Donovan's team: USA routs Belize and Cuba

Photo credit: George Frey

If anyone thought Landon Donovan's time with the US Men's National Team was over, they need to reconsider. Donovan has carried the team to two impressive victories in the Concacaf Gold Cup, 6-1 versus Belize and 4-1 against Cuba. Along with Wondolowski, the two veterans are getting it done. Throw in the impressive comeback by Holden and the new additions of Diskerud and Corona and suddenly you have a "B" team that doesn't look like a replacement squad.

Landon Donovan has looked like his old self. He scores PKs, he moves the ball quickly and securely, he sets up goals and brings confidence. Do not be surprised if he is chosen over Graham Zusi at the next full national team match, which could be a qualifier.

This is Donovan's team in the Gold Cup. He has brought steadiness to the team and a larger dose of purpose. Where Dempsey brings fantasy, Michael Bradley brings muscle and possession, Donovan is the fulcrum. Could the national team come back to its original midfield glory? Do not, however, ignore the work done by current starters in the qualifiers for they have been terrific and timely. However, it is certain that Donovan could elevate the team further.

Outside of Landon, Diskerud has been particularly impressive. He manages midfield like a professional, sets up pinpoint passes and distributes the ball well. Stuart Holden, on the other hand, has been the original X-factor he was 4 years ago. He could provide an instant upgrade to the midfield during a major match. Joe Corona, on the other hand, is the wave of the future. He's fast, internationally experienced with his club, and has shown good awareness. His goal versus Cuba was brilliant. 

Lastly there is Wondolowski. "Wondo," as the San Jose ace is often called, has finally transferred his marvelous club form to the national team. If he keeps it up and scores in qualifiers, he could be a replacement for players that see a decline or others that may be too young (Boyd, McInierney). For now, the tournament truly begins against Costa Rica on Tuesday.

Corona hat trick: USA U-23 vs Cuba

Photo credit: AP

The Olympic qualifiers are underway and the US U-23 crew has started off on the right foot with a resounding 6-0 victory over Cuba. Granted, this is Cuba and the island nation's defender was ejected in the 19th minute. Still, plenty of offensive firepower, control of the ball and great skills were displayed.

The Olympic squad as an U-23 team is the last step in player development for national teams. Last time around we were treated to Stuart Holden, Sacha Kljestan, Maurice Edu and Charlie Davies. Advancing to the finals of the Concacaf tournament means passage to the summer Olympics in London. Once there all bets are off for Caleb Porter's crew.

Caleb Porter is an up-and-coming collegiate coach that took Akron to its first ever win in a sports tournament for any discipline. He was offered the DC United post but declined it in favor of continuing with Akron. He has described himself as a possession-oriented, attack-minded strategist. A great column on this coach is available here.

The players to watch in this tournament are as exciting as last time around. In fact, most of these players already take part in MLS squads, Mexican Primera and Europe. Some, like Mixx Diskerud, are highly regarded by most in the soccer media. Also in the mix is Joe Gyau of Hoffenheim, who has shown promise for the Bundesliga team and will likely take part in league games sometime soon.

MLS stars abound in this squad: Bill Hamid, Perry Kitchen, Juan Agudelo, Freddy Adu, Ike Opara, Kofi Sarkodie, Zarek Valentin, Brek Shea. None was more impressive tonight than Brek Shea and is further testament to this young player's bright future.

A secret weapon on this team is Joe Corona. The Tijuana Xolo exploded onto the scene in the Mexican Primera and, after toying with representing Mexico internationally, had a change of heart and decided to play for USA. His hat trick tonight was sure to send shockwaves among soccer media and fans of Team USA.

Both Corona and Diskerud were particularly impressive. Diskerud's quick passing and cheeky moves were enough to distract the Cuban players and his back and forth with Adu and Corona made for some fun soccer to watch. And yes, Adu still has it. A great long distance shot reminded us of that fact.

The USA U-23 still have two more games in the group phase against Canada and El Salvador. Both are much more demanding opponents than Cuba but it looks like this American team has what counts to make it deep into the tournament. They did, after all, defeat the other powerhouse--Mexico--in a friendly in February by the score of 2-0.

USA vs Cuba: The live experience

Lots of goals. Lots of fun. Lots of people. Plenty to digest from Jozy's goal to Beasley's 2 goals, Donovan's composure, Torres' first game, Ching's perfect possitioning, and a stout defense with Boca, Dolo, and Gooch as impenetrable pillars in the back. But what else did I take from my first experience at a US World Cup qualifier? The fans, the feelings, and the joy of football. It was enough to get my wife and the other female in our group excited enough to yell and chant with us boys and take lots of pictures and memories.What else stood out for me? Diversity. Both on-field and in the crowd. First we have a team that's the most varied in the world... Where else will you get a team with last names like Adu (Ghana), Altidore (Haiti), Torres (Mexico), Kljestan (Serbia), Ching (Hawaii, Asian background), Bocanegra (latin american background), Onyewu (African background), as well as usual suspects like Howard, Beasley, Donovan, Pearce and co.? Only in the US. And only in the US will you get a crowd like we had. I saw plenty of people with Asian backgrounds, Caribbean, African, European, Latin American and the like... and we all cheered for the USA together and sang the national anthem together.

It was a lovely experience and we also got a treat from a full national squad that showed why the US is the top nation in the Concacaf region. Enjoy the pics and the video (not mine, by the way) of Jozy's goal.

For an even more personal view of the game in all its splendor check out a buddy of mine's blog. He's got some nice caveats about the DC area and the whole experience as a novice (like myself) at a world cup qualifier.

Defectors

Surprise surprise. The Cuban national team has lost seven of their 18-man roster for the current CONCACAF Olympic Games qualifiers and itwo days later faced their Honduran counterparts with 10 men on the field (their 11th had been ejected in the prior game). So why all the fuss? Well, politics aside, the situation made the qualifiers very complicated in an unnecessary way. At one point you had the possibility of the team having to forfeit its games, which would given Honduras and Panama an unfair advantage of 3 points and 3 goals in favor. The US would be left with 1 point in what was increasingly being recognized as an unfair situation. Then there is the matter that the morning after the defectors left the Cuban camp, when the CONCACAF delegations got together to discuss the situation, the US contingent was nowhere to be found. I heard on XM Deportivo that the other delegations felt the US organization was up to its "looking-over-the-shoulder" ways in reference to the other (smaller) national teams. I must be fair to say that they also mentioned the FMF (Mexicans) opted for the same kind of gesture. In any case, the predicament at hand did not seem to influence USF directly, nor was any decisive action taken. Instead, the match with Honduras was allowed to proceed. In the end, however, Cuba's sports debauchery (in personal terms I can't blame the players) did not affect the final standings in group A. CONCACAF was able to go past this incident and will at least have it as a reminder/example for the future. In simple terms I don't think the Cuban team should have allowed to remain in the competition since this was detrimental to the players themselves. This is not a club tournament where we can easily scapegoat investors and technical directors and coaches alike. This was a competition with young players looking to show their capabilities in Beijing. And now we see that our final four are Honduras, Guatemala and the USA/Canada portion of the CONCACAF. Interesting. In terms of the USA having a lackluster showing and the incredible failure of the Mexican team to even get past the group stage, we're left with this question.... Regarding other teams (i.e. not USA or Mexico), are they that good or are we that bad? We'll get back to that question in the next blog.