The Puddle Congratulates USMNT Defender Steve Cherundolo On a Great Career

US international defender Steve Cherundolo retired earlier this week. (Zimbio.com)

Most of the buzz surrounding the United States men's national team this week surrounded the announcement that young Bayern Munich player Julian Green has decided to switch federations and play for the USA.  That is certainly newsworthy, but another bit of news crossed the wire that was of interest to seasoned fans as well.  Wednesday evening, USMNT and Hannover 96 defender Steve Cherundolo announced that he was retiring from professional football due to a knee injury.

It's kind of sad news as Cherundolo has been a fixture on the US back line for quite awhile.  He earned his first cap for the USA in 1999 against Jamaica.  He then went on to participate in multiple CONCACAF Gold Cups for the USA, winning the trophy in 2005 and wearing the captain's armband in the 2009 edition.  He also competed in two FIFA World Cups for the USA, in Germany 2006 and South Africa 2010.  He scored two goals for his country as he compiled 87 caps overall.

Cherundolo is also fairly unique because he's one of the few American players to have spent his entire playing career in Europe.  After two years at the University of Portland, "Dolo" went to Germany and signed on with Hannover 96, who were in the German second division at the time.  In 2001-2002 Hannover won the league and was promoted to the Bundesliga.  Cherundolo eventually ascended to captain of the side, making 423 appearances in all competitions and scoring 8 goals.  He also earned the nickname: "The Mayor of Hannover."  At his press conference, Cherundolo confirmed that he will remain Europe as an assistant coach for Hannover's U-23 team.

Personally I would like to congratulate him on a fantastic career for club and country.  He was certainly a great player and person to represent our country and even wear the armband.  It's unfortunate that he ended up missing a couple of big international tournaments due to injury.  Though I never really got to see him in action for Hannover, I always enjoyed watching him play for the national side.  Thank you, "Dolo" for all you have given to US Soccer and to the beautiful game as a whole, and good luck in your future endeavors.

The Gold Cup at Rio Tinto: My Experience.

Kyle Beckerman provided another quality ball for a Wondo goal (SL Tribune)

First off, I'd like to thank everyone at Rio Tinto Stadium, Real Salt Lake, and US Soccer for working to bring the US Men's National Team to Utah not once, but twice this summer for World Cup Qualifying and the Gold Cup.  It really was a special opportunity for the soccer fans in Utah, and I am very glad that I took advantage.

The ride down to the RioT from Ogden was punctuated with good news.  It was announced that all three of our RSL men, Nick Rimando, Kyle Beckerman, and Tony Beltran would start for the national team against Cuba.  That was certainly a nice present for all of the RSL fans heading to the RioT.  Once we arrived we took our seats in the South end, front row, right at the bottom of the boom cam that was being used for the TV broadcast.  Our season tickets for RSL are in section 30, so it was interesting to get this view.  I hadn't sat in the south end since my first game at the RioT in 2010, after I moved back from Florida.

The start of the match was hammered by thunder and a pretty good sized cloud burst, but it didn't dampen the spirits of the American Outlaws, who were in the same section.  We joined the chants as the match got underway.  Overall I'd say the crowd and the "atmosphere" were better for this match than they were for the World Cup Qualifier.  There was definitely more chanting and YSA only reared it's head a couple of times.  After that, "USA" seemed to be the popular chant by most folks in the south end on goal kicks.

The first half wasn't what you would call glorious from the USA.  They had plenty of possession, but failed to make a connection in the final third.  Then the unthinkable happened. Late in the first half Cuba went on a counter attack, torched our left side, and managed to sneak a goal past Nick to give Cuba a 0-1 lead.  That seemed to wake the US up though.  Just a few minutes later they earned a PK, which Landon Donovan promptly converted to tie the match at 1-1.  The shouts of "USA, USA" became somewhat deafening from the Rio Tinto crowd, it was, just for a minute, one of the loudest chants I've heard in many games at the RioT.

The US took charge in the second half.  Brek Shea went out, and I'm sorry to say for him that it was a pretty dismal performance.  He didn't look great from where I sat in the south end, but when I got home and watched the broadcast, the scope of his failure was all to clear.  The Yanks earned several quality set piece chances early in the second half, but they weren't able to convert.  Finally Joe Corona hit a gorgeous goal in the 57th minute to give the USA the lead.  Corona looked great throughout the match.  Chris Wondolowski checked in and provided the USA with two more goals, including one off of a great pass from Kyle Beckerman, to make the final margin 4-1 and send the US folks home happy.

But wait, there's more.  In the second game of the double header, Alvaro Saborio started for Costa Rica against Belize.  I'd say about 2/3 of the crowd left after the USA match.  Many of the remaining folks filed over to the west side of the stadium to get out of the sun.  I should have done that, as I ended up with a second degree sunburn.  Oh well, I regret that I have but one epidermis to burn for my country.

The match wasn't great by any stretch and Costa Rica were obviously the better side, but still Belize managed to keep them out of the net into the second half.  The Ticos' lone goal came in the 49th minute in the form of an own goal from a Belize defender, and it was all Costa Rica would need.  Belize had a great chance to equalize in stoppage time from a corner kick, but the header just missed and Costa Rica sealed the 1-0 win.

The victories for both the USA and Costa Rica seal knockout round places for them heading into the last group match in Hartford, where they will face off.  That happens tonight, but I'm still caught up in the glow of watching my national team, and it's representatives from my club, shine in my stadium!  This summer of International soccer is something I'll never forget.

2013 Gold Cup Day 3: Costa Rica and USA Roll

Chris Wondolowski earned a hat-trick in a 6-1 mauling of Belize

Jeld-Wen Field, the home of the Portland Timbers, took center stage in Gold Cup action Tuesday night as Costa Rica took on Cuba and the USA took on Belize, who were playing in their first ever Gold Cup match.  The results of both of these matches were predictable, as the Group C favorites avoided the pitfalls that hit Mexico and Canada on Sunday.

The first match between Costa Rica and Cuba wasn't quite a sparkling affair, but Cuba certainly had a lot to play for as they came in winless in their last 11 Gold Cup matches.   Costa Rica controlled the match with 68% possession and did not allow a single corner kick for Cuba.  The Ticos left it late though, not scoring until Michael Barrantes netted in the 51st minute.  Jairo Arrieta of the Columbus Crew scored in the 71st, and Barrantes completed his brace in the 77th minute to make the full time score 3-0.  Of interest to RSL fans, Alvaro Saborio started for the Ticos and played 79 minutes, coming out after the final goal was scored.

The nightcap in Portland featured the opening match of the tournament for the United States as they took on Gold Cup newbies Belize.  The Stars and Stripes were riding high after blasting Guatemala 6-0 in a friendly before the tournament and looked to inflict more goals on Belize.  They did just that.  It was a Tahitiesque performance from Belize, even though they did manage to sneak in a goal off a blown coverage in the first half.  However Chris Wondolowski scored a first half hat-trick, including one off of a fine ball from Kyle Beckerman, to make the half time score 3-1.

The USA didn't look back in the second as Stu Holden came in for Beckerman and gave the team a more offensive minded approach.  He scored in the in the 58th minute, and Michael Orozco added another in the 72nd.  Landon Donovan added a PK goal in the 76th minute to complete the destruction and make the full time result 6-1.  It was a impressive performance from the USA, especially on offense.  The defense wasn't tested much, but to me they still looked a little less than solid, especially on the blown mark that led to the goal.

A shadow has been cast over this match though, and maybe over the tournament as a whole.  That shadow is the one cast by international betting and match fixing.  According to 7 News Belize, 3 players, including their goalkeeper, were approached by a man in Guatemala offering them money to throw the match.  The players have said that they did not accept the advances, but it does make one wonder about the result. 

Group C continues on Saturday at Rio Tinto Stadium as the USA face Cuba and Costa Rica will take on the aforementioned Belize.  I'll be there, and you can be too!  Tickets are still available!

USMNT in SLC: My Game, My Crowd, My View.

Clint Dempsey and company brought the USMNT show to Rio Tinto (ESPN)

A couple of months ago US Soccer announced that not only would Rio Tinto Stadium host the USMNT for the 2013 Gold Cup, but we were getting a World Cup Qualifier against Honduras as well.  I was pretty stoked, this was to be my first experience watching the National Team live, and I was not disappointed in the slightest. Being in the stands, singing the National Anthem, and cheering for your country is pretty much the best thing in sports, especially when there's something like a spot in the World Cup on the line.

In the end the match didn't have the memorable surroundings like the Colorado qualifier or the champagne type football that was played in Seattle, but it did have PLENTY of drama as the US left it late.  Honduras is certainly a tougher opponent than Panama, and they pushed the US to the limit.

In fact, there were large stretches of the match where Honduras possibly were the better team, despite the fact that they were missing several key players to suspension and injury.  Their cause wasn't aided by the fact that one of their forwards, New England's Jerry Bengston, got in an argument with the coach and left camp.  The Hondurans still had some good options, including Roger Espinoza, lately of Wigan Athletic fame.  He caused the US a good number of problems all night.

Honduras focused more on defense though, putting a lot of guys behind the ball and clearly playing for a scoreless draw.  I will say that when I returned home and watched the match on TV, they came across as a little more attack-oriented than they did in person from my limited vantage point in section 30, especially in the first half.

They almost got their wish too!  It took 73 minutes for the Yanks to break the deadlock.  Jozy Altidore took a great ball from Fabian Johnson in the box and slotted past the burgundy-clad Honduran 'keeper to score the game's only goal.  It was quite the accomplishment, as the 'keeper had absolutely stoned both Eddie Johnson and Clint Dempsey earlier in the match.

Honduras really came out of their shell after the goal, as they pretty much had to.  In fact they bossed the match for a lot of the last 15 minutes, but Tim Howard marshaled the US Defense to repel all invaders and rack up another three points on the road to Brazil 2014.  The win keeps the USA on top of the Hex with 13 points.  Considering 16 usually puts a team in the World Cup, they're in a great position to qualify after taking maximum points from this round of matches.

Now I'd like to say a few words about the crowd and the evolution of Salt Lake as a soccer city and a soccer crowd.  There's been some mudslinging in the media, most notably a comment from ESPN's Taylor Twellman during the broadcast of the match.  In the first half, Ian Darke observed, quite rightly, that the decibel level wasn't as loud as the match in Seattle, at which Twellman waxed offense.  When Darke pointed out that the crowd had considerably less to cheer about than the Seattle folks, Twellman commented that it really didn't matter, that the crowd has to be there for the team anyway.

I don't disagree with Taylor on that point.  I too have been somewhat frustrated with our crowd at various points in the last few years.  We have a tough time sustaining chants.  We also seem to lack communication between our supporters groups.  Barra Real, SCU, Section 35, and Section 26 all have made strides in trying to up the atmosphere, but sometimes they come in on top of each other and we end up with multiple chants at the same time, leaving the rest of the crowd perplexed as to what to do or who to follow.

When you stop and think about it, Salt Lake has had professional soccer for less than 10 years.  We've been in our own stadium for about five.  I would contend that the evolution of the area as a soccer city really didn't kick into gear until the team moved to Rio Tinto.  I attended a few games at Rice Eccles stadium back in the day, and let's face it, it was just BAD all around.  After that I moved to Florida, and I attended my first game at the Riot in September 2010.  We got tickets in the south end zone where I was fairly confident that I could stand and cheer.  Within ten minutes the people behind us had yelled at us to sit down.

We've come a long way since then.  Our season tickets aren't in a supporters section, so we still get people who don't stand.  However, the acceptance of chanting and supporters culture in general is on it's way up, which is a good sign.  Perhaps nowhere in MLS is the difference between a "supporters club" type fan and the soccer mom/Dippin' Dots crowd more apparent than in Salt Lake.  Generally I think RSL has done a pretty good job trying to strike a happy medium, but what people who aren't from here don't realize, with all due respect to Mr. Twellman and some of my twitter friends, is that it's a different crowd and demographic.  We get a ton of families who have come into fandom because their kids have played the game.  Turning these folks into standing/chanting supporters is an uphill battle, especially if they have young kids.

Also, the crowd is primarily a basketball/college football crowd.  Both of these sports carry an entirely different flow and culture than pro soccer.  It results in the crowd being more pensive and being more reluctant to chant in key moments.  To put it differently, they're often too busy watching the match to yell and chant.  It's not a bad thing, it's just different.  Sure, folks like me would like them to come around, but it's a process.  Also, don't forget that part of the reason the crowd here gets so nervous is because they're used to getting their hearts broken in the biggest of games: see Michael Jordan and Humberto Suazo.

The biggest improvement was that the whole crowd stood pretty much for the entire match for the USA.  I'm hoping that this can signal the next phase in the evolution of Salt Lake as a soccer town.  Let's face it, we're never gonna be Seattle in that regard.  In my opinion, Seattle really is soccer city, USA, though I'm sure some folks in Portland would disagree.  It's an example we should strive to emulate.  I'm encouraged by what I saw Tuesday night as someone who has observed soccer in SLC from the early days.  Let's build on it and see if we can make it better.  Thanks to US Soccer for giving us the chances!

Costa Rica Protest Shot Down, USA Win Stands.

Geoff Cameron in the snow last week at the Dick. (Washington Post)

Last week's World Cup Qualifier at between the USA and Costa Rica will be forever etched in most of our memories.  The USA pulled out a hard fought 1-0 win on home soil in the midst of a huge snow storm, earning their first win of the 2013 Hexagonal. 

Well, as it turns out, Costa Rica were not quite as thrilled with the conditions under which the game was played in Commerce City, Colorado.  They filed a protest with FIFA, seeking to have the match replayed.  FIFA confirmed the receipt of the protest on Monday, but shot it down on technicalities rather quickly on Tuesday.  As it turns out, the captain of the team filing the protest needs to have a meeting on the field about the conditions and this must include the captain of the other team.  This never took place.  Also, according to FIFA regulations, the formal protest must be filed within two hours after the end of the match.  FIFA did not receive the protest until two days after the match.  This has resulted in the match, and the USA's win, being upheld.

The fact that none of this took place really underlines the fact that the only reason the Ticos bothered to file a protest was because they lost.  Early on in the second half, the referee stopped the match, ostensibly to allow for the clearing of the lines on the pitch.  ESPN reported that the FIFA match delegate had called for the match to be stopped.  However, from the appearance on TV, it seemed that players from both the USA and Costa Rica were anxious to continue.  After a few minutes the ref restarted the match.  It's worth noting that at the time the match was halted, Costa Rica totally had the run of play and was in the midst of their best spell of the night.  Surely had they managed to fight back for a draw, such a protest never would have been made.

So who knows what actually went on outside of the players and the match officials?  Many folks, including myself, lauded the fact that Costa Rica was willing to soldier on in the match.  They put out a valiant effort all match long and nearly equalized a couple of times.  It's also worth nothing that both squads have games today (Tuesday) that required a fair bit of international travel.  The forecast in Colorado didn't call for conditions to really improve until Sunday morning, so both teams probably wanted to get out of Dodge.

The protest doesn't really change my opinion of the Costa Rican players.  As I said, they gave it their all, probably more than many teams in CONCACAF would have.  I am disappointed that the squad, or likely the Costa Rican FA, decided to file the protest, but in the end I'm happy with the result.  Onwards and Upwards and good luck to the boys in the Azteca.  They're going to need it.

Sounders Eddie Johnson Rescues USA...and Klinsmann

Seattle forward Eddie Johnson scored both goals for the USA (AP Photo)

One pundit on my timeline called this the worst game the US Men's National Team have played since the early 90s.  Well, in the early 90s I was a snot nosed teen more concerned with playing soccer (and playing badly) than I was with watching it, so I can't really disagree.  I think I can honestly say it was the worst I've ever seen them play. 

Does it say something that they can play that badly and still come away with three points?  Sure it does.  It says sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, but I doubt luck will get us through the Hex, and we're not even there yet.  Still, you gotta hand it to Eddie Johnson.  He was good, not just lucky.  To say this was a statement game from him probably doesn't do him justice.

Surely the conditions in Antigua and Barbuda didn't help, but as is often said about pitch condition, both sides have to play on it.  No knocking A and B, but a World Cup caliber team at the top of the group should have been able to overpower them, and that was not the case at all.

The Americans looked to be in control early on, and pushed their noses in front in the 20th minute.  Sporting Kansas City's Graham Zusi sent a left footed cross into the area to Johnson, who headed the first goal of the night down past the Antigua 'keeper to make it 0-1 to the USA.

The advantage didn't last long though, and this time it wasn't even Kyle Beckerman's fault.  In the 25th minute Peter Byers stripped Carlos Bocanegra and dished to Dexter Blackstock, who torched by Clarence Goodson and the rest of the flower picking USA defense to slot an easy goal past Tim Howard to make it 1-1, which was the score at halftime.

The USA attacked into a heavy wind in the second half, and chances continued to be at a premium.  Herculez Gomez got a couple of nice looks in the area, but always seemed to be looking for the extra, killer pass instead of going for goal, which got the USA nothing.  Klinsmann brought in Jermaine Jones, who I like to call Super Yellow Card man.  Apparently this was supposed to help, but ten minutes and a few horridly bad passes later, Jones picked up his customary yellow card, which will keep him out of the last match against Guatemala. 

Antigua and Barbuda about caught the USA flat footed a couple of times as well.  It didn't matter if it was Michael Bradley, Danny Williams, or the aforementioned Jones, all of the midfield had a hard time with the speed of the home side.  The defense left Tim Howard dangerously exposed a few times, and the home side sent a couple of shots just agonizingly wide of the Everton man's post.

It was EJ and the USA that would get the last word though.  In second half stoppage time, San Jose forward Alan Gordon hit Johnson with a cross at the back post.  Johnson effortlessly floated a header into the net to seal the 1-2 win for the USA.

Did they deserve the three points?  Probably not, but in the end they'll take a sigh of relief and take them.  The result puts them up three on Jamaica and Guatemala, who play later this evening.  A draw in Kansas City on Wednesday SHOULD be enough to put them into the Hex, but that's not a sure thing yet.

USA Underwhelms In Loss at Jamaica: Thoughts

There was a lot of celebration for the home side in Kingston last night.

The search for words continues today, nearly 24 hours after one of the USA's more horrible displays in recent years.  Which do you care for: boring, horrid, atrocious, disinterested, overconfident, or maybe another adjective?  These were all used multiple times in various posts on blogs, match reports, and social media ramblings about last night's performance.  They are all true in their own right.

Was it really THAT bad?  Can we stop and state, that outside of two great set piece displays by the Jamaicans, we probably come out with a point?  Clarence Goodson even noted last night that outside of the free kicks, Jamaica really only threatened from distance, and didn't spend a whole lot of time behind the USA defense.

The problem with that statement is, the set pieces are what mattered in the end.  RSL's Kyle Beckerman gave up the first on a silly foul, and Stoke's Maurice Edu gave up the second.  Both were in horrible positions and were just begging to be taken advantage of.  In the case of the first goal, insult to injury was added to the RSL captain as the low strike deflected off his leg when he jumped and into his own net.  It wasn't an own goal, but it didn't matter.  Was it a freak goal? Sure, but it counted.  

In the end, the bigger problem for the USA was a total lack of creativity in the midfield.  You had Beckerman, Edu, and Jermaine Jones, all of whom are pretty much the same type defensive mid player.  None of the three were effective passing the ball, and as much as it pains me to say it, Beckerman just got torched a few times by Jamaica's Rodolph Austin.  It wasn't a pretty performance.  With the USA minus both Landon Donovan and Michael Bradley, there was pretty zero creativity and service to the forwards up front.  Dempsey had the early goal, and it was all she wrote.  

So where does the USA go from here?  The game against Jamaica Tuesday at Columbus Crew Stadium is pretty much a must win for the Stars and Stripes.  Jamaica is obviously superior in the midfield, and that has to be addressed.  I liked a possible solution presented on ESPNFC, where the USA goes with more of a 4-4-2, possible giving the defensive midfield some more cover.  The article also suggested starting Brek Shea out wide to try and help with the attacking aspect.  Would it work?  I don't know, but something has to be done or the USA is going to be on the outside looking in at the 2014 World Cup.

A lot of credit has to go to Jamaica though.  This was not a case of the USA just making mistakes.  Jamaica outplayed the USA and deserved the result in every way.  Tuesday is going to be tough.

Puddle's Goal of the Midweek. All-American Goal in Mexico

There is only one goal of choice this week: the goal that gave the USA it's first ever win in Mexico, at the Azteca!

Puddle's Goal of the Midweek: Alex Morgan vs Canada. Enough Said

There was no other goal to be considered for my midweek goal other than this. Period. This is the beautiful game. This is Old Trafford. This is CLUTCH. This is ALEX MORGAN.

Michael Bradley Signs With AS Roma

Michael Bradley posing in his new AS Roma attire (MLSSoccer.com)

Big news came down the pipe today for fans of Americans playing in Europe.  US International midfielder Michael Bradley has signed on with Italian Serie A side AS Roma after having a standout year last season with Chievo Verona.

Personal terms were not available right off, but the Roman side did confirm they had paid a 4.6 million dollar transfer fee to Chievo for the American's services.  It's no surprise that Bradley seems to fit well in the defensive minded Serie A, and he should have a big role in settling down Roma's defense. 

According to the club, Bradley was already hard at work training with his new Giallorossi teammates on day one.  The Puddle wishes Michael the best of luck with his new club.  He'll represent the USA well.

USA Settles For Uninspiring Draw vs Canada

Herculez Gomez & Kevin McKenna fight for the ball.  (Getty Images)

So fans of US Soccer were wondering which US team would show up tonight, the team that handled Scotland 5-1 or the team that looked brutally bad in the loss to Brazil?  In the end, it wasn't quite either.  While the US side didn't have total defensive meltdown that they did against Brazil, they didn't have any of the attacking creativity that they showed against Scotland either.  The final result was a goalless draw in Toronto that Canada should have won.

It was an exciting night to start for the USA.  Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey were starting together for the first time since Jurgen Klinsmann took over, and hopes were high for some decent offensive output from the two best Americans on the pitch.  It really didn't come off though.

The Canadians were more than happy to let the USA come out and play kickball.  Klinsmann's boys spent a good portion of the first 45 minutes kicking the ball around the edge of their offensive third, but really couldn't get much traction against a very organized and determined Canadian defense.  The lone real highlight of the first half, as far as the Americans were concerned, came in the 15th minute when Fabian Castillo lobbed in volley from 35+ yards.  It looked like it might creep under the bar, but Canadian 'keeper Lars Hirschfeld tracked back and tipped it over for a corner.

Canada really should have had a lead going into halftime though.  In the 34th minute Dwayne De Rosario got the ball to Nik Ledgerwood on the USA left flank.  Ledgerwood smacked the ball into the goal to seemingly give the home side the 1-0 lead, however the linesman raised his flag for seemingly invisible foul and the goal was disallowed.  DeRo told Kyle Martino that he asked the linesman about it at halftime, but the linesman could not tell him who the foul was on or the circumstances.

Things really didn't get any better for the Americans in the second half.  In fact Canada spent a lot of time on the front foot.  They peppered Tim Howard with shots, but nothing really troubled the Everton 'keeper.  The match had 0-0 draw written all over it.

Both teams took a shot late on though.  In the first minute of stoppage time DeRo sent a nice centering pass into the six yard box.  Simeon Jackson got to it, but somehow poked it wide of the near post, leaving the Canadian fans in agony.  Then the USA nearly stole it in the final minute of stoppage time.  Michael Bradley sent a ball into the box and it found the head of Clarence Goodson, who put the shot on target.  Fortunately for Canada Hirschfeld jumped up and made a great save, preserving the draw on the Centennial Celebration of the Canadian Soccer Association.

Both teams will play World Cup qualifiers later in the week.  On Friday Canada will play at Cuba and the US will host Antigua and Barbuda in Tampa, FL.

Sloppy Defending Dooms USA to 1-4 Loss Against Brazil

Landon Donovan heads over Brazil's Thiago Silva (AP Photo)

If this international friendly against Brazil was going to be the true test of the USA Men's National Team after their drubbing of Scotland, it was one they failed fairly miserably.  It turns out that kicking the tails of a Scotland team that's hardly played together is a lot easier than going up against Brazil.  Honestly, there were a few bright spots the USA can take out of this, but there were also some pretty big failings exposed too.

After an initial period of trading possession by both sides, Brazil got down to business and got on the board first.  In the 10th minute Leandro sent in a shot that was blocked by USA defender Oguchi Onyewu.  Unfortunately, his arm was slightly out from his side, and the ball struck it, so the referee awarded a penalty kick.  Neymar easily tucked the kick past Tim Howard to make it 0-1 to Brazil.

After the goal, the USA found it tough to get any traction with the ball as the Brazilians started to play their possession game.  More bad news for the USA came in the 26th minute when Neymar sent in a gorgeous corner kick.  It was so gorgeous in fact, that the USA defenders stood around and watched it.  Thiago Silva sprang fee and headed the ball into the net to make it 0-2.

At that point, it looked pretty bleak for the bewildered USA side.  However, they did manage to create some hope right before halftime.  In the 45th minute Michael Bradley slipped a nice entry ball to Fabian Johnson, who drifted an easy cross over to Herculez Gomez.  The Santos Laguna striker headed in the goal to make it 1-2 going into the break.

It didn't take long for the Brazilians to reestablish their 2 goal advantage in the second half though.  In the 52nd minute Neymar torched the USA defense as Onyewu looked on cluelessly.  He easily passed to Real Madrid's Marcelo, who who promptly slotted the ball into the bottom corner of the goal to make it 1-3.  It was like shooting the proverbial fish in the barrel.

The USA did create multiple chances in the second half, despite the deficit.  In the 63rd minute Gomez headed a ball toward goal.  Clint Dempsey tried to touch it in but barely missed it.  Then in the 77th minute both Gomez and Terrance Boyd forced two great saves out of the Brazilain 'keeper.  Finally in the 85th Onyewu almost atoned for his earlier mistakes, getting his head on a corner, but his shot deflected off the crossbar and away from danger.

Brazil would get one more goal and rub it into the US a little bit.  In the 87th minute Onyewu kept a streaking Marcelo run onside, and he promptly dished to AC Milan's Pato, who slotted home the final tally of the match to make it 1-4 at full time.

So about those bright spots?  Herculez Gomez was certainly one.  He scored a goal and certainly could have had at least one more.  He'll need to string a couple of games like this to be really convincing, but I think he can do it.  Michael Bradley had another great game for the USA as well, and it was nice to see Clint Dempsey get some minutes after his groin injury.

The central defense was atrocious though, particularly Onyewu.  It was a total nightmare for him.  To be fair, both he and Bocanegra seemed way too slow on the night and the Brazilians picked them apart rather easily.  The backline used to be a strength of the USA, but the abysmal play tonight showed a lot of cracks.  At this rate, we're obviously going to have trouble against any team with an average ability to create and finish.  Obviously Brazil is above average in both departments.  It was all too easy for them.

Puddle's Goal of the Midweek: Clint Dempsey vs. Italy

No surprise that Clint Dempsey gets my goal of the midweek. Dempsey becomes only the fourth USA player to score against Italy, and powered the USA to it's first ever win against the Italians with this great finish.

International Friendly: Italy 0-1 USA

Nocerino (L) and Michael Bradley (R) fight for the ball. (Getty Images)

Yes, I will admit to being skeptical coming into this one. The USA had not beaten the Azzurri in 82 years of trying. Plus, the Italians rarely lose, and often don't concede goals, on their home soil. I honestly thought that if our defense played well, the best result we could probably get would be 0-0 draw. As a fan of Serie A, I know that when you actually get a chance to score on an Italian side, you better take it.

The Italians did stretch and test the USA defense all day. Even though they were without such key players as Manchester City's Mario Balotelli, they still brought in plenty of firepower. In the 5th minute Christian Maggio sent a ball in to Thiago Motta, and Motta squeezed off a close range shot that forced a great save out of Tim Howard. Tim was a wall for the USA.

The USA did have some first half possession, but had a hard time creating good chances, which is the norm for teams against Italy. Maurice Edu missed from distance in the 30th, and Clint Dempsey forced a save from Gigi Buffon in the 38th. The Italians had bossed the run of play, but the two sides were scoreless at half time, which probably suited the Americans just fine.

Italy came out in continued attack in the second half, but it was the Yanks who drew first blood. In the 55th minute Jozy Atlidore took a cross from Fabian Johnson, then did a gorgeous little lay-off to Clint Dempsey. Deuce fired the ball into the back of the net to give the USA a 0-1 lead.

However, there was a lot of time left to go and the Italians were not going to go gently. The final minutes of the match severely tested the USA defense. Chievo Verona's Michael Bradley was a standout for the Americans in the defensive midfield, helping to mop up any mess. Jonathan Spector and Clarence Goodson came up with some key blocks late, and Howard continued to stand tall. The closest Italy would come was late in stoppage time, when Riccardo Montolivo found some space but saw his shot drift just wide. When all was said and done, the USA held on to the 0-1, certainly to go down as one of our most famous results. Hopefully we can keep it up, especially on the defensive end, through World Cup Qualifying.

New USA Away Kit for 2012

Coinciding with today's friendly against Italy in Genoa, US Soccer and Nike unveiled the new USA away kits for 2012/13. The guys debuted them in style, earning a 0-1 win against the Italians. Impressive.





Check it out at WorldSoccerShop.com

Puddle's Goal of the Weekend: Ricardo Clark vs Venezuela

For my goal of the weekend I take you to University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale Arizona. The United States' Ricardo Clark headed home a corner in stoppage time to give the USA a much needed win over Venezuela to start 2012 off right. No World Cup, no Gold Cup this year, but the USA will go into qualifying for Brazil 2014, and the results need to start coming. This was a great GOAL!

International Friendly: USA 1-0 Honduras

This was actually a pretty fun match to watch, even though I don't usually out much effort or time into friendlies. So far the mantra under Klinsmann for the USA has been progress, not results in these friendlies. Still, after going a few without a win, results had to start to matter at some point.

The USA got that first result under Klinsmann against a Honduras team that came to play. They're really one of the dark horses in the CONCACAF region. In fact, if it hadn't been for Tim Howard in goal, the result might have been different.

Honduras had a great chance in the first half. Jerry Bengston got 1v1 with Howard, but Tim made the close up stop. Costly then tried his luck, but Howard came out on top again to keep it scoreless.

The USA took the lead and scored the match's only goal on 36 minutes. Brek Shea sent in a cross that went through several players for both the USA and Honduras and ended up with Clint Dempsey. Deuce then cornered a shot past the Honduran keeper to give the USA the 1-0 lead, which also proved to be the full time score.

Everybody seems to think Landon Donovan is the heart of the USA team. I have to go with Dempsey. Landycakes disappears once in awhile while Clint keeps pluggin away no matter what the situation. Great game for him and a good result for US Soccer. They'll take on Ecuador in another friendly on Tuesday.

International Friendly: USA 1-1 Mexico.

I have to admit I didn't pay a ton of attention to this. I generally care about Friendlies as much as I care about the price of rice in China. However, with Klinsmann now the coach and some new faces to watch, I was interested in the outcome.

As an RSL supporter, I was particularly glad to see Kyle Beckerman get another chance at the National Team. Kyle played all 90 in his usual work-man like manner and earned high praise from his coach.

Mexico jumped out to the lead fairly early on. In the 15th minute, Oribe Peralta scored to put El Tri up 0-1. Luckily though, you could just tell from the attitude of the team that there wasn't going to be a repeat of the Gold Cup Final.

Klinsmann added several subs in the second half, and the MLSers did a great job against El Tri. So, why wasn't Brek Shea on the Gold Cup Squad? Why didn't Robbie Rogers play? Dude torched us at the RioT a couple weeks back. Shea found Rogers in the area in the 75th minute and Robbie scored the open goal to tie at 1-1, which was the FT result, thanks to some sloppy officiating and some late heroics from the Mexican 'keeper on Shea.

All in all...not a perfect performance, but an improvement for sure. Hopefully some good reason for USA fans to be optimistic.

Bob Bradley Out as Coach of USMNT.

Hark the herald angels sing! Lord Voldemort is no longer in charge of the US National Team. US Soccer confirmed this move this afternoon.

Now, I'm not an expert by any stretch, but my only problem is that it came too late. The Men's team were chronic underachievers under Bob, now they're getting older and facing a Mexican side that is full of young talent. There are a lot of soccer opinions on the internet, and we all know that opinions are like that one particularly stinky body part. Everybody has one.

Here's what I think I can say with relative certainty. Most people inside US Soccer and the USA supporters weren't happy with the results, particularly the Gold Cup this year. Coaches don't score goals or defend, but they do, at the national level, pick the guys who do. For the most part, the guys picked in the last 5 years weren't getting it done. A new direction was needed. I'm not saying Bradley was a bad coach. I don't think he is. I'm also not saying that the next coach will be any better. However, they had to do something different.

There's been a lot of El Tri supporters crashing threads about this saying Mexico is number one. This is truth for CONCACAF. Being Number 1 in CONCACAF is like being the least ugly girl in the whore house. You're still not a princess. Mexico is a great team with a bright future, but beating an old USA squad and the rest of CONCACAF doesn't make you number one. Call me when you beat Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Spain, Italy, France, and England on a regular basis.

Probably shouldn't count Uruguay out either.

Congrats to Mexico, 2011 Gold Cup Champions

It wouldn't be difficult for anyone who spent much time at all watching the 2011 Gold Cup that Mexico was the best team by a pretty large margin. The USA showed a lot of fight in coming back from the defeat at the hands of Panama, but the sense I got after every game was, "they're gonna have to do a lot better than that to beat El Tri." In the end, they didn't.

USA talked a good, confident match coming in, and they even jumped on top of Mexico 2-0, but it all went downhill from there. Cherundulo went out and Bornstein replaced him. A nightmare of a defensive effort later, Mexico took the totally deserved win 2-4.

So Mexico reestablishes themselves as the dominant team in CONCACAF. Now. let's face it, not a great tournament from the USA. Things need to get better heading in to World Cup Qualifying. We can't be "just happy to be here." I still stand by my opinion that the USA has gone as far as Bob Bradley can take them. Yes, he made some nice tactical choices during the tournament, but in the end the Achilles heal of defense and maybe player selection cost the USA a chance at Silverware.

Congrats to Mexico, they certainly earned it.