No Short Corners: 6/27/10

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

And then there were two...

No matter what, someone will become the eighth nation to win a World Cup on Sunday.

- Greg Seltzer

Praying for a Spanish succession

Back in Blighty and delighted to feel summer after some sub-zero Joburg nights.

Come the semi-finals, World Cups tend to lose their sheen, although the fact two of the final three have yet to raise the trophy adds some flavour. I would love to see the Dutch or the Spaniards break their duck, but the Germans are the stars of this show, their double demolition of England and Argentina still creating shockwaves.

If the Spanish are similarly despatched tonight only two years after tiki-taka danced its way to the European title, there will be more hours' sleep lost across the Rhine. The Netherlands v Germany would be the socio-historians' showdown of choice, but aesthetes might plump for a dash of Iberian flair instead. Alas neither Spain nor Holland have yet to catch fire like we know they can. I picked out the Dutch along with Brazil before the finals as the best team, but pre-tournament predictions are next to useless, e.g. 2002.

Talk here in England continues about who to blame for the Three Lions' humiliating loss to Germany. Take your pick from Fabio Capello, Premier League wages, 4-4-2, the lack of a winter break, the lack of WAGs, Rob Green & the Jabulani ball, Frank Lampard's disallowed goal, the lack of young players, the national style of play, Margaret Thatcher's rejection of collectivism and the fact we didn't score as many goals as the opposition (as M

ick Jagger noted).

The only relief from this masochistic gloom came when that plonker at the New York Post dissed soccer on the front page, allowing 45 million grieving Englanders to holler 'At least we don't....' and then when Argentina, the last nation Britain went uniquely to war against, managed to do even worse against the Mannschaft.

Football, politics and identity are hopelessly mixed in most parts of the world and certainly here. Though I love visiting Germany and have had German girlfriends, I find it utterly impossible to cheer for them at football. Brought up on Sunday afternoon war films, my father's tales of the Blitz and of 1966, and ingrained memories of agonizing defeats in 1990 and '96, I hand the Deutscher Fussball Bund the pantomime villain costume without thinking, even if they look on the Dutch as their nemesis and us as soccer small-fry.

Tonight should be a great clash of styles anyway, with the scales gently tipping in reverse since Euro 2008. Spain must up their game to contain the deadly German counter-attacking which has taken the Cup by storm. Perhaps scoring first is the key to nullifying it. There are so many German dangers to keep tabs on - the twin towers Schweinsteiger and Khedira, Ozil the floating menace, Friedrich bombing up from the back, the two razor-sharp

Poles up front...Spain could be in danger of forgetting to take the game to their opponents.

Perhaps they should follow Brian Clough's maxim on preparation in their minds: "Let them worry about us".

With finals often cagey affairs, we could do with an epic game before the Cup winds up again.

Bring it on.

-Sean O'Conor, London

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Take that, Nigel Powers!

- Greg Seltzer

Video Tuesday

A little bit of tube for ya...

Let's begin with the MLS Goal of the Week nominees.

NSC faves Grant Wahl and Gabrielle Marcotti discuss Oranje.

Meanwhile, Der Kaiser says Germany are the ones to win it.

It gets a little hectic as the Press Pass crew debates Europe v South America in might.

With the team a sole point off the title pace, we have a quick interview bit with St. Pat's attacker Ryan Guy.

Finally, Nike brings us several familiar faces in a clip titled "The Moment".

- Greg Seltzer

When You Chip Italy's 'Old Lady'

you get noticed...

Greg's mlssoccer.com interview with Dempsey's agent Lyle Yorks seems to have inspired the a lot of rumors across both the English and Italian tabloid presses. Here are a few rumors at least not directly based on Yorks' quotes.

Yahoo Sports' Martin Rogers cites a "Milan source who is close to the board" in his claim that Milan are considering the Fulham man as a real possibility, and could soon table a bid.

(UK tabloid) People claims that AC Milan is mulling over a £5m bid for Fulham property Dempsey - allegedly having scouted him in South Africa, alongside SSC Napoli.

Yesterday, Metro claimed similar Milan interest in Deuce. The UK tabloid seems to have anchored its claim in an interview that Milan and USMNT defender Oguchi Onyewu gave with the Italian press - in which he was asked if he had any player recommendations.

Eurosport/Yahoo Sport Italia suggests (article in Italian) that while Serbian hotshot Milos Krasic remains a top priority for Juventus, the Bianconeri have drafted forgotten Liverpool winger Albert Riera and Dempsey as viable alternatives.

*Any and all Italian links will have been complicated immensely by the Italian Football Federation's recent decision to tighten the non-EU transfer cap to just one player per season (down from two).

Meanwhile - and on a different note, Michael Bradley has been given roughly three weeks of vacation time by parent club Borussia Mönchengladbach (article in German). The World Cup standout is expected to report back on the 19th of July, and should be available in time for a brief return to Holland - in a friendly against Eredivisie side VVV Venlo. This, of course, assumes that nothing changes with his club situation.

- Johannes de Jong

Monday, July 5, 2010

A few things...

I shall have another World Cup Top 5'er tomorrow. And hopefully a final place to celebrate...

#1 - I'm sure you've all seen Nike's "thank you" ad to the USMNT after their World Cup showing. Now, I have seen some intense criticism of the spot, with terse claims of sexism for only featuring young male players.

Am I missing something? It sure seems to me that the ad only includes boys because, well, they'd be the ones to perhaps eventually get the chance to play for the USMNT. Were it an ad for the U.S. ladies team with this precise context, I'd imagine the commercial would only show young female players offering thanks to those that paved the way - as the ad's title explains.

So you tell me: is this ad really horribly sexist or is it merely "excluding girls" in the same manner that USMNT selection eventually would? It seems like some people are over-thinking on this issue.

#2 - My latest World Cup Team of the Round is up at S365. Note how I used Dunga's failed formation. Heh.

#3 - Over at my other job, I accidentally stumbled onto a pair of young, English Toronto FC attack targets today. I love when that happens.

#4 - SI's Raphael Honigstein accurately shushes the griping about the way the Netherlands have advanced through this World Cup. Fact is, most people don't get it. Mr. Honigstein does, and absolutely spot on.

Meanwhile, former Ajax & USMNT ace John O'Brien offers up a great bit on Oranje and the striking of an individual/teamwork balance.

#5 - The Mail's Martin Samuels thinks he knows what's wrong with England: their collective positional diva-tude. And if that didn't sting enough, he holds up Germany as the example that shames them. Ouch. And though I'm not convinced this is problem #1... it's also very true.

#6 - Finally, the New York Red Bulls are trying to get their fans - if not all of us - whipped into an impatient frenzy for the unveiling of their new bonus baby.

- Greg Seltzer

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Top 5 Players That Should Have Seen More World Cup Pitch Time

This is pretty simple; these are the guys whose under-utilization has cost their teams dearly - or in one case, still can.

In all cases, they bring something a little different to the table, something that has definitely been found lacking in their side's play.

Honorable mentions: Christian Eriksen (Denmark), Stuart Holden (USMNT), Obafemi Martins (Nigeria), Walter Samuel (Argentina), Zoran Tosic (Serbia)

#5 - Fabio Quagliarella (Italy)

The least static of Italy's 400 strikers on the roster got just one half of time in South Africa for the humiliated outgoing champs. He scored a dreamy goal, put three shots on target, fired a cross and, miracle of miracles, actually completed passes to his teammates. Why was Lippi hiding him to begin with?

#4 - Javier Zanetti (Argentina)

Okay, so this is technically cheating. I don't care. If Maradona had bothered to pack a proper right back, Argentina could have at least offered us all more of a spectacle in the Germany loss. Or, ya know... made it to the semis.

#3 - Romaric (Ivory Coast)

He played about half as much as both the spectacularly awful Aruna Dindane and the approaching adequate Gervinho, and about thrice as well. Maybe if the Elephants had used his might up the middle in game one, they'd have beaten Portugal and advanced.

#2 - Cesc Fabregas (Spain)

So at what point does Vincente Del Bosque realize that he isn't going to win this thing with Fernando Torres in the side? There has been precious little attack coming out of midfield, which leaves David Villa as the lone Spanish threat.

#1 - Javier Hernandez (Mexico)

I'm sorry, but how does Chicharito only get 79 group stage minutes? Still, he was +3 (quoth Dan Patrick: "hockey term") and more useful than all of Javier Aguirre's other strikers combined. Hernandez got all of 17 minutes in the opening draw against South Africa, and for crying out loud, had to come on for Yoda age group peer 'Temoc Blanco in the dooming Uruguay loss. I would swear that if he starts either of those games, El Tri win the group and play South Korea instead of Argentina in the round of 16. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

- Greg Seltzer

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Just when South America looked so good....

Europe had to wrestle back the show.

The Netherlands, Germany and Spain broke hearts in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, respectively.

Semifinals are now set:

Uruguay vs. Holland (Tuesday @ 2:30pm ET, Green Point Stadium)

Germany vs. Spain (Wednesday @ 2:30pm ET, Durban Stadium)

- Johannes de Jong

Around the Web

Some soccer news from around the web...

Landon spoke to mlssoccer.com about his fitness ahead of tomorrow's MLS matchup between the Galaxy and Sounders. The well-traveled USMNT star disclosed that he'd been carrying a hamstring strain in the final stretch of the team's World Cup campaign - could be why he more and more frequently contributed behind the play, rather than pushing into space, in front of the ball.

Claiming his decision to be irrespective of results, Dunga signaled his resignation as Brazil manager. The once Brazil captain, who totally restructured the national team as coach - grabbing titles like the Copa America and Confederations Cup, was often criticized for his machinelike tactics and culling of enormous names (like Diego, Ronaldinho, Pato, Alex, Adriano, and Marcelo to name but a few - seriously, I could go on for a good thirty names). If only Brazil could just enter a B-team in the tournament as well...

Meanwhile, Brent Latham of USA10Kit floated the idea of Dunga as a consideration for the US managerial post. Although the Brazilian found success stateside (World Cup '94), I'm less convinced that he'd be the right fit given the program's philosophical challenges; the (lacking) depth of the player pool; and the structural challenges of soccer nationally.

Hero or hated Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez has seen his punishment - for a deliberate handball denial of Ghana's would-be winner - confined to just one match. FIFA had the option to end the Ajax sensation's tournament with a 3-match ban, but unsurprisingly decided in favor of the entertainment factor instead.

The English FA has also decided to keep faith in under-fire boss Fabio Capello. The Italian tactician, who selected the oldest English World Cup squad of all-time, won favor particularly through assurances of new blood entering the fold - Adam Johnson, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Arsenal fullback Kieran Gibbs being earmarked.

- Johannes de Jong

Friday, July 2, 2010

Video Friday

Sorry I've been absent thus far today, I'll try to have a new World Cup Top 5'er this weekend. Silly season has me busy already, and of course Oranje had my attention...

Let's start with CNN, which has some initial reactions to the big Dutch win over Brazil.

Meanwhile, Germany are ready for revenge against Argentina.

Landon Donovan sits down with MLSS to talk about his World Cup experience.