stayNskool

It was not that the USA got dominated. The problem was that we did not have the killer pass, nor the clinical finishing when we had a chance in front of goal. Tons of possession, but not enough energy and creativity. Against Italy you will not see the same lineup. O'Brien and Johnson will start from the off, Either Beasley or Convey will start on the bench, seeing as neither had much of an affect. Im thinking we'll see a more strait forward 4-4-2 but alot more creativity out of midfield with Donovan combining with Obrien on the left and whoever is left on the right(my vote is for Convey as Beasley seems to have almost no confidence left)... The Czech Republic came out and made me look like a complete idiot with their Aging team looking quicker than our young guns. I feel really bad for Jan Koller though, there simply cannot be anything worse than making it to the World Cup getting a slight taste and then BOOM its taken away from you.

Look at Chelsea's options and the way they play. Im thinking exodus before the transfer period is over. Central Midfield Ballack Essien Makelele Lampard Wingers Wright-Philipps Joe Cole Robben Duff Forwards Crespo Drogba Shevchenko Gudjohnsen These players combined with Obi-Mikel and Kalou just mean too many talented players to keep happy with so few positions available. There are in theory only 6 attacking slots available each game and with Shevchenko, Ballack, Lampard, and Makelele all but guaranteed a starting position when healthy, the numbers simply don't match.

if you actually watched the chelsea matches each week you probably would have noticed that essien did little in each match besides break up attacks. william gallas was more affective in his absence even though gallas is a natural centre half. essien is a good player who will probably lose his place in some matches with ballack joining the fray. look at it this way, essien does the same job as claude makelele only not as well and at double the price.

arsenal is garbage.... you say you know more about european football than any of us can imagine?? i'd like to see you test that theory against moi. This Czech team is aging but talented. Looking at their play from Euro 2004 and qualifying for this World Cup you cannot help but be impressed. They only had to go into a playoff against Norway because both they and the Netherlands were undefeated against everyone except each other and those 2 matches were epic. However they are aging, and its showing in the number of injuries that are starting to pile up. And with Baros injured they dont have a marquee striker who possesses pace to play off of Koller's touch and strength in the air. Ill take the money on the Italians getting out of the group simply because of their style of play. No great strikers on any team in this group(with the exception of Koller) outside of Italy, combined with their style of play(the famed catenaccio) equals low scoring games and the Italians scraping through. Their attack is clearly where they are weakest lately, showing its ugly head mostly in their lack of diversity in attack. The starting forward combination of Gillardino and Toni looks great on paper(I believe top scorer and 3rd top in Serie A this year) but they are too similar to each other in that they are old fashioned bruising Center Forwards lacking the pace to force the opposition defence to play deep. Also creativity has been lacking in midfield and short of dropping Totti or Del Piero deeper they dont seem to have too many options to fix this. Gattuso is injured, De Rossi is no replacement for him as a midfield hardman and their wings are less than impressive. Ghana. You get what on paper looks like a strong midfield from these guys. Appiah and Essien are strong if unspectacular. And you also get a strong defence in Addo and Kuffour but that leaves 8 places in midfield and defence that are lacking as well as a suspect goalkeeper and strikers. As someone else already put it the fact that their coach was willing to offer Adu a starting role in the World Cup is proof enough they are severely lacking in the firepower dept. Back to Essien. I believe it was L24.5 million paid for him which is roughly $43 million USD. Which makes him the second most overpaid for signing of Chelsea's summer in that Sean Wright-Philipps cost L21 million, and barely played! Essien does however play a more important role for Ghana than he does for Chelsea and frankly he does it well. I will take the US and Italy to make it out of the group mostly based on the fact that I am a fan, and love it when my friends in London are forced to give up love to USA soccer. However even were I unbiased I would have to give the US a chance to getting out of the group because they have been getting stronger and stronger over the decade and will only continue to do so in the future.

I think all of you are overreacting. Look at what the US team has been doing all week in Cary and you'll see why they looked a step slow last night. Its called fitness work. When you do a ton of it immediately before games your side tends to struggle until you get your legs back under you. Frankly I see the US improving dramatically over the next 3 games as they will only have light workouts and be focusing more on skills and team development in practice rather than running themselves ragged. Looking at the way Morocco played how can anyone blame the US for lacking their usual attacking ferver? Frankly when the opponents forwards are spend most of their time in their own half its hard to break them down and players like Donovan and Beasley, who like to use their speed and vision on the break, tend to be negated. Morocco came out with a gameplan to play it safe and hope for a goal on the counter and they executed well. The US does not have teams in their group that are so defensive minded so look for a completely different air about the US attack in the Cup.

I dont think its silly to use a show of unity when going deep into the playoffs. You see this often in pro sports when players refuse to shave for the playoffs in hockey and recently in football. these players could also be impersonating their fabulously bald coach. Its fun the kids are young, and this is once in a lifetime for many of them. they need to enjoy youth while it lasts cause you can't live in the past, and for the seniors after this game it will be time to move on to bigger and better things... so why not have a little fun with the clippers to bond with their teammates

Pires will not be rejoining Arsenal next season. There has been some speculation that he will join Villareal. It looks to me as though Jose Antonio Reyes has been pegged to replace him as a wing/attacker in this team, so i dont expect a new attacking signing by Arsenal, at least not in that role, this summer but possibly a strengthening of the depth of their defense.

i dont think its a lack of respect for those teams i believe its just being thankful that they dont have to play bearden or farragut or hendersonville to attempt to get to state.

No need to be jealous, anyone can move anywhere they want so long as they have the guts to just go for it. If you want to live in the UK just go for it and you can make it happen. I unfortunately have had some obstacles thrown in my way that are making it so that I either take a job in a city/country I don't much care for or have to come home to the states. In about a week I have to make the decision, but hopefully I can get things sorted in time to move back to London next fall!! I know one thing about United's season next year and that is, Ruud Van Nistelrooy will not be playing for them. It looks as though Lyon are willing to make a cash + player swap involving Diarra going one way and Ruud the opposite with some cash exchanged to even out the swap. Don't know if United will go for it though as Sir Alex has it in his mind that Alan Smith is the man to be the Engine of United Midfield. On the plus side for the Liverpool fan in me, with Tim Howard going out on loan to Everton, I know longer have any reason to pull for the Red Devils so I can return to my general distaste for all you Mancs!!! haha Although if Giuseppe Rossi ever decides to stop being stubborn and play for the US national team rather than pining to play for an Italia that doesnt want him I may have to start checking if he's getting time or scoring goals for United. Bollocks! United need to make a couple signings to bolster their Roster to make a run at stealing Second place from Chelsea next season(Liverpool are gonna take the title I can feel it!!) and I would say they are more than solid in attack, but might could use a defender or 2. and a holding midfielder as has already been mentioned. But I like the way they look with Heinze returning at left back, and Evra developing even further and Vidic learning the English game in the center of defence to add some youth and depth to a defence that already has O'Shea, Ferdinand, Silvestre, and Neville. The only thing I see lacking is a true left winger but keiran richardson and park ji sung are developing at an astonishing rate and could easily fill the roll that Ryan giggs will be leaving eventually.

first off yes I have been to a premiereship match. Chelsea -v- West Ham at Stamford Bridge... simply amazing(I live in Chelsea). Secondly I dont think that midfield diamond will work. You need wing play in the premiere league, and Chelsea already have the best wingplay in the countryand are almost untouchable so I dont understand changing tactics at all. As a previous poster put it, 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'

i hate to say it but makelele is likely to get dissed again just like he did with Real Madrid. Duff and Cole would be the wingers with the 3 big time center mids plugging in and a single forward. unless mourinho changes his style of play thats how i see it going down

im actually not sure how that midfield is going to work now. ballack plays similarly to lampard and they already have 2 mcentral midfielders who are too good and too expensive to be forced to the bench in essien and makelele. im just wondering whats going to happen with this squad as the summer progresses seeing as how there is sure to be some form of clear out as players demand regular first team action

oh it was an amazing game. i think i darn near annoyed half of Kensington by yelling so loud at each equaliser. Gotta say, West Hams goals were pretty much all 3 sucker punches. Our keeper blew it on the first one by not calling off Carragher, then blundered on the second by dropping an easy save right into the path of Harewood. Liverpool's goals were impressive if not unnecessarily so. Cisse show some skill, then Gerrard with 2 gorgeous strikes from distance.... throw in Konchesky's cross cum upper 90 chip shot, and you have one strange match. Reina more than made up for it all in the shootout though... you save 3 of 4 penalties and you are normally man of the match but when you are on a team with steven gerrard and he pulls what he did yesterday you get used to seeing him carry off man of the match award. Koller is healthy but Bayern is taking the last week off the way Chelsea barely showed up to play the last 2 weeks of the premiership. Totti was rusty we'll see what kind of form they can get him into by the time the cup rolls around.

europsport is calling a tie game after overtime a tie even though the tournament called it a loss in penalties. would be nice to see you guys make it beyond sectionals... been like 10 years since an ooltewah team made it that far

I got nothing against Arsene Wenger... He's an amazing talent scout... A bit of a whiner of late but still an eye for young talent unlike anyone since the now past his prime Alex Ferguson. Jan Koller is coming back from his knee injury so maybe Im gonna live out my worst fear of seeing a Czech team as in form as the Euro 2004 side. Cannot wait to see Liverpool in the FA Cup final tomorrow and would really love to see Eddie Lewis' Leeds back in the Premiereship next season after the 21st, although there is nothing wrong with Jay Demerit's Watford making the jump in their stead. Demerit may just finally get some attention from the National Side if he's playing in the premiereship week in and week out.

I like the way the whole spanish side plays. You guys maybe missed some of the best up and coming spanish players such as Iniesta, Torres, Joaquin, Ramos, and of course my beloved Liverpool's star man Xabi Alonso. This is a quality side, just wonder if they have the steel to come through in this big of a tournament. I saw the Czechs at the top of their game at Euro 2004 and they were easily the best side in that tournament before running into a team hellbent on stopping them from playing soccer the right way. But frankly they just are not the same side they were then. 2 years extra age added to their already aging squad have not done them proper justice. And Milan Baros looks lost running at defences without Jan Koller to partner him.

Holland...really? I can see enjoying their style of play but frankly I don't know if they have the bite to march all the way through this tournament. Although I wouldnt bet against Van Nistelrooy being the tournaments top scorer after his walk-out before the Charlton match he has a job to prove he is still worth an investment for teams this coming transfer season. As far as European teams going furthest, I will make a suprise pick of Spain, I know they always seem to unerachieve in the World Cup but I love their overall talent!!

I like the boldness Sven shows in taking 2 young exciting players like Walcot and Lennon. I dont think anyone should even think of an England pairing minus Michael Owen because noone in England has the ability to turn a game with a single instant of brilliance the way he does. If Rooney doesnt get fit (god forbid) Defoe gets the call up and Owen and Crouch make a nice partnership up top. Did I seriously here someone nominate Calamity James as the Starter over Paul Robinson?? Christ Son its time to get your head examined. Also I'll take Rio as the partner to John Terry(who is completely healthy for those of you who think he's injured) because Rio is simply the better Center Halve than Sol over the past couple seasons. What hole on the left?? Ashley Cole and Wayne Bridge have you covered all day and Joe Cole has been brilliant this season in that role for Chelsea. With backup Wingers the likes of Downing, Lennon, and Jenas(who can cover every position in the midfield) England have options. With or without Rooney, England have a great shot but are simply lacking in confidence. G: Robinson LB: Cole CB: Terry CB: Ferdinand RB: Neville LM: Cole CM: Gerrard CM: Lampard RM: Beckham © CF: Crouch ST: Owen This is a midfield that in attack can play a la Cruyff's Dutch squads. Total football at its best. Shapeless yet in knowledgable of where they need to be. Throw the 2 marking backs in and you have 6 players who can flood into the attack and still cover other positions. This England team should be fun to watch, even with the sometimes ungainly Crouch. The funny thing about Crouch is that his touch is magnificent and he involves others into the attack which plays well with a goal poacher like Owen, and Midfielders such as Gerrard, Lampard, and Cole who make those bombing runs into the box.

i like berhalter as a player much better than conrad, but i can see bruces logic too... conrad will still be in the picture for the next world cup whilst berhalter wont and conrad is fine sitting and soaking up the opportunity while berhalter would expect to start. i kind of like the selection of albright because he gives you a more natural marking back than adding yet another center back does. I think most of us regret the injury to spector because this would have been a great opportunity to take a young defender to a major competition with little pressure on him. It should be an interesting cup.

US in a 4-4-2 GK: Keller RB: Cherundolo CB: Pope CB: Onyewu LB: Lewis RM: O'Brien CM: Reyna AM: Donovan LM: Beasley CF: McBride ST: Johnson US in a 3-5-2 GK: Keller CB: Gibbs CB: Bocanegra CB: Onyewu RM: Dempsey/Cherundolo CM: O'Brien CM: Reyna AM: Donovan LM: Beasley/Lewis CF: McBride ST: Johnson Bruce likes to use 3 true centerbacks in his 3-5-2 formation with the 2 wings sliding back when necessary to create almost a 5-3-2 style of play. Cherundolo is probably our most solid man marker so he's always been penciled in as the starter. If Johnson can regain even some of his form from 2 years ago, It will be great seeing his seering pace flying onto throughballs and knockdowns created by the midfield and McBride!!

I dont feel twellman necessarily earned a spot over ching. He played well in games against fairly weak competition and has underperformed since the start of MLS. Meanwhile, Ching was working his way back from injury during those friendlies and has been on fire since the start of MLS. Berhalter did not earn a spot over Gibbs who may be the better Central pairing with Onyewu than Pope. Gibbs, when healthy, is a star quality player while Berhalter is at best solid. Berhalter is however better than Conrad who I don't think should be making this trip. I really wish there was a little more youth being served to fill out the 2 deep in this squad. Again, when healthy there is not a better player on the US roster than John O'Brien. If Arena can get him in shape by June 12, he is in the starting lineup. Plus Zavagnin has no right to even be on the field with many world class players. His though processes are spot on, but he just physically cannot keep pace with these guys in the middle of the pitch. Ben Olsen brings more to this team than Ralston. Add to that, the fact that Ralston is still overcoming a knock he took in preseason and Olsen is clearly the better choice. No MLS keeper has earned a place over Tim Howard because non of them are good enough to play in the Premiere league(even as a backup) much less at Manchester United(where Howard was voted Premiere League Keeper of the year in 2003). You are correct, we will more than likely be going out once we make it to the knockout stages but frankly I feel that the biggest mistake is not taking more Youth to this cup to 'blood' them for the next world cup if things go poorly (or very well) in the first round and we have a throw away game, or to throw in if things get out of hand in the second round game. I myself am not happy with this selection but will be cheering our guys on whole heartedly throughout the tournament!!!

I have to say on present form in their respective leagues the midfield and forward groupings are very solid but I am worried about 2 players who will likely be on the bench in the defense. I do not know or even pretend to understand why Arena is so in love with Hejduk who has shown against top class opponents he just going to come up short in the skill department time and again as well as lacking strength. yes he can run all day long and at pace but i just see him as a weakness on the international stage. also jimmy conrad who showed against the Germans that he cannot cope on this level ... I personally feel that these positions could have been filled with younger defenders who could use the experience of making it to their first world cup and only if required to step in could show their abilities. although I would venture a guess that conrad would not be going had jonathan spector not picked up that dislocated shoulder a week ago while playing for charlton. i even like the alternates with the exception of berhalter, zavagnin, and klein. I just dont see any of them being able to play solidly in this cup. Berhalter when on form can, but the other 2 just dont seem to be able to cope... and berhalter is not on form. i would really like to see a player like heath pearce get a shot as an alternate, or joe cannon as alternate in goal. there really isnt much depth in midfield after those already listed so i guess arena is just doing the best he can with what he has in that area. Here's hoping for a good cup !

I can dig your point ManU721 but I guess I just am not a Frankie Hejduk fan or a fan of bringing an aging veteran (when you already have plenty of experience in your team) in place of a promising younger player. Dont take me wrong I totally agree with what youre saying about pace and ability to get forward. As far as Germany's best team being on the field? thats debatable considering Bastian Schweinsteiger started on the bench and Sebastian Deisler was out through injury(I do believe he will miss the world cup even which is a terrible shame)Not to mention probably their best and most experienced center-half, Christian Worns, was left off the roster for the game in favor of his Dortmund backup, Per Mertesacker(who in all fairness marked Johnson and Wolff out of the game). Then they failed to call up probably their second most reliable midfielder(after Ballack of course) Liverpool's Deitmar Hamann who has been world-class for over a decade and a stalwart of Germany's midfield. As far as the States chances in this world cup... I think we can get out of the group. although more than likely as a second seed which would call for a miracle to move beyond that. Although winning the group is not out of the question. If you look at each team in the group individually rather than by their reputations you see that the US may be strong enough to do the job. Italy Known for starting slow in world cups and have a tendency to reguard non-European teams (besides Brazil and Argentina) with a total lack of respect(see South Korea 2002). The Italians look good on paper but in actual fact may be one of the weakest sides the Azzuri have produced in a while. Their starting forward tandem is big and strong... but slow, and limited, this is a key that limits their style of play. Their main playmaker is maybe the best in the world... if he hadn't recently fractured his leg or even if he didnt have a tendency towards accumulating a card or 2. Beyond this they still rely on the old guard to protect them and many of the more reliable players are having poor seasons (Cannavaro, Cammoranesi, and Pirlo) The ace up their sleeve however is still the indefatiguable Buffon, and as we all saw in Korea/Japan a great GK can carry a mediocre team a long way(Germany/Kahn) Czech Republic The number 2 team in the world is good... well very good... when on their game as we saw at Euro 2004, but can be beaten by a weaker team with a better group mentality such as Greece in that very same tournament. With an aging Pavel Nedved, Karel Poborsky, Vladimir Smicer, and Thomas Rosicky making up the likely starting midfield you will see 3 of 4 midfielders over the age of 33 when the Cup starts. Add to that Milan Baros who seems lost up front without a towering center forward battering ram (Jan Koller aged 33 is set to miss the cup through injury) as his foil and an average defence and you have a very beatable side. Ghana Just the fact that their head coach is desperate enough for attackers that he would try and lure Freddy Adu away from the US with a guarantee of a World Cup roster spot is evidence enough that although this african team has a few world class players (Essien, Kuffour, and Appiah) they are found lacking in firepower. Look for them to battle hard but come up lacking in attack and creativity in the final 1/3 of the pitch. Once a club gets to the knockout stages anything can happen. Whether against Brazil or Croatia, Japan, or the unfancied Aussies, I would say on our day the US can beat any of them... just so long as its not Brazil ... and if it is just pray for that miracle. As far as not being england right now? I would agree with that. An overpaid coach on his way out the door. 2 world class strikers who don't look to be fit in time for the tournament. A hole at left back that injuries seem to keep digging for them. And a football obsessed media and population that can't seem to see the fact that they are a good but not great team even though they've only won it once(1966) and that was on home soil. It's crazy in england right now and I should know as Im Living about a 15 minute walk from Stamford Bridge as I type.

And Im actually a little worried with the Mexican U-17's winning the Youth World Cup this year. WIth starlets like Arsenals 16 year old Vela they could very well be a batch of Mexicans better than any before them.

well if you read the reserves bit on my last post you saw that I mentioned Bocanegra and Gibbs can both play out on the left. Maybe The way I wrote it wasnt the clearest but I meant that this way you have to look at each players versatility. Berhalter is an out and out centerback without the legs to move around the back as much as the backs I have already selected. 5 of my backs chosen can play in the center of defence or as a marking back, A la Tony Sanneh who made one heckuva impression on World Cup 2006. My theory in bringing Dunivant and Pearce first and foremost is that Left back is one of the US's positions where they have the least depth and having true out and out left backs with your team gives you a chance to be more flexible with your formation as they are used to always playing on the on the wing rather than converted center backs who tend to be a little reserved when joining the flow of attack from open play. And back to Versatility That's exactly why both Lewis and Convey are in my squad. Convey can switch flanks to great affect and has confidence in taking on defenders 1-v-1 whereas Lewis is a more traditional winger who has great speed and whips in crosses. If you of my 8 Midfield players again all but Mastroeni and Lewis can cover the whole field and play at least 3 different postions within the midfield and Mastroeni, Convey, O'Brien, and Lewis have played in the Back 4 at some point in their National Team career. And Donovan, Beasley, and Dempsey have experience as forwards for their Club teams. Im not arguing with any of your points because they were all solid points just a little something to think about. Arena seems to be in love with Frankie Hejduk because of his attacking mentality and fitness that is literally off the charts, so he will probably get a call up to the World Cup squad but for me he is just too weak against international opponents defensively and can be beaten 1-v-1 by any decent winger. Obviously this is all theorhetical in regards to my choices but hopefully Bruce will make the right decisions some that I probably havent even thought of and will lead them beyond the group phase again. Especially since Ill be in Europe for the Cup it would be a great feeling to be around an atmosphere like this and even better if Our guys make a great showing of it!