From College to the Pros - The US soccer ladder

Monday, March 31, 2008

Do You Like What I'm Doing Here???

There is a contest of some sort being run by the guys at SoccerPro.com. I'm not sure if I'm being used to generate hits for them, or if I could genuinely be voted as one of the top soccer blogs. Either way, if you like what I'm doing and want to put a vote in for From College To The Pros...click away. And thanks for your support.

Also, after clicking you can register to win some schwag too. Look towards the top of the page. Free boots if I'm not mistaken.

2008 MLS Season Is Here…And So Are The Rapids Reserves…

You all know my style by now, I’m not team specific on the blog but I am a Rapids supporter through and through. By now you’ve heard, the Rapids spanked the “mighty” LA Galaxy on Saturday night in front of a sell out crowd here in Denver. Way to go ‘Pids! Big win! While the Rapids fans are jumping for joy after not seeing that big a margin of victory since 1996 and the club is patting themselves on the back for a successful kick off we here at FCTP need to look at the win from another angle. Where did all these starters come from? (“Rhetorical question Farley, I already know the answer!” is what Mr. Woodcock would say, right bad movie conisours?)

Those who don’t regularly attend Rapids games, check the website for daily updates, surf BigSoccer regularly or go to Rapids Reserve matches probably won’t recognize some of the names on the Rapids opening night starting roster. Kosuke Kimura, John DiRaimondo, Nick LaBrocca, Omar Cummings and Stephen Keel all filled in for injured starters or found themselves at the top of the depth chart after some good old fashion pre-season hard work.

First off, the Rapids have moved to a 4-5-1 formation with the off-season signing of Argentinean playmaker Christian Gomez. He will be allowed to operate at the top of a five man midfield with few defensive responsibilities if any. With two of the other four midfielders wingers that leaves two defensive minded midfielder spots open. Going into opening night I expected to see Pablo Mastroeni and Brazilian off-season signing Rafael Gomes holding down those two spots. However, fitness wouldn’t allow it and we got two youngsters, DiRaimondo and LaBrocca in their place. I have to admit, I was nervous when I saw that flash across the FSC pre-game lineup screen.

Next the back line. Jose Burciaga Jr. and Facundo Erpen have been starting in the league for a few years now, but Kosuke Kimura and Stephen Keel haven’t. Injuries to Mike Petke and Ugo Ihemelu opened up two spots and the two youngsters filled in admirably. With Mike Petke being on the Injured Reserve list, out until at least May 10th, Stephen Keel is going to get plenty more playing time after helping to shut down Carlos Ruiz and Landon Donovan.

Finally, up top we saw Omar Cummings’ first professional start for the Rapids in league play. Last season he was coming off the bench to give Conor Casey and Jovan Kirovski relief. This season he seems to have wrestled the starting position away from Kirovski while Casey is also on the Injured Reserve list.

So where did these guys come from? The Rapids Reserves of course. For the past two seasons the Rapids have been using their reserves for exactly this purpose, to fill in for the senior team when injuries rear their ugly heads. The Rapids seem to have figured out that instilling a winning spirit in the reserve team can help the senior team. Coaches Clavijo and Murphy need to be given credit for their ability to scout players and sign players who don’t rate well after the MLS Combine but who still have the right stuff. While other teams seem to be using the transfer market more as the main player conduit, the Rapids have quietly assembled a group of talented young American college products. Yup, all of the guys mentioned above either graduated or played some college soccer here in the US. Yes, all those doom and gloom people out there who forecast the death of American soccer need to take another look. Combined with good coaching on a reserve team American college players are still making an impact. This also shows that programs outside of the power conferences are doing well at bringing along talent. Cummings played for Cincinnati. LaBrocca played at Rutgers. Kimura went to Western Illinois University. DiRaimondo attended St. Louis University. Keel went to the biggest soccer school, Wake Forest.

All of these guys have one thing in common. They’ve spent the last season or two playing for the reserve team, winning back to back reserve league championships. They’ve been given time to mature into the pro life as opposed to being thrown in at the deep end. It takes a special player to be able to adjust immediately from College to the Pros, the rest need time. Of this group Kimura had the most starts going into last night with four. LaBrocca and Keel both earned their second while the rest their first.

The #5 selection in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft, Ciaran O'Brien, got his first league action as a second half sub. While he showed a lot of hustle, he also showed some rookie over exuberance with his tackle on Carlos Ruiz from behind. He earned the red card and learned that tackles against the worst diver in the league need to be better timed. From what I've heard everyone in the Rapids camp is happy with O'Brien's pre-season work and he should continue to get minutes as the season moves along, and his red card suspension expires.

Congrats to the Rapids for a big season opening win and for showing the rest of MLS how to develop players.

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Monday, March 24, 2008

Sure, the US Is Going To Play Soccer In The 2008 Summer Olympics....

But who is going to score the goals? Yesterday the US fell to fellow CONCACAF qualifier Honduras. All that was at stake in the final of the tournament was pride. With the 1-0 overtime loss to Honduras, I guess the US walked away with less pride. The scoreline brings up the bigger issue. The US U-23 men, head and shoulders above their opponents for long periods of time in each game, were taken to overtime scoreless . Why has the US had so many problems scoring goals?

Lets review the results of the tourney:
vs. Cuba 1-1. Goal coming from Freddy Adu in the run of play following a corner.
vs. Panama 1-0. Goal coming from Freddy Adu off the penalty spot.
vs. Honduras 1-0. Goal coming from Eddie Gaven off the penalty spot in second half stoppage time.
vs. Canada 3-0. This is the first multi-goal game in the tourney. Two great goals from Freddy Adu off set pieces. One goal in the run of play from midfielder Sacha Kljestan.
vs. Honduras 0-1. No goals.

In each of the above games the US had chances and dominated long periods of play. Why were they lacking the spark to open things up and really stick it to the opponents? My own view is that their tactics didn't open enough space in the offensive third. Teams were able to double team lone strikers while the rest of the defenders followed the ball. Kljestan's goal in the Canada game was one of the only plays I remember where Americans linked up inside the box on an attack. The rest of the games seemed to be highlighted by singular efforts on offense. That isn't totally true obviously, but that is my memory of the majority.

How are the Americans going to be able to remedy this by summer? I think a majority of their three senior additions should be offensive minded players. I know in the past a senior keeper has minded the Olympic nets, but this year I propose bring Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey along for the ride. Those two can add attacking creativity and skill not seen in the qualifiers, outside of Freddy Adu. Imagine Adu working the attack with Deuce and Landycakes. Imagine Deuce up top working off Altidore. It'd be sweet. Throw a back like Steve Cherundolo into the mix and the team has taken a dramatic turn for the better.

We'll see what the coaches will decide come summer, but that is what I would do, because there is a dramatic hole to be filled on offense with this team.

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Sunday, March 23, 2008

Michael Bradley

When Michael Bradley first appeared on the scene in the MLS and the US Mens National Team there was a lot of talk of it being because of nepotism on his father's part, Bob Bradley. When Dutch club Heerenveen bought him from the MLS and the then Metrostars in 2005, many fans thought it was still much of the same. That it was not young Bradley's skills but his connections that were bringing about the move.

Since then Michael has racked up 30 caps for the USMNT. Just as importantly he's made 59 appearances and scored 16 goals for his club SC Heerenveen.





Seeing him score goals like this 61st game winner against Roda this weekend leaves me wondering if he isn't the most important midfielder in the current USMNT pool. Is that the case? Or does Michael Bradley still have some work to do before attaining that level?

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Friday, March 21, 2008

2008 Dallas Cup Underway...

I'm a little slow on the uptake here at FCTP. I remember hearing the Dallas Cup was in March, and then I totally spaced it. All is not lost, they're still playing down in Frisco. The semi-finals of the Super Group are coming up and will pit CF Monterrey (Mex) vs. Tigres (Mex) and Liverpool (Eng) vs. Benfica (Port). Liverpool has been on a goal scoring tear as they won one game by a score of 9-0 against Ryutsu Keizai Kashiwa. Not sure where they're from.

Houston Dynamo cruised through their group in the U-19 group. They scored 10 goals while giving up zero. To be fair, so did Solar SC also from Texas, but they only scored 9.

Some more tidbits from the Dallas Cup Blog.

- FC Dallas hitman Kenny Cooper has a younger brother, Joe Cooper, playing in the U-19 bracket. I'm sure big brother hasn't told the Dallas coaching staff about him...no not at all.

- Dennis Wise, former Chelsea captain, was inspecting the Dallas Cup action Sunday. Wise is now director of football operations for Newcastle. He said he'd like to bring over a Newcastle side next year. Michael Owen still looks young, maybe he can help them through the Super Group.

- Andromeda, a Texan club side, beat Brazilian giants Sao Paulo by a score of 5-2.

- There is a reason Liverpool is killing. They brought many of their reserve team players who are young enough to compete. If you play Football Manager, you'll undoubtedly recognize the following names: Forward Craig Lindfield, already appeared for England’s Under-19 national team. Defender Stephen Darby, whom Liverpool took as a backup into a Champions League match earlier this year. Defender Emiliano Insua, who has already appeared for Argentina’s Under-20s.

Check back on the Dallas Cup website to see who comes out on top in each of the tough brackets.

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Thursday, March 20, 2008

US Soccer Is Going To The Olympics!!!

The US over matched Canada at every position this evening to win their semi-final match-up. That means they'll be heading to China for the 2008 Summer Olympics. Freddy Adu showed he's learned some free kick tricks scoring both of the first two American goals. A great play by Holden saw him get free on the left wing to slot a ball into wide open Sacha Kljestan who calmly sent his shot past the sprawling Canadian keeper. This was probably the best team the US has fielded and they all played to their potential to get a good team victory.

Some highlights:

- Marvell Wynne made a couple defensive mistakes but overall looked like a strong long term right back prospect.

- Michael Orozco and Jonathan Spector were a terrific pair. They played well together and didn't get beat. Spector showed why he's starting for West Ham in the Premier League.

- Nathan Sturgis showed well on the left and didn't seem to mind having moved all over the back line through the tourney.

- Sacha Kljestan may have been the hardest working player on the field tonight. He was rewarded with a scoring opportunity and didn't disappoint. He showed tonight why I believe he is the best young players currently in MLS.

- Maurice Edu was a solid captain and played well in central midfield. Also didn't miss a beat having been moved around between midfield and the back line.

- Dax McCarty is a little bull dog. I'd call him Gattuso like but I don't like Gattuso and don't want to insult McCarty. Even when he's getting railroaded by some really tall Canadian, he's playing tough.

- Stuart Holden beat the Rapids two years ago (or was it last year?) seemingly on his own and I knew then he was one to watch. He played very well on the left wing and showed that is his position to lose.

- Freddy Adu was the man of the match for my money. He got the first two goals on free kicks and was dangerous the entire match before being subbed out in the 82nd minute. He is really learning a lot about the game over in Portugal. Moving to Benfica was the best thing he could have done for his career. Sublime free kicks, really. There may be a movie being written soon called Bend It Like Adu...ok, no there isn't but you get my drift.

- Jozy Altidore is going to get a lot of grief for not scoring in this tourney but his hard work and ability to draw a foul gave Freddy the chance he needed to score on that free kick. He's a hard worker and the goals will come.

The subs didn't do enough to draw praise. They didn't have time.

If you get a chance to watch a replay, do. This is what I've been expecting from the US all along. A great game. I think tonight showed why we should be so happy with where MLS has brought US Soccer. While Canada had some professional players, many were still in college. While those college players showed well, they couldn't defeat the entirely professional US.

I am really excited to see what the US can do in China this summer. Without Mexico the US will be the heavy favorite of the two CONCACAF teams. If they get into some evenly matched games, they could shock the world.

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The Scoop...Omar Haner...

Loyal readers and Rapids fans, I got the scoop on the tall forward who got some time with the Rapids last night in the annual pre-season Burgundy and Blue game. As we know from the Rapids press release on the game his name is Omar Haner and he is part of the Rapids U-18 program. Interestingly, he isn't in high school right now and is trying to leverage time with the Rapids youth club into a pro career. Before joining the Rapids he traveled in Europe and had some tryouts with clubs across the pond. He is currently living with family in Colorado Springs and coming to Commerce City with the hopes of breaking into the first team.

Brian Crookham, Director of Coaching - Rapids Youth Academy had this to say about Omar's progression with the club:

Omar is proof that the club takes youth development seriously. We are
creating an environment where players can be pushed up the ladder when it is appropriate. He was given a chance to prove himself amongst 1st team players and then rewarded for jumping on that opportunity. We are pleased for Omar and believe that he, and others, will have more chances to prove their worth at the highest levels.

We [Crookham] have regular dialog about the progress of our youth players with the
1st team staff. Coach Clavijo has invited several of our players in to training on a couple of occasions. Last weekend Omar and some others trained with the non-traveling group and he impressed. Due to the injury and illness bug with the 1st team Omar was invited by coach Clavijo to participate last night. He is still an amateur player and will continue to play with our 18s.


Vitals according to Crookham:
6'3"
Plays as a center forward for us in a 4-3-3 system
Very good feet and pace
Not afraid to take on defenders
Dangerous in front of the goal
Still learning how to use his big frame
1 goal in 2 games with the U-18 team

I for one am very happy to see players getting this kind of exposure to the senior team. This is what young kids learning the game need. Kudos to the Rapids for developing this program and getting this kind learning for the young soccer stars. It sounds like Haner will continue to play with the U-18's and will pass on college for now. It will be fun to watch him develop and see who else comes up through the ranks.

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Add Him To The Database...

Last night was the Rapids annual Burgundy vs. Blue game. Overall the event is no more then a dry run for the DSG Park and Rapids staff and a chance for soccer needy season ticket holder and Commerce City residents to get a free look at their team. I wrote about it over here on the Class VI website. The 60 minute match ended in a 1-1 draw. How appropriate for a Rapids game....

Of note to this blog was the fact that an un-known forward made his way onto the field with about 10 minutes left. The tall and lanky kid wasn't listed on the one page program handed to fans before the game. His name was announced and my friend and I gave each other a mutual shoulder shrug. One minute later I couldn't remember his name. Overall his play was unremarkable and you could tell he was nervous and out of place. Thankfully for Rapids fans he wasn't the latest signing from Scotland, Tam McManus. This morning we learned he is a member of the Colorado Rapids U-18 team and his name is Omar Haner.

Wait...what??? A member of the U-18 team came out with the big boys in a pre-season friendly. I know New York has been looking at one of their youngsters for a full time deal, but is this the first time a youth team member played in a match with US Soccer referees? No, not an official match but official referees. Did the Rapids do something first? I'm going to ask my friends Steve Goff, Ives, LB help on this one...any other of the major MLS bloggers know about this one? Has a member of the U-18 team been trotted out with the senior team in a friendly yet?

As the title implies Haner will be added to my database and I'll do whatever research I can on the kid.

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Wednesday, March 19, 2008

How To Become A Pro Soccer Player...


...and a good one at that. Sports Illustrated has a profile of American midfielder Michael Bradley. Kids out there reading. Learn from Mike. Be Like Mike. Learn all you can about soccer. Face the things you're bad at. Work hard. Play whenever you can. You might be able to run around in a soccer jersey with hearts on it too.

No one tripped over their tongues to praise Bradley going into the 2004 MLS SuperDraft. He was selected 36th overall and most people thought that was because his dad, Bob Bradley, was sitting at the draft table of his new team, the New York MetroStars.

See kids. You don't have to be the next Freddy Adu to find success. Just work hard.

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Monday, March 17, 2008

US U-23 Through To Next Round Of Olympic Qualifying...

I know, I'm tardy with my report. Please accept my apologies for going to a good friend's wedding in Austin this weekend. I won't let it happen again. :)

I haven't had a chance to watch the DVR of Saturday's game, so I'm going based on other people's game summaries. It sounds like the team played similar to how they had in the first two games. There were some periods of dominating play, and there was some time where you were left wondering if the team would embarrass us again by not making it to the Olympics. The final result is good, but damn guys...can't you get a goal in the run of play?

I'm worried my friends. This Thursday the US is playing the Canadian U-23 team who hasn't had an issue putting points on the board. The US attack badly needs to get in gear and score a goal while the teams are playing. The last time they did that was Freddy's sublime goal against Cuba. This is a team of professionals yet they are playing portions of the game as if they're in college. I don't want to get too far ahead of myself considering what happened in 2004, but if the US makes it to China I look forward to seeing the senior, experienced, additions added to the fold. Can you imagine Landycakes running all over these young defenders? I can.

To get there the US will have to beat Canada in Nashville, TN this coming Thursday. While the US got to this point four years ago and failed, this time is different. Last time they were the visitors against fierce rivals Mexico. This time we're hosting Canada. While I doubt the crowd will throw bags of urine on the opposing team like our friends to the south, home soil is good for something. Also helping the US will be four days of rest since the last game on Saturday. The three games in six days undoubtedly took a toll on the players.

I hope that something can be done to settle down the attackers so they can score some goals. Let's not leave everything to the last minute like they did this past week.

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Thursday, March 13, 2008

Second US Qualifying Game Tonight...

The next game in CONCACAF qualifying for the US is tonight. They'll face off against Panama at 8 pm edt, live on FSC. Don't forget to tune in. I hope to see a better formation put on the field by Coach Nowak with a second striker for Jozy to pair with. Jozy showed he can't do it all without good support. Davies needs to stay on his feet. Adu needs to stay in more of the game and keep working with his tricky feet. Edu and McCarty need to continue the defensive support allowing Freddy to run wild. Defense needs to remain strong and committed all 90 minutes. The US should be able to win this game. They have to if they want to move on in Olympic qualification.

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Cuban Players Defect...

I was wondering if this would happen with the Cuban team playing their Olympic Qualifiers in the US. Now a total of seven players have left the team, leaving their countrymen in the lurch. The team will only have 10 players who are eligible to play tonight after the red card in the US match ruled out one forward. I'm sure their new lives will outweigh their homeland not making the Olympics. Too bad for those who didn't bolt the hotel.

In the above article the players said they want to play professionally here in MLS. Unfortunately for them, most of the roster moves available to MLS coaches have been made. Roster compliance was the first week of March. It looks like the USL will be their best bet until the summer transfer window.

I'm excited to see what these defectors can do. Imagine if all seven are good enough to eventually sign with MLS and impact it the way fellow Cuban defector Maykel Galindo has. The keeper certainly looked solid enough for a staring USL role or backup MLS role. Who knows, 5 years down the road he could be starting for Philly FC, or whatever their name will be.

Truth be told, this is another player development pipeline for US Soccer. By hosting the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament in Florida, American soccer teams now have seven of the best Cuban players in their pipeline. Ives rightfully suspected MLS executives would be running to the fax machine to file discovery papers.

Too bad the kids didn't defect before the game against the US. Had they, Nowak's formation would have worked to get the win.

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Wednesday, March 12, 2008

US U-23 vs. Cuba...WTF????

Seriously, doesn't the title tell the story? If you watched the game, you no doubt agree. If you didn't, don't bother watching from minutes 20 - 65. The US completely left the game and it isn't worth wasting your time. Plenty of other bloggers have basically the same things to say as me. So I'll point them out first.

New York Times - Goal, Yanks Abroad, Steven Goff - Washington Post, Rocky Mountain News, Sports Illustrated, Sideline Views, The Red Card - Chicago Tribune, The Far Post, Center Holds It, Glenn Davis - The Soccer Hour, Soccer By Ives....you get the point.

I'll put it this way, if the US plays every game the way they did last night, they either won't qualify or if they do, they'll make a mockery of US Soccer in front of the World in China. Ok, maybe I am going overboard a little...but seriously I am disappointed.

While the first 10 minutes included a couple sublime shots and passes by Freddy Adu, the remainder of the first half looked like a 10 year old game of bunker ball and a clinic on how not to maintain possession. I sat on my couch cursing every time Edu or Freeman or Hill made a run with the ball that resulted in nothing. And where did Adu go? He dropped off the face of the planet.

I feel like I am being a little over dramatic. To the US' credit, Cuba was never really in this game. They were on their back heels for much of it. The goal they got was a good play but the US could have done better to defend it. It is not like the US was ever overwhelmed by Cuba. But that is exactly why I am so frustrated by the match. The US looked like they were going to destroy them in the first 10 minutes. If you missed the game and have some way to see those 10 minutes, watch them. You'll be amazed at the play of Freddy Adu. Add to that the goal he scored and you'll see why the hopes of American soccer have been firmly on his back since he was 14...or younger.

In the second half Jozy Altidore, who was largely unimpressive as a lone striker, was brought off in favor of Sacha Kljestan. Once the additional midfielder was brought on, the US completely controlled the game and looked as if they would be able to retake the lead. They weren't able to based on the 10 man defending of Cuba and the heroic work of their keeper.

Now let's talk about individual players. First, Charlie Davies. One of the blogs I posted above asked the question, "Do they teach diving in Sweden?" This is totally appropriate. I was actually embarrassed by his play and antics. He went to the grass three or four times when he wasn't touched. Seriously, he looked South American. He got a yellow card for one such dive when he was trying to get a penalty against their keeper, and he earned it. Terrible play. He should have redeemed himself but he shot right into the keeper on a one on one break away. Jozy did the same. There you go, twice the US had strikers going in on goal one on one and muffed. The final score should have been 3-1...or more.

Altidore was played as a lone striker and worked hard, but you could tell it wasn't his day. He was subbed at the half.

The defense: Freeman----Ianni------Sturgis--------Hill
I was impressed with all of them. As a Rapids fan I am all too familiar with Freeman as a right back not defending and a few times I felt like he was playing American Football instead of soccer, but his runs up the left flank were nice and he contributed to the game. Ianni and Sturgis made a nice pair in the center. They could have done better on the play where Cuba scored, but the entire team could have helped. Most of the game they showed good awareness and positioning, stepping into plays to shut down the Cubans before they could get going. Hill was a nice surprise. He showed confidence on the ball and got into the attack. As the game clock ticked down in the second half, Hill was getting more and more forward helping the US maintain possession. He did have one sequence where he left his duties completely and Cuba made a nice counter, but keeper Seitz snuffed it out safely.

Dax McCarty played very well for my taste. He had a great shot on goal in the second half. He distributed well from a deep position. I think FC Dallas fans will enjoy seeing what he can do this season in Texas.

Attackers: Davies-----------Adu-----------Findley
Aside from Adu running the show and being the best player on the field last night, this set up doesn't work. Davies and Findley were ineffectual as wingers. If you read my last post, you know I expected to see Holden, Gaven or Zizzo playing out on the wings...hopefully they will be on Thursday.

Adu really was the bright spot last night. He did get lost there for a majority of the first half but when he was on the ball, taking shots, scoring a goal he was looking great. I am excited to see what else he can do in this tournament and I think Coach Nowak has found his best position.

So there it is, my extended thoughts on the game last night. Things have to get better. I think the formation needs to change, or at least Findley and Davies shouldn't be wingers and Altidore shouldn't be all alone up top. Announcers Sullivan and Bretos said that Honduras and Panama looked bad yesterday, so hopefully they will go down easier than Cuba did.

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Tuesday, March 11, 2008

US Olympic Qualifying Begins Tonight!

The American road to China begins tonight, and you can watch live on Fox Soccer Channel. 4 years ago I don't think that was the case as I remember having to travel to a Mexican bar to see the US lose and not qualify in '04.

I know I've mentioned it before, but don't you love the fact that there are no college players on the roster? Dominic Cervi is the lone non-professional; hopefully his being on the team will help urge Chicago to wrap up his contract after drafting him. While RSL's Seitz is the clear starter, Cervi is the lone backup and could see some playing time.

The US has a stocked roster, especially to go up against CONCACAF opponents like Cuba, Panama and Honduras. Many of these guys have been getting some good senior team playing time and the Euro guys are in mid-season form. I would think coach Nowak will go with more of a Euro based lineup due to the fitness issue, however I'll be disappointed if Jozy Altidore doesn't get the start. He proved against Mexico, the best the region has to offer, that he is ready for prime time. This tournament should be a place for him to showcase his talent and ascent to his spot as the next GAM.

I'd also like to see Sacha Kljestan get some serious playing time in the middle of the park. For my money, he has become one of the premier central midfielders in MLS and should be able to lead this team to China.

Other interesting choices for coach Nowak? Holden, Zizzo, Gaven, Adu...who starts and on which wing. Adu has shown his ability to switch from right to left similar to great wingers like Ronaldo. Holden has been solid for the Dynamo on the wing. Zizzo played well this past summer on the right. Gaven has already had a long and somewhat successful MLS career. I guess there are worse choices to have.

I'd love to see Altidore and Charlie Davies play together up top. You'll remember how much hype Davies received while in college and then he left for Europe without any of us getting to see what he can do. This should serve as his coming out party for us Yanks who crave a taste of hype justification. Will he get his chance?

What about Robbie Findley? He's speedy as can be and score, he proved it in MLS during his rookie season. For me, he's a bench warmer but I haven't been able to watch him in training...we'll see.

Has the US ever had a crop of forwards like this: Davies, Altidore, Findley & Barrett? I'm not talking about skin color. These guys are all fast, powerful, take the ball and run at people kind of players. I'm excited to see what they can do against players with less professional experience.

The games are on FSC. Make sure you tune in! 8pm EDT, tonight!

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Tuesday, March 04, 2008

FCTP Meets FTP, Tonight...

Tune into From The Pitch with Marcelo Balboa tonight. I'll be one of the co-hosts along with Colorado Rapids U-23 owner, Peter Ambrose.

Guests include:
- Nick Sakiewicz - CEO / Operating Partner of the new MLS team in Philadelphia
- Jason Linscott - Senior Director Ticket Sales, Colorado Rapids
- Jack Huckel - Director of Museum and Archives National Soccer Hall oF Fame Museum

Topics of Discussion:
- MLS Wavier Draft Today at 3 PM
- Philadelphia - It's Official
- Top 20 Players in MLS
- MLS Off-Season Club Transfers
- Glen Davis interview with Oscar De La Hoya

Tune in live, 6pm - 8 pm mst.
# AM-1060 in Denver
# AM-1580 in Colorado Springs
# AM-610 in Vail
# AM-1450 in Buena Vista
Online - Radio Colorado Network

Call in to ask questions:
800-531-3815 - on air
303-485-2152 - on air

Email Questions to MarceloBalboa@yahoo.com

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