Filed under: USMNT, USMNT Club | Tags: brad evans, Brek Shea, Clint Dempsey, Kyle Beckerman, nick rimando, sacha kljestan, Sean Johnson
The USMNT Club is a weekly round-up of what your favorite National Team players have been doing at their club teams, from MLS to Mexico to the Premier League to the Europa League.
In what should bolster his campaign to be a U.S. MNT regular, Sacha Kljestan won the Belgian league with RSC Anderlecht over the weekend with two games in hand. It’s the first trophy the California native has won at the club level and Kljestan played 73 minutes in the 1-1 tie against Club Brugge that clinched the title. He has played in an astounding amount of games in both the Eerste Classe and the Europa League this season, racking up five goals and five assists across both competitions in more than 40 appearances. If that doesn’t encourage Coach Klinsmann to call him in, I don’t know what will. Regardless, congratulations to Kljestan and Anderlecht! (more…)
Filed under: American Soccer, MLS, USMNT, USMNT Club | Tags: A.J. DeLaGarza, brad evans, Brek Shea, c.j. sapong, Carlos Bocanegra, Chris Wondolowski, Clarence Goodson, Clint Dempsey, Eric Lichaj, Fabian Johnson, Freddy Adu, Geoff Cameron, Heatrh Pearce, jeff larentowicz, Jermaine Jones, jose torres, Kyle Beckerman, landon donovan, Maurice Edu, Michael Bradley, Michael Parkhurst, nick rimando, Sean Johnson, steve cherundolo, Tim Howard, Tim Ream, Timmy Chandler
The USMNT Club is a weekly round-up of what your favorite National Team players have been doing at their club teams, from MLS to Mexico to the Premier League to the Europa League.
Schalke 04 secured its place in next in next season’s Champions League with the help of sometimes U.S. captain Jermaine Jones. The Germany native played 85 minutes in the team’s 4-0 rout of Hertha Berlin that sealed the precious spot in the CL. Though Jones has earned a whopping 14 yellow cards on the season and has served time on the bench for yellow card accumulation, the midfielder has made quite the comeback since being a permanent unused sub under the former Schalke coach. In recent months, Jones has become a stalwart in the Bundesliga team’s midfield. It impressed National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann to make him captain in January and we can certainly expect to see Jones in the May camp ahead of World Cup qualifying. (more…)
Filed under: USMNT, USMNT Club | Tags: Clint Dempsey, DaMarcus Beasley, Jozy Altidore, oguchi onyewu
The USMNT Club is a weekly round-up of what your favorite National Team players have been doing at their club teams, from MLS to Mexico to the Premier League to the Europa League.
Even though Jozy Altidore and DaMarcus Beasley are at the height of their goalscoring games, top honors this week goes to Oguchi Onyewu for fighting his way back from injury and not only making the Sporting Lisbon Starting XI for the first time in two months, but for playing the full 90 minutes. Gooch suffered that sidelining injury to his right knee in camp ahead of the USA’s historic 1-0 win over Italy. The massive central defender hasn’t been in the U.S. backline since October and only made four appearances in all of 2011, but he’s been a big presence for Sporting when he’s been fit – including scoring goals (four this season). Please stay fit, Gooch. Team USA misses you. (more…)
Filed under: American Soccer, European Football, USMNT | Tags: Brian McBride, Clint Dempsey, EPL, landon donovan, USMNT
By Tom Johnston
Clint Dempsey’s career-catapulting season for Fulham in the English Premier League this year has re-ignited debate about whether he or Landon Donovan is the best American soccer product in history. The “argument” (please, people, just compare their total resumes and be done with it) can be carved up so many ways that, in the end, there’s not much left to say.
Dempsey deserves all the credit in the world for putting his name on the short list; scoring 22 goals in one of the best and most popular leagues in all of soccer certainly inspires discussion. It gives hope to U.S. soccer fans, it stirs pride. And the Brits love the rare, qualified Yank. Brian McBride, you’ll recall, made himself a legend at Craven Cottage Stadium by helping to lift Fulham to a consistent Premiership presence. Although not as popular, Donovan’s done well in stints with Everton, whenever he gets a break from building his country’s domestic league.
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Filed under: USMNT, USMNT Club | Tags: brad evans, Brek Shea, c.j. sapong, Chris Wondolowski, Danny Williams, Eric Lichaj, Fabian Johnson, graham zusi, Heath Pearce, hercules gomez, jeff larentowicz, Jermaine Jones, jose torres, Jozy Altidore, Jurgen Klinsmann, Kyle Beckerman, landon donovan, nick rimando, Ricardo Clark, steve cherundolo, Tim Howard
By Katie Callaway
The USMNT Club is a weekly round-up of what your favorite National Team players have been doing at their club teams, from MLS to Mexico to the Premier League to the Europa League.
With 18 goals in all competitions this season, there’s no question that Jozy Altidore will reach the 20s before the year is out. His latest for AZ Alkmaar, a 25-yard rocket into the top corner of the net (second goal of the highlights), left PSV Eindhoven’s goalie without a chance. And it’s just one of many vital goals the young striker has produced lately – including both of Alkmaar’s in his man-of-the-match performance in last week’s 2-2 draw with FC Twente. Again, though, Altidore was subbed off before the opponent scored again, making one question whether his presence on the field would have resulted in a different result? I’d like to see him put in some 90-minute games as AZ close out its title campaign (the team is six points off of first place).
Filed under: American Soccer, MLS, USMNT, USMNT Club | Tags: Brad Friedel, Brek Shea, Carlos Bocanegra, Chris Wondolowski, Clarence Goodson, Clint Dempsey, DaMarcus Beasley, Danny Williams, Eric Lichaj, Fabian Johnson, Heath Pearce, Jermaine Jones, Jozy Altidore, Kyle Beckerman, Landon Donocan, Maurice Edu, Michael Bradley, Ricardo Clark, Tim Howard
By Katie Callaway
The USMNT Club is a weekly round-up of what your favorite National Team players have been doing at their club teams, from MLS to Mexico and the Premier League to the Europa League.
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By Tom Johnston
In 1994 I traveled to Germany with my club soccer team, Chicago Pegasus, to play in a tournament in the northern city of Hamm that invited club teams mostly from all over Europe. We were the only American team. In fact, we were the only team ever to have crossed an ocean to play in that competition. We therefore drew immediate attention.
Considered at the time to be one of the top U17 club teams in our country, we managed to advance to the final of a tournament in a foreign country and garnered support from local fans, impressing with each game. We impressed enough that at one point children surrounded us to get our autographs. It didn’t matter that eventually we lost 1-0 to a Czech squad in the final. I remember thinking we’d arrived as individual soccer players, and that we’d represented U.S. soccer very well.
Unfortunately, this is not a feeling that would emerge very often. In fact, apart from the national team’s 3-2 defeat over favored Portugal in the 2002 World Cup, I’ve never felt that way again. In watching the U23 U.S. Olympic Team fail to qualify for the London Games 10 years later, I didn’t feel as nauseous as I did numb. This potentially is the new blood for our national team and the lost opportunity to develop that talent in a competitive atmosphere of an Oympiad could have long-term effects.
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Filed under: American Soccer, I Know I Think, International Football, USMNT
Easy question, what is the first rule of soccer? Never give much credence to the results of international friendlies. OK? OK. U.S.A. beat Italy tonight. As much as I love seeing a quality win by an American side and as much as I love seeing the Azzurri fail, the result of tonight’s match is not what NTA is excited about. Here are five takeaways from tonight’s match that are worth getting excited about.
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