Weekend Predictions...

Lately, it's been tough to be a former U.S. National Team coach in MLS, hasn't it? Steve Sampson gets canned last month after a dismal season thus far w/ the L.A. Galaxy, while the Kansas City Wizards ended their 7-year relationship with Bob Gansler earlier this week as the team won only 6 out of their last 26 games dating back to last season. More and more, MLS is becoming a "what have you done for me lately?" type of league with regard to coaching, and I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing.

The patience for bad coaching in Europe and South America has a very low level of tolerance, both from the fans as well as the teams paying millions of dollars to players who are expected to get results. Until this year, MLS really hasn't had that problem. A coach gets fired, and within a month or so, became a retread in one of the other cities. What we've seen over the past 2 years is that new coaches are being given a chance to show what they can, and gain valuable experience. One of the things I've stated for several years is that the quality of the league needs to improve, but that won't start just be getting better players; there's a need for better coaching, and even moreso, accountability.

So what we've seen is Thomas Rongen fired at Chivas last year, Sampson in L.A., and Gansler in KC. These three have been fixtures in the American soccer scene for years. In addition, longtime Chicago coach Dave Sarachan is feeling the heat for an underperforming Chicago Fire team, and the Rapids' Fernando Clavijo, while not in extreme peril, might not want to make any large land investments in the Colorado area. Former U-17 Coach John Ellinger is another one whose future appears a bit cloudy as Real Salt Lake continue to struggle in their 2nd season.

Now we're seeing the advent of former players taking the reins of teams, and we've also seen 2 highly successful MLS coaches who left to coach National Teams (Bruce Arena and Frank Yallop) are making their return. Yallop's Galaxy, thanks in large part to the return of Landon "I just wasn't feeling it" Donovan to the squad, have played almost as well as any team in the league over the past month. KC's Brian Bliss has a great reputation in soccer circles as being quite knowledgeable and can draw from his playing experience in MLS to relate a little better to the players than some of the others who have been around a bit. Look at what Peter Nowak has done in 2 1/2 season with DC United. They're on pace to become the most successful regular-season team in MLS history, and there were some (like me) who were a bit skeptical when he was announced as Ray Hudson's successor. Shows what we know. Likewise, although Bruce Arena isn't going to run the show for New York until August 7th, the fact that he has enough faith that assistant Richie Williams can keep the team afloat gives the former player instant credibility to go along with the experience he's gaining. The addition of John Harkes, who desperately wanted to join the ranks of MLS coaches, will also provide some valuable insight.

Let's face it, as my colleague Brian Straus from The Post Express told me recently about this very subject, "If Germany, w/ Klinsmann, and Holland, w/ Van Basten, are able to have some degree of success at the World Cup, then it's probably good enough for Kansas City to take a shot at it."

I couldn't agree more. The fact that these coaches only recently stopped being players themselves should translate to having a better grasp on the modern game. They can relate better to the current crop of players. If you're a 20 year-old kid in training, wouldn't you be more attentive to the coach who started off a sentence with "When I was playing in the MLS Cup 2 years ago" rather than some curmudgeon who more or less resembles your grandfather?

That's just my 2 cents...

Now for this weekend's predictions:

Chicago/DC - For some reason, I have the feeling the Fire are going to end United's unbeaten streak. It's got to end sometime, and what better time than against a Chicago team desperate for 3 points at home? Pick: Chicago

L.A./Columbus - The Galaxy won't be as tired as they only played a 45 minute exhibition against Crystal Palace on Wednesday, while the Crew slipped to last in the East after losing to New York on Wednesday. Yallop seems to have righted the sinking ship. Pick: L.A.

New York/Kansas City - 2 new coaches going head to head. The Wizards have a lot of talent that just hasn't played up to par, which was the main reason for the change at the top. Here's thinking that Bliss will have the team motivated and ready to go. Pick: Kansas City

Houston/New England - This was my original pick for this year's MLS Cup finalists. Houston has been pretty steady, and is much more dangerous w/ Brian Ching back from the World Cup. New England has also looked much better w/ Clint Dempsey back, and should battle the Wizards for 2nd place in the East. Let's go w/ the home team for this one. Pick: Houston

Real Salt Lake/Dallas - Huge comeback win for Dallas in stifling heat in Chicago last Saturday. Kenny Cooper is on the verge of being a dominant player in this league. Pick: FC Dallas

There you go. I'll be heading out to Florida for a combination of business/pleasure next week, and although I'll try to post something while I'm down there, don't count on it. At the latest, I'll be back in about a week. As always, thanks for reading!

Bruce to Red Bulls!

It's just coming off the wire, but Bruce Arena is officially the new coach of the New York Red Bulls. Not like we didn't see that one coming, but it's a good hire, for him, the team, and the league. He brings instant name recognition and credibility to the squad, and although I don't expect much from them this year, his stamp will be on the team next year as they attempt to salvage this joke of a franchise.

First things first, give a listen to www.thesoccershow.com tonight around 8 o'clock, when yours truly, Craig Stouffer from the DC Examiner, and host Pat Walsh take an hour to discuss a broad variety of soccer subjects. I've been on the show several times, but this will be the first time the show will feature 2 guests. The three of us have all appeared on my old tv show several times before, but it's always a little different on the radio. You can also find the show if you go to http://www.broadcastmonsters.com/SoccerShow/munkmick.asx , so check it out.

Some of the topics we'll be covering are the current state of the New York Red Bulls and do they need to find success in order for MLS itself to succeed? We'll also be talking about the MLS All-Star selections, snubs, and what to expect come August 5th in Chicago against Chelsea. Of course, Bruce Arena and the U.S. National Team will also play heavily into our discussion, so tune in and listen!

Sorry, had to do the shameless plug there.

As for my take on the MLS All-Stars, is it just me or could you conceivably start the entire DC United 11 against Chelsea? They have 7 guys on the team, but you could just as easily put Brian Carroll, Facundo Erpen, or whomever is their other d-mid (Clyde Simms, Ben Olsen) and be fine. Carroll is arguably the best d-mid in the league right now, ahead of New England's Shalrie Joseph and Dallas' Richard Mulrooney. Granted, I'm not sure if I could start Carroll at d-mid for the U.S. right now, but his current form is without question. I think the overall results were pretty accurate; Landon Donovan and Brian Ching have done enough since they got back from World Cup duty to merit selections, although Jimmy Conrad, Eddie Pope, and Pablo Mastroeni's contributions might be a little sketchy.

Notice how little grief you're hearing about Freddy Adu's selection. His stats might not be the best (1 goal, 6 assists) right now, but he's playing some great soccer, and deserves to be on the field against a world power like Chelsea. He'll bring a little more interest to a game that actually has my attention this year. I don't normally go for the All-Star stuff, as the games are never "real" games w/ the tackling and strategy you see in a normal game. However, if the game 2 years ago pitting the MLS All-Stars against Chivas was any indication, the team put out on August 5th in Chicago will bring their "A" game against one of the top 2 club teams in the world. Should be interesting to watch Ballack and Shevchenko try to mesh w/ their new teammates.

Other than that, it's pretty much been a slow week now that we're all suffering from World Cup hangover.

DC won again on Saturday (yawn), Clint Dempsey got suspended again, and Chivas and L.A. played to a fairly uneventful 0-0 draw. The other games this week were pretty good, w/ a couple of them winding up 3-2 and featured some exciting soccer.

My player of the week was Kenny Cooper from FC Dallas. W/ Carlos Ruiz and Roberta Nina out of the lineup, the bullish striker notched an assist and scored the game-winning goal in a huge comeback win at Chicago. I'm hoping Cooper gets a chance to show his stuff whenever the new U.S. Coach (Klinsmann) comes calling a few months down the road.

Oh, and is it just me or are you having trouble identifying some of the members of the U.S. Women's team now that several of them have gotten married and changed their names? Cat Whitehill? That's Cat Reddick to me... Kate Markgraf? Kate Sobrero, pal! Sorry, I'll figure it out soon enough, hopefully be fore next year's women's World Cup.

That's all for today. I'll be back later in the week. In the meantime, be sure to listen in tonight!

The King Is Dead...

Will Klinsmann be the next U.S. Coach?
According to the Magic 8-Ball, "All signs point to Yes!"


...long live the king!

Yeah, it's cheesy, but appropriate under the circumstances, wouldn't you say? Bruce Arena's 8-year tenure as Coach for the U.S. National Team is officially done, as U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati declared via press conference today that they would not be renewing Arena's contract. It's not surprising, and I think it was probably the worst kept secret in the soccer world. Still, it's going to be a little weird that the next time we see the boys of the red,white, and blue, it will be under new leadership.

I've been fortunate enough to have covered this sport since 1999, less than a year after Arena took over. At the time, I thought hiring him was a no-brainer, and I also thought he would take the team to the next level. He not only did that, but took it another 2 steps. NOBODY thought the team of 2002 had a chance to get out of their group. They did that, and on less than 3 days rest, knocked the crap out of our mortal enemy in the round of 16. Nobody thought THAT was possible either. They almost did the unthinkable as they outplayed a German team that ultimately wound up sending the U.S. home, but a statement, and most importantly, a new attitude, was made. The U.S. would not be a pushover anymore. Sure, lots of people will say the 2006 Cup was a miserable failure for the team, and without a doubt one of the few times Arena hasn't been successful, but before the tournament began, many observers figured this was a team to reckon with. Although the play didn't live up to the hype, expectations are now in place that simply wern't around in the mentality of U.S. Soccer and its fans before 1999. A large amount of credit should go to Arena for that.

Yes, I admit I was harsh on him in some of these columns, and I stand behind my criticism. That should not, and will not, take away the importance of the Bruce Arena era over the past 8 years. His dedication to his country and this sport cannot be overlooked. He's going to be a 1st ballot Hall of Famer, and whatever he decides to do (*cough* New York Red Bulls *cough*), chances are he'll be successful there also.

To Bruce Arena, thanks for everything you've done for U.S. Soccer. Although we might not always admit it or show it, we always appreciated it.

Now let's go ahead and bring Klinsmann on board and get ready for next year's Copa America...

Some quick-hitters before I go:

1. One of the things that came out in today's press conference with U.S. Soccer was that Arena was in fact offered a job to coach a European team. Nobody would comment or elaborate, so we don't yet know if it was a club team or country. Regardless, the offer was made before the Cup started, and has since been withdrawn.

2. Clint Dempsey, you're really hurting your image by your inability to control your temper. Between the fight w/ teammate Joey Franchino back in March and your dustup w/ Segares in the Chicago game the other night, European teams are not going to spend money or time on a kid who has the temperament of Wayne Rooney but without the skills. Keep your cool and play your game.

3. Game of the week Saturday is in L.A., as Chivas USA and the Galaxy meet for the 3rd time this year. Chivas is better than their record would suggest, and L.A. has won 3 straight since Landon Donovan and Chris Albright came back from the Cup. This should be a great matchup, so if you have HDNet, be watching it at 10 PM EST on Saturday.

4. After DC's demolition of Celtic in Wednesday's exhibition, I had the chance to chat w/ a couple of Scottish media members from Celtic's contingent. Really nice group of guys, and they were quite impressed w/ DC. They thought Freddy was awesome (he was), they really liked Ben Olsen, and were also asking about Josh Gros and Bobby Boswell, who both had terrific games. Should be interesting to see how those 2 progress over the next few years. Maybe some time in the next U.S. training camp is in order?

I'll be back on Monday with a review of the weekend 's action and other info as I gather it.

Happy Trails...

This is probably how a lot of you felt after witnessing some of the coaching decisions made in the 2006 World Cup.


...to the World Cup, but as I've said repeatedly, not this blog. Hope you all still have me bookmarked and will check in on occasion. The plan is to write 2-3 times per week, usually on Mondays to review the weekend's games, and Fridays to preview them. The occasional middle of the week column will also show up, depending on what's happening in the news.

So, as promised, I've finally compiled my list of coaching blunders for 2006. I've got 5 shoo-ins who had to be in the list, and added 3 others in the "alternate" group, because I didn't feel you could blame the coach for all of the woes of the team. Let's start out w/ those:

1. Togo - This one's pretty much a no-brainer. Both the coach and the team made spectacles out of themselves from the moment they stepped off the plane. First, coach Otto Pfister resigns before the first game, then comes back at the last minute. Next, the team is still unhappy with the money promised to them and threaten to boycott their 2nd game against Switzerland, and then don't have anything to play for in game 3 because they've already been eliminated. The story of African football in this Cup was overwhelmingly Ghana and the Ivory Coast, 2 teams on the rise. However, Togo's actions and antics in between kickoffs was an embarrassment to their country and their continent. Hopefully they can get their act together before 2010.

2. Serbia and Montenegro - Again, there were issues before the tournament even started. Serbia and Montenegro had decided to split into 2 separate countries. They played alright in their first match against Holland, albeit losing 1-0, but there were hopes of a draw w/ Argentina and a win over Ivory Coast, and the team could sneak into the 2nd round. However, it fell apart about 36 hours after the first game. There was a training bust up between players from each of the representative countries, then the loss of center back Nemanja Vidic in training, and then striker Meteja Kezman gets ejected late in a 6-0 blowout to Argentina. The old saying is that the team needs to be blown up and start again, but thanks to politics, it's already happened.

3. Ricardo Lavolpe (Mexico) - He's very much on the border (no pun intended), and I think he did enough in the first game to keep him out of the "top 5." His subs made him look like a genius against Iran, when they scored 2 late goals to pull away and win 3-1. However, superstar Jared Borgetti's injury would keep him out of the next 2 matches. Can't blame Lavolpe for the injury, but the fact that he had no other striker on the roster who could create the havoc of Borgetti, and so I submit the name of...Cuauhtémoc Blanco. Sure, he and Lavolpe didn't exactly see eye to eye, but Blanco'somissionn from the roster gave Mexico a thin and out of form group ofstrikerss who struggled in a draw against Angola and loss to Portugal's reserve team. Had Blanco been given a chance, they might have gotten the win over Angola and a draw or better w/ Portugal, setting up a date w/ a more beatable Holland team rather than Argentina.

Okay, now for the real top 5:

5. Ecuador's Luis Fernando Suarez - I'll give him some credit for getting his team into the 2nd round, but when they got the round of 16, Suarez' brain seemed to go on vacation. England was playing horribly, it was hot, and there was no rhythm to the game. An early breakaway was missed, but that should have been evidence alone that England was tentative. Instead of using his formidable attacking trio of Tenorio, Delgado, and Kaviedes to run England into the ground (remember Beckham puking on the field?), Suarez played a conservative, almost fearful approach in a game where the other team had "defeat" written all over them. Even after England took the lead, there seemed to be little life and urgency from a team that was one of the few genuinesurprisess of the 1st round.

4. Holland's Marco Van Basten - Truth be told, I expected a bit more from him. They won their first 2 games in impressive fashion, then rested his regulars in the finale against Argentina, having secured a place in the next round. The game w/ Portugal was hyped to be the most equal match of the round of 16, and it was, in terms of a bloodbath. 4 red cards and 16 yellow cards marred this game, as in dissolved into chaos, fouls, and flops. Although he hadn't been in great form at the Cup, Ruud Van Nistelrooywouldd have been the perfectsubstitutee when it became apparent how the game was going to go. Ruud's size, strength, and attitude would have literally brought an extra punch to the trailing Dutch, but Ruud was adamant about keeping one of the top strikers in the world on the bench, as once again, Holland continued its history of World Cup disappointments by losing 1-0 in a game they probably could have/should have won.

3. The U.S.'s Bruce Arena - You knew this was coming, didn't you? With Arena, it wasn't just one major problem, there were several smaller ones that added up to a lot over the course of 3 games. First, his formation; no matter how he tried to explain how his midfielder were actually attackers, it was still a 4-5-1 w/ McBride alone up top. That has never worked for Arena, and it kept arguably his most explosive player, Eddie Johnson, on the bench. After the first game debacle against the Czechs, he threw several players under the bus, like Beasley, Donovan, and Keller. While Arena can be a hard ass, he usually does that behind closed doors, which the players will take to heart rather than get defensive, which is what Beas and Keller did. Next, his substitution pattern (or lack thereof). He can crow all he wants about leaving his 9 guys on the field in the Italy game because he liked what he saw, but wouldn't an Eddie Johnson or Josh Wolff have been a great sub to keep the Italian defenders back 10 or 15 yards, thereby taking pressure off his defense? I could probably go on, but you get the idea. Bruce stuck w/ certain players way too long, stuck to tactics that didn't work, and ultimately stopped being the brilliant Bruce Arena from before and publicly morphed into what those of us in the media have known for years; that he's a sarcastic, narcissistic, and arrogant man who believes he's smarter than everyone else in the room.

2. England's Sven Goran Ericksson - Was there a more boring team to watch in this tournament? I kept waiting for the offense to click, for the passes to be sharp, for the runs to be swift, and the shots to be lethal. We got none of that from this squad. Like Arena to a degree, Sven kept players like Gerrard, Lampard, and Beckham on the field despite their terrible play. He changed from 2 forwards to 1 when Rooney got healthy, and while he had some terrific plays, they were few and far between. Peter Crouch, although not the best player on the field, added a target player and "over the top" options, but Sven benched him so he could play his 5 midfielders. After Owen went down early w/ a severe knee injury, Sven didn't have the depth to draw on for add'l option up front. Where was Jermain Dafoe? Why bring a 17 year old whom you don't trust to put onthe pitchh in the most crucial of games? I think this was England's last best chance to win w/ this group, and they blew it. New boss Steve McClaren is now charged with bringing in some fresh blood before Euro qualifying starts this fall.

And the #1 coach blunder goes to:

1. Argentina's Jose Peckerman - It would take a book to write about the numerous mistakes he made, but let's concentrate on the Germany game, which might just be the single-worst coaching job I've ever witnessed at this level. They played the hosts to a standstill in the first half, then scored early in the 2nd to take a 1-0 lead. Now, if you have arguably the most skilled attackers in the tournament on your team, and you know the other team now has to open it up to score, what do you do? If you're Jose, you gradually bring off your offensive stars and replace them with defenders and hope you can hold out for 40 minutes, plus another 30 of OT. First, he took out Riquelme, who seemed irked that he was being replaced. He replaced him with the good but defensive-oriented Cambiasso. There goes your midfield. He then took out an exhausted Crespo and put in Julio Cruz, who had only gotten about 70 minutes in the meaningless game against Holland. 2 of the best attackers in the world, Messi and Saviola, sat on the bench. Granted, the inury sub for the 'keeper made a difference, but once all of Jose's offense was out, you knew Germany had no fear of being scored on again, and pushed, pushed, pushed, until they got the equalizer literally 2 minutes after Cruz stepped on the pitch. Game over, essentially. They had 1 or 2 threats in OT, but nothing to make the Germans fear the players in front of them. I could go on, but I've rambled long enough.

So there you have it. I'm sure there are coaches out there who could try to explain why these coaches did what they did, and that's fine. I just looked over some of the decisions made, and on more than one occasion, asked "What the hell is he thinking?" Apparently, a lot of others felt the same way. Your thoughts? Comments? Share 'em with me.

Again, thanks for reading and for your input and insight. It's been a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to keeping this thing going for quite awhile.

How Time Flies!

"On my planet, this is how we introduce ourselves."

Tim Holt and Pat Walsh, you guys are geniuses. The Vice President of the USL and host of "The Soccer Show," respectively, were the only 2 I spoke with who predicted an Italian victory a little more than a month ago. Give your selves a pat on the back, gentlemen, ya' done good. I didn't do too poorly myself, finishing 2nd overall in The Washington Post's fantasy challenge. Maybe I get a t-shirt or a hat...

As for the game itself, you can pretty much get a recap of everything form the hundreds of other papers and website, so I won't go into too much detail other than offer these thoughts:

1. Did the referees use the replay monitor yesterday to see what Zidane did to Materazzi? If they did, then they just introduced instant replay to soccer, something FIFA has yet to embrace. However, they might be forced to if the referees admit they didn't actually SEE Zidane assault Materazzi.

2. Zidane is an idiot for losing his cool once again (remember, he was suspended for 2 games in '98 for deliberately stepping on an opponent during a group stage game), but would France have even gotten to the Final without his amazing displays against Spain and Brazil? I think not.

3. When you have the best defender in the world (Cannavaro) as well as the best goalkeeper in the world (Buffon), winning a World Cup shouldn't surprise anybody.

4. Guys, keep your pants on!!! The last thing I really wanted to see during yesterday's celebrations was Gattuso's marble sack as he was jumping up and down. Imagine Shaq or Tom Brady doing that after winning a championship...the horror, the horror!!!

5. It wasn't a great game, but probably still the best one since '86 when Maradona and company beat West Germany 3-2.

So what do we do now? I'm not sure what to do with myself now that I don't have 3 games per day to watch. Guess it's back to the grind of MLS, which isn't so bad, especially since I'm covering a team like DC United, who don't look like they'll lose another game this season. Plus, I'm going to keep doing this blog. After today, I've got 1 more column in me about this Cup (the long-promised "coaching blunders" column), and after that I'll try to update this thing at least 3 times a week with various soccer news, insights, and stories you all have hopefully come to expect from me.

With that, let me give you my All-Tournament team. I'll go with a 3-4-3.

Goal: Gianluigi Buffon (Italy)
Defender: Fabio Cannavaro (Italy)
Defender: John Terry (England)
Defender: Philipp Lahm (Germany)
Midfielder: Zinedine Zidane (France)
Midfielder: Andrea Pirlo (Italy)
Midfielder: Juan Riquelme (Argentina)
Midfielder: Michael Essien (Ghana)
Forward: Miroslave Klose (Germany)
Forward: Thierry Henry (France)
Forward: Fernando Torres (Spain)

2nd Team
Goal: Ricardo (Portugal)
Defender: Liliam Thuram (France)
Defender: Juan Pablo Sorin (Argentina)
Defender: Rafael Marquez (Mexico)
Midfielder: Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany)
Midfielder: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
Midfielder: Franck Ribery (France)
Midfielder: Maxi Rodriguez (Argentina)
Forward: Lukas Podolski (Germany)
Forward: Ronaldo (Brazil)
Forward: Arjen Robben (Holland)


See you tomorrow!

Here We Go...

"When he's not minding the nets for France, Fabian Barthez moonlights as the lead singer for Judas Priest."


Yeah, I know I said I'd do a preview on Friday, but I ran out of time. Sorry about that.

Just got through watching Germany dismantle Portugal for 3rd place, and I'm pretty confident when I say this; there's NO WAY Klinsmann will leave as Germany's coach to be the next U.S. coach. Not happening, at least not yet. All you had to do was see his reaction and interaction with his players after being eliminated by Italy on Tuesday, and then all the stuff he did on the sidelines today to know that he loves what he's doing, he loves those players, and the players and now German fans love him right back. I don't think he'll stay on for a full 4 years, but I think he'll stay at least through Euro 2008. Man, I'd love to have him here coaching us, but be patient, folks. He'll be here for the 2014 cycle. We should put this column in a time capsule and open it up 8 years from now to see if I'm correct...

Now, as for the main event tomorrow, most people have Italy winning and taking the Title. I don't think it's such a clear cut case. Let's review each position, plus a couple of other factors to come up w/ my prediction on the outcome.

GOALKEEPING: On paper, this looks extremely one-sided. Italy's Gianluigi Buffon has pretty much solidified his position as the world's #1 goalie, as he's only given up 1 goal in the entire tournament thus far, and even then, it took one of his own players to knock it in. He's made some ridiculous saves, and might be the best goalkeeper I've seen since another Italian, Dino Zoff, led Italy to the '82 Cup. On the other end, Fabian Barthez likes to make things interesting, huh? That volleyball "dig" after the free kick against Portugal would have made "blooper" reels across the globe had it led to a goal, but it didn't. He tends to get lost on crosses as well, and rarely catches anything clean. Still, he's got a World Cup and European Championship on his resume, which Buffon does not. Plus, he does make the big save when called upon, and has done so a few times over the past 4 weeks. Edge: Italy

DEFENSE: This one is a little closer. The French defense has only given up 2 goals so far, one of which was a penalty kick. Lilian Thuram has as much experience in big games as anybody on either team, and is often overlooked when people talk about legendary French players. Eric Abidel has been a true revelation in this tournament as well, while Willy Sagnol and William Gallas have been steady if unspectacular to get the job done. Italy is, well, Italy. They're usually the first team mentioned when talking about defense, and deservedly so. For all the talk about Buffon, players like Gianluca Zambrotta and Fabio Grosso simply haven't allowed the opposition many opportunities this tournament, and they've played some skilled attacking teams like the Czech Republic, Ghana, and Germany. Even with Nesta out of the past few games, all Fabio Cannavaro has done is emerge as the world's best defender and arguably the MVP of this tournament. Edge: Italy

MIDFIELD: The Italian midfield hasn't been given as much credit as they deserve. There aren't any "superstars" in this area, but the play of Simone Perotta, Gennaro Gattuso, and Mauro Cameronesi has gotten the job done at both ends of the field, w/ Gattuso in particular breaking up attacks as the defensive midfielder. In my column the other day on which players have stepped up in this tournament, I sinfully left off Andrea Pirlo, who my colleague Brian Straus, from XM's World Cup show and Washington Post Express, claims is the MVP of the Cup going into Sunday's match. All Pirlo has done is score a goal, notch 2 assists (including the brilliant game-winner against Germany in the semis) and orchestrate the Italian attack. When you look at France, it's a who's who of some of the world's best talent, with Patrick Vieira and Claude Makalele playing some of the best soccer in their lives. Newcomers who have forced their way into the discussion like Franck Ribery and Florent Malouda have also been tireless on the wings and have created havoc in attacking as well as tracking back defensively, which allows Zinedine Zidane to pace himself better throughout the match. Because of this, the 34 year-old has played his best soccer in years. He might be the best "story" of this tournament, and if he can muster enough magic for 1 more win in the Final, he'll be mentioned with Charles de Gaulle in the annals of French history. Edge: France

STRIKER: France's Thierry Henry is finally having the impact on the International stage that had avoided him thus far in his career. One of the best domestic players in the world for Arsenal, Henry was largely invisible in the 2002 Cup and 2004 Euros. This time around, he's got 3 goals, has drawn numerous fouls in the attacking 3rd of the field, and actually leads the team in fouls committed with 18, showing how much more aggressive he's become on the pitch. Depth could be a problem, as Louis Saha will sit out due to yellow cards. If France needs some offense late, Sylvain Wiltord or David Trezeguet will have to fill that role. Italy has scored 11 goals in the tournament, with an amazing 10 different players getting n the score sheet. Only huge target Luca Toni has 2, both of which came in the quarters against Ukraine. Toni has not been the dominating player in this tournament many expected, but thanks to the resurgence of Francesco Totti, and the numerous bench options on the team, he hasn't had to. Still, Henry has more experience and explosiveness, and if anyone can break down the stout Italian defense, it's him. Edge: France

COACHING: Italy's Marcelo Lippi has a bit more experience in these type of situations, while France's Raymond Domenach is relatively new to the club. However, Domenach has had success as coach of France's youth teams. Lippi hasn't had to make many adjustments other than replacing Nesta in defense. The team hasn't missed a beat. He knows the strengths of all his players, and his relatively calm demeanor on the sidelines shows the confidence he has in his team. Domenach is a bit more animated, and didn't back down from Big Phil Scolari's verbal assaults against him or his team in the semis against Portugal. Domenach also likes to gamble a bit, as he tends to substitute attacking with other attacking players, even if the team has a lead. His philosophy of keeping the other team on its heels rather than putting his own team under pressure has worked brilliantly so far. Edge: Even

INTANGIBLES: Italy has played the best soccer of the 32 teams throughout the tournament. Their only stumble came against a determined, yet undermanned, U.S. team that was playing for its tournament lives. Other than that, the Italians have never really looked to be in any trouble. France was on the verge of not even making it ot the knockout round, as they needed a win in game 3 against a terrible Togo team to advance. Since then, they've beaten powers Spain, Brazil, and Portugal. Zidane has erased all those who doubted he could pull off what he's done, and it's a shame the last time we'll see him in a competitive match will be tomorrow afternoon. As mentioned earlier, in addition to "Zizou," the French have several players who have been here before, so they know what to expect. It might take Italy time to adjust. Edge: France

OVERALL: France 3 - Italy 2 - 1 Even

Final Prediction: I mentioned in Thursday's column that I was going with Italy. Then I kept thinking...and thinking...and thinking. My head says Italy is the smart play. They're organized, a little faster, are in top form, and have loads of confidence. France will start 5 players 30 or older, and Zidane is probably running on fumes. Still, if Italy comes out tentative, which I suspect they will, France needs to attack and capitalize. If they can get an early goal and make Italy chase the game, which they haven't had to do in this tournament, Les Bleus will walk away with their 2nd World Cup in 8 years. If Italy can make the game fast and pressure the older French, the legs might not be able to hold up for 90 minutes. This is a tough one to call, but:

Henry gets behind the Italian defense sometime within the first 20 minutes and scores the only goal of the game. France 1 - Italy 0.

The Stage Is Set

"And the Ass Clown Award for Most Dives In The Tournament Goes to... Portugal!!!!"

First off, there was no controversy. Henry was taken down in the penalty box. It was a foul. It was a deserved penalty. End of story.

Besides, even if Henry DID flop (which he didn't), doesn't that just make Karmic sense? Portugal too often tried to influence the referee during games rather than try to win using their high level of talent and world-class coaching. It worked against England in getting Wayne Rooney sent off, but worked against them yesterday in a game where Larrionda (the ref from the USA/Italy match) was in complete control of the game and let the players decide the outcome rather than the officiating. Same thing for the Germany/Italy game Tuesday; the best referee is the one you don't notice, and I didn't see much of either in the semifinals, as it should be.

Although yesterday's game wasn't a thriller, it wasn't too bad. There were some good chances on both ends, and even though he was loudly booed every time he touched the ball, Cristiano Ronaldo was probably the best player on the field yesterday. It's too bad he got little if any help from anybody else in the attacking third of the field. Zidane had some moments of brilliance and some moments where he looked 34 years of age. Henry's touch still seems a bit off, but once again, Ribery, Vieira, and the rest of the supporting cast did a great job of playing defense and looking quite dangerous on counters.

As for the Germany/Italy game, wow, what fun! It was also proof that a 0-0 game can be riveting and feature plenty of thrills without a ton of chances. I thought Germany's athleticism would eventually prevail as the game wore on, but Italy really impressed me with their form and shape, and the fact that they really stepped it up in OT and possibly could have scored another goal or 2 if it wasn't for the post being Jens Lehmann's best friend. It was tough to see the hosts go out, but Italy deserved to win and play for the Final. I'll get to my more detailed prediction on Friday, but I don't see them losing on Sunday.

With that, I want to take a few moments to list some players for individual recognition. What follows is my list of 10 players in this Cup who really stepped up and made us take notice, and the next group of 10 who made us wonder what all the hype was about. Here we go:

Stepped Up:

Zinedine Zidane (France)- This one's a no-brainer. Practically willed France to beat Brazil in the quarters, made the winning penalty in the semis against a 'keeper known for stopping them, and was basically the most fun player to watch in this tournament.

Fabio Cannavaro (Italy) - Most of the emphasis on the Italian defense coming into the Cup was on Nesta, but when he went down with an injury, Cannavaro stepped up into the Captain's role, kept everybody organized, and believe it or not, hasn't earned a single yellow card in the 6 games he's played (and he's played every single minute).

Michael Essien (Ghana) - Essien was arguably the best player in the tournament during the group stage, as he led the Ghanians to impressive wins over more established powers like the Czechs and the U.S. He was everywhere, and showed he's going to be a force at the club and international level for the next several years.

Miroslav Klose (Germany) - Leads the Cup with 5 goals, and really carried the team offensively through its first few games as the team found it rhythm. He's a world-class striker who is finally getting his due.

Clint Dempsey (United States) - Come on, even though they bombed out, you knew I had to put 1 American on this team, and who better than Clint? After sitting out the first game, Clint showed no fear in either game against Italy and Ghana, running at players, hustling at both ends of the field, and scoring the U.S.' only goal (the own goal against Italy doesn't count) by ripping a shot in the all-important Ghana game. He's since kept that form coming back to MLS and New England, and I think he'll be in Europe by mid-fall.

Frank Ribery (France) - Kind of an afterthought at first on a team full of stars like Zidane, Henry, and Thuram, but the diminutive winger has wreaked havoc on opposing defenses the entire tournament, scoring a goal and an assist, and also leads the team in "fouls suffered," which is proof that he gets opponents in dangerous situations. Definitely one of the revelations of the Cup.

Ricardo (Portugal) - Leads the Cup with 24 total saves, and has only given up 2 goals in 6 games. One of those was the penalty kick yesterday. He came up huge in the quarters against England, stopping 3 pk's to propel his country into the semifinals. He didn't get as much press as teammates Figo, Ronaldo, and Pauleta, but Ricardo is the reason they got as far as they did.

Agustin Delgado (Ecuador) - Had 2 goals and as assist as he (along w/ Tenorio) was the primary reason his country made it into the 2nd round before being ousted by an overrated English side. Delgado displayed a great touch and presence on the field and proved that you don't have to only be from Argentina or Brazil to be a great South American footballer.

Arjen Robben (Holland) - I actually felt bad for him. He started out so strong in the first game against Serbia/Montenegro, scoring the only goal, but then his players actually chastised him for being a ball hog. In the next game against Ivory Coast, he wasn't as ferocious, but still played solid attacking soccer and picked up an assist. In the team's elimination game against Portugal, Robben was one of the few players on the Dutch side that showed any sense of urgency. Unfortunately for him, playing this well still might not get him more playing time at Chelsea, who have assembled an All-Star team to try and win the champions League this year.

Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine) - There are some writers who accused him of not playing well in this tournament. I wonder what sport they were watching? In their first ever World Cup appearance, they get to the quarterfinals, and Shev was a big reason for it. He scored twice, had an assist, led the team with 15 shots, suffered 15 fouls against, and, in a rarity for a pure striker, committed 11 fouls himself (and strangely was never carded). He's the reason why Robben won't get more playing time for Chelsea this year.

Now, for those who didn't exactly answer when their country came calling:

Ronaldinho (Brazil) - The World Player of the Year was the invisible man for much of the tournament, notching only 2 assists and mustering only 8 shots (3 on goal) in 5 games. Brazil's offense sputtered throughout the Cup, and a big reason was Ronaldinho's inability to put his stamp on the game. In the quarterfinals against France, it was Zidane who looked 26 years old and not 34. It'll be a long 4 years before Ronaldinho gets a chance to redeem himself.

Landon Donovan (United States) - Can't really add much to what has already been said by every other soccer journalist about him. He just didn't show up, save for that 2nd half against Italy. It's possible he's grown content with his perfect Southern California lifestyle, and that's fine. It's his life, and he doesn't have to answer to anybody but himself. However, don't just assume that he'll be the captain of this team whenever he steps on the field because Claudio Reyna has retired. If Landon wants the armband, he needs to earn it back.

Pauleta (Portugal) - My pick at the beginning of the Cup to win the Golden Boot. He made me look like a genius in the first game, getting a goal only 4 minutes in. After that, nada, zilch, squat. Not only did he fail to score again, but he wasn't even dangerous in the subsequent games. Maybe being the only forward drew too many defenders to him, and the rest of the offense didn't help him out. Still, a forward needs to at least create something, or be a distraction to free up someone else. Pauleta did none of this, and I'm surprised Portugal was able to go this far w/ so little contribution from him.

Jared Borgetti (Mexico) - I shouldn't be too hard on him. He was injured in the Iran game and then sat out the next 2. He had 1 or 2 moments in the round of 16 game against Argentina, but again, the lack of a certified 2nd goalscorer doomed Mexico to another early exit. Borgetti struggled with his fitness and was never able to put his stamp on a game as he's done so many times in CONCACAF.

Javier Saviola (Argentina) - Disappointing tournament all-around for this superstar. Was ineffective for much of the time he was on the field, and was replaced by Carlos Tevez for the quarterfinal match against Germany and never got a chance to get on the field to redeem himself. He and Hernan Crespo never seemed to be in sync, and the result was a lot of disjointed soccer between the 2. The rest of the Argentine offense looked good for large parts of the Cup, but Saviola was never the lethal player he was expected to be.

Raul (Spain) - I have to put part of the blame for his failure on Coach Luis Aragones (whom I'll mention in more detail when I get to my "bad coaching" column), who kept Raul on the pitch even though he contributed little to the attack (his specialty) or defense (his weakness). His only contribution really came in game #2 against the Tunisia, where he scored a late goal to ensure a 3-1 win. Unfortunately, he did little else, as he seemed to slow up the free flowing offense so effective w/ Torres, Villa, and Fabregas. This was probably his last World Cup, and, fair or not, he'll go down as one of the tournament's biggest underachievers.

Ruud Van Nistelrooy (Holland) - Wasn't effective in any of the 3 first round matches, scoring only 1 goal and getting only 4 shots. Was benched by Marco Van Basten in the round of 16 game against Portugal, and never came off the bench to get a chance to level the score. Rumors of he and Arjen Robben arguing frequently behind the scenes probably didn't help matters much.

Frank Lampard (England) - Another player who was expected to to lead the best English team in 40 years to the promised land, Lampard had an astounding 24 shots in 5 games, but not a single goal or assist in the tournament. He and Steven Gerrard teamed up to form the most disappointing duo of the Cup. His penalty miss in the shootout against Portugal was a fitting end to arguably the biggest disappointment of his career.

Henrik Larsson (Sweden) - A potentially explosive Swede offense was ineffective throughout the tournament, starting in game 1 against Trinidad and Tobago. Larsson looked every bit of his 35 years as he seemed a step slower than everybody else. In the knockout round against Germany and trailing 2-0 early in the 2nd half, Larsson attempted a penalty kick that, if successful, would have made the rest of the game quite interesting. Instead, he fired the ball up into the stands, and Sweden was finished. Not the way such a great player should leave the world stage.

Mateja Kezman (Serbia and Montenegro) - S&M was a team with an enormous challenge before the cup started, as they were in the Group of Death w/ Holland, Argentina, and Ivory Coast. The team was known for its defense, which meant Kezman would need to score a goal or two for them to have any chance. He had very few chances, and during the 6-0 embarrassment at the hands of Argentina, got himself ejected late in the game so that he couldn't even play in the final game against Ivory Coast, arguably the most winnable of the 3 games.

So, there you have it, the best and the worst. What do you think? Who was left off the list? Who should have been left off? Post your comments and let me know.

I'll be back Friday evening w/ a preview of the 3rd place and Final matches.

The Final Four

Hugo Sanchez anxiously awaits word that he has been named the Head Coach for Mexico.



Is it just me or does it feel like this tournament just started yesterday? Time really flies when you're having fun, and these past three and a half weeks have been great! From the feedback and messages I've been getting from some of you, you're enjoying it overall, even though there are 1 or 2 slight problems. It's like that in every Cup.

Slight change in the topic for today. I mentioned on Saturday I was going to rate the top coaching errors of the Cup. I should probably wait for the Cup to end before doing that column, because there's still a chance one of the remaining coaches could pull a "Peckerman." Gee, who do you think I've already got as my #1 bad coach?

Today I'll just breakdown the games for Tuesday and Wednesday, and then offer up some candid observations about this past weekend's activities.

Germany/Italy - This might not be an absolute classic, but it'll be an absolute war. Italy humiliated the Germans 4-1 in an exhibition a few months back, and there was such an outcry in the Fatherland that it almost cost Klinsmann his job. Don't think revenge isn't on his mind or the minds of several players who were in that game. I think the current German team is the one that can give Italy the biggest matchup problems. Germany's 2 big central defenders can physically handle Luca Toni, and their outside backs can put enough pressure on the Italians in midfield and defensively that Lippi's players might be hesitant to fully commit to counterattacks. Klose and Podolski are the best forward combo remaining of the 4 teams, and really seem to be in sync w/ each other. Ballack and Frings will have their hands full on both sides of the ball. On the flipside, Italy has given up 1 goal in this Cup, to the Americans, and it was an own goal. Buffon has proven to be the best 'keeper in the world, and his defenders in front of him have been able to feel free to assist and participate in counters because of the confidence they have in him. Toni finally got on the scoreboard w/ 2 against the Ukraine, but were both essentially tap-ins. I know, they still count as goals, but can he create his own chances and own shot? We haven't seen it yet. Totti has played really well the past few games, and seems to have assumed the leadership role that most feared would be lacking without Nesta on the field. As I said on Saturday, I think this will probably be a slow, methodical, cautious game w/ few real chances to score. This will be a 1-0 game, with the goal probably coming from a long-range shot. If that's the case, you go with the team that has been deadly with those all tournament.

Prediction: Germany 1 - Italy 0

Portugal/France - Has the potential to be a wide-open, high scoring affair, which, if true, would favor the younger and more athletic Portuguese squad. Like I said, potential. Maybe Portugal can stop flailing and diving every five seconds and try to keep the game moving. I've heard from more than person who has grown sick of the antics, with one going so far as to say "I'm no big fan of France, but I sure hope they beat the s*it out of Portugal on Wednesday." Good news, they get Deco back after being suspended for the England game. John Harkes referred to him as one of the more talented midfielders in the world. I don't know if I'd go that far, but his return sure helps take some of the attacking pressure off Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Figo. Striker Pauleta was predicted by many to be the "Golden Boot" winner (most goals) going into the tournament (including me), but hasn't been dangerous for the past few games. He'll need to step it up against a very underrated French defense. As for France, what can you say? Does Zidane have enough left in the tank to put on a similar display to what we saw against Spain and Brazil? I think so. This is it for him; he'll leave everything on the field in an effort to get another World Cup Title for himself and his country. His game Saturday was probably one of the top individual games I've ever seen by 1 player, he was THAT good. Patrick Vieira is also playing out of his mind at both ends of the field, and Frank Ribery is one of the revelations of the tournament. Thierry Henry seemed a bit more relaxed on Saturday, and it showed as he was dangerous all over the pitch. As for coaching, "Big Phil" is getting all the press for his continued success, but I think Domenach has carved out a niche of respect for his ability to get several aging players to dig deep and come up with the type of effort most of us didn't expect to see. I just don't see Portugal being able to match up with this team at the end of the day, regardless of the style of play. France can play quick when they have to, can slow it down to rest and maintain composure, and pick you apart on set pieces. That'll be enough.

Prediction: France 3 - Portugal 1

Some candid observations before I go:

1.) Thanks to Dave Ungrady, Brian Straus, and the rest of the crew over on XM Satellite Radio's World Cup show last night. The allotted 1/2 hour just flew by, and these guys really know their stuff. They did a great job of plugging this blog, and I've already gotten some comments from people who discovered it after last night's show. Keep up the great work, guys!

2.) What are the odds of Youri Djorkaeff's face being seen at the France/Brazil game on Saturday and beamed across the planet on the worldwide feed when he's supposed to be in France attending to "personal issues?" How many spit-takes do you think happened when New York Red Bulls management saw that?

3.) Eddie Johnson basically disappeared after the U.S.' elimination from the Cup, and didn't show up in Kansas City until 90 minutes before their scheduled kickoff against L.A. on Saturday. Club and country teammates Jimmy Conrad and Josh Wolfe had been back a week, and nobody in Johnson's camp has made any comment about his absence. As one source close to his former club, FC Dallas, told me, "now do you understand why they couldn't wait to get rid of him?" When you're obviously tougher to deal with than Carlos "I want to skip the MLS All-Star Game so I can attend a Hooters opening in Guatemala" Ruiz, that's not a good thing...

4.) Nice to see that Landon Donovan can at least score in MLS games.

I'll be back Thursday for my review of the semis. Enjoy and thanks for all the feedback!

It's A European Thing...

Wayne Rooney tell his soon-to-be ex-teammate what he can do with his apology

Sorry this is later than normal. My unbelievably patient wife allowed me to sit on my butt and watch all 4 quarterfinal games, but as soon as the France/Brazil game was over, she asked me to help her with some yardwork. And when I say "asked," I really mean "insisted." Trust me, you young single guys will understand someday. Married guys don't need an explanation. :)

Wow, what an incredible 2 days of soccer. 4 semifinalists, 4 Euros. Nice to know I was 3 for 4 in predictions, and even the one I got wrong I at least correctly predicted would go to penalty kicks. In Vegas, that's what we call a "push." With the exception of the Italy/Ukraine game, the other 3 literally came down to one or 2 plays by each team. If you made the plays, you moved on. If not, well...

Let's review each game.

Germany/Argentina - Not the best of the 4 games, but definitely 2nd. It wasn't a classic, but it was still riveting up until the very end. Even after Argentina scored, I knew that the Germans would somehow find a way to equalize, particularly after Jose Peckerman subbed out all of his offense in an attempt to sit on a 1-goal lead for 35 minutes. He didn't have the personnel to pull off such a move, and he paid for it. Argentina had nobody on the field who could threaten to score, which allowed the German defenders to push up more into the attack and create chances. The thing about Germany is that they never seemed to panic. Unlike other teams who have gone down a goal and fallen apart, Klinsmann's team stayed calm, kept working, and kept fighting. It'll be tough to pry him away and be the next U.S. coach, but if I'm U.S. Soccer, I give him a blank check after the Cup, and tell him to write any figure he wants on it. You knew when it went to penalties, Lehmann was going to come up big. Also, really have to admire backup Oliver Kahn coming over to him right before the shootout and giving him some encouraging words. Just another example of the German team buying into Klinsmann's philosophy. This team believes it can win the whole thing, which I don't think they did just 3 weeks ago.

Italy/Ukraine - Not a whole lot to say about this one, except that it interesting to see Italy come out and force the issue early, get the early goal, and then wait to exploit other Ukrainian mistakes to put the game away. We finally had a Luca Toni sighting, as he put to rest most of the criticism against him in this tournament by notching 2 goals to put the game away. I thought Ukraine might be able to make a game of it because of Shevchenko, but the Italian defense, even without Nesta, clamped down tight on him, and nobody else on the team could step up and really threaten an Italian defense that has only given up an own goal so far in this tournament. Congrats, still, go out to Shevchenko and company for making it to the final 8 in their first appearance in the tournament. They simply ran into what is easily the best Italian squad since the one that won it all in 1982.

England/Portugal - A 0-0 game that was just enthralling. Again, not the best played match, but so much drama combined with the ebb and flow of a game where 2 teams were so evenly matched. First, I don't think Rooney's red card was deserved. Talking w/ my colleague Craig Stouffer from the DC Examiner, neither of us saw the intent to injure the player. Maybe he was going to get a yellow, but his senseless push of Man U. teammate Ronaldo gave the referee no alternative. It should be interesting to see how the notoriously brutal English press is to Rooney. Will they blame the ref, or will they lambaste him the way they did when Beckham was ejected back in '98 against Argentina? If you remember, Becks got booed mercilessly for the next 6 months whenever United played a road game in the EPL. As for Ronaldo, who arguably baited Rooney's ejection, and then buried the winning penalty, those transfer to Real Madrid rumors might get more legit. I see him getting quite a rude reception not only on the road, but at home as well as long as he's with United. As for the game itself, once again, Beckham, Gerrard, and Lampard failed to make any mark on the game, other than the latter 2 missing their penalties. Defensively, they only gave up 2 goals during the tournament, but when you only score 6 in 5 games, eventually your luck will run out. Portugal still frustrates me the way they flap to the ground in "pain" every time they lose the ball and the other team tries to counter. Kudos to Peter Crouch for not falling for it on at least 2 occasions, as he tried to force the issue and inject some life into the English attack. Too bad Owen Hargreaves and sub Aaron Lennon were the only ones who even threatened to score today. So England goes home early once again, and my pre-tournament pick is out. Can't say I was surprised, as they haven't played with any fire since they started. Portugal moves on and did it w/out Deco, who will return to help Figo and company deal w/ France on Wednesday.

France/Brazil - I'm still buzzing about this game. This was the best of the 4, and I'm willing to go out on a limb and call it a classic. Zinedine Zidane really should reconsider retiring, preferably so he can come over to MLS for a season or 2. Can you imagine what he could teach our players about creativity? Lord knows we have none. Anyway, I was on the edge of my seat for the whole thing. Didn't really have a team I was rooting for in this one, but just enjoyed the back and forth open style of play. Henry finally scores a big goal in a big game for France, and Barthez proved he still has enough left in his tank as he made several stellar saves against the Brazilian onslaught in the final 15 minutes. Although Brazil still probably had better individual players, that didn't translate to a smooth, free-flowing team. They were too disjointed throughout the games, and if any of you remember, I repeatedly said they were going to get beat before getting to the Final. They ran into the team that knew how to beat them, and just like in '98, they did. All the criticism of Ronaldo can be put to rest, as he had a solid tournament except for the 1st game. However, the World Player of the Year, Ronaldinho, will have 4 years to dwell on a dismal performance. Like Beckham, the promise didn't live up to the hype.

So there you have it; Germany/Italy on Tuesday and Portugal/France on Wednesday. Should be a classic final four, with the first game being more of a slow, methodical low-scoring game, and the 2nd being an explosive, attractive game that should be wide open.

I'll take tomorrow off, but be back on Monday w/ my preview and predictions for the semis, plus my Top 10 coaching blunders from the tournament. As always, thanks for reading and for the comments.