- Jason Davis

Who wants to hear Jared and I attempt to understand what happened on Saturday night while people jump in on the phones in to call for Bob Bradley's head? You, that's who.

It only seemed appropriate to take the show live immediately following the Gold Cup final, the better to capture the visceral feelings of the fans. When we made the decision to do a live post-game show in the middle of the week, we had hope that it would be a celebratory show where we could all bask in the glory of US victory over Mexico. Alas, it was not to be.

With the pain of the loss sharper thanks to letting a two goal slip away and then letting Gio Dos Santos - blech - throw salt in the would, the people were fired up to talk. We take our first call within minutes of starting the show, and everything rolls on from there.

The question of Bob Bradley's job is a running them, naturally, but we also hit on several other topics. It's impossible to deny that Steve Cherundolo's injury changed that game, and there's plenty of conversation on Bob's choice to insert Jonathan Bornstein.

It's mostly doom and gloom, as you might expect, but we try to look at a few silver linings. Freddy Adu seems to be one. There's a few minutes in there we were consider his revival.

As always, thanks for listening. Make sure you like and comment at the Facebook page and hit us up on Twitter via the AmSoc account and the CSRN network account.

Rating and comments in iTunes are always greatly, greatly appreciated. It just takes a few minutes and will help us climb the charts or something.

Visit the show website for other links of interest.

With the Gold Cup over and both Jared and I a bit spent from the extra shows and, dare I say, intensity of the tournament, we'll be back on our regular schedule, and to add topics to the discussion list (which has read "USMNT" and nothing else for some time now) next week.

You asked, we delivered. Another live midweek show to cover the Gold Cup happenings. Jared and I took to the UStream channel last night to talk about the USMNT's win over Panama and American chances against Mexico on Saturday.

The theme of the show: Three Questions.

1. Should Donovan start?
2. Is Mexico beatable?
3. Do you have faith that Bob Bradley will get it right on Saturday?

Jared and I spend the open talking about those questions and a few others, our thoughts on what happened against Panama, and what the personnel changes might mean for the game against Mexico.

Segment two is open lines, with callers coming fast furious and everyone answering the three questions we laid out at the top.

We close with a bit of opinion on the Revs supporters' dustup over the weekend.

Thanks for listening. Make sure you like and comment at the Facebook page and hit us up on Twitter via the AmSoc account and the much improved CSRN account.


Rating and comments in iTunes are always greatly, greatly appreciated. It just takes a few minutes.


Visit the show website for other links of interest.

Join MFUSA for a full day of American soccer live blogging.

Starting at 3:45 ET, MFUSA US Youth National Team writer Ben McCormick will host a live blog of the US U17 World Cup team's match against Uzbekistan (ESPN3, kickoff at 4 ET).

*Update*

Looks like Ben will be tied up until the 20th minute or so. If you want to step in for Ben until he arrives, shoot me an email at matchfitusa@gmail.com.

We'll roll on from there to the senior side's Gold Cup semifinal showdown with Panama (FSC 7 PM ET), where Jason will be in to provide commentary.

The USA managed to rebound from a distressing 1-0 win over Guadaloupe with an emphatic 2-0 win over Jamaica on Sunday afternoon at RFK. Jared and I took to UStream immediately after the match to give our impressions, get fan reaction, and consider what has changed since last week in Kansas City.


Thanks for listening. Make sure you like and comment at the Facebook page and hit us up on Twitter via the AmSoc account and the much improved CSRN account.


Rating and comments in iTunes are always greatly, greatly appreciated. It just takes a few minutes.


Visit the show website for other links of interest.









Also, share the hell out of the show if you don't mind. Thanks.

- Jason Davis

Okay, I'll admit it: I was shamed into writing about the USMNT's depressing loss to Panama, nearly 48 hours after the gut shot landed. A follower on Twitter declared MFUSA dead. I could not allow that to stand. I have new and consuming responsibilities. That doesn't mean I can't spit something out.

You're not a real soccer writer until you've used that pun in the title.



- Keith Hickey

Coach Sweats has released his roster for the USMNT's friendly with Spain and the 2011 Gold Cup, and while most of the group was as expected, there are a couple of selections and omissions that raised some eyebrows. The most notable inclusion was that of the former child prodigy himself, Mr. Freddy Adu.

- Keith Hickey

The last time the CONCACAF Gold Cup was here, it came as an addendum, an afterthought to the FIFA Confederations Cup. Watching the B team take on Haiti and Panama was hardly an exciting prospect compared to playing Italy, Spain, Brazil, or Egypt. Getting our proverbial backsides handed to us by Mexico on our own turf didn't help our estimation of the competition, either.

- Robert Jonas | Center Line Soccer

While the city of San Jose recently was awarded the title of “Soccer City USA” by none other than Portland’s daily newspaper The Oregonian, the Bay Area as a whole feels more like Ciudad de México this morning. I’m not referring to new U.S. Census data that shows the State of California taking on diversity of citizenry not seen anywhere else in the country. Rather, I’m talking about the arrival of the Mexican National Team circus at the Oakland Coliseum to take on Paraguay in an international friendly.

What's with all the sharp angles?

CONCACAF held the draw for this summer's Gold Cup today. The United States was drawn into a group with Canada, Panamá, Guadeloupe, and will visit Detroit, Tampa, and Kansas City during the opening round.


Full schedule below.

Plenty has been written on this site and others about whether Bob should have been brought back. And there will be plenty of places to spew bile over this decision - one may even pop up on this site - but now that the job is officially Bob's it's probably worth a look at how the next four years lay out and what Bradley might do with them. The focus is on the 10 months between now and the end of the Gold Cup, but I've outlined the entire likely schedule below.

2010
October 9 - Poland friendly
October 12 - Colombia friendly
November 17 - FIFA friendly date

With the playoff push on for MLS teams, it seems unlikely many MLSers will be called in for the October games. But with some actual time in camp, I would expect a few uncapped European based players to get called in. I would expect Mikkel Diskerud, Eric Lichaj, and Jermaine Jones to all get callups for the October matches.

The November friendly date is currently open. Because of the short time off, if it were to be filled, it would likely be played in Europe with a mix of players from eliminated MLS teams and Europe based players. Most of the major European countries have already announced friendlies for that date, but one country that does not that would provide a good matchup is Belgium.

The rest of this year gives Bradley a chance to scout and test European talent that has not yet been evaluated.

2011
January camp
Friendly against some Scandinavian country
February 9 - FIFA friendly date
March 26-30 - FIFA international dates
June 5-25 - Gold Cup
July - open for friendlies
August 17 - friendly date
September 3-7 - international dates
October 8-12 - international dates
November 12-16 - international dates

While the end of 2010 should be an excellent chance to evaluate the European talent, the beginning of 2011 should give that chance the domestic players. There's no reason to believe that Bob will stop holding the January camp culminating in a friendly against a country whose professional league takes an extended winter break.

If a 2010 November friendly does not happen in Europe, the February friendly date would likely be utilized that way.

The March dates should be a dress rehearsal for the team that Bob will take to the Gold Cup. I anticipate that team consisting mainly of players who went to South Africa and using a similar set of tactics. Evaluations of players will likely lean toward problem areas; center back, defensive midfield, and striker.

Post Gold Cup should be the biggest time of experimentation for Bob during the next cycle. If the proposed qualifying plan goes into effect (there's no reason to believe it will not be approved because it nearly replicates the current AFC model), the US should have about 15 consecutive matches that are friendlies or where the US is a heavy favorite between July 2011 and October 2012. It's at this point that guys like Bocanegra and Cherundolo will likely be worked out of the rotation and younger players given more than cameo appearances in preparation for World Cup qualifying.

2012
January camp
January Scandinavian friendly
February 29 - friendly date
June - 4 WC Qualifiers
July - open for friendlies
September 8-12 - 2 WC Qualifiers
October 13-17 - 2 WC Qualifiers
November 14 - WC Qualifier

2012 may provide the US a chance to do a friendly tour against teams tuning up for Euro 2012. I would expect scheduling a wide array of opponents in terms of style as a good test for the lineup and tactic experimentation that should be occurring during this time.

2013
January camp
January - Scandinavian friendly
February 6 - WC Qualifier
March 23-27 - 2 WC Qualifiers
June 8-12 - 2 WC Qualifiers
June - Confederations Cup
July - Gold Cup
August 21 - Friendly Date
September 7-11 - 2 WC Qualifiers
October 12-16 - 2 WC Qualifiers
November 16-20 - International dates

If the US again qualifies for the Confederations Cup, 2013 looks to be a very busy year, and should mark the point of solidifying contributors and tactics.

2014
January camp
January - Scandinavian friendly
March 5 - Friendly date
May/June - Pre-WC camp and friendlies
June/July - World Cup

As with any World Cup year, everything is about final preparations.

Bradley follows a pretty strict pattern for introducing new players into the fold, a process that generally takes a full year. With only a handful of matches between now and the Gold Cup, it's unlikely large scale changes will occur. But the call ups, the late subs, and surprise starts should give us an idea of who might slide into the Gold Cup squad ahead of those featured in South Africa.

The fallout from the 5-0 thrashing that the weakened USMNT received from Mexico is one of controlled anger here in the States. While disheartening, disappointing, and embarassing, many of us are attempting to take the loss in stride; completely discounting the significance is impossible, but we attempt to be realistic about the meaning (see my post on the subject). I'm fighting hard to balance my feelings between minimizing a loss I see as an obvious aberration and giving the command Mexican performance its proper credit.

Not so in the Mexican press.

I suppose it was to be expected. I'm certain that we here, the bloggers and sparse mainstream writers who serve as "press" for American soccer, would be doing a little crowing of a similar nature; but tell me that you don't think that his is just a bit over the top.

Excepts borrowed from FIFA.com.

"El Tri are still the kings" headlined the website Mediotiempo.com, an indication of the general euphoria that seized the nation. "Giants or not, Mexico are the best team in the CONCACAF Zone," continued the report. "And that's not just because of the result. No other country in the region has won five Gold Cups, which is one more than the Stars and Stripes."

"El Universal was just as triumphant in its reaction. "A golden dream" ran the headline of an article that greeted the end of Mexico's barren run north of the border with relief. "Javier Aguirre's boys have created a new era by showing that they can beat a team that has been a thorn in the side of El Tricolor. The trophy held aloft by the captain Gerardo Torrado was a reward for the 35 days they spent together and released the tension that has built up over a whole decade."

Mexican fans also took to the streets in jubilation, a reaction that seems a tad ridiculous to me, but makes sense in the context of Mexico's record on American soil in recent years.

It certainly adds a new layer of intrigue to the August 12th showdown in Mexico City, a game that was already rife with tension and subplots before the Gold Cup team folded. Bob Bradley surely knows that this "A" team players will be anxious to make amends; his ability to channel that energy will be crucial to the American performance.

What do you think? Overreaction on the part of the Mexicans and their press, or an understandable reaction to a "historic" win?

On this week's Match Fit USA Soccer Show, Jason and Zach cover Telemundo v. ESPN, Beckham's fan run-in, expansion news, the US Open Cup final war of words, and the crushing loss of the US to Mexico in the Gold Cup Final.

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You can't sugar coat a 5-0 drubbing. There's no way to excuse it away, no matter the setting or individual participants. At the senior international level, giving up five goals in one half is a supreme embarrassment.

And that's what the Gold Cup final was for the United States. An embarrassment.

Still, I refuse to overreact. I refuse to let the drubbing bring me down for more than a few moments; Mexico had the better side, the more skilled side, and the deeper side. The US fielded an "experimental" team by every measure, and make it clear from the beginning of the tournament that while winning the cup would be nice, getting a look at players who might not otherwise play on that level was more important.

Believe it or not, I'm giving Bob Bradley a pass today. Bradley did what he'd been doing all tournament; setting out a team with several players he hope will contribute to the National Team in the future alongside several players who might not ever wear the shirt again. Playing together as a unit for this tournament and this tournament only, these players hit the ceiling of their talent and resolve against Mexico. Faced with 60,000 green-glad El Tri fans, they crumbled under the pressure. Can we really blame them?

While there are few positives to take out of the drubbing, all is not lost. These Yanks have been through the fire now, and the ones that are likely to figure in future plans will be better for it. It takes a mental toughness not easily gained to play and beat Mexico, and if this loss does nothing else, it makes the US victories earned over the last few years even more impressive. The United States is a regional power thanks to organization, industry, and team cohesion; Mexico still has a greater abundance of talent, and beating them should never be taken for granted.

I'm not going to belabor the match itself. I'm not going to moan about the breakthrough goal that Mexico got through a dubious penalty. I'm not going lament the lack of organization at the back for the US, and I'm not going to pick out any specific players that failed when their best was needed. I'm not even going to talk about how a few early chances for the US could have completely changed the complexion of the match if they had been successfully taken.

No, I'm not going to do that at all.

Instead, I'm going to focus on the coming-of-age of Stuart Holden, the strong play of Troy Perkins, the improvement of Chad Marshall and Robbie Rogers, and the peek we got throughout the tournament of a bright US future. One game does not destroy all of the good that's been done by Bob Bradley and his staff this month, and while there are many things that he does that confound me, and I'm still convinced he's not good enough to lead the US to a successful 2010 World Cup, he did the right thing in this Gold Cup.

Let Mexico have their moment. I'm not happy about it, and the margin is such that we should all be a little angry, but the context should help. The Americans on the field at Giants Stadium were thoroughly dominated today, and the black eye we've received should hurt; but we know that our best is still better than Mexico, that we can get results against the best in the world when we play our game, and that the slate is wipe clean in just over two weeks when the Yanks head to Azteca.

This one mattered, because it always does when the US plays Mexico. But we need to maintain perspective, to focus on the relative unimportance of actually winning the Gold Cup.

Did I sugar coat it? Okay, maybe a little. We got beat. Bad, and by a better team. Reload, reset your passion, and start getting ready for the biggest game the US has this year. You'll be better off for it.

Come here, go to Epic Footy, it doesn't matter; either way, myself and other will be talking about the Gold Cup final as it happens, as the US attempts to take another victory off of their rivals from the south.

Check back for the MFUSA Soccer Show tomorrow, which will have some post-match reaction from yours truly as well.

Live blog after the jump.

I don't have much to say today, and there really isn't much that needs to be said. Anytime the US and Mexico face off it's a big event, whether the sides involved are "A" squads or not.

Giants Stadium is likely to be a sea of green, though I hope we do see a good amount of support for the Yanks. The young guys that have grown up in this tournament deserve it.

ESPN2 is presenting a Gold Cup-focused show here shortly (2pm ET), so if you're looking for a way to channel your excitement, be sure to check that out.

There should be a live blog for the match over at Epic Footy, and I'll probably post it here as well.

Share your thoughts, predictions, and expectations for the game here if you'd like.

My prediction? 2-1 USA, with goals by Ching and Beckerman.

The US took care of their business, beating Honduras 2-0 on goals by Clarence Goodson and Kenny Cooper (and what a lovely team goal that was) in the semifinals of the Gold Cup last night; all that was needed for the classic USA-Mexico rivalry to get another round of action was for El Tri to take care of Costa Rica. They did, but just barely, outscoring the Tico in PKs to earn their spot in the final.

Did you really expect anything else?

Conspiracy theories (Hi Adam) aside, the US and Mexico were the two best teams coming into the tournament, and will now face off for another Gold Cup title. Mexico is clearly desperate to beat the Americans, especially on American soil, and we should expect that which has become typical of the rivalry: A hard fought, highly competitive, tension-filled match that comes down to who takes their chances when they come.

My money's on our boys (Dos a Cero).

I'm tempted to try and and do a Gold Cup overview for the Americans, but I don't think time constraints are going to allow it.

I'd also love to do a recap of last night, but again, there's just no time. Instead, I'll point you in the direction of MLS Daily, where Matt has a match report and names Stuart Holden Man of the Match.

The Gold Cup was a strong coming-out party for Holden, and my guess is that he'll be making the trip to Azteca next month as part of the full "A" squad; while other Americans have performed admirably in this tournament, Holden stands head and shoulders above anyone else.

Anyone want to share thoughts on the win over Honduras?

I'll admit that the Gold Cup has attracted little of my attention in recent days; with the USA-Mexico TV issue taking up a lot of my time and other news filtering out, the CONCACAF championship hasn't really been top of mind.

But our boys play Honduras tonight in Chicago, with a birth in the final on the line. Ever shifting, changing, and swapping parts, Bob Bradley's young(ish) roster faces off against the team it beat 2-0 in DC just two weeks ago. Whether or not the US can do it again is slightly more in question now than before, with several of the team's bigger guns (Charlie Davies, Benny Feilhaber) departed for their clubs.

My player to watch? Stuart Holden (duh). The kid from Houston by way of Aberdeen has taking his opportunity well in this tournament, and looks to be a rising fixture for the Yanks. I expect he'll put his stamp on this match one way or another.

There will be a live blog, of course, which will posted both here as well as Epic Footy.

A little different tact today. I usually try to keep my posts limited to one topic, but today's warrants a change in approach. Time is limited and there are a few things that happened this weekend that deserve comment but that I can't really devote 1,000 words each to. So here we go, with the Gold Cup, Beckham's return to LA, MLS parity, and Telemundo's idiocy:

US Beats Panama in Gold Cup Quarterfinals

Unfortunately, family commitments kept me from giving this game as much attention as I would have liked. I managed to follow along, caught each goal, but didn't get to see one second of extra time. As you'll hear on the new MFUSA Soccer Show, Kenny Cooper's penalty wasn't the most confidence-inspiring take I've ever seen; but he got it done, and the US is through to the semis. An uneven performance to say the least, but this younger/more inexperienced team was bound to hit a difficult patch eventually. Honduras is next, and I honestly have no expectations; while I think they should win and go through, I'm not going to assume that or be disappointed if the Hondurans jump up and catch the US.

Beckham Returns to LA

Spoiler alert if you plan to watch the tape-delayed broadcast of the LA-Milan friendly on FSC (and what is that all about anyway): Beckham's return to LA was incredibly entertaining, and I enjoyed it immensely. Not simply because I believe it was the Riots Squad's right to give to Beckham (short of physical confrontation), but because a few LA players showed they could play against world class talent. If you didn't watch it last night (streamed, naturally), I highly suggest to try and catch just a little bit of it. While it meant nothing, the atmosphere was good and both teams put enough into the first 60 minutes or so to make it worthwhile viewing.

Telemundo Officially Announces USA-Mexico Plans

Per the Soccer Insider Twitter feed comes news that Telemundo has officially announced plans to put the English-language broadcast of the USA-Mexico World Cup qualifier on sister channel mun2. Blech. This does not in anyway mean that the campaign to get the game moved will end; in fact, it probably means that we'll redouble our efforts and push even hard to let Telemundo how ridiculous their decision is. There are irons in fires all over the place, but we still need your support via the petition or by your volleying emails at NBC Universal. Check the "Give Us Our Yanks" post for more info.

Also check out Goff's post on the official announcement by Telemundo.

I intend to be back later.

On this week's Match Fit USA Soccer Show, Jason and Zach cover the USA-Mexico TV issue, discuss the Gold Cup with All Things Footy and MFUSA contributor Kevin McCauley, return to the Beckham saga, and finish up with the Brian Ching's Twitter transgression.

The Match Fit USA Soccer Show, part of the Champions Soccer Radio Network.

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My brain refuses to function on a high enough level to give you anything substantial today, so I will simply pass along news...

Charlie Davies is departing for France, per his Twitter feed, something that appeared to be coming sooner rather than later with his recent transfer.


After playing so well at the Confederations Cup, Davies is now headed for the next chapter in his young career; the hope for USMNT fans is that Davies gets ample playing time in France, continues to grow and improve, and is a major threat at forward when South Africa 2010 rolls around next year.

With both Carlos Bocanegra and Davies now in Ligue 1, it would appear that the league will see more American attention than usual during it's upcoming season.

The question now becomes, who steps up to replace Davies as the only pure goal-scoring threat at forward that US has had in the Gold Cup?