tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302034582011-09-04T21:14:02.581-04:00Your spot for everything MLS, U.S. Soccer and Americans Overseas.jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.comBlogger831100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-57577508706865441662007-04-18T15:16:00.000-04:002007-04-18T15:27:55.362-04:00

The Boston Globe reported today that the Revolution are continuing to speak with clubs overseas about the possibility of adding a foreign player to their roster. Evidently, the Revs have been offered an undetermined player from Spanish side Deportivo Alaves. Revolution coach Steve Nicol didn't speak directly to that situation but did concede that the organization is still in the market for a

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1165812940805017112006-12-10T23:38:00.000-05:002006-12-10T23:55:40.816-05:00

After parting ways with Bruce Arena, Sunil Gulati needed a big name to fill his shoes. He needed someone that would give the program instant credibility and fire up the masses for the next World Cup and every international competition before it. He needed someone who could bring some life back to the bunch and get guys like DaMarcus Beasley to actually try. Jurgen Klinsmann was that someone. Bob

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1165375223024675952006-12-05T22:15:00.000-05:002006-12-05T22:20:23.036-05:00

Reports from many media outlets have Juergen Klinsmann finally coming to terms with the U.S. Soccer the next coach of the men's national team. Since his resignation from a German squad that unexpectedly placed third in the 2006 World Cup, Klinsmann has been hotly pursued by U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gullati. But even though U.S. international Steve Cherundolo told a German television station

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1165014843068561392006-12-01T17:27:00.000-05:002006-12-01T18:14:03.080-05:00

A recent article on clubcall.com has Fulham reaching an agreement with MLS and the Revolution for U.S. Player of the Year Clint Dempsey. The deal is likely music to Dempsey's ear as he has made no secret of his desire to play overseas.The music has taken on a minor key since the deal was struck, though, as Dempsey's transfer is now in doubt because of problems with his work permit. This wouldn't

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1164751329701662512006-11-28T16:31:00.000-05:002006-11-28T17:02:09.713-05:00

This fall, the marginally talented Red Bulls went as far as creative midfielder Amado Geuvara could take them. Unfortunately for New Yorkers, that was only to the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and a first-round playoff loss. With little reason to believe next year would be any more prosperous if he held on to this season's nucleus, coach Bruce Arena traded Guevara to Chivas USA Monday

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1164497975385504332006-11-25T18:03:00.000-05:002006-11-25T18:39:35.396-05:00

Call me ignorant, but as a child I thought that Canadian children moved to America once they grew up. I saw Canada as a sort of triple-A league to America's major league. The U.S. and Canada seem similar enough - except for the northerners' bagged milk phenomenon and ubiquitous use of the "word" eh - for my belief to be a reality.Alas, these nations have major differences that are often exposed

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1164411679712426142006-11-24T12:28:00.000-05:002006-11-24T18:41:19.746-05:00

In a year when Major League Soccer officials struck gold with an new television deal, and opened a glistening, soccer-specific stadium outside of Chicago - with more like it in the works - the league may still lose two of its brightest stars. Clint Dempsey and Dwayne De Rosario, both of whom led their teams to the MLS Cup this season, have their eyes set on greener pitches overseas.In his most

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1162427497805256182006-11-01T19:06:00.000-05:002006-11-01T19:32:24.670-05:00

Playing in the house that Belichick built, the Revolution took a page out of the hooded genius' playbook as they squeaked out a victory without a number of core players. Imitating Belichick, who has earned a living coaching whoever's available, Steve Nicol got the Revs to the Eastern Conference finals without Shalrie Joseph or Clint Dempsey, and with a laboring Taylor Twellman.Stuck in a 2-0

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1161662742272939412006-10-23T23:27:00.000-04:002006-10-24T00:05:42.290-04:00

Denver's sports scene is weird. The Broncos are somehow 5-1 with Jake Plummer and his beard quarterbacking their offense. The backup point guard for the Nuggets stands about as tall as my mother. And the Colorado Rapids, despite having strong players in the middle of the park, insist on relying on the counterattack and playing direct.With Kyle Beckerman and Pablo Mastroeni manning Colorado's

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1161142176825038712006-10-17T22:56:00.000-04:002006-10-17T23:29:36.840-04:00

For the second consecutive game, Brian McBride got on the board for Fulham, pocketing a chance in the 65th minute in his club's 2-1 win over Charlton on Monday night. McBride played the full 90 minutes and scored his goal as the team's lone striker - a role familar to him since he played atop a 4-5-1 formation throughout the 2006 World Cup.Over the summer, I spoke to one college coach who

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1161049143717817022006-10-16T21:20:00.000-04:002006-10-16T21:39:03.730-04:00

I apologize for the scarcity of Inswingers postings of late. My college team, Wesleyan University, is in the heat of the conference playoff race and have spent consierable time on the road these past few weeks. We're currently 8-0-2 and in sole possession of first place in the New England Small College Athletic Conference. The season will keep me busy in the coming weeks - with games against our

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1160537153636919952006-10-10T23:12:00.000-04:002006-10-10T23:25:53.656-04:00

The U.S. soccer family lost a gem yesterday morning with Glenn "Mooch" Myernick passing away after enduring a heart attack that induced a coma. Myernick, a straight shooter as eloquently noted by Grant Wahl in his memorial piece on SI.com, was a winner in both MLS and international soccer, coaching the U.S. team through olympic qualifying and assisting Bruce Arena during his tenure as the

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1160365692845340012006-10-08T23:25:00.000-04:002006-10-08T23:48:12.863-04:00

The playoffs may have passed Columbus by this season, but the Crew's 4-1 thrashing of the Fire at Toyota Park last night offered a glimpse of why Columbus could be contenders in 2007. Ravaged by injuries all year long, including the losses of keeper Jon Busch and defender Frankie Hejduk for extended periods, head coach Sigi Schmid was forced to improvise by adding yet more youth to an already raw

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1160158440579537892006-10-06T14:06:00.000-04:002006-10-06T14:14:00.596-04:00

DaMarcus Beasley suffered a right ankle injury in Manchester City's reserves match on Tuesday night but club officials expect Beasley to be available for next Saturday's match against Sheffield United. The setback came at a good time for Beasley, who is on loan from PSC Eindhoven, as Man. City is in the midst of the international break from league play.After a disappointing performance in the

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1160010376194234362006-10-04T20:40:00.000-04:002006-10-04T21:06:16.220-04:00

Jose Mauel Abundis, a recent transfer from Deportivo Toluca of Mexico, picked a good time to score his first goal in a Revolution uniform. Abundis got on the end of a set piece cross from Steve Ralston and headed what proved to be the game-winner past Colorado goalkeeper Joe Cannon in a 3-1 win over the Rapids that clinched a playoff spot for New England.After dressing but not playing against New

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1159853390146768192006-10-03T01:19:00.000-04:002006-10-03T01:29:50.156-04:00

Brian McBride may have retired from international soccer but he is still a fixture on the club scene. Yesterday evening, McBride played the role of super sub, coming on in the 59th minute to score on a half volley twelve minutes later in a 3-3 tie to Watford.McBride pounced on a Fulham cross that bounced in the box, striking the ball solidly and confidently past the goalkeepr. The tally, his

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1159756609796296232006-10-01T22:24:00.000-04:002006-10-01T22:36:49.816-04:00

Bobby Convey and Reading continued to turn heads in the Premiership this week, knocking off West Ham 1-0 at Upton Park. Convey and Seol Ki-Hyeon combined on a quick restart with the latter smacking the ball home just over a minute into the match.The win put recently promoted Reading in a three-way tie for third place in the Premier League. With thirteen points, Convey's squad trails the leader,

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1159588108467850712006-09-29T23:32:00.000-04:002006-09-29T23:48:28.483-04:00

Since mid-season, whether it be in league play or U.S. Open Cup action, the Chicago Fire have been on fire. They've made a commitment to physical defending and their blend of scrappiness and finesse up top has created 39 goals, second most in the conference. These attributes were on display in their 3-1 drubbing of the Galaxy in the U.S. Open Cup Final.The Fire got on the board early as C.J.

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1159335828159382672006-09-27T01:16:00.002-04:002006-09-27T01:45:04.016-04:00

For all the scoring chances Manchester United had against Reading last Saturday, their lone goal came on what appeared to be a benign offensive attack from the wing. But when Cristiano Ronaldo is manning the wing, there is always a chance for fireworks.Ronaldo received the ball innocently enough in the right corner and - as wingers are told to do - immediately ran at his defender. Having not put

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1158937940687237512006-09-22T11:00:00.000-04:002006-09-27T01:46:24.736-04:00

My current technological situation reminds me of that old joke in which a waiter serves soup to a man in his restaraunt. The man asks the waiter repeatedly to taste the soup while the waiter refuses, thinking the man is out of his mind. After a few minutes of being badgered to taste the soup, the waiter finally gives in. And as he is about to try the soup, he asks his customer: "where's the spoon

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1158116875368190392006-09-12T22:44:00.000-04:002006-09-12T23:07:55.436-04:00

Let's talk NFL for a moment. Last Sunday, the Patriots took on the Bills in Foxborough in what many thought would be an easy New England triumph. Just seconds into the season opener, though, the home crowd was stunned when Takeo Spikes jarred the ball loose from Tom Brady and London Fletcher recovered and dove into the endzone. The Pats trailed from that point til about midway through the fourth

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1157943889091880112006-09-10T22:44:00.000-04:002006-09-10T23:04:49.173-04:00

Soccer is not America's game (news flash, I know). Instead, that title goes to either football, basketball or baseball, depending on who you talk to. And there's a fundamental, obvious difference between those three sports and soccer: The "American" games are played with one's hands and all involve throwing and catching.So perhaps it's not surprising that American goalkeepers have had the most

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1157759586504848442006-09-08T19:32:00.000-04:002006-09-08T19:53:06.576-04:00

I'm not sure if the early stages of Euro 2008 qualifying count as cruel and unusual punishment but I think Andorra and San Marino would tell you it is. Those two states took on England and Germany, respectively, and the results were as predictable as a David Ortiz walkoff home run. England beat Andorra 5-0 while the Germans put up an American football score on San Marino, winning 13-0. Yes, you

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1157511566797402882006-09-05T22:52:00.000-04:002006-09-05T22:59:27.916-04:00

I apologize for no posting anything yesterday or today. As I am in the midst of finishing up my final college preseason, two-a-days are monopolizing my time. We're currently ranked 26th in the nation by D3kicks.com, a website that recently trashed our squad as being anemic on offense. I guess we have something to prove in our opener at Williams, a perennial powerhouse that we beat in last year's

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1157340807299841552006-09-03T23:32:00.000-04:002006-09-03T23:36:30.100-04:00

One of the most endearing and entertaining aspects of today's MLS is the abundance of talented, promising young players. With many of the top American players toiling overseas, the MLS has become a showcase for lesser known youngsters. Back in July, we saw what Jonathan Bornstein could do when he notched two scores against Colorado. This weekend, Alan Gordon netted two goals of his own in the

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1157169200816417082006-09-01T23:36:00.000-04:002006-09-01T23:53:20.826-04:00

For as long as the MLS has been in existence, the one constant aspect of the league has been tenuous state of its franchises. Remeber the Tampa Bay Mutiny, Miami Fusion or perhaps the San Jose Earthquakes? You won't find any of those in the standings any more. Over the past decade, it has seemed that if you blink, you will surely miss the death of one franchise and the creation of another.

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1156999523731817172006-08-31T00:33:00.000-04:002006-08-31T00:45:23.743-04:00

English club Derby's attempts to obtain a work permit for Josh Wolff have fallen through, leaving the USMNT striker with the Kansas City Wizards. Though this denies Wolff the opportunity to hone his craft in Europe, at least for the time being, those in Wizards management must be beaming over the fact that Wolff will remain with the team.The Wizards, in the midst of a tight Eastern Conference

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1156875092400815922006-08-29T13:38:00.000-04:002006-08-29T14:11:34.536-04:00

If it's true that defense wins championships, then we might not want to give D.C. United the trophy just yet. The Supporter's Shield, yes, but not the championship hardware. The Chicago Fire, winners of five straight (three league games and two U.S. Open Cup matches), are currently the MLS' hottest team and strongest defense. After wallowing in the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings for

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1156821467723639402006-08-28T22:41:00.000-04:002006-08-28T23:17:47.836-04:00

The Revs got their first win in more than a month last night against the hapless Columbus Crew. That's the good news for New Englanders. The bad news is that the team never found its rythme in a lackluster performance that would have ended in a draw had goalkeeper Matt Reis not saved a late penalty kick.The Revs scored in the 34th minute but looked out of synch leading up to the goal. Steve Nicol

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1156696519424708442006-08-27T12:00:00.000-04:002006-08-27T12:35:19.526-04:00

While the American League continues to make the National League look like the Cape League, the MLS boasts a relatively equal level of play across its two conferences. While the East has MLS' best team, the top five teams in the Western Conference are within 10 points of each other.Each league took a turn embarassing the other last night, with the Galaxy routing D.C. 5-2 as the Red Bulls kicked

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1156629698500029232006-08-26T17:47:00.000-04:002006-08-26T18:01:38.510-04:00

Tim Howard is making the most of his time at Everton while on loan from Manchester United. The American backstop kept Tottenham Hotspur off the scoreboard today, allowing Everton to claim a 2-0 victory with just 10 men. Howard made six saves in outperforming his Tottenham counterpart, English national team goalie Paul Robinson.

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1156529702842829222006-08-25T12:44:00.001-04:002006-08-25T14:16:11.426-04:00

Last Sunday, towards the end of my college team's preseason training trip to Brazil, we found ourselves practicing on a cramped, muddy pitch in the middle of a soccer compound that had fallen into disrepair. The conditions were a far cry from those we had enjoyed earlier in our trip at a soccer resort in the mountains oustide of Sao Paolo - a resort where American teams often stay and train

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1156457576348382412006-08-24T17:56:00.000-04:002006-08-24T18:12:58.520-04:00

Sorry for the long time between posts but I have a good excuse. I was with my college soccer team on a preseason training trip in Brazil. We played four games against Brazilian developmental clubs and went to two professional matches. All in all, it was an eye-opening experience that showed me why the Brazilians are head and shoulders above the rest of the soccer world and gave me a feel for

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1155046847320807212006-08-08T09:53:00.000-04:002006-08-08T10:20:47.333-04:00

An impressive World Cup stint for Oguchi Onyewu drew an offer from Middlesbrough, but the American central defender has opted to remain with Standard Liege in Belgium.The details surrounding his rejection of the move are fuzzy but it was reported that Onyewu found some aspects of the proposed contract with Middlesbrough to be troublesome. Only 24 years-old, Onyewu was right to wait for an

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1154470866070554882006-08-01T18:06:00.000-04:002006-08-01T18:21:06.336-04:00

I'll be on a vacation without the internet until Monday (and I'll let you know if it's possible to pull that off when I get back). But while I'm gone, be sure to watch the MLS All-Stars take on Chelsea on Saturday at 6:30 pm on ESPN. Even if you have a life and you won't be around your television, DVR it on the off-chance that "they" factor in the amount of times the match is recorded when

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1154384504238372822006-07-31T17:54:00.000-04:002006-07-31T18:21:52.290-04:00

In a recent entry on the Houston Chronicle's player blog, Brian Ching voiced his frustration with the Dynamo's lack of a killer instinct over the past three games. After scoring three goals in two consecutive wins at the beginning of July, the Dynamo have since struggled to find the back of the net, tying the Revolution and Red Bulls 1-1 and losing to the Rapids 1-0. "We are tying or losing to

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1154310283299010962006-07-30T20:51:00.000-04:002006-07-30T21:44:43.310-04:00

Not much has gone well for the Wizards this season (breaking news, I know). They haven't won since June 17 (a stretch that cost Bob Gansler his job) and they blew a chance at earning three points last night at home in front of a crowd that was sparse enough for them to introduce to the crowd to the players before they played the national anthem.(A side note: If anyone needs a soccer-specific

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1154129596452798722006-07-28T19:25:00.000-04:002006-07-28T20:58:20.570-04:00

It's hard to determine the severity of the injury that Landon Donovan suffered while warming up for the Galaxy's 4-1 exhibition loss to Mexican side Cruz Azul, but Landon is the first major casualty of an MLS team playing exhibition games in the midst of its regular season schedule. This ought to add punch to the argument that the exposure and marketing of MLS isn't worth risking the health of

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1154053270004313542006-07-27T21:35:00.000-04:002006-07-28T00:41:19.296-04:00

First, it was Claudio Reyna. Now, Brian McBride, the second most prolific scorer in U.S. Soccer history, has announced his retirement from international soccer. Unfortunately, neither were able to walk off into the sunset after a successful World Cup run.Happy endings aside, though, this was the right time for both Reyna and McBride to call it quits. At age 33 and 34, respectively, both would be

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1153946265295475282006-07-26T16:12:00.000-04:002006-07-26T16:37:45.636-04:00

It's a good Wednesday in MLS with Houston taking on Colorado and Chivas matched up against Real Salt Lake. I see both games being pretty even, not only because each match pits two squads with fairly similar records against each other but also because the better team in both tilts (Houston and Chivas) is the visitor. The other day, I made note of the fact that every team except D.C. has struggled

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1153848389060825952006-07-25T13:03:00.000-04:002006-07-25T13:26:29.073-04:00

D.C. United is now scheduled to face Real Madrid on August 9 in Seattle. MLS officials have scheduled numerous games against clubs from around the world this season in an attempt to showcase the quality of MLS to the rest of the soccer world. That makes it crucial that D.C. gives a good performance against the Spanish powerhouse.Though certain columnists have spoken out against the placement of

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1153712627083840252006-07-23T23:15:00.000-04:002006-07-23T23:43:47.093-04:00

Since the World Cup garnered impressive ratings in the U.S., plenty of us have wondered whether soccer's popularity will continue to grow in America and eventually grow into more than a niche sport. An article on the Yanks Abroad website argues that the media ought to exploit two men, Jon Stewart and Bill Simmons, in marketing of the MLS and the USMNT. It's an interesting idea considering the

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1153624700100717832006-07-22T23:10:00.000-04:002006-07-22T23:18:34.163-04:00

By the time John Terry is about 70 and David Beckham is in wheelchair, England might host the World Cup. Evidently, plans are in the works to bring the Cup back to England in about as many years as it takes to pay off a mortgage. Nothing is set in stone, but with the next tournament in South Africa and 2014 likely in Brazil, it would be Europe's turn to host in 2018. I wonder if the British

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1153513677870594522006-07-21T16:09:00.000-04:002006-07-21T16:27:58.276-04:00

If it's true that "you are what you are," then most MLS teams "are" mediocre. Take a look at the standings. Only three teams have winning records. The rest of the league has a .500 record or worse with varying amounts of draws. The NFL has acheived parity through a slary cap and free agency. Baseball is still trying to even the playing field, so to speak, through revenue sharing. But MLS is

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1153454173144274922006-07-20T23:53:00.000-04:002006-07-20T23:56:13.156-04:00

Whether controlling the midfield or headbutting a mouthy Italian, Zinedine Zidane tends to capture an audience’s attention. So it was no surprise that the media showered him with compliments after he captained France past Brazil in the World Cup quarterfinals. But Zidane was not the only reason the French took out the boys from Brazil – it took a concerted team effort to be strong on the ball,

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1153344396050181512006-07-19T16:03:00.000-04:002006-07-19T17:26:36.973-04:00

After head coaching stops at Dartmouth, Stanford and with the New Zealand National Team, Bobby Clark has now brought Notre Dame to national soccer prominence. Entering his sixth season in South Bend, Clark has led the Irish to a Big East tournament title (2003), the school's first-ever Big East regular season title (2004) and five straight appearances in the NCAA tournament. Last season, the

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1153249467100107762006-07-18T14:44:00.000-04:002006-07-18T15:04:27.110-04:00

It didn't take long for Bruce Arena to find a new reclamation project. Just days after being fired as the USMNT coach, Arena was ">introduced as the new head coach of the New York Red Bulls. New York is stuck at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, which affords Bruce the opportunity to come to the rescue as he did with the men's national team after the stinker that was the '98 World Cup. Arena

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1153164935293090102006-07-17T15:35:00.000-04:002006-07-17T15:35:35.296-04:00

Entering his second year as the head men's soccer coach at Northeastern University (Boston), Brian Ainscough took time out of his busy recruiting schedule to chat with me about the World Cup. Ainscough grew up in Dublin, Ireland and played for the Irish Youth National Team in 1983. He played his college soccer at Farleigh Dickinson University and then played for five years in the American

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1153163625566707062006-07-17T14:32:00.000-04:002006-07-17T15:13:46.570-04:00

The other day, my father and I fixed a leak in the wall surrounding the air conditioner in our kitchen during a pounding rainstorm. We positioned towels and buckets to catch the incoming water and covered a backboard-sized area of floor with flattened plastic bags to protect the wood. A few days later, we were watching a baseball game in the basement (not near the kitchen) when water began to

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1152896721519508682006-07-14T12:41:00.000-04:002006-07-14T13:05:21.706-04:00

The USSF has decided not to renew Bruce Arena's contract which expires at the end of the year. U.S. Soccer head Sunil Gulati said the decision came down primarily to "eight years being a long period." He said that "the direction Bruce has set is very, very positive," and that Bruce "didn't become a bad coach in three games with a few bad bounces of the ball." Judged against the standard tenure of

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1152718733831698162006-07-12T11:38:00.000-04:002006-07-12T11:41:09.190-04:00

Please welcome Du Nord and MLS News and Views to the Inswingers blog roll. Be sure to check them out.

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1152681860277649462006-07-12T01:18:00.000-04:002006-07-12T01:31:34.953-04:00

Jürgen Klinsmann announced he will not renew his contract as head coach of the German National Team. Rumor has it that U.S. Soccer officials have courted Klinsmann, who makes his home in southern California, in an effort to make him the new head coach of the U.S. Men's National Team. As of now, Bruce Arena still holds that title.Let the speculation continue...

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1152647302676124512006-07-11T15:35:00.000-04:002006-07-11T16:09:31.686-04:00

I guess in a world where Steve Nash can win two straight MVP awards, Zinedine Zidane can win the Golden Ball as the World Cup's best player. Let's take a look at Zidane's tournament and Fabio Cannavaro's tournament and you can decide who should have received the honor.Zidane and France slogged through the group stage, finishing second in Group G to, ahem, Switzerland. In fact, the only group game

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1152550592252994342006-07-10T12:27:00.000-04:002006-07-11T01:16:17.716-04:00

If you've been reading this blog regularly, you know that I can talk all day about the beautiful game. But wouldn't you rather hear a professional perspective on the world of soccer? I would too. That's why I've added a feature called "Coach's Corner," in which I'll bring you a college or professional coach's view on all things soccer. Williams College Head Coach Mike Russo was kind enough to be

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1152543900277417182006-07-10T10:52:00.000-04:002006-07-10T11:26:29.690-04:00

A rising MLS star was on display Saturday night at the Home Depot Center as the Galaxy's left outside midfielder Josh Gardner gave visiting Real Salt Lake fits all night. Gardner, 23, was active off the ball and crafty on it, getting behind the RSL defense and swinging crosses into the box. On one play, the speedy Gardner held the ball on the left flank near midfield before playing the ball back

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1152505143184618142006-07-09T23:59:00.000-04:002006-07-10T00:20:28.506-04:00

France coach Raymond Domenech was quick to defend Zinedine Zidane for his classless headbutt and subsequent ejection. (It dawned on me that Zidane's move was a lot like the one Robin Williams pulled in the bar fight in "Good Morning Vietnam," only Zidane's was pretty effective while Williams bounced off the guy). Anyway, Domenech also said that his team "missed Zinedine Zidane a lot in the last

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1152486233629542582006-07-09T19:03:00.000-04:002006-07-09T19:03:53.630-04:00

The Italians bent, but they never broke.Thoroughly exhausted for the latter stages of the second half and throughout the overtime sessions, the Italians did well to keep their shape and weather the French attack. Fabio Cannavaro (who is to my mind the obvious pick as the tournament's best player) kept the Italian defense in position all game. Cannavaro has no equal when it comes to reading the

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1152485740991324672006-07-09T18:46:00.000-04:002006-07-10T00:57:38.656-04:00

The French deserved to win this game until the 110th minute when their captain lost his cool. Unable to solve the Italian defense, Zidane vented his frustration by morphing into a streetfighter and headbutting Italy's Marco Materazzi. Moments earlier, Zidane had screamed in anger when Buffon turned away his header (below at right), but, at that point, his emotions appeared to be under control.

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1152477693922503362006-07-09T16:35:00.000-04:002006-07-09T16:41:33.930-04:00

With the French without Zidane and Henry and with the question mark that is Fabien Barthez, you have to give the edge to the Italians. Buffon is the better keeper (as shown by that magnificent save he made on Zidane's header), but Barthez has beaten the Italians before in this situation ('98 World Cup).No matter who wins, though, it's an unfortunate way to decide a World Cup Champion. Why not let

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1152469025211461752006-07-09T13:48:00.000-04:002006-07-10T11:44:22.336-04:00

I've read in a few places that both Italy and France are playing a 4-4-1-1 formation today. While that may be a neat and tidy way to break down what these teams are doing in a newspaper, it's not what either team is really playing. For those who aren't familiar with these numbers, a 4-4-1-1 means a team would play with four defenders, four midfielders, one withdrawn forward and one striker. But

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1152374436729796912006-07-08T11:10:00.001-04:002006-07-08T12:06:06.306-04:00

Sigi Schmid, coach of the Columbus Crew, is another valid candidate for coach of the U.S. team should Bruce Arena leave his post. Schmid has experience coaching in the college, professional and international ranks. In his 19 years at UCLA he compiled a record of 322-63-33 and led the Bruins to three national titles. In 1997, he was named NSCAA Coach of the Year. Three years earlier, Schmid had

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1152292979093448092006-07-07T13:16:00.000-04:002006-07-07T13:22:59.106-04:00

Ross Kerber's article in the Boston Globe tells us what a World Cup loss can mean for a country's stock index.

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1152289278951617522006-07-07T12:14:00.001-04:002006-07-07T12:21:18.953-04:00

Follow the Grant Wahl link on the right side of this page to his new interview with U.S. Soccer head man Sunil Gulati. Wahl asks him about Bruce Arena's future as well as the possibility that the U.S. might play in Copa America (the South American Championship) next season. Also, my soccer blog has a good rundown of the interview.

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1152286880855472542006-07-07T11:08:00.000-04:002006-07-07T11:41:20.973-04:00

If you haven't already, follow the link on the right side of this page to "MLS" and vote for who you think should be an MLS All-Star. Choose wisely because the team will play Chelsea in an exhibition match on Saturday, Aug. 5 (6:30 ET). The game will provide much-needed exposure for MLS and a good showing by the All-Stars is a must. Make sure the right guys are on the squad. Voting ends at 3 p.m.

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1152282086379858622006-07-07T10:17:00.000-04:002006-07-07T10:21:26.386-04:00

Be sure to catch the blog called goalposts that I just added to my blog links.It's got a great article on the New York Cosmos as well as a column giving more reasons why Arena has got to go.

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1152208675217544752006-07-06T13:53:00.000-04:002006-07-06T13:57:55.226-04:00

On the heels of the U.S. team's debacle in Germany, Bruce Arena suggested that the best way to prepare for international competition is to have more young American talents playing in Europe. MLS Commish Don Garber took offense to that. Read about that, plus more on the debate of whether MLS is a proper vehicle for developing World Cup players, in the Kansas City Star

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1152204923747622432006-07-06T12:18:00.000-04:002006-07-06T13:02:02.786-04:00

Sunday's final is guaranteed to give credence to the maxim that defense wins championships. Both France and Italy are locked in at the back, with Thuram and Cannavaro playing intelligently and fearlessly in anchoring the French and Italian back lines, respectively. To see how well the Italian defense is playing, consider what Fabio Grosso's goal against Germany taught us about defending in the

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1152162888443241222006-07-06T01:10:00.000-04:002006-07-06T01:14:48.456-04:00

If you haven't already, be sure to check out the link under "soccer blogs" to a blog called My Soccer Blog. It always has tons of soccer information and great insight. Also, I added a link to Grant Wahl's archive on the Sports Illustrated website. It's good to see such a talented writer concentrating on soccer, if only for the duration of the World Cup. Here's hoping his focus remains upon the

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1152129044644054862006-07-05T15:32:00.002-04:002006-07-05T15:50:44.650-04:00

Italy turned up the intensity in in the overtime periods against Germany, but they wouldn't have even been in a position to raise their play had they not emerged from the first half unscathed. The Germans began the game flying around the ball, riding the encouragement of their home crowd. But despite getting the better of Italy in the early going, Germany failed to score. Gradually, the Germans'

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1152035691030188732006-07-04T13:32:00.000-04:002006-07-04T13:54:51.113-04:00

Watching Italy play Germany in the semi-finals will be a bit like watching a highly rated mid-major team play a traditional powerhouse in the NCAA tournament. Not that Italy is the international soccer equivalent of a mid-major, but the Azzurri have played a bit of a mid-major schedule of late. We don't know quite how they will stack up against the big boys.While Germany trounced Sweeden and then

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1151942112966174962006-07-03T11:29:00.000-04:002006-07-03T11:55:13.040-04:00

A bevy of names are popping up as potential replacements for Bruce Arena (should he not retain his job as national team coach), and some of them don't make sense. The one I find most preposterous is Sven-Goran Eriksson, the man who coached England to a quarterfinal finish this World Cup.The main knock on Eriksson's most recent team is that his players seemed unmotivated and lacking direction.

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1151854869755938242006-07-02T11:05:00.000-04:002006-07-02T11:41:09.830-04:00

Since the United States' early exit from the World Cup, it has been widely speculated that Landon Donovan is most comfortable playing soccer in his homeland. That's an acceptable distinction for someone from England or Italy, but not for a California boy. Here in the states, we expect our best players to challenge themselves in Europe.This speculation put Donovan in an impossible position upon

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1151713217201778792006-06-30T19:47:00.000-04:002006-06-30T20:20:17.210-04:00

Soccer America Magazine recently put out a list of possible successors to Bruce Arena should the U.S. national team coach not retain his position. The list is a good start but it fails to mention Peter Nowak who, call me crazy (and maybe I am), should at least be a dark horse to get the job.Since retiring from the Chicago Fire, Nowak has entered the management side of MLS with great results.

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1151624115451815342006-06-29T19:12:00.000-04:002006-06-29T19:35:15.513-04:00

The MLS is always in need of exposure. So it's a good thing that MLS teams have scheduled a number of exhibition games against European sides this summer. The MLS All-Star team will take on mighty Chelsea on August 5 at Toyota Park. The Revolution host Celtic, winners of the Scottish Premier League, on July 19 and the Columbus Crew take on Everton a week later. The Fire and CD Chivas USA also

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1151550772424481122006-06-28T23:10:00.000-04:002006-06-28T23:14:58.123-04:00

Check out the New York Daily News' article about Bruce Arena as a potential successor to Mo Johnston at Red Bull New York. If nothing else, it's an interesting rumor.

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1151543382856528732006-06-28T20:28:00.000-04:002006-06-28T21:09:42.863-04:00

The other day I wrote that the Revolution needed to make better use of Taylor Twellman. Twellman hadn't gotten the ball at his feet in dangerous situations often enough and, consequently, the Revs attack had sputtered. Turns out that all Twellman needed to get back on track was for Clint Dempsey to return from Germany. The past few games, Twellman strayed to the flanks to receive

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1151441733593893252006-06-27T16:54:00.000-04:002006-06-27T16:55:33.593-04:00

Does anyone know what Luca Toni is yelling whenever he misses a scoring chance? The guy's intense. He must lead this World Cup in slo-mo, headshot replays where his mouth opens wider than a Fiat. I say we get him and Stephen A. Smith in a room together as soon as possible. Imagine them yelling at each other about absolutely nothing and in different languages. For some reason the idea just makes

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1151438764712672362006-06-27T15:45:00.000-04:002006-06-27T16:06:04.806-04:00

In an interview posted on his club's website, Bobby Convey said his first World Cup was an "amazing" and "happy" experience. Not surprisingly, he also criticized FIFA's officiating, saying that the referees "ruined" the games against Italy and Ghana. One of the few bright spots of the United States' stay in Germany, the 5'9'' left outside midfielder is eager to put the disappointments of the

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1151436697758020202006-06-27T15:14:00.000-04:002006-06-27T15:31:37.840-04:00

Looks like the soccer gods are back on the Italians' side. After the heartbreak of Baggio in '94 and DiBiaggio in '98, the Azzurri are finally getting some breaks. The call for a PK against Australia yesterday was horrendous - I don't see how you can call that on such a flimsy foul with only seconds until overtime. Let the players decide the game's outcome, not the referee.If that call wasn't

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1151281158886427922006-06-25T19:24:00.000-04:002006-06-25T20:19:18.933-04:00

Tonight's official opening of Toyota Park, the pristine new home of the Chicago Fire, brings yet more legitimacy to the MLS. The Fire join the Columbus Crew, CD Chivas USA, Los Angeles Galaxy and FC Dallas as a team that plays in a soccer-specific stadium. The New England Revolution ownership has begun a search for possible sites for a soccer-only stadium as well. Every MLS team ought to play in

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1151253398126047912006-06-25T12:36:00.000-04:002006-06-25T12:36:38.126-04:00

The New England Revolution were dissatisfied with last week's draw with Columbus, but they should be anything but after their tie at Real Salt Lake. The Revs were extremely fortunate to leave with the point as they, with a little help from Salt Lake's Jeff Cunningham, played RSL to a scoreless draw.The depleted Revs looked tired in the midfield, allowing Chris Klein and Medhi Ballouchy too much

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1151189996838425402006-06-24T18:59:00.000-04:002006-06-24T18:59:56.840-04:00

To see how the U.S. needs Landon Donovan to play, take a look at Lionel Messi of Argentina. He is a young, energetic striker that is unafraid to take on defenders and able to create chances for others. One talent opens up the other. Messi’s ball skills force defenders, who are wary of getting beat, to reduce their pressure on him. That opens up passing lanes and lets Messi play balls into space.

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203458.post-1151166725112780492006-06-24T12:31:00.000-04:002006-06-24T12:32:05.116-04:00

After watching the U.S. go three and out in World Cup, one thing is clear: Our national team needs a number 10. Claudio Reyna was largely ineffective and has since retirted. But more worrisome is the inability of Landon Donovan to step into the role of creative midfielder. Part of Donovan’s struggles can be traced to head coach Bruce Arena’s uncertainty as to how to maximize Donovan’s strengths.

jcanzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11482487933017143896noreply@blogger.com0