Cugalabanza

Well, that’s a fine how-do-you-do!

Hi

Nice to see them kind of "get it" as the game progressed. The first half was very sloppy. I was surprised by how excellent Torres and Findley looked in the second half. And Holden came on late and played great. I just love his game! Again, Bornstein? :lol: Besides Bornstein, there is exactly one person on the planet who thinks Bornstein deserves to be in the World Cup. Unfortunately, that person is Bob Bradley. Maybe Onyewu will prove me wrong and get quality minutes in South Africa. We'll take whatever we can get on that back line. It won't always look pretty. Donovan and Dempsey did not disappoint. The team fought hard and really improved their quality of play as the game went on. I think this game will be good for their confidence.

AJ, you're a good ****. Have a great birthday weekend!

That’s not the first death threat I’ve received in this thread. I must be doing something right.

Bravery and sacrifice not forgotten.

If anything happens and I stop breathing, for the love of God, just let me die!

I agree with this completely. I hope Holden is ready for full speed for 90 minutes. He had a broken leg / ankle (I’ve heard it reported both ways) not too long ago. I love Holden’s playmaking creativity. I also would like to see Feilhaber get quality minutes in the midfield. He’s been very inconsistent over the past few years, but when he is on, I think his touch and vision are world class. (I know that many people do not share this opinion.) I like Gomez and Buddle as offensive subs. I would have liked Ching too (but that’s another thing I’m in the minority on).

USA vs. Turkey, 1:30pm ET on ESPN2 Yesterday they met Pres. Obama. Tomorrow they play Turkey. Sunday they fly to S. Africa. One more warm-up game on 6/5 against Australia and then the real thing against England on 6/12. Tomorrow’s Turkey game should be more encouraging than the Czech game. I expect a much better lineup this time.

Yes, I didn't mean to question his talent. He is clearly a truly great coach. I just wanted to point out that for somebody like that the idea of coaching team USA would not be viewed as an exciting possibility to really prove something. Instead, it would be viewed as a complete joke and a waste of time. Part of that is based on reality and part is due to the fact that the European soccer intelligentsia is reluctant to even admit that USA soccer exists.

Even I could coach Chelsea to CL title. And by "coach," I mean sit on the sideline drinking. And by that, I mean that I see Mourinho as a "Titles Only" kind of coach. Like Phil Jackson. I don't picture him taking on a project like team USA. I could be wrong, but I think he'd make it about 6 months, during which time all he'd do is complain publicly about the lack of talent to work with.

Oh boy, this is gonna be a tough one.

Indeed.

Which is ironic because it follows that the best protection would be to not have a protector at all, because no one would ever find it to do it any harm.

Hi, I'm a winner.

I agree. He seems to have been a Bob Bradley favorite for a while and I just don’t get it. He must have some pretty good blackmail photos somewhere. I busted on Beasley before and I really don’t have any faith in him. However, he did look surprisingly rejuvenated last night. I guess I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt for now. There was a time when he and Donovan used to work well together—it’s just that that was about 5 or six years ago now.

Damn you, Bob Bradley!

Well, that’s justnappropriate.

Sadly, I don’t think Onyewu will be a part of the WC picture. He definitely did not look sharp last night. His knee still looks Frankenstein-like and he got burned bad on the header goal. I hope Demerit and Bocanegra are healthy enough to start.

Yup. The donkey wheel represents the Buddhist wheel of life.

Nice. That's a powerful image that I will remember 'til the day I die. Maybe even a little after that.

Yes! I'm completely against instant replay in soccer (the debate is getting hotter), but I would like to see two more refs. It would expose the diving, which is hurting the game. My opinion.

Great. Now you hurt my feelings. Happy?

Ha! Beasley looked ok tonight, but no way he gets a seat to S. Africa. Czechs 4 - USA 2 Is that terrible? No. All our top players got a free pass tonight. It does expose our embarrassing lack of depth, however. Here's what I hated... Bornstein.- Outclassed. Terrible. Onyewu – Not encouraging. If he makes the final 23, it's only for spot duty. A shame...take away the injury and he's our best defender. E. Johnson – Nope. Still lazy and uninspiring Meh... Pearce – Sometimes good, sometimes awful—he probably makes this squad--he wouldn't if we had better options. Klejstan – right on the bubble Rogers – right on the bubble Torres – didn't see enough to say...probably on the bubble I liked... Clarence Goodson – He looks ready to compete. Ching – I love Ching. Always shows good touch. I know he's 100% MLS, but I say he contributes in the WC. Holden – He's the next generation Donovan. Just imagine if he didn't break his ankle just a few weeks ago. He's a playmaker! Cherundolo – He'll do. He does seem to have good chemistry with Holden on the right side. He might start. Edu – He scored a goal and he can fill in in an emergency at center back. The bad news: His f-up led directly to the last goal. Gomez – He scored. I'll take it, even though he's lacking in international experience. Buddle – I see him as a quality offensive substitute. Big question mark... Benny Feilhaber – I didn't see any mention of him during the broadcast. I've always stuck up for him as having a potentially world class skill set, but more often than not he proves me wrong. I'm kind of hoping that Bradley held him out tonight because he's already earned his midfield spot.