The big story in LA is of course, David Beckham.  The LA Galaxy, or as some like to call them Cirque de LA, actually have a preseason camp going on with players not named David Beckham.  I know big shocker.  The work that Bruce Arena has been doing with LA Galaxy is starting to come together.  I think it is a good idea to take a look at how their roster is shaping up and who I think will make the final cut.

Senior roster (20 players)

Forwards: Donovan, Buddle, Gordon, Magee, Kirovski, Jordan

Midfielders: Beckham, Klein, Lewis,  Kovalenko, Tudela, Miglioranzi

Defenders: Sanneh, Dunivant, Franklin, McDonald, DeLaGarza, Randolph

Goalies: Ricketts, Saunders

The battle between Wicks and Saunders for the backup GK role will be interesting.  Neither is really that good, but someone needs to back up Ricketts.  Arena will probably bring in a few more trialists, one of which is likely to be a center back. I think Miglioranzi and De LaGarza would be the first to miss out on a roster spot if someone comes in that deserves a roster spot.

Dev roster (4 players)

1. Gonzalez D.

2. Sesay MF/F

3. Bowan F

4. Yohance Marshall D

All of these players have tremendous upsides.  Bowan and Sesay are both very young and fast attacking players. Omar Gonzalez could get a lot of minutes this season at center back.  Marshall is still a question mark in my book, but with the lack of depth in the backline he might be kept just for the numbers.

Not looking good:

1. Patterson MF

2. Allen MF/F

3. Boatang MF/F

4. Griffin MF/D

5. Valentin D

6. Roberts D

7. Wicks D

Many of these guys are falling victim to the reduced roster size. If Boateng and Patterson can’t contribute right away there is no space for them on the roster since some of the younger guys have more upside.  Griffin is a good professional but might not have done enough to earn a spot.  Allen, Wicks, and Roberts should find work in MLS somewhere.  Valentin, former U20 standout, is probably USL bound.

Possible Starting Lineups:

Buddle    Donovan

Lewis    Kova   Becks   Klein

Dunivant   Sanneh  Gonzalez   Franklin

Ricketts

Or:

Buddle     Donovan

Magee Kova  Mcdonald Beckham

Lewis      Sanneh   Gonzalez    Franklin

Ricketts

This is what I would like to see:

Buddle    Magee

Lewis     Kova    Donovan   Beckham

Dunivant     Sanneh     Franklin     Klein

Ricketts

The team is still missing a quality center defender.  Another concern is the age of some of their players. Overall, it is a much better team that last season.

By: Eric Fulton

Spring Wish List

1. For our 8 unique teams to coalesce into strong and organized groups with fun, unique personalities.
2. For our upcoming ‘FC Denver “Kick Cancer in the B*lls” Coed Tournament’  - Sunday March 8th - to go off well and serve its purpose of raising assistance funds to help one of our own.
3. For our new Management members to enjoy their first season leading FC Denver teams (Bill Bolsen, Cassandra Montoya, Rick Bowen).
4. For our teams to be passionate, well-intentioned, and successful on-and-off the field.
5. For injuries to be a fleeting occurrence.
6. For all of our players to attend practice and for the practices to be focused and incisive.
7. For our new players to get involved in the joy of the game and the desire to give back to our community.
8. For our Women’s program to take a confident step forward in creating two talented and cohesive teams.
9. For Lino to score his first ever goal.

You don’t think I’m asking for too much, am I? Do you have anything to add to the list ?

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FIFA released an updated list of world rankings this past Wednesday.  FIFA uses a long convoluted formula that takes into to account things such as results, regional strength, and the reality of football (whatever that means).  The numbers were put through a computer and here is what they got for the top 10:

FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings:

1.       Spain

2.       Germany

3.       Netherlands

4.       Italy

5.       Brazil

6.       Argentina

7.       Croatia

8.       England

9.       Russia

10.   Turkey

Noticeably missing are teams such as France, Portugal, and the USA.  The US is currently ranked 20^th according to FIFA’s computations.  The system is held as an objective mechanism that basis its conclusions on set rules and parameters.  The rules and parameters were set up by people who have their own opinion of what is an objective set of criteria, which ultimately begs the question.  The real problem with this system is that I don’t agree with the results.  Maybe if all the results came out the way I think they should there wouldn’t be a problem.  So I’ve decided to create my own rankings with my own objective criteria and reasons, namely: assumptions, preferences, personal bias, and, of course, self promotion.  So here it is the Green Army World Rankings:

1. Brazil

®     They are the best team in the world.  The best players, the best style, and the most impressive history.  Yes I know they haven’t had the best results as of late.  But a convincing 6-0 win against Portugal and the most recent 2-0 win against Italy show that they are still the best in the world.  If you are hung up on the fact that they haven’t been getting the results expected and should be ranked lower.  I will direct you to a ranking system that is specifically designed to take those things into consideration.  It is called the FIFA/Coca Cola World Rankings.

2. Argentina

®     Second best team in the world.  It was a tossup between Spain and Argentina at #2, but in the end I went with Argentina.  Spain has a fantastic team and their success is based on the fact that they play a South American style of soccer.  Argentineans, though, are the masters of the style.   So I asked the question, “who would win if they played each other?”  I think Argentina.

3. Spain

®     Spain’s style is the most similar to the South American’s therefore they are superior to all European teams.  As support for this conclusion I would like to cite the 2008 European Championships.

4. Netherlands

®     The Dutch have an exciting young team that should only get better over time.   They are undefeated in their group and have outscored their opponents 5-1.  The Dutch are the most under achieving team in Europe (that title was held by Spain until this past summer).   Their style is fast and effective, but is ultimately predictable.  They are still fun to watch but will have a tough time winning the big games without a little more imagination.

5. Italy

®     I couldn’t place the world champions any lower than 5^th. They play an ugly, boring style of soccer that is good for winning games.  There isn’t much to say here about the Italians.  You don’t have to like them but you have to respect them.

6. Germany

®     The Germans are always good.  They can have the worst team, be losing 3-0 and still comeback and beat you.  The Germans find ways to win and that is probably the single most important quality any soccer team can have.   They are low in imagination but high on effectiveness.  I can appreciate the German mentality and will to win, so I place them in the top 10.

7. Paraguay

®     The South Americans are first in the CONMEBOL qualifying table.  On their way to the top they beat Brazil and tied Argentina.  These guys are good and this isn’t a new development.  They have been the most consistent team in South America over the last 10 years and they deserve to be in the top 10.  The Paraguayans always get unlucky with the draw in the World Cup.  In 1998 they lost in the round of 16 to eventual champions France, and in 2002, they lost to finalists Germany in the round of 16.  They failed to get out of their group in 2006.  Nonetheless, the Guaranis are a top squad.

8. Turkey

®     I love the Turks.  They have a great style of soccer that is always fun to watch.  They are cut throat bastards too.  They come to kill and I appreciate that conviction. The Turkish side does not boast many household names but their team is packed with quality players.  They finished 3^rd in the 2002 World Cup and have struggled to regain that form. They were an exciting team to watch in 2008 Euro.

9. USA

®     The US in the top 10 is probably going to leave many people scratching their head.   The US doesn’t play pretty soccer or even good soccer, but there are many reasons why the US deserves to be here. Such as the fact this is my blog and I can put whoever the hell I want, and the fact that they just kicked Mexico’s ass and I’m still riding high on that excitement, and probably most convincingly, the fact that the Ninja Assassin thinks they should be in the top 10 as well. All of these are great arguments but I want to toss another one out there just to entertain the academic in me.   Respect for the US is lacking because they play in a weak region.  The US and Mexico are by far the best teams in the Region and should be held to a different standard.  Mexico has made it to the second round of the every World Cup since 1994, not many teams can say that.  They were knocked out by Germany in 1998 after being ahead for 75 minutes, they went toe to toe with Argentina in 2006 and were unlucky to lose in overtime, and in 2002 they lost the famous dos a cero (2-0) to the US.  Mexico is a very good team.  The US, on the other hand, does not have quite as stellar of a record, considering their early exit in 1998 and 2006 installments of the tournament.  The US has had convincing results against teams such as Germany and Portugal in the 2002 World Cup, Spain and Argentina this past summer, Brazil in the 2003 and 1998 Gold Cup, finishing third in the 1999 Confederations Cup, and a 4^th place finish in the 1995 Copa America (beating Argentina 3-0, and losing 1-0 to Brazil in the Semis).  The point I’m trying to get across is that US can get results against good teams or at least play them to an even level.  In my opinion, the US would still qualify for every World Cup even if they played in UEFA or CONMEBOL.  In conclusion, the US might not be respected . . . but rest of the world is bunch of fuckers; I know the US is good enough to be in the top 10.

10. England

®     I never liked the English game.  I think it is stale and lacking excitement.  I also think it is comical that they needed an Italian to do what English managers have failed to do.  Only because the English act as if they are the experts of the game, the originators of football, and blah blah blah but they can’t even get their team to qualify for the Euro.  Anyways, the elitist English bastards are finally playing some good soccer and working their way into my heart.  Ok no more bashing the English. The emergence of young exciting players has really transformed the English game to something that is actually watchable (I know I said I’d stop bashing them but I can’t help myself.)   Convincing results are leading many to believe that English are entering a golden age.  I like the direction that English team is going and I’m excited to see them develop under Capello’s guidance.

The US won 2-0 thanks to two Michael Bradley goals.  Both goals came at the end of either half and really put the finishing touch on Bradley’s stellar performance.   The game was ugly but that was to be expected. Mexico started out the game very positively but the US was able to stifle their play and the rest of the game turned into a battle. Things started to go wrong for the Mexicans in the first half when Nery Castillo limped off the pitch with a pulled hamstring.  Right before the half time whistle Donovan knocked a Beasley corner kick back into the middle of the box, but Onyewu’s header was blocked by Sanchez and the loose ball was knocked into the net from point blank range by Bradley. In the second half things got even worse for Mexico.  Mexico captain Raphael Marquez did a flying jump kick into Tim Howard’s leg earning him a red card.  One goal down and playing with only 10 men Mexico was slowly watching the game slip away.  Altidore subbed in for Ching and Clark subbed in for Kljestan late in the second half.  The final goal came in the 90th minute when Donovan fed Bradley at the top of the 18 and Bradley slotted the ball home.

US Player Ratings:

Howard: 7, another solid night from Tim Howard.  He commanded his box and came up with a few big saves.

Hejduk: 6, great night for Hejduk.  He was marking Mexico’s weaker side so that gave him the freedom to run up and down the line and join the attack. Played well with Dempsey.

Bocanegra: 6, a little bit of an up and down game for Bocanegra.  Made some great plays but his distribution was suspect in a few instances.  Kept Mexico’s forwards in check all game.

Onyewu: 7, One of the best players on the field.  Solid, composed, and agressive. He is a much smarter defender than he was in the last qualifying cycle and was the backbone of the defense.

Pearce: 4, the worst player for the US.  Pearce had the task of shutting down Dos Santos which isn’t an easy job.  His defending was decent but not good enough.  His passing was terrible.  The play broke down once it got to Pearce’s feet.  It might be because he plays behind Beasley and some of Beasley’s shittyness is rubbing off on him.

Dempsey: 6, Dempsey put in a solid days work on the right side.  He rotated well with Hejduk and did more running than anyone has seen from him in a while.  The first half he showed off his skill and passing.  The second half he wasn’t as successful on the offensive side of the ball but put in some great defensive work.  He was breaking up plays and really commanding that right side.

Kljestan: 4, not a good game for the young midfielder.  He gave the ball away too often and was constantly late to the play.  He didn’t have the opportunity to make the killer passes he likes and the few chances that he did have were intercepted quite easily.  He worked hard but showed that he isn’t quite ready for this level.  I think Bradley should give him another chance against El Salvador.

Bradley: 9, man of the match.  The real heart and soul of the team last night.  Commanded the middle of the field, provided excellent cover for the back line, and scored two goals.  His passing is much improved and his tackling is less reckless than before.  He is really maturing.

Beasley: 5, not a bad night for Beasley, but not a great night.  He was active the first half but still failed to see the right pass or make the best of his chances. As always his touch was poor, his dribbling even worse, and his passing was a tossup.  He was involved in the first goal and is typically good on set pieces.  The second half he faded away and little part of me died inside because Bradley still insists on giving him time.

Donovan: 7, Donovan’s smart play led to both of the US’s  goals.  He was marked very tightly all game and had very little opportunity to make a difference.  At times there were as many as 4 or 5 Mexican defenders collapsing on the American forward.  The few chances he did have to create goals he made the most of them.  Putting a far post corner kick back into the mix for Bradley’s goal, and setting up Bradley at the top of the 18.  He was active and aggressive all game.

Ching: 5, did his job well.  Ching held the ball well and passed it off like a target striker should. His size and presence was an important factor in the US’s attack.  Ching threatened the goal very little and doesn’t have the pace to get in on through balls.  Outside of holding the ball up he was pretty useless.  I don’t think coach Bradley expected anything more from his big man but I do.

Subs

Clark: NR

Altidore: NR involved in the second goal.

Here is my instant preview for tonight’s game.  I know it’s a little late, but here is a last minute look at the lineups that the coaches have released:

USA:

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

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Danny Califf (FC Midtjylland), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC),

Midfielders: DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers), Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), José Francisco Torres (Pachuca),

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Xerez C.D.), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF) Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC), Landon Donovan (Bayern Munich).

Starting Lineup: this is the supposed lineup that Bradley has released. He didn’t give a formation but I would imagine it is a 4-4-2, or a 4-4-1-1

Tim Howard

Hejduk     Bocanegra     Gooch     Pearce

Dempsey    Clark     Bradley     Beasley

Donovan     Ching

Cherundolo is out of the game with an injury which leaves the right back spot up for grabs.  Hejduk is the only veteran outside back on the roster so he gets the start.  Wynne was impressive against Sweden but he might not be ready for the big show. Neither Pearce nor Bornstein are ready for a game of this caliber, especially against a crafty Mexican team that eats naïve defenders for breakfast.  Bradley gives Pearce the nod only because he has more minutes in that position right now.  The other option would be to slot Califf into the middle and push Bocanegra out to the left, but that might be a little too much tinkering for the conservative Bradley.

Bradley and Dempsey were locks to start.  Dempsey could start wide right or behind Ching as the second forward.  Donovan and Dempsey are interchangeable depending on how Bradley wishes to play.  I prefer Donovan up top running through the middle and linking up with Ching.  Dempsey is likely to drift but has enough defense to be a serviceable right mid.  The other question is whether Bradley will go with two defensive mids or reward Kljestan for his stellar performance against Sweden.  Bradley has penciled in Clark, but could make a game time change.  Bradley had played with two defensive mids and Donovan as a withdrawn striker.  I think Kljestan plays enough defense to hold down the middle of the field, but provides an offensive spark that Ricardo Clark lacks.  Torres will probably be a second half sub.  He could slot in centrally, but he might replace Beasley on the left.  Beasley is one of Bradley’s guys so he gets the start even though he hasn’t been playing.  Torres has been getting significant minutes with Mexican powerhouse Pachuca and, in my opinion, deserves the start.  That and I think Beasley is a disgrace to soccer, the guy is terrible.

Brian Ching is a lock up top.  I’ve never been a big Ching fan, but he is the most veteran striker of the lot and is the team’s leading goal scorer. The Ching-Donovan combo has proven successful in the past, especially against Mexico. A part of me wants to see Altidore get the start, but he hasn’t been playing regularly and will probably be a super sub late in the game. I don’t think Davies will see time up top unless we are up a few goals.  He could slot in on the right side for Dempsey, but it is unlikely.

This is a good opportunity for guys like Rogers, Davies, Wynne, and Altidore to really sit back and soak in the World Cup Qualifier experience.  I doubt coach Bradley will have much use for them in a game of this importance.

Mexico:

Goalkeepers: Oswaldo Sanchez (Santos), Guillermo Ochoa (America), Jose de Jesus Corona (Tecos)

Defenders: Juan Carlos Valenzuela (America), Julio Cesar Dominguez (Cruz Azul), Carlos Salcido (PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands), Ricardo Osorio (Stuttgart, Germany), Rafael Marquez (Barcelona, Spain), Aaron Galindo (Guadalajara), Leobardo Lopez (Pachuca)

Midfielders: Fausto Pinto (Cruz Azul), Pavel Pardo (America), Leandro Augusto (Pumas), Luis Perez (Monterrey), Israel Martinez (San Luis), Antonio Naelson (Toluca)

Forwards: Alberto Medina (Guadalajara), Cesar Villaluz (Cruz Azul), Giovani Dos Santos (Tottenham, England), Matias Vuoso (Santos), Carlos Ochoa (Guadalajara), Nery Castillo (Shakhtar Donetsk, Ukraine), Guillermo Franco (Villarreal, Spain), Omar Bravo (Deportivo La Coruna, Spain)

Starting lineup: these are the names of the starters.  Sven prefers the 4-4-2, so this how they should look.

Sanchez

Osorio     Galindo     Marquez     Salcido

Giovanni     Pardo   Augosto    Medina

Ochoa     Castillo

My knowledge of the Mexican national team is very limited, but this is my best shot at a breakdown.

The Mexican defense is stacked.  Raphael Marquez is the highest caliber defender on the pitch, and probably all of CONCACF, without question.  He is partnered by the very experienced and classy Carlos Salcido, as well as Ricardo Osorio who has over 60 caps for the Mexican national team.

Giovanni is a creative player that has struggled at Tottenham this season.  He should be a handful for Pearce.  Pardo and Augosto will man the midfield and should provide the cover for the backline.  The creativity will come from the feet of Castillo, Giovanni, and Medina.

Carlos Ochoa is finally getting another shot at the national team after a 5 year absence.  The veteran striker has been on a tear as of late in the Mexican league and hopes to transfer that form to the national team picture.

Predictions:

USA 2-0 Mexico

US will be on home turf and has a great deal of confidence coming in.  Mexico is probably the better team on paper but they have struggled as of late.  The US team is more about the team as a whole than the individual player and that is their greatest strength.  I see the US coming out on top and Sven getting fired.

Here are a few recent developments in MLS:

Rapids finally offload Gomez

The Colorado Rapids have traded Christian Gomez to DC United for the services of  the versatile Honduran national team player, Ivan Guerrero.  Guerrero spent last season manning the left midfield spot for DC United.  Guerrero can also slot in as a left a back.  Draftees Henry Kalungi and Jordan Seabrook were released from training camp.

Gomez finally back in DC

Christian Gomez returns to DC United and will likely fill the void left by the departed Marcelo Gallardo.  Gallardo was a DP signing for United but only spent one season with the club.  Gallardo showed that he had the quality to play in the league, but couldn’t stay healthy.  In addition to Gomez, DC has also acquired the services of midfielder Andrew Jacobsen from FC Lorient in France. Jacobsen was drafted out of the University of California in 2008, but opted to sign with the French club instead of pursuing a career in MLS.  A foot injury really hurt his opportunities with Lorient and he found his way back to the US.

San Jose lands Bobby Convey

San Jose has been busy this offseason.  They have recently acquired the services of Cam Weaver and Bobby Convey.  Weaver returns to the US after a successful stint in the Danish second division with FC Haugesond.  Weaver stands 6′4 and should fill the role of target forward.  US international midfielder, Bobby Convey makes his return to the US after a mixed bag of success in the English leagues.  Convey had a stellar 2005-2006 season helping Reading get promoted into the Premier League, and garnering personal accolades as one of the best players in the Championship.  The rest of his stay in England was filled with injuries and eventually falling out of favor at Reading.  San Jose is lucky to get US national team player in his prime.  Convey is only 25 and should man the left flank or play as a center midfielder.

Seattle adds a veteran defender

Seattle made another important acquistion when they acquired Tyrone Marshall from Toronto.  Marshall is a veteran defender and should step into Seattle’s back line right away.  There is also word that Khano Smith is on his way out of Seattle and headed to NY.   The lanky midfielder was supposed to play as an outside back for Seattle but it looks like the acquisition of Marshall has made Smith surplus on the left side.

Toronto acquires an Argentinian forward

Toronto has acquired Argentinian forward Pablo Vitti on loan from Independiente after spending the end of last season on loan with FC Chornomorets Odessa. Vitti was a member of the Argentinian U20 side that won the World Cup in 2005.  He might not be the next Schellotto but he is a talented striker in his prime.  Vitti joins a stacked Toronto offense that already boasts the likes of Dwayne DeRosario, Amado Guevarra, Danny Dichio, and Chad Barret.

The first FC Denver indoor derby is scheduled for Monday evening at 7:30pm.  This clash of titans will feature the Green Team, run by Stephen Harries, and the White Team, led by Chris Lobkovich. The Green Army was lucky enough to get a few comments from the two coaches.

The White Team is the newest member of the FC Denver family and have been making a great deal of progress over the past months.  Chris, now known only as the “Ninja Assassin”, is preparing his men for this classic battle.  When asked about his opponents and what measures he is taking in preparation from this battle, the Ninja Assassin responded by saying: