Photo: Nicolae Stoian
US
As you know, the USMNT lost their World Cup qualifier to Jamaica on Friday our recap and look for our analysis of the game later this morning.
Here are the highlights from the game that I’m still too ticked off to watch.
The headline at SI pretty much says it all: “Sloppy play, lackluster tactics doom US in historic defeat to Jamaica.”
Goal.com looks at some of the trash talking that was going on after the game.
Martin Rogers writes that the loss ‘means that the previously unthinkable scenario of the USA missing out on the World Cup is, while still unlikely, no longer beyond the realm of possibility.”
The Shin Guardian, as usual, has an excellent tactical analysis.
Here’s a quote sheet from the game that I’m still too ticked off to read.
Player ratings from the New York Times, Soccer America, SI, ESPN, MLSsoccer.com, Goal.com, and Bleacher Report.
ProSoccerTalk looks at what the US midfield produced.
The Armchair Analyst has three things learned from the game.
SBI wonders who should start on Tuesday and what the midfield options are.
Tuesday’s game against Jamaica in Columbus is sold out. Some 3,000 US supporters showed up on Sunday morning to watch the team train. Here are some observations from the training session.
After all of that, here’s some good news. On Saturday, the US won the final of the Women’s U-20 World Cup, defeating defending champions Germany 1–0. Kealia Ohai scored the winner in the 44th minute, ending Germany’s record shutout streak at 610 minutes.
At SI, Alecko Eskadarian writes about the on-going debate over the requirement that players in the US Development Academy system may not play high school soccer.
“It should be a priority for every MLS academy to meet the standard of offering fully funded residency-based programs that offer housing and education along with everything soccer-related…
“Once in place, I think it should only be mandatory for MLS academy teams to compete in a 10-month season — and not non-MLS academies. The best prospects should be funneled toward MLS academies. In turn, MLS academies should offer the best facilities, coaches, training and environment. The notion that a player has been identified as a future pro prospect and will be headed to a professional team’s residency program will then be completely justifiable on all ends.
“Those who would rather play high school or attend a private school could play for a non-MLS academy team instead. This would also prevent non-MLS academy teams from going to drastic measures to remain in the Development Academy league. These non-MLS academy teams can decide whether they want to offer training and exhibitions during the high school season to fulfill a 10-month schedule or stay on the seven-month schedule.”
Philadelphia Union
What does John Hackworth want to see over the last nine games of the season? “Improvement. I want to see guys fighting for their job and making sure that they develop as players…We want to end on a good note. We want to make sure that, if this is in fact a situation where we’re not playing for a playoff spot, then every single game we continue to try to improve. And if we do that, we’ll probably get some results and that’s what we’re hopeful of.”
In case you needed a reminder that Peter Nowak is no longer the coach of the Union, John Hackworth not only acknowledges their are trialists with the club, he names and talks about them! On Thursday, he spoke to Dave Zeitlin about Lucky Mkosana and Nick Noble, the Harrisburg City Islanders players who began training with the club last week, as we mentioned in last Thursday’s news roundup. As reported by Zeitlin, Hackworth said, “To give Lucky and Nick a chance to come in and train and actually compete for a roster spot – because they earned that opportunity by being the best players at Harrisburg – is good. “That also forces everyone in our locker room to look around and say, ‘Hey, we better step up our game too.'”
MLSsoccer.com reports that 2008 Hermann Trophy winner and Philadelphia native Marcus Tracy, formerly a striker with Danish club Aalborg BK, is training with the Union. Tracy’s playing time was severely limited by knee tendinitis in both knees, with only 15 appearances and two goals over three seasons. While originally drafted by Houston in 2009, the Dynamo no longer hold his rights. Tracy’s agent told MLSsoccer.com, “We are hoping to have something finalized for him in the coming days.” The Union declined to comment for the article. Hopefully, Hackworth will.
Local
Longtime Harrisburg City Islanders captain Dustin Bixler, who is team’s all-time leader in minutes played and who has been named one of the league’s most influential players of the past decade, has announced his retirement. Bixler joined the Islanders in 2005 and is the boys’ varsity soccer head coach at Cedar Crest High School in Lebanon, Pa.
Look for our Philly Soccer Six men’s college soccer roundup later this week.
At the Villanova Classic, La Salle got off to a roaring start, dropping Seton Hall 6–2 on Friday. Former Philadelphia Fever forward Kelsey Haycook scored a hat trick. On Sunday, Haycook scored another to put La Salle up 2–0 over Villanova before a second half surge, led by two goals from Victoria Gersh, saw them fall 3–2 to the home team. On Friday the Wildcats lost 1–0 to William and Mary.
The U Penn women’s team lost 2–0 to Marist on Friday and then fell 1–0 to Drexel on Sunday.
You may not have known this, but September is US Youth Soccer Month. The Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Association is celebrating the occasion with four weeks of themed events, which began last week with fitness as the theme. More here.
Springfield Soccer Club recently celebrated the opening of its new field.
MLS
On Saturday, San Jose became the first team to clinch a playoff spot with Seattle’s 2–1 win over Chivas USA.
Goal.com looks at the Crew’s recent turnaround.
Juan Agudelo says of his former club, New York Red Bulls, “It wasn’t a place where they were looking to develop young players.”
Don Garber says the league offered Didier Drogba $10 million to play in MLS.
Chicago played Santos Laguna to a 2–2 draw in a friendly on Saturday.
Women’s Soccer
This article from FIFA’s website looks at the growth of women’s leagues in Europe, Australia and Japan. The Equalizer says FIFA’s chest beating “all seems too self-serving and insoluble.”
My biggest worry about the loss was peoples reaction to Klinsmann. On the field stuff aside, I think it is vitally important for the future of soccer in this country to stay the course and not abandon the long term plan that Klinsmann is working towards. All this talk about firing him gives me nightmares of another Bob Bradley and another 10+ years of NT stagnation.
The Agudelo article proves my point totally. We need to look towards youth development first and foremost, and Klinsmann is leading the charge by revamping the youth system, creating that U13 team, and asking tough questions about the MLS and the college system.
All we need to do is look at countries like Japan to see how to do it right, and to also see how much farther we could fall behind if we cut ties with Klinsmann so soon.
I for one am not in the fire him camp, I agree we need to stay the course. We hired him for a reason, I’m just worried that he hasn’t lately. We played mexico not to lose and won and played jamaca not to lose and lost, but Klinsmann said he wanted to go for an attacking style of soccer. If we wanted to see another few years of playing not to lose we could have kept bradley.
Klinsmann is too soft on the players (and he is a German who are not known to be softies!!) and he is tactically incompetent. When he coached Germany Lowe was his sidekick and he was/is the tactical wizard. Let Klinsmann solely concentrate on youth development and let’s get someone to coach the national team who has a winning track record (not Bradley!).