New USA Kits!
New USA Kits
Nike and US Soccer have released the new 2008 USA home kit that will be featured for the first time next week against Mexico. Here is a picture of the new kit:
At first glance, I absolutely hated it. But the more I look at it, it grows on me a bit more. I’m not sure if I’ll put up $70 dollars for a new kit, but this is what the USA will be wearing at its home games for at least 2008. The new USA away kit should be released in April. To me, this kit looks a bit like something you would find at American Eagle, which makes sense considering this is the America. I’m not sure why a change in kits was needed to be honest. There wasn’t anything wrong with the kits we had last year. I think US Soccer lacks continuity in this aspect of the game. If you think about it, how often does Italy change its kits? They make small changes, but its always that blue that you associate with the Italians. Even our rivals Mexico have a jersey that you can associate with them. Anyways, that’s the new kit. What do you guys think?
Eddie Johnson Signs With Fulham
Brad Guzan On Trial At Celtic
As many of you already know, Brad Guzan is on trial at Celtic. The Chivas USA keeper has impressed at his current club and earned himself some starts for the US National Team. He was previously linked with Arsenal. If he were to earn an offer from Celtic, should he take it? Celtic has a very consistent keeper with Boruc, so how much playing time would Guzan actually see? Personally, I think he should make the move if it is available to him. He will get some playing time in cups and will receive much better coaching at a club with Celtic’s quality. He is only 23, so there is no rush to get him playing full time in a top league in the world.
Eddie Johnson Signs for Fulham
Eddie Johnson has signed for Premier League strugglers Fulham. He was granted a work permit today and has signed a 3 and a half year deal. The team, which includes fellow Americans Dempsey, Bocanegra, McBride, and Keller, sits second from bottom in the league. They have been need of a striker since captain Brian McBride suffered a serious knee injury earlier in the season. Fulham manager Roy Hodgson had this to say about the American Striker:
“I have made no secret of the fact that I believe the squad lacks a certain balance in specific areas of the team and following the loss of Brian McBride to injury, this is true of our strike force. At 6’1” inches tall Eddie has the presence that will complement the other forwards within our squad and he has the ability to offer us another dimension to our attacking play. I am delighted that he has joined us and am grateful to the representatives from the Home Office for granting him the work permit which will enable him to play for us as soon as possible.”
This is a great move for Eddie and can really help him advance his career. Hopefully he’ll adjust quickly and we’ll be able to see him soon. He may be a bit rusty do to MLS’s schedule, but he should be back to normal in a few weeks. Now if Fulham could just bolster up their defense, they may actually stay in the Premier League for next season.
USA Knocks off Sweden 2-0
The USMNT beat Sweden 2-0 on Saturday, starting off 2008 with a win under Coach Bob Bradley. Eddie Robinson scored the first goal and Landon Donovan broke the USMNT scoring record by notching his 35th goal in international play from the penalty spot early in the second half. It was a solid, if not boring, result for the US. Here are some of my post game thoughts.
1. Brad Guzan Is A Great Kepper. Guzan made a few world class saves for the US, and while Tim Howard is the # 1 right now, perhaps that # 1 spot may be up for grabs come 2010. While Howard has proven himself in the EPL, Guzan is the reigning MLS Goal Keeper of the Year. With a trial with Celtic coming up for Guzan, he could make a move to Europe very soon. The opportunity to become the # 1 keeper for the US is a huge opportunity for Guzan, and he has the skill and presence to make it happen. I still think Howard is the best keeper we have at the moment, but I won’t be shocked if Brad Guzan is between the pipes as starter in 2010.
2. Taylor Twellman Has Hopefully Played His Last Game For The US. Everything was setting up for Taylor Twellman to have a great game. After his transfer situation, he could finally show what he would do, and show MLS why he deserved to be sold. And what did he do? Blew it. He was downright terrible, and its time for him to go. I like Twellman in MLS. But for some reason he just can’t seem to replicate those goals with New England for the US. I’ve looked for reasons why Twellman just can’t do it for his country, but hopefully Bob Bradley has realized just like the fans have that Twellman just is not up to snuff. Terrible thing too, because its not like the US is overflowing with forwards. Which leads me to point # 3.
3. Jozy Altidore Is The Real Deal. As soon as Altidore came in for Twellman, business picked up for the US. He was all over the place. He wanted to move the ball, and he wanted to score. Altidore is an example of what’s right in a forward, while Twellman and Eddie Johnson are examples of what’s wrong. While Twellman just can’t seem to do it, Johnson just seems lackadaisical out on the pitch. The one concern I had for Altidore was that his first touch let him down a few times, but at 18 years old, this is to be expected I think. Another year of coaching and tutoring with New York should set Altidore up for a number of years in Europe and with the national team.
4. US Talent Pool: The US has a deep and impressive talent pool, and it is full of young, hungry players. When Bruce Arena was coaching this team, this aspect of the game was not emphasized. But Bob Bradley is leaving no stone unturned, and that can only spell good fortune for the US down the road.
USA Sweden Round 2 and the MLS Superdraft
Well lets start of with the national team, who will be playing the 500th game of their history. The line-up is heavy with MLS players due to the fact that we aren’t in an international break for the leagues in Europe. In goal we should have Guzan, but don’t rule out him only playing one half. In defense I’m a little unsure of how they will line up. In the center they will definitely be missing the presence of Bocanegra, but I expect Conrad to step up and fill the role of defensive leader. I would also expect Califf and Parkhurst to get a run out.
In the midfield, I think we’ll be seeing Edu holding things down. Donovan should play a midfield role but whether he’ll be in the center or on the right is up in the air. Up front is actually where I’m most excited about. Twellman and Johnson will both be wanting to start. If they do, they’ll be trying to play at their best since both are lobbying for moves to England. Altidore will no doubt also be in Bob Bradley’s mind. I’m sure we’ll see all three at one point, but I’m not sure who will start. Personally I’d like to see Altidore and Twellman, with Johnson coming on in the second half.
Overall, I expect a pretty scrappy game. Most of the American players will be a bit wwwwrusty since they are in the off-season. However, we should be able to come away with a victory since Sweden’s major players (Ibrahimovic) will be absent.
MLS Superdraft
The MLS Superdraft took place on Friday. First off, why is it called the “Superdraft”? What makes it super? Anyways, I’ll be completely honest with you, I do not know much about the players that were chosen outside of the first round. Kansas City got things started off by picking defender Chance Myers from UCLA. FC Dallas took Brek Shea with the second pick, who is a member of the U-17 National Squad. In third came Real Salt Lake, who chose Anthony Beltran, who was a part of the excellent 2007 U-20 World Cup squad.
The rest of the picks can be seen here.
USA To Play Spain June 4th, 2008
And the great friendlies keep on coming. I’ve hoped for a long time that the US would begin scheduling greater competition, and it has finally happened. The USMNT will play Spain on June 4th, 2008. That’s the Spain with players such as Fernando Torress, David Villa, and Cesc Fabregas. An underachieving yet nevertheless a world class side to play against. I’m very happy to see this, and hopefully we can provide a strong showing for this game. As with the Poland friendly, check back in the future for more details about this game.
USA To Play Poland on March 26, 2008
The USMNT will play Poland in an exhibition match on March 26 as Poland prepares for the upcoming Euro 2008. The last game played between the two sides was won by the US back in 2006 with Clint Dempsey scoring the winner for the US, which won the game 1-0. This is an excellent match for both sides. For the US, its another opportunity to play on foreign soil against quality opponents. For Poland, its an opportunity to play against a quality side, and to prepare themselves for Euro 2008. Games like this will be especially important for the US in 2008. Outside of the Olympics(u-23 squad) and WC Qualifying, there will not be very many games for the US. I for one am still hoping that the US and England can play a game together, but that’s a different story. Games like this will help bring the team together, and will also help make the ultimate goal of winning the World Cup in 2010 that much more plausible. Check back in the coming weeks for more info on this game.
Feilhaber Coming Home?, EJ Going Abroad?, MLS Draft!
Benny Feilhaber Back To MLS?
That’s right. Derby County has told the younger American midfielder that he may leave the club after a slow start to his first year with the team. Feilhaber did not feature much with the team, and he is now poised to make a return to MLS during the January transfer period. A bid was made for Benny by Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv, but it was turned down by Derby and now they are looking to sell him to an MLS club. So where could Feilhaber end up? DC United could use him as a replacement for Josh Gros. You can never count the Galaxy out of any transfer speculation either, so that’s always a possibility given Feilhaber’s California roots. They have too many center mids but that’s never stopped them before. My guess is that he ends up with San Jose. He’s close to home, and they need help all over the field. This will be something to keep an eye on in the next few weeks.
Eddie Johnson To Fulham.
As reported here earlier, Eddie Johnson left the USMNT camp in California to negotiate with the EPL club. That deal is now all but done, and Johnson should be suiting up for the Cottagers by next week. With fellow Americans Clint Dempsey, Carlos Bocanegra, Kasey Keller, and soon to be returning Captain Brian McBride, Johnson may provide enough firepower to shoot Fulham out of the relegation zone, just like Clint Dempsey did last year. Hopefully Johnson will become a better player in England and hopefully he’ll bring back some of his new skills to the USMNT, which is desperately in need of strong forwards.
Best Buy To Sponsor Chicago Fire
The Chicago Fire will be sporting jerseys with a brand new Best Buy logo on the front as they agreed to a 3 year, multi-million dollar deal with the company yesterday. “This is huge,” Fire defender C.J. Brown said. “When I started with the Fire our sponsors were league sponsors. This is another big step in the right direction for the league and also for the Fire. You’re in good company when you have Best Buy in your corner.”
MLS Draft
The 2008 MLS Draft will take place Friday, January 18 at 2 pm EST. The draft will be shown on ESPN 2.The Kansas City Wizards have the first pick in this year’s draft after sending longtime defender Nick Garcia to San Jose for the # 1 pick. Here’s a Mock Draft to check out before the draft. And that’s the news for the day. Back tomorrow with more.
Eddie Johnson To Fulham?
According to the Kansas City Star, Kansas City Wizards and USMNT forward Eddie Johnson is close to a possible move to EPL side Fulham. Johnson was with the USMNT at their camp in California in preparation for their upcoming game against Sweden, but he left camp to apparently negotiate a deal with the club. More on this story as it becomes available.
Twellman To Leave MLS?
Taylor Twellman is one of those odd cases. He does wonderful things for his club, but when it comes to his country, he falls drastically short. Most argue that the level of international play is higher than that of Major League Soccer. So how does Twellman get accustomed to a faster paced game? By moving to England of course.
Twellman tried his hand at European soccer 8 years ago in Germany. That didn’t work out so well, and he came back to America to join the New England Revolution. With his inclusion lately in the national team, he has gained attention from Preston North End, of the Championship Division in England. Preston made a push for the Premiership last season, but with the loss of striker David Nugent they are struggling. They are looking for a new hitman, and have 28 year old Twellman in their sights. However, their $1.7 million bid was rejected by MLS and the New England Revolution. According to ESPNSoccernet, they are expected to increase their bid to $2 million.
Twellman has made it clear that he would like to make the move. His salary would increase drastically and he would be playing at what I believe is a more competitive league. Even though it is taking one of MLS’s American stars out of the league, it should be good for Twellman. I’m all for the move. Hopefully the MLS can get a bit more of out Preston and Taylor can make the move before the end of January. He should have no problem getting a work permit since he has been participating in the national team.
UPDATE: Brian here. So, MLS has turned down the offer made by Preston North End. I’m not sure what MLS wants here. The 2 million offered by PNE would be right in line with other national team players such as Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey. Now Twellman is in a tough spot. He would like to be sold, but probably won’t be, and now he can make the argument that he deserves to be paid more, which I agree with. He has done everything New England has asked him to do, and then some. Don’t get me wrong, the fact that he brought up his national team performance is comical, but goals are goals and Twellman has six of them, so he must be applauded for this. He deserves a raise in salary, and it won’t be fair if MLS decides to not sell him and on top of that not raise his salary too. I pretty much saw this coming though. MLS is always terrible about things like this. Just another thing that needs to be fixed with this league. Anywho, thats the news for today. Back tomorrow with an update on European action and the possibility of a new USA friendly.
USMNT Goal of 2007
As the USMNT gets ready for its first game in 2008 against Sweden, I thought we could take a look back at some of the great goals on 2007. What was your favorite goal of the year? For me, its The Volley by Benny Feilhaber.
Pretty nice huh? The best thing about it I think is that it beat Mexico and it won us the Gold Cup. Very nice goal. So what do you guys think? Do you agree, or are there other goals that caught your eye?