Black Rob's Soccer Talk

Our resident soccer expert, Black Rob, weighs in on last night's USA-Mexico soccer. Had I not received this story from him, I probably wouldn't have even known there was a game. Here it is:

Some quick thoughts from last night’s 2-0 USA victory over Mexico:

1. This is probably the most important point of all. The USA is better than Mexico. If it wasn’t for Mexico’s ridiculous home field advantage, this would be beyond argument. I think it’s important for all US soccer fans to accept this, so that our reaction after a game like last night isn’t overwhelming joy, but contentment alongside even-handed criticism. We’re the best team in CONCACAF and should expect to beat Mexico now, home or away.
2. That being said, Sven Goran Eriksson should be fired. Some of his decisions yesterday were questionable at best. Oswaldo Sanchez starting in the net (That 2^nd goal was shit)? Pulling Dos Santos when he was clearly the most dangerous player Mexico had? I’d be shocked if he makes it to the weekend.
3. Michael Bradley has pretty much locked up his position in the US midfield for the next 8 years. He gets better with every appearance and last night he was a beast. Two goals, but more impressive is how he dominated the midfield with his smarts and some hardass tackles. There were times when Mexico just looked over matched by him alone. Bravo.
4. Donovan is our best player, like it or not, but Dempsey is our most creative. We’ve got to find a way to get him the ball in more dangerous positions. I would suggest the on-the-rise “Christmas Tree” formation, but this leads me to my next point…
5. The outside back trials (left-back in particular) are still ongoing. Our outside backs are not skilled enough to play the “attacking wing-back “ role that is so popular these days. They’re not terrible, and I was admittedly impressed by Hejduk last night, but more often than not our attack would grind to a halt when the ball landed at the feet of Hejduk or Pearce. Why not just give our midfield/wingers more offensive freedom?
6. All these criticisms aside, it was an overall good performance by the boys in white. We showed that we can build up play through the midfield, we’re still great from set pieces, and we have two solid centerbacks (one or two blunders aside). We’re good, I think people are still getting used to that. Oh, and lay off Brian Ching. Everyone clamors for Altidore to take over his starting role, but Ching plays the targetman role very well…better than Altidore does…for now.

Rob Previews Tonight's Chicago Fire MLS Semifinal

Rob will be our regular soccer analyst and fan. He is especially qualified for the job because of his love for the game and minority status. Enjoy!

Tonight, our Chicago Fire will be in Columbus taking on the Crew for the Eastern Conference Championship. The winner will face the winner of the New York Red Bull v. Real Salt Lake “Western” Conference Championship for the MLS Cup. At the risk of sounding extremely presumptuous, I’m going to go ahead and say that tonight’s game is all but for the title. The Eastern Conference has been markedly stronger than their Western counterparts, as evidence by the presence of New York earning a wild card spot in the Western Conference bracket.

As for the game itself, damn I’m excited. This is about as good as MLS soccer (redundancy alert!) is going to get this year. The Crew, under Coach of the Year Sigi Schmid, will be lead by Argentine legend/MVP Candidate Guillermo Barros Schelotto (16 assists!), and talented young Americans Robbie Rogers and (my sentimental favorite) Eddie Gaven. The Fire will be anchored by Goalkeeper of the Year Jon Busch and an attack that features American legend/hometown hero Brian McBride and the player everyone hates-to-love-to-hate, Cuauhtémoc Blanco.* It’s sure to be an entertaining game, but I’ve got two reasons to believe the Fire will come out on top: Defense and Chris Rolfe.

The Fire backline of Gutierrez, Conde, Soumare, and Segares are skilled, physical as all-hell, and seem to have gotten their act back together after a brief stretch at the end of the regular season when they were leaking goals. Most importantly, Chris Rolfe is in the zone right now, with 4 goals and 2 assists in his last three matches. If he plays well tonight, the Fire attack will eventually wear down a sturdy Columbus backline. It’s amazing that a team’s leading scorer gets as little publicity as he does, but I suppose playing with McBride and Blanco will do that to you.

2-1 Fire. Then we can all hope Chicago is gifted an MLS Final against former coach Juan Carlos Osorio.

*Oddly enough, spell check happens to auto correct the word “Cuauhtémoc.” Go figure.

Soccer Weekly With Rob

Rob will be our regular (maybe) soccer analyst and fan. He is especially qualified for the job because of his love for the game and minority status. Enjoy!

Because I was too lazy to write a preview of last night’s Chicago Fire game, I’ve decided to save the analysis until next week’s conference final match-up and address a more light-hearted issue today: fans.

I was at last nights game, and while enjoying the 3-0 beatdown the Fire put on the Revs (avenging last years playoff loss to them…and the year before that…and the year before that…), I came to the realization that the American soccer fan is a better fan than any other major sports fan in this country. Seriously, we’re more knowledgeable about the game and its nuances, more loyal to our hometown teams, and funnier.

For example, last night, even the average (i.e. non-Ultra, non-Hooligan, non-Firm) fan in the stadium last night knew when to cheer for a player that ran 60-yards towards his own goal to make a hard tackle in the middle of the field. Hardly sexy, game changing stuff, but that’s the kind of attitude that leads to very sexy 3-0 playoff victories…and the average soccer fan knows and appreciates this. Additionally, there’s the mock-cheers for awful shots, the mild applause for good attacks that don’t quite work out, and the notable absence of a stupid PA announcer (“Pump! It! Up! Chicago!), cheerleaders, and cheesy jock-rock (“WHO LET THE DOGS OUT!!) amid all the action. This is almost 100% self-motivated.

This brings me to my favorite part, the chants. Imagine entire sections of the stadium belting out these gems:

Every time the opposing goalie runs up to take a goal kick – “Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!” goalie makes contact with the ball – “You suck asshole!!”

When Chris Rolfe is subbed out of the game after a 1 goal, 1 assist performance – “Chris Roooolfe played great tonight!! Chris Rooooolfe is getting laid tonight!!”

70 minutes into the 3-0 ass-whooping – “Chiiiii-town Beeeeatdown, Chiiiii-town Beeeeatdown.”

And that’s just a brief sample. Sound fun? Then go support the Fire (if they snag home-field advantage) next Thursday. Sound stupid? Then go see for yourself how wrong you are. On to more serious stuff next week.