Four stars: Germany wins the best World Cup in the modern era

Photo: FIFA

Germany won the World Cup today with a score line that did justice to the teams and the tournament they played. Germany was dominant throughout Brazil 2014, including the most humiliating defeat of a football Titan ever recorded. Seven goals against Brazil, the host nation. Argentina were uncharacteristically defensive but had brilliant moments through Lionel Messi.

Argentina put up a fight and, at times, controlled the game and could have won the Cup if the ball had rolled the right direction. Messi was masterful when he was unmarked, a shadow of himself when three defenders were upon him. But he still got them to the final, and for that he deserved the Golden Ball.

Mario Gotze scored and saved us from the randomness and cruelty of penalty kicks. It was the one play where Argentina's defenders were out of position, and the German machine pounced and delivered.

We say goodbye to the best World Cup in generations. We salute the dreamers in Costa Rica, Algeria, Colombia. We will remember the fighters in Chile, Mexico, USA, Greece. We wish redemption for the fallen in Spain, Italy, England, Brazil, Portugal and Ghana.

We loved so many moments in this World Cup. From Robin Van Persie's amazing header, to the wonders of James Rodriguez, to the record-breaking number of saves by Tim Howard. There were more goals in the group stage than any other tournament since the number of competing teams went from 24 to 32. There was penalty kick drama, again, and favorites went home and tears flowed in excitement and despair.

There was a bite to the game, pun intended. From Luis Suarez's indiscretions to Arjen Robben's simulation versus Mexico. There were injuries too, like Altidore's early in the first game against Ghana and Neymar's unfortunate departure in the quarterfinal versus Colombia.

We cheered today perhaps for the game alone, perhaps for our favorite team. We forgot a nation's transgressions of the past, fallacies of the present, uncertainties of their future. But, for two and a half hours today, one billion people sat together in their homes, stood clapping at their watch parties, put down their weapons of war, and enjoyed the beautiful game. 

The World Cup is a time machine. Brazil 2014 is now a World Cup of memories that will forever latch onto our psyche. Be it Brazil's fall from grace or Julian Green's goal. But it also gives us glimpses of the future through the magic of James, the speed of Yedlin, the wonders of Neymar and the vision of Gotze.

Today is also the start of Russia 2018. When each of our teams went home, be it at the end of qualifying or the moment of elimination, plans were set in motion for the next cycle. The World Cup is the engine of the sport that drives the passions of billions.

Costa Rica and why Brazil 2014 was Concacaf's World Cup

Photo: Getty Images

We said goodbye to the Ticos via the penalty shootout versus the Netherlands yesterday. But their historic run, coupled with strong performances by USA and Mexico made one thing clear: this was Concacaf's tournament.

True, no team from Concacaf has ever made it to the semifinals, but it's not for lack of trying or quality. Indeed, the world should no longer think of Mexico as the only quality side north of Colombia. Not when quality teams like Italy, England, Croatia and Portugal have gone home courtesy of North and Central Americans teams.

Yesterday marked the fourth occasion that a team from Concacaf made it to the quarterfinals. Before it was Mexico in 1970 and 1986 (both hosted in Mexico) and USA in 2002. However, the Ticos had the hardest road of all: they won the "Champions Group": Italy, England and Uruguay. They defeated, via penalties, the 2004 Euro Champions Greece. Further, they got scored on only twice!

Concacaf also boasts the world's best goalkeepers: Ochoa, Navas and Tim Howard. In recent years there has been an increasing trend in Concacaf players transferring and succeeding in Europe: i.e. Javier Hernandez (Mexico), Clint Dempsey (USA) and Bryan Ruiz (Costa Rica). In doing so, these countries have advanced their knowledge of the game and this has trickled down to players in domestic leagues.

Concacaf's exploits have surpassed Africa's. While quality sides remain in Nigeria, Algeria, Ghana and Ivory Coast, their tactics and defense have yet to fully exploit the incredible talent of attackers like Ayew (Ghana), Moses (Nigeria), or Gervinho (Ivory Coast). 

To date, the only non-UEFA or CONMEBOL team to qualify for a semifinal is South Korea (2002), when they co-hosted the World Cup with Japan. And, truthfully, were Mexico to host the World Cup, I would bet on them winning it all. They already have the talent. The same cannot be said for Team USA, not yet. But come 2026, if the tournament is hosted in America, we might have the talent to make a run for it.

USA saves Mexico from elimination with win over Panama

Photo credit: AP

 

Epic finish. Last night we saw Mexico come back from the brink of elimination not with a win, but with a loss and mathematical help from the United States national team. Mexico lost 1-2 to Costa Rica but USA beat Panama 3-2 and made sure Mexico remained in fourth place in Concacaf to enter the continental playoff versus New Zealand.

A couple of years ago we saw the Premier League end in dramatic fashion when Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero scored in stoppage time to give his team a victory and the championship in the process. At that moment, Manchester United had won its game and were two points ahead, and champions, had Aguero not scored. Last night was no different, for Graham Zusi and Aron Johannsson scored within a minute to end Panama's hopes.

Let's revisit how it went. It boiled down to this. For Mexico to go through with the automatic 3rd place spot, they had to both win this game by 2 goals and hope that Honduras lost by two goals. Within just a few minutes Honduras had already scored and were through to the World Cup. It was now up to Mexico to at least tie to reach 12 points such that even if Panama won, the Central Americans would have only reached 11 points.

At minute 18 of the Panama game, Gabriel Torres put the "Canaleros" ahead and Mexico started to panic. It got worse when Bryan Ruiz scored an exquisite goal on the 25th minute. Mexico was out at that point. Oribe Peralta, however, scored four minutes later to bring "El Tri" back.

As the second half began in all three simultaneously-played games, "El Tri" was still in playoff position even with Panama winning. Then came Real Salt Lake's Alvaro Saborio's goal and Mexico were once again looking at elimination. This was only brief, for Michael Orozco scored an equalizer for the US to give the Mexicans life.

But Panama wasn't done. At the 84th minute, Luis Tejada beat out the American defense and tapped the ball into the goal after Guzan had made a temporary save. Panama was in and Vucetich and the Mexican bench knew it.

Vucetich had decided not to field Giovani Dos Santos for Mexico and this looked to be very costly, as Chicharito failed to make an impact and the "Aztecas" played without passion. His insertion made little impact in the second half and the Mexicans looked deflated despite not knowing their ultimate fate.

As the game closed for Mexico, it was clear that Costa Rica was in no mood to lose or even tie this match. They wanted to defeat Mexico at home for the first time in over a decade. Mexico were out and many fans in the US and around Concacaf were salivating at the prospect, including many US fans that turned against their own team only to see their arch-rivals miss out on Brazil 2014.

But the reserve-laden side that Klinsmann put on the field at the drenched Estadio Romel had a lot to prove. These were not firs string players and were trying to make a statement to be in the final 23 for next year's tournament. It was this very fact that steered Brad Davis as he lofted a sublime center that found a wide open Graham Zusi. 2-2 and Panama was eliminated. The picture above shows the emotion as Terrence Boyd of the USA consoles Panama's Felipe Baloy.

The night was not over, however. Another American player, Aron Johannsson, notched his first goal for the US. Johannsson is regarded as the next best US forward and could make for a perfect partner with Altidore, depending on formation. 

With the 3-2 win, Panama was out and Mexico were given a chance to qualify through a home-and-home matchup against New Zealand. Fate, it seems, prefers to flirt with irony. The most hated squad by Mexican fans saved their team. Mexico's Rafa Marquez had no comments to make about the USA game. Not even at this point does the animosity end. It's true, however, that his team has reached rock bottom. 

Once heralded as a potential World Cup contender, Mexico now has to wait until November 20th to earn a space in the tournament. They played without passion or lack of purpose, without the spirit that made them so fearsome. Even ESPN Deportes's Futbol Picante show Mexican commentators agreed: Panama deserved to qualify and Mexico was given an unjust chance.

Not without Michael Bradley: USA loses in Costa Rica

Photo credit: Getty Images

 

If you missed the first few minutes of the Costa Rica - USA match then you saw something wasn't quite right. First, the US was down on the scoreboard. Okay, that happens. But wait, why is Orozco playing and where is Michael Bradley? It ended 3-1 in favor of the Ticos.

The weather, it seems, played its part in today's match as well. Michael Bradley was hurt in pre-game practice, possibly due to the wet conditions. Revenge of sorts, it seems, after the US won the home game versus the Ticos in a blizzard.

But what really went wrong tonight? There's no replacing Michael Bradley in a big match. He's the general and the rudder in this team. The box-to-box player that can clean up messes, lob balls in for goals and score clinching strikes himself. Jermaine Jones was alone tonight and Graham Zusi and Geoff Cameron didn't quite cut it.

Donovan played well most of the match and diverted attention. So did Fabian Johnson. Indeed, the German-American should have had his goal if it weren't for Navas saving Costa Rica once again. In fact, Navas stopped more than one American attack and nearly stopped Dempsey's penalty.

Added to the loss of Bradley in this match and possibly the next is the assured loss of three important players: Cameron, Besler and Altidore. Most notable is Besler, who has been the best defender for the Americans, although he got beaten pretty badly by Joel Campbell tonight. No Jozy means that the in-form player will need to be replaced by Eddie Johnson or Aaron Johannsson, who was cap-tied this evening.

What can Klinsmann do versus Mexico. It now becomes a must-win of sorts for a variety of reasons. A win takes them out of any sort of hot water coming from the utter revolution in this field of teams and hopefully out of the dreaded intercontinental playoff versus New Zealand. A win also means the team can win games without Bradley at least at home. A win means the team can regroup and get ready for next summer. A win means confidence and versus Mexico no other result matters.

The Mexicans have only 8 points with 9 in play and possibly playing with a new head coach by Tuesday. Their implosion and inability to win at home means they have to do so abroad. There's always Mexican fans in the US and even Columbus is always half and half.

Should be an interesting match with many subplots.

Player ratings:

Howard.....................5

Besler........................5

Orozco......................4.5

Beasley......................4

Gonzalez....................5.5

Donovan....................6

Zusi...........................4

Jones.........................5.5

Cameron....................4.5

Fabian Johnson...........6.5

Dempsey...................5

Subs: Altidore (3), Eddie Johnson (4), Aaron Johannsson (NR)

Shea scores and USA wins group in Gold Cup play

Photo credit: Getty Images

Brek Shea partly silenced some of his doubters when he scored the game-winning goal in last night's USA vs Costa Rica match. The Stoke City player was guilty of turnovers and a poor showing versus Cuba in the previous game but versus the Ticos he took a brilliant pass from Landon Donovan in a breakaway and put the ball past the goalkeeper. In so doing, the Americans got all 9 points from the group stage, got their all-time highest win streak for a national team (8), and set up a favorable quarterfinal versus El Salvador for this upcoming weekend.

The game versus Costa Rica turned out to be as expected, much more physical and difficult than lesser opponents like Cuba and Belize. Costa Rica put up a back line of 5 defenders and flooded the midfield, frustrating Holden and Diskerud, who was reversed from his usual attacking position to cover the defensive midfield. This took some of the bite out of the US attack and Holden was unable to provide the same sort of service for the attackers that had previously occurred. 

Last night's game served as a showcase for what this "B"-side team is capable of in the later rounds of the Gold Cup as the competition becomes more complicated. Clearly, missing pieces like Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey could have made a difference in a game that lacked clarity at times and a bit more bite from the Americans. Even so, Donovan, Holden and Diskerud carried the midfield admirably and were rewarded with a just win.

Wondolowski had a more difficult time versus Costa Rica mostly because the space in front of him was shut down by the opposing defense and the service from Diskerud and Holden was limited. A more physical player like Altidore might have had a better chance versus the Ticos but that is pure conjecture at this point.

The back line stood up well in the match. Few balls got through and those that did were quickly shut down by Goodson and Orozco. On the flanks, Beasley and Parkhurst had plenty of time and space for forays into opposing territory and serve good passes into the middle. The goalie, Sean Johnson, was especially interesting both negatively and positively. During a stint of 3 corners by the Ticos in the second half he did not get to the ball in the 6-yard box, a must for any goalkeeper. Instead, his teammates cleared the area of danger. However, Johnson did make several crucial saves, including the one that eroded Costa Rica's best chance and also served as a trigger for the game-winning goal.

It is clear that Klinsmann intends to give some of the younger players like Brek Shea quite a bit of slack for missed opportunities as a way to encourage professional growth. Shea has had an up-and-down career due mostly to injuries with Dallas and Stoke. Hopefully this will served to give him more confidence as he fights for minutes at Stoke City in the Premier League.

Player ratings:

Johnson.........7

Parkhurst.......6

Goodson........6.5

Orozco.........6

Beasley..........6.5

Torres...........5

Donovan........7

Holden..........6.5

Diskerud.......6

Bedoya.........5.5

Wondolowski.....5

Subs: Shea (7), Gomez (5), Corona (6)

Blizzard win: USA defeats Costa Rica

Photo credit: The Guardian

Whiteout. That's how Costa Rica felt after the match. The US had just defeated them in the second game of the Hexagonal for the 2014 World Cup qualification. Mostly, they could accuse the weather. For USA fans, on the other hand, the snow acted like an eraser, a break, a reset button for a team in need of direction. Klinsmann's men seized the moment and gave the country a much-deserved win.

For those of us familiar with the Denver area, we know that March, spring specifically, is when the biggest snow storms occur. But aside from Ian Darke's comments about the irregularity of the weather is the fact that this match should well have been abandoned. No one could see through the snow and the US players, clad in white jerseys, melted into the background of water crystals. But hey, it's backyard soccer, as Taylor Twellman said, and the game needed to be played. Would the result have been different without snow?

The players had their night too. Let's give them credit, especially to Jermaine Jones and DaMarcus Beasley. Jones brought his Schalke Champions League form and smuggled the ball around the Costa Rican midfield. Beasley played outside of position in the always-difficult left back and tore up the Ticos' play on that side of the pitch.

In fact, the back line held up just fine. Gonzalez and Goodson provided all the areal cover needed to ward off the lies of Alvaro Saborio, and Cameron brought his experience as a right back in the Premier League to close up play for the opponents and enable the attack when warranted. Brad Guzan was as stable as Tim Howard and showed why he's no distant second as a netminder for Aston Villa.

For now, at least, the Bradley-Jones midfield worked well. The interchanging, box-to-box, one in one out play was there and when Jones went forward, Bradley receded and vice versa. Just like we had been told by Klinsmann.

Up front Clint Dempsey stole the show again with another clutch goal, adding up to 12 in World Cup qualifying for the US and tying Donovan in the same classification. Herculez Gomez played the wing in offense and defense and worked well. Altidore, as the lone forward, held up play and set up the goal. He also had his chances but conditions made it difficult to finish them off.

Up next is Mexico at the mighty Azteca. This is perhaps one of the most talented Mexican teams in history and also one hungry for a win after being held scoreless at home by Jamaica last month and allowing Honduras to rally back to tie them 2-2 after going up on the scoreboard 2-0 thanks to Chicharito. Expect the team, the players and the stadium to be looking for a multi-goal game, to test the back line often and in a myriad of schemes. The 12th man counts. In Denver, the US had a 13th man in the snow. Now the tides will reverse and escaping Mexico with a respectable loss would be fine for most fans. But yes, last year they won there in a friendly and back in 1997 it was a 0-0 tie. Bring it.

Payer ratings:

Guzan...............6

Cameron..........6

Gonzalez...........6.5

Goodson..........6

Beasley............7.5

Jones................7.5

Bradley............6.5

Zusi..................5.5

Dempsey..........7

Gomez.............6

Altidore...........6.5

Subs: Edu (6.5), E. Johnson (6), Beckermann (N/A)

March Qualifiers: No giant-slayers to kill giants

Photo credit: AP

If you are a fan of the US Men's National Team, the title of this post should say it all. Ahead of the most important game in qualifiers, Juergen Klinsmann lost 8 players, some to injuries, others to inactivity. More importantly, there will be no Howard, Fabian Johnson, Bocanegra, Chandler or Donovan.

This is the team called up for the games: 

GOALKEEPERS- Brad Guzan, Nick Rimando, Sean Johnson.
DEFENDERS- Geoff Cameron, Omar Gonzalez, Tony Beltran, Justin Morrow, Clarence Goodson, Matt Besler.
MIDFIELDERS- Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones, Maurice Edu, Graham Zusi, Brek Shea, Joe Corona, Sacha Kljestan, DaMarcus Beasley, Kyle Beckerman.
FORWARDS- Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore, Herculez Gomez, Eddie Johnson, Terrence Boyd.

It's true that Carlos Bocanegra is on his way out, so that absence may not be as significant. That the team has lost Tim Howard, the perennial US goalkeeper, and the flanking Germans Johnson and Chandler, puts the team in a potentially-messy situation. Half of the defense is gone. How does the team face Costa Rica and Mexico?

It seems like we have done the left back position story too many times before. When Fabian Johnson took the spot, it seemed to fix the problems. And yet the team has still struggled on that side. Indeed, even the much-maligned Timmy Chandler didn't live up to his Bundesliga talent at right back versus Honduras last month. So were they the permanent fixes? Are we missing Cherundolo that much? May it be that the left back is still up for grabs?

With Klinsmann's team there are always more questions than answers. One thing we may not need to worry about is talent from the midfield up. In the absence of Donovan, Dempsey has taken up the slack by scoring goals and controlling play. The American ace's absence has also given rise to players like Graham Zusi, Brek Shea and Joe Corona. Up top Jozy Altidore and Terrence Boyd are potent European-based forwards and Eddie Johnson and Herculez Gomez are getting things done in the New World for Seattle and Santos, respectively.

And what about Tim Howard? Yes, a casualty of the Premier League and a terrible loss for the US. Then again, these things are going to happen and Brad Guzan, likely to start, has seen his share of action as a starter for Aston Villa in the Premier League. Only communication should be a factor for him, his hands already know the job.

So, do we look at these upcoming qualifiers with optimism? Hard to answer. The back line sounds more like an experimental friendly-type roster as it is. Beltran, Morrow and Besler all have one international cap: against Canada in a friendly in January. Omar Gonzalez just got to know Cameron and it's likely that Cameron might be deployed on the flank, where he has played for Stoke City. 

The midfield options have a couple of defensive options: DaMarcus Beasley and Maurice Edu. Beasley has seen his share of games as a left back, and although he hasn't shined in that spot, his experience playing in Mexico should speak volumes for him. Maurice Edu, on the other hand, has plenty of experience at center back, including a famous win last year versus Mexico at the Azteca. So a back line of Beasley, Goodson, Gonzalez and Cameron in that order isn't so bad. Not perfect but not bad.

But there are missing giant-slayers in this squad: Donovan and Howard. Without both of them we are looking at the next American national team. Anything short of three points in the next two games might make a trip to Brazil highly tenuous. There are giants to defeat: Chicharito, Guardado and Dos Santos for Mexico, Bryan Ruiz and Joel Campbell for Costa Rica. New slayers will need to rise.

On Bob Bradley's future

Photo credit: twitter feed

Much has come to light in recent weeks about where Bob Bradley, former US Men's National Team coach, will turn up next. Europe? Mexico? Africa? At one point, Bradley was rumored to be headed to Villa Park right after the World Cup. When his name was announced as US coach for the 2014 World Cup cycle all those rumors were quieted. But now that Klinsmann is the US coach, Bradley needs to find work. National teams such as Egypt and Costa Rica came calling. Even club teams in Mexico (Santos Laguna) held conversations with him.

But where will he actually end up? Probably Egypt unless something major happens. He's by far their top candidate. His pedigree as a good national team coach is recognized worldwide. Confederations Cup 2009 final, Gold Cup 2007 and winning the the group at the 2010 World Cup are highly valuable milestones. His style is also very conducive for middle-of-the-road teams searching for a way to hold a good defensive line against bigger teams such as Argentina, England, etc.

Bradley's failed hiring at Santos Laguna happened more because he is regarded a top adversary by Mexican fans and they wanted a Mexican to take the helm. They ended up with Benjamin Galindo instead. And yet, the very fact that he was contacted by the Mexican squad is enough of an exclamation point for soccer media in the US. Should he be successful internationally, the market for US coaches would be greatly expanded abroad.

Bradley's international possibilities are a testament to his strengths as coach and to the continuing ascent of US Soccer and Major League Soccer. He will undoubtedly always have a home in MLS and there are quite a few teams that could use his services.

No love for LA: USA falls to Costa Rica in friendly

Photo credit: Jake Roth / US Presswire

The United States Men's National team lost its first match under head coach Juergen Klinsmann in a friendly at the Los Angeles Area Home Depot Center. It was supposed to be a warm-up game for the much-anticipated friendly against Belgium on Tuesday. But through 30 minutes of scintillating 4-3-3 attacks and possession, no ball reached the back of the neck. Until Costa Rica scored.

Tonight's formation was a testament to Klinsmann's desire to play attractive, aggressive soccer. It may have payed off if Donovan, Altidore or Torres had scored. Rogers' empty runs and Shea's desire to play the ball up the middle prevented the wide attack that has made the US so dangerous in the past.

Credit (blame?) also goes to the back line. Castillo and Chandler had a great first half with constant forays to the front, leaving Bocanegra and Orozco Fiscal to deal with the counter. This worked while the US controlled the game. But after all the missed chances, Costa Rica built confidence and the back line was stretched and broken.

Orozco Fiscal was often in no-man's land and Bocanegra pushed the line further up to add to the attack. With Chandler and Castillo out of position, the Ticos were able to unleash lethal centers and through balls to open spaces. Maurice Edu had a largely quiet evening and this prompts us to ask if he's better alongside another center midfield.

The 4-3-3 formation left Donovan and Shea in retracted forward positions that also doubled as additional wingers. It played well with the industrious Torres and exploited the speed of Robbie Rogers early in the match. After the initial dominance of the team, Rogers became less efficient and Altidore was left alone.

Adding Kljestan to the mix came a bit too late in the game. His inclusion should have come at halftime for Rogers. Torres could have been sacrificed for Agudelo instead of Altidore so as to have two true forwards. Klinsi knows best, however, so benefit of the doubt for now.

So what is the diagnosis after tonight? Still a work in progress. Klinsmann is still learning about the players, their styles and imposing his own philosophy. His preference of Mexican-Americans on the pitch may have to take a hit if Orozco or Castillo fail to produce in the upcoming friendlies. With the addition of players like Dempsey, Bedoya, Bradley, Jones and Holden, the midfield could look quite different. Likewise for the defense. Waiting are Cherundolo, Ream, Spector, Lichaj, Loyd and, perhaps, George John. Up front we could still see Charlie Davies, Gatt or Adu. Maybe a 4-3-3 is only experimental and perhaps should be a change-up formation and not a starter.

Tuesday's match in Belgium is another special treat because there will be no Donovan. It's a great opportunity to test what a Donovan-less USA looks like. Having Bedoya in the mix would have been interesting but this game should be intriguing nonetheless.

Player ratings:

Howard....................6
Castillo.....................5.5
Orozco Fiscal..........4
Bocanegra................5
Chandler.................6
Shea.........................5.5
Torres......................7
Rogers.....................4
Edu...........................5.5
Donovan..................6
Altidore...................6

Subs: Kljestan (6), Agudelo (6.5)

The World is not enough: USA tops Concacaf

The USA cemented its place atop Concacaf today with a well-earned tie full of emotions that reverberated all the way to San Salvador. There, upon learning that Costa Rica had tied, Honduras was assured that their goal differential would mark the difference and that they would go on to qualify as 3rd in Concacaf.

Back home it was personal for Altidore, as seen with early scuffles in the game that earned him a yellow card. It was also personal for coach Bradley and his son. Bradley Sr wanted to finish at the top of the conference to have a better chance at being first-seeded in the World Cup group draw. Bradley Jr wanted to respond to critics of his game. He did so with a goal. The same goes for Bornstein, the much-maligned left back, who delivered a stellar performance that was capped with a C.Ronaldoesque surprise-header that sealed the tie in the final seconds. Mexico's tie with Trinidad & Tobago meant the US would remain first in the table.


It is true that our players had Charlie Davies in mind today. So did an entire nation of fans and followers of the game throughout the world. Our national team players wanted to make him proud. The Americans never gave up. That is what separates this country from other footballing nations. It is our sheer will to continue fighting the game until the very end. Scanning through the Mexican soccer media I repeatedly came across these phrases: "Typical United States come back," "they are resilient," "a cohesive team like no other," "the concept of group is integral for success." Indeed, an important recognition of the American style of the game.

Losing Onyewu to an unfortunate injury in his left patella tendon (knee) will create important competition for the starting spot alongside Bocanegra. Marshall, Goodson and Conrad are great options, as are Califf and Parkhurst. These are all very technical, capable players. Still, a healthy Onyewu marks the difference in this team. Charlie Davies' absence will force Bradley to rethink the offense, one that was performing remarkably well with the speedy forward. Still, we must consider that Casey, Cooper, and Ching are great options with Altidore. And if that were not enough, we have both Donovan and Dempsey able to shift into striking roles. This is the depth of the US at this point in its history. This is why just getting to the World Cup is not enough. The US can penetrate deep into the tournament. They have the character and the players to do it.

Ratings:
Howard...6
Bornstein...7
Bocanegra...5.5
Onyewu...4.5
Cherundolo...5.5
Holden...4.5
Donovan...6
M. Bradley...6.5
Feilhaber...5
Casey...4.5
Altidore...6.5
Subs: Rogers (6), Torres (6.5)

To win away from home

It's tough. No doubt about it. And Wednesday's matches for the last chance to be in South Africa presents must win situations away from home for a plethora of teams. Most important, and with interesting consequences, are the Conmebol games involving Ecuador, Uruguay and Argentina. The latter two play in Montevideo in a game that could result on either one missing out on next year's tournament. This, along with Ecuador's game versus Chile, will decide the fourth and fifth places for South America. A win by Ecuador in Santiago would push the loser of the first contest out of South Africa. A tie between Ecuador and Chile means that a draw between Uruguay and Argentina is enough for them to qualify. A loss by Ecuador has the same consequences regardless of the outcome of the Argentina game. Further, both teams are looking for the direct route to the African continent by bypassing the playoff with Concacaf (Costa Rica or Honduras).

The story does not stop there. For Honduras and Costa Rica, winning away from home in hostile environments will decide the final Concacaf spot and could pair the lower seed against mighty Argentina in order to book their ticket to the World Cup. Honduras is headed to El Salvador (unbeaten at home but already eliminated) and Costa Rica makes the trip to our nation's capital to take on an already-qualified USA. El Salvador will not escape the opportunity to end the tournament on a high note after having had memorable games (and wins) in the Estadio Cuscatlan. The US, on the other hand, are looking to win the Concacaf group and claim the title of the region's top team.

But this predicament is not isolated to the American continent. In Africa, for example, a duel between Algeria and Egypt will decide one of the final spots for the African region. Algeria can clinch its first appearance in a World Cup with a draw in Cairo. Egypt is looking to return to the tournament after a 20 year absence. Elsewhere in Africa, both Cameroon and Gabon need wins at Morocco and Togo in order to qualify.

Let's not forget Europe. Israel (vs Switzerland) and Ukraine (vs Andorra) and Croatia (Kazakhstan) all need results away from home to advance into the tournament. Finally there's lowly Bahrain taking on New Zealand for the last Asian/Oceania spot.

Winning away from home requires discipline, an ability to ignore and silence the crowd, the poise to withstand the onslaught of the home team, the courage to withstand the psychology of the rival squad, and always, always, always... a bit of luck.

Short term memory: Costa Rica fires coach and what it means to the US

Rodrigo Kenton, the coach for Costa Rica since the start of the second preliminary round of qualifiers was fired yesterday due to the team's poor form. Short term memory indeed. After the Ticos started the Hex (Hexagonal final round of Concacaf) with wins at home versus El Salvador, Honduras and the US as well as an away victory at Trinidad and Tobago, they were able to accrue 12 points and were poised for another World Cup appearance. Flash forward through a disappointing exit from the Gold Cup using an almost-full-strength Costa Rica against a half-strength Mexico in the semifinal, coupled with three straight losses and shutouts in the Hex, and you get an ailing soccer team in dire need of change.

Does this make sense and/or sound familiar? Examples are Mexico and the US. And while Mexico fired several coaches until Aguirre stepped in to rescue the team, US faltered on several occasions but Bob Bradley kept his job. Reasons for Kenton's firing abound: pressure from the media and the federation, poor string of results, etc. Common practice in soccer and many other sports. It seems to be working for Mexico, although they started the Aguirre cycle less than half-way through the Hex. Is it working for the US? Would Mexico or Costa Rica have fired their coach after losing the Confederations Cup and Gold Cup finals and also lost important road points in the hex? We will never know because that's not how the USSF works.

And now Costa Rica has to start from scratch at 80% of the way through the final round of qualifiers. Some names being mentioned for the job are Leo Beenhaker (T&T in 2006) and Jose Pekerman (Argentina in 2006). That spells trouble for the USA's final match against the Ticos on October 14. Remember that a Costa Rica win (assuming they take care of T&T at home) would leave the US out of the top 3 if the US loses against Honduras on October 10. New blood in the managerial department could change the fortunes for the Ticos. With a playoff against Argentina/Ecuador/Colombia/Uruguay in the horizon, nobody wants to be in 4th place.

It's too early to tell what might happen. It's a silly move by Costa Rica this late in the game but then again, they dropped a 0-3 decision at home versus direct rivals, Mexico. They followed this with an injury-time loss at El Salvador. The outcome of this is complicated. Ultimately, it's in the US's hands to get at least a tie at home in their game against Costa Rica. As Donovan remarked, if they can't come away with a point from that game then they don't belong in the World Cup. The US Soccer Federation lacks the pressure and sometimes even the drive to make important changes in the structure of its teams and management. It could be said that missing out on 2010 might actually incur some restructuring of the federation and act as a wake-up call to follow through on further developing the sport in this country. Let's hope that this is not the case. The players and the talent is there to be present in South Africa. The team just needs to win the big games and the last two certainly are.

CONCACAF Revolution 3: The Empires Strike Back

Maybe we all were in denial. Maybe things could still change. But one look at the Concacaf table right now might have you saying "no, Cocacaf is still ruled by the two powers: Mexico and USA." The US and Mexico are at the top of the Concacaf Hexagonal table once more. If we rewind a little bit we are reminded why we thought things could be different in the conference this time around: Honduras had impressive international players, Costa Rica wasn't losing, T&T was in the Hex again and Mexico was crumbling. Even the US started showing signs of not being invincible when they lost 1-3 at the Saprissa.

Fast forward to the Confederations Cup and the Gold Cup and we see that things are... just what they should be. The Gold Cup final was reserved for the US and Mexico. US made it to the final of the Confederations Cup. Mexico went to Costa Rica and snatched all three points plus three goals. USA dispatched Honduras three times this year.

So what made the difference? Depth, coaches, fans and history. Maybe those nouns are more reserved for the Aztecas, but the US has shown why it's still at the top of the table, even if they look less than convincing on the pitch. Javier Aguirre was able to turn a Mexico team into a dominant squad once more after the Sanchez debacle happened and the Eriksson experiment failed. USA defended its turf and is close to a sixth straight world cup appearance. Barring a huge upset (always a possibility) next month, a tie versus Costa Rica at RFK stadium or an improbable win at Honduras will see them join the likes of Brazil England, Spain and others at next year's ecumenical tournament.

So is the rebellion over? Possibly. Are the empires back? Almost. Two more rounds remain in the Hex, and this time the tables have surely turned.

US vs El Salvador: Lessons learned?

Wow. that was not supposed to happen. Or was it? El Salvador has not lost in the hex by a score greater than 1 goal. Today they showed up defensively but were given the upper hand in the attack with a faltering US defense. Yes, the US went down on the scoreboard at home (again) early in the first half. I want to stay that Onyewu's absence was felt today, but in truth it was much more than that. The Americans lost their composure, strength in the air, their players, and even their spirit at times.

It wasn't all bad, no. USA got the win and the three points they needed. Altidore and Dempsey showed why they play in the EPL. Davies was a nightmare for the Salvadoran defense and Spector showed why he should always be the starter at right back. Holden cemented his place as a national team regular and Torres finally got a second chance, and excelled.

The score should have been different, right? Yes. The referee corps for this game was atrocious. Flagrant handballs, sketchy calls for both teams and, most importantly, an Altidore goal that was unbelievably disallowed. Wow. And it was a beauty, too. Oh, and despite the Salvadoran goal, Howard proved why he's one of the top goalkeepers in the world.

Then again, El Salvador could have tied or won this game. That's right. Bornstein was repeatedly overtaken by Castillo, Zelaya and company. His lousy mistouch led to to Castillo's goal. Marshall, Feilhaber and Bocanegra constantly lacked communication, which led to important attacks from the central americans. There were large voids in the midfield so often when El Salvador attacked that I no doubt sounded like a disgruntled commentator to my viewing party.

What's next? Another must win at Trinidad and Tobago. As I alluded to on my last post, Concacaf is way too tight right now to let any points slip away. Honduras is looking as strong as ever and Mexico is peaking now that it remembered that they are the top dog in the region. Their goleada over Costa Rica at the Saprissa stadium reiterated that. Right now, the US is in second place behind Honduras due to their ample goal differential (let's hope Jozy's goal doesn't hurt us when things are set and done next month). A home game versus Costa Rica and the final game at Honduras is not an easy schedule after the T&T game. Much soul searching remains. Let us hope the boys show up again in Port of Spain on Wednesday. Kudos to Davies and I hope his injury isn't serious.

Player ratings:
Howard....6
Spector....6
Bocanegra...5
Marshall...4.5
Bornstein...3
Bradley...5
Donovan...7
Dempsey...6.5
Feilhaber...5
Altidore...7
Davies...6.5

Subs: Holden (6.5), Beckerman (3), Torres (6)

Reanalysis: USA to miss South Africa 2010?

Not inconceivable. Not in the least bit. The nail-biting, number-crunching, sports scheming and media attention has begun now that four teams in Concacaf are separated by only 3 points or less: Costa Rica (12), Honduras & USA (10), Mexico (9). FIFA allows for 3.5 spots for the North, Central American and Caribbean Football Confederation in a world cup. And the half spot? That's a play-off game with the number 5 from South America, which right now could be Ecuador, Colombia, Uruguay or Venezuela. A few interesting results and it might even be Argentina in the number 5 slot. Ouch.

So the top three is what Concacaf teams strive for. Three spots to be safely in the tournament. And now that the Concacaf revolution is in full swing things look that much bleaker for US hopes. There are 12 points left at stake. Two games at home versus El Salvador (Sept 5) and Costa Rica (Oct 14) and two away games at T&T and Honduras. We might as well write off the Honduras match as a loss. Not many counted on that result either. Onyewu will be missing in next month's crucial contest in Sandy, Utah versus the cuscatlecos. Who will step up? DeMerrit? Bocanegra? Marshall? Califf? This is an absolute must-win, and it should also be by as many goals as Davies and Altidore can muster.

Trinidad and Tobago will be waiting in Port of Spain for what is sure to be the most important of matches. A win there and we would have 16 points heading out to Honduras and then home versus the Ticos. I can go on, but instead I'll point you to a great source.

So what happened yesterday at the Azteca? Lack of concentration? Poor formation, starters? Too much hype? Yes, a thousand times yes. I was worried about it and kept on saying it to every soul I spoke with. The US was inevitably going to lose that match and we should not build it up the way the media had. Thirty minutes on ESPN prior to the game in a special supposed to prep America for another "miracle on grass" was a hard pill to swallow knowing that there was a 70% chance the US would come up empty handed. Watching (actually just glancing) a bit of PTI in which they mocked Bob Bradley as someone that never won the "big game" was another death blow to American soccer fans. I have to agree with them and with commentators like Jamie Trecker that have time after time warned us of the cracks and seams slowly tearing USSF apart.

What if? Yes, what if the US lands into fourth position (we can go ahead and count El Salvador and T&T out unless deities answer their calls) and is forced to play against Colombia or Uruguay or Ecuador or even worse... Argentina? Will Bradley be able to answer such a threat? Will he have the team and resources to decisively win at home and get a result (gulp) away in Bogota or Buenos Aires? And if they lose the playoff, what happens to US soccer? What happens to MLS and all the great strides the past 20 years have brought us?

Casual fans abound in this country and they are not selling out to a team that repeatedly loses the "big game." What if we don't even show up to the "big game"? These are points Bob Bradley, Sunil Gulati, MLS and the whole of US Soccer need to be seriously going over right now, especially when we're all signing up and teaming up for a 2018-2022 World Cup bid. Another point is thinking through the qualifying process. Right now it should be more important to get into the tournament than to shop around venues. Playing T&T in Nashville is one thing, but Honduras in Chicago and Costa Rica in DC is another. I'm hoping to make the trip to DC myself but I'm willing to pass on the opportunity if they can switch the venue to Columbus instead. USSF officials should make sure that the important thing should be the result of a match and not just the revenue. Much more will be lost monetarily if we miss the World Cup.

I have to admit that this is a bigger test than any in the past... and it's good for the players and the game in the region. The US Soccer Federation needs to admit to its mistakes and grow from them, even if it means sacking personnel in order to allow for more seasoned individuals. I think, and we all agree on this, that the time for this has come and passed.

GOLEADA!!!! US falls to Costa Rica

Costa Rica 3 - USA 1. I underestimated the Ticos score on my previous post. I said 2-0, they gave me 3-1. What went wrong? Defense. Plain and simple. Missing pieces also a given. No Hejduk meant no de facto right back and either Wynne or Spector would get the call. I would have chosen Spector. Wynne started the game instead. Beasley on the left once more effectively cutting back on the attack front that looked muted without Ching. 4-3-3 was a gamble and this time it paid negatively. Such a formation would have made more sense with the likes of Edu and/or Hejduk involved. No word on where Cherundolo is.

Goal 1: No one stretches out to tackle the guy (no Beasley, Torres or Bocanegra), the Tico gets the right bounce and a nicely placed goal.

Goal 2: Inexcussable play around two of the defenders leaving 3 vs 2 in the box with another US player outside of the area. Center of death to more than one wide open Costa Rican. 2-0 in the 13th minute!

Goal 3: Very sad. No one should let a player get around two defenders (in this case one was Michael Bradley). A shot to the near post and a score.

Note, however, that Costa Rica didn't get that many shots on goal. 6 or 7 by my count. 3 went in due to sloppy, careless defending. I hold with those that said Wynne is too inexperienced for this level of play. His speed was negated by poor touches and a lack of awareness. Some positives include a crafty Torres that had nice moments before stepping out for Kljestan. Kljestan actually performed much better in this game. Donovan was composed (scored the PK in injury time) and defending well also. Adu and Davies injected a lot of creativity and speed into the game late in the second half. Finally, Jozy Altidore performed admirably. He created spaces, drew fouls and kept possession when needed, including winning a few contested balls.

I wanted to take something else positive from this game. I'd like for the talented teen or preteen in America that was watching the game to say to themselves, "I want to play so that we don't lose like that again." That's how you make winners. We fall sometimes to get ourselves up again. Up next is a must-win against Honduras on Saturday night. No Kjlestan or Bradley. Torres and Clark/Adu will need to step up. Robbie Rogers, Conor Casey, Pontius are all waiting to be called. Loss of points this weekend means you shouldn't make plans for South Africa so soon. I'll be back with my preview of the game against the "catrachos."

Player Rankings:
Howard....5
Wynne....3
Onyewu.....4
Bocanegra....5
Beasley.....3.5
Dempsey.....4
Bradley.....5
Donovan.....5.5
Torres.....5
Mastroeni....4
Altidore.....6.5

subs: Kljestan 5, Adu & Davies (not enough time)

Impending storm: Costa Rica vs USA

Tomorrow night Costa Rica will face off against the United States national team in a key World Cup qualifying match. Perhaps one of the more intimidating venues throughout CONCACAF, Costa Rica's Estadio Saprissa will test the US national team harder than Wembley itself. Why? What's at stake. This isn't a friendly on an international date. It is a game that can decide the future of both teams, change their status in the region, and put pressure on other teams like Mexico and Honduras to perform at their highest potential to evade exclusion from the World Cup or the dreaded playoff with CONMEBOL's 5th place team.

This is also a test of mental fitness for the players. It's important to note that the current crop of players is comprised of experience (Ching, Donovan, Bocanegra) and youth (Bradley, Altidore, Davies). Their focus on the game, understanding with each other and possession of the ball will be the key to this match. Coach Bradley has picked Mastroeni and Ricardo Clark as possibilities for the midfield due to their experience (especially Mastroeni) with Costa Rica. Maurice Edu and Frankie Hejduk will miss the match due to injury while players like Pearce and Kljestan have recently fallen out of favor with the national team as well as their respective clubs. The back line will likely be comprised of Bocanegra and Onyewu in the middle, Spector (right) and Beasley/Bornstein (left). The left flank would be the most dangerous spot, especially if the coach decides on a more defensive stance with a lone forward (Ching). I pick Torres, Bradley, Donovan and Dempsey in midfield with the Ching/Altidore tandem up front. From what I hear, the pitch is artificial turf laid 5 years ago and with significant wear from games and weather.

About the Ticos. I won't go into too much detail when it comes to previous matches with the US in world cup qualifying. For that you should look at this great story. To me the Ticos represents the best from Central America from a historical perspective. They have had near continuous presence in the ecumenical event for all tournaments in the present decade. In 1990 they had an excellent run that took them to the round of 16 after beating both Scotland and Sweden. Those were the days of "el Conejo" as the goalie. Their recent form in the World Cup has been less than stellar with blowout losses to Brazil (2002) and Ecuador (2006) that excluded them from the round of 16. Current stars include Segares, Navas, Furtado, Ruiz. All capable players with a long line of success.

My prediction. Costa Rica 2 - USA 0. This should be considered as one of the matches the US team can count as a loss. Any points rescued from this match would give the US significant advantage going into Saturday's match against Honduras in Chicago. Tomorrow's game is on ESPN live at 10PM ET.