Left field
The Reuters global sports blog
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
Could you just talk us through the goal, Bob….
After little more than four hours' sleep, plenty of driving and the inevitable drop in adrenalin following a big game such as Saturday's U.S. v England match, there were a few weary souls among the reporters following the United States when we headed to team HQ at Irene Farm on Sunday morning for a press conference with coach Bob Bradley and defender Steve Cherundolo.
There was no sign of jadedness from Bradley, though, who when touching upon Steven Gerrard's fourth minute opener for England, described it in the following terms:
“When the ball came into Lampard, Michael stepped up to close him down, Rooney came into the hole, now Gooch has to decide how tight he is going to go. Michael put enough pressure on that the initial pass that Lampard made was intended for Rooney but it skipped by him and went to Heskey, so in that moment, that space, with Gooch out of there, between Jay and Carlos and now Ricardo is caught in a tough spot because he has to decide if he can recover and track Gerrard. So all it takes in these kind of games is a couple of seconds where the reactions aren’t as good as they need to be and you’ve left a hole and you pay. This is what happens when the games are up there at the highest level."
A bit more than "the boy done well" or "lapse in concentration", that, isn't it?
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
Nothing ‘meaningless’ about U.S. defeat
USA 2 Czech Republic 4 was hardly a morale boosting result for American fans as their team prepares for the World Cup finals, which begin for the U.S against England on June 12.
Of course, as the ESPN commentators were at pains to point out, perhaps worried about viewers turning off from the team before the tournament has even begun, the squad on the field last night was missing key starters such as Landon Donovan, Carlos Bocanegra (who instead was spotted chomping chicken wings in the stands) and Clint Dempsey. And as the ESPN crew also repeatedly reminded us, the result of games like these are “meaningless”.
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
10 things to watch out for in the new MLS season
The 15th Major League Soccer season kicks off on Thursday as fans thankfully turn their thoughts from collective-bargaining agreements and guaranteed contracts, to action on the field, safe in the knowledge that the only strikers making the news this week will be those who score goals.
Others will make their judgments on the deal that avoided a strike -- but what is certain is that the new five-year contract and modest salary structure ensures not only that MLS will start on Thursday (Seattle Sounders host the Philadelphia Union) but also that it will enter its 20th year in much the same status as it began its first – a league featuring a surprising number of good players, being paid a surprisingly low amount of money.
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
Azteca defeat exposes U.S. weaknesses
After a wave of optimism following their successful run in the Confederations Cup, the United States have come back down to earth with their 2-1 defeat to Mexico.
Although Mexico didn’t seal their victory on Wednesday until Miguel Sabah’s strike seven minutes from the end, the result actually flattered the United States who were outplayed at the Azteca stadium.
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
A great win over Spain … now can the U.S surprise some more?
The Confederations Cup, effectively a warm-up tournament for the World Cup, rarely captures the imagination but fans in the United States aren't lacking enthusiasm for the tournament after their team produced a major upset by defeating European champions Spain 2-0.
Goals from Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey ended Spain's world record run of 15 successive victories and their 35-match unbeaten sequence, a world record streak they share with Brazil. That run has taken Spain to world number one in FIFA's global rankings.
