oh yeah, also, a thing happened
ok, i'm new at these blog callout thingys, so bear with me for a second, this will probably be awkward. Spoke apm:
(Benny Feilhaber scored off of a corner in the 72nd)
that's it? that's all you can bring yourself to say? i realize you guys don't really care for your own country's team, but i thought at least as Fans Of Beautiful Football, you'd take a line or two to appreciate the sheer beauty of that strike. Let's see it again:
That's a moment of utter perfection! You mean to tell me that if Messi or Kaka or, hell, even Teddy Sheringham scored a blistering, one-touch volley to score a game winner, in the final of the tournament that decides your region's champions, against your deepest and most historic rivals, that you'd reduce this single defining moment of the game to a bland parenthetical? That you'd spend more time on the "club-footed, hacking" defenders? Does Jon Spector lose those club feet when he puts on the West Ham shirt?
I'm not saying you have to like the US team, or even that the US is a world-beater or is known for the joga bonito, but that moment was quality, and deserved a bit more than a half-mention. I literally couldn't remember the last time the US successfully fought back to win a competitive match after giving up the first goal. To do it in such a dramatic fashion against Mexico in the final encapsulated so much that is beautiful in this game. A little respect is due.
Tomorrow night! True Fan's and apm's One True Love the Portland Timbers travel up the corridor to take on Seattle Sounders in the US Open Cup. SLABTOWN will have the Official Timbers Army Listening Party (oops, did I say official? strike that, pending TA approval) for this game, and video for Thursday's regular season game away at the California (Give Us A) Victory. Happy Hour runs right up to kickoff (due for 7pm), so you can get warmed up early and full voiced for what should be a spirited game.
Okay! Okay! Sometimes I downplay things too much, but it's only because I'm prone to wild exaggeration and the abuse of exclamation points. We definitely have a love/hate relationship with the US team and honestly want them to do well but despite liking many of their players (Dempsey, Keller, Howard, McBride) we don't always enjoy their style or tactics. Regardless, I've been enjoying watching them throughout the Gold Cup and Feilhaber's shot was pretty damn blistering, you're right. He's actually on my player list to watch during the Copa America, along with Herculez Gomez, Ricardo Clark, and Lee Nguyen.
But for the record, I've actually been thinking about the Gold Cup final a lot today and how it was one of the best match ups in a long time between Mexico and the US. They certainly deserved the win, no doubt.
I'm always willing to have my mind changed about the US, though. In a way, at least two of us at apm feel a sort of screwed up protectiveness about them. Sort of like a dysfunctional family, especially when reading anti-American (or more than not just clueless) football writing by Brits, etc. WE can criticize them, but how dare YOU!
Anyway... though I hope that Argentina take the trophy in Venezuela at the Copa America, I really do hope the American squad performs well and that some of these guys who've never had that much international experience rise up and shine. It's a perfect opportunity to do so, especially since Bradley is fielding such a young, B/C team. And though their group looks hellish (Argentina, Columbia, Paraguay) I think they may just surprise a lot of people. We'll see.... I wish 'em luck.
Cheers, TF.
No, Spector keeps them "club feet" when he's with the Hammers. I HATE the whole "professional foul" bs, which I think is terrible for anyone who loves attacking, creative, free flowing football. Hard tackles are a whole 'nother thing though (it's what skillful defenders do). Spector had a really good game against Mexico and was just doing his job, I thought. It's Onyewu and Bocanegra I had issues with. Both seemed sloppy and at least in Gooch's case, he's limited and grows more and more frustrated and uncreative whenever opposing players whip around him, which then forces him to make stupid mistakes. Onyewu seems a real liability whenever his temper flares up, which seems to happen a lot. I like Bocanegra, but thought he made some stupid tackles in both the Mexican and the Canadian matches, especially the Canadian game when he took out De Guzman. Brutal. I can't tell if it was simply a mistake or intentional reckless play.
Cheers, Derek, thanks for elaborating. as is probably evident, I too get a bit defensive about the US team. While I definitely have the love of the free-flowing, total football teams, support for our nats has been something i've carried through from my childhood as a player, so pardon the chip on my shoulder.
The truth is, you're right on in your analysis. It's actually odd that our defenders are quite often the weak link, given that we spend so much time defending. I've been holding out hope that Gooch's sloppiness will smooth out as he gets experience, but of course i'm still waiting. Bocanegra's tackle on De Guzman looked a straight red to me, (quite a lot like Pablo's red vs. Italy last year) but on the whole i think he redeems a few of those mistakes by being a poacher on set pieces.
Anyway, i think the US style will start to mature in the next few cycles. Feilhaber, Altidore, Nguyen, Justin Mapp, and even Adu, should he pan out, are mostly positive, attacking players that i think should do well to fit in with Beez/Donovan/Dempsey and slowly change course to a less cynical, less bunker-n-counter team. That's my hope, anyway. Thanks for the replies, pint's on me at Slabtown!
A shared pint sounds awesome. Unfortunately can't make it to Slabtown (work commitments), but we'll be at the BE before Saturday's match.... Maybe see you there, man? Cheers!
So is Slabtown the Timber's Army HQ?