While Herculez Gomez and Edson Buddle steal the headlines as the hottest strikers in the U.S. national team pool, there are few midfielders playing better than Alejandro Bedoya.
The U.S. national team winger followed up his first goal of the season last week by delivering his first assist of the young Swedish campaign, helping Orebro score a 3-1 victory vs. Gefle on Monday.
Bedoya wasn't the only American in action. Chris Rolfe started and played 90 minutes in Aalborg's 0-0 draw vs. Esbjerg.
Jonathan Spector and West Ham were on the losing end again, as the American fullback played 80 minutes in the Hammers' 3-0 loss to Liverpool.
Here are some other stories from Monday to help close out the day:
Pontius, Jakovic set to miss time for D.C. United
The bad news keeps getting worse for D.C. United, which announced on Monday that starters Chris Pontius and Dejan Jakovic will both be sidelined for between four to six weeks with major injuries.
Pontius is sidelined with a hamstring injury, while Jakovic is out with a fractured right clavicle. They join a long injury list for D.C. United that includes starters Juan Manuel Pena (hamstring), Bryan Namoff (concussion) and Clyde Simms (hamstring).
D.C. United will have some time to recover as it heads into a bye week. The club will look for its first points of the season on May 1 against the New York Red Bulls at RFK Stadium.
Mutu issued nine-month ban
Fiorentina striker Adrian Mutu has been hit with a nine-month ban after testing positive for the banned substanced sibutramine, an appetite suppressant.
Mutu has been suspended since January and will be eligible to return on Oct. 29. The suspension is the second lengthy ban of his career. He was suspended seven months for cocaine use during his time with Chelsea.
French stars caught up in scandal
French national team stars Franck Ribery and Sidney Govou have been questioned by authorities about their knowledge of prostitution ring that may have employed minors.
Ribery and Govou have not been implicated with direct involvement, but were questioned about their knowledge of the solicitation of prostitutes in connection with a popular French night club.
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What do you think of these developments? Think Bedoya has locked a World Cup place yet? Starting to wonder if Chris Rolfe might get a national team look? Wondering how much Ireland fans are enjoying word of the embarrassing developments involving the French national team?
Share your thoughts below.
he wasn’t linked to the prostitutes, just the club. in fact, theyve said hes not a subject of investigation
He doesn’t have to handle the ball. He just has to put it in the back of the net.
It tells you they are getting paid better than they might in the MLS.
The Scandanavaian leagues you mentioned are all more or less comparable to the MLS in terms of the quality of the players but trying to figure out how that you helps you decide how player x wil do for their national team is pretty much a case by case basis. No one wants to hear this but talent is not the only factor determining whether a player can make it in a given league. So anyone who says Player A is inferior to Player B solely because Player A plays in the MLS while Player B plays in the Scandanavian leagues is full of crap.
I would say that the first thing to consider and this would include the Mexican and the Dutch leagues, is how much playing time is the player getting? Is he playing well because of his team or in spite of it? Is he playing poorly because he sucks or because his team isn’t helping him play well?
It’s worth remembering also that every single one of these leagues have a couple of dominant teams, a few good ones, some average ones and some terrible ones. Which one does your guy play for?
Also remember that the national team is a different team from the player’s club team and history is full of examples of top players playing for top clubs who don’t really work out that great for their national teams. Del Piero for Italy, Zlatan Ibrahimovic for Sweden, and numerous English players come to mind.
History is also full of players coming from so-so to not so great club careers doing really well for their national teams, David
Healy of Northern Ireland comes to mind.
Basically, I don’t think you figure out if a player is suitable for the USMNT just by looking up their teams and their stats on the internet and reading articles about them as so many are prone to do. I can’t think of a national team that does it that way, even the USMNT.
“If Davies is healthy I just don’t see both of them coming along.”
Then you are a hypocrite. Let’s say Davies is healthy(which means what exactly?).
He is still ” a risk in terms of you don’t know how they’ll perform at a national team level and their achievements are for the most part recent developments so you don’t know how much their play is due to a hot streak that could flare out.”
Charlie’s run was due to a 10 game or so stretch in 2009. I love Charlie and he was well on his way but no one, not even you, has any idea how well he would hold up to World Cup play.
Have you ever thought that maybe,(and I know I will be burned at the stake for this heresy) Charlie was a flash in the pan, who might be struggling right now if he had not had an accident? Not so long ago, Jozy was everyone’s hot new thing. He was playing well and was the darling of the fans. Now you’re getting people calling for his head.
There is nothing to say that either Gomez or Buddle couldn’t pull a Charlie-like stretch of USMNT games out of their butt just like he did in 2009. Only it would be more welcome now.
No probelm then, Oleg.
Davies,Ching,Holden are all currently injured enough to where their availibility and form by the time June rolls around have to be questioned, at least by anyone who isn’t delusional.
Has it ever occurred to any of you that maybe Cooper has not recovered as well as everyone is saying from his knee injury?
It would not be the first time an athlete hid the true extent of his injury or to have a knee injury that does not clear up as quickly as they would like.
Plymouth were fighting for their lives. It’s pretty insane to think a guy like Mariner would not find a way to use Cooper if he was at all able to get out on the field and do something. It’s possible that he felt the situation was too dire to get a rusty Cooper enough PT to get sharp. Relegation battles are like that.
His record shows he can score at that level and most of you are writing off Cooper way too soon.
Woops. Typed a ‘s’ not a ‘y’…but still wonder why.
Bradles “hates” Convey? Where does this come from? Are you assuming it is because he didn’t play an injured and out-of-form Convey?
I would consider only three strikers if you plan on moving Dempsey to forward striker late in the game. And then bring another winger, like Bedoya.
Bradley hates Convey who still has a lot to prove – if he continues to get better, he’ll have to wait until there is a new coach.
Didn’t he get yanked in the 79th minute? How bad do you have to be as a defender to get pulled with 10 minutes left – although Sky Sports Player Rating’s comments weren’t quite as bad for him as the other three defenders. Apparently the defense was just horrible.
Wow, no one commented on the ‘ho ring in France? Maybe they’re giving Frank tips on where he should play during the summer transfer window.
blokhin, I have to agree with other posters…
Hejduk should only be considered if Dolo and/or Spector are injured. A 3rd right back is unrealistic. Besides Hejduk is a Red-Card waiting to happen with his 2 footed tackles.
At striker I’m hoping BB will only bring 3 and not 4. Jozy, Davies (if healthy and gets some PT w/ his club), than Buddle/Gomez whichever fits in with the team best. If Davies isn’t ready take both…and push Dempsey up around the 70 min mark. Just don’t see Ching making it back from his hamstring at his age in time to be Match Fit.
Add Bedoya to the midfield and maybe Beasley as well for Wing Coverage…or take a chance on a young/Injured tallent (Gonzalez, Davies, or Jones) in the hope that they gain experiance or could contribute late round matches.
Just my opinion.
How is thta opne will go?
Both would probally go. You have Davies and Altidore for 2 spots, which leaves 2 more spots open for Buddle and Gomez.
The same sentence as Gomez? HAHAHA your acting like Gomez is a lock and has been playing on the National Team for years. As a matter of fact Gomez and Buddle SHOULD be in the same sentence because they are both in the same situation… and only ONE will go.
I stand corrected, it was in the little paragraph i didn’t read, i was looking for it to be a bolded headline. off to get some coffee and wipe away the grump…
This post titles Spector with West Ham Falls but there is nothing in the body that talks about Spector or West Ham…
also, I thought Rolfe was subbed out at the 83rd minute?
I certainly understand wanting to bring them both, but I think either one of them is a risk in terms of you don’t know how they’ll perform at a national team level and their achievements are for the most part recent developments so you don’t know how much their play is due to a hot streak that could flare out. If Davies is healthy I just don’t see both of them coming along.
blah blah blah
Yes Paul Mariner… not sure why I said Nicol, mixed up my Rev heads… And I watched the match… all they needed was someone who could finish…nothing more… Kenny is a lot better than folks give him credit for… I am quite certain he has a soccer brain considering he has been around the game his whole life and was ManUre for years…
He was directly to blame for the first two goals.
It’s probably because Rosenborg does well in European competitions.
I would bring Beasley and/or Bedoya for wing coverage. If forced to choose I would lean towards Beasley because he is a natural left wing. I would bring Buddle, who is playing well, and scoring goals. I would also bring Jermaine Jones, who if he gets healthy, is our best option at defensive mid. If he doesn’t get healthy, we put Clark back on the team as an injury replacement.
My totally uninformed and completely irrelevant 23 man roster:
Keeper: Howard, Guzan, Hahnemann
Defense: Spector, Boca, Onyewu, Pearce, Demerit, Cherundolo, Goodson
Midfield: Donovan, Bradley, Edu, Dempsey, Holden, Feilhaber, Beasley, Jones, Bedoya
Forward: Jozy, Davies, Buddle, Gomez
Seven More for the 30 Man: Torres, Ching, Casey, Clark, Marshall, Adu, Johnson
I agree with JoeJoe. And honestly, his point isn’t really that great, but Brian seems to be kind of a d–fficult poster to deal with here. Maybe some less hostility, I dunno. We have almost only 50 DAYS until the World Cup. Be happy.
A lot more than you, I bet.
I can’t believe Buddle is in the same sentence as Gomez. Really, Buddle has ZERO ball handling skills. He has no business wearing the USA patch. None.
Im Taking both Gomez and Buddle. Both on Fire right now.
nO WAY bEASLEY IS NOT ON the roster. He is a Baller and a Given.
what about a look for Convey when BB picks his 30 man squad for training? Looks recovered and playing well on the left for the Quakes.
ya clark is in the same boat as beasley right now. Actually i would say clark should be even further down than beasley considering he has actually had less playing time recently and there is more depth at his position. It sucks and i like clark quite a bit, but i would put him at too much of a risk at this point. The only way he makes the roster is if he starts playing the last couple of games and plays really well.
kenny cooper has skill but that is it. He has as much understanding of the game as an infant. I am sorry, but being slightly talented and having the ability to strike the ball well are givens not something that earns you a starting spot.
you know who else doesnt make the bench a lot, despite lots of talent?
freddy adu
Yeah. There’s no need for 3 right backs. Spector and Dolo are more than capable.
Your roster has no coverage for the wings outside of holden. If we push demsey or donovan up top, and holden for some reason i unavailable or already playing, we’re screwed.
I’d suggest A) forgetting about hejduk, he brins nothing but mistakes and out of control play to the table at this point in time and B) Switching out one of torres feilhaber or clark for bedoya or beasley (a long shot i know) provided they stay/get in form. If not, then the guys you mentioned should get a shot.
Hejduk will not go to the World Cup.
WHy would nichols have anything to do with plymouth and cooper? I believe you’re referring to Mariner? Have you ever thought that, similar to hisproblems with the national team, he might not fit into what plymouth wants out of their forwards? I haven’t seem them play but its never as easy as “X is better than Y, he should be playing”.
I still don’t see how Bedoya gets into the squad without an injury.
It’ll be Jozy, Davies, Gomez and Ching at forward
Dempsey, Donovan, Bradley, Edu, Holden, Torres, Clark, Feilhaber at mid
and Spector, Boca, Demerit, Goodson, Onyewu, Cherundolo, Pearce/Bornstein and Hejduk
Kenny didn’t even make the bench. Not saying he’s the next Brian ching , but, Something don’t add up.
IVES… It is time that you get us the real scoop on Kenny Cooper… Plymouth Argyle were relegated today and I watched the entire match on ESPN3 today… there is absolutely positively no way that Kenny could not have gotten into that side…. Please scoop this one and get the real low down… We all know Kenny has some big downfalls but that teams strikers are so bad that Eddie Johnson would have been the best player on the pitch for them… Did Kenny’s dad make another nasty phone call to the manager… I mean Nichols new what Kenny was like… all the Argyle fans are baffled too…surely you can get to the bottom of it for us.
IVES!!!!!!!!! Wynalda just spilled the beans about a USA World Cup Party in Vegas for the USA vs England Match!!! I’ll already be there for a bachelorette party!! Get us the info ASAP!!!!!!!!!! Now that you have the FSC “in” get us the info!!!!
THANKS!
is that why norway is higher on the uefa coefficient that determines the best league
he ahd a couple glimpses, but all in all not a good showing by any measure. I’m not sure how to take it though, given that nobody on the field for west ham looked like a professional soccer player.
He was awful.
Just finished watching the Liverpool-West Ham game. Spector looked like he did not have a particularly good game. Eek.
MLS is better than norway, but Sweden is slightly better, and then you could say FML and Denmark are pretty even but very different styles
i agree, wheres the inside info on Ali Gerba calling Doh’ Johnston out?
I think their top teams are better than the top teams in MLS, but their bottom feeders are probably worse than the average MLS team.
How good are the Scandinavian leagues? I think the consensus is that the Mexican league is better, Netherlands is better too probably, but what about Denmark, Sweden and Norway? How would they compare to MLS? We’ve got some players performing well there, but what does that tell us?
Much more interesting than Mutu’s continued disaster and Ribery questioned about prostitution. Oh yeah, and good news regarding the national team.
Nothing about Ali Gerba ripping into Mo Johnston?