The Yanks showed two different faces on Wednesday in The Azteca; unfortunately while one of those faces was on display for only one moment of brilliance, the other reared its ugly mug for the other 92 minutes. Landon Donovan’s through ball to Charlie “Chuck D” Davies and the ensuing cool finish conjured images of everything that was right about the American attack in the Confederation’s Cup. As for the rest of the soccer match, the only images it… Read more
I just watched the USA vs. Mexico monstrosity, and I’m FURIOUS with that game, the general direction of US soccer, and most importantly Bob Bradley’s (who from this point onward will be known as Bobbo) baffling lineup choices. Before I explain any further, let me introduce myself. I am member #3 of the USA power rankings. I’ve been a contributing thought provider for TYAC since its inception, and I’ve been alluded to several times since the creation… Read more
Porques Mexico jeuga como chicas este ano. Or something like that. Three custodial things before a final game preview: a. The game is on Mundo 2, as noted before. If you would like a link to a live stream b/c you are at work, or because you found that finding Mundo 2 on your cable company’s channel guide is like trying to find Sasquatch– here you are: www.futbolestelar.tv. b. If you haven’t read Kristian Dyer’s piece about Landon Donovan’s immense… Read more
Diminutive Mexican mid Andres Guardado sure is confident heading into tomorrow’s clash between the Yanks and El Tri @ the Azteca. (4 PM, Mundo 2 for an English Broadcast)Insisting that the presence of a U.S. “A Team” will not matter, Guardado, who is battling a bit of a knee injury, said Monday morning– “Of course we will win, 3-0. We have players of high quality and you can see that the team has prepared well, now there is only the question of showing it on… Read more
Ahead of Wednesday’s important World Cup qualifier/grudge match/bounce back game against El Tri the USMNT has plenty of questions to answer: Can the Yanks pick up their first win in The Azteca? Will the team be able to keep up its blistering form from the last three games of the Confederations Cup? Will Landon Donovan be in a throat-slitting mood to backup his comments? How does J.F. Torres fit into Bob Bradley’s view of the team? Have we seen the… Read more
Bob Bradley wisely waited until the last minute to release this roster for the Yanks qualifier in Mexico City at the fabled Azteca Wednesday. The game can be seen on ESPN.No real surprises per se on this roster– Chad Marshall gets the nod over Danny Califf and The Dude in the back, and given that Jermaine Jones is battling a shin knock, he was omitted. Also left out are Benfica exile Freddy Adu, Confed Cup disaster DeMarcus Beasley, and the mystifying Sacha… Read more
August’s Yankette of the Month Minka Kelly is a truly American story. The Friday Night Lights star (If you don’t watch, I’m really, really, really, really sorry for you) describes her childhood as “pretty rough”, which is tough to believe when you are the daughter of former Aerosmith guitarist Rick Dufay, but it’s the story nonetheless. It seems having a difficult relationship with a father extends beyond the Lyla Garrity-Buddy Garrity relationship that is one of… Read more
Yanks forward Jozy Altidore will be loaned out to Hull City, a team starved for offense, and a place where he will really get a shot at making his mark, according to his TWITTER entry four hours ago:First match is against chelsea subject to a work permit *wink* *wink* lol thanks for the support and love keep it coming. ESPN SOCCERNET has confirmed the story, noting that Hull City was a surprise in not being relegated last season, despite a tepid offensive attack…. Read more
Winning the July honors for Yankette of the Month must have been tough, because 23 year old Yonkers, New Yorker and NYU drop out Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta surely would be upset about the lack of Gold Cup entries. After all– the “B List” team represents the U.S. too… I mean, Lady Gaga used to play West Village clubs and bars, so surely she wouldn’t be offended to hang around with B-Listers still even though she’s now the new Princess of Pop. As a… Read more
According to one tabulation, if you count the “friendly” games and pre-league tournament play of our boys in red, white and blue– the summer breaks down to this:Three ContinentsThirteen Games29,936 miles (Or once around the world and across America and nearly back)13 cities174 Hotel Meals7 wins2 runner up trophysa bronze balla golden glovea newfound identitysome lingering questions.I will try to answer a few of those questions, or at least identify them, and… Read more
Greetings. There is so much to talk about. Before we review the summer that was– and we will do so thoroughly– let’s talk about the road ahead– and I don’t just mean the August 12 trip to the Azteca, where the U.S. has never won, and which after the 5-0 embarrassment of a US “B TEAM” in East Rutherford, New Jersey a week ago, is weighing heavily on everyone’s mind. After the second tournament of the summer for the USMNT and the second runner-up effort– it’s… Read more
