Nick Rimando and Connor Casey highlight the Socceracademics.com MLS Team of Week.
Goalkeeper:
Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake
Defenders:
Tony Beltran, Real Salt Lake
Cory Gibbs, Colorado Rapids
Eric Brunner, Columbus Crew
Jed Zayner, Columbus Crew
Midfielders:
Robbie Rogers, Columbus Crew
Peter Lowry, Chicago Fire
Ricardo Clark, Houston Dynamo
Landon Donovan, LA Galaxy
Strikers:
Connor Casey, Colorado Rapids
Robbie Findley, Real Salt Lake
Week 21 of the MLS campaign was highlighted by several quality goals and a few intense matchups that went down to the wire. There were also poor officiating decisions and a questionable ejection.
Game Recaps
FC Dallas 1, Houston Dynamo 0
FC Dallas opened the week with a Thursday night victory over the Dynamo. Jeff Cunningham continued his torrid pace, connecting for a goal in the 9th minute. Brad Davis was shown a red card for leaving the bench, even though he managed to restrain himself.
LA Galaxy 2, New England Revolution 1
The Revs staged a frantic comeback, but fell short to the streaking Galaxy. Landon Donovan connected on a wonder goal in the 21st minute. Jovan Kirvoski put the visitors ahead by two after a poor clearance by the Revs backline. Steve Ralston converted a penalty kick in the 83rd minute but the Galaxy held off additional pressure to win.
Columbus Crew 3, San Jose Earthquakes 0
The Crew struggled to create chances in the first half, but three quick goals but the game out of reach. Substitute Alejandro Moreno found the net first, followed by Robbie Rogers and Adam Moffat. The Quakes controlled the first half but quickly fell apart after surrendering the first goal.
Real Salt Lake 1, Seattle Sounders FC 0
Robbie Findley used his blazing pace to get behind a lackadaisical Sounder defense to score the only goal. The Sounders failed to create many chances against the stingy RSL defense, which silenced Fredy Montero. The Sounders should have been awarded penalty in the dying minutes of the match, when Will Johnson slapped a ball down in the area.
Colorado Rapids 4, Chivas USA 0
Connor Casey and Omar Cummings picked apart the weak Chivas USA defense, which featured Jonathan Bornstein in a center back role. Pablo Mastroeni scored a rocket in the first minute and Casey added three more. Shavar Thomas was shown a red card in the closing minutes of the first half.
Houston Dynamo 3, Chicago Fire 2
The Dynamo rebounded from a loss in the Texas derby with a win over the Fire. However, it did not come easy as the visitors scored two quick goals after half-time. Stuart Holden powerfully converted the game winning penalty kick to give the Western Conference leaders the win.
Player of the Week: Connor Casey, Colorado Rapids
Casey returned from injury to score a first half hat trick, giving his team a comfortable lead. While none of his goals were spectacular, he managed to put himself in a quality position and convert his chances.
Goalkeeper of the Week: Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake
Rimando hit the pass on a dime that sprung Findley’s goal. He managed to turn away what few chances Seattle could muster and had a great read late in the match to ensure his team of three points.
Goal of the Week: Landon Donovan, LA Galaxy
Donovan put his team ahead in the 21st minute with a cracking first-touch left footed volley. The Fire’s Peter Lowry has to get honorable mention, with his sweet first-time side volley while running at full speed.
Save of the Week: Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake
With his team nursing a 1-0 lead, Rimando snuffed out a chance late by coming off his line and calmly blocking the shot. He controlled the ball enough to scoop up the rebound and preserve the lead.
Assist of the Week: Robbie Rogers, Columbus Crew
Rogers unselfishly used his head to redirect a cross into the path of Moreno that led to the first goal for the Crew. He recognized he was not position to put the ball on frame while running at full speed.
Sub of the Week: Emmanuel Ekpo, Columbus Crew
Ekpo opened up the game for the Crew with his pace and quality distribution. His pinpoint cross to Rogers led to the first goal. He played both ways, contributing to the defensive effort as well.
Rookie of the Week: Omar Gonzalez, LA Galaxy
He did his part in helping his team to a 2-1 win over the Revs. The talented center back combined with his teammates to limit the Revs to only four shots on goal.
Best Coaching Performance: Robin Fraser, Real Salt Lake
Fraser stepped in for Jason Kreis, who was serving a one game suspension for being ejected, and led RSL to a critical win. With several job openings looming, Fraser is sure to get an interview somewhere.
Worst Coaching Performance: Preki, Chivas USA
Preki had to somehow patch together a backline riddled by suspensions and injures, but the Goats came out of the gate with no energy and showed a lack of discipline. After giving up a goal in the first minute, it was painfully obvious the game was destined to be a blowout.
Best Refereeing Performance: Alex Prus
Prus kept everything under control in Rapids-Chivas USA game, which is not always easy to do in a blowout and with Jesse Marsch on the field. He correctly sent off Thomas. His decision to give the PK was also correct, since the foul occurred outside but continued into the area.
Worst Refereeing Performance: Jeff Gontarek
The players in the Crew-Earthquake had no clue what was being called a foul and what was not. Gontarek was inconsistent with his calls and failed to apply advantage in two key situations for Columbus.
What are your thoughts on this past week? Was Lowry’s goal better than Donovan’s? Was the handball in the RSL-Sounder game a penalty or not? Comment below.
The left midfield position is occupied by Landon Donovan at the moment. But with DaMarcus Beasley diminishing, a door could open for one of these players to make the World Cup squad in a reserve capacity. Here are the top five left midfield prospects for the USMNT:
1. Robbie Rogers, 22, Columbus Crew
He showed off his skills in the Grenada game, where he had two assists and a goal. He is very fast and has the technical ability to get off a nice cross, but he needs to get more consistent.
2. Brek Shea, 19, FC Dallas
He is a man child. He has good speed for his size and can play anywhere on the left side of the field. He has great technical speed and creates chances with his vision. A good performance at the U-20 World Cup could land him a contract with a big European side.
3. Jorge Flores, 20, Chivas USA
He got off to a blistering start after being discovered by a reality show. He has slowed down but has still shown promise. He can also play in the back. He is also expected to make the U-20 World Cup roster.
4. Sal Zizzo, 22, Hannover 96
Don’t forget about him. He is still young enough to make an impact. He put his name on the radar after an impressive U-20 World Cup. He has been loaned to a 2nd Bundesliga side, where he should see more playing time.
5. Giuseppe Nazzani, 19, Bologna
He was a complete unknown until being called in for a recent U-20 camp. He is not a traditional winger, as he plays a holding role on the left side. It is not clear if he will make the U-20 World Cup roster, but he may be poised for a first team action with a Serie A side. That alone is worth keeping tabs on him.
Are you excited about this group? Do you see one of these players making the 2010 team? Do Shea or Rogers need to head to Europe? Comment below.
The US will open its Gold Cup title defense tomorrow, when it hosts Grenada in Seattle. The Americans, coming off a run to the Confederations Cup final, will field a ‘B’ squad for the tournament, at least in the group stage of the competition.
The starting goalkeeper for the US will likely be Troy Perkins, who plays for Valerenga in Norway. Luis Robles, who was on the Confederations Cup roster, and Jon Busch are the other options. Perkins is an educated guess, as Bob Bradley has not tipped who will be between the pipes.
The defense should be a little more straight forward, at least at the fullback positions. Steve Cherundolo and Heath Pearce will occupy those spots. The center defense is not as clear. Some combination of Jimmy Conrad, Chad Marshall, Clarence Goodson, and Michael Parkhurst will be on the pitch. Conrad and Goodson would make an interesting pair.
If Bradley sticks with a 4-4-2 and a pair of dual central midfielders, then Kyle Beckerman and Stuart Holden in the middle would make sense. Sacha Klejstan could also play since he has been added to the roster and Chivas USA does not have a game this weekend. Logan Pause would be another option.
Robbie Rogers is a pretty safe bet to start on the left wing, with Colin Clark being the other option. The right wing could be occupied by Santino Quaranta, Brad Davis, or Holden could slide out. Freddy Adu could be floated out wide as well, but Bradley could also slot him as a striker.
Charlie Davies will get the start up-top. He will be playing with a true target in either Brian Ching or Kenny Cooper. Davies could really benefit by getting on the end of flicks from his partner. Cooper and Davies would be intriguing.
Do you see Bradley sticking with the 4-4-2 that worked well in the Confederations Cup? Or will he mix up his tactics and use a 4-3-3? Who do you want to see start? Share below.
The US announced its Gold Cup roster on Thursday. The roster is a mix of veterans who are trying to earn their place back, young players getting a look for depth, and a couple of roster fillers who have no future with the USMNT.
The other day, I posted who I would like to see selected for the Gold Cup. Twelve of the twenty-three players were selected from my list. The most disappointing names left off are Marco Vidal, Geoff Cameron, Chris Pontius, and Jeremiah White. It is possible Vidal may have declined a call-up and White is preparing for the start of his season in Denmark, but Cameron and Pontius should have been added.
Goalkeepers: Jon Busch, Troy Perkins, Luis Robles
There is no clear starter in this group. One approach would be to give each player a start in the group stage. Robles is likely the first choice, since he has been training with the ‘A’ team in South Africa.
Defenders: Steve Cherundolo, Jimmy Conrad, Clarence Goodson, Jay Heaps, Chad Marshall, Michael Parkhurst, Heath Pearce
A couple of veterans will attempt to earn their starting spots back in Cherundolo and Pearce. There is a glut of center backs, all fighting for minutes. Conrad is a pleasant surprise, since he has not been with the team since 2007. The biggest disappointment is Jay Heaps. Better left-back options were available.
Midfielders: Davy Arnaud, Kyle Beckerman, Colin Clark, Sam Cronin, Brad Evans, Stuart Holden, Logan Pause, Robbie Rogers
The group is a mix of MLS veterans and youngsters. Clark and Rogers will split time on the left wing, while Evans and Holden will feature on the right side. The question is who will play in the middle. Cronin is a good addition and worth a look. Beckerman is the best of the remaining, but he plays a similar role to Cronin.
Forwards: Freddy Adu, Brian Ching, Kenny Copper, Charlie Davies, Santino Quaranta
The forwards will be the strength of the squad. Ching and Davies are locks for 2010, barring injury. Cooper will try to prove that he can score goals outside of MLS and Adu will get meaningful minutes.
What do you think of Bob Bradley’s selections? Did he leave anyone off that deserved a chance? Were you surprised some of the players chosen? Share below.
The Gold Cup will begin on July 4th against Grenada. Bob Bradley and his staff can use this as an opportunity to evaluate players on the fringe of making the 2010 World Cup roster, as well as looking at young players that could play be a part of the next qualification cycle.
I have eliminated players based on the following, which the USSF should replicate:
-Players who have consistently played for their European club and played in the Confederations Cup
-All MLS players currently on the Confederations Cup roster
-Any player under consideration for the U20 World Cup
Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan, Marcus Hahnemann, Troy Perkins
Guzan is a lock but needs to get more experience. Hahnemann and Perkins are the leading candidates for the third spot, and this competition could determine the front-runner.
Defenders: Clarence Goodson, Geoff Cameron, Michael Parkhurst, Michael Orozco, Heath Pearce, Marco Vidal, Steve Cherundolo
Bradley needs to sort out the back-up center defenders. Goodson has been having a great season in Norway and Parkhurst is always reliable. Cameron has anchored MLS’ best defense and would provide an attacking option from the back. Orozco should be given a further look.
Cherundolo, pending his health, needs to get some time. Orozco and Cameron can back-up if necessary. Frankie Simek is an option but is also battling injury concerns.
The left back position is the weakest in the player pool. Heath Pearce, who is currently without a club, needs to showcase his skills. Vidal, who plays for Indios, should be a given a run-out to see if he can add depth.
Midfielders: Freddy Adu, Stuart Holden, Colin Clark, Robbie Rogers, Brad Evans, Chris Pontius, Pablo Mastroeni, Dax McCarty, Santino Quaranta
The holding midfield role will be occupied by Mastroeni and McCarty. McCarty is quietly having a good season for FC Dallas.
Adu should be given the entire tournament to see what he can do as an attacking midfielder. Holden can also fill in.
The player pool is in desperate need of speedy wingers who can stretch the game for the US against certain opponents. Rogers and Clark are capable of doing that on the left side. Holden should be given the most minutes on the right side.
Strikers: Kenny Cooper, Jeremiah White, Cam Weaver, Robbie Findley
Cooper needs to have a good tournament to prove he is capable of scoring at the international level. Findley is having a good MLS season, but his sprained ankle could keep him off the roster. Weaver is a bit of a long-shot, but he can score goals and hold the ball up.
Do you see any glaring omissions? Should other MLS players be given a shot? What about some of the other European players? Comment below.
