With a Chance to Bring Positive Energy Back, USMNT Fall Flat On Their Face in Gold Cup Final

I'll keep this brief because first of all this team-the USMNT-really doesn't deserve much attention (at least in a positive manner) and likewise, especially on today of all days when the USWNT just captured their fourth World Cup title. However, let it be noted that the U.S. men fell 1-0 tonight in the Gold Cup 2019 Final to Mexico at a sold-out Soldier Field in Chicago. The Americans were bidding for their seventh Gold Cup title but they were outdone by their most bitter rival the Mexicans who earned their record eighth Gold Cup crown in front of what must have felt like a home game to them. Oh and did I mention that Mexico improved to 5-1 against them in the Final? The only U.S. win vs. Mexico in the Final remains from 2007.

The U.S. had two great scoring chances early in the match as midfielder Christian Pulisic had a breakaway stopped by Mexico's goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa (I'm the biggest Pulisic honk I know but he should have done better with that shot). That was frustrating but not even in the same galaxy as striker Jozy Altidore's pathetic breakaway that started off so well with him putting a Mexican defender on skates but that ended with him shooting the ball wide of the net. When you don't score on either opportunity like that in soccer, you have a sense of impending doom that hits you right away when you are playing a team that is better than you to begin with.

Sure enough while it was 0-0 at halftime, Mexico turned up the pressure in the second half and was rewarded in the 73rd minute with a beautiful goal (part of me just died inside admitting that). The sequence began when midfielder Rodolfo Pizarro (who earlier in the 1st half appeared to hyper-extend his elbow) passed to forward Raul Jimenez in the box who back-heeled a pass to midfielder Jonathan dos Santos whose left-footed shot rose enough to hit the crossbar but bounce in past U.S. goalkeeper Zach Steffen.

One goal shouldn't automatically mean that you are cooked but with Altidore already subbed out and the other veteran American Michael Bradley (why is he still on the team?) giving away the ball in the midfield left and right, you knew that the USMNT was in dire shape down 1-0. They finished with only two shots on goal and despite having four more corner kicks than Mexico (7-3), they did nothing but waste them all.

I'm not going to say that he was exposed since I didn't think much of him to begin with but I can't say that I'm overly impressed with the latest U.S. vanilla head coach Gregg Berhalter. His roster decisions for the Gold Cup were puzzling (no Josh Sargent?) and while I admit that he was understandably hamstrung a bit by a Tyler Adams injury right before the tournament started, that's no excuse for making such bizarre decisions like putting in something called Daniel Lovitz in the 83rd minute this evening down a goal. Huh? I understand that winning a Gold Cup doesn't mean all that much in the grand scheme of things but to get this program back on track, shouldn't they focus on tasks that they can excel at like this while building to those more pipe-dream thoughts (ruling CONCACAF, winning a group stage and competing for a World Cup, etc.)?

This could have been a change of pace from their last few years of painful irrelevance, a rare good development for the USMNT. However, instead they continue to spin their collective wheels despite possessing a ton of young talent (Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tyler Boyd who somehow didn't play tonight) that thank god, choose to play in leagues outside of average MLS.

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U.S. Finally Solves Its Ghana Issue at the World Cup

It only took three tries but the U.S. men's national team found a way to beat Ghana at a World Cup. What better way to open up their 2014 experience in Brazil than with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Ghana at Estadio Das Dunas in Natal? Ever since the fateful draw in December, we knew that if the U.S. was going to have any chance to advance from Group G, they had to beat Ghana (the same team that had eliminated them in the past 2 World Cups with 2-1 defeats). 21-year-old German-born defender John Brooks was the unlikeliest of heroes for Jurgen Klinsmann as he scored the game-winning goal in the 86th minute-a header from Graham Zusi's on-the-money corner kick. It was the first goal scored by an American substitute in World Cup history, how's that possible?

The fact is that 85% of teams who win their opening match advance to the knockout stage while ESPN's trusted Soccer Power Index gives them a 63% chance after the huge three points. There are many aspects that made this such a sweet victory: Ghana's Andre Ayew had tied it at one in the 82nd minute so this looked like a draw or maybe even loss for the U.S. since they had basically defended the entire match after Clint Dempsey scored the fastest goal in U.S. history (32 seconds in!) and became the first American to score at three World Cups. There were an absurd amount of injuries for the Americans: Jozy Altidore went down with what looked like a serious hamstring injury in the 23rd minute, Dempsey's nose was broken with a high kick to the face and Besler was switched at halftime before he got seriously hurt.

Ghana owned a 59%-41% advantage in possession although truthfully it felt way higher. That's not normally a sound strategy to win at major tournaments but the U.S. made it work since Ghana didn't put together too many great chances, usually bungling passes or losing it in the attacking third. They took 21 shots but only eight landed on goal and Tim Howard was under considerable pressure but he didn't have to be Superman. Ghana got increasingly frustrated as midfielder Mohammed Rabiu picked up a yellow card in the 30th minute and midfielder Sulley Muntari was booked in the 92nd minute. An added bonus is that the U.S. didn't receive any cards, congrats Jermaine Jones!

Altidore will be evaluated more tomorrow and we have to hope that it wasn't as serious as it looked. Aron Johannsson came on for Altidore and despite playing 72 minutes, I can't remember him making a single positive play for the U.S. That's not to say he was terrible, he just didn't do anything to stand out in his first career World Cup appearance. Keep in mind that the striker from Iceland is only 23.

The U.S. is off until Sunday (6, ESPN) when they meet Portugal who got crushed 4-0 vs. Germany earlier this afternoon. That will certainly be a tough match but it doesn't look quite as imposing as we probably expected for a couple reasons: 1) Portuguese defender Pepe received a red card so he's out; 2) forward Hugo Almeida and defender Fabio Coentrao were both subbed out with injuries. Their status is something to monitor in the coming days. Portugal will be desperate and seeking to score many goals (to dig out of their brutal -4 goal differential) while the U.S. would be happy with a tie but a win would essentially put them through. Ghana plays Germany on Saturday (3, ESPN), good luck with that!

Who else already has a case of World Cup fever?



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It Was A Good Weekend For The U.S. Men's National Team

Without even playing a game this weekend, it was a great time to be a member of the U.S. men's national team. On Friday, striker Jozy Altidore's long rumored transfer from Holland's AZ Alkmaar to England's Sunderland finally became reality. He is scheduled to have a medical with the English Premier League side tomorrow and that's when the details will be sorted out. In addition, goalkeeper Brad Guzan signed a four-year deal with Aston Villa, meaning he'll stay there through the 2016-17 season.

Altidore's move is the headline since the 23-year-old has been playing the best soccer of his young life in the past season (both with his club and for his country). He scored 31 goals in all competitions for the Dutch team and helped them win their first Dutch Cup in 31 years. It was one thing for U.S. fans to read about that but never really see those games however he's been able to transfer that over to the U.S. with goals in his last four contests: in the friendly vs. Germany and three World Cup qualifiers (Jamaica, Panama and Honduras).

The good part for Altidore-assuming that the move happens-is that Sunderland should offer playing time right off the bat. He was really young when he competed for Hull City in 2009-10, making it no wonder that he struggled so much for a bad team. He is guarantted to have more expectations with Sunderland but that's a positive thing since he has shown lately that he is becoming the great player on a consistent basis that we've all been waiting for.

Guzan is still living in Tim Howard's long shadow for the U.S. but he has more than made a name for himself at Aston Villa. Last season he became the full-time starter and he responded with his best professional season. He is 28 and in limited time playing for the U.S. when Howard was unavailable (due to injuries or mandated rest), he has shown that he could be counted on should something happen to Howard when it really matters.

From Aston Villa's website
"This is just the start now, the start of hard work. We have to build on last year and go forward and that is very much the collective mindset at the club.

"For me, it's an honour and a privilege to play for Aston Villa Football Club and to commit my future long-term. I'm overjoyed by it.

"To have this opportunity to commit my future, with the plans and the future being what they are going forward, it's tremendously exciting and I know that's not just for me but for everybody, including the fans."

UPDATE 7/10: Jozy got a four-year deal worth $13 million.
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U.S. Men Complete 3 For 3 Run, Jozy Altidore Scores In 4th Straight Match

It lacked the excitement of their improbable 2-1 win at Jamaica from a few weeks ago or the incredible crowd in Seattle for the 2-0 win over Panama last week but tonight at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah, the U.S. men's national team got three more vital points thanks to a 1-0 win over Honduras. This put them in real good shape to come in first place in the hexagonal to reach the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Jozy Altidore had the goal on a one-timer in the 71st minute after a cross by Fabian Johnson and Tim Howard earned the clean sheet despite a very quiet night in the goal. Altidore now has scored in four straight matches, tying a U.S. record held by five other guys: William Looby, Eric Wynalda, Brian McBride, Eddie Johnson and Landon Donovan (twice).



The Americans have won their last four matches including three World Cup qualifiers in a row. The U.S. leads the hexagonal standings after six matches with 13 points, Costa Rica (11), Mexico (8), Honduras (7), Panama (6) and Jamaica (2) round out the rest of the group.

This was the perfect way to begin the summer since the top players can get some rest before younger guys or washed up former stars (Donovan) start training in July for the Gold Cup. The U.S. opens up with Guatemala on July 5 in San Diego; they meet Belize on July 9 in Portland, Oregon; they are back in Sandy, Utah on July 13 to play Belize and finally they take on Costa Rica July 16 in Hartford, CT.

They have four more hexagonal matches left: two in September, at Costa Rica (Sept. 6) and hosting Mexico (Sept. 10) in Columbus, Ohio. Things will be sorted out in October as the U.S. hosts Jamaica (Oct. 11) in Kansas City then travels to Panama (Oct. 15).

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U.S. Men Beat Panama 2-0 To Grab First Place In Hexagonal Standings

As far as I'm concerned, beating Panama (a country of 3.5 million people that has never made the World Cup) is hardly notable except for the fact that the U.S. men's national team handed them a 2-0 defeat tonight in a World Cup qualifier at CenturyLink Field in Seattle.



Coming off Friday's improbable 2-1 win at Jamaica in stoppage time, the U.S. had confidence and it showed since they dominated Panama for most of the match. They were rewarded with three points and first place in the hexagonal standings halfway through the final round of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Tim Howard only had to make two saves, one difficult shot in stoppage time, for his 26th career clean sheet. Both American goals were top notch as Jozy Altidore scored for the third straight game (something he's never done for the national team) in the 36th minute and Seattle Sounder Eddie Johnson thrilled his awesome home fans with a goal in the 53rd minute.

Old man DeMarcus Beasley was busy, he hit the post in the 60th minute after a remarkable run that was straight out of 2002. Unfortunately, he picked up a yellow card in stoppage time (he was already carrying one) so he'll miss the next U.S. match.

Many trusted American soccer writers felt that Michael Bradley was the man of the match and it was hard to argue after he controlled the midfield, made wonderful passes and won every 50/50 ball. Bradley started the sequence on Altidore's goal as he sent it down the wing to Fabian Johnson who one-touch crossed it across Panama's goalmouth. Altidore finished it perfectly.

Johnson's goal was assisted by Geoff Cameron, who also had an excellent performance and found Johnson with a long aerial pass. Johnson did the rest with a cool shot around Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo.



The U.S. (3-1-1) will go for its third World Cup qualifying win in a row next Tuesday (9 p.m., ESPN) in Sandy, Utah at Rio Tinto Stadium against Honduras (2-2-1).

UPDATE 6/15: Midfielder Kyle Beckerman was added to the U.S. roster for the match vs. Honduras.

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It's Official: Jurgen Klinsmann Hates Jozy Altidore

I try not to read too much into rosters for games, since U.S. men's national team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has been scouring every possible direction for anybody that can contribute to his team. Still, it was bizarre today when we found out that U.S. striker Jozy Altidore was left off the 24-man roster for the U.S.' next two important World Cup qualifiers: on Friday at Antigua and Barbuda then Tuesday in Kansas City against Guatemala.

Altidore has obviously never impressed Klinsmann since he has rarely gotten off the bench since the German took over last year. However, considering how well he is playing in the Netherlands this season and the fact that something named Alan Gordon (San Jose Earthquakes) was named in his place makes this borderline mystifying. Gordon is a 30-year-old (31 next week) journeyman that is in MLS and this would be his first CAP.

From ussoccer.com
The U.S. first faces the Benna Boyz on Oct. 12 in North Sound, Antigua. Kickoff for the USA’s first visit to the island is set for 7 p.m. ET and the match will be broadcast live on beIN SPORT. Four days later, the U.S. will close out the semifinal round at sold-out LIVESTRONG Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan. That match will be broadcast live at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

“The mentality we are bringing into these two games is to get six points,” said Klinsmann. “It’s important that the players arriving into Miami prepare themselves for two ‘finals.’ We must have urgency within the group and a clear understanding that we need to deliver, which means each player has to bring a 100 percent effort. All our focus and energy for the next few days will be on getting the right preparation for the team so we can win the next two games.”

The U.S. is currently even with Guatemala at the top of Group A with seven points and matching totals in both goal differential and goals scored. Jamaica also has seven points but sits in third place due to a lower goal differential. With the three nations tied on points and jockeying for the top two spots, no team will be able to secure a place in the Final Round until the last group matches are played on Oct. 16.

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (8): Carlos Bocanegra (Racing Santander), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Edgar Castillo (Club Tijuana), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Maurice Edu (Stoke City), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Michael Parkhurst (Nordsjaelland)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Roma), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht), Brek Shea (FC Dallas), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
FORWARDS (5): Clint Dempsey (Tottenham Hotspur), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Herculez Gomez (Santos), Alan Gordon (San Jose Earthquakes), Eddie Johnson (Seattle Sounders)

Bradley is back after missing the two matches against Jamaica in September. This also marks Johnson and Kljestan's return to the national team. The U.S. beat Antigua and Barbuda 3-1 on June 8 in their first ever World Cup qualifier against them. Bradley, Edu, Fabian Johnson, Jones and Zusi all carry yellow cards into Friday night's match meaning they would be suspended for one-game after another one.

The U.S. began training in Miami earlier today and they will head to the island of Antigua on Thursday. Luckily, like the match in Jamaica, we won't be able to watch the game for free on TV so we'll have to rely on Twitter and the few American journalists that are in attendance. CONCACAF!

UPDATE 10/9: Shea (abdominal strain) and Donovan (knee) are out with injuries for both qualifiers and according to U.S. Soccer, there will be no replacements for them.

UPDATE 10/10: Geez, now Johnson (flu) and Castillo (foot) are out for Friday. The team hopes that Johnson will recover in time for Tuesday. Johnson had been a starter with Castillo serving as his backup. Bocanegra and Parkhurst figure to be the left and right backs with Cameron and either Goodson or Edu in at center back. They are down to 20 healthy players (including 3 goalkeepers).

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U.S. Striker Terrence Boyd Is Headed To Austria

The day before the U.S. men's vital World Cup qualifying match in Guatemala, one of their top young talents got some exciting news regarding his budding club soccer career.

21-year-old striker Terrence Boyd reportedly agreed to a three-year deal with Austria's Rapid Vienna. No word on how much the transfer fee cost as he shifts over from Germany's Borussia Dortmund.

It's an interesting move since Boyd scored 20 goals and had five assists for Dortmund's reserve squad last season. Common sense dictates that he would get a real shot to make the team next season (especially if he plays well for the U.S.) but I can't fault a guy for going somewhere else in Europe where he know he'll be a starter from day one.

Dortmund youth coordinator Lars Ricken says: "Today he's playing for the U.S. national team. It's further proof that you can have excellent prospects through hard work with our second team."

This follows a similar path taken by fellow U.S. striker Jozy Altidore who bounced from MLS (Red Bulls) to La Liga (Villareal) followed by loans to Hull City (EPL) and Bursaspor (Turkey) before finally finding a home in Holland with AZ Alkmaar. Altidore had to take a step back professionally-going from a Champions League team to a Europa League team but it proved to be the right decision. He rediscovered his confidence and game last season, finishing as Alkmaar's leading goal-scorer with 15 league goals, four in Europa League.

I hate comparing players since everybody is different but from the limited amount of times I've seen Boyd, he seems to possess similar traits to Altidore. He's big, athletic and a good finisher around the net. His journey to Austria should prove to be rewarding if he puts in the time and effort on the training pitch.

The son of an American serviceman and German mother, Boyd made his international debut for Jurgen Klinsmann on February 29, 2012 in the friendly vs. Italy and he's officially CAP tied now after appearing against Antigua and Barbuda on Friday in the U.S.' 3-1 World Cup qualifying win.

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U.S. Men vs. Slovenia 1st Half Live Blog

Here we go, the last U.S. men's friendly in 2011: at Slovenia. It's a rematch of the memorable 2-2 tie in the 2010 World Cup.

The U.S. begins World Cup 2014 qualifying next summer against Jamaica, Antigua.

Edson Buddle with a shot in the first minute, tipped over the bar by Slovenia's goalkeeper. U.S. gets a corner kick by Michael Bradley but they can't do anything with it.

Slovenia has a breakaway but their player completely blows it as he slows down and the U.S. is able to recover and knock it out for a corner. Slovenia gets a header off the corner but Howard stops it.

Another chance for Buddle, who shoots over from a tough angle. Bradley fed him with a nice ball.

What a mess, you can barely see the field at the moment. Not helping matters is that Slovenia is wearing white jerseys. It is so foggy, stupid Slovenia weather. Slovenia called offside.

Apparently Slovenia has a new head coach.

Clint Dempsey with a decent pass into Jozy Altidore, who gets taken down with an elbow but no foul is called.

The 4-4-2 has already made a difference in the early going for the U.S. Buddle won a free kick outside the box as he was taken down hard. Bocanegra's header is deflected out (12 goals in 100 CAPs). U.S. corner kick No. 2. The U.S. won possession and Buddle hit a nice cross but Slovenia's goalkeeper got to it first.

Gooch trained last night but he's still not well enough to even sit on the bench.

Wow, Buddle is having the game of his life! He just took the ball from a Slovenian defender and one-timed it off the post from outside the box. 3rd goal for Buddle in his 10th CAP. His last goal was vs. Australia right before the 2010 World Cup. 1-0 U.S. in the 9th minute.

That was only the third goal for the U.S. under Klinsmann, this is his seventh game.

Should have been 2-0. Bradley gave Altidore a perfect ball but somehow he put it over from like two feet in front of Slovenia's goal. Got bury that, come on Jozy.

Haha love Harkes stating the obvious that the U.S. should beat a team like this, "they're not Spain." Classic analysis.

Terrible giveaway by the U.S. defense as Bocanegra hits it right to Slovenia but their shot from outside the box is nto a good one.

The U.S. looks so much better in the first 15 minutes of this match. Dempsey just hit a shot wide after a couple nice, unselfish passes.

Fabian Johnson (making his first career start) just made a great run from the midfield and earned a corner kick (No. 3). It was flicked through but the U.S. couldn't get the second touch.

As if you wanted to visit Slovenia any less, this abysmal weather isn't helping matters for this tiny country. Ugh.

Haha Ian Darke said Slovenia is about the same size as Houston and smaller than New Jersey.

Matavz with a decent header for Slovenia but you'll never beat Howard from the top of the box on a header.

I don't understand why Bradley has seemingly been on the outs with Klinsmann. I hope it's just that he's a known commodity so they want to look at some new faces. He is easily one of their best midfielders.

Slovenia is called way offside but they proceed to go in on Howard and shoot it past him. Cool dude.

Altidore called offside nullifies a 2 on 1 with Dempsey.

Another offside by Slovenia, they might want to make an adjustment here before they set a new record in one game.

Nice header by Clarence Goodson to break up a long pass but Kyle Beckerman gives it right back. Remind me again, why this dreadlocked goon is on the team? He is so mediocre.

Shaky U.S. foul puts an end to a possible chance.

Matavz scores in the 26th minute on what looks like an obvious offside call. Nice finish high over Howard's shoulder. Way too much space by the U.S. defense but we'll have to see more replays of that. Six goals in 12 matches for Matavz (who's 22). 1-1 in the 28th minute.

Well Slovenia and their pathetic home crowd (what else is going on at 6 pm on a Tuesday night?) is alive. They curled another shot wide of Howard and the goal.

The U.S. uses good transition to get a shot, Buddle crosses to Dempsey, but it's headed on top of the net.

That 2-2 tie in the group stage of the 2010 World Cup is the only time these two countries have met.

Oh ok, there's a local fan protest about rising ticket prices. That's why this tiny stadium (16,000) looks so empty.

Well Buddle almost scored his second goal but it wouldn't have counted. He was offside by a few steps. Regardless, great cross from Bradley and nice header by Buddle. They've been the two U.S. standouts thus far.

Dempsey with a nice diving header following great buildup and a cross by Steve Cherundolo. That just went wide, the U.S. has responded after Slovenia tied it up.

Dempsey's next goal will give him 24 for the U.S., tying him all-time with Joe-Max Moore (another former Revolution great), fourth in U.S. history.

U.S. foul outside the box, dangerous Slovenia free kick. They caught the U.S. asleep with a simple run but the shot skips inches wide. Yikes. Too many players thinking shot in and around the wall.

U.S. free kick leads to a corner. There we go, Dempsey heads it in from Bradley. 2-1 U.S. in the 41st minute. The Slovenian defender went for a high kick but he had no chance. Two goals, I might have a heart attack. So the U.S. matched its goal total in its previous six games under Klinsmann in 41 minutes.

Chandler wiggles free in the box and gets taken down to earn a penalty kick. Jozy steps up and scores his first goal under Klinsmann. 3-1 U.S. in the 43rd minute, this looks like a completely different team. I understand that Slovenia is not very good but they nearly beat the U.S. in the World Cup. This is the type of performance we've all been waiting for.

First time in 25 games (since Australia before the World Cup) that the U.S. has scored three goals.

Halftime: U.S. 3, Slovenia 1

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Jozy Altidore Scores His First Goal For His New Club-AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands)

I am a big Jozy Altidore fan but I'm also one of his harshest critics. He has all the physical tools to be one of the greatest strikers in U.S. men's soccer history. Still, after bouncing from club to club, it's time for him to A) get consistent minutes and B) produce goals if his career is ever going to take off and he doesn't become the latest Freddy Adu (pre-2011 Gold Cup)/Eddie Johnson cautionary tale.

So it's with a dose of cynicism that I present Jozy's first goal with his newest club, AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands). It came yesterday against PSV, routinely one of the top Dutch clubs.

The cross is perfect so Altidore doesn't have to do a whole lot except muscle the defender aside and head the ball in. Regardless, it's nice to see our guy get on the scoresheet. Fingers crossed that it's the start of something big this season with AZ Alkmaar.

PS Altidore won't be appearing Wednesday when the U.S. takes on Mexico in Philadelphia (Klinsmann's debut) but that's fine with us as long as he keeps doing this overseas.

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Gold Cup: U.S. vs. Guadeloupe 1st half live blog

Never in a million years did I think I'd be watching let alone live blogging a sporting event involving Guadeloupe yet here I am. The U.S. men's national team suffered one of its worst losses ever on Saturday (losing 2-1 to Panama) and now they face a must-win to get out of the group stage of the Gold Cup. That's probably the most depressing sentence I've ever written.

Anyway, Canada just drew 1-1 with Panama. So a U.S. tie or win puts them through to the quarterfinals to face Jamaica (3-0) on Sunday in Washington, DC.

U.S. starting 11:
Howard; Cherundolo, Goodson, Bocanegra, Lichaj; Dempsey, Jones, Bradley, Donovan; Wondolowski, Altidore.

Guadeloupe starting 11:
Grandel; Ictoi, Viator, Tacalfred, Zubar; Racon, Gamiette, Auvray, Loval; Socrier, Nabab

Lichaj is making his Gold Cup debut, this is only his fourth match with the team.

I wish I could give you more insight on the Panama loss but I missed it live and once I read the recap I couldn't bare to watch it. Yeah, I'm a baby.

At least the U.S. has a good crowd, soldout Livestrong Arena in Kansas City (the new MLS only stadium).

And we're underway, Altidore wins a free kick outside of the Guadeloupe box.

JP Dellacamara and Kyle Martinho are the announcers on Fox Soccer Channel.

Guadeloupe wins a free kick outside the U.S. box. Howard comes out to get the deflected shot but he goes out for a Guadeloupe corner kick. Sweet Jesus, Howard bungles the corner which leads to a shot off the crossbar and over. Yikes.

No worries, Bob Bradley is shown on the sidelines in his usual dead to the world state.

Ugh, Jozy had a nice to work a 1-2 into space but he gives it right to a defender.

Dempsey wins a free kick outside the Guadeloupe box. Dempsey fires it on goal and Grandel tips it over the crossbar for a corner kick. Nice shot, good save.

Ok, Jozy scores one of his best goals that I've ever seen. A rocket from 25 yards out, Grandel barely moves (9th minute, 12th international goal, 2nd of the Gold Cup). 1-0 U.S., what a strike!

Donovan takes an elbow in the face but no foul call. Hope he's alright.

Wow, they showed a replay from the Guadeloupe goal and that shot took a crazy curve at the end leaving the goalkeeper with no chance.

Nabab breaks free for a partial breakaway but he shoots it out on the other sideline. Not sure which U.S. defender was beaten there but it wasn't pretty, he just ran by him pretty easily.

Jones tries to find Altidore with a through ball but he was offside, nice idea.

Brian Dunseth is the sideline reporter, haha what a selection of washed up mediocre American players.

Yikes, Goodson just got tangled up with a Guadeloupe player in the box but there was no call. There definitely could have been, U.S. dodged a bullet there.

Guadeloupe is offside but not before the player shoots it off the crossbar.

And I just found out on Twitter that Guadeloupe isn't even a member of FIFA. Uh shouldn't the U.S. be wiping the floor with these scrubs?

Lichaj makes a nice run into the box, drops it for Donovan but his shot is blocked. Wondolowski skies one from just inside the area (why is he on the team?).

Semifinal loss to Mexico (2007) and Quarterfinal loss to Costa Rica (2009) are the highlights of Guadeloupe's Gold Cup history.

And the announcers make me puke as they note Guadeloupe is a "good team." Yeah ok guys. Haha, their coach is wearing jeans (no joke).

Dempsey with a great chance that he usually buries. Cherundolo puts a cross right on his head but Dempsey puts it wide. Should be 2-0, no excuse.

Cherundolo with another great ball, this time to Wondolowski but it's just out of his reach.

Dempsey with a shot from distance that was ticketed for the back of the net. Good save by Grandel, U.S. corner. Bradley tries a backheel but it's cleared off the line.

If you're wondering Guadeloupe has 400,000 fake people, it's the size of Vermont.

Bradley almost found Dempsey with a sweet chip but Grandel came off his line to clear it out of danger. Good idea.

Cherundolo is flying around, almost had another sweet cross. It was knocked out for a throw in. He's one of the few U.S. players that is doing anything consistently.

Bradley finds Dempsey with a cross that Dempsey puts wide. Didn't matter since he was called offside.

There we go, Wondolowski earns a foul with a nice turn on a Guadeloupe defender on the edge of Guadeloupe's box.

Donovan's free kick is not the best (as usual) but Altidore earns the corner with a nifty move.

Wondolowski gets stuffed twice by Grandel on very good chances. Is Charlie Davies ready to return to the team? Bob Bradley still hasn't found one suitable replacement, anyone that can play with Altidore.

2 minutes of added time and I'm already tired of this game. The U.S. is going to win but they should beat this team by a minimum of five goals on a normal day but right now, they can't get out of their own way.

Halftime: U.S. 1, Guadeloupe 0

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Gold Cup opener: U.S. vs. Canada 1st half

Gotta say it looks weird but it's kinda cool to see the game taking place in Detroit's Ford Field. On the other hand, the CONCACAF Gold Cup logo on Fox Soccer Channel is weak sauce. Looks like something you're child would make in Kindergarten. Listen, I know this tournament is a joke but that doesn't mean the coverage has to act like it.

In the 3rd minute, Jozy Altidore wins a free kick just outside Canada's box. Clint Dempsey takes it and it looked good but it got deflected out by the wall for a U.S. corner. 2 shots by the U.S. blocked and Canada clears it out.

Another U.S. corner won by Steve Cherundolo in the 5th minute.

3rd corner for the U.S. in the 8th minute. Nice collection by Juan Agudelo in the box earns the corner.

Landon Donovan hit a nice cross into the box and the U.S. wanted a handball but no dice. Couldn't tell, I'll have ot see a replay before I blast the refs. Good non-call.

Haha Agudelo won't turn 19 until November (FML!).

Another U.S. corner ends with Michael Bradley blasting a shot that Carlos Bocanegra deflects just wide. Good chance.

I don't care what my man smiling Bob Bradley said to the media ahead of the Spain sacrifice. Canada sucks and there is no excuse for the U.S. having any trouble with them. Nothing less than a three or four goal win is acceptable. If the U.S. wants to be taken seriously worldwide, they have to stomp the bums.

There we go, U.S. scores in the 15th minute. Altidore gets on the board after a nice ball from Donovan and quick turn. A better goalkeeper would have stopped it but it's nice to see Altidore get off the schneid. 1-0 U.S.

Last time the U.S. was in Detroit (1994 vs. Switzerland at the Silverdome)

Haha Canada's team logo is a maple leaf on top of a soccer ball, how stereotypical!

Jozy is working tonight, gets another chance in the box but his cross is stopped by Canada's goalkeeper.

Now they're getting creative, Donovan finds Cherundolo but his cross to Agudelo is too hot to catch up with.

Ugh, Dempsey had some time and space but couldn't make up his mind fast enough and had his shot blocked. Too bad, the U.S. had numbers.

Altidore crosses to Agudelo who shoots it wide.

Canada's first corner! And they predictably do nothing with it.

Dwayne De Rosario with Canada's first decent chance. From outside the box, he just curls it wide past Tim Howard who dove full extension.

Haha Jozy tosses some Canadian schmoe but rightly gets called for a foul.

Nice spin by Jermaine Jones in the midfield to start a U.S. counterattack.

You'd think with his love of soccer and pull in Canada that Steve Nash would suit up for a few games. But no, we're left with a patchwork team that features guys that play in Europe and MLS (that I've mostly never heard of).

Clarence Goodson with a nicely timed offsides trap catches a Canadian player a hair offside.

Agudelo takes a needless flop in the box on a cross. You're better than that Juan, come on bro.

Hirshfeld with a good save on Agudelo after the goalkeeper was going the wrong way. If there was more on that shot, it would have been in. It took a deflection off the defender too.

Agudelo with another shot, this time from long distance (outside the box). It's a bouncer and Hirschfeld makes the diving stop to keep the ball in play. Nice dipping shot by the youngster.

1 minute of stoppage time.

I don't think Bob Bradley could possibly show any less emotion, ever. The dude is a complete robot.

Halftime: U.S. 1, Canada 0

The U.S. should have a bigger lead but I'll take it after Saturday's debacle. Altidore and Agudelo are the brightspots so far for the U.S. Canada is terrible, just as I suspected.

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Will this be Jozy's big break through, finally?

I'm not going to patronize the guy since we love him so but I feel like a broken record when I say redundantly: is this when Jozy Altidore will finally become the star we know he can be?

That's a long-winded way to introduce something which I feel like I wrote word for word (save for a few key details last time) recently. After languishing on the bench in Spain with Villareal, Altidore has been loaned once again, to Bursapor in Turkey.

Before we all do a double take and say Bursapor (scratches head), I'm here to tell you they're no joke. They're the reigning Turkish league champions and believe it or not, they play a good brand of soccer over there.

Altidore said Monday on his Twitter account that he is being loaned to Bursaspor for six months, a move confirmed by his agent, James Grant Sports.

Altidore has appeared as a substitute in two league matches this season for Villarreal, which loaned Jefferson Montero to Levante on the last day of the January transfer window.

Altidore's only goals for the Yellow Submarine this season were both against Poli Ejido in the fourth round of the Spanish Copa del Rey.

Jozy is still young and with limitless potential but I don't want to see him become the next Freddy Adu, who is too depressing to blog about at this point. I'm saying all Altidore needs is some consistent playing and then let's see where he's at.

Jermaine Jones, another piece of the U.S. men's soccer team puzzle

I'm a man of my word so late last night, I watched the U.S. vs. Poland match from Soliders Field in Chicago on Saturday.

As stated before, it ended in a 2-2 tie but I thought I'd share some things I jotted down while I watched what turned out to be a pretty entertaining match in front of a split (half Polish, half U.S.) crowd.

No matter how his career with the U.S. national team ends up, this one will always be remembered for midfielder Jermaine Jones' long-awaited debut for Bob Bradley. He had some highlights: the lovely chip that led to Jozy Altidore's goal and some forgettable moments: failing to clear, leading to the second Polish goal. Shimer and I had a running conversation through text messages while I watched and we agreed that having another guy that plays in the Bundesliga on the team is a good thing. He's used to play at a high, physical level for Schalke and I'm sure he'll play better as he gets more comfortable.

Speaking of Altidore, his goal was great (in the 13th minute) but is it too much to ask to have Jozy shoot at a little higher percentage? In our unofficial count, he had two or three other chances that most above average strikers would bury without problems. Thankfully he's still very young but we do get paranoid about Altidore since Hernandez is tearing it up for Mexico and Manchester United. After a great buildup by Jones, Holdan and Michael Bradley, Altidore smashed one off the crossbar in the 42nd minute then a few moments later, he was free for a header but put it wide.

One of my personal favorites showed up in a big way vs. Poland. Stuart Holden looked great in the midfield, linking up with Altidore and showing the toughness and finesse that he needs with Bolton in the EPL. One of the great unknowns is how much better the US would have been in South Africa with him and or Jones (since both were out with injuries).

Please don't make Maurice Edu a defender. The U.S. defense is still a mess (witness Poland's two laughable goals that were off bad U.S. clearance attempts) but Edu isn't the solution. He's a good midfielder and it's a big adjustment to play in the back. Maurice was burned on a couple plays by Poland, who had serviceable midfielders and forwards but nobody world-class at all.

Oguchi Onyewu continues to be the most frustrating player on the U.S. roster. He has always had the size and power but the big guy still has a brutal touch. His two dual roles of hero and villian were on full blast as his bad header led to the first Poland goal but then he scored in the second half on a great corner by Holden, heading it in. I guess we have to accept him for what he is at this point, Onyewu will never become smoother.

Seeing Bob Bradley on the sidelines for the first time since the U.S. failed to get
Juergen Klinsmann was a disappointing feeling. Sure Bradley improved to 38-21-9 (a fine record) but you have the sense that he's analogous to a lame duck politician. He's good but he won't get you to the next level.

The U.S. had a bunch of chances to score in the last minute as a corner bounced in the box for as long as I can ever remember but nothing came of it. Poland almost put an own goal in but it was saved off the line.

In the end, the 2-2 result was fair since Poland dominated for a stretch in the first half and the U.S. did likewise in the second half before a Polish snipe tied it up.

The U.S. is in Chester, PA tonight to face Colombia in another exhibition. Which reminds me, if you haven't seen the ESPN 30 for 30 about the Colombian soccer team in the 1990s and the defender that was killed, you have to see it. That series for the most part has been terrible but that's the one that they really got right. Powerful stuff.

Altidore scores for Villareal

Sometimes you have to step back and remember that Jozy Altidore is still only 20 years old (born Nov. 6, 1989).

He has all the potential to be one of the greatest players in U.S. men's national team history when it's all said and done so long as he continues to develop and gets meaningful minutes for good clubs.

The sunny news out of Spain today was that Altidore scored for Villareal in their 2-2 exhibition tie vs. Besiktas (a Turkish club).

Altidore scored with a right-footed volley from six yards out off a cross. It was in the 79th minute and it was the tying strike.

He'll be in the lineup for the U.S. on Tuesday when they play Brazil in the highly-anticipated friendly at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

I think we can all agree that we'd like nothing more than to see this be the beginning of a beast mode season for Jozy with Villareal and the U.S.

Altidore & Gonzalez in, Jones and Marshall out for U.S.-Brazil friendly

Strange stuff for the U.S. men's national team as they switched up two players for the roster against Brazil next week.

After being named to the initial 23-man roster yesterday, Jermaine Jones and Chad Marshall had the rug pulled out from under them with Jozy Altidore and Omar Gonzalez replacing them.

Jones had been set to make his U.S. debut after playing three exhibitions for Germany and being approved for a switch last year by FIFA. The U.S. Soccer Federation said Thursday that after accepting the invitation, he decided to remain with his club ahead of its opener at Hamburg on Aug. 21. Jones missed last season because of a shin injury.

"I would like to thank Bob Bradley and the U.S. federation greatly for my first official invitation," Jones said in a statement released by his agent. "It is an honor that I have been working towards for over a year, and while I initially felt like I was ready to make my first appearance, it is also extremely important to me that I am 100 percent fit for my first national team game and that I make a good impression on the manager and my teammates.

"I hope to receive another invitation and finally fulfill my goal of playing with the U.S. national team in the very near future."

Gonzalez, last year's Major League Soccer rookie of the year, could make his international debut.

Altidore, who has nine goals in 29 appearances, returned to Spain's Villarreal this week after being loaned to Hull last season.

Ticket sales for the match at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., have topped 58,000 for the match, the first for both nations on the road to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Personally, I am disappointed that we won't see Jones yet but if he thinks he's not ready, that's understandable. Chad Marshall doesn't do anything for me and while I love Jozy Altidore, it didn't break my heart to not see him on this roster since we'll get our fill of him for the next 10+ years.

Omar Gonzalez is an intriguing wild card and since I don't follow the MLS at all, I honestly had never heard of him before today. Sad, I know.

Where will Jozy Altidore end up?

Following up the good news about Cherundolo, we catch up with one of the U.S.' biggest disappointments from the 2010 World Cup: Jozy Altidore.

We all know that Jozy didn't not have one capable partner up front so it's not all his fault that he scored a grand total of zero goals but considering the chance against England that hit the post and the countless other opportunities, that wasn't good enough.

Looking ahead, Altdiore appears likely to transfer from Villarreal after his stint with Hull in the EPL last season.

Ajax, Besiktas and Fenerbahce have shown interest in acquiring him in addition to Premier League clubs, and a loan and permanent transfer both are possibilities for the 20-year-old American forward.

Like all the U.S. national team players, our hope for Altidore is that 1) wherever he goes he plays and 2) he plays against the highest caliber of opponents that he possibly can. Altidore has the potential to be one of the greatest players and top goal-scorers in U.S. history if he properly develops.

He is due to start preseason training with Villarreal on Aug. 3.

"A lot of the top clubs around Europe have been in touch, and we're just looking at what's the best for Jozy's career at this point," his agent, Lyle Yorks, said Tuesday in a telephone interview. "It's important to find a home for himself where he's going to get games, continue to develop and really show his abilities."

The European transfer window remains open through Aug. 31, but the Premier League opens Aug. 14 and La Liga on Aug. 28.

'We're not trying to rush into anything at this point," Yorks said. "There are advantages to getting it done early because you obviously have a longer preseason to get into the team, but it's important to get the right fit."

Yorks said he had had discussions with two Premier League clubs he wouldn't identify. Fulham also has held discussions about Altidore, pending a decision on hiring a manager to replace Roy Hodgson, who left the Cottagers to become Liverpool's manager.

Altidore was acquired by Villarreal from Major League Soccer and the New York Red Bulls in June 2008 for about $10 million. He became the first American to score in La Liga but played just six matches before he was loaned to second-division Xerez at midseason. He didn't get into another game that season, then was loaned to Hull for 2009-10.

"If it's a full transfer, then the transfer would have to be agreeable with Villarreal," Yorks said. "They spent quite a bit to get him. If it's a loan, then the pressure's off a little bit."

Yorks appears to be the Scott Boras or Ari Gold of American soccer players as he also updated the contract situations of Clint Dempsey, Oguchi Onyewu, DaMarcus Beasley, Benny Feilhaber and Clarence Goodson.

Clint Dempsey, another client, reported back to Fulham following the World Cup, where he scored the U.S. goal in the 1-1 tie against England. Fulham said last August it had extended Dempsey's contract through the 2012-13 season but the 27-year-old may have options to consider.

Yorks said since the World Cup there had been inquiries about Dempsey from fairly large clubs in Italy, Germany and France, and from another Premier League team. The interest levels varied.

"He's prepared to start the season with Fulham, and if there's a right scenario that presents itself where it made sense for the club and for Clint, then he would certainly entertain that," Yorks said.

Defender Oguchi Onyewu intends to remain with AC Milan, a team he joined last summer. Onyewu was limited to one competitive game for the club last season because of a knee injury and in May extended his contract for a season until June 2013 at no extra cost.

"At this point, he's definitely set on staying there," Yorks said. "Various clubs have called regarding a loan situation, but because he missed last season, he's obviously keen to start the situation in Milan."

Yorks and his agent group also are trying to find a new club for midfielder DaMarcus Beasley, who left Glasgow Rangers. Yorks said he's exploring the possibility of new deals for midfielder Benny Feilhaber, who is with Denmark's Aarhus, and defender Clarence Goodson, who plays for Norway's IK Start.

AMERICA, FUCK YEAH!

It only took 91 minutes but the U.S. finally put one in. After Howard made a nice save on a header, the counterattack led to Altidore running down the right side and crossing it to Dempsey.

His first shot was stopped but Donovan made the perfect clean up run and he slotted it home for the biggest goal in his life and one of the biggest in U.S. history.

England won 1-0 and the U.S. is hanging on now in the last minute of stoppage time.

Yahia gets another yellow and he was tossed from the game.

The U.S. wins Group C and England finishes in second. FUCK YES!

Good luck with the hooligans Robert Green

Well we didn't end up live-blogging from the House of Blues but Shimer and I, along with a huge crowd, took in the U.S.-England game and I'd say that it lived up to the hype.

It ended in a 1-1 tie and that's probably the way it should be; the U.S. had the run of play in the first half and England had a bunch of nice chances in the second half that they couldn't put in the goal.

The biggest things to take out of this are a) how bad England's goaltending situation must be and b) conversely how Tim Howard is on the short-list of the top keepers in the world.

It was a dream start for the Three Lions as captain Steven Gerrard (Liverpool stud, one of my biggest man-crushes so I ain't mad at him) scored in the fourth minute. He blew by midfielder Ricardo Clark and took a nice slotted ball by washed up striker Emile Heskey before hitting it with the outside of his right foot. It was a cool finish by one of the best midfielders in the world.

After the goal, the U.S. defense tightened up and it paid off when they scored what will go down as one of the biggest blunders not only of the 2010 World Cup but also in World Cup history.

Robert Green, West Ham's goalkeeper, was the top choice of coach Fabio Capello. You can blame Capello but when your other options are David James and Joe Hart, it's like trying to fit 20 pounds of shit into a 10 pound bag.

Clint Dempsey hit a pretty innocent left footed shot from outside the box but Green fumbled it and then somehow it squirted over the line. Tie game in the fortieth minute.

Howard made a couple Grade A stops although he was helped out by English players who couldn't have hit it in worse spots. In the second half, Aaron Lennon got a partial breakaway but fired low and hard right into Howard's chest.

Later, Shaun Wright-Phillips got an opening but put it right in Howard's hands.

It was a rough game with both teams picking up three yellow cards: James Milner (who was subbed out in the first half), Jamie Carragher (who was a second half substitute) and Gerrard for England and Robbie Findley, Cherundolo and Jay DeMerit.

The US had some counterattacking chances but they only really did much with one of them: Jozy Altidore blew by his defender on the left side, cut to give himself a better angle then hit a shot that was saved by Green then deflected off the crossbar.

Bob Bradley's boys did exactly what they needed to do in the first game and most importantly, all the pressure will continue to build on England and Green.

Algeria and Slovenia, the other much lesser known teams in Group C, play tomorrow morning (7:30 a.m.) so it'll be interesting to see how those teams play.

Next Friday, in their next matches, the U.S. plays Slovenia at 10 a.m. and England meets Algeria at 2:30 p.m.


England United States
18(6) Shots (on Goal) 12(4)
12 Fouls 14
8 Corner Kicks 4
5 Offsides 2
57% Time of Possession 43%
3 Yellow Cards 3
0 Red Cards 0
3 Saves 5

Remain calm

He's not the most important player on the U.S. team (Landon Donovan, Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey all say hello) but the news out of South Africa is not good about striker Jozy Altidore.

Apparently, he sprained his ankle yesterday in training and he's day to day. That doesn't sound too bad but the fact that the World Cup hasn't begun and they're far away, means that gamesmanship is always a possibility.

For my mental health and the sake of this blog, I'm not going to freak out about this hopefully minor setback since U.S Soccer Federation spokesman Neil Buethe said "it's nothing more than that," Buethe said Thursday. "He'll undergo a fitness test tomorrow to determine whether he can play Saturday."
The U.S. plays Australia on Saturday in Roodepoort, South Africa, the final exhibition for both teams ahead of the World Cup.

Altidore does his best Zidane impression, nobody notices

Pardon my absence for the last few days, I was a groomsman in a wedding so basically I was living on another planet for the weekend.

Catching up with the latest news in the soccer world, there was a lot of injury reports and other assorted incidents.

US striker Jozy Altidore received a red card on Saturday while playing for his club team Hull against Sunderland.

Apparently he headbutted Sunderland defender Alan Hutton, who had thrown the ball at him.

Altidore was suspended for Hull's last two games which probably doesn't even matter since they're a long shot to avoid relegation at this point.

He wrote Sunday on Twitter that he "made a stupid, immature and costly mistake," adding that "I let my emotions get the best of me and lost my composure."

His loan from Villarreal expires at the end of the season.

Altidore says that "playing for Hull was to date the best trip I've ever been on."

Hopefully this was just Altidore blowing off steam during a long and disappointing season. He needs to keep his emotions in check in South Africa if the US hopes to score any goals and pose any threat offensively. Everything will be going through him up front so he has to have his mind right.