MLS Kicks *ss!!!

[ByJoveByJingle]

Wow . . . congrats to the Major League Soccer All-Star team taking out Fulham FC 4-1 today. Really should have been about 6-1. Very impressive--they absolutely dominated that game.

[tstein7240]

Wow . . . congrats to the Major League Soccer All-Star team taking out Fulham FC 4-1 today. Really should have been about 6-1. Very impressive--they absolutely dominated that game.


Thought they looked great. Especially since Fulham was playing with the their normal teammates. Granted a few MLS players have experience on the national team... many played together for the first time today.

Good day for US Soccer

[ice]

I know I'm way late on this, but I don't think beating Fulham in the all-star game means much. Even though they played a lot of their top guys, it was still a meaningless match for them and you know some of those guys weren't putting the same effort they put into an EPL match. On the other hand, the MLS guys play with something to prove in those matches, and thus, the result isn't all that surprising. I'm a huge fan of MLS and US soccer, but I don't think the best players in MLS beating Fulham in a match that isn't important to them is an amazing event for the league.

[ByJoveByJingle]

Perhaps, but for all the things you cite, there are counterpoints . . . like the US squad practicing twice together, playing against a team that was a couple of weeks away from the beginning of the EPL. And they didn't just beat Fulham, they flat out dominated. The score should have been 6-1 and easily could have been 7 or 8 - 1.

Not sure if you missed it, but the US Men's National team just moved up to an all-time high 6th in the FIFA world rankings.

The bottom line for me watching the game was seeing how our players matched up skill-wise . . . and for the first time ever, I can say that they not only matched up well, but commonly surpassed Fulham's players. Ten years ago, an MLS all-star team (if it existed) would not have stood a chance.

Here is the FIFA ranking article:



FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking
US hit historic sixth

Thanks to their victory in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the USA's Brad Davis (L) and Landon Donovan (R) have helped the team occupy the best position in their history - 6th in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking.
(AFP) Paul J. RICHARDS

(FIFA.com) 29 Jul 2005

Long gone are the painful days of struggle and toil for the US national team. With a handful of successful qualifiers and an undefeated run of six matches through to the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup title, the United States have recently found themselves in the rarefied air of sixth in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World ranking.

Up four spots from tenth since the last instalment of the world ranking came out, the USA are now looking down on such world football giants as France, England, Spain and Germany as they sit on their highest-ever perch since the ranking began. Also, just one place behind perennial rivals Mexico (5th), the bad old days when the Americans failed to qualify for nine consecutive FIFA World Cups (1954 to 1986) seem long buried in an ancient past.

No longer dominated by El Tri, Bruce Arena - who has been at the helm of the US team for an unprecedented stretch of seven years - has moulded the States into a power in their own right. Qualifying for every finals since Italy 90 and reaching the quarter-finals with a comprehensive win over Mexico the last time out in Korea/Japan attests to as much.
$$$$$11550^^^^^

"It was a long tournament and we did well to stay focussed and come through in the end," veteran goalkeeper Kasey Keller remarked after looking every inch the hero after the Gold Cup final against Panama went to a penalty shootout.

With wins over Cuba, Canada and a draw against Costa Rica in the first round, the Americans went on to dispatch Jamaica in the quarter-final and Honduras in the semi before struggling to a penalty win over Panama in the grand finale.

An eye on Germany
It was the Americans' third Gold Cup title since the tournament's inception in 1991 and, according to some of the team's standout performers, should serve them well heading into the final five qualifiers for Germany 2006.

The USA's next qualifying match is against Trinidad & Tobago on 17 August in Hartford, Connecticut.

"The Gold Cup is perfect preparation for the final few qualifiers," DaMarcus Beasley told FIFA.com after the semi-final with Honduras. "In tough games like these, you find out who can play and who can't. It's an opportunity for the coach to look around at new players and every guy that's come out for us has been unbelievable. Now we are much more confident going into that final push of World Cup qualifying with a lot of new young options in the team."

One of the new options who impressed at the Gold Cup is New England Revolution standout Pat Noonan. A striker by trade, he showed his versatility with impressive performances for Arena's side.
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"Overall it's been a positive for us. It's been an opportunity for a lot of new guys to get some minutes and be a part of the team," he said. "They've been good games, good chances to show what you can do on a daily basis. It's not like a training camp where you're in for a week and that's it. It's a good test for a lot of guys and a good chance to show what they can do consistently."

"A tournament like this is not only preparation for the final few qualifiers, but for the finals (hopefully) themselves," added holding midfielder Chris Armas, finally back from a long stretch out to injury.

Arena used every member - save third keeper Matt Reis - of his Gold Cup squad over the course of seven matches in July. With Beasley, Landon Donovan and Keller leading the way, it was an opportunity for a number of fresh new faces to shine. Clint Dempsey, Steve Ralston, Brad Davis, Santino Quaranta and Oguchi Onyewu - who scored a last-second winner in the semi-final against Honduras - all took full advantage of their chances and effectively doubled the coach's options heading into the final few qualifiers for Germany 2006.

Since Korea/Japan 2002, the Americans have maintained a record of 29 wins, 7 losses and 9 draws. The losses were all to teams from the top seven of the FIFA-Coca-Cola world ranking.

[tstein7240]

US Soccer is starting to reap the rewards of the grassroots programs started in the mid 70's. Good youth coaching, growth of clubs, etc have been huge. When I played as a kid, the coaches were players dads*. Now, there are former players coaching teams... ones who know more than they can read in a "Soccer for Dummies" book.

Also, the MLS has been very smart with their controled growth. There is actually a good domestic option for skilled players. While Euro leagues are still the place to go... for top $$$... a skilled young player can stay state-side and his growth not stunted.

Additionally.... love the new pitches. First the Home Depot field in LaLa land. Then, last night FC Dallas opened their new park. Unfortunately, I didn't get to go to the game... but supposedly a great facility (great site lines, close to the field, etc) with 17 surrounding tourney fields for tourneys.



* Per dad's coaching team, when I was 10 or so, my coach with Jeff Agoos' dad. His little brother was on my team. Jeff went from shagging balls at my practice to the National Team :)

[ice]

US Soccer is starting to reap the rewards of the grassroots programs started in the mid 70's. Good youth coaching, growth of clubs, etc have been huge. When I played as a kid, the coaches were players dads*. Now, there are former players coaching teams... ones who know more than they can read in a "Soccer for Dummies" book.

Also, the MLS has been very smart with their controled growth. There is actually a good domestic option for skilled players. While Euro leagues are still the place to go... for top $$$... a skilled young player can stay state-side and his growth not stunted.

Additionally.... love the new pitches. First the Home Depot field in LaLa land. Then, last night FC Dallas opened their new park. Unfortunately, I didn't get to go to the game... but supposedly a great facility (great site lines, close to the field, etc) with 17 surrounding tourney fields for tourneys.



* Per dad's coaching team, when I was 10 or so, my coach with Jeff Agoos' dad. His little brother was on my team. Jeff went from shagging balls at my practice to the National Team :)


Yeah, the soccer specific stadiums are definitely awesome, and the news that the MetroStars are going to now get one is great too, especially since Giants Stadium was sucking so much money out of the club.

And while MLS is good for some guys, when a guy gets good enough, he definitely need to go overseas. Going to Eindhoven for example has done so much for DaMarcus Beasley's game, and I can't wait to see Eddie Johnson get a chance overseas. He's probably going to get the biggest transfer fee out of anyone in MLS history (didn't MLS already reject a $5 millon dollar offer from Benfica?) MLS is definitely getting better, but when a guy gets to a certain point, he needs to go overseas to raise his game even more.

And while the US soccer team is also improving, everyone knows the FIFA rankings are crap and overrate us, but it would be awesome if we kept our inflated ranking because then we could be a ranked team in the World Cup which could help us get an easier draw as we would avoid having the hosts and the other top ranked teams in our group. :)