Everyone remembers the winners. Most know that Brazil have won a record five World Cups, that Real Madrid have won the European Cup/Champions League a record nine times, and that Manchester United have captured a record 19 English First Division/Premier League titles.

But how many people can name every runner-up in those competitions directly from memory? Not many.

This is not to say that losers are completely forgotten. In fact, there are quite a few losers who are as memorable as some winners, due to the catastrophic manner in which they fell. Football has certainly seen its share over the years, and someone, somewhere will add themselves to that long list of legendary capitulations this year. It’s almost a guarantee.

Given how long the list is, it’s a difficult task to narrow it down to ten, but here goes, and apologies in advance to those who are having to relive some painful memories.

1. Brazil – 1950 World Cup ‘Final’ v. Uruguay

In the annals of football and sport history, few results could compare to this one.

For the better part of the tournament, it looked every bit like Brazil would claim glory on home soil. They scored eight goals en route to topping their group in the first round, which booked them a place in the four-team final group stage. Then, in their first two matches in the final group stage, they trounced Sweden 7-1 and Spain 6-1. All they had to do secure their first World Cup title was draw against Uruguay in their final match. Meanwhile, Uruguay, who had drawn against Spain and defeated Sweden, needed an unlikely victory to win a second World Cup title.

Brazil had led 3-0 at halftime in their wins against Sweden and Spain, but Uruguay held firm in the first 45 minutes. However, their resistance was broken almost right out of the gate in the second half, as Friaca netted in the 47th minute to put Brazil ahead.

Game over, right? It turns out that Uruguay had other ideas, and in the 66th minute, they equalized through Juan Alberto Schiaffino. Still, it was Brazil’s title to lose…and lose they did, as Alcides Ghiggia gave Uruguay a shock lead in the 79th minute, and Uruguay held on to win the match and the World Cup, stunning the masses at the Maracana who expected to be celebrating a Brazil win.

Since then, Brazil have lifted the trophy five times, but that stunning defeat will always represent a dark, dark day in their storied football history.

2. AC Milan – 2005 UEFA Champions League Final v. Liverpool

It was less than seven years ago, but all that happened on that night in Istanbul will always live on, especially with Liverpool fans.

Favorites AC Milan were looking for a second title in three years, and they had a dream start, scoring inside the first minute through a rare Paolo Maldini goal. Late in the first half, they struck twice more, and with a 3-0 lead, Milan had one hand firmly on the trophy.

But all it takes sometimes is one well-timed goal to kickstart a comeback, and Liverpool did indeed pull one back inside the first 10 minutes of the second half, via Steven Gerrard, the talisman of talismans. In a flash, it was 3-2, with the mighty Vladimir Smicer pulling back a second, and on the hour mark, Liverpool were level, with Xabi Alonso slotting home the rebound after Dida had saved his penalty.

The match would go into extra time, and then it would go into penalties. Two years prior, Milan had defeated rivals Juventus 3-2 on penalties to lift the trophy at Old Trafford, with Andriy Shevchenko netting the decisive kick. Milan were fighting an uphill battle from the start of the shootout, as they missed their first two penalties.

They would make their next two, but Liverpool held a 3-2 lead with Shevchenko stepping up to try to keep the Rossoneri in it. But as he had beaten Gianluigi Buffon two years prior, he was unable to beat Jerzy Dudek this time, and somehow, someway, Milan had thrown it all away.

3. England penalty takers – since the dawn of time

The Netherlands are infamous for their penalty failures as well, and so are Italy, but the last couple of decades have seen England make their name as the shakiest from the spot. There are many reasons why England haven’t won a major tournament since their one and only triumph at the World Cup they hosted in ‘66, but among the top reasons is a lack of success in shootouts.

• In the 1990 World Cup semifinals, Stuart Pearce and Chris Waddle missed England’s last two kicks in a 4-3 shootout defeat to West Germany.
• At Euro 1996, which they hosted, England advanced to the semis with a shootout win over Spain, but it was semifinal heartbreak at that stage against Germany yet again. Gareth Southgate was the only man to miss for England in the shootout, but his miss was the one that mattered in a 6-5 Germany win.
• Two years later at the World Cup, Paul Ince and David Batty missed in a 4-3 defeat to Argentina in the round of 16, but fortunately for them, it was David Beckham that would be considered the biggest goat on the night.
• In the Euro 2004 quarterfinals, there were bookend misses by Beckham and Darius Vassell in a 6-5 defeat to hosts Portugal.
• They again faced Portugal in the 2006 World Cup quarters, and the results were even worse, as Owen Hargreaves was the only man to convert in England’s four attempts in a 3-1 shootout defeat.

4. Hungary – 1954 World Cup Final v. West Germany

When you think of the greatest sides to not win the World Cup, Hungary’s 1954 team might hold the mantle for the nearly men.

Entering the final against West Germany, the prolific Hungarians, led by Ferenc Puskas and Sandor Kocsis, were heavily favored, and for good reason. Not only were they unbeaten for more than 30 games, they had crushed West Germany 8-3 in the group stage and had scored an astounding 25 goals in their four matches in the tournament.

And early on in the final in Bern, it looked like it’d be another beating, as goals from Puskas and Zoltan Czibor gave Hungary a 2-0 lead inside eight minutes. However, they wouldn’t score again for the last 80-plus minutes, and they wouldn‘t be able to hold their lead either. West Germany were level ten minutes later, and then, in the 84th minute, Helmut Rahn scored his second to give the underdogs a late 3-2 advantage.

There were multiple controversial calls that didn’t go Hungary’s way in the match, but in the end, a defeat is a defeat, and this remains one of football’s greatest upsets.

5. Real Madrid – 2003/04 La Liga season

Real Madrid were well on their way to capturing their 30th La Liga title before a stunning collapse in the final few months of the 2003/04 season.

Real, with their host of superstars, entered March eight points clear of Deportivo La Coruna with a dozen matches remaining. They opened the month with consecutive draws against Racing Santander and Real Zaragoza and a defeat at Athletic Bilbao, but they were still three points ahead of Valencia, who had moved into second.

The rot was seemingly stopped with consecutive wins to end March and open April, but then the wheels completely fell off. Real lost seven of their last eight matches, including four in a row at home and five in a row overall to end the season. Not only were they overtaken by Valencia, who won the title and finished seven points clear of Real, they were also passed by Barcelona and Deportivo, winding up an astonishing fourth after seemingly being in complete control.

And to make the league collapse sting even more, they were stunned in the Copa del Rey final by Real Zaragoza also capitulated in the Champions League quarterfinals against AS Monaco.

6. U.S. Women’s National Team – 2011 Women’s World Cup Final v. Japan

The U.S. women’s team entered the final of last summer’s tournament heavily favored to take home their third Women’s World Cup title, but they fell flat in Frankfurt. Going in, not only were the U.S. #1 in the rankings, but they had never lost to Japan in 25 previous meetings, winning 22 and drawing three times.

The U.S. dominated proceedings from early on, but they weren’t able to translate that domination into a lead until Alex Morgan’s goal in the 69th minute. But Japan didn’t buckle, and in the 81st minute, they drew level thanks in part to shambolic defending by the U.S. The match went into extra time, and again, the U.S. took the lead, with Abby Wambach scoring in the 104th minute.

It looked once again like the Americans were on the verge, but once again, Japan didn’t buckle, and they equalized in the 113th minute. The match went to penalties, and the shootout proved to be disastrous for the U.S., as they missed their first three penalties to fall behind 2-0 with two spot kicks remaining. Wambach converted to keep hope flickering, but Saki Kumagai snuffed it out, slotting home the winning penalty and leaving the U.S. to rue a litany of missed opportunities and an inability to twice hold a late lead.

7. John Terry, Chelsea – 2008 UEFA Champions League Final v. Manchester United

Roman Abramovich was moments away from having all of his hopes and dreams fulfilled. Then came the slip seen ‘round the world.

United had edged Chelsea out for the English Premier League title in the 2007/08 season, but Chelsea had an opportunity to get the last laugh and the biggest prize of them all in Moscow. Cristiano Ronaldo gave United the lead in the 26th minute, but Chelsea equalized shortly before halftime through Frank Lampard.

The match went into extra time, with both sides seeing great chances go begging. With time winding down in the second half of extra time, a skirmish broke out between the two sides, and Chelsea star Didier Drogba was sent for slapping United defender Nemanja Vidic.

Chelsea went into the shootout without their star striker, but they converted each of their first four penalties, whereas Ronaldo missed United’s second. Up stepped captain John Terry with a chance to deliver European glory to Chelsea. Destiny was calling, but it was a rainy, rainy night in Moscow, and as Terry struck the ball, he lost his footing, and his attempt struck the outside of the post.

Each side converted its next penalty, and after Ryan Giggs made it 6-5 in favor of United, Nicolas Anelka needed to score to continue the shootout. His shot went to the left, and United keeper Edwin van der Sar dived to his right, emphatically batting the ball away to crush Chelsea hearts.

8. Newcastle United – 1995/96 English Premier League season

Parity hasn’t exactly been prevalent in the Premier League era, as, to date, Blackburn’s title triumph in the 1994-95 season is the only time that the title has gone to someone not named Manchester United, Arsenal, or Chelsea.

But the season after Blackburn’s win, Kevin Keegan and Newcastle had an excellent chance of their own to take the title. The Magpies hadn’t won a title in the top flight since 1926/27, but under Keegan, they had gone from Second Division strugglers (now the Championship) to serious title contenders in a few short seasons.

Despite a 2-0 defeat at United in late December, Newcastle topped the table going into 1996, and they would increase that lead to as much as a dozen points in January. United began to pick up the pace, but Newcastle still led by eight points with a game in hand in February.

However, while United stayed hot, Newcastle went ice cold. A 1-0 defeat at home to United on 4 March allowed United to pull within a point, and United would wind up three points clear at the end of the month. Newcastle had two matches in hand and a realistic chance to turn momentum back in their favor, and they did indeed have a three-match win streak in April that sent them into May still in it, three points with two matches left to United‘s one.

However, they drew their last two matches at home against Aston Villa and Tottenham, and United wrapped up the title on the last day of the season, finishing four points clear by virtue of their 3-0 win at Middlesbrough. Newcastle would finish second to United again the following season, but the opportunity missed then was not nearly as momentous as the previous one.

9. Burnley – 1961/62 English First Division season

At present, Burnley are one of many Championship sides fighting for a chance at Premier League promotion, but half a century ago, they were one of England’s best teams. In the 1959/60 season, they edged Wolves and Tottenham out for the First Division title, and after finishing fourth the next season, they were back in the thick of the title hunt in the 1961/62 season.

In early March, Burnley had a four-point lead and a game in hand on Ipswich Town, who were First Division first timers but contending for the title under manager Alf Ramsey, who‘d lead England to World Cup success in 1966. But the Clarets won only two of their final 13 matches, which allowed Ipswich to claim the title by three points.

10. Arsenal – v. Newcastle, 2010-11 English Premier League season

Newcastle conceded inside the first minute, and inside three minutes, they were down 2-0 to the title-chasing Gunners. Less than 10 minutes in, it was 3-0, and before the clock had hit the half-hour mark, it was 4-0 to the visitors. It looked like game, set, match Arsenal at that point, but improbably and inexplicably, Arsenal gave Newcastle an opening, and the comeback of comebacks happened.

It all started in the 50th minute, when Abou Diaby was sent off for pushing Joey Barton and then Kevin Nolan after a crunching challenge from Barton. At that point, Newcastle still had a mountain to climb, but the climb was made even easier when Arsenal conceded a penalty midway through the second half, which was duly dispatched by Barton. On 75 minutes, Leon Best made it 4-2, and all of a sudden, hope had returned. Minutes later, it was truly alive and well, as Barton slotted home a second penalty. Time was still short for Newcastle, but all the momentum was on their side, and in the 87th minute, a cleared free kick went in the direction of Cheik Tiote, who let rip a volley that found its target and sent St. James’ Park into raptures.

In the end, Newcastle actually narrowly missed a chance to win it, but to have plucked a point from the unlikeliest of situations was amazing in itself. As for Arsenal, it proved to be a tremendous missed opportunity, as Manchester United went down at Wolves in the day’s evening kickoff, which meant that instead of being a mere two points back, Arsenal were four back. And just like they couldn’t keep it together at Newcastle, they couldn’t keep it together down the stretch and finished fourth, a dozen points behind United.

But really, who needs words when you have Jeff Stelling and Phil Thompson?

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From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Thursday was the five-month anniversary of Jürgen Klinsmann’s appointment as head coach of the United States men’s national team. In that short time, he has presided over seven games and has a paltry 2-1-4 record.

He has also instituted some controversial player-selection policies, in some instances preferring European-born players to Americans. This has led to some backlash, most recently this morning from U.S.-born professional player Preston Zimmerman that started some discussion on Twitter about Klinsmann’s policies:

Preston Zimmerman (from Pasco, Wash., currently playing for SV Darmstadt 98 in Germany's 3rd Liga) lashes out at Jürgen Klinsmann on Wednesday morning on Twitter.

On Nov. 10, Brian Straus of Sporting News published an interview with Klinsmann ahead of the 1-0 U.S. loss in France. In it, Klinsmann made some assertions that implied the U.S. is better off with Europeans on its national team than Americans.

For example:

“It’s a different part of American culture. It’s the global picture that America represents. Those are kids who came through military families or for whatever reasons, working reasons of their parents, then they grow up with a different educational system, which gives them in soccer terms an edge ahead of American kids growing up in the U.S. They go through thousands more hours of playing the game than the American kid because the American kid only plays organized [soccer]. They come through different systems that gave them, especially, a technical advantage, an advantage in terms of how they read the game, anticipate the game, because the more you play the more you read things ahead.”

But the fact that he’s selecting foreign players is not his fault; it’s society’s:

“Now you live in this dual-citizenship world that is normal. It’s globalization. It’s just the way it is.”

Klinsmann obviously has a disdain for the grassroots of the American soccer system. He doesn’t seem to understand that it is different here; the same things that work in Europe or South Americ will not work in the U.S. The landscape is changing toward a more hybrid system with European allusions, but it will never be exactly the same.

The U.S. Soccer Development Academy is expanding, with Major League Soccer clubs taking a greater interest in youth soccer than ever before. However, most of these players will continue to go to college than straight to the pro ranks when they turn 18. The very top players who are ready for it will make the jump to the first team; others will get four more years (some less, if they leave early) to develop as players before taking that leap.

Looking at the last three U.S. World Cup rosters, the American system has fared just fine. Just six players out of 49 grew up in what could be considered a non-American system (youth play outside of the country):

Click on the image for a full-size version of the 2002, 2006 and 2010 U.S. World Cup rosters.

These American-born players made their mark on the college system before becoming professionals, and they made it to the quarterfinals in 2002 and won their group — which included England, a nation that exemplifies the club youth academy system — in 2010.

Evidently, being a non-American does not necessarily make a player better.

Those 2002, 2006 and 2010 players who did not play in college played for the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., which is the precursor to and a model for the current U.S. Development Academy system. IMG still has two teams participating in the new system, but graduates of the old academy include Landon Donovan, Damarcus Beasley, Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore.

The academy system developed from that early start, and now all clubs under the Development Academy umbrella receive support from the U.S. Soccer Federation, not just IMG. To continue finding quality youth players, this system has to keep developing.

It’s off to a fine start — most NCAA Division I recruits played at an academy, and 16 of the 20 members of the U-17 national team that just won the 2011 Nike International Friendlies play for an academy side.

Additionally, Klinsmann has to realize the right balance between the European system and the existing American system. Imposing too much change will destroy all the work that has been done up to this point to find a system that is uniquely American but still effective on the global soccer stage.

Finally, a few more MLS selections to U.S. friendly squads would be nice, instead of European-born and -based players of whom nobody has heard or seen play.

Hopefully, the U.S. will be holding the World Cup in 2014, and Klinsmann will look like a genius despite his rocky first few months in charge. But that’s a far cry from the current look of things. If World Cup qualifying starts slowly for the U.S., changes have to be made quickly.

Sacrificing this World Cup cycle for future cycles would be unacceptable because the talent the U.S. has right now demands that success be immediate, not sometime in the future.

Liviu Bird is a goalkeeper for Seattle Pacific University and editor-in-chief of The Falcon, Seattle Pacific’s student newspaper. Follow him on Twitter.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

On Wednesday night, the U.S. National Team ushered in the Jurgen Klinsmann era with a 1-1 tie against Mexico in Philadelphia. The new U.S. coach spent most of the evening with a smile on his face, and although the first half of his debut was less than promising, the second half provided plenty of reason to be optimistic.

The U.S. started in a 4-2-3-1 formation that is designed to spring into a 4-3-3 on the attack and sink into a 4-5-1 on defense. It is primarily a possession formation that engineers attacks from the back to the front.

However, in the first half, the U.S. was not getting enough players high to make the formation truly effective. The 4-2-3-1 works only if the team is able to attack with numbers. At times, only three to five U.S. players would go up against seven or eight Mexican defenders. All of the attacking players, the defensive midfielders and at least the strong-side outside back must be involved in the attack.

Working out of the back, the U.S. was not finding the outside backs enough in the build-up. They were doing a good job of pulling high and wide, and the center backs were pulling to the width of the 18-yard box, but Mexico was able to sit centrally for most of the game because the outsides were not involved enough. Getting the ball wide opens up space in the middle for the defensive midfielders to check to the ball in the 4-2-3-1 formation.

However, in a formation set up for possession, Kyle Beckerman was Klinsmann’s most shrewd selection. He always plays simple, does not lose the ball and gets stuck in on tackles defensively. Beckerman excelled in this game, especially during a shaky first half. Finding his feet in the middle allowed Jose Torres and Landon Donovan to get the ball wide in the attacking half when not much was going on for the U.S. in that space.

Physically, the U.S. was still imposing, minus on the Mexico goal. The team is not afraid to get in on tackles. The U.S. goal was a result of Brek Shea’s ability to hold off his defender physically and slot a ball across the goal to Robbie Rogers, who scored on his first touch of the game.

Speaking of Rogers, the substitutes really sparked the U.S. in the second half. Juan Agudelo dribbled at players, Shea created chances and Rogers put one away. Shea assisted the goal and got behind the Mexican defense in the last 10 minutes. Rogers got taken down behind the defense and should have drawn a red card, using his pure pace to beat a defender who had two or three yards on him at the start.

The U.S. got much better on the attack toward the end of the game, largely due to the substitutions. Donovan, who was quiet for the majority of the first hour, was more involved in the latter stages. When Clint Dempsey comes in for the U.S., the attack will only get better.

All in all, it could have been a lot worse for a team playing under a new coach, coming up against an established team with recent success such as Mexico. Now, it is time to iron out the details. The U.S. was shaky on set pieces, both offensively and defensively, including the Mexico goal and Rafael Marquez’s near miss at the far post in the second half. Of course, not all U.S. personnel was available for selection; it will be interesting to see what Klinsmann will do with a full roster at his disposition.

Nonetheless, it is clear from this game (and the history of the U.S. team in general) that Klinsmann might do well to find a style that better suits the physicality of American players and appeals less to the technical side, which is lacking in comparison to the rest of the world. The U.S. found success against Mexico in the final third using its speed and power, not its technical ability. Perhaps it is time for Klinsmann to embrace that as the “culture” of the U.S. team and not get too caught up in playing pretty soccer.

Liviu Bird is a goalkeeper for Seattle Pacific University and editor-in-chief of The Falcon, Seattle Pacific’s student newspaper. You can follow him on Twitter here.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Also See: Jurgen Klinsmann: The making of an icon.

Also See: Klinsmann: USSF wouldn’t give me 100% control of USMNT.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The annual Cosmos Copa is once again on the horizon with 16 ebullient teams gunning for glory. In what will be its third consecutive year, the tournament is one of the most prominent amateur adult soccer tournaments in the United States. Situated in one of the world’s great cosmopolitan meccas, Cosmos Copa was created to bring New Yorkers together to enjoy the city’s rich cultural diversity through the spectacle of soccer.

Run by America’s legendary soccer franchise the New York Cosmos, this unique concept cosists of community based ‘national teams’ whose players play for their respected nationality, heritage and culture in a FIFA World Cup-esque tournament.  The 16 teams vying it out to be ‘Cosmos Copa City Champions’ are:

• NYC Colombia
• NYC Croatia
• NYC Ecuador
• NYC El Salvador
• NYC England
• NYC Greece
• NYC Haiti
• NYC Ireland
• NYC Italy
• NYC Ivory Coast
• NYC Jamaica
• NYC Kosovo
• NYC Mexico
• NYC Poland
• NYC Senegal
• NYC Trinidad & Tobago

2011 Cosmos Copa Schedule

A qualification process that involved 22 teams battled it out at the beginning of the month for eight remaining spots – with the other eight having already qualified based on their performance and participation last year.

The final tournament will kick-off on the weekend commencing July 9^th up until the 24^th of the same month.

Reigning champions Poland will be hoping to win a consecutive title as 2009 champions Albania failed to make the grade this time around.

The opening weekend will consist of  the group stage fixtures. Starting at 8am and finishing at 8pm at Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Cosmos Copa will feature 24, 1-hour matches (2, 25-minute matches, 10-minute halftime) with each 2011 NYC Team playing 3 games in their group on fields 8-9 at the park. The top 2 teams from each group will advance to the quarter finals.

GROUP A: NYC Jamaica, NYC Senegal, NYC Trinidad & Tobago, NYC Ecuador

GROUP B: NYC Haiti, NYC El Salvador, NYC Kosovo, NYC England

GROUP C: NYC Poland, NYC Ivory Coast, NYC Croatia, NYC Mexico

GROUP D: NYC Ireland, NYC Colombia, NYC Italy, NYC Greece

The qualifying teams will advance to the quarter-finals the following weekend and so forth up until the final two meet in the championship match on Sunday July 24^th.

For more information visit the official Cosmos Copa Website.

Additionally check out the latest goings on at New York Cosmos.

Follow Ross Mackiewicz on Twitter: @RossMackiewicz

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Mexico is king of CONCACAF for another two years and there’s no second guessing this time. After beating a US “B” team in the 2009 final, El Tri demolished the best the US had to offer in an entertaining 4-2 final Saturday.

With the tournament over let’s take a look at where some teams go from here and some thoughts on who impressed and who has work to do heading into World Cup qualifying.

Are we heading into the golden era of Mexico soccer?

A much respected colleague of mine is convinced that this is the best Mexico team we’ve seen. From an attacking standpoint he could be correct. The combination of Gio Dos Santos – who Tottenham would love to be as good at the club level as he is with the national team –, Chicharito, Pablo Barrera, Andres Guardado and Aldo de Nigris is the best group of attackers El Tri has ever seen.

While they’re great going forward Mexico’s future is bright in the back. With Captain Rafa Marquez likely to be moving away from national team duty a back line of Efrian Juarez, Carlos Salcido, Hector Reynoso and Jorge Torres Nilo could provide the type of defense that could put Mexico into the upper-echelon of world soccer.

US exposed?

While Mexico is flying high after the final win the US and Bob Bradley is left to figure out just what went wrong. To find the answers Bradley & Co. need to look at the back line first. With Steve Cherundolo – who had an excellent tournament – going down in the 11^th minute the US was left to rely on Jonathan Bornstein on the left side. The move showed just how shallow the lack of depth is on defense for the US and the team gave up four goals in the loss.

With the US showing their creative side in the attack with Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and the resurgent Freddy Adu providing a spark, the concern should shift from the attacking core to the back line. That’s where the questions lie that will define Bradley’s second tour of duty.

Tournament surprise

Early in the Gold Cup it looked like Jamaica would be the up-and-coming team from the tournament, but the team that impressed the most as an underdog was Panama. They twice took the game to the US and showed that they can play the type of organized, stingy defense that propelled a team like Paraguay to World Cup success in 2010.

Tournament disappointment

Costa Rica was expected to be a serious challenger for the Gold Cup and the Ticos were anything but. Their stars Bryan Ruiz and Alvaro Saborio never got on track. They’re futility was evidenced by their elimination where the team missed a penalty kick in regulation and then lost out in a shootout.

Best XI

GK: Jaime Penedo (Panama)

DEF: Steve Cherundolo (US), Felipe Baloy (Panama), Carlos Salcido (Mexico), Carlos Gallardo (Guatemala)

MID: Andres Guradado (Mexico), Clint Dempsey (US), Gio Dos Santos (Mexico), Gerrado Torrado (Mexico)

FWD: Javier “Chichartio” Hernandez (Mexico), Rodolfo Zelaya (El Salvador)

Honorable Mention: GK Tim Howard (US), DEF Christian Noriega (Guatemala), MID Gabriel Gomez (Panama), Omar Daley (Jamaica), FWD Pablo Barrera (Mexico), Jerry Bengsten (Honduras), Dane Richards (Jamaica)

MVP: Gio Dos Santos (Mexico)

Runners-up: Andres Guardado (Mexico), Rodolfo Zelaya (El Salvador)

That’s it. Thanks for following and reading during the Gold Cup. It’s been fun and I hope you enjoyed the coverage.

Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com and contributes to Soccerlens.com during the Gold Cup. Follow him on twitter at @Dynamoexaminer.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

In 24 hours we’ll know how the latest edition of CONCACAF’s best rivalry went down as another US-Mexico Gold Cup finale is upon us. With previews and analysis filling the internet there’s a number of issues and storylines being written about. Here I will provide some of the more interesting ones along with some keys to Saturday’s finale and my prediction.

US changing of the guard?

Overall, most who’ve followed the US during the Gold Cup would say they’ve been uninteresting. The Yanks haven’t blown anyone out – actually they dropped a group stage game – and haven’t been truly dominant.

But one storyline is cropping up: Is this Clint Dempsey’s team now? Landon Donovan has long been considered the face of US soccer. The star that fans, media and teammates gravitate too while with the team.

But 2011’s Gold Cup has been about Dempsey. The Fulham man has been the player that’s made things happen for the US both in the build up and the attack. On the other hand Donovan has been placed in the role of “super-sub” the last two games.

With Dempsey taking the lead on the field, a big performance in the finale could signal that Dempsey and his friend Donovan may be switching places in the hierarchy of the US squad.

Down a few stars

On the topic of Donovan, a day ahead of the finale the LA Galaxy playmaker admitted to the media that he’s not been told if he’ll start or come off the bench. It’s lunacy on the surface but with his impact off the bench being better than his impact in games he’s started it’s not out of the question.

A decision to start the game with Donovan on the bench could either enhance Bob Bradley’s image – which has improved this week – or completely kill any good feelings he has built. This could truly be a make or break decision for Bradley’s public image.

On the Mexican side, playmaker Andres Guardado and defender Carlos Salcido are question marks for the game. Guardado suffered an ankle injury in the second half of Wednesday’s semifinal and Salcido is fighting a lingering heel injury from his EPL season.

Both players will be tough to replace but Guardado has been spectacular in the tournament. For my money he’s been the best Mexican player and missing him could hurt El Tri’s advantage in possession and distribution.

Is fatigue a factor?

The Gold Cup is a tough tournament because of the short timeframe and long travel involved in playing games across the US. With both teams playing a tough semifinal opponent and Mexico going into extra-time and only two rest days how will the effort be on Saturday night?

Keys to the game

For the US this game is about staying organized and creating quality chances. I emphasize the word quality. When the US get possession and go forward they need to make the most of it. Also, they need to shut the lanes down and kill the space for Mexico’s talented midfield to find their talented attackers. If the US can win the midfield battle they’ll win the game.

For Mexico it’s simple: Play your best. If both teams play their best Mexico will win. They’re a better squad – not by as much as it looked like in the group stage but they are better. With their talent and ability in the attack El Tri will get their chances and if players like Chicharito, Aldo de Nigris and Gio Dos Santos get in behind the US they need to punish the US. The main concerns for Mexico should be that the US has a solid and physical midfield full of workers. The space will be much tighter.

Prediction

This is a tough one because I don’t think either team’s playing its best soccer right now and there’s questions surrounding the participation of three of the game’s best players. Going on the information I have I believe it’s going to be a very tight game with Mexico pulling it out in the end.

Mexico 2-1 in the end.

Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com and contributes to Soccerlens.com during the Gold Cup. Follow him on twitter at @Dynamoexaminer.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

There were a number of questions facing the U.S. heading into their Gold Cup quarterfinal against Jamaica. A regional power that was considered by some to be an underdog, the U.S. entered the match as a team struggling to finish and without their best player Landon Donovan in the starting lineup.

Yet the Yanks took advantage of their strength in midfield, dominating possession and controlling the flow of the match. Adding a few finishes in the second half, and benefiting from a questionable red card, the U.S. put on their best performance of the Gold Cup and advanced to the semifinals to be played in Houston Wednesday night.

Coming into the match the U.S. were understandably wary of Jamaica’s ability to counter attack. Aware of the Reggae Boyz speed, the U.S. put their foot on the ball and played keep away for much of the match. The U.S. successfully carrying out that game plan limited the Jamaicans to only a handful of counter attack chances.

While the U.S. dominated possession from the beginning the finishing took some time to show up. After a number of quality chances were squandered in the first half the U.S. finally broke through in the second half.

It took 49 minutes but Jermaine Jones – who was on a yellow card – hit a low driving shot toward the Jamaican goal. The shot seemed destined to find goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts but a deflection off Houston Dynamo defender Jermaine Taylor redirected the shot above a lunging Ricketts for the U.S. game winner.

Jones and Taylor found themselves connected again 17 minutes later when the streaking American midfielder sold a foul on the Jamaican earning him an ejection. With Taylor the last line of defense, an apparent foul from behind caused the referee to reach for the red card despite the replay showing little to no contact and changed the complexion of the match.

Down a man and a goal the Jamaicans pushed for an equalizer and were caught forward in the 79^th minute and paid for it in the way of a Clint Dempsey goal. The final tally was the product of a good counter attack and a nifty feed from first half sub Juan Agudelo – who entered early in the match for the injured Jozy Altidore who left with a left hamstring injury – and secured the win for the Americans.

Match Thoughts

- Anderlecht midfielder Sacha Kljestan put in a standout performance today linking well with his teammates. His only downgrade would be his inability to get shots off.

- Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey arrived in the wee hours of Sunday morning and were concerns for the match. Reports on twitter had Dempsey arriving at 2AM and still able to make the start. However, the same report had Donovan arriving at 7AM and that contributed to his starting on the bench. Bedoya put in a very good 65 minute shift in place of the LA Galaxy and US star.

- Jamaican goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts was the man of the match for the Reggae Boyz despite the score line. The LA Galaxy stopper was very good and was the only reason Jamaica was in the game at half time.

- Commend Carlos Bocanegra and the U.S. back line. At a distinct speed disadvantage the U.S. defense was solid technically and with their positioning and kept the Reggae Boyz from getting behind them.

Now the U.S. awaits the winner of the nightcap between Panama and El Salvador to know who they’ll face in Houston Wednesday night.

Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com and contributes to Soccerlens.com during the Gold Cup. Follow him on twitter at @Dynamoexaminer.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

On the day of the U.S.’ Gold Cup quarterfinal against Jamaica it’s seems like ages since the 2010 World Cup. Despite a tough extra time elimination at the hands of Ghana, the U.S. soccer program was riding high coming home from South Africa. Then the plane touched down and reality set in.

A lackluster year and three underwhelming Gold Cup group stage games later and the U.S. are facing a tough opponent in a match that they’re not a favorite in. With Jamaica standing in the way of a semi-final berth, Bob Bradley’s U.S. squad will have to fight a team that’s more athletic and in better form.

Previewing the match has been a tough order. The parts are there for the U.S. to be successful. Bradley has quality players at his disposal but there are two legitimate questions that come to mind surrounding the squad.

- Slow Starts?

Getting into the flow of matches has been a tough task. While it seems simple enough the concentration and energy has lacked for the U.S. coming out of the gate in recent years. The issue caught up to the squad in South Africa and has done the same in the Gold Cup. How can the U.S. overcome the slow starts? That’s a question Bradley and Co. need to answer and quick.

- Motivation?

The U.S. has not looked bad in the Gold Cup. Actually the play has been good and the passing has seen long stretches where it’s been top quality. Still there’s a lack of urgency. The team seems to be moving a step slow. Nowhere is it more evident than in front of the net where the U.S. has been anything but clinical.

Answering these questions will go a long way towards securing passage to the semi-finals. In their way will be a Jamaican team that will look to run the U.S. into the ground. With that said, here are three keys for the U.S. to come out victorious.

1. Keep Jamaica in front of them

Keeping the speedy Jamaican squad in front of them is key for the Yanks. At a significant disadvantage in the speed department when comparing Jamaica’s attack to the Yanks back line, the U.S. will need to avoid defending while facing their own goal. If the game becomes a series of foot races, the U.S. will surely come out on the losing end.

2. Control the tempo

Despite Jamaica’s speed, the class or quality on the ball favors Bradley’s squad. The U.S. will need to dictate the pace of the match and attempt to grind the pace of the game down. If Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones can provide a steadying influence and distribute the ball to Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and Jozy Alitdore the U.S. will be at the advantage.

3. Finish, finish & more finish

Can Jozy Altidore find the net again Sunday?

Finishing is a simple and common key. But in a match of two teams that can generate chances at will the ability to convert will be key. For the U.S. that means putting away easy chances which was not a given against Guadeloupe. If the U.S. is to advance Dempsey and Altidore will have to put the ball past Donovan Ricketts or risk being caught on the counter. With Jamaica likely to push forward and not “park the bus” – something the U.S. has not seen this Gold Cup – there will be space and opportunity to score.

With that said, the U.S. will face its toughest test in the Gold Cup to date on Sunday. The way the team responds from the first kick will provide a look into the team’s make up and the coach’s ability to get the team ready. If the team comes out flat and gets behind early it could mean disaster and will raise even more questions about Bradley’s status as head coach.

Needless to say there’s a lot on the line for Bradley and Co. Sunday afternoon.

Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com and contributes to Soccerlens.com during the Gold Cup. Follow him on twitter at @Dynamoexaminer.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Sunday’s quarterfinal matches show just how imprecise predictions can be. Teams that were considered to be favorites in the Gold Cup coming in are now underdogs and an unlikely group winner looks to continue a good run. So while Saturday features tournament favorite Mexico and a clash between Costa Rica and Honduras, Sunday offers a bit of role reversal for those involved.

USA versus Jamaica

Entering this tournament I think it’s safe to say the consensus was that the U.S. was a favorite to reach the Gold Cup finale. Yet after a disastrous friendly loss against Spain and three underwhelming performances in the group stage – including a loss to Panama – the U.S. finds itself an underdog against Jamaica in Sunday’s matinee.

U.S. Coach Bob Bradley

The Yanks enter the game with negative momentum – if there’s such a thing – as critics and fans seem to concentrate on the negatives of the first round of the tournament. Unfortunately, those critics and pessimistic fans have evidence for the position: the team’s form. The U.S. has not played at a high level since the World Cup last summer. And playing against a team that’s streaking and pose significant matchup issues, the U.S. finds themselves in a tough position.

While the U.S. is reeling the Reggae Boyz are looking to get stronger. They’re the fastest team in the tournament and have some quality technical players going forward. For all their speed going forward the Jamaicans are a powerhouse in the back. Jermaine Taylor and Shavar Thomas are rocks in the middle and Donovan Rickets could be the second best ‘keeper in the tournament. It seems as though all signs are pointing to a Jamaica win.

Impact player: Ryan Johnson, Jamaica

In game where there are a number of good players on the field Johnson could be the most important. Jamaica has speed, power and flair. However, Johnson – a winger for Sporting Kansas City – is the only forward that’s shown to be a goal scorer. Can Johnson punish the U.S. center back pairing and finish the chances that Jamaica’s speed creates? The answer could decide the match.

Prediction: This is very difficult. Go with the recent form or history? History says that even though Jamaica has played better, the U.S. will find a way to buckle down and win. Form says that Jamaica’s the favorite. I’ll go with history – because I think the U.S. will finish its chances this time, but it’ll be close. Very close. U.S. wins 1-0.

El Salvador v. Panama

This is the match that many could be underestimating. Panama won group C but were far from dominant. They’ll be rested having played just five of their starters against Canada Tuesday. The combination of Blais Perez and Luis Tejada has been very good for Panama and they’ll present trouble for an El Salvador defense that showed it’s susceptible to quick attackers.

El Salvador is a plucky team with a forward who’s playing like a star. Rodolfo Zelaya has made his presence felt in the Gold Cup scoring three goals and could be one of the most dangerous players in the tournament. Around him is a cast of players who have technical skill and the ability to create on the counter. After their opening 5-0 loss against Mexico the prognosis wasn’t good. But it looks like that was a case of Mexico being really good and their following 1-1 draw against Costa Rica and 6-1 destruction of Cuba showed that.

Impact Player: Rodolfo Zelaya, El Salvador

The 22 year old Zelaya is likely on the wish list of any club that’s scouted the Gold Cup. His speed and finishing sets him apart from many other players in the tournament. If the youngster gets his chance he will make Panama pay.

Prediction: This has the potential to be an open game with lots of goals. I will bank on a talented but overshadowed El Salvador in what is a mild upset – if you throw the tournament records out. 3-1 El Salvador.

Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com and contributes to Soccerlens.com during the Gold Cup. Follow him on twitter at @Dynamoexaminer.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News