WASHINGTON, DC (July 15, 2008) USSoccerPlayers -- Two SuperLiga games or our Tuesday and roster issues in North Jersey.
DC - Atlante
8pm - TeleFutura
Atlante already has a -4 goal differential after one game played, and DC United would like you to focus on heir lack of available players should the result not go their way. It's not much of an excuse, considering.
Meanwhile, Atlante is about as upset as you would expect. Here's coach Jose Guadalupe Cruz after game one.
"This loss has us reflecting and reorganizing things. In two minutes we were killed off; they scored two goals that were mortal for the morale in the team. We knew about the strength of the Dynamo defense, and we weren't capable of raising up our game after those two goals."
Houston - Chivas
10pm - TeleFutura
Houston's biggest obstacle is forgetting all about Atlante as indicative of the relative might of SuperLiga's Mexican participants. If the Dynamo can't raise their game, they will lose.
The gaffs against DC shouldn't be repeated, with Chivas coach Efrain Flores pointing right at that with his post-game comments.
"We were fortunate to win the game because we wasted at least three clear opportunities at goal.... In the second half we faced a D.C. team very different - they threw more men forward and caused us some inattention."
In Jersey
Claudio Reyna is expected to announce his retirement tomorrow, and Red Bull New York now finds itself in an odd position. Minus Reyna, they have an open designated player slot and a massive expectation considering their cut of the Jozy Altidore transfer fee.
A random assortment of players isn't going to do. RBNY needs to make the big move, and there aren't a lot of free transfer options.
Moneyball For Soccer
No, not San Jose. Instead, Adam Spangler has a quality interview with Hugo Salcedo that all but outlines a potential future for a creative MLS club.
Yes, that was supposed to be Chivas USA. Instead, it's an open avenue that somebody needs to take. Think about this the next time your MLS favorite talks about the great talent available anywhere but here.
Here in the U.S.-I’ll give you an example. One kid who played in Tampa that was scouted by Tampa when they were in the MLS, he was scouted by Chivas in Los Angeles when Chivas was here and in 20 minutes—20 minutes Adam!—the assistant says I want this kid on my team. And I say I’m sorry but he already signed with MLS. Let me talk with MLS to see if they will let him go, which of course they did not. He then asked me why he wasn’t playing with team as he was one of the best youngsters he had seen in years. I said well, the coaches here think he is too technical and not strong enough to play defense.
