The following is a recap of last night's U.S-Costa Rica friendly that I wrote for He Wrote. Here it is: As the saying goes, “Success is a journey, not a destination.” The United States men’s national soccer team proved that yesterday with a 1-0 loss to Costa Rica in a friendly played at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA. The game marked the team’s second under the guidance of their recently hired manager, Juergen Klinsmann. After a 1-1 draw in a friendly with Mexico last month, fans were hoping for a better showcase from the American squad. However, it is important to remember that these initial friendlies are experimental exhibitions; in theory, the outcome is meaningless and the coach has an opportunity to get acquainted with the players and mess with formations. Despite the disappointing result, fans can take solace in the fact that the team is gradually picking up on Klinsmann’s attacking style and improving its amount of possession. During the Bob Bradley era, the Americans were restrained under a conservative approach in which the primary focus appeared to be defense – though they were not necessarily masters of that, either – and goals seemed to be an afterthought, or perhaps a bonus for good play. Obviously, the objective in soccer is to score and Klinsmann is still in the process of recruiting the right players, as well as showing the U.S. team the patience and tactics necessary to get that ball into the net. Contrary to the last few years, the U.S. dominated the game early on. During the first half an hour, the Americans looked like Spain from the way they owned possession. In fact, the team’s most threatening opportunity came in the sixth minute, in which Donovan got a dangerous shot off that was just slightly right of the goal. Although the team was patient with possession, the fact that they could not materialize translated into increasing momentum for Costa Rica. Leading up to halftime, the visitors showed signs of life, though American goalkeeper Tim Howard heroically prevented any score before halftime. The second half was a completely different story for the U.S. In typical American fashion, the opponent scored the first goal and the Red, White, and Blue were forced to play catch-up yet again. As desperation heightened, so did emotions. The teams got tangled up a couple times, but order was soon restored, albeit with questionable yellow cards to Brek Shea and Sacha Kljestan. On the bright side, aside from not connecting for a goal, the U.S. executed the way it was supposed to. In hindsight, both Klinsmann and the players were acknowledged the result, but expressed satisfaction from the overall play. “You get chances in front of the goal and they don’t go in,” Torres said. ”Overall though, we had a lot of possession, attacked a lot from the wings and we played well.” As with any game, certain players stepped up while others did not represent themselves well in front of their new coach. Midfielder Jose Torres was the MVP of the U.S. squad, having done a brilliant job in maintaining possession as well as making smart passes. Juan Agudelo once again proved to be a spark off the bench and deserves to start. While Klinsmann chose not to pair him with Altidore in the front this time around, do not be surprised to see Agudelo and Altidore play alongside each other in the near future. As for the veterans, midfielder Maurice Edu, who was robbed of a goal in the 2010 World Cup, played in control but needed some more help from his teammates. Altidore looked fit as ever and had some good chances, but he still needs work on creating a goal. Donovan had an off-night, but was arguably the most effective player after Torres. Carlos Bocanegra, in his 95th cap, proved to be a beneficial veteran presence, but will he last another World Cup cycle? On the other hand, Brek Shea was not as impressive as he was against Mexico and made some rather lazy passes on what could have led to potentially threatening attacks. Edgar Castillo has stood out but for the wrong reasons in the past two friendlies, to the point where fans may start to miss defender Jonathan Bornstein. Timmy Chandler was a decent call-up, but Steve Cherundolo is certainly a more worthy starter. It was tough to evaluate Robbie Rogers; he continued to move well off the ball, but admittedly squadered the ball in some dangerous positions. The experimentation will continue on Tuesday when the squad heads overseas to play in a friendly against Belgium. Who knows, maybe back-up goalkeeper Bill Hamid will finally see some playing time. There will definitely be different players in the mix with Donovan heading back to join the L.A. Galaxy, while midfiedlers Kyle Beckerman and Clint Dempsey, as well as defender Steve Cherundolo join the team in Belgium. “Every game you learn a lot things,” Klinsmann said after the match. “The players come away from this game with a lot of good information. Every situation they saw out there was different and it was a challenge for them…Belgium will be another good experience for them. We want to try to develop that style of play that we are confident on the ball and that we try to pass our way through difficult situations and tight spaces. It will take time.”
Both stars saw action in the Galaxy's 3-1 victory on Saturday nightThe Galaxy no longer share first place, proving why they are the best team in the MLS with a 3-1 victory over the Columbus Crew on Saturday night at the Home Depot Center. Both clubs, the leaders of the Western and Eastern Conference, entered the game tied with 44 points. However, the night belonged to the Galaxy, who benefited from the return of Juninho and David Beckham.
Juninho, who had been out for personal reasons, did a brilliant job of finding his unmarked teammates. When asked about his return, manager Bruce Arena said "He’s an excellent player. We really missed him...Tonight he played well, and obviously it’s great to get him back.”
Instead of conceding early goals to the opponent, the Galaxy were the ones who came out aggressive. In the 13th minute, Edson Buddle scored from the top of the box off an assist from Landon Donovan. Buddle, who leads the league in goals scored, earned his 14th goal of the season.
Fans really knew their team was playing well when Dema Kovalenko scored, his first goal with the Galaxy. Landon Donovan threaded a pass to Kovalenko, who found the net in the 35th minute. Kovalenko, renowned for his feisty tackles, is not known as a goal-scoring threat. The assist was also Donovan's second of the game, raising his league-leading number of assists to 14.
Arena began the second half by substituting Chris Birchall for Edson Buddle. The move was solely for precautionary reasons, as Buddle was feeling cramps in his legs. "He is ready to go and will be fine," Arena reassured.
The Galaxy's offense continued, nonetheless. In the 55th minute, Galaxy midfielder Alex Cazumba lobbed a free kick from about 40 yards toward the far post, connecting with Jovan Kirovski for a header.
In the 70th minute, David Beckham, who had not played for the Galaxy this season due to a torn Achilles tendon, returned to a standing ovation. Beckham had not played a MLS game for 289 days, his last match being the MLS Cup Final on November 22, 2009. Although he proved some rust in receiving a yellow card after only four minutes, his passing was excellent as usual.
After the game, Arena dwelled on the Englishman's presence. “David’s presence helps our team in the locker room, on the training field and on game day," Arena said. "It is remarkable that he is back on the field in this short period of time. September 15th is six months, and at his age, to put in the kind of effort to come back and for the players to see that is inspirational to the team.”
Unfortunately for the team, the Galaxy would not leave with a shutout. The Crew's Andres Mendoza, who entered the game as a sub in the 63rd minute, made the most of his one-on-one with Galaxy goalkeeper, Donovan Ricketts. He scored the Crew's lone goal in the 85th minute.
Buddle gave his thoughts on sole possession of the top spot. “We’ve led the league all year and we wanted to hold on to that. Who knows what the mood would have been like if we would have lost that game and let Columbus take the lead," he said. Indeed, much to the Galaxy's pleasure, nobody will ever have to know.
Halftime Hype interrupts the NBA free agency period to provide soccer coverage.
Despite the fact that the 2010 FIFA World Cup ended last weekend and the United States' team was eliminated a couple weeks prior, soccer fever has not ceased in the U.S. In Landon Donovan's return to the MLS on July 4, he returned to a sell-out crowd at the Home Depot Center.
Today, the San Jose Earthquakes play the English Premier League's Tottenham Hotspurs. In the upcoming week, the New York Red Bulls will play in the Barclays New York Challenge, whose other participants include Manchester City and the Hotspurs from England, as well as Sporting Lisbon of Portugal. Next month, the Los Angeles Galaxy will play host to world-renown Real Madrid at the Rose Bowl.
There also appears to be international interest in playing for a MLS team. Last Thursday, former French international Thierry Henry was formally welcomed to the New York Red Bulls. Recently, there have been rumors of other players heading for the MLS, too, including AC Milan's Ronaldinho possibly joining the Los Angeles Galaxy and Real Madrid's Raul close to a deal with the Red Bulls.
These rumors circulate after the MLS has already attracted several big names in the soccer world. English international David Beckham made headlines around the world when he left Real Madrid to play for the Galaxy in 2007.
Other recent international MLS transfer include, Swiss striker Blaise Nkufo, who recently played for Switzerland at the World Cup, joining the Seattle Sounders; Ghanaian midfielder Anthony Obodai moving to the Houston Dynamo; Costa Rica's Álvaro Saborío, who has scored 18 goals in 53 caps, heading to Real Salt Lake; and reports are that Giancarlo Maldonado, Venezuela's all-time leading goal-scorer, will become a member of Chivas USA.
For some, it's become redundant to hear about how soccer is progressing in the United States. However, it is the honest truth. A stronger domestic league is another step toward U.S. Soccer establishing itself as a reputable organization.
On most weekends throughout the year, it's easy to spot kids playing games for their local league at parks or wearing their soccer jersey during the day. Plus, Americans coined the term, "soccer mom."
Recently-minted New York Red Bull, Thierry Henry
The United States' play in the World Cup raised interest in soccer to an entirely different level, though. People who knew virtually nothing about the sport began passionately rooting for the U.S. team. When Landon Donovan scored a late goal against Algeria to advance the U.S. to the Round of 16, even casual fans were jumping for joy. Soccer was no longer a game played in physical education classes during middle school; Americans were finally relishing the "beautiful game."
The momentum will likely continue. With international clubs visiting the United States and well-known international players joining MLS clubs, American interest in soccer will only continue to grow. Now, it's just a matter of when players decide to join the MLS and if those players can be kept in the MLS.
Many players on the United States' 2010 World Cup roster have MLS experience. Unfortunately for the MLS, only four of the team's 23 players currently play for a MLS club. What's more, with Landon Donovan's play for Everton when he was on loan and his performance in the World Cup, he could very well receive international offers that are too tempting to pass up. If America's hero decides to leave the States, it would be a huge loss for the MLS.
Regardless, it seems that MLS Commissioner Don Garber is aware of the issue, and on Thursday commented, "He's become a real soccer hero...MLS needs soccer heroes, and we have a great American soccer hero playing for us in LA, holding the torch for the sport in our country, and that's very important. I don't believe that it's something we can do without."
"Landon is in my view the greatest player of our generation and an incredibly valuable part of our history but also of our future. He proved in England last year on loan and he proved in South Africa that he's a world-class player and he's also proved that he loves our league and really has accepted the mantle of really being one of the leaders of the sport. It is my hope and my expectation that we have him for the rest of his career because I think the contributions that he makes are invaluable to our future success."
For now, though, rest assured the MLS is in a good position. With more expansion teams on the way, the league will have 19 teams by 2012. A wider demographic and the attraction of more international players will open up an even broader realm of possibilities for soccer in the United States.
Will the United States leave the World Cup with their heads held high? Not necessarily, but there are numerous reasons why they should. When the United States initially arrived in South Africa, the experts predicted the Americans to reach the Round of 16, but not surpass it. When they stepped off the pitch after their game versus Algeria, the pundits were scrambling to revise their predictions. However, with a 2-1 loss to Ghana's "Black Stars," the Stars and Stripes will have to wait another four years to defend the legitimacy of U.S. Soccer.
When asked if the tournament was a success, U.S. Coach Bob Bradley said, “I think the first thoughts for all of us are simple. We felt that in the first round we showed a lot of good qualities, you get through the first round and give yourself a chance now to go far. We felt that we had that ability and we’re disappointed that we didn’t get past this game and continue to test ourselves.”
Immediately after the game, there were plenty of "what if'" scenarios. What if Bob Bradley had chosen the same starting lineup that he used against Algeria? You know, the only one that didn't concede an early goal in the World Cup. What if U.S. striker, Charlie Davies, who was injured in a devastating car accident last year, was healthy and available for the World Cup? He has certainly been a savvy goal-scorer for U.S.A..
What if Robbie Findley had sent the ball through the net instead of shooting right at the keeper during his dangerous one-on-one sequence? Simply put, the U.S. advances. What if Oguchi Onyewu, who suffered a patellar tendon rupture after a World Cup qualifier last year, was 100% and able to play in the game versus Ghana? His height and big frame are always an asset. What if Jozy Altidore was not substituted after 90 minutes? After all, he had created some dangerous plays.
What if the United States had won? Then it would have made the quarterfinals and played Uruguay, probably the most favorable quarterfinal match-up one could ask for. Soccer fever in the U.S. would have been even higher than it already was during the group stages. The United States could have gone farther than England!
After awhile though, one realizes that the "what ifs" are an exercise in futility. The team's journey leaves as much disappointment behind as it does excitement. Some said this was the best U.S. team ever. However, in the next four years, new players may emerge for U.S.A. and the squad's young players will gain more experience and confidence.
At the end of the day, one has to thank U.S.A. for the memories. Fans won't forget Day 1, when the United States showed it's ready to play with a 1-1 draw against the country who created the sport, England. Nor will they forget the sheer joy of rallying down from 2-0 at halftime to finish with a tie, an incredibly historic feat. Nothing will replace Landon Donovan's "magic moment," which likely added millions to the U.S. bandwagon. The words of commentator Ian Darke will always ring in fans' ears: "Donovan has scored! Can you believe this?!...You could not write a script like this!" The reactions to Donovan's goal in the 91st minute were truly memorable.
Whether Bob Bradley will be involved in the United States' future is questionable, but it seems like he grasps the reality of it all. “We always understand the responsibility we have as a national team to show how far the game has come in the United States, to fight for respect. We certainly felt that we moved things along with our performance in the Confederations Cup. As we went through the first round, we felt that we were continuing to go in that direction. But it comes down to every match now that gets tested over again, for tonight all we can do is look hard at ourselves and continue to try to move the game forward.”
Although the U.S. concluded its run in the Round of 16, the team's lasting impact is as though the Americans finished first. Whereas the Yanks had been the butt of jokes when it came to soccer, they proved to be more than mediocre. Additionally, millions of Americans have recently come to enjoy the game of soccer and support the United States, notably Bill Clinton. If people had disregarded the United States' bid for a World Cup in 2018 or 2022 before, now it is at least a reasonable possibility. U.S. Soccer still has a long way to go before it becomes a powerhouse, but it is definitely a team to be reckoned with. Thank you, United States.
The United States is, perhaps, the most interesting team in the World Cup. At the moment, cultural history and recent success are at odds. For the first time in 80 years, the United States finished first in its group. In fact, one soccer fan held up a sign that read "U.S. Soccer is UnStoppAble" during the United States' victory over Algeria. Around the world, casual fans may wonder when the Americans - the people who refer to the sport as "soccer," instead of the practically universal "football" - became so good. However, for those who have been living under a rock, U.S.A. has evolved into a "team to be reckoned with." 
According to information released by U.S. Soccer, the USA won its group at the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1930 (that's 80 years ago), and for the first time ever in a four-team group. The win against Algeria marked the first point and win for the U.S. in the third group game at the World Cup in eight tries. Secondly, the 1-0-2 record also represents the first time the United States has gone unbeaten in group play during a World Cup."
What's more, the United States finished first in the group, a feat which the Americans had not accomplished since 1930. At first glance, it may not seem like a big deal. Most pundits and fans alike predicted that the U.S. would at least make it to the Round of 16. Interestingly enough, it appears that the winner of Group C, the United States, and the second-place finisher, England, will have very different schedules because of their standings.
Sure, the United States may not have the most talented players in the tournament. It's true, their defense allowed early goals in two out of their three games. On the other hand, the United States may also be the most mentally tough team in the World Cup.
After his "magic moment" against Algeria, Donovan spoke of just how confident his team is."We believe we can beat any team in this tournament. Given our experiences from last year [at the Confederations Cup] we think we can do really big things, we're going to go for it."
What a great time to be a sports fan. The NBA Finals, now tied at 2-2, feature the greatest rivalry in the league. Simultaneously, the FIFA World Cup, arguably the largest sports stage in the world, is underway in historically significant South Africa. Among the more hyped match-ups is Team USA vs. England. From one perspective, there are plenty of differences between the Lakers facing off against the Celtics and the Yanks vs. the Brits. However, from another point of view, there are certain similarities.
First of all, there is a historical significance to each rivalry. With the United States and England, obviously you have the colonial period and the revolt from British rule. In that sense, USA vs. England is a clash between enemies. On the other hand, in modern times, the United States and England have been allies. Look no further than World War II, when Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Winston Churchill united to defeat the Nazis. In a way, it's kind of like competing against your best friend; it's a great feeling to hold the upper hand against a buddy, not to mention bragging rights.
With Boston and Los Angeles, the history lies in the actual competition between the teams. Jerry West once said that the Celtics-Lakers rivalry really wasn't a rivalry until the 80's, because the Lakers lost the first 7 match-ups between the two teams. Ironically, the Finals match-up in 2008 is what makes 2010 better; the rivalry now has a modern touch. In '08, fans and the media had to rewind two decades to justify the hype. Now, you just have to scroll back a couple years. In the words of Eminem, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers "chewed up and spit out and booed off stage"; the Lake Show had some ugly episodes.
In my opinion, Landon Donovan of Team USA also identifies with the Celtics' Rajon Rondo. Both are rising stars that have recently earned a lot of attention. Ever since Landon Donovan went on loan to Everton in the past year, he has caught the eyes of soccer pundits around the world. Similarly, in the last season and throughout the playoffs, Rondo has proven to be Boston's best player, when only a couple of years ago he was arguably the worst player in the starting lineup. In terms of skill, both are also exceptionally skilled at creating scoring opportunities for their teammates, as well as for themselves.
By the same token, I would compare England's Wayne Rooney to the Lakers' Kobe Bryant. Both are leaders and arguably the best players on their respective teams. If their teams aren't successful, as in they don't meet expectations, they will suffer the most. They are also both talented scorers, and though they have a vast repertoire, scoring is what they're renowned for.
Overall, England vs. USA and the Celtics vs. the Lakers are two very unique and historic match-ups that share some - not many, but some - similarities. Oh, and Game 5 of the NBA Finals and England vs. USA are both in the same weekend! What a great time to be a sports fan.
Only last summer, the world was marveling at how Michael Phelps captured eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics. Who would've thought that a swimmer would steal the show on the global stage? Sure, the US men's basketball team (a.k.a. the Redeem Team) blew by its opponents en route to a gold medal and the beach volleyball tag team of Misty May and Katie Walsh became #1, but the glorious August of 2008 belonged to the swimmer. He had participated in the Olympics before, but was never as dominant or popular. After his historic peformance in China, Phelps made another splash as an author, hosted Saturday Night Live, and was probably the only swimmer to ever sit in the front row at the ESPYs. For all intensive purposes, he was a superstar.
Unfortunately, he followed up his Olympic success with a marijuana scandal which kept him out of the pool for a little while. But many don't realize that this actually kept Phelps relevant; "Michael Phelps" continued to be a household name. And he earned more headlines at the 2009 World Championships not only by swimming well, but also for staying true to his sponsor, Speedo, by wearing a technologically outdated swimsuit - which caused quite a controversy. Ever since his historic outburst in '08, we keep hearing about Phelps - and swimming. With his stardom, he has elevated an entire sport. For once - or actually the second time if you include Beijing - swimmers were on the front of the sports page across the nation. ESPN panelists were weighing in on...whether or not swimmers should be allowed to wear these new, advanced suits? Indeed, swimming has reached new heights with the help of Phelps; Americans were paying attention to an entirely new sport.
Of course, after Michael Phelps captured his eighth gold medal in the relay last year, NBC turned its cameras to a track race featuring the Jamaican star, Usain Bolt. At this time four seasons ago, Bolt was vaguely familiar among avid followers of the Olympics, but otherwise unknown. If you spoke about that "fast, Jamaican guy with the yellow uniform" people may know who you were talking about, but chances are they really didn't care to hear about a runner. After all, who follows track? Well, in these past few days Bolt has proved that he may quite possibly be the fastest man to date. In the 100m and 200m races this week, the records he has set may never be broken - at least not by anyone else. His speed has gotten to the point where sportswriters on ESPN's Around the Horn were debating whether or not he should try playing in the NFL.
He has all the showmanship of a star, too. He's constantly bumping his chest and posing beside his time; he is well aware that he is #1 when he waves his index finger around in the air. What's not to like about this guy? Truthfully, he is a phenom. And while we've been paying attention to this one-of-a-kind athlete, subconsciously we have been following his sport. Who knows, maybe in a few years Usain Bolt will have appeared on as many covers as Kobe. Maybe not. But still, Usain Bolt, just like Phelps, despite the fact that many will focus on his individual accolades, he has also carried his sport to another level. Hopefully, in the near future, the media will recognize that.
Then again, there's always the possibility that these athletes won't attract enough attention to their respective sports. Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps could better play the role of a Tiger Woods; they will surely remain the best at what they do, but "what they do" won't get the necessary coverage. Think about it, how many kids do you see today working on their putting compared to those who are playing a game of hoops? The ratio is pretty daunting. When the media airs a track or swim meet, people will tune in. That's what we saw recently with the FIFA Confederations Cup and the Tour de France...
As soccer fans across the world followed the FIFA Confed. Cup, they saw just how brilliant US soccer players are - I'm talking about home-grown talent. There were definitely some people within our own country who must've been shocked by the success of an American soccer team, supposedly one of the most disconnected teams from the sport. Hard-core foreign fans of the game scoff at us upon hearing that we call the sport "soccer" as opposed to the nearly universal name, "football." However, our team defeated the #1 team in the world, Spain, who hadn't suffered a loss since 2006! In newspapers everywhere, the US soccer team was gaining publicity; people were even learning the names of the players. Despite the fact that most still aren't entirely familiar with the team's star, Landon Donovan, Americans were able to enjoy another sport outside of the traditional big three.
Several weeks ago, Lance Armstrong's triumph in one of the most infamous sports races in the world, the Tour de France, earned as much coverage from the sports media as the entertainment world devoted to Michael Jackson's death. Armstrong's return to the sport may have been the greatest thing to ever happen to cycling. The Livestrong founder, who hadn't raced professionally for years, proved he was still among the world's best cyclists by finishing third. On top of that, Lance had some drama with his teammate and eventual first place winner, Alberto Contador, which also directed more media to the sport. What's more, Armstrong has already announced that he will be back in 2010 racing for Team RadioShack. Cycling has never been so entertaining.
Let's face it, as Americans, touchdowns, homeruns, and baskets have been instilled in our DNA. That doesn't mean, though, that we shouldn't watch soccer players score goals, swimmers glide their way to the other end of a pool, or runners rapidly sprint to the finish line - or, in general, follow (and participate in) other sports.