After all of the controversey and posturing US Soccer has decided to go with what has been proven to work: Columbus Crew Stadium as site of the US vs Mexico World Cup Qualifier.

The border war between the two nations actually has a fair amount of history at Columbus Crew Stadium. In what some called the "Guerra Fria (Cold War)" because of a 29-degree game-time temperature, the United States defeated Mexico 2-0 on Feb. 28, 2001, on goals by Josh Wolff and Earnie Stewart.

With the weather far warmer, the Americans beat El Tri 2-0 at Columbus on Sept. 3, 2005, as Steve Ralston and DaMarcus Beasley scored, clinching the fifth consecutive World Cup berth for the United States.  

All in all, the USSF got it right.  A USA-Mexico World Cup qualifier isn't about marketing or ticket sales- it's about a crucial home result and a win for the Americans is nothing but expected on friendly turf anymore.  The Red, White and Blue is 8-0-2 at home against Mexico since 2000 outscoring El Tri 17-3.  

ESTADOS UNIDOS! (clap clap clap) ESTADOS UNIDOS! (clap clap clap!)  

I hope head coach Bob Bradley calls up Jose Torres just to make a statment!

Sweden plays the U.S. in Los Angeles on Jan. 24 and will meet Mexico in Oakland on Jan. 28.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: John Alvbage (Orebro), Eddie Gustafsson (Lyn).

Defenders: Patrik Anttonen (Orebro), Rasmus Bengtsson (Trelleborg), Mattias Bjarsmyr (IFK Goteborg), Adam Johansson (IFK Goteborg), Markus Jonsson (AIK), Marcus Lindberg (Kalmar), Max von Schlebrugge (Brondby).

Midfielders: Daniel Andersson (Malmo), Martin Ericsson (Elfsborg), Rasmus Elm (Kalmar), Samuel Holmen (Brondby), Andreas Johansson (Halmstad), Andreas Dahl (Nordsjaelland), Andreas Landgren (Helsingborg).

Forwards: Patrik Ingelsten (Kalmar), Gustav Svensson (IFK Goteborg), Ola Toivonen (Malmo), Pontus Wernbloom (IFK Goteborg), Henrik Larsson (Helsingborg), Mikael Dahlberg (Djurgarden).

I realize that MLS Deputy Commissioner Ivan Gazidis taking over Arsenal FC as the club's new CEO is yesterday's new, but foxsoccer.com's Jaime Trecker wrote an awesome story about the matter.

"Wednesday night, MLS commissioner Don Garber was honored at the annual March of Dimes luncheon.
In introducing him, Robert Kraft, owner of the NFL Patriots and MLS Revolution said that hiring Garber in 1999 was "the best business decision I have ever been involved with."

Gazidis (R) has been Commissioner Don Garber's right-hand man since 1999, including the 2001 All-Star game. (Brian Bahr / Getty Images)
What Kraft didn't mention - and only a handful of folks outside MLS' inner circle know - is how much of Garber and MLS' success is due to the contributions of another man.

"I got a lot of advice when I started this job, and I remember not knowing a lot about the politics behind the scene," said Garber yesterday afternoon by phone from New York. "In fact, I remember being grilled by a reporter at a table outside after the announcement was made and thinking: 'What the heck have I got myself into here?"

To read the rest of the article go here:

http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/8895382/Gazidis'-Arsenal-appointment-speaks-volumes-for-MLS

So it Gazidis MLS's biggest pond skipper to date??? 

Then there were four. 

The Final Four as they say in college basketball.  The college soccer equivalent to the Big Dance has been narrowed down to four remaining programs after four rounds of single elmination format.  Four programs that all have College Cup experience before. 

Wake Forest, North Carolina, Maryland and St. John's will duke it out to be college soccer's best next weekend at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, TX- home to MLS side FC Dallas. 

Lets take a look how they got there. 

After a first round bye, Wake Forest squeaked by The Tribe of William & Mary 1-0. However, Dartmouth posed no threat whatsoever as the Demon Deacon's assaulted the Ivy League club 7-0.  Wake Florida handled South Florida in similar fashion routing the Bulls 5-0 making it the Deason's fifth straight trip to the semifinals. 

North Carolina also had a first round bye, but also barely escaped in the opening round with a 1-0 result against Jacksonville.  University of Illinois-Chicago took the Tar Heels to overtime, but ultimately lost 3-2.  In the quarterfinal another 1-0 win for North Carolina over Northwestern sent the Chapel Hill side to its third final four. 

After another first round bye, St. John's University of New York City squeaked by its opening round opponent Boston University 1-0 followed by another narrow 3-2 win margin over UC-Irvine in the next round.  The Indiana Hoosier had a 2-1 score with two minutes remaining in regulation before the Red Storm scored the equalizer sending the game into extra time before scoring the golden goal.  

Maryland also watched first round action with a bye and easily downed George Mason 2-0 in the second round.  Terrapins beat the Golden Bears of California 2-1 beore a 1-0 over the Creighton Jays in the quarterfinal.  

In a battle for Tar Heel state bragging right, Wake Forest (23-1-1) will play North Carolina (14-7-1) in the semifinal on Friday December 12 at 5:30 ET followed by the other semifinal between St. John's (19-2-3) and Maryland (21-3-0).

The national championship will be on Sunday December 14 at 1pm ET.

All matches will be hosted at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, TX- home of MLS side FC Dallas. 

Who you got winning???

I'm picking Wake Forest to go for a repeat!

A couple of weeks ago while watching the Fox Football Fone-in show on Fox Soccer Channel I learned of a fairly new but totally awesome company called Bumpy Pitch. Nick and Steven hosted the owners and founders on the show and rocked some of their duds on the air. 

An excerpt from their website www.bumpypitch.com is below:

"Bumpy Pitch is a two pronged project encompassing a clothing company and an online magazine (theoriginalwinger.com). Our singular focus is to showcase the culture and lifestyle that soccer inspires. Our roots in Los Angeles, mixed with our collective experiences within the sport creates a unique platform for the only soccer inspired lifestyle company.

Bumpy Pitch apparel is inspired by the history and global influence of soccer as well as our roots and experiences growing up in Los Angeles. The combination inspires a clothing line that pays respect to the sport, while presenting soccer as more than a sport, but as a lifestyle. The line consists of 100% cut and sew pieces ensuring that each item is fabricated specifically for Bumpy Pitch. With each item that we create and design, we are not only presenting a product but telling a story and building a lifestyle. All of our clothes are designed and manufactured in Los Angeles, California.

Theoriginalwinger.com is an extension of the product line and serves as a platform for which we can connect, inform and engage with our culture on a daily basis. In less than a year The Original Winger has become the leading online voice in building and supporting the lifestyle of the world's most popular sport.

There is no bigger subculture consisting of passionate, informed and involved participants. Up to this point our culture has been underserved from a lifestyle perspective. The focus of the sport has always been limited to what takes place on the pitch, and has largely ignored how it influences and inspires people in every facet of their lives. Bumpy Pitch is changing that daily and helping the sport grow and evolve in a way that is much more representative of who we are in the 21st century." 

I went to the website, browsed around and really liked what I saw.  As soon I get some extra cash, that Fall River Marksmen shirt is mine- all mine!  

Cheers!

Only one word can describe tonight's Eastern Conference Championship between host Columbus Crew and Chicago Fire:

Intense.

Tonight's game had everything the American soccer fan would want in the semifinal of its country's premier competition.  Clutch saves by Will Hessmer and Jon Busch.  All-star performances from MLS studs Guillermo Barros Scheletto, Brian McBride, Eddie Gavin and Cuahtemoc Blanco.  

Even though most fans nationwide watched comfortably from their basement, everyone could feel the tension in the air.  There was no "we'll get'em next time" or "wait until next week."  It was down to single elimination.  One and done.  All the emotions that captivate the nation during the NCAA basketball tournament was present at Crew Stadium tonight.  Anything could happen. The unexpected could prevail.

Soccer purist all over have criticized the way MLS determines its champion since day one of the league, but tonight was the perfect illustration of why the current setup is so amazing. Some tweaks need to be made but the league fixtures with a post-season tournament is truly American and should stay that way. 

The citizens of Columbus, OH deserve a great amount of credit tonight.  The Black and Gold faithful came out in full force to support their side and gave them true home-field advantage.  Official attendance was 14,688- not bad for a medium sized market.  Most people didn't think the Crew even had any fans at all.

Both sides desperately wanted to win and all that's needed for evidence was the number of shots and fouls.  Columbus had 13 shots and 11 fouls while Chicago had 11 shots and 13 fouls.  Chicago's Bakary Sourmare and Gonzalo Segares were both  cautioned for reckless tackles while Brandon Prideax received a booking for reckless foul.  Crew player Danny O'Rourke went into the referee's black book for reckless foul while goalkeeper Hessmer was cautioned for unsporting behavior due to delaying the game. 

Probably the main underlying storyline was the return of McBride to Crew Stadium, but only this time as a Chicago Fire squad member.  McBride drew firstblood in the 29th minute off a Justin Mapp assist, but the equalizer by Chad Marshall to open the 2nd half followed by Gavin's game-winner in the 55th minute sealed the deal.  

Columbus Crew is going to the MLS Cup Final for the first time ever.  

Awesome. 

Have thoughts??? Share'em! 

This game from MLS-Rumors.net but needs to be discussed:

Toluca's 24 year old mid-fielder, Diego de la Torre is entertaining the option to don the Red, White and Blue.

From OEM Enlinea:
Diego de la Torre es tentado por EU
Uno más que se puede ir
Óscar Clériga

El tema se convierte cotidiano. La doble nacionalidad en los jugadores que militan en la Liga de futbol, vuelve a la mesa. En esta ocasión el nombre de Diego de la Torre, del Toluca, apareció en el espectro de la Selección Nacional Mexicana y estadounidense. Decio de María salió al frente para zanjar cualquier polémica. "El utilizar a la Selección Nacional como objetivo de la doble nacionalidad, nosotros no lo vemos así, la Selección no se tiene que utilizar para asegurar la nacionalidad de los jugadores; claro que estamos atentos en cada uno de los casos, pero insisto no se puede utilizar a la Selección para asegurar la nacionalidad", sentencio.


English translation:

Diego de la Torre is tempted by the United States

Another one that may leave

The theme continues. The dual nationality of players in the Football league, is in the news again. This time the name of Diego de la Torre, of Toluca, is in the midst of the Mexican and US national teams. Decio de Maria tried to clear up any controversy."Utilizing the National Team as a means to get double nationality , we dont see it that way, you cannot use the National Team to assure your nationality;of course we are on top of each case,but I insist you cannot use the national team to assure your nationality" he concluded.

All I have to say is why not?  In fact, as I have said before, the USSF should be targeting, developing and encourage- almost begging, Latino/Hispanic players born in Los Estados Unidos to represent the country of their birth.

Who knows, some day we might get a home USA-Mexico game where more USA supporters show up than their counterparts south of the border!

Again, it wasn't pretty, but the Red, White and Blue got a big result on hostile turf this time the victims was Cuba.

-- U.S. Men's National Team Game Report --

Match-up: USA vs. Cuba
Date: September 6, 2008
Competition: 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifying - Semifinal Round
Venue: Estadio Pedro Marrero - Havana, Cuba
Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
Attendance: n /a
Weather: 75 degrees, rain

Scoring Summary: 1     2    F
USA                            1     0    1
Cuba                           0    0    0

USA - Clint Dempsey (Brian Ching)       40th minute.

Lineups:
USA: 1-Tim Howard; 15-Heath Pearce, 3-Carlos Bocanegra-capt., 5-Oguchi Onyewu, 2-Frankie Hejduk; 17-DaMarcus Beasley, 12-Michael Bradley, 13-Maurice Edu, 8-Clint Dempsey (16-Sacha Kljestan, 77); 10-Landon Donovan, 11-Brian Ching
Subs: 18-Brad Guzan, 4-Ricardo Clark, 6-Marvell Wynne, 7-Eddie Lewis, 9-Eddie Johnson, 14-Danny Califf
Head Coach: Bob Bradley

CUB: 12-Odelin Molina; 2-Silvio Miñoso, 3-Yeniel Marquez, 5-Jorge Luis Clavelo-capt.; 11-Jensee Muñoz (9-Alain Cervantes, 46), 13-Carlos Domingo, 14-Jaine Colome (17-Pedro Faife, 52), 16-Reysander Fernandez; 18-Heviel Cordovez, 7-Luis Villegas, 10-Roberto Linares (15-Leonel Duarte, 67)
Subs: 1-Danis Quintero, 4-Yosvani Caballeros, 6-Reinier Alcantara, 8-Alianas Urgelles
Head Coach: Reinhold Fanz

Stats Summary: USA / CUB
Shots                           6 / 8
Shots on Goal            2 / 3
Saves                           3 / 1
Corner Kicks               3 / 3
Fouls                          15 / 6
Offside                          2 / 0

Misconduct Summary:
CUB - Luis Villegas (caution)                 26th minute.
USA - Michael Bradley (caution)             37.
USA - Frankie Hejduk (caution)              50.
CUB - Jorge Luis Clavelo (caution)       71.

Officials:
Referee: Joel Aguilar (SLV)
1st Asst.: William Torres (SLV)
2nd Asst.: Juan Francisco Zumba (SLV)
Fourth Official: Elmer Bonilla (SLV)

Sierra Mist Man of the Match: Oguchi Onyewu

Kick-off is less than two hours away for the historic match between USA and Cuba, but who should start for the Yanks.

My theory: if it ain't broke- don't fix it.

Bradley should use the same starting line-up that beat Guatemala on its own soil!

Boo ya!

1-Tim Howard, 15-Heath Pearce, 5-Oguchi Onyewu, 3-Carlos Bocanegra, 6-Steve Cherundol, 10-Landon Donovan, 12-Michael Bradley, 4-Pablo Mastroeni (13-Maurice Edu, 78), 7-Eddie Lewis (17-DaMarcus Beasley, 65); 11-Brian Ching, 8-Clint Dempsey (2-Frankie Hejduk, 65)

But hey, I'm not on the coaching staff for a reason . . .

Last time out for Cuba in their 4-0 beat down of Antigua & Barbuda the Commies started:

Dany Quintero - Jeniel Marquez, Yusvanys Caballeros, Jorge Luis Clavelo, Yoel Colome, AlainCervantes (69: Lazaro Alfonso), Roberto Linares (56: Reinier Alcantara), Jaime Colome, Kanier Dranguet, Reisandry Fernandez, Leonel Duarte (64: Jensy Munoz)  

Kick off is set for 8 pm Eastern on ESPN 2 in the midst of college football mania. 

I wish I had multiple TV sets so I can tune into that Florida-Miami game and watch my Indiana Hoosiers hopefully whup up on Murray State.