MLS Sunday: Dynamo douse McFire (Week 23)

August 31
Chicago 1-2 Houston (Robertson Stadium)
Brian McBride scored his first goal (a weak one) of his second MLS campaign, but the defending Cup champions spoiled it by scoring two goals of their own. Dwayne DeRosario equalized a minute after McBride's goal and then Brian Mullan scored the winner.

MLS Saturday (Week 23)

August 30
New York 0-0 DC United (RFK Stadium)
Battle of the beltway, ends in a scoreless draw. Helping neither team.

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Los Angeles 2-2 New England (Gillette Stadium)
Goals by Taylor Twellman and Shalrie Joseph sandwiched (and spoiled) a Landon Donovan brace.

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Columbus 2-1 Dallas (PHP)
Dallas led for just two minutes on a Jeff Cinningham goal before Alejandro Moreno and Eddie Gaven scored two goals in three minutes to give the visitors the win.

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Kansas City 1-2 San Jose (BS Stadium)
Darren Huckerby's 83rd minute goal saved the Quakes from yet another draw, after San Jose's Arturo Alvarez and KC's Davy Arnaud traded goals on either side of halftime.

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Toronto 1-2 Chivas USA (HDC)
TFC's struggles continue as a 19th minute goal by Jim Brennan was erased by a goal by Alecko Eskandarian a minute later, but it was an Atiba Harris goal four minutes into injury time that gave Chivas USA the win.

MLS Friday: Location, location, location (week 23)

August 30
Colorado 0-3 Real Salt Lake (R-E Stadium)
It's all where you play for these two team, as Fabian Espindola's brace kept RSL undefeated at home (7-0-5) , while Colorado's road woes continue with their seventh consecutive road loss.

U.S. roster for Cuba, T&T matches

I haven't seen such a weak bunch of guys tackle Cuba since the Bay of Pigs. But, seriously, here's coach Sadley's picks for the next World Cup qualifiers on Sept. 6 at Cuba and Sept. 10 against Trinidad & Tobago in Bridgeview, Ill:

GOALKEEPERS: Tim Howard, Brad Guzan.

DEFENDERS: Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, Heath Pearce, Frankie Hejduk, Danny Califf, Steve Cherundolo*, Michael Orozco, Marvell Wynne.

MIDFIELDERS: DaMarcus Beasley, Michael Bradley, Ricardo Clark, Maurice Edu, Eddie Lewis, Sacha Kljestan.

FORWARDS: Brian Ching, Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Eddie Johnson.
*suspended for Cuba game

TYH's Analysis: Michael Orozco? Sigh. Ok, so coach Bob Sadley deserves some credit for pulling off an historic win at Guatemala in the last qualifier, but I still consider myself a part of the angry pitch-fork wielding mob. And my opinions of his poor managerial skills continue to be justified by these pathetic, weak line-ups. Rather than learning from mistakes, Sadley seems to have no memory of the debacles that came before. It's like 50 First Dates, only funny.

I'm not going to bother to re-hash my criticisms of what is the essentially the same line-up as Guatemala, but I will point out that he added an even less effective left back as depth to an ineffective Heath Pearce. The addition of Marvell Wynne and Ricardo Clark are value adds, but there are still big problems in the attack for the U.S. Thankfully, though, we should be able to field just about anyone and get a result against these two island nations.

Bradley finally on the move?

According to the U.K.'s Daily Mirror, Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate has targeted Coach's son and time-waster Michael Bradley.

Bradley, who plays for Dutch side Heerenveen, was also rumored to be a target of Freddy Adu's new club Monaco but that move never materialized. Bayer Leverkusen was also reportedly interested in the 21-year-old midfielder.

Guatemala revisited

CCL: Revs, Chivas fall flat in openers

CONCACAF Champions' League Preliminaries

New England 1-2 Joe Public FC (RFK Stadium)

New England lose away to Trinidad & Tobago club Joe Public FC, but get an important away goal for next week's second leg. JP got goals from Greg Richardson and former KC Wizard striker Gary Glasgow before the Revs Mauricio Castro converted from the spot to give New England the crucial away goal. The winner by aggregate will advance into a group featuring: Olimpia (Honduras), Atlante (Atlante) and the winner of Montreal Impact (USL.1) vs. Real Esteli (Nicaragua).
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Chivas USA 0-2 Tauro FC (BMO Field)Panamanian club Tauro FC will take a two-goal advantage over Chivas USA into next week's second-leg match in Los Angeles, after Panamanian midfielder WIlliam Aguilar scored twice in tonight's CCL preliminary match in Panama City, Panama. The winner by aggregate will advance into a group featuring: Santos Laguna (Mexico), Municipal (Guatemala) and the winner of Alajuelense (Costa Rica) vs. the Puerto Rico Islanders (USL.1).

TYH'S MLS BEST 11 (Week 22)

GOALKEEPER

J. Busch (CHI)

DEFENDERS

B. Soumare (CHI), J. Conrad (KC), J. Hernandez (SJ), G. Martinez (DC)

MIDFIELDERS

G.B. Schelotto (CLB), M. Magee (NY), D. Richards (NY)

FORWARDS

T. Twellman (NE), K. Kamara (HOU), L. Emilio (DC)

MLS Sunday Round-up (Week 22)

August 24
Houston 0-3 New York
(Giants Stadium)
No one seems to be able to clip the Red Bulls' wings lately. Juan Pablo Angel, Dane Richards and Mike Magee combined to give New York an easy 3-0 win over Houston, their third result in a row. The Red Bulls boast a 3-1-1 record since the All-Star break, and more importantly, they have JPA back at full strength.

MLS Saturday Round-up (Week 22)

August 23
Colorado 0-3 DC United (RFK Stadium)
It wasn't a great start of the post-Clavijo era for Colorado, as Luciano Emilio proved he can give as good as he can get, setting up teammates Joe Vide and Santino Quaranta before Quavas Kirk cleaned-up a rebound to round out the scoring in this lopsided contest.

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New England 1-1 Toronto FC (BMO Field)
Taylor Twellman demonstrated that he is well on the way to regaining his form with his second consecutive match with a goal, but Toronto was able to stop the bleeding with Chad Barrett equalizer in the second half. TFC is still on the Carlos Ruiz watch, as the Guatemalan douche still hasn't reported to Canada after being traded from the Galaxy last week. There is some question whether Ruiz will ever show. I, for one, would say good riddance.

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Real Salt Lake 0-3 Columbus (Crew Stadium)
An assist and a PK goal by Guillermo Barros Schelotto and the Crew had a rather comfortable lead by halftime over the visiting Salty Lakers. Brad Evans added his third of the season in the 55th minute in a play begun by -- you guessed it -- GBS. MLS reduxer Clint Mathis made an appearance in the 72nd minute for RSL, but was a nonfactor.

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FC Dallas 1-1 Kansas City (CAB)
It took 85 minutes and a FC Dallas red card, but KC defender Jimmy Conrad saved a point at home with an injury-time equalizer. It appeared as if the Hoops would make a seventh minute Andre Rocha golazo stand up, despite playing with 10 men due to second caution given to Pablo Ricchetti in the 62nd minute, but the pressure in the final minutes paid off for the Wiz. KC has a long way to go, however, with just five points from the last five matches.

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San Jose 0-0 Chivas USA (HDC)
Despite creating several chances, Chivas USA were forced to share the points with their California neighbors. The Quakes are still without a loss since July 5th, but four draws and just three wins won't move you up in the standings too much.

Four Olympians MLS should target

Major League Soccer needs to do a better job of targeting and signing young foreigners before they are discovered by the deeper pockets of Europe. Here are four Olympic soccer players that MLS could realistically target right now given the fees and salaries they command. But they need to scout and sign fast or they will be scooped up.

1. Chinedu "Edu" Obasi Ogbuke
Nationality: Nigeria
Position: Striker
Age: 22
Current club: 1899 Hoffenheim
Analysis: This talented forward was nearly picked up by Lokomotiv Moscow, but the deal fell through due to massive changes in the clubs management. Edu was the second leading scorer for the silver medalists with two goals. He also scored twice in the U-20 World Championships, and was voted Young Player of the Year in Norway. He has nine caps with the full national team.


2. Jeremy Brockie
Nationality: New Zealand
Position: Striker
Age: 20
Current club: Hawke's Bay United
Analysis: Brockie had NZ's only goal of the Olympics, but has shown great promise, with two goals for the U-20s and seven caps for the senior squad. Plus, he probably could be had for bargain-basement prices given where he currently plays. MLS have been successful recruiting Kiwis before (Ryan Nelsen for DC comes to mind). Plus, he's a character; check out the dreads.



3. Park Joo-young
Nationality: South Korea
Position: Striker/Winger
Age: 23
Current club: FC Seoul
Analysis: Another "Young Player of the Year" award-winner for the AFC, Joo-young might be difficult to acquire since he is certainly already a rising star of East Asia, but if MLS acts fast they might be able to pry him away from FC Seoul. He has been called the Korean David Beckham which I'm not sure is a complement or a put-down, but he did score one of Korea's two goals in Beijing.


4. Gervais Yao "Gervinho" Kouassi
Nationality: Cote D'Ivoire
Position: Striker
Age: 21
Current club: Le Mans
Analysis: He may be the most expensive out of the four, but he is arguably the most talented. Gervinho is being "monitored by French sides AS Monaco, Paris Saint Germain and Marseille, as well as English Premiership giants Arsenal." While they monitor, a club might be able to use him for a playoff run. He's likely not a long-term solution unless MLS can match the big bucks that are going to be thrown his way sooner rather than later, but it's worth investigating.

100% Freddy: Adu-cumentary at Monaco

Monaco has given Freddy Adu a blog. Now let's hope they give him some PT to write about. Here's an excerpt from the most recent post:

"Coach Ricardo has prepared us well, and my teammates and I are all eager to hopefully earn another good result for the fans especially at home. I am not a superstitious player. I do not have any special habits or specific things I must do before a big game. I just put on my headphones, listen to Ludicrous, little Wayne, or JayZ, and think about the match. I guess my only ritual is that I always eat a big plate of pasta on game day. I love Monaco and am thrilled to be here, but I do miss my family back home. They mean a lot to me, and I wish I could see them more. But everyone here at the club has been so nice and welcoming that Monaco is quickly becoming my new home."

Monaco plays film-festival town Caen on Saturday, after starting the season with a win over PSG and a draw vs. Nantes.

MLS Thursday: Spoil sport (Week 22)

August 21
Chicago 1-0 Los Angeles (HDC)
John Thorrington spoiled the debut of new Galaxy coach Bruce Arena, with a curling right footer in the 65th minute, as a starless Galaxy played out a 1-0 defeat. International duty meant no Landon Donovan, David Beckham or newly acquired U.S. midfielder Eddie Lewis. For Chicago, that meant no Cuauhtemoc Blanco, either. It gave Arena an opportunity to see what his supporting cast could do and well ... let's just say, I hope Bruce didn't buy a house in L.A. quite yet. The Galaxy's winless streak now stands at nine.

Howard calls out Ruiz

Timmy Howard on Carlos Ruiz following the U.S.'s 1-0 win over Guatemala in which Ruiz kicked Howard after the whistle:

"He caught me. He kicked me straight in the head. With Carlos, you expect that. You know what? He's dirty. I wish I could say otherwise. I've seen it [in MLS]. There is no place for it. It's reckless. It's there for everyone to see. I kind of expect it ... That's what he does. I think you would rather have him be a man out there and say, 'Look, I don't like you, I am going to kick you.' You can almost respect it in a funny way. He has this way about him. He kicks, he punches, he's an *&%$@#. And he wants to come and be your friend [when he tried to apologize]. There is no place for it."

(Courtesy of the Goffinator)

BTW, the Galaxy traded the douche in question to Toronto FC today to make room for the U.S.'s other cheap shot victim from last night, Eddie Lewis.

MLS Wednesday (Week 22)

August 20
DC United 1-2 New England (Gillette Stadium)
Taylor Twellman scored his third goal of the season in the 24th minute and then midfielder Jeff Larentowicz added a blast from distance four minutes into the second half, as New England hung on to beat I-95 rivals DC 2-1. Jaime Moreno scored what turned out to be the concilation goal for the visitors in the 69th minute.

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Chivas USA 0-4 Houston (Robertson Stadium)
Houston's Kei Kamara made the most of Brian Ching's absence due to national team duty by scoring a brace on way to a 4-0 first-half rout of Chivas USA. Olympian Stuart Holden got things started for the home side with a nice chip in the 11th minute before Kamara added his first eleven minutes later. Nate Jaqua added his second of the season six minutes later before Kamara's final goal.

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U.S. get historic win in Guatemala

In a match uglier than Ramon Maradiaga, the U.S. held on to beat Guatemala 1-0 in a CONCACAF World Cup qualifier that saw both teams go down to 10 men. It was the U.S.'s first away win over Guatemala in World Cup qualifying.

U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra scored the only goal in the 69th minute, slipping through his markers and heading home a DaMarcus Beasley corner kick.

Former U.S. "captain for life" and match commentator John Harkes said it best, "Carlos Ruiz -- dirty player."

And the rest of the Guatemalan dirty trick crew was out as well, as dives, flops and cheap shots was the "strategy" that the Central American nation's national team saw fit to employ in the match. These tactics sent U.S. midfielder Eddie Lewis to the locker room with a gash on his forward, after a flying elbow by Gustavo Cabrera. But no advantage was gained, as U.S. right back Steve Cherundola was sent off for a second yellow card minutes earlier.

Tim Howard was a sure and steady between the sticks, despite several sloppy giveaways by his defense and despite a cheap shot after the whistle by class-act Carlos Ruiz (Good luck with this douchebag, Toronto) late in the second half.

It was a line-up that had its problems, but American fans can be proud of the effort their boys showed in the toughest of conditions. The U.S. face Cuba on Sept. 6 in their next qualifier.

TYH's Patriot of the Pitch©: Tim Howard

MATCH REPORT

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

Scoring:
USA – Bocanegra (Beasley) 69.

Lineups:
USA: 1-Tim Howard; 15-Heath Pearce, 5-Oguchi Onyewu, 3-Carlos Bocanegra, 6-Steve Cherundolo; 10-Landon Donovan, 12-Michael Bradley, 4-Pablo Mastroeni (13-Maurice Edu, 78), 7-Eddie Lewis (17-DaMarcus Beasley, 65); 11-Brian Ching, 8-Clint Dempsey (2-Frankie Hejduk, 65)

GUA: 1-Ricardo Trigueno; 4-Yony Flores, 14-Luis Rodriguez, 7-Mario Rodriguez, 11-Guillermo Ramirez, 9-Carlos Ruiz, 5-Carlos Gallardo, 6-Gustavo Cabrera, 10-Freddy Garcia (2-Carlos Castrillo, 66), 15-Fredy Thompson (12-Jean Marquez, 64), 16-Jose Manuel Contreras (13-Marco Pablo Pappa, 74)

Misconduct Summary:
USA – Cherundola (caution) 17.
GUA – Ramirez (caution) 28.
USA – Dempsey (caution) 28.
USA – Mastroeni (caution) 34.
USA – Cherundola (caution) 60.
USA – Cherundola (ejection) 60.
GUA – Cabrera (ejection) 63.
GUA – Mauel (caution) 68.
USA – Howard (caution) 83.

STATS	USA	GUA
Shots	9	16
Shots OG	3	7
Saves	2	7
Corners	3	3
Fouls	17	23
Offside	3	3

Clavijo finally booted, is life beautiful?

Mediocrity no longer holds sway in Mile High land, as Colorado have finally done what they should have done a year ago and fired head coach Fernando Clavijo.

Clavijo will be replaced for the remainder of the 2008 season by Gary Smith, but we all know he's keeping the seat warm for Colorado's former fan favorite John Spencer, currently an assistant with Houston.

The Rapids front office tried to make it seem like it was Clavijo's decision. They even let him arrange a bogus "family medical emergency" to Uruguay to make it appear as if he left for personal reasons and not the stinking 40-49-25 record since 2005.

"We appreciate all that Fernando has done for this team over the last four years and wish him and his family the best," said Rapids' managing director Jeff Plush. "He has worked tirelessly on behalf of our organization and brought us some of our greatest successes. We are poised to achieve great things, and when we do we will look back fondly and appreciatively of Fernando's tenure with our club."

As of press time, the owners of the web site fireclavijo.com was still up and running. No doubt that the webmaster is out boozing it up in celebration of his successful campaign. Congratulations, how's poor Fernando going to feed his kids now?

An oldy, but a goody.

Huckerby fan keeps MLS vlog

California-based Norwich City fan Graham Yallop (no relation to Quakes coach Frank) has been keeping tabs on their favorite son's excursion in the States.

The 32-year-old Englishman has been posting a YouTube vlog detailing Darren Huckerby's time with the San Jose Earthquakes, and he's been getting real buzz online, receiving 10,000 hits in eight hours, according to Norwich Evening News 24.

“The reason for starting it was for no other reason than sending a video to my best mate to allow him to keep up with the man's progress and new surroundings, nothing more," Yallop told the Norwich Evening News. "The reaction and feedback from both Norwich and Quakes fans has been amazing. The first video has 100 comments and growing with 28,000 hits.”

Canadian striker returns to MLS

Dutch club Heerenveen have confirmed that Canadian striker Will Johnson will be returning to Major League Soccer, after spending the past season on loan with De Graafschap.

The 21-year-old Johnson was originally signed by Chicago and made six appearances for the Fire, who still own the player's rights. Given Chicago's recent acquisition of Brian McBride, however, it is likely that Johnson will be traded. Toronto FC would certainly be interested since the thrice-capped Canadian national team player wouldn't count against their foreigner cap, like he would on American-based clubs.

The Monday Morning Centerback

Every Monday morning, the MMC will offer his insight into moves made in and around the world of U.S. professional soccer:

Celtic waive midfielder Thomas Gravesen

Shalrie Josph has shown us in New England what a good center mid can do for a team. MLS should go after the 32-year-old Danish bulldog. Perhaps TFC's Mo Johnston can use his Old Firm ties. Or maybe whoever did the Benny Feilhaber and Jeremiah White deals can intercede on the league's behalf. It would be a huge acquisition for any team that's willing to take the plunge.

Galaxy make quick (and wrong) decision

Now don't get me wrong, I like Bruce Arena. He did a fabulous job with UVA, DC United and in his early career with the Nats. Unfortunately, since being let go by the USSF, his track record is shaky. With the Red Bulls, he discovered that MLS was a different league than it was in his days with United, when a trio of stars and a handful of role players could get things done. His stint in New York was disastrous. Now you're bringing him into a situation that's already a complete circus. Dealing with egos. Beckhammania. Unreal expectations. It seems like you're setting him up for failure. I would be willing to concede that he may have been the best available candidate now, but why not wait it out a while, see what Cobi can do. Or better yet, go after Houston assistant John Spencer before Colorado wises up and grabs him.

Cardiff City target EdJo

A Cup finalists Cardiff City are attempting to pry away American striker Eddie Johnson from Fulham. Hopefully this will happen. Eddie needs to get away from his American mates. He needs the spotlight to thrive and if he isn't the only oddity (an American striker, what?!?) on a team then he fades to the background. EdJo's a talented player, a headcase, but a talent nonetheless.

Hot German action

The days of Americans warming benches in the land of schnitzel and beer might be over, as Americans Neven Subotic (Dortmund), Matt Taylor (TuS Koblenz) and Grover Gibson (RW Ahlen) all scored in their debuts and helped their clubs to wins.

TYH'S MLS BEST 11 (Week 21)

GOALKEEPER

J. Cannon (SJ)

DEFENDERS

M. Harrington (KC), N. Garcia (SJ), S. Stammler (NY)

MIDFIELDERS

P. Nagamura (CHV),  G.B. Schelotto (CLB), Fred (DC), B. Davis (HOU), R. O'Brien

FORWARDS

C. Casey (COL), B. Ching (HOU)

MLS Sunday: Bulls stampede Reds (Week 21)

Toronto FC 0-2 New York
(Giants Stadium)
For the first time this season, the Red Bulls won back-to-back games, having scored a victory last Sunday against rivals DC United and adding a 2-0 win over Toronto FC this Sunday. Mike Magee scored the game-winner in the 37th minute and then Juan Pablo Angel added his seventh of the season in second-half injury time to seal it. The victory was made even more impressive considering that the Red Bulls played the entire second half down a man after Venezuelan defender Gabriel Cichero was sent off in the first minute of the second half for a flying elbow on Danny Dichio. Dichio, who had just come on to start the second half, could not continue and had to be substituted minutes later.

MLS Saturday Round-up (Week 21)

August 16
FC Dallas 1-2 Columbus (Crew Stadium)
Toronto trade bait Jeff Cunningham scored for his new club in 35th minute, but two second half goals scored three minutes apart sealed the home win for the Crew. Guillermo Barros Schelotto knotched his 11th and 12th assists on the goals by Brian Carroll and Brad Evans, as Columbus keeps pace with New England in the East.

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DC United 1-0 Chicago (Toyota Park)
The return of the native son ended up being a bit anti-climatic, as Brain McBride's Olympic fruitlessness continued in his first match back in MLS. DC, however, got a goal from their winger Fred and a clean sheet from a newcomer of their own, Liberian goalkeeper Louis Crayton. It was the first match since their US Open Cup encounter and Cuauhtemoc Blanco's notorious head-butt, but it was a surprisingly clean match, although DC accounted for seven of the eight yellow cards.

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Real Salt Lake 3-4 Houston (Robertson Stadium)
There were six goals scored in a sloppy first half. Unfortunately for RSL fans, Houston scored four of them. After RSL's Yura Movsisyan and the Dynamo's Brian Mullan traded goals in the first 16 minutes, Salt Lake went ahead in the 25th thanks Javier Morales. Houston, however, would respond with three unanswered goals in 13 minutes from Brian Ching, Ricardo Clark and Nate Jaqua. RSL made the last 10 minutes of the match entertaining after substitute Kenny Deuchar scored his third of the season in the 80th minute. This match saw the return of Clint Mathis, who entered the match at the hour mark for Andy Williams, but like fellow American Brian McBride, he was unable to mark his return with a goal.

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Kansas City 1-2 Colorado (DSG Park)
The Rapids were without head coach Fernando Clavijo, who reportedly left for Uruguay for family emergency this week, leaving assistant Gary Smith in charge and perhaps this was a good thing for Conor Casey who nearly had as much production in this match as he's had all season, scoring two goals and snapping the Rapids two-game losing streak.

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New England 0-4 San Jose (BS Stadium)
Two beautiful goals by Ronnie O-Brien bookended this one-sided contest, as New England continued their SuperLiga championship hangover with a 4-0 loss to cellar-dwellers San Jose. In between O'Brien's goals, Ryan Johnson and Scott Sealy got in the act for the Quakes, who haven't lost since July 5th.

Mr. Beasley added to U.S. roster

DaMarcus Beasley was the 18th man added to the roster for next Wednesday's qualifier against Guatemala in Guatemala City. The Rangers midfielder boasts 16 caps and four goals in World Cup qualifying.

Here's the complete roster:

GOALKEEPERS: Tim Howard, Brad Guzan.

DEFENDERS: Steve Cherundolo, Oguchi Onyewu, Carlos Bocanegra, Heath Pearce, Frankie Hejduk, Jay DeMerit.

MIDFIELDERS: DaMarcus Beasley, Michael Bradley, Maurice Edu, Sacha Kljestan, Pablo Mastroeni, Eddie Lewis.

FORWARDS: Landon Donovan, Eddie Johnson, Brian Ching, Clint Dempsey.

LA dive back into the coaching Arena

According to reports from last night's SuperClásico, the Galaxy brass was entertaining former MLS and U.S. national team coach Bruce Arena and AEG president and CEO Tim Leiweke said the club would be "lucky" to lure the coach to L.A.

"With Bruce, it's not an interview, it's a conversation," Leiweke said. "I personally think he's the best coach in the history of the league and we'd be lucky if we can get him here. That said, he's not the coach of the Galaxy; Cobi is. That's the way it is as of today."

Sounds like a done deal to me. Way to cut the legs out from under your interim coach. Thanks for keeping the seat warm, Cobi.

Goff: Mo headed to Scotland

Uber-blogger Steve Goff is reporting that Toronto FC midfielder and Olympian Maurice Edu is being courted by Scottish giants Rangers.

Two sources tell me that Toronto FC midfielder Maurice Edu, a USA Olympic starter and an emerging national team candidate, is close to joining Glasgow Rangers. I am told the transfer fee would approach $5 million. It's not a done deal, but the sides are apparently nearing an agreement.

If a deal is struck, Edu would join fellow American midfielder DaMarcus Beasley in Scotland, although rumors have had Beasley on the move as well, perhaps to the EPL.

MLS Thursday: L.A. derby ends in draw

August 14
Los Angeles 2-2 Chivas USA (HDC)
It's dubbed the SuperClásico, but it rarely lives up to its name. This time it might have come close, as Alan Gordon saved the draw for Los Angeles with an injury-time goal against city rivals Chivas USA. Landon Donavan scored his 14th goal of the year to put the Galaxy on top just eight minutes in, but two pretty second-half goals by Atiba Harris and Paulo Nagamura gave Chivas USA the lead. And it looked as if the Galaxy were going to drop their third straight match since the All-Star break, until Gordon's 92nd-minute strike. So, interim coach Cobi Jones picks up a point in his first match, but the Galaxy remain winless in their last eight matches.

What's Danish for Feilhaber?

According to Washington Post soccer-blogger Steve Goff, U.S. Olympian Benny Feilhaber will sign with Danish club Aarhus, where he will join fellow American Jeremiah White. Here's what Goff posted:

Just touched base with Benny Feilhaber's agent, Lyle Yorks, who is in Aarhus (Denmark) with the USA Olympian. "He had his medical and, if all of the final details are agreed, he will sign in the morning," Yorks told the Insider.

Fellow blogger Ives Galarcep reported this afternoon that the 23-year-old midfielder was in talks with MLS about joining the New England Revolution.

U.S. qualifier roster announced

Just thought I'd add a little excitement to a rather boring line-up

U.S. national team coach Bob Bradley announced the 17-man roster that will face Guatemala in a World Cup qualifier next Wednesday at Estadio Mateo Flores in Guatemala City. The match will be televised on The Deuce at 10pmET. An 18th player will be added in the next few days.

GOALKEEPERS: Tim Howard, Brad Guzan.

DEFENDERS: Steve Cherundolo, Oguchi Onyewu, Carlos Bocanegra, Heath Pearce, Frankie Hejduk, Jay DeMerit.

MIDFIELDERS: Michael Bradley, Maurice Edu, Sacha Kljestan, Pablo Mastroeni, Eddie Lewis.

FORWARDS: Landon Donovan, Eddie Johnson, Brian Ching, Clint Dempsey.

TYH ANALYSIS: Ugh! Again with Eddie Lewis! This is a pretty pitiful line-up for a tough match. While the U.S. should normally have no fear of the Guatemalans, this match is in Guatemala City, which isn't an easy place to go play. I count maybe eight guys that deserve to be on this team. I'm a Pablo Mastroeni fan, but he's not the player he was four years ago. Hell, he's not the player he was a year ago. He's been banged up this season and hasn't really been in form. So what is he doing on this list. The same goes for Eddie Johnson. What has he done to warrant a spot on this team over a guy like Kenny Cooper? 

And I think the MLS and the recent Olympic team demonstrated that we have more options at right back than the seemingly sacred cow of Steve Cherundola. Left back? Well, that's another story. Heath Pearce is probably the only option at the moment (although I'd love to see Marc Burch get a shot). I'm tired of Bradley's uninspired selections that leave the national team spinning its wheels. He's not developing the team for the future by using guys like Frankie Hejduk and Eddie Lewis. He's playing it too safe. And that only gets you nil-nil draws. No guts, no glory, Bob.

Five things we learned from Beijing

Five things that we learned from the U.S. Olympic soccer team's short campaign in the 2008 Beijing Games:

1) Maurice Edu is not a defender
Ok, so most of us knew this before the Games started. Most of us, except that is U.S. coach Peter Nowak apparently who put him in position to fail miserably. Not only should the centerback be experienced in his defensive duties, he should also know the duties of everyone else, as the anchor of the backline. That's why many national teams select centerbacks to captain the team because most of them are already leaders on the pitch. Mo's a good midfielder; he's not a defender. And can I ask why Peter Nowak brought Patrick Ianni (an actual defender) if he wasn't going to play him?

2) The U.S. still has a serious left back problem.

Michael Orozco was most certainly the weak link on this team. It was obvious from the first game against Japan -- when they ran up and down the left wing -- that he was a drowning man. Combine this desperation with a little frustration (and perhaps adrenaline) and what do you get? That's right, a red card just three minutes into the final, deciding match. Referee Wolfgang Starg's call was harsh, especially just three minutes in, but Orozco's lack of discipline surfaced well before that defining moment. And we all know how Germans feel about discipline.

3) Not everyone bought into Jozy hype.
By everyone, I mean coach Nowak. He was the same way with Adu back when he coached Freddy at DC United. He doesn't like people telling him that a player is talented and should play, even if they are and they should. Altidore, the hope for American goalscoring, played a total of 86 minutes in three matches. Not even a full game! And he still scored a goal.

4) Inexperience hurts, stupidity kills.
We could kill Orozco all day for his silly elbow, but the man really responsible for putting the U.S. in this position is Michael Bradley. The U.S. needed Bradley in its midfield, but he goes and picks up a second yellow card for time wasting -- TIME WASTING! This isn't inexperience; it's stupidity! He knew going into the match with the Dutch that he was carrying a yellow and that a second would mean that he would sit out the final match. Sure the U.S. was leading the match and few expected an injury-time equalizer. But even without clairvoyance Bradley's time-wasting maneuver helped no one but Nigeria.

5) Brian McBride isn't a leader of men (or boys).
Where the hell was McBride? When they first announced that Brian McBride would be one of the overage picks, I thought it was an inspired pick. After all, we needed his experience and the U.S. is certainly not long on goalscorers at the moment. But McBride was a complete nonfactor. He could certainly point to a lack of service but as the senior member of the team, he needed to track back and make himself a part of the action. And he needed to be a vocal leader on the team. Look, I've interviewed the guy before. I know he isn't the sharpest pencil in the box, but he is a world class player that would have had just as much impact on this match sitting on a couch in Illinois.

Editor's note: Here's a nice piece from Yanks Abroad writer Brent Latham on the U.S's performance.

Olympics: U.S. Olympians crash and burn

They were already without suspended midfielders Freddy Adu and Michael Bradley, when bonehead Michael Orozco got himself sent off for throwing an elbow. And with him went the medal hopes for the United States' Olympic soccer team, as the 10-man Americans lose 2-1 to Nigeria in the final match of the group stage and crash out of the Beijing Games.

Just four minutes in and the U.S. hopes to advance took a serious blow, as Orozco was sent off by German referee Wolfgang Starg for throwing an elbow while battling for the ball. With only 10 men, the speed and aggressiveness of the Nigerian team kept the U.S. on their heels. Although the Nigerian attack often had all the finesse of a freight train, the U.S. had difficulty holding possession. If not for some solid saves by goalkeeper Brad Guzan, this match might have been over a lot sooner.

The absence of Freddy Adu was pretty glaring in the first half, as no one in the midfield or up front seemed capable of holding the ball for more than a few seconds, given the pressure put on by the Nigerians. And in the 40th minute, the locomotive finally crashed through the station, as the U.S. defense finally cracked and allowed Promise Isaac to score the match's first goal and the only goal of the first half by sliding in on a low cross from teammate Chinedu Ogbuke. With 11 shots for the Screaming Eagles to 0 for the Americans, it could have been much worse.

In the second half, U.S. coach Peter Nowak subbed in Benny Feilhaber for Jozy Altidore, removing some speed on the attack in favor of a bit more ball control. Despite the change, however, the second half progressed similarly to the first although with a handful of chances for the U.S. from set pieces and the occasional counter attack. But the man advantage for Nigeria made sustained possession by the U.S. extremely difficult.

Nowak made another subsitution in the 69th minute, as Dax McCarty entered the match for a winded Danny Szetela, but it was looking pretty bleak for the Americans. With news that the Dutch converted a PK against Japan, an equalizer seemed too much to ask for. In 77th minute, Nowak made his final substitution bringing on forward Charlie Davies for Stuart Holden. But it wouldn't matter as Nigerian Victor Obinna dashed the American's hopes in the 80th minute with their second goal.

The U.S. spirits were lifted momentarily when Maurice Edu earned a penalty kick for the U.S. in the 88th minute and Sascha Kljestan converted the spot-kick to put the U.S. within reach with just over three minutes to go. A minute later substitute Davies hit the crossbar, but the soccer gods weren't with the U.S. on this day.

Some fans switched over to the Netherlands v. Japan, hoping for a late equalizer in that match that would save the U.S., but it never materialized and the U.S. is coming home after a very disappointing end to a promising start.

I should have stayed in bed.

TYH's Patriot of the Pitch©: Brad Guzan

MATCH REPORT

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

Scoring:
NIG – Isaac (Ogbuke) 40.
NIG - Obinna (Ajilore) 80.
USA - Kljestan (PK) 88.

Lineups:
USA: 18-Brad Guzan; 2-Marvell Wynne, 6-Maurice Edu, 15-Michael Parkhurst, 3-Michael Orozco; 14-Robbie Rogers, 7-Stuart Holden (9-Charlie Davies, 77), 16-Sacha Kljestan, 8-Danny Szetela (5-Dax McCarty, 69); 17-Brian McBride, 12-Jozy Altidore (10-Benny Feilhaber, 46)

NIG: 1-Ambruse Vanzekin; 2-Chibuzor Okonkwo, 5-Dele Adeleye, 15-Efe Ambrose; 6-Monday James, 8-Sani Kaita, 10-Promise Isaac (capt.) (16-Victor Anichebe, 72), 12-Ebenezer Ajilore (17-Emmanuel Ekpo, 85); 7-Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi, 9-Victor Obinna, 11-Solomon Okoronkwo (14-Peter Odemwingie, 68)

Misconduct Summary:
USA – Orozco (ejection) 4.
USA – Feilhaber (caution) 60.
NGA - Vanzekin (caution) 87. 

STATS	USA	NIG
Shots	8	20
Shots(OG)	4	5
Saves	4	2
Corners	3	5
Fouls	7	11
Offside	0	1

US Open Cup: DC, Battery in Final

The final of the US Open Cup will feature DC United of MLS and the Charleston Battery of the USL first division, after both squads advanced in their semi-final matches tonight.

DC United got a brace from Brazilian striker Luciano Emilio and beat the SuperLiga champions New England 3-1 at RFK Stadium. New England fell down a goal after just four minutes thanks to Emilio, but then Revolution rookie Joe Germanese scored in his MLS debut. In the second half, it was all DC, as Santino Quaranta, who has missed a lot of time due to injury, final scored his first goal of the season. Things got worse for the Revs in the 71st minute, when midfielder Wells Thompson received his second caution and was sent off. And then in the 81st minute, Emilio added his second.

New England clearly couldn't be bothered to suit up their A-team for America's oldest soccer competition, as only two starters from Saturday's MLS contest were in the Revolutions starting 11 -- Adam Cristman and Shalrie Joseph. Joseph of course will have an extra league game off after receiving a red card in the Saturday match against the Fire, so no sense in giving him the night off. With one trophy won, Steve Nicol seemed to thumb his nose at this tournament by sending on the B-team. 

But United head coach Tom Soehn is still on the hot seat after DC's up-and-down season, so the red-and-black played their regular starters. It really is a shame that the defending champions of this storied tournament didn't really bother showing up to defend their crown. I know that the SL win puts them in the 2009 CONCACAF Champions League, regardless, but is it really all about the money, then? I thought Steve Nicol and the Revolution organization had more class than that.

Seattle and Charleston, on the other hand, were two teams in it to win it, as an Open Cup championship in the "Professional Era" carries some weight among the United Soccer League clubs. And both clubs were out to show that they deserved to be counted among America's top clubs, as they each disposed of MLS clubs to get to this semi-final, and then fought hard in this semi-final.

Charleston and Seattle took their battle into overtime, after the score remained 1-1 following regular time and overtime. A Seattle own goal in the 20th minute put the Battery up, but Seattle responded just 12 minutes later, as Randi Patterson scored the equalizer. The match remained 1-1 through regular time and overtime, sending the match to penalty kicks. It was the fifth penalty kick shootout of the tournament and the second consecutive shootout for Seattle, who beat Kansas City 6-5 in PKs in the quarterfinals.

It came down to the final kick of round five, but Charleston keeper Dustin Hudock made his third save of the shootout to give the Battery the 3-2 PK win.

Seattle already has been awarded a promotion to Major League Soccer next year, but it boggles the mind how a team as consistent as the Charleston Battery, with a beautiful (and upgradable) facility and dedicated fan base, aren't even in the conversation for possible expansion into MLS. Rather than shipping teams in America's league to Canada and Mexico, why not buy American? But I digress.

The final will take place at RFK Stadium on September 3rd at 7:30pmET. And it better be on TV because the fact that the semifinal featuring two MLS clubs wasn't televised but you could watch the other one featuring two USL.1 teams online was an absolute embarrassment to the U.S. top flight. But I digress.

Notes from around MLS

Introducing Thierry Henry? Ronaldo? Nah.
Next year's newest MLS franchise, Seattle Sounders FC, is inviting fans to come out the Qwest Field a little early, as in this Thursday, to attend a "special player announcement" press conference. Seattle is calling it an "historic event." Could it be the unveiling of Thierry Henry as Seattle's first DP? Probably, not. What's more likely is that it is Washington native Kasey Keller. But I wouldn't call that historic -- at 38 years old maybe you could call it prehistoric. I kid because I love.

A baseball fan, a NASCAR fan and a soccer fan walk into a bar...
Chivas USA have teamed up with Auto Club Speedway and the Los Angeles Angels of MLB to create ticket packages for those imaginary people who like all three of those sports. But I have to say, I've never met a soccer fan who liked baseball or NASCAR OR a NASCAR fan who liked foreigners or soccer OR a baseball fan who liked exercise.

Time to fire up the FIreClavijo web site again
The Rapids are 2-5-3 in their last 10 matches. They have scored a paltry 14 goals in 10 matches and allowed 16. Their only wins came against a Angel-less New York and a team in just as much turmoil as they, FC Dallas. But for some reason Fernando Clavijo is still employed. Could a change be in the thin air of the Mile High City? It depends on how you interpret Hercules Gomez recent post-loss comments:

"This one hurts. Three in a row at home hurts. The last three games we have had the better of the play. That's soccer and let's be honest: Something is not working, something is not right, something has to change. We are all professionals and we know what comes with the territory. I think we need to come out with a different attitude. Deciding to play the last 15-20 minutes of the game, every game, isn't really working out."

Clavijo must have naked pictures of Stanley Kroenke.

DC go deeper than Wells
DC have added a new goalkeeper to challenge current starter Zach Wells for time between the sticks. Liberian keeper Louis Crayton has been participating in practice with the team while paperwork is completed to add him, possibly before Saturday's match at Chicago. Crayton has played for eight Swiss clubs in 11 years and made 36 national team appearances.

RSL stands for Recycled Striker Land
Guess who's returning to MLS? Everyone's favorite, fat beer-guzzling Georgian -- no, not this guy -- Clint Mathis. The Galaxy currently hold the rights to Mathis, but are reportedly willing to trade them to RSL. A deal is close to being finalized.

Revs target Tico tough guy
After acquiring, then trading Pat Noonan, it appears that the Revolution are going to use their higher allocation spot to bring in 24-year-old Costa Rica defender Gabriel Badilla from Deportivo Saprissa.

Disarray in Dallas continues
I've said it many times before, but the firing of Steve Morrow was the beginning of the end of a team that at one time had potential to be a force in MLS, now they're just a farce. Their latest brain fart? Let's ship our future, MLS All-Star Juan Toja, off to Bucharest. Ok, so they were successful in keeping one player from jumping off their sinking ship (Kenny Cooper), but how do you allow Toja to be lured away by a team called FC Steaua Bucuresti. Oh, but they're not done, as they added forward Jeff Cunningham from Toronto FC (where neither got significant playing time) in exchange for a third round pick in the 2009 SuperDraft. Cunningham? Are you serious? I won't rehash my feelings on Cunny, but FC Dallas' incompetence in player personnel is mind boggling. The 'oops also added Dutch striker Victor Sikora, 30, who doesn't appear to bring a lot of firepower, having only scored three time in 46 appearances with NAC Breda.

RSL adds Double-R, the second
No, not Robbie Rogers. Robbie Russell. I know what you're thinking. Who? Russell is a 30-year-old American right back who has never been capped and has plied his trade in Norway and Denmark. So, there's that.

Galaxy sack Lalas, Gullit

The Alexi Lalas era of the Los Angeles Galaxy is officially at an end, as the club fired Lalas and his first and only coaching hire Ruud Gullit after a less than impressive 2008 in MLS. Former MLS and U.S. national team star Cobi Jones has been named interim head coach.

According to the press release, Lalas, who was named president and general manager of Galaxy in 2006, was "relieved of duties" while Gullit left "for personal reasons" (as in the entire team hated his personal guts).

"Both parties have agreed on mutually-agreeable terms to part company," said Timothy J. Leiweke, President & CEO AEG, investor/operators of the Galaxy. "It is an amicable arrangement and we appreciate and respect the issues that Ruud has highlighted with the club and are very grateful for all the hard work he has contributed while with the organization. Hopefully, he has laid the foundations for future success for the Los Angeles Galaxy."

The Galaxy hired Gullit just last November, but expectations for the 2008 season were extremely high. Los Angeles sits in the bottom half of the table with just 23 points in 19 matches. Grumbling was heard as early as a month ago out of the owner's box, as AEG billionaire Phil Anschutz was unhappy with the inconsistency of his club, given the high profile moves that they had made in the last year. Chief among those moves was of course the signing of Beckham, which Lalas had little to do with (Leiweke is the man credited with bringing in Golden Balls). Lalas was responsible, however, for the addition of Abel Xavier which proved to be a complete bust, and the addition of Gullitt as well, which might have been the final straw for him:

"With Ruud moving on, we believe that this is the right time to make more sweeping changes throughout the organization," said Leiweke. "Our commitment continues to be focused on not only winning the MLS Cup this and every season but to build a club capable of competing at the international level. This decision is the right one for the organization, the right one for the players and the right one for our fans. We thank Alexi for the tremendous hard work and dedication he brought to his job each and every day."

Gullit, meanwhile, had reportedly lost the locker room due to favoritism and a lack of communication. There were reports that Landon Donovan was considering a move to Europe in part because of the atmosphere under Gullit. For his part, Gullitt deflected attention away from the turmoil of the club by citing personal reasons for leaving:

"In truth, it has proved a lot more difficult than I anticipated for my family to settle in the area and the club has been very supportive and understanding of my decision. I would like to thank the players and the fans for their fantastic support and I wish the LA Galaxy much success in the future. I would now like to spend some time with my family before considering any other position in football."

According to the press release, Paul Bravo will continue as Director of Soccer, so the "sweeping changes" Leiweke spoke of were really just the sacking of Lalas and Gullitt.

TYH'S MLS BEST 11 (Week 20)

GOALKEEPER

G. Sutton (TFC)

DEFENDERS

W. Conde (CHI), C. Talley (CHV), G. Segares (CHI)

MIDFIELDERS

J. Rojas (NY), S. Victorine (KC), C. Lopez (KC), C. Robinson (TFC)

FORWARDS

D. Arnaud (KC), J.P. Angel (NY), C. Barrett (TFC)

MLS Sunday Round-up (Week 20)

August 9
DC United 1-4 New York (Giants Stadium)
After a midweek humiliation match against Barcelona, the Red Bulls got to be the punishers instead of the whipping boys against their MLS rivals DC United. Juan Pablo Angel erased an early 1-0 lead on route to a brace that accounted for two of the four goals New York scored. Mike Magee and Sinisa Ubiparipovic scored the other two. Jaime Moreno eighth goal of the season turned out to be just a parting gift. The cautions continued to be handed out like AARP cards at a 3 o'clock dinner buffet, with seven yellows shown between the two clubs.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Olympics: U.S. settle for Dutch draw

The U.S. nearly made history against tough European opponent today in the the second match of Group B play at the Bejing Games. Leading 2-1 with less than a minute to go, the Dutch converted a freekick and the match ended in a 2-2 draw. Giving the American squad four points after two games.

In the opening minutes the U.S. looked nervous and tentative. They couldn't retain possession and touches were heavy or played into traffic. The U.S. began to settle down a bit by the 10th minute and were able to generate a couple of chances on goal by stepping up and challenging the Dutch backline and midfield on 50-50 balls.

Twice in the early going Marvell Wynne allowed the right wing Roy Drenthe to get on the end of a far post cross without a challenge, a far cry from his dominant performance against the Japanese. Poor marking would result in the Neherlands first goal, in fact, as Maurice Edu, who inexplicably started at centerback once again, missed a header on a cross and allowed Ryan Babel to put the ball on frame. Brad Guzan made a tough first save but Babel knocked home the rebound.

The Dutch kept the heat on, sensing a defensive weakness. The U.S. weathered the storm for the first half hour, but couldn't generate any sustained attack because of sloppy play. Wynne who played so well againt Japan had a nightmare first half against the Dutch.

Freddy Adu looked sloppy on the ball for much of the half as well, but in the 35th minute, he made a nice mazy run through three defenders and was taken down at the edge of the 18 to give the U.S their best look at goal to that point. Michael Bradley's ensuing freekick was played off the wall, and the subsequent corner was hit over everyone and out for a goal kick.

The U.S. had a few good looks around the 40th minute, as Bradley hit a screamer on a ball played to him across the top of the box, but it was parried well by Dutch keeper Kenneth Vermeer.  The Americans seemed to generate more of an attack when they challenged the 50-50 balls in the midfield and defense. pushing their midfielders up. It left them vulnerable for a counterattack, but the U.S. was able to avoid it until halftime with the match 1-0 to the Orange.

The second half started a bit like the first half and poor marking by MoEdu almost led to another goal for the Dutch, as he shoved down Drenthe for a freekick on the right side of the area. The ensuing cross was put into the side netting, but it was nervous couple of seconds.

But the U.S. came back with a set-piece opportunity of their own in the 50th minute, as Brian McBride back-headed a deep freekick on goal and forced Vermeer to make a spectacular save to preserve the lead. It was McBride's first real chance of the tournament. McBride had another chance from a similar situation in the 59th minute, but this time the freekick was punched clear by Vermeer.

The U.S seemed to be gaining confidence at the hour mark with a few nice exchanges through midfield and runs down the left wing. But in the 64th minute, a no-look pass by Adu split the Dutch defense and Sasha Kljestan finished the 1v1 chance well to draw the match even at 1-1.

Jozy Altidore, who coach Peter Nowak has decided to use like a supersub, entered the match for Robbie Rogers, following the goal and paid instant dividends.

In the 73rd minute, a melee in the box had the ball ping-ponging around until Kljestan's foot and Altidore's touch put the ball into space on the left where a hard cross from left back Michael Orozco richoceted off the defender to Altidore's knee and past Vermeer for the go-ahead goal.

In the 80th minute, Adu, who was carrying a yellow card after accidentally kicking the goalkeeper Vermeer in the face when challenging for a through ball, was substituted for Benny Feilhaber.

With five minutes to play, the U.S. began to get a little too defensive, preferring to play long balls out of their zone to players in offside positions. In the 88th minute, a counterattacking opportunity went begging when Stuart Holden tried his luck, despite being 2v1 with Kljestan against one Dutch defender, and hit it wide left.

With three minutes of extra time added, the U.S. surrendered a free kick at the edge of the area in the 93rd minute, when Holden's challenge came a bit late. The Dutch made no mistake, firing home a low shot underneath the wall and beating Guzan to make it 2-2.

A disappointing result to a match that had the makings of a classic in American soccer. Backs against the wall, looking outplayed and outgunned, the U.S. fought back to take the lead and nearly won the day. Adding to the disappointment will be that the U.S. will be without midfielders Freddy Adu and Michael Bradley in the crucial final match against Nigeria due to yellow card accumulation. Adu's card was unavoidable and certainly wasn't intentional, but Bradley's yellow card for time wasting when he was carrying a card coming into the match was plain stupid.

With Nigeria beating Japan 2-1 in the early game, the U.S. are tied with the African nation on points, goal differential and total goals scored going into the final match. A win against Nigeria will put the Americans through to the next round. Other scenarios that put the U.S. through: a draw or loss by the Dutch OR if Nigeria and the U.S. draw in the final match and the Dutch win, there would be a drawing of lots to see who would advance as the second place team. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.

TYH's Patriot of the Pitch©: Sascha Kljestan

MATCH REPORT

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

Scoring:
NED – Babel (unassisted) 16.
USA - Kljestan (Adu) 66.
USA - Altidore (unassisted) 73.
NED - SIbon (unassisted) 90+.

Lineups:
USA: 18-Brad Guzan; 2-Marvell Wynne, 6-Maurice Edu, 15-Michael Parkhurst, 3-Michael Orozco; 7-Stuart Holden, 4-Michael Bradley, 16-Sacha Kljestan, 14-Robbie Rogers (12-Jozy Altidore, 65); 11-Freddy Adu (Benny Feilhaber, 80), 17-Brian McBride – Capt.

NED: 18-Kenneth Vermeer, 2-Gianni Zuiverloon, 3-Dirk Marcellis (Roy Makaay, 75), 4-Kew Jaliens, 7-Jonathan de Guzman, 8-Urby Emanuelson, 12-Hedwiges Maduro, 15-Royston Drenthe (Gerald Sibon, 75), 17-Otman Bakkal, 11-Ryan Babel, 16-Roy Beerens (Calvin Jong-a-Pin, 69)

Misconduct Summary:
USA – Edu (caution) 56.
NED – Marcellis (caution) 60.
USA – Adu (caution) 78.
USA – Bradley (caution) 90+.
USA – Holden (caution) 90+.

STATS	USA	NED
Shots	12	9
Shots(OG)	8	4
Saves	2	6
Corners	2	2
Fouls	11	14
Offside	2	2