AJC.com > Sports > Soccer blog > Archives > 2007 > June
June 2007
Copas, copas y màs copas
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Updated, Thursday June 28: Holy bicycle kicks, Batman! Here’s who Argentina’s sending out tonight at the Copa America against the cheek-of-tan lads from the USA:
Messi. Crespo. Riquelme. Veron. Mascherano. Heinze. Ayala. Zanetti.
In other words, something close to ITS BEST TEAM! No room for Tevez, apparently. Can we have him, then? Just for one night?
And who are the Yanks sacrificing on the altar of international experience? Brother Bradley isn’t saying, but tell me if any of his roster picks ring a bell to you:
Moore. Wynne. Gaven. Nguyen. Davies. Gomez.
Didn’t think so. The USSF decided a long time ago to make the Gold Cup, and not the internationally acclaimed Copa America, its priority this summer. Nice way to mark the end of a 12-year Copa absence, eh? By thumbing your nose at what’s considered the next-best continental tourney to the Euros.
No LandyCakes. Had to get back to the Galaxy after those tough PK strikes against Canada and Mexico and get ready for the Beckham Arrival, I guess. No Mastroeni. No Hejduk, who had a heckuva Gold Cup. No Beasley. No Howard. No Onyewu. No Bocanegra. No great loss, the latter two, given the reckless way they played at the Gold Cup.
Nothing wrong with breaking in some youngsters, but a few more veterans wouldn’t have hurt. If I’m the Copa America chieftain who invited the U.S., I’d feel insulted that my tournament isn’t being taken seriously by a nation that made a substantial laughingstock of itself at the previous World Cup.
On the other hand, Atlanta’s Ricardo Clark has a golden opportunity to claim a regular spot on the roster, as does Hamburg midfielder Benny Feilhaber, who had the brilliant game-winner against Mexico Sunday in the Gold Cup finals. Clark played well in the second half, enabling Feilhaber to push up with his creativity and attacking skills. It might be proving time also for Taylor Twellman, and Eddie Johnson needs to show something, and soon.
Tonight may well be lambs to the slaughter, as frightening as Billy Knight owning two lottery picks in the NBA draft.
The best thing the Yanks can get out of this trip to Venezuela is a batch of newcomers to push Donovan, DMB and the current senior nats in the run-up to South Africa 2010. If nothing else, out of the way.
Now, back to yesterday’s blog:
The Silverbacks advanced in the U.S. Open Cup with a 1-0 win over Charlotte. The AJC’s Mike Knobler was there at Silverbacks Park.
Next up is a trip to the Big D and a date next month against the MLS FC Dallas. Not many visiting teams from the lower ranks come home happy, but who knows? Sometimes the big boys don’t always field their best lineups in the early going, and all it takes is one magical touch …
That’s all the S’backs needed last night, after stomping on the amateur Azzurri 10-0 in their first match.
In the Gold Cup finals Sunday in Chicago, the U.S. got a PK from LandyCakes and an excellent one-timer from Feilhaber Sunday to overcome a 1-0 deficit to Mexico and continue a seven-year unbeaten streak against El Tricolor at home.
The Yanks got some dubious calls by winning that tournament, which clinches a spot in the 2009 Confederations Cup (yippee!). In particular, the Canadians got hosed when a last-minute equalizer in the semifinals was waved off. There was no offside, but the linesman’s flag went out, and it was a travesty.
Often wondered what a guy like Dwayne DeRosario would add to the U.S. team were he not from North of the Border. He’s creative, skillful, resourceful and tough-minded, as his play winning two MLS titles in San Jose and Houston has shown.
Mexico wasn’t at its best, excepting the sensational play of keeper Oswaldo Sanchez in the finals. Jared Borgetti going down with an injury right before halftime didn’t help either.
Under severe duress, El Tricolor smacked down Brazil 2-0 Wednesday in its Copa America opener. Our boys will be under the same heat tonight, but I don’t see a similar result beckoning.
