US Soccer Players

Friday's Daily: 5k

With J Hutcherson -- Courtesy of Major League Soccer, we now have a price point for confirming the obvious. DC president Kevin Payne's $5,000 dollar fine should have been enough, but it had to be chased with an apology. Given that the fine was higher than the ones normally handed out for red cards or mouthing of at the ref, maybe it would've been fairer to have it either/or.

Pay the fine and keep your mouth shut moving forward. Or issue an apology and keep the money. One would hope Payne would have parted with the cash and let his criticism stand.

Wambach Nominated For FIFA Award

US Women's National Team and Washington Freedom forward Abby Wambach is the only American nominated for the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year Award.  Freedom teammate Sonia Bompastor is also on the list of ten nominees.  There are 23 nominees on the Men's side, with both lists reduced to five in early December.  The winners will be announced at the FIFA World Player Gala on December 21st.

Houston 0 - Seattle 0

Thursday night's draw in Seattle sets up Houston for redemption in the opening round of Major League Soccer's playoffs.  Last season and facing the same scenario against New York, the Dynamo lost 3-0 at home.  A physical game at Qwest Field takes the series to Robertson Stadium with both teams able to point to things that worked.  Seattle had shots hit the crossbar.  Houston dominated shots on goal. 

Blanco To Join Veracruz

Chicago Fire midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco will join Mexican second-division club Veracruz when the international transfer window opens in January.  The Fire will hold an option if he chooses to return to Major League Soccer following the 2010 World Cup.  Blanco has spent three years in MLS, joining Chicago on April 2, 2007.  He won the Goal of the Year in '07 and was the 2008 All-Star Game MVP.  Blanco spent the 2008 off season with Santos Laguna.  When he rejoined the Fire for the '09 season, he said this would likely be his final year in Major League Soccer.  Going into the playoffs, he has played 62 games for Chicago, scoring 16 times.

Friday's TV

Under-17 World Cup on Galavision: Japan - Mexico at 2pm.  All Times Eastern

Llungberg Wins Player Of The Month

Seattle Sounders midfielder Freddy Llungberg is Major League Soccer's Player of the Month for October.  He had four assists as the expansion Sounders qualified for the MLS playoffs.  Llungberg was the Player of the Week for Week 31.

Germany 0 - USA Women 1

The United States Women's National Team beat Germany 1-0 at Impuls Arena in Augsburg, Germany.  Washington Freedom forward Abby Wambach got the game's only goal in the 35th-minute, heading in a cross from Yael Averbuch.  Hope Solo picked up the shutout for the United States with one save.

“I think interestingly enough what has happened the last few times I’ve played Germany is that the team that had the run of play, ended up losing," Wambach said. "Germany had so many great chances, they kept the ball really well and got in behind us a few times. But I think what happens when you have a back five that are as relentless in defending as our defense, it’s just so tough to score. I know from experience because I have to practice against them every day.”

MLS Playoffs: Quarterfinal Preview

By Graig Carbino - ALBANY, NY (Oct 29, 2009) USSoccerPlayers -- It's that time of year again. The leaves are falling along with the temperature, the holiday season is right around the corner, and the Major League Soccer playoffs are about to begin.

Big match-night one takes place in Seattle this evening, and what better stage for the first game of the 2009 playoffs? The Sounders have been nothing short of an outrageous success in their first season in the League, and Qwest Field should be rocking tonight with Houston in town.

I’ve said it in the past and I will say it again now. The MLS regular season is a tough slog to get through. It's long, a bit mundane, and there's the multiple tournaments that have most of the teams in the League spread too thin. My biggest complaint this year might just be that I have no clue which team is actually the best.

UPDATED: Payne Fined By League

DC United president Kevin Payne was fined $5,000 dollars for telling the Washington Post's Steven Goff: "We don't want to play like Colorado or New England, which most of the season sat with eight or nine guys behind the ball. How many people go to watch Colorado or New England play? That's a problem for our league. We can't play like we're a team desperately trying to remain in 14th place in the Premiership. Our market isn't there yet. They want to see something that is entertaining, and DC United has always had a way of playing. Given a choice, we would rather attack than cynically defend."

The fine was levied directly by MLS commissioner Don Garber.  The official announcement referred to Payne's comments as "detrimental to the public image of the League."

On Thursday afternoon, Payne released his own statement: “I deeply regret some of the comments I made in an interview published earlier this week.  In trying to explain the, sometimes, unfair expectations on the Head Coach of D.C. United, I made critical comments of Colorado, New England, Real Salt Lake and the League.  Those comments were unprofessional.  I have great personal regards and professional respect for my colleagues at those organizations and for their ownership and fans.  I have apologized to those teams and individuals privately and now do so publicly.”

UPDATED: Glazer Family Deny Sell Rumors

News outlets out of Tampa reported on Thursday that Malcolm Glazer was looking for a buyer for his National Football League team.  The Glazer family released a statement through the Buccaneers's official site denying that they were looking to sell.

“The report today... about our family and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is 100 percent false.  The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are not, nor have they ever been for sale. In addition, our family or any of our related companies have never invested one penny with Bernie Madoff.  The report is baseless, irresponsible and slanderous."

The Glazer family have owned the Tampa Bay Buccaneers since 1995, moving them into a state of the art stadium and winning the 2002 Super Bowl.  Glazer completed his takeover of Manchester United in 2005.  Since then, they have won two League Cups, the FA Cup, three Premier League titles, and the 2008 Champions League.

U-17 WC: USA 1 - Malawi 0

The United States bounced back from their opening game loss, beating Malawi 1-0 on Thursday at Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano, Nigeria.  In a game dominated by the USA, it would take 54 minutes for them to get a goal.  Alex Shinsky put a rebound through the legs of Malawi keeper Cuthbert Seengwa for the game winner. 

"It was a really important match for us, and it feels great to have scored an important goal," Shinsky said. "It was a bit surprising to see it go in the back of the net, but when the ball was in the air I was just focusing on hitting the ball. A little luck was on my side, so that felt good. A goal is a goal and I was really happy about it."

Malawi had their moments, forcing US keeper Earl Edwards to make seven saves and ending with a higher shots on goal percentage than the USA (7 of 9 to 11 of 17).  The United States dominated on corner kicks, 11 to 2 but was unable to convert.  Relying on the long ball, Malawi was called offside 18 times to the USA's two. 

The United States finishes Group E play on Sunday against the United Arab Emirates. 

"Today was a tough game, we were both motivated teams on the field," US coach Wilmer Cabrera said. "The United States record against African teams isn’t so good. But today we moved the ball and worked hard and we got the goal we needed. Now we have a chance to move to the next stage, and now we have to focus on UAE because that is a very important game for us."

The Step Up

By Andrew Dixon - MIAMI, FL (Oct 29, 2009) USSoccerPlayers -- Like it or not, MLS has become parity central.

Unless you entered the League courtesy of expansion and you're not named 'Fire' or 'Sounders,' you have a legit shot at winning MLS Cup. No matter how bad you were the previous year or how much winning tradition you have, everyone can go into the start of the season thinking they have a chance at the title. 

Maybe it's not an obvious question.  To those running the show it might not even be a particularly good one.  But... are we supposed to be satisfied with this?

Thursday's Daily: Working The Playoffs

With J Hutcherson -- For those of you that spent last night in the company of the World Series, that was a pretty good lesson on the why for the best out of seven games. Aside from the extra revenue courtesy of extended playoffs, baseball, hockey, and basketball set it up so it takes more than just one dominant night or a fluke win. You have to prove it four times, and with baseball you can't rely on the same pitcher with the same effectiveness game after game.

Major League Soccer doesn't have that out. Play badly enough in game one, and a two-game total goals series could make the second-leg all but irrelevant home or away. With no away goals rule to confuse the announcers, it's a system setup to push through the better playoff team.

That's not a throwaway statement. Real Salt Lake and New York demonstrated what that meant last season. Scratch your way through to the next round if necessary. All of what you might have learned turning losses into draws in the regular season work to your advantage in the playoffs. If only Dallas was still around to make the same point about the multi-goal blowout.

Tough Going In Germany

Kenny Cooper started and went 56 minutes, but 1860 Munich lost 3-0 at home to Schalke 04 in the DFB Pokal.  Rafinha put Schalke up in the 41st.  Benedikt Howedes scored twince in the second (40th and 81st).  David Yeldell's luck was no better in the German Cup, in goal for TUS Koblenz's 4-0 loss to TSG Hoffenheim.  Sejad Salihovic opened the scoring in the 50th minute, with Vedad Ibisevic following in the 67th, and Maicosuel scoring four minutes later.  Marvin Compper got Hoffenheim's fourth in the 90th minute. 

In a reserve game on Tuesday against Cardiff City, Eddie Johnson scored twice for Fulham who won 3-0.  Johnson spent time on loan to City.  "I'm sure sorry about scoring those goals," Johnson told Cardiff's official site. "Cardiff City is like family for me. That's where I learned how to play in Europe after coming over from America....  I came back to Fulham a better player."  Johnson also hit the cross bar. 

Thursday's TV

Under-17 World Cup on ESPNU: USA - Malawi at 11am. Argentine League on Fox Sports en Espanol: Boca Juniors - Chacarita Juniors at 2pm. Inter - Palermo on Fox Soccer Channel at 3:45pm.  MLS playoffs on ESPN2: Houston - Seattle at 10pm.  All Times Eastern

Wednesday's Daily: Super Shuffle

With J Hutcherson -- I started covering soccer in the late 90's, when the offshoot of the '98 World Cup seemed to be how many end game scenarios could be thrown in the direction of European club soccer. At the time, everything was supposedly heading for crisis. Money, expanding markets, and the continued interest of the fans, and basically in that order.

We all know not enough happened to satisfy anybody. Sure, a few clubs got to prop themselves up as global operations. A few more adopted the US sports business model. A few even managed to hit the wall and slide down the divisions.

But what about the massive rethink that was supposed to result in cross-border leagues both super and not so much? The big moves that would push many of Europe's clubs into obscurity?

Guzan And Beasley Back In Action

Cup time in Britain, and Brad Guzan took over for Brad Friedel in goal for Aston Villa.  They beat Sunderland on penalties after drawing 0-0.  Guzan was strong in net, stopping Kenwyne Jones's 85th-minute penalty and then stood up during the penalty phase where Villa advanced 4-1.  Guzan saved three out of the four Sunderland penalties.

"The lads are pretty euphoric, none more so than Mr Guzan," Villa manager Martin O'Neill said....  "I think he is a great keeper in the making. He has got everything and he is as brave as they come. He was immense tonight, he was immense in pre-season and that performance will elevate his confidence to new heights. You got the feeling that it would have to have been something special to beat him tonight."  Friedel was on the bench for Villa.

Wednesday's TV

Serie A on Fox Soccer Channel: Napoli - Milan at 2:45pm.  All Times Eastern

Toronto Looks For New Coach

Toronto FC did not renew interim head coach Chris Cummins's contract on Tuesday, announcing they will begin a search for a new head coach.  Cummins replaced John Carver, who resigned on April 25th.  "We have decided to move forward without Chris for next season," said manager, director of soccer Mo Johnston. "We want to thank Chris for his contribution to the club over the last year and a half, and wish him all the best in the future. For us, the work now begins on finding a new coach, and getting him in here before pre-season starts February 1st."  Toronto is unique among Major League Soccer teams, with a manager - Mo Johnston - who is not the first team coach. Johnston was the coach of Toronto in 2007. 

Tuesday's Daily: Tough Luck

With J Hutcherson -- Yesterday, the United States opened group play in the Under-17 World Cup. They also opened themselves up to the expected criticism that comes with giving up two short-handed goals and losing the game. It's hard to come around on a 2-1 loss. At the same time, you don't have to be an apologist to opt against putting this squarely on the team.

I'm not all that enthusiastic about running through the issues with an Under-17 team to begin with, but... a man up and a goal up within four minutes? The United States pushed forward, but they had no in-game concept of how to break down Spain's defense. Clogging the box, forcing tough positions, and basically making it too difficult for the United States.

Had the US gotten a break on positioning, they should've scored at least one more goal and forced Spain to open up. There's only so many balls into the box any team should expect not to fall correctly. The US saw very little hitting the shooting foot with enough time to put the shot in a tough position. That's about as basic as it gets. The defender always being in the way.