2009 Dynamo & USMNT Soccer Thread [Archive]

Keith

01-28-2009, 10:05 AM

Wowowow!

Dynamo worked the system pretty good to acquire Felix Garcia, an 18-yr old forward from Laredo.

The Dynamo has completed the signing of U.S. Under-20 star Felix Garcia, acquiring his rights from the PDL Laredo Heat for an undisclosed fee, sources confirmed to SBI on Tuesday night. Houston is set to introduce the 18-year-old striker as its newest signing at a press conference on Thursday. Garcia will join the Dynamo as a member of the MLS Generation adidas program. ...

So how did Garcia wind up with the Dynamo rather than in the 2009 MLS Draft? Garcia signed a pro contract with the Laredo Heat, which allowed him to be acquired outside of the draft despite being just 18. When Garcia's representatives, the Wasserman Media Group, conveyed Garcia's desire to stay in Texas, that narrowed the field to the Dynamo and FC Dallas.

http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2009/01/dynamo-sign-felix-garcia.html

With the Chinger lined up for WCQ duties this year, this could be an excellent opportunity. I'm really starting to get excited about the future here at the position, with Kamara and Danny Cruz. Plus it wouldn't surprise me at all to see Ngwenya back in orange, maybe sooner than later.

The schedule is supposed to come out later today too.

Losing DeRo might be tough, but with the re-signing of Boswell, the elevation of Holden, and now the adds of the draft, Tally, and Felix... I'm getting pumped.

papabear

01-29-2009, 03:56 PM

Wowowow!

Dynamo worked the system pretty good to acquire Felix Garcia, an 18-yr old forward from Laredo.

http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2009/01/dynamo-sign-felix-garcia.html

With the Chinger lined up for WCQ duties this year, this could be an excellent opportunity. I'm really starting to get excited about the future here at the position, with Kamara and Danny Cruz. Plus it wouldn't surprise me at all to see Ngwenya back in orange, maybe sooner than later.

The schedule is supposed to come out later today too.

Losing DeRo might be tough, but with the re-signing of Boswell, the elevation of Holden, and now the adds of the draft, Tally, and Felix... I'm getting pumped.

It remains to be seen how well all the moves play out, but I am consistently in awe of how good a job the front office does. I'm getting pumped as well.

I"m SOOOO ready for the WCQ against Mexico as well.

Fonz the Boss

02-03-2009, 08:39 PM

If this kid gets playing time then the Dynamo fan base will get amazingly larger... Laredo is very passionate about their locals making it big. This kid is gonna be their David Beckham.

Keith

02-06-2009, 02:55 PM

papabear

02-06-2009, 03:44 PM

Apparently the Laredo Kid went back home to finish school. Hmmm.

Went to the friendly versus Dallas today, Dynamo winning easily 3-0. Game was played in three 30-minute periods, and Dynamo were up 2-0 after the first one. Goals came from Wondo, James, and Waibel.

Julius James definitely has some speed in the back. He wasn't entirely crisp, but next to Bobby Boswell (who looked pretty darn good), I think the trade-off might be nice. Another new guy, Andrew Hainault, played CB in the final 30 minutes. Tall guy, also promising.

Tally Hall played the final 30', but wasn't challenged much. He looks confident back there though.

Kamara didn't score, but he had some flashes of brilliance. Mullan drew the ire of a Dallas player, and both were sent off with reds. Not sure Mullan's was deserved, but whatever. Brad Davis had a decent game in DeRo's spot. Wade Barrett played the first 60' at LM, and I thought he struggled. Mike Chabala was in his old spot, and while his service was iffy, the rest was alright.

Live blog (http://mydynamo.ning.com/profiles/blogs/dynamo-vs-fc-dallas-live-blog) from MyDynamo.net has more details on the game.

Sounds like the Kid got a little overwhelmed by all the attention. I understand wanting to finish school, but I heard he walked out of a meeting/training and missed a mandatory physical before leaving town without telling anyone. Hopefully it's just a kid who needs to grow up a little.

Thanks for the report. I'm not sure if I like Mullan getting sent off in what amounts to a practice. Even if it was undeserved he should be able to keep his cool better than that. Didn't see it so it could just be the ref being extra cautious and keeping an exhibition match from getting out of hand.

Keith

02-06-2009, 08:02 PM

The Mullan red happened on the West sideline and all of the fans were seated on the East, so even though I think I saw it, I was far enough to have missed something.

Basically, what I think I saw was Mullan playing his typically gritty way and getting tangled with the FCD player. Both fall to the ground, and the FCD player elbows Mullan. Scrum ensues. The referee probably saw less than I did, so he did the lazy thing imo and just sent both players off.

The ref otherwise let the guys play for the most part, not a lot of whistles. I think had this been a regular season affair, both might have received yellows.

papabear

02-24-2009, 10:56 AM

Champions cup tonight against Atlante...They should be a little sharper than us, but I think we win this game easily. We need to do it with a couple of goals in the bank too. The second leg will be much tougher. Of course if we get out to a big lead like last time we run the risk of someone getting injured by the cheap shots they will start taking. I really wish the start time wasn't so late. I want to go, but with a 9:00 pm start I'll probably watch from the house.

papabear

06-05-2009, 12:49 PM

I'm not going to start another thread...but if the national team doesn't beat Honduras, and look damn good doing it, I'll be past ready to fire Bradley. I thought he was a big step up from Arena, soccer's Dom Caperish mouth breather, but the team has looked terrible in their last couple of matches. That Costa Rica was ridiculous. Better results than that have gotten better coaches fired in other countries.

Keith

06-05-2009, 01:49 PM

Bradley sent out a lineup designed to lose. He looked at both games this week and basically chose to go three-and-out and punt against Costa Rica to get ready for Honduras. Boo.

Our backline is really overrated, and by that I mean they suck. Onyewu seems to disappear, Bocanegra isn't as good as we seem to want him to be, and the experiment with Beasley at LB needs to end at least until we get better play at CB. (I kinda like Marvelle Wynn at RB, just wish he was a bit more consistent defensively.) I realize this is a bit of homerism, but why isn't Bobby Boswell called into this camp more?

Speaking of overrated, I'm looking at you Clint Dempsey, sorry. I get he can finish (does a pretty decent job at Fulham), but if he isn't moving forward, then he's not really an asset at all. Makes you really appreciate the sort of game Brian Ching brings to this squad and makes you realize how much they miss him like they did against Costa Rica. Sounds crazy since Ching's finishing hasn't been anything special lately, but Ching might be as important as anyone to the squad right now. I hope his partnership with Alitdore grows, though given time it seems obvious that Jozy will eventually replace Ching completely.

More overrateds? Pablo Mastro-card... goodbye. Ugh, I wish Bradley would quit giving him minutes. Give me any of our other midfielders and let Mastroeni ride off into the MLS sunset.

Lil' Bradley is a good player, he's won me over, but Daddy keeps him on the pitch too long and too often. He should have not been out there before he got his yellow, and now he isn't available for Honduras. Hopefully this means Rico gets a shot. I like Rico, and would have loved him out there instead of Mastrocard, but lil' Bradley is obviously the better player overall.

As for the Dynamo... right on schedule it seems. This 2-game stretch @ Chicago and vs. Chivas will be telling though. Ching out for tonight (and Rico), but Chicago is missing Blanco and others too, so maybe that's a wash. Actually, I'm interested to see Kei and Ade together, and with Mulrooney able to play Rico's role, should work in our favor.

papabear

06-05-2009, 02:55 PM

Bradley sent out a lineup designed to lose. He looked at both games this week and basically chose to go three-and-out and punt against Costa Rica to get ready for Honduras. Boo.

I can understand looking at the two matches and deciding to focus on Honduras. That might have been what he was doing, but why did he have to play a 4-3-3? We could have pushed someone forward later in the match if he wanted to try and create more of an attack. You knew that Costa Rica was going to come fast and hard, and with that turf an extra midfielder to try and break up their attack before it got started would have been the smart thing to do. Yes, Rico would have been perfect for that role. Yes, I am a homer.

Our backline is really overrated, and by that I mean they suck. Onyewu seems to disappear, Bocanegra isn't as good as we seem to want him to be, and the experiment with Beasley at LB needs to end at least until we get better play at CB. (I kinda like Marvelle Wynn at RB, just wish he was a bit more consistent defensively.) I realize this is a bit of homerism, but why isn't Bobby Boswell called into this camp more?

I still like Onyewu. The oustside backs were out of position so much that he was really forced out of his comfort zone in the middle several times. Bocanegra is so-so. I wonder about Boswell too. Bradley seems to be falling into the same trap as Arena of getting stuck on the same players even when they don't play well. I like Wynn's potential, but you shouldn't be starting in a world cup qualifier based on potential....especially when the other outside back is playing out of his natural position. Beasely was absolutely terrible. I don't even want to see him on the field. His first touch is embarrassing for a player at this level. A poor touch by Wynn indirectly set up at least one of their goals if I remember correctly.

Speaking of overrated, I'm looking at you Clint Dempsey, sorry. I get he can finish (does a pretty decent job at Fulham), but if he isn't moving forward, then he's not really an asset at all. Makes you really appreciate the sort of game Brian Ching brings to this squad and makes you realize how much they miss him like they did against Costa Rica. Sounds crazy since Ching's finishing hasn't been anything special lately, but Ching might be as important as anyone to the squad right now. I hope his partnership with Alitdore grows, though given time it seems obvious that Jozy will eventually replace Ching completely.

I still pull for Dempsey because he's form Nacogdoches. He didn't play well at all. Ching would have made such a huge difference in this game....not just because he wouldn't have tried to hide from the ball all night and look like he was about to cry like Donavan (can you tell I'm frustrated with him). He would have dropped back and forced himself into the action and used his strength to fight off the Costa Rican pressure instead of crumbling from it. Altidore didn't have a great game, but he at least looked like he was trying. He'll get better. I hope he manages some more minutes wherever he ends up on loan next year. Oh....and can someone else besides Landon please start taking free kicks. He completely misses anything that could be considered a target more times than not. We cannot afford to miss those opportunities.

More overrateds? Pablo Mastro-card... goodbye. Ugh, I wish Bradley would quit giving him minutes. Give me any of our other midfielders and let Mastroeni ride off into the MLS sunset.

Please God

Lil' Bradley is a good player, he's won me over, but Daddy keeps him on the pitch too long and too often. He should have not been out there before he got his yellow, and now he isn't available for Honduras. Hopefully this means Rico gets a shot. I like Rico, and would have loved him out there instead of Mastrocard, but lil' Bradley is obviously the better player overall.

Bradley hasn't won me over, but he's a solid player and showed at least some effort. Not sure I really like him in that role though. He's just not creative enough to initiate an attack for me, but that goes back to that idiotic formation. One more time. Rico would have been perfect as a defensive midfielder against Costa Rica. I understand he was a last minute replacement because of injury, but I couldn't believe he wasn't inserted to start the second half. I can't believe he took Torres out, unless it was to save him for Sat. He seems to be the only player we have who's willing/able to create something 1 on 1.

As for the Dynamo... right on schedule it seems. This 2-game stretch @ Chicago and vs. Chivas will be telling though. Ching out for tonight (and Rico), but Chicago is missing Blanco and others too, so maybe that's a wash. Actually, I'm interested to see Kei and Ade together, and with Mulrooney able to play Rico's role, should work in our favor

I'm looking forward to finally getting a good look at the Dynamo's new forwards. Holden's going to need to keep stepping up with Ching gone. Mulrooney should be able to handle Rico's role well enough. If we can come away with four points from our next two games I'll be estatic.

Keith

06-13-2009, 11:39 PM

dale dynamo

8-0-1 now in their last nine games. If they hadn't allowed that goal in the 88th minute on the road in NY, they'd have a perfect run in that stretch. Actually, had Ching also buried his chip in the home match against the NYRB in April, they could have been looking at a 10-0-0 run. Amazing.

Dom has done it again in getting Cam Weaver for Wondo. Two goals tonight after setting up Holden's goal in the Chivas match. Every time you think the Dynamo are hurting at forward, Kinnear just reloads.

And the first half season MVP might be Geoff Cameron. His pairing with Boswell has just been phenomenal to watch. Adding in Hainault has just made the backline one pretty impressive unit.

There's a home match next week against Salt Lake, but then there's a pretty long road trip with four away (plus one on the road for the USOC - - I think that is in college station though). A couple of those, like the ones against Seattle and Toronto, might be fun to watch.

papabear

06-15-2009, 01:01 PM

I was really counting on Julius James to be the one to help shore up the back line, but Cameron and Hainult have been fabulous. Holden looks more and more comfortable each game replacing DeRosario. They had a stretch against Toronto a few matches back where they played some of best soccer I have ever seen from them...truly a joy to watch. Their linking up better on the runs and seem to finally have gotten on the same page.

Their ability to re-load and reshape the team in the middle of the season is amazing.

papabear

06-17-2009, 08:54 AM

Rico's red card vs. Italy was B.S. Even playing a man down I still felt like we gave away the game. Brazil is going to come out angry after having to struggle to beat Egypt. Don't think we're going to make it out of the group stage....

Keith

06-17-2009, 01:31 PM

Agreed on all counts. The group set-up was a joke. The other group is Spain and yuck, designed to give the host the best possible opportunity to advance.

With Italy and Brazil in with the U.S. and Egypt, hopes were dim, but they had promise at halftime. I feel bad for Rico. He is not a dirty player. It was a bit of a reckless challenge, warranted a yellow but not a red. Sadly, there have been some trigger-happy refs in recent World Cups, so something like this could happen in 2010. It's a good learning experience for him and the team. The U.S. has some decent midfield depth though, so Rico might have a hard time getting selected when it counts next summer.

On an unrelated note, I kinda wish Bob would give Adu more minutes. I can see it being hard since he wants Dempsey out there and Donovan is better suited in the middle, but Adu has some ability, and I think he may be a better dead ball kicker than anyone in the current starting XI.

papabear

06-17-2009, 04:25 PM

Agreed on all counts. The group set-up was a joke. The other group is Spain and yuck, designed to give the host the best possible opportunity to advance.

With Italy and Brazil in with the U.S. and Egypt, hopes were dim, but they had promise at halftime.

I thought our best chance to advance was to upset Italy and then beat Egypt. I'm not sure if the Brazil v Egypt match proves the Brazilians are vulnerable or that the Egyptians are much better than I thought. Probably a little of both. Even with a man down we had a couple chances that we really wasted to score more against Italy. We also had our usual instance of sloppy play wasting what I thought was a pretty good day of defense.

I feel bad for Rico. He is not a dirty player. It was a bit of a reckless challenge, warranted a yellow but not a red. Sadly, there have been some trigger-happy refs in recent World Cups, so something like this could happen in 2010. It's a good learning experience for him and the team.

One of my complaints is that he was tripped up himself right before the foul. It was just incidental contact, but it had him slightly off balance as he went in for the challenge. He caught the Italian high and that's probably what cost him the red. A yellow wouldn't have drawn much of a complaint from me, but even the Italians admitted a red was unwarranted.

The U.S. has some decent midfield depth though, so Rico might have a hard time getting selected when it counts next summer.

Rico is like Shane Battier to me. so much of what he does goes unnoticed. He just has a way of breaking up the flow of the opposition before they can ever get into an attacking position. I thought he was doing a good job until the red, and hope Bradley recognizes his value and tireless effort. He's just perfect in the defensive mid-field role IMO.

On an unrelated note, I kinda wish Bob would give Adu more minutes. I can see it being hard since he wants Dempsey out there and Donovan is better suited in the middle, but Adu has some ability, and I think he may be a better dead ball kicker than anyone in the current starting XI.

I like Dempsey and with his experience in England I understand why Bradley keeps throwing him out there. He just hasn't been playing well. Everyone wants to make Donovan the centerpiece and keeps telling me he's better suited to the middle, but for me his best games of late have come when he played out wide. I would love to see more Adu.

Keith

06-22-2009, 11:34 AM

Okay, Donovan out left is good so long as he stays aggressive and stays wide. And I was ready to pile on Dempsey again until his goal. Actually, f- it, I'll do it anyway. If Dempsey isn't good enough to play forward, then he should sit on the bench. He is just not going to play defense. That limitation can be covered if he plays forward, but not at right mid.

btw, anyone really miss Bocanegra? Can't say as though I am. I guess he's still the worthy starter when healthy (plus he seems to have a knack on corners), but he's still overrated in my book. Onyewu is playing better though. Or maybe he isn't having to cover up for his teammates as much.

lil' Bradley has his good and bad moments, but I can't help but imagine what Adu would look like in his spot. Yes, Freddy needs to develop (and I wish he would play on a club that started him), but if he can't get the minutes in WCQ's and Cups like these, then when? Hopefully in the Gold Cup, but I'm not sure if they've officially announced the rosters yet. Hopefully Adu will get his chance then, but with Holden on the roster, I'm guessing it will have to be at forward. Hopefully Adu can show some improvement defensively from there. Just seeing Adu on the bench when Davies, Casey, etc. get their names called is a little frustrating. Altidore is there to win balls in the air (and Dempsey if Big Bradley keeps putting him at RM), so let little Freddy squeeze on in there.

And Rico ought to be a lock from now on. This squad is a different monster when Rico is in the middle. I'll be curious to see how he pairs with Stuart Holden in the Gold Cup.

Speaking of, Dynamo will be losing Andrew Hainault to the Canadian team. I guess I shouldn't complain too much given half of the Dynamo squad should be considered for call-ups, but Hainault is becoming a very effective player for the Dynamo. I think it's taken him a bit to get comfortable out wide and moving forward, but he's definitely upgraded the backline. It seems like Wade Barrett is a good guy and a great team leader and all, but it was rough watching him try to play against RSL on Saturday.

Joel

06-22-2009, 01:18 PM

i like bradley. the player, i mean. i had high hopes for his dad, but he does seem to be getting into ruts with his plater selection.

altidore may have a bright future, but i think he pays immature, and slacks a lot. i agree that dempsey is a liability at any position that has defensive obligations. are we missing some mls strikers because of availability? twellman (& ching), for instance. whatever happened to eddie johnson?

beasley needs to be put down. that guy was always about potential, and now he's too old for that.

papabear

06-22-2009, 02:35 PM

-I was literally opening the laptop to bitch to anyone who would listen about Dempsey. I couldn't believe they pulled Altidore and left Dempsey on the field....I can handle having poor games, but I can't handle someone being that lazy defensively. I don't know if he's worn out from his season in England, but it looks like he's just being lazy. After one of his ten+ completely pointless turnovers Egypt went racing down the field. He just walked/slow jogged back while his teamates had to cover for him. It didn't even look like he was paying attention to the game anymore.

-I'm not a Donovan fan, but there's no reason for him to not be out wide after the Egypt game.

-Rico is a beast. I don't think he has, but he should have the defensive mid-fielder role locked up.

-I think Altidore is coming along nicely. He still has his mistakes, and he can linger on them a little too long sometimes, but for the most part he works hard and does what the team ask of him. Hopefully he has been picking Chings brain when he has the chance because they seem to want to use him in a similar role. Praying he gets more minutes with his Club though.

-I was astonished that the cards fell right yesterday. Now we get the privilege of likely being embarassed by Spain. The crazy part is even though we won by three yesterday, we were still too sloppy with the ball (mostly Dempsey) for my taste. There have been times in the past where I thought the US national team was really ready to compete with the big dogs...and then I watch them get embarassed and remind me of how far away they are. I don't think we have a chance against Spain, but maybe I'm wrong again. I'm hoping they at least put up a solid game against them

I'm just not happy with where this team is. I was proud of the fact they came out and fought hard yesterday, which is more than you can say about some of their recent matches.

Joel

06-22-2009, 02:49 PM

oh, and i'm really bummed i'll be out of town for the upcoming aztex/dynamo open cup match up.

why do they send the dynamo on the road for this? anyone? i notice that the winner of this game will go on the road again in the next round, no matter what - even if it's dynamo against another usl team (could happen). what up with that?

Keith

06-22-2009, 11:41 PM

altidore may have a bright future, but i think he pays immature, and slacks a lot.

-I think Altidore is coming along nicely. He still has his mistakes, and he can linger on them a little too long sometimes, but for the most part he works hard and does what the team ask of him. Hopefully he has been picking Chings brain when he has the chance because they seem to want to use him in a similar role. Praying he gets more minutes with his Club though.
Yeah, I think this about sums it up. Ching would be playing in this tournament and starting if he hadn't of injured his hammy. Jozy will overtake Ching someday, maybe even next year, but not yet. Almost there. More club minutes would be really nice for Jozy.

Now we get the privilege of likely being embarassed by Spain. The crazy part is even though we won by three yesterday, we were still too sloppy with the ball (mostly Dempsey) for my taste. There have been times in the past where I thought the US national team was really ready to compete with the big dogs...and then I watch them get embarassed and remind me of how far away they are. I don't think we have a chance against Spain, but maybe I'm wrong again. I'm hoping they at least put up a solid game against them Spain will totally boss possession, so either the U.S. needs to bench guys who can't keep possession (Dempsey), or they need to just play for the counters.

btw, the U.S. played decent in Spain in a pre-Euro friendly last year, and guess who stood out when given a half to play in that match... yep, Freddy Adu. Some YouTubes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkfdocCVHkk) of the match starring Adu.

I really looking forward to watching it... as a Liverpool fan, it's almost like watching the Reds play the USMNT since Spain has quite a few on their roster. And until last year's Euro, Spain had something of a reputation of choking in quarter/semifinal matches like this one in spite of sometimes being the favored team.

oh, and i'm really bummed i'll be out of town for the upcoming aztex/dynamo open cup match up.

why do they send the dynamo on the road for this? anyone? i notice that the winner of this game will go on the road again in the next round, no matter what - even if it's dynamo against another usl team (could happen). what up with that? Beats me. I only like watching these games to see some Dynamo reserves get a run anyway.

btw... Dom is going to coach the MLS All-Stars given the Dynamo have the best point/gm average in the league right now. I'll be interested to see how many orange (and former Dynamo like De Rosario) he picks for the roster. Another match I'll enjoy watching.

papabear

06-23-2009, 09:33 AM

Spain will totally boss possession, so either the U.S. needs to bench guys who can't keep possession (Dempsey), or they need to just play for the counters.

btw, the U.S. played decent in Spain in a pre-Euro friendly last year, and guess who stood out when given a half to play in that match... yep, Freddy Adu. Some YouTubes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkfdocCVHkk) of the match starring Adu.

Yes, but if I remember correctly the US was coming off a couple of bad losses in their previous friendlies before redeeming themselves against Spain. We could be listening to minutes of "ole's" from the Spanish fans in this game. I would love for them to do well, but I am mentally prepared to get embarrassed. IF they can get on the board early and NOT make sloppy mistakes with possession (Dempsey) they could hold on as long as we don't just lay back and let Spain pick us apart...because eventually they will. I think we've been playing pretty good defense. The goals we give up or mostly from a sloppy clearance or a quick strike after a dumb turnover.

Joel

06-23-2009, 02:25 PM

The goals we give up or mostly from a sloppy clearance or a quick strike after a dumb turnover.

(dempsey)

the guy is a liability when (a) he has the ball or (b) the other team has the ball. he is only good when he gets a ball that he can put directly on net.

makes me miss clint mathis & josh wolff.

papabear

06-23-2009, 02:42 PM

(dempsey)

the guy is a liability when (a) he has the ball or (b) the other team has the ball. he is only good when he gets a ball that he can put directly on net.

makes me miss clint mathis & josh wolff.

Crazy thing is I that I talked to my buddy today from the UK and he tells me how much he likes Dempsey and said it seems like he's playing well for the US. I informed him that he's playing like A$$, but just had the one header for a goal against Egypt. I was taking up for him as recently as a few matches ago because I really think he's capable of more. After this many bad performances he really needs to be sat down.

papabear

06-24-2009, 03:05 PM

Holy Shit!!! 2-0 US 79th minute....and I think I saw Dempsey come back and play a little defense too. I got to see the first half. I was worried they were too willing to sit back and let Spain come at them late in the first half. Dempsey's goal is going to make it very hard for Spain to come back now.

papabear

06-24-2009, 03:24 PM

superbowlbound

06-24-2009, 03:24 PM

Our defense couldn't have been more rock solid. We were under siege the entire game, and still came away with a clean sheet in only our second victory vs. a no. 1 ranked team ever. I'm very proud of our guys. Now rest up and get ready for Brazil, because, let's face it, south africa is only there because they're the hosts.

::edit::
Yeah, that red card was total crap. he slid in low, head on, and got the ball first. hard challenge, definitely. Yellow, maybe. Red? absolutely not. That's now 3 send-offs in 4 games for the us squad. not good.

Keith

06-24-2009, 04:36 PM

Yep, we sat back and played the counters. The first half showed the good and not so good of Altidore, but thankfully the good was really good. He took a position on Capdevila and totally pwned him.

Dempsey at forward is something to keep an eye on. Davies actually played a decent game. With Ching and Adu (please!) ready as well, there is finally some depth there, which was a problem in past international competitions.

With Spain, this plan worked. I don't think this gameplan will be nearly as effective against Brazil, assuming they take care of business tomorrow. But that talk is for another day... time to celebrate this before the CWS tonight.

dalemurphy

06-24-2009, 05:35 PM

They held on 2-0. Bradley got a red though and will have to miss the finals. Didn't see it, but gamecast commentary hinted that he didn't really deserve a red.

Wow....I think I may have tricked the sports gods with some reverse psychology on this one

It was a clean tackle and the guy didn't even pretend to be hurt. Even for soccer, it was one of the more ridiculous calls I've seen.

Keith

06-26-2009, 12:03 AM

Gold Cup roster announced. It includes Ching and Holden, but no other Dynamo.

GOALKEEPERS (3): Jon Busch (Chicago Fire), Troy Perkins (IK Start), Luis Robles (FC Kaiserslautern)
DEFENDERS (7): Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Jay Heaps (New England Revolution), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Michael Parkhurst (FC Nordsjaellands), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Davy Arnaud (Kansas City Wizards), Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Colin Clark (Colorado Rapids), Sam Cronin (Toronto FC), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Logan Pause (Chicago Fire), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)
FORWARDS (5): Freddy Adu (AS Monaco), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Santino Quaranta (D.C. United)

I know I said I wanted Adu to play in this tournament, but then again, if he is going to get on the field for his club team next season, he needs to be ready whenever their training starts. And I'm a little surprised Bradley is keeping Davies on this roster, but then again, why not I suppose.

Outside of Ching, Holden, Adu... there's quite a few others I'm not too excited to see. Oh well. Those three are more than worth it.

Come to think of it, why is the Gold Cup necessary every other year? Seems like once every four is enough when there is WCQ going on, but I guess if the intent is to trot out your B- and C-level (and by this looks of some on this roster, the D-level) talent, then okay.

papabear

06-26-2009, 09:57 AM

Gold Cup roster announced. It includes Ching and Holden, but no other Dynamo.

I know I said I wanted Adu to play in this tournament, but then again, if he is going to get on the field for his club team next season, he needs to be ready whenever their training starts. And I'm a little surprised Bradley is keeping Davies on this roster, but then again, why not I suppose.

Outside of Ching, Holden, Adu... there's quite a few others I'm not too excited to see. Oh well. Those three are more than worth it.

Come to think of it, why is the Gold Cup necessary every other year? Seems like once every four is enough when there is WCQ going on, but I guess if the intent is to trot out your B- and C-level (and by this looks of some on this roster, the D-level) talent, then okay.

I'm OK with the Gold Cup format....if for no other reasons than it give an opportunity to test out some different players. I'm not too excited overall about this roster either. I'm very happy for Holden, and want to see Adu more. I'm also happy to see someone from the Golden Triangle, Arnaud, get a call up. Even if he is from Nederland, I hope he gets some minutes and plays well.

Joel

06-26-2009, 01:12 PM

papabear

06-26-2009, 02:38 PM

why so few mls'ers for the confed cup, and then so many for the gold cup? i understand they can't be gone from their clubs for all that time, but wouldn't mixing up the two groups a bit more now help with cohesiveness later?

I think what you saw in the Confed cup is basically what you are going to get through this world cup cycle outside of a few minor changes or injuries. Bradley is basically just sending the B-Team. He's got some older guys for leadership and a few guys who will be apart of WC qualifying getting a few more minutes. Other than that it's guys trying out to fill in an injury role.

papabear

06-28-2009, 02:33 PM

usa usa usa usa

popanot

06-29-2009, 06:51 AM

usa usa usa usaIt's amazing how much better Brazil is/was at handling the ball than team USA (or a lot of teams for that matter). I missed the first half, but you could tell it was just a matter of time before Brazil got back in it the way they had the US on their heels in the second half. It seemed they played down the US end the entire half. The US played great and did us proud, but they still have a ways to go. They've got get better at passing and setting up plays, with a little more aggression on O' to have a chance in the WC.

papabear

06-29-2009, 09:43 AM

It's amazing how much better Brazil is/was at handling the ball than team USA (or a lot of teams for that matter). I missed the first half, but you could tell it was just a matter of time before Brazil got back in it the way they had the US on their heels in the second half. It seemed they played down the US end the entire half. The US played great and did us proud, but they still have a ways to go. They've got get better at passing and setting up plays, with a little more aggression on O' to have a chance in the WC.

They were able to just sit back against Spain and keep them out of the goal. I knew that if we weren't able to keep possession at least a little that Brazil would eventually pick them apart. While I'm thrilled with the effort, I'm not near as warm and fuzzy over this team as some of the stuff I read is. As a team our first touch and passing still isn't at the level it needs to be. They rely entirely too much on the long ball at times when they should just be trying to hold the ball. I liked the way they used their speed for quick counterstrikes the last few matches, but you can't let Brazil spend the entire match in the attacking third.

After seeing the Astros look like a good team on Saturday (took my nephew to his first Big league game) and the first half of the USA match I was having a pretty good weekend....then the second half came. To top it all off the Dynamo choked against Arena and the Galaxy. I was thoroughly depressed by the time I went to bed last night.

Keith

06-29-2009, 11:16 PM

I was thoroughly depressed by the time I went to bed last night.
Me too. Still a little sad actually.

The US has to sit back and play the counters. That's it. They play too many long passes forward sometimes, but sometimes that's because they aren't good enough to possess the ball long enough to matriculate it up the pitch, so to speak.

More bad news for Dynamo fans, though potentially good for the development of the USMNT... Rico is drawing interest from the French team Rennes, the squad that employs Bocanegra now.

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11811_5405043,00.html
http://blogs.chron.com/soccer/archives/2009/06/rennes_conversa_1.html

Talks are preliminary right now and might go nowhere, but Rico going somewhere overseas seems inevitable to me at some point. I'm a little surprised he didn't leave last year actually.

As for the loss to the Gals, I didn't like the starting 11, but with Hainault gone, Waibel and Barrett unavailable, options were limited... but I really would have preferred to have Mulrooney at D-Mid and keep Holden in his normal spot with Davis wide left. Maybe put Ashe at right back (or left... not sure which Chabala prefers more). I think that would have been less disruptive to the offensive engine. Heck, put Mullan at RB and Ashe in front of him, just keep Davis out left and Mulrooney in the middle without Rico.

superbowlbound

06-30-2009, 03:16 PM

You're absolutely right. We are not good enough at possessing the ball, period. I think part of that is that we are a very good counter-attacking team, so whenever we win the ball in midfield the first reaction is "attack! attack!" which leads to the poor passing and ill-advised long balls. In the second half of the Brazil match, there were several opportunities for the US to hold on to the ball for 30-40 seconds more at a time before attempting to get the ball in on goal, and every time, the second pressure came, especially in midfield, they would panic and send an ill-advised long ball at a poor run, presumably because they were afraid of being dispossessed. That absolutely has to be improved before the end of WC qualifying, or it's going to be a very short cup for the US, especially considering how much FIFA dislikes us. You know we're going to be in either the Group of Death or the other one that's just as strong. Really the only thing we've got going for us as far as some love for the draw goes is that we currently lead the world in ticket sales.

But that's neither here nor there. What is really troubling to me is the way that our players seem to drift in and out of the game. feilhaber and altidore were two prime examples of players that played well against spain (altidore was in and out, but that's what you get from a 19 year old who doesn't get any club minutes), but neither of them made a mark against brazil.

Also, does landon donovan bother the crap out of anyone else? He's a talented player, sure, but he's nearly crumbled under the expectations of greatness, as evidenced by that ill-advised low cross in the spain match. He's afraid to make mistakes, though that's not entirely his fault. What bothered me most about him vs. brazil was his celebration after his goal. Running around the field shouting "me! me! me!" really? If it wasn't for the perfect ball you got, you wouldn't have even had a shot on goal in the first place. Congratulations on taking the shot when you literally didn't have any other options. I don't know, maybe I'm being hard on him, but when you're the face of a team that's been mired in mediocrity the way the US squad has, it just seems like a little more "we" than "me" could go a long way. Some of our players looked a little put off by his celebration. They just looked a whole heck of a lot happier for Dempsey than they did for Donovan. Maybe that's just me not liking him, but that's what I saw. Thoughts?

Keith

07-13-2009, 08:50 PM

Congrats to Stu Holden and Geoff Cameron on being voted to the starting XI in the All-Star game against Everton! And for those who missed the USMNT's match against Haiti in the Gold Cup, Holden's stoppage time golazo tied the game.

With Kinnear as the All-Star head coach, I imagine at least two more Dynamo players will be named to the squad out of: Pat Onstad, Ricardo Clark, Brian Ching, and Bobby Boswell. And I imagine Kei Kamara and Brad Davis wouldn't mind the consideration, too. :D

Also, the chron is reporting that the Dynamo are putting together a bid to host the USOC final on 9/1, assuming the Dynamo beat the Sounders to advance. I can understand why the team hasn't bid for home dates in the lesser rounds (money/costs), but hosting the final would be sweet. Hopefully if it happens fans come out in full support. With no extra SuperLiga dates to contend with, maybe that will happen.

Keith

07-16-2009, 10:18 PM

Also, the chron is reporting that the Dynamo are putting together a bid to host the USOC final on 9/1, assuming the Dynamo beat the Sounders to advance.

The Dynamo only outbid the Rhinos, so we must root for them to beat DC United (and for the Dynamo to gain a measure of revenge on the Sounders) for the USOC final to be played in Houston.

Keith

07-28-2009, 10:27 PM

Rico is leaving for Livorno, but not until January.

http://www.corrieredilivorno.com/index.php/news/articolo/1043

Clark al Livorno da gennaio

Ricardo Clark, giocatore americano che si è messo in luce nell'ultima Confederations Cup, è stato acquistato dal Livorno. "E' vero - spiega Aldo Spinelli, presidente del club toscano prima di entrare in Lega Calcio a Milano - ma arriverà solo a gennaio perché il club di Houston è primo in classifica in campionato e non può privarsi prima del giocatore".

According to Bernardo at the chron, the Dynamo are denying the report, but say talks are still occurring.

http://blogs.chron.com/soccer/archives/2009/07/italian_daily_c.html

If the Italian report is true (or is eventually true...), it sounds like MLS and the Dynamo did well in putting their foot in the ground about keeping Rico through the end of the season. Good for the Dynamo, hopefully good for Rico.

Good for the USMNT, too, assuming Rico isn't just going to sit on the bench. Livorno has been promoted back to Serie A this season, so the competition should be among the best in the world.

papabear

07-29-2009, 08:14 AM

Really happy for Rico, but hate to see him go. You know this was going to happen eventually....we've been too good for to long for some of our younger players not to start getting picked off. Holden could be next if his strong Gold Cup leads to more USMNT playing time and the exposure that comes with it.

I hope the Dynamo can reload as well as they have in the past.

Keith

07-29-2009, 09:40 AM

I've probably said this before, but I'm surprised Rico has stuck around the MLS this long.

One thing a bit confusing to me here though... I thought Rico's contract ran out after this season. If so (I don't follow MLS financials at all like I do the NFL's), and if Livorno was willing to wait until January to add Rico, then why bother the Dynamo/MLS now about transfer fees? I must be missing something, either that or Livorno must be trying to get Rico sooner than the January transfer window?

As for Stu, yeah, he could maybe start for a mid-table EPL club and make way more money. At 23, he still has a long career ahead of him. I've heard arguments that he (and Rico) should wait to move overseas until after the 2010 World Cup given their chances at greater global exposure, but these guys aren't getting any younger, either.

The Dynamo offense is lacking without Holden in the middle. Cameron is not the answer. He can play all over, but it's not his best midfield position. Since Davis is better left, Ashe is better wide, ugh.... even if Holden is with the team next season, finding his backup should be priority #1 since it seems ever more likely he could be in South Africa next summer.

papabear

07-29-2009, 09:48 AM

superbowlbound

07-29-2009, 09:10 PM

Sucks to see Rico go, but we've all known this was coming for a while now. Let's just enjoy him while we've got him. It's definitely the right move for him. I only wonder how long we'll get to keep Stewie. He was the best player on the pitch for much of the Gold Cup. Euro clubs should be beating down his door perhaps as early as this offseason. Though it wouldn't surprise me if he stuck around another year, as I'm sure there will be much more training availability with the national team if he's in the states than if he were overseas.

Joel

07-30-2009, 03:24 PM

He was the best player on the pitch for much of the Gold Cup.

not at all to pick on SBB, but your use of the word "pitch" here is emblematic of my biggest pet peeves when americans write/talk about soccer.

why do we (americans) feel the need to adopt british lingo when talking about soccer? "pitch" isn't a "soccer" word (whatever that means) it's a british word. when we played the sport as kids, we called it a "field," so why the change in recent years?

other examples: "pace" (not "speed" or "quickness"), "kit" (not "uniform"), "extratime" (not "overtime"), "table" (not "standings"), "sent off" (not "thrown out"), and so on.

we use the other words to talk about the same things in other sports - why switch for soccer? the "soccer words" don't convey any special or soccer-specific meaning - they're just the ones that the english use. and i bet the english use these same words in other sports, yet we haven't adopted them there (for example, i bet they talk of a cricket "kit," but have you ever heard of a baseball "kit?"). this is especially evident during TV broadcasts and in internet coverage such as that at soccer.com, etc., but it has crept into casual usage as well.

sorry to vent, but i figured if anyone would be sympathetic, it would be this primarily (american) football crowd. thoughts?

papabear

07-30-2009, 03:59 PM

not at all to pick on SBB, but your use of the word "pitch" here is emblematic of my biggest pet peeves when americans write/talk about soccer.

why do we (americans) feel the need to adopt british lingo when talking about soccer? "pitch" isn't a "soccer" word (whatever that means) it's a british word. when we played the sport as kids, we called it a "field," so why the change in recent years?

other examples: "pace" (not "speed" or "quickness"), "kit" (not "uniform"), "extratime" (not "overtime"), "table" (not "standings"), "sent off" (not "thrown out"), and so on.

we use the other words to talk about the same things in other sports - why switch for soccer? the "soccer words" don't convey any special or soccer-specific meaning - they're just the ones that the english use. and i bet the english use these same words in other sports, yet we haven't adopted them there (for example, i bet they talk of a cricket "kit," but have you ever heard of a baseball "kit?"). this is especially evident during TV broadcasts and in internet coverage such as that at soccer.com, etc., but it has crept into casual usage as well.

sorry to vent, but i figured if anyone would be sympathetic, it would be this primarily (american) football crowd. thoughts?

I try not to do it too much, but I work with a lot of Europeans and I probably spend more time talking about soccer with them as anyone else...they get just as upset when someone uses "american" terms to talk about soccer as you do when an American uses "English" terms. I would correct them if they called a football field a "pitch" just like they correct me when I refer to the "pitch" as a field.

For years the only way for soccer fans in the US to enjoy the game was to piggy back on teams from around the world. Even now most of the announcers are either from the UK, or are x-players who spent their entire career in Europe using the English terms. It's just natural that you pick some of it up from listening to them.

Keith

07-30-2009, 04:05 PM

I would correct them if they called a football field a "pitch" just like they correct me when I refer to the "pitch" as a field.

This.

As the saying goes, when in Rome...

I think within a strictly U.S. context, sawker is player on a field, wearing a uniform, etc... but beyond our borders (and maybe those of a couple other countries), everyone else from a global context seems to use the other terms. Just easier to communicate. I'm no euro-snob by any stretch, but having watched enough EPL "matches" on the "telly" :p, some of the lingo just starts to become second nature sometimes.

Keith

08-15-2009, 12:04 AM

Adios Julius. Don't let the door hit you in the kit on the way out. I'm guessing Pat Onstad has probably already packed your bags for you.

The Dynamo shook up their back line Friday, sending young center back Julius James to D.C. United and reacquiring Ryan Cochrane from the San Jose Earthquakes in separate trades, coach Dominic Kinnear confirmed.

The Western Conference-leading Dynamo received a third-round pick in the 2012 MLS draft in exchange for the 25-year-old James, a second-year MLS player in his first season with the Dynamo.

The team then traded at least one international slot to San Jose to secure the services of Cochrane, 26, an original Dynamo who went to San Jose – a move he had requested – via the 2007 expansion draft.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/soc/6573013.html

In addition to James sucking, this trade is even more about team chemistry I think. Dale Dynamo!

Keith

10-29-2009, 02:36 PM

Wow, been a long time since this thread was active.

...but now it's dream-scream-believe time!! :p

I'm glad we drew the Sounders in the first round. I've been wanting to paste these guys all year. Hopefully we take it to them tonight.

Game is on at 9pm on ESPN2 in case any casual observers want to peek in tonight.

papabear

10-29-2009, 02:56 PM

I think it could be a good thing that we've had such a hard time against Seatlle all year. It will keep the team focused, and I think the law of averages will catch up. We're due for a win against them.

I can't say I was thrilled with the Kamara move....especially since Landin wasn't eligible to play in the champions league. They haven't quite had the Golden touch in acquiring players this year like they have in the past, but I will be disappointed with anything less than winning the MLS cup. Really looking forward to tonight's game.

Keith

10-29-2009, 11:51 PM

Yeah, they could have really used Kamara tonight. Oduro's speed is nice, but he was constantly pushed off the ball. Kamara isn't pushed off like that.

...and neither is Landin, but c'mon Dom, your guy just does not look ready to play. Ching also seemed too willing to draw a foul tonight, which ain't happening at Qwest.

So yeah, I was pretty disappointed in the forward play. Still, taking a draw back home works. Time to bury 2008 for good.

papabear

10-30-2009, 08:28 AM

They came out of the road leg tied up so you can't complain. I thought Mullan and Davis we're both sub par outside....Mullan especially had some silly turnovers. Oduro's best used as a sub late in the game when the defense's back line is tired. My first thought when I saw Landin is that he looks a little thick in the middle and not in a good way. You can see he's definitely got some skills, but he needs to get in shape. I was reall excited when they signed him because they made such a big deal about it....then I went to Mexico on business the next week, and most of the people didn't know he was. The one's who did didn't give very glowing reviews.

Both keepers were wonderful last night. I do wonder what kind of exrta curricular activity was going on before the Onstad/Montero scuffle. I saw Montero grabbing him, but I expect something had to have had happened for Onstad to lose his cool like that. Onstad should know better, but Montero acted as if he had been shot from what was strong, but not a ridiculously hard bump. Of course Motero does that every time he's touched. Ljungberg is now on my list as well. He annoyed me last time we played them as well, but the only person who whines to the ref more the Ljungberg is Blanco. On one play late in the game he pushed/bodied up on a dynamo player from behind and knocked them down (not a foul in my book). When the same thing happened to him moments later he went straight to the ref and was still complaining when he should have been going to set up for a corner.

It was a very physical game, and for the most part I didn't have a problem with the calls the ref made...although he was a little inconsistent with the way some things were called. I do think he screwed us over out of couple of dangerous free kicks from just outside the box.

We get a chance to win it at home, and put 08 to rest. The biggest thing is we get to rest. That will probably do this team more good than anything.