Jozy Altidore is one of the most exciting athletes I’ve ever seen play. It was like watching Jordan or Gretzky or every Brazilian player ever.  He just fucks motherfuckers up. Fakes bitches out of their jock straps and appears as if from nowhere to break up passes. Although HefNasty’s man-crush Landon Donovan didn’t play. Altidore’s sheer athleticism, skill and speed, along with the stellar play of both goaltenders provided one hell of a lot of excitement.

Soccer is perhaps the greatest test of human endurance outside of the Ironman. A soccer pitch is huge. Just massive. Around 15 yards longer and about 10 yards wider than an American football field, there’s barely enough grass in most football stadiums to contain a pitch. More importantly, these guys run. And run. And run. Then run some more – for ninety goddamn minutes. No turnovers. No huddles. No stopping the clock when the ball goes out of bounds. Just straight running. To give you some idea of how impressive this is, an NBA game is 48 minutes long – a little longer than ONE HALF of a soccer match when you factor in stoppage time. And there’s no hanging on your shorts and sucking wind during free-throws, no substitutions, no 20 second timeouts. Just fucking running – oh and trying to push a 6 foot 200 pound guy off the ball all goddamn night. Holy shit. These guys are athletes. Too bad no one in this country notices.

But it’s not so much about what happens on the pitch. The experience of going to a FIFA game is out of this world. You get this awesome sense of absolute fanaticism (The good kind. Not the creepy, “Cameron Crazies” kind), lawlessness, and pure joy of the game with a dash of anarchy and a heaping dose of national pride thrown in.

The best way to describe the anarchy in the arena would be the following: “Dear NFL, You are a bunch of fucking pussies. – Always, FIFA”. “Alcohol free section”? Fuck you! “No smoking in the concourse/bathrooms”? Blow me! “No fighting”? What? Nobody died right? Oh, and you know at NFL games, how they pour the beer out of the can into a cup and if you get a bottle of water, they keep the cap so you can’t use it as a projectile? Not FIFA, baby! “Here’s a full, unopened, 16 oz Budweiser. We trust you to drink it and not hurl it at someone as a result of the previous 6 you just drank. Thanks!” Oh, and even if the hooligan in the row above you mercifully opens and begins to drink his beer, just wait until his team scores a goal, because you’re most likely getting a shower. Security guards in every aisle? Not bloody likely. Those poor bastards had their hands full containing the fights up in the concourse. George Steinbrenner would shit a brick if he saw such lawlessness at a sporting event. Perhaps my favorite dangerous/illegal activity of the night took place during the Polish National Anthem. As the song reached its crescendo, fans lit off 2 Roman Candles (!) one releasing white smoke, the other, red, creating a perfect amateur pyrotechnic Polish flag. This made the arena smell like gunpowder for the majority of the first half. Fun stuff.

This is how sports were meant to be watched! Stupid American legal system. Beyond the delightfully unapologetic hooliganism**, what truly completes the fan experience is the competitive cheering. From the time the lineups were announced, the (woefully outnumbered) American fans attempted to drown out chants of “POLSKA! (Clap, clap clap) POLSKA! (clap, clap, clap)” with the old standby “USA! USA!” And when the US scored its two goals (each time to take the lead), Soldier Field was rocked with “USA!” Chants that could be rivaled only by a Christine O’Donnell rally or a Toby Keith concert. My sense of national pride was at an all-time high***. But the Poles (who had draped most of the surfaces in Soldier Field with various red and white banners, representing various regions and cities of Poland) struck back loudly with a cheer I won’t even attempt to spell or pronounce that we were told translates to “Never give up!” (I wanted to amend it to “Never give up, unless Germany invades, then give up and call America,” but it’s kind of a long-winded translation). These people DO NOT FUCK AROUND about soccer. As the masses chanted “Never Give Up!” in their native tongue, the looks on their faces were more impassioned than any Cheesehead, Masshole, RaiderNation member or booing Philly fan has ever looked or will ever look. It’s more than just a game to these people. I turned around to see looks that can only be described as sheer desperation combined with an intense sense of pride on the faces of the women sitting behind us. It brought to mind the scene in Casablanca in which Victor Laslo orders the band at Rick’s to play La Marseillaise, culminating in a tearful Madeleine LeBeau crying out “Viva La France!” The desperation and national pride of a young refugee hearing her home country’s anthem after nearly sleeping with the enemy almost equaled the passion on the faces of Poland's fans as they implored their beloved footballers to “Never give up!” and it gave me chills.

A few things to keep in mind when attending your first FIFA match:

Don’t expect to sit for anything resembling an extended period of time. We stood for the majority of the first half, finally grabbing some bench around the 13:00 mark – for about 15 seconds until Altidore scored off a pass from midfielder Jermaine Jones – who was making his international debut. The goal would kick off another intense cheer battle – and sitting would be kept to a minimum. It was as if the fiercely competitive fans were sending a message to each other “We’re not tired and neither is our squad!” Every other opportunity to ride the pine that came along would be interrupted almost as quickly as the first by a steal, a corner, a free kick, a hard slide tackle (incidentally, the stereotypes are true. Footballers flop. More than a few times, a guy would lie in a fetal position until the ref came over and administered the appropriate punishment, at which point, he’s spring to his feet and get back in position.) or an odd-man rush. There’s no “down in front” or “wait for the whistle” etiquette. There’s only leaving it all out there for your squad. Showing loyalty to one’s country, one’s squad is all that matters.

Just go with it. Things like “personal space” aren’t really at the top of anyone’s list. There’s this mentality that we’re all in this together and if we can see a good match and make it out alive, it’s all good. Seating isn’t really enforced. There are massive crowds in the aisles and concourses. You’ll probably have beer spilled on you, you’ll probably have to contend with the smell of some guy’s unfiltered Camel and another’s sleeveless, unshowered, deodorant-free pits. It’s not like a normal American pro sporting event. It’s not about “ensuring everyone has a fun and safe experience” or whatever the Christ they announce at MLB games. It’s not about “respecting each fan’s rights to blah blah blah…”. The experience is the insanity, the lawlessness, the anarchy. Take the jostles, jolts, spilled beer and occasional slight to you or your country in stride and don’t start shit unless you’re prepared to go the distance. And truth be told, if you don’t fuck with anyone, you’ll probably be ok. Just sit back and take it all in.

Participate. Have a few beers, loosen up and cheer your balls off. Unlike most American sports, vocally supporting your team throughout the game isn’t considered poor sportsmanship. Fans of opposing teams practically dare each other to cheer louder and most fans successfully walk the perilous line between good-natured fanaticism and violent over-aggression. This is aided in part by the group mentality. At an American sporting event, a boisterous, drunken fan is noticeable due the relative subdued nature of others in the arena. Additionally, this dynamic causes one on one, usually threatening shit-talking ie: “hey you fuck! I don’t like your stupid hat! [the star player from your team] is a faggot! Go back to [the town the opposing team hails from]!” These scenarios inevitably end badly. I only saw one instance of this type of singled out, verbal hostility at the soccer match. It was a drunken American sporting a Poland jersey in line for the men’s room. This dude would literally talk shit to anyone who walked by (including some poor bastard in Chelsea Blue who he blindsided with “Fuck you and fuck Chelsea”). Pretty sure this dude got the shit beat out of him. Hopefully, right? For some reason, this guy’s actions and words seemed more disturbing than even the few physical fights I witnessed. But the great thing about the group mentality of a soccer crowd is that it allows fans to sidestep the potentially awkward one on one confrontation. It’s all of us versus all of you. As I stood shoulder to shoulder with Americans chanting USA! USA! And Poles chanting POLSAK! POLSKA! I noticed half smirks as I made eye contact with opposing fans as if we were saying to each other “I get it. Bring it on!”

*side note on the tie: at the end of the game, the Americans, who came to see a US win, were understandably bummed. The Poland fans however, seemed ecstatic to have avoided an L.

**side note on hooliganism: if you want to fully understand the term “ugly American” look no further than international soccer. While fans in other countries have a far worse reputation when it comes to over the top cheering and violence, it stems from a different place. Most of the fights I saw were clearly started by mouthy Americans (it was a friendly for chrissakes) and the event was clearly just an excuse for most of these guys to get drunk and start a fight, later chalking it up to “hey, it’s soccer.” The Polish fans, while no less rowdy or violent, were motivated by more than knocking a few back and having a good time. It was clear they truly lived and died with this team to a degree that even the most die hard American fans would have difficulty comprehending.

***HefNasty and my dad had both joked during the weeks leading up to the game that I should sport the Polska Reds as a tribute to my heritage. I considered it until I had to watch a week of smug European journalist hurling asinine queries at America’s golf heroes during the Ryder Cup. Following the heartbreaking American defeat, I decided there was no fucking way I could support anything but the Red, White and Blue and thanks to HefNasty’s ever-growing wardrobe of US Soccer gear, I got to cheer my ass off in style.

-Wild

In an extraordinary turn of events the United States will play its first game of the World Cup in South Africa next summer against the country’s oldest rival, England. The draw is a promoter’s dream. Outside of Mexico, England is probably the best fit for the Americans’ as a natural adversary.

The United States was born out of kicking British redcoat butt and though the Limeys like to point out they burned down the White House in the War of 1812 everyone knows that the Fourth of July has to be a bitter day every year in jolly ole London. Another bone of contention with the English is the 1950 World Cup match where the US won 1-0 over England in Brazil which still pisses of old Englishmen despite no one in America having any idea that it ever happened.

History aside, the USA got the best World Cup draw it has ever received for 2010 with its group consisting of England, Algeria, and Slovenia. No offense to the English, but the United States should really advance out of the group stage as Algeria and Slovenia are widely considered the weakest teams out of Africa and Europe respectively. Although every game is important in the World Cup, the US’s opener with the British will be the match up everyone will be watching.

Player for player England is a better team than the United States.  The Three Lions will be a handful for the American defense with world class stars in Wayne Rooney, Ashley Young, Frank Lampard, and Steven Gerrard leading the attack. All of England’s players play in the English Premier League (outside of a certain Mr.  David Beckham who plays in America in the MLS) which is arguably the world’s best league while the US will be starting some players who undoubtedly play in inferior leagues.

The Los Angeles Galaxy's David Beckham will be looking to sink the Yanks in South Africa

The US has upset the world’s best before as was the case this past summer at the Confederations Cup where the Americans defeated FIFA #1 ranked team in the world, Spain 2-0 and lost a heartbreaker 3-2 to Brazil in the final. The Confederations Cup was also played in South Africa so the U.S. will have that experience in their favor when the two countries meet in the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace (where the US defeated Egypt 3-0 in the group stages of the Confederations Cup) on June 12th.

American players such as Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Oguchi Onyweu, and Tim Howard have proven in the past that they can hang with top level players on a regular basis, but the rest of the US squad will have a lot to prove next summer when they step on the pitch with the world’s best. Throw in the history between LA Galaxy teammates David Beckham and Landon Donovan the game should be one of the most watched soccer games in America of all time.

Hopefully the Big Wigs at ESPN do their best to pump up the game as to maximize the all the interesting storylines that comes with the match. Being a Revolutionary War nerd myself, I’d love to see some historical references put into the promotion, but I won’t keep my hopes up. A victory over England next summer would be one of the greatest sports achievements in international sport in our country’s history while it would send the English straight into national mourning.

The money and promotion ESPN is throwing into the World Cup will allow Americans to view the event in a completely unprecedented way bringing in more viewers. A good showing at the World Cup this summer could inspire some kid somewhere in the United States to become the next Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi furthering the development of the sport in America. So get your Red, White, and Blue flags ready for next summer and let's show those Limeys we can still kick it 1776 style.

- Sean Heffernan

Are you looking forward to next summer's clash in South Africa? Share your thoughts below!

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by Sean Heffernan

A large percentage of US soccer fans have heralded 23 year old Edgar Castillo as the next left back for the national team without the Mexican-American ever making a appearance for the Stars & Stripes. FIFA recently approved Castillo's request to play for the United States instead of Mexico (for who he appeared four times in international friendlies) making him available to play in next summer's World Cup for the USA.
 
The left footed speedster plays for Mexican club Tigres alternating between fullback and midfielder. Currently, the left back job for the USMNT is in the hands of Chivas USA's Jonathan Borenstein who scored the game tying header in the Americans' final World Cup Qualifier against Costa Rica last month. However,  a month prior to being the hero Borenstein had played the goat making a embarrassing mistake against El Salvador that resulted in a goal and put the US in a tough spot 1-0 before their came back to win 2-1. To say the least if the US invite Castillo into the team the fight for the left back spot is far from over.
 
Castillo was unable to be called for the US's Saturday friendly against Slovakia (10 ET, FSC) because of club commitments, but it is suspected that he may receive a call up for the US's match against Denmark the following Wednesday. I had watched Castillo play on Telemundo with Tigres on a number occasions, but I decided to check out last weekend's match against Atlante to gauge his current form and analyze what the New Mexico born footballer could bring to the US National Team.
 
I was disappointed in the first half as Castillo played mostly in a left midfield position, but it was apparent right from the first whistle that one thing this kid has is speed. Early on you could tell Castillo had an itch to get involved in the attack floating forward to the left of Tigres' Brazilian striker Itamar almost playing as attacking winger. Time and time again in the first half the 23 year old would explode down the left with the ball and go fearlessly at the Atlante defenders.

On a number of occasions  Castillo got the ball taken from him or took a wild shot when he should have laid off a pass to a teammate, but as a US fan you have to love his confidence. There wasn't another player on the field with his pace. Eventually in the first half the USMNT hopeful calmed down and began making more intelligent passes. In the 36th minute his cross was batted down by the hand of an Atlante defender in the box setting up a penalty kick that put Tigres ahead 2-0.
 
In the second half with a two goal lead, Castillo played more in a left back role. I was pleased to see on a number of plays when Atlante attackers challenged Castillo down the left, he used his pure speed to run them down and clear the ball out of danger. As the game progressed Atlante went down two men from red cards and the game shifted heavily in Tigres favor. In the 71st minute Castillo hoped on a loose ball and dribbled through three layers of Atlante defenders before kicking the ball past the helpless keeper. The Atlante defenders just ran out of gas after being attacked all night by Castillo and playing down two men. Tigres finished the game 4-0 large in part to the young American's unbridled attack.

I can't think of anyone in the US's player pool that goes at defenders like Castillo. In both good and bad ways he attacks like a Brazilian. One of his biggest attributes and biggest flaws is that he's unafraid to be greedy with the ball. There were four or five plays where Castillo should have made a more unselfish play, but he never would have scored a goal like the one he scored if he didn't have that aggressive mentality.

 I'd like to see a game where he plays the full 90 at left back and see how he does. Bradley also could use him on the left as a midfielder if he wanted some speed out wide, but the US have had success starting Landon Donovan in that position and don't see his role changing any time soon.

For Castillo to thrive in a left back role he would have to learn more restraint of bombing forward all the time, but it's hard deny the kind of potential the kid has. This Saturday Castillo's Tigres face off against fellow American Jose Francisco Torres's Pachuva at 6 PM ET on Telefutura.

 Hopefully, Bradley will call in Castillo in for the Denmark friendly as time is precious before next summer's World Cup and if in fact Castillo is good enough to compete for a spot on the national team then he needs to incorporated into the team as quickly as possible. Only time will tell if Edgar Castillo can become a pivotal figure for US Soccer, but from what I saw last Saturday fans have good reason to be excited.

Do you think Edgar Castillo can win the left back job? Leave your comments below.

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by Sean Heffernan 

The US have two friendlies scheduled in Europe against Slovakia (Nov. 14) and Denmark (Nov. 18) making those MLS players who's clubs advanced this weekend unavailable for national team duty. Time with the national team is precious to those players fighting to earn their spot on the roster heading to South Africa next summer for the World Cup. Success with their MLS teams won't be ignored by USMNT head coach Bob Bradley, but those American players will miss out on making an impression in person. Below is a breakdown of the players who might have been had been called up for the friendlies in Europe, but were unavailable because of the MLS Cup Conference Finals...

 Real Salt Lake

Robbie Findley- The speedy forward would have likely gotten a call up for the friendlies, but he will be busy next weekend playing in the MLS Cup Western Conference Finals. Many soccer analysts have highlighted Findley's as a possible replacement on the national team for Sochaux forward Charlie Davies who was injured in a car accident last month. The 24 year old striker had a career year scoring 12 goals this season in MLS.

 Kyle Beckerman- RSL's dread locked captain also had a decent shot of being called up after playing well for the US in the summer's Gold Cup. The US is very deep in quality central midfielders with the likes of Michael Bradley, Maurice Edu, and Jermaine Jones all playing in Europe. However, with Edu and Jones both injured Beckerman could have made his case with Bradley in Slovakia and Denmark.

Chicago Fire

Chris Rolfe- Had Chicago not pulled out a victory on Saturday night against the Revs it would have been Rolfe’s last game in a Fire uniform as the 26 year old signed a contract with Danish club Aalborg BK in September. Instead the former University of Dayton Flyer will get one more chance to wear red and white in front of Fire fans. In his four seasons with the Fire Rolfe has been one of the club’s most consistent players scoring 36 goals in 123 appearances. Rolfe has a creative ability with the ball in the final third that is very rare in the American player pool. The US could have used his attacking abilities in the 2009 Gold Cup where they ran out of answers in the final against Mexico.

It would have been interesting to see Rolfe get called in had the Fire lost, but if he can find some success next season in Europe he could earn some serious consideration for next summer.

 Logan Pause- For the last six years patrolling the Fire’s midfield Pause has earned a reputation as solid MLS professional. The Hillsborough, North Carolina product was a third round draft pick in 2003, but Pause grew into the role that Chris Armas left when he retired from the Fire in 2007. Pause’s hard work paid off this summer when he was called in for this summer’s CONCAF Gold Cup.

With Beckerman and Clark unavailable Pause really would have had a good chance of being called in had the Fire lost. The 28 year old would've had two matches to make his case with Bob Bradley, but I’m sure he’s happy about advancing in the playoffs. Pause also won the 2009 Humanitarian of the Year Award along with Kansas City Wizard defender Jimmy Conrad this past week for his many charitable works he’s involved with. Pause is a real long shot for the World Cup, but it’s hard not to root for this guy.

 John Thorrington- On Saturday night the 30 year old professional was all over the field for the Fire and scored the first goal in front of a sellout crowd in Bridgeview. Thorrington was probably not going to be called anyway having not played recently due to injuries, but he was a real difference maker for the Fire. The veteran player can play in the midfield or at right back (where Bob Bradley has used him before). Playing well for the Fire in the playoffs will help his stock rise as a fringe USMNT player. Don’t be surprised if Thorrington gets a call up the January camp. Also I enjoyed his interviewing skills with this Chicago Tribune feature he did with Logan Pause.

Jon Busch- One of the best goal keepers in MLS over his seven years in the league, Jon Busch should be at least considered for national team duty. Busch doesn’t have a great shot at making the World Cup roster with Tim Howard a lock for the starting position, but you never know what could happen before next summer. Although Brad Guzan has been the back up on the national team the past few years, if Howard should get hurt before the World Cup I don’t know if Bradley would be comfortable putting Guzan in net for the US if he doesn’t start regularly for his club team, Aston Villa. There are a number of other American keepers in Europe, but solid MLS goalies like Busch should be considered too if a crisis arises. Busch has one cap with the national team and has been called into US camps a number of times.

After the game Saturday night the Fire keeper was visibly pumped up in a post match interview with Fox Soccer Channel calling out ESPN analyst Alexi Lalas for saying prior to the game that the Fire had no heart. You gotta love awkward television!

Houston Dynamo-

Stuart Holden- The creative midfielder was touted by many as the US’s best performer this summer in the Gold Cup. This year also so Holden become a MLS All Star, a  substitute against Mexico in Estadio Azteca, and a starter replacing an injured Clint Dempsey in the final two World Cup Qualifiers. Holden made everyone forget about Dwayne De Rosario in Houston leading the Dynamo to the playoffs and a second place finish in the Western Conference.

Holden’s extended service to the US in the Gold Cup and World Cup Qualifying has him well positioned to make the World Cup roster. It appears likely that Holden will be heading to Europe once the season is over, but he will need to find a club where he can earn consistent playing time if he wants to keep knocking on the door to USMNT's starting lineup.

Ricardo Clark- - A favorite of Bob Bradley, the defensive midfielder had a surreal summer in South Africa with the national team upsetting Spain and almost winning the Confederations Cup over Brazil. Clark has been for the past year the first choice of Bob Bradley to pair with his son, Michael Bradley, in central midfield. Clark’s play at the Confederations Cup and during World Cup Qualifying earned him some attention from European clubs, but rumors have died down since the summer of a move to  Europe. Clark looked pretty banged up on Sunday, but with all the competition in the US midfield he can use every opportunity he gets to solidify his place on the national team.

When Jermaine Jones gets healthy many have the Schalke 04 talisman penciled in to replace Clark, but if Clark continues to play well he certainly will be in the mix for South Africa.

 Brian Ching- Though the Hawaiian striker often drives a large contingent of US fans crazy, the two time MLS champion is a consistent target forward. Ching may not score goals like it’s going out of fashion, but his overtime winner in Houston on Sunday was truly inspiring. You could see how bad he wanted that goal. Though he won’t win any popularity contests with US Soccer fanatics, Ching will be in the battle for a spot on the trip to South Africa all the way up to next summer.

 Bobby Boswell- It amazes me how unheralded Boswell has been over his career as he’s won two Supporter’s Shields and a MLS Defender of the Year Award with DC United and anchored Houston’s solid backline the past two seasons. He almost signed with a Turkish club after the 2008 season, but he ended signing a new four year deal with Houston. Boswell has been off the US radar for awhile, but he really should be considered being one of the best center back s in MLS. Boswell should be in the mix for making the USMNT along with Jimmy Conrad and Chad Marshall. Now all he has to worry about is keeping Landon Donovan and David Beckham at bay next Friday night in LA.  

 Brad Davis- Am I a nerd for thinking this guy look like he could have been a hobbit in Lord of the Rings? Ok, I’m definitely a nerd, but Hobbit or not Davis can play. The midfielder just makes things happen on the field for the Dynamo. The Dynamo have been one of the top teams in the league without a goal scoring machine striker much in part to the play of the 27 year old. The service Brad Davis provides his teammates is among the best in MLS this side of David Beckham. At the 2009 MLS All Star Game, Davis played wonderfully scoring the All Stars’ only goal in the 1-1 loss to Everton on penalties. After being snubbed by Bradley for the Gold Cup, I would have really liked to see Davis back in the USMNT picture, but the Dynamo will continue to battle for another MLS Cup.

 Geoff Cameron-The second year man has been great in his roles both as a central defender in both the midfield and the back line for the Dynamo. After a excellent 2009 season that saw Cameron start the All Star Game, many had the former University of Rhode Island Ram fast tracked for national team duty. A first ever call up will have to wait for Cameron who is busy with the Dynamo. Cameron would have been a nice addition to the Slovakia/Denmark friendlies because of his versatility in both the midfield and defense. Keep your eye on this kid in the years to come.

LA Galaxy

 Landon Donovan-There really was no reason for the US's best player to be involved in the upcoming friendlies. Then again whenever the national team suits up US fans want a victory and having Donovan on the pitch makes a huge difference. The Galaxy are playing well and the Beckham experiment is finally showing some positive results. Let Landon enjoy it after enduring the darkness of the previous two seasons in LA.

 Todd Dunivant-The Galaxy left back has been solid this year for Bruce Arena on a backline that was one of the best in MLS in 2009. Borenstein's play towards the end of World Cup Qualifying has the Chivas USA star the front runner for the left back job with the national team, but the position battle is far from over. Edgar Castillo has been pumped up by many as Borenstein's main competitor, but the former Mexican international has yet to play for the United States. Dunivant is not a track star going forward, but he might be a better defender than Borenstein and Castillo. Castillo has admited that his defending needs work and Borenstein has made several blunders that have cost the national team in the past. Dunivant's solid defending, experience (won two MLS Cups) , and consistency should put him in the mix for the left back  job.

What other players do you think really missed out on the friendlies because of MLS play? Share your thoughts below!

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by Sean Heffernan

American soccer star, Charlie Davies, is  undergoing surgery following a car accident that took place in the Washington DC area and is in stable condition. A female passenger died at the scene while Davies and another male were injuried. It was reported by the Washington Post's Steven Goff that the injuries could be career threatening for the 23 year old Davies according to a US Soccer Federation official.

"Charlie Davies" is currently one of the 'Trending Topics' on twitter as the outpouring of support for the USMNT player has flooded Internet waves. Earlier this year Davies was kind enough to answer some of my questions for Soccer365. Since we spoke he's earned his way from a fringe player on the national team to a full fledged starter.

After proving his worth at the Confederations Cup this summer with the USMNT, Davies made a move professionally from his club Hammarby in Sweden to Ligue One club Sochaux in France. My prayers go out to Davies and his family as well the families of those afflicted in the accident.

by Sean Heffernan

Young American, Fabrice-Jean "Fafà" Picault, has gotten off to successful start to the season with Cagliari in Italy's Primavera division. The Miami based striker is in his second year with the Sardinian club's youth system and has seen action in both of the squad's first two games. Picault was able to notch a goal in the first half of the club's season opener, but the Rossoblu fell 3-1 to Empoli. 
Despite scoring in his first match of the year, Picault did not get the start the following game against Torino, but came on as a second half substitute with the game tied 1-1. The New York City born speedster made the most of his limited time on the field breaking away with the ball in the 67th minute and setting up team mate Mathias Gallon for the game winning goal. 
 
Though U-20 head coach Thomas Rongen did not select Picault for the U-20 World Cup, the 18-year-old will be eligible to participate in the 2011 Youth World Cup for the United States. 

"I will be eligible and it's always an honor to be able to represent my country on an international level. However, I will be about 20 years old by that time and God willing I am hoping to be at an even higher level with the national team, which depends on how soon I am inducted into the system" Picault told Soccer365.

The Miami native of Haitian decent speaks (in addition to English) some French, Spanish, and Italian. Picault is proud of his affinity for different languages saying, “My Italian is now better than my French in my opinion. I understand a lot of Spanish also. In my family many languages are comprehended and spoken due to our passion for different cultures.” Though his time in Europe his language skills the young footballer admits, “My brother is actually much better than me in all languages except for Italian.”

Cagliari is on the Italian island of Sardinia which is a major tourist attraction in the summer months. Growing up in New York City and Miami it took some time for Picault to adjust life in Cagliari, but he’s grown to enjoy his adopted home.

“I'm a city boy, but I am able to enjoy the calmness of this island. The people are very passionate about life and soccer of course. The food is also very good in Sardinia and I have been able to enjoy a few ‘home-sardo’ dishes”. Though he’s grown to enjoy his Italian surroundings Picault remains focused on his personal goals, “I am here on a mission and to accomplish my dreams so everything else comes after.”

On the pitch, Picault is typically used as one of two attacking forwards for Cagliari and is known for taking on defenders in 1-on-1 situations, using his speed on fast counter-attacks, and threatening opposing goalies as a target on corner kicks. Picault explains his role stating “When the game gets intense or it gets to be towards the end of a match, I usually try to take a bit more initiative and do anything in order to get a win.”

For his positive start to the season Picault credits the model set by one of the most successful American athletes of all time, Michael Jordan (who was inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame last month), saying "I was recently inspired by Michael Jordan's acceptance speech and how great of a work ethic he had".

Fafà Picault hopes his hard work will continue to pay off in Italy this season and lead to bigger and brighter things for the American.

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For a USMNT manager one constant always seems to be that there will always be people on the Internet calling for your head at all times. People need to start facing facts about Bob Bradley. He's earned his shot with the US team for next year's World Cup. Bradley led the US back from the grave earlier this summer to the Confederations Cup final where they came close to beating a Brazil team featuring some of the world's best players. Right now the U.S. is on top of their World Cup group. Though people often cite CONCAF as a weak region, the U.S. has done what it needs to so far to make it to the World Cup. Look at world powers Argentina and Portugal struggling to get to South Africa. World Cup Qualifying isn't easy no matter where you play.

Does that mean I agree with everything Bradley has done as a coach? No. He's not perfect. His Gold Cup squad selections puzzled me with the exclusion of players with a lot of potential like Zak Whitebread, Jemal Johnson, Chris Rolfe, and Brad Davis to name a few. Bradley included a number of players who in my opinion never really had a shot at making it to South Africa like MLSers Jay Heaps, Sam Cronin, Brad Evans, and Logan Pause. 

The US did well to make it to the Gold Cup final against Mexico only to get pounced 5-0. The terrible loss in New York City gave Mexico confidence going into the World Cup Qualifier in Azteca on August 12th. A revitalized El Tri defeated the US 2-1.  Prior to the Gold Cup final the US was on top of the world coming off the Confederations Cup, but two consective losses to bitter rival Mexico derailed some of that precious momentum.

To Bradley's credit the US responded following the disappointment in Azteca with two hard fought wins against El Salvador and Trinidad & Tobago earlier this month.

The location of the US's October 10th match is yet to be decided as the political unrest in Honduras may force the game out of the country to another Central American country or even the U.S.. If the game is moved out of Honduras that would be a huge advantage to Bradley & Co. as playing in Estadio Olmpicio in San Pedro Sula would be quite a test for the Americans.

The US will qualify and Bradley will be their coach in South Africa. At the very least the US should advance out of the group stages next summer as another early group stage exit is unacceptable as was the case in Germany in 2006.

Firing your national team manager (who's been pretty successful) with less than a year to the World Cup would be idiotic. All the "Fire Bob" nonsense needs to end.  All that matters is the result he gets in South Africa. The reality of the situation is that Bob Bradley's real judgement will take place next summer.[ad#Adsense1][ad#Google Adsense-1][ad#HTML-1]

  by Sean Heffernan

Although in recent years Major League Soccer has signed a few international stars to multi-million dollar deals, many players in the league are paid less than a lot of college graduates make their first year out of school. To make matters worse some of MLS’s best players are also some of the lowest paid. In America, where we’re so accustom to overpaid professional athletes, it’s both endearing and disturbing to recognize these five soccer players who don’t play for expensive shoe contracts or million dollar signing bonuses, but excel on the field nonetheless. So the Top Five are...

5. Jeff Larentowicz (New England Revolution)

            2009 Salary: $34,650

Jeff Larentowicz has been with the Revs since 2005 and has developed into solid professional alongside Sharlie Joseph in the midfield. The red headed footballer showed his merit in 2006 when he stepped in when a number of players were out hurt, and in 2007 he became a regular starter for manager Stevie Nichol. Larentowicz has been one of the Revolution’s most consistent players the past three seasons and management should reward the 26-year-old with a respectable contract. There’s no reason Larentowicz should be paid less than most rookies in the league when he is one MLS’s best midfielders.

4. Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo)

2009 Salary: $34,650

The second year man out of Rhode Island has been a reliable force in both the midfield as well as the back line for the Houston Dynamo. Houston has the best record in MLS with Cameron playing more minutes this season than anyone on the team. The versatile Cameron was a finalist for the rookie of the year award in 2008 after garnering consistent playing time half way through his first season in Houston. Cameron was an All Star in 2009 and has 1 goal and 3 assists so far on the campaign. The 24-year-old isn’t a big star in MLS, but with his solid, hardnosed play for the league’s elite team he deserves a raise.

3. Zach Thornton (Chivas USA)

2009 Salary: $55,000

The 34-year-old keeper has been a big key to Chivas USA’s success in MLS this year. Thornton was a stalwart in goal for the Chicago Fire for 8 seasons before he spent some time in Portugal. When Thornton returned to the Fire he lost his job and bounced around the MLS for a few years before finding a starting job in Los Angeles. Thornton’s cagey play in net earned him a spot as Kasey Keller’s back up in the All Star Game.

The hulking 6 ft 3, 230 pound Thornton is playing as well as any keeper in MLS this year, but is paid much less than a number of goalies who are struggling this season such as John Conway (New York Red Bulls, $123, 625) and Dario Sala (FC Dallas, $158,125). After a great start to the season (much due to Thornton’s play), Chivas USA is now battling for one of the final playoff spots. Having a quality keeper in Thornton might just be enough to push Chivas USA into the playoffs when the season ends.

 2. Jhon Kennedy Hurtado (Seattle Sounders)

2009 Salary: $ 37, 000

Sigi Schmid and the Seattle Sounders did a masterful job swooping up Columbians Freddy Montero and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado. While Montero (the leading scorer in Columbia in ’08) signed with Seattle for $155,000, Hurtado was signed for very little even by MLS standards. The 25-year-old defender had been looked at by the likes of Arsenal and AC Milan so when the Sounders had the opportunity to sign Hurtado they jumped at the chance.

Anchoring the expansion team’s defensive backline this year, Hurtado earned himself a place among the league’s best paid players in the 2009 MLS All Star Game. His wife Daysury gave birth this year to their first child so I would hope that this time next year he is getting paid quite a bit more.

1.      Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo)

2009 Salary: $34,728

Prior to the 2009 MLS season many were skeptical about Holden being able to fill the hole in the Houston Dynamo's midfield left by the departure of Dwayne DeRosario, but the 24-year-old has silenced those critics by having a breakout season for both club and country. Holden was likely the U.S.'s best player during the Gold Cup and was even a substitute in Azteca in the World Cup Qualifier against Mexico earlier this month. Despite all this, the former Sunderland prospect is severely underpaid by the Dynamo. I imagine that Holden makes some money from appearances and commercials, but it can't be a lot.

It’s a shame for the league and US Soccer that Holden, probably MLS’s brightest young star, is paid so poorly. If the league wants to be respected on the world stage the first thing that needs to change is the underpaying of some of the league’s better players as is apparent with Holden.

Good news is that Holden's contract is up at the end of the season. One would think Holden could make a lot more money playing overseas, but may not want to leave his hometown of Houston. With the World Cup kicking off next summer Holden is in contention to make the US roster. It’s important that Holden is playing regularly and not riding the pine somewhere in Europe if he wants to go to South Africa. However, if Holden can find a club overseas where he can break into the starting eleven quickly then he can even increase his chances of being selected by Bob Bradley for the World Cup roster.

 by Sean Heffernan

Following the Americans' defeat in Azteca to fierce rivals Mexico, the United States Men's National Team looks to secure its entry to the 2010 World Cup with their four remaining World Cup Qualifiers. This coming Saturday the US will welcome El Salvador to Rio Tinto Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah for the first of two qualifiers the US will play in Septmeber. The following Wednesday the Yanks will travel to Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago where they will try to capture three points from the "Soca Warriors" away from home. ...

 Time is on the US's side with full week to prepare for the two games as oppose to only a day or two as was the case with the Mexico game. The starting 11 will likely include mostly European based players who have to travel from overseas and need time to recover from jet lag. Late goals from Jozy Altidore and Frankie Hedjuk helped the US salvage a tie in front of 30,500 urine bag throwing Salvadorans last March in San Salvador. 

 El Salvador is coming off an away defeat to Trinidad and Tobago 1-0. The Americans should look out for Rudis Corrales who's scored 14 goals in 63 appearances for his country and former DC United winger Eliseo Quintanilla who scored against the Americans early in the first half the last time the two teams faced off. Head coach Bob Bradley called in 24 to Salt Lake City for the national team camp.

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa, England), Tim Howard (Everton, England)

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes, France), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover, Germany), Jay DeMerit (Watford, England), Clarence Goodson (IK Start, Norway), Chad Marshall (Columbus), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan, Italy), Jonathan Spector (West Ham, England)

Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Borussia Moenchengladbach, Germany), Ricardo Clark (Houston), Clint Dempsey (Fulham, England), Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus, Denmark), Stuart Holden (Houston), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), Jose Francisco Torres (Pachuca, Mexico)

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Hull, England), Conor Casey (Colorado), Brian Ching (Houston), Charlie Davies (Sochaux, France), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles), Robbie Findley (Salt Lake)

Here is my starting 11 for Saturday's game against El Salvador. I'm assuming how the El Salvador game goes will affect the lineup for T&T.

Goalie: Tim Howard

No surprise here. "Timmaaay" has been rock solid for the U.S. since he took the reigns from Kasey Keller after the 2006 World Cup. Although Brad Guzan doesn't start for Aston Villa he played well for his club in the pre-season and is capable back up for the U.S.

Center Back: Carlos Bocanegra

After a tough game in Mexico where the U.S. captain found himself out of position at left back and exposed by the Mexican wingers I think Bob Bradley should place Boca back in the middle of the defense especially with Oguchi Onyweu out because of yellow card accumulation. Playing Bocanegra in the middle plays to the intelligent defenders' strengths even though he does play left back for his club. 

Center Back: Jay DeMerit 

The Wisconsin native and captain of his club team Watford, Jay DeMerit proved his worth the US in the Confederations Cup where he earned praise for his super human efforts in the upset over Spain and Egypt. The former University of Illinois-Chicago standout will cover for the absent Onyweu and continue to solidify his role in the team. 

Left Back: Jonathan Borenstein 

It would be fair to wonder if the US will ever find stability at the left back position, but if the Chicago Bears can get a quarterback anything can happen I guess. A Éric Abidal is walking through the door anytime soon so we should probably work with what we have. Borenstein hasn't proven himself the out and out starter, but he's the only natural left back in Bradley's roster. He offers more going forward than Bocanegra. I think Edgar Castillo and Heath Pearce still have a shot at the job before the 2010 World Cup. The sooner someone steps up and wins the position the better for the US.

Right Back: Jonathan Spector

Not that I have a thing for both of the US full backs being named Jonathan, but Jonathan Spector has been seeing the field for West Ham recently in arguably the best league in the world, the English Premier League. Many were convinced that Spector's play at the Confederations Cup won him the right back job, but Bradley started the more experienced Steve Cherundolo against Mexico in Azteca. Earlier this summer in South Africa, Spector displayed his dangerous crosses from the right flank, two of which found Clint Dempsey for goals.

Right Midfield: Clint Dempsey

The winner of the Bronze Ball, awarded to the third best player at the Confederations Cup, Clint Dempsey looks to carry his national team exploits into the upcoming qualifiers. When he's at his best he can do things no other US player can do. Dempsey didn't have a great game in Mexico, but he'll have opportunity to make up for it against El Salvador and T&T. 

Left Midfield: Landon Donovan

Landon Donovan is playing the best soccer of his career with the LA Galaxy and the US. His disappointing performance in Azteca was attributed to him having contracted Swine Flu, but was quickly back to his good form in MLS. Donovan's best position with the national team is on the right side of midfield because the U.S. needs him to touch the ball as much as possible being the team's best creator. 

Center Midfield: Michael Bradley

Coach Bob Bradley's son, Michael, has proven himself as a starter on the national team and with his German club, Borissa Mochengladbach. However, Bradley was left out this weekend's team because of a disagreement with his coach over his recent play with his club. Unlike his father's cool, calculated demeanor, Michael's hot head has got him in trouble before as was the case when he earned himself a suspension after screaming at a referee after a game in the tunnel.

I would like to see Bradley adopt a more defensive minded roll which will allow him to focus on what he does best: Putting pressure on the opposing team's midfield and obtaining possession. Bradley's fire is what makes him the midfielder we need on the field as long as it doesn't earn him a red card. Bradley starting position will be called into question once Maurice Edu and Jermaine Jones get healthy.  

Center Midfield: Benny Feilhaber

Instead of going with Bob Bradley's usual pairing of Ricardo Clark with Michael Bradley I propose utilizing Benny Feilhaber's offensive attributes in the center of the midfield. Feilhaber showed some class in the Confederations Cup setting up a number of goals for the US. The Brazilian born, UCLA product has displayed a creative element that the US team frequently lacks.

Forward: Charlie Davies

No American player is hotter than Charlie Davies who has already scored twice for his French club Sochaux and earned penalty kick that resulted in the game winning goal over the weekend. Not to mention Davies got on the scorer's sheet in the Mexico game curling the ball cleverly around Memo Ochoa. Davies' speed cannot be understated and if he times his runs right he'll be able to find the net.

Forward: Jozy Altidore

Many US fans were upset over Jozy Altidore not starting the Mexico game, but now that the 19-year-old has gotten some games under his belt at his new English club, Hull City, hopefully he'll be in the starting 11. Altidore's first touch in a Hull kit was a over-the-head flick to that set up a game winning goal. Jozy started a few days later in a Carling Cup match scoring on a long range free kick that whistled into the goal.  The US has two of the most promising young strikers in Europe in Altidore and Davies and they need to be on the pitch.

Share your thoughts on who should start for the US below!