Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Aftermath

Entering the tournament, I figured advancement out of the group was the key goal. Anything past that would be gravy. Yet, I can't help but feel the US team did not meet expectations. True, they did win their group for the first time in the modern age. But they were presented with a golden opportunity to advance to the semi-final round without having to play a traditional power. Ghana and Uruguay clearly play top-tier soccer, but they're no Brazil. They're no Netherlands.

So, yeah, the Ghana loss still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

This US team provided extreme highs and lows. They strangely started every game a bit flat, and then finished with late-game heroics worthy of Roy Hobbs. The puzzling lethargic openings could ultimately be the undoing of Bob Bradley. The common thinking is that a coach is responsible for team preparation. I'm no Bradley fan, but I don't think that's completely fair. It's not Bob's fault the players started slow. It's the players' fault. But it IS Bob's fault for starting such a clear underperformers in Ricardo Clark and Robbie Findley.

And, as for the Ghana game, it was more than just the Clark and Findley gaffe that resulted in the loss. Bocanegra, Demerit, and then Howard all had chances to stop that first Ghana goal. They all failed. Then the team proceeded to let Ghana dominate them for the remainder of the half. I guess I'm not terribly surprised. As a fan, I was hardly ready myself for the Ghana game. The emotional toll of the previous two games was substantial. These guys are professionals, but they're also humans. If the refs actually allowed the disallowed goals against Slovenia and Algeria, I firmly believe the US would've been in better mental shape. That's no guarantee they would've won, but perhaps they wouldn't have sleepwalked through the opening 45.

After the Ghana loss, I asked my brother John if he felt the US was better than in '06. That team had many the same players and crashed out of the Cup without a win. Yet, their group was significantly harder. They were demolished by a strong Czech team, and they lost 2-1 to a strong Ghana team. The middle game was a valiant 1-1 draw with Italy that easily could've been a 2-1 win if not for another disallowed US goal. The US was the only team to score against Italy other than France in the final game. That's rather notable. So is the '10 version stronger or just more fortunate to have an easier group?

My initial thinking was that there's not much difference, but John disagreed. He felt the '10 team showed more skill and class. Upon further review, I think he's right. And I also think they're better than the '02 team that advanced to the Quarters. I had the sinking feeling in '02 that the US team was living on borrowed time. Yet, I honestly felt this '10 version had a chance to really do some damage and surprise people like they did in the Confed Cup. Last year, this squad put two in against both Spain and Brazil, and that's no fluke. It's pretty clear to me now that the '10 team, despite the absence of Charlie Davies, can put the ball in the net better than any other US team, perhaps ever. Unfortunately, they're weaker defensively. Perhaps those two things go hand in hand. Or perhaps not. I look at Boca and Demerit and think neither are as good as the '02 Eddie Pope. Or the '06 Onyewu. Ricardo Clark is no defensive stopper like Pablo Mastroeni in '02 and '06.

So, in many ways, the Confed Cup was the coming out party for the US team. It ushered them into - hopefully - a higher tier of international football. They're certainly not on par with the top tier (Brazil, Spain, Argentina, Italy, etc). But they're solidly tier 2 - with teams like Mexico, Czech, Sweden, and South Korea and Japan (two teams often overlooked like the US).

Next up... player evals.

Monday, June 28, 2010

It just sucks, man

- Landon Donovan

My sincere apologies for the late post. I was out of town, without interweb access, for the weekend. I did, thankfully, manage to catch the US/Ghana game whilst at the Mother-in-laws pad. It put me in a sour mood.

Despite the knowledge that Ghana is a strong team, I just felt the US would ultimately pull it out. Even when they went down a goal, I figured they'd recover. Then, perhaps just like the US players themselves, when Ghana scored - yet again - at the onset of overtime, I knew it was the final nail in the coffin. The players just didn't have the energy to rebound one last time.

I've seen that mindset before. As a Northwestern football, I'm used to bad defenses. As most of you Big Ten fans know, the NU offense is usually one of the highest scoring in the league. And it's mostly due to the porous defense. NU would put up highlight reel plays just to keep pace. I saw it with Zak Kustok and later with Brett Basanez. Just how many times would they have to cover for the defense's miscues?

Well, the US team is no offensive juggernaut, but they did, like NU, have a crappy defense. When the dust settles, and folks can objectively judge this team, I think those two injuries at the end of 2009 did play a massive role in the team's demise. First, Oguchi Onyewu. Where was the defense weakest? Shockingly, it wasn't on the wing where young, inexperienced Jonathan Bornstein was thrown to the fire. He played surprisingly well. And poised. It was right down the gut. Team captain Carlos Bocanegra and his partner Jay Demerit simply could not keep up with Ghana. Or most other team's strikers. They looked slow and out of sync. If Onyewu had not shattered his kneecap, I have no doubt the US would've fared better. He's the US's best option on defense. There's a reason he was signed by AC Milan. The dude would've helped. As he showed against England and Slovenia, he was not healthy. A step slow. Not in game shape. Poor touch. Just not ready.

Then there's Charlie Davies. The other weak link on the US starting lineup was the second striker. Bradley tried Robbie Findley, Edson Buddle, and Herculez Gomez. Findley logged the most minutes, yet showed the least. He had an excellent opportunity in the 1st half - at an angle reminiscent of both of Ghana's goals. While Ghana scored on their chances, Findley sent his shot at the keeper. There's no other way to say it - weak. The US could not finish. They desperately needed Charlie Davies, who shattered most of his body in that car crash last September. The energetic young man miraculously worked himself back to health this year, but Bradley felt he was not quite fit for the team. Quite a shame because Davies scores. He's scored at the youth level, at the club level, and, in a short amount of time, at the senior international level. It's no coincidence that the US started winning games last year at the Confed Cup when Davies entered the lineup. They beat Egypt and then Spain. And then put two in against Brazil (but conceded 3).

Davies also put himself in rarified air by scoring against Mexico in Mexico city during last year's WC qualifyer. He's exactly the type of player the team cannot afford to lose. But lose him they did.

The team did valiantly win their group with the players at hand. They deserve credit for that. Yet, when the stakes were raised in the knockout round, their shortcomings were exposed.

Now, as for Ricardo Clark... he was the definite scapegoat for the game. Yet, I wouldn't list his position as a weak spot (like 2nd striker and central D). The US has plenty of capable defensive midfielders. Unfortunately, Clark is not one of them. He's a fine player but just not quite a top International. Not yet at least. It was clear to all of us that Edu was the superior option. The fact that Bradley chose Clark is something he'll no doubt regret for the rest of his days. Just a glaring, critical error.

Much, much more to come.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

New fans?

I happened upon an AP article about the US gaining new fans after yesterday's win. The article said that soccer's popularity has slowly grown over the years but needed a watershed moment to truly arrive. Donovan's goal was that moment.

While I agree that the US team may win over more fans after this World Cup, I still don't think soccer is much more than a blip on the American sports' landscape. Has the World Cup arrived? Yes. The sport of soccer? Well, that's another story.

I was relatively ignorant of the US team until 1994. With the World Cup in our backyard, it was easy to follow the US team. And they had likable stars like Alexi Lalas and Cobi Jones, who both had Michigan roots. The 1994 Cup run was my watershed moment. I adopted the team and never looked back. I followed their qualifying run to 1998 and shortly after started following their club teams.

It's very possible that the 2010 Cup run may stir others to adopt the team with equal fervor. But I sincerely doubt that soccer will ever reach the popularity of the big 3 American sports. And, honestly, there's nothing wrong with that.

I equate the American sports scene to cable TV.
NBA, NFL, MLB, and college football are like the networks, with NHL as the fledgling CW network. Soccer is like the SyFy channel. You'll only go there on occasion, and the ratings will never quite equal the networks. Yet, the channel has a hard-core, devoted following and is in no danger of cancellation. That's soccer in America.

Instead of lamenting what soccer is not in this country, I'm more interested in championing what it is. It's a slow-growing sport with an expanding professional league that's survived the economic downturn. The US has a respectable national team with likable players. Of all sports, soccer is the most ethnically diverse. On the national team alone, African Americans make up 35% of the roster, with Hispanics at 17%, and Caucasians at 48%. Asian Americans are strangely not represented - no thanks to the exclusion of Brian Ching! (He would've brought that contingent up to 4%.) Not surprisingly, the sport is truly global. Where else can a team like Ghana compete with the USA? That's the appeal to me.

So, will the World Cup 2010 change anything? Not likely. With the way ESPN has supported soccer over the years, I'm totally content with where things are right now. It doesn't need to compete with the big boys. The Old Guard of sports (I'm looking at you, Jim Rome) won't let that happen anyway.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

USA!


From bigsoccer.com:

"I'm crying like a little girl! I'm so proud of this team I can't even express it!"
-artesian

"I take back everything I've said."
-pathogen

"I remember following Bigsoccer pbp threads in the 2000 olympics waiting for Landon to come on and save the day...ten years later he's still the mothereffing man."
-miked9

"This team is gonna kill me."
-knave

"I literally have tears coming down my face right now. The amount of pride I have for those players in South Africa is overwhelming. They represent EVERY F**CKING THING I stand for as an American. I couldn't be happier."
-sempuukyaku

*************

Rarely in life is justice served. Today was the exception. Despite having two legitimate goals waived off during this World Cup, the US still dramatically finished atop their group to advance to the hallowed knockout stage.

For those of us that have followed the team for decades, this is a near-perfect moment. It might be strange for people to think that merely advancing to the final-16 should be such an accomplishment. That's the beauty of the World Cup. Teams spend two years just qualifying for it. Then you play just three games. Every pass, every touch has immense pressure. A goal in the World Cup practically guarantees a contract with a European club. Even a good showing (like Frankie Hejduk in '98) will get a player noticed. And, with the weight of the nation on his shoulders, Landon Donovan delivered.

He's only 28, but it seems like he's been around forever. He burst on the scene as a 16 year old, winning the Golden Ball at the U-17 World Cup in 1999. Then Bruce Arena adopted the youngster quickly into the senior side, and Landon was a key player in the '02 World Cup. His career took a detour after a string of poor performances for his German club, Bayer Leverkusen, eventually landing back in MLS.

With his demotion to MLS, the boo-birds were out in full force when the US crashed out of the '06 World Cup. Donovan did not play well, and he was the main target. Soccer fans thought he wasn't challenging himself by his decision to stay in MLS. Well, four years later, Donovan is still in MLS, but he's now carrying the national team to the knockout stage. The culmination of four years of self-doubt, tireless work, and determination.

A brief stint at Everton earlier this year showed flashes of Donovan's resurgence. He was calm and savvy with the ball. He fit in easily with the Premier League squad and helped fuel their rise of the table. Predictably, US fans were upset he couldn't find a way to stay at Everton, but no doubt all is forgiven now. Donovan stepped up when it mattered most. Now, he's an American hero:



But it almost didn't happen.

Within a few moments of the opening whistle, Jay Demerit mistimed a clearance, which allowed Algeria a free shot on net. It was a difficult half-volley, but the ball beat Tim Howard and rattled off the cross-bar. The US then quickly countered with newcomer Hercules Gomez. With the goalie sensing cross, Gomez surprised the goalie by shooting near-post from distance. With a little more height, the ball may have snuck in, instead of deflecting out for a corner.

While the US defense looked a tad suspect, the Algerians' best chance of the half remained that missed half-volley. But the US attack continued unabated. Minutes later, Donovan ripped an open shot way high. The controversial play of the day occurred in the 20th minute. After some brilliant work by Michael Bradley, the ball found Hercules about 10 yards out. He whipped the ball at the net, and it deflected to an open Dempsey near the goal-line who put it in the back of the net.

I leapt up for joy.

Then crashed down.

No goal. Offsides. Or was it? Of course not. Another legit US goal incorrectly waived off. While I suck into the couch, I was happy the players were unfazed. They continued to pressure. Later, Dempsey took a good through-ball from Donovan that was saved by the keeper. Then Donovan and Altidore got in each other's way on a sitter from six yards out. With the ball settling nicely, both Donovan and Altidore swung at it, and the ball sailed harmlessly off-mark. Unbelievable.

At halftime, Bob Bradley took out Hercules and moved Dempsey up top. Feilhaber took his spot in midfield. The move almost paid immediate dividends. In the 57th minute, a great pass from Altidore found Dempsey at the top of the box. Dempsey calmly placed the ball to the right of the keeper. It bounced off the post across the goal and found Dempsey again. But his left foot volley -- with an open goal staring him in the face -- sailed way wide!

The next 30 minutes were end-to-end action. Algeria looked dangerous on the counter, as the US pushed their midfield forward. After a slew of headers by Altidore and Edson Buddle (a late sub) went right at the Algerian keeper, it seemed fate was not favoring the US.

In stoppage time, Algeria had a five-on-four. Star midfielder Ziani sent a perfect cross to two completely unmarked Algerians waiting far post. Somehow, the headed shot went right to Howard. Howard then unleashed a perfect outlet to a sprinting Donovan. His first touch seemed too far ahead, but the Algerian defender opted not to tackle. That allowed Donovan to feed Altidor to the right of goal. Altidore sent a low pass to the onrushing Dempsey at the penalty marker. Dempsey narrowly beat the goalie to the ball, and his shot deflected off the goalie and settled perfectly for Donovan. As Donovan said, it was as if the world stopped - "I couldn't miss from there." He didn't. He perfectly placed the ball in the far corner for a 1-0 lead.

The players mobbed Donovan at the corner. Four years of frustration unleashed in a matter of moments.

As someone who follows this team through thick-and-thin, it was a moment of sublime joy. I actually got misty. Can't remember the last time that happened at a sporting event. Could be the first time. And for a player like Donovan, so unjustly reviled by the soccer elitists, it was unbridled jubilation.

The grades:
Everybody gets and A+. It's a team game, and they got the result under intense pressure.

I would like to single out a few players. Michael Bradley played great. His poise on the ball has improved dramatically the past year. He's grown from a defensive middie to a more traditional distributing middie. He always seems to find the open man, and he timed his defensive tackles perfectly. Dempsey and Altidore also played brilliantly. While neither finished, they created countless opportunities. On any other day, they'd each have a goal, if not two. And Jonathan Bornstein, who I was so nervous to see in the starting lineup, totally stepped up. He had little difficulty shutting down his man on the left side of defense.

It's all good, folks. The USA is through.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Why don't people want this guy?

Cousins at his final Kentucky Press Conference
ESPN's Andy Katz wrote an excellent piece on DeMarcus Cousins. For those that don't follow college hoops, Cousins is an uber-talented freshman from Kentucky. He was named SEC Freshman of the Year, and averaged 15 pts and almost 10 boards per game.

I watched this kid play in the tourney, and he was an absolute beast. He did not take over any game like Carmelo Anthony at Syracuse, but I fear those days are mostly in the past. The top pro prospects are 18, 19 year olds. They're so raw and undeveloped that they need three years of pro seasoning before they flourish. Even the great Kevin Durant needed one year to acclimate to the pro game before he became "Kevin Durant - Superstar." The more common path is Tracy McGrady, who spent three unproductive seasons in Toronto before unleashing his true talent in year 4.

The majority of this year's draft class will likely follow the McGrady path. The one exception being Evan Turner. His three years of college ball prepared him well for the pros, and he has the requisite speed, smooth shot, and high basketball IQ that should translate well to the NBA. The others, including John Wall, are projects. Which brings me back to Cousins.

If the entire draft class, save Turner, are projects, why not take the project with the biggest upside? Teams are scared of Cousins for two reasons - 1) he's emotional and 2) he's chubby. I'll address concern #2 first. Cousins showed up at the Chicago combine at 292 lbs, 20 higher than his weight during the season at Kentucky. That translated to 16% body fat. Only one NBA player in recent memory succeeded with that level of chunk - Shaquille O'Neal. Most follow the path of Oliver Miller. Now, I take this whole thing with a grain of salt (err... fat). To me, it's reminiscent of NFL pundits obsessing over a dude's shuttle-run time. Who really cares? Can the dude play the game? That should be the only question on their mind. Cousins can play the game. If he can't keep his weight under control... with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake... well, he's got bigger issues.

As for this emotional state, the Andy Katz article referenced an incident during high school when Cousins got into a fight with a coach. Since then, Cousins' bore the "troublemaker" label. Has he matured? Is he still a powder keg? Probably a little of both. How much maturity can you really expect from a 19 year old? Take a look at this recent incident that happened a few months ago. Mississippi State fans somehow got ahold of Cousins cell number. They called him incessantly, and most messages were less than urbane. He was called every name in the book. Cousins reaction? He opted not to change his number and in fact encouraged more folks to call. Oh, and he proceeded to put up 19 points and 14 boards against Mississippi State. Boom.

The icing on the Cousins cake is that he actually wants to come to the D. He spurned workouts with Minnesota and Golden State and apparently had two secret workouts with the Pistons. The Pistons organization is fraught with drama, but they still have a rock in Joe Dumars. They'll also likely have Big Ben as the locker-room leader. Under Big Ben's wing, my guess is Cousins will do most of his talking on the court. And he's got the potential to become the next Round Mound of Rebound. What's not to like?

Sunday, June 20, 2010

ESPN

Mr. NoFrown has graciously offered to allow me to do a guest blog from time to time. I must say it's an honor and a privilege, and I am quite grateful. I must warn any intrepid reader that my posts may be more rant than post.

With that said, my first topic: ESPN.
I would like to know if ESPN has any special marketing information is that must be guiding what seems an incredibly excessive coverage of several seemingly worthless, audience-less, waste-of-time topics:
  • Manny's visit to Boston
  • Kobe's legacy vis-a-vis MJ...or Shaq...or MJ's son
  • Tiger Woods' every frakking breath
Seriously, did anyone outside of Boston -- or within Boston for that matter -- really care that Manny was gonna be visiting Boston in a Dodgers uniform? Did it really merit round the clock coverage on Sportscenter for a week beforehand? The east coast bias has a been a well-known affliction for ESPN for years, but did they really need to bust out Paul Revere style for a week straight with "The Manny is coming, the Manny is coming?!" No...one...cared.

Is Kobe better than Kareem? Magic? Shaq? Jordan? Endless discussions were apparently necessary for these all-too-important topics. They even went so far as to ask Jordan's son to weigh in on the topic. Enough already. Kobe got another ring. That's all. He is not, nor will he ever be, another Jordan.

What is Tiger Woods wearing today? Eating today? Saying today? Oh, he's playing golf today? We should probably replay every single hole he played in the first day of US OPEN on a 15 min Sportscenter segment. That's rivetting TV. Yaaaaawn.

These "stories" are annoying, artificial sports drama, concocted in the ESPN meth lab.

One bright spot: I have been pretty happy with the World Cup coverage. Tirico and Lexi have been great, and guests (Klinsman, etc) have been very enjoyable. Keep up the good work. Go USA.

Thank you very much,
Matt aka Dr. Rochester

Friday, June 18, 2010

Gutted



"I'm a little gutted to be honest."
-Landon Donovan, in the post-game interview

Just throw out the awful US first half and their requisite inspired second half. The story of this game is the unbelievably bad call that negated the 3rd US goal. Off a restart near the corner of the 18, Landon Donovan crossed to Maurice Edu who volleyed the ball into the net. The referee waived off the goal.

After the game, a furious Michael Bradley charged the ref, demanding to know why he waived the goal. The referee ignored him. The players left the field still confused. Fifa's response after the game: "No statement."

The referee, from Mali, evidently can't speak English. That may explain some of the problem. It was also his first World Cup match. In hindsight, the ref called a ton of fouls on the US on these restarts. It seems that his plan was to give advantage to the offense outside the box, and then advantage to the defense inside it. That's not atypical. Yet, on every prior foul he called on the US, there was actually a foul. Much of the time, it was 50/50, with both teams equally guilty, but at least a case could be made that the US player was in the wrong. Not so on the disallowed goal. In fact, replays confirmed two Slovenian players had their marked men in bearhugs! (re-enactment right here)

I've watched soccer all my life, and I've never seen such an awful call. There are folks out there who could cite Maradona's 'Hand-of-God' goal or even Germany's non-call handball against the US in the '02 quarters. Those were both non-calls. This was a case of a legitimate goal waived off for no apparent reason. I can forgive the ref missing a call much more easily than making one up.

Just dreadful. The only consolation is that the US is still alive and may advance, with a little help from England/Algeria.

As for the game itself, I'm not gonna curse up and down the US side. The fact is that the game HAD to go the way it did. The US only plays inspired, incredible soccer when their backs are up against the wall. We saw it last year against Egypt and Spain, after the US sleepwalked against Italy and Brazil (losing by an aggregate score of 6-1). We saw it again after Charlie Davies' car crash. Altidore played like a man possessed against Costa Rica.

For better or worse, this is the US team - capable of extreme ineptitude and sublime determination.

My boy Jose Torres did indeed get the start in midfield, and Bob Bradley scapegoated the kid by subbing him out at halftime. Torres was perhaps a bit slow to react on defense, but I thought he played pretty well. It's somewhat unfortunate for him that Slovenia's first goal came near the middle of the field. Neither Donovan nor Michael Bradley tracked back to mark Valter Birsa who snuck behind both. Birsa took the ball about 25 yards out. Onyewu was slow to close him down, and Birsa wasted no time unleashing a finely placed shot into the net.

Slovenia had a handful of other chances as well that narrowly missed the target. They were definitely the more dangerous team out of the gate. It's no shock the US defense is extremely porous. They used up all their positive karma against England. That fact was cemented late in the first half. With the US completely dominating and narrowly missing the equalizer a minute before, Slovenia broke free, sending Zlatan Ljubijankic alone on Howard. Ljubijankic narrowly beat the offside trap, and, for some reason, he was completely unmarked. It's difficult to comprehend what the back four were thinking on that one. 2-0 Slovenia, and the game seemed sealed.

But this is the yanks. They never say die, right? Coach Bradley took out Torres (who almost scored on a restart in the first) and Findley, and subbed in Maurice Edu and Bennie Feilhaber. Edu offered more bite in the midfield and Feilhaber is a decent passer. Not horrible subs, as they allowed the US to control the midfield almost completely. Yet, it was a long ball from Cherundolo that spurred the first goal. Donovan raced past his man to collect Cherundolo's long pass. Donovan dribbled toward net at a sharp angle. No doubt his first instinct was to pass inside but instead he ripped a rocket from about six yards out that made the goalie flinch. It was awesome.

The US continued to attack, which left them susceptible to the counter. Howard (and the defense) made the necessary last-ditch saves which kept them in the game. Altidore regularly beat his man and earned a handful of freekicks outside the Slovenian box. He almost scored on one restart but his shot went right at the keeper. Then, with hope fading in the 82nd minute, the US equalized. It was another long ball. Donovan sent a deep cross into the box. Altidore beat his man and headed it across his body to an onrushing Bradley. Bradley took the ball on the up-hop and somehow kept it under the crossbar. 2-2. The US players and coaches mobbed Bradley on the sideline. The camera then showed American fans teary-eyed in the stands.

Four minutes later, the ref inexplicably and eternally put his mark on the match.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Mirage

Don't read too much into the Tigers recent five game win streak. Yes, they're pitching well and getting some timely hits. Heck, even Gerald Laird's managed four hits the last two games. Yes, Gerald friggin' Laird!

I have no doubt, though, that the recent success is due to inferior competition. Both the Pirates and Nationals are last-place National League teams. They're not good. It's great the Tigers are taking care of business, but it doesn't mean they're ready to compete with the Twins, White Sox, or even Royals yet.

They've got the Mets, Braves, and Twins coming up. That should be a truer test.

US Nats
Typical pre-game hype with the US/Slovenia coming up. Donovan said the US doesn't deserve to advance if they can't beat Slovenia, and then Slovenian midfielder Andrej Komac guaranteed a Slovenia win. Yawn.

Donovan's right. The US does not deserve to advance, if they can't beat Slovenia. It certainly won't be easy, though. Slovenia is only a country of 2 million people (roughly the population of New Mexico), but they qualified out of the brutal UEFA region. They took down Poland, Northern Ireland, and the mighty Czechs. Then they topped Russia in a playoff. Slovenia is no joke. But, yes, the US should still win.

The Slovenian top players certainly match the club pedigree of their American counterparts. They play at West Brom, Inter, FC Gent, etc. They don't have any superstars, but, alas, neither do the yanks. It should prove to be a back-and-forth match, with Slovenia taking a defensive approach. They'll wait for their opportunity to break down the shaky US defense. The yanks, meanwhile, will likely insert Torres into the lineup and try to control possession. It's doubtful the Slovenians will be able to match the speed of Altidore or Donovan, so look for Bradley and Torres to try to spring them all game long. There could be a ton of offsides calls.

The US will get the result if they can avoid stupid penalties - needless red card(s), fouls near the box, or, gasp, the dreaded penalty shot.

In the meantime, enjoy this little bit of genius...

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Union Jacked


You can't fake results at the World Cup.

Just ask Australia, who were at the receiving end of a 4-0 drubbing by Germany (and many "experts" felt Germany was lacking this year). The fact is that the pressure is too high and the talent too great. You may be able to luck into a goal here and there, but the result - for better or worse - is earned.

So, while a 1-1 draw is not the prettiest of scores, the US team should hold their heads high.

But, whoa man, did it start ugly. As I expected, Coach Bradley opted for the "empty bucket" midfield. That refers to two offensive-minded wingers (Donovan and Dempsey) and two stay-at-home central middies (Bradley and Clark). For some reason, Bradley believes his team requires this extra shot of defense. I suppose the US team has won more than it's lost, so perhaps he's onto something. As a fan of the game, though, I cringe. Jose Torres is a perfectly capable central midfielder that offers much more offensive acumen than Clark. Further, Torres has that rare ability to hold the ball in traffic. Honestly, the US hasn't had that type of player since Claudio Reyna. Yet, Bradley believes ball possession to be overrated, and there's some definite truth to that. Teams that rely solely on the counter-attack often win the game. The problem is that I was raised on the Red Wings. The other team can't score if they don't have the puck. Possession IS important. For stretches against England, the US rarely crossed their own midfield. And in the opening few minutes, Clark lost his man, Steven Gerrard. England's Emile Heskey fended off Onyewu and sent a diagonal pass to the onrushing Gerrard. Immediately, Gerrard was one-on-one with Howard, and he neatly placed the ball into the net.

So, the guy who was brought on almost exclusively for defense (Clark) got beat in the first four minutes. I was not pleased.

England continued to pressure. The US backline of Cherundolo, Demerit, Onyewu, and Bocanegra faced repeated attack. For the most part, Onyewu did well against Heskey, and Demerit hounded English wunderkind Wayne Rooney all game long. The power of the English attack was in midfield with Lampard and Gerard. They regularly found space in the middle of the field, but they had moderate difficulty in the final third.

With increased English pressure, the US counter-attack sprang to life. Altidore did well fending off his defender as he almost equalized twenty minutes in. Thanks to some excellent work from Donovan and Cherundolo on the right flank, Donovan sent a long cross to Altidore who headed the ball just wide. Dempsey was also on the doorstep and narrowly missed deflecting it in. That near-goal seemed to wake the US up, and the game was more even from that point out.

Cherundolo worked extremely well with Donovan and Michael Bradley. They had little difficulty controlling the ball and at least working it up for a cross. Donovan switched sides with Dempsey perhaps to mix things up a bit, and Dempsey found himself with some space in the 40th minute. Dempsey ripped a left footed shot that skidded across the ground toward the keeper. As you all know by now, the keeper inexplicably muffed the ball and then watched in agony as the ball trickled into the net. It was a shocking turn of events.

The US goal was not completely against the run of play. The US had worked a few chances prior to Dempsey's shot. Sure, the goalie completely mishandling the ball was super-lucky, but the fact that the US had a decent shot on goal was not.

The early 2nd half was all England. Apparently, England Coach Fabio Capello must've told his team to exploit the US's weak left flank. Left defender Carlos Bocanegra is a central defender by trade, and he's not the most fleet-of-foot. Nor is left midfielder Clint Dempsey terribly committed to defense. England took this to heart. Aaron Lennon started to abuse Boca with shifty runs into the box. At one point, he was free at the touch line, but his low cross somehow flew behind everybody. English defender Glen Johnson also joined the attack on the left flank. He had numerous chances from the left corner, though his shots and crosses never hit the mark.

The best England chance came from Heskey who found himself alone on Howard after beating an offside trap. With the US defense desperately hurrying back, Heskey shot from about 18 yards out, but the ball was directly at Howard. Howard smothered the ball. No rebound. The save was even more impressive considering Howard was likely nursing a broken rib from an earlier confrontation with Heskey.

It seemed only a matter of time for England. Yet, there was a glimmer of hope in the 60th minute. The US worked a long ball to Altidore who out-muscled his man for the ball. Altidore burst toward goal from the left side. He shot from about 8 yards out. The goalie got a piece of the ball and it then deflected off the post across the goal. It was a bit unfortunate for Altidore. England then responded with a long-distance shot from Lampard that Howard parried over the crossbar. Then Rooney, in his only real chance all night, worked himself free about 25 yards out and let loose a wicked shot. The ball curled toward the far post. Howard dove left and ushered the ball out of bounds.

It was, as JoKo said, "heart attack time." With about twenty minutes to go in the half, the US was having difficulty stringing passes together. Three times they sent relatively easy passes out of bounds. It was clear they were gassed. This is where they truly pay the price for the empty bucket formation. Because they have no possession player in the middle, they're forced to defend for 90 minutes. Donovan and Altidore, however, found some extra reserves late in the match. They had a few rushes toward the English net that no doubt sent the British faithful to down another pint of Waggledance.

Strangely, the game ended with the US actually looking the more likely to score, as England seemed resigned to the draw. No doubt the English players expected a better result. They outshot the US team 18-12 and were damn unlucky on that Dempsey goal. The US players were pleased with the draw and should take heart that their bend-but-don't-break defense ultimately held (albeit barely).

I should also note that this was perhaps best officiated game I've seen in years. The referee did not go crazy with yellow cards and was consistent throughout. The US did catch a minor break when a Demerit hand-ball might've resulted in a red. Demerit was the last line of defense, and his hand-ball may have prevented an England breakaway. I've seen the US on the receiving end of those controversial calls in the past, but Demerit escaped with a yellow.

Grades:
Howard - A
Sublime.
Boca - C-
Repeatedly abused by Aaron Lennon in the 2nd half. Yet, Boca's still the best option for left defense.
Demerit - B
Was out of position on the England goal, but did a tremendous job shutting down Rooney. Hard to ask for more.
Onyewu - B
Let Heskey beat him once in the 2nd half but otherwise a great game for the central defender. His first competitive match since September! A healthy, effective Gooch is key going forward.
Cherundolo - A
Tremendous game for the savvy veteran. England obviously did not do their homework on the little right back, as he had no problem finding space. It was a game that showcased his great footwork and crossing ability.
Dempsey - B-
He gets an upgrade due to the goal. Otherwise a pretty nondescript match for the normally wily middie.
Clark - D+
Clogged up the middle. Otherwise, he did little of value.
Bradley - B+
Very good game for the consistent Bradley. He did a great job finding the open man. Almost every US scoring opportunity began with Bradley.
Donovan - B+
At times, the only good attacking player. Tireless. Does a great job finding seams in the defense for Jozy. Could use a better shot, though.
Findley - F
Who? A guy named Findley played in this game?
Altidore - B
Unlucky not to score on that second half rush. Could've done better on a few headers in the first half, though. Still, an impressive performance for the 20 year old.

Coach Bradley - B+
Got a favorable result but, as a fan of the game, he does me no favors. The bunker-mentality is so ugly to watch.


P.S.
Local sports radio personality (and admitted soccer fan) Sean Baligian is still too scared to talk World Cup. Baligian this morning: "I know you guys don't like it."

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

US Nats primer

The World Cup is right around the corner. The US/England showdown is Saturday afternoon. What can we expect from the US nats this time around?

I've followed the US team for decades, and this is the first time when, on paper, they actually match up well with their World Cup opponents. The English team is still the clear favorite, but neither Slovenia nor Algeria have much World Cup experience. Both countries possess players with top-club pedigree and no doubt they'll exhibit the skill we've come to expect from European and African nations. Yet, the US team is battle-tested. Most of the starters are entering their 2nd or 3rd World Cup. That experience edge will help. And I should also mention the US team won't be under any tangible domestic pressure. Sure, US fans want their team to desperately win, but it's certainly not comparable to the pressures faced by the Brazilians, the British, or Portuguese.

Of course, the US team is nothing if not unpredictable. With their rash of defensive injuries and inconsistent recent showings, it's a complete mystery which US team will actually show up. After the most recent drubbing of Australia (a rather non-entity of a game, by the way, since both teams played not-to-get-hurt), I divided the US team into two camps - those who are ready for prime time and those who aren't.

Ready for Prime Time
Bocanegra
Cherundolo
Michael Bradley
Dempsey
Edu
Holden
Jose Torres
Altidore
Donovan
(and all three goalkeepers)

Not Ready for Prime Time
Bornstein
DeMerit
Goodson
Onyewu
Spector
Beasley
Clark
Feilhaber

On the Bubble
Buddle
Findley
Gomez

I was impressed and unimpressed with Buddle, Findley, and Gomez over the last three games. Yet, they showed enough that they may be ready for their close up. As for the fellows on the not-ready list, I do like many of those players. I hope most develop into top talent (Spector, for example), but I just don't think they're ready. The more playing time they receive, the less chance the US will have of actually winning. Onyewu was once a force, but he's nowhere close to 100%, despite the reports. On his best day, he'd struggle to fend off the British attack. How's he supposed to fair coming off a 9 month layoff? That's Coach Bradley's dilemma.

I've only got two defenders on the "ready" list, so some of the "not-ready" guys are going to play. I could stomach Onyewu due to the lack of other options. Same with DeMerit. He's spent all his career in England and should be unphased by the opposition. I could also stomach Beasley as a late-game sub, if the US is nursing a lead.

My starting eleven:
Altidore / Buddle
Donovan / Torres / Bradley / Dempsey
Boca / Onyewu / DeMerit / Cherundolo
Howard

If the strikers are struggling, I sub Holden for Buddle, and move Dempsey into Buddle's spot. Hercules Gomez could also provide some offensive spark off the bench. Other than that, I don't veer too much from the starting eleven.

If Coach Bradley holds to form, he'll likely use Clark instead of Torres, which greatly inhibits the US's ability to hold the ball. He'll also find a way to get Jonathan Bornstein into the game. With the way that young man has struggled lately, that's a ginormous gamble. Here's hoping Bradley proves me wrong.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

28 straight


Poor Armando Galarraga. By now, the entire country (and Venezuela) has heard of Armando Galarraga's perfect game. The young man mowed down 26 straight Cleveland batters. Just one agonizing out stood between Galarraga and baseball immortality.

Jason Donald hit a sharp grounder between 1st and 2nd. Cabrera made a play on the ball, fielded it perfectly and whipped a throw to Galarraga covering first. Now, Jason Donald possesses some speed, and he was doing his best to ruin Galarraga's perfect evening. Galarraga and Donald converged on first base. Galarraga caught Cabrera's throw and let out a shout of joy, as did Cabrera. But it was quickly halted when umpire Jim Joyce ruled that Donald was safe. The only person seemingly happy with that call was Jason Donald ("sweet! a single!"). I noticed Cleveland pitcher Jake Westbrook in the background, looking pretty shocked and saddened when the call went down. Galarraga stared at Joyce with a forced smile, as if to say, "Really? You're taking this away from me?" Cabrera was less graceful. He lit into Joyce with a flurry of barbs that lasted throughout the next at-bat, which was, mercifully, an out. The 28th out of the game. For replays proved that Jason Donald was indeed out, and it wasn't that close. Watch for yourself:


Watching from TV, it seemed too close to call. Yet umpires have that precious ability to discern the correct call with split-second accuracy. Umpires are the gold standard in the officiating profession. And they're also human, as was proved by Joyce's gaffe.

As the players left the field, Jim Leyland confronted Jim Joyce and picked up where Cabrera left off. Leyland desperately wanted the perfect game for his boy Galarraga. But the deed was done. Donald was "safe." It will go into the record books as a one-hitter. The saddest one-hitter in the history of Major League Baseball.

The epilogue to this story is that Joyce later called Galarraga into the umpire's room. Joyce had seen the replay. With tears in his eyes, Joyce apologized.

I'm not one bit surprised by this. MLB umpires live by a code of integrity that's shockingly absent from today's sports. They're old fashioned in the best of sense. They take issues of right/wrong to heart. They pride themselves on being the best and hold themselves to that standard. For Joyce to make that glorious gaffe would be more painful to him than Galarraga. As a Tiger fan, I say you're forgiven, Mr. Joyce. Galarraga's night will be somewhat tarnished, but to err is human... even on a perfect night.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Yawn

At least some folks were cheering last night
The Tigers are actually doing us a favor. They're having their annual August swoon in June, thus saving us from another agonizing fall at the finish line.

That team I watched last night was a far cry from the patient, easy-going Tigers of a month ago. Only Austin Jackson and Cabrera seemed content at the plate. Everybody else was tense, swinging at everything. It's no surprise they only managed two walks all game. What separated the 2010 Tigers from previous incarnations was their ability to work the count. It was the Johnny Damon influence that he brought from the Red Sox and Yanks. Apparently, it's the other way around, as Damon is now acting like an '09 Tiger. At one point, Cleveland "ace" Jake Westbrook had a 4-pitch inning. Leyland should make those three Tiger batters run laps.

One lone bright spot is Alex Avila had a clutch pinch hit (and RBI). That's on the heels of a 2-hit day Monday. If he can somehow heat up, perhaps the bottom of the batting order may not be such a black hole. It's no secret that Laird is doing his best Timmy Lupus impression at the plate. It's time for Avila to force Leyland's hand and send Laird to the bench. With Brennan Boesch cooling down, the Tigers need another shot in the arm. Jackson provided it in April. Boesch took care of May. Will Avila step up in June?

By the way, the Tigers loss last night foiled another fine start by Bondermania. I've been a tad harsh on the young fella lately, but he has pitched well, especially his last six starts. Bondermania posted a sterling 1.33 ERA for the month of May. If he keeps it up, he may just warrant his $12.5 million salary!

By the way, part 2.... Tiger broadcaster Mario Impemba told a bizarre Leyland story last night. Apparently, Leyland was upset after the Tigers' loss to Oakland on Memorial Day. As he sat in bed eating his nightly chips and sodapop, Leyland thrashed about, sending his soda and chips everywhere. He was too upset to clean it up, so he slept in it. That, folks, is your Detroit Tigers manager.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Things aren't going well
Ah, to reminisce about May 21st. Life for the Tigers was so rosy back then. They were in 1st place and sported a 24-17 record. Brennan Boesch was the talk of the town, and even Dontrelle Willis showed signs that he may stick around.

Nine games later, the Tigers are 26-24, 4.5 games behind the Twins. They lost seven of those nine games, averaging a meager 3.2 runs/game. To make matters worse, that average includes Sunday's 10-run explosion. Take that one game away, and they averaged 2.3 runs. Most of those runs came courtesy of Miguel Cabrera. The astonishing Cabrera had 12 RBIs during that stretch and is singlehandedly carrying the offense. Cabrera's offensive explosion could be enough if the pitching weren't so dreadful. Perhaps "dreadful" is too strong a word. The team isn't giving up double-digit runs, but they're doing just enough to lose.

A few days ago, WDFN's Sean Baligian asked his audience, "Who's the most overvalued Tiger?" It was an interesting question, and, for me, the answer was quite clear. Most fans cited Brandon Inge, but I don't think many Tiger fans expect much of his weak bat. He's perhaps overpriced but not overvalued. Cabrera? Magglio? If anything, those guys are undervalued. They hit for power, average, and often in the clutch. They're the heart of the Tigers' offense. Brennan Boesch? Nope. It may be Leyland's bizarre decision to bench the young man that contributed to the Tigers' power outtage against the A's.

So who's the most overvalued Tiger? Verlander. Tiger fans believe Verlander to be a top-tier pitcher - one of the best in the AL. It's true that he's a very good pitcher and at times a Cy Young talent. But he's inconsistent. During the 2-7 swoon, Verlander sported a 5.1 ERA. In fact, Verlander has given up 3 runs or more in 7 of his 11 starts this season. How many times have these guys given up 3 runs or more this year?
Roy Halladay - 2
Johan Santana - 3
Zack Grienke - 4
Tim Lincecum - 4

Of course, 3 runs is not normally a big deal. If you pitch 6 innings and give up only 3 runs, you still qualify for a "quality start." I think, though, the Tigers (and Verlander) believe Verlander to be a shut-down starter. If they simply wanted JV to pile up the quality starts, they wouldn't have paid him $80million. They believe him to be in that rarefied group of aces I listed above. They need him to pitch like an All-star. When the offense can't get a hit, they need JV to pitch like he did on May 19th - one earned run.

Verlander, though, is just part of the problem. No starting pitcher has fared well this season. Scherzer pitched great on Sunday, but only after repeated poor performances forced the team to send him to Toledo. Porcello suffers from the sophomore slump, Bonderman - like Verlander - has no consistency, and Dontrelle is no longer on the team. No doubt y'all have heard the D-train made it's final stop last Friday. After struggling with control all evening, Dontrelle parted in the sixth inning despite only giving up three runs. Yet, the writing was on the wall. In his 5.1 innings, Dontrelle gave up 9 hits and 3 walks and, in general, had alarming difficulty finding the strikezone. He leaves the Tigers with a mere 2 wins in his three seasons. It's a terribly sad story, and I do honestly wish him well. Galarraga will take his place in the rotation.

So, really, are the Tigers in a slump or are they just not very good?

They've got nine games coming up against AL Central rivals. Perhaps that will be their opportunity to turn it around.