This World Cup was supposed to be Michael Bradley’s coming out party. It was supposed to be his chance to show the soccer world how just good he is, to show teams like Roma why they should have kept him, and to show teams like Arsenal why should have placed bids for him.

Some MLS fans feared a good World Cup would lure him back overseas. Instead, he has vastly underperformed and shown the world what they already thought of him: that he is a good American player, capable of doing what American always players do well – run hard and hustle, but lacking that extra amount of class in their game.  You can hear the collective cries of the USMNT fans to the rest of the soccer world, “But he really is good!” And the truth is that he is.  No doubt Michael Bradley is a thousand times more disappointed in his performances than the fans.  And let’s be fair, the work that Bradley has done has been crucial to the US advancing to the round of 16; but he hasn’t pushed himself to a higher level.  I believe a change in tactics will help Bradley elevate his game.

Bradley has been playing at the top of the diamond formation, something that has looked good at times in qualifying and in the World Cup sendoff series. But this presents the US with two problems. First, with Jozy Altidore out injured, it has allowed defenses to target Bradley and his only forward outlet Clint Dempsey, limiting his options going forward.  The other midfield outlets, in particular Jermaine Jones, have spent most of their time helping out on the flanks against the speedy wingers from the Group of Death. Either they are a little late in coming to relieve Bradley or they are too deep in their own half when they receive the ball. Because of this, we come to our second problem. Bradley is doing too much, concentrating too much on the offensive side, instead of what he is best at and that is a deep lying playmaker. So how do we solve this?

The key is to relieve pressure off Bradley. I believe the formation below would do this.

Wondolowski

Dempsey

Jones                    F. Johnson

Beckerman Bradley

Beasley Besler Cameron Chandler

In this formation, Bradley lines up next to Beckerman, and going forward he would be stationed right in front of him.  Bringing Fabian Johnson up to midfield gives the US another viable attacking option that defenses have to worry about.  Also, having Dempsey play right under Wondolowski lets him wander and gives a chance for the US to build up play rather that going with route-one soccer.

If the US really wants to play the diamond formation, they should look to the last team that played it perfectly, AC Milan.  At first, people may think that Pirlo played at the top of their diamond, but Pirlo was actually in the position where Beckerman is now, as the deep-lying playmaker. Gattuso was deployed to the left, the same as Jermaine Jones.  Keep Beckerman where he is (where he has shined) and have Bradley line up just in front of him when going forward. Bradley can be that deep-lying playmaker with all the options in front of him. That way, if a defense wants to drop deep to focus on him, it will create space for Dempsey and Johnson. If the defense chooses not close him down, he will space to operate.

Essentially the US needs more options going forward.  They are making it too easy for oppositions to defend against.  Getting Jozy Altidore back would also go far in solving that problem.  I know that some will have their doubts about Chandler, but he is a quality Bundesliga defender who may excel in Salvador where the weather will be substantially milder than what the US has had to deal with so far.

Bradley performing at his peak is the only way the US can go deep in this World Cup.  How Klinsmann does it may be the most important piece of coaching he does.

Tonight in Curitiba we had a match between two teams who didn’t seem to get the memo that this was supposed to be the World Cup of the Americas, Ecuador and Honduras. With both teams suffering opening match losses both needed three points tonight. Ecuador, the favored side, looked to come back from their heartbreaking injury time loss to Switzerland, while Honduras looked forward to playing a match with a full 11 after losing Wilson Palacios to a red card during the first half of  their loss to France.

The match started quickly with each team exchanging chances in the first five minutes. Ecuador played to their strengths with Jefferson Montero and Antonio Valencia making strong runs on the flanks. But as they were in their first match against Switzerland, Ecuador were indecisive and wasteful in the final third. Honduras had stretches where they showed off their quality organization, and Ecuador showed their athleticism, both teams lacked the quality that their confederation counterparts have shown thus far in this tournament. None more evident than in the 19th minute when Enner Valencia, after beating the defender, was open on goal and pushed the ball wide left.

But any lack of finishing the teams displayed ended in the 30th minute when Carlos Costly ended Honduras’ 32 year World Cup scoring drought, taking advantage of Jorge Guagua’s mistake and powering a left footed shot into the bottom left corner of the goal. Then less than three minutes later Enner Valencia was able to level the match putting a tap in away from a Juan Carlos Paredes shot. The half ended with a minor controversy when Honduras believed they had a goal wrongfully disallowed, but replays showed that Jerry Bengtson had handled the ball.

The second half started with Honduras looking more organized, but they continuously conceded set pieces to Ecuador in dangerous areas, and it was a 64th minute free kick which allowed Ecuador to take the lead for good. After Jefferson Montero fouled right outside the left side of the box, Walter Ayovi connected with Ecuador’s magic man Enner Valencia for his second goal. For the remainder of the match Honduras tried to equalize by pushing men forward, and despite some good chances Ecuador was able to hold on for the win.

For a team in Ecuador that sometimes suffers because of its lack of discipline and organization, tonight they did well in holding Honduras at bay for the final 30 minutes. For the Hondurans, they were able to end one streak of goalless World Cup minutes, but they were unable to end the streak of no World Cup victories.

Heading into a decisive final match against France, Ecuador’s team morale grows as they have played two good matches despite losing to the Swiss. Ecuador has limitations no doubt, but if they can mature as a team,  they may provide France with a challenge.

Going into this season, most analysts and supporters knew it was going to take time to attain team cohesion.  This was the first time in their six seasons that the Sounders roster had to be overhauled. Gone were club originals Steve Zakuani and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, along with fan favorite Mauro Rosales. The Sounders high-priced Designated Player Clint Dempsey spent much of the off-season on loan with struggling Fulham FC.  Many predicted this team would be slow starters, lacking the familiarity that many of their Western Conference opponents already have.  However, what this team lacked in team cohesion, they have made up with experience and maturity.

The current squad has seven starters, who throughout their careers have a range of 17 to 103 caps for their respective national teams.  All of them playing in a combination of Confederation Championships, World Cup qualifiers, and World Cups.  It is this experience that has allowed the Sounders to find ways to win while Clint Dempsey was enduring a two match suspension.  This experience and maturity allowed the Sounders to beat Sporting Kansas City in stoppage time. It also inspired them to come back on the road for a draw at Portland, along with wins at both Dallas and Chivas USA.

One of the Sounders keys has been the play of an experienced players like Obafemi Martins. Martins has been willing to take a lesser role and serve as a facilitator. World Cup veteran Gonzalo Pineda has brought calm and set piece ability to the midfield. Pineda’s presence has been key to a midfield that has been lacking club captain, Brad Evans.

There are many more questions that need to be answered before we know where this team will be headed this season.  Will DeAndre Yedlin continue his education to become a first-choice right back?  Can this team get a lead and maintain it?  Are they capable of squeaking out one-nil wins?  These are questions that Sigi Schmid must find answers to, or else the season may again end in disappointment.  If these first seven games are any indication, it’s going to be an exciting season for the Sounders faithful.

If one thing was apparent after the 2-2 draw to Mexico, it was that Michael Bradley is the most important player going into this year’s World Cup.  This is something that fans of the United States (USMNT) have known for a long time. After seeing his return to MLS and his performance in last week’s match, it is apparent that Bradley is in top form and the US can be a force to reckon with in the Group of Death. Bradley’s success in Brazil will largely depend on his partner and the tactics played. But who should play alongside him, and how?

Here are 5 Jurgen Klinsmann’s options to consider when deciding who to play with Bradley:

1. Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones

This is the pairing that we have seen the most, and it’s the one the Klinsmann seems to favor.  It is based on a double pivot system where each midfielder plays off each other, covering for one another when the other goes forward in attack.  The problem here is the Jones is not as adept at going forward as Bradley.  At times when Jones goes forward, he fails to complete that decisive pass or is dispossessed in midfield, leaving Bradley to both clean up his mess and be the first line of defense against the opponent’s counter-attack.

I think this partnership could work if they used the tactic deployed last week against Mexico — Bradley at the top of a diamond midfield, while having Jones sit back and protect the centerbacks. This formation would allow Bradley to push into the attack.  The key to this is if Jones is willing to accept this role, and allow Bradley to orchestrate.

2. Michael Bradley and Kyle Beckerman

This partnership is fresh in our minds, and it seems like the one that fans would like to see more often. Beckerman accepts his defensive minded role and flourishes. He protects the centerbacks like no one else in the player pool and consistently completes passes.  The issue with Beckerman is his athleticism and speed. While he looked good last week against Mexico, it will be a daunting task for him to do the same in Brazil.  Mexico is nowhere near the quality that the US will see in the group stages.  Does he have the athleticism to hang with the likes of Mesut Ozil, Toni Kroos, Joao Moutinho, and Cristiano Ronaldo?

3. Michael Bradley and Geoff Cameron

Fans may remember this partnership last summer in Seattle against Panama. Bradley and Cameron looked good together in the midfield.  However this partnership can only happen if a suitable replacement can be found at right-back. Right now it seems that the drop off to Brad Evans and DeAndre Yedlin may be too great.

4. Michael Bradley and Maurice Edu

Another viable midfield option for Klinsmann. While he does have a lot experience, the question about Edu is can he play consistently at the highest level without any lapses.  One mistake can be punished in the World Cup.  After being away from the National Team for over a year, will the May camp be enough time for him to re-integrate with the team? The key is building an understanding with Bradley, that is just as good as Beckerman or Jones.

5. Michael Bradley and Mix Diskerud or Sacha Kljestan

While both players have quality, I see them playing their best against CONCACAF opposition.  I wonder if each can raise their game to a be starter in the World Cup.  Kljestan may have played himself off the team after the Ukraine match, whereas Diskerud maybe fighting for a spot on the bench.

Let us know what you think and what partnership you would like to see in Brazil.

At the end of the season, Sunday’s match between Montreal and Seattle may be forgotten by many of us. For the Sounders, it will go down as three points against a team that may not be going anywhere this year. But what we saw was the Sounders identity becoming a little clearer.

This is a Sounders team that in its 6 year history has been known for making all the pretty passes, but sometimes lacked the grit that was needed to win on the road, and to win when your star was not there. But Sunday, missing DP Clint Dempsey, Seattle were outshot 25-9, conceded 55% possession, but still found a way to make the most of their scoring opportunities.

It was obvious very early in the match that even though the Montreal Impact were having success in attacking young left back Dylan Remick with Justin Mapp and the overlapping Eric Miller, the quality in the final pass was lacking on the day. All the crosses from Mapp and Brazilian Felipe Martins were either off the mark or easily handled by Seattle’s centerbacks. Plus forward Andrew Wenger couldn’t get a shot on frame. In a match where there was tons of space, due to both teams playing with a three-man midfield, Seattle let Montreal go up and down the field knowing that without Marco Di Vaio, quality chances would be hard to come by.

A match like this allowed Sigi Schmid to see how his team would operate when Dempsey, Brad Evans and possibly Obafemi Martins are at the World Cup — to see how Gonzalo Pineda could step in for Brad Evans, to allow the education of DeAndre Yedlin and Dylan Remick to continue, and to give newcomer Michael Azira 24 minutes of playing time. Some of the key players Sunday afternoon may not be Sigi’s primary starters during the year but he is finding players that can step in and win in whatever way possible, something that Seattle hasn’t always done. All that remains is to see if they will be able to do this with Clint Dempsey in the lineup.

Seattle’s next match is home against the Columbus Crew at 10pm ET on Saturday, March 29 (available on MLS Live).

It became evident Saturday afternoon that even though the Seattle Sounders have championship aspirations, they are not a championship caliber team yet.  This will be a team that as the season progresses, on-lookers will see if they can do the many things required for a championship.  Last night they failed their first test. Championship teams close matches out.  On a windy Saturday afternoon the Sounders started quickly, getting the ball out to Steve Zakuani out on the wing, and even though they were missing regular Brad Evans, Andy Rose filled in well in controlling the midfield with Osvaldo Alonso.  The Timbers had an erratic start and it was a lazy back-pass from Diego Chara, which allowed Zakuani to race down the left by-line and feed the cross to Eddie Johnson for the goal in the 13th minute.

From that point on, Seattle allowed Portland to find their feet and get back into the game.  Now Seattle didn’t go into the tank, but they never took charge of the match. They let Portland have more possession and allowed them almost twice as many attempts on goal. This culminated in an unmarked Rodney Wallace tying the match in the 90^th minute.  The Sounders should have closed this match out.  It was highly impressive that they were able to take the lead so early without having their midfield maestro Mauro Rosales on the field, a player that they depend on so much.  But when they added Rosales in the 61 minute and new acquired Obafemi Martins in the 70^th minute they should have put their foot on the throat on the Timbers.  It was a strange on-field atmosphere for such a highly competitive derby match.  It lacked the usually contempt and intensity that we have become accustomed to in the Cascadia Cup. Perhaps the Seattle did have a letdown after their mid-week CONCACAF Champions League match.

With the whole team putting forth a lackluster effort, one player stood out and that was Mario Martinez.  It seems he hasn’t found his stride yet this season. Not that he isn’t playing well, but he is not having the same impact as their opposite winger, Steve Zakuani. Only  Sammy Ochoa had less successful passes on the night.  Perhaps he is player who doesn’t find his own game, it appears he wants service rather than winning the ball and attacking the wing like his counterpart. Time will tell, but with one point on the season, the Seattle Sounders will have to start proving to their fans and themselves, that they have what it takes to be champions.

With the opening of the 2013 MLS season, the Seattle Sounders have the hype and the expectations of being serious Supporter Shield and MLS Cup contenders.  But Saturday night it was the Montreal Impact who showed the composure and the experience that is indicative of a champion.  Anchored by their two centerbacks Alessandro Nesta and Matteo Ferrari, the Impact weathered an initial surge in the first 17 minutes by and settled down. They started to take their chances. Marco Di Vaio shot just pushing the ball over the crossbar as well as a diving header by Andrea Pisanu that went wide left.  But it was the captain, Davy Arnaud who beautifully floated the ball over keeper Michael Gspuring in the 35th minute to take the lead.

For all the credit that the Impact deserve, the same amount of criticism can go to Seattle’s wingers. With the loss of Fredy Montero much is expected of Steve Zakuani and Mario Martinez in the way of goals and offensive pressure.  But last night both seemed to drift in and out of the match, and when they did get the ball, both players failed to take advantage of their one on one skills.  As elegant as Nesta’s performance was last night, their speed could have exposed his 37 year old legs.  Another area where they failed to capitalize was with Mauro Rosales’ movement.  Starting up top with Eddie Johnson, Rosales tended to drift out to the right where he is more comfortable.  When you have a withdrawn forward that has the freedom to drift to the flanks, you need to have deep midfield runs up the middle.  It was no surprise that when those run where carried out, the Sounders have their best chances on goal.  They just didn’t have enough of those runs, and they didn’t have them from their speedy wingers.

But this was not a disaster for the Sounders, granted zero points is not ideal, but they had many high points.    One is that Mauro Rosales looks like he is in mid-season form.  Once Osvaldo Alonso returns and the wingers get on track, Rosales can truly orchestrate the midfield.  And the buyout of Christian Tiffert gives a strong indication that Obafemi Martins may be on his way soon.  But the highlight of the night had to be the rookie debut of DeAndre Yedlin.  The 19 year old Homegrown player never looked out of his depth.  He overlapped well and was quick to track back when he went forward.   And when speedy winger Sanna Nyassi came on he bent but he didn’t break.  His confidence must high; he knows that he has a coach who is willing to use him despite his youth.  No doubt we will be seeing more of him.  The Seattle Sounders have the foundation for greatness but they must build on it if they hope to reach and exceed expectaions.

Signs that the streak was soon to end was evident in the first 20 minutes of the match.  Seattle had crisp one touch passing, players were making runs off the ball, and the team showed confidence in all aspects of the game.  Yet the final touch eluded them in the final third of the field.  Despite getting into space Eddie Johnson couldn’t get his shots on frame and Matt Pickens was up to early chances from Alvaro Fernandez.  But Seattle was able to break the dead lock in the 52th minute off a set piece goal by Fernandez.  It was the first goal of the year for Fernandez and you could see the relief on his face.  He almost doubled his tally a minute later.  Another goal by Eddie Johnson sealed the win in the 64th.  Even though Colorado pulled a goal back and nearly had a tying goal after pressuring Seattle’s goal for the last 8 minutes, the night will be remembered for the return of Steve Zakuani.

Zakuani’s substitution in the 86th minute was what the whole Sounder nation had been waiting for, for the last 15 months.  And as he jogged onto the field you could see that Brian Mullen had been waiting as well.  After suffering a double leg break, not only did I wonder when Zakuani would return but I wondered when both players would be able to have closure and move on.  Seeing them hug and exchange jerseys at the end of the match showed that that closure has come.  Steve Zakuani and Brian Mullen may always be connected by that horror tackle, but perhaps their closure will provide closure for the fans as well.  With this win and the return of Zakuani, it must feel like a new season has started Saturday night for the Seattle Sounders and their fans.

Even though this adds to Seattle’s winless streak, much was to be gained.  They still gave up the first goal of the match but they were able to fight back and take the lead.  Mauro Rosales and Alvaro Fernandez turned in high-spirited performances.  Eddie Johnson is starting to look like the player they expected they were getting.  I get the feeling that Seattle started to believe all the hype about their team coming into this season, and now they are realizing that nothing will be given to them.  This is not La Liga or the Premiership where the top 4 can be predicted accurately most seasons.  This is a league built on parity.  There is a new big four every season.  Seattle will eventually secure their first win since May 9th but they will have to start finding ways to win games, even ugly if they have to.  They may have to expound on some of the grit that they showed tonight.  Seattle played tough, they were hard to beat, but only for 93 minutes.

Following the 4-1 defeat to Brazil, we saw for the first time same a very different Jürgen Klinsmann.  Gone was the always positive and optimistic demeanor.  There sat before us a national team manager that was, by his own words, “pissed”.  Klinsmann then went on to say the need for his team to have “more of an edge-more nastier.”  These comments sent reverberations through the US soccer media.  Many voicing their disapproval, stating that the US shouldn’t have to resort to gamesmanship to win, that Klinsmann is ignorant of American culture, that that isn’t in the American players DNA, and that if the US turned to the European tactics of diving to win penalties or arguing with the ref, that it would somehow turn future fans of the game away.  But what did Klinsmann mean when he uttered those words?

For beginners, Klinsmann wasn’t asking for antics akin to Maradona’s Hand of God or Luis Suarez’ hand ball in South Africa. Klinsmann wants his players from the opening whistle to let the other team know that they are playing in their house.  He wants his players to let the referee know that he is calling a game in their house.  Hard tackles, like what Jermaine Jones did to Neymar, should happen in the first half, not in the second half with the game already decided.  Brazil was allowed to ease into the game, they should have been uncomfortable from the get go.  Perhaps the US showed too much respect for Brazil, but if you go through the US roster and list their accomplishments, for club and country, they deserve to be respected too.  Brazil made the US look like pushovers. How could you let Marcelo, a player who can’t get regular time with his club, disrespect one of your veterans like Steve Cherundolo?  There is a need to play nasty, not by cheating, but you do the same thing Marcelo was doing, as a matter of fact, you do the same thing that Jürgen Klinsmann did as a player.  You become a nuisance, a pest, a difficult player to play against.  Every interaction you have with the other team should make them uncomfortable.  Think of players like Ben Olsen and Pablo Mastroeni, they are evidence that you can be nasty without cheating.  Many find it unfavorable to surround the referee to protest bad calls, like Barcelona, but the bottom line is that referees are human and they will second guess themselves.  Perhaps with more protests from the US, the referee may have given more thought to the two possible penalties that the US had in the game against Dempsey and Gomez.  There is a fine line between playing nasty and cheating.  It’s a line that players like Roy Keane, Claude Makelele, and Gennaro Gattuso have struggled to walk all their careers, but they have done so with success.  And naturally, with this type of play there is some risk, but also reward.  A question to all soccer media and fans, if a US player crossed that line like Luis Suarez, would you enjoy the results any less, for Suarez advancing his team to the World Cup semi-finals?  How about Roy Keane, or more recently Ramires and Raul Meireles of Chelsea?  Players whose yellow cards got them suspended but propelled their teams to Champions League finals and ultimately victory.

The US does have and enforcers like the in Jermaine Jones and Michael Bradley, but given that the current squad is technically further back than teams like Brazil, Holland and Spain, it may call for the whole team to have such an attitude.   The outrage by the media is baffling to me, because the nastiness that Klinsmann asked for is the same type that we have seen the US display in victories against Italy this year and Spain in the Confederations Cup.  Klinsmann’s contention may have been that this capitulation happened at home.  At times, I feel that the US players put too much stock into the fact that because the US is such a melting pot, that there may be equal numbers of supporters in the stands. Perhaps they feel every match is an away match and play accordingly.  As most things in life, it boils down to balance, the US has the players and the correct mental makeup to play nasty, they just have to learn to display it for 90 minutes, against every opponent ,at home and away, and apparently for them to be accepted by the soccer media and fans, never cross the line.

Going into the first match of this year’s Cascadia Cup, the Sounders were considered by many one of the top three teams in the MLS.  That is why the first half was so shocking to watch.  The usually stable midfield frequently gave up possession, allowing the Whitecaps to counterattack with speedy wingers Omar Salgado and Davide Chiumiento. They allowed Jun Davidson to boss the midfield, and there was comical indecisiveness by Jeff Parke on the 12th minute goal by Alain Rochat.  It seemed Parked was caught between shifting out to cover Rochat or to stay with the speedy Darren Mattocks.  To call the Sounders lucky to be down one goal at the half would be an understatement, young Mattocks had two clear goal scoring opportunities but failed to put the ball on target.

But halftime changes of Andy Rose for Alex Casky, changing their 4-4-2, to 4-2-3-1, and Fredy Montero dropping into the midfield provided quick dividends for manager Sigi Schmid, with a 47 minute goal by Eddie Johnson.  After each team exchanged wonder goals in the last 8 minutes, Seattle feels content getting an away point because for the first time this year they were able to have Montero, Johnson, Alvaro Fernandez and Mauro Rosales on the field at the same time.   These are four players who can all possess the ball, provide service for each other, and score in this league.  When firing on all cylinders it will be near impossible for defenses to key on one man.  And that’s why Saturday’s gaining of a point, or the losing of two points (depending on how you view it), won’t grate too much on Sigi Schmid. He realizes that this cohesion will take time to cultivate, as do the players.

Eddie Johnson commented, “Its coming.  It’s not coming as fast as we thought it would be. We’ve had some injuries and guys haven’t been able to play on a consistent basis together.  Whoever Sigi puts on the field, we’ve got each other’s backs 100-percent.”  No doubt more time together on the field will provide the fans with signiture technical, one touch Seattle Sounders football.  And perhaps more time running the second half 4-2-3-1 system, will also add an added dimension to this team.  At times with Rosales and Adam Johansson connecting on the right side of the pitch along with Eddie Johnson occupying the same half of the final third, Seattle can tend too become too right sided.  Real Salt Lake showed that by closing down that right side, Seattle can have problems switching the run of play to the left side.  By having Montero drop into the midfield and with the return of a healthy Alvaro Fernandez playing on the left, this new formation may provide the Sounders with more balance and shape to their formation.

When you add the possible mid-summer return of Steve Zakuani, this Fab Four, may become a Fab Five.  The future for the Seattle Sounders couldn’t be more promising.

On March 26th 2011 against Argentina, fans of US Soccer were given a glimpse of who they thought was going to be the successor to long time right back Steve Cherundolo.  Coming in at half time, Tim Chandler quickly demonstrated a penchant for going forward. His dangerous cross in the 48th minute created a great scoring opportunity for Jozy Altidore and his speed down the wing opened up multiple opportunities for the United States. It was only one game, but Chandler looked as if he could become an instant starter.

The son of an American service-man and German mother, he had all the things the US needed; he played a position of need, he was getting playing time at a top German club (FC Nuremberg), and he wasn’t in the sights of Joachim Low and the German National team.  Fast forward to the summer of 2011 at the Gold Cup, under advice from his club he declined Bob Bradley’s offer to play in the tournament, citing fatigue from the season.  Most were disheartened, but they understood.  Here was a 22 year old playing his first full season in the top flight of German football, and his club wanted him to rest.  Perhaps this was the case of a big club bullying a young player, but for the sake of player development, they let it slide.  The US was highly favored in the tournament and Cherundolo was still more than capable of manning his position.  Chandler tried to allay fears, claiming he was focused on meeting back up with the US, and German head coach Joachim Low even went so far as to say that Chandler wasn’t on the German national team’s radar.

One year later, on the eve of a month long training camp, which includes three international friendlies and concludes with the start of World Cup qualifying, Chandler again has denied a call-up. This time from fellow countrymen Jurgen Klinsmann, citing that he needs a “break”.  It seems that in turning down an important national team call-up for the second time in two years, Chandler has no interest in representing the US.

Naturally the coaching staff, the players, and fans are extremely disappointed on missing out on seeing a player with huge potential.  It stings for US fans because again they may have to bear being spurned again by another young dual nationality star.  And after having to endure rejection from Neven Subotic and Giuseppe Rossi, this one could very well leave a mark. But Chandler’s decision won’t be a death blow for the US, being that Cherundolo can still put in a shift, and there are some other young options that Klinsmann has called into camp.  You have Eric Lichaj who is a natural right-back but just finished the season with Aston Villa at left-back, Fabian Johnson has been a revelation for the US and Hoffenhiem, Edgar Castillo has had a career year at Club Tijuana, and add in another up and coming prospect in Alfredo Morales from Hertha Berlin, Klinsmann will have a lot to work with in the upcoming month.

The problem with Chandler’s decision is that the US can’t wait around for him.  Left and right back are areas of need, where starters and back-ups are needed.  The next month will give Klinsmann a real chance to see what the aforementioned players are capable of, but he should have had a chance to see them already.  In addition to Argentina, Chandler played in matches against Paraguay, Belgium, Ecuador, France and Slovenia.  Chandler took away valuable playing opportunities from other players who could have been groomed to fill the left back position in games against quality competition.  He took time away from guys who would die to put the US shirt on.

Interestingly, the one who may be hurt the most by this decision is Tim Chandler himself.  No one begrudges him the decision he’s made.  Being mixed racially, it’s entirely understandable that he may have never felt like he fit in with the Americans. He may feel more German than American, and that’s fine. The Americans pursued him. But the timing no doubt hurts him.  As far as we know he is not in Germany’s plans for this summer’s European Championship.  Furthermore, Klinsmann’s own words indicated this training camp is all business.  They are in this camp strictly for World Cup Qualifying and not for scouting.  Jurgen specifically said they are looking for leaders.  Players who, despite long seasons in Europe, are looking to build on that season use their time with the national time as an opportunity to get better.

Klinsmann did add that the door is still open for Tim Chandler, but one has to wonder how long it will be open for a player who has not made up his mind.

After Saturday’s match, the standings will show that the Portland Timbers gained 3 points, but it will show that they didn’t move up in the standings.  But leaving the match the Portland Timbers gained more than 3 points.  Many will say that the own-goal was lucky and I give them that.  Kansas City has proven to be a defensive stalwart, leading the league in shut-outs thus far.  And don’t expect Chance Meyers and Julio Cesar to make mistakes that will lead to more own goals.  The magic for Portland was not in the goal itself, but in what happened before and after the goal.

From the beginning, Kansas City didn’t care that they were the visitors in one of the most intimidating MLS venues, nor did they show any signs that this was there third match in eight days.  They tried to physically impose themselves on the Timbers and the referees as well, vehemently protesting any calls against them.  They played with the swagger and confidence of a defending champion.  But to their credit, the Portland Timbers stood tall and went toe to toe with a physically aggressive team.  Sporting Kansas City knew that nothing was going to come easy.  What was most impressive was how Portland played after the goal in the second half.  They didn’t close up shop and put 11 men behind the ball nor did they become over confident and feel that they could attack at will.  They defended when necessary and attacked when it was prudent.  The manner of this win is so important because Portland was riding a 4 game losing streak coming in.  Three of those losses had Portland giving up leads in the last 5 minutes of games.  There was a sense that Portland’s problem was not so much with their personnel, but the mental state of the team.  The way they ended Saturday night’s match can give Portland fans confidence that their team is maturing.  And they may have avoided an early season collapse.

Saturday night, for all purposes was a success for the Seattle Sounders.  Three points would have been ideal, but considering that they held D.C. United scoreless, a team that scored four goals the week before, they no doubt feel satisfied with the point.  This was their first road game of the year, following a defeat to a San Jose team that out-hustled them, and it was against a young D.C. team that is inspired and having early success. It was against a team that has reigning league MVP Dewayne DeRosario, and they did it in front of the always raucous Barra Brava, which totaled over 15,000 on the night. So why then, as a Sounders fan, did I walk away from the match feeling uncertain about our season?  One reason, early play shows that this team needs a #10 to be successful.

Seattle has great attacking talent. I would rival it against any in the league, but all that attacking talent is with their forwards and not in the midfield. Now don’t get me wrong, Montero, Estrada, Johnson, and Levesque are all capable players, but they are all forwards, not midfielders and they think like forwards.  Countless times, indecisive passes in the final third cost the Sounders attempts on goal.  It wasn’t that the decisions were wrong, it was the hesitation.  Too many times Montero or Levesque took one touch too many.  The Sounders forwards can be clinical finishers with the best of them when they have the service not when they are giving.  It’s the reason that I believe Fredy Montero has been so slow to tally a goal, too much time in the midfield and not in front of goal.

Sounders fans all know the answer and that is the return of Mauro Rosales. He can make the decisive passes in the final third.  His return will no doubt help, but can the Sounders really feel stable knowing that so much of their offensive creativity lies with one player. A player who is 31 and no doubt will miss more time during the long MLS season. Alvaro Fernandez hasn’t shown the consistency in his service as evidenced when he miss-hit and pass to a wide open David Estrada.  So much talk has been, if Eddie Johnson can regain his former form.  He will if he can play up top and not have to drift out wide to help create chances. The same can be said of Roger Levesque, how can one of the league’s best poachers be that if he playing out wide right.  Seattle will need to find more creativity from the mid-field if they want to fully utilize their forward talent. How many goals do you think Montero would score if he didn’t have to go into the mid-field, and could stay up top with Johnson or Estrada?  It is not so much if the forwards are capable of playing in the midfield, it a matter of putting them where their instincts are most effective.  Perhaps instead of being involved with summer transfer rumors  for Ivica  Olic, they should be the ones trying to get Stephen Ireland.

During his tenure Bradley’s team have been chronic slow starters. These slow starts haven’t  just been a disease of the World Cup.   Starting  at the beginning of World Cup qualifying in 2008 to today the US has played a total 40 matches.  In 13 of those matches the US was trailing by halftime, that’s 32%!  Ten of those thirteen matches the US trailed by the 25th minute.  The startling aspect of these numbers are that these results came against CONCACAF teams during qualification.  Teams that are considered inferior competetion by the world’s footballing standards.  Now I am not saying the the US should expect to beat  all their opponents by 4 goals or that Bradley should have the US playing some sort of free-flowing, pass happy football.  He can only work with what he has. But  Bradley has regularly fielded teams that were unprepared in some aspect of the game, be it mentally, physically, or tactically.  After this World Cup the US will be taken seriously in any tourmanment it enters but their inability to start quickly gives the appearance that they don’t take match seriously.  For the first time the US can leave a tournament with international and domestic respect.  In the next four years lets have that respect because the US can field a team of truly professional, composed footballers and not because we are the spunky underdogs or the fighters who never quit.  Lets be the fighters who never give up a lead, the fighters that kill off games. Let teams chase us. This can all be done playing the brand of football we play right now!

Now the growth of this US team since 2006 can not be understated, but can Bradley grow and learn as a manager in the same way?   Bradley will not last long in a second tenure with the US or at Fulham if he continues to have his teams shoot themselves in the foot in the first halfs at matches.  In the past four years we have seen Dempsey and Donovan prove to us that they perform in a world class league and on the big international stage. We’ve seen them complete their growth as players.  Will we see Bob Bradley complete his growth as a manager?

Today the US progressed, and not just to the next round of 16 in this World Cup. They progressed in the ranks of world football. Their status, their pedigree was elevated. How so? They did something that they as a nation have never done before. Something that Brazil, Argentina, Germany do in every World Cup. They set a goal, a plan, a mission, and they acheived it.

Going into this World Cup this US team felt that anything less than the round of 16 would be a failure. Now in comparison to the other giants of world football, advancement to the next round is a given, and going into a World Cup many aim for the semi-finals at least. But not for the US; they have never entered into this tournament and fulfilled their expectations. Round of 16 appearances in 1994 and 2002 were surprises, shocks. They caught the footballing world by surprise. They entered into World Cup 2006 with high expectations and failed miserably.

So here we sit in 2010, a known entity in the football world, expectations high, and now fulfilled. Now this doesn’t mean that we take our seat along the side of the world’s elite, not only do they acheive their footballing goals, but they do it tournament after tournament, and with class. In the big picture the round of 16 may be a small acheivement but it allows us to reach the point were we can look at the World Cup and say, “This is were we want to go in the tournament”and know that we can do it. We can look and say,”This is the result we need,” and know that we can attain it. It may take time for the class to arrive. Quaterfinals, semifinals, or even finals may come this year or in 20 years, but when the US mens team go to sleep tonight, they can all smile and think, mission accomplished. And when they wake up tomorrow, they can start on their next mission, Ghana.

With the first match over with, what grade does Bob Bradley get. It was a much hyped and anticipated event that he navigated successfully through. My grade for Bob Bradley would be an B+. The only thing from him getting an A was that he got a draw verses the win. I based it on two criteria; starting 11 and in-game tactic. The starting 11 that Bradley pick I had no problem with. The only question that I had as well as many fans had was the inclusion of Ricardo Clark instead of Maurice Edu or Jose Torres. One can’t blame Bradley for picking Clark because he is a known entity for Bob, he was a starter all through qualification and the Confederations Cup. Bradley knows what he is getting with Clark, he knows Clark’s weaknesses, and the team knows his weaknesses. Torres may be the popular pick but we have only seen him shine in one half of football against Turkey in a friendly, and while Edu is probably a better player than Clark, because of injuries he hasn’t been able to log as much game time with the junior Bradley as Clark. Bradley went with the safe pick rather than having Torres and Edu get their baptism by fire.

At first I really questioned Bradley’s in-game tactics wanting him to bring in  Buddle  sooner and really push forward and go for the win, but having a day to try to think about it as a manager you get what Bob was trying to do. Bradley knows that this team is a chronic slow starter and they proved it again last night, but they fought back. Now do you take the draw, leave the field feeling confident, keeping yourself in the drivers seat, controlling your own destiny, or do you risk it, push forward, allow England to counter-attack, and give them more chances to spray shots at your already banged up goalie. Then they leave the field dejected, they leave the field as the same old US, no evidence of progress from 2006.  A win would have been one for the ages, but the draw keeps this team in the calm, confident, and controlled attitude that it had entering the England match, and this is exactly what they need knowing that Slovenia won and that most likely England will win its two final games. Now the US team can go into win their final two games, knowing they can win, and don’t be surprised if they try to punch in as many goals against Slovenia and Algeria hoping to top England in goal differential for the group lead.

The next two games will call for a different approach from Bob Bradley, lets see how he does, and hopefully him and the US team will both get better and grow into this tournament. Please share your grade for coach Bradley.

Going into this World Cup many people are expecting big things from the England squad, and why not?  All play in what’s considered the best league in the world, they have one of the top three strikers in the world in Wayne Rooney, a top 5 defender in John Terry, and manager Fabio Capello comes second only to Jose Mourinho. But for every positive you find, their seems to be glaring negatives, and it forces you to ask, “Which England squad will show up in South Africa?”

One can point to their World Cup qualifying and how they blazed through their group, scoring the most goals in the qualifying round with 34 and a goal differential of 28. Impressive right, but lets look at the competition; Ukraine, Croatia, Belarus, Kazakstan and Andorra.  Ukraine and Croatia are both respectively ranked in the top 25 in the deceptive FIFA Coca-Cola World Rankings.  Croatia got a case of Billy Big Boots due to their knocking England our of qualifying for Euro 2008 and their impressive run in that tournament, and no disrespect, but Ukraine along with the rest are not quality opponents. How did England do against the elite? Loss to Brazil, loss to Spain, loss to France.  Now they were able to manage a draw with Holland and a win against Germany, but are these fixtures enough of a test for team that wants to raise the World Cup.  What we haven’t seen from England is how they are going to respond when they get punched in the mouth. What will they do when their lip gets bloodied?  We’ve seen it from the World Cup favorites. We’ve seen Brazil go 2-0 down to the US in the Confederations Cup final. They battled through a marathon qualify campaign. A campaign that saw surprising home draws to Colombia and Ecuador, and an unacceptable home draw and loss to lowly Bolivia. The result? They came out winners of the Confederations Cup and top of the group. Even Spain after having their 35 game win streak broken by the US they went undefeated in WC qualifying.

While nations are cutting players like Patrik Viera, Marco Borriello,  Guiseppe Rossi, and Benni McCarthy. England is reaching out to an ailing Owen Hargreaves, and retirees Paul Scholes and Jamie Carragher.  England can be a very good team but it looks like this team will get its baptism by fire.  How it responds to the heat from opposing sides and their home media will show us how strong and courageous these Three Lions really are.

Heading into this World Cup, no team should be looking for any extra motivation.  After all, this is the World Cup , where the world’s best will be gathered for one big battle royal to decide who takes home the title, World Champion!  Never will these teams ever again experience the spectacle or pageantry that will be apart of starting June 11.   The US enter the tournament with their most talented, experienced, and by their own admission, the most focused team they have ever had.  This team has a rare opportunity that many teams don’t get, to exorcise some of the demons that have haunted them, to right some of the real and perceived wrongs that have been happened to them on the field.  This tournament may very well turn into their very own revenge tour, and this time its personal.

England

The US are going to first and foremost be looking to get some form of points from this match, but make no mistake, many of these players will remember the poor showing this US team showed against England at Wembley in 2008.  England players reported that some US players were shaking in the tunnel, an image that they no doubt want to erase from their own minds as well as the England players.  Also there is a little revenge here on the English media. Once their favorite son, Beckham, made his choice to come to MLS, all you heard was how “Mickey Mouse” MLS was.  A league that all the US players have gotten their start in and have strong emotional ties to.  Taking any points off England, would be the akin to the US saying; “We’re here, we beat you, now shut it!”

Contingent on Advancing from the Group Stage(which they will)

Germany

In 2002 the US completely outplayed the Germans and had an obvious handball by Torsten Frings in the penalty area go uncalled.  A likely round of 16 opponent, the US will be thinking of this and liking their chances, especially going against a German team missing captain Michael Ballack, starting keeper Rene Adler, plus three other players key players(Heiko Westerman, Simon Rolfes, and Christian Traesch).

Ghana

Going into their last group game in 2006 many of the US fans and players felt that this was a team they should have and could have beaten to advance, and many of the players still feel that way today(an argument for another day).  However you feel, there is no denying how soft the penalty German referee Markus Merk awarded Ghana, when Onyewu jostled with 5-foot-8 Razak Pimpong for a header at the edge of the penalty area.  Its worth noting the Pimpong is on the Ghana diving team.

Serbia

A dark horse for many fans, this is more of a revenge game for US fans rather than the player.  After Giuseppe Rossi’s omission from the Italian team, US fans will be looking for their second pound of flesh in the form of  defeating Neven Subotic, a player who played all his youth soccer in the US kit before switching allegiances.

Now it is going to take more than the US taking the pitch in revenge mode to make this World Cup a memorable one, but any added motivation can only help this already talented team.

This Saturday marks the last tune up match the United States have before they take the field June 12 against England in their World Cup opener.  After four years of building his squad, Bradley still has some questions that still need to be cleared up before the South African campaign begins.  Here is my lineup.  It allows the establish players to gain more cohesion as group and at the same time it provides Bradley with a few answers.  Feel free to post your starting 11.

Forwards:  Jozy Altidore and Herculez Gomez

In the last match Jozy started to show signs of what all US fans hoped he would be after a season in the Premiership. Give the big man another run out to help him find his game.  After the disappointing end to his season at Hull City, he needs as much confidence as possible.  As for his partner I choose Gomez.  Robbie Findley only improved his chances of seeing the field June 12^th, but we need to see what Gomez can bring as a starter. He is an established entity as a super sub, and my reasoning is that he has had a better season, in a more competitive league than Findley. Show us what you got Herc!

Midfielders:  Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Jose Francisco Torres, Landon Donovan

Torres skill in the Turkey match was a revelation to all watching.  It was what we all wanted to see since the loss of Claudio Reyna and John O’Brien, but can he do it for the full 90, that is my question and that is what I want to see on Saturday. I would trade Maurice Edu for Michael Bradley at the half to see how that combo works in midfield, and I would also like to see Beasley and Holden come in for Deuce and Donovan later on as I feel this guys all have the potential to be subs that can come in and score, something the US has lone needed.

Defenders:  Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, Jay Demerit, Steve Cherundolo

This is it for Gooch; show us that you have fully recovered. Allay all the fears that US fans had after seeing him get beat in the Czech match; build on the solid showing you had in the Turkey.  The same can be said for Bocanegra, prove your match fitness.  We have been hearing everything is ok all training camp, show us fellas.  Lastly, with having Cherundolo as the right back it would give the US a chance to work on covering him when he bombs up the right, something that Demerit and Bradley had trouble to doing in the early stages of the last match when Spector was in.  If Bocanegra can’t go the full 90 I would like to see Spector come in as a left back sub, as Bornstein showed me that he was incapable up handling the speed of the international game.

 Let’s hope Australia puts out a strong team so we can see what our boys are capable of and if they have learned anything from their previous matches.

The last time many of us saw DaMarcus Beasley, his miss on a corner launched a Brazilian counter-attack that led to the eventual trouncing of the US in the group phase of the Confederations Cup.  It was the culmination of a number of mediocre and lackluster performances from him in the national team shirt, which was the only shirt he was wearing due to his lack of play at his club Rangers in Scotland.

Fast forward to this December which sees Beasley inserted back in to the starting line up and producing. In five games he’s given Rangers 2 goals and 4 assists, which has many of us US supporters wondering if this play is sustained thru the season, does he merit a call up for next summers World Cup in South Africa.

In my opinion yes. For the simple fact that he solves some of the tactical problems Bob Bradley has due to the loss of Charlie Davies.

We are all wondering if Jeff Cunningham or Robbie Findley can be a suitable replacement for Davies, in reality the perfect replacement for him would be Landon Donovan.  In the current setup moving Donovan up top would leave a hole on the left side of midfield, a hole that Beasley can and has filled in the past.  He has pace to match Donovan and he has a fine tuned understanding of Donovan and Clint Dempsey’s play. It is also gives us a true left footed midfielder, one who can ease the burden of set pieces off Donovan.  Beasley is also easily the most experienced American player who has played in Europe. With a resume that includes  playing in the PSV/Ajax derby, in a Champions League semi-final, the Manchester City/ Manchester United derby, and in 2 World Cups.

With the US getting their most favorable draw ever in a World Cup and desperately needing to get rid of the bad taste of the 2006 World Cup out of everyone ‘s mouth, this summer Bob Bradley has to send an all hands on deck call to all players who can help them progress out of their group. Now this is all contingent on Beasley maintaining his current level of play, if that is done, then not only does Bob Bradley have an extra tactical option, but we all have a greater sense of hope as we head to South Africa.

For all of the praise that Bob Bradley has gotten and deserved for his win in Switzerland (breaking a 5 game European losing streak), 2007 Gold Cup champions, wins against Egypt and Spain, and 2009 Confederation Cup runners-up, he has gotten condemned for unimaginative performances against El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Trinidad and Tobago in World Cup Qualifying. He’s been criticized for uninspired performances against Italy and Brazil in the Confederations Cup, and worst of all, a 5-0 home loss to bitter rivals Mexico in the 2009 edition of the Gold Cup. But before the calls for Capello, Hiddink, and Scolari get too loud, you have to realize that Bob Bradley has just been playing the cards he has been dealt. Notice how this is evident in the greatest disappointment that US fans have, Bradley’s squad selection.

For months now fans have called for the inclusion of Freddy Adu, Jose Francisco Torres, and Kenny Cooper into the squad. Fans are looking for the US to have the classic number 10 who runs the midfield. And the fans are realistic in their request, they aren’t expecting Riquelme, Iniesta, or Xavi, but they are clamoring for the days when players like John O’ Brian and Claudio Reyna ran the midfield with imaginattion. But news flash to the fans, the US is not built to play that way successfully. Even though there is a collective groan when fans see the starting line-up containing two defensive midfielders, look at the collection of talent that Bradley has to choose from; M. Edu, M. Bradley, R. Clark, K. Beckerman, and very soon Jermaine Jones. Bob Bradley realizes that his team cannot out-Spain Spain, they can’t out pass Holland. As a matter of fact when Bradley’s system is applied correctly you can see the success in the results against Spain and how they pushed Brazil to the brink. And if you want to see his system at its peak, just look how Brazil runs it. The big question is; How is Bradley going to react to the new cards he is dealt? Let me explain.

Bob Bradley is very much a manager who likes to rely on what he is comfortable with, but he is going to have to make some decisions that challenge that. Will he abandon Jonathan Bornstein for Edgar Castillo? If Edgar Castillo is the answer at left back does he still try to force the centerback duo of Bocanegra and Onyewu or does he have the bottle to bench one of them in favor of Demerit? If his son, Michael, continues to lose the plot for club and country will he replace him with Maurice Edu or Jermaine Jones? Is he willing to sit either Charlie Davies or Jozy Altidore in favor of Clint Dempsey, who is begging to be played up top? Will he stick with Brian Ching over an in-form Kenny Cooper? These questions are things that Bradley will have to confront before South Africa, and he has to decide whether he stays in his comfort zone or challenges his coaching mind.