US

Check out PSP photographer Daniel Gajdamowicz’s pre-game and match photo essays.

Tim Howard said before Wednesday night’s friendly between the USA and Mexico, “It’s going to take all hands on deck.” He wasn’t wrong. And after a shaky first half, the defense’s confidence grew and the offense started creating real chances in what was, in the end, a great effort from the US against an objectively superior Mexican team. Terrific showings from players who didn’t get much time under Bob Bradley (way to go MOF!), veterans (Bocanegra and Donovan) and from MLS players (Beckerman, and Shea and Rogers and Agudelo)—and a great start for Jurgen Klinsmann. 1–1 against Mexico after the Gold Cup loss with a hastily assembled team under a new head coach? I’ll take it (even if that was a red card and there should have been a PK).

Orozco Fiscal on his game, “Just getting the start was obviously good for me. I have been working very hard with my club team to get a call in and [to be honest] I never expected one this quick. I still gotta keeping working, I am not going to put my hands down, and I was happy to get 90 minutes, especially in front of the fans in Philadelphia that have supported me.” More on Orozco Fiscal here.

More praise for Beckerman’s performance.

Brek Shea on Klinsmann: “When he told us [to have fun], you don’t really hear that that much, especially in a guy’s debut. To have the freedom to do what you like … it just gives a player that much more confidence…He’s happy, everyone’s happy to play for him. Jurgen definitely brings positive energy. He’s all about, ‘If you mess up, it’s no big deal.’ I really like that about him.’”

More on Shea, who will play the Union for Dallas on Saturday.

Soccer America says, “The 4-2-3-1 formation, ineffective in the first half, blossomed with the insertion of Juan Agudelo and Brek Shea and then Robbie Rogers, and the move of Jose Francisco Torres and Landon Donovan to central positions.”

Match reports from the Inquirer, the Washington Post, New York Times, SI and ESPN.

Player ratings from MLSsoccer.com.

The Goalkeeper rounds up post-game quotes from Klinsmann and serves up some post-game thoughts of his own.

Union

Three more days before the transfer window closes on Sunday…

The Brotherly Game links to a report from Italy saying the Union are meeting with Juventus defender Fabio Grosso for a second time.

The Daily Journal goes to a Union game and has a great time.

Independence

Jeff Kassouf says the league’s reaction to recent comments Independence coach Paul Riley’s obscure larger issues of club versus country.

MLS

The new TV deal MLS just inked with NBC brings buckets of cash and the terms are short enough to give the league a negotiating advantage if ratings soar. For good overviews of the implication of the deal, checkout these posts from Soccer America and the Brotherly Game.

Is Freddy Adu heading to Chivas USA?

Elsewhere

The season opening match between Tottenham and Everton has been postponed in the wake of the London riots.

The Association of Spanish Footballers (AFE) has announced that players in La Liga’s Primera and Segunda Division will go on strike in the first two weekends of the new season.

FIFA has suspended Lisle Austin, the Barbados soccer federation official who was briefly acting CONCACAF president after the well known crook Jack Warner was suspended from the position, for one year.