MLS Regular Season concludes

Long time since my last post, but I finally have something else to talk about. I've avoided talking about the crazy NFL season thus far, where a team that leads the league in total offense and defense has a record of 2-5 and the defending Super Bowl champs can be humbled at home by the sad-sack Cleveland Browns. The whole "Any Given Sunday" trope has to be trotted out yet again....

But instead of focusing on that, I want to talk about the just-completed MLS regular season. I think this year will mark a turning point in MLS history. One sure sign of this is the retirement of several league legends and a couple of original members. There were very few of those hardy souls left in the game, and now I'm not sure if there are any left. The biggest name belongs to Brian McBride, the first-ever MLS draft pick from way back in 1996. After a stellar college career, McBride slammed home 4 goals in his MLS debut that season and garnered enough interest over a few seasons in Columbus to earn a big payday in England. He became something of a folk hero at Fulham for scoring timely goals, and only returned to MLS last season to play out his twilight years ("twilight years" in soccer terms... meaning he's just middle-aged for life).

Another legend retired this season. Jaime Moreno will leave MLS as the league's all-time leading scorer. It's doubtful that his record will hold up for very long (second-place all-time is Jeff Cunningham of Dallas, who is expected to return next season and only trails by a single goal), but Moreno isn't purely a "stats" guy. Moreno was with DC United from their inception in 1996 and was a crucial member of that team for all 4 of their titles (including the shameful 2004 title earned courtesy of a blatant Alecko Eskandarian handball... and yes I'm still bitter about it!). Moreno possessed a deft touch on the ball and lightning-quick reflexes around the penalty area. While never a speedster, he routinely surprised defenders with a quick short-distance burst and a calm head in front of goal. It says something (both in favor of Moreno and indicting this year's DC squad) that even at an advanced age (again... advanced for pro soccer players) and minus his youthful quickness, Moreno was perhaps the most dangerous player on his team. He will be missed.

That still leaves guys like Eddie Lewis, Mike Petke, Chris Klein, and CJ Brown out of the discussion, and quite frankly those players are all deserving of their own career epitaph. It's truly the end of an era.

But with the passing of the old comes opportunity for the new, and MLS is not wanting in those respects. After a handful of seasons that saw some underwhelming play and distressingly bland styles, competition and intensity has returned to the league. While recent years have seen teams of no-name young legs running around in support of a lone player of note, 2010 saw almost every team play a roster of quality players. Nearly every team had at least two or three players worthy of note and capable of making something happen. The number of goals scored went down (again), but that was largely due to a horrible run of games early in the season while teams were still trying to find themselves amidst the scheduling quirks of the World Cup year. Post-World Cup, teams added some significant players such as Thierry Henry, Geovanni, and Rafa Marquez. The overall quality of play jumped up appropriately, and the intensity rose as the pressure mounted.

Also, for the first time ever, only half the teams made the playoffs. With a full 16 teams, 8 playoff participants represent a mere 50%. Compare that to the early days of 10 teams, when all but a couple of teams made the playoffs, and you see why this season saw more competitive games through the summer.

Add it all up and you get a very promising picture. MLS now has more stars than ever, and the games mean more than ever. I'm not completely sold on adding even more teams to the league (Vancouver and Portland are already scheduled to join next season), but for now it's good. This year's playoffs will actually feature matchups of good teams, any one of which could legitimately claim the title, a direct contrast to past seasons when a sad-sack team could back into the playoffs and hope to get lucky against a real contender.

For now, I want to briefly recap the seasons for the 8 teams that failed to make the playoffs, in order of their finish. For them, the season is truly over and the thoughts turn to 2011. The 8 playoff contenders still have something to play for before we write their summary...

9th place -- Kansas City Wizards
Despite another year of missing the playoffs (and still possessing what is most likely the most boring team emblem in all of sports... go ahead and check it out if you want: http://www.kcwizards.com), the Wizards have to feel good about what they accomplished in 2010. They improved almost everywhere on the field, scoring more goals and giving up fewer than they did in 2009. They struggled early, but picked up after the World Cup break when coach Peter Vermes settled on a standard starting lineup. KC got some decent (if inconsistent) production from guys like Birahim Diop and Kei Kamara. Newcomer Ryan Smith could be a star on the left wing. There's hope up front with rookie Teal Bunbury and next year's addition of Mexican veteran Omar Bravo. Kansas City will also get a new stadium in 2011, only furthering the good vibes. There are still some questions on the roster, such as how the team can replace veteran leader Jimmy Conrad (who has clearly lost his edge), but Kansas City fans are looking forward to good things.

10th place -- Chicago Fire
It wasn't supposed to end this way in Chicago. They were considered underachievers the past two seasons when they lost out in the league semi-finals (although their classic semi-final against Columbus in 2008 was perhaps the best MLS game of the past three or four years). So what can you consider a team that flops all season long and ends up out of the running entirely? The loss of veteran Cuahtemoc Blanco was clearly much bigger than the Fire anticipated, as the team struggled to create opportunities without him. More damning was an inconsistent streak that saw them flatten opponents one week only to disappear the next. Collins John was a flop. Nery Castillo did little. In a desperation move, the team traded for Freddy Ljungberg, who was as frustratingly inconsistent as he was in Seattle. Chicago now faces some daunting offseason questions. Who will replace the legend McBride up front? Do they pony up the cash for John, Ljungberg, and Castillo after all three disappointed? Who stays and who goes? What about guys like Calen Carr that simply haven't developed? It's clear that the team needs an overhaul.

11th place -- Toronto FC
The season started with a new coach and a supposedly new attitude. MLS legend Preki had been marginally successful coaching an under-talented Chivas USA side, so he seemed like a good choice for under-achieving Toronto. Alas, he clashed with players and staff while experimenting with lineups and the season slowly slipped away. The front office fired Preki halfway through, but it made little difference. The truth is that Toronto's core simply isn't good enough. Dwayne DeRosario has rarely been better, but he can't do it all himself, and he's 33 years old. Julian DeGuzman was a big-dollar signing who produced precious little. Spanish import Mista also proved to be a waste of time. Young goalkeeper Stefan Frei leaked goals at inopportune times. At times, Toronto looked like a competitive team, but too many key contributors came up small. Like Chicago, Toronto must ask some tough questions during the offseason. What kind of style do they want to employ? Who can supplement DeRosario in attack? And even bigger... who could potentially replace him soon? He's no spring chicken.....

12th place -- Houston Dynamo
Perhaps we should've seen it coming, but it was still jarring to see the ultra-defensive former champs leak goals all season and wind up out of the picture even before the leaves started to fall. The team relied far too heavily on big Geoff Cameron, whose injury revealed a frightening lack of depth. Houston had to abandon it's traditional "10 men in the box" defensive style in order to score a few goals. While the team still managed to poke in a few goals thanks largely to veteran striker Brian Ching, the defense was left exposed. Adrian Serioux disappointed in yet another MLS stop. Veteran goalkeeper Pat Onstad committed some uncharacteristic gaffes. Eddie Robinson suddenly looked a step slow. Veteran midfielders Brad Davis and Richard Mulrooney couldn't maintain their production while the younger guys like Corey Ashe didn't look ready to step into larger roles. Big-money Mexican signing Luis Landin flopped so badly the team cut him. Houston still has some talented players, and it's entirely possible that this season will end up merely a blip on a larger run of success. But the Dynamo really need to address their stadium situation (they play at the University of Houston's football field), shore up the defense, and find younger options in goal and up front.

13th place -- New England Revolution
The Revs once again held out hope (and a roster spot) that forward Taylor Twellman could return to his goal-scoring ways, but he once again missed an entire season. He's battled injuries and concussions during his career and has now missed the past two years entirely. His absence forced the team to once again lean on goalkeeper Matt Reis, midfielder Shalrie Joseph, and a bunch of kids. It wasn't enough. Injuries shelved Matt Reis (and also his backup, Preston Burpo) for long stretches. And while youngsters like Sainey Nyassi and Zack Schilawski showed flashes of promise, they were too inexperienced to hold up over a 30-game season. The Revs made too many mistakes and gave away too many games. The good news for Bostonians is that this roster is loaded with young potential stars. Guys like Kenny Mansally, Kevin Alston, and the aforementioned Nyassi and Schilawski are all in their early-to-mid 20s. With the addition of a proven striker (whether that's a healthy Twellman or a new player) and a little more luck on the injury front, the Revolution should be right back in the hunt next year. There's hope for tomorrow.

14th place -- Philadelphia Union
As an expansion team, one couldn't expect too much from Philly this season. They didn't disappoint. That said, they were also usually competitive and featured some exciting games from forward Sebastian LeToux. LeToux was mainly an afterthought with Seattle in 2009, but he exploded for double-digit goals in 2010, with several of the highlight-reel variety. Perhaps LeToux didn't fit with the "speed" plan in Seattle, as nobody will confuse him with Usain Bolt; But he proved his nose for goal this season and Philly can build around him. Philly's downfall this season can be traced to some other names. Defender Danny Califf is a veteran of the national team scene, but his reckless fouling caused problems. Goalkeeper Chris Seitz was hailed as the keeper of the future, but his present was shaky at best. Not all is lost, however. Young Jack McInerney showed promise, and the team traded for the talented Justin Mapp during the season. If coach Peter Nowak can coax a little more from Mapp (an underachiever in Chicago), develop youngsters like McInerney and Seitz, and find a veteran piece to match LeToux, Philly could quickly morph into contenders.

15th place -- Chivas USA
At this location in the standings, things get ugly. Chivas was supposed to bounce back this season, not sink into obscurity. They crumbled early and never got things going in the right direction. Perpetually injured Maykel Galindo was let go. Enigma Sacha Klejstan was shipped overseas. Young Guadalajara loanee Jesus Padilla showed promise but wasn't ready for primetime. Veteran leader Johnny Bornstein made good at the World Cup but seemed distracted by an upcoming move to Mexico afterwards. The team quickly started rotating a bewildering number of players through their roster, and nothing really worked. It's safe to say that Chivas USA is starting over next season. They have no focal point (unless young Sal Zizzo can become one... he's only now getting back into form following a devastating knee injury suffered overseas), no names you'd recognize, and no established plan for the future. The one bright spot is the play of Justin Braun, who showed that he could be a top-notch target forward with just a little help. I'm not sure he's the kind of guy you build around, but Chivas has to start somewhere.....

16th place -- DC United
Following last year's debacle in New York, a team would have to be astoundingly bad to get much attention. DC United wasn't up to (or down to... I should say) that level, but they made it interesting for a while. United started the year with Curt Onalfo as head coach, but he lasted only a few weeks as the team looked confused and disinterested from the get-go. Santino Quaranta tried to lead the group, but he's really more a role player than a playmaker. The team tried bringing back striker Luciano Emilio, but his mojo was clearly gone. Designated player (read: BIG $$$) Branko Boskovic was so quiet most people (even soccer fans) never even knew who he was. DC United was so starved for talent that castoffs like Kurt Morsink and Adam Christman saw major minutes. Shining through all the dregs was Andy Najar, who looks like he could be a dynamic player in years to come. United could do a lot worse than to try to build around him and Quaranta. It's time to get rid of high-priced disappointments like Danny Allsopp and Boskovic. DC fans deserve better than this.

SAH

NFL Preview 2010!!

It's here! I've just completed the 2010 NFL Preview, which marks the 21st year in a row I have produced such a tome (sad, isn't it?). But I can't help myself. I love watching NFL football, and I love to think I know something about it. Making a preview is just a natural extension of that. Goto http://home.swbell.net/captsah/nflpreview to download the full pdf file. In the meantime, here's a taste of the incredibly thorough research that went into this year's edition:




Enjoy!

SAH

Kansas City, Here We Come!

Lacie and I were able to visit Kansas City this past weekend to see the Wizards host Manchester United. As you can see from the picture, the stands were packed and the game was intense (and hot!). Kansas City surprisingly won 2-1. The result was a surprise on many levels, but most basically because the Wizards have stunk so far this season in MLS, and Manchester United is one of the biggest and most successful soccer teams in the world.

But you can't read TOO much into the game. United was relying heavily on their backups as many of their normal starters are still resting from World Cup duty or dealing with other ailments during what is for them the offseason. It was a good victory for KC, but nothing more. It doesn't count in the standings.

One exciting part of seeing Manchester United is the opportunity to see some world-famous players live and in-person. Ryan Giggs is a long-time stalwart of the team and has been hailed as a great player for years. He has never been able to make the big splash on the World Cup scene because he plays for Wales, but his achievements with Manchester United are fantastic. Even now at age 37, he plays with skill and flair.

You can see a couple of pictures of him here on the right.

He played for the full 90 minutes against KC. Although he had his moments, Giggs wasn't really a big factor on the day. In fact, the Wizards really annoyed the heck out of him with constant little pushes and bumps. Michael Harrington in particular got under Giggs' skin, leading to this exhange in the box (see picture on the right, look for the two guys tussling in the middle with arms outstretched). Giggs was given a yellow card for this dust-up. He probably thought (and perhaps rightly so) that all the niggling taps and bumps were out of place during an exhibition game. But then the Wizards don't get to play a big team like Manchester United very often, and they wanted to give it everything they had, so.....

After staying overnight in KC, we were able to get some Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbeque for lunch on Monday. If you know the KC barbeque scene, there are three very well-known chains. Arthur Bryant's is the old-school diner-type option. Gates is the fast-food franchise. Fiorella's Jack Stack is the upscale restaraunt version. All three serve good BBQ, and each tend to excel at one specific option or another (Oklahoma Joe's is another BBQ spot in KC that is getting rave reviews, and it's a crime I haven't eaten there yet, but...). My personal favorite is the Jack Stack, and it's mainly for their burnt ends. Here are the burnt ends as they arrived at our table:

And here they are 5 minutes later....


Succulent describes it best. These tasty morsels are just perfect. I've been to different Jack Stack's around KC probably a dozen times. I've never regretted the choice. This time, however, something unusual happened. As it was my first time in the Plaza Jack Stack location, I was looking around at everything like a rubbernecking tourist. A kitchen manager spotted me and invited Lacie and I to come back and take a look at their gear. He gave us a very short but fascinating look behind the scenes of the restaurant. I learned some of their basic techniques that I will be trying out the next time I try to smoke a brisket in my backyard grill. Of course, they have a little more "extensive" smoker.....

This beast was but one of three wood-fired industrial smokers this location employed. A note to the uninitiated: Real BBQ uses wood. Period. There should be no ovens at a BBQ joint, unless they're used for side dishes like cornbread. No gas, no electric... just pure Hickory wood.

So yes, Lacie and I had a great time. 'Til next time.....

SAH

Irony can be pretty ironic...

I'm getting down to business with regards to previewing the upcoming NFL season, but first I had to comment on a local political race here in Wichita.

The radio ads for a couple of candidates have been flooding the airwaves. Without naming names (If you're local, you already know who is who, and if you're not, then it doesn't really matter), let me give a brief paraphrased recap of the ads in the order they've aired:

Candidate A ad#1:

(Two un-named women having a discussion) Candidate A is the kindest, most sincere and intelligent person of all time. Candidate A is NOT a typical politician, but a genius businessman. Candidate A even signed a no-negative ad pledge, the only candidate in this race to do so. Candidate A will never run negative ads. We should all vote for Candidate A

Candidate B ad#1:

(Voice-over with muted music and sound effects background) Candidate A is a slick huckster who will say anything to get elected. Candidate A is not pro-life. Candidate A is likely to abuse any position of power he obtains. We should all vote for Candidate B, who is truly pro-life and conservative.

Candidate A ad#2:

(same two women as before...) I told you this would be a nasty campaign. Candidate B is a mud-slinging scumbag. Candidate B runs negative ads against his opponents. Candidate B is a political hack who lies all the time, and his negative ads prove it. Candidate B wants to send all our money to Mexico and start factories there while firing American workers. Candidate B is lower than dirt. We should vote for Candidate A.

I mean, maybe it's just me, but does anyone else see the irony here? Regardless of what you think of Candidate B, how can you take Candidate A seriously at this point? His first ad pledged a positive campaign...a pledge he broke with his very next ad. And what is the heinous crime he's accusing Candidate B of committing? It's running an attack ad, which is exactly what he's now doing himself!

Needless to say, I will not be voting for Candidate A in the primary.

SAH

World Cup of Crap saves the worst for last

The year was 1990. The World Cup was in Italy. After a sour, defensive tournament filled with fouls and flops, West Germany took the title after an ugly "win" over Argentina, in a game noted more for ugliness than soccer. The winning goal came from a penalty given after what looked to be a complete flop by Jurgen Klinsmann. But nobody outside of Argentina really complained too much, because the Argentines had done nothing but foul and complain all game long.

20 years later, we had a virtual deja' vu. After a sour, defensive tournament filled with fouls and flops, Spain took the title after an ugly "win" over Holland, in a game during which more time was consumed by fouls and out-of-bounds than actual play. The winning goal came moments after a missed offside call, but nobody outside of Holland is complaining too much because the Dutch didn't really do anything besides foul and complain all game long.

After the 1990 tournament, FIFA made several minor rules changes in an effort to clean up the game. For a time, they worked. It's time for new measures to be taken. The current state of affairs is unacceptable. Yesterday's game highlighted the worst aspects of the "modern" soccer tournament.

First, let's look at the Netherlands, who apparently thought they could foul their way to a title. Prior to yesterday, the Dutch were mostly badgered about Arjen Robben's flopping and rolling on the ground after any challenge. After yesterday, the Dutch look like the dirtiest team in the world. Defensive midfielders Nigel DeJong and Mark Van Bommel, already known as "physical" players, seemed intent on trying to one-up each other with crazy rough tackles. During the first half, Van Bommel came flying in late on Spain's Iniesta and wiped him out from behind without getting anywhere near the ball. He received a yellow card, but the play really deserved a straight red. It seemed as if the Dutch were looking to take advantage of referee Howard Webb's understandable reluctance to toss anyone out of the final. Over half the team picked up (deserved) yellow cards for incessant fouling, and yet the men in orange also kept haranguing Webb for supposed favoritism. It was despicable (and Van Bommel deserves a category of his own. How he managed to avoid getting tossed is the greatest mystery of this tournament). When they actually tried to play soccer, which was rarely, the Dutch showed some sparks. Robben had a couple of prime chances himself but he couldn't finish them. Too bad the team was more interested in playing rugby than soccer.

But what about Spain? Normally, this is the point when pundits (like me) would praise Spain for being noble champions, deserved winners against negative soccer. But I can't do it. Spain was lousy. When the Dutch came out fouling, Spain responded by.... you guessed it, fouling and flopping. Just to show that the Dutch weren't the only ones capable of ugly ball, Carlos Puyol wiped out Robben on an early slide from behind. While they didn't maintain the same kind of fouling pace as the Dutch, the Spanish certainly did more than their fair share. Poor Howard Webb's arm almost fell off from showing so many yellow cards. And then came the flops. Andres Iniesta, who also scored the "winner," deserves an Oscar for his performance. He duped Webb into giving Dutch captain Giovanni Van Bronckhorst (one of the few Dutch players who was actually trying to play soccer) a yellow card by launching himself into the ground (with a half-pike and double twist) after brushing against the defender's hip at speed. He then "earned" a second yellow (and the associated red) for Dutch defender Johnny Heitinga by plunging into the turf after the latter man touched his shoulder for an instant. Greg Louganis never topped that dive. The lasting image of this final game is that of players surrounding referee Howard Webb and complaining about something or other. The players spent more time trying to play the referee than play soccer.

Some of you may be asking, "but what about the goal? Didn't Spain at least attack and win the game?" Yes, Spain scored, but they rarely attacked (at least in the soccer sense). As usual, Spain tried to win the game by putting everyone to sleep. They sat back and played a billion lateral passes around midfield. They only rarely pushed forward trying to score (and were immediately fouled whenever they did... sigh... can you tell how upset I am by the magnitude of this wretched disaster of a final?). At one point in the second half, Spain had passed the ball around just inside their own half for about a minute, and I counted how many Spanish players were still in their own half of the field. A full SEVEN Spanish players were back in their own half. Let me say that again. With the ball, and with good possession (I mean, it's not like it was a goal kick or something way back near their own goal), Spain still played with SEVEN men staying in their own half of the field (not counting the keeper). That's not "patient buildup," or "clever passing," it's cowardly crap defensive soccer. Had the Dutch been pressuring with more guys up front, maybe there's a reason to have 7 guys there. But the Dutch never pressed with more than a couple of guys up top. Spain was simply content to pass the ball around midfield with 7 guys against two. Whatever happened to trying to win the game?

And what about the winning goal? Iniesta (you can't say he wasn't prominent in this game) was clearly offside as the initial cross came into the box. It was aimed at him, and his presence obviously bothered the defender who whiffed the clearance. Yes, it's a judgment call as to whether he's considered "involved in active play", but I think it's pretty clear that Iniesta was "interfering with an opponent" and "gaining an advantage by being in that position." I don't blame Webb for missing the call, as the poor guy had a tough enough job on the day, but I think it should've been called just the same.

So the "Dirty Dutch" had no business winning this game, and the "Simulating Spanish" failed to show that they deserved the title... is there any way we can go back and declare the wildly entertaining and positively-played Uruguay/Germany 3rd-place match to be the retroactive final? No? Oh well.....

So what is to be done? If the lasting images of the 2010 World Cup are those of players screaming at an overwhelmed referee, surely there is something that can be done to make things better. Well, there are some things that can be done, if FIFA has the guts to do them.

CAPT. SAH's OFFICIAL SUGGESTIONS TO FIFA:

1. Create a new official position, that of the goal judge. Too many times we've seen hugely controversial decisions whether or not goals have been scored being determined by referees and linesmen who are 30 yards away. Take a tip from hockey and use goal judges. One official should be added next to each goal, with the primary purpose being to flag whether or not the ball has crossed the goal line. That takes some burden off the linesmen, who can concentrate more on the tricky offsides calls, and gives the referee a pair of eyes right next to the goal so he doesn't have to make judgment calls from 30 yards away. Just having goal judges would've almost certainly eliminated the controversy from the Germany-England game in this World Cup. Also, the goal judges could be another pair of eyes to watch for the increasing off-the-ball nonsense that goes on, particularly on free kicks and corner kicks.
2. Use instant replay. No, not during the games, as has been such a point of contention with folks, but after them. The biggest problem with the rules of soccer is that they expect the participants to have at least some sense of honor. Sadly, that is no longer the case (if it ever really was). How many times during this world cup did we see guys rolling around holding their faces after getting nicked on the foot? How many times did we see guys flop to the ground after getting brushed? And conversely, how many times did we see guys callously plow through opponents with nothing more than a (possible) yellow card resulting? How many times did we see wrestling matches on corner kicks that made the WWE look tame? Even the best referee of all time couldn't possibly detect all the faking, all the cheap shots, and all the ... well... CHEATING that is going on in the modern game. It's a terrible shame that it has come to this, but when players are more concerned with screaming at the ref than playing soccer, something has to change. The answer is to get a little draconian, and TV instant replay can be the tool. After every big match, there should be a review of the game by officials, looking specifically for dirty play. Any time a player is caught faking something (and I'm talking about the obvious stuff, like holding your face after getting a bump in the chest), he must be immediately suspended for two games. Players that consistently violate the rules with violent play or incessant fouling should be suspended for two games. Yes, it's impossible to make this completely objective, but I think a decent attempt could be made. I fail to see how any independent viewer could watch footage of this World Cup and not believe that Nigel De Jong and Mark Van Bommel deserve an extra two-game suspension. They obviously have little concern for the rules of the game.

Obviously, there is no 100% solution, but these two additions could make a tremendous impact if properly executed. And for us fans, what is needed is to hold the rascals responsible in our own way. Teams that play crappy defensive soccer should not be supported. Teams that feature cheats should not be subsidized with our ticket money. Eventually, only the bottom line will make a difference with the powers-that-be, and then perhaps we can have tournaments and titles featuring soccer, not performance art.

SAH

Just not good enough

And it's over. This might have been the best US team from front to back that we've ever seen at a World Cup. But they weren't good enough. For the second straight cup, the US was eliminated thanks to a 2-1 defeat at the feet of Ghana. The US team showed a lot of heart, skill, and talent at this World Cup, but at the end of the day, they just weren't good enough to compete for a prize. Rather than grade individual players (sorry for the lack of grades after the Algeria game... I've been pretty busy at work), I'm going to discuss the state of the team overall.

The loss to Ghana means that the US exits the tournament with a record of 1 win, 1 loss, and 2 ties. In other words, they were a .500 team. They scored 5 goals and allowed 5 goals. Again... a .500 team. That's much better than they did 4 years ago, obviously, but no better than they did in 2002.

Speaking of 2002, let's take a look at that "glorious run" to the quarterfinals, the furthest advance by a US team in the modern era (post-WWII). In that tournament, the US had a record of 2 wins, 2 losses, and 1 tie. They scored 7 goals and allowed 7 goals. Sound familiar? It should. Really, that 2002 squad was also a .500 team that managed to get to the quarterfinals only because they got a fortunate break during group play (the late Korea goal that eliminated Portugal) and had the equally good fortune of playing Mexico in the second round.

What it means is that the US soccer team is treading water. They're capable of beating anyone on a given day, but equally capable of losing to almost anyone on any other day. That's been the case for a decade now, and quite frankly for 15 years (anyone else remember the US beating Argentina 3-0 en route to a semi-final berth in Copa America '95?). The US team is good, but not great. Only great teams win titles.

What's holding us back? Is it the coaching? No. While Bob Bradley choosing to start Ricardo Clark against Ghana won't go down as his finest moment, he actually has done a pretty good job with this group of players. They were giving 100% and Bradley's in-game moves nearly always were for the better. Sure, you can argue that a better coach gets more out of the players, but it's unlikely to be much. And besides, coaching at the international level is overrated. There isn't much time to work with the team, the opponents are often unknown until a few days before the game, and you can't just buy players to fit a certain system. Coaching at the international level is about motivation and attitude. There was (and has been) nothing wrong with the American's motivation and attitude.

That leaves the players. Our players are not good enough. Check that, our players are good enough, but we still don't have that ONE player that can make something special happen. Take Landon Donovan as the ultimate example of this. Donovan is almost certainly the best US player ever. He's the team's all-time leading scorer and has consistently found success within MLS. But he's not an "elite" player. Yes, he (finally, according to many critics) came through with the big goal against Algeria (shown right), but that was just a hustle goal. There was nothing special about it except for the timing. Think about the past four games. At what point did Donovan do something that just made you go, "Wow!"? It didn't happen. Donovan is a fine player, and could be a big part of a World-Cup contending team. You can say the same for Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, and a handful of other US team players.

But where's the superstar? Where's the player that can raise his game to that elite level and make something special happen? He doesn't exist (at least not yet). World Cup champions feature players that seem to do something amazing through the entire tournament. In 2006, Fabio Cannavaro seemed omnipresent in defense, and Italy marched to a title. In 2002, Brazil's Ronaldo was virtually unstoppable. In 1998, Zinedine Zidane was awesome. That's what makes the difference at a World Cup. The traditional powers bring talented teams of good players to every tournament. The US is getting to that level, but we won't be a real contender until we can produce that superstar that makes a difference.

Think about it. The US has had a host of "good" players in recent years. These guys have been productive (at least for short periods) in foreign leagues and international games. Eric Wynalda...Claudio Reyna.... Brian McBride.... but never a superstar. American superstars still end up playing football, baseball, and basketball. I'm afraid that until we get that superstar, the US will never be able to reach the highest levels of soccer. But the appearance of those players are seemingly acts of God. You can't predict who it will be or where he will come from. In the meantime, what are some practical improvements that need to be made on the US team?

First, we need more speed on defense. The US team has some good soccer players, but not the greatest athletes. That's a side result of the American sports scene, where the best athletes end up chasing the money in other sports. Ghana was able to burn us largely because Jay DeMerit is a scrappy defender, not a natural athlete. Oguchi Onyewu is a better athlete, but he was gimpy coming back from knee surgery and may be too old next time around. We need fresh blood in defense, and it needs to have good genes.

Second, we have to find a real goal-scorer. The incredible dearth of American forwards was never more clear than in this tournament. None of the 5 US goals were tallied by a forward, and none of them were even created by one (although Altidore played a big part in the second goal against Slovenia). It wasn't for a lack of chances. If only we could've transported the 2002 Brian McBride through time to play in this cup.... Maybe Jozy Altidore can become a great forward, but he's not there right now. And the really scary part is that anyone who watches MLS can tell you that talented young American forwards are almost non-existent. The US need is so crying that we called in Edson Buddle and Herculez Gomez, a couple of journeymen forwards who happened to be in good form. The US need is so crying that lots of fans were seriously hoping we'd call in Charlie Davies, who hasn't played a single game since a horrific car wreck a few months ago. Yikes... do we ever need a forward.....

At least the midfield looks good. Both Donovan and Dempsey will be on the wrong side of 30 by the time the World Cup kicks off again, but both could still contribute. Also, the US has a large number of good young options right now that should be even better in 2014. Michael Bradley and Maurice Edu are still very young. Stuart Holden shows a lot of promise. Jose Torres can get a lot better. Benny Feilhaber isn't too old. That's not even counting guys like Robbie Rogers and Alejandro Bedoya. Also, while Tim Howard wasn't at his best in this tournament, he is still solid and the US never seems to lack for good goalkeepers.

I'll have some more opinion on the rest of the World Cup, including the crazy officiating that hurt England and Mexico, at a later time. All I'll say for now is that as bad as the calls were, they didn't decide the games. Germany were better than England for 80 of 90 minutes, and it wasn't the officials that gifted Gonzalo Higuain the ball right in front of goal.

Until next time....

SAH