USMNT, KLINSMANN LIFT B CUP
Brek Shea leads the way when it counts. Were we just dreaming when we thought the Texas Ostrich would be a clutch performer on a grand scale? A gold standard if you can stomach a deliberate pun. It seems like it was so long ago I heard Sir Alex Ferguson took a liking to the player's quality on the pitch. In fact it was just short of 2 years ago when Manchester United played against the MLS All Stars to an entertaining validation of the English club's dominance, 4-0 in New York City. (MLS All Stars face Roma Thursday, 8/1/13)
Well, the arrival of this tall drink of water (to talk old timey like a soccer scout from yesteryear might) will get little press, a footnote when juxtaposed with Landon Donovan's prodigal son story. With 5 goals, he shares the honor of most on the 5 time tourney victor's roster with reigning MLS MVP Chris Wondwowlowskwi. Donovan had 8 times the assists of Wondo's lone helper.
Jurgen Klinsmann basks in the glow of a record 11 game win streak - not to mention its a 9 game home win streak (US hosted the 2013 Gold Cup) - winning the trophy that eluded Egyptian National Team Head Coach and recent The Daily Show guest Bob Bradley as the German approaches his 2 year anniversary as Bradley's replacement.
It's safe to say Bradley allowed doubt to seep into the mind of Sunil Gulati after Mexico unloaded on Tim Howard in a blistering 2nd half that displayed the US' weaknesses exposed after a comfortable 2-0 lead slipped away in that 2011 CONCACAF final. The US lost 2-4 in LA and Howard openly complained about Mexico's celebration on American soil.
I was fortunate enough to interview the director and producers of a film that documented this seminal moment in US Soccer history as it relates to the US-Mexico rivalry at TriBeCa in NYC.
Watch a clip here: http://www.kickingandscreening.com/blog/soccer-football-rivals-usmnt-usa-mexico-real-madrid-barcelona-celtic-rangers-old-firm-new-york-2012-enemies-forever.html
All that being said, Klinsmann made history.
We temper our excitement by pointing out the fact that he lifted a B cup. No credible CONCACAF representative brought their A-game. (Sorry Mexico!) Meanwhile, Bradley lost the Gold Cup after the 2010 World Cup when the tournament's competitors sent their top tier players. His team and its opponents were not embroiled in the sporadic yet all important season of qualifying for the World Cup. Yet, that one game meant everything for the New Jersey native...
....or perhaps Gulati's holy grail wasn't the diamond in the rough like Indiana Jones taught us. Maybe Klinsmann is the flashy former striker with a Phil Jackson yen yoga levitating-in-a-zen-garden style that Gulati always coveted.
At $2.5 million a year, Klinsmann's salary is slightly weak by international, or more accurately, European standards, but he has a level of job security not afforded to his fellow national representatives.
Going back to the 2010 World Cup, Mexico got just as far as their neighbors to the north, but now they may be rebuilding at a time when the US are looking stronger than ever.
EL CHEPO SLEEPS WITH THE FISHES
Too dramatic a title? Too Sopranos for you? Well Jose Manuel De La Torre is reportedly out and potentially loco Bielsa is in.
Is that good? Well, from a Mexican perspective you may want Aguirre back now to build upon a group stage passing performance in South Africa hoping for further Southern Hemisphere luck in Brasil, but Bielsa has ideas.
He may not know the meaning of the words compromise or adjustment, but he has ideas. He powered his native Argentina to win the 2004 Olympics in Athens and Chile went to the Round of 16 losing to Brasil at the 2010 World Cup.
Perhaps, if he is given some rope a la Jurgen Klinsmann to tinker with an Olympic Gold Medal-winning side at the U-23 level in London 2012 competition, the Argentine can harness the fairy dust from Tata's golden ticket experience signing a 2 year contract to struggle with the 2nd best team in the world, Barca. (Do I need to explain? #1 is Bayern.)
Even Maradona likes Tata. I mean, there are too many jokes to make about this guy's name. It's almost confounding we're not all aware of this legend of South America.
It's as if someone who, for instance, the dad of a superstar athlete happened to be a big fan of a particular coach when that coach was a player and the dad suggested to the politically-charged administration at publicly-owned FC Barcelona that a certain coach would do well if, for instance, they were from the same town as the big superstar athlete, to, for example, create the best environment to favor an Argentine superstar over, por ejemplo, a new face from the other side of the proverbial South American, soccer-rivalry-complex, town in Brasil.
Ahhh conspiracy theories. Born from denials.
Denials like 'I didn't influence Barca to sign Tata', from Lionel Messi. We get it. You didn't. But your dad did.
European Football & Public Companies
At least Barca isn't publicly traded.
My believable conspiracy theory ensnaring Manchester United is that there's a lot of chatter about Catalan Cesc Fabregas being a legitimate target of Manchester United in the transfer market to replace Paul Scholes, and all due respect to Manchester United, but the club has experienced midfield deficiency for roughly 18 months.
Why do you think Rooney's pissed right now? His value dropped the second he was replaced as United's 1st option at the top by Flying Dutchmaster Robin Van Persie. Rooney was tasked to cover back and reassure the middle of the pitch (I'm sure) temporarily while the Red Devils sought a replacement.
How long can a Scouse wait?
Swerve on it.
Could United be seeking a replacement for Rooney? If Moyes wants to drop him, he would be ignoring the needs in attack ( RvP is notoriously injury prone - last 2 seasons were an anamoly) and midfield (Rooney resolves both conundrums).
Strictly speaking, this campaign to sign the former La Masia captain is the biggest load of bull I've ever been served and sent back to have the chef and I get into a fight over who pays for being served raw meat. I mean, seriously?!?!
It's the most ridiculous New York Stock Exchange meets the European transfer market story since, well, ever.
What's to stop the top brass at Manchester United or any other publicly traded company from leaking rumors about potential deals to manipulate traders into buying stock?
While there's a multitude of reasons why Fabregas won't go to United, let me highlight two that overwhelm conventional analytical wisdom.
Fabregas està sortint amb una dona bella, que està divorciada amb un guany inesperada de diners.
In other words, Fabregas is dating a woman in Catalunya with his new born baby and a life-changing amount of money coming to her from her recent divorce.
Plus, he just bought her ex-husband's home in London which has drawn enough attention to make us think he might actually have an ego causing us to consider believing he would do anything...like move back to England. Or we should take a timeout for a second and believe that maybe he just fell in love.
He had just returned to Spain after 8 years of wilderness at Arsenal in England. Even God led the Hebrews to the promised land eventually.
Sure. Off field issues. Minor details. Ahem.
The second reason Cesc won't leave Spain is...well...Spain.
Sounds silly, right?
Well it's not.
Although it emerges from the mouth of a naysayer of this proposition like me, I've heard the rationale of a coworker to go unnamed because he claims to be obscure (Andrés Cordero) that Fabregas playing a full season at Man United would better position the attacking midfielder to star or start for his national team at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
That's quite an argument you gifted to the enemy, but did you ever think of the alternative? The walrus, Vincente Del Bosque has enough juice to rival Tropicana. If Cesc starts merely 20 of 38 La Liga matches; if Tata maintains Pep and Tito's delineated 12th man status providing late goals, energetic performances, triangular connectivity, possession centered dominance in or on the edge of the box creativity, why can't Barcelona take home trophies and success quickly?
Playing time at Man United would be plentiful. But is that a bonus for Spain?
Vincente Del Bosque will consider his fresh legs an asset before Barca retires the 2013-14 season which would be a miracle if it ended in Champions League glory under Tata. Fabregas will be the perfect fit for a side that discarded the EURO 2012 ingredients for success this year in Brasil.
The no striker philosophy works. That's incentive for him. To be fresh for Brasil.
We know Brasil just smacked Spain in the mouth while Del Bosque thinks of nothing else but victory in the biggest tournaments.
Is Confederations Cup the most majestic?
Hell no.
But a signal was sent.
Fabregas got the message.
There is scarce competition at the Spanish National Team in the unconventional 'no striker necessary' wisdom; the anti-tactic, more than a system, tiqui-taka movement.
Why get hurt in England?
United need him but most of the people in the room get it. The ones who don't...are the mark.
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