To close out the show … a hurricane – shortened week of MLS league action is dissected and new power rankings are handed down … with a new face making the cut.  All this and more on the brand new MLS Talk Podcast : TWIUSS!!!!

On the latest edition of the Major League Soccer Talk Podcast : This Week in US Soccer … your hosts Chris Webb and Chris Riordan bring you a view of the beautiful game from an American and regional perspective.  As always of late, it’s another jam – packed show … after running through a relatively quiet week of News, Chris and Chris devote top billing to MLS’ perfect run in Matchday 1 of the CONCACAF Champions League Group Stage, including FC Dallas’s record setting first MLS club victory in Mexico.

The second half of the show breaks down a very busy week of league play, which featured Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday action.  The playoff race is really starting to heat up and the team asks the fair question, has the new playoff format made things more interesting in league play?  Last year feature no playoff drama come the last month, this years seems to promise much more season ending intrigue.  All this and more on the brand new MLS Talk Podcast : TWIUSS!!!!!

On the latest edition of the Major League Soccer Talk Podcast : This Week In US Soccer, your hosts Chris Webb and Chris Riordan bring you a view of the beautiful game from an American and sometimes regional perspective. It’s another long show this week, as the US soccer world keeps having big things happen. First, Chris and Chris review the 1 – 1 draw between the US and Mexico, breaking down the first match of the Jurgen Klinnsman era.

The second segment is devoted to a plethora of news items, including of course the recent addition of Robbike Keane to the league and Freddy Adu’s return. Not to mention, there’s also of course, the MLS – VS/NBC Sports Network deal, discussion of the new DP Rule and much more. A review of last weekend’s MLS action closes out the show … you may be suprised to hear the new power rankings.

All this on the brand new MLS Talk Podcast : TWIUSS!!!!!!!

On the latest edition the Major League Soccer Talk Podcast : This Week in US Soccer, your hosts Chris Webb and Chris Riordan bring you a view of the beautiful game from an American and sometimes regional perspective.  Top billing this week continues to go to the United States Men’s National Team.  First the crew dissects Jurgen Klinnsman’s debut roster as head man, as well as look ahead to tomorrow’s friendly with Mexico.  How much stock should people be taking in both the squad selection and the match itself?

The second segment sees Chris and Chris finally give the CONCACAF Champions League some love, as they break down the MLS and NASL teams’ Preliminary Round performances, before looking ahead to the groups.  Finally, all of the previous week’s midweek and weekend action in MLS is analyzed.  All this and more on the latest MLS Talk : TWIUSS show!!!!!  

Production Note: Current goings – on in the North American soccer world have made for a lot of material to be talked about for the show.  Chris and I thought it better to not cut things and just go for a longer show, instead of releasing multiple shows.  This way you can either have a real long show for a commute to work … or you can look at it as segements 1 and 2 being a show, with segment 3 being it’s own entity.

Not forgotten is another exciting week of league action, a host of transfer moves including, you guessed it, more changes for TFC.  Chris and Chris also discuss the US National Team’s potential WCQ opponents … vacation to the US Virgin Islands anybody?

All this and more on the MLS Talk Podcast : TWIUSS!!!!!!

But before they hand out temporary hardware, they update you on some more league transfer news, including a few items that got past the Goalkeeper of our minds last week.  Afterwards, the weekend’s worth of league action is dissected. 

Finally, we take a look back on the half season that was and hand out report card grades for each team.  Find out which MLS teams made their parents happy!  All this and more on an extended Mid Season Special episode of the MLS Talk Podcast.

All this and more, on this slightly post dated, technically delayed edition of the MLS Talk : TWIUSS!

Production Note: Attempts were made to record the show the previous two weeks, however a combination of faulty studio equipment and bad weather condemned them to the ether.

Fifteen minutes. That is all it took for the U.S. Men’s National Team to turn Saturday’s embarrassment at the hands of Spain into nothing more than a bump in the road during an international friendly.

When Jozy Altidore found the back of the net 15 minutes into the Americans’ game against Canada in Tuesday night’s opening match of group play in the Gold Cup, everything that happened on the field against Spain was forgotten.

And while Altidore was aided by Canadian goalkeeper Lars Hirschfeld, who probably should have made the stop, the goal took the focus away from the Spain game and put it back where it belongs – on the Gold Cup.

Altidore, a 21-year-old striker, also had a hand in the second goal, sending in a cross from the right side of the net that Clint Dempsey put home with a sweet sliding finish for his 20th international goal.

Altidore’s goal against Canada was his first in a competitive international since September 2009 and he only scored once all season for his club team, Bursaspor in the Turkish league.

“For confidence, it was a good thing,” U.S. coach Bob Bradley said in published reports. “The movement that led to the first goal and the cross to Dempsey for the second both were great plays.”

The Americans are going to need Altidore to be a force on offense if they expect to have any success in this tournament. With Javier Hernandez coming off a strong season with Manchester United and scoring a hat-trick for Mexico in its opening game, the U.S. needs someone to match that firepower if they are going to take the Gold Cup title back.

Of course, if Tim Howard plays the way he did in goal against Canada for the rest of the tournament, it may not matter how many goals the U.S. scores.

The Everton keeper was outstanding, deflecting Ali Gerba’s shot from the edge of the penalty area in the 70th minute, then pulling off a double save in the 85th minute – first going to the ground to stop Joshua Simpson then denying Gerba for the second time.

“At this level, whether it is the Premier League or an international, you aren’t going to go a whole game without giving up chances,” Howard said in published reports. “They had one down the side and one on a goal-mouth scramble. That will happen.”

The win extends the U.S.’ unbeaten streak in group play of the tournament to 26 games (24-0-2). The Americans will put that streak on the line Saturday night against Panama in the next Group C game. Get by Panama, and the U.S. will have what should be an easy game against Guadalupe to close out the group and set themselves up nicely for the knockout stage.

They need to be careful, though, because as they proved against Canada, things can change in a matter of minutes.

Brian Clough dragged Derby County from the depths of the second tier to Championship success in the early seventies and gifted Nottingham Forest a similar fate later that same decade. Blackburn Rovers were not a byword for silverware when Kenny Dalglish (and Jack Walker’s millions) spirited them to the Premier League title in 1995. And though the face of football has changed since the dawn of the Premier League era, more recently Harry Redknapp has overseen Tottenham’s return to premier European competition, something that David Moyes did in a short lived dalliance with Champions League football at Everton in 2005.

Today, none of these, perhaps with one exception, constitute a “glamorous club”, or as the more tactful player might say, “one which matches my ambition”. Today, the domestic honours are repeatedly shared by a small and static select few. The ambition for a player used to be that he wanted to make it as a professional footballer. But as more and more players and, in the curious case of Mark Hughes, managers alike demonstrate, the “ambition” now is to be snaffled by a club that has spent years building a legacy and a reputation for winning (or Manchester City), so that they can climb aboard the glamorous bandwagon, and ride on the coat tails of this freight train to success.

Take Ashley Young as a topical example. If we are to believe the press reports, he wants to win things, and to play at the highest level. For Ashley, the easiest way to do this seems to be to leave Aston Villa and join a successful team. As opposed to helping create one.

Craving success does not make Young special. If any one of the professional footballers plying their trade in one of the 92 league clubs in England were to suggest that he in fact didn’t want to win things he’d need his head examining. Call me naive, or old fashioned, but if young Ashley wants to win things, I would suggest he spends less time on his laptop and more time believing in the potential of 11 men on a football pitch, even if those 11 are wearing claret and blue. It’s remarkable, Ashley, what eleven men all pulling in the same direction can achieve.

To hear Mark Hughes come out and say that Fulham didn’t match his ambition struck me as almost cowardly. The club that Mohammed Al Fayed bankrolled from the old Division 2 to Premier League mainstays cannot be said to lack ambition. But ambition is relative to one’s circumstances. In many ways, Fulham FC has already exceeded many expectations, thanks to the groundwork done by the likes of Adams, Keegan, Coleman and Hodgson off the pitch, and many other committed souls on it. Hughes found himself in the Fulham hotseat on merit. He could have guided Fulham to their highest ever top flight finish. He could have won a domestic trophy. But he didn’t have the hunger. Instead he decided that his ambition meant he was owed a shot at ‘the big time’. With Chelsea seemingly turning to Guus Hiddink to fill their managerial vacancy, it’s hard to see how with his decision, Hughes succeeded in doing anything other than shooting himself in the foot.

Hughes and Young, and scores like them are more and more common in today’s game. In theory there is nothing stopping clubs like Fulham and Aston Villa qualifying for the Champions League. In theory there is nothing stopping Tottenham or Liverpool winning the Premier League title in the next two seasons. But the “ambitious” players don’t seem up for the fight.

Sam Allardyce was quoted last year as saying, however tongue in cheek, that he was more suited to managing Real Madrid or Inter Milan. “It wouldn’t be a problem to me to go and manage those clubs because I would win the double or the league every time. Give me Manchester United or Chelsea and I would do the same”. Yeah, me too Sam. Whether he realised it or not, Allardyce gave credence to the assumption that, when dealing with a well oiled footballing machine like Manchester United or Barcelona, even a blind monkey would struggle not to succeed (witness Avram Grant at Chelsea – he didn’t win anything but when compared to his efforts at Portsmouth and West Ham…).

Whether you are a manager or a player, the appetite to succeed, to make a name for yourself (and your teammates) a la Clough, or dare I say it, Steve McClaren at FC Twente, to achieve something against the odds, is giving way to a sense of entitlement. It is becoming accepted that the possibility of Champions League football is restricted to maybe 6 clubs in England, and instead of striving to beat them, today’s rising stars are content to join them.

In the same way our media hectors youngsters for wanting to grow up to be “famous” or “a celebrity”, wouldn’t it be nice if those in football realised that really really wanting success is not enough to justify your “ambition”. Time was, players and managers pulled together and exceeded expectation to truly achieve something.

Where would Manchester United be now if, after his first two seasons, Alex Ferguson had walked away, sick of not winning anything, claiming the club did not match his ambition? He stepped up to the plate and created a legacy. Mark Hughes saw the plate and demanded someone pass it to him.

For those players at Tottenham Hotspur in the years prior to Champions League qualification, theirs is a sweet success. For the stalwarts at Chelsea and Manchester United, who have played their parts in numerous domestic honours, their toil has been rewarded. But until the call comes from an Inter Milan or a Real Madrid, a Chelsea or a Manchester United, every aspiring Zidane out there would do well proving his worth and perhaps earning a big move on merit, rather than declaring that he is ready to win the league now, then sitting back waiting for the phone to ring. Who knows, in the meantime, with all those focused and top performing players out there, who’s to say their side won’t be visited by success? At which point the young and ambitious might realise that sometimes by just getting their head down, they can earn the glory that a big money move would afford them by default.

I don’t begrudge the likes of Young a move to Old Trafford – far from it. But until your services are actually bid for, why not concentrate on helping Aston Villa into the Champions League? Denilson and Nasri – look around you and get behind the potential of the squad at Arsenal. Make some positive noises and you might encourage other Arsenal youngsters to believe in the club and to stick around, making it stronger. If you don’t want another trophyless season, there’s something you can do about that on the pitch. By flocking to the silverware magnets, these guys are cementing the status quo. And seeing a greater variety of sides challenge for honours is becoming rarer and rarer as a result.

In the age of the X Factor pop star, whatever happened to forging a name for yourself and doing it the hard way? Instead of achieving success, players seem content to declare themselves worthy of it. Wherever you play or manage, until you’ve earnt that move, until there is a bidding war for your signature, try achieving your ambitions with a bit of hard work. Maybe next season Wolves will win the Cup and Wigan will qualify for Europe. Fulham could finish top 4 and Tottenham could be champions. Why not? Give it a shot lads. The glory tastes so much sweeter.

Follow me on Twitter @sk_roberts

Photo by Bad English

The bloom may be off the rose for Randy Lerner at Aston Villa, and the ongoing NFL lockout could cause more problems for the Premier League squad.

Lerner earned praise from Villa fans when he took over the team in 2006, but after three consecutive sixth-place finishes in the league, Aston Villa dropped to ninth this season. And things could be getting worse. According to a March article in The Guardian, Lerner has put more than £200m into the club in his five years of ownership. And while revenues have grown – from £37.2m in 2006-07 to £90.9m in 2010 – so have the team’s salaries.

According to The Guardian, Villa’s salary payments amounted to £22.4m in Lerner’s first year, or 60 percent of the club’s turnover. Today they have reached £79.9m, or nearly 88 percent, of the club’s total revenues. And the team is burning through Lerner’s fortune, estimated at about $1 billion by Forbes in 2010. Lerner has injected the team with £115.6m in equity and another £89.6m has come in through shareholder loans.

Now the team looks like it will have to sell Ashley Young, as they are expected to complete a £16million transfer of the England winger to Manchester United later this month.

This is where the ongoing labor issues in the NFL come into play.

The league and its players are currently fighting over how to divide $9 billion in annual revenues. And while no one is losing money yet, that will change if any games are missed this fall. No games mean no TV revenue, no gate receipts, no concessions – no incoming funds of any kind. And as Lerner also owns the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, that’s a major hit to the bottom line – no matter how much you are worth.

While the finances of the Browns and Aston Villa are not directly linked, it doesn’t seem realistic to look at one without the other. If Lerner continues to reach into his right pocket to support Villa, while also seeing money taken out of his left pocket because of the NFL lockout, when does he start to believe enough is enough? And if he reaches his breaking point, does he decide to sell one of the teams? If so, which one?

Lerner didn’t buy the Browns – his late father, Al, purchased the team and Randy Lerner inherited them when his father passed away. But Lerner chose to buy Aston Villa because of fond memories he had for the team while attending college at Cambridge. So while his heart may be in Birmingham, his head could be in Cleveland. With no salary cap in the Premier League and Villa Park only seating a little over 42,000, it’s hard to see how Aston Villa can compete with big-money teams like Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea without Lerner continuing to dig into his pockets.

NFL teams, on the other hand, have costs certainty built in with revenue sharing and a salary cap.

We’d hate to see Lerner have to make that kind of hard decision. We’ve always thought of him as the perfect kind of owner – one who has money and is willing to spend it, while also hiring knowledgeable people and letting them do their job without interfering.

But at the end of the day, no matter how much he may love Villa, he’s still a businessman. And that businessman may realize the time has come to end his European vacation.

Photo by nicksarebi

As the black sheep of the European Football family, the Europa League has been treated to more cold shoulders than a boob tube convention in December. But it wasn’t always this way. In a doomed re-branding exercise the erstwhile UEFA Cup has become a bloated, convoluted, energy sapping chore of a competition that only retains the interest of those teams for whom European football is a novelty. But we should all still cherish it.

Today Fulham were the latest English team to enter the competition, via the Fair Play League, a tenuous and not altogether transparent qualification process that brings with it the unexpected and increasingly unwelcome prospect of a season that starts in June.

The problems with the Europa League are three fold:

1) The bloated, convoluted element referred to above,

2) the kicking it gets from the media and other commentators, and

3) the valorisation of the Champions League, as well as the riches on offer from it, to the point that it now seems like the only show in town.

It was not that long ago that a biscuit baron bought West Ham, illegitimately signed some genuinely good players, and spoke of bringing Champions League football to the Boleyn (How did that go then?). By opening the door to the Champions League wide enough to let 4 fattened footballing geese to squeeze through, suddenly everyone starts believing in going from A to C, whilst bypassing B altogether. And thus the Europa League found itself as B, like that small town that finds itself bypassed by a motorway and is only ever visited by those too tired, hungry, or lost to travel on by. And so along with the once proud competition, a philosophy of sustainable growth and having realistic ambitions were deemed surplus to the requirements of glory. In the media love-in for the Champions League that followed, thousands of football fans were effectively disregarded, condescended into believing that European football was not always, in fact, something to cheer about. Their footballing dreams were relegated by ridicule, afraid now to speak their name.

Whilst the stigma of Europa League football has been well documented, the nay-sayers have had their voices heard far too loudly. As a football fan I believe that many, like me, think the Europa League is a fundamentally flawed tournament, but cringe when they hear their club’s players or manager say that to be in it would be “an inconvenience”, or something that they would rather do without. Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has probably been the most guilty of this in recent weeks, and whilst he has been more vocal than most, I suspect he is not alone amongst managers in feeling this way. Recently Fulham’s Brede Hangeland made some innocuous comments about needing rest and how early entry into the Europa League via the fair play placings would be far from ideal. Even this tactful admission made me, a Fulham fan, wince with disappointment. Surely the Norwegian is aware that it is perfectly possible for the club to take part, for him to have his rest, the club to top up its coffers, and the fans to have a good time?

Put simply, the Europa League, Carling Cup or any trophy you care to mention, ought not be an “inconvenience” for any professional football club. That is a lazy excuse and a shirking of one’s responsibilities as a player or as a manager. If your club’s manager suggests qualification for any tournament is unwanted, ask yourself who he’s putting first. It wouldn’t wash in any other industry (“I don’t care how good for business it would be if I went, or how good a networking opportunity it is. I’m tired!”). Step up to the challenge and realise it was a privilege to be asked to attend.

No-one is calling for clubs to play full strength sides all the way through, but with a squad of 25+ pros available, and fans who give more to the club than most of the players ever will, to make flippant pronouncements about playing some games of football radically misses the point and smacks of contempt for the fans. Fulham are a good albeit convenient and not altogether typical example of what second tier European football can bring. Would Harry Redknapp really prefer a year out of European football rather than experience a run to the final of the Europa like the Cottagers last year? You know what, maybe he would, and we should feel sorry for him as he must have lost his passion for the game. But you can be damn sure the fans wouldn’t. Incidentally Fulham’s run brought them £12million in revenue, but don’t let that get in the way of what is an unashamedly romantic argument.

Even the so called big guns of Liverpool and Manchester City deigned to play Europa League football this season with good grace. Neither can be said to have been adversely effected by the experience, and the fans, I’m sure, enjoyed the experience (although for the rest of us, it did inflict “The Poznan” on England). The biggest threat to the credibility of the Europa League isn’t to be found in the make up of the tournament itself, rather it is in the self perpetuating hum of scorn emanating from the media and certain managers and players alike. These voices have a unique position when it comes to setting the agenda of the chatter amongst football fans. The reality is that this tone of commentary is harmful to the game, harmful to any trophy that isn’t the Premier League or Champions League, and offensive to the vast majority of hard working football fans who can speak for themselves, but who in debates over the relevance or otherwise of the Europa League, too often go unheard.

UEFA aren’t blameless and the competition needs an overhaul, but in the meantime, why not respect a trophy rich in history, why not realise that a squad can be rotated, and most important of all, why not realise that it ought to be the goal of every self respecting football club to put silverware in the trophy cabinet and offer a bank of memorable experiences to the loyal fans who just want something to cheer about. I might be alone amongst fans in feeling this way. But I doubt it.

The Berlin Wall has long since been torn down, friends and family reunited. Germany is a country unified and has been for some time now. While the west and east of this land are connected now and equal, the east is still lagging behind in at least one important cultural aspect … football. While reunification has brought plenty of economic development, tons of new construction and improving infrastructure to eastern Germany, most of the football money is still being funneled to the western areas. Though football equality was not part of the 1990 treaty, a blossoming club in Leipzig could be the potential jewel of East German football and just the model that other nearby cities could follow to achieve football prominence.

Leipzig itself is known for being an area that has produced some great music. Bach worked in Leipzig for over 25 years, to name one prominent figure. However, the area also has an interesting soccer history. For starters, the German Football Association was founded here in 1900. The city also boasts the distinction of supporting the country’s first domestic champion in 1903, under the guise of VfB Leipzig. The club is actually still around, now called 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig.

Despite a rich history in the sport, Leipzig, like virtually all of the eastern portion of Germany, is behind the curve. There are no current East German teams competing in Bundesliga 1. In fact, there are only 9 eastern clubs distributed throughout the top three tiers. Hertha BSC potentially the most recognizable to foreigners. Not a big surprise considering these clubs were being run via a completely different monetary mechanism just over 20 years ago. The way clubs did business practically changed overnight, as the switch from Communism to Capitalism was made. One encouraging sign is that 8 of Germany’s 30+ elite sports schools now fall under the umbrella of the east.

Enter Red Bull … a soccer super – power in the making. The energy drink company has 4 soccer teams sprawled over 3 continents and has already ventured into a 4th continent soccer-wise. There is a Red Bull soccer academy in Ghana. While Red Bull is greatly influential and owns a generous portion of the club RB Leipzig, it doesn’t have quite as much control over this new franchise, compared with their other projects. The German Football Association has restrictions that state a club must own at least 51% of it’s shares. This leaves only 49% for Red Bull. In addition, the Leipzig club cannot have “Red Bull” in their name, hence the name “RB Leipzig” (RasenBall [Lawn Ball] Sport Leipzig). Despite these nuances, Red Bull is strongly associated with the club and their logo is on the club apparel.

The club now has aims to reach the top level of German football within 10 years, via the support of Red Bull. To some this may seem a lofty goal. Last season, the club finished at the top of their division in the 5th tier, achieving promotion to the 4th level. However, while still playing at an improved level, the slope of improvement this year, isn’t quite as steep. The club sits in 4th and is well out of the top spot. Despite the influx of revenue from the energy drink superpower, RB Leipzig is falling in line with the rest of the region. That is, their roster features a strong amount of local talent. This not only helps to alleviate salary concerns, but also helps to develop local support. The club plays at Red Bull Arena, a site which hosted group matches at the 2006 World Cup.

During a recent trip to the city of Leipzig, I attended a league match and had an opportunity to speak with Dr. Dieter Gudel, the club’s General Manager. Here is our conversation about RB Leipzig and East German football in general.

Coach: Ben Olsen

Last Year’s Finish: 8th Eastern Conference, 16th Overall, 6-20-4

This year’s seemingly annual retooling of DC United carries much more weight than usual.  After finishing not only the worst season in club history, but likely the worst in MLS history, United had holes to fill all over the place.  But before adding pieces to a league worst everything (attack at the bottom, tons of goals against), DCU needed to decide who would attempt to lead them from the abyss.  After initially claiming the United legend was not a candidate, the front office did a 180 and made Ben Olsen’s temporary job a permanent one.  Though lacking experience in the position and not far removed from a brilliant playing career, the feeling is that United needed a leader with his fiery passion to motivate a team that seemed to give up on itself very early last season.  In fact, virtually all the roster moves made this offseason reflect on an attempt to form the club in his image, with players who have that inherent grit and drive inside them. 

Key Roster Additions: While MLS  journeymen Stephen King and Kurt Morsink tried desperately to fill the shoes of the retired Olsen last year, there was decidedly something missing in the center of midfield.  Enter Dax McCarty, who has been brought in to really stabilize the core of said midfield.  McCarty is known as both an effective distributor and ball winner.  He has the kind of motor that is a bit reminiscent of Benny’s.  We all know what a hard time this club had putting the ball in the back of the net (among so many other difficulties).  Enter Charlie Davies, who is trying to not only help ressurect DC United, but also his career.  Davies has come full circle to the place where a car accident nearly took his life and ability to play soccer.  The onus is on Charlie to find the back of the net because the amount of proven goal scorers on this team is negligible at best.  Perry Kitchen was drafted as the 3rd overall pick and should shore up two very gray areas, defense and on – field leadership.  Kitchen is another addition in the Olsen mold; fiery, passionate, a leader, gritty, etc.   Pat Onstad has also been added as a player/coach, due to injuries.  Stikers, Joseph Ngwenya and Josh Wolff were picked up in the Re-Entry Draft.  Uruguayan defender, Rodrigo Brasesco was added to solidify the backline.

Key Roster Subtractions:  Troy Perkins was supposed to be a stabilizing influence last year and he turned out to be anything but that.  Perkins dropped off massively in quality compared to his previous DCU stint and was practically run out of town to make way for promising Academy signing, Bill Hamid.  Rodney Wallace, who spent much of last season with a broken leg, was also sent packing.  Wallace was making the transition from midfield, back to his collegiate position of left back.  He began as a starter, but his progress was stunted due to injury.  Concerning Luciano Emilio and Pablo Hernandez : the attack was flat out horrible, neither of these midseason acquistions did much to help the ball find it’s way into the back of the net. 

Projected Starters: If healthy, Bill Hamid will definitely be the starter in goal.  After a promising slate of appearances last year, Hamid like Andy Najar, showed that United’s academy must be doing something right.  However, a shoulder injury that has been nagging for some time, could see Pat Onstad start the season between the posts.  Though his first priority is the development of the young Hamid, Onstad is still darn good at 43 and so valuable in both his roles.

Last year it was pick your scapegoat for the Black and Red.  With the attack and defense being equally horrible, a dramatic sea change was on the horizon.  The backline suprisingly doesn’t appear to be too much different.  Jed Zayner will certainly occupy one of the starting fullback positions.  It appears that Dejan Jakovic and Perry Kitchen, will start in the center and potentially be a very formidable duo.  The other fullback position looks wide open.  Though Marc Burch seems the likely candidate … perhaps Brasesco will get a look there.  He is considered a more central defender but has potential to play on the flanks.

When we get to the midfield and striking corps, the big question is what formation first – year coach Ben Olsen will utilize.  Midfield is definitely where the largest amount of talent and depth coalesces.  Add that to the fact that the striking line is improved, but still somewhat barren, and it seems that going to five in the middle makes sense.  A couple of things seem to be certain: rookie of the year, Andy Najar, will be on one wing.  Expect to see McCarty and Clyde Simms forming a tough, gritty core in the center of midfield. Beyond that, depending on the formation … Santino Quaranta, Branko Boskovic and Chris Pontius appear set to fill out a wing spot and potentially an attacking midfielder or supporting striker’s role. 

Up top, we all know who the man is gonna be, Charlie Davies.  He should be on the pitch regardless of the formation.  If Olsen goes with two strikers, then we could see Joseph Ngwenya paired with Davies or perhaps Quaranta / Pontius in a support role. 

Player to Watch: Could it be more obvious here … Charlie Davies.  Though they didn’t score much last year, the club did display the ability to pass and link up well.  They often fluidly moved the ball into scoring positions, only to either finish poorly or even more concerning … simply be afraid/hesitant to shoot.  Though the entire scoring load isn’t Charlie’s responsibility, the club’s success will in large part depend on the midfield moving the ball well and Davies finishing opportunities provided. 

Predictions: This team is drastically improved from a roster standpoint this year.  There is a lot more depth and Olsen has many more options at his disposal.  Based on the way last year finished, the club can only go up.  Add to the fact that this is a league of parity and quick turnarounds; and factoring in a weak Eastern Conference, there is reason for some guarded hope.  Despite all the additions though, this is a team with a lot of questions to answer.  The least of which is not, whether Ben Olsen is ready to take the reins full time.  Then there’s the whole Charlie Davies factor. If he can’t be an inkling of his former self, where do the goals come from? How drastically will a healthy Jakovic, as well as Kitchen, improve the league’s worst defense?  Despite a solid offseason, the expectations should be muted due to so many unanswered variables.  Still in this league, a turnaround and playoffs are never out of the question.

Best Case Scenario: Olsen completely transposes his heart and determination onto the team.  They fight with heart week in and week out, managing to secure a wildcard playoff spot.  Charlie Davies proves to be a goalscoring machine.  Kitchen and Jakovic hold down the fort, leading a much improved backline. 

Worst Case Scenario: Olsen bombs out with the job.  The club repeats last year’s travesty, with a continued inability to score goals (much less stop them).  Olsen loses out on a dream job because he might have gone for it too early.  Yet another offseason rebuild would likely follow in such a situation.

At the Confederation’s Cup, Charlie Davies became a household name and the U.S. finally had a much needed injection of youth into the striking corps.  Davies’ pace and ability to get behind the opposing backline were something the National Team had been desperately seeking for years. 

Sure, Eddie Johnson had displayed some glimpses of the kind of game changing speed that can put a match away.  However, Johnson was woefully inconsistent and it soon became clear that he was not a future top – goal scoring threat for the Red, White and Blue. 

Davies, on the other hand had flown under the radar for some time.  Though the hardcore fans will remember his strong performance as a substitute at the last Summer Olympic games.  He was given his chance to reach the next level, last summer in South Africa.  And that he did.  Davies became one of the top stories in the United States’ suprising run to the Confederation’s Cup Final.  An early goal during qualifying in Mexico, essentially sealed him and Jozy Altidore as the U.S.’s duo up top. 

Then the injury bug struck.  Davies survived a horrific car accident with both his life and amazingly, the ability to continue playing the game he loves, intact.  Despite intensive efforts to make a miracle comeback in time for the World Cup, Davies fell short of his goal and will not make the return trip to South Africa. 

All of the sudden the U.S. had lost their speediest striker and a potent scoring option.  No problem … Bob Bradley and his staff would have to adjust.  Jozy Altidore finished off a solid campaign in England and Clint Dempsey plays well not only in the midfield, but also as a withdrawn striker.  In fact, some may argue that Dempsey is better served in that hybrid playmaker / striker role, than out wide.

So it appeared that a new frontline partnership was in place, right?  Wrong, next the bug bit Altidore, right on the ankle.  A sprain in training has left the Haitian – descended striker doubtful for the much anticipated clash with England.  Again Bradley and his crew may be forced to improvise. 

Without his top two strikers, Bradley decided to keep Dempsey in the midfield for the squad’s final friendly before the World Cup.  He went with two MLS strikers up top, in Edson Buddle and Robbie Findley.  This is in fact, basically the same dynamic combination that Altidore and Davies brought to the table.  A combination of game breaking speed, coupled with strength and quality finishing.  For the most part this experiment worked out well, with the exception of Findley’s finishing. 

Buddle continues to do for the National Team, what he was accomplishing for the Galaxy, finishing quality opportunities in front of goal.  While Jozy may still get the starting nod against England, it’s good to know that an in form Buddle is waiting in the wings. 

Hercules Gomez has also proven to be an excellent insurance policy.  Gomez has taken on the role of late game changing sub and is perhaps the most complete striker on the U.S. squad.  His ability to link up in the passing game along with the midfield is what seperates him from the others. 

Oguchi Onyewu appears to be at least still psychologically recovering from the injury that sidelined him for months.  The towering center back isn’t playing bad football, he just appears a bit hesitant to fully test his body.  Luckily for Bob Bradley’s team, Clarence Goodson has filled in solidly, if unspectacularly in place of Onyewu. 

The recent performaces in the last two friendlies has showcased the adaptability, versatility and newfound depth of the US squad.  No matter what has been thrown at the team, they have found a way to play both attractive and productive football, though not without some nagging inconsistency.  Still, even with all the injuries to key attacking players, Bradley has had his group push forward more recently. 

This increased interest in attacking football has payed off.  The team has managed seven goals in their last three matches and seemed to create numerous high quality scoring chances against a fellow World Cup opponent in Australia. 

Bob Bradley has received his fair share of criticism since taking the reigns of the National Team.  But it’s time he also be given some deserved praise.  He has rolled with the punches and formed a versatile squad that does not give up.  For so long, fairly critisized for some baffling squad selections, Bradley has put together a squad that compliments itself well. 

In the Confederation’s Cup, gritty defense and an efficient counter – attack led to suprising success.  The U.S. really managed to frustrate Spain and Brazil for a game and a half respectively, with their compact defense.  Now it’s nice to see them also venture forward well and also show the ability to knock the ball around and play a more possession oriented game.  There has still been some awful touches, however, there has also been increased fluidity in the team’s passing as a whole.   

The U.S. team has always been known to have good athleticism.  We have also been known for a relatively sturdy defense.  However, when it comes to offensive capabilities and being able to score goals, questions have been risen.  The improved play in the mifield (largely thanks to Donovan perhaps finally finding where his best spot on the pitch is) has made it easier for the team to get the ball into quality scoring chances.  With the midfield playing so well, it’s taken some of the pressure off the strikers and enabled them to do their job more comfortably, putting shots on frame. 

Last summer’s results and the grind of qualifying, coupled with solid play recently has the U.S.’s confidence right where it needs to be.  This team believes that they can compete with anybody.  They may not be the most aesthetically pleasing side to watch at times and they certainly don’t have the hype many teams have coming in. Yet their athletic capabilities and propensity for adjusting well on the fly, bode well for a tournament that has already been testing teams’ adaptability through a gamut of injuries.

DC United finally started to resemble the fluid passing team that we’re used to seeing. The night was far from perfect for the Black and Red, but when you line it up next to the previous four performances, United came up spades.

It was the Andy Najar, Adam Cristman, Troy Perkins show last night in the district. While United had several notable performances, these three seemed to stand out from the rest.

For Najar, United’s 17 year old prospect who was only recently playing high school soccer, it was something of a coming out party.

The youth from Honduras played the furthest up the pitch of his young career. After seeing Najar start both on the wing and in the center of midfield, we saw him play for the first time as sort of a withdrawn striker.

Najar seemed to effect the match in a positive way almost immediately. His ball control and ability to beat defenders were impeccable. He was also not afraid to shoot, something that has been plaguing United a bit.

Curt Onalfo said he felt Najar was more effective the further he was placed on the pitch.

“The biggest thing I took away from that last game was can we get him farther up the field? And if we can, he’s gonna cause issues. He was dangerous all night. That’s a 17 year old kid that put on a pretty darn good show and that’s very, very impressive.”

Najar and Cristman got things started early on what I guess you could call a “combination chip”. Najar used the outside of his foot to chip the ball over a defender to Adam Cristman, who promptly chipped the ball over the keeper.

This was the club’s first lead in a competitive match this year. United wanted to get off to a good start, that was a point of focus from Onalfo to his club :

“We had a really good start to the game. We talked about that. We wanted to come out and kind of take the game to them, set the tone, get that first goal and we did that.”

Santino Quaranta also felt a good early start was critical :

“I think we came out of the gates well. We finished our chances. I think once you get that first goal it kind of the gets the wind out of the guys. It helped us a lot. I thought that we took our chances well and we were dynamic.”

United controlled the early goings and dominated possession for the first third of the half.

FC Dallas was limited to an occasional counterattack during this time. In the 9th minute, Brek Shea did get a one on one chance with the keeper after an aerial through ball. However, Perkins made his first of many excellent saves on the evening. Perkins in fact, probably had his best match since returning to the nation’s capital.

Towards the middle of the opening half, play began to become bogged down a bit. A lot of sloppy passes were made by both teams as less space was awarded. FC Dallas enjoyed the better possession for a chunk of this middle portion.

Shea was clearly the best player for FCD this occasion. He was key in Dallas getting there offense started on breaks. Also, he was roaming freely around the pitch, making darting runs from the middle and both flanks.

In the 32nd minute, Onalfo was sent off for arguing a foul that was 50 yards from goal. It was not initially clear what the coach did to be sent off :

“I’ve never been ejected before. I feel like I’m very fair and I just objected to the call. And I feel like that’s something I should be able to do in my home stadium. The referees thought otherwise and it is what it is.”

As the half moved along though, DCU began to again dictate the flow of the match. They went up 2 – 0 on something of a strange goal.

Cristian Castillo took a free kick from distance and his curling ball nearly found Cristman’s head. FCD keeper, Kevin Hartman, started shifting his body for the redirect that never came. Instead the ball bounced inside the post past an already committed keeper.

United nearly went up by three just minutes later, as Andy Najar displayed some fancy footwork to get past a defender into the box. However, he was stifled immediately after by defending help. The ball rolled right to Cristman who one-timed it over the bar.

Shea managed one more Dallas chance, but the half ended 2 – 0 United.

The second half started much the same way as the first half, with United scoring and Najar being involved.

United took a 3 – 0 lead on a beautiful combination of passes. After receiving the ball deep in the center, Brandon Barklage one touched a beautiful through ball releasing Cristman on the right. The lead striker then layed a perfect low cross right to Najar, who slotted into a gaping net.

The two nearly teamed up again moments later for another tally. Again, Cristman found himself free on the right flank. This time he chose to loft his cross in. Najar in the same general area as before, headed the ball, but Hartman made a save from close range. Najar then picked up the loose ball and aimed for the upper 90, just
missing.

Moments later FC Dallas were on the board thanks to Bruno Guarda. The rally continued as a foul in the box led to a penalty, which Dax McCarty calmy converted.

With Dallas putting the pressure on and only down a goal, Clyde Simms was inserted for Kurt Morsink after FCD’s first goal. Having their best defensive midfielder and some needed grit in the center helped shift the momentum back to United.

For Simms, who had been playing on the backline at times, it was nice to be playing in his true position. Asked about whether we’d see him again at right back, Simms joked :

“We’ll see, we’ll see. I hope all our defenders stay healthy. I like the midfield much better.”

Simms helped set up Cristman, who earned a brace on yet another chip shot over Hartman.

With the two goal lead reestablished, Santino Quaranta was brought on for Barklage and eventually Jaime Moreno came on for Cristian Castillo.

United played a possesion game, knocking the ball around the field, keeping the ball away from Dallas for long stretches of the final moments. The additions of Quaranta and Moreno offered veteran leadership and a stabilizing influence on the pitch.

The lineups of both teams were a mixture of starters and youthful reserves, however in Najar’s performance, United got a glimpse of what could become a special talent.

As for the young star, it hasn’t even settled in for him yet. Asked if he was amazed to be scoring goals in high school one minute, then for a professional club the next :

“Yes, I’m a little suprised.”

In the end, United held on for a much needed 4 – 2 victory. Last year’s run also started against FC Dallas. This Open Cup tournament has been kind to the club the last two years, with the exception of last year’s final.

It seemed like United wanted it more, because they needed something to give them confidence. They finally got the monkey off their back. Onalfo acknowledged the fact that winning helps breed confidence :

“Every game you play, you play to win and it makes it even more important when we’ve started the way we’ve started. So for us, getting points and a victory is important for self confidence. They come hand in hand.”

Now the question is, can this momentum and morale lift carry on to Saturday against rival Red Bull New York?

The bottom line is that DC United is a team that means something in MLS. This has been a cornerstone franchise, the most decorated club and one of the most recognizable. People are used to seeing this team succeed and they have often been a measuring stick that other clubs lined themselves up against. These days are clearly behind United.

There is something disconcerting about seeing a traditional power in any league fall off. It almost seems to somehow take away from the richness of a league. For instance, the Major League Baseball playoffs certainly seem to miss something when there are no Yankees or Red Sox to talk about.

Clearly the thought of a league without DC United is unthinkable to most MLS supporters. Having United basically stink, while not as bad, is also something that has been met with trepidation.

Besides the fact that United is in the worst position of all MLS teams on the stadium front, they are also not helping matters by essentially laying egss in their first four contests this season. The supporters are still showing up, but attendance has been slowly dropping the last several years. Despite this, the club still owns one of the better and more consistent attendance figures in the league.

United’s difficulties with getting a stadium are hardly related to the product on the pitch, but still it certainly isn’t helping. With that being said, let’s focus on the club’s play and not on their gamut of problems regarding where to play.

We’ll start with the back, then work our way up to the front.  DC United’s goalkeeping situation is one that has been in flux since the man currently minding the net left after the 2007 MLS season.

Troy Perkins was far from perfect when he first stepped in between the posts for United. However, he slowly began to develop into one of the elite keepers in the league and in the country. Perkins grew with United and eventually found himself awarded the Goalkeeper of the Year honor in 2006.

His subsequent departure following the 2007 campaign, left a void that was filled by various, ultimately unsuccessful experiments for the following two seasons. First was the complete failure with Zach Wells. United traded for Houston Dynamo’s backup to Pat Onstad in a deal that handed over former MLS Defender of the Year Bobby Boswell. It’s clear now who got the better end of that deal.

Wells just flat out never seemed comfortable in goal. In fact, it was very uncomfortable and always nerve wrenching for any DCU supporter to watch him. Needless to say, soon after, the club was on the lookout for a new keeper.

Louis Crayton was brought in from the Swiss First Division and the Liberian international keeper went through his fair share of growing pains early on, but eventually settled in for a relatively solid finish to the year. One thing about Crayton that was apparent from the get go was that he was a bit wild and quick to come off his line, a trait that hurt both him and the team on more than one occasion.

Still, he also offered some magnificent performances for the club, flinging his body to make acrobatic saves on several occasions. However, any momentum that he might have gathered at the end of the 2008 campaign quickly faded away in the 2009 season, which he began on the injury list. Once healthy, Crayton’s starts were horribly inconsistent and this led to some playing time for journeyman Josh Wicks and rookie Milos Kocic.

Wicks ended up stringing together several solid efforts and the club allowed Crayton’s contract to expire midseason. While Wicks was far from a pillar of consistency, he still faired much better than his two predecessors. One problem that really came back to bite him though, was his temper.

Wicks had several altercations as a result of an inability to control his anger. Included in this were not only incidents with the opposing team, but also his own teammates. Wicks famously, or should I say infamously, stepped on Freddy Montero’s groin region during last year’s US Open Cup Final at RFK Stadium. This resulted of course in a red card and an essential gutting of United’s chances at a rally.

Also, during a home match with Chicago Fire, Wicks engaged in a shouting match with left back, Marc Burch. If not for Ben Olsen and others gettting between the two, fisticuffs might have been exchanged. In fact, there was some shoving before the two were seperated.

Occurrences such as this and a nagging shoulder injury led to Wicks being released early this year. Perkins’ return was supposed to stabilize this chaotic situation. While we can’t pin all the blame for 11 goals in four games conceded on the keeper, even Perkins has acknowledged displeasure with his play.

It seems that he is definitely readjusting to life in Major League Soccer and it also may be a sign of the growing quality of the league. Let’s not forget that Perkins was playing in Norway, which while a respectable league, it’s certainly not in the upper echelon of Europe.  MLS isn’t inferior to any league that happens to be situated on the European continent.

It might not be long before Perkins is reacclimated to MLS play.  In the end, I think he will be more part of the solution than part of continuing problems.  Now the backline is a very different story.

For starters, the backline has also shown no sign of stability in the past couple of years. Besides the fact that there is a formation shift, going from three defenders at the back to four, injuries and disciplinary suspensions have kept the line in constant flux. Not only are we seeing a group of different players, we are also seeing said players in different spots along the backline. Almost like a Mr. Potato head of interchangeable pieces.

For instance, we’ve seen Carey Talley, Devon McTavish and even Clyde Simms at right back. Talley has also appeared in the center, next to a variety of partners, including Dejan Jakovic, Juan Manuel Pena and Julius James. Rodney Wallace has been the one constant at left back. While versatility is always a nice trait to have in your players, you’d still like to see a bit more stability in the lineup from week to week.

Injuries were mentioned as a key part in DCU’s current dilemma. Perhaps the one that hurts the most is the loss of right back, Bryan Namoff. Namoff was playing the soccer of his career last season before missing the end because of concussion problems. It’s a new season and he still hasn’t returned to the pitch for United and who knows, he may not this year.

Dejan Jakovic hasn’t helped matters by accumulating cards and being suspended for a match. Carey Talley and Juan Manuel Pena have been brought in, but it appears that their best days have passed them.

In Pena’s case, the La Liga veteran has shown solid knowledge and positioning, however his speed is definitely lacking a bit. We’ve seen him struggle to get back to defend opponents’ counterattacks. He is also injured.

Rodney Wallace may have played left back and done it well at the University of Maryland, but MLS is at a different level and pace of play. It seems as though the second year left – footer is going through an adjustsment period. He’s reacquainting himself with the position after playing as a left winger and holding mdfielder during his rookie campaign. I think eventually Wallace will come into his own at this spot.

While players are dealing with health issues and returning from suspension, it’s important to remember that previous coach Tom Soehn had the club start off the season in a 3-5-2. Then the club switched to a 4-4-2 later in the year. The club did this after acquiring Julius James from Houston Dynamo. James had some solid moments, especially in the CONCACAF Champions League.

It should be stated that DCU knew what they were getting when they made the move for the defender from Trinidad & Tobago. Houston fans had already witnessed it. James is one who has tremendous raw talent and skill. Yet, he is clearly an unpolished product. If James can ever reach his potential, then DC will have a formidable central defender.

One big key to the formation switch is noting how Ben Olsen (retirement) and Clyde Simms (injury) are severely missed. I’m sorry, but asking journeyman Kurt Morsink to cover the same ground as those two is not gonna happen. Morsink is someone who I would consider to be a serviceable reserve option. Granted also, Morsink isn’t technically being asked to cover the same ground as Olsen and Simms, as there is an extra center back now. However, I’d take Olsen and Simms any day over the combination of Morsink and whichever interchangeable part is available to line up next to Jakovic.

Clyde Simms is in my mind, one of the most underrated defensive midfielders in MLS. Until his recent injury problems, he was something of an iron man for DC United, appearing in nearly every fixture. He covers a lot of ground and is a workhorse in the midfield. He was also a key distribution point, building up from the back. Simms has a pretty good long range shot as well.

Ben Olsen is missed is so many ways. First and foremost, he was an inspirational leader on and off the pitch. Olsen for a long time had been an integral part of the club’s locker room chemistry.

On the pitch, age and severe ankle problems took away some of his pace and cutting ability, Olsen still had a lot offer. As mentioned, he no longer had the same speed. This forced a move from his spot on the wing to a role as a holding midfielder.

Olsen excelled at this new position. Playing inside now and alongside the roaming Clyde Simms, Olsen was able to use his intellgence and soccer IQ to help the team. The US National Team veteran played gritty and was key in breaking down opponent’s enterprising moves forward. He was also still very good in link up play.

Having these two in front of the backline helped clog up the midfield, limiting the space opposing teams had to work with. They also contributed to what was a very solid passing midfield.

Moving on to the attack minded players, United lost two of their more creative players this offseason, Fred and Christian Gomez.

Fred was an interesting talent. Personally, I think he had perhaps the best ball control on the team. He’s clearly skilled with the ball at his feet. However, he was plagued by poor finishing.

I can recall countless times when the Brazilian winger / playmaker completely missed a wide open net after being fed in nicely by teammates. With that being said, Fred did provide some of the better service on the team and he always had to be accounted for by the opposing team.

United were at their best the last several years when Gomez (or briefly Marcelo Gallardo) was at the top of his game. United had guys who could put the ball in the back of the net, but Gomez gave them someone who could find his teammate’s through a narrow window and unlock the defense.

One of the things that made Gomez so good at setting up teammates, was that he was not afraid to push forward and create his own shot. At times, it actually seemed as though he looked shot first. Needless to say, I feel he is a player who made others around him better by putting them on in the right positions.

This current United team lacks that. Yes, they have tried to play with a pair of two way players in the center of midfield, as opposed to using a more tradional playmaker. In either formation, you still want a key creative talent in the middle.

While Santino Quaranta is very capable at doing a decent job and perhaps eventually excelling there, I still think that the right wing is his best spot. It’s also clear that United misses something by his abscence there.  In fact, while the club has yet to find a solution to their problem, they have played more inspired since sliding Quaranta back out wide and inserting Jaime Moreno in the middle.

Moreno plays well in that creative role, essentially guiding the flow of the attack. The Bolivian MLS legend also seems to partner well with Aussiee striker, Danny Allsopp.  Having Moreno on the pitch instantly raises United’s soccer IQ on the pitch.  However, because of his age, it’s a delicate balancing act managing his minutes.   

Looking at the rest of the midfield and striking corps, I feel that last year’s rookie if the year contender, Chris Pontius, is better suited to playing on the wing as well. Last season, Pontius was sort of a jack of all trades, playing all over the midfield and as a striker.  This year, Curt Onalfo initially elected to start Pontius as the lead striker. The early returns seem to show it’s not the best place to deploy him.

It’s still open for debate whether it’s better to have him move around the pitch or stay at one position, both for the club and Pontius’s development as a player.  Does United and Pontius benefit more by having him polish the versatility he’s capable of or by having him really sharpen his skills at one spot.   Perhaps he will find some time on the wing with Salvadoran playmaker Cristian Castillo struggling with his form.

Castillo has incredible skill on the ball, yet has struggled to make an impact with United. His ball control even overshadows the ability of the aforementioned Fred.  Something that also might be a benefit to both him andhe club is his passing ability. Castillo has a tendency to rely on flashy moves and tries to make the razzle dazzle play, instead of making the simple passes that may be more needed.  When he’s focused on linking up fluidly with teammates rather than making the highlight reel, Castillo can be a deadly component to the attack.   

Castillo, who has brought large throngs of Salvadoran fans to RFK Stadium is simply too talented stay playing at this current level. He is also going through a period of adjustment.

All this midfield attacking talk leads us to the point of the spear, the players called upon to put on the (literally) finishing touches. DC United parted ways with their leading goal scorer over the past three seasons, Luciano Emilio.

Emilio had seen his productivity drop over each year and the club felt he was being overpaid for what he was producing. While that may be the case, they clearly have a void to fill. Emilio wasn’t a perfect finisher, but he wasn’t afraid to shoot when he had an opening.

That seems to be one of the key problems facing United so far this season. The offense has displayed an ability to get into the attacking third, (even in the 4 – 0 smashing by KC) but has not been able to get off quality shots on goal.

If you think about it, DC United has let go two recent MLS MVP’s, players who were crucial to the club’s ability to score goals. They lost a creative talent who had been with the team for several seasons in Fred and lost franchise staple Ben Olsen to retirement.

You throw in key injuries and you see a team that has a gutted core. A core that perhaps has needed some youthful change for a while.

All this while going through a coaching switch and a change in philosophy on the pitch. MLS does prescribe to a recipe for parity. However, even in this environment, such a vast amount of change doesn’t come without it’s rebuilding and adjustment time. The evidence is on the pitch.

DCU does have some good young talent developing, including 17 year old midfielder Andy Najar. The growth of players such as him, Pontius and Wallace is crucial to the club returning to their former glories.

Russia was many’s dark-horse in South Africa. One problem: getting there.

Slovenia completed their upset of Russia with a 1-0 win in Maribor, going through on away goals after a 2-2 aggregate. Who is to blame? Hiddink and his questionable selection? The player’s undeniably poor performance? Slovenia?

In this week’s podcast, Chris Riordan and Richard Farley, joined by the English-language voice of the Premier Liga (Matryn Hindley), look at where and why Russian failed.

That, and a look forward to match day 29 of 30 in the Primera.

Russia has pulled ahead of Slovenia after leg one, but thanks to a late goal from the Slovenes, the favorites are in a precarious place ahead of Wednesday’s second leg. A goal from Slovenia and Russia could miss out on next year’s World Cup.

Hosts Chris Riordan and Richard Farley talk about that, Saturday’s match in Moscow, and the danger that is the Slovenia team. How likely is this underdog to pull off the upset, and to what extent did they trouble Guus Hiddink’s side in the first leg?

Two close losses to Germany in UEFA World Cup qualifying has the Russian national team in a two-legged playoff with Slovenia. Many see this as the most lopsided of the four UEFA qualifying playoffs, though Slovenia – who allowed only four goal in ten qualifiers – should give the Russians significant problems.

To talk about how the Russians can overcome those, Russian Football Now podcast hosts Chris Riordan and Richard Farley talk about the Slovenia squad, Guus Hiddink’s likely selection, and each side’s potential tactics.

In the show’s final segment, the hosts look back on the weekend’s results where second place Spartak Moscow, upset by Krylya Sovetov, fell four points behind league leading Rubin Kazan with two match days remaining.

Russian football may have gotten off to a shaky start in the 2009-10 Champions League, but the last two weeks have seen a measure of redemption. On Tuesday, CSKA Moskva came within minutes of a historic win at Old Trafford, while Rubin continued to their improved form by taking a fourth point in two matches from Barcelona. On this episode of Russian Football Now, hosts Chris Riordan and Richard Farley breakdown each result while reflecting on the turn on the Russian league’s continental fortunes since the first match day.

After discussing Champions League, your hosts discuss league action: looking back on last week while discussing this week’s figures, including Rubin’s trip to Luzhniki Stadium to face CSKA. With Rubin only one point up on Spartak Moskva with three matches remaining, the Russian league title is still very much in doubt.

That, plus discussion of Guus Hiddink’s call-ups for the impending World Cup Qualifying playoff against Slovenia, on this week’s Russian Football Now podcast.

Just as Rubin Kazan’s victory at the Nou Camp was fading from headlines, the Russian Premier League was thrust back center stage with the shock departure of Juande Ramos from CSKA Moscow after only 47 days in charge. After discussing the initial announcement in their Monday QuickCast, hosts Chris Riordan and Richard Farley open RFN Podcast #11 by discussing the discovery that Ramos wanted out of CSKA.

After discussing transfer rumors (including news that Everton could be in for another Russian winger), Chris and Richard talk about a week of RPL action that brought clarity to the league’s table. In the final segment, the hosts briefly talk about the upcoming Champions League challenges for Rubin (hosting Barcelona) and CSKA (at Manchester United.

The Russian Premier League made headlines this week when Rubin Kazan beat Barcelona at the Nou Camp. It was the first time since February 22 that a team had beaten the European champions on their pitch. On the tenth episode of Russian Football Now, hosts Chris Riordan and Richard Farley discuss that result, CSKA’s loss to Manchester United, the Russian national team’s World Cup playoff draw, and the upcoming weekend of Premier League action.

The ninth episode of Russian Football Now’s Podcast is the second consecutive where hosts Chris Riordan and Richard Farley welcome a guest onto the show. EPL Talk’s own Kartik Krishnaiyer, spends the show with us, giving his thoughts on

• the national team,
• Andrei Arshavin’s ideal position (and his value relative to Cristiano Ronaldo),
• the future of Tottenham’s Roman Pavlyuchenko,
• the Champions League prospects of Rubin and CSKA,
• this weekend’s derby between Spartak Moscow and Lokomotiv, and
• the chances of Russia being awarded either the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.

After months of build-up, the German national team’s trip to Moscow lived up to the hype. Punching their ticket to the World Cup, Germany downed the upstart Russians 1-0, leaving hosts Chris Riordan and Richard Farley to explain where things went wrong for Guss Hiddink’s men. Join them for a special episode of Russian Football Now’s podcast, dedicated to breaking down the decisive match of UEFA’s Group 4.

At Russian Football Now, we have been looking forward to this match since our inception. The seventh episode of the podcast celebrates the wait coming to an end.

Germany and Russia have towered over UEFA’s Group 4 for the last year. On Saturday, we will see if Germany’s draw in Helsinki during Round 2 – the only time either the Germans or Russians have dropped point to the rest of their group – will come back to haunt them. A draw in Russia means the Germans (with a win next Wednesday hosting Finland) qualifies for World Cup 2010. If Russia wins, they avoid the playoff (with a win Wednesday at Azerbaijan).

They are two of the top six FIFA-rated nations in the world, fighting for one spot. Join hosts Chris Riordan and Richard Farley as they break down all the choices and matchups.

It’s the seventh episode of Russian Football Now’s podcast.

RFN thanks EPL Talk and the Talk community for their continued interest and support. – cr, rf

It was a better week for Russian football in UEFA Champions League play, with CSKA Moscow getting three points while league champion Rubin Kazan got their first every Champions League point in a draw against Internzaionale Milano. Hosts Chris Riordan and Richard Farley break down the two results in the first segment of this, the sixth episode of Russian Football Now’s podcast.

Chris and Richard then get listener up to date on a Russian Premier League table that’s becoming drastically more competitive over the last week. First place is now in doubt, thanks to a dip in Rubin Kazan’s form, while what were previously thought to be a “Top Five” have been joined by two more European aspirants.

With that, national team call-ups (ahead of the titanic battle with Germany on October 10) and some wild rumors and news from around the league (Spalletti, Bulgarian match-fixing), RFN Podcast #6 was the most jam-packed episode to date.

You can get the sixth episode at Russian Football Now.

Russian champions Rubin Kazan disappointed in Kiev

In partnership with Russian Football Now, EPL Talk presents the third episode of RNF’s podcast.

Though defending champions Rubin Kazan continue to roll through the Russian Premier League, the club hit a major stumbling block in Kiev when they lost their Champions League opener to Dyanmo. Beyond the loss, Rubin’s poor performance forces hosts Chris Riordan and Richard Farley to evaluate how good this year’s Russian teams are.

In addition, Chris and Richard get you up to date on …

• the performances of Russians performing beyond Russia’s borders,
• the rumors surrounding the league (specifically Zenit), and
• give you their impressions of last week’s league action and the weekend of football to come.

It’s the fourth episode of Russian Football Now’s Podcast.

Brazil legend, former CSKA manager Zico faired much worse this week than the Russian National Team

In partnership with Russian Football Now, EPL Talk presents the third episode of RNF’s podcast.

Russia’s Mens National team made it through the international break unscathed. Now the stage is set for October 10th’s battle with Germany in Moscow.

On the third episode of Russian Football Now’s podcast, hosts Chris Riordan and Richard Farley discuss Russia’s qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Wales as well as all the latest rumors surrounding the likes to Luciano Spalletti and Adrian Mutu’s moves to the Russian Premier League. The hosts break down Guus Hiddink’s decision to play new Everton left wing Diniyar Bilyaletdinov at left back Saturday (and then abandon the plan for Wednesday in Cardiff). The now-known future of CSKA Moscow manager Zico was discussed, as was the case of Igor Akinfeev – CSKA goaltender, potential Manchester United signee … world class keeper?

Former AS Roma manager Luciano Spalletti has long been linked with Zenit St. Petersburg.

In partnership with Russian Football Now, EPL Talk presents the second episode of RNF’s podcast.

An active week in papers sees former AS Roma manager Luciano Spalletti take an additional step toward the long-rumored more to Zenit. Meanwhile, Roman Pavlyuchenko gets priced out of his move to St. Petersburg, instead staying in London. While this was happening, the Russian National Team was gathering in St. Petersburg in anticipation of the week’s World Cup qualifiers, for which they look to be without Yuri Zhirkov, Denis Kolodin, and Andrei Arshavin (at least for the first match).

Russian Football Now’s podcast discusses all the plus runs down the Premier League table for you in this, their second full-length podcast.

After their 3-0 victory, Rubin sits four points ahead of Spartak atop the league’s table. Each of Rubin’s “big three” (Aleksandr Bukharov, Alejandro Dominguez, and Sergei Semak) had goals while Spartak clearly missed the presence of one of their (former) big three, Vladimir Bystrov, who was sold mid-week to Zenit St. Petersburg.

Here is Russian Football Now’s QuickCast (10 minutes):

Spartak Moscow's Welliton (facing) and Alex will try to lead their club into first place this weekend against leaders Rubin Kazan.

In partnership with a new site, Russian Football Now, EPL Talk presents the first episode of RFN’s podcast.

On Thursday, Russian teams were drawn into two of the more difficult UEFA Champions League groups. Russian Football Now’s Chris Riordan and Richard Farley debut a new podcast by breaking down the tasks handed to Rubin Kazan and CSKA Moscow.

For Rubin, the Champions League draw is overshadowed by Saturday’s match against Spartak Moscow, with first place in the Russian Premier League on the line. RFN has a complete breakdown a match where Spartak’s attacking duo, Brazilians Welliton and Alex, will do battle with Rubin’s, Alejandro Dominguez and Aleksandr Bukharov.

Also discussed: Russian players abroad, the recent call-ups to the national team, and two transfers that will change the course of the final third of the league season.

Editor’s note: While not EPL-specific, I thought it would be advantageous for many EPL Talk readers to become more up-to-speed on the Russian Premier League so we can get a better understanding of who will be the next Arshavin, Pavlyuchenko and Bilyaletdinov (who was just signed by Everton). Have a listen to the pod. Cheers, The Gaffer.

Unfortunately at this time I do now know who I will have a chance to talk with. However, if you have any questions that you would like me to ask from either members of Columbus Crew or Puerto Rico Islanders, please feel free to comment and leave those questions here. I will do my best to get these answered. Thanks all and enjoy the CCL … I will have a writeup here on the site and a segment for an upcoming episode of the podcast.

Watching the USMNT play Grenada last Saturday in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, something dawned on me. A strong core of our squad in this installment of the continental championship, played for our country at the Olympics in Beijinlist of players on roster at both competition at bottom). It’s apparent that since departed Peter Nowak had a very good feel for the pulse of our young talent. He had an eye for what the future might look like, and cultivated a solid group of young talent.

I’ve heard people say that the US didn’t play very well at the olympic games. Having woken up early to watch each match, I have to strongly disagree with such thoughts. We actually played quite well in Beijing, though not without some problems.

In fact, three critical errors in an otherwise brilliant effort, proved to be our undoing. While the Japan game was hardly a barn burner of a match, we played reasonably well en route to a 1 – 0 victory. Stuart Holden scored the game’s only goal in the 47th minute.

In the game against Holland, the US controlled several stretches of the match and lost due to the first critical error. Playing agasint the likes of Ryan Babel and Jonathan de Guzman, the US squad showed just as much if not more quality. Holland got off to the better start and Babel put them up 1 – 0 in the 16th minute. However the US took the lead on goals by Sacha Kljestan in the 64th and Jozy Altidore in the 72nd. The first critical error occured when Stuart commited a bad foul on Gerald Sibon just outside the penalty error. The US was up by a goal and the match was in the final minute of stoppage time. Sibon stepped up and managed to drive a shot that skimmed under the wall and found the back of the net. It was heartbreaking because the US would have advanced with the win.

The second critical error occurred when Adu and Bradley both received their second yellow cards in the tournament, eliminating them from the key final group match(seems to be a recurring theme unfortunately for Bradley). In the final, only a point was needed to secure advancement. However the third critical error reared it’s ugly head just three minutes in … Michael Orozco was sent off by perhaps a questionable red card. He lamely elbowed Solomon Okoronko, regardless of whether the ejection was warranted, he hurt his team by putting the match in the hands of the official. Forced to play a man down for virtually the whole match, the US valiantly warded off wave after wave of attacks from the very talented young Nigerian team. Nigeria ended up scoring in the 39th and 79th minutes. But the US refused to give up,halving the deficit on a Kljestan penatly kick in the 88th. Needing only a draw to move on, Charlie Davies nearly got us there heading a free kick off the crossbar in the 90th minute. In the end, these errors undid us and it clouded some of the positives to be take from the tournament.

The US featured a midfield of Stuart Holden, Robbie Rogers, Sacha Kljestan and Michael Bradley. Freddy split time in the midfield and as a striker. Benny Feilhaber was used as a sub often. Altidore played a lot and Charlie Davies was brought in as a supersub. Brad Guzan was the starting keeper and Michael Parkhurst partnered with Maurice Edu(showing his versatility) at centerback. Watching how this team played together, the interchanges in their passing, team cohesion … a glimpse of the future for the USMNT was revealled. Kljestan actually played some of his best footy at this tournament. Unfortunately for him, that momentum didn’t carry him too far forward. But Stuart Holden used his excellent Olympic performance as a springboard. With the departure of Dwayne De Rosario, he has begun to really mature in the starting playmaking role for Houston. The Dynamo havn’t missed a beat with Holden there, once again on top of the West.

Robbie Rogers is a bit of an enigma. It’s hard to tell what you’re going to get out of him on a consistent basis. He had a great showing in Beijing. Then has gone on to show flashes at Columbus, yet also disappear and hasn’t earned steady playing time. Brad Guzan also did well in the Olympics, but hasn’t gotten much time on the pitch since then, playing behind fellow American Brad Friedel. He was great in the Egypt game at the Confed Cup and I have a feeling we’ll be seeing him a bit in the Gold Cup.

So really, the future isn’t so bleak … the talent is on the way. As the Gold Cup continues, we will know even more about these younger elements. The unfortunate thing is that Peter Nowak will be dearly missed. He was one of the first people to recognize the talent we had in young players like Charlie Davies and Robbie Rogers. Will the person who replaces him have the same knack?

GK : Brad Guzan(overage exception)

DEF : Michael Parkhurs(overage exception)

MID :  Robbie Rogers, Stuart Holden, Benny Feilhaber, Sacha Kljestan

ST : Jozy Altidore, Charlie Davies, Freddy Adu

Nonetheless, it’s a perfect time for teams like El Salvador, smaller countries which don’t get play in big matches often. El Salvador can use this time to build their confidence, playing against a Costa Rican side, likely to play in their third consecutive World Cup. For teams like Canada and Jamaica who are already out of World Cup Qualifying, it’s a chance to bring home some soccer glory to their respective nations. For Guadeloupe, this is their World Cup. As they are not a FIFA nation, they cannot compete at the World’s soccer championship.

For the US, besides being a moneymaker, the tournament gives us valuable time to examine fringe elements of our player pool heading into South Africa. Not every country currently in World Cup Qualifying has this opportunity to test out the depth of their side in a meaningful competition.

Though the Condfederations Cup gave us a glimpse of who may be in our starting 11 come next summer, there are still a few holes and question marks … especially in regards to depth. So the question is, who deserves more of a look? Who might fit in with the bigger picture? Who will have a huge tournament, and garner playing time in the remaining qualifiers? Who might be a big suprise and steal a World Cup spot?

*** Some key players to watch :

– GK: Brad Guzan

Tim Howard is a lock as the starting keeper and Guzan appears to be entrenched as the backup … will we get to see him play? Will he show some consistency and perform well, following his gem of a match against Egypt?

– LB: Heath Pearce, Jonathan Bornstein

With the emergence of Jay DeMerit as a force at CB, Carlos Bocanegra has been pushed wide and done reasonably well. However, his performance was still inconsistent and this spot still seems open. Heath Pearce has shown flashes, yet has made critical errors at times. He should be starting at LB in the Gold Cup, and will need to have an excellent tournament in order to pass Bocanegra and Bornstein … who was also good at times, bad at others. One thing Bornstein does offer is his ability to get forward in the attack. Of course, Bocanegra also offers his set piece prowess.  What can Pearce bring to the table?

– RB: Steve Cherundolo

Steve should be the starting RB for the USMNT today against Grenada. He also has a lot to prove. First off, he is coming off a nagging injury and he will need to show that he is not only healthy and fit, but also capable of playing in more solid form. Jonathan Spector’s play at this position was one of the stories’ of the Confed Cup for the US and Frankie Hejduk has been solid in qualifiers before getting injured. So it’s an up hill battle for ‘Dolo.

– CM: Stuart Holden, Benny Feilhaber, Ricardo Clark, Sacha Kljestan

This is probably the deepest position on the National Team. With Michael Bradley sure to be a starter, the other spot is still open. There are so many candidates here. Jermaine Jones isn’t eligible until August and Maurice Edu is recovering from injury. Ricardo Clark and Benny Feilhaber both played well at the Confed Cup, but it’s unclear how much playing time they’ll get, if any at all in the Gold Cup. They are 2 of the 7 addons granted by CONCACAF, so if they play it might be sparingly.  Still, it would be nice to see them continue to solidify their spots.Though I don’t really want him to be at this time, Sacha Kljestan is clearly on Bob Bradley’s radar. While I hope he will eventually develop into a good player for our country, I just don’t think now is the time. Let’s hope to see some progress. The most important thing now for Kljestan is to regain some confidence. He’s looked lost on the pitch lately and is making too many bad passes. Stuart Holden played quite well for USA at the Olympics in Beijing. Though probably still  a World Cup Cycle away from contributing, it will be interesting to see his development. Arnaud and Beckerman are longshots for South Africa.

– Wingers/Playmakers : Freddy Adu, Robbie Rogers, Colin Clark

Robbie Rogers was another player who had a good showing at the Olympics and is also a bit away from being in contention for South Africa. He is unquestionably talented, but has a tendency to impress and then fall off the radar. Colin Clark is another exciting, young player who is far on the fringe, but has good technique. Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey appear to be our two playmakers, and will probably be 90 minute men at South Africa. Torres and Adu have also shown real promise in the little playing time they’ve received here. Freddy Adu might be able to garner more time as a sub, with a great Gold Cup performance. His versatility, being able to play in the midfield or as a forward should allow him to play a lot.

– Strikers: Davies, Altidore, Ching, Cooper, Quaranta

Definitely a posisition of extreme interest. Davies and Altidore are late additions, both of whom played well at the previous tournament. I really hope to see them together more, as I feel they could be our starters in South Africa. Brian Ching is perhaps Bradley’s perferred player at striker, yet he might end up being a backup. Kenny Cooper has struggled to get Bradley’s attention and will need a big tournament. I really hope he plays well and forces Bradley to play him more. He is big, solid presence, who is good both in the air and technically gifted on the ground. Santino Quaranta is on the outside looking in. I have a feeling he may be the suprise of the tournament though. He is versatile, brings a nice mix of skills (speed, strength, service) and most importantly hunger. Much like the USA played their best when given second life, Quaranta is in a similar spot. He has resurrected his career after battling with substance abuse. With the change in his personal life, has come change on the pitch. He is near the top of MLS in assists and works very hard.  He appears to be relishing this chance, as he wasn’t sure he’d have the opportunity to play again for the National Team.

In the end, only a few of these fringe players will make the squad for South Africa … but is there a potential diamond in the rough to be found at the CONCACAF Gold Cup?

Bob Bradley’s decision making and tactics have come under fire with increasing intensity. I’m one of the supporters of the USMNT that is seriously unhappy with how the team and USSF are being run currently. But poor tactics aside, surely much of this has to be the talent at Bradley’s fingertips. While the player pool is deeper than anytime in the history of the beautiful game here at home, the overall technical skill on the team leaves much to be desired. We have several solid players, but no one apart from Donovan who can take a game over, who is a true menace with the ball at their feet.  It almost seems like we have a quantity over quality situation here.

Many including myself aren’t exactly thrilled with our usage of the bucket formation. Perhaps Bradley feels he has no other choice than to play in that setup, given his choices for the squad. I’m sure he would also be quick to note that both holding midfielders are two – way components. Imagine if a few things had gone differently for our National Team.

Let’s say Guiseppe Rossi had decided to accept Bruce Arena’s invitation to join the US squad. Suddenly the argument on whether Donovan should be playing up top or in the midfield, wouldn’t be as much of a devisive issue. With Rossi partnering up top alongside Jozy Altidore, Landon would be free to roam the midfield. As good as he is on the left, it would be nice to see him in a central attacking role.

Let’s imagine Freddy Adu actually receiving playing time at AS Monaco or some other European club. Let’s say this gives Bob Bradley more confidence in putting him on the pitch. Let’s say that Bradley takes notice to the fact that Jose Francisco Torres is playing well for an excellent world – class team, in Pachuca. This would allow him to place Torres and Adu on the left and right wing respectively. This gives us speed and technical quality not only on the wings, (which we need desperately) but also a conductor of the attack in the middle.

We don’t have to stretch our imaginations too far to see Jermaine Jones playing as a tough nosed defensive midfielder. Jermaine would be our grit in the middle and he could serve as an important pivot point in the middle, linking with Donovan and the wingers from his deeper position.

Now imagine, Jay DeMerit getting some respect and stronger consideration at center back. Again you don’t have to try to hard here because his ability was on display against Italy, where he was more calm than Bocanegra. Imagine Neven Subotic keeping with his original intentions of wanting to play for the US. Imagine him bringing some closure to our continuing search for answers at left back. Imagine him showing some respect for the youth system which nurtured and cultivated his natural ability.

So with all this imaginative thinking, our lineup could look something like this:

**************Howard*************

Spector  Onyewu    DeMerit   Subotic

***************Jones**************

****Adu*****************Torres****

*************Donovan*************

****Rossi**************Altidore****

Sure a lot of these players aren’t proven commodities yet. But doesn’t it look so much more dangerous than what’s been rolled out lately?

Bunkering down in defense isn’t going to work at the highest levels of international soccer. It certainly hasn’t led the USMNT to win much beyond CONCACAF. I’m not suggesting that we play as free – flowing as teams like Spain. But certainly we need to focus more on the attack. Donovan, Adu and Torres make more for a deadly attacking triangle in midfield. Altidore would be the physical, target striker, with Rossi bringing speed and flair. Subotic is probably better than any option we currently have at left back.

Of course what ifs and imagination get us nowhere, but it’s interesting to see how differnt things could be.

The DC United goalkeeping situation is something which has been in flux for quite some time. Ever since the departure of 2006 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, Troy Perkins, the club has been searching for an answer between the pipes. After the 2007 season, Perkins decided to test his mettle in European soccer, signing with Valerenga of Norway.

DCU first tried to fill this void with the addition of Zach Wells, through a trade with Houston Dynamo. Bobby Boswell, who had been struggling, was shipped to Houston in the deal. This turned out to be a bad swap for United, as Wells struggled mightily and Boswell returned to solid form with Houston. During Wells’ one and only season as United ‘keeper, the club didn’t achieve it’s first shutout until August 2nd. Running out of patience with his performance, the front office turned to Louis Crayton.

The Liberian international, was signed from Swiss side FC Basel. Crayton made his debut for the Black and Red on August 16 of last year, recording a shutout in his first match. Crayton continued to start the majority of the campaign. Though a bit wild coming off his line, (this could probably be largely attributed to shoddy defense) Crayton did considerably well. He clearly outplayed Wells and appeared to have the starting job locked down heading into this season. However, he started this season on the injury list.

Josh Wicks started the first two matches with mixed results. They were a 2 – 2 draw with Los Angeles, in which DCU blew a two goal lead in the last ten minutes. Though Wicks wasn’t necessarily to blame there … Donovan scored on a questionable penalty kick and poor marking led to a Donovan header. His second start in a row resulted in a 1 – 1 draw with Chicago Fire. This time Wicks deserved to be the scapegoat … he gave up the game tying goal to Patrick Nyarko. After Marco Pappa slid in a well placed through ball, Nyarko raced towards the ball in the box. Wicks probably should have stayed on his line. Instead, he charged after the ball. Despite coming late off his line, he never left his feet, allowing Nyarko to calmly slot it home.

Once Crayton returned to health, it looked like the job was still his. Yet, Crayton proved to be inconsistent, allowing goals on critical errors of judgement. He had a tendency to come out for crosses and whiff at them, leading to soft goals. This allowed for rookie Milos Kocic to garner some playing time.

While Kocic unquestionably has talent, it’s very raw and it was a learning experience for him. Like Crayton, Kocic got a clean sheet in his first competitive match for DCU. Kocic and club blanked FC Dallas in US Open Cup Qualifying Round 1. Kocic appears to be a player who could be a bonafide all – star with more training and experience. He has the tools, but doesn’t appear sharp enough just yet to hold down the job.

With Crayton’s $200k + contract set to expire in July, it appears that the Liberian goalie is done with his career in the District. Yet, United may have some found some piece of mind in this goalkeeping three way. Josh Wicks has emerged as a very solid and consistent force these last several weeks. So the question is, where the heck did this guy come from?

Wicks was born in Landstuhl Germany, but grew up in San Bernardino, California. He played college ball in – state at Cal State Bakersfield. While attending school, he played for Des Moines Menace of the PDL. In 2005 Wicks began his career as a professional with Vancouver Whitecaps as a backup. Injuries to their starting  keeper enabled Wicks to play in 13 matches, including two playoff games. He peformed well, accumulating 7 shutouts and didn’t give up a goal in 2 playoff games. He performed well enough for Vancouver to re-sign him for 2006. 2007 brought a move to Portland Timbers, where he truly broke out. He finished the year with league highs in shutouts (14) and Goals against average (.603), en route to winning USL-1 Goalkeeper of the Year.

His outstanding play attracted the interest of LA Galaxy and soon Wicks was in MLS, backing up Steve Cronin. The 2008 season with LA wasn’t particularly memorable and he didn’t look like the same player who had won keeper of the year. Though this was probably largely due to playing for a Galaxy defense that was the worst in MLS last season. Nevertheless, Wicks was not deemed the answer in sunny LA and Galaxy ended up signing Jamaican National team keeper Donovan Ricketts. As almost an afterthought to DCU’s offseason, Wicks was acquired via LA in exchange for a conditional 4th round MLS Superdraft pick.

Certainly, a much improved United backline has helped all the keepers on the roster.  Only a few weeks ago, I thought Wicks should be third on DCU’s depth chart, now that’s definately changed.  So what’s set Wicks apart, despite mixed reviews after starting the first 2 games for DCU? Let’s take a look back at his performance the last couple of weeks …

*DCU / Real Salt Lake, 5/23/09 :

– 8 saves, including 3 of highlight reel quality

– Beckerman released Findley in the box, Wicks makes nice 1 v 1 save. Beckerman’s rocket from distance tipped over the bar. Findley header on target, Wicks dives down quickly to make save.

– In a game that DCU was probably moderately outplayed, Wicks was the reason behind the club earning a point.

*NE Revolution / DCU, 5/30/09 :

– Probably not his best of the last 2 weeks, mainly because he was largely responsible for Joseph’s goal. Wicks came off his line to punch a cross into the box and whiffed, allowing Joseph to head it into an open net.

– Still though, several nice saves … including 2 of Taylor Twellman headers from close range and knocking aside a searing blast by Alston.

*DCU / NYRB, 6/04/09 :

– Made the save of the match, diving low and to the right to palm wide Angel’s one – timer from 15 yards

– Quickly came off his line to steal the ball from the feet of Borman on a breakaway.

– Overall NY didn’t do too much on the offensive end, but Wicks was excellent when he needed to be.

*DCU / Chicago Fire, 6/13/09 :

– Several amazing saves, including point blank save 1 v 1 with Conde.

– Saved a PK by McBride.

– In good position throughout the match, had quick instinctive reactions.

While two weeks of solid goalkeeping is hardly enough to cement his status as a top flight player, Wicks has solidified his role as United’s starter. With more performances like these, this is one position on the club that may no longer be in doubt.

The inaugural CONCACAF Champions League is now over after a short delay, due to swine flu. Atlante are the first evcer CCL Champions, and will be the region’s representative at this year’s FIFA Club World Cup. This was the club’s second continental title(first in Cancun), after winning the Champions Cup in 1983.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the event. Sure, it doesn’t come close to UEFA or CONMEBOL in the level of play or grandeur. However, it’s OUR region’s championship. It’s only gonna mean something if people care about it. I’ve heard that certain teams, especially Mexican and MLS teams didn’t take it seriously.

On the Mexican perspective, perhaps there was disinterest because of the level of competition. I don’t know if this is the case. Certainly the FMF as a whole is the best league in CONCACAF. While the Costa Rican league as a whole doesn’t match up with FMF, their top teams have the ability to compete with any Mexican club; as they have proven in past Champions Cups. Even if some FMF teams weren’t starting all their first squad, they still had 3 of 4 teams make the semifinals. Only Pumas didn’t make this round, and they were eliminated by fellow FMF club Cruz Azul, in the quarterfinals. Also, 3 of 4 were atop the tables in group play. Only Cruz Azul was bested there, by Honduran power Marathon. While, this isn’t a true barometer of the club’s ambition in this competition, it doesn’t exactly shout disinterest.

As for the MLS perspective, it was very disappointing. Sure, the same old script played out between Mexican and US based clubs. But even more disturbing was the way NE Revolution and Chivas USA were eliminated in the preliminary round. Joe Public of Trinidad absolutely hammered New England, winning 6 – 1 on aggregate, including a disgraceful 4 – 0 drubbing in New England. And Chivas USA didn’t put up much of a fight against FC Tauro of Panama (1-3 agg). Injuries did play a significant role, especially for DC United. Though consistently fielding what amounted to reserve teams and being in the so called group of death; only gaining 1 point in group play is an extreme letdown.

If anything, the onus is on MLS to field better squads and achieve more satisfying results. Certainly having an MLS team win the regional championship for the first time since 1998, would make it more interesting here in the States. And might make the title more meaningful to FMF clubs.

The new born tournament wasn’t without excitement and some great cindarella stories. Marathon went through the preliminary round, won their group and played in the quarterfinals. Both qualified USL – 1 teams made it to the last eight. It would have been two if not for yet another tragic last minute defeat to a Mexican club, as Impact imploded against Santos Laguna. Though the match displayed some sloppy defense, it was genuinely exciting.

And of course, Puerto Rico Islanders were the story of the tournament. They qualified by defeating San Juan Jabloteh of T & T,finishing 3rd in the CFU Club Championship. They went on to defeat Costa Rican legend CD Alajuelense. Then advanced out of their group, including a 3 – 1 victory over Santos Laguna at home. Colin Clark’s squad took care of Marathon in the quarterfinals and came oh so close to advancing to the finals. They lost in the semis to Cruz Azul. The match went to extra time. Both teams struck home in the added periods. Though Puerto Rico had scored more away goals; in the CCL, they don’t matter after regulation. With this rule, it was decided on Penalties, which Cruz Azul won 4 – 2.

Considering it was a first effort in the expanded preliminary and group stage format, it seemed a good start. While there were matches that were so lopsided as to be unwatchable, there were also several entertaining gems. At times, many stadiums seemed virtually empty, but these were on weekdays. Qualification is already underway for the second CCL.

2009/2010 CCL Qualified Teams

US: Columbus Crew, Houston Dynamo, DC United NY Red Bulls

Mexico: Toluca, Cruz Azul (2 spots open)

Canada: (1 spot open)

Hounduras: Marthon, Real Espana, Olimpia

Costa Rica: Deportivo Saprissa, (1 spot open)

El Salvador: Isidro Metapan, (1 spot open)

Guatemala: Comunicaiones, (1 spot open)

Panama: Arabe Unido, (1 spot open)

Nicaragua: (1 spot open)

CFU: W Connection (T&T), Puerto Rico Islanders (PR – USL1), San Juan Jabloteh (T&T)

So we already know 16 out of the 24 participating clubs. With the Central American seasons coming to a close, the rest of the field should fill out shortly. Many of the teams will be entering for the second year in a row, but there are several new faces.  Belize has been taken off the docket for this competition, because of poor stadium conditions.  For now, this spot has been awarded to Honduras, giving them 3 teams.

The Nutrilite Canadian Championship is already underway, with Toronto FC posting a pair of 1 – 0 victories over their USL1 counterparts. The CFU Championship just finished, with W Connection defeating Puerto Rico in the finals, both advancing. San Juan Jabloteh dispatched Haitian side Tempete FC, to claim the 3rd and final Caribbean spot.

There has been some talk about reallocating an MLS spot.  I personally don’t see this as necessary.  If you look at the quarterfinals, there was 4 Mexican teams, 1 MLS team, 2 USL1 teams and a Honduran club.   Honduras has already been taken care of.  Mexico has 4 spots and the US based leagues had 3.  The only scenario that seems to make sense, would be either granting the FMF one MLS slot, or having a playoff between these leagues for the final position. Personally, I think 4 is enough for FMF, after all this is a CONCACAF competition.  With 3 semifinalits, any more would make it seem like a Mexican tournament.

The preliminary round is set to begin in late July, with the group stage kicking off towards the end of August. Hopefully the CCL will only continue to grow and be sought after passionately by all CONCACAF teams. Let’s hope for a little more diversity in the final four teams. UEFA constantly has an influx of English teams at the end, it’s appearing like CONCACAF may be no different with Mexican squads.

Last night at RFK Stadium, Jaime Moreno set an amazing MLS milestone. The Bolivian striker became the first player in MLS history to tally 100 goals and 100 assists.

The feat came at a critical time for United.  Moreno’s beautiful curling free quick, met Ben Olsen’s head just seconds into stoppage time and led to the equalizing goal in a 1 – 1 draw with the New England Revolution.

Since the league’s inception, Moreno has dazzled and been an important part of the club game in the States.

At 35, Moreno is certainly not the explosive force he once was. However, he makes up for the lost step with his high football IQ. Jaime  always seems to know what to do with the ball. DC United are a better team just by having him on the pitch. And he exhibits great control over the game.

Moreno began his club career at home, in Bolivia. After a couple seasons at Blooming, Moreno moved on to Colombia. There he had a short stint with Indepediente Santa Fe.

In 1994, Moreno made Bolivian hearts proud, becoming the first native of the country to play in the English premiership, with Middlesbrough. There, he came on mostly as a sub, tallying once.

During MLS’ first season, Moreno joined DC United around the halfway point. He made an immediate impact and contributed to the club winning the first two MLS cups. During his second season, he led the league in goals.

From that point on, Moreno became a DCU legend (he briefly returned to Middlesbrough, on loan and one season the the MetroStars). The fans have been known to chant his name, when the Bolivian international isn’t on the field in critical situations.

Moreno is MLS’ all – time leading scorer, ahead of Ante Razov.  Jaime is 5th on the all – time assists list, just 1 behind fellow Bolivian Marco Etcheverry (4th) and 29 behind all time leader, the Revs’ Steve Ralston. He shares the highest total of 10+ goals, 10+ assists seasons, with Chivas USA coach Preki (4). He produced this feat, as late as last year, with 10 and 10.

So, for his career, Moreno has 122 goals and 100 assists, in 298 games played (only 20 weren’t starts).  He will reach yet another landmark soon, as after two more games, he will have played in 300 MLS league fixtures.   And now he has the distinction of being the only player in triple digits, both for finishing and creating goals.

Jaime Moreno … truly an MLS legend.

There has been a lot of discussion among fans of the beautiful game in the U.S. about promotion and relegation.  On this site, Daniel Feuerstein supported the idea down the road.   One of his main points was that, once MLS and USL clubs have their own stadiums … a lot of the obstacles to this format, would then work themselves out.

I agree that if North American soccer were to make this switch, it would take some time and that teams having their own facilities would be a giant step in the right direction.   However, another possibility has begun to formulate.

Perhaps, promotion / relegation might find a beginning in this part of the world, a different way.  Maybe, in light of the essential “promotion” of Seattle and Portland to MLS franchises (and the flirtation with FC Barcelona Miami), the U.S. based leagues will start with their own model.  USL could be a breeding ground for new MLS sides.

For starters, this issue, is an extremely divisive one.  It seems that there are just as many advocates of pro / rel, as there are those who like the conference style / playoff setup.  I also want to point out that, playoffs and pro / rel could also work together.  Personally, I think that pro / rel wouldn’t be a bad idea, but definitely well down the road.  However, I don’t want to see the playoff system thrown out the window, as it is culturally relevant to American sports.  Not to mention, it’s nice to see different leagues around the world take on their own identity and style in soccer, while still keeping unity with the beautiful game, around the globe.

For pro / rel to ever work … MLS and USL would have to develop a better relationship, of course.  And this cooperation could start with a franchise building partnership. Cross – marketing, would benefit both leagues.   New teams to the North American system, could start off in USL.  There, these clubs could get their bearings straight, learn the ins and outs of the American game.  Then, once they have set up shop and proven their ability to thrive as a franchise, make the jump to the top tier.

Granted, MLS would definitely have to compensate the USL financially, as the best teams would be leaving after establishing themselves in the second tier.  But, it would be a good way to test markets and organizations, before adding them to the top level.  Though the USL – 1 product doesn’t appear to be so different in quality than MLS, solid teams are already jumping ship.

It would be a start anyways, as we are very far away from having soccer – specific, club – owned facilities for all teams.    And it would be a good opportunity for foreign investors, such as the Stoke City based ownership group, of the Austin Aztex.   This type of arrangement, would allow them to try their hand in the American game, before completely committing their finances.

In the end, I think soccer has the best chance in succeeding in this country, through solidarity.   So here’s hoping, one way or the other, to some kind of kinship among all domestic brands, to build the strong foundation we need.