US v Sweden & Sacha Show

US - 3
Sweden - 2

A good win to start of the year and a good confidence booster before the all important Mexico Game February 11th. US won 3-2, from a hat trick from Sacha Kljestan, his first and the 11th of US Soccer. US dominated most of the game, which is a good sign from a young team, comprised of domestic players with most of them, less then 10 caps.

The games first goal, was the best. An amazing free kick from Sacha about 30 yards out. I didn't think Sacha had it in him, but it looks like he might be heading to Celtic, especially after that performance. Our offense looked good, but are young defense looked like they could have dominated a little more and not let in 2. I have to give Sweden credit for coming trying to come back, but it was never in doubt.

I hope everyone had a blast either at their respective viewing parties or at the game. We will see you in Columbus.

Below is the Match Report from ussoccer.com

Thanks and enjoy,
Brunken



Match: United States Men's National Team vs. Sweden
Date: January 24, 2009
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: The Home Depot Center; Carson, Calif.
Kickoff: 5:30 p.m. PT
Attendance: 9,918
Weather: 59 degrees, mostly cloudy

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 2 1 3
SWE 0 2 2

USA – Sacha Kljestan 17th minute
USA – Kljestan (PK) 40
SWE – Daniel Nannskog (Alexander Farnerud) 73
USA – Kljestan (Brian Ching) 74
USA – Mikael Dahlberg (Farnerud) 89

Lineups:
USA: 1-Troy Perkins; 12-Marvell Wynne, 2-Danny Califf (capt.), 4-Michael Parkhurst (3-Ugo Ihemelu, 82), 6-Jonathan Bornstein (15-Chris Wingert, 79); 17-John Thorrington (20-Chris Rolfe, 61), 13-Ricardo Clark, 16-Sacha Kljestan, 30-Robbie Rogers (22-Brian Carroll, 69); 10-Charlie Davies (27-Kenny Cooper, 46), 11-Brian Ching (29-Eddie Gaven, 77)
Subs not used: 18-Jon Busch
Head Coach: Bob Bradley

SWE: 12-Johan Dahlin, 7-Markus Jonsson, 8-Marcus Lindberg, 9-Max von Schlebrügge, 5-Adam Johansson; 10-Andreas Dahl (14-Rasmus Elm, 62), 6-Daniel Andersson (capt.) (13-Martin Ericsson, 71), 20-Gustav Svensson, 16-Samuel Holmén (15-Alexander Farnerud, 62); 11-Mikael Dahlberg, 19-Daniel Nannskog
Subs not used: 1-John Alvbåge, 2-Patrik Anttonen, 3-Rasmus Bengtsson, 4-Mattias Bjärsmyr, , 17-Andreas Johannson, 18-Andreas Landgren, 21-Denni Avdic
Head Coach: Lars Lagerbäck

Stats Summary: USA / SWE
Shots: 13 / 9
Shots on Goal: 6 / 6
Saves: 3 / 3
Corner Kicks: 7 / 1
Fouls: 15 / 15
Offside: 2 / 5

Misconduct Summary:
SWE – Daniel Andersson (caution) 27th minute
USA – Danny Califf (caution) 59

Officials:
Referee: Silviu Petrescu (CAN)
Assistant Referee 1: Hector Vergara (CAN)
Assistant Referee 2: Darren Clark (CAN)
Fourth Official: Baldomero Toledo (USA)

ussoccer.com Man of the Match:
Sacha Kjestan

February 11th: Looking Forward

On September 3rd, 2005 I attended my second U.S. National Team match, a World Cup qualifier against Mexico in Columbus, Ohio. My first was the friendly against England in May of the same year, during which I sat in the upper level of Soldier Field opposite Sam’s Army. The English fans impressed me with their songs and passion and I was able to hear little more from the U.S. supporters than the faint beat of a drum and the occasional “USA” chant. In Columbus my seats were again opposite Sam’s Army but, to my surprise, I saw in the home end a section of thousands of rabid U.S. fans who stood, jumped and chanted through the entire game, drowning out the Mexican fans and creating a true home atmosphere for the U.S. team. It was a perfect match in almost every way; the weather, the supporters and the result; qualification for the World Cup comes only once every four years and doing it against our fiercest rival to the tune of a familiar, 2-0 scoreline couldn’t have been sweeter. Once the fireworks had ended and the players had taken their victory lap, I had only one regret – that I hadn’t experienced the match with those supporters in the home end of the stadium. I had good seats and was able to hurl some newly-learned insults in Spanish at the Mexicans in my section but I wanted to be with people who, like me, took the support of a soccer team more seriously – and obviously had a lot more fun doing it.

Roughly three-and-a-half years later, it is once again time to get ready for the home qualifier against Mexico. I’ve been to ten U.S. matches since then, standing for all of them in the U.S. supporter’s section. I’ve seen the birth and success of the American Outlaws, a supporter’s group that shares not only my passion for U.S. Soccer but my attitude as well. Although it’s not yet official, we can optimistically assume that the match will again be at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The weather won’t be perfect, at least not by neutral standards, but we can make sure that the atmosphere and support will. And this time, barring an act of God, I will be there, standing and singing in the U.S. supporter’s section.


It’s been a while since I last took the time to post a blog entry. I’d like to blame it on my busy schedule and it’s true; it’s hard to find the time between work, my band, school, my soccer team and my slightly excessive drinking habit to sit down and come up with anything more interesting or thoughtful to say than, “Thank god Guatemala’s not in the hex.” But I’ll be honest, the real reason for my lack of posting (other than the fact that the head haunchos at American Outlaws haven’t asked us to) is pure laziness. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve spent many hours driving to work every day coming up with intriguing – no, brilliant! – things to say and write about, only to have them die slow, painful deaths through the course of my day. Seeing as the MLS season has ended and we’re less than three months away from the hex and the most important match in two-and-a-half years, now seemed to be a good time to fire up Microsoft Word and see if I remember how to type. At least I can get it out of the way before I add “plan trip to see Mexicans freeze their chalupas off” and “buy presents for people I see twice-a-year” to my schedule.


I was ecstatic to learn that we’d be playing Mexico in February. I’ve always wished I had been to the cold war in Columbus in 2001, the match that ushered in the “dos a cero” era. This is a great chance for newer fans like us to experience the same kind of game in the same atmosphere and hopefully, see a similar result. After seeing the advantages of heat, altitude and smog used by Mexico at Azteca, I find it satisfying to know they’ll have to play the game outside of their own element in unfavorable conditions.

I have to point out that the date of the match presents the U.S. team with an interesting set of issues. We look solid in the back and I don’t see any reason to change the lineup here. Howard, Cherundolo, Onyewu, Bocanegra and Pearce are all playing in colder environments in Europe, with the slight exception of Bocanegra in France; they are all getting consistent playing time and look to be in good to great form. Pearce is the exception in this case, but his consistent performances for the national team clearly make him our best choice at left back.

The question is more difficult to answer in the center of midfield. Whether or not Mastroeni would be the right choice for this match is a moot point, given his suspension due to yellow card accumulation. Here more than anywhere, the MLS off season becomes an issue. Ricardo Clark (yes, Ricardo Clark) has been our most consistent CM against Mexico since Bradley took over as coach (full 90 in the friendly in Arizona, subbed in for Mastroeni at halftime of the Gold Cup final, 79 minutes in the friendly in Houston). His off season fitness, however, makes him a questionable pick. A lot will depend on his performance in the January camp and friendly.

Michael Bradley has started the most consistently of late and he is getting a decent amount of playing time for his club in a cold environment, but his experience against Mexico is limited to the friendly in Houston in which he was subbed off in the 63rd minute after a poor performance. His replacement, Benny Feilhaber, taught us an important lesson: When playing the 4-4-2 “empty bucket” formation against quality oppostion, we need a playmaker in the midfield. Despite his lack of form, Feilhaber’s attack-minded presence kept the Mexicans honest and put a stop, at least momentarily, to their domination of the run of play.

It’s been said that Sacha Kljestan is the new Benny Feilhaber, and that probably isn’t too far off the mark. Sacha has been that playmaker as of late and has put in some solid performances for the full national team late in the year. He has to be considered an option, though fitness in the MLS off season again raises questions. He’s not the most consistent of players and being out of form could make him a defensive liability. My hope is that he’ll be transferred during the January window to a club in Europe where he can train and, hopefully, get some starts under his belt.

Maurice Edu is training with a good club in a cold environment but is getting precious little playing time. I believe his future is bright and that he is likely to be an outstanding, 1st-team defensive midfielder for the U.S. but, unless he starts getting real playing time for Rangers in the next couple months, he is not the best choice to start.

Of course, the necessity for a central midfield playmaker in the 4-4-2 is a moot point if we don’t play a 4-4-2, which is a solution Bob Bradley has discovered in some of the qualifiers in the second half of the year. In the 4-5-1 Donovan becomes the playmaker as an attacking midfielder and the central midfielders focus more on defense; although even in this case, Bradley has chosen Kljestan as one of those CM’s, adding more weight to our attack. I think the 4-5-1 is our best option against Mexico, as Donovan gets to play his preferred position and we have two players who can focus on stopping Mexico’s attack and also have the option to get forward. Playing Bradley and Clark didn’t work in the friendly in Houston; but if Donovan is used as an attacking midfielder, the game changes. Unless Kljestan can maintain form or Edu can find it, I think it’s what we’ll see.

As for the rest of the midfield, Beasley seems to have the left side locked up. Training and playing, though inconsistently, in a cold environment, his partnership with Donovan and his successful performance against Mexico in Columbus in 2005 make him a pretty clear choice. Donovan is also a sure thing, barring injury, either on the right or, as I hope, as an attacking midfielder. Skipping the MLS off season to join Bayern Munich was a great decision, in my opinion, and one that should keep him in form and get him used to the cold. Who knows if he’ll be successful or get a tremendous amount of playing time, but sitting around watching his wife suck at acting in the Los Angeles weather could easily have left him unprepared to play the most important match of the year in the Ohio winter. Sorry Bianca.

In a 4-5-1 with Donovan as the AM, the right side presents a question. All of our options, including Donovan, lack strong defensive capabilities but offer a good amount of speed and punch in the attack. Dempsey is getting some playing time in a somewhat colder environment and is the most likely candidate. He’s looked good in the past and, when it comes to the national team, has performed solidly this past year. Kljestan is another option and it remains to be seen if he’ll stay with MLS or go this winter; yet another option is (surprise surprise!) Freddy Adu. The only thing more unexpected than seeing Kljestan start on the left and Adu on the right against Guatemala, was how well it worked. I guess that’s why I’m not the coach. As interesting as either of these options would be, I expect to see Dempsey on the right and it’s probably the pick I would make.

And finally, the forwards. The important thing to remember here is that Bradley loves Ching. It’s not a completely unjustified love, either, as Brian Ching has both a great ability to hold up the ball (essential in the 4-4-2) and a great partnership with Landon Donovan. His weakness, as we all know, is his ability to finish with any part of his body other than his head or his ass. It should also be noted that the Dynamo will begin the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Champions League in late February and may begin training in late January or early February – they certainly should and will if they have any memory of how MLS teams, including themselves, have performed in later stages of past competitions. This could make Ricardo Clark and Brian Ching at least slightly more viable options. In a 4-5-1 I’m less a fan of Ching but I just don’t think we’ll see Coach Bob deviate from the past. I would be excited to see Altidore or Cooper up top, but I just don’t see anyone taking Ching’s spot when the most important game of the year is played at the beginning of the year before we’ve had a chance to give anyone else a serious look in a truly competitive match.


So, in case I don’t get around to posting again before the 25th or the American Outlaws top brass tells me my services are no longer desired, I’d like to say Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Joyous Kwanza, or (insert your well-intentioned, seasonal greeting of choice) to all the Outlaws out there; may your stockings be stuffed with jerseys, scarves, calendars, airline miles and match tickets. It’s a jungle out there this time of year, drive safely and don’t get trampled to death in any Wal-Marts – you’re no good to us dead! We’ve got the most important match of qualification coming up in February, make sure you get there in one piece… well, make sure you get there.

- Ben Girard

You should read this

"US Allen 23" came up with this

I feel that we can use this.

Unassociated Supporters of US Soccer (USUSS)

We will:
Attend every possible game (especially against Mexico).
Stand in the Supporters end of the stadium.
Sing and chant for as long as we possibly can.
Watch every game that we cannot attend on TV.
Bring new people to every game we attend.
Wear red, white or blue, as long as it is in support of the Nats.
Befriend anyone wearing the US Soccer crest.
Assist SA and OA when the US plays in our hometown.
Meet and after before games at Pubs and/or Tailgates.

We Will Not:
Wear our club colors, while supporting the US.
Throw any object on the field, other than streamers.
Perform any act that embarrasses the US or our fellow supporters.
Tolerate racial comments or acts.
Have an issue with SA, OA or any other group who supports the US.

Membership:
No fees or actual membership will be accepted.
Is open to anyone who loves our team and our country
Members are encouraged to join any or none of the other supporters groups. 
Meetings and coordination will be held on BigSoccer.com. 

Goals:
Support our boys, while they represent us.
Finally establish a “Home field advantage” when we play on US soil
Broaden the awareness of the US National Team

Like I said I did not write this

But This is  what we should be about

Coachgi

What Really Matters

Up to this date, I've had to do at least a small amount of thinking in order to decide upon topics for each of my blog entries. I've considered what others were writing about, what was relevent at the time, and what I wanted to say. However, when I read that my next entry was due on June 6th, I needed no further suggestions. Since every member of the American Outlaws is, by default, American; and presumably proud to be so, this is a good day to step back from the world of soccer and remember what really matters - and who we have to thank for this country of ours.

On the morning of June 6th, 1944, more than 70,000 Americans prepared to participate in the largest sea-land invasion in history, the invasion of Nazi-controlled Normandy, France. On a day that would become known to history simply as "D-Day," approximately 6,600 of those Americans were killed, wounded or taken prisoner as the Allied forces fought to gain a foothold on continental Europe. American airborne soldiers, dropped behind enemy lines in the pre-dawn hours and tasked with securing exit routes for forces landing on the beaches only a few hours later, found themselves scattered, lost, and in many cases, alone. On the beach codenamed "Omaha," the first waves of infantry units came ashore in the face of stiff, immediate German resistance. Hundreds were killed before exiting their landing craft or shortly thereafter. Many drowned in the English Channel, having been rendered unable to swim by their heavy equipment, or by their wounds. With the sea behind them and German fortified machine guns in front of them, the soldiers who made it ashore on Omaha Beach in those first hours found themselves hopelessly pinned and unabled to communicate, their leaders often lost or killed. General Omar Bradley, in charge of the assault, considered abandoning the beach.

The late historian Stephen E. Ambrose believed it was the uniquely American determination and initiative of these soldiers that saved the operation from failure. The men of the 101st and 82nd Airborne divisions banded together in ad-hoc, intermingled groups and marched on to their objectives, often tens of miles away. They fought in hastily constructed units, often with men whom they had never met, and secured the all-important areas behind the beaches. Men came together in a similar fashion on Omaha Beach, slowly forming units on their own initiative and fighting their way over the seawall, often up steep cliffs, and off the beach before attacking and defeating German units from the rear. Though very little about D-Day went according to plan, by the end of the day the allies had secured their beachhead and begun the fight to liberate Europe and defeat Nazi Germany.

Though the anniversary of D-Day has little to do with soccer, it is important for us as Americans to remember the men and women of the armed forces, both past and present, who have defended our country and made it possible for us to enjoy its freedoms; including the freedom to travel to a soccer match and support our team. And it is because of these Americans that we should be proud to live in a nation for whom so many have been willing to fight, and to die. When we support our team and our country, we should always remember those whose sacrifices have made it possible to do so. They are the reason our team can be proud to wear the red, white and blue, and they are the reason we can be proud to sing and cheer in their support.

-Ben Girard

Sam's Army vs American Outlaws?

Let me say this......It dose not matter.

For those of you who don't know what I am talking about,

There has been a debate on Bigsoccer about this topic,

And believe me, It dose not matter.

The only thing that dose matters is do you support US SOCCER.

Thats it.

Thats all that matters.

I am proud to say I am a card holding member of Sam's Army.

And a proud member of The American Outlaws.

Also The SoCal Brigade.

The only thing I do care About is this,

Getting people to the game and root for the US,

And as long as these groups do this,

I am ALL IN.

Note 

June 15 

HDC

I will see you there

Came up and say Hi

By

Coachgi

 

Player Pool Breakdown

Bob Bradley released his 33 man player pool for the upcoming friendlies last night. While the usual suspects made the list there are certainly some surprising inclusions. By position:

(note: I went ahead and put players where they likely will play i.e. Donovan in the midfield)

GOALKEEPERS: Dominic Cervi (Out of Contract), Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Tim Howard (Everton FC), Troy Perkins (Valerenga IF), Chris Seitz (Real Salt Lake)

Bradley has gone away from the experienced keepers for now but I don't read too much into that. If we needed a win in a qualifier and Howard wasn't available I'm pretty sure he'd still call in Keller or Hahnemann. The only two from this group I think see the field are Howard and Guzan.

DEFENDERS: Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham FC), Dan Califf (FC Midtjylland), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jay DeMerit (Watford FC), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Michael Orozco (San Luis), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)

I'm ecstatic that Frankie Hejduk got the call-up here, especially as he was arguably our best defender in the Gold Cup and has played consistently well for the Crew. It's also nice to see Orozco get the call-in after his very impressive Olympic qualifying performance. Other than these two there are not any huge surprises. Cory Gibbs evidently didn't show Bradley much in the Poland camp to warrant playing time or a call back for the friendlies, which is too bad as he seemed poised to make his MNT comeback.

MIDFIELDERS: Freddy Adu (SL Benfica), DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers), Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Eddie Lewis (Derby County), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)

Great to see Beasley back with the Nats after having to watch Bobby Convey vs. Mexico. It's somewhat surprising to see Feilhaber called in after his long, strange season with Derby and omission from the Olympic qualifiers. As an experiment, Bob Bradley should give Edu, Feilhaber, and Clark the start in one game each alongside Michael Bradley. This may be the best way to determine who our two center mids are going into WC qualifying. The only major surprise to me from this group is Eddie Gaven. Not sure he brings anything to the table whatsoever. The player who I'm most ready to see out of this group is Robbie Rogers. With Beasley coming back from injury and Eddie Lewis being so old, I'm really hoping Rogers sees some playing time on the left wing. Too bad Stuart Holden didn't get the call-up but his time will definitely come.

FORWARDS: Jozy Altidore (New York Red Bulls), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Nate Jaqua (Out of Contract), Eddie Johnson (Fulham FC), Josh Wolff (1860 Munich)

Pretty average group of forwards but it's what we've got. I think our best option is probably Adu-Altidore or Dempsey-Altidore but we'll see how it plays out.

Overall I am happy with this group. Some players seem to have been called in just to get a closer look for the Olympics (Cervi, Seitz, Gaven, Kljestan) but nonetheless should benefit from any full national team experience. The roster for the England game, which will include approximately 22 players, is due out next week. Here is my best guess (what I think Bradley will actually do):

----------------Howard-----------------
Dolo-------Boca-------Gooch-----Pearce
------------Bradley----Edu-------------
Dempsey------------------------Donovan
------------Altidore----Ching------------

Bench: Guzan, Hejduk, DeMerit, Spector, Beasley, Adu, Clark, Mastroeni, Lewis, Feilhaber, Wolff

-Believe me, I cringe when I look at this line-up too. Same back line as the Poland friendly, and same outside mid combination due to Beasley not being 100%. I think Bradley has enough confidence in Jozy to start him up top but I don't think he is as willing to start Freddy. Altidore replaces EJ from the Poland line-up and Edu replaces Clark (two changes that I feel he will make). I'm hoping for something a little different (see my last blog "Daydreaming") but we'll see what happens. Regardless of who plays I don't think I've ever been this pumped for a friendly, and I really think we can pull it off in London. Only 12 more days!
--Outlaw Veteran

Cool Heads, Clenched Fists

It is now almost a year since I had my favorite experience as a supporter of the U.S. National Team, the 2007 Gold Cup final. The day was packed full of unforgettable moments; chanting off with Mexicans at the tailgate, being kissed by a girl in red, white and blue as my friend and I walked through a horde of hostile Mexicans, randomly recognizing and meeting Chris Armas, and of course, jumping nearly out of my skin when Benny Feilhaber unexpectedly volleyed a ball from outside the box past one very dirty Oswaldo Sanchez. These moments are what made the experience so rewarding; however, they are not the reason I take pride in having attended the match. It is knowing that I and my fellow supporters proudly displayed our nations colors and supported our team in the midst of vicious, sometimes violent opposition from Mexican fans. This viciousness culminated, for me, at halftime.

With the U.S. down 1-0, my friend and I went to the bathroom behind the U.S. supporters section. We found it full of Mexican fans who, needless to say, were very happy to have just witnessed their team score a goal against us on U.S. soil for the first time in years. They yelled and chanted at us and we chanted back. It was a relatively stable situation until, as my friend was urinating, two Mexicans tried to pull the American flag off his back.

One of the things that has attracted many, including myself, to the American Outlaws is their younger, edgier image. Though the ranks of Sam’s Army are filled with all sorts of people from all walks of life, the organization has always been stigmatized as being a group for old hippies. “The pony tail brigade” is an unfortunate, though common nickname found on BigSoccer.com. Though I believe this stigma to be fallacious, I do believe it is important, in the interest of growing support for soccer in this country, that an alternative be provided for those who may shy away from a group whose image is somewhat… soft, for lack of a better word. This is why I continue to support both Sam’s Army and the American Outlaws.

However, this harder, edgier image is one that has and will foster harder, edgier action. Many of those drawn to the American Outlaws are males between the ages of 18 and 35 who have a thirst for alcohol. I myself am included in this demographic, and I am the first to admit that we are less likely to shy away from violence. It is important, therefore, that we keep cool heads at matches. After the U.S. conceded a goal in extra time at U-23 final in Nashville, some of the younger Outlaws threw not only streamers, but other projectiles that I was not able to identify, onto the field and at Honduran fans. At the Mexico friendly in Houston I saw beers lobbed by Mexican fans at our tailgate; I must admit that, in my anger, I lobbed my own beer in their direction. I am not proud of this, as I am more likely to have hit a woman or child than anyone throwing beers at us.

At halftime of the Gold Cup final, however, I believe I did the right thing. When I saw two Mexicans nearly snatch the American flag off my friend’s back, I rushed them and shoved them away. I stood in front of the flag with my hands behind my back and told them, loudly, to back off. There was more shoving and shouting, and I believed for a moment that I may have been in for a beating at the hands of at least 20 opposing fans. Thankfully, one very large member of Sam’s Army, I believe he was from D.C., came between me and the Mexicans and told everyone to calm down; and we did. No one got hurt, and the American flag remained intact.

So here is my advice to the members of the American Outlaws. Remember that we represent our country as well as our team, and that showing our class is just as important as showing our passion. Remember that passion must always be tempered by reason. Be loud, be proud, and be respectful. Let everyone know who we support, but don’t taunt people who don’t taunt us. Stand by your fellow supporters, be they Outlaws, Sammers, or any other fan of the U.S. National Team, and never let one of our own be left to fend for himself or herself. If you must resort to violence, be not afraid to do so; HOWEVER, make sure that you have no other option and remember that other options almost always exist (even if you have had a beer or two too many). Never provoke. We go to matches to support our National Team, and violence for the sake of violence helps that cause in no way, shape or form. Make sure they don’t tread on us, but make sure you don’t go treading on them without due cause.

-Ben Girard (aka BMGSouthCity)