latest articles by Kartik Krishnaiyer
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/ 6159 days agoConfederations Cup 1999: US Makes History
In 1997, FIFA confirmed the Confederations Cup as the second biggest event on the organizations calendar. But the Confederations Cup has had an identity crisis thanks to shifting from every two years to every four years and the lack of interest in the English language media because England has never qualified. England's non participation and […]
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/ 6159 days agoCONCACAF Qualifying: Another Look
It's become fashionable to assume Mexico is in jeopardy of missing the World Cup. But are they really? The United States also still runs the risk of slipping to the 4th position in qualifying. The truth is when you objectively analyze qualifying very little separates the top four sides. Each of the top four nations […]
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/ 6159 days agoConfederations Cup Preview Show
On Episode 87 of the Major League Soccer Talk podcast we will have Bruce McGuire from DuNord and Beau Dure from the USA Today discussing all things US National Team and Confederations Cup. Leave your questions for either gentleman in the comments threat on this post.
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/ 6160 days agoAmerican Soccer Fans: United Like Never Before
It is a common perception that America's football loving populace is divided three ways- European football lovers, fans of the American game and Latin futbol fans. But the truth is the subdivisions within these groups are enormous. Let's take the fan of the American game for example. MLS has sold itself as the all encompassing […]
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/ 6160 days agoMLS Talk Podcast #86: US-Honduras Wrap, Open Cup, Promotion/Relegation
Episode 86 of the Major League Soccer Talk podcast features a review of Honduras-USA with Chris Riordan as well as a preview of the first round of US Open Cup matches. Here why host Kartik Krishnaiyer believes the US has a batter shot of getting a result versus Italy in the Confederations Cup than versus […]
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/ 6161 days agoWPS and EPL Big Winners for FOX in Ratings Game
When Fox Soccer Channel became Nielsen rated last October the hope at least on my end was that it provides evidence that more people were interested in Major League Soccer as spectator sport than the English Premier League. I even floated my theories two years ago in a running debate with Christopher Harris of EPL […]
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/ 6162 days agoUS Confederations Cup Squad: Thoughts on the Tournament and the Selections
The United States participated in two Confederations Cups under Bruce Arena. The 1999 tournament saw the United States reach the semifinals with a mixture of young experimental squad featuring the likes of Benny Olsen and CJ Brown and some veterans Arena reached back to call up such as John Harkes and Marcelo Balboa to provide […]
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/ 6163 days agoUSA 2-1 Honduras: Still Shaky, But Back on Track
Bob Bradley shook up the US squad and formation today in preparation for a critical qualifier in Chicago against Honduras. The Hondurans were missing two key elements: David Suazo one of the top players in CONCACAF and the solid Julio De Leon of Parma in Italy. Bradley's changes reflected the caution of a manager under […]
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/ 6163 days agoHonduras Without Big Guns Tonight
No Suazo = No Hope for Honduras? For all the spinning going on in US Soccer circles the last few days' minimal attention has been paid to the opponent tonight, Honduras, and their own woes. While Honduras still has Amado Guevara and Carlo Costly at full speed, Wilson Palacios will be playing the first match […]
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/ 6164 days agoBradenton Academy Impact on USMNT: You Decide
Yesterday on the Major League Soccer Talk Podcast, one of our guests Jamie Trecker of FOX Sports articulated an opinion which I happen to believe is well founded regarding the lack of player development by the USSF despite having a well funded and staffed National Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Here are the lists of players […]
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/ 6165 days agoThe Evolution of American Tactics, 1998-2009
Bob Bradley sprung a tactical surprise on all of us Wednesday night when the US shockingly came out at Saprissa Stadium in a 4-3-3. Bradley, for one night junked the 4-2-2-2 bucket that has earned the ire of so many American supporters in the last two years. This tactical change was just the latest in […]
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/ 6165 days agoMajor League Soccer Talk Podcast #85: US- Costa Rica Wrapup
One of the most frustrating games in recent US National Team History took place Wednesday night at Saprissa Stadium. Jamie Trecker of Fox Sports, Dave Denholm of 710 ESPN Radio, Chris Webb of United Mania and our own Mario Valdez discuss the match and the current state of the US National Team from every possible […]
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/ 6165 days agoIs TFC's Failure bad for Canada?
Duane Rollins whose work I respect a great deal has stated that Toronto FC's failures hurt the growth of football in Canada. The other night Vancouver took a giant step towards becoming the second consecutive USL-1 side to represent Canada in the two year old CONCACAF champions League. You'd be hard pressed to find an […]
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/ 6166 days agoCosta Rica 3-1 USA: Saprissa Strikes Again
To those fans of the US National Team who have been around their was nothing surprising or alarming about this match or the scoreline. For newcomers to US Soccer who have begun to expect more or have been told to expect more. But for old veterans of the USMNT program nothing about this match was […]
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/ 6166 days agoCosta Rican Attack: Whom to Focus on?
Costa Rican football has undergone a transition with the star players who led the Ticos to the 2002 and 2006 World Cup largely moving on and fresher blood coming in. Some of the fresh faces in Costa Rica's setup are not all that young however. The generation of Wanchope, Medford, Fonseca, etc have given way […]