tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84798672495175051512024-03-12T19:33:22.250-07:00Red CardsBob Weiser started playing soccer as a youth and has been following the sport ever since, dating back to days of watching the Bundesliga on PBS on Saturday afternoons.bweiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01027874728062292790noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479867249517505151.post-46202352244140770522010-09-27T15:43:00.000-07:002010-09-27T15:51:46.027-07:00Goalkeeping woes curedI was vocal all year long that I thought Chris Seitz was costing the Union games and Peter Nowak finally got around to benching him to play Brad Knighton regularly. I just wish Nowak had pulled an Andy Reid and made this decision two games into the season - the Union could be headed to the playoffs if he had.<br /><br />One play in Saturday's game against Chivas USA proves my point: It was early, maybe 20 minutes in, and the game was still scoreless. Chivas played a long ball to an open attacker on the left wing. The ball was about 20 yards out from goal and Knighton made a decisive move to come out, slide and try to beat the forward to the ball. He got there about a second ahead of the Chivas player and the scoring attempt was thwarted.<br /><br />Had Chris Seitz been in goal, he probably would have come out to the 18, then tried to backpedal a bit and watched the forward chip it over his head for a 1-0 lead. His indecisiveness would have cost the Union a goal and may have completely changed the outcome of the game.<br /><br />Instead, Knighton made the play - and a couple of others - and the Union had another shutout. Knighton has started the last three games and the Union is 2-1. He's given up one goal and posted two shutouts. <br /><br />Hopefully, he's earned the starting gig for 2011.bweiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01027874728062292790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479867249517505151.post-18843175558789794952010-09-12T11:40:00.000-07:002010-09-12T11:46:02.596-07:00First clean sheet of the yearPeter Nowak, apparently, had finally seen enough of Chris Seitz in the Union goal after Seitz allowed a disappointing goal a week ago. That was good news for Union fans as Brad Knighton got the start Saturday night at PPL Park against the Chicago Fire. Knighton didn't disappoint, making several impressive saves and leading the Union to a 1-0 win and the first shutout of the MLS season. <br /><br />I have been clamoring for this change for months and, hopefully, this time it will stick. Knighton started a game earlier this year and got a red card early in the first half. It was back to the bench after that, but Knighton earned another start after Saturday's effort. He made at least 3 quality saves and seemed to be in the right spots. He came out to the ball, rather than sitting back and waiting, like Seitz seems to do regularly. <br /><br />Another beautiful goal from Sebastien LeToux, his 11th, as he pursues the MLS Golden Ball.bweiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01027874728062292790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479867249517505151.post-41009650360248782732010-08-25T02:48:00.000-07:002010-08-25T02:58:23.797-07:00Blacked out in my houseBefore I went to bed Saturday night, I made sure to check my TV listings to make sure I had set up my DVR to record the Union's match against D.C. United. Sure enough, on Channel 506 in my Verizon FIOS lineup, the game was listed. The 2 p.m. start was good to go and I could watch the game when I woke up. <br /><br />I woke up around 2:30 and the living room TV was being occupied, so I turned on the TV in the bedroom. Checked out 506 and saw a Little League World Series game. What the ...? Are you serious? This isn't the first time this has happened. Can't remember which game it was back in May, but I had a similar problem with not being able to see the game. <br /><br />When I finally got on my computer that afternoon, sure enough the Union had sent out an e-mail telling us the game had been moved to the LiveWell Network. I don't know why and I really don't care why. All I knew was, I missed the game. Again. <br /><br />It's awfully hard to write a blog about a game you don't see. So I'm really not going to try. I'll just say, a 2-0 loss to the worst team in MLS isn't a good day and it's the fourth time the Union has been shut out this year.<br /><br />With a game at Gillette Stadium against the New England Revolution, it was a chance to win a couple of road games and really solidify a not-last-place finish. There's still another chance Saturday.<br /><br />It's also the last chance to keep the streak of having exactly one win in each month that the Union has played more than one game (Philly was 0-1 in March with a season-opening loss against Seattle) and it would be a nice way to head into the final six weeks or so of the season. The Union is a disappointing 0 wins, 3 losses and 2 ties in 5 August matches. <br /><br />And maybe I'll actually get to see this one.bweiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01027874728062292790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479867249517505151.post-26296750999177648302010-08-09T00:27:00.001-07:002010-08-14T02:16:30.495-07:00Two games, two losses, some bad fansChris Seitz didn't start Sunday's game against FC Dallas ... The TV announcers said he had a stomachache Saturday night and prior to the game. Funny, every time I see Chris Seitz on the field, my stomach starts to turn. <br /><br />So because Seitz was sick, me and several thousand Union fans got our wish - Brad Knighton started in goal. Too bad it only lasted 20 minutes - and too bad he made a Seitz-like mistake. His bobble with Breck Shea bearing down led to a penalty kick and red card on Knighton that forced Seitz into action.<br /><br />I don't know if the stomachache story was just a rouge or what, but he didn't look sick. In fact, he looked as good as he has all year. He made a tremendous first-half save on a shot from Shea and then another strong save on a header in the 72nd minute. He came out on a cross and looked assertive. And then he didn't and Jeff Cunningham spit the defense of the new guy - Juan Diego Gonzalez - and Jordan Harvey to give Dallas the lead. One more Jeff Cunningham goal and it was all over. Of course, it was probably all over when the Union went down a man, but the team managed to hold things together for about 45 minutes. Doing it in 120 minutes was probably too much to ask. Especially against Cunningham and Shea.<br /><br />It's interesting to watch Peter Nowak try to piece a new lineup together. Three of the 10 field starters Sunday weren't on the team two weeks earlier. I'm willing to take some lumps now if it makes the team better in 2011, though. It's probably too many changes to really impact 2010, but as long as the team plays like it has this season, that's good enough. <br /><br />Had a chance to go to the Union-Crew game at PPL Park last Thursday. It was Delaware County night and that meant half-priced tickets for Delco residents. I was going anyway, but it was nice to save $15. The game got me wondering: Do opposing teams come into PPL and just try to survive the first 30 minutes? That sure seemed to be the Crew's approach. I would have loved to see how this game turned out if Stefani Miglioranzi hadn't gotten hurt. He was outstanding in the 40 or so minutes he played. It also hasn't helped lately that Danny Mwanga hasn't been fit enough to play.<br /><br />A final thought on the behavior of the fans at the Crew game: I hadn't noticed this in the three previous games I attended, but if this is what soccer in Philadelphia is going to be like, I'm going to be loud and outspoken against the fans that show no class. You know who you are - mostly the Sons of Ben. It's awesome that you guys are as loud as you are. It's awesome that there is so much support for the team. But Philadelphia already has a bad reputation and anyone who can actually hear what the fans are shouting throughout the game has to just think, 'oh, well, that's Philadelphia.' It isn't, but thanks to you guys, it's just adding to the reputation. Don't try to convince me that you're saying 'Your socks have holes.' You're not. You are calling the opposing goalie an a**hole. Admit it and stop it. And while I didn't think you were shouting 'F*** You' repeatedly, that's what it sounds like at the other end of the field. There are children in the stadium. Tone it down and show some class.bweiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01027874728062292790noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479867249517505151.post-69735297360324622812010-07-19T15:18:00.000-07:002010-07-19T15:32:59.418-07:00All Union, all the timeThe Union had an impressive week, getting its first shutout, or clean sheet, with a 1-0 win over Celtic FC of Scotland in the first night game at PPL Park and following that up with a 2-1 win over Toronto FC Saturday on Sebastien LeToux's late penalty kick. <br /><br />Of course, it should be pointed out that that first shutout came with backup keeper Brad Knighton in goal, not starter Chris Seitz. I've been saying for weeks that Knighton deserves a shot to play over Seitz, whose inconsistencies and inexperience have cost the Union on a couple of occasions. I was disappointed to learn, then, that Seitz was back in goal Saturday against Toronto. <br /><br />But the good news is they got 3 points against Toronto, a team that had an eight-game unbeaten streak heading into the game. Toronto, by the way, features Jon Conway, the Sun Valley High School graduate who is the only Delaware County high school product playing in MLS. See Chris Vito's story here: http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2010/07/17/sports/doc4c4132e8a40c7223385516.txt <br /><br />Despite temperatures in the upper 90s again Saturday, LeToux was all over the field. His work ethic is simply amazing. <br /><br />Up next is a friendly against Manchester United Wednesday night at Lincoln Financial Field. Man U will be holding a clinic Tuesday night from 7-9 at Chester Park for local youths. The Union's next MLS match is against the New England Revolution July 31 at PPL Park.bweiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01027874728062292790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479867249517505151.post-87584785187817217062010-07-13T00:02:00.000-07:002010-07-13T00:16:06.086-07:00Spain 1, Holland 0The 2010 World Cup final seemed destined for penalty kicks. Still scoreless, time winding down before Andres Iniesta gave Spain the only goal it would need to win the World Cup for the first time in the nation's history. <br /><br />Before the goal, however, the game was a physical battle that featured a record number of yellow cards - and one pivotal red to Holland's John Heitinga in the 109th minute. Whether or not the cards against Heitinga were warranted, the game was filled with hard fouls and the Dutch got away with what should have been a red card earlier when Nigel De Jong stuck his studs in Xabi Alonso's chest. <br /><br />Frankly, the Dutch have no one to blame but themselves for the loss. There were plenty of opportunities for both teams to score. Spain had chances and the Dutch had chances. Arjen Robben could have easily had two goals if not for some outstanding saves by Golden Glove winner Iker Casillas. <br /><br />The Dutch had their share of possession in the match - seemingly a lot more than Germany had against Spain in the semifinals. They were a fingertip away from Maarten Stekelenburg stopping that game-winner as well. <br /><br />In the end, it was a great tournament with a back-and-forth final where Spain ended its drought and Holland lost in the final for the third time, the first since 1978. <br /><br />Diego Forlan of Uruguay was deserving of the Golden Ball. I wouldn't have voted for him, because no matter how hurt he was, he should have been able to finish the semifinal loss. I was just as surprised to see David Villa come off for Fernando Torres in the final, though. Not sure I'll ever understand the substitution patterns of these coaches.<br /><br />See you in Rio in four years.bweiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01027874728062292790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479867249517505151.post-51917438018069519402010-07-10T23:49:00.001-07:002010-07-11T00:27:17.402-07:00The end is nearUnfortunately. As in, the end of the World Cup is near. Fortunately, a great month of soccer should conclude with what shapes up as a great match.<br /><br />Spain takes on the Netherlands today at 2:30 p.m. The winner will be World Cup champions for the first time. Dutch fans are used to disappointment, having lost to West Germany in 1974 and Argentina in 1978, both times on the opponent's home soil. They won't have that disadvantage this year as whichever European side wins will be the first to win a World Cup outside Europe. Good thing they get to host a lot of World Cups, huh? History isn't on Spain's side - no team has ever lost its first game in the tournament and gone on to win it all. Spain lost to Switzerland, 1-0, what seems like years ago now. <br /><br />Maybe that loss woke Spain up. The team has played very well since the loss, led by David Villa, Xavi and Carles Puyol. Spain figures to try to possess the ball with its short passing game, much like it did against Germany. The difference? I don't think Holland will let Spain play keepaway like Germany seemed to do. The Dutch will pressure the ball more and try to find its own offense. <br /><br />Holland is led by Wesley Sneijder, Robin Von Persie and Arjen Robben and has the firepower to match Spain. <br /><br />Prediction: Spain 2, Holland 1<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Soccer is a cruel sport</span><br /><br />That's about the only way to describe the Union's 2-1 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes Saturday at PPL Park. It was the first time I was unable to attend a home game.<br /><br />But what I grasped from watching the game on FSC:<br /><br />Once again, the Union totally dominated a game only to come up short. Maybe I'm a homer, but I feel like this team is significantly better than its record/results. The Union could have been up 3 or 4-0 against San Jose. They had several golden opportunities in the second half, including Danny Mwanga getting pantsed before Jon Busch made a great save, then Busch robbing Sebastien LeToux a couple of times. Then LeToux got bodychecked by a San Jose defender at about the 18-yard line. The defender made no attempt to play the ball and simply used his body to prevent LeToux from getting to the ball. <br /><br />But the game was lost on a poor free kick from Roger Torres that led to a breakout by San Jose. Torres has been a major disappointment after a great start to his season. At the other end of the field, Jordan Harvey was between Arturo Alvarez and Chris Seitz. You just can't let the guy get a shot off there. Take him down. Take the yellow card, give the free kick and allow your teammates to get back and get set up. Of course, once the shot got past Harvey, you just knew it was going past Seitz, right? I mean, other than a PK in his belly against Seattle, the guy hasn't made one clutch save yet this year. I was ready to give him the year a few weeks ago. Now, I want Brad Knighton a start. Even if its against Celtic and Manchester United, let's see if he shows any better in game action. It's time for a change.<br /><br />On the same front, I want the central defense shored up and changed. This team has allowed two goals in all but three of its matches. It has yet to record a clean sheet. Why? As much as Seitz is at fault, he's not the only problem. Danny Califf is big and physical. Too bad he isn't any good. Get him off the field now. Cristian Arietta was supposed to help out when he joined the team. He was the Defender of the Year with the Puerto Rico Islanders in 2008 in the USL. He must have had a hell of a team around him. This group just isn't cutting it. <br /><br />Two games this week - the Celtic friendly Wednesday at PPL and another home MSL match Saturday against a Toronto FC team that the Union should have beaten earlier in the season up in Canada. With five of the next six league matches at PPL, its the perfect time to play a push for a playoff spot. If the team doesn't pick up a bunch of those 15 points, the playoffs are probably going to be out of reach.bweiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01027874728062292790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479867249517505151.post-40934098948765298002010-07-08T02:07:00.001-07:002010-07-08T02:23:50.314-07:00Quick thoughts on semifinals<span style="font-weight:bold;">Netherlands 3, Uruguay 2</span><br /><br />Like others, I was stunned when the Uruguayan coach took Diego Forlan out with about 10 minutes left and his team down 3-1. Were they conceding? No. Forlan was nicked up. Nicked up? Are you kidding me? It's the World Cup semifinals. My leg would have to be falling off down 3-1 if I was my team's best player. Very strange. The Dutch were the better team, but Uruguay had plenty of 'moments.' I thought Uruguay was really dangerous pretty early in the second half. And then - Holland lowered the boom. First Wesley Sneijder, then Arjen Robben in a 4-minute span. It was 3-1 and it was all but over. Uruguay got a late goal to make it close, but Holland held on to reach its first WC Final since 1978. Congrats to the Dutch and congrats to Uruguay on an outstanding tournament. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Spain 1, Germany 0</span><br /><br />Spain has never won a World Cup title. Never even been to the final. Sure, the Spanish have been the best tournament over most of the decade, were favored and beat Germany, 1-0, in the Euro 2008 final. Still, this is Germany. A team that had scored 13 goals in the tournament. Instead of coming out and putting the pressure on Spain, maybe forcing Spain to choke a little in light of its past World Cup history, Germany seemed to be playing for 0-0 and overtime, possibly getting a goal on a counterattack. Now, I'm OK with counterattacking, but ... not when you're Germany. You're not supposed to be afraid of anyone when you wear that uniform and the Germans played like they were convinced they had little if any shot. Spain buzzed around the German net and were it not for a couple of Manuel Neuer saves, it could have been 3-0. Spain dominated possession and it almost seemed like Germany was letting it make all the short passes it wanted in the midfield. A brilliant header by Carles Puyol gave Spain the lead on a corner kick - he had just missed one in the first half. I don't know. Maybe Germany heard the octopus picked Spain. <br /><br />Now, it's on to Spain vs. Holland and someone is going home with the World Cup for the first time in its history. Hope we get a great game - we'll definitely have a great pregame show - Shakira is scheduled to perform.bweiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01027874728062292790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479867249517505151.post-77066101841898374152010-07-05T23:46:00.000-07:002010-07-06T00:02:25.278-07:00SemifinalsThe first semifinal is just 12 hours away. I can't wait. Though I've rooted for Germany for years, part of me would like to see any of the other three teams win. Uruguay hasn't won the title since 1950 and neither Spain nor the Netherlands have ever won one. <br /><br />Upstart Uruguay takes on the Netherlands Tuesday. The Dutch upset Brazil while Uruguay used the Hand of God 2 from Luis Suarez to beat Ghana in penalty kicks. The red card means Suarez won't play against the Dutch and Uruguay also could be Sans Diego - Diego Lugano and Diego Godan are both doubtful. The Dutch are without Nigel de Jong and Gregory van der Wiel and Robin van Persie and Joris Mathijsen are both doubtful. That's a lot of star power sitting on the bench, watching. That leaves depth as an important part of the equation and I give the Dutch the advantage there.<br />Prediction: Holland 3, Uruguay 1<br /><br />Wednesday's second semifinal between Germany and Spain could be a classic. Fernando Torres continues to struggle for Spain, but David Villa has been the best player in the tournament. Germany, however, has been the best team. Germany will be without 20-year-old midfielder Thomas Mueller, who has four goals, but Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski are playing well. If it comes down to PKs, Iker Casillas gives Spain an edge over Germany's Manuel Neuer. Hopefully, it won't come down to PKs.<br />Prediction: Germany 2, Spain 1bweiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01027874728062292790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479867249517505151.post-11260051434996561102010-07-04T01:44:00.000-07:002010-07-04T02:21:28.026-07:00A busy SaturdayWhere to start? I'll start with the World Cup, and I'll post more in a couple of days previewing the semifinals.<br /><br />What had been a tournament dominated by South America suddenly isn't anymore. Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay are all gone and while some are calling Brazil's loss to the Netherlands a major upset I'm not one of them. An upset? Sure. Major? No. These were the Dutch, arguably considered the best nation to never win a World Cup and they have one of the best players in the tournament in Wesley Sneijder. Brazil just didn't play its best and when that happens at this level, you go home. Since Brazil is hosting the 2014 World Cup, and it has now gone back-to-back Cups without winning, everyone else might be playing for second in four years.<br /><br />Argentina was clearly the second-best team on the field Saturday against Germany. Germany scored in the first five minutes and Bastian Schweinsteiger was easily the Man of the Match. For a team with a couple of players not on top form up front coming into the Cup, the Germans have been outstanding and Miroslav Klose continues to show why he's one of the top strikers in World Cup history. Two more goals Saturday give him four, or one more than he had in 25 Bundesliga matches with Bayern Munich this year. Germany wasn't 4-0 better than Argentina and it was 1-0 well into the second half. The Germans scored three late goals to blow it open. There were questions about Argentina coming in and though they appeared to be answered prior to Saturday, clearly the concerns were warranted.<br /><br />Spain had never won a quarterfinal prior to Saturday. Hard to believe, huh? And at one point against Paraguay, it looked like Spain was going to be denied again. But then Iker Casillas stopped a penalty kick. About a minute later, Spain converted a penalty kick - but it was wiped out by players encroaching into the penalty area and the rekick was stopped by Paraguayan keeper Justo Villar. It was a surreal series of events. Neither team played great, but David Villa got the gamewinner to send Spain through against Germany.<br /><br />It's going to be hard to argue with Uruguay-Ghana as the game of the tournament, simply based on the finish. After 119 minutes and about 45 seconds, Luis Suarez, a Uruguayan striker, stopped a sure Ghana goal when he used his hand. He was immediately red carded and Ghana was awarded a penalty kick and an almost surefire win. Frankly, it probably should have been ruled like goaltending is in basketball, but that is an argument for another day. The penalty here is a red card and a PK and Ghana had every chance to win this game and become first African team in the World Cup semifinals. Asamoah Gyan's strike caromed off the top of the crossbar and out of play and the ref blew the final whistle, sending the match to penalty kicks. Ironically, sadly, tragically, Gyan had a beautiful strike for one of Ghana's PKs, but Uruguay keeper Fernando Muslera made two saves. <br /><br />So that sets up Netherlands vs. Uruguay Tuesday and Germany vs. Spain Wednesday. Look for a preview in a day or two.<br /><br />The day ended with a disappointing 1-1 road draw for the Union against Chivas USA. While it was nice to get a point for a team that had just one win in its first eight road games, it was not a good all-around performance. For some reason, Alejandro Moreno didn't play and it showed. Danny Mwanga scored his fifth goal and Sebastien LeToux was good as usual. But without Moreno, there was just some push offensively lacking and once the Union went up 1-0, it seemed like the players were content to try to ride that out for almost 70 minutes. It didn't work, though it probably should have been 2-0 when a goal was disallowed on a blown offsides call. <br /><br />Four straight at PPL Park should help this team make a playoff push.bweiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01027874728062292790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479867249517505151.post-56523418370244869712010-07-01T11:37:00.000-07:002010-07-01T12:15:22.148-07:00Quarterfinal predictionsGermany vs. Argentina. Brazil vs. Netherlands. Sounds like a couple of matchups you'd expect to see in the World Cup finals. Instead, we get them this weekend in the quarterfinals.<br /><br />Here is a look at the four quarterfinal matchups:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Germany vs. Argentina</span><br /><br />There has already been a lot of debate on the internet about this game. Argentina was a major question mark coming into the tournament - Diego Maradnna's crew struggled in qualifying. But when you have Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain and Carlos Tevez, no one wants to play you. Argentina has been the most entertaining team in the World Cup and leads all teams with 10 goals. But there are questions about the back four - specificially Martin DeMichelis. As for Germany, Miroslav Klose struggled coming into the World Cup, but this is the World Cup and Klose has found the groove again in South Africa. He has scored twice to give him 12 career World Cup goals, just three shy of Ronaldo's record of 15. Like Argentina, Germany has questions in the back four. Potentially bad news for Argentina: Messi missed practice Thursday. He won't miss the game, though.<br />Prediction: Argentina 4, Germany 3<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Netherlands vs. Brazil</span><br /><br />A matchup of epic proportions. Brazil has been nothing short of the best all-around team in the tournament. Holland has been its usual entertaining self. Brazil doesn't have the question marks in the back that the Netherlands does. The Netherlands got a big lift with the return of Arjen Robben when it beat Slovakia, 2-1. Brazil, on the other hand, will be one of its top subs as midfielder Elano is out with an ankle injury. Brazil has plenty of other options, though, from Robinho to Luis Fabiano to Kaka to Maicon. The Netherlands counters with Wesley Sneijder, Dirk Kuyt, Robben and Robin Von Persie. In the end, Brazil is just a little better defensively.<br />Prediction: Brazil 2, Netherlands 1<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Spain vs. Paraguay</span><br />Spain has never reached the World Cup semifinals. That seems hard to believe, but it's also hard to imagine Spain not beating Paraguay. This has been a tournament dominated by South America - and there stands a good chance of three of the four semifinalists being from South America, too. Maybe Paraguay will play better than it did against Japan. Paraguay was passive. Maybe it can duplicate that against Spain and Xavi, David Villa and Co., but it will be 10 times more difficult than it was against Japan. If it can get to penalty kicks, Paraguay has the benefit of having already experienced that and Spain could crack under the pressure. It won't get to penalty kicks, though. David Villa has been having an outstanding World Cup and it will continue.<br />Prediction: Spain 2, Paraguay 0<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Uruguay vs. Ghana</span><br />Probably would have had a hard time finding too may people who had both of these teams in the quarterfinals. Uruguay has been led by Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez, who have combined for five goals. Ghana, of course, is the team that ended the dreams of the United States with an extra time goal last weekend. Ghana's top two scorers - Asamoah Gyan and Kevin Prince Boateng - are both battling injuries. Gyan was hurt in practice this week and Boateng has a hamstring problem that could keep him out. Without that firepower, Ghana will have a hard time keeping up. Both will probably try to play, but neither will be 100 percent.<br />Prediction: Uruguay 2, Ghana 1bweiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01027874728062292790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479867249517505151.post-54945418891973441392010-07-01T02:00:00.001-07:002010-07-01T02:01:54.848-07:00Union time changeI will have more on the World Cup tomorrow, but I just saw this on the Union web site:<br /><br />The July 10 game vs. San Jose Earthquakes at PPL Park has been changed to a 6 p.m. start. It was originally scheduled for 5:30. It will be televised on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports Espanol.bweiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01027874728062292790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479867249517505151.post-10950804197426723752010-06-27T23:45:00.000-07:002010-06-28T00:06:38.855-07:00Impressive day for UnionDespite not having a ticket in hand, I was determined to not miss the Philadelphia Union's debut at PPL Park Sunday afternoon. I'm glad I didn't decide to just spend the day in front of the TV. <br /><br />I'll start with the stadium. It's beautiful. It's not spectacular, but I've never been inside a true soccer stadium, so I don't have much to compare it to. I won't say there isn't a bad seat in the house. From where I was at (Section 119, Row K, Seat 20), I couldn't see the scoreboard. Even if I turned around, it was unviewable. And there are no arm rests on the seats, which I guess gives fat old guys like me a little more space, but it's still odd. As I said to Linda, the woman to my right, though, at least they aren't bleachers and at least we don't have to stand the entire match. <br /><br />As far as the game was concerned, it was a very impressive performance by the Union. I thought they dominated possession and looked much, much more dangerous than Seattle in the attacking third. It was a good, crisp passing performance as Sebastien Le Toux, Fred and Alejandro Moreno ran circles around the Sounders defense. I'd love to know where Peter Nowak concocted this attack. It looked totally different and a heck of a lot better than what we saw in the first 10 matches. I thought Danny Mwanga was very good. Really, the whole team was. I can't pick out a weak link. <br /><br />The play of the game had to be Chris Seitz's save of a penalty kick, just minutes after all the Union's hard work had paid off in a PK of their own. Seitz didn't have to do much, but any time you save a PK, it is a huge lift to your teammates. <br /><br />All in all, a great game in a great stadium. Hope you all had as good of a time as I did.bweiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01027874728062292790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479867249517505151.post-48547103188554441552010-06-26T22:14:00.000-07:002010-06-26T22:34:37.979-07:00The end of the lineWell, it's over. The United States gave the gallant fight Saturday, but, in the end, Ghana was just a little better in the final third and converted twice to eliminate the U.S., 2-1. <br />Some thoughts:<br />1) While Ricardo Clark gave the ball away leading to Ghana's first goal, the giveaway was at midfield. Surely, someone else can make a tackle in the 30-plus yards between midfield and Kevin Prince Boateng's strike. I'm not excusing Clark, who I think was bad and didn't deserve his spot in the starting XI to begin with, but I'm not putting 100 percent of the blame for this goal on him. <br />2) I will put some of the blame for that goal on Tim Howard. Tim Howard is considered one of the top goalies in the world, one of the best in the English Premier League. He's good, don't get me wrong. But he just strikes me as way too inconsistent to be elite. He left room at the near post and Boateng exploited it. <br />3) I understand that that's more to playing striker than scoring goals. That said, Robbie Findley shouldn't be starting for this team. He's played more than a dozen games with the U.S. national team and hasn't scored yet. His miss Saturday was poorly struck. A good striker doesn't hit it at the goalkeeper. He hits it to a corner and he scores.<br />4) Jozy Altidore is the future of the U.S. at striker. He wasn't at his best Saturday. <br />That's the bad. The good was Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan and Michael Bradley. They were the reason the U.S. had any hope at all. But even Donovan wasn't quite as good as he's been. <br />The next big question to be answered is whether or not Bob Bradley will return as head coach. I don't think he should. Not because he did a bad job - starting Clark was a mistake as were some other lineup moves - but because I think teams need a new direction every four years. It's not an indictment on Bradley. <br />Sunday figures to be a great soccer day - Germany vs. England, Argentina vs. Mexico and the Philadelphia Union opener at PPL Park. If you're going to PPL, enjoy yourself. I hope to get there and if I do, will report back Sunday night.bweiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01027874728062292790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479867249517505151.post-52331933826665909942010-06-23T23:21:00.001-07:002010-06-23T23:33:58.442-07:00USA! USA! USA!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01664/donovan_1664917c.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 460px; height: 288px;" src="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01664/donovan_1664917c.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Nearly 12 hours since the end of the U.S.-Algeria thriller and I'm still amazed by the finish. I watched in disbelief as I'm sure most of you did as chance after chance after chance fell by the wayside. I'm sure some of you felt like I did - crap, it's going to finish 0-0 and it's not going to be enough. <br />Thankfully, the U.S. has Landon Donovan, who has been nothing short of outstanding throughout the World Cup. Thankfully, Algeria's shot in the 10th minute hit the crossbar and didn't drop down 6 or 12 inches more. Thankfully, after that, Algeria seemed to not care about scoring and winning the match. <br />Now, it's a matchup with Ghana, which I thought looked good until Wednesday's loss to Germany, when the Black Stars, like Algeria, almost seemed disinterested. Still, it figures to be better than a matchup with Germany, which seems to make the quarterfinals every year and will have Miroslav Klose back after his one-game suspension because of a bad red card. <br />Germany vs. England in the first knockout round, though - WOW! Someone is going home disappointed and walking into a wrath of bad press in their homeland Monday morning. Hopefully, that will be England.bweiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01027874728062292790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479867249517505151.post-25965735440251081882010-06-21T22:49:00.000-07:002010-06-21T22:51:35.796-07:00A look ahead at the final 16 first-round matchesIt’s time for the Sweet 16. <br />No, not the NCAA Tournament, the final 16 first-round matches of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. <br />If you like upsets and upstarts, the next four days could be especially sweet. <br />Here’s a look at the final days of the group stage:<br />Group A<br />France went to the final in 2006. A repeat looks unlikely, but stranger things have happened. Should France beat South Africa today – and with all the problems in the French camp that appears less than a given – it would still need help from either Uruguay or Mexico to advance. If Uruguay and Mexico draw, France is done. Fortunately for France, the winner of that game will avoid playing Argentina in the next round – that’s enough to guarantee the teams won’t play just to draw and advance. France is a –2 in goal differential; Mexico is +2 and Uruguay +3. Overcoming that deficit makes it even more unlikely that France will advance.<br />Group B<br />Argentina is almost guaranteed of qualifying. Diego Maradona’s team is +4 in goal differential and 2-0. South Korea and Greece are tied with three points and a goal differential of –1. Unfortunately for Greece, it gets to play Argentina while South Korea faces Nigeria. Advantage: South Korea. That should be enough for South Korea to advance, but Nigeria is good enough to pull the upset and make things interesting.<br />Group C<br />Two draws have the United States in position to advance with a win over Algeria Wednesday morning. Those draws, however, leave little room for error for the States. A loss eliminates the U.S. Should the teams tie, the U.S. future would hinge on the Slovenia-England matchup. An England win knocks the U.S. out. An England tie and tiebreakers come into play. Both teams are even in goal differential, but the U.S. has outscored England 3-1. Taking care of business against Algeria is vital.<br />Group D<br />Serbia made a mess of things with a 1-0 win over Germany. The bigger mess is all the cards that were shown in that match, including a questionable red to Miroslav Klose in the 36th minute that will force him to miss Germany’s matchup with Ghana. With Lukas Podolski’s confidence probably out of kilter following a penalty kick miss vs. Serbia, Germany has to find a way to score. Ghana advances with a draw or win as it sits on top of the group with four points. Serbia faces Australia. Honestly, who knows what will happen Wednesday in these two games. Australia is alive and will advance with a win and a Ghana win. I wouldn’t be shocked if Germany didn’t advance. <br />Group E<br />Netherlands is through and faces Cameroon. Japan and Denmark are tied at three points and meet to decide who will join the Dutch in the next round. A draw goes to Japan, which has a zero goal differential, while the Danes are at –1. <br />Group F<br />All four teams remain alive with Paraguay in the driver’s seat with four points and a goal differential of +2. Italy is the disappointment in this group and despite dominating New Zealand is tied with the All Whites with two points and a goal differential of zero. Fortunately for Azzurri, they face Slovakia while New Zealand faces Paraguay. That should be enough to get them through, though they’ll be in trouble in the next round. Of course, people were saying the same thing about the defending champs four years ago. <br />Group G<br />Brazil and Portugal are through. Portugal stomped North Korea 7-0 Monday. Again, that’s 7-0. Ivory Coast had a chance until Portugal kept scoring. Now, Didier Drogba and Co. would have to overcome a goal differential of NINE (9) to advance. And that’s assuming Brazil beats Portugal. Obviously, the North Korea defense can be shredded and Drogba and Jeremy are dangerous enough to do it. Ivory Coast will come up short, though, and not starting Drogba vs. Portugal will prove to have been the wrong decision.<br />Group H<br />Chile is on top of the group with two wins. Switzerland, which upset Spain, and Spain are tied with three points apiece. The Swiss get Honduras, while Spain faces Chile. Won’t matter. Switzerland blew its chance with a loss to Chile Monday. Now, Spain is clicking and David Villa, despite scoring two goals to beat Honduras, is probably angry. He pushed a penalty kick wide in that match and should have had a hat trick. Look for Spain to prove its among the best in the field with a win over Chile that sends both teams through.bweiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01027874728062292790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479867249517505151.post-29155619944263946402010-06-19T00:34:00.000-07:002010-06-19T00:49:41.661-07:00Group C jumbledI held off posting for a few hours to let the rage simmer down. Like most Americans watching the match, I yelled at my computer (the first match I forgot to DVR all tournament, just genius) as the third goal went in and then was waved off. Disbelief. Frustration. Anger. The blood boiled.<br /> Now that's been 12 hours or so since I watched the game, I simply am left to marvel at the performance of the U.S. in the second half. Yes, the first half was bad. Unlike some fans, I thought Slovenia was going to be a legit test. More so for its defense than its ability to score twice against the U.S. When it was 2-0, I thought the U.S. would really struggle to earn the draw against a good defensive team. Landon Donovan's rooftop blast early was just what the doctor ordered, though, and eventually, Michael Bradley tied things up. Throughout the game I had wondered why, when the ball was coming tantalizingly through the box, our players seemed to just let it go. I thought a few times a better effort could have been made to stick a foot out and try to redirect the ball. Finally, Bradley did almost just that to tie it up.<br /> I wasn't happy to see Robbie Findley get the start, but I'm going to give him his props - he played well, I thought. I just don't think he's a threat to score. He runs hard, plays hard, looks like he can create things. But finishing? Not at this level yet. And this is probably something that is going to hurt this team this year - the forwards just lack experience. <br /> Of course, when the game was over, it figured to be a tough few days trying to figure out how the U.S. was going to get to the knockout stage knowing England and Slovenia were sitting on 4 points and we were stuck at 2. And then England took the pitch against Algeria, in a game English fans thought would be even easier than facing the U.S.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cdn.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/the-sun-world-cup-2010.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 730px;" src="http://cdn.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/the-sun-world-cup-2010.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /> Now, England is a tie or loss away from not even getting out of this superEASY group. Nice job Brits. I can only hope against hope that Slovenia beats England and the U.S. beats Algeria. No England and no France? That would be awesome.<br /> The other game Friday was the surprising 1-0 Serbia win over Germany. Miroslav Klose got sent off, the Germans missed a penalty kick and now they'll be up against Ghana, which should be 2-0 for 6 points in a few hours after beating Australia. Of course, there's no use predicting anything as we all saw Friday.bweiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01027874728062292790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479867249517505151.post-6133696232996079852010-06-18T01:47:00.000-07:002010-06-18T02:04:33.905-07:00Group A - Off with your heads France<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www4.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/FIFA2010+World+Cup+Final+Draw+nCUxBdwt0D7l.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 594px; height: 402px;" src="http://www4.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/FIFA2010+World+Cup+Final+Draw+nCUxBdwt0D7l.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://evilbeetgossip.film.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/waterston.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 460px; height: 685px;" src="http://evilbeetgossip.film.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/waterston.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br /> Every time I see the French coach I feel like I'm looking at Jack McCoy from 'Law & Order.' But like one of the greatest shows ever, France's trip to the 2010 World Cup stands a very good chance of getting canceled.<br /> The 2-0 loss to Mexico combined with Uruguay's 3-0 win over South Africa a day earlier left France in third in Group A with one match left. Unfortunately for the French, its fate is out of its hands as Uruguay and Mexico meet on the final day of Group A matches. A tie sends both through and eliminates France. I doubt Uruguay and Mexico will play for a tie, but that doesn't mean it won't end up that way. Winning Group A means playing a runner-up in the knockout round. It would be great to see the two teams realize eliminating France is what is really important, but I'm not convinced France will be able to handle a fired-up, pride-on-the-line South Africa, which will be the first host country to not advance past the group stage. That means all South Africa has to play for is pride and winning one game in the World Cup on home soil is all it can accomplish now. Beating a World Champion would take some of the sting out of the tournament.<br /> As for the Group B games Thursday, Argentina looked very impressive in a 4-1 win over a good South Korean team and Greece took advantage of a red card to beat Nigeria, 2-1. Argentina, which got a hat trick from Gonzalo Higuain, advances with a tie against Greece. South Korea faces Nigeria. <br /> We're less than 5 hours from the U.S.-Slovenia matchup. Slovenia got its moment in the sun Thursday night when Sasha Vujacic hit two late free throws to lead the Lakers to the NBA title. Hopefully, they celebrated late into the night and will come out tired today. Early reports are coach Bob Bradley sticking with Robbie Findley up front instead of Edson Buddle, which is not what I hoped for, but Findley did play well against England.bweiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01027874728062292790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479867249517505151.post-58005770453877564482010-06-17T04:55:00.001-07:002010-06-17T04:55:47.118-07:00WelcomeWelcome to Red Cards, a new blog dedicated to soccer in the Philadelphia area and around the world.<br />With the Philadelphia Union’s Chester debut just a little more than a week away and the World Cup in full force, there’s no time like the present to get things off and running. <br />So let’s get started with a look back at the first few days of the World Cup:<br />The United States’ 1-1 tie with England was crucial to the red, white and blue’s hopes of advancing to the knockout stage. Robert Green’s bobble heard round the world gave the U.S. a point that both Slovenia and Algeria will struggle to match when they face England. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. While the Slovenia-Algeria game may have been a bit dull and devoid of flash and flair, neither is a going to be a pushover for the U.S. With Slovenia on the docket Friday, it is imperative that the U.S. get at least a draw — and three points would be ideal. I say play the hot hand and start Edson Buddle up top with Jozy Altidore. Robbie Findlay played well against England, using his speed to run the Three Lions ragged, but he just doesn’t look to be a true threat to score.<br />As for the rest of the World Cup, the Swiss pulled off a major upset with a victory over Spain Wednesday. Spain played well and was extremely dangerous, just missing on several good scoring opportunities, including Xabi Alonso’s vicious strike off a corner that nearly dented the crossbar. Though teams that lose their first game of the tournament struggle to advance, the European champions are strong enough to overcome the loss. <br />Switzerland also is in good shape to get through. The Swiss defense didn’t allow a goal four years ago and got off to a good start Wednesday despite the many body blows Spain landed. Chile’s 1-0 win over Honduras put the South Americans in position to get through as well.<br />The team that probably looked the best through the first few days has to be perennial power Germany, which rocked Australia, 4-0. The Netherlands is another dangerous team and opened with a 2-0 win over Denmark. If only the Dutch’s uniforms didn’t look like something you’d see a bunch of 12-year-old girls running around wearing on the local field.<br />The Group of Death was one of the last to take the field and it was a bit of a disappointment. Brazil didn’t look like Brazil in the first half, but turned things on in the second to beat North Korea — excuse me, the People’s Republic of Korea — 2-1 after yielding a late goal. Portugal vs. Ivory Coast looked to be one of the best first-round matchups but turned into a 0-0 draw. It was a good match, with plenty of action, but two teams of that talent level should be able to find the back of the net. And Cristiano Ronaldo, considered the best footballer in the world by many, should stop by a South African sporting goods store to by a bathing suit before the next game — he did more diving Wednesday than the rest of the teams combined.bweiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01027874728062292790noreply@blogger.com0