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Evening Ticker: Cherundolo resumes training, U.S. women reach final and more

Steve Cherundolo 3 (Getty Images)

By FRANCO PANIZO

Steve Cherundolo hasn't played in a competitive match in over a month after suffering a shoulder injury, but Cherundolo aims to end that drought this weekend.

Cherundolo trained with the U.S. national team on Monday after being given the green light to return to practice by his club, Hannover 96. Cherundolo isn't among the players on the U.S. roster that will play against the Netherlands on Wednesday, but he is aiming to make his return to relegation-threatened Hannover when the club battles SC Freiburg on March 6. 

Cherundolo will train with the U.S. again on Tuesday before returning to Hannover 96, which sits in 17th place in the Bundesliga.

Here are some more stories from Monday:

USWNT defeats Sweden 2-0, reaches cup final

The U.S. women's national team advanced to the Algarve Cup final after defeating Sweden 2-0. A pair of goals from second-half substitute Lauren Cheney paved the way for the victory. With the win, the U.S. women's national team, which is undefeated in the tournament, claimed Group B, and will play Group A winner Germany in the final.

MLS delays roster compliance date

Major League Soccer has delayed its roster compliance date, meaning that MLS teams won't have to make player cuts until a few more weeks. The decision to delay the clubs' cuts comes as discussions over related topics with the Players Union continue.

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Think Cherundolo will help Hannover avoid relegation? Do you see the U.S. women's national team winning the final no matter who they play? What do you think of MLS delaying the roster compliance date?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. To Jig and Bryan. As for your comment on Cherundolo playing RIGHT BACK I have to have a little bit of a chuckle as I never said Right back if you go back and read my post. I just put back as I’m well aware that he plays right back most of the time. However it really shouldn’t matter as right and left fullbacks will switch from time to time depending the players skill set and strength. Jonaathon Spector is a good example of this moving back and forth on West hams back line.

    I never said that Hannover would not be one of the better teams but let’s take the current Supporters shields winners in MLS, Columbus Crew and look at them. Their current right back is a guy named Frankie Hejduk. Maybe you have heard of him…insert sarcasm here. Correct me if I am wrong but didn’t he start for the US at right back most of qualifying. How many times did Cherundolo during qualifying?

    You make a good point but you can not just make a blanket statement that they would be the best because the Bundesliga is alot like the Mexican first division that is a technical league that emphasizes attacking soccer. MLS is typically known is a physical, athletic league. There is no way to know how they would do. Why not as strong of a league, the Mexican league is a strong league and I do not think that the bottom 5 teams in the FMF would just waltz right in and win the supporters shield in MLS over the course of 8 months.

    I never compared Gomez to Hanke but to the fact that players can struggle depending on the circumstances and their surrounding so to just make a generalization about players being able to just come in and be stars in MLS just because they play for Hannover is a bit unrealistic. You never know what would happen especially the 21 year old keeper. Gomez struggled in MLS but is tearing it up in a widely viewed better league of the FMF. So Hanke may walk on water in the Bundesliga but that does not guarantee him instant success in MLS. Look at David Beckham. He scored 5 goals and had 10 assists in a full season of MLS in 2008 and he went right over and scored a couple of goals and had several assists in the 2nd or 3rd best league in the world.

    So I guess the top team in the championship in England would win or place in the top 3 of La Liga or Serie A since they will be inthe EPL next season and are currently the 21st best team in the top league in the world based on yours and Bryan’s logic.

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  2. I think we are past Boca as “Captain” at this point. I think we may be past him in the Back Line also.

    If Gooch is not back, I would not freak out if the back line was

    JB – Demerit – Spector – Dolo

    I would likely put this line up out against a fast/athletic Algeria. Less likely to get caught out on the break, passed around or get beat for speed in/around the box. Plus some neat/tidy distribution out the back would be really appreciated.

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  3. Honestly, I sit Bocanegra and go with:

    Dolo – Gooch – Demerit – Spector

    I know Bocanegra is the captain, but someone else can take the armband in the interest of having our best players on the field.

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  4. There is no way in hell he gets benched for Bornstein. However, it’ll be interesting who plays left back if Dolo gets the nod at right back. Do you sit DeMerit, Spector or Boca?

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  5. oh come on dude, be real. hannover would no doubt be the best team in the league and their players would be most of the best in the league. no knock to MLS, they just cannot compete with a Bundesliga team right now week in and week out. One day hopefully!

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  6. Will Cherundolo have to fight his way back into the starting XI? If Spector and Bornstein play well tomorrow night.

    What back four is our best? I think this is our best:

    Spector–Gooch–DeMeritt–Bocanegra

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  7. come onnnnnn, dude

    I just answered the question posed by Supsam. so how about you answer the question too, how do you think hannover would do in MLS?

    with regards to your comments on the players I mentioned, I have to have a little bit of a chuckle, as you clearly don’t seem to know which positions steve cherundolo and jon bornstein play. I’ll give you a hint, they ain’t the same. I happen to be a huge Bornstein supporter, and I think he’s a great LEFT BACK. I also think Cherundolo is really solid at RIGHT BACK. You might not be the right guy to ask on this, but does anyone have any suggestions on which RIGHT BACKS currently in MLS are as good as Steve Cherundolo?

    that’s all I’m gonna say regarding the players that have been brought up, but if you think Herculez Gomez is in the same league as Mike Hanke you’re out of your gourd.

    The bottom line is that you just proved my point with your comment. I totally agree, players do play better when they are comfortable with their teammates and environment. So why wouldnt a team with all the players I mentioned–players who together and individually are for the most part of a higher class than any current MLS side (not random all stars from different MLS teams like you mentioned)–be the best team in MLS over the course of an 8 month season? They’d all be together, right?

    The question is ‘how would hannover do in MLS?’, not ‘which MLS players would stand a chance of making the Hannover first team?’ or ‘which hannover players would be MLS Best XI if they signed with the league today?’.

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  8. oh how about they don’t care because their season is already f*cked and then don’t plan on keeping Dolo around if they do or don’t get relegated

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  9. yes, but that doesn’t explain WHY they would be willing to let him go and train with the team rather than with hannover. All you told me was that its 3 hours away.

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  10. or it could be that Amsterdam is only a 3 hour drive from Hannover and that he’s not ready to start playing in games for Hannover 96 yet.

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  11. Come on Jig. These are some arrogant comments. I am in line with Zach to an extent that Europe’s top leagues are top to bottom better than MLS but these comment that 21 year old kid would be a top keeper in a league show your arrogance. The kid would probably be a good keeper but to claim that he might be close to the best is outrageous. First off, keepers mature later so I don’t care if he is the second coming of Buffon he is only 21 and has a lot to learn. Secondly, if there is one position especially at the moment that America continues to consistently produce top talent it is at the keeper position so to claim some 21 year old kid would be tops over seasoned American pros is a bit of a stretch. He’d be sitting the bench like Chris Seitz if he was competing against Troy Perkins, Donovan Ricketts, Zach Thorton, Kasey Keller, Pat Onstad, Matt Reis, Kevin Hartman, and Nick Rimando. I’d place him in the Stefen Frei category where he will be one of the top guys eventually but not at his young age just yet.

    Cherundolo would be a good back but the best in his sleep, give me a break. He is not even penciled in for SA and you are claiming him as the best when Jonathon Bornstein a back in MLS is pretty much a lock for SA.

    Bottom line – Players perform where they are most comfortable. Landon Donovan in the Bundesliga vs EPL is a perfect example. There are several players that have come to MLS highly touted that have disappointed and guys from the US that have disappointed so it is a player by player basis and you can’t just claim that a guys would tear it up unles it is someone like a Rooney or Ronaldo. Hercules Gomez should have a been a stud like this Hanke guy based on your analogy since he has scored more goals in his first month in the Mexican first division then he did in like 3 years in MLS when he could barely crack starting lineups. And your big shoutout on Arnold Bruggink is impressive but the MLS has this guy named…Dave Van De Bergh who has been capped by the Dutch Senior team as well and has played in other leagues around the world too.

    My point is we can all throw at names and stats and I know that Europes leagues are better but don’t just assume that because a player is good or starts in one league means he will totally dominate in another league just because the overall level of play goes down in that other league.

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  12. Oh yes awesome Gunther Amadeus. One can only dream like little Gunther once did.

    He was a young boy in Bavaria running a small pretzel stand. He knew his father was from America and he dreamed of one day joining him there to be a great soccer player. He wanted to go to California to play soccer one day not to be a lifeguard like his friends that idolized David Hasselhoff but to be the American soccer savior. With his tussled hair and look of amazement he dreamed an impossible dream. Jürgen Klinsmann and Landon Donovan knew of him but the powers to be of Germany wanted him to not play in America so they swore Jurgen to secrecy and allowed him to bring Landon over to Germany to enjoy the prostitutes of Munich and forced him to play out of position as to not arise suspicion for he wanted to be the savior of American soccer. Alas soccer fans of the US maybe not now but one can only dream in 2014 Gunther Amadeus shall join the USMNT in Brazil. I often shed a tear when in the mall food court and I smell the pretzels and think of what could one day be, or has destiny passed Gunther Amadeus by…

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  13. they would be the best team in MLS by a mile. just look at the accomplishments of their players over the weekend and then compare them to ANY team of MLS players:

    Florian Fromlowitz – 1.5 seasons of professional game experience, capped at u21 level by Germany, he probably wouldnt be the best keeper in MLS, though he might be close.
    Karim Haggui – has earned over 50 caps for Turkey. Turkey is good.
    Cherundolo – would be the best right back in MLS in his sleep. We know this for sure.
    Mike Hanke – has scored goals consistently in the bundesliga his entire career, would light up mls
    Arnold Bruggink – capped at senior level by the netherlands, has played consistently in la liga, eredivisie and the bundesliga.

    alright this is boring, you get the point. Hannover(and pretty much any team in one of the top 3-4 leagues) would run away with the Supporters Shield.

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  14. its interesting that hes with the US. I wonder if this is the case with other national teams? I think its the result of a combination of A) having players that aren’t huge, huge assets (speaking of the injured players) B) Having a national team that respects the club teams and C) the club teams being pleased with the training staff of the USMNT. WHen i heard gooch was doing his rehab in DE i was surprised, as Milan has pumped a lot of $$ into their training and medical staff. I also think it has to do with the fraternity like nature of the US team. This isn’t a world all star team like england, brazil france netherlands etc.

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  15. This isn’t a knock on MLS or me being pro-European leagues or anti-American. It’s just a testament to how good the top European leagues are.

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  16. Franco are all injured European based players with the Natioanl team? I heard Dempsey is at practice but not participating. Anyone else?

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  17. Yep what MJ said. These questions always make me chuckle. People seem to forget that the German Bundesliga is the 4th best league in Europe – according to the UEFA coefficient. Some would say that by extension, this means Germany’s domestic league is the 4th best league in the world. The 19th best team in Europe’s 4th best league? Definitely would be in 1st in MLS.

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  18. Sure hope steve can get back as quickly as possible. I think he’s about the only man whose place was not questioned throughout qualifying when he was healthy, with the only real speed bumps being the Guatemala game and the Mexico game, where he didn’t do all that bad.

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  19. Don’t know how much Dolo can help Hannover. They’ve lost about the last 9 games, although they did much better this past weekend. It’s good that he’s training with the team, even if he won’t play on Wed. Gooch is also with the team, but is not training.

    The U.S. women will have a tough game against Germany, but should pull off the win.

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