tOfficial General Soccer Thread (2009-2010) season)

[Denver Spartanhead]

I don't know if I would listen much to what Ives has to say, I pulled this gem out of that same article
"In case you missed it, the Americans defeated Italy 3-0 in the final Confederations pool-play match to improbably advance to the semifinals, where they stunned Spain before succumbing to Brazil's second-half rally in the final. It was the first U.S. appearance in a FIFA tournament championship."

On a side note, I think that if Holden keeps producing he will earn a spot in South Africa. The kid has speed, control, ball skills and finishing ability beyond many of those that were on the confed. cup roster.

[sarcyspice]

interesting how manchester city have got certain sets of fans riled up....

Get Tevez from Man U.... Man United fans sad to see him go......

Trying to get Adebayor from Arsenal.... most arsenal fans I know are say "please buy him!!!"..... 25-30 million... thank you!!!!... can't snatch the money out of there hands quick enough!!!!

Trying to get Terry from chelsea.... Chelsea fans not happy because they feel they are being "bullied"... an interesting feeling since that is what they have been doing to everyone else to the last 5 years when they had the richest owner.....

[jreid19]

Originally Posted by Denver Spartanhead

I don't know if I would listen much to what Ives has to say, I pulled this gem out of that same article
"In case you missed it, the Americans defeated Italy 3-0 in the final Confederations pool-play match to improbably advance to the semifinals, where they stunned Spain before succumbing to Brazil's second-half rally in the final. It was the first U.S. appearance in a FIFA tournament championship."

Well that little "gem" has been edited to read correctly so no need to bash one of the best soccer guys we got in the US.

On another note, Ives posted yesterday that Feilhaber had a brace and Jeremiah White added one in a 4-2 victory for Aarhus in preseason.

[RoMo]

This isn't spam but this is a good site to buy official jerseys. I have bought 3 and it does take 3-4 weeks for the shirt to arrive.

Largest Online Football Shirt, Football Shirts and Soccer Jerseys Collection

[sarcyspice]

Originally Posted by RoMo

This isn't spam but this is a good site to buy official jerseys. I have bought 3 and it does take 3-4 weeks for the shirt to arrive.

Largest Online Football Shirt, Football Shirts and Soccer Jerseys Collection

I am not into the offical ones anymore... I can give you the name of a company who do "old school" shirts...

Retro Football Shirts at TOFFS

Thru them I have a original "redcurrant" 1913 Arsenal Shirt.... and 1930-1950 classic arsenal home,1970 classic arsenal home , and a 1971 double winning arsenal away shirt...

They are brilliant for stuff.. and can make old team shirts to order if you can find a picture...

[wvaspartan]

Originally Posted by RoMo

This isn't spam but this is a good site to buy official jerseys. I have bought 3 and it does take 3-4 weeks for the shirt to arrive.

Largest Online Football Shirt, Football Shirts and Soccer Jerseys Collection

Those are not even the real jerseys....the jerseys are ripoffs and not the Nike Jerseys for Man U or any other team for that matter.

[MiamiSpartan]

Originally Posted by wvaspartan

Those are not even the real jerseys....the jerseys are ripoffs and not the Nike Jerseys for Man U or any other team for that matter.

They are the Nike Jerseys for United (actually the Berbatov one says that it's Adidas, but that's likely a mistake, as the picture of that, and the rest show Nike).

Of course, at least for United, those aren't the latest kits, as there are newer, uglier ones for this season. But they do look to be official from the last two seasons.

There is a kiosk in a mall near me that sells real knock offs of jerseys that are made in Peru or something. It's funny because you'll notice that the sponsor logo is slightly off center, or not quite the right proportion or something. Personally, I support that 100%, as it's money that stays out of the Glazers' pockets.

In fact, I bought a FC United of Manchester shirt there, which I'm sure some little Peruvian thought was the same as Manchester United when he downloaded the logo to make the shirt (FC United is a club started by former Manchester United supporters after the evil trolls' hostile take over...They're currently in the 7th level, I believe, which means they may be competing with Leeds soon).

[RoMo]

Originally Posted by wvaspartan

Those are not even the real jerseys....the jerseys are ripoffs and not the Nike Jerseys for Man U or any other team for that matter.

Trust me, they are. I have bought a Puma Luca Toni Italy jersey Nike Inter Milan with the Serie A patch.

[drogba]

[ctspartan]

Originally Posted by Denver Spartanhead

I don't know if I would listen much to what Ives has to say...

Well, he's head and shoulders above Jeff Carlisle, whose analysis often plain sucks.

On a side note, I think that if Holden keeps producing he will earn a spot in South Africa. The kid has speed, control, ball skills and finishing ability beyond many of those that were on the confed. cup roster.

Holden got a "9" from Ryan Noel, whose analysis is superior to any of those on Soccernet.http://ryannoel.wordpress.com/2009/07/11/usa-v-haiti-the-ratings/

He liked Cronin, too. He gave BB a "1" for coach's rating.

[ctspartan]

Originally Posted by Heathens '87

1. Adu isn't ready - I would whole-heartedly agree. Freddy plays a position where we've depth and experience, and he's far too inconsistent, easily negated with physicality, and lacks a commitment to defense. Time with his club is what he needs.

What he needs is to get in the weight room and work on overall fitness. For some reason, he's not being "coached up" with all that talent. I can't figure out if it's bad coaching or Adu simply isn't listening.

I'm one who believes that Beasley's window is quickly closing

Heathens, you genuinely make me laugh sometimes. It's pretty obvious to anyone without blinders on that Beasley's window closed four years ago. On form, I honestly am clueless how he keeps his job in Europe.

Marshall has been dominate in MLS

You meant "dominant", right?

Steve Cherundolo - he's not done. Throw him into the mix with Spector and Hejduk. Who gets the start against Mexico will find themselves with a huge opportunity to win the job on the right.

Against Hejduk and Spector? C'mon! If Hejduk's a "10" and Spector is an "8", that makes Cherundolo a "4". I hope to never see him again, unless he's seriously added some new stuff to his game in the past year.

Feilhaber and Davies - Ives sees them as playing at a different level right now. Hard not to agree. They've both cemented roles going forward and might both find themselves starting. Again, who starts against Mexico will have a huge opportunity to claim a starting role. Davies vs. Ching and Feilhaber vs. Clark/Bradley.

Davies is quality offense and defense. Feilhaber has to make the commitment to defense. If he ever does, I'd take him in a heartbeat over Bradley. Both showed themselves worthy in the Confed Cup, though.

[arfabe16]

FWIW and for anyone who cares, in this Gold Cup I think Mexico has only found 5 players who deserve to be with our A team as either starters or regular subs.

Should be starting:
- Guillermo Ochoa: he's flat out better than Oscar Perez. He still has a bit of trouble coming out of his net, but his reflexes and agility make up for it.

Borderline starter:
- Johnny Magallon: he's not great, but he's tough and has good athleticism, and he'd make a good pair with a much more polished defender like Rafael Marquez.

Should be a regular sub:
- Giovanni Dos Santos: he's finally starting to show his talent. He beats his man 1v1 almost every time and has a nice touch. He needs to work on his finishing and needs to realize he plays best on the wings. He often gets lost by trying to play in the middle.
- Pablo Barrera: this kid is good. Real good. He could be pushing Andres Guardado for the starting spot on the left midfield if Guardado doesn't go back to his level of a year or two ago.
- Fausto Pinto: kid is real good and one of the best outside defenders in CONCACAF. However, he has Carlos Salcido ahead of him and won't see the field unless Salcido is injured or suspended.

Borderline A-team guys:
- Gerardo Torrado: still great at getting balls back in midfield, still awful with his passing.
- Miguel Sabah: kid plays tough up front and finds himself in good positions. He needs to finish more of his chances though, and I'd rather have Matias Vuoso on the team.

Would like to see more of:
- Carlos Vela: kid has a ton of talent, but hasn't been able to show it on the national team. An injury has kept him out since the beginning of the first match, although he should be good to go for the weekend game vs. Haiti.

Worthless:
- Everyone else. Particularly Omar Bravo and Jose Antonio Castro.

[ctspartan]

Originally Posted by Heathens '87

There's too much artificial bluntness, too much black-and-white, in the world these days, especially on discussion boards.

I'm awfully sympathetic to that point of view, but in Beasley's case....
Anyway, I feel many pangs of sorrow for his situation. He became one of my favorite players from the U-21s onward, and when his ability fell off a cliff after his injury, it was painful to watch. He seems like a nice guy and was so full of vitality and love for the game - just the look on his face after he blew the short corner in the Confed Cup was sad to watch. I feel dreadful for the guy, which makes me dislike BB's game decisions even more. He shouldn't be embarrassing a vet like Beasley by putting him on the pitch without being match-ready. BB continues to make very bad lineup decisions, even in the Gold Cup. It's almost like he spins one of those random 8-balls in his head to make his subs.

Anyway, on more uplifting topics, what do you (or anyone else) see as Holden's future? Will he crack the starting lineup before the WC, or was his recent performance a flash in the pan?

[Denver Spartanhead]

Originally Posted by Heathens '87

The issue for Holden is that he plays centrally, joining the likes of Bradley, Clark, Edu, Feilhaber, Jones, Mastroeni, Torres, Kljestan, etc. We're very deep. I think the Gold Cup may move him into the three-deep, on the edge of a WC squad. He's in the mix going forward, to be sure.

Rogers, on the other hand, plays left, where we have Donovan, Beasley, Eddie Lewis, Bobby Convey, etc. Not that he's better than Holden, but the opportunity to get higher on the depth chart is there due to a lack of competition for Robbie.

My guess at Bob's two-deep entering the summer......

RM - Dempsey, Adu
DM - Clark, Mastroeni
CM - Bradley, Kljestan
LM - Donovan, Beasley

Holden, Quaranta, and Rogers have improved their standing in the Gold Cup while Adu has not. Beasley has had a bad stretch for a while now . My thinking is that Rogers has passed Beasley for that LM slot while Adu has played his way into a position where he's behind both Torres and Holden for a slot. He's also likely behind Jones when he joins the squad and I'd frankly take Quaranta right now as well.

If I'm picking a WC midfield, Holden is one slot away as I'd take nine.......

Dempsey, Clark, Bradley, Donovan, Edu, Feilhaber, Jones, Rogers, Torres

.....and just three forwards......

Davies, Altidore, Ching

I would ask you what has Edu(or Torres) done on the senior team or with club to earn the spot over Holden?

[SAVspartan]

Originally Posted by sarcyspice

interesting how manchester city have got certain sets of fans riled up....

Get Tevez from Man U.... Man United fans sad to see him go......

Trying to get Adebayor from Arsenal.... most arsenal fans I know are say "please buy him!!!"..... 25-30 million... thank you!!!!... can't snatch the money out of there hands quick enough!!!!

Trying to get Terry from chelsea.... Chelsea fans not happy because they feel they are being "bullied"... an interesting feeling since that is what they have been doing to everyone else to the last 5 years when they had the richest owner.....

I know that I am praying that this deal gets done to get his Arse outta there. He has been a cancer ever since last offseason when he wanted to go to Milan.

The question is, will Wenger sit on the money that he gets from the Ade transfer, or will he bring in another striker or that holding midfielder we so desperately need??

Personally I hope we get the HM due to the major need in that area. We have plenty of strikers that can compete with Arshavin, RVP, Theo, Pinko, Eduardo, and Vela. I read rumors of Huntelaar but i dont know how much is in those or not and also Chamakh (sp?) from Bordeaux.

What say you sarcy?

[ctspartan]

Originally Posted by Heathens '87

It's a matter of opportunity, to a degree, but let's not be the type of fan who falls in love with the next pretty girl who walks in the room every time a pretty girl walks in the room........

I would guess many observers feel that when Edu and Torres came on stage we may have had a couple drinks and fell for the hair and makeup, whereas Holden seems to look beautiful without makeup and us quite sober.

[baltosparty]

Originally Posted by Denver Spartanhead

I would ask you what has Edu(or Torres) done on the senior team or with club to earn the spot over Holden?

Mo Edu can also fill-in and play at CB in an emergency situation, which makes him a solid selection for the WC roster.

[ctspartan]

Originally Posted by Heathens '87

My guess at Bob's two-deep entering the summer......

RM - Dempsey, Adu
DM - Clark, Mastroeni
CM - Bradley, Kljestan
LM - Donovan, Beasley

You're frightening me. Please make Mastroeni and Beasley go away. And Kljestan just to be sure. BB causes a lot of stress in my life.

If I'm picking a WC midfield, Holden is one slot away as I'd take nine.......

Dempsey, Clark, Bradley, Donovan, Edu, Feilhaber, Jones, Rogers, Torres

.....and just three forwards......

Davies, Altidore, Ching

I would agree, but I'm just not sold on Ching, although maybe he fits better than Cooper. I definitely don't want Casey. Frankly, I'd rather take Holden as a midfielder, and move Dempsey to forward, and leave off Ching.

ESPECIALLY if/when Jones joins the team, it would be a sin to have Ching on the field with some of our more talented midfielders on the bench. In particular those with attacking skills, like Dempsey and Adu. Has Bradley ever auditioned at forward? He's got a great kick, and I've never seen the great holding midfield skills that his supporters all seem to tout.

[sarcyspice]

Originally Posted by SAVspartan

I know that I am praying that this deal gets done to get his Arse outta there. He has been a cancer ever since last offseason when he wanted to go to Milan.

The question is, will Wenger sit on the money that he gets from the Ade transfer, or will he bring in another striker or that holding midfielder we so desperately need??

Personally I hope we get the HM due to the major need in that area. We have plenty of strikers that can compete with Arshavin, RVP, Theo, Pinko, Eduardo, and Vela. I read rumors of Huntelaar but i dont know how much is in those or not and also Chamakh (sp?) from Bordeaux.

What say you sarcy?

the problems that we have up from.. and i hate to call it a problem is that we don't really have an out and out striker.... Walcott can play up there, but i think is more effective playing wide right, Arshavin and Eduardo can play up there, but they may better playing wide left... RVP and Vela are classic "2nd strikers" and Pinko is not good enough...

now.. I like Huntelaar a lot, at 25 he is coming up to his prime.... but Real say they are close to agreeing a deal with Stuttgart for him... and they have the Mario Gomes money from Bayern....

If it was me... he is the one that could lead the line.....

Chamakh from Bordeaux is an interesting guy.. but for me he is still a bit raw, if that is the type of person he wants then go and get Edin Dzeko from Wolfsburg......

Whatever he does with the adebayor money... we need a out and out striker, and we need that defensive midfield, especially since we lost out on felipe melo to juventus

they are still possibly looking at Flamini coming back, Yaya Toure is another name mentioned....

[Denver Spartanhead]

Originally Posted by ctspartan

You're frightening me. Please make Mastroeni and Beasley go away. And Kljestan just to be sure. BB causes a lot of stress in my life.



I would agree, but I'm just not sold on Ching, although maybe he fits better than Cooper. I definitely don't want Casey. Frankly, I'd rather take Holden as a midfielder, and move Dempsey to forward, and leave off Ching.

ESPECIALLY if/when Jones joins the team, it would be a sin to have Ching on the field with some of our more talented midfielders on the bench. In particular those with attacking skills, like Dempsey and Adu. Has Bradley ever auditioned at forward? He's got a great kick, and I've never seen the great holding midfield skills that his supporters all seem to tout.

Right now Dempsey is the best US National Team field player both for club and country. No way he doesn't start whenever he wants to. I agree about Casey, he looks old and feeble and is slow as hell. I agree about Ching, I would have to see some good results this year for him to make the roster(although if the WC happened today he would make the squad).

[SBSpartan]

I almost puked in my mouth when Heathens put that Klesjan, Mastroeni, Beasley, and Adu where in the midfield depth chart for the summer.

Three of those guys suck, and the other doesn't get it yet.

[Stanton4Heisman]

Originally Posted by Heathens '87

RM - Dempsey, Adu
DM - Clark, Mastroeni
CM - Bradley, Kljestan
LM - Donovan, Beasley

PLEASE GOD NO!!!

[ctspartan]

Originally Posted by Heathens '87

Let's take a look at what Ching does - holds the ball well, can play with his back to the net, is physical in the box, is dangerous with his head and thus demands coverage, understands the defensive responsibilities of a forward, decent speed, accurate shot, great work rate, team veteran, unselfish, loads of experience.

Oh, I'm well aware of who Ching is as a player - I've seen him plenty, no need to remind me. My point, as always, is that some MLS guys, like Donovan, can step up their skills at the WC level. Other guys have seen their max upside and will be over-matched when playing world-class players. Ching is one. He is over-matched at that level, and I've seen no evidence otherwise. But he's a really, really nice player at the MLS level.

McBride-lite.

Please...! Even putting the word "lite" still insults the memory of one of our few giants of the past.

What Ching does not do is score at a pace many want from a striker. The way he plays the position though, that's not going to happen. The play will go through him, he will be involved, he may score, but he's even more likely to set the play up for someone else.

Not at the WC level, he won't.

We see this continually whenever he suits up for the NT, and I'm sure you're someone who can appreciate this type of striker.

If he weren't athletically overmatched, I'd agree. Jozy is far less a player than Ching skills-wise, and I'd much rather watch Ching ply his trade (Jozy has very poor first-touch skill, no sense of track-back defense, etc.), but Jozy is so damn much more athletic that his threat has a lot more upside against top-level competition, hence why he should be on the team and Ching not. Carry only two pure forwards, drop Ching, and put Holden on the team. Move Dempsey to forward as necessary. Of course, BB will never figure this obvious solution out.

Now with the emergence of Davies, I think the pairing with Altidore gives up our best shot at wins in the World Cup as we need that speed and creativity to play up a level of class. But for a spot-start, or a substitution, especially if we're trying to hold a lead, I think Ching is an ideal third striker.

Agree to disagree. Ching will be pretty much ineffective in the WC, as I assume BB reflects your opinion, and will surely find a way to put him on the field, and IMHO - stress the "H" :-) - and I unfortunately will be proven right the hard way. I would LOVE to be proven wrong.

As for Kenny Cooper, he's doing little in this Gold Cup to convince anyone that he's battling Ching for that slot. His work rate and commitment to defense still aren't NT level, and that's disappointing. Plus we saw the comfort Dempsey has with sliding up to striker, as is true with Donovan, so it's really a matter of whether someone (Casey, Cooper, Johnson) can push Ching out......

Tend to agree about Cooper.

[RyanNoel]

Just wanted to drop in and say thanks for the support for my writing. I don't get paid for it and am just doing it to make sure I get some writing done each day.

I'm glad that some of you enjoy it.

I just put 2 new articles up yesterday:

The Kenny Cooper Conundrum

An American Giant in Athens?



Thanks!!

Ryan Noel

[ctspartan]

Originally Posted by RyanNoel

Just wanted to drop in and say thanks for the support for my writing. I don't get paid for it and am just doing it to make sure I get some writing done each day.

I'm glad that some of you enjoy it.

I just put 2 new articles up yesterday:

The Kenny Cooper Conundrum

An American Giant in Athens?



Thanks!!

Ryan Noel

It's great to have someone who 1) knows soccer, and 2) isn't afraid to call it like it is. Keep up the good work and come back and post here when you can.

I'd far prefer to read your stuff than Jeff Carlisle, who just spews the party line on ESPN, like giving Bornstein and Gooch equal ratings in a game when Bornstein sucked (I may have the wrong two players here, going on memory, but he gives no credit to guys with great games and boosts guys who contribute negatively on the field). I honestly question how much the ESPN guys really know about soccer, or whether they've spent any time at all overseas to see how the game is played.

BB needs to be called out for his ridiculous rosters and substitutions, absent the final Confed Cup roster, when he finally got something right after trying to bury Charlie Davies for three years.