[USA CONFIDENTIAL] Aside from humiliation at not finishing at least second in a group that included Canada, Cuba, and El Salvador, the U.S. failure to qualifyfor the 2012 Olympic Games may not bode well for the future. Playing in the Olympics isn’t a secure stepping stone to the senior team, but quite a few players […]
olympics
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Bruce Arena: 'We need to have new leadership'
The U.S. U-23 men failing to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games comes on the heels of the U-20 men’s national team failing to qualify for the U-20 World Cup. Ronald Blum checked in with Los Angeles Galaxy coach Bruce Arena, who coached the U.S. Olympic team in 1996 and the full nationalteam in 1998-2006. […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. Player Ratings: The nearly men
[USA-EL SALVADOR REPORT CARD] In the 3-3 tie that ended the USA’s quest to play in next summer’s Olympic Games, defensive flaws and a disjointed centralmidfield overshadowed the flashes of brilliance that gave the Americans a 1-0 edge in the first minute and turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead. Soccer America’s MikeWoitalla grades […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Olympic qualifying this week …
[SCOREBOARD] Monday night’s drama in Nashville began when Cuba’s Maykel Reyes scored a minute into stoppage time to give his team a 1-1 tie with Canada. The result dropped Canada into second place in Group A, meaning it will probably face Mexico in Saturday’s semifinals with anOlympic berth on the line. The other game will […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Olympic dream ends in epic collapse
[USA-EL SALVADOR] In the long history of the men’s national team program, there has never been a monumental goalkeeping error at such a crucial moment as Sean Johnson‘s failure to hold on to Jaime Alas‘ shot from distance in the fifth minute of stoppage time of the USA-ElSalvador game in Nashville, Tenn., on Monday night. […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U-23 basket emptier than imagined
[USA CONFIDENTIAL] There was a lot to be worrying about the USA’s 2-0 loss to Canada Saturday in Olympic qualifying — its first defeat to its neighbors to thenorth at this level in two decades — but perhaps the most puzzling aspect of the loss and its aftermath was how unprepared to USA seemed to […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Olympic qualifying this week …
[SCOREBOARD] Alan Pulido‘s hat trick gave Mexico a 3-0 win over Honduras in the Concacaf Olympic men’s qualifyingtournament at the Home Depot Center. The victory clinched a berth in the semifinals and for all practical purposes first place in Group B. Panama and Trinidad & Tobago played to a 1-1 tie in theother game. For […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. Player Ratings: Americans flunk Canada test
[USA-CANADA REPORT CARD] Perhaps the Americans will bounce back, qualify for the Olympics, and the Nightmare in Nashville will be forgotten. But the creativityneeded to unlock a defense-minded foe was lamentably lacking in the 2-0 loss to Canada. Soccer America’s Mike Woitalla grades the U.S. players … StartersGRADE PLAYER (CLUB/COUNTRY)3 Bill Hamid (D.C. United).Canada’s first […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They're Saying
“What the f*** the USA losing to Canada we never lose to them!!!! Go on boys dig in.” — Veteran U.S. forward Eddie Johnson, new to Twitter,with thoughts many U.S. fans share after the USA’s 2-0 loss to Canada in Olympic qualifying. (Twitter)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Olympic qualifying this week …
[SCOREBOARD] El Salvador beat Cuba, 4-0, in Saturday’s opening game in the Concacaf Olympic men’s qualifying tournament at LP Field in Nashville, Tenn. It gottwo goals from Andres Flores and one each from Lester Blanco and CSU Bakersfield product Richard Menjivar to move into first place in Group A on goal difference ahead of Canada. […]