Daily news roundups

Git ‘er done: US faces Germany, more news

US

One Nation. One Team.

One game.

The US faces Germany today at noon in what many are calling the most important game in the history of the team. Win or draw, and the US is through. Short of that, well, I don’t even want to think about it, it gets a little complicated and I’m trying to stay positive.

Jurgen Klinsmann said, “We are very well capable to beat Germany and we know that. Without being too overconfident, without being too positive, it’s possible. It’s doable.As you’ve seen, this World Cup is full of surprises. We want to be one of those surprises.”

Miroslav Klose said, “He [Klinsmann] will want to own us, and we also want to own him. We need to correct the 4-3 from last year. The U.S. team’s 2-2 draw with Portugal wasn’t too bad for us. But we want to beat the Americans. It will not be easy. We need to have good possession of the ball.”

Describing “this aggressiveness that we’ve seen in this tournament in their two games,” Germany head coach Joachim Loew says, “They’re very well prepared. They’re very fit. They might have had an advantage in that their league doesn’t last 11 months. Jurgen had his team in January and they were working together since then. This is an advantage. That’s why they’re at an excellent physical level.” (The Bundesliga runs 10 months — Aug. 9, 2013-May 10, 2014 last season — with one month off in the middle — Dec. 23, 2013-Jan. 24, 2014 last season. So that’s nine months, then. The MLS regular season runs for eight months.)

Previews from PSP, US Soccer, MLSsoccer.com, Soccer America, ProSoccerTalk, ESPN, and The Guardian.

At MLSsoccer.com, Matthew Doyle on “How USMNT can beat Germany in three simple steps.”

Should the US park the bus against Germany?

At ESPN, Chris Jones writes, ” Let us begin with one undeniable fact: There is no rational reason for the U.S. and Germany to play to anything other than a scoreless draw here on Thursday.” He adds, “Now let us continue with another undeniable fact: Men are prideful idiots.”

Just in case you needed this:

The storyline for the other Groug G game between Portugal and Ghana took an interesting turn after it was announced this morning that Ghana head coach Kwesi Appiah had kicked Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sulley Muntari off the squad. A statement from the Ghana FA says Muntari made an “unprovoked physical attack” on a member of the coaching staff, and that Boateng made “vulgar verbal insults” at the head coach. Boateng says he and Muntari “were just joking around.”

The news comes after reports saying that Ghana players “were awaiting the arrival of a plane with $3 million promised by the government as compensation for playing in the World Cup in Brazil, in the run-up to a match that may send them home.”

Perhaps this is the “miracle” Pepe is hoping for?

The New York Times says midfield motor Michael Bradley could use a tune up.

Yahoo Sports on reluctant leader Clint Dempsey.

The USA Today editorial board has a message for all those soccer haters afraid of the rise of soccer in the US: “Deal with it.”

Media Post on the challenges of converting growing interest in soccer as signified by booming World Cup ratings into advertising dollars for pro soccer broadcasts.

Tim Linecum: gets a personalized US Soccer jersey, promptly pitches a no hitter, immediately puts on said jersey after the game.

Hulk Hogan is behind the US team.

Sunil Gulati said of the importance of today’s game, “It’s a huge game…And it’s exciting not only for the team, but it’s exciting and important for everything that’s going on back home. To be able to keep that level of interest for another four, five, six and hopefully more days, would be great for the sport.”

Gulati said of the offensive (and ridiculous) “putos” chant Mexico supporters shout everytime an opposing goalkeeper kicks the ball, “FIFA has made a statement on that, so I don’t want to second-guess that. But I think it’s highly offensive. And in the year 2014, it’s inappropriate.”

More from Gulati on a number of topics here.

Gulati also said the federation will talk to Hope Solo and her representatives about her arrest on charges of domestic battery.

World Cup

In Wednesday’s final group games, first place France drew 0-0 with third place Ecuador, and second place Switzerland thumped last place Honduras, 3-0. In Group F, first place Argentina defeated second place Nigeria, 3-2. Bosnia & Herzegovina defeated Iran, 3-1.

Today’s games:

  • 12:00pm – Portugal vs Ghana – ESPN2, UniMás, Galavison, ESPN3, Watch ESPN, Univision Deportes En Vivo, ESPN Radio, Sirius XM FC
  • 12:00pm – USA vs Germany – ESPN, Univision, Univision Deportes, ESPN3, Watch ESPN, Univision Deportes En Vivo, ESPN Radio, Sirius XM FC, Univision Radio, Futbol de Primera Radio
  • 4:00pm – Algeria vs Russia – ESPN2, UniMás, Galavison, ESPN3, Watch ESPN, Univision Deportes En Vivo, ESPN Radio, Sirius XM FC
  • 4:00pm – Korea Republic vs Belgium – ESPN, Univision, Univision Deportes, ESPN3, Watch ESPN, Univision Deportes En Vivo, ESPN Radio, Sirius XM FC

FIFA is reportedly investigating Neymar for wearing “prohibited underpants” in Brazil’s win over Cameroon.

Philadelphia Union

The Union will host New England in the quarterfinals of the US Open Cup on Tuesday, July 8 after the Revolution defeated Rochester Rhinos 2-1 in the fifth round of the tournament on Wednesday night.

For now, it’s all about grinding out results.

Amobi Okugo said of the US team ahead of today’s game against Germany, “I feel like it was always going to come down to the last game with the storylines and the drama. It’s good because people that don’t even watch soccer are watching soccer and supporting the U.S. This is going to be a big platform for those players.”

we know, Sheanon, we know]. They’ve played big. I think I picked them to lose both games and they shocked me twice. So I guess I’m going to pick against them again [he did] and hopefully they get a result.”

Empire of Soccer has quotes from the Cosmos on the quality of the officiating in Tuesday’s US Open Cup game. Says Cosmos head coach Giovanni Savarese, “We’ve been robbed.”

There’s a brief history of the Union on the Crystal Palace website ahead of July’s friendly.

Local

The Inquirer on the dilemma facing locals of German-American heritage of who to root for ahead of today’s game between the US and Germany.

What’s my take, you ask?

Obviously, one can support whomever one likes, but here are my thoughts: If you were born in Germany and now live here, or are the child of German immigrants, I can understand your support for Germany over the US, it’s an intimate, living thing, and choosing on the basis of close immigrant heritage is more understandable to me than choosing a team simply because they’ve been successful. But if you’re of some sort of vague “German descent,” then I can’t really understand supporting Germany over the US. Maybe — maybe — I could understand it when the US was unable to consistently compete on the international stage, but today? Those days are in the past. To put it another way, if you lived in Philadelphia your entire life, would you call yourself a Yankees fan because your great-grandfather was born in New York?

Anyway, that’s just me. Like I said, support whomever you like. After all, this is the United States of America.

MLS

In the first league game since the World Cup break, Vancouver hosted Montreal to a 0-0 draw.

In addition to New England defeating Rochester in Wednesday night’s US Open Cup games, Chicago defeated Columbus, 4-2.

Portland Timbers have signed English defender Liam Ridgewell as their third designated player.

Miami-Dade County Commissioner Xavier Suarez says a location near Marlins Stadium is the only feasible spot for a new soccer stadium. “Right now it’s the only publicly owned site that could fit and meets the requirements of Major League Soccer and of the Beckham Group. They want something in or near downtown. This is very close to downtown.”

Elsewhere

The Guardian reports, “Helena Costa walked out of her job as France’s first woman to lead a professional men’s football team after male colleagues sidelined her and left her convinced she was just a ‘face’ to attract publicity.” Costa said: “There were a series of events that no trainer would tolerate and a total lack of respect as well as amateurism.”

3 Comments

  1. How not to get invited into a USMNT training camp: Say that you think they are going to lose all three games. Way to go Sheanon.

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