Ireland Women No Match For The U.S., Namely Alex Morgan & Sydney Leroux

Even when they don't play particularly well or it takes them a little while to get going, the U.S. women's national team still has no trouble with most teams. That's mainly because they have three of the best goal-scorers in the world: Abby Wambach, Alex Morgan and Sydney Leroux (who doesn't even start).

Ireland saw first-hand tonight what that felt like as the U.S. rolled 5-0 at Portland Oregon's JELD-WEN Field. It was the sixth match of 10 in the Fan Tribute Tour and the Americans improved to 4-0-2 in that span. Morgan scored her second career hat trick while Leroux added a pair of goals off the bench in the second half.

It was chilly and more importantly, the squad hadn't been together in over a month so it was understandable that the U.S. started out not really looking like themselves. Morgan had the first two chances which were stopped by Ireland's goalkeeper Emma Byrne. Poor Emma wasn't so lucky in the 24th minute as Morgan dribbled across the top of the box then hit a sneaky shot that went off the post and in. Heather Mitts had the assist.



The second goal for Morgan was very easy as she got free in front of the Irish goal then waited for Lauren Cheney to find her in the 34th minute. Byrne didn't have a prayer to stop it. Fittingly for the hat trick, Morgan did something which you'll rarely see from her: she scored with her right foot in the 44th minute. A left-footed shot was blocked so she followed that up past the stunned goalkeeper.

Morgan now has 27 goals in 2012, the 3rd best calender year in U.S. women's history behind Abby Wambach (31 in 2004) and Michelle Akers (39 in 1991). Leroux's two goals give her 12 on the year which extends her record for most goals as a U.S. substitute.

Leroux scored her first strike in the 62nd minute on a header after a beautiful cross from Heather O'Reilly (another halftime substitute). The second goal, in the 81st minute, was a joke since Leroux's shot wasn't hard or tricky and yet Byrne let it go right through her arms and in. Talk about being psyched out.



With the victory under interim head coach Jill Ellis, the U.S. improved to 24-1-3 this year plus their unbeaten streak reached 19 matches. They play Ireland again on Saturday (9 p.m., Fox Soccer Channel) at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

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U.S. Women Settle For Another Tie With Germany, 2-2 In Hartford This Time

If there is a team for the U.S. women's national team to fear in the near future, it's Germany who are loaded with young talent. For the second time in four days, the Germans tied the Americans on their home soil. Tonight, the U.S. blew another one-goal lead (twice) and had to settle for a 2-2 draw at rain-soaked Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT.

The U.S. moved to 23-1-3 this year and 6-0-4 all-time in games pitting the No. 1 and No. 2 FIFA-ranked teams. The U.S. extended its unbeaten streak to 18 games and they are now 17-4-6 all-time against Germany.

There is no doubt that the pouring rain hampered play so for that reason and others (not really in form), the first half was largely forgettable. That is until Abby Wambach pulled to within 10 goals of Mia Hamm with her 148th career goal. After Carli Lloyd and Megan Rapinoe worked the ball through the midfield, Alex Morgan's cross was deflected by a German defender but Wambach was right on the goal-line for the diving header in the 44th minute.

Want to know the next superstar in women's soccer (that's not American)? It has to be Germany's Dzenifer Marozsan. The 2012 MVP of the U-20 Women's World Cup scored not once but twice. In the 48th she received a gift as U.S. defender Christie Rampone whiffed on a pass attempt and fell down at midfield. That allowed Marozsan to walk in alone on Hope Solo and finish into the low corner.

Wambach had two chances for another strike but she failed both times. One-on-one with Germany's goalkeeper, her chip was terrible and later, a header went wide. Morgan once again was the catalyst with her 18th assist of the year (4th all-time for a year). She went to the end line then played it back in the middle to Lloyd. She couldn't connect but Tobin Heath of all people was there to blast in her seventh international goal in the 67th minute.

Solo made a bunch of diving saves and it looked like her team might escape with a 2-1 win but Marozsan had other plans. She scored an absolute highlight reel goal in the 85th minute with a left-foot blast from outside the box to the top corner. Solo had no chance to stop it.

Interestingly enough at halftime on NBC Sports Network, U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati indicated that the next women's head coach could be named by November 1. I'm sure that date is fluid but there is little doubt that whomever that person is will make their national team debut November 28 (their next game) when the U.S. plays Ireland in Portland, Oregon. The Fan Tribute Tour (3-0-2 so far) continues with two games against Ireland, the other is December 1 in Glendale, Arizona.

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Ireland Will Be Another Team To Meet The U.S. Women's Freight Train

The fine ladies of Ireland don't know what's in store for them. Today, it was announced that they'll be the next sacrificial lamb-I mean opponent-of the U.S. women's national team on their Fan Tribute Tour in 2012.

They'll meet November 28 (10 p.m. ET) at JELD-WEN Field in Portland, Oregon which is home of the Timbers (MLS). Then they play them again on December 1 (10:30 p.m. ET) at the University of Phoenix Field in Glendale, Arizona which is where the Cardinals (NFL) play.

From ussoccer.com
The USA is 8-0-0 all-time against Ireland, with its most recent meeting resulting in a 2-0 win on Sept. 20, 2008, at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill. Five of the USA’s previous matches against Ireland came on tours after winning Olympic gold medals – two games in 2004 and three in 2008. During the second match in 2004 played in Houston, the two teams were tied 0-0 at halftime before Abby Wambach scored five consecutive goals in the second half to tie a U.S. record for most goals in a game as the USA won 5-0.

Up next, the U.S. women will play a pair of matches against Germany (October 20 in Chicago and October 23 in Hartford). Of course what we're all wondering is when and if the new head coach will be in place by either then or against Ireland. Since Pia Sundhage left for Sweden last month, I haven't even heard any rumors (which is virtually impossible on Twitter) about any candidates or meetings. One can only assume that the U.S. soccer federation is doing plenty of work behind the scenes to make sure they come up with the perfect hire for the best national team on the planet.

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Robbie Keane Goes To The Land Of Frauds

I am already on record as calling Robbie Keane "heavy-drinking, mercurial and possibly over-the-hill striker" so it's with a touch of doubt that I pass along the news that Keane has transferred from Tottenham to join the Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS).

With my thoughts on Keane and MLS (still unwatchable) well established, I don't have much to add to this latest development other than to say that it will help sell a few jerseys to the Irish in California and assorted pseudo-celebrities that go to there games (does that still happen?).

"I have already discussed football with (Galaxy coach) Bruce Arena, and I know exactly what he wants from me,'' Keane said. "I am fit, fresh and ready to go. I've come here to score goals and help this team achieve their goals. This is a massive opportunity for me in my career. I aim to grab it with both hands and hopefully help give the Galaxy fans what they want.''

Keane is moving from Tottenham Hotspur, where the 31-year-old striker has fallen behind Roman Pavlyuchenko and Jermain Defoe after scoring just one goal in 10 matches last season. Keane initially hoped to stay in the Premier League during its transfer window, but became interested in the Galaxy after training with Beckham at Tottenham earlier this year.

"I have always wanted to come and play in MLS, so it's the perfect combination for me and a dream come true,'' said Keane, the 10th-leading goal-scorer in Premier League history with 123 goals. "When David Beckham came and trained at Spurs recently, he couldn't speak highly enough about the Galaxy, their fans and the league in general, so I can't wait to get over and get started.''

Although Keane has struggled with Tottenham, he has been outstanding for the Irish national team, scoring a record 51 goals in his career -- including five goals in six recent matches during group qualifying play for Euro 2012. He played for Ireland against Croatia last Wednesday, and the Irish have key qualifying matches against Slovakia and Russia in the next few weeks.

The Galaxy lead the MLS standings with 48 points on the strength of 11 goals from Landon Donovan -- the league's second-leading goal-scorer behind Thierry Henry -- and a resurgent season from Beckham, who's second in the league with 10 assists in the final year of his MLS contract. Los Angeles' next MLS match is Saturday night against San Jose.

"Robbie Keane will be a great addition to our club,'' said Arena, also the Galaxy's general manager. "I have followed his career and have always respected his ability as a competitor and a goal-scorer. I believe that he brings qualities in and around the penalty area that we have been lacking. Hopefully he will be another piece of the puzzle in our quest for the Supporters' Shield and an MLS Cup championship, as well as to advance to the next round of the CONCACAF Champions League.''

The Galaxy must make a roster move when Keane receives his visa, since Los Angeles already has three "designated players'' who can be paid above the MLS salary cap: Beckham, Donovan and Colombian forward Juan Pablo Angel.

Beckham and Donovan are crucial to the Galaxy's success, which means Angel almost certainly will be moved when Keane gets his visa. Although Angel was the MLS' leading scorer over the previous four seasons, he has just three goals and one assist in 22 games for Los Angeles.

Angel is thought to be headed across the hallway at Home Depot Center to Chivas USA, which shares a stadium with the Galaxy in Carson, Calif., and is fighting to stay in the playoff race.

Starting his pro career at 17, Keane played for three English clubs and Inter Milan before joining Tottenham in August 2002. He moved to Liverpool in 2008, but returned to Tottenham in early 2009 before spending parts of the past two seasons on loan to Celtic of the Scottish Premier League and West Ham.

Stop me if you've heard this story before: former European star transfers from an EPL club to the Galaxy. There's an initial buzz but that quickly subsides as people actually start to view MLS games and realize that it's terribly boring. The main difference in this case is that Keane isn't married to a crazed former pop star as far as I know. You could also argue that he's got a little more left in the tank than Beckham but I guess we'll figure that out shortly. Let me know what you think because I surely won't be paying attention.

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Alert the bimbos: Robbie Keane headed to West Ham, possibly for 4.5 years

If there's one secret weapon to avoiding relegation in the English Premier League, it has to be signing a heavy-drinking, mercurial and possibly over-the-hill striker.

At least that's the wacky formula dreamed up by West Ham today as they agreed to sign Robbie Keane away from Tottenham. Keane signed a 4.5 year deal with the Hammers but that's contingent on them not being relegated.

West Ham will pay a fee of £5 million for Keane, providing the Premier League's bottom club survive the drop.

The 30-year-old has agreed a two-and a half year contract guaranteed plus an option in the club's favour to take up for a further two years. West Ham are showing enormous faith in the striker, who could be at his last club in the top flight in English football if he sees out the total years on the deal.

In addition, the Hammers have agreed to pay Spurs a £1 million loan fee for the rest of the season, and the deal has gone through just as ESPNsoccernet has been predicting throughout the transfer window after a £4 million move to Birmingham collapsed.

Finally, the Hammers will pick up Keane's £65,000-a-week wages, which makes it a huge investment in the Republic of Ireland international - but well worth it if they stay up. A West Ham insider confirmed: "The deal becomes permanent only if the club stay up."

West Ham have made four signings, and they now have 27 players and would like to sell or loan out two on the final day of the transfer window.

Manager Avram Grant said: "He (Keane) is not just a good player, he is a good character that we need in the next 14 games.''

West Ham co-owner David Gold told BBC Sport: "We're delighted to sign a world-class striker. Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy drives a hard bargain but we've got our man.''

Keane told his new club's official website: ''I am ready to help West Ham stay in the Premier League, which is the most important thing for this club. I am really pleased to have signed and now I just can't wait to start training and playing football.

"I feel as fit as I ever have done in my life and I feel I have plenty left to offer at the highest level for at least the next four or five years. I want to help anywhere I can help the football club, whether that is in training, in the dressing room or on the pitch on a matchday. We have some good players here and I am sure we can stay up.

"When I went on loan to Celtic I scored 17 goals in 19 games and if I can do even half as well as I did there, then I'll be happy.''

He could make his debut in Wednesday's match at Blackpool.

Clearly, Keane is not the answer but West Ham is hoping that he can catch lightning in a bottle (no pun intended) and help them gain some points. It won't take long to figure out if this abrupt marriage will work or flame out.

We're all Irish today

Adrian Healey just explained how the Mexican fans aren't the only ones in the stands today wearing green. Apparently there is a good amount of Irish fans too who bought tickets before their controversial playoff loss to France.

It has to be doubly hard for the Irish to know that not only did their team get screwed out of a trip here but also the team that replaced them is lifeless and will probably be bounced in the group stage.

The oldest field player (37) in the tournament, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, replaces forward Guillermo Franco.

Unluck of the Irish

It has to be tough to be on the Irish national team right now. Not only did they get completely jobbed by France with Henry's blatant double handball, costing them a trip to the World Cup, but they had to gather this week for a friendly against Brazil.

Sweet, let's leave our club teams and gather in London to get pummeled by one of the best teams in the world, oh and it doesn't count for anything on the off-chance we play well.

I will give Ireland credit as they carried the play for the first 20 minutes (Kevin Doyle's beautiful header was batted away by Julio Cesar) in today's exhibition against Brazil at Arsenal's Emirates stadium but then the Samba Kings woke up and said, "hey, we're Brazil."

Then things started to go as planned as Robinho's cross in the 44th minute was put in for an own goal by Keith Andrews.

The former City striker then went for the jugular in the 76th minute as Kaka started the play and then Robinho worked a perfect 1-2 with Shimer's boy Grafite. I believe in my text message to Shimer directly after the goal I termed it "your standard Brazilian highlight reel goal."

Brazil will always be Brazil. As the announcer pointed out, Danny Alves of Barcelona is the most expensive defender in football and he's not even a starter on Brazil's national team.

Group G of North Korea, Portugal and Ivory Coast hopefully were paying attention today or maybe not since it'll give them nightmares for the next 100 days.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=287625&cc=5901

Tim Doneghy approves of this mess

As if the Irish needed another reason to drink. Ireland was jobbed in its World Cup playoff vs. France when French striker Thierry Henry clearly touched the ball not once but twice with his hand on what turned out to be the deciding goal.

Now comes the news today that Swedish referee Martin Hansson, the head ref from that infamous game, has been one of 30 officials selected for the 2010 World Cup. One of his two assistants from his crew was swapped out but then another is also making the trip.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/4892686/ce/us/fifa-selects-martin-hansson-thierry-henry-hand-ball-ref-world-cup?cc=5901&ver=us

FIFA had the chance to right this wrong by at least having another game between Ireland and France and they lamely chose not to. The fact that this same clown gets a trip to the biggest tournament in the world is a joke and I don't know how FIFA can justify it. It doesn't matter if he's been great all his life, someone had to at least absorb some punishment from this agregious error.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLUxMRYJAso&feature=fvw