Brad Guzan not moving to Aston Villa, denied work permit

Chivas USA and MLS Goalkeeper of the year Brad Guzan has been denied a work permit in England due to his lack of national team appearances, thus he will not be joining Aston Villa.

The offer Chivas and MLS had accepted was worth a 2million ($4m) transfer fee. Celtic has also approached Guzan.

Not a good day for a very talented goalkeeper. Even worse, with just five national team caps to his name, he has a long way to go before he will reach the 75% threshold. However, if he does end up staying in MLS, he should be able to get some of those caps over the next year in World Cup Qualifiers.

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[Source: My Soccer Blog]

New US Men's Home jersey revealed

Another year brings another jersey for the US Men's team as US Soccer has revealed the new home kit for 2008.

As you can see in the picture, the jersey has thin red stripes with alternating fields of white and light blue. It is collarless and along the back of the neck reads 'Don't Tread On Me.' This shirt will be the one the team wears next Wednesday night when they face Mexico in Houston.

What to make of this shirt? Well it is very polo isn't it and on top of that, it is not very attractive. It seems like a knockoff of some Tommy Hillfiger design or something you would find in the clearance bin of Old Navy. Let's hope it looks better in action then it does in a picture. But I don't want to be all negative, I do like the lack of gold trim around the crest and I guess it could almost be worn as a work shirt.

So will you buy one of these?

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[Source: My Soccer Blog]

Houston loses another forward

I guess Nate Jaqua really likes being around Joseph Ngwenya because he is about to move to the same Austrian league (link via SBI). The club that Jaqua will now call home is SCR Altach, who currently stand in eighth place (out of 10).

Jaqua is another quality player leaving Houston, meaning the team is starting to look a bit lost up top. There has been talk about Dwayne DeRosario moving up top with Brian Ching and Stuart Holden sliding into the more attacking midfielder role, which should work well. However, no matter how you look at it, the team has lost some serious depth.

They still need a quality backup goal minder for Pat Onstad and now they could use some help up top. That said, it is nowhere near gloom and dome time as they have an amazing backline and midfield options that I'm sure make other coaches in the league cry.

So to sum up, Houston is not down, but there are a little shaky.

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[Source: My Soccer Blog]

Pat Noonan off to Norway, Franchino back with Revs

The New England Revolution continued their unusually hectic off-season today as they said so long to forward Pat Noonan who will now play his games with Norwegian club Aalesund. Noonan has been a large part of the Revolutions great run over the last few years, scoring 42 goals in 136 matches, but the team decided not to exercise their option on him.

This moves opens up $225,000 in salary money and all but guarantees Adam Cristman a starting position (and hopefully a little more then the $17,700 he got paid last year). Also, any hope that Twellman had of some how sneaking overseas probably dies with this deal.

But for every goodbye, there is a hello as the team welcomed defender Joe Franchino back to the club. Franchino has been an important player for the team in years past (including being their captain for a few seasons), but due to personal issues, did not play much in 2007.

The combination of Franchino, Chris Albright, Hay Heaps and Avery John in the backfield should make the Revs a difficult team to get past.

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[Source: My Soccer Blog]

LA Galaxy - Beckham is not for sale; we're touring Asia

Alexi Lalas again had to state the obvious today as he told Sky Sports News that Beckham, "...wouldn't be put out on loan to another club - that is not an option - and David is not for sale at any price."

Although Lalas words might not be enough to convince many that Beckham is indeed still the center of the Galaxy's universe, the team also announced today that they will tour Asia this March as part of their pre-season. No dates or locations were specified, however Galaxy spokesman Patrick Donnelly said that Korea is 'on the potential list of countries.' In total, the team will play three matches.

This tour is exactly why LA and MLS went after Beckham and why they will not let him go. MLS teams have gone to Asia before, but their impact has been limited. However, due in large part to Beckham, the league has sold thousands of jerseys, got their matches aired live in the region and worked out a Pan-Pacific Championship series in the last year. No other active player could have accomplished so much in such a short time.

I'm sure that MLS could get a huge transfer fee for Beckham's services (especially with the dollar being so weak), but no amount of money can do for them what Beckham has already and continues to do.

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[Source: My Soccer Blog]

MLS Expansion - Philadelphia a step ahead of St. Louis

MLS Commissioner Don Garber didn't say a lot about expansion but what he did say was very telling.

First, he said that the race to land the next expansion team was indeed a two city event between Philadelphia and St. Louis, meaning that even if Miami moves ahead on their stadium idea or if Montreal pulls together their group, they are non-factors. Second, he said "If Philadelphia is able to finalize their plan, they have been leading the charge and have a step ahead of St. Louis." So if both team are equal, Philadelphia will get the nod.

The idea that Philadelphia is the more desired of the two cities should not come as a big surprise as they are a bigger market and is the last major city along the Northern East Coast without a team.

Something else the Garber mentioned was expanding the deadline (huge shock). He has been saying for months that 31 Jan was the latest date MLS was willing to consider but that has now moved. Although they would prefer to announce by the end of the month, they are now willing to wait 30-45 days, which could push it back to the end of February. It looks to me that this is yet another example of the league wanting to give the Philadelphia big every opportunity to be successful.

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[Source: My Soccer Blog]

US 2-0 Sweden - Player grades

The US men got a little home pitch revenge on Sweden tonight as they topped the them 2-0 off of goals by Eddie Robinson and Landon Donovan. Donovan's goal means he is now the all-time leader in goals for the US MNT. Although it would have been a lot more fun to see the goal come from the run of play instead of a penalty kick, a goal is a goal. Congratulations all around, and lets hope for many more.

As far as the game was concerned, overall, it was an okay match for the US. They did well on set pieces but their technical touches left a bit to be desired. Several players did standout while others kind of sunk. With that in mind, here are the grades:

Starting XI
Brad Guzan (GK) - He was near perfect on the night. He was called on to make about four big saves and made them all. I think it is safe to call him the number 2 keeper for the squad. A+
Drew Moor (D) - Did great getting up on the right side, but missed his mark on a couple occasions. B
Jimmy Conrad (D) - Didn't really make himself known, but did some decent work on the first half corner kicks. B-
Eddie Robinson (D) - An excellent first cap. The goal was a great reaction shot and his work on defense was wonderful. He picked up people and covered for other's mistakes. A-
Ramiro Corrales (D) - Moved the ball out well but let a few balls sneak in on the left. Still, a good return to the team. B+
Landon Donovan (M) - He found his spots, directed traffic, made good passes and acted like a captain should. He did slack for a bit after getting the pk, but this was still a great night for Donovan. A
Maurice Edu (M) - He put himself into position and worked the game well, but his distributions were not as accurate as they need to be. B+
Ricardo Clark (M) - Smart on defense but didn't push enough to start attacks. B
Brad Davis (M) - Excellent night for Davis. His free and corner kicks were some of the best I've seen for the US in a while. Kept forcing himself into the play. A
Pat Noonan (F) - Worked well with Twellman, especially in the first 15 minutes, but wasn't really making trouble for Sweden. C+
Taylor Twellman (F) - Caused the defense a few moments of frustration but then disappeared. Should have earned a pk in the first half, but over all, a let down of a night. C

Subs
Michael Parkhurst (D) - In for Robinson in the 46'. Made some marking mistakes and didn't clear as well as needed, but kept his mark most of the time. B-
Clarence Goodson (D) - In for Conrad in the 46'. Used his size and distributed well, plus he opened up space for others. B+
Josmer Altidore (F) - In for Twellman in the 46'. Can anyone take the ball away from Altidore? He knows how to hold a ball and force the fouls. His passing can use some sharpening but still a great night. A
Chris Rolfe (F) - In for Noonan in the 63'. His touches were not on the mark and gave up the ball much too easy. He did draw the defense a couple times, but then made bad choices on passes. B-
Sacha Kljestan (M) - In for Davis in the 71'. Needed to play the holding game better. Kind of disappeared. B-
Jeremiah White (M) - In for Donovan in the 81'. Not really on the long to make a mark. Had a couple touches that were okay, but overall, didn't leave much of an impression. No Grade

So overall, the team was lacking up top, did great in the middle and held their own on defense. That seems to be the common thread throughout most US national matches these days. As far as the striker role is concerned, Altidore made a great case for a start against Mexico in February. Put Dempsey behind him and Donovan out on the wing in the middle and see what happens.

Goals:
Robinson - 15'
Donovan (pk) - 48'

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[Source: My Soccer Blog]

US Men to face Poland in March

The 2008 schedule for the US men's team is taking shape as they have added Poland to their list. The red, white and blue will travel to Krakow, Poland on March 26. Since this is a game on European soil, expect to see many of the yanks abroad on the roster.

So the known games for the men this year are:
19 Jan vs. Sweden in Carson, CA
06 Feb vs. Mexico in Houston, Texas
26 March vs. Poland in Krakow, Poland
14 June vs. Barbados or Dominica in USA (WCQ)
21 June vs. Barbados or Dominica at Barbados or Dominica (WCQ)

If they win their series against Barbados or Dominica, they will also play matches on 20 Aug, 06 Sept, 10 Sept, 11 Oct, 15 Oct and 19 Nov. If they do not beat Barbados or Dominica, there will be a lot of anger.

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[Source: My Soccer Blog]

Feilhaber staying in England for now

He might not be playing much for Derby, but they are sticking with him after rejecting Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv's offer for the midfielder. In the end, Derby just didn't think the club's offer was equal to Feilhaber's value. The reported offer was 275,000, or more then 700,000 less then the club paid for him five months ago.

It is a shame that the reason behind this was the low figure instead of a desire to play Feilhaber, but that is the way of international football.

So Feilhaber finds himself benched on a club that is just about certain of relegation. Unless another club and move in with a better offer, it's going to be a difficult spring for Benny.

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[Source: My Soccer Blog]

Top 3 US National team goals of all time

The US MNT's blog continues their countdown to the 500th American international match by asking about the best goals in US men's history. With 665 from which to choose, this could take some time. Or then again, maybe not.

Here is my top three:

1. Paul Caligiuri - 1989 World Cup Qualifier vs. Trinidad & Tobago - Without a doubt the most important goal in US history. Without this goal, the US would have missed the 1990 World Cup, would not have been awarded the 1994 World Cup, and would not have got Major League Soccer going. All of this would have kept us from developing into the quality country we are now. But that best thing about this goal is it actually is a great shot.




2. Joe Gaetjens - 1950 World Cup vs. England - Greatest upset in World Cup history. Sadly I cannot find a video of this goal, but it was truly amazing as Gaetjens dove an incredible distance to get his head on the end of a Walter Bahr and send it past stunned goalkeeper Bert Williams.

3. Brian McBride - 2002 World Cup vs. Portugal - This is the perfect McBride goal. He placed himself in just the right spot and headed the ball with the needed force to get what turned out to be the winning goal. Adding to all of it, this is the victory that shocked a lot of Americans into watch the team.


His goal is the third one at about 37 seconds

Honorable mentions:

Benny Feihaber - 2007 Gold Cup vs. Mexico - Just an amazing, top quality blast to win a major tournament. On a side note, it is amazing how similar his goal is to Paul Caligiuri's.



Clint Dempsey - 2006 World Cup vs. Ghana - A great goal from the run of play. DeMarcus Beasley serves it up across the field to an on-rushing Dempsey who buries it.




Gregg Berhalter - 2002 World Cup vs. Germany - This should have been the tying goal in the quarterfinals, but a bad call meant Germany didn't get called for the obvious handball by Torsten Frings on the line. The US owned this game is deserved to toss the Germans out, but their luck finally ran out. And yes, I am still bitter.


The should have been goal is at 1:45

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[Source: My Soccer Blog]

Concacaf World Cup qualifiers moved due to unsafe stadiums

Fifa has ruled that the Dominican Republic, U.S. Virgin Islands, Montserrat and Surinam cannot host World Cup qualifiers because their stadiums do not meet the organizations standards.

All four of these teams were due to take part in home-home series in the first round of qualifying, however their series will no consist of just one game with the winner advancing to the second round. Interestingly enough, Montserrat and Surinam were set to play each other, but since neither stadium passed, they will now play in Trinidad and Tobago. The winner of this game will advance to play Guyana. No word yet if that series will be one game.

Other teams this might affect are Honduras (if the Dominican Republic wins) and Costa Rica (if U.S. Virgin Islands advance).

I guess this could also touch Mexico and Canada if they advance out of the second round along with the Dominican Republic as they would have to play them in the third round. The only way this will come into play for the US is if any of these teams make it to the final round.

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[Source: My Soccer Blog]

Denis Hamlett finally gets the Chicago Fire job

At long last it has happened, Denis Hamlett is the new coach of the Chicago Fire. After getting passed over multiple times for the post, Hamlett has to prove that even a forced hirer can turn out to be a good thing. Any first time manager is going to have a difficult task in front of them, but under these circumstances, he's got a hard year ahead of him. I wish him nothing but the best of luck.

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[Source: My Soccer Blog]

MLS Expansion - Could Montreal be the sleeper pick?

With no news coming out of Pennsylvania concerning the state putting up the money needed to secure a MLS team and MLS's lack of excitement in the depth of the St. Louis group's pockets, could Montreal shock everyone and get the next franchise?

How could such a move happen? Well unlike St. Louis or Philadelphia, Montreal will already have a stadium as the Impact are just about finished building a 13,500-seat, natural grass home (they will need to expand it 18,000, which they are already planning on doing). Plus, the Impact are already averaging over 11,000 for USL-1 games, so they have a strong base on which to build. Finally, Impact owner Joey Saputo is very good friends with billionaire George Gillett, who happens to own NHL's Montreal Canadiens and co-own EPL's Liverpool. Although there has been no formal joining of the two, both have very deep pockets and that might just turn a few MLS heads.

There is still the issue of Toronto FC having an exclusive right to the Canadian market through 2010, but it would appear the two sides are already talking about a deal. I'm sure TFC loves their hold on Canada but I'm guessing they see the benefit of have a rivalry as well.

I still think the US based bids have a better shot at this, but with so much already in place for Montreal, they might just pull off an upset.

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[Source: My Soccer Blog]

The three best US national team soccer players ever

The festivities leading up to the US men's 500th game have begun as the official US MNT bog asking readers to pick the best three US players ever. Their one rule, it should only be based on time with the national team, meaning club performance is out.

So who are the best three US Nats ever? I spent some time thinking about it and here are my picks:

1) Brian McBride - This is the exact type of player we need up top. Someone who will work himself into position and take any beating in order to get the goal.

2) Claudio Reyna - No American has ever been able to control the tempo and pace of a game like Reyna. His skill at placing balls and taking smart shots give the team their drive. So much of what team USA has accomplished over the last 10-years can be tied directly to him.

3) Brad Friedel - A US list would not be complete without a goalkeeper and for pure Nat duty, I have to go with the 'The Human Wall' himself. Simply put, 2002 would not have been so great without the work of Friedel and his two pk stops.

It really is difficult to pick a top three, but there are my selections. Here are some other folks I was considering:

Landon Donovan - His work in 2002 and every Mexico match is great, but his wash out in 2006 and his inconsistency make him a runner-up.

Kasey Kelly - Anytime he is between the pipes, the US is in a good spot, but I think Friedel's '02 Cup shines just a bit brighter then his '06 Kaiserslautern outing. Still, his 1-0 win against Brazil makes this a very difficult pick.

Tony Meola - Another keeper that made his name at a time when the US goal was getting routinely pounded by any and all competition. Had he not tried to go into the NFL, history could have been very different.

Joe Gaetjens - Joe scored the biggest US World Cup goal (and second biggest goal*) ever in the shock 1950 1-0 victory over England. Even though he only played 3 matches for the Nats, this one goal alone is enough to put him in the running.

Walter Bahr - He is the man who crossed the ball that Gaetiens redirected home in 1950. Perhaps the greatest US player pre-1990. It was very hard not to select him.

And there is my list. Who is on yours?

* The biggest goal in US National history is Paul Caligiuri's 1989's "Shot Heard Round the World".

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[Source: My Soccer Blog]