US Open Cup: MLS enters Cup fray

The official web site of the 2008 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup will be live blogging tomorrow night's US Open Cup matches.

The field of MLS clubs will enter the fray in tomorrow night's contests, round three of the oldest soccer competition in America. For a complete list of match-ups, check the bracket at the bottom of the page.

Six of the eight match ups will be broadcast live and for free on USLlive.com, a web site that regularly broadcasts United Soccer League matches. All contests will have matchtrackers, so fans can follow the action. The first match of the night -- New England (MLS) v. Richmond (USL.1) -- starts at 7pmET.

America F@#& Yeah!

Why YouTube was invented.

Wolff returns to Wizards

So, Josh Wolff is making a triumphant return to Kansas City. I guess you can't really call it "triumphant," but it certainly is the best (read:only) career move that he could make at this point.

According to an article in the Kansas City Star, Wolff will return to the side that heled in scoring in 2004 and 2005. And the Wizards certainly could use the help (even if it comes in the form of a 31-year-old semi-washed up striker), as they have managed only 11 goals (second worst in MLS) this season.

Wolff, meanwhile, has gotten some recent (some would say undeserved) caps with the national team, following his not-so-successful stint in Germany with 1860 Munich, who waived him following the 2007-08 season.

“I’m excited to come back to Kansas City. (The Wizards) have had a rough stretch. But when you have quality like they have in Claudio Lopez and others, it takes some time to adjust," Wolff told The Star. “I’m excited to come back and play with the old guard like Jimmy Conrad, Davy Arnaud and Kerry Zavagnin.”

Red Bulls get redder with Rojas

According to the New York Post, the New York Red Bulls have signed Venezuelan national team captain Jorge Rojas.

Red Bulls Sporting Director Jeff Agoos confirmed the signing and told The Post that the team awaits the results of a physical and the approval of the league.

The 31-year-old Rojas is considered one of the top players in Venezuela, and has made 82 appearances for the country's national team. But despite his success for the Venezuelan national team, he has been a bit of a journeyman over his 10-year career, playing for seven clubs in three countries. In 2003, while with Ecuadorean juggernaut Emelec, Rojas was voted top foreign player in the league. He won the 2005 Apertura Championship with Atletico Nacional in Colombia and amassed four league titles (in three separate stints) with Venezuelan club Caracas.

Rojas, who is an offensive midfielder, can play centrally or on the wing, depending on the formation. In any case, he might provide a decent solution for the Reyna-less Red Bull midfield.

In other league news, Colorado waived midfielder Rafael Gomes and no one cares.

TYH'S MLS BEST 11 (Week 14)

GOALKEEPER

J. Cannon (SJ)

DEFENDERS

R. Corrales (SJ), H. Freeman (NY), M. Parkhurst (NE), J. Conrad (KC)

MIDFIELDERS

S. Ralston (NE), M. Gallardo (DC), E. Ekpo (CLB), G.B. Schelotto (CLB)

FORWARDS

L. Emilio (DC), J. Moreno (DC)

MLS Round-Up (Week 14)

JUNE 29
Los Angeles 1-4 DC United (RFK Stadium)
As an ABC noontime appetizer to the main event of the Euro 2008 Final, DC United demonstrated that the black-and-white dynasty isn't done yet. United exploited the porous Galaxy defense for four goals, two by Luciano Emilio who seems to have returned to 2007 form. A Jaime Moreno PK and a Marcelo Gallardo chip rounded out DC's scoring, while Edson Buddle had the lone (garbage) goal for the Galaxy.

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JUNE 28
Colorado 1-2 Columbus (Crew Stadium)
A Guillermo Barros Schelotto penalty was matched by the Rapids' Nick LaBrocca's strike before midfielder Emmanuel Ekpo shredded the Colorado defense for the game-winner.

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Toronto 1-2 New England (Gillette Stadium)
Mr. Unsung, Steve Ralston, scores a brace, including a terrific left-footer off the far post, as New England continues to be the class of Major League Soccer. And the real bad news for the rest of the league is that Taylor Twellman is almost healthy. Double-T came on for the final 11 minutes of action.

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Real Salt Lake 0-1 Kansas City (CA Ballpark)
Since Kansas City can't score in a whorehouse, Real Salt Lake obliged, as Tony Beltran's own goal gave the Wizards a 1-0 home win, their first win since April.

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San Jose 0-0 Chicago (Toyota Park)
Ramiro Corrales had his best game for San Jose, but neither side could find their touch in front of goal. Joe Cannon was his consistent steady self. Not all scoreless draws are without excitement -- but this one was. It was unwatchable.

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New York 1-1 Chivas USA (HDC)
Without Juan Pablo Angel and Claudio Reyna, Dave van den Bergh's screened free kick got by Chivas' Brad Guzan, but Ante Razov equalized stealing an embarrassingly errant backpass and scoring in first half injury time.

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Red Bulls are red faced

The above video is a clip from the celebrity soccer match for charity held in Chinatown in New York last Wednesday, hosted by NBA star (and want-to-be MLS franchise owner) Steve Nash and Red Bulls injured midfielder (and one-time Captain America) Claudio Reyna.

The event also featured English soccer players Steve McManaman and Robbie Fowler, and NBA players Jason Kidd, Baron Davis, Raja Bell, Leandro Barbosa and David Lee.

Sounds fun, right? So, then why are Red Bulls fans so angry?

Well, because their American DP, the once-great Captain America, hasn't played for the club since May 25, yet he was able to participate in this charity match. And by all video accounts, he seemed able to move around fairly well. Meanwhile, the team that is paying him a guaranteed $1,265,000 in 2008 (despite the fact that he's only showed up to work six times) is struggling. He's played in less than half of New York's matches, and according to coach Juan Carlos Osorio, it is likely that Reyna's injury (herniated disc) will keep him sidelined even longer.

"To the best of my knowledge, Claudio's condition was discovered as a long-term injury," Osorio told MLSnet. "Given the nature of his injury, what we're trying to do is monitor day-by-day his fitness. He is doing his own rehab. Until the time the head physio tells me he is fully fit, I'm not considering to bring him back to the first team."

I call shenanigans! In a ESPN series on injuries featuring a Dr. Watkins, Watkins answered some questions about herniated disks. In it, he calls the rehabilitation process key for an athlete to return to action. I'm not sure a charity match with your celebrity friends counts as a "Level 5 exercise."

Don't get me wrong. I love Claudio. He is far-and-away the best midfielder the U.S. has ever produced (so far). But playing in a charity match with your buddies -- when your club (the one paying you) is struggling to generate offense (without Angel or Altidore) and has just six wins in 15 matches -- is bad form. Charity or not.

“They knew I was playing in this,” Reyna told Big Apple Soccer. “They knew I’ve been training this week, not ready to play 90 minutes or travel with the team, but I needed a week of fitness. This fit in perfectly. I talked to coach and they knew what I was doing so there was no problem.”

But he misses the point. Whether or not the coach and your teammates are away that you're playing in a charity match is inconsequential to whether or not you should be. What kind of message does it send to your team when they see one of the club's highest paid players goofing around with Thierry Henry back home when they have to travel across the country for a 1-1 draw with Chivas USA, a draw that was due in part to a disorganized midfield. Do they think, gee, I hope he had fun?

Now I'm not saying that he shouldn't have hosted the event, or that his injury is not as serious as he says it is, but leadership involves sacrifice and he should have sat this one out as a message to his teammates that says, I'm working hard to get back and help and I'm not going to risk getting re-injured just to play against a bunch of celebrities.

You may be regaining your fitness, Claudio, but on Wednesday you showed bad form.

Joe-Max waxes nostalgic

Henry to MLS, Part 347

Thierry Henry is once again paying lip service to rumors of a possible move to Major League Soccer. Here he is responding to a question about whether he would play in the US of A:

"Why not? I love America. I love it here. And whenever I come here, I feel free. Hopefully, one day. You never know what's going to happen. But at the moment, I'm still over there."

He also mentioned New York, which bodes well for the struggling, post-Jozy Red Bulls. It would certainly be a nice addition for the league if they can get it done in the wake of his participation in the European Championships. The popular rumor has been that Henry will join the Seattle Sounders in MLS in 2009, but it would be a smart marketing move to get a deal done now. They could even announce it at Sunday's MLS-Euro 2008 doubleheader.

Either way, I wish Henry would crap or get off the bidet (yes, i'm aware that you don't actually crap in a bidet, but it's French and ... just get a sense of humor, will ya?).

TYH Addendum: Could the recent release of DC's young Argentine striker Franco Niell be significant to this story? DC coach Tom Soehn is quoted on Steve Goff's blog as saying DC is interested in acquiring another player. Perhaps, Juan Pablo Angel is sent to DC United to make room for Henry.

MLS Thursday: [Insert clever Old West metaphor here]

JUNE 26
FC Dallas 1-1 Houston USA (HDC)
They're big, aerial targets with aspirations to World Cup glory: Brian Ching and Kenny Cooper. And they each scored on opposite sides of halftime (respectively) as the Texas teams split the points at Robertson Stadium.

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Bocanegra signs with French club

U.S. national team captain Carlos Bocanegra has signed a three-year contracr with a French club Stade Rennais F.C in Rennes, according to the website Yanks Abroad.

Last season Rennais finished sixth in Ligue 1 and qualified for UEFA Intertoto Cup. The year before they qualified for the UEFA Cup, but finished last in the initial group phase.

Bocanegra, of course, joins Rennais on free transfer after being released from Fulham this summer, as "Fulham USA" continues the process of de-Americanizing its roster.

According to the article Rennais courted the 29-year-old centerback for some time, until they finally came to terms. The move could prove to be a good one for Bocanegra, who had a couple of subpar seasons in England recently and might need a change of scenery.

Bocangera joins fellow Americans Andrew Jacobson (midfielder - Lorient) and Quentin Westerberg (goalkeeper - Troyes).

Highlights from 8-0 win over Barbados

Sometimes it's fun to beat up the little guy.

U.S. wins, but leaves hurricane home

The scorecard will read that the U.S. advanced 9-0 on aggregate goals, but this hides the fact that the U.S.'s Chicago-style line-up could only muster a lackluster 1-0 win over the island minnows of Barbados.

Sure, seven players broke their national team cherries, but with one (maybe two) exceptions, the U.S. shouldn't call them back for a second date. Plus, the lone goal came from the aged foot of Eddie Lewis, a player who should have been left home in 2006, forget about 2010. The single goal did highlight one of the bright spots of this team -- Freddy Adu. It was his run and through ball that allowed Eddie to clumsily knock it past Barbados' inept keeper Alvin Rouse.

A few other bright spots from today: Danny Szetela played, while Carlos Bocanegra and Oguchi Onyewu did not (why risk an injury to either in a meaningless game).

MATCH REPORT

TEAM	1st half	2nd half	Final
USA	1	0	1
BRB	0	0	0

Scoring:
USA – Lewis (Adu) 21.

Misconduct Summary:
none? (why don't you hit somebody?)

Lineups:
USA: 18-Brad Guzan; 6-Drew Moor, 15-Jay DeMerit, 2-Danny Califf, 11-Heath Pearce; 10-Sacha Kljestan, 12-Michael Bradley, 8-Danny Szetela (14-Chris Rolfe, 66), 7-Eddie Lewis (capt.); 16-Freddy Adu (13-Chad Barrett, 86), 17-DaMarcus Beasley (12-John Thorrington, 79)

BRB: 1-Alvin Rouse, 5-Bryan Neblett, 6-Jonathan Straker, 7-Paul Ifill (capt.), 9-Marc McCammon, 11-Jonathan Nurse (12-Malcolm Marshall, 81), 13-Riviere Williams (8-Rondell Vaughan, 68), 14-Ramuel Miller, 15-Emerson Boyce, 16-Barry Skeete, 17-John Parris

STATS	USA	BRB
Shots	9	3
Shots OG	1	0
Saves	0	0
Corners	2	3
Fouls	11	7
Offside	5	4

TYH'S MLS BEST 11 (Week 13)

GOALKEEPER

J. Conway (NY)

DEFENDERS

G. Martinez (DC), K. Goldthwaite (NY), J. Conrad (KC)

MIDFIELDERS

M. Gallardo (DC), K. Beckerman (RSL), S. Ralston (NE), S. Holden (HOU)

FORWARDS

A. Razov (CHV), L. Donovan (LA), A. Cristman (NE)

MLS Round-Up (Week 13)

JUNE 22
San Jose 1-3 DC United (RFK Stadium)
Three goals in five minutes in the second half left DC United on top 2-1 before Luciano Emilio added his eighth goal of the year to put it out of reach. Marcelo Gallardo returned to the DC line-up and provided two assists on DC's second and third goals. John Cunliffe scored the lone goal for the Quakes.





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JUNE 21
Kansas City 0-0 Toronto FC (BMO Field)
Plenty of chances for both sides in this one, but no one could convert. Danny Dichio appeared to have won it for TFC in injury time, but he was ruled offside.

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FC Dallas 0-1 New York (Giants Stadium)
The Red Bulls were able to make a Kevin Goldthwaite goal in the 16th minute hold up in a physical match (31 total fouls committed) against FC Dallas.

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Houston 0-0 Colorado (DSG Park)
Scoreless draws are boring to write about. Want to know what happened? Then watch this:

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New England 1-2 Real Salt Lake (Rice-Eccles Stadium)
SInce 2005, New England has only lost four times when scoring the first goal, which they did Saturday as Adam Cristman beat a lazy defense to the ball for his fourth goal of the year. But RSL doesn't care about statistics apparently, as they dispose of the Revs with an own goal (Jay Heaps) and a deflection poached by Tino Nunez.

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Columbus 3-3 Los Angeles (HDC)
Landon Donovan scored in his first game back from national team duty. Edson Buddle then got his ninth of the season from a tight angle, and it appeared that the Galaxy were going to run away with this one. But then Brad Evans cut the deficit in half, and a Guillermo Barros Schelotto PK equalized. LD converted the Galaxy's own PK with seven minutes to play, but a poor punch in the 88th minute by LA keeper Steve Cronin fell to second-half Steven Lenhart who leveled things again.

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U.S.'s Chicago-style pie misses opportunity

U.S. national team coach Bob Bradley announced the roster for the second leg of the qualifier against island whipping boys Barbados, who will have an eight-goal deficit to make up when they host the Nats on Sunday, June 22, at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.

After the first match, I suggested that B.S. Bradley might want to use the second leg to test out some players since the danger of the U.S. losing 9-0 is far fetched at best. I also suggested a few new names that he could call up, particularly some attacking players that the U.S. will need against the more experienced teams that lie ahead.

In more proof that B.S. Bradley is a TYH reader, he added No.7 on my list, Danny Szetela. It's a start, I guess, but it is disappointing to see that the only other new faces added are John Thorrington and the midget twins (Chad Barrett and Chris Rolfe). Now, don't get me wrong, Barrett is a decent player (a homeless man's Wayne Rooney) and Rolfe has had his moments, but Bradley's Chicago-style national team pie again misses an opportunity to run out players with 2010 potential. Eddie Lewis is still on this team (who did he service to keep his name on this roster?) Danny Califf is still on this team (no way is he going to make 2010).

Not to mention that some of the likely starters for 2010 should be sitting out this ridiculously one-sided contest. What if, god forbid, Carlos Bocanegra, DaMarcus Beasley, Freddy Adu, or even your son get injured in this match and have to miss subsequent, tougher qualifiers, Mr. Bradley? It is an unnecessary gamble. This roster could consist entirely of our C-team players and no one would bat an eye. But one reason I think of that Bradley might have for keeping a core of "veterans" is that he feels pressure to get results so that he can continue to make a case for why he should remain our national team coach when he is so woefully out of his league.

ROSTER FOR BARBADOS (by position)
GOALKEEPERS (3): Dominic Cervi (out of contract), Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Chris Seitz (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (6): Carlos Bocanegra (out of contract), Dan Califf (FC Midtjylland), Jay DeMerit (Watford FC), Drew Moor (FC Dallas) Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock)
MIDFIELDERS (6): DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers), Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Eddie Lewis (Derby County), Danny Szetela (Brescia), John Thorrington (Chicago Fire)
FORWARDS (3): Freddy Adu (SL Benfica), Chad Barrett (Chicago Fire), Chris Rolfe (Chicago Fire)

MLS Thursday: Welcome back, Sacha

JUNE 18
Chicago 0-2 Chivas USA (HDC)
Returning from national team duty, Sacha Kljestan scored his fifth goal of the season and rookie Justin Braun added another, as Chivas ran over Chicago, sending them to their third loss in four matches.

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MLS Wednesday: Spoils shared

JUNE 18
New York 1-1 New England (Gillette Stadium)
Steve Ralston equalized a Seth Stamler shot on the other side of halftime, splitting the points with the struggling Red Bulls at home. Kheli Dube continues to be in the center of things as his knock down of a Jay Heaps searching ball found an unmarked Ralston in the box.

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San Jose 0-0 Real Salt Lake (Rice-Eccles Stadium)
A real yawnfest, as RSL can't take advantage, despite being a man up (at home) for the entire second half, after Jason Hernandez picked up two stupid yellow cards in just under 20 minutes. Terrible.

Hoops hire college fossil from SMU

FC Dallas announced today that Southern Methodist University coach Schellas Hyndman will take over as the team's head coach effective immediately, according to Hoops GM Michael Hitchcock.

Hyndman brings 31 years of college coaching experience, 24 of them at SMU, where he had a .772 winning percentage and career record of 452-117-47, second among active Division I coaches. He was named Conference USA coach of the year in 2006, after winning consecutive Conference USA titles. SMU lost last season in the second round to Creighton.

He's certainly a respected and experience coach at the college level, but he has absolutely no professional coaching experience. It's a bit of a head-scatcher because MLS is certainly a different animal from college. The wide range of ages, salaries, and abilities, not to mention the strange rules of DPs, SIs and YIs, it's a tall order for someone familiar with the ins and outs, forget about someone who has been doing the same thing for 24 years.

Former college coaches like Bruce Arena and Sigi Schmid were able to make the transition because the league was still in its infancy, still trying to figure out all the nonsensical rules that now define the league. Hyndman will need to learn fast. This makes the firing of Morrow even more ridiculous because Hyndman's hiring represents a step back for Dallas, who will now how to reconfigure and give their new coach time to acclimate himself and build a roster. Of course, they didn't allow Morrow time to do that so the clock may already be ticking on their new coach.

It Starts Here

U.S. blow through Banana Republic, 8-0

No cool island breeze blowing over the Home Depot Center today, as the United States brought the gale force winds and blew through Barbados 8-0 in the home leg of their 2010 World Cup qualifier.

Brian Ching and Clint Dempsey each scored a brace. And Michael Bradley, Landon Donovan and Eddie Johnson each added a goal and a late own goal rounded out the scoring against the bearded island minnows.

Tim Howard, who had a spectacular match against Argentina a week ago, was a scratch due to a back strain sustained in training. Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan got the nod, but didn't need to make a single save.

Do they even have to play the second leg in Barbados? Sounds like the away match on June 22nd would be an excellent time to get a look at a few new players in the national team pool, Mr. Bradley. Please.

Dempsey's 55-second goals was the fastest-ever for the U.S. Men's National Team in FIFA World Cup qualifying. The 8-goal margin of victory is also the largest margin of victory for the MNT in FIFA World Cup qualifying, with the last 8-goal game coming in an 8-1 win on Nov. 14, 1993, against the Cayman Islands.

MATCH REPORT

TEAM	1st half	2nd half	Final
USA	3	5	8
BRB	0	0	0

Scoring:
USA – Dempsey (Bocanegra) 1.
USA – Bradley 12.
USA – Ching (Mastroeni) 20.
USA – Donovan 59.
USA – Dempsey 63.
USA – Johnson (Pearce)82.
USA – Own goal (Daryl Ferguson) 86.
USA – Ching (Cherundolo) 89.

Misconduct Summary:
BRB – Forde (caution) 18.
USA – Onyewu (caution) 18.
BRB – Neblett (caution) 59.
BRB – Marshall (caution) 79.

Lineups:
USA: 18-Brad Guzan; 6-Steve Cherundolo, 5-Oguchi Onyewu, 3-Carlos Bocanegra, 15-Heath Pearce; 10-Landon Donovan (9-Eddie Jonson, 81), 12-Michael Bradley, 4-Pablo Mastroeni (16-Freddy Adu, 26), 17-DaMarcus Beasley; 11-Brian Ching, 8-Clint Dempsey (7-Eddie Lewis, 72)

BRB: 1-Alvin Rouse; 2-Dyson James, 3-Daryl Ferguson, 4-Greg Belle, 5-Bryan Neblett; 8-Jonathan Forte (13-Riviere Williams, 69), 10-Norman Forde (Capt.) (12-Malcolm Marshall, 72), 11-Jonathon Nurse (17-John Parris, 76), 15-Rommelle Burgess; 7-Paul Ifill, 9-Mark McCammon.

STATS	USA	BRB
Shots	22	2
Shots(OG)	14	0
Saves	0	7
Corners	7	2
Fouls	15	12
Offside	5	4

TYH'S MLS BEST 11 (Week 12)

GOALKEEPER

B. Edwards (TFC)

DEFENDERS

A. Igwe (NE), D. O'Rourke (CLB), A. Jazic (LA) 

MIDFIELDERS

R. Ricketts (TFC), J. Moreno (DC), K. Beckerman (RSL), C. Simms (DC)

FORWARDS

A. Moreno (CLB), L. Emilio (DC), E. Buddle (LA)

MLS Round-Up (Week 12)

JUNE 15
Chicago 0-1 FC Dallas (Pizza Hut Park)
A lone goal by Nats-snubbed Kenny Cooper gave the Hoops the home win.
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JUNE 14
Colorado 1-3 Toronto (BMO Field)
Colorado couldn't find the cure for Ricketts, Rohan Ricketts, who scored a brace in the Reds rout of the Rapids. Danny Dichio opened the scoring with his fifth of the season. Christian Gomez was responsible for the consolation goal. Also, this was listed on the mlsnet matchtracker: TOR -- Jeff Cunningham (caution; Trickery) 85. "Trickery" gets a yellow? What the Puck?

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New York 1-4 DC United (RFK Stadium)
The lopsided wins continued as Luciano Emilio scored a hattrick and Clyde Simms added another, and DC demolished their east coast rivals. The starless Red Bulls are in for a long summer unless they can find help fast.

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Columbus 3-0 Kansas City (CA Ballpark)
The blowouts continued as the normally stingy KC defense allowed Chad Marshall to get on the board just three minutes in and then Alejandro Moreno added a brace.

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Los Angeles 3-0 San Jose (McAfee Coliseum)
Sans LD, journeyman Edson Buddle seems to have found a home in Los Angeles. Buddle's hattrick gives him eight goals on the year. San Jose continues to look like an expansion side.

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Real Salt Lake 1-0 Chivas USA (HDC)
RSL's Robbie Findlay scored the lone goal, off a nice through ball from Kyle Beckerman, to steal the road win and snapping Chivas USA's three-game winning streak.

I second that emotion

Coach Bradley, you're a good American soccer coach. But I'm afraid that tactically you're way out of your league on this stage. Why not make way for someone who isn't? At least then we could end the debate about whether our team is lacking in skill or in tactical leadership.

This quote is from Yanks Abroad columnist Brent Lantham's letter to current U.S. national team soccer coach Bob Bradley asking him to fall on the sword for the good of the team. Spot on, Mr. Latham. Where do I sign?

Here's the link:AN OPEN LETTER TO BOB

U.S. Pool Party: 10 players who deserve a look

The following is a list of American players who have earned a call-up to U.S. national team camp and who have so far gotten the cold shoulder from B.S. Bradley. Some have been capped, others haven’t, but each player could contribute if given a chance.

10) Jorge Flores (Chivas USA – striker) Flores snuck onto this list with an impressive string of performances this season in MLS for the McGoats. He’s had very limited experience (a U.S. U20 call-up where he scored against Argentina’s U20), but he is smart around the ball, quick and opportunistic. Like a younger, shorter version of Ante Razov (ok, so maybe that’s not a huge compliment).



9) Pat Noonan (Aalesunds FK – midfielder/forward) Ok, so they’re not all spring chickens, but 27-year-old Pat Noonan was vastly underrated in MLS and now that he is playing in Norway he’s virtually forgotten. But like a well-adjusted toddler, he plays well with others (Twellman, Dorman, etc.). Injuries marred his first attempt with the national team, he deserves another in the twilight of his career.


8) Ned Grabavoy (San Jose – midfielder) Playing on an expansion team (or a resurrected franchise) can make it tough to win a spot with the Nats, but Grabavoy is as consistent a defensive midfielder as I’ve seen in MLS. Solid in defense, he can move forward and serve long balls into the box. With injuries in the midfield, he’d be a decent insurance policy.







7) Danny Szetela (Brescia Calcio – midfielder) After he shipped off the Santander, Szetela appears to have left the national team pool to relax in the Spanish sun. Time for a dip, Danny. A tough central midfielder with a never-say-die attitude. With Benny Feilhaber’s status in question, we need depth in the center of the pitch.



6) Corey Ashe (Houston – winger) A speedy wing player, Ashe would be a nice change of pace off the bench. He’s able to get behind players, and he is a decent crosser of the ball. Like many players on this list, he’s not very experienced but sometimes pace can make up for mistakes.



5) Robbie Rogers (Columbus – winger/forward) I have seen the future of American soccer and his name is alliterative. Rogers should be in camp. He should get minutes. He’s young, but look what the youngsters brought back in the 2002 World Cup. Sometimes you gotta go with the fearless youngster over the old timers (I’m looking at you Eddie Lewis).

4) Michael Parkhurst (New England - center back) The U.S. is set at center back, but depth is a nice problem to have. Parkhurst, MLS's defender of the year, has had nary a call-up since the 2007 Gold Cup a year ago, which doesn't make sense considering this guy's consistency and calm demeanor. He never seems to panic and he uses good technique to adjust when beaten when other guys would just hack a guy down.

3) Adam Cristman (New England – striker) Let’s face it. The U.S. is a bit soft up front these days. Cristman could provide a physical presence with a bit better touch than Brian Ching. He’s a inexperienced, a bit raw, but each MLS season he seems to be moving in the right direction. And the U.S. needs any offensive firepower they can muster.





2) Marc Burch (DC United – left back) Bornstein? Pearce? Could the answer really be a forward-turned-defender from the University of Maryland? Burch has the deep crossing ability and the defending acumen to be the possible answer at this troublesome spot.










1) Arturo Alvarez (FC Dallas – forward) If you haven’t heard of Arturo Alvarez than you haven’t watched FC Dallas this season. He was included in a few Olympic team camps, but he’s never been given a chance to play on the senior team. Dallas is struggling a bit this year, but it isn’t due to Alvarez who has three goals and four assists. He has excellent touch around the goal and would combine well with Landon Donovan (especially if the U.S. used LD as a withdrawn forward or midfielder). He's lightning quick and provides decent service from the corners. He could be a nice addition to the squad ... which is exactly why Bradley will overlook him.

Villa offer £2m for Simek

He might have fallen off Bob Bradley's radar, but somebody wants him. According to The Times in London, Aston Villa are after American right back Frank Simek, offering a reported £2m for the Sheffield Wednesday defender.

Simek joined Wednesday in 2005 and eventually winning a starting spot and the favor of the fans. Simek received his first cap for the national team last year and most recently played for in the U.S. team that one the 2007 Gold Cup a year ago.

Road warriors all Revved up

JUNE 12
New England 2-0 Houston (Robertson Stadium)
New England improved their road record to 5-1-1 by disposing of 2007 MLS Cup winners the Houston Dynamo on Thursday night at Robertson Stadium, as Steve Ralston and newboy Kheli Dube get on the scorer's sheet in the first half.

Ch-Ching added to U.S. qualifier roster

U.S. coach Bob Bradley named the 21 players that will begin qualification for the 2010 World Cup against Barbados on Sunday, June 15. This is a tricky situation because Barbados should be easy like Sunday morning. But you don't want to try a bunch of untested players and end up staggering out of the gate like Barbaro. I mean, a rag-tag collection of immigrants beat mighty England once upon a time, so anything can happen.

But this is why I have been so disappointed with B.S. Bradley's decisions for the series of friendlies against top competition. He had the choice to test the quality of a host of players and he blew it by calling up "veterans" who for the most part will be watching the 2010 World Cup from their nursing homes (You know I still love ya, Heydude). I will be coming out with a post shortly of players that I believe deserve a call-up to the Nats. Maybe not for a qualifier but certainly for any friendlies in between.

Bradley's roster for the qualifier is nearly identical to the Argentina roster and similar to the rosters against England and Spain. Carlos Bocanegra is back after missing Argentina. MLS Player of the Week Brian Ching has been added (BS Bradley must read my site -- first Cooper, than Ching). Drew Moor and Kenny Cooper, who didn't see the pitch against last Sunday, have been dropped. Moor's still too green, but I would have liked to have seen Cooper get on the pitch. He's a big, physical forward like Ching, but I think he has better touch and a better shot from distance. Ching is a bit of a one-trick pony, although so was McBride and he was pretty successful (when he wasn't breaking his face on elbows). I also like that Sacha Kljestan continues to be part of the mix. He is a talented player and definitely will be part of the 2010 squad. I'm not sold on Heath Pearce or Jay DeMerit, though.

I still do not understand the logic of keeping Jozy Altidore off this team. He is currently your best option up front. I like Dempsey out wide in the midfield, not as a striker and LD needs a partner or he's useless. But all in all, it is a fairly strong line-up that shouldn't have any trouble with the Bearded Boys from the Caribbean.

Here's your Father's Day line-up:
U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (3): Dominic Cervi, Brad Guzan, Tim Howard
DEFENDERS (7): Carlos Bocanegra, Dan Califf, Steve Cherundolo, Jay DeMerit, Frankie Hejduk, Oguchi Onyewu, Heath Pearce
MIDFIELDERS (7): Freddy Adu, DaMarcus Beasley, Michael Bradley, Maurice Edu, Sacha Kljestan, Eddie Lewis, Pablo Mastroeni
FORWARDS (4): Brian Ching, Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Eddie Johnson

TYH'S MLS BEST 11 (Week 11)

GOALKEEPER

K. Hartman (KC)

DEFENDERS

R. Cochrane (SJ), M. Harrington (KC), B. Namoff (DC)

MIDFIELDERS

D. DeRosario (HOU), R. O'Brien (SJ), S. Ralston (NE), D. Richards (NY)

FORWARDS

B. Ching (HOU), J. Angel (NY), A. Cristman (NE)

MLS Round-Up (Week 11)

JUNE 8
Toronto 1-3 Houston (Robertson Stadium)

Brian Ching should have been in New Jersey with the Nats. Instead, he scores two for the Dynamo and they roll over the Reds.
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JUNE 7
Colorado 2-3 Los Angeles (HDC)

Los Angeles scored three before allowing Rapids to nearly capsize the star-less Galaxy. But who needs 'em. This one had a kick to the groin, a stomp and a double ejection.
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Kansas City 0-0 Real Salt Lake (Robertson Stadium)

Hartman had seven saves. Yawn. Just another day at the office.
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DC United 2-1 Chicago (Toyota Park)

Three ejections. Two for DC, yet they still manage to claw their way to victory thanks to Emilio's late goal.
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San Jose 2-0 Columbus (Crew Stadium)

Ronnie O'Brien is still good, people. Two pinpoint assists by the Irishman delivers the Quakes a 2-0 win.
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JUNE 6
FC Dallas 1-2 New England (Gillette Stadium)

Adam Cristman deserves a call up to the Nats, but he won't get one because Bob Bardley has decided to bring David Regis out of retirement instead.
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JUNE 5
Chivas USA 0-1 New York (Gillette Stadium)

Juan Pablo is the only good thing about a soon to be Altidore-less New York.
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U.S. manages 'epic' draw with Argentina

U.S. manage to hold Argentina to a scoreless draw. USsoccer.com called it "epic." Messi held scoreless. Two men sent off. Seven saves by Timmy. LD gets his ton. Not bad, but "epic"?

Donovan on the play of his keeper Tim Howard:
“He saved us and kept us in the game. In certain moments, when things aren't really going well for you, you hope that your goalkeeper can make a few saves and Timmy went above and beyond that tonight. We can't rely on that all the time because that's not fair on him, but you hope in certain moments he can make those types of plays. He's shown that he can rise to that level over and over again.”

Stats Summary: USA / ARG
Shots: 9 / 10
Shots on goal: 4 / 7
Saves: 7 / 5
Corner Kicks: 7 / 6
Fouls: 19 / 18
Offside: 3 / 2

Misconduct Summary:
ARG – Nicolas Burdisso (caution) 18th minute.
USA – Pablo Maestroeni (caution) 60.
USA – Maurice Edu (caution) 70.
USA – Pablo Maestroeni (caution) 71.
USA – Pablo Maestroeni (sent off) 71.
ARG – Gabriel Heinze (caution) 84.
ARG – Lisandro Lopez (caution) 84.
ARG – Javier Mascherano (caution) 86.
ARG – Javier Mascherano (caution) 86.
ARG – Javier Mascherano (sent off) 86.

LINEUPS:
USA: 1-Tim Howard; 6-Steve Cherundolo, 22-Oguchi Onyewu (23-Jay DeMerit, 61), 5-Danny Califf, 15-Heath Pearce (7-Eddie Lewis, 78); 4-Michael Bradley (26-Maurice Edu, 46), 25-Pablo Mastroeni; 8-Clint Dempsey (19-Freddy Adu, 61), 10-Landon Donovan (capt.), 17-DaMarcus Beasley (2-Frankie Hejduk, 91+); 9-Eddie Johnson (12-Sacha Kljestan, 74)

ARG: 1-Roberto Abbondanzieri; 3-Gonzalo Rodriguez, 4-Nicolas Burdisso (2-Martin Demichelis, 46), 6-Gabriel Heinze, 13-Pablo Zabaleta (8-Javier Zanetti, 77); 5-Fernando Gago, 7-Maximiliano Rodriguez (20-Fernando Cavenaghi, 74), 14-Javier Mascherano (capt.); 9-Julio Cruz (19-Lisandro Lopez, 64), 11-Sergio Aguero (15-Ever Banega, 88), 18-Lionel Messi (17-Jose Sosa, 46)

B.S. Bradley shovels it

Among the post-match comments posted on ussoccer.com was this polished turd by America's next ex-coach Bob Bradley

Asked whether "some of the veteran players will be around in 2010 or will he be looking at younger talent"

TRANSLATION: Why the crappy geezers like Eddie Lewis, Frankie Hejduk and Josh Wolff?

Bradley responded:

“It is always important to look for the right time to move young players into the national team. But there is great value in some of the more experienced players. We consider that of big importance heading into World Cup qualifying. If a player continues to play well, then that helps everyone.”

TRANSLATION: I am a complete ass who cannot judge talent and should be fired immediately. Seriously, Eddie Lewis? Why am I still here talking to you guys? I mean, there's about 10 guys on this team who will be selling used cars by 2010. What was I thinking? Maybe I should call in Andrew Shue for Argentina. Maybe then you'll get the message.

Jozy headed to Spain a bit too late

The United States could have used the speedy, young striker this evening, but Jozy Altidore won't be headed to where "the rain falls mainly on the plain" to join the U.S. national team. MLS has decided to sell the rights to Jozy to Villareal of La Liga in Spain.

According to ESPNnet, the deal for the 18-year-old came in at "just under $10 million" which would be a record amount for American sold overseas. Clint Dempsey was sold to Fulham for around four million.

"This was a decision we and the Red Bulls took rationally, with the objective to achieve a couple of things: provide Jozy with an opportunity he's been looking for, and more importantly from our point of view, give us resources to elevate the team and the league," Ivan Gazidis (assistant commish) told ESPNnet.

The deal might even pay for the Red Bulls new digs, which are supposed to be open by 2009.

According to MLS, Altidore will address the media the match against Chivas USA. He is a scratch for the match with a recent ankle knock sustained in training ... or so they say. I'm sure it has nothing to do with Villareal wanting to protect their investment.

U.S. nipped by late goal in Spain

The toothless attack continued for the U.S., as Spain's Xavi Hernandez scored in the 79th minute to beat the Red, White and Blue 1-0 in Santander today.

Although they performed marginally better in front of goal, Bradley's impotent attack of EdJo and Josh Wolff weren't able to convert any of the handful of chances

Next up for the United States, Argentina at Giants Stadium this Sunday. Let's hope that Bradley calls in some local (MLS) boys for some triage for the offense.

USA: 1-Tim Howard (18-Brad Guzan, 46); 6-Steve Cherundolo (5-Frankie Hejduk, 46), 22-Oguchi Onyewu, 3-Carlos Bocanegra (Capt.), 12-Heath Pearce; 8-Clint Dempsey (25-Pablo Mastroeni, 86), 26-Maurice Edu, 4-Michael Bradley, 11-Eddie Lewis (16-Josh Wolff, 70); 9-Eddie Johnson, 19-Freddy Adu (7-DaMarcus Beasley, 46)
Subs not used:, 2-Dan Califf, 23-Jay DeMerit
Head Coach: Bob Bradley

ESP: 1-Iker Casillas (capt.); 11-Joan Capdevila (3-Fernando Navarro, 53), 4-Carlos Marchena, 5-Carlos Puyol, 15-Sergio Ramos; 12-Santi Cazorla, 8-Xavi Hernandez, 14-Xabi Alonso (19-Marcos Senna, 46), 21-David Silva (22-Ruben De La Red, 58); 9-Fernando Torres (17-Daniel Güiza, 46), 10-Cesc Fabregas (18-Álvaro Arbeloa, 84)
Subs not used: 23-Pepe Reina, 13-Andrés Palop; 2-Raúl Albiol, , 7-David Villa, 16-Sergio Garcia, , 20-Juanito
Head Coach: Luis Aragones

TYH'S MLS BEST 11 (Week 10)

GOALKEEPER

M. Reis (NE)

DEFENDERS

D. Moor (DAL), R. Mulrooney (HOU), J. Brennan (TOR)

MIDFIELDERS

J. Toja (DAL), D. DeRosario (HOU), R. Ricketts (TOR), J. Morales (RSL), J. Marsch (CHV)

FORWARDS

K. Dube (NE), T. McManus (COL)

MLS Round-Up (Week 10)

JUNE 1
FC Dallas 1-2 Colorado (DSG Park)

Colorado's Conor Casey and Dallas' Dominic Oduro traded goals at either end of the first half before a 72nd goal by Tom McManus secured the three points for the Rapids. In the seventh minute, Colorado midfielder Christian Gomez slotted a ball to Casey who cut back to avoid a trailing defender and beat Dallas goalkeeper Ray Burse who failed to cut off the angle. Oduro's equalizer was a garbage goal, after the Rapids fail to clear a Dallas corner. The winning goal was much more impressive, as McManus managed to hold off Duilio Davino with his left shoulder, beat the defender to the bouncing through-ball by Rafael Gomes and squeak the ball past Burse at the near post while falling backward.
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MAY 31
Los Angeles 0-2 Toronto (BMO Field)

Without Landon Donovan and David Beckham, the Galaxy ... well, the Galaxy just aren't very good. The foul weather was "on again, off again" and so was the play, as neither side looked like it would be able to muster a decent attack. Offside call after offside call was putting even the rowdy Reds fans to sleep. But after the halftime storm, came a glancing header by MLS newboy Julius James and then goal-poacher Jeff Cunningham picked up a loose ball in the box and sealed it for the home side, as LD and his pulled groin looked on.
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New York 0-1 Houston (Robertson Stadium)
After sustaining a bloody knock on the head in the first half, Houston's Brian Ching slid in on a low cross from Geoff Cameron to score the only goal of the night. The troubles continue for the Red Bulls who managed just one win on the month of May and only 10 goals scored this season (tied for second worst in the league with KC)
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San Jose 1-3 Real Salt Lake (Rice-Eccles Stadium)

Things started well for the 'Quakes, as Joe Cannon stopped a Javier Morales penalty kick just three minutes into the match and then kept San Jose in the match till halftime. But the second half was a different story, as Robbie Findlay put RSL on top with a long distance crack past Cannon at the near post in the 48th, and then Morales added the second for the Royals about 10 minutes later. RSL made it 3-0 after Dema Kovalenko converted their second given PK of the night, and John Cunliffe pulled a conciliation goal back for San Jose in the 84th.
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Columbus 0-2 Chivas USA (HDC)

Youth and experience delivered Chivas USA, as Mexican-American teenager Jorge Flores picked up his third goal in as many games and MLS vet Jesse Marsch added number two. Referee Fernando Galvan seemed to lose control of the match at times (what? they can't fine me and its true), sending off the Crew's Danny O'Rourke for a studs-up tackle in the 22ndand Crew assistant coach Robert Warzycha was also sent off for some choice words concerning the officials from the sideline. Check out the push by Atiba Harris on the Flores goal.
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