By Paul Gardner Jurgen Klinsmann decided to give the U.S. Olympic team job to Andreas Herzog. Make that his friend Andreas Herzog. Herzog had absolutely no specialsoccer qualities that made him a candidate for the appointment. His previous coaching experience was hardly a recommendation, as my colleague Mike Woitalla has made clear. In fact, Herzog […]
SoccerTalk with Paul Gardner
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
Maybe we're asking ARs to do the impossible
By Paul Gardner We are still waiting for a look at the new — rewritten, and greatly condensed — rule book. The IFAB has been making a big deal of this. I’m not about tobelittle it, it is a big deal, involving a lot of work. And yes, of course, I have a complaint. Well, […]
Posted inStory
Johan Cruyff (1947-2016): R.I.P. No. 14
Johan Cruyff, dead at the far too early age of 68, will surely not be forgotten. He leaves the most wonderful memories of sublime soccer skill, of course. But not just memories — Cruyff becomes one of the first of the soccer greats to leave a career-long record — on film and tape and discs […]
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
Soccer's protective pall is holding back what it needs — more teenaged stars
By Paul Gardner Are teenage players getting a fair shake? How is it that there are so few teenage stars in pro soccer? Are the young players simply not there? Unlikely, in my opinion. Or could it be that the modern game of soccer doesn’t know how to handle outstanding youngsters? Much more likely, I’d say. […]
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
IFAB: one step forward, one step backward
By Paul Gardner I think it unlikely that there are many people around who would consider the International Football Association Board (IFAB) to be an up-to-date group. But, theIFAB is making an attempt, it seems. It has just approved a major rewriting of soccer’s rules and David Elleray, the man in charge of the overhaul, […]
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
Straight from the coach's mouth — well maybe not
By Paul Gardner I don’t know about this. Someone — one of the TV guys, I suppose — is under the impression that, during MLS telecasts, we don’t get enough of thecoaches. Pre-game and post-game and halftime and during-game interviews are not enough, it seems. Even when you add in the frequent sideline shots of […]
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
De Jong? Disgraceful
By Paul Gardner Not much point in mincing words over this one. In its 4-0 loss to Santos Laguna the LA Galaxy was frankly pathetic. Outplayed, out-thought, out-skilled, utterlyhumiliated. A night to forget for Bruce Arena and his players as the quicker, sharper Mexicans ran rings around them. With only a few minutes remaining in […]
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
So bad, all you can do is laugh
By Paul Gardner Manchester City’s shootout victory over Liverpool in the Capital Cup was what we now almost expect from grand finals — disappointing, short on good soccer,miserly on goals. The Man City and Liverpool fans will have their own views on whether the better team won. That is not my concern here. I’m taking […]
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
Demands for a more physical game should fall upon deaf ears
By Paul Gardner Right at the end of Vancouver’s preseason game against Chicago there was a coming-together of players. That’s a term that has been cropping up inref-talk lately. It denotes a collision but — possibly — it shades the meaning slightly. A collision carries the suggestion of hard contact, something, if not violent, then […]
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
Rule Changes: The best, the worst — and one that needs reversal
By Paul Gardner While awaiting the latest changes to the rules (the IFAB will announce them at the beginning of next month), I have been amusing myself trying to decide which hasbeen the best and which the worst of the changes made during the past 25 years — since 1990. And which change I would […]