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.

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).

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

MLS to PNE: Jog on! (updated)

In another sign that the American league is headed in the right direction, Major League Soccer has twice denied English club Preston North End’s attempts to secure New England striker Taylor Twellman, according to Yanks Abroad.

According to YA, PNE, cellar dwellers in England’s Championship division (second-tier), offered a $1.5 million for Double-T, and then upped the offer to $2 million.

This is the right move for MLS. The league cannot allow itself to become the farm system for lower divisions in Europe. As one of MLS’s stars, it would be a ridiculous decision to allow Twellman to move to English obscurity.

It would hurt the league, in terms of removing both consistent scorer and a recognizable face, and it would hurt the national team because the no matter what some pale-faced, peanut-brittle-toothed Brit says, the quality of MLS is far superior to England’s Championship and it’s not as far away from the EPL as one might think.

But according to Washington Post uber-blogger Steve Goff, Twellman's not happy and claims the offer rose to $2.5 million. He quotes Double-T in a recent post:

"I want to go. It's perfect timing. It's the right club and, being 27, it's the right time to go to Europe."

"When I ask MLS, they say the Revs rejected it. When I ask the Revs, they said it was MLS. Look, you're not going to get more than that for a guy like me, who is not always with the national team. It's a good offer. Anytime a team wants you that bad, of course you want to go."

YA: Keepin' it real...American style

Sorry about the cheesy headline, but I'm hung over. Plus, it was a good weekend for American keepers, with one obvious exception (sorry Marcus). Berhalter scored again for Munich and Beasley factored into Rangers' easy win.

Americans in England
Fulham 3-3 Tottenham
A Clint Dempsey goal, a header in from Simon Davies' corner, kick-started a comeback, but Fulham needed a 90th-minute goal from Diomansy Kamara to save a draw. Captain Carlos Bocanegra went the distance, but the Fulham defense continued to look shakey. Goalkeeper Kasey Keller was benched in favor of Finnish keeper Antti Niemi.

Bolton 1-2 Everton
Tim Howard's side found a late winner in a match that featured the return of the "Gravedigger" Thomas Gravesen to Goodison Park. Howard was caught helpless by a 55th minute volley from Nicolas Anelka, but Joleon Lescott saved the day after heading in a Gravesen corner

Reading 0-3 West Ham
It was a rough day for American keeper Marcus Hahnemann, as the Hammers put it down, after being embarassed by Reading 6-0 last year. It could have been much worse, as Hahnemann managed a few difficult saves, but got little help from a porous Reading defense.

Blackburn 1-0 Man City
Brad Friedel preserved a 1-0 shutout for Blackburn, despite playing down a man for 11 minutes when Tugay Kerimoglu was sent off. Manchester City returned the favor in the 65th minute when Richard Dunne was also handed his walking papers. The only goal of the contest, by Benni McCarthy, came in the 13th minute.

Americans in Germany
Hannover 96 3-2 VfL Bochum
Steve Cherundolo's Hannover 96 managed to fend off a furious comeback by visiting Bochum, but Hannover's defense continue to struggle. Cherundolo played the full 90.

1860 Munich 1-1 FC Cologne
1860 Munich captain Gregg Berhalter continued his campaign of shock and awe in Bundesliga.2, as he converted his third goal of the season to help his side split the points with Cologne. Berhalter's goal came from the spot, after Timo Gebhartwas brought down in the area.

American in Scotland
Rangers 4-0 Gretna
Rangers rolled easily over hapless Gretna to stay undefeated in the SPL. DaMarcus Beasley didn't score in the rout, but managed to set up Rangers' second goal by finding Andy Webster with a nicely struck corner.

For a more complete description of all the Americans involved in this weekend’s action, check out Yanks Abroad.

YA: Tough weekend for Yanks abroad

In an a weekend filled with embarassing losses for some of our Yanks (GK Adin Brown's Lillestrøm lost 7-0. Ouch!), there were a few bright spots, including a Clint Dempsey goal (finally) and another DaMarcus Beasley goal, as Rangers cruised.

Americans in England
Aston Villa 2 - 1 Fulham
Clint Dempsey got on the scorer's sheet for the first time this season in his first start of the season in Fulham's loss to Aston Villa. Dempsey scored off a deflected pass from Diomansy Kamara to put Fulham up 1-0, but Villa beat Keller twice in the second half to take the points. Despite Brian McBride's injury, there were still three Americans on the pitch for Fulham USA, as recently added goalkeeper Kasey Keller got the start between the posts. Carlos Bocanegra remained a starter and played the full 90, despite some inconsistent play to start the season.

Everton 1 - 1 Blackburn Rovers
Tim Howard and Brad Friedel shared the spoils, as their sides drew, but Howard seemed the shakier of the two American keepers. After allowing an early goal by the talented Paraguayan Roque Santa Cruz, Howard nearly gave the game away on making a mess of a David Bentley free-kick which should have been routine.

Derby County 1 - 2 Birmingham City
Eddie Lewis set up the only goal scored by his new side Derby County in their 2-1 loss to Birmingham City. Lewis' cross found Matt Oakley at the far post in the 51st minute. Fellow Yank Benny Feilhaber did not participate for Derby.

Americans in Germany
Hoffenheim 0 - 3 1860 Munich
Both Gregg Berhalter and Josh Wolff figured in 1860's 3-0 win over Hoffenheim in 2.Bundesliga action. Berhalter went the distance, while Wolff came out in the 74th minute after picking up a yellow card. The win keeps 1860 on top of the standings.

American in Scotland
Kilmarnock 1 - 2 Rangers
DaMarcus Beasley continued his stellar start with undefeated Rangers over the weekend, providing a goal and factoring in on the game-winner, as Rangers beat Kilmarnock in Scottish League action. It was a bit of an uneven performance by the American, but despite a subpar first half, Beasley put Rangers ahead in the 52nd minute, cleaning up a loose ball in the box. On Rangers second goal, a Beasley shot felt fortuitously to Jean-Claude Darcheville who finished well.

For a more complete description of all the Americans involved in this weekend’s action, check out Yanks Abroad.

YA: Hahnemann over Howard, Berhalter brace

A piece of YA news that I didn’t get a chance to blog about was Eddie Lewis’ transfer from crappy Leeds to less crappy Derby County. Talk about a lateral move. Derby got spanked by Tottenham 4-0 and neither Lewis nor Benny Feilhaber got any PT. Here’s a Cliff’s Notes version covering the rest of the Americans who made an impact in Europe over the weekend:

Americans in England
Reading 1 - 0 Everton
Marcus Hahnemann earned the 1-0 shut out over Tim Howard’s Everton in a match that saw the return of Bobby Convey for Reading. Convey played the final 11 minutes for goal scorer Stephen Hunt. Both American keepers performed well in the contest, although Hahnemann nearly surrendered the equalizer when he was caught off his line but Andy Johnson’s shot hit the woodwork.

Fulham 1 - 2 Middlesbrough
Brian McBride injured again. Click here for the post. Carlos Bocanegra played the full 90 and Clint Dempsey came on in the 25th minute.

Americans in Germany
1860 Munich 3 - 1 Kaiserslautern
Gregg Berhalter scored two goals and Josh Wolff added an assist in 1860 Munich’s thumping of Kaiserslautern. Berhalter’s first goal came in the 55th minute when he headed in a Danny Swarz free kick. Wolff dished the game-winning goal to Berkant Göktan. Berhalter added the third goal from the penalty spot. Maybe we should have been playing Berhalter at forward.

Americans elsewhere
Standard Liege 4 - 1 Cercle Brugge (Belgium)
Oguchi Onyewu played solidly for Standard Liege over the weekend, anchoring the defense in a 4-1 rout of Cercle Brugge. So much for Dr.. Evil’s homies in Brugge.

Haugesund 6 - 1 Nybergsund
Ex-Seattle Sounder Can Weaver scored a hat trick for Haugesund in their route of lower division Nybersund (try saying it like Jerry Lewis, it’s fun – NyBERsund, nice lady). Weaver will face fellow American Nate Borcher and his club Odd Grenland in the semifinal of the NM Cup. The 24-year-old Weaver scored 18 goals for Seattle last year and was Rookie of the Year. Why is he in Norway and nor in MLS, I wonder?

For a more complete description of all the Americans involved in this weekend’s action, check out Yanks Abroad.

YA: Weekend Joy for Americans abroad

Pouring through Yanks Abroad’s round-ups of the European matches featuring American players, I’m struck by a couple of things. One, there are Americans playing all over Europe. Two, there are far too many Americans playing in crappy leagues in Norway (etc.) or lower divisions in Germany. Thank God for Yanks Abroad! Because who has the time to ferret out Odd Grenland’s weekend results?

Here’s a Cliff’s Notes version covering those Americans who made a real impact in Europe over the weekend:

DaMarcus Beasley (Rangers) – “If it’s not Scottish, it’s crap!” Ok, maybe not. D-Beezle went the full 90 for the first time with his new club against Inverness Caledonian Thistle and according to YA “looked very much at home with his new team.” But he was also “denied early on by keeper Michael Fraser after the Scottish captain played him through into the box.” I love Beasley, but I have to admit that it isn’t the first time he’s screwed the pooch one-v-one.
INVERNESS 0-3 RANGERS.

Oguchi Onyewu (Standard Liege) -- Belgian Waffles? Gooch scored the game winner in Standard’s 4-1 win over Zulte-Waregem. Onyewu played the entire match, despite reports that he may be leaving the club very soon. Most recently, the Daily Mail reported that Reading are attempting to buy Onyewu and Sheffield United may also be interested. Gooch needs to get out of Belgium. England would be a better fit for his physical play, although he might struggle on the technical side with some of the quicker EPL forwards.
ZULTE-WAREGEM 1 - 4 STANDARD.

Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96) – “Vould you like to touch my monkey?” Cherundolo played the entire game in the club’s win over Regionalliga club VfR Aalen, and nearly scored in the 29th minute. Fellow American at Hannover Sal Zizzo did not play. YA doesn’t say much about how Stevie played, but it is promising to hear that he is playing at all, considering the back injury that kept him out of the Gold Cup and Copa America.
VFR AALEN 1- 3 HANNOVER 96.


Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock) – “Now’s zee time on Sprockets, ven we dance.” Pearce played the full 90 in Hansa Rostock’s 8-0 rout of Oberliga club Rot-Weiß Hasborn. YA had little to say about his performance because he had little work to do against the Hasborn minnows, but it will be interesting to see if he stays in the first team when Hansa Rostock kicks off the season next weekend against giants Bayern Munich. Stay tuned.
ROT-WEIß HASBORN 0 - 8 HANSA ROSTOCK.

Ian Joy (FC St. Pauli) – “You never forget your first girl.” Joy abounded, as Bundesliga.2 new boys shocked giants Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 in German Cup action over the weekend. Joy had a lot of work to do at left back, defending against Tranquillo Barnetta, Theofanis Gekas and Bernd Schneider. Hopefully, some top-flight clubs took notice and Joy can be extricated from the void of nothingness that is lower division German football.
FC ST. PAULI 1 - 0 BAYER LEVERKUSEN.

For a more complete description of all the Americans involved in this weekend’s action, check out Yanks Abroad.

U.S. Copa victim wins spot with Bundesliga club

The good people at Yanks Abroad are reporting that 22-year-old defender Heath Pearce has signed a till 2009 for newly promoted Bundesliga club Hansa Rostock.

Pearce, a left back, was selected to Bradley's ill-fated 0-3 Copa America squad and started the final match against Colombia, a 1-0 loss and their most respectable scoreline of the tournament. He didn't factor much in the match, but few players distinguished themselves in Venezuela. He has a total of seven caps for the national team.

During Bruce Arena's time as coach of the national team, Pearce was considered behind both Frankie Hejduk and Todd Dunivant on the depth chart. He doesn't seem to be making much progress under Bradley, who clearly brought mainly bubble players to Copa America to determine U.S. depth.

Left back has been a troublesome position for the U.S. Arena used Bobby Convey, Eddie Lewis and John O'Brien, none of which were traditional left backs (except maybe O'Brien who didn't start his career there but played in that spot for Ajax often).

Click here for Yanks Abroad story.

Bones, Copas and Consonants

D.C. United to play in the Copa Sudamericana (AP)
(UPDATED)The South American Cup will once again be dominated by North American clubs. DC proved that despite their recent ugly play, they weren’t the ugly stepsister by receiving an invitation to the ball, Copa Sudamericana. DC’s selection was due to their third-place finish (due to goal diff) in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. In the drawing, fate awarded them a CCC re-match, as DC United will face the team that eliminated them from the final, Chivas Guadalajara, on September 11 and October 4. Defending Copa Sudamerican champs Pachuca CF, CF America were the other CONCACAF club invites and will play each other.


Site cleanup delays Red Bulls Stadium opening (AP)
Jimmy Hoffa found at Red Bull stadium site in Harrison. Officials are calling it industrial waste, but c’mon, we know that New Jersey is where they dump the bodies. Said one fictional official, “Maybe we can give the first 100 fans to Red Bull Stadium a free pinky rings (fingers included).”

Hahnemann targets July return (Yanks Abroad)
He’s more machine than man now. After getting his hand cracked like crab leg at a Red Lobster, Hahneman is hoping to be healed in time to join Reading for their trip to S. Korea. According to YA, Reading Press Officer Andy West said, “[Hahnemann] broke three bones in his hand and one of his bones was in five pieces” and then had “two plates and 16 screws inserted into his hand.” Is Darth Vader also his father?

Adin Brown continued his stingy ways (Yanks Abroad)
Adin Brown posted his third consecutive shutout for Aalesund against Sykkylven in the Norgesmesterskapet i fotball for herrer. This feat is made all the more impressive by the number of consonants that Brown must also deflect in Norway.

Raining on our parade (Yanks Abroad)
Can I be serious for a moment? Sean O’Conor and the other YA writers do a terrific job keeping the U.S. soccer fans abreast of the action of our beloved ex-pats across the pond. Take a look at this post-season wrap up. It’s terrific stuff. Spot on analysis. Nice work!

TYH