season. Too many draws have hurt the Houston Dynamo’s year. They had been atop the division in the summer, but are now barely afloat with 46 points and could miss out on the postseason if they fail to produce. One of the better MLS teams in recent years, the team will be mortified if they end without a playoff game. The Columbus Crew will want to lead a late season charge and have enjoyed the goal-scoring exploits of new signing Federico Higuain, the brother of Gonzalo Higuain of Real Madrid. The MLS Higuain has netted 3 goals and 6 assists in only 9 games since his arrival and is sure to provide a late boost to their season.

This is the most exciting time to watch the MLS and will surely have some late season drama as other teams like D.C. United, Seattle Sounders, Vancouver Whitecaps, and FC Dallas all vy for the ten golden sports in the 2012 MLS Playoffs.

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Pia Sundhage Caps off 5 Amazing Years with USA 6-2 Thumping of Australia

Posted on September 20, 2012 by nrspiller@gmail.com

The USA Women’s National Team sent off their departing manager, Pia Sundhage, in style last night with a 6-2 drubbing of Australia in an international friendly. The match also resulted in the team’s 100^th goal of 2012, signifying the monumental force that America has become during the Swedish coach’s tenure. Last night was just another of the great victories for the team that won gold in the 2012 London Olympics.

Fortune fell for the American women. Two of their first three goals came from deflected shots that bounced into the corners of the goal. The Australian goalkeeper had no chance of saving those goals, and once America took the lead 3-2 early in the second half, the seal was broken and the goals just poured in.

The American team became one of the most entertaining soccer teams in the world with an energetic style that resulted in lots of goals. Players like Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan have become superstars under Sundhage’s tenure with countless goals and assists as they have claimed victories against nearly all their opposition.

In the 2011 Women’s World Cup, America claimed several exciting wins, including a fantastic result against Brazil that featured a Wambach game-tying goal in the 120^th minute and a victory in a penalty kick shootout. The final was also an exciting game, but Japan claimed the title in penalty kicks.

However, the 2012 Olympics gave America an opportunity for revenge and they got just that, defeating Japan 2-1 in the gold medal final match.

What struck me with this current women’s team was the excitement on the pitch, and this will be immensely hard for a new coach to replicate. The team won countless new fans not just with their victories, but with the exciting way they have done it. Look to the USA Canada semifinal match of the Olympics for proof of that. Morgan scored a late header in the 124^th minute to seal a 4-3 victory in a thrilling match.

Yes, Pia Sundhage will be sorely missed, but only because her presence was so great for American women’s soccer. Hopefully, we will find another great coach such as her because the current players are amazing, and they need someone great to lead them to more success. The team is at its height of talent and popularity and will hopefully battle on to more greatness under a new leader. Thanks for five great years, Pia Sundhage!

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American Victory Sets up All-Or-Nothing Encounter With Guatemala

Posted on September 12, 2012 by nrspiller@gmail.com

The USA Men’s National Soccer team earned a vital victory over Jamaica last night with an excellent Herculez Gomez free kick to establish a three-team stalemate on top of their CONCACAF 2014 World Cup Qualifying group. Jamaica, Guatemala, and America all sit with 7 points from four matches, but only two are set to progress to the next round. Naturally, America would prefer to have already progressed from the group at this stage like Mexico achieved in their group. But fortunes did not fall in that way and now the US is facing a certain all-or nothing match against Guatemala in mid October.

Clearly the recent Jamaica games proved to be a tough task without the services of Landon Donovan and Michael Bradley, two hugely influential members of the USA team. The loss in Jamaica was a true stinger and will dampen the hopes of our fans regardless. There really is no excuse to losing to that sort of opposition, even if the match was in a foreign stadium. But that was what fate beheld.

Fortunately, the Americans were able to take a victory during the home match as widely was expected. This prevented an all out panic for American World Cup hopes, but looking ahead the future is still uncertain.

America will have to travel to Antigua and Barbuda to play the team at the bottom of their group. The nation has only scraped 1 draw in four matches. They are beatable, but considering that America’s away form in the group has achieved 1 draw and 1 loss, don’t expect anything to be taken from this match.

Guatemala will host Jamaica in their next match that is vital for both teams. Regardless of the outcome, it certainly means that for America, the Guatemala match will decide their qualification hopes. Lucky for the USA the match will be played at home, and one must hope that our injury situation will have improved in the next month. America proved that they need their key players in order to compete and so having the likes of Donovan and Bradley back, as well as the improved match-fit Clint Dempsey should serve to help their efforts.

But one must feel a level of concern given that the USA has struggled in such a weak group of nations. How in the world will this team actually compete in Brazil in 2014 if they play like this? Manager Jurgen Klinsmann will need to address some glaring weaknesses in the squad ahead of the tournament or else the World Cup may yet be another short trip for Team USA.

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World Cup Qualifiers Take Team USA to Jamaica

Posted on September 5, 2012 by nrspiller@gmail.com

The CONCACAF Qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup are well underway and the USA will play two matches against Jamaica this week. The United States naturally is the most dominant force in the qualifying area and will be looking to win both matches and qualify smoothly without any hiccups. As the youthful USA Olympic team learned the hard way, qualification isn’t a guarantee and every match is simply 11 vs. 11, so the team will need to be in top form to avoid embarrassment. Pressure will surely be on the squad chosen by Jurgen Klinsmann which features a good amount of young faces.

The Americans started off this round of qualification in solid form drawing Guatemala away and managing a win against Antigua and Barbuda at home this past June. However, Jamaica has also been solid so far, also earning a win and draw against the same teams. Both nations reside on top of the group with four points, and Jamaica will be eager to hold onto that spot to earn a place in the final qualifying round.

Jamaica has not reached the World Cup since 1998 and will be desperate to earn a trip to Brazil. America had better not overlook these matches. The first game will be in Jamaica, meaning a tough trip. The small nations of CONCACAF are known for their less-than-glamorous stadiums and pitches. Therefore, the away matches usually provide a hard task for Americans. The first game will be the away with the home match coming a few days later.

Further providing difficulties for the USA will be their lineup. Both Michael Bradley and Landon Donovan are unavailable because of minor injuries, which will greatly hamper our goal-scoring exploits. Superstar Clint Dempsey will play with the team, but one has to question the form he will be in. Dempsey was recently embroiled in a transfer fiasco at his former club Fulham, which escalated to the point of his refusal to play with the team. He eventually earned a deadline-day move to Tottenham, but he has yet to play a competitive match this season. The last time he played was in June for the United States so it will be interesting to see what kind of shape he is in and if he will even be a starter.

Overall though, America has a vastly superior side, even without our key men. Jozy Altidore has been stellar at AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands, and has already scored four goals in only two matches. Also, experienced goalie Tim Howard is a rock on the opposite end of the pitch. I am also excited to see more of Brek Shea, whose incredible run paved the way for the historic American victory in Mexico last month. Shea is a youngster with huge potential in the national side.

Let’s hope that the USA can stroll through these two games. I predict a draw in Jamaica, and a blowout victory when the nations play stateside. America is simply too good for the Caribbean island nations of CONCACAF.

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