DISQUS

Good piece, and he is fitting of a farewell testimonial match. How about Leeds v Chelsea?

Maybe he's the most clutch in the PL but Diego has been soooo clutch for Bremen the last year creating late goals and scoring some himself.

Also an MLS side won largely because the final was at RFK. If MLS cannot achieve consistent results over a second division (USL) and the two USL clubs in the preliminary stages of the CL both advanced and MLS teams didn't, what can we infer from that.

I have maintained for years that the former A-league/USL is under rated and under covered by US soccer journalists. MLS on the other hand is a league whose quality does not even measure up to most leagues in Central America IMHO. When you watch those leagues you see better technique on the ball and better shape/structure from their sides. Dom Kinnear's clubs are notable exceptions to this theory of mine but watch the Costa Rican league sometime and compare it to MLS.

The fact that MLS fans compare it to the mexican league is about the biggest joke going. Part of the reason I write for this site is because I want MLS and USL to succeed in this country but feel most of the soccer media terribly over rates the product and takes the league generated propaganda and spins it to make MLS look more competitive than it is.

Puerto Rico isn't in the Champions League?

I've been watching MLs since 1996, I know the league and know how the average MLS apologists over rates the leagues.

My point is now a days you are seeing more and more kids from the U-17 and U-20 setups going directly to Europe, even to second or third tier European leagues than MLS.

The fact that Garber/Gazidis feel a new franchise is worth $40 is laughable. This is a league whose two teams in the qualifying lost while USL's two teams won. Aleujense who PR beat has won 4 two lef ties versus MLS sides in the past and never lost. From my vantage point that is a superior result.

Did you forget PR, or like most MLS do you assume USL doesn't exist?

What a result and it would seem like Capello understands football better than most English managers: for years I have been calling for Sven and Macca to use Emile Heskey as a striker that can hold up play with his back to goal to get Rooney or Owen more space in the attack. It worked against the arrogant, over rated Croats in Zagreb, even though no other England manager recently wanted to try it. Also starting Walcott was genius.

Sadly here stateside we are relegated to "anti football" as I call it promoted by a listless US National Team whose coaches seem less interested in calling in their most talented players and more interested in some sort of phony chemistry. Thankfully we have Sven's inspiring Mexico side and Capello's new found English stars to keep our attention while our boys disappoint.

I think England beats Croatia tonight.

Serbia will defeat France 1-0.

The US and T&T draw 1-1 with the Soca Warriors dominating the possession but the US nicking a goal on a set piece. Sunil Gulati should then send Roy Keane a thank you card for forcing Yorke to withdraw from the squad.

Mexico will destroy Canada. 4-0 is my pick, although the game not being at Azteca means the home field advantage Mexico normally enjoys they will not have.

Seriously we've already ascertained that the US is not very good, but if Mexico consistently loses to the US and also mixes in embarrassing losses to Guatemala and Honduras why should we have any faith. I know the U-17 WC in 2005 was a big national moment, but honestly the team has no chemsitry and no tactical sense. Every national team in the world save some countries which have all their players in their domestic league (like Guatemala and El Salvador) have the problem of globe trotting footballers.

I'd still like an explanation why Mexico can never beat the US outside of Azteca when arguably only one American players could even make a 23 man squad for the US. I'm a US supporter and know every time we play Mexico we should lose 4-0 based on the talent yet LaPuente, Meza, Aguirre, LaVolpe and Sanchez all had trouble against a team with little to NO talent.

Seriously if you cannot beat the US, how are you going to go to Toronto in qualifying and beat a Canadian team with a better starting XI than the US has ever had?

Lou, thanks for the compliments you obviously did not read my post game blog at MLS Talk or CSRN where I bemoan Blanco's lack of sporting play among other things about a guy I simply cannot stand. Blanco's mentality is shared by many of the Guatemalan footballers in their unsporting acts.

The US win was a historic breakthrough, and Mexico is still rubbish (despite the win by El Tri which had me feeling blue for much of last night.) Rejoice!

The England game was meaningless. The most obvious thing to me which Michael hit on in his post game blog is how bad England's flank play is. I know people will get mad here but I believe England has more talent than anyone but the failure to play on proper pitches in the PL, ie 80 x 120 pitches which are rare in English Football is a big big big part of the problem. We've had that problem also but now we're building wider pitches in the US so now our problems occur when we play on a congested, narrow field like we did in Barbados or even last night.

He was so so, Collie.

Beligum outplayed Brazil for 70 minutes until Kompany was sent off. His first yellow was a joke and the second yellow while justified probably should not have been given since it would result in his sending off.

Brazil starts tournaments slowly we know, but if Brazil loses to Argentina in the semifinals (where they will meet) Dunga is 50-50 at best to keep the national team job. I think Brazil is in trouble.

Okay guys let me explain the point of this piece.

Indigenous forms of football are beginning to fade away as greed and desperation sets in across the globe. Lewis you are correct in saying I protect the American game from foreign intrusion: I do: Our national makeup, culturally and geographically is different than Britain's just as Britain's is different than Argentina's and Japan's. I want to protect the game here as I feel the game in England has been corrupted by money and foreign owners and players who do not understand the history of English football and the fact that English football was until recently the purest, most honest form of the game around.

English football conquered the world at large. The above comment stating the popularity of American, stop/start/commercial break/instant replay/take 5 hours to complete sports is laughable. Those games serve at most a small niche audience abroad, and have been almost universally rejected in favor of a more worthy and artistic game, football the world over. American sports with their blatant over hype and constant rules and standard changes are simply scourges on the international sporting landscape and are by and large despite the commercial power and success of the USA, irrelevant. Basketball is an exception but Baseball and Pigskin are less popular outside nations with direct American influence (50,000 troops in Korea, occupation of Japan, invasions of the Dominican Republic, etc) as Snooker or Table Tennis.

Moyes is a stand up guy unlike a lot of Prem managers. He's blaming his team for a poor effort , and for some unsporting play as well. He's also credited the Fire as being a very good side. The players and coaches from the FMF can learn a thing or two from Moyes about class and humility.

An all MLS Superliga final. Contrary to what some posters on here say about me, I am proud that we are seeing this, although the MLS is becoming more like the Prem everyday with the same two teams always competing for honors.

Sunny,

My record of advocating a US point of view speaks for itself. Simply because I am critical at times and am not drinking the MLS/SUM kool aid doesn't make me a Mexi-phile or Anglo-phile as you seem to claim.

Oh and the Champions League IS NOT NOW AND NEVER WILL BE bigger than the World Cup. Obviously you are the one with the Euro snobbery problem, not me because in the saying something of the sort would have you laughed out of a room.

As I said good for the Fire. I'm happy for them and the league. I never said West Ham's victory over Columbus proved a darn things by the way. You are quoting someone else and mixing it up with me. I tend to ignore these matches. The only one I paid close attention to was when DC United beat Spurs at White Hart Lane in our preseason years ago. That was more meaningful. Oh and the Rapids beating the snot out of Norwich last year in Norwich in the MLS preseason.

Blanco did not play, and the pole with no goals scored. Nice win for the Fire but pinch me if I don't believe in them until they score two goals in a game that counts against a team not in town to take in the sights. Right now the Fire is going nowhere real fast. Maybe this game will jump start them but we won't know until their trip to LA this weekend.

On another note, I am not amused that this match was played the same night as the Superliga semifinals. Obviously much of Chicagoland felt like me since the attendance was the lowest for a Fire home match at Toyota Park this year. Besides Everton isn't exactly a draw in the states. Now West Ham, for whatever earthly reason that is a different matter.

Soon, John. DC is making moves really soon from what I hear.

A funny piece that's linked, I did enjoy it and the DeRo hair, but for the record Clarence Goodson was exposed in the expansion draft he was so worthless to Dallas, and the fact that he signed in a European first division after being one of I believe only 36 unprotected senior squad members for the expansion draft league wide actually is a strong statement about MLS.

RE: Cooper

Norway is generally considered an inferior or at best an equal league to MLS. In the past MLS has "dumped" players that weren't going to be resigned in that league including Pat Noonan and Will John.

However, Rosenborg is a different case entirely. They are in the Champions League every single year and even drew with Chelsea last year in the Special One's last match. So it's not MLS losing a player to Norway as much as Rosenborg.

Besides, MLS has shown if a player is American they are more than eager to sell him in his prime, so they can buy more over the hill or very young foreign players. I don't like it (largely because I seem to be one of the few people left who care about the international game more than the club game) but it is a legitimate way of doing business, and MLS is making more money than ever thanks to it. But expect MLS to continue to be more and more foreign and to see more Americans in Europe and Mexico as time goes on. The reality is sort of the opposite of the PL. American players are undervalued in MLS, so they can make more money in Europe or Mexico, but players from Europe and Mexico sometimes get over valued by MLS and thus come here. This situation is continuing to evolve and is worth monitoring.

Oh and if MLS goes to Atlanta over a return to Miami, the league is officially nuts. Atlanta is the worst pro sports town in the country and does anyone really follow the Silverbacks now? Plus, don't they have turf at that stadium.

I'm partisan in this debate but if Atlanta gets a team before we get the team back that was stolen from us, I and many other people are going to be pretty unhappy.

Y'all should have switched to Telfutura if you get it. They had outstanding match coverage. I was watching ESPN until the first "SC update" when I switched in disgust and only turned back briefly the rest of the match.

By the way, West Ham was sooooooo much better and a credit to this event than Chelsea was two years ago. Despite MLS only winning that game 1-0 Chelsea was dominated, playing at half speed and more concerned about hitting the town or the local bakery in some cases than taking a good account of themselves.

Tonight West Ham was a credit to football and it was an outstanding match, where the English team that was invited actually performed like they wanted to be over here.

Blanco getting the MVP , thank god the game was in Canada.

That #$%@@%@#!


Blanco is now and will forever be the enemy of fans of the US National Team. I'm glad he's done well in Chicago and brought new fans to the league. He benefited today from playing with Beckham, S. Joseph and J. Toja, one gifted footballer, one tough as nails and tactically savvy holding player, and one very technical left footed midfielder. Blanco can be brilliant but just don't expect more Americans to like him even though we are greatful he's come to MLS.

I can still see that golden goal he scored to beat us in Azteca in the 1999 Confederations Cup semifinals. We were playing for PKs hoping for Friedel to save us there and we got burned. Brad got way off his line and Blanco in a cheeky fashion chipped it over him for the "golden goal" . We were eliminated and the enemy beat Brazil in the final.

I hate that bastard, Blanco.

Yeah agreed. If he goes to Europe he needs to be playing on the wing.

Gaffer,

This is not a serious post is it?

Why do we have this same laughable discussion every year?

Spurs finish 4th. LOL!

The real question is how soon Ramos joins, Jol, Hoddle, G. Graham, Pleat and Venables as managers unable to satisfy the delusional expectations in a certain part of North London.

10:04, of course the Hammers aren't a second division team anymore. You have Alan Pardew to thank for that. Come to think of it you have kia joorabchian to thank as well!

But a win against MLS and maybe you should play off with Crystal Place USA for bragging rights. The point wasn't to take a shot at you it was to take a shot at MLS. Stop being so sensitive.

or are they from Kensington? I know one think. Stamford Bridge is not in Chelsea!

One more note on that Chelsea game. It was actually later, actually in August just a few days before the Community Shield and Jose choose to blame the loss on Sheva not being acclimated with the Chelsea way yet. I recall Mourinho saying that starting Sheva was due to trying to get him on the same page with Drogba and the loss was because they wasted a half trying to get the two working together. I'm glad to see two years later that worked out so well for the boys from Fulham.

If West Ham wins they join a long line of USL and lower division sides to beat the MLS this year.

MLS just two years ago beat Chelsea in an all star game that I was pleased to attend in Chicago. I look at that side and compare it to tonight's and I wonder, where have all the stars in MLS gone?

MLS still hasn't lost one of these games to foreign opposition leading some to believe the games are fixed. That Chelsea game wasn't fixed for sure: MLS played damn damn well, and had me believing the future was bright for the league and soccer in this part of the world. But without Freddy Adu, Rico Clark, Ronnie O'Brien Dwayne DeRosario, Eddie Robinson, Chris Albright and Jaime Moreno who were outstanding that day the MLS all stars will have rely on 30 somethings like Beckham, Angel and Blanco to get a result as well as second rate American players other than Landon. Taylor Twellman the other really outstanding American is hurt, and several Americans of note are already gone to Olympic team duty. So really this is now turned into a second tier group of "All Stars."

In other words I'd be shocked if West Ham does not crush the "All Stars" tonight. The one MLS player worth keeping an eye on is Shalrie Jospeh. He's one of the best the league has ever produced and Steve Nicol on three separate occasions turned down large transfer fees for him, twice from Celtic!

BMO should be rocking tonight, but it's always rocking even when TFC loses to second division sides!