Last September on the final day of the transfer window, Robinho successfully moved from Real Madrid over to Manchester City.  It was no surprise to Real Madrid fans that the young player had demanded to leave the squad.  Robinho had basically forced his way off the roster due to his desire for more playing time.  What truly surprised fans of the game though was where he would end up.  On the last day of transactions, Manchester City snatched the Brazilian from the firm grasp of Chelsea.  The move was among the most surprising of the season.

And the then record transfer fee paid off pretty well this year for Manchester City.  Robinho led his squad with 14 goals and the result was good enough for 4th place in the Premier League this year.  In the last four seasons, Robinho has scored a total of 39 regular season goals.  This is especially impressive considering Robinho did not start a considerable amount of matches in two of those La Liga seasons.

Next season, Robinho looks to improve on his initial goal scoring mark and win the cherished Golden Boot Award.  The star forward will have some help too.  Manchester City has already signed English midfield G. Barry and Santa Cruz to help bolster both the defensive and the offensive side of the pitch.  Carlos Tevez is often linked to the Manchester City as well.  Robinho has also admitted he wouldn’t mind seeing Samuel Eto’o join the Blue.  The Barca star is often talked up as a potential Manchester City player next season.  Regardless to who the club signs, Robinho will likely be a full-time player again next season.

Haiti’s proper name is “The Republic of Haiti”, sort of like our nation is styled “The United States of America”. And like our nation, it is a cultural meting pot. Haiti though is a smoldering cauldron of French-Creole-Caribbean cultures, and it is undoubtedly a nation with a heroic history. Let’s see how much you know about Haiti with a pop quiz:

Question 1 of 1: Which of the following statements about Haiti is true? 

A. First post-colonial independent black-led nation in the world.

B. First independent nation in Latin America.

C. First (and only) nation whose independence was gained through slave rebellion.

D. All of the Above.

It’s (D), of course. Haiti’s national motto is “Strength Through Unity”, and it is befitting of their soccer squad, who are capable of playing with strength due to their constant unity. Seriously, these guys are together year round because a ton of them play in the same small league in Haiti for the same teams. Meanwhile, the Yanks are starting 11 guys who have basically been thrown together. But, notice I said “capable of” playing with strength.

Their familiarity with one another helps, but it can’t stop some US attackers from running past them or some burly defenders from absolutely flattening them when they go up for a header. I just don’t think they can overcome the US attack’s physical advantage, and I hope Bob Bradley’s boys beat them soundly. Actually, I just hope they beat them. 

Beat them for the Cup. Beat them for your country. Beat them for… 

Michael Jackson?

Well, he did once give a great pre-game speech, though few are aware of it. In fact, unlike some coaches, MJ summed it all up with just two words: “Beat It” (with the “It” being Haiti). And if beating ”it” helps, maybe everybody should wear a white glove and grab their crotch throughout the game. Making that crazy “heeHEE” sound is entirely optional. 

But, I think Gooch was doing all that stuff before MJ even passed.

Rest in Peace, Michael. You were one (certifiably) crazy kid, but I’ll always cherish your “I Want You Back” with the Jackson Five. I wish you had stayed small Michael for the rest of your life, like Webster.

Wouldn’t that have been sweet? And think about how much easier it would have made your love life!

Too soon?

Well, the first half was a comedy of errors with both teams blowing some great goal scoring opportunities. While the US dominated the possession, they also couldn’t notch a goal, and a few sloppy defensive mistakes left Perkins 1 on 1 with some speedy Honduran forwards. Overall, the US looked like the better team, but also the more nervous team.

In the second half, the US offense became discombobulated and could not muster much on the attack. Honduras also looked poor, but at least many of their players looked interested in the result. The US then put in Davies and Feilhaber, and everything changed. Quaranta got the 1st goal, sure. But Feilhaber created it and Davies assisted it. Unbelievable.

Benny and Charlie are the Men of the Match even though they only played 1/3rd of it. They can rest assured knowing they further improved their chances of a 2010 call up, but only a few other players who took the pitch last night can sleep as soundly. Here’s a “top-to-bottom” review of the US MNT last night against HON:

Up top, Freddy Adu and Brian Ching were given a few golden opportunities in the 1st half, but they both simply failed to cash them in. Adu also had plenty of opportunities to dish the ball to Rogers, but instead selfishly dribbled into a steal. Ching did his typical holding role decently, and his 79th minute header to put the US up 2-0 was well-executed.

Davies got only 30 minutes, but he tried to make the most of it and almost scored a dizzying goal in the 70th minute. Just minutes later, Davies assisted Quaranta’s goal with a perfect precision pass. His speed is truly intimidating for defenders. Cooper got just a little bit of PT too, coming in late for Ching, and he even chucked up a few shots. 

In the middle, Robbie Rogers continued to make plays with his speed and hustle. Beckerman played very well in a Pablo-esque role. Quaranta was terrible early on. Just terrible. He was probably nervous, but I have never seen so many errant crosses/shots. His goal was good, but if he had missed he never would have got another call up. 

Logan Pause didn’t give way to Benny Feilhaber until the 63rd minute. That’s when the game changed. Feilhaber once again did not disappoint, exploding onto the pitch and immediately creating problems for HON on both offense and defense. While his name won’t show up in the boxscore, he orchestrated the 1st goal, and he looked “in the zone” for 30 minutes.

In the back, Pearce looks great, and I love what he adds to the attack. He doubles forward often and has a great cross. Parkhurst wasn’t noticeable, but neither were the men he guarded. He is the silent killer with sneaky coverage. Marshall looked uncomfortable, but effective, which is all that really matters. He couldn’t get his head on one though.

Dolo looks like he’s getting back to full speed, and his amazing assist to Ching in the 79th was one of the game’s few highlights. He also looked raw and I think he still needs more PT to overcome his rust. Once he’s back 100%, I bet he challenges for a starting spot in 2010. In the net, Perkins stepped up when he needed to, and he looked confident.

Bob Bradley did a decent job considering some of his players still have limited familiarity with one another on the pitch. What I don’t understand is why Davies and Feilhaber didn’t start. They ignited the team’s attack in the last 30 minutes, and they have both proven themselves to be more effective than the likes of Adu & Pause. Ah, never mind.

How can I complain? The game had a great result. How could it also be somewhat disappointing? Well, it was basically our B- Team (at least until Benny and Charlie came in) against the HON B Team. I expected a little sharper play from our Nats, but the last 30 minutes were amazing. Benny and Charlie are booking their tickets to South Africa.

Who else will be joining them? Keep tuned in to the Gold Cup (next game vs. Haiti) here @ STO to see which US MNT players can emerge as candidates for a 2010 call up.

It would be a battle to earn the right to be considered league’s dirtiest player this season and young Lee Cattermole of Wigan Athletic has been crowned the league’s biggest bully.  Cattermole was able to edge out stiff competition including legendary yellow card extraordinaire Kevin Nolan of Newcastle United. Nolan is consistently a league’s best in receiving cards.

He’s loosely considered the “Chuck Norris” of the Premier League. 

Nolan has acquired a whopping sixty-two cards in the last six seasons.  The Newcastle midfielder was able to outdo Cattermole’s yellow card performance of ten by one this year, but it was Cattermole’s two red cards that pushed him into the lead.  Nolan only notched one red this year.  Cattermole narrowly defeated Nolan by a single point even though the two players were rewarded the same amount of cards.   

And in club card totals, Stoke City edged out Blackburn Rovers for the honor of most carded club.  Stoke City managed to earn a very impressive, joint-lead of seventy-three yellow cards over the course of the year.  Blackburn was the only other team to earn as many.  But Stoke City’s five red cards was one too many for Blackburn.  Stoke City ended the year with eighty-three points in cards.  Newcastle finished the year with a league best eight red cards thanks to Nolan’s help.  And Fulham was the league’s most passive club with only forty-one cards total all year.

Roque Santa Cruz’s first season in the Premier League would be a memorable one for the talented forward from Paraguay.  Santa Cruz was transferred over to the Blackburn Rovers from German squad Bayern Munich.  The move would pay off immediately for the club.  Santa Cruz was among the best goal-scorers of the 2007/2008 season.  The star forward finished the year in the top ten in total goals with nineteen for the season.  Blackburn Rovers finished the season in seventh place and the result was so pleasing to the club that they made sure to lock up their key player with a lucrative four year deal.

One year removed from that strong showing Blackburn Rovers is no longer raving about their star forward.  It would be a year of many failures for the Paraguay standout and his new Premier League club.  The offensive side was lacking this season and Blackburn was only able to manage forty goals this year.  Even worse the club dropped out of the top ten teams in the league and fell from seventh place all-the-way to fifteenth this year.  Santa Cruz finished the year with a very disappointing four goals in the regular season.

Many issues can be blamed for Santa Cruz’s lackluster season.  The forward did miss the last three months of the season with a knee injury.  Also the star player did not have the best supporting cast to aid him on the offense side this season.  In the end his Blackburn legacy will be short lived.  It is rumored that the potentially league best goal scorer is moving over to aggressive Manchester City to be reunited with coach Mark Hughes.  Perhaps a new Premier League club is the perfect remedy to a frustrating year for the star.

It has been a long time since I did an episode of the ”Know Your US MNT Opponent” series, so I thought to myelf, “why not bring it back for the big match with Honduras tomorrow?” HON deserves the recognition because they are a strong side – especially considering the fact that the nation’s total population doesn’t exceed that of New York City.    

Honduras is a scrappy team though, and far better than they look on paper. Los Catrachos play with tenacity and a desire that can never be exceeded - only rivaled at best. After all, this is a country that once fought a “Football War” with El Salvador. They are #39 in the World Rankings, and they have recently been surging toward the FIFA Top 25.

The US won’t have a walk in the park against Honduras like they did against Grenada. Sure, HON only edged Haiti 1-0, but the scoreboard doesn’t reflect the fact that Honduras dominated the possession time and shots on goals statistics. The US was losing to HON @ one point in an early WCQ in Chicago, but the Yanks battled back to win 2-1 in a thriller.

Los Catrachos are led by Carlos Costly (who is currently plying his trade in Poland and scored the winner against Haiti); Carlos Pavon (formerly of Alexi’s LA Galaxy), and dangerous playmaker Amado Guevara (a former MLS MVP now up in the Great White North with the TFC Reds). These three exemplify the squad’s style too. And by that I mean…

Sometimes they look simply brilliant, but sometimes they are exceptionally sloppy. Hopefully, the US will see the latter team @ RFK tomorrow night. Now that you know Honduras, you should also know your Yanks. The team dominated last weekend thanks to great chemistry up top, so expect to see many of the same starters vs. HON. 

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION (Now with Benny Feilhaber!)

GOALKEEPERS (3): Jon Busch (Chicago Fire), Troy Perkins (IK Start), Luis Robles (FC Kaiserslautern)

DEFENDERS (7): Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Jay Heaps (New England Revolution), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Michael Parkhurst (FC Nordsjaellands), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Davy Arnaud (Kansas City Wizards), Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Colin Clark (Colorado Rapids), Sam Cronin (Toronto FC), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Logan Pause (Chicago Fire), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)

FORWARDS (5): Freddy Adu (AS Monaco), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Santino Quaranta (D.C. United)

The Core: Who was at their best at the 2009 Confederation Cup and seems assured of a starting role come 2010?

Well, LD earned his #10 jersey by validating his skill against some of the world’s most feared defenders. Tim Howard’s box scores didn’t look appealing, but those who saw the games knew for every one he allowed, he stopped four rockets off the feet/heads of some of the globe’s greatest playmakers.

The indefatiguable Michael Bradley played very well, always coming with ferocity (hence the unfortunate red). Clint Dempsey? Sure. MC Deuce did win the Bronze Ball, after all. But, I think it was Jozy who really has the bronze balls. Talking trash to Puyol, scoring against Spain (where he is underutilized by his club), and now immediately demanding a trade?

Now that sounds like American sports.   

The Bubble: Which guys are just hanging on to starting jobs, and who is challenging for a place on the pitch? In the back, it’s just about everybody. To clarify, I think you could include Bocanegra (if fit and healthy, of course) into the Core category since he is our stoic Captain, but I believe he too could be vulnerable. He, Onyewu, and Dolo (pre-injury) looked assured of 2010 spots, and they will probably all still get them, but rising stars like Bornstein and Spector (and what ever happened to Simek?) could steal their spot in the starting XI permanently.

In the middle, Beasley, Clark and Kljestan didn’t impress, but Benny Feilhaber’s hopes for a World Cup call up rose from the dead. He wasn’t decent. He was freaking great. I haven’t seem him play like that for a long time, but then again he has played so little in the last few years I haven’t seem him play, period. I think he and F Charlie Davies’ stocks may have rose more than anyone’s. BF paired nicely with Bradley (better than Special K or Clark), as did Davies with Donovan and Altidore. Both were also vigilant on defense and displayed dangerous attacking skills.

Outer Space: Who’s outside looking in? Well, way too many people for me to list here. But, some still have a shot (albeit a long one) to challenge for a spot in the starting XI in 2010 if they perform well in the Gold Cup and the remaining qualifiers? Who are these gents who need to go all-in and prove themselves to Bradley ASAP. Well, without further ado… Freddy Adu, of course. I love his creative dribbling and nose for the net, but Skeletor hates his defensive skills (or lack therof). He’ll have a chance to prove himself, as will a slew of MLS forwards, especially Brian Ching.

In the middle, I think Pablo’s call ups are evaporating and Mo Edu’s injury has allowed others to shine on big stages. Guzan looked great against Egypt, but I doubt he can depose Howard, who along with LD are our greatest assets. In the back, it’s a free for all with DeMerit, Spector, even some MLS guys like Marshall, Wynne, and fan-favorite Jimmy Conrad.

Defense isn’t the only area of the pitch where auditions are open for starting spots though, as any player could still seize relevancy and Bradley’s favor with some consistently amazing play. So when these 2010 hopefuls are auditioning and they have Bob Bradley on the couch watching their every move, they need to impress him with their desire.

That last sentence just doesn’t sound right for some reason.

What a long, strange trip the US MNT just had to South Africa. The Yanks advanced via a 6 goal swing in the last 90 minutes of the group stage. Then, they shocked the world by knocking out #1 Spain. Finally, they came out swinging against history’s most decorated team, but fell apart during a messy second half that most fans would like to forget.

I don’t have to forget it because I never saw the second half of the Final. I got on a plane when it was 2-0, and spent the flight sequestered from any updates. I was happy though. It was half-time and we were winning a freaking FIFA International tourney. Of course, I was happy. As soon as we touched down, I frantically turned on my “portable electronic device” to check the final score.

I never saw the three (admittedly four) goals by Brazil. I was over a mile in the sky in an airplane full of contentment and unspoiled hope. So, I may be biased. You see, when I left the airport Chili’s @ halftime that day and got on my flight, I didn’t really care if we won. Win or lose, the team had earned some respect - and more importantly - attention from the US media and casual sports fans. I felt like – for a little while – we could actually discuss soccer here in America…

And – amazingly - we could finally do it without being called a communist. It was a good day for me. Not so much for my phone though, who fell victim to that old and wise quote: “They always kill the messenger.” I was angry about the result, but perhaps it is better for the US to lose. Think about it. We need guys who are “hungry”. Beating Spain and Brazil may have made us overconfident. Beating Spain and almost beating Brazil could pay dividends come 2010.

And I was pleased with the US performance over the tourney. Rough in spots, sure, but also capable of some disarming brilliance. What I liked best is that they never backed down. Even when they were soundly outplayed, they never looked like they weren’t giving 100%. Show me another sport in the US where you can say that about the players. Well, except Conor Casey. For someone who played so little, he sure lollygagged around the pitch a ton.  

As for the rest of the players, some guys’ 2010 hopes rose greatly because the top competition around the globe brought out their best. But, others embarassed themselves and are now hoping Bradley gives them a look again before he selects his final 2010 roster. Tomorrow, I will rate the US MNT players based on their play over the span of the Confederations Cup and the likelihood their dreams of a 2010 starting role will be fulfilled. So come on back and be sure not to miss it.

Unless you have a plane to catch, of course.

I know you’re probably not surprised by this one.  It’s kind of like picking Phil Jackson as the best NBA coach.  Jackson, who just won his tenth title, is well known for coaching the most talented players in the league (Jordan, Pippen, Kobe, Shaq), but many critics downplay his success due to having the best ingredients to work with.  Sir Alex is in a similar position with the enormous amount of talent Manchester United possesses compared to the average team.  One thing many critics overlook though is how tough it must be to keep such a talented club happy.

Alex Ferguson has been manager of Manchester United since 1986 which in the Premier League is unbelievable.  Most clubs change coaches more often then David Beckham changes his hair style.  Over the twenty-three year span, Fergie has won so many trophies that he is probably running out of space in his garage.  Sir Alex has led the Red Devils to a record eleven Premier League Championships.  He has also been honored as Coach of the Year nine times including by the league this season.  To put it simply Alex Ferguson is considered THE MAN.

This year the Scotsman directed Man U to a league best twenty-eight victories.  Fergie’s club easily coasted to a Premier League title while only losing one home match all season.  The club was among the league’s best in goals scored and goals given up.  The Red Devils also played pretty well in Cup tournaments.  Man U made the semi-finals in the FA Cup and were also runners-up in the Champions League final.   Next year Sir Alex will look to add onto that trophy case with another Champions League title.

Frank Lampard is without a doubt one of the greatest English offensive-minded midfielders of all time.  Lampard is one of only two midfielders to ever score one hundred Premier League goals in their entire career (the other is Matthew le Tessier).  He is also one of only eight Chelsea players to ever reach the mark with the club.  Lampard has scored over eighty regular season goals for the Blues and seventeen international goals for England in his illustrious career.  This season the star player was able to score a respectable twelve for his Chelsea club.

Lampard is not only one of the best goal scorers in the league, he also happens to be one of the Premier League’s best passers.  Lampard’s ten assists this season puts him in a joint-lead for the league best in assists neck-and-neck with Arsenal player Robin Van Persie.  The midfielder has made a name for himself as one of the finest dish artists in the game with sixty-two regular season assists for the Blues since the 2001 season.  This season’s ten is among his personal best, but the sixteen assists Lampard notched in 2005 is still his highest mark yet. 

Frank Lampard deserves the honor of Best Team Player not only for his brilliant passing skills, thrilling long-distance goals, and unquestioned loyalty to his club, but the finest reason why Lampard deserves the honor is his clutch play in big matches.  Lampard stepped his game up when it mattered the most.  The midfielder scored two goals and an assist in his only Carling Cup match this season and in the Champions League Lampard scored three goals with five assists in eleven matches.  But it would be the FA Cup where Lampard would make his most memorable play of the season.  The star midfielder scored a game leading goal in the second half of the final against Everton to secure the Cup for his Chelsea club.