US U-17 World Cup Kicking Off...soon!

Well folks, you may have noticed a total lack of new content around here. My wife and I welcomed twins into the family at the end of September and sleep deprivation has ensued. So, blog is not getting a lot of attention.

But I do want to call your attention to this, the US U-17 Men kick off their World Cup in about an hour and 15 minutes, at 1 pm central time. You can catch the match on ESPNU, Galavision and ESPN360.com. They're playing Spain so it should be entertaining.

Want to learn more about the team? Read this from ESPN.com. Hopefully the attacking style discussed in the article works for the team. The US U-20 team had a poor performance in their World Cup last month, so I hope to see better from the U-17s.

Take Another Look At US Soccer...

Let's all be honest with each other, ussoccer.com got a little stale having not changed in a long time. In today's instant info society it seems like some sites change once every two years. I think US Soccer had fallen down and couldn't get up since back before World Cup 2006. Anyone know/Remember the last update? Well, anyway...take a look at the new and improved site. Thoughts?

Also, U-17 World Cup draw is this Friday...tomorrow! At least I think that is what I read...I'm having trouble finding the link. Oh, here we go. The draw will be held in Abuja, Nigeria tomorrow, Friday. Nice.

The U-17 men did very well at the Copa Macae tournament in Brazil...they emerged as Champions! Well done.

Players Starting the Fall Season With Some Extra Practice...

While most of the news these days is about David Beckham's return to MLS, the US' performance in the Gold Cup and MLS' drop in attendance, I'd like to remind everyone that we still have the U-17 World Cup and U-20 World Cup coming up this summer/fall. As part of that, many college players are getting some extra credit training in this summer. While their peers are playing on club and/or PDL teams, there are many college players training and playing matches with the young nats.

Tomorrow, July 21st 2009, the US U-20 team heads to Argentina for a 10-day camp with a couple international matches as part of the Copa Cuidad de Rosario. College players making the trip: Brian Perk - GK UCLA, Gale Agbossoumonde - D UCLA, Ike Opara - D Wake Forest, Dilly Duka - M Rutgers, Brian Ownby - M University of Virginia, Dillon Powers - M Notre Dame, Michael Stephens - M UCLA, Sam Garza - F University of Denver and Tony Taylor - F Jacksonville University. Wow, UCLA is going to have some fit players when they return to NCAA action this fall.

Do you think it will help their campaign to have some many players coming in from National Team camp? There is downside, if these guys perform well and make the U-20 WC team they head to Egypt in late September and could be gone for up to one month.

At the same time the US U-17 men are down in Brazil training and playing in the Copa Macae. These guys are still on their club teams and haven't quite reached college. Most of these guys have been part of the US U-17 Bradenton Residency program but I did see one or two who haven't. It was also interesting to see a couple names from the recent Development Academy Starting XI; Riley Wolfe & Victor Chavez. Another common thread...Parade's annual All-American list.

I don't know about you but I am excited for these events later this year.

So much for the US becoming the regional youth champions...

The CONCACAF U-17 championship was canceled due to the outbreak of swine flu in Mexico. It seems like the right thing to do, but I was really looking forward to seeing the US youth match up against our rivals to the south in the final. The rivalry between the two CONCACAF powers is intense and it is good to indoctrinate our players at a young age. The current U-17 team getting a chance to match up again a strong opponent in Mexico would have been a great event for the young Americans. Ohh well, another time.

Mexico went 3-0 in their group posting a +11 scoring differential. The US went 3-0 in their group posting a +10 scoring differential. I guess Mexico beat us there.

So no U-17 CONCACAF Champion will be crowned this time around. Until 2011.

U-17 CONCACAF Championships -> U-17 World Cup

Well folks, the US has done it again. As you'll see in the right margin the US U-17 team has been to every U-17 World Championship since FIFA started hosting the tournament in 1985 and this summer will be no different. With two wins in the first two matches at the CONCACAF Championships, currently being playing in Mexico, the US stamped their ticket to this summer's World Cup in Nigeria. In the first match the US demolished Cuba by a score of 5-0. Next they beat up on our neighbors to the north by a score of 4-2.

The American's potent offense is being led by Jack McInerney who has four goals and two assists in the first two matches. McInerney is a Georgia native who has been part of the US U-17 residency program since the fall of 2007. That is when he first landed in my database.

Next up for the young Americans is Honduras. They play tomorrow. The US already has a ticket to the tournament semi-finals booked. If you want to follow along with the tournament, head on over to the official CONCACAF website.

1999 US U-17 Team...Where Have I Seen That Before...

Right now I'm not sure if I should feel honored or ripped off. Or is this such a common theme that anyone could be inspired to write about it? You see, today I went to ESPN.com and found this story by Justin Rodriguez. Immediately I thought about the blog post I wrote regarding this team. I even spread it out over multiple parts.

If you read Rodriguez's story it is obvious he didn't rip off any content. He actually wrote it as a journalist getting quotes and doing interviews; something I rarely do. He obviously put more work into it than I ever did. But it brings up the question, at what point is credit due to someone else for doing some base research?

Look, I don't know if Rodriguez read my post over two years ago, or ever for that matter, and got the idea and took off from there. I don't know if Justin Rodriguez has ever read my blog at all. With the proliferation of blogs it does bring up an interesting gray area.

Justin Rodriguez, or anyone at ESPN.com who can pass on the message to Justin Rodriguez, did I provide any inspiration for this story, or did you think it up all on your own? That's all I want to know.

**EDIT** I should add that I give a lot of props to Justin Rodriguez for the research he did into this team. I did my best to Google all these guys but people like Danny Bolin didn't hit my radar as well from my desk in Denver. Nice piece Justin.

2007 Nike Friendlies…

The 2007 Nike Friendlies kick off tomorrow, 12-6-07, at IMG Academies in Bradenton, Florida. The US U-17 team is split into the ‘92s and ‘91s. The ‘92s are playing against international competition Russia, Brazil and Turkey while the ‘91s are playing against domestic opponents FC Delco, Real Colorado and Vardar. There will also be two US U-15 teams playing against various American club teams as part of the new US Soccer Development Academy.

These matches will be the debut of new U-17 manager Wilmer Cabrera. The former Colombian international is a veteran of two FIFA World Cups, and will be looking to transfer his experience to the young guns of American soccer.

You can watch the U-17 international matches on FSC this week. Here is the schedule. I know I’m setting my DVR to pick up all three.

We’re just 20 hours from kick off, according to USsoccer.com. Get excited people! There is a chance some of these kids will join MLS in the coming years, maybe even this January.

***Update***

I noticed in the participating clubs lists (U-15/16 & U-17/18) that not all of the US Soccer Development Academy teams were going to the Nike friendlies, specifically the MLS youth teams. It turns out since this is a Nike sponsored event, non-Nike sponsored clubs are not invited. Just another sign that American youth soccer is a fragmented, money driven game. The label of the Development Academy was added to the event since Nike and US Soccer are close friends, however this is not an official Academy event.

I'm not trying to say everything US Soccer does needs to be a large, competitive event...just trying to point out that this isn't necessarily the best of the best across the country playing each other as the Development Academy label would lead you to believe.

Thanks to Brian Crookham of the Colorado Rapids for helping me sort that out.

FCTP Falls Off The Wagon...

You've already figured out that I can't keep up with the MLS Rookie of the week business. I'm sorry, I really am. Today I am officially declaring that feature is dead. I gave it a good go but it is too tough as the MLS season wears on and work gets busy. If anyone out there wants to join my "staff" and take over the honor of scouring match write ups and trying to make an educated decision on who the best rookie was this past week, please write me or comment below. Work, life and other interesting soccer news has gotten in the way.

One thing that has certainly gotten in the way is my reading of other soccer blogs. Google Reader has hooked me people. I'm going to put a link to the right call "What Bonji Is Reading." It will show you what I share in Google Reader. For those who enjoy blogs but haven't started using a blog compiler, check it out. You subscribe to the blog and then get all of their articles automatically. You can take the time it takes to search for what you want to read and put it into reading. I highly recommend you start by subscribing to your favorite soccer blog, FCTP.

The fall US U-17 residency class has been announced. Top Drawer Soccer does a great job on their write up, check it out. Yes, I found this through Google Reader and someone else's blog. Can't remember who's...sorry.

I got some confused calls from family members yesterday wondering why I wasn't on the radio. Tonight is From The Pitch. It is every Tuesday night from 6 - 8 pm mountain time. Tune in! If you like the logo update we posted the other day, I can put you in touch with the graphic designer who did the update. I'm sure he'd be happy to charge you for a similar service.

MLS is coming down to the final playoff push. Colorado, Chicago and Columbus are all pushing for the 8th and final spot. I love the new playoff qualification format. It really did open up the competition. Instead of both conferences being interested in who is going to get the last spot, now there is one spot for teams from both conferences. Check out the single table widget in the right hand margin to see who is in the playoffs and who is out.

I think Chicago is going to take that magical 8th spot. The addition of Blanco and Wanchope has really helped Chicago come alive in the second half of the season. They can actually go on the road and beat a team they're competing with for the final playoff spot. That is something the Rapids couldn't do. The Rapids need to take notice. Many other teams are improving their situation by signing quality designated players and senior internationals while the Rapids are signing unfit has been former internationals and saving their money on the designated player. GM Plush makes it sound like next year we will see a DP in Colorado, but I'm not so sure. Nothing in the club's history would make me think they are ready to splash the cash on a quality player to bring wins to the club. The Rapids seem to try and emulate the Oakland A's of MLB. When was the last time the A's won the World Series is my question? Ohh, right...1989. When I was still a baseball fan and attended the ALCS where the A's swept the Red Sox to make it to the World Series against the SF Giants and the epic Battle of the Bay that was interrupted by the biggest earthquake I've ever felt. I remember.

Rapids take note, you need to spend to win. My prediction for MLS Cup 2007 is that the two teams in the final will have highly paid players on their roster who know how to score goals in big games. Angel....Blanco...I'm looking at you two.

But I digress....Listen in tonight. Call in to ask some questions. It'll be fun!

US U-17 Men Can't Advance...

The US U-17 Men's National Team didn't have enough in the tank to beat Germany at the U-17 World Cup. Germany showed early in the tournament they were going to be a top team and they continued to win, pushing the US out of the event.

I've got to think this is a major disappointment for US Soccer. This young team was seen as a strong side going into the event but they stumbled early and couldn't recover. While advancing to the knock out stage is good, US Soccer needs to advance deeper into these events to continue earning worldwide respect. This U-17 is certainly not going to live long in the minds of American fans. Since 1999 the U-17 men have reached the quarterfinals three out of five times.

Back to the drawing board for the next U-17 World Cup cycle.

FIFA U-17 World Cup Update...

The US won't play until tomorrow and the FIFA U-17 World Cup quarterfinals are half set. The biggest shock of the first knockout round? Brazil lost to Ghana, 1-0. The US knows all about Ghana's senior team's quality but the U-17 team was able to surprise Brazil. This is the same Brazil that went through the group stage scoring 14 goals. Brazil lost to England in group play so we knew they weren't perfect, but getting shut out by Ghana...that was unexpected.

European teams have faired well so far. Spain and France will face each other in one of the quarterfinal matches. The other will feature Africa against South America, Ghana vs. Peru. Peru was able to do what the US couldn't, beat Tajikistan.

Tomorrow the US faces Germany. The German offense was the second best in group play, scoring 11 goals. However their defense wasn't too solid in giving up 5 goals. Seeing as that the US gave up 7 goals, they will need to be organized and solid in the back to have any hope against the Germans.

The game tomorrow will once again be shown on ESPNU at 7 am edt. Why ESPN2 can't give up some precious Mike and Mike in the morning time for the youth national team, I don't understand. So, I won't be able to DVR this game. Too bad. Those of you in college should be able to see it.

U-17 Men...They Did It!!!

The US U-17 Men were able to beat Belgium this weekend to jump into second place in the group. They will play against the winner of Group F, Germany, on Thursday. Way to go!!!

US U-17 Men...What Happened...Still a Chance...

The US U-17 went into the 2007 World Cup as the team with a lot of potential. They have potentially great players. They could potentially make some noise in the knock out stages. They could potentially win the whole thing. It isn't just me saying this. Worldwide media and FIFA were saying it. FIFA went so far as to say the US is expected to dominate Group E. I don't know what has happened, either no one told the US or people told the opponents.

After the group draw I was telling myself there is no way the US won't advance against these smaller programs. Seriously, we played countries no bigger then many states in the US. Tajikistan is slightly smaller than Wisconsin and 7,076,598 residents. Tunisia is slightly larger than Georgia and has 10,276,158 residents. How do these countries come out and beat the US, population 301,139,947? Seriously...how?

These two teams must have had more heart, desire and luck. I can't explain it any other way.

The US next faces Belgium and there is still somehow a chance for the US to make it through to the next round. If the US beats Belgium by a large margin they can move into second if Tunisia beats Tajikistan. Tajikistan's +/- is zero while the US' is -3. So the US would need to win by three goals while Tajikistan loses by at least one. There are also two third place spots the US could qualify for. If the US wins and Korea DPR, Syria and France all lose or tie there should be a third place spot open for the young Americans.

It is hard to stomach that the US is looking at what if type scenarios but here we are. They should have come out and put away early chances to take control of the first two matches, but they didn't. That is what happens in these types of youth tournaments. Let's all cross our collective fingers that the US can crush Belgium with Tunisia also beating Tajikistan by a large margin. I don't want to count on the third place games.

US U-17 Men's World Cup Match #1 Result....

Ok folks, the first game of the U-17 World Cup is in the books. No, I didn't wake up to watch it. I don't have ESPNU. But I did catch the last 15 minutes on match tracker. Isn't that just the most fun...not. I wish all of these games made it onto the mainstream ESPN channels, maybe next time.

This looks like it would have been a fun one to watch. When I turned it on in the 75th minute the US held a 3-2 lead. The US came out with the early lead after Greg Garza and Mykell Bates hooked up for a 9th minute goal. However, Tajikistan scored the next two goals at went into halftime with a 2-1 lead.

After the break the US took the lead back with goals from Garza (48') and Schuler (53'). But the US couldn't put the match to bed and late in the game Tajikistan started to win most of the balls and get the chances. In the 82nd minute they scored their third goal to tie the game. After the restart they were trying to get the winning goal and the US needed to withstand the pressure. However, in the 86th minute they gave up a fourth goal. It seems the American defense wilted in the infamous Korean heat and humidity and gave Tajikistan too much time on the ball.

Tajikistan took good chances and made American keeper Zac MacMath work as 7 of their 9 shots were on frame. He let 4 of those shots into the goal. With that kind of shot production and those quality shots it takes a top notch effort from the keeper to win the game. The American defense is going to need to tighten up to keep their keeper better protected if they plan on making it into the knockout stages. The US was able to get the large majority of corner kicks taking 7 to Tajikistan's 1.

In stoppage time the Americans were able to create some chances and Ellis McLoughlin almost slipped one past Tajikistan's keeper. The US were not as efficient on the offensive side of things taking 8 shots with only 5 going on frame. Tajikistan only stopped 3 of the on frame shots so perhaps a few more on target would have produced the game tying goal. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be. The Americans couldn't overcome giving up two goals in the last ten minutes of the match.

So it seems Tajikistan was a tougher opponent then originally thought. The small Asian nation was able to surprise the Americans and they took advantage of the chances given to them. The American defense is going to have to play much better for the team to have any success in this event. Defense is often the weakness in this age group for any team. The nation that can possess the ball and keep the other from moving towards goal will be the winner. Hopefully the Americans can figure that out by the next match against Tunisia on Thursday, 8/23.

For highlights of this first match, look to FIFA.

In Four Years Danny Cruz Learned To Play Soccer...

This is a really interesting story. Danny Cruz grew up playing Hockey and Football. In-between the two high school sports seasons he started playing soccer to stay in shape. Now he is on the U-17 World Cup team and going to UNLV to play soccer. He's certainly going to be one to watch.

This story will undoubtedly play into the arguement that American athletes are just good at sports and can play any they set their mind to. If more of these great athletes choose soccer over the other American sports, watch out world. But, will pure athleticism overtake Brazilian creativity and flair? The future will reveal itself.

2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup Is Upon Us...

US Soccer has had a very busy summer. The Senior Men's team played in two major tournaments back to back, winning one. The U-20 Men played in their World Cup and reached the Quarterfinals. The Women will be playing in their World Cup soon. Countless friendlies have gone in the books and some more are coming up. 2007 has been the summer of soccer.

The next event for the men, the FIFA U-17 World Cup, is kicking off this Saturday, August 18th, in Suwon, South Korea. The US will see their first action on Monday, August 20th, in Changwon against Tajikistan. Below is the team's group stage schedule:

20 Aug - Tajikistan vs. USA - Live on ESPNU at 7:00 am EDT
23 Aug - USA vs. Tunisia - Live on ESPN2 at 4:00 am EDT
26 Aug - Belgium vs. USA - Live on ESPNU at 3:00 am EDT

Note the live television broadcasts on the ESPN network. Previously these games would be on a Spanish language channel, but to my knowledge this is the first time we're seeing them in English. Correct me if I'm wrong. Who's going to stay up for these like they did in 2002? Not I, the DVR is magic. Too bad ESPNU is so hard to come by.

The team arrives in South Korea today to start their amazing journey through a World Cup. For some this will be a once in a lifetime experience. For others it will be the first of many World Cups.

US Soccer has put a couple of videos out so you can meet the team. Say hello to the US U-17 Men's National Team. (For some reason youtube has not posted the embed link, once they do I will post that way.)

You can also see some clips of the kids in action.

It is hard to imagine the US not advancing out of the group stage in this event. However, the three teams we're grouped with are big unknowns. They could rise up and pull an Austria. Should the US make it out of the group, based upon their finishing rank in the group and all of these other teams' final rank in their groups, they could face Costa Rica, Togo, Korea Republic, Peru, Nigeria, France, Japan, Haiti, Colombia, Germany, Trinidad and Tobago or Ghana. Personally I enjoy seeing that Brazil and Argentina aren't on that list. We'll know what the knockout round looks like once all group games are finished August 26th.

Many of the Americans playing in this event are too young to be starting college, however a few will be freshmen once they return from South Korea. Below is the roster and which college they are attending in the fall, if they are headed to college. Additionally there is one professional player in the ranks:

Goalkeepers:
Josh Lambo (Middleton, Wis.) - N/A
Zac MacMath (St. Petersburg, Fla.) - N/A
Larry Jackson (East Palo Alto, Calif.) - N/A

Defenders:
Sheanon Williams (Boston, Mass.) - N/A
Mykell Bates (Roseville, Calif.) - N/A
Tommy Meyer (St. Louis, Mo.) - N/A
Chris Klute (Grand Prairie, Texas) - N/A
Kofi Sarkodie (Huber Heights, Ohio) - N/A
Brandon Zimmerman (Pasco, Wash.) - N/A

Midfielders:
Daniel Wenzel (Federal Way, Wash.) - Wake Forest
Jared Jeffrey (Dallas, Texas) - N/A
Kirk Urso (Lombard, Ill.) - N/A
Dane Shea (College Station, Texas) - N/A
Gregory Garza (Grapevine, Texas) - N/A
Brendan King (Naperville, Ill.) - N/A
Alex Nimo (Portland, Ore.) - N/A

Forwards:
Ellis McLoughlin (Seattle, Wash.) - U of Washington
Bryan Dominguez (Atlanta, Ga.) - N/A
Abdusalam Ibrahim (FC Dallas) - FC Dallas
Billy Schuler (Allentown, N.J.) - N/A
Daniel Cruz (Glendale, Ariz.) - UNLV

There is a chance a player on the above roster will turn pro after the tournament. MLS could sign someone and assign them to a club, or a foreign club may sign someone based on their play at the tournament. Anymore all of these players have a good chance at becoming professional soccer players. If you get a chance to watch one of these games, do. The younger teams often play a more attacking style of play, sometimes completely ignoring defensive responsibilities. Enjoy!

You can now find a history of the US' performance in the U-17 World Cup in the right margin.

MLS SUM U-17 Cup...

I was not able to attend any of the SUM U-17 games up to this point, but from what I have seen in the comments on my blog and on bigsoccer.com the event is going very well and there is some good soccer being played. They're even attracting a crowd and keeping rivalries alive. The Rocky Mountain Cup made an appearance at the Colorado "A" - RSL match Saturday, helping the U-17 Rapids to earn a victory.

For those interested in results. Here is how the groups look after each team has played 2 matches.

Group A:
DC United - 4 points
RSL - 3
Colorado "A" - 3
Columbus - 1

Group B:
FC Dallas - 6 points
Kansas City - 4
Chivas - 1
NY Red Bulls - 0

Group C:
Chicago - 4 points
LA Galaxy - 4
Houston - 2
Colorado "B" - 0

The final matches of group play are tonight. The semifinals will be played Wednesday, July 17th. The three group winners will advance to the semifinals, as will the best second place team. Since both groups B & C have the top two teams playing tonight the race is wide open. There are many scenarios in group A as well. I'll try to get updated standings posted as early as I can tomorrow.

A Busy Summer Coming Up for American Soccer...

In addition to a full slate of MLS, USL and PDL games this summer, the international calendar is chock full as well. Most American soccer fans drool over the World Cup, but this off year will provide four separate international Men's tournaments. The senior team is playing in the CONCACAF Gold Cup and the CONMEBOL Copa America. The U-20 team has a World Cup in Canada while the U-17 team will be in Korea. Soccer fans delight, we've got games to watch.

In the past the U-20 team has been dominated by college players from American colleges but that is changing. As professionals start to enter the ranks, the Americans will have to be taken more seriously. There is currently a camp where head coach Rongen is evaluating talent and names on the roster vary from high school kids in the Bradenton residency program, to college kids to MLS players to European professionals. I think when the dust settles the team going to Canada will be made up mostly of professional players, putting the Americans on equal footing with the rest of the world. In fact, Freddy Adu thinks the team is ready to shine in the 2007 tournament. The Americans kick off a difficult group D on June 30th against South Korea, then on July 3rd face Poland and finish group play against Brazil on July 6th. Hopefully Adu can lead the team past some tough competition into the knock out rounds.

The U-17 team will be stocked with a lot more talent we'll see in college some day soon. Most if not all of the players going to Korea with coach Hackworth will be from the Bradenton residency program. This is a good thing for the American's chances because the players will all know each other and there won't be a game wasted as players become familiar with each other's styles. An easier group draw should benefit the Americans. The US U-17's were drawn into Group E along with Belgium, Tajikistan and Tunisia. The US will start against Tajikistan on August 20th, followed by matches against Tunisia on the 23rd and Belgium on the 26th. This will be the place to see some American stars of tomorrow.

The full Men's national team will no doubt rely on all professionals this summer so we won't focus on them. The most interesting thing in my opinion is that MLS Rookie and FCTP Rookie of the Week winner, Michael Harrington, is being named as a possible member of either the Copa America or Gold Cup side. Coach Bradley will certainly pull from a large group since there are two major tournaments so close in time, but has Harrington really proven himself ready for a full national team cap? We'll see I suppose. The Gold Cup roster is expected today as that tournament kicks off in Miami on June 6th.

Enjoy a full summer of games soccer fans!