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Your September Questions Answered (Part 3)

Chris Rolfe (ISIphotos.com) 

                                    Photo by ISIphotos.com

Chris Rolfe and Jermaine Jones have never met (that we know of), but they're both key figures in the latest installment of Your Questions Answered.

Rolfe is set to leave the Chicago Fire after the season as a free agent, a move that has plenty of readers asking what went wrong, while Jones' potential arrival to the U.S. national team has USMNT fans anxious to know how he will fit in and when he will arive.

Rolfe and Jones are just a few of the subjects covered in this installment. Other subjects include MLS stadiums, Bob Bradley and Woodstock (don't ask).

Now, onto more of Your Questions Answered: 

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JOSH– Ives, based upon your experience and knowledge, which soccer stadiums are known for being the best in the MLS, top five please?(knowing that Red Bull's will be the crown jewel once completed)

IVES– Here are, for my money, the Top Five stadiums in MLS, taking into account look, location and amenities (not including Red Bull Arena, which will be No. 1 when it opens):

1. Rio Tinto Stadium

2. Home Depot Center

3. BMO Field

4. Pizza Hut Park

5. Toyota Park

Obviously this is only soccer-specific stadiums. If we go with all stadiums, I’d say Qwest Field is probably second or third.

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IAN-Ives, what will be the results of the two remaining US qualifiers (not just winners, give us scores too)?

IVES– I’ll go with Honduras 2, USA 1; USA 2, Costa Rica 0.

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DCD33– Arshavin and Robinho weigh around 140 pounds each, roughly. Would a player that small ever have a chance to develop in a US youth system?

IVES– I think the reasoning behind your question is stuck in stereotypes of a U.S. youth system that has progressed quiet a bit in the past five to ten years. A decade or more ago I might agree with you, but I think this country’s youth soccer system has improved and there are more and more standout prospects of smaller stature as American soccer moves away from over-emphasizing size and strength and increases the emphasis on skill. Players such as Marlon Duran and Michael Stephens are coming up the ranks as smaller players holding their own in the U.S. youth ranks, while new FC Dallas signing and Mexico U.S. Under-17 national team player Bryan Leyva has managed to evolve as a player in the U.S. youth soccer system despite also being small.

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STEVEN Q. URKEL– What will it take for Jeremiah White to get a look with the Nats, beyond the usual pity call-up in January?

IVES– Good question. Considering the dearth of true wingers I have a feeling we will see White in the January camp, which wouldn’t be a pity call-up, but rather a real chance for him to show that he can contribute to the U.S. team. He had a look in 2008 and there must be a reason he didn’t keep getting them.

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ERIC GRIESHEIMER– Ives, When do you think the USMNT will be able to get Jermaine Jones, Castillo in camp/on the feild? When will they be able to tinker with the line up, give Holden, Torres significant playing time?

It looks to me like the Honduras and Costa Rica games will be too important to insert any new players into the line up, even a player of Jones or Castillos quality. Are there Friendlies or other games leading up to the World Cup where Bradley could fine tune his line up?

IVES– Jones doesn’t look likely to be called in this year as he deals with an injury, while Castillo looks more likely to get a call next month. There will be an international fixture date in November where a friendly could be held (assuming the U.S. doesn’t finish in fourth place and has to play a South American team in a World Cup play-in series). I’m sure we’ll get to see some new faces then.

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MIGHTY– Ives, Thanks for the great work!!

What type of impact is Edgar Castillo going to have in out national team?

IVES– It’s tough to say really. He’s got talent, and is a good attacking left back prospect, but the assumptions that he’s going to step in and be Roberto Carlos need to tempered. He has enjoyed success in Mexico, but he’s also had his issues, as evidenced by his unsuccessful stint with Club America. If he can get some national team looks and show that he’s more than a quick attacker with weak defensive skills then he’ll be able to work his way into the shallow left back depth chart, but he needs to do it first, something some U.S. fans are forgetting.

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DOMINICK– Ives, now that Luis has moved on to covering the late-night beat, does this mean you will not get a chance to avenge the FIFA 08 beatdown he applied to you earlier this year?

BTW, love the site.

IVES– Okay, it was 2-0 and I hadn’t played FIFA since 2004. I don’t think I’ll get a rematch now that Luis is busy living the good life as a nightlife writer, partying with rappers and porn stars. He’s come a long way from a kid who spent a month in Germany during the World Cup and never hit the clubs once.

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K– Do you think Freddie Ljunberg will go on loan to Arsenal and do you think this is a good thing or a bad thing? Do you think this will this be an issue like with Beckham and will this be a trend for all DP's wanting to play the offseason or a way to promote more to come to MLS?

IVES– I doubt Ljungberg goes on loan to Arsenal, but it wouldn’t be a bad thing as long as he came back in time for the start of the 2010 season. It would become an issue if he were going to miss games for Seattle. That said, I’m not so sure he fits in with the current Arsenal squad.

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DA BULL– What's your take on the situation going on in Chicago? Soumare leaves for France after fighting Denis at halftime. Rolfe is leaving for Denmark and said the Fire's contract negotiations were a joke and didn't like the way he was treated. Yet they pay Mapp $220k a year. What gives?

IVES– The situations are all different. The Soumare altercation with Hamlett probably was a product, to some degree, of frustration by Soumare over his transfer situation. Did it help the transfer be completed? It might have helped it along, but I have a feeling the deal happens whether or not Soumare and Hamlett scuffle.

As for Rolfe’s talks with the Fire, it’s clear the Fire didn’t rate him as highly as Rolfe felt he deserved to be rated. They offered Rolfe more than they wound up paying Mapp, 250K per season as opposed to the 220K per season Mapp was signed for. Obviously now, given the way Mapp has fallen off, his re-signing is looking like a flop while letting Rolfe go for free i
s also looking like a bad move.

Who’s fault is all this? The easy answer is technical director Frank Klopas and Hamlett, but I’ve been hearing for some time now that the team’s managing director, Javier Leon, has been the de facto leader of the Fire front office.

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WALLY– Ives, I never heard any upshot from the second Jozy goal that was disallowed in the El Salvador home qualifier. There was speculation that the call may have been that Jozy was offsides or that Dempsey “fouled” the defender who challenged him when he made the pass to Jozy. Either scenario is completely absurd, but what is stranger is that there has been no clarification about the nature of the call, and no protest or media scrutiny with respect to the insanity of that call. Have you learned anything to enlighten us?

IVES– I haven’t heard anything definitive and after speaking with some people I’d say it’s safe to say we never will. The more likely explanation is that the referee called Dempsey for a foul for sliding in on the eventual pass to Altidore for the goal. If so, it’s an awful call, but the only call that comes close to making sense based on the sequence.

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DAVE– Ives what teams do you feel are the top 5 in the world? Club and international.

IVES– Top Five club teams right now:

FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Manchester United, Inter Milan

Top Five national teams right now:

Brazil, Spain, England, Netherlands, Italy

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SBI FAN– Does John Harkes hate Clint Dempsey? He's always very harsh on Clint when he's commenting one of his games. Is the criticism warranted, or does he single Clint out?

IVES– I’ve heard the criticisms and the truth is that Harkes is always talking about plays that are worthy of criticism, but the fact that he dwells on so many Dempsey plays it winds up sounding like he’s being extra hard on Dempsey. The reality is that Dempsey has had some games where he made several mistakes/bad plays, so if in those games you rip him for those mistakes, it will sound like he’s being singled out.

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DAVID– How do you think the Red Bulls roster will change between the end of this year and the beginning of next year? Will they have a second DP? any ideas on who it will be? Lastly if Williams doesn't get the job with the Red Bulls, after 2 successful interim spells, is he at the top of every other teams wish list for a new coach?

IVES– You have to expect wholesale changes in New York, with half the roster lucky to come back. The Red Bulls will have two first-round draft picks, the No. 2 spot in the MLS allocation order, allocation money for missing the playoffs and a Designated Player slot the team is expected to use. That’s more than enough to make major changes.

Who will the DP be? I have no idea and I don’t think we’ll have a clue until we see who is hired as the team’s general manager.

As for Richie Williams, he deserves a shot at the job, but if he’s not hired for 2010, I can definitely seeing him being a leading candidate for a head job somewhere else.

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JOSH– Do you see Bob Bradley continuing on after WC 2010 or will he step down in order for Gulati to bring in a big name (Guus Hiddink, for example)?

IVES– I think Bradley moves on regardless of what happens in the 2010 World Cup. If the team has a great run, I see him parlaying that into a shot at a job in Europe. If the team has a bad run, he will be replaced.

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DAVID– Who do you see as the powerhouses in MLS next year? With Chicago potentially losing Conde, Rolfe, McBRide, and Blanco. LA potentially losing Donovan and Beckham for part of the year again. Lastly Houston potentially losing Clark and Holden. Who comes out on top next year? Seattle? Columbus?

IVES– It’s way too early to tell who will be powers in 2010 but I’d say Columbus will be there regardless of what happens. Yes, Schelotto could retire, but the Crew showed it can win without him. Who else will be there? If Blanco comes back next season then the Fire is still a power (and no, he’s not definitely back, if he were definitely back in 2010 a contract would have been signed by now). Houston could lose Holden and Clark, but I’d put good money on Dom Kinnear re-loading the roster. One team that COULD be a force in 2010 is the Red Bulls, that’s if the team hires the right head coach and GM to take advantage of all the mechanisms the club will have to bolster the roster.

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BINGERS AT NOON– I heard through a reputable source that you are the mystery baby born at Woodstock. Care to confirm or deny?

IVES– Come on now? You think I’m 40? I’m old, but not that old. I turn 35 next week so no, I was nowhere near upstate New York in 1969.

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AJ– I realize that I may be too fond of Maurice Edu, but based on what I have read of his play in Scotland, is there any difference at all in skill level between him and Jones? I realize both are ahead of Clark, but once all legs are healed, does Jones provide something that Edu doesn't? Other than speaking German of course.

IVES– I’m not sure it’s fair to try and compare Edu to Jones. Let’s think about this rationally. Edu started a handful of matches for Rangers at the end of last season while Jones has a long and successful career playing in the German Bundesliga. Let’s see Edu settle in as a starter for an extended period of time before we go calling him Michael Essien based on a few good starts.

If both are healthy, I’d say Jones is clearly the better player, but Edu does have more upside.

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MANIC MESSIAH– Who is Michael Bradley's ideal partner in the center of midfield?

This might be harder to answer, but when both our central midfielders get caught upfield, is it Michael Bradley needing to choose his moments more carefully, or his partner needing to read his runs better?

IVES– I think Bradley and Feilhaber could work well together but they did struggle with the timing of their runs against El Salvador. Bradley has worked well with Clark in the past because Clark doesn’t really make surging runs forward often (the goal vs. T&T being the exception to the rule). If Bradley and Feilhaber ever develop a good understanding and timing of their runs, they would be the ideal central midfield pairing.

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MODIBO– What do you make of Chris Rolfe's decision to move to Denmark – did he have his Nats future in mind?

And what do you think the prospects are for the Fire next year, since they'll be without him, Soumare, Blanco, and probably Brown and Conde as well?

IVES– I think it was a combination of Rolfe wanting to make significantly more money than Chicago was offering, wanting to play in Europe and not wanting to lock himself into an MLS contract right before the MLS CBA was to expire.

I wrote about the state of the Fire for ESPN recently and the reality is the club stands to lose a handful of key players, with Soumare and Rolfe already gone. If Chicago can keep Blanco and Pappa, to go with Conde (one more year on his deal), Thorrington, Ward and Busch, that’s not a bad nucleus to work with. They’d still be a strong team, but would need to replace several players (and possibly a head coach).

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PATRICK– Ives, any chance you see the USA and Mexico jumping from CONCACAF to CONMEBOL? I thin
k it would help both programs to have to play against better competition to qualify for the World Cup, similar to Australia switching from Oceania to Asia. At this point both programs are all but guaranteed qualifying for the WC every 4 years, so what's the incentive to improve?

This would also trickle down to the club level, swine flu restrictions excluded.

IVES– Ever since Australia made its move to Asia we’ve been hearing this ludicrous theory. I’ve answered this before, but will do so again. THIS WILL NEVER, EVER HAPPEN.

Could CONCACAF be better? Yes, but does CONCACAF’s strength relative to CONMEBOL keep Mexico and the United States from wanting to improve? No, that’s crazy talk. If anything, CONCACAF is improving, so there’s still plenty of incentive for Mexico and USA to improve.

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What do you think of these answers? Agree? Disagree?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Hi Ives: Concerning Michael Bradley, why does he have an automatic starting spot in the US central midfield? What has he really done for the Nats since the Mexico game in February? – aside from making silly fouls, getting yellow cards (and suspensions), making poorly timed runs forward that leave huge gaps in the center of field, poor passing and distribution. I realize that BB’s hands are tied with injuries to Edu and Jones, but why not start Rico as a DM and Benny as an attacking mid? Both played really well over the summer, but were never paired together until MB was suspended, leaving BB with no other option.

    I believe that MB’s best position for the Nats is an outside midfielder. His best year in Europe was at Herenveen where they played a 4-3-3 and he was used as a winger, making late runs into the box and scoring a ton of goals. When Edu, Jones, Clark, MB, and Benny are all healty and available, what will BB do?

    This is not a rant against BB and MB. I just think that right now, MB isn’t talented enough or experienced enough to play as a center-mid for the Nats, but offers enough athletic ability and skills to help at a different position.

    What do you think?

    Stephen

    (SBI-I disagree with most of your assessments of Bradley. His play the past handful of matches have been below his usual level, but for you to basically ignore his performance in the Confederations Cup (as well as his game vs. T&T in Nashville) when going on your “He’s done nothing since Mexico” rant leaves me wondering how closely and honestly you’ve been watching and judging him. As for his “automatic” selection, I would imagine that Bob Bradley, like any other coach, selects his best players, and doesn’t shake things up based on a player having a few subpar games (particularly when others are also performing below par). He’s better than Feilhaber and Clark and a dip in form hasn’t changed that. Feilhaber has played well lately (though most of his impressive showings have come as a sub) so a Bradley-Feilhaber pairing may be the preferred choice going forward, but I haven’t seen a case made for why Bradley needs to be benched, at least not a good one. The “He hasn’t been benched in two years, it’s time” and “there are better options in central midfield” arguments don’t really carry ring true right now in my opinion. I know some conspiracy theorists insist that Bob Bradley chooses his son over better players, but I’m pretty sure that if Bob Bradley had better options to his son he would use them. And if there were better options, I’d be saying so, but there aren’t better options, only different options.)

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  2. Ives, you’ve been hinting at it, but which teams do you think are going to be a surprise in South Africa? Can you see a team like Russia or Paraguay making the top 8? You mentioned Ivory Coast a little while ago.

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  3. “As much as some delusional USA fans have dreams of playing qualifiers against Brazil and Argentina, it’s never going to happen.”

    Hope you’re right. If we lose the next two games . . .

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  4. @ harry w/ the thing about stadiums:

    check out the renderings for the Wizards new one in KS, just waiting on the state to vote on it now but from what I have heard from my family involved in KS politics, it should be passed. downthebyline.com put up some pic from the season ticket holder open practice/info session before the Chivas vs Club American game

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  5. Can someone explain to me why MLS lets players leave on a “FREE” transfer?

    If Chicago were never going to meet Rolfe’s salary demands, why didn’t they sell him to Europe and earn some transfer money?

    I understand under current salary cap restrictions, they are limited in their ability to meet player salary demands. At least sell the players and get some money for them.

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  6. Hey Ives- I’ll be 35 in a couple weeks too. (in case you wanted to send me a card)

    With Bob Bradley possibilites in Europe- would it be a Danish, Austrian type league club side or an Albania, Estonia, Macedonia level national team? Or are both equal possiblities?

    (SBI-Why in the world would Bradley go coach one of those national teams? It’s just a theory of mine but I’d think he’d be looking to coach at a lower level in the UK somewhere. I know Bradley loves a challenge and the next challenge for him, and one not undertaken by an American head coach yet, is to go to Europe and find some success there as a head coach. His children are grown now so I could see him going for it.)

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  7. Ives – the extended commentary is fantastic. Thanks. Now that you’ve taken on “Adu-is-good,” “M. Bradley-plays-due-to-nepotism” and “Bob-Bradley-is-terrible” perhaps you can address a few other myths:
    USMNT-should-only-start-guys-playing-regularly-for-top-European-clubs,”
    “all-the-good-players-will-leave-MLS-next-month-for-Europe,” and
    “people’s-comments-on-soccer-websites-helped-the-US-at-Confed-Cup.”

    Reply
  8. I’m not going to go all psychological and try to determine player motivation for various matches. But I will say that if you want to pick the Egypt game as a turning point for the USA under Bradley, then it is fair to say that he was helped by finally being forced to do something different with the lineup. If Boca hadn’t been hurt, Demerit and Onyewu wouldn’t have gotten the time together that they did. If Cherundolo hadn’t been hurt, Spector never would have played. (And, lets remember, Bradley went with Marvell Wynne against Costa Rica, if Wynne hadn’t been completely awful we may have seen him for the entirety of South Africa.) Charlie Davies only played after Ching got hurt, and then only started after Conor Casey looked awfully slow and Bradley was forced to use Donovan and Dempsey on the wings when it became apparent that Beasley was a completely ineffective option. (Finally apparent to Bradley, that is. Beasley should have been nowhere near the field considering his level of match fitness.) So. Spector, Davies, Demerit. Three of the biggest finds of the year, if you think about who’s made the biggest strides toward a starting role. None of them would have started if everyone had been healthy, and it’s likely few would have gotten any minutes at all. That’s where I give Bradley no credit, because injuries forced him to field a lineup featuring names many had been calling for. And then that “many” were proven right. (That was, probably, grammatically terrible. My apologies harry, I know you’re a harsh critic on these matters.)

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  9. Ives, all you have done is show a double standard and say i have been going way over-board on Adu,..which in the last few months i barley talk about him…because as of right now he stinks just like Beasley uless he gets back into form. I brought up ching for a reason to see what you would say..and you said excalty what i thought you would say “I hate Ching and Love Adu” which i used the Mexico game to show chings self-inflcited turnovers similar to Adu in the Gold-Cup and you did not point them out in your review at all. Also speaking of the Gold Cup i dont even think i even mentioned that Adu was good. I only mentioned he is playing that poor because he hadent play in over a year. I know i was only estactic about his 27-yead Chip Vs Grenada that almost went in. Which i think you also was estatic about it.

    (SBI-Harry, Ching’s form isn’t great, I’ll be the first to admit that, but you trying to use his performance vs. Mexico as an example of how he’s as bad as Adu is weak. Ching’s still someone who is useful to the national team right now. Adu isn’t. That will hopefully change with time for Adu, but right now that’s the case. I’m done with this subject Harry. Move on.)

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  10. “I don’t think Bradley is a good fit there at all. He’s a great player, but I want to see a purely defensive midfielder (Jones/Edu) and a creative attacking midfielder (Feilhaber/Torres). Bradley is neither; he is a combination of both, and has weaknesses (along with many strengths) on both sides of the ball.”

    I do not understand this. Why would you not want one central midfielder who is good at both defending and attacking than wasting two spots for roughly the same talent?

    Lets look at this on a point scale. I will say (granted this is my own perspective) that out of 10 bradley is a 6 at defending and also a 6 at attacking. Now lets say feilhaber is a 8 at attacking and a 2 at defending while jones is the reverse with a 8 at defense and a 2 on offense. So if you put two bradley equivalent players together you get an overall 12 on offense and 12 on defense. If you put jones and feilhaber together you get a 10 on both offense and defense.

    Another way to look at it is that you get two players decent in the attack. Maybe neither are as good as an all out attacking player (feilhaber) is but at the same time you have two options, two people for the other team to defend and two people to help play off of one another.

    Why would you want to buy a refrigerator and freezer separately when you could get the combo?

    ps. I do not honestly believe feilhaber is an all out attacking player. I believe it is more of his mentality/ given role than what his overall skill shows. I was just using him as an example since that is how most of us see him. I think he could be great both defensively and offensively given the opportunities and time to play it with bradley.

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  11. anyone object to this…

    Altidore Davies

    Donovan Bradley Dempsey

    Jones

    Castillos Boca/Demerit Gooch Spector

    Howard

    I leabve boca as an alt cuz boc has looked terrible (to me) lately…not as terrible as Bornstein though

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  12. Theoritical question for you Ives. If you took your top 5 clubs and pit them against the top 5 national squads (ignoring the obvious redundencies of players) – how does it shake out?

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  13. About MB- I think he has had a solid club career so far, but I think his contributions to the Nats is overrated. He’s not a great tackler. Doesn’t read the game great defensively. he has a knaack for the goal but is a questionable ball striker. Look at all the terrible shots from outside the box instead of passing.
    I’m not saying he doesn’t belong on the USMNT, I just don’t think he deserves to start every game, and I think there are games when he is definitely spent and should be subbed when his dad subs someone else.
    If and when we get a new head coach i will be happy to reevaluate my assessment- even admit i was wrong. But right now I just don’t think he is as good as he is being given credit for.

    Reply
  14. I think Bradley will fit in Europe much better than he does into Freddy Adu’s warm-up pants.

    Seriously, Ives, thanks for the entertaining Whack-A-Mole commentary against the nutty Bradley(s) bashing.

    Reply
  15. Fabio Klinsmann??? Where the CRAP did you pull that name out from, lol!!!

    PS. Something must have been in your food, Ives. Deserved or not, you definitely seemed on a rampage in some answers.

    Did you read Wahl’s interview with BB? I had never heard him go on at length like that. Was very interesting. Definitely a deep thinker, set in his perspective. Sounded a bit like a rambling Rainman, too. Certain phrases repeated a lot. I wonder how his thinking/speaking style affects his ability to focus the team.

    As for me, I have no clue what I am talking about. Goodnight.

    Reply
  16. Ives, any chance we see Jose Francisco Torres in the lineup any time soon? He came on against El Salvador and really made an impact, nearly scoring. Given the US’ struggles with keeping possession in the midfield, he seems like he would be a more natural fit in there than someon like, say Rico Clark. I would say a midfield of Donovan and Dempsey on the wings with Bradley and Torres might have some punch, with Feilhaber coming on for either of those 2 central midfielders if we need a boost late.

    Reply
  17. “You also never answered my question about how old you are. I’m sticking with 17 as a guess. Care to tell us?”

    Ouch. Today, I learned not to piss of Ives, or else he can and will publicly insult me. Too bad Harry didn’t know this before he decided to comment…

    As for our central midfield:

    I don’t think Bradley is a good fit there at all. He’s a great player, but I want to see a purely defensive midfielder (Jones/Edu) and a creative attacking midfielder (Feilhaber/Torres). Bradley is neither; he is a combination of both, and has weaknesses (along with many strengths) on both sides of the ball. I would just feel more comfortable with an enforcer like Jones playing alongside someone who can get forward, run the offense, and then get back and defend, as well (something both Torres and Feilhaber are excellent at). Maybe after Jones retires, we could see a Bradley-Feilhaber combo, because they work very well together, but for now I’d really rather have Jones alongside a creative guy (which, again, MB is not).

    (SBI-KFLY, the whole thing with Harry has been an on-going thing and Harry has done some things and said some things in the past that have led me to question how old he is. It’s an honest question, and one he hasn’t bothered to answer.)

    Reply
  18. Can someone instruct on the capitalization rules employed by Harry of the post:

    harry | September 17, 2009 at 07:29 PM

    Truly an amazing post. Very maverick-y…or, should that be Maverick-y?

    Reply
  19. Ives – thank you for injecting a little bit of perspective regarding both Bradleys. Michael Bradley seems to get absolutely no credit (among many US fans) for a fairly long string of successful European seasons. That coupled with his youth (yes, he’s still young) would have US fans drooling over his potential if he didn’t have the same last name as the coach.

    (SBI-Agreed Tim. If I had told some of Bradley’s sharpest critics to think back to say three years ago and I told them there’d be an American midfielder who scored 16 goals in the Dutch league and then moved to Germany and spends a season as a starter in the Bundesliga, and that player then scores two goals in a World Cup qualifying win vs. Mexico, all by the age of 21, they would have told me that player is their hero. Michael Bradley? All it took was a few shaky qualifiers and a benching by his club coach in a one-month span to have folks turn on him faster than Usain Bolt. It’s pretty ridiculous, but again, fans will be fans, and people will believe what they want.)

    Reply
  20. I’m with Ives on this one, Bradley could hang the rest of the European coaches. I’ve read interviews with coaches who have gone abroad form the Americas and they all say the same, the only difference is the quality in the players. The practices, training, tactics, ect are all very similar, but the quality in players is much higher.

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  21. 1. Kartik Krishnayar is also a big Bob Bradley supporter. Personally I don’t think he’s good enough to be successful in Europe but there are plenty of worse coaches there.

    2. I think Sacha Kljestan could be a good partner for Michael Bradley when he regains his form. What do you think?

    (SBI-I would be curious to see how Bradley would do in a different country. I’ll say this, and it gets easily forgotten, but he had great relationships with Hristo Stoitchkov and Youri Djorkaeff, to of the most accomplished players to ever play in MLS, and both of them would vouch for Bradley being able to coach in Europe.

    As for Kljestan, I do think they could be a good tandem, but I think Kljestan needs to focus on his club form. He’s still young and has time to develop.)

    Reply
  22. umm Ives what you say about me for Adu..you kind of do worse for Ching… Like blaming Chings turnovers and invisableness vs Mexico on the other US players and lack of Mid-field play. and speaking of outside of the one Back-heel pass from ching in the Semi’s, Ching lost the ball just as much as Freddy Adu did in that Gold Cup……of coarse you never mentioned those in your play-by-play…but i did see alot of Freddy is playig terrible one-liners.

    (SBI-Harry, you hate Ching and love Adu. Your comments bear that out, so of course you’re going to point out any compliment made about Ching and any criticism of Adu. I did happen to think that part of the reason Ching struggled was because the midfield was played off the pitch and he’s not someone who’s going to do things on his own. That’s not me being a Ching lover, that’s me analyzing the game based on what I see, and not on my preferences. Harry, your fascination with Adu is overboard, and up until I called you out about it, 99 percent of your comments were Adu-related. All I will ask you one last time is to please provide more to the conversations on this website than your defenses of Adu and your conspiracy theories about the national team and MLS.

    You also never answered my question about how old you are. I’m sticking with 17 as a guess. Care to tell us?)

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  23. Ives, I understand why you feel some fans are too harsh on Bradley. I think he is the one American who could coach in Europe if he starts off in the 2nd or 3rd division somewhere and establishes himself.

    However, it is not out of line to criticize Bradley. The Egypt match was the first time I have seen the full national team play inspired soccer since Bradley became coach. Was it because of the manager? No. It was because the players got ticked off about being mocked by the media. Just listen to the post-match interviews, and you will hear that. Why is it that Bradley cannot motivate his players against teams like Costa Rica and El Salvador? Yes, he will qualify the U.S. for the World Cup, but in this region, is that really impressive? I have seen nothing in Bradley’s tenure to suggest the national team is any better than it was 4 years ago. That is the mark of a great coach.

    (SBI-I love how me saying that some fans don’t give him credit is the same as me saying Bradley deserves no criticism. Guess what? It isn’t. Bradley can get his share of criticism, as all coaches can, but I do think some people, at times, are a bit misguided with their criticism and some people were clearly never fans of him to begin with and pounced as soon as there were issues to be critical of.

    As for your theories as to why the USMNT played well vs. Egypt, I’d say you might not want to quit your day job to become a psychologist. Michael Bradley has a rant after the match about nobody believing in the team so therefore the team must have played hard because of media and fan criticism and not the coach, right? But when the team has flat performances, THEN it’s Bradley’s fault. Okay, I suppose you can believe any theory you choose but I’d say that your theories regarding motivation are extremely flimsy.

    As for Bradley not qualifying the team in impressive fashion, here’s a few questions. Do you really think CONCACAF is flat awful and the same as it was four or eight years ago? I would argue that it is much tougher. That doesn’t excuse some of the performances by the US this cycle, but what exactly is running away with the qualifying group worth? Last time I checked the USA ran away with the group in 2005 and what did that get the team eight months later at the World Cup? Not much. In 2001 the team struggled to qualify and reached the quarters in 2002. So who knows? Perhaps a tough qualifying round is as good a preperation as any for a U.S. team ahead of the World Cup.

    And please tell me your definition of “inspired soccer”? Was the scoreless tie vs. Argentina in 2008 not really that impressive? Was the Gold Cup final victory over Mexico not “inspired”? Was the 2-0 win vs. Mexico in 2007, when Mexico fielded its strongest possible team and the USA did not, not an inspired performance?

    Is the team better now than it was pre-Bradley? I’d say while the team has had some recently struggles against teams you wouldn’t expect it to struggle against, I would also say that the team has shown FAR more against top competition during Bradley’s tenure than in cycles before him. For that reason alone I would say that the current U.S. team is far more battle-tested against top world competition than any U.S. team before it, and credit for that, at least in part, goes to Bradley.

    I would also ask you this. Why would you think that the progression of a national team occurs on a non-ending cycle and consistent progress is the only sign of success? Last time I checked Bradley had to guide this team through a major transition that saw several of the program’s best players retire. That gets easily forgotten by the folks more concerned with pointing out Bradley’s flaws than giving him credit for transitioning the program to a new generation. Has he made some mistakes along the way? Sure, but he’s also gotten plenty right and something tells me if his name were Fabio Klinsmann and not Bob Bradley he’d get more credit from some people.

    Go ahead and dislike Bradley as a head coach, that’s your perogative and right, but at least provide a better argument for why you think he’s been a bad coach than the one you did. I’ve certainly heard and read some better arguments, and I agree with some points and some criticisms, but the notion that he’s a bad coach or has held the team back isn’t a theory I subscribe to.)

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  24. By the way, Ives, when are you going to bring back another edition of questions for US players. I loved that feature. Don’t let your old age get to you 😉

    (SBI-Working on it.)

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  25. CONCACAF is getting stronger as is apparent by the close finish. Honduras is loaded with European-based players, Costa Rica has a lot of talented young players, and Mexico is Mexico. CONMEBOL is the second best Confederation in the world behind UEFA, to compare CONCACAF to CONMEBOL is unfair. Here are the confed. rankings IMO:

    1. UEFA
    2. CONMEBOL
    3. Africa
    4. CONCACAF
    5. Asia
    6. Oceania

    CONCACAF is still mediocre, but I wouldn’t be surprised if two of the teams that qualify make it out of the group stage, barring another group of death for the US.

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  26. Is Bryan Leyva part of the US u17 or Mexico’s u17. I’m not sure since you put both.

    Some of my buddies pass me some of his youtube videos and this kid has some skills.

    (SBI-I didn’t put both, I wrote that he plays for Mexico’s U-17s, but he’s grown up playing in the U.S. youth soccer system, NOT youth national team system. There’s a difference.)

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  27. just to clarify,
    it wasn’t this patrick that asked that question. The us going to conmebol would result in fewer world cups, more losses and thus more ammo for the anti US soccer crowd. It would kill any momentum the US soccer movement has. Lets stay in concacaf and enjoy some success while we experience these growing pains

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  28. “One team that COULD be a force in 2010 is the Red Bulls, that’s if the team hires the right head coach and GM to take advantage of all the mechanisms the club will have to bolster the roster.”

    Ives you could say this about ANY MLS team when looking at potential for next year. IF they make the RIGHT moves they COULD be a force. NYRB has no more potential than any other MLS team in fact they have less than most because they are absolute crap and need to completely rebuild and HOPE the pieces they get come together and play well.

    (SBI-Maybe you don’t follow MLS much but teams that finish worst in the league have been shown to have big rebounds far more frequently than you would expect because of the things teams that miss the playoffs get, such as high draft picks and allocations. New York had its worst season ever before this year (and still one of the worst seasons ever) in 1999. That failure helped pave the way for the team having its best season ever. KC had the second worst record in 1999 and came back and won MLS Cup in 2000. Columbus had the fourth fewest points in MLS in 2007 and came back to win MLS Cup in 2008. In 2007 Real Salt Lake had the second-worst record in MLS, in 2008 RSL came within a 1-0 loss of MLS Cup.

    Red Bulls are a bad team and a bad roster, but some pieces are in place and with two first round picks, allocation money from being the worst team in MLS, and a second DP slot, it can certainly come right back in 2010, especially if Red Bull hires the right people (as the MetroStars did before the 2000 season). Of course, they still have to actually do that, and there’s no guarantee they do, but my point remains that the circumstances are in place for New York to have a major turnaround season. I’d bet on them having a major turnaround before I’d bet on San Jose or FC Dallas or Kansas City.

    Point is that in MLS, more than any other pro league in American sports, a team can go from outhouse to penthouse because of the cap and league rules. Red Bulls have a second DP to use, and have the owners ready to use it. No other team has that. Red Bulls have two first-round picks, including the No. 2 overall pick. How many other teams have that? Red Bulls will also have the allure of a new stadium, a real stadium, to attract new players and potentially a quality new head coach and GM. What other team has a stadium opening that’s as impressive as New York’s? Nobody.

    All those reasons are why the Red Bulls, in my opinion, could very well be a team that enjoys a dramatic turnaround in 2010. Yes, any team COULD turn things around, but I’m saying New York have a good chance to, which would be far more shocking in the eyes of some, including apparently you.)

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  29. wait Ives in a another topic you said Goodsen was showed well in the Gold Cup but freddy was awful? they both had one stinker of a game……..Goodsne got a pass form the Mexico Thrashing and Freddy gets butchered. if it was in reference to Expectations than i guess your right but you usually dont rate Freddy that high so if thats the case i dont get how Goodsen did well and Adu was awful.

    (SBI-What did Freddy do in the Gold Cup? Goodson had multiple good games in the Gold Cup, even scored a goal in the Gold Cup. Also, Goodson’s awful game was a game where A) everybody played poorly and B) most of the damage came after the US was a man down, so trying to put the blame on Goodson for the Mexico game is absurd. As for Freddy Adu, he got the start against Grenada, had a good game vs. a weak opponent (I’m sure you’ll say he was dazzling given your track record), then was flat atrocious against Honduras. It was nobody else’s fault that Adu had a bad game. He lost the ball nearly EVERY time he got it. Was pushed off the ball like a rag doll and still managed to commit his own turnovers with some bad passes (though I’m sure there was at least one sweet move you’ll hang your hat on given your love of the guy). Goodson had a good game vs. Grenada, very good game vs. Panama and a good game vs. Honduras before the bad showing vs. Mexico.

    And I don’t have issues with Adu, I’m just realistic about his performances, which some of his fans (including you) are absolutely not. That’s all well and good, you’re entitled to your opinion, but when you go on and on and on trying to defend a player whose case is as weak as Adu’s you just sound awful doing it. How about giving up and letting the kid get his career in order. He doesn’t need you trying to make lame cases for him. If anything, it makes it worse for him. I’m sure your comment reminded plenty of people just how bad he was against Honduras.)

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  30. Rio Tinto has the most beautiful Grass Patterned field it kind of looks like Arsenal’s home ground………obviously the problem with rio tinto is once you get past the Field and the lower bowlwhich looks World Class..the upperdeck and roofing looks kind of like Minor League(i know MLS and its teams arent that rich yet to make it look like Emirates, im just saying). I cant wait to the day all MLS stadiums look World Class. Red bull Arena will be the first.

    Also Ives….whats preventing all the new recent MLS stadiums from being built like Stamford Bridge and tottenhams Home Ground where the Front row behind the goals and sidelines is basically on the field rather than being so far away. Ive always thought watching the fans reactions as a goal happens is the best thing and then the player goes and runs into the crowd with the TV angle on it….it kind of looks dull after a goal and their are no fans in sight to see the stadiums reaction. Its why i always hate when the World Cup final is played in a stadium with a Track around it; where the fans are 3 Miles away.

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  31. @nate sorry to inform you, but soccer specific means that its primary use is for soccer. I’m not saying that quest wasn’t built with a great deal of soccer considerations, but the turf alone is proof that its main use is throwball.

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  32. Why would a US fan want the US in CONMEBOL? Do you want to start not qualifying for the World Cup (knock on wood)?

    And you know who’s regional assignment really blows? Israel’s. If it wasn’t for the extreme danger of the Israeli team playing in Arab countries they could be in Asia, and actually get to play in the World Cup sometimes.

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  33. Quest is Soccer specific. The city wouldn’t appprove its construction otherwise.

    (SBI-I think the Seattle Seahawks would disagree with you calling Qwest Field “soccer-specific).

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  34. In regards to the Harkes thing, he does that to the Red Bulls too. They deserve it this year, but last year when they were playing fairly well, he was pretty negative. Alexi does the same thing anytime the team is mentioned. I suppose getting your walking papers would definitely bring out the worst in you.

    (SBI-It’s tough to take the criticisms or analysis seriously of someone who was fired by the team he’s criticizing. It’s just a tough spot and as you said, while any criticism of the team is pretty much fair this year, it was tough to listen to Harkes’ criticize the team in 2008 when he was fresh off being let go.)

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  35. Australia is clearly not in Asia… Just saying…

    (SBI-Nobody said it was (we’re talking soccer federations), but Australia’s circumstances in Oceania, and Asia’s decision to invite Australia to join, just are nowhere near the same situation with CONCACAF and CONMEBOL. As much as some delusional USA fans have dreams of playing qualifiers against Brazil and Argentina, it’s never going to happen.)

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  36. Some quick thoughts:

    1) Ives is awesome for doing this (though there is nothing wrong with being over 40, sonny.)

    2) Clint Dempsey deserves a lot of the criticism he gets from Harkes and others. I love Dempsey on our team, but he often showboats, goes down too easy and gets very lazy. If he could make his game more consistent he could pass Donovan as the best American player on the planet, IMO.

    3) In regards to recent comments let me just express my exasperation for the number of people who try and compare Michael Bradley to Freddy Adu. The criticism of M. Bradley and the undying love for Adu, coupled together, boggles the mind.

    (SBI- Hey, not ripping on 40, just not ready to be there just yet. I also agree with your No. 3. Definitely mind-boggling.)

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  37. and why we would not be playing CONMEBOL.. because we are clearly in North America! look at a map.. also we are the big fish here lets stay.

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  38. BB coaching in europe.. haven’t heard that yet. could happen? maybe?

    how about Guus or Klinsmann to be the next US coach and BB take over in Chicago. not because i don’t think he can do it but it would be great for the mls to have a coach like that again.

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  39. Ives, great set of Q&A, and even greater job putting the smackdown on the delusional questions. Speaking of which…

    “Bradley’s consistency and overall impetus to make a mark on the game (outside of the ref’s ears or opposition shins) has been in steady decline since he fell out of favor with the Borussia M’gladbach manager.”

    Dude, what are you talking about. How you could come to that conclusion after 2 huge games that we won is beyond me. “overall impetus to make a mark on the game”…i mean, please.

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  40. I don’t know why the US would ever join CONMEBOL. Not only would CONMEBOL not want to screw up their own round-robin home and away qualification system, but I don’t really see how we would benefit much more. We’ve got a standing invitation to play in the Copa America most any year we want; we play Brazil and Argentina once or twice each WC cycle, and we usually schedule a CONMEBOL team every year. The only difference would come at WC qualifying, and I doubt that CONMEBOL would even be able to steal a full two bids from CONCACAF (7th place finisher out of 12 in a playoff? Just strange.)

    Right now, we’ve got an open path to the World Cup. Not making the World Cup would be more devastating to US soccer than anything else.

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  41. Ives I think you’re a little off with the ideal central midfield pairing including Bradley. Right now I say it’s a toss up between him, Jones/Edu even though both are injured, or just a big stick for the opposition to trip over, paired with Feilhaber or Torres. Bradley’s consistency and overall impetus to make a mark on the game (outside of the ref’s ears or opposition shins) has been in steady decline since he fell out of favor with the Borussia M’gladbach manager.

    If you could do me a favor, please ask BB this question following the Honduras and Costa Rica games: “Why is it that lack of playing time with their clubs kept players like Freddy Adu and [others that I can’t think of now] on the bench in the beginning of the year, yet your son and Onyewu continue to play despite not getting regular PT with their clubs? Are there players to whom this rule doesn’t apply?”

    While I’m not promoting starting Chad Marshall in place of Gooch for the Honduras match, someone has to call him on his BS response to the Freddy and [others] omissions earlier in the year. I’m also not proclaiming Freddy to be the prodigal son of US Soccer, just wondering why he’s treating players differently.

    (SBI-Nick, let’s see if I follow your logic. Since Michael Bradley, who is coming off of consecutive strong seasons in Europe, has had a bad month he should be passed over “right now” by two players who are injured? Really? Not sure Jones and Edu would get much done “right now” by limping around the pitch. Even if both were healthy, and Bradley was on form, how has Edu show anything remotely close to what Bradley has shown over his past two years in Europe? Here’s a hint. He hasn’t.

    Also, Bradley’s benching came three weeks ago, so using your terminology, he “fell out of favor” three weeks ago. So you’re saying he’s had a “steady decline” over the course of three weeks? Really?

    As for the Bob Bradley/Freddy Adu stuff, Freddy Adu isn’t good enough right now. Period. It’s not just a case of him not getting regular playing time for his club. he’s NEVER gotten playing time on a steady basis in Europe and hasn’t played steadily since 2006 (unless you count his brief stint with RSL). He got a shot in the Gold Cup and was awful.

    Lastly, comparing Adu’s situation to Oguchi Onyewu’s is ridiculous. Onyewu is a proven and established national team starter and was as a leading starter on a Belgian champion before a summer transfer, and who has yet to break through since moving to AC MILAN. Read that again, AC MILAN. The Freddy fans have clamped their jaws on Bradley’s “Freddy needs to play regularly” response and beaten it to death as a so-called example of a double standard. It’s not a case of a double standard, it’s a case of a coach trying to be diplomatic about a player who doesn’t deserve any more looks or playing time than he’s gotten for the national team. Adu needs to go somewhere and play and GROW as a player. That’s the point about the playing time. The idea of playing time isn’t to check off some arbitrary box on a list of requirements to play for the national team. The idea is that Adu is a young player who’s career and skills have stagnated the past two years and who desperately needs to play regularly on the club level before gets serious national team consideration again.

    I appreciate your passion for the national team Nick, but your theories are a tad misguided. At least that’s my opinion.)

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  42. Ives, any idea what the tiebreakers are after points and goal differential in CONCACAF WCQ? I assume goals scored, but not positive.

    I was reading your response about the disallowed goal by Altidore against El Salvador and checked and found that it is possible that we lose out to Honduras based on goal differential if we tie on points. Obviously a lot will change after these next two matches, but it is conceivable.

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  43. I also should have said that I am sure MLS will renew the DP concept, but do you think they will make the concept and its rules permanent or will they put a time limit on the DP rules again?

    Thanks!

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  44. Ives,

    Could you please clear up why the Red Bulls will have two DP slots available next year? I am sure that you are correct, but I thought that the DP thing was only for three years and then would be reconsidered after three years. I guess I assumed that when Chivas traded their DP slot for Guevara that they only traded the DP slot for the three years. If I misunderstood, then how long will NYRB hold a second DP slot and how long will Chivas USA be without one?

    Thanks!

    (SBI-I had always heard it was for five years if the league approved the continuation of the DP rule, which is clearly going to happen. It would have ended after three years if MLS had killed the DP rule. That’s my understanding.)

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  45. I spit my drink all over my keyboard when you mentioned the possibility of Bradley coaching in Europe. Thanks Ives. 😉

    (SBI-Laugh if you want but while some U.S. fans think Bob Bradley is clueless, Bradley was busy getting a ton of credit and respect from European media for leading the USA to the Confederations Cup final. Luckily for Bradley, his chances of landing in Europe aren’t based on the rumblings and opinions of U.S. fans, particularly the ones who’ve never given him an ounce of credit from day one. If he leads the USA to a strong World Cup, he will have chances in Europe.)

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