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Diskerud scores with classy finish in Rosenborg return

Mix Diskerud Rosenborg BK (Getty Images)

By FRANCO PANIZO

Mix Diskerud might not have played a single minute at the World Cup, but that still did not stop him from making an impact in his Rosenborg BK return.

Playing in his first game at the club level since early May, Diskerud scored a goal in Rosenborg’s 2-0 win vs. Latvian outfit FK Jelgave in a Europa League qualifier on Thursday. The midfielder found the back of the net in the 73rd minute, scoring the insurance goal with a deft, looped shot.

The goal was the second across all competitions this season for the 23-year-old Diskerud, who made it onto the U.S. Men’s National Team’s World Cup squad this summer but was one of its two field players who failed to receive any playing time in Brazil.

Here is Diskerud’s goal:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-t5QVwZhz8]

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What do you think of Diskerud’s goal? Expecting him to go on a tear now that he’s back at Rosenborg after spending more than a month with the USMNT? Still astonished that he did not see any playing time in Brazil?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I cant remember an Young player improving their game in any league were they are referred to as LADS. Young USA guys must stay away from the british isles in order to improve their game.

    Reply
    • Dr. K.,

      I guess you’ve never heard of Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo, Robin Van Persie, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Clint Dempsey, Brian McBride, Carlos Bocanegra, Geoff Cameron, and numerous American keepers all of whom are examples of players who improved their games further in the EPL.

      Reply
  2. He’s had some good performances for the USMNT but he plays in a low level league. People say he needs to move somewhere better but apparently he can’t even get off the bench for this team. He should be dominating this league. There’s a reason Rosenberg is playing in the first qualifying round – it’s because the Norwegian league is not good. And a goal against some Latvian team at a high school field is not enough to get him into the USMNT starting XI.

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  3. He played very well in the games leading up to the World Cup. Just give him some time and he will be in the starting 11 for the national team.

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  4. Going to Celtic would be a great move for MIx if it actually happens. They have quality players that he would train with everyday, plus the scottish league competition is probably that of the Norwegian league. Also, Klinsmann preaches Champions league play.

    Reply
      • While Anderlecht is not a bad spot for Sacha – Celtic is a much bigger club and better opportunity. Celtic play in Champions League! no Scotland is not a good league but you play in the CL group stages (six games a year) against the likes of Barcelona, Milan, Bayern, Arsenal etc. then depending on how you fare, you can move on or potentially drop down to Europa group stages which is also good soccer.

        Plus, playing at a big club like Celtic gets you exposure to move typically to mid-table Prem clubs or the like. Look at the list -it’s a fact. That is what Klinsman is talking about when he says to challenge yourself.

      • i cant remember any USA player thriving or improving in Scotland or even in the EPL. Try to avoid any team that calls its players LADs if you want to improve as a player

      • Clint Dempsey did not do a bad job of improving himself in England. And I thought he thrived rather well there. As did our many goal keepers.

  5. He will ultimately prove to be a dime-a-dozen midfielder. I like his “soccer brain” and his composure on the ball, but he will eventually be pushed out by more physical players.

    Reply
    • Klimsmann May say that..
      But Klinsmann said Landon at 70-80% dominated the MLS
      And Klinsmann also says he wants guys to push to be better, to get to the highest competition you can to push yourself to always try and get better. Would you rather have a coach like that or a coach like Arena who says most of our team should come from MLS…
      Honestly…..

      BTW, I doubt Mix is still there within a few years.. he’s young
      If he’s still there in 2018, if he is will he be on the roster? NYET…

      Reply
      • It’d be nice to have a coach that doesn’t send mixed signals. He says what you wrote but is perfectly fine with taking Dempsey and Bradley, who took steps backwards instead of pushing themselves, more so Bradley. You think we’ll have another player who, as you say Klinsmann put it, can dominate a league at 70-80% and admit about not being able to train as hard as he used to? What’s wrong with MLS? Lets have the majority of our team come from Europe then. An 11 who ply their trade for FK Jelgave and their rec league park stadium just for the sake of saying we have a Euro based starting 11.

      • I have a better idea. Let’s take every article for the next four years and figure out a way we can rag on Jurgen Klinsmann…
        That seems like the ongoing pattern daily.. So let’s go for it…

      • Criticism is healthy in my opinion, differing point of views are great when they have merit. If you’re a regular visitor to this site you would have noticed the criticism Bob Bradley received in the comments section during his tenure. The majority of them weren’t about his tactics or hypocrisy in his statements and actions… They were the fact that he wore a track suit to the matches.

      • Grant,

        The track suit thing was fine

        But it was second rate to the criticism Jozy receives for his team picture bent knee half squat.

      • I would have taken them both. I would have taken Donovan as well. In my opinion they were the best three field players we had. I think it’s a bit hypocritical to take those two and not Donovan on the grounds of him not ‘pushing’ himself to another level when Dempsey and Bradley take a ‘step back’ signing with MLS.

        OT, times like this I wish SBI had a message board. Because a lot of comments and topics get lost and there are plenty of good discussions from thoughtful people here.

      • Grant,

        “He says what you wrote but is perfectly fine with taking Dempsey and Bradley, who took steps backwards instead of pushing themselves, more so Bradley. ”

        So why are you criticising JK when he is did what you would have done?

      • GW,

        I would have taken all three, he left Donovan at home. Was it truly fitness and form? Both come and go but quality is always there. All three are quality players, how you leave one at home is inexcusable. All three have had successes domestically and internationally.

        What do you think of Klinsmann?

      • Grant,

        In all team sport there is something called addition by subtraction.

        JK wanted guys who were all on board with the team being the focus and I don’t think he believed LD was that kind of guy. After all wasn’t it Arena who said something like “With Landon it is always about Landon.”?

        This wasn’t LD’s team anymore. It’s like having Justin Beiber as a backup singer/dancer. Probably not the best idea when you know things will get tough along the way.

        Everyone outside of JK has their pet theory on the lack of Landon.
        None of us, at this point, actually know the truth and may never.
        I always expected LD to be in Brazil but he looked pretty burnt to me when the 2010 WC ended.

        My biggest problem by far with his sabbatical was he should have done it sooner, like just after the World Cup or at the very least or at the very least just after the 2011 Gold Cup final.

        And I thought he should have done it for longer, like maybe a year.

        And then when he came back I hoped he would move to, for example, Club America rather than the Galaxy which is, even now, a dead end retirement home for him. Mexico would represent a fresh, new challenge, a slight upgrade in competition, but it would not be that far from home, which seems to be a really big deal to Landon. Plus the Mexicans love the Mexicutioner. If he continues to play beyond this year I expect it to be in Mexico.

        Basically, the Donovan I saw at that time was burnt out and in soccer terms, a dead man walking.

        This is all really pretty simple if everyone would actually listen to what everyone actually said. And LD said, right around the time JK took over was, that never mind the USMNT he wasn’t sure he wanted to play soccer again.

        Now LD, maybe, got it somewhat together near the end but I don’t think that was enough to convince JK that he could trust LD to be on board with the team program. And I don’t think LD’s talent is exceptional enough these days to make up for JK’s lack of trust in him.

        For example, JK trusted DMB to make the changes to his game to maximize his value to the team. And DMB spent the better part of two years earning that trust. LD thought he could equal that by cleaning up his act for a month or two. There is something very entitled about that.

        I would have taken LD but that would have been at the expense of Yedlin because I would have taken Bedoya as a right back, which shows you how much I know.

        So I have no problem with JK’s choice.

  6. He has to leave this league. Simple. This looks like the type of team I see playing in the park and I ask to get in. He needs Celtic to happen fast!

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  7. Don’t insult Sunday pub leagues like that. Love the guy walking the dog around the track – priceless. But, i bet some eurosnobs wiill say that Tippeligaen > MLS

    Reply
    • A UEFA Europa League qualifier is not a pub league game… you people are so clueless when it comes to European football…

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      • just the ones making funny of the caliber of play… Latvian sides have had some decent results in European Football… Skonto Riga drew Chelsea 0-0 back in the late 90s in Champions League Qualfiying.

      • its not the caliber of play the jokes are about… its the pitch with a track around it coupled with the non-HD footage… reminds me of old MLS matches… at least there are not football lines on the pitch though…

        and nice little sidefoot blooper for the goal…and I wonder how many of his teammates were on rosters in Brazil?… not a lot I’m guessing…

      • beachbum,

        You don’t want to be a drop in the bucket? Don’t worry Andy in Atlanta is the same guy who thinks, JK froze out Lichaj because JK hates Polish people.

  8. He needs to leave Rosenberg. But why get Europa league cap tied in a game for a club you should leave? If the rumored Celtic move happens, he would be able to play there once they’re bounced from the CL.

    Reply
    • Don’t you have to get 3rd in your group to get a Europa league spot? That’s probably a big ask for Celtic at this point.

      Reply
    • God I hope he doesn’t go to Celtic to get hacked for a living I hope he goes to France Holland or Spain which will suit his style. Would also like to see Yedlin in Holland

      Reply
      • A mid-level Spanish club would be perfect for Mix…or maybe Ernie Stewart will bring him into AZ…

        Yedlin, if he stays super fast and fit, will flourish wherever he lands…

  9. Should have played him under Dempsey after Altidore went down.. it was obvious that the other forwards weren’t getting it done. MB was awful there. Doesnt make sense.

    Reply
      • oh.. what was i thinking? clearly Brad Davis deserved getting WC minutes over Mix. The point is, they had no one else to play that position behind Dempsey. Clearly MB was not comfortable there.

    • The real issue here is why won’t JK sit down MB if hes stinking the place up? Is he that untouchable? Donovan wasnt

      Reply
      • MB shouldn’t have sit. Despite playing out of position, which factored into his “lackluster” play, he still covered a large amount of the pitch and put in quality effort. The issue was there was no like-for-like replacement for Jozy, meaning Clint and MB played out of position. If Jozy is healthy, MB excels.

      • +1 for Tim
        This MB benching birther stuff has to stop. We are a team of 3 D mids and a central mid named DJ Mix Diskodude. JK was not handing the offensive keys to Mix, except in the loss of MB. US lacks the playmaker 10, and Donovan isn’t one either. MB is the best we could come up with and looked decent in the diamond versus Mexico. He’s a great D mid, but benching him because he couldn’t run the offense against superior teams without a target striker is incorrect, and has been run into the ground.

      • LD sure played that role splendidly during the Gold Cup, and no, it wasn’t because of the competition!

      • The thing is, with another striker on the pitch (Altidore replacement), our shape changes. Yes, that will help Bradley, but it also makes us drop another player? Who would that be? Beckerman? Zusi? Bedoya?

        Our strength in the tournament overall was our defense, with a slight difference in the Belgium game. So, what happens with Altidore or like for like replacement? We hold the ball up better and that relieves our defense, but our shape changes, so when other teams do attack, is it that much more dangerous because we may be dropping to a 2 D Mid system?

        Hindsight is 20/20 of course, so we can come up with whatever we want to make ourselves seem like the coaches of the year, but it is difficult to tell what the changes could have been. I for one was appalled with Donovan exclusion and thought he could have been a difference maker, even off the bench. But, I still believe we could have more dangerous offensively regardless. I do think that not using Mix was a mistake, but who knows, that could have made things significantly worse. My thought process for using Mix was simply having a technical player with passing and vision help keep the ball and create some more potent offensive movement. He seems to create or score goals every time he is on the pitch. Anyways, too late now. Let’s hope we get our “stuff” together for 2018. I think we have a lot of talented players coming up that could change the dynamic of US Soccer.

      • My main point is there is no business benching MB and that we don’t have the personnel, specifically a play maker. We don’t have a true 10 who can hold up play and create opportunities effectively. Mix and Donovan both play quick passes and LD is great on counter. I haven’t seen enough Mix to make that statement. I believe the original plan was for Jozy to hold up possession long enough for our mids and backs to attack. Especially players like Jones and Johnson. I don’t feel Denpsey has ever been suited to be a hold up striker, so he was a round peg on the square hole. He would have been better suited underneath Jozy or up top in 442. This aligns with LDs sour grapes comments.

        However the possession responsibilities fell to MB and it’s not strong suit. I commented on this site after the Mexico diamond experiment that I thought his offense was better without Jones. Maybe I was mistaken but, We needed a better offensive engine and leading up to the cup it was Jones and distribution role by LD, JJ had shown tendencies to fall out of shape and turnover at a higher rate than MB. Which is ok for Gold Cup but not WC opponents.

        It is hindsight, but we just didn’t have all the pieces, which is why we saw so much lineup experimentation from Klinsman with his friendly and Gold Cup rosters. If Dempsey was a hidden 9, I could even see Mix as the backup, but without a hold up striker, Mix wasn’t going to generate the offensive possession. Maybe he will mold into it, maybe a future player like Nagbe.

      • Apparently Klinsmann felt like it was his strong suit. He started Bradley at attacking CM this whole year. People weren’t whining when he played well the first half against Mexico. Klinsmann wasn’t forced to play Bradley there because of injuries.

        What the tournament did what expose Bradley for what he is. He is just a guy that can run a lot and kick a good long ball and that’s about it.

      • Clifford,

        “expose Bradley for what he is. He is just a guy that can run a lot and kick a good long ball and that’s about it.”

        That’s a little harsh. After all you could be describing Steven Gerrard.

        I remain unconvinced that Mikey was 100% healthy. And I don’t believe he had as bad a tournament as the angry villagers with the pitch forks and torches do.

        But this idea that he remains secure as a 2018 WC USMNT player is fanciful. He moved from team rock to somewhat questionable going forward.

        Especially when you consider that JK is likely going to be very, very aggressive searching for new blood to upgrade, wherever those guys may come from.

        And three, four years is a long time

        In other words Mikey needs to think about what he can do to convince JK he is a big player for the US going forward.

        That is the lesson of Landon.

        Evolve, improve, and take nothing for granted or risk becoming extinct.

  10. Glad he scored… Not really impressed tho.. Latvia..

    Don’t get WC minutes playing in bush league games like this

    Time to move up to a bigger team was last year.. Maybe the year before.

    Reply
    • Winning an away Europe League qualifier in Latvia is a lot harder than you think it is… ask Newcastke in 2006… they beat Ventspils 1-0 on aggregate and drew at home to the Latvian side…

      Reply
  11. Not sure what to make of Mix. His form with the national team – getting zero minutes at the World Cup notwithstanding – would indicate he’d be in line for a transfer to a bigger club, but it seems he wasn’t even starting towards the end of the season.

    Is he an up-and-comer, or is he just a mid-level Norwegian-league player who made the Nats because we’re woefully deficient at playmaking midfielder?

    Reply
    • I think he’ll likely start against @Czech on 9/3. Zusi is not the fleetest of foot out there, maybe Mix can get that spot.

      Reply
      • Uh…who are these paragons? Save the “Landon Donovan” arguments…I’m talking German-style, box-to-box CM’s who can run, hold possession under tight pressure, interchange, and finish?

        I don’t see ’em…yet. I see some guys in the future like (hopefully) Gedion Zalalem and some of the younger cats like Luis Gil who could emerge but I don’t see anybody ready right now.

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