Dunga got his tactical changes right in the second half and Bob Bradley didn't adequately make tactical changes to counter the Brazilians. Bradley's tactics and subs resembled the scared, conservative changes of the last two qualifiers and the first two group games of this event instead of confident superior coaching he demonstrated in the last […]

The US National Team often times has to fight a two front war for recognition: the first is against an indifferent domestic sporting press and the second is against a downright hostile foreign football press. As the US fights for respect in the football world, and with it the ability to move American players to […]

As both a fan and observer of American Soccer in general and the US Men's National Team (USMNT) in particular, Confederations Cup 2009 has been a rollercoaster with amazing emotional highs and lows. As we all know, the US started this tournament with back to back losses, first losing to Italy, 3-1, and then Brazil, […]

Today is the last day of Interleague baseball for this season of MLB. It ends coincidentally on the same day as the final of the Confederation Cup. As great as the Confederation Cup has been for Soccer, Interleague play has given baseball a great boost as well. MLB scheduled its Interleague dates to start right after the […]

(This is a revised version of a piece that originally ran last year on this website) This week we've been presented with yet another unrelenting attack from significantly threatened portions of the American media elite on Football. The reason? The United States National Team's resounding success in the world sport which has our boys playing […]

Are you interested in a paid writing position to write about La Liga? If so, e-mail me at thegaffer[at]epltalk[dot]com and include some writing samples or links to articles you've written. I'm seeking someone who is passionate about Spanish football, and someone who is able to work alone and generate unique and creative articles. Cheers, The […]

One positive to come out of Italy’s disastrous Confederations Cup adventure was the emergence of Giuseppe Rossi. Having been on the fringes of the Azzurri squad for some months, he finally made his breakthrough against the nation of his birth, putting himself firmly in the shop window this summer. Having begun his career in the […]

As the final of the Confederations Cup approaches, the tournament for one team in particular has been an unmitigated disaster. Coming into the competition, as World Champions would surely mean an easy route to the semi-finals at least, however Italy capitulated in almighty fashion. A somewhat fortuitous victory over the USA followed by an embarrassing […]

ATTACK THE LEFT SIDE The left side is where you attack Brazil. Under Dunga, Brazil essentially plays without a left sided midfielder. The left back position for the Brazilians has been a similarly problematic as it has been for the United States. Andres Santos and Klebar are both below the acceptable standard and we saw […]

Derek Rae of ESPN was kind enough to speak to me at length about Germany and German football. If you have access to ESPN/ESPN International, you may be accustomed to Rae's commentary for the Champions League, La Liga or even Eredivisie; therefore, you might find that an interview of a football announcer who doesn't announce […]

It will be more than twenty four hours before the ball is dropped at Ellis Park in Johannesburg for the championship final of the Confederations Cup and after such a Jekyll & Hyde side in our US National Team from their first two group matches to their three goal victory against Egypt while getting help […]

Frequent guest on our show, Jamie Trecker of Fox Sports and author of Love and Blood joins us. Today's discussion with Jamie however is focused on different issues: the historical and cultural context of the US win over Spain and the US National Team in American society. We also preview the Confederations Cup final against […]

Michael Bradley showed his passion at the end of the Egypt game when he told us all off. That for me wasn't a rebuke but a proud moment. The United States National Team which for years lived in a bubble with nothing but a few media who followed them and passionate, sometimes uncritical fan support […]

This summer, Chelsea FC will be traveling around the United States to play in a series of high-profile friendlies as part of the World Football Challenge. John Terry, Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack, Didier Drogba, Michael Essien and the crew — along with new manager Carlo Ancelotti — will be playing games on both coasts as […]

A few weeks ago I posted a tribute to former Lazio and Juventus ace Pavel Nedved who had announced his retirement from the game. Nedved has always been an exciting talent even at the grand old age of 36 and his performances for Juve last season were still top class, indeed he often covered more […]