Oh, Inverted World!  Besides being my favorite Shins Album, it’s how I’m feeling about Twitter.   Allow me to explain.

I’m on twitter.  I use it to connect with friends, colleagues, and American footballers who by and large are willing to have frequent interchanges with you on Twitter.  One such person I have had conversations with is Jozy Altidore.  Coincidentally, Jozy just recently signed with Hull on a season long loan.  Where was the news first broken?  Twitter!

Twitter you say?  Not Sky?  Not BBC?  Yes, Twitter! 

However fantastical it may seem, the BBC in its Breaking News section listed twitter as the source confirming Jozy’s move to Hull.  Simply wild!    

Jozy was the first person to let the world know he was joining Hull beating every single main steam media outlet. 

First match is against chelsea subject to a work permit *wink* *wink* lol thanks for the support and love keep it coming.

Jozy broadcasted his next playing destination to his 12,000 followers on twitter.  More shockingly, the media didn’t go about looking for confirmation, rather, they began to quote his twitter page.  Reports from every media outlet reported the quote above instead of seeking independent confirmation. 

What does this say about the changing landscape of football news?  It means players are going to have a much more interesting role to play.  They now deliver news about their careers and lives to the masses, and in the process, they can bypass the media all together.

Twitter has the potential to shine a light on the very secretive processes that take place in the football world.  For instance, when a player is likely to move to a new club, but has multiple suitors, you generally do not know where they will sign until the deal is announced.  How would you?  With twitter though, a player has the ability to let the world know with a few seconds of typing and a click.

Jozy for instance, had loan suitors in Spain, Greece, France, and England.  Villareal had announced that he would be moving somewhere on loan, but nobody had any indication of where he would be going.  He decided it was ok to let everybody know he’s be going to England spurning advances from teams on the continent.

England early in the morning so im going to get some sleep ill tweet all day tomorrow on my bb and let you guys know whats going on!

This narrowed it down to Everton, Fulham, and Hull.  Shortly thereafter, he gave everybody the news he would be joining Hull. 

It’s an interesting time we live in.  What will come of Twitter’s new involvement is up in the air.  Surely though, Twitter looks like it will drastically change the landscape of how the media, fans, and footballers all interact.

You can follow Jozy Altidore on Twitter. You can also follow Soccerlens on Twitter for the latest updates and commentary on football.

Also See: US Football Twitter Directory

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

From a far off view, the MLS comes off as a far inferior league.  A league that is not worthy to talk about if David Beckham is not involved.  The attendance is modest, and the salary cap limits the quality of play.  

These are just realities that the league and its fans deal with.  Although the execs like to aim high and suggest the ‘soccer’ is becoming the fourth (hockey has the same level of support as ‘soccer’) major American sport, that day is still not here.  The path ‘soccer’ in America must take to get to that day is clear, and it lies directly upon the Latino population.

This past Sunday, I attended the CONCACAF Gold Cup Final, the North and Central American equivalent of the European Championship’s Final.  The match was being contested by the USA and Mexico at the Meadowlands, a sports complex just outside of New York City.  The game was a sell out, and the most well attended ‘soccer’ match in the history of the stadium with 79,000 plus cramming in.  The crowd was 20% Pro-US, and 80% Pro-Mexico.  A light went off.  If there are 80,000 fans who care to see USA-Mexico despite the fact that the USA had a C-Squad, and Mexico had a B-Squad; why can’t some of them come out to the local team’s games, Red Bull New York?

The atmosphere was top class.  Once the Mexicans scored fifteen minutes into the second half, the crowd went wild.  The Mexican Wave went around the stadium, beer went flying, and the Mexican Flags were out.  Why can’t this pride for country become pride for one’s local club team?  If MLS teams market more aggressively to Latino populations, they can improve their attendances, improve their bottom lines, and will be able to put more into the product on the field.

While an increase in Latino fans will make the league more successful in many facets, the Latino population is also the key to improving the quality of play directly.  The US team that I saw had no latino names on it.  It was a squad of names such as Goodson and Holden, not of names such as Martinez and Rodriguez.  Now I’m not saying the team has to be all Latino, but a mix would better represent the demographics of America. The latino population is 44 million strong, and growing rapidly.  Despite their status as the biggest minority group in the USA, they still have yet to produce many strong footballers that are capable of representing the US Men’s National Team.  Recent signs are encouraging though.  Jose Francisco Torres is the first true Latino since Claudio Reyna to make the US National Team, featuring in a couple of World Cup Qualifiers, and making the Confederations Cup squad.  There are other hopeful signs as well.  Edgar Castillo, a promising left back who slipped through the youth systems in America wound up being a star in Mexico.  After representing Mexico in three friendlies, he has decided to switch his allegiances to the USA.  These are encouraging signs, but the Latino population, being soccer obsessed has the potential to produce many talented players for both MLS and the USMNT.

The path is clear.  Engage the Latino community to support MLS and MLS will benefit.  Have the Latino community produce players that can help MLS and the USMNT and both will benefit.  That’s how ‘soccer’ will gain a larger foothold in the US.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Is the MLS the most balanced football league in the world? Why does the Galaxy insist on building teams around a single player? Will Seattle recover their grove? All this and more in our MLS weekly review.

1.) Parity like no other league

I cannot think of one league in the world that has the level of parity of MLS.  The salary cap keeps teams in check, and for it, on any given day, event he worst team in the league can win a game nobody would expect them to win.  We saw that this week.  

Winless in four, FC Dallas laid into Toronto, and on the back of the do it all Kenny Cooper, grabbed a win.  The win saw them climb out of the basement of the Western Conference, one point ahead of LA.  Houston, also collected their first win of the campaign topping an inform Colorado side to move from seventh to fifth in the standings.  

In the eastern conference, New York finally got in the win column by thoroughly dismantling a strong Real Salt Lake side.  If you’re planning on placing a bet, I’d peg New York to have a good stretch coming up.  Mac Kandji and Juan Pablo Angel are finally hitting their stride.

This just goes to show that disparity between any two teams is negligent.  It’s just about which team can consistently grind out results, and put fill up the win and draw columns in the standings.

2.) Where oh where is David Beckham?

Those who said the league did not need Beckham were right and wrong.  The league didn’t need him to add to the quality of play, but they sure do need him for his media presence and the butts he puts in the seats.  The average attendance this week was 11,019, and that does not even factor in the unannounced attendance in Dallas.  Based on what I saw in the broadcast, I would say there were no more than 5,000 fans in attendance.  Yikes!  

3.) Seattle learns why MLS is so tough

Seattle jumped off to a 3-0 start, but since has lost two in a row.  They fought an uphill battle courageously after Kasey Keller was red carded last week for a hand ball outside the box, and lost on a late goal, 1-0.  This week, they faced first place Chivas USA on the road and were beaten 2-0.  They didn’t play particularly poorly, but were not the same team that dominated their opponents in the first three games.  Kasey Keller will return this week from a one game suspension, and I’m sure they will welcome him back with open arms.

4.) I’ve heard this before

I initially thought the hiring of Bruce Arena was a good move, and in all honesty, Bruce is a great coach, but the guys he has to work with are dross.  Last year the team was carried by two players, David Beckham and Landon Donovan.  This year, the team is being carried by one player, Landon Donovan.  He’s scored two and assisted on three for a grand total of five goals that he has been involved in.  That’s great production, but the LA Galaxy have only scored six goals on the season.  Credit to the man after returning from a less than inspiring stint in Germany, but really, get him some help LA!

5.) 41 and counting…

Pat Onstad came up big again this weekend.  He pulled off a miraculous penalty save with his trailing hand against Conor Casey, then had the where with all to get up and make an instinctual save on the subsequent header.  Bravo!  Not to mention he was kicked in the face by Omar Cummings as well.  At 41, you begin to wonder how long Pat can go?  I’d bet that he’ll stay in the game until Vancouver enters in 2011, and try to play his final season in his home town.  

That’s about it for the weekend’s news and notes.  Share your thoughts and comments below.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

2008 SuperLiga Group A: D.C. United 1-2 Chivas

Ed.’s Note: The match report is from Saturday night’s North American SuperLiga Group A match, but technical difficulties delayed the posting of the report.

The atmosphere at D.C. United’s RFK Stadium was one of a kind, with 22,453 fans in attendance for the teams’ first SuperLiga match. As the announcer announced the starting lineups, the jars of the song and drum reverberated through your heart. The teams walked out onto the field to a heavy round of cheers, and the game began.

D.C. United had the first chance in the early going, as Luciano Emilio came close in the eighth minute when his thunderous shot from the left channel went off the post. Chivas almost knocked the ball into their own net on the rebound, but it trickled wide.

Chivas, however, wasted no time in starting their attack, and they forced Zach Wells out of goal in the twelfth minute when a masterful throughball was almost slotted home by an onrushing Omar Riveron.

Chivas showed that they could quickly combine as well as playing throughballs. In the 17th minute, a clever dummy fooled the D.C. defense, and if not for a last-minute clearance, it would have been a goal for Chivas.

Wells, normally considered a defensive liability, stopped a long range drive in the 22nd minute to keep the score level. Wells was on top of his game the whole day, which gave D.C. a big boost.

In the 24th minute, D.C.’s timely clearances ran out as Riveron latched on to a throughball by Ramon Morrales, and ran around Wells; he then cleanly finished into the side netting to give Chivas a thoroughly deserved lead.

D.C. pressed on though, and Luciano Emilio thought he had ezualized in the 37th minute. He pushed back into the Chivas defender and the defender flopped in “agonizing pain” to the ground. The foul was called against Emilio, much to his bewilderment. Emilio thought he had put the home side back on level ground, and his claims were justifiable.

At halftime, United made a needed change, as Rod Dyachenko, who had failed to put his stamp on the game in the first half, was replaced by speedy forward Francis Doe.

D.C. showed that they were going to attack in the second half when a hand ball by Gonzalo Pineda gave DC a free kick from about 26 yards in the 48th minute. Marc Burch stepped up to hit it, but the ball sailed over the crossbar.

United continued to push for an equalizer and was gifted a deflected ball into the path of an onrushing Devon McTavish. McTavish calmly put the ball onto the post, the second time D.C. was denied in that fashion.

Chivas wasted no time and went down the field themselves, and only a one handed save by Zach Wells prevented Chvas from scoring just a minute later.

Then it was as if fate struck when D.C. was really starting to dominate.

A massive power outage put three quarters of the field into darkness and the teams convened on the side while the energy issue was sorted out. Although the lights went out, the fans didn’t stop cheering. The D.C. fans took this outage as a chance to show up the Chivas support and the noise output was epic. The players even became visibly annoyed and began showing off all of their juggling skills on the field. Slowly but surely however, the lights began to trickle back on. A voice from the speakers told the media that the lights took 15 minutes to re-heat, and sure enough, they came back on and re-illuminated the field.

Chivas used the outage to make a defensive minded sub, with Patricio Araujo coming in for Sergio Avila.

In the 67th minute, Edgar Solis made a incisive run down the flank and then crossed into the middle where Sergio Santana hammered by Wells. Chivas fans went berserk and five or six smoke bombs went off simultaneously. It was not to be though, as the replays showed that Santana handled the ball and pushed it by the defender. Santana also received the match’s first yellow card for handling the ball.

Chivas was awarded a free kick when a Chivas player was tripped up on a 50/50 ball, right outside D.C.’s box. They would live to rue the foul as Gonzalo Pineda sent a beautiful curling free kick into the top corner despite a diving attempt by Wells, making it 2-0 in the 72nd minute. Chivas fans started the victory chants much to the dismay of the D.C. fans. Chivas! Chivas! Chivas! they roared.

However, United got right back in the game. With his back to the goal, Luciano Emilio turned around a Chivas defender and then slotted the ball between the legs of onrushing keeper Ernesto Michel to make it 2-1 in the 76th minute.

D.C. came back again for the equalizing goal. Emilio ran onto a ball in the box and was hauled down by Jose Olvera. The referee made no mistake about it as he pointed directly to the spot, with Olvera also receiving a yellow card on the play.

Jaime Moreno (who hasn’t missed a penalty in four years) stepped up to take the penalty but Ernesto Michel was up to the task. He dived to the right and parried Moreno’s shot away and the Chivas fans began the victory chants again. D.C. United head coach Tom Soehn said after the game that, “With all the penalties he’s taken in his career, he’s going to miss one eventually.”

Chivas coach Efrain Flores then began the Italian technique of clogging the midfield, as he replaced two forwards with midfielders in an effort to jam the middle.

D.C.’s never give up attitude won them a free kick from the left channel in the 85th minute. Marc Burch’s delivery ended up in the hands of Michel, but only after a tense scramble in the box.

Chivas lived and died off the counter attack in the second half. Marco Fabian De La Mora almost put the game out of reach in the 87th minute when his point blank shot was saved by Zach Wells.

D.C. continued to press, virtually possesing the ball on the 18 yard box, but could not muster a shot to challenge Chivas and the game ended in a 2-1 victory for Chivas.

Chivas are the victors tonight, but D.C. midfielder Craig Thompson was still optimistic about their chances of advancing to the knockout stages. “We just got to put this one behind us, it’s over, we just got to concentrate on our next game…. If we win our next two games, we will advance so that’s what we’re looking at.”

Soehn lamented that they “lost the guy in the middle too much” and that hurt D.C.’s ability to control the possession and dictate the tempo of the game.

Both teams continue SuperLiga play on Tuesday. Chivas heads to Houston to play the Dynamo, who also got off to a winning start by defeating Atlante 4-0 in their opener, while D.C. looks to keep their qualification hopes fully alive when they face Atlante at RFK.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

There were six games spread over this holiday weekend culminating in an exciting double header. Only DC and Toronto didn’t play, making the potential for a lot of movement. We saw 9 out of 14 teams switch positions and with Superliga coming up, teams needed to make these last games count.

1. (1) New England Revolution (10-4-3)

It’s hard to put in words what New England has been capable of doing in the unpredictable MLS. Usually in the MLS, if you can string together three or four wins, you’ll be right near first place but, New England keeps distancing themselves from the pack. This time, a 2-1 win over the Galaxy and New England has to be considered a favorite going into next week’s Superliga.

2. (2) DC United (7-7-1)

DC were idle this past weekend but nobody made a convincing surge to go by them and they retain the number two spot for now. DC in fact won’t play a league game until July 22nd because of Superliga so if someone can make a push, DC could be moving down the rankings.

3. (3) Columbus Crew (8-4-3)

An exciting 2-2 draw against Chicago was a fun game to watch but it won’t take them past DC. Columbus scored a fortuitous 87th minute goal to tie and for most of the night, Chicago were the better team. Columbus were slightly handicapped as their coach Sigi Schmid was at his daughter’s wedding and his assistant was managing the game.

4. (5) Chicago Fire (6-5-3)

Chicago were once considered the best team in MLS but a horrid loss of form has seen them drop down the standings and the power rankings. With that being said, it appears that Chicago are back to early season form after playing excellent possession football for almost the whole game against Columbus. Chicago rise up a spot because of their great play even though they squandered the three points in the last minutes of the game.

5. (6) Toronto FC (6-4-4)

Toronto were idle this week and with nobody behind them pushing hard up the rankings, Toronto will actually move up a spot. A week of rest hopefully will serve them well as MLS reaches its busiest part of the season.

6. (7) Houston Dynamo (4-4-8)

Houston Dynamo are the “Kings of ties.” Houston continues to play well but no wins are coming. On national TV Thursday, Houston played to a 0-0 draw with plenty of goal mouth action between Houston and Salt Lake. Houston move up because of their good play recently even though they didn’t get the desired result.

7. (4) LA Galaxy (6-6-3)

LA, for the past two weeks has showed why they will only ever be a mediocre team unless they get defensive help. New England ran circles around Abel Xavier and company and can consider themselves unlucky not to have scored four or five goals. The offense still showed up to play, but LA’s defense is so debilitating that sometimes they can’t overcome themselves. It is rumored that they will sign a Argentinean defender soon so hopefully they can improve the back line.

8. (10) Chivas USA (6-6-3)

Chivas USA dominated a horrendous San Jose team for a full ninety minutes plus stoppage time. It was by pure grit and determination that San Jose survived as long as they did. Ante Razov‘s curling free kick two minutes from time saved Chivas from an embarrassing draw. Chivas jumps ahead of Salt Lake because of the way the dominated San Jose and the fact that they picked up a win.

9. (9) Real Salt Lake (5-6-5)

Real Salt Lake seem to be a real contender for the Western Conference title. They continue to play an aggressive attacking style which has seen them move up not only the rankings, but also the league table. Real stay still due to their draw and Chivas’s comprehensive victory.

10. (13) Colorado Rapids (6-8-1)

Colorado shocked me on Friday. They played in front of a sell-out crowd in Denver and beat New York 4-0. This is the same Colorado team that has been quite abysmal all year. It was a beautiful game played by Colorado and they scored some spectacular goals. If they can keep this run going, they could easily be vying for the Western Conference crown come fall.

11. (11) FC Dallas (4-6-6)

Dallas got another draw, what else is new. This one was however quite lucky. A beautiful 40 yard cross was headed on the run by Abe Thompson. It could be the best goal of the season. Dallas however continues to struggle for wins and until they get their act sorted out, they are not real contenders.

12. (13) Kansas City Wizards (4-5-5)

Kansas City earned four points in their past two matches, a good sign for a team that has been struggling since the first few weeks of the season. They have also signed Josh Wolff so maybe, their offensive woes will be solved.

13. (8) New York Red Bulls (5-5-5)

A 4-0 dismantling by Colorado shows how badly New York needs re-enforcements. It is said that Juan Carlos Osorio has 4 or 5 players who will join soon, so hopefully there is relief ahead for New York fans. Five spots is a lot for a team to fall but after their display against Colorado, they deserve nothing better.

14. (14) San Jose Earthquakes (3-9-3)

Another week, another disappointing result. The only record San Jose is chasing right now is the first team to ten losses. That’s how sad their season has been. I’d like to be optimistic about San Jose’s chances at a playoff spot but, they simply don’t have a shot.

So, that was Week 15′s power rankings. Did you agree or disagree with anything? Your thoughts below.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

7 games and much to think about. Week 14 highlighted the equality of MLS quite clearly. Each team receives 2.2 million dollars in cap space so naturally, teams will be relatively even.

This was evident in Week 14. Six out of 7 games were ties or one goal wins. Because there are no teams that will dominate every game, MLS Power Rankings tend to fluctuate more than a Power Ranking of any European League. Nonetheless, here are this week’s Power Rankings:

To be clear, the second number was last week’s Power Rankings.

1. (1) New England Revolution (9-4-3)

New England stumbled last week but took care of business this week. Toronto FC is a good team, but New England seem to be in a class of their own. New England now has a firm hold on the top spot in MLS Power Rankings.

2. (4) DC United (7-7-1)

I’m out of words about this DC team. Six weeks ago, their record was 2-7-0, now their 7-7-1. I’m no math genius but they’ve won five of their last six games and are officially the hottest team in MLS. Their emphatic win on Sunday over the Galaxy catapulted DC over Columbus and LA all the way to the second spot.

3. (3) Columbus (8-4-2)

It took a little grit to get by Colorado but Columbus appears to be on the right track. After starting out as the best team in MLS, Columbus stumbled but now seem stable and back to their winning ways. They would have been in the second spot if not for DC’s blowout victory over LA.

4. (2) LA Galaxy (6-5-3)

There were many questions that popped up about LA on Sunday. First and foremost among those questions is “Where did the defense go?” DC’s goals were not spectacular. I know LA is known for their porous defense but they need some help if they are going to push for the MLS title. I’ll have a tidbit about their quest for defenders later.

5. (6) Chicago Fire (6-5-2)

Chicago has been reeling and this week’s tie against San Jose won’t do much to help their confidence. It is the second straight game they’ve been shut out in and Brian Mcbride looks more and more desirable. Chicago moved up a spot not because of a good performance, but rather because the teams in front of them and behind them suffered losses.

6. (5) Toronto FC (6-4-4)

Toronto lost another road game and a team that used to be one of the best of the east is slowly slipping down the rankings and standings. If Toronto are to make a run at the title, they will need to resolve their poor road form.

7. (8) Houston Dynamo (4-4-7)

Houston looked good in their 1-1 tie against FC Dallas controlling most of the play. The defense still needs a little work on marking but beyond that, look for Houston to make a run up the standings and the Power Rankings.

8. (10) New York Red Bulls (5-4-5)

New York played to a 1-1 draw at Chivas, a result that they thoroughly deserved. New York will need to get healthy if they plan on making a run at the title. Juan Pablo Angel and Claudio Reyna must get healthy soon or New York might not make the playoffs. Some help via the transfer market is also needed.

9. (7) Real Salt Lake (5-6-4)

Real should have been able to hold on for a tie but an own goal by Tony Beltran doomed them to a loss at Kansas City. This loss is a big blow to Real’s good run of form.

10. (10) Chivas USA (5-6-3)

Chivas USA tied New York on Saturday and failed to build on an impressive win over Chicago last week. The Goats have the talent to be a Western Conference challenger. Preki showed his managerial prowess last year but Chivas just hasn’t been the same team.

11. (11) FC Dallas (4-6-5)

Dallas looked better against Houston in Schellas Hyndman’s second game of his tenure. Dallas, a team with a lot of talent should be up competing for a top spot in the West and hopefully, Hyndman has Dallas on the right track.

12. (13) Kansas City Wizards (4-5-4)

Kansas City had ten points after five matches and had thirteen points after twelve matches. They picked up a crucial win against Real Salt Lake. It was fortuitous, an 89′ minute own goal, and Kansas City still has some issues that need to be resolved. If Kansas City are interested in a playoff spot, they will need to improve when the transfer window begins.

13. (12) Colorado Rapids (5-8-1)

Colorado continues its poor run of form with no end in sight. A tie at Columbus would have been a positive step forward but they let the game slip away. Christian Gomez needs to get back to the starting lineup if Colorado are to challenge for a playoff spot.

14. (14) San Jose Earthquakes (3-8-3)

San Jose just aren’t good enough. It is obviously difficult to be a expansion team but twelve points out of fourteen matches is awful. Maybe their tie against a reeling Chicago can be the spark San Jose need but somehow, I just don’t see that happening. There is no real talent in the squad, or at least not enough to challenge for a playoff spot.

What do you guys think of the power rankings? Is it what you thought or are there some surprises? Let’s hear what you think below.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

German coach Joachim Low is grinning. He will face Turkey in the semi-final of the Euro’s, not Croatia. Turkey pounced on a strong Croatia team to steal victory in miraculous fashion. Croatia thought they had won, but the last play of the game and penalties doomed the Croats to an early exit. Turkish fans are ecstatic after their second straight comeback win, but the Germans are the true victors on the night.

Turkey, although they are through to the semi-finals, are decimated by injuries and suspensions. Emre Asik, Arda Turan, Tuncay Sanli, Volkan Demirel, (assuming his appeal of his suspension is denied) and Nihat (possible injury) all are unavailable for their semi-final clash against Germany. It took a full strength squad (and some luck) to dispatch the Czech’s and they seem to have used up their resources against the Croats.

Germany were the favorites going into competition, but their loss to Croatia relegated them in many eyes to having an outside chance at winning the competition. They went on to prove that they were actually a contender by dispatching a talented Portugal.

As great as Turkey’s two miraculous wins were, the absence of five key players will be tough to overcome for the Turks. Where will the goals come from if Arda Turan, Tuncay Sanli, and Nihat are all unavailable? Fatih Terim will ponder that exact question in the upcoming days.

The Turks have been in scintillating form towards the end of their past two games, but will that streak last? It took last minute efforts to beat the Czech’s and the Croats, but the Germans will be wary of the explosive capabilities of the Turks. There’s a phrase that says “The third time is the charm” and it will be difficult for the Turks to replicate their feats of their last two games. Some might say that the Turks were lucky to even be in the semi-finals and their claims are justifiable.

It took a once in a lifetime drop by Peter Cech for Turkey to advance to the knockout stages. It took a miraculous last second goal to force penalties against Croatia, and if more luck is needed against Germany, I am not sure it will come again.

The last major concern for the Turks is Volkan Demeril’s suspension. Demeril was solid throughout the group stage, but his meaningless red card at the end of their final group match meant he had to serve a two game suspension. Turkey is appealing the suspension; so hopefully, Demeril will play in the semi-final. If not, the Turks are in trouble. Rustu Recber, the backup keeper was to put it kindly, unreliable, awful, and erratic. His inability to position himself, judge whether or not he could reach balls, and his poor sense of danger should have cost Turkey the game.

Croatia’s goal was purely Recber’s poor decision making. Croatia did not make Turkey pay for Recber’s awful decision making and that ultimately cost them the game. The Germans are known for their finishing abilities and if Recber strays from goal, the Germans will not waste their chances. Turkish aspirations of advancing to the finals rest on Demeril’s appeal. If he does not play, Turkey will be in serious trouble.

I’m not counting out Turkey. There has been something spectacular about the heart and passion they play with. The path they’ve taken is one out of a Hollywood script. I’ve learned that you can never count out a team that wins out of shear will and determination. My bet is still on the Germans, but once in a while, a Cinderella story does come true.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

When you think of USA vs. Argentina, the first thing that might come to your mind is ‘demolition’ or ‘crushing defeat’. As an avid US Soccer fan, those were the words I was hoping wouldn’t have to be thought about, talked about, whispered, anything at all. To my surprise, I turned on the Tivo to watch the game, and the US never once made me think such thoughts (I know, shock of my life).

The first 20 minutes were shaky, and we needed Tim Howard to step up a few times, but we held on. As time progressed, we started to combine, attack, keep possession. The US played the game I always knew they were capable of. The defense was solid, midfield was comfortable, attack was (well it was Eddie Johnson, what do you expect) well, poor. This unprecedented performance by the USA is a complete 180 from the game against England.

The Yanks committed countless turnovers, never had much going forward, and left some glaring holes in the defense at Wembley. Against Spain, they had some bright spots, but fell back and let Xavi beat them on a goal that was the result of some horrendous flat-footed defense. Against Argentina, there were attacking ideas, strong stringent defense, and timely goal keeping. Eddie Johnson forced Abondanzieri to slide out and save, Heath Pearce forced him into a diving save, Clint Dempsey’s deflected shot almost went in, and Oguchi Onyewu hit the crossbar. Although there were no goals, we came close, and in the second half, the US was getting an equal share of play.

I was not optimistic about the USMNT’s chances against Argentina, the #1 team in the World. Out of all of the friendlies the US played, Argentina would have to be the most difficult. The USA had been demolished by England, and manhandled by Spain, two teams that aren’t as good as Argentina, but The Yanks came out and showed what they are capable of.

Heath Pearce was a machine on the field. Nobody got by him at the left-back position, and he never turned the ball over. He also got up the wing and put in some extremely dangerous balls. He also tested Abondanzieri with a gorgeous strike; unfortunately, Abondanzieri was up to the test. Pearce cemented his spot at left back with a fantastic performance.

Damarcus Beasley and Clint Dempsey are back. Both of them were poor against Spain and England, but were revitalized against Argentina. Beasley’s speed saw him run up the left wing, leaving defenders in his wake. His ability to spread the game out, and push up high, alleviated the pressure on the central midfielders, and allowed the team to have more time on the ball.

Dempsey was back to his normal self again. He was dangerous when he got the ball, and was constantly getting dragged down. His excellent ability to carry the ball and shield defenders was on display, and he almost won the US the game when his shot was deflected and missed the goal by a foot. Beasley and Dempsey left me bewildered in England and Spain, but gave strong performances against Argentina.

Landon Donovan returned from injury, and showed what the US lacked against England. Donovan is the poster boy of US Soccer, and he receives a lot of flack for it. He has never been successful in Europe, but his success for the US National Team is undeniable. He received his 100th cap last night, at the young age of 26. He was also the leading scorer in US history at the age of 25. He showed why he’s had so much success on the international stage against Argentina. At Wembley, we lacked the willingness to run at the defense, and take chances. Donovan, with his great speed took on Argentina with no hesitation. His pace troubled Argentina, and his ability to see the field and quickly combine was awesome. He is never afraid to take on a defender, no matter who it is. Having Donovan back helped the US put on a strong showing.

When the USA walked out onto the field, the capacity crowd cheered their lungs out. The supporters were clad in mostly red and white, something that doesn’t always happen in the US. Whether it was the fans, the excitement of playing the world’s best team, or Bob Bradley putting out the right lineup; The USA can be happy that they matched the play of Argentina. I can confidently say The Yanks are ready to begin World Cup qualifying against Barbados.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Jack Warner is the President of Concacaf, Vice-President of FIFA, and one of the sketchiest businessmen you could encounter. His questionable ethics when it pertains to advancing his own self-interest and that of Trinidad & Tobago are legendary.

As a proud supporter of the Yanks, I get scared every time Jack Warner is influential in any big decision. His long known favoritism to the little island nations of the Caribbean is a major concern for US fans. FIFA elects its presidents with each country receiving one vote. Similarly, each continental federation elects its president in the same manner. Warner panders to the numerous island nations, and then ignores nations like Mexico and the US without much worry. Sepp Blatter is also dependent on Warner. Blatter uses Warner to rally all of the Island nations to vote for him when FIFA presidential elections come around. The Caribbean makes up a significant portion of the votes, and Blatter would not be elected without them. So what is so egregious about this? He is operating inside the rules. The far less publicized story is that Warner uses the leverage he has with Blatter to get away with scandals and corruption. Warner has been involved in multiple scandals, and has never received the proper punishment from FIFA.

Warner is a smart guy, but he tried to skirt the law too many times. Warner’s scandals all coincidentally have to do with Trinidad & Tobago, his home country. Trinidad & Tobago played a friendly against Scotland at Easter Road in 2004. Warner attended the game which is no cause for concern, but what he did after that is concerning. He went to John McBeth, the president of the SFA and asked for the proceeds of the game to be made out to him personally, not the FF of T&T. McBeth responded appropriately. “No, we don’t do that” he said, but Warner also approached other members of the SFA to have the proceeds made out to him directly. Warner was completely out of line, but no investigation ensued from FIFA.

There is also the very publicized World Cup ticket scandal, but there is a less publicized bonus scandal with the T&T players. After the World Cup, which saw T&T make an admirable showing, there were bonuses due to the players. Warner reported that the FA had collected TT $18.25 million, and spent TT $17.9 million. Warner promised the players half of the difference, and the players could not believe the FF had profited so little from going to The World Cup. 13 members of the team retired from international football in protest, until their rightful bonus was given to them. It was later revealed that the FF had amassed more than TT $173 million. The players were rightfully suspicious.

Warner also damaged the possibility of the US hosting the World Cup (something I am not happy about). Warner said that he would “battle to bring…the tournament to his region”, as he should. Warner controls 3 of the 24 votes when deciding where to host the World Cup, making him very powerful on this matter. He said in that same interview that he would favor Italy, or Spain if the World Cup were to go to Europe. He since changed those statements in hopes of securing a friendly against England for T&T. After he secured a useless friendly in T&T, he changed his mind about England hosting the World Cup. Warner said “The time has come” for England to host a World Cup. It was a big blow for the US’s bid to host in 2018. If your own regional president does not back you, the whole bid could be jeopardized.

What ever you may think of Warner, he was smart enough to get himself in a position where he cannot be reprimanded for his misconduct.

What do you guys think about Warner? Is he as unethical as the evidence points to? You get to decide for your self.

[Sources: BBC Sport, Sunday Herald, BBC Sport International, Gaurdian]

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

A manager’s success is directly tied to the players he recruits, so naturally, the manager needs to make his money count. Clubs always have reservations about making money available to their manager, especially when players like David Nugent are bought for £6 million, but these ten buys were truly divine.

10. Blumer Elano (8 mil) – Manchester City

His shooting ability, vision, passing skill, and commitment were on show the whole season, even while the team faltered in the second half of the season. Manchester City’s form at the beginning of the year was in large part due to Elano’s contributions.

9. Phil Jagielka (4 mil) – Everton

I had reservations about this buy when first announced, but Jagielka became a major part of Everton’s push for Champions League football.

Jagielka played with passion and heart all year; something I enjoy seeing in my Evertonians. He was constantly aware in the back, and had outstanding positioning.

He was a bargain at 4 million pounds and Moyes will be pleased with this buy.

8. Sulley Muntari (7 mil) – Portsmouth

Sulley Muntari is a consistent and controlling midfielder, who has done wonders for Portsmouth. Muntari was aquired from Udinese who collected a nice fee for him, but his impact has been tangible.

His striking ability and his tidy play got Portsmouth to eighth in the table, and to be the FA Cup champions. Portsmouth’s presence in Europe is in part due to Muntari’s stellar play.

7. Carlos Tevez (unattached, loan) – Manchester United

Everybody remembers the Carlos Tevez saga. No one knew who owned Carlos Tevez and court dates had to be set. In the end, he signed a two-year loan deal with Manchester United.

In 48 appearances, he scored nineteen goals. His bullish play and knack for being in the right positions served Carlos and United well. Not bad for United, considering they haven’t paid a transfer fee for him yet.

6. Martin Petrov (4.7 mil) – Manchester City

Martin Petrov was an unknown quantity when he came to the premiership from Atletico Madrid, but the Bulgarian has proven he was worth the money. In 34 matches, Petrov has tallied 5 goals and nine assists. His runs up the left were key to City’s success as he was able to beat defenders on the dribble.

He was one of the few bright spots when the whole team faded at the end of the year, and at 4.7 mil, he was a bargain for the amount of influence he exerted when he played.

5. Owen Hargreaves (17mil) – Manchester United

Owen Hargreaves made the difference for United this year. His tireless play and his ability to hit stunningly effective free kicks were a key component to Manchester United’s double. 17 mil is not cheap, but Hargreaves delivered and more importantly has the potential to deliver for the next 5 years.

His sublime free kick against Arsenal probably won United the league, and his ball winning skills are exceptional. He took a lot of flack before the World Cup because the English public hadn’t seen him play but he has certainly proved his worth since for England and this year for Manchester United.

4. Jermain Defoe (9 mil) – Portsmouth

Jermain Defoe was a fantastic buy for Harry Redknapp. Defoe was languishing on the bench at Tottenham but has rebooted his career under Harry Redknapp’s guidance.

In Defoe’s 12 matches for Portsmouth, he netted 8 goals and led Portsmouth’s rise to number eight in the table. 9 million might seem like a lot for someone who could not start at Tottenham, but Jermain Defoe looks to be fulfilling his potential at Fratton Park.

3. Bacary Sagna (6 mil) – Arsenal

Sagna arrived in the summer from Auxerre, for a sum of £6 million. He was an unknown quantity when Arsene Wenger bought him, but Sagna has since become one of the most consistent and reliable right backs in the EPL. He was a key contributor to Arsenal’s league challenge before being injured.

Sagna was a bargain at 6 million pounds, considering the hugely positive impact he had on Arsenal’s performances this season.

2. Fernando Torres (26 mil) – Liverpool

Fernando Torres was the best player for Liverpool (besides Steven Gerrard) all year. He arrived from Atletico Madrid for an unbelievable £26 million (20m when you factor in Luis Garcia), but has been worth every penny.

His 24 goals in 33 league matches are the most goals scored by a foreigner in his first year in the EPL (beating Ruud van Nistelrooy’s previous record. Imagine Liverpool’s standing in the table if Torres hadn’t put them on his back and carried them upwards.

His pace and positioning combined with his shooting ability made him one of the top buys last summer.

1. Roque Santa Cruz (3 mil) – Blackburn

Roque Santa Cruz, a 26 year old Paraguayan, was hands down, the best buy of the year. Cruz scored 19 goals in 37 league appearances, which makes him the fourth leading scorer in the EPL. What makes this buy so good is the price v goals equation. Take your pick, you can have Cruz’s 19 goals for £3 million, or you can have Fernando Torres’s 24 goals for £20 million. I’ll take Santa Cruz as the best buy of the 2007-2008 EPL season.

Related: Summer 2007 Transfers, January 2008 Transfers, Football Transfer Lists.

Who’s in your Top 10 for the best transfers in 07/08? Share your list in the comments below.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News