U20 1:0 USASA Midwest (I think this was the opponent) ... no link or details ... only about half the roster had arrived ... I think they filled in with some "locals"
According to our local Univision affiliate: US 1 x 0 Midwest El Salvador 2 x 0 South Canada 2 x 1 Honduras East 3 x 0 West Also, there's a Spanish-language radio station in Houston, Radio Deportes 920 AM, that carried today's Canada x Honduras game, and I think also the ES x South game. I only happened across their broadcast of the Canada x Honduras game, so I don't know if they carried the US game, but I don't think they did. They appear to stream online from www.radiodeportes.com, but I tried to connect a few times with no luck. At any rate, I'll listen to their morning sports talk show on the way into work tomorrow and post here if they say anything about a broadcast schedule for more games.
from US Soccer UNDER-20 MNT OPENS USASA SOCCER FESTIVAL WITH 1-0 WIN OVER MIDWEST REGION: The U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team opened its week of action at the 2003 USASA Soccer Festival in Houston, Texas, with a 1-0 win over the Midwest Region yesterday, as forward Ed Johnson provided the lone tally in the 49th minute. The tournament marks the first time that the team has played a match since early March, when it took second in the Madeira International Tournament in Portugal. The U-20s will next take on three international teams, facing El Salvador on July 29, then Honduras on July 31, and Canada on Aug. 2. U.S. U-20 MNT Schedule 2003 USASA Soccer Festival Date: Opponent - Result - U.S. Goal Scorers July 27: USASA Midwest - 1-0 W - E. Johnson July 29: El Salvador July 31: Honduras Aug. 2: Canada
Results for Tues, July 29: US 3 x 0 El Salvador Cameron Johnson (pk) Cameron And I was told: Honduras 0 x 0 West Canada 0 x 0 East I'm not sure about some of my player identification. I just don't know the collegians. My numbers for them are based on what the PA announcer said. But he had a difficult time with Moose and Moor, as well as Pearce, and he didn't announce a number for Dempsey at all. There were no announcements about subs during the second half. There was no program or roster at the stadium. But here's what I was able to gather about the numerical roster - please post corrections: 1- Cronin 2- Harvey 3- Mapp 4- Marshall (?) 5- Cochrane 6- Stone 7- Johnson 8- Klaas 9- Alvarez 10- Convey (c) 11- Clark 12- ? 13- Barclay 14- Quaranta 16- Pearce 17- Cameron 18- Williams 19- ? 20- ? 21- Moose Don't know numbers for: Magee, Grabavoy, Moor The US starters against ES: ----14---7---- --3---10---13 ---11---8--- --2---5---4--- ------1------- Subs at the half: Out: 13-Barclay, 14-Quaranta, 3-Mapp In: 9-Alvarez, 21-Moose, 17-Cameron Other Subs (times are my estimates - the scoreboard clock wasn't on): 66' Out: 11-Clark, In: 6-Stone 72' Out: 5-Cochrane, In: 12-? 76' Out: 10-Convey, In: 19-? Notes about the subs - 12 played in the center of a three-man back line, same spot as Cochrane; 19 played behind the forwards, same spot as Convey. First half highlights: Johnson 4 shots (3 headers; two shots forced saves, 2 were wide), Quaranta 1 (wide), Convey 2 (both well over the bar), Barclay 1 (save), Clark 1 (very nice header, saved). Other than their shots, Quaranta and Barclay were very quiet. Johnson was wide open on two of his headers. Convey was outstanding - dribbled past people, delivered nice passes, distributed well for possession, won balls defensively, took teammates aside to apparently give instructions. Clark was the other standout player - generally nice passing, great shot, dominated wherever he went. The defenders could've gone across the street for a burger and fries at BK. Virtually the entire half was played in ES's half. ES brought nothing. They had one shot, way wide, troubled no one. Second half highlights: The US continues to lay seige to the Salvadoran penalty area. As if they weren't already massively out-classed, ES's No. 11 is ejected early in the half on a second yellow. Knox Cameron and Arturo Alvarez were terrific. Very soon after the start of the half, Alvarez gets down the left and puts in a nice cross to the far post, couldn't tell who won it (sorry), but it's headed to Cameron, who heads it into the net for the first goal. Around the 55th min, the Salvadoran goalie brings down Johnson for a PK. Johnson takes it for the second goal. A little later Convey places a really nice ball through to Cameron, who's making a run, he takes it to the end line and passes back to Johnson, who gets a nice shot off, but saved. Alvarez gets on the end of a cross (couldn't tell from whom, sorry) at the far post, but goes wide. Alvarez beats his man down the flank and lays in a perfect pass to a wide open Cameron, who just miss-hits it, allowing the gk to collect. Cameron comes up with a ball in at the top of the penalty area that the defense can't clear and scores the third goal. Alvarez takes a very nice free kick, just outside the the penalty area, to the right. He just barely hits it outside the post. Cameron beats his man down the right flank, puts in a nice cross to Johnson, who scores, but it's off side. Btw, Mike Jeffries was there and took notes from time to time.
Thank you for this match report! Excellent report Anderson! Based upon the roster numbers from the last two camps, #19 was likely Ned Grabavoy. The defender wearing #12 was probably Drew Moor (although he wore #20 last camp). Thanks again.
i just got back from the match and this is my opinion- the back four and keepers had nothing to do. convey was Aight, he wasnt special or anything and i was suprised he was on the pitch for so long. ricardo clark has been impressing me in metrostars games that ive watched on the telly and he was impressive tonight. mapp was nonexistent barclay-same- quaranta-same as above, tried some fancy dribbling but was just as bad as his partner........................ Ed johnson- terrible- this guy played so negatively i was upset. from the little i had seen of him he was quite decent but he was shoddy in front of goal and seemed a step slower than his teammates with the mental things on the pitch-movement etc. cameron- he's a bloody joke, he's the american heskey, scored 2 goals yes but i doubt he would be given a sniff at goal against quality opp. at the wyc. justin moose-i'd heard some about him and he didnt dissapoint except on his crosses, but he was alright. arturo alvarez was brilliant- i believe he is still 18 or so, the guy has a magic left foot and had nice runs, he was impressive. Again- these are merely my thoughts
Another eye-witness match report here: http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/NationalTeams/20030730065943/view
Great report. I forgot to add that Radio Deportes, 920 AM, did carry the US x ES game last night and you may be able to get their stream online. They said they'd be back on Thursday, but didn't specify whether they're planning on carrying both games (US x Hon and Can x ES) or just one. Also, there are some updates at the bottom of this page at the festival site: http://www.tssas.com/usfest/sched.htm#box
thanks for all the reports guys. how long before clark gets a call up by bruce? he seems to fit in perfectly regardless of the level of the opposition. is he too green for the next step?
Well, the next step is actually the U23 team and he made that in April and reportedly played well when the 23s beat Mexico. So, as you allueded to, he seamlessly transitioned to that team as well. I certainly think that he's ready to take the step after that, which is the senior team and I would expect that he'll get called in to camp in January unless there is a conflict with the 23s. I've heard Bruce is going to have a camp in December and ordinarily I would think Ricardo would be there for that camp, but since that's when the 20s will be halfway around the world in the UAE, I doubt he'll be able to make that camp! GersMan, thanks for the link - it was a nice game report. Assunimg the TDS game report is correct, it sounds like Anderson got his tall African American strikers a bit mixed up, as it was Johnson who had two goals while Cameron had one and drew a PK. And word on why Magee didn't play?
Man, how bush league is that? I mean, these are just basic things you should provide. In the past SoccerFestival has been very well organized but I've been VERY unimpressed with the organization of the event the two years its been in Houston. Here's hoping it moves to a venue that is better organized in the future. While it may be a bit of optimism for him to be scouting as he likely won't be in position to be picking players next year, you still like to see him out there doing the homework. It's a shame there aren't more MLS coaches there scouting. Only the Crew and Galaxy have games this week so all the other MLS teams could be there as well. (Though they could have sent assistants or GMs who aren't as recognizable and they could be there and we're just not hearing about it.)
They said they expect to have programs for the Thursday games. Where was this event held in the past? And, yes, I may well have mixed up my tall strikers. Don't worry - I'm keeping my day job.
When they are in the open, Cameron is obviously bigger than Johnson, but when they are scrambled together in the six-yard box with much shorter Salvadorans, it is kind of difficult to tell from a distance, especially as Cameron was wearing #17 and Johnson #7. Magee is not on the roster that was handed out last night.
The organizers blamed the lack of programs on the foreign teams, said they didn't receive their rosters in time. On the plus side, Robertson Stadium is one of the better soccer stadia in the US, and there was a decent-size crowd, say 500, for the match.
I heard there were other teams represented there as well, I just didn't see them. Jeffries was sitting right in the middle of the stands.
Alvarez for the Olympic team! Donovan was on the last one at the same age and he hadn't been starting on a pro team. We know he has ball skills and can make good crosses. His coach recently said that Arturo had played less offensively in the last couple of games for the Quakes and is focusing on improving his defensive and tactical skills. He's my darkhorse to make the squad.
The coverage in the Spanish-language media's been pretty good. Radio Deportes is carrying some of the games and spending some time talking about it during their morning show (lots of praise for Bobby Convey this morning). La Tremenda has had some of the organizers and some players (Henry Suazo of Honduras was on earlier today) on their afternoon show. And the news on our Univision affiliate's been providing some scores accompanied by random game footage. The Chron's coverage has been mostly just Glenn Davis' weekly column, but that's better than nothing. Before the game last night, the PA announcer did the usual thing in which he asks the fans to make some noise when he calls out the team that they're supporting. I think the Salvadorans had the loudest cheer, but the Americans sounded pretty good, too, maybe even louder than the Hondurans. If the weather's good, we should have a nice crowd on Saturday.
just a note - the team officer with the U20s had told me that Magee picked up a minor knock in the Chicago vs KC match and wouldn't be making the camp. He said it was nothing serious but that they wanted him to stay for treatment rather than going to play in these matches. Understandable, but too bad we don't see Quaranta, Johnson and Magee on the field together.
I griped too soon about the Chron: Amateur soccer teams mesh quickly: Festival at UH filled with talent but short on practice time
I was involved with the tournament last year (not this year as I am moving in a couple of days out of state) and I can tell you that just about everyone on the local committee worked their butt off. I for one (as did many other people involved) had to do my 9-5 job and then work until midnight every night trying to help put that thing together. No, it was/is not seemless, but it seemed that US Soccer was happy enough to put the tournament in the same place two years in a row for the first time. So unless you are prepared to put together you own local organizing committee for this thing, perhaps you should cut some slack to people who are doing this for no reason other than their love of the game. It's not like anyone is getting paid to do this.
And, fwiw, the Honduran players on La Tremenda last night said that the tournament organization's been great. Sure, programs are good. But it seems to be running well, they've got some good teams to come in, the coverage is decent, and people are showing up about as well as we might expect in an Adu-less event like this.
Who needs Adu when you have the enigma known as Belotte? The Thierry Henri clone has it all (at times). Here's to Canada bringing a big ol' can of Whoop-ass when they meet El Salvador.
Here's another article in the Houston Chronicle about the festival - the second in as many days. I'm glad to see that they've got someone in addition to Glenn Davis covering the event. They're also now carrying the results on the scores page of the sports section in the print edition. Anyway, this piece is a nice read and has some quotes from Rongen, as well as the Salvadoran and Canadian coaches. Festival is proving beneficial: U-20 teams getting World Cup tests
CanuckFan i got to meet and talk with belotte during the us match as well as his teammates, i love that dude, he reminds me of anelka somewhat in what he says, but plays like henry. i realized there is no love lost between the canadian players and the american players, probably like the us-mexico rivalry.