What an excellent Gold Cup final today. This was the most exciting CONCACAF match I've ever seen.
Mexico started strong and definitely had the better possession and looks on goal in the first half. Their goal was a deserved one, with Guarado completely unmarked. Spector, who should've had Guarado, was forced to cover the center striker, while the right mid (Dempsey, but maybe Donovan at that point--they switched partly through the half) didn't make the adjustment for the open man.
I must say that even within the first few seconds of the game, I thought Spector looked shaky. He's got talent for sure, and wasn't directly responsible for the goal, but he looked positionally confused several times, and Guarado ate him up. Nery Castillo, for his part, ate everyone else up. He downright embarrassed defenders with his dribbling footwork.
The second half was much more balanced. Oswaldo Sanchez's individual heroics kept the States out of the net on one sequence. I thought Ching, who was unable to do much more than holding up the ball in the first half, was much more effective in the second. The PK he earned I thought was legitimate. I think Sanchez knew Donovan's tendency to shoot down the middle, because the GK hardly moved on the subsequent PK. Credit Donovan for not only changing his pattern, but also for making a quality kick. Of course, Feilhaber's volleyed goal was faultless. An outstanding finish from distance, and well timed.
Ching earned himself another goal, but was unlucky with the woodwork. Donovan later had a breakaway that should have led to a goal when he passed the ball to a wide open Beasley, but DMB hit the crossbar in a pathetic display of technique. It was an absolutely abysmal, but luckily unimportant error. I had heard one person opine a few months ago that Beasley should play left back rather than mid. I thought that ridiculous, but he does have good defensive skills, is a good crosser, and his speed would be an asset. And that non-finish tonight is fittingly for a defender. Maybe he SHOULD drop back...
And while I'm grumbling, I have to note that Dempsey, as talented and creative as he is, is running the risk of being labeled all flash and no substance. He can execute the tricks, but he has trouble leveraging those tricks into functional moves that benefit the team. Hopefully time will cure that ill.
At any rate, the game was exciting and Mexico played their best game of the tournament. Had they played like this earlier, then their quality wouldn't be questioned like it had been. In this game, they finally played with a passion that led me to think their one goal would stand (or would lead to others). The US had troubles at first, but soon showed they could compete with a quality opponent. (The turnaround started with Rico Clark's introduction; was he part of that solution?) The match ended as I hoped it would; but more importantly, the US was able to beat a spirited and quality Mexican squad. The teams just need to learn how to shake hands afterward.
Dynamo take their fifth win in a row
The excitement of the Gold Cup final was matched by the boredom of the Dynamo-KC game, I'm afraid. In front of a crowd of dozens at Arrowhead Stadium, the two battled hard against each other and the heat. (And they complain about OUR heat.)
I only saw most of the first half in passing as I packed for a business trip this week. (So-Cal, here I come!) I felt that defensively we were stout, but our passing was choppy and our forwards were dropping too far back into the midfield. Was it just me, or did our forwards also have an aversion to taking the responibility of shooting at goal? Mullan and Ngwenya both had chances where they should have pulled the trigger but paused or passed and gave the defense time to organize. Here's a telling stat: we had 6 shots; KC had 14.
Appropriately, a defender scored our goal. Outstanding header from young Ianni, and all props to him.
You know, it's been an outstanding month. We've gotten 15 points this month, winning every match since our loss to DC in May. We have 22 points and are only 3 points behind Conference leader, FCD -- and we have 2 games in hand. Our goal differential is now +5, which is the best in the Western Conference (tied for 3rd overall). Next week we face FCD in Frisco. It'd be nice to close out the month with a sixth win.
Today it was nice to have the Canadians back. They had an outstanding Gold Cup run and I know they'd prefer to have been playing in the Cup final, but it was good having the solid Onstad in the back and the passionate DeRo doing his thing (albeit for only a bit) up front. Next week we'll still be without Clark, but Ching returns. Today reinforced for me that the more I see Ching play, the more value I realize he brings to Dynamo as well as the national team. Overall, the offense is more potent with him on the field and he does something that so few forwards do nowadays: he makes his teammates better. It's unfortunate that so few people seem to realize his value.
As I'm driving around the Mojave Desert this week, I hope everyone stays cool here in H-town and that we (Dynamo included, natch) ready ourselves for a solid showing versus our neighbors to the north. Here's hoping that the hotel has Telefutura so I can watch the US-Argentina match on Thursday. (Or do I want to witness that?)
Showing posts with label Gold Cup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gold Cup. Show all posts
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Thursday, June 21, 2007
DeRo and Onstad are coming home
The US eked by Canada today. Overall, the US seemed to have the better cohesion and tactical acumen in terms of passing, as well as better physical conditioning (which is usually the case), and all this helped us control the vital midfield. Canada seemed to have the better touch and technique and better individual creativity, and all this kept them in the game until the second half when our cohesion fell apart.
Hejduk has got to be proud of his one-touch strike of the Donovan layoff. It had just enough spin and bend to deflect the right way off the post. Not much Onstad could do about that one.
Onstad could've stopped the second goal though, had he listened to me as I talked to the TV. I told my wife that Donovan goes down the middle with his kicks, and the kicks are usually soft. I said that Onstad should just stand there and let the ball come to him. Didn't I, wife?
Wife: "Yes."
See?
Had Onstad stood there, he'd have stopped the kick and embarrassed his former Earthquake teammate.
I thought it cool that the two were talking right before the PK. You don't see adversaries talking much before one is going to shoot at the other. (BTW, I don't know that the PK should've been awarded. It looked to me that Beasley had lost the ball and dragged his foot to catch Onstad...like a Tomcat dropping its landing hook as it lands on the flight deck.)
I'm disappointed that Clark only got garbage time and Ching got no time. Was Ching even on the bench? If not, it's a travesty. If so, then he should've been put in. Johnson did not contribute anything on the field today. It seems he either has a hat trick or is a no-show when he plays. Either way, he doesn't make his teammates better. Today, he was a no-show. Ching is the better choice over him and Twellman. Travesty.
As for Clark, he is one of the best D-Mids for the US, but he doesn't start over Coach Bob's son, Michael. Unlike the forward situation, though, I can't argue that Clark is that much better than his replacement. Boy Bradley has good touch and passing; that he doesn't offer much in terms of shooting is immaterial with his position. I think both Clark and Bradley do well with Mastroeni…although Bradley's inability to play a physical game might mean he is a better complement to the physical Mastroeni, whereas Clark might be somewhat duplicative with Pablo.
All that was moot when Boy Bradley got the red card. Clark goes in then. I thought Dad Bradley should've left Mastroeni in with Clark to protect the lead.
As for Boy Bradley, I guess you should leave the physical play to the experts.
And how about that lead that we were protecting? Only through an iffy offside call at the end was the 10-man US able to get through to the next round. A recap: Canada plays the ball forward (no one is offside at this point), the ball goes to Onyewu and off his head (Hutchinson is offside at this point) and lands at Hutchinson's feet, who shoots the ball into the net. The Canadian coach says "Their player headed the ball down into the box and our player kicked it in. If one of their players played the ball back, it's a back pass and it cannot be offsides. That's how I saw it." Others agree.
I guess this is where my armchair refereeing fails me. I don't see anywhere in the Laws of the Game that benefiting from being offside is ever okay, back pass or no. However, the Laws do say that a player in an offside position is only penalized if he is gaining an advantage by being offside at the moment the ball touches or is played by one of his team. Well, if that's the case, then Hutchinson was onside when the ball was played by one of his team and the Canadian goal should stand. However, the Laws also say that "Gaining an advantage by being in that position means playing a ball that rebounds to him off a post or the crossbar having been in an offside position or playing a ball that rebounds to him off an opponent having been in an offside position." In which case, the goal was rightfully waived off.
Comments?
Onstad shows himself a wise veteran with his take: "We did things to put ourselves in that position, whether it was a bad call or not. We dug ourselves a hole."
At any rate, the US dodged a bullet, and their play in the second half was sub-par for the most part. We controlled the midfield in the first half, but not the second. The second half also saw the embarrassing whiff by Donovan in front of the goal (one of the few chances we had in the second half), and Dad Bradley followed his poor decision on attacking starters (Johnson and the creative Dempsey, who I think is better as a midfielder that pushes forward) with a poor decision on an attacking sub (Twellman), and it nearly cost us the game. We couldn't even protect the ball in the corner after a free kick with 30 seconds remaining. Sigh.
Now for the OTHER soccer game and happier times... Dynamo shellacks Chivas USA 4-0 tonight. Brad Davis gets a hat trick. Once more: Brad Davis gets a hat trick. I think that's our first hat trick since Ching's in the first Dynamo game ever -- versus Colorado last season. All 3 of tonight's goals from the run of play (1 from Mullan and 2 from Davis) were beauts.
I love it when we blow out the competition. (We had 17 shots to their 8? Really?) It was good to see the reserves get some more time, and Holden get the start. Stewart also had a good shot on goal in the opening minutes and created the third goal in the second half by working the ball down and feeding it to Ngwenya who fed it to Davis. Were there faces on the bench that you didn't recognize? There were for me. Wouldn't it have been cool for a John Michael Hayden to get his first minutes?
Okay, it's confession time: At the beginning of the game I lamented, "Oh no, Dom has Mullan as a forward."
Wife: "So?"
Armchair Coach: "He started his career as a forward, but he's a better midfielder. He can't even stay onside as a forward."
Wife: "Oh."
(Six minutes later) Armchair Coach: "Great strategy Dom! Awesome insight! Dale Dale Dale Dynamo..."
Wife: "But, you said..."
The best part about being an armchair coach is that there's no accountability when you're wrong.
[Addendum on the offside: Dynamo benefitted from a similar call when a Herculez Gomez goal was called offside at Colorado.]
Hejduk has got to be proud of his one-touch strike of the Donovan layoff. It had just enough spin and bend to deflect the right way off the post. Not much Onstad could do about that one.
Onstad could've stopped the second goal though, had he listened to me as I talked to the TV. I told my wife that Donovan goes down the middle with his kicks, and the kicks are usually soft. I said that Onstad should just stand there and let the ball come to him. Didn't I, wife?
Wife: "Yes."
See?
Had Onstad stood there, he'd have stopped the kick and embarrassed his former Earthquake teammate.
I thought it cool that the two were talking right before the PK. You don't see adversaries talking much before one is going to shoot at the other. (BTW, I don't know that the PK should've been awarded. It looked to me that Beasley had lost the ball and dragged his foot to catch Onstad...like a Tomcat dropping its landing hook as it lands on the flight deck.)
I'm disappointed that Clark only got garbage time and Ching got no time. Was Ching even on the bench? If not, it's a travesty. If so, then he should've been put in. Johnson did not contribute anything on the field today. It seems he either has a hat trick or is a no-show when he plays. Either way, he doesn't make his teammates better. Today, he was a no-show. Ching is the better choice over him and Twellman. Travesty.
As for Clark, he is one of the best D-Mids for the US, but he doesn't start over Coach Bob's son, Michael. Unlike the forward situation, though, I can't argue that Clark is that much better than his replacement. Boy Bradley has good touch and passing; that he doesn't offer much in terms of shooting is immaterial with his position. I think both Clark and Bradley do well with Mastroeni…although Bradley's inability to play a physical game might mean he is a better complement to the physical Mastroeni, whereas Clark might be somewhat duplicative with Pablo.
All that was moot when Boy Bradley got the red card. Clark goes in then. I thought Dad Bradley should've left Mastroeni in with Clark to protect the lead.
As for Boy Bradley, I guess you should leave the physical play to the experts.
And how about that lead that we were protecting? Only through an iffy offside call at the end was the 10-man US able to get through to the next round. A recap: Canada plays the ball forward (no one is offside at this point), the ball goes to Onyewu and off his head (Hutchinson is offside at this point) and lands at Hutchinson's feet, who shoots the ball into the net. The Canadian coach says "Their player headed the ball down into the box and our player kicked it in. If one of their players played the ball back, it's a back pass and it cannot be offsides. That's how I saw it." Others agree.
I guess this is where my armchair refereeing fails me. I don't see anywhere in the Laws of the Game that benefiting from being offside is ever okay, back pass or no. However, the Laws do say that a player in an offside position is only penalized if he is gaining an advantage by being offside at the moment the ball touches or is played by one of his team. Well, if that's the case, then Hutchinson was onside when the ball was played by one of his team and the Canadian goal should stand. However, the Laws also say that "Gaining an advantage by being in that position means playing a ball that rebounds to him off a post or the crossbar having been in an offside position or playing a ball that rebounds to him off an opponent having been in an offside position." In which case, the goal was rightfully waived off.
Comments?
Onstad shows himself a wise veteran with his take: "We did things to put ourselves in that position, whether it was a bad call or not. We dug ourselves a hole."
At any rate, the US dodged a bullet, and their play in the second half was sub-par for the most part. We controlled the midfield in the first half, but not the second. The second half also saw the embarrassing whiff by Donovan in front of the goal (one of the few chances we had in the second half), and Dad Bradley followed his poor decision on attacking starters (Johnson and the creative Dempsey, who I think is better as a midfielder that pushes forward) with a poor decision on an attacking sub (Twellman), and it nearly cost us the game. We couldn't even protect the ball in the corner after a free kick with 30 seconds remaining. Sigh.
Now for the OTHER soccer game and happier times... Dynamo shellacks Chivas USA 4-0 tonight. Brad Davis gets a hat trick. Once more: Brad Davis gets a hat trick. I think that's our first hat trick since Ching's in the first Dynamo game ever -- versus Colorado last season. All 3 of tonight's goals from the run of play (1 from Mullan and 2 from Davis) were beauts.
I love it when we blow out the competition. (We had 17 shots to their 8? Really?) It was good to see the reserves get some more time, and Holden get the start. Stewart also had a good shot on goal in the opening minutes and created the third goal in the second half by working the ball down and feeding it to Ngwenya who fed it to Davis. Were there faces on the bench that you didn't recognize? There were for me. Wouldn't it have been cool for a John Michael Hayden to get his first minutes?
Okay, it's confession time: At the beginning of the game I lamented, "Oh no, Dom has Mullan as a forward."
Wife: "So?"
Armchair Coach: "He started his career as a forward, but he's a better midfielder. He can't even stay onside as a forward."
Wife: "Oh."
(Six minutes later) Armchair Coach: "Great strategy Dom! Awesome insight! Dale Dale Dale Dynamo..."
Wife: "But, you said..."
The best part about being an armchair coach is that there's no accountability when you're wrong.
[Addendum on the offside: Dynamo benefitted from a similar call when a Herculez Gomez goal was called offside at Colorado.]
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Happy Thetans and the Real Deal
David Beckham leaves Real Madrid a winner, helping the team to its first Primera Liga title since he joined the team. Even Tom Cruise and his fellow survivors of Xenu's Galactic Confederacy were on hand to fete the feat. After Beckham catches his breath, he can come to the MLS and help the LA Gals reverse their slide. Between Yallop, Donovan, and Beckham, the Gals should still be able to find a way to the MLS Cup playoffs. And they'll do it with new colors, since they're rebranding themselves -- Yellow and Green makes Sir Becks look jaundiced, you know.
Also in La Liga, Athletic Bilbao helped their own cause by beating Levante in its final match and avoiding relegation. I know that was greeted with cheers by more than just a few folks.
More locally, the CONCACAF Gold Cup pits Canada vs USA and Mexico vs Guadeloupe in the semis on Thursday. Both should be good matches. Mexico should be concerned; Guadeloupe beat a Canada and Honduras to get here.
Also in La Liga, Athletic Bilbao helped their own cause by beating Levante in its final match and avoiding relegation. I know that was greeted with cheers by more than just a few folks.
More locally, the CONCACAF Gold Cup pits Canada vs USA and Mexico vs Guadeloupe in the semis on Thursday. Both should be good matches. Mexico should be concerned; Guadeloupe beat a Canada and Honduras to get here.
We do routines and chorus scenes with footwork impec-cable...
Today, Canada easily took care of business versus Carlos Ruiz and Guatemala, while the US let Panama stay in the game but got the result the States needed. Canada and the US will now face each other in the semis on Thursday. Canada faces its biggest challenge of the tournament, due to the athleticism of the US and based on the recent on-field slump the Great White North has had versus its southern neighbors. Likewise, the US faces its biggest challenge, and if they aren't able to convert possession and penetration into goals, and if their defense lapses like it did today, then DeRo and Company will be in the finals.
Of course, we Houstonians are quite aware that it will be Ricardo Clark and Brian Ching versus Dwayne DeRosario and Pat Onstad. Here's hoping that Clark and Ching get to start the game for the US. DeRo and Onstad are near locks for their side.
And Ching should start. He played about 10 minutes (which includes a long stoppage time) at the close of today's Panama match, and didn't contribute much at that point. However, he's been a consistently solid asset on the field the previous games. Twellman didn't bring much to the table today, even though he played nearly the whole game. He squandered opportunities and wasn't able to link up well with his 'mates to generate other opportunities -- But, in fairness, many people squandered opportunities.
Twellman had about three looks and got nothing out of it. Landon had two chances that came to naught, including one in the opening minutes, but at least he did get the PK. Towards the end of the game (and mere moments before being subbed off for Ching in the 84th), Dempsey had the ball in front of the goal as a gift from Donovan, but Clint went for the razzle-dazzle and got stripped of the ball. Nice Cruyff, but braggadocio doesn't win games, goals do.
Not long after Dempsey fails to give us that insurance, we let Panama halve our lead when three defenders clustered around the Panamanian attacker and all three ignored the open passing lanes that the attacker could turn into. That sort of clustering is pure amateurism. I always tell my kids (or at least the defenders*) that the defenders have to be the smartest kids on the field. They can't get caught daydreaming and can't allow themselves to be hypnotized into ball-watching. Once a forward has a defender on him (and especially if there is a second defender providing support), then you have to look for the other threats and shut down those avenues. Today we had three defenders in a circle around the Panamanian. None of them were looking at anything other than the ball, and none had even put themselves in a supporting position for the first defender on that one attacker. All were drawn to the ball like moths to the flame. A quick touch by the forward got the ball into space, and he was able to finish the shot. Rookie mistakes can sink this team if they're not careful.
Thankfully, they're aware of this.
A final gripe: Donovan needs to take some of his off time to practice his PKs. This is the third PK he's taken in this tourney, and it's the third one that was poor. His first one versus El Salvador was saved (but was retaken). His next two (one vs El Sal and the other today vs Panama) were soft, and would have been easily saved if the GK had fallen in the right direction -- or if the GK had waited to move until after the ball began its painfully slow roll toward the goal line. Taking a soft shot so close to the goal limits your probability of success to 50% max. The goalie makes the save if he guesses correctly, left or right. We need more kicks like Stuart Holden's from the MLS Cup. With his, which was a scorcher that went into the upper 90, the goalkeeper would have to (1) guess right AND (2) be supernaturally athletic. That definitely leans the probability back in the kicker's favor.
Spamalot
My wife and I went to see Spamalot this evening. It was an amusing show, although a lot of it I had seen a thousand times in the Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The new stuff was particularly funny.
But there is a Dynamo connection, of course! I saw Wade Barrett at the event. (I think this bio is a little outdated.) He exited the building right in front of us after the show. When I saw him, I blurted out "So, Dom let's you guys out?" (Clever, huh?) Wade politely laughed and replied that Dom does so every now and then. My wife brought up that it was good that the US won that afternoon, and Wade agreed, but lamented that the late Panamanian goal made the final moments too stressful.
(Oh, and my sister, who has been to all of one Dynamo game, needed only that one game to get the "Dale Dynamo" chant in her head. She said that had she seen Wade (I told her about him; she'd never know who he -- or any Dynamo -- was on her own), she would've bounced up and down right next to him, shouting "Spama, Spama, Spama, Spamalot. Spama, Spama, Spama, Spamalot. Spamaaaa, SpamaLAHHHHT!" She has an odd sense of humor.)
It's nice to know we have a cultured crew with the Dynamo, attending the arts around town. Of course, that's assuming Spamalot counts as culture, or art for that matter.
But it is nice to see the guys enjoying the benefits of the hometown for as long as their careers have them here. Hopefully they leave Houston with some pleasant memories of the New York of the Southwest.
Speaking of the local attractions, I wonder if Ching saw the article in the Chronicle about how one can surf at Galveston? I hope not. I think Texas surfing pales to that found in Hawaii.
* Note: I tell my forwards that they have to be the most creative people on the field, and the biggest risk-takers. I don't let them know that defenders have higher IQs than they do.
Of course, we Houstonians are quite aware that it will be Ricardo Clark and Brian Ching versus Dwayne DeRosario and Pat Onstad. Here's hoping that Clark and Ching get to start the game for the US. DeRo and Onstad are near locks for their side.
And Ching should start. He played about 10 minutes (which includes a long stoppage time) at the close of today's Panama match, and didn't contribute much at that point. However, he's been a consistently solid asset on the field the previous games. Twellman didn't bring much to the table today, even though he played nearly the whole game. He squandered opportunities and wasn't able to link up well with his 'mates to generate other opportunities -- But, in fairness, many people squandered opportunities.
Twellman had about three looks and got nothing out of it. Landon had two chances that came to naught, including one in the opening minutes, but at least he did get the PK. Towards the end of the game (and mere moments before being subbed off for Ching in the 84th), Dempsey had the ball in front of the goal as a gift from Donovan, but Clint went for the razzle-dazzle and got stripped of the ball. Nice Cruyff, but braggadocio doesn't win games, goals do.
Not long after Dempsey fails to give us that insurance, we let Panama halve our lead when three defenders clustered around the Panamanian attacker and all three ignored the open passing lanes that the attacker could turn into. That sort of clustering is pure amateurism. I always tell my kids (or at least the defenders*) that the defenders have to be the smartest kids on the field. They can't get caught daydreaming and can't allow themselves to be hypnotized into ball-watching. Once a forward has a defender on him (and especially if there is a second defender providing support), then you have to look for the other threats and shut down those avenues. Today we had three defenders in a circle around the Panamanian. None of them were looking at anything other than the ball, and none had even put themselves in a supporting position for the first defender on that one attacker. All were drawn to the ball like moths to the flame. A quick touch by the forward got the ball into space, and he was able to finish the shot. Rookie mistakes can sink this team if they're not careful.
Thankfully, they're aware of this.
A final gripe: Donovan needs to take some of his off time to practice his PKs. This is the third PK he's taken in this tourney, and it's the third one that was poor. His first one versus El Salvador was saved (but was retaken). His next two (one vs El Sal and the other today vs Panama) were soft, and would have been easily saved if the GK had fallen in the right direction -- or if the GK had waited to move until after the ball began its painfully slow roll toward the goal line. Taking a soft shot so close to the goal limits your probability of success to 50% max. The goalie makes the save if he guesses correctly, left or right. We need more kicks like Stuart Holden's from the MLS Cup. With his, which was a scorcher that went into the upper 90, the goalkeeper would have to (1) guess right AND (2) be supernaturally athletic. That definitely leans the probability back in the kicker's favor.
Spamalot
My wife and I went to see Spamalot this evening. It was an amusing show, although a lot of it I had seen a thousand times in the Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The new stuff was particularly funny.
But there is a Dynamo connection, of course! I saw Wade Barrett at the event. (I think this bio is a little outdated.) He exited the building right in front of us after the show. When I saw him, I blurted out "So, Dom let's you guys out?" (Clever, huh?) Wade politely laughed and replied that Dom does so every now and then. My wife brought up that it was good that the US won that afternoon, and Wade agreed, but lamented that the late Panamanian goal made the final moments too stressful.
(Oh, and my sister, who has been to all of one Dynamo game, needed only that one game to get the "Dale Dynamo" chant in her head. She said that had she seen Wade (I told her about him; she'd never know who he -- or any Dynamo -- was on her own), she would've bounced up and down right next to him, shouting "Spama, Spama, Spama, Spamalot. Spama, Spama, Spama, Spamalot. Spamaaaa, SpamaLAHHHHT!" She has an odd sense of humor.)
It's nice to know we have a cultured crew with the Dynamo, attending the arts around town. Of course, that's assuming Spamalot counts as culture, or art for that matter.
But it is nice to see the guys enjoying the benefits of the hometown for as long as their careers have them here. Hopefully they leave Houston with some pleasant memories of the New York of the Southwest.
Speaking of the local attractions, I wonder if Ching saw the article in the Chronicle about how one can surf at Galveston? I hope not. I think Texas surfing pales to that found in Hawaii.
* Note: I tell my forwards that they have to be the most creative people on the field, and the biggest risk-takers. I don't let them know that defenders have higher IQs than they do.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Pre-Quarterfinals: Copa Oro
It's been a pretty good CONCACAF Gold Cup so far for Dynamo fans. DDR and Onstad are starring in Canada's run. In their most recent match, DDR beat the Haitian goalkeeper (and Haiti) with a goal from an impossible angle. He added insurance with a PK, which was poorly taken, but effective. Hey, didn't DeRo miss a PK vs DC United in his last game with the Dynamo before he joined the Canadian team? Stuart Holden had best PK in the shootout at the end of the MLS Cup last year -- decisive, powerful, and untouchable regardless of the GK's reflexes. Maybe Holden should hold class for the Dynamo veterans.
How about the video of Onstad doing some landscaping in front of his goal, tearing out the loose turf before Canada's match versus Haiti? He's a guy whose comfortable in his position and isn't afraid to assert himself. In the second half he had an awesome (and fearless) stop when his defense left him out to dry. That terrible knock on the head had to worry Dom. It did me.
The US MNT had a good opener vs Guatemala, a better effort vs T&T (but it was a T&T "B" squad, and our finishing was awful), and a wonderful open and creative match vs El Salvador. Ching had a good first match vs T&T and an outstanding match vs El Salvador. He isn't a penetrating dribbler (which many fans, naysayers, and philistines erroneously think is a skill all effective strikers must have), but he is a great possession dribbler, and his vision in those two games was outstanding. He had a goal, an assist (with a beautiful outside the foot pass), and set up two more goals (assists on assists?), not to mention getting in position for several threatening opportunities. His great strike from about 25 yards out went just a bit high, but was very much outside his standard fare, and came from the "theater of the imagination" as Glenn Davis likes to say. Ching made the defenses sweat.
I must say I would never think of pairing Ching with Twellman. The two are too much alike. I'll admit that I thought it a sign of poor tactics on Bradley's part when he first put Ching in with Twellman, but the two worked well with each other. Each looked out for the other and worked the ball like a pair of attacking mids at times. I was pleasantly surprised with both strikers' effort and results.
This weekend we see who moves on and who goes home. Here's my take:
Saturday
Canada - Guatemala (Boston, Noon) - Onstad should be able to keep Ruiz out of the goal, while DeRosario and DeGuzman are more than capable of getting Canada the points they need.
USA - Panama (Boston, 3 PM) - I see the US getting a result, but I don't see them dominating a spirited Panamanian side, much to the chagrin of the fans.
Sunday
Mexico - Costa Rica (Houston, 2 PM) - I'm going with Mexico, but the way they've been playing, CR could definitely win this.
Honduras - Guadalupe (Houston, 5 PM) - Honduras got an atypical result beating Cuba 5-0, and might be able to ride that high over Guadalupe.
How about the video of Onstad doing some landscaping in front of his goal, tearing out the loose turf before Canada's match versus Haiti? He's a guy whose comfortable in his position and isn't afraid to assert himself. In the second half he had an awesome (and fearless) stop when his defense left him out to dry. That terrible knock on the head had to worry Dom. It did me.
The US MNT had a good opener vs Guatemala, a better effort vs T&T (but it was a T&T "B" squad, and our finishing was awful), and a wonderful open and creative match vs El Salvador. Ching had a good first match vs T&T and an outstanding match vs El Salvador. He isn't a penetrating dribbler (which many fans, naysayers, and philistines erroneously think is a skill all effective strikers must have), but he is a great possession dribbler, and his vision in those two games was outstanding. He had a goal, an assist (with a beautiful outside the foot pass), and set up two more goals (assists on assists?), not to mention getting in position for several threatening opportunities. His great strike from about 25 yards out went just a bit high, but was very much outside his standard fare, and came from the "theater of the imagination" as Glenn Davis likes to say. Ching made the defenses sweat.
I must say I would never think of pairing Ching with Twellman. The two are too much alike. I'll admit that I thought it a sign of poor tactics on Bradley's part when he first put Ching in with Twellman, but the two worked well with each other. Each looked out for the other and worked the ball like a pair of attacking mids at times. I was pleasantly surprised with both strikers' effort and results.
This weekend we see who moves on and who goes home. Here's my take:
Saturday
Canada - Guatemala (Boston, Noon) - Onstad should be able to keep Ruiz out of the goal, while DeRosario and DeGuzman are more than capable of getting Canada the points they need.
USA - Panama (Boston, 3 PM) - I see the US getting a result, but I don't see them dominating a spirited Panamanian side, much to the chagrin of the fans.
Sunday
Mexico - Costa Rica (Houston, 2 PM) - I'm going with Mexico, but the way they've been playing, CR could definitely win this.
Honduras - Guadalupe (Houston, 5 PM) - Honduras got an atypical result beating Cuba 5-0, and might be able to ride that high over Guadalupe.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
C-bus, Ching, and Large Birds of Prey
Today Dynamo takes on the Crew in C-bus.The storylines:
Dynamo tend to have trouble maintaining streaks, and don't seem to be able to put away the Crew, no matter how bad the Crew are. That, coupled with the ongoing absences, suggests we get a draw for the third time facing the Crew, but my inner-optimist says Dynamo 1-0.
Chingy Gold Cup Sighting
Ching scored the game winner vs Trinidad & Tobago Saturday, redirecting with his feet a cross by Ralston in the 29th minute. In the 54th minute, Ching made the long pass to Donovan, who dribbled to goal and crossed the ball to Eddie Johnson for an insurance goal. Still, many see the opportunities that Ching has wasted, rather than seeing that he scored the game winner. While the US is winning, the fans are whining.
I will grant that the US isn't playing the most electric form of soccer, but they're still playing well enough to win the CONCACAF Gold Cup (but then so is Mexico, and maybe some other countries). No, I'm not content with mediocrity. Yes, I have bigger aspirations for the team than being a big fish in a small pond. I dream of the day that the US is a dominant player globally in international soccer. We have a ways to go, and the problem is not due to having a feeble coach or -- gasp! -- an American coach; the problem is in the way the game is taught to the players. If we ever organize our youth soccer culture to better train the next generation of players, and if we ever establish a coherent American style of play (beyond physical defense and impeachable fitness), then we just may fulfill that dream. Until then, I'll root the team on and wait for the recurrent if inconsistent flashes of technical skill that tends to carry us through, and I'll ignore the naysayers and complainers who revel in negativity and in the feeling of superiority they attempt to generate with their abuse. Ever notice that the people with all the answers are the people who aren't accountable for anything?
Mutual of Omaha's Wilde Kingdom
Saw this on Fox Soccer Channel Saturday. Hedwig the Owl brings good luck to the Fins over Belgium.
- Both teams are struggling, but for different reasons. Both teams are hard working, but neither scores a lot.
- Can the Crew reverse their slump? Can Dynamo win three in a row?
- Alejandro Moreno faces his former club. Joseph Ngwenya faces his former club.
- A win puts Dynamo in second place for the moment, with a game in hand versus conference leader, FC Dallas.
Dynamo tend to have trouble maintaining streaks, and don't seem to be able to put away the Crew, no matter how bad the Crew are. That, coupled with the ongoing absences, suggests we get a draw for the third time facing the Crew, but my inner-optimist says Dynamo 1-0.
Chingy Gold Cup Sighting
Ching scored the game winner vs Trinidad & Tobago Saturday, redirecting with his feet a cross by Ralston in the 29th minute. In the 54th minute, Ching made the long pass to Donovan, who dribbled to goal and crossed the ball to Eddie Johnson for an insurance goal. Still, many see the opportunities that Ching has wasted, rather than seeing that he scored the game winner. While the US is winning, the fans are whining.
I will grant that the US isn't playing the most electric form of soccer, but they're still playing well enough to win the CONCACAF Gold Cup (but then so is Mexico, and maybe some other countries). No, I'm not content with mediocrity. Yes, I have bigger aspirations for the team than being a big fish in a small pond. I dream of the day that the US is a dominant player globally in international soccer. We have a ways to go, and the problem is not due to having a feeble coach or -- gasp! -- an American coach; the problem is in the way the game is taught to the players. If we ever organize our youth soccer culture to better train the next generation of players, and if we ever establish a coherent American style of play (beyond physical defense and impeachable fitness), then we just may fulfill that dream. Until then, I'll root the team on and wait for the recurrent if inconsistent flashes of technical skill that tends to carry us through, and I'll ignore the naysayers and complainers who revel in negativity and in the feeling of superiority they attempt to generate with their abuse. Ever notice that the people with all the answers are the people who aren't accountable for anything?
Mutual of Omaha's Wilde Kingdom
Saw this on Fox Soccer Channel Saturday. Hedwig the Owl brings good luck to the Fins over Belgium.
Friday, June 08, 2007
The Orange and The Redwhite&blue on top
Dynamo looked absolutely awesome this evening. They didn't look the sharpest they've looked, but they were awesome.
With four veterans gone and facing a full-strength Rapids team, Kinnear didn't just rearrange the remaining vets, he turned to the green boys: Wondo starts, Holden and Ashe get significant time, and Ianni puts in some minutes.
The starting lineup wasn't too surprising, although it wasn't what I thought Dom would do. Gray as D-Mid is a safe choice, but I thought that Mulrooney would work there and Dom would put an attack-minded player in the Attacking Mid role. Instead, it looked kind of like what Clark/Mulrooney did during the Dallas game, with Gray/Mulrooney taking turns going forward on the attack and hanging back to provide support.
In the first 3 minutes, Ngwenya scores in a virtual imitation of his goal vs Dallas last weekend. In the first 10 minutes, it looks like Ngwenya might have another, and Mullan and Davis also get opportunities. Then the C-Rapids picked up their game a little bit and Dynamo began to react rather than act. A rash swing of the arm by Robinson about 12 minutes in leads to a PK, and all the hard work of the first 10 minutes are erased.
At that point, the game found a balance, with both teams pressing at times and neither team being particularly threatening. Dynamo's timing and spacing seemed to be off with the new contingent -- not so much a factor of inexperience in technique than inexperience working with each other, I believe -- and the usual panache of Clark and DeRo were missing, but the squad had heart and everyone fought for a result.
The spacing and passing were particularly wonting in the midfield, and our usual stalwart back line had several potentially costly gaffes, most egregious was Robinson's decision to pass the ball to Cochrane, who had little space and had to make a hurried pass towards his own goal, forcing Wells to desperately knock the ball out and gift the C-Rapids a corner. Oh yeah, there was also that needless foul in the box that led to the previously mentioned PK.
At about the hour mark, it looked like a draw was inevitable, but then Kelly Gray scoots a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Stewie Holden, who had been in the game all of 50 seconds. Holden drills the ball into the far netting, putting us ahead for good. That shot was perhaps the best goal by a Dynamo this season, and young Stewie nailed it.
Flashback sequence: When I was a kid, I played either right back or left forward in a 4-3-3. As a fullback, one of the best feelings is when the ball is bouncing around the box among a crowd in front of your own goal, and it falls in front of you and it's just step-step-bang! and the ball is safely cleared from danger. As a forward, one of the best feelings is running with the ball, nothing but green between you and the goal, the whoosh of the air around your head, then striking that ball perfectly on your instep without breaking stride. I bet Stewie -- I mean, Mr. Holden -- had that sensation tonight as he ran towards the gently rolling ball. Ah, to be young again.
Memo from the Dept of The Glass is Half Empty:
Gray, if you ever receive an opportunity like Ashe busted his butt for you to have today, you'd better get your foot cleanly on the ball. Yeah, that was a nice assist on Stewie's -- Mr. Holden's -- goal, but you should've had one yourself at that range, with only the goalie to beat. (Okay, so the ball was bouncy and hit your shin; just be glad that Mr Holden's goal stood up, buddy!)
- Signed: Manager of I'm Never Satisfied, Department of The Glass is Half Empty.
It was fitting that the game ended with another near disastrous defensive blunder when Wells didn't call for the ball and collided with Robinson on a cross. Luckily, nothing came of it and the game ended.
So, our attack was more effective than usual, our possession play was hot and cold, and our defensive line (the only group to not be hit by National Team call-ups) floundered at times. Before the match, I would have swapped "attack" and "defensive line" in the previous sentence. Luckily, I was wrong about the attack, and the team got the result it needed. Hopefully the midfield will start clicking (and the backs will get back to their normal selves) in time for the C-bus game. Unfortunately, they don't have much time to work out the kinks.
Well, the USMNT stole my forecasted score for the Dynamo game, beating Guatemala 1-0. I didn't watch much of the game, but what I saw looked very chippy (after the goal) and not very flowing (the whole game). That's to be expected I suppose, particularly when playing in the CONCACAF. I'm looking forward to the T&T match on Saturday. We'll have to do it without Onyewu, eh? Maybe folk-hero Jay DeMerit will get his first start in a competitive match.
With four veterans gone and facing a full-strength Rapids team, Kinnear didn't just rearrange the remaining vets, he turned to the green boys: Wondo starts, Holden and Ashe get significant time, and Ianni puts in some minutes.
The starting lineup wasn't too surprising, although it wasn't what I thought Dom would do. Gray as D-Mid is a safe choice, but I thought that Mulrooney would work there and Dom would put an attack-minded player in the Attacking Mid role. Instead, it looked kind of like what Clark/Mulrooney did during the Dallas game, with Gray/Mulrooney taking turns going forward on the attack and hanging back to provide support.
In the first 3 minutes, Ngwenya scores in a virtual imitation of his goal vs Dallas last weekend. In the first 10 minutes, it looks like Ngwenya might have another, and Mullan and Davis also get opportunities. Then the C-Rapids picked up their game a little bit and Dynamo began to react rather than act. A rash swing of the arm by Robinson about 12 minutes in leads to a PK, and all the hard work of the first 10 minutes are erased.
At that point, the game found a balance, with both teams pressing at times and neither team being particularly threatening. Dynamo's timing and spacing seemed to be off with the new contingent -- not so much a factor of inexperience in technique than inexperience working with each other, I believe -- and the usual panache of Clark and DeRo were missing, but the squad had heart and everyone fought for a result.
The spacing and passing were particularly wonting in the midfield, and our usual stalwart back line had several potentially costly gaffes, most egregious was Robinson's decision to pass the ball to Cochrane, who had little space and had to make a hurried pass towards his own goal, forcing Wells to desperately knock the ball out and gift the C-Rapids a corner. Oh yeah, there was also that needless foul in the box that led to the previously mentioned PK.
At about the hour mark, it looked like a draw was inevitable, but then Kelly Gray scoots a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Stewie Holden, who had been in the game all of 50 seconds. Holden drills the ball into the far netting, putting us ahead for good. That shot was perhaps the best goal by a Dynamo this season, and young Stewie nailed it.
Flashback sequence: When I was a kid, I played either right back or left forward in a 4-3-3. As a fullback, one of the best feelings is when the ball is bouncing around the box among a crowd in front of your own goal, and it falls in front of you and it's just step-step-bang! and the ball is safely cleared from danger. As a forward, one of the best feelings is running with the ball, nothing but green between you and the goal, the whoosh of the air around your head, then striking that ball perfectly on your instep without breaking stride. I bet Stewie -- I mean, Mr. Holden -- had that sensation tonight as he ran towards the gently rolling ball. Ah, to be young again.
Memo from the Dept of The Glass is Half Empty:
Gray, if you ever receive an opportunity like Ashe busted his butt for you to have today, you'd better get your foot cleanly on the ball. Yeah, that was a nice assist on Stewie's -- Mr. Holden's -- goal, but you should've had one yourself at that range, with only the goalie to beat. (Okay, so the ball was bouncy and hit your shin; just be glad that Mr Holden's goal stood up, buddy!)
- Signed: Manager of I'm Never Satisfied, Department of The Glass is Half Empty.
It was fitting that the game ended with another near disastrous defensive blunder when Wells didn't call for the ball and collided with Robinson on a cross. Luckily, nothing came of it and the game ended.
So, our attack was more effective than usual, our possession play was hot and cold, and our defensive line (the only group to not be hit by National Team call-ups) floundered at times. Before the match, I would have swapped "attack" and "defensive line" in the previous sentence. Luckily, I was wrong about the attack, and the team got the result it needed. Hopefully the midfield will start clicking (and the backs will get back to their normal selves) in time for the C-bus game. Unfortunately, they don't have much time to work out the kinks.
Well, the USMNT stole my forecasted score for the Dynamo game, beating Guatemala 1-0. I didn't watch much of the game, but what I saw looked very chippy (after the goal) and not very flowing (the whole game). That's to be expected I suppose, particularly when playing in the CONCACAF. I'm looking forward to the T&T match on Saturday. We'll have to do it without Onyewu, eh? Maybe folk-hero Jay DeMerit will get his first start in a competitive match.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Club vs Country
Tonight on ESPN2, Dynamo host the Colorado Rapids at sea level, while on FSC the US faces Carlos Ruiz and 10 defending Guatemalans. Looks like I'll have to record the US MNT match.
Dynamo seem to have the Rapids' number, but the Rocky Mountain Gang won't be facing the standard Dynamo tonight. Last weekend Dynamo showed that it can play without DDR, but can it play without DDR and Clark? We'll see. Ching hasn't made an obvious contribution to our attack for a while, but without him in the lineup drawing double coverage, it's going to be a little more difficult to open of the Colorado defense and find the net.
My guess at the lineup tonight
GK: Wells
D: Waibel, Cochrane, Robinson, Barrett
D Mid: Mulrooney
R/L Mid: Mullan, Holden
A Mid: Davis
F: Ngwenya, Wondo
Kelly Gray might fit into the lineup as well. His natural position is a defending mid, and he is a physical player, which matches up well with Mastroeni (who is sitting out of the US MNT match due to a red card) and Beckerman. I think Mulrooney has the edge on Gray though, and I don't think Gray would do well as an Attacking Mid, so if he is in the lineup, I'd guess it'd be on the back line. I lean towards Waibel starting because he has done well defending and supporting the attack in the past two games. His bench time has made him hungry.
I imagine we'll see Corey Ashe in the second half, especially if we're down a goal. He's brought life to the game. This is rare for a rookie in the Kinnear system, which makes his success all the more exciting.
Given Dynamo's national team departures from its attacking core and Colorado's defensive starters being back in good health, we're going to have a hard time scoring. Luckily, our stalwart back line is largely intact, except for Onstad who will be replaced by the capable Wells. This portends a low-scoring affair. If the Dynamo-D keeps its head in the game and does its part, I think we'll manage a 1-0 win. Maybe Ashe will tally his first...
Fun fact: Tonight's referee, Abbey Okulaja has doled out 2 red cards in the 5 Dynamo matches he's officiated.
As for the USMNT, Guatemala will look to bunker and defend and pray for a productive Ruiz flop. I think we'll eke out a goal, which will force "La Azul y Blanco" to open up a bit and giving us a chance for another. US begins the defense of the Gold Cup with a 2-0 victory. Optimistic?
DDR and Onstad helped their team to a win over Costa Rica, perhaps the toughest opponent Canada will face in its group.
Dynamo seem to have the Rapids' number, but the Rocky Mountain Gang won't be facing the standard Dynamo tonight. Last weekend Dynamo showed that it can play without DDR, but can it play without DDR and Clark? We'll see. Ching hasn't made an obvious contribution to our attack for a while, but without him in the lineup drawing double coverage, it's going to be a little more difficult to open of the Colorado defense and find the net.
My guess at the lineup tonight
GK: Wells
D: Waibel, Cochrane, Robinson, Barrett
D Mid: Mulrooney
R/L Mid: Mullan, Holden
A Mid: Davis
F: Ngwenya, Wondo
Kelly Gray might fit into the lineup as well. His natural position is a defending mid, and he is a physical player, which matches up well with Mastroeni (who is sitting out of the US MNT match due to a red card) and Beckerman. I think Mulrooney has the edge on Gray though, and I don't think Gray would do well as an Attacking Mid, so if he is in the lineup, I'd guess it'd be on the back line. I lean towards Waibel starting because he has done well defending and supporting the attack in the past two games. His bench time has made him hungry.
I imagine we'll see Corey Ashe in the second half, especially if we're down a goal. He's brought life to the game. This is rare for a rookie in the Kinnear system, which makes his success all the more exciting.
Given Dynamo's national team departures from its attacking core and Colorado's defensive starters being back in good health, we're going to have a hard time scoring. Luckily, our stalwart back line is largely intact, except for Onstad who will be replaced by the capable Wells. This portends a low-scoring affair. If the Dynamo-D keeps its head in the game and does its part, I think we'll manage a 1-0 win. Maybe Ashe will tally his first...
Fun fact: Tonight's referee, Abbey Okulaja has doled out 2 red cards in the 5 Dynamo matches he's officiated.
As for the USMNT, Guatemala will look to bunker and defend and pray for a productive Ruiz flop. I think we'll eke out a goal, which will force "La Azul y Blanco" to open up a bit and giving us a chance for another. US begins the defense of the Gold Cup with a 2-0 victory. Optimistic?
DDR and Onstad helped their team to a win over Costa Rica, perhaps the toughest opponent Canada will face in its group.
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