Unbeleivable!!!!

Remember this day my friend, so when you are asked where you were when the US Men's National Team emerged from the darkness of world football and rose up to end a record tying streak, defeat the top ranked team in the world and end the long held misconception that this is not a great soccer nation. The men in red,white and blue, with one common mission and one common national seal worn like a badge of honor across their chest have done great things. Forever will the names Altidore, Dempsey, Howard, De Merrit, Onyewu, Spector, Bocanegra, Clark, Bradley, Davies and Donovan be placed beside those of Preki and Keller in 1998 and Gaetjens, Columbo, Maca and Wallace in 1950. It was on this day of 23 June 2009 eleven men representing the United States of America were besieged by the great nation of Spain, and stood tall, took every shot the Spanish giants could muster for the full ninety, in a country half way around the globe and proved that soccer is indeed alive and well in the good ol' US of A.

Now let's take a moment for a little perspective. Is the equal to the 1980 Olympic Hockey Team? No, and I don't think anyone of sound judgement would argue that it is. But none the less it is a feet so rarely accomplished in human history that it has been noted on the front pages of non sports websites and broadcasts. Spain fired nineteen shots, only eight found there way to goaltender Tim Howard. The USA defenders were throwing themselves in front of every ball they could, sacrificing themselves in the name of victory and this great nation. As a team they successfully fended off seventeen corners, seventeen!!! It got to a point were Spain had tried every imaginable way of attacking from a corner kick and just played the ball in to maintain possession. And once again the US had to battle with bias officials who called the game in favor of the European power as opposed to the lowly regarded team from CONCACAF. Any call that was remotely questionable was called in favor of Spain. And the straight red card shown to Michael Bradley was extremely soft for an international tournament.

All told the words of Francis Scott Key seem as poignant as ever... "the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night, that OUR FLAG WAS STILL THERE." And let me tell you, our star-spangled banner was waving all over and OUR team, a team every man, woman, and child who calls themselves American should be proud of, was indeed brave.

Nats blow up TnT

On Wednesday evening in Nashville the US Men's National Team once again looked like the CONCACAF regional giants that we are beginning to become accustom too. Jozy Altidore became the youngest American to ever record a hat trick in a World Cup qualifier. Landon Donovan once again proved that he is one of the best, if not the best player in the region. He assisted beautifully on all three goals and truly out classed the Trinidad and Tobago defense all night long. Special props also go out to Brian Ching was undoubtedly played the best international game of his life. He was strong on the ball and made crisp passes through to Donovan all night long.

With the victory the US (2-0-1) remain a top the hexagonal group with seven points, followed closely by Costa Rica (2-1-0) with six, Honduras (1-1-1) with 4, Mexico (1-2-0) with 3, El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago (both 0-1-2) with 2 points. The next qualifying matches will take place the first week in June. The US will face it's toughest challenge this year when they travel to Costa Rica on the 3rd and then come home to face Honduras on the 6th. If they win both matches as they should it could all but guarantee that they will indeed qualify for South Africa 2010.

The Nats and Colorado

The USMNT lost an opportunity to put a strangle hold on the hexagonal round of world cup qualifying. In what most pundits have referred to as a sub-par outing, the Nats were forced to claw their way to a tie with undoubtedly the worst team remaining in the CONCACAF region. With no Tim Howard in goal or Oguchi Onyewa in the central defense the team allowed two goals before finally realizing they were in a World Cup qualifier. Two goals in the final 13 minutes saved what could have been and still may be the biggest embarrassment of the Bob Bradley era as National team manager. The team looked completely unprepared as the Salvadorian wingers exploited the clearly out of form U.S. midfield. Bradley’s choice to start Brian Ching, Demarcus Beasly and Sacha Kjlestian smells of old club and country team loyalties as opposed to proper coaching decisions. It was not until the insertion of J.F. Torres and Jozy Altidore that the offense took off and scored twice as the match came to a close. It makes one wonder what would happen if Bradley would field a team based on who was playing well at the time of the match.

Maybe it is time to look at how National teams are selected in other sports. With the exception of soccer most teams are run with the same model as a professional franchise, meaning there is a coach who coaches (novel concept) and a management team that decides who will be on the team. This has worked well for other sports in international competitions such as ice hockey and the Olympics. Seven years ago Wayne Gretzky was charged with putting together a team that was coached by Pat Quin that led Canada back to the top of the ice hockey world. It has also worked for Basketball as we have recently seen similar results with team USA following the model to win the gold in Beijing. Perhaps if we made coaches coach and left player selection up to a national team GM we could eliminate or at the very least cut down on foolish loyalties that weaken the team. And perhaps that would not only bring out the best in the player knowing that they must impress more than one man to remain on the team, but also bring out the best in the head coach knowing that he must produce because he has the best his nation has to offer.

On Saturday the Galaxy host Colorado in the first of three meetings between the two sides in April, and the first of two matches in four days as they also play in Open Cup competition on Tuesday the 7th. The Rapids are led out of the back with a strong combo at central defense of Corey Gibbs and former Galaxy stud who was traded by the idiot Lalas, Ugo Ihemelu. The midfield is solid with former National team player Pablo Mastroeni and free kick specialist Terry Cooke. Omar Cummings leads the strike force with two goals, one in each match this season. The Galaxy are still without left back Todd Dunivant, and goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts is questionable as are Eddie Lewis and Edson Buddle. Basically the entire left side of the field for the Galaxy will once again be a huge question mark. And once again as goes Landon Donovan so will go the fate of the Galaxy, should he be able to out pace the defense and put a few quality shots on Matt Pickens the home side will celebrate it’s first victory of the new campaign. But remember he will be coming off two tough World Cup qualifiers. My take is that I just hope Gordon doesn’t suck!!!!!