United States men’s team again falls short in Mexico-Daily Herald(AP) Kick-starting 10th year-Chicago Tribune Ways to get your kicks-Chicago Tribune Mexico tops U.S. in Cup qualifier, 2-1-Dallas Morning News Brazil is super again in Dallas Cup-Dallas Morning News U.S. team gets wake-up call-Ft. Worth Star Telegram U.S. Sees Red, White and Green-Washington Post Mexico Refuses to Let the U.S. Come Up for Air-LA Times Chivas off to slow start-Carson Daily Breeze Mexico victory a remake-Orange County Register 'The Giant Has Not Died'-NY Daily News U.S. Huffs, Puffs and Can't Slay the 'Giant'-NY Times Herculean task is too tough for US-Boston Globe RSL: Big name, big game-Salt Lake Tribune Forward position should be Real strength-Deseret News Mexico's faithful soccer fans get extra blessings-San Diego Union Tribune Mexico serves up some soccer revancha-Houston Chronicle Mexicans' revenge is a dish served cold-Miami Herald
Well. What can we say? Does any reporter have the balls to ask Bruce any tough questions? Thanks Bruce, all the convenient excuses come out after the loss. But still no justification as to your roster moves. Good thing the Bruce doesn’t have to deal with what Terry Francona or Joe Torre have to deal with. Then God forbid we would have more knowledge of what the fluck is going on with our team!
I had hoped we would go into Mexico with an altitude-trained all-MLS side, and save the Euroboys for Guatemala on Wednesday. It would have been a risk, but would the result have been any worse? Some will say it would have been a complete debacle, but I do wonder about that; I always will. It would have been MLS vs. MFL: a loss is a loss, but a point would have put us in a much better position than now -- just a point. At least now we know the truth -- there are no saviors coming to us from their teams in Europe. Even Eddie Lewis' goal was set up by an MLSer and a tweener (LD). Of course I'm glad he got the goal to save face, and help the goal difference in the long run. But Mexico, with its home-league based players (with one exception) was a seemless cloth of green compared to our patchwork lineup, thinly veiled by the US kit.
Don't see how I keep hearing that Mexico proved they are still the best team in the region. They win by one goal at home (albeit convincingly), and we beat them by larger margins at home and at neutral locations. Just look at the record in the past 10 years! Looking forward to Mexico playing US at home later this year. We'll see who has the last laugh then!!!
More fuel for the "Donovan returning to MLS" fire: Donovan Focuses on Playing Time in Future Mark Zeigler-San Diego Union-Tribune And as far as the debacle in Mexico City yesterday, my two cents is that I'd rather lose from now to eternity at Azteca in front of 100,000 Mexican fans and whoever happens to be watching it here and there on TV if it means beating El Tri 2-0 at the World Cup in front of the whole world. For all their claims of their vaunted World Cup history and how many times they qualified, I'd point out that until we started taking it seriously again 20-some-odd years ago, how much pride could there have been in being the best of CONCACAF? For that matter, how proud can they be of the oft-repeated goal differential of the last round of qualifying when their best competition was T&T? The only times they had some success at the actual finals happened on home soil, with years and years of futility away from home. And that's in the only sport they care about.
An intersting article from the NY Times (Reg Required): A Dutch Soccer Riddle: Jewish Regalia Without Jews http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/28/i...tml?ex=1112677200&en=9999ba24c9d87978&ei=5070
Those looking for a journalist with a little tougher approach will like this one: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/feature?id=328994&cc=5901
This is the same moron who also said Keller is washed up. Wonder what she thought of Kasey's save on that free kick.
Apparently Jen Chang is a man, not a woman. Look at the bottom of that article. I made the same mistake as you assuming that it's a woman.
did you bother to read this article? i thought it was pretty damn good... it's nice to see someone rip someone in us soccer, there is far too much patting each other on the back for any little thing donovan should have been ripped apart for this crap years ago, but our journalists are more concerned with making everything sound positive instead of ripping it apart for being completely stupid
As a Jew, I've always supported Ajax for no better reason. Now I'm wondering if that's mistaken. However, I'm not going to shift allegiences without more than one article from the New York Times (not that I buy the whole reputation smear, but this is more of a culture piece than hard news, and newspapers of all stripes get basic ideas of culture pieces wrong all the time). On the other hand, I'm also somewhat of an Eindhoven supporter since I had a roommate from Eindhoven and because of Beasley...errr...helP!
I'm sorry, but isn't that Sean Wheelock's job? Honestly, the only person i can see at times take tough stances with any regularity is Ives, and yet i see him get ripped a lot precisely because of it...
JMeissen - No problems ripping on LD for wanting to tuck tale bac to MLS, but I thought the article, other than his observations about not succeeding in Europe, was pretty baseless. He may not have played well yesterday, but he is a pretty key player on the field for the US. He may not be a "golden boy", but I think we have at least some high grade silver. I found this stat which actually surprised me - Eddie Lewis – 61 Caps, 6 Goals DaMarcus Beasley – 40 Caps, 8 Goals Landon Donovan – 57 Caps, 19 goals (Courtesy of the Soccer Pundit[/ur]) That is pretty telling in of itself. But yes, the Europe part stinks, and if I were his confident, I would be telling him not to go back to MLS at least until he gave another Euro club or five a shot. Paul
I think Chang nominated Eddie Johnson, not Eddie Lewis for the position of golden boy. However, the pundit's point is well taken. I didn't realize Landon had so many goals (and caps for that matter) already. I've seen what Landon is capable of in a USA jersey, and in big games. Let's not forget that he scored twice in the World Cup, and would've scored again in the Quarterfinal if not for the heroics of Oliver Kahn. I don't see how his shortcomings at Leverkusen relate to his performance with the nats. So he didn't play well at Azteca Sunday, most people don't. To me that's easier to take than him quitting Europe so soon. He should at least stick it out till the end of the season and explore his options on the transfer market.
no one's questioning donovan's past. he has developed wonderfully over the years and gotten better with age... people are questioning him now. he obviously has the potential to be so much better and seems content with being "high grade silver." i love mls. i think landon does wonders for the league, and i enjoy watching him play. but he will stagnate in mls. however, in the end, it is really his decision and his life.
The writer might be right. Still, the article was only writen at this time due to the loss. If the USA "D" just doesn't wholly forget the basic theory of "must cover all men within 35 yards of goal" for 3 minutes, the qualifier was at worst a tie. In the big picture, likely no other team is going to earn a point in Azteca, so the net loss to the field is nil. USMNT's job to win the region (and a de facto seed in the Germany '06 draw) now becomes to win home to MEX and outscore MEX in the 8 other fixtures. I'd also add that of the 5 qualifiers I saw during the weekend, the low standard was US/MEX. Netherlands professionally destroying a capable opponent on the road is my pick for the weekend. Brazil looked like 11 guys angling for the next Nike spot.
That's a tall order, considering that all the other clubs are going to be punch-drunk in Azteca as well, and that we are the only team in the region without a true home-field advantage. I don't see us outscoring Mexico any time soon.