The B Team - Missing Copa América

So back in March, for kicks we put together a U.S. roster comprised of players that were not on the World Cup Qualifying Roster or the Olympic Qualifying Roster to see what kind of team we could throw together. Now with Copa América looming and the U.S.'s 40-man preliminary roster in place, I thought it might be fun to do it again. Our roster's going to look a little bit different this time with some players getting called up (Nick Rimando, Eric Lichaj, Danny Williams, Graham Zusi, Tim Ream and Perry Kitchen) and others hampered by injuries (Quincy Amarikwa), but I still think this is a halfway decent - if MLS-biased - roster. Here's what I came up with:

STARTERS

Goalkeeper - Luis Robles - New York Red Bulls - The reigning MLS goalkeeper of the year who hasn't missed a start since 2012 has had a rough start to 2016, but much of that can be attributed to the porous defense in front of him. CAPS: 2

Left Back - Jorge Villafaña - Santos Laguna - For whatever reason, despite the lack of left backs in the system, Villafaña still isn't getting a look with the USMNT. Well, he's a staple at left back for our B Team. CAPS: 0

Center Back - Nat Borchers - Portland Timbers - The Wyndham Rewards Wizard is still plugging away at Age 35. He's not a long term solution, but he brings toughness and savvy to the table without being a high risk for cards (just one yellow in his last 41 regular season matches. CAPS: 3

Center Back - Chad Marshall - Seattle Sounders - The 6'4" Marshall is exceptional in the air and already has a pair of goals for the Sounders this season. Paired with Borchers, Marshall would make the U.S. tough on set pieces on both ends of the field. CAPS: 11

Right Back - Robbie Rogers - LA Galaxy - Rogers is better on the left than on the right, but he's shown this year after Ashley Cole took the left back spot that he can play on either side of the field. With his attacking background, Rogers is always dangerous moving forward and would give the U.S. an effective attack out of the back. CAPS: 18

Defensive Midfield - Wil Trapp - Columbus Crew - One of many young players looking to be the heir apparent to Kyle Beckerman, Trapp helped the Crew reach the MLS Cup in 2015, and has started every game for them in 2016. CAPS: 2

Defensive Midfield - Dax McCarty - New York Red Bulls - Full disclosure, I would have liked to put Matt Polster in this spot alongside Trapp, but Polster's banged up, so instead we'll go with the veteran. McCarty was a huge reason for the Red Bulls' success in 2015, and after a slow start he's playing better of late. CAPS: 5

Left Wing - Brek Shea - Orlando City SC - He's been playing more left back than left wing, but he's got the athleticism and the attacking skillset to allow him to slot in here without a huge drop in play. CAPS: 34

Attacking Midfield - Benny Feilhaber - Sporting Kansas City - Klinsmann may not like Feilhaber, but I do. He's a playmaker, and has a great engine, and while he may not be Michael Bradley, he could certainly run this offense. CAPS: 41

Right Wing - Mike Grella - New York Red Bulls - An exciting winger, Grella burst onto the scene in 2015 after spending 2014 in the NASL and delivered 9 goals and 7 assists for the Supporters Shield Winners. And to show it wasn't a fluke, Grella is off to a fast start in 2016 with three goals already. CAPS: 0

Striker - C.J. Sapong - Philadelphia Union - One of the more notable snubs, Sapong is really coming into his own with the Union and is a big reason they've turned their fortunes around. CAPS: 2.


BENCH

Goalkeeper - Clint Irwin - Toronto FC - CAPS: 0
Goalkeeper - Tim Melia - Sporting Kansas City - CAPS: 0
Left Back - Jonathan Bornstein - Querétaro FC - CAPS: 38
Center Back - Michael Parkhurst - Columbus Crew - CAPS: 25
Center Back - Marvell Wynne - San Jose Earthquakes - CAPS: 5
Right Back - Jonathan Spector - Birmingham City - CAPS: 36
Defensive Midfield - Scott Caldwell - New England Revolution - CAPS: 0
Attack Midfield - Sacha Kljestan - New York Red Bulls - CAPS: 46
Left Wing - Chris Rolfe - DC United - CAPS: 10
Right Wing - Chris Pontius - Philadelphia Union - CAPS: 0
Striker - Juan Agudelo - New England Revolution - CAPS: 20
Striker - Jack McInerney - Portland Timbers - CAPS: 0

Thoughts on Portland vs Orlando City SC

1. If you knew nothing about either of these teams, I'm betting you would not have been able to determine that the Timbers are the reigning league champs by watching this match. Orlando City just absolutely blew the doors off the Timbers last night, and the biggest reason was their big #10, Kaká. The Brazilian playmaker did not disappoint last night delivering a pinpoint free kick delivery to set up the first goal, a nifty 1-2 with Brek Shea for the second, and then coolly slotted home goal number three for good measure. Even better, when Kevin Molino was tripped up in the box, he made sure the young Trinidad and Tobago speedster got to take the spot kick for his first MLS goal. That's more than a world class footballer, that's a leader, and if Kaká is healthy and productive like that all year, the rest of the league should watch out. What's even more impressive was that City lost two starters to injuries in the opening 45 minutes - rookie of the year Cyle Larin and young center back Tommy Redding - and you couldn't tell. That's how good Orlando City was last night.


2. Lucas Melano is crazy fast... BUT, he continues to struggle to turn that speed into something productive. I remember watching him in last year's playoffs and while he was able to use his speed to get into good positions, he seldom capitalized on the opportunities he was given. Melano is still young (he just turned 23) so there's still time for him to clean up his finishing, but you have to wonder how long he can hold off Jack McInerney and Darren Mattocks if he doesn't start producing.


3. Where was Darlington Nagbe last night? I don't know if it was Orlando City's tactics, or Caleb Porter's lack of adjustments, but Darlington Nagbe was a complete non-factor in last night's blowout loss. There were extensive periods of the game where he just wasn't involved to the point where you almost forgot he was on the field. Everyone has bad days, but I expected more from the USMNT darling. And maybe that's our fault seeing how much hype Nagbe has gotten in recent months. We've built him up to be this world beater and maybe that's not him. Still, I'm hoping it was just a bad night for Nagbe and the Timbers, and that we'll see him bounce back next week.


4. Holy crap, Brek Shea. That goal was absolutely ridiculous. Is someone making a case for the U.S.'s left back job? If he can stay healthy (big if for Brek), he has to at least be in the conversation, right? I would venture that offensively speaking, there aren't a lot of left backs in the player pool who have the offensive skill set that Brek Shea has (once upon a time you could make a case for DaMarcus Beasley, but he's past his prime). Shea did, after all, score 11 goals for FC Dallas in 2011 and we saw him deliver twice for the U.S. during the 2013 Gold Cup (both game winners in 1-0 affairs) and two more times just last year against Chile and Switzerland. If he can shore up the defending, he'll at least be exciting to watch if nothing else.


5. Is anyone else surprised by how little love Jack McInerney gets? Jack Mack won't turn 24 until August, but he already has 40 goals in his MLS career. In his last 8 regular season MLS matches (following his trade from Montreal to Columbus), despite playing just 258 minutes (less than three full games) he has four goals and an assist. He has two goals this season despite logging just 87 minutes without the benefit of a start. So why no love for the guy? Despite his gaudy numbers, he's on his fourth team since 2014 and he hasn't been a regular starter since making 25 starts between the Union and Impact that season. Is the guy a huge jerk? Bad locker room guy? Whatever the issue, at some point, I'd like to see him get some more playing time.


6. It's obvious that Portland really misses Liam Ridgewell (and Jorge Villafaña). Jermaine Taylor is a solid defender, but he's not the game changer that Ridgewell has been for Portland, and I feel like Ridgewell's partnership with Nat Borchers was much more cohesive. That said, Taylor and Borchers haven't been together that long and things can change, but obviously this isn't the start to the season that the defending champs were hoping for.


7. Almost forgot to mention this, but Joe Bendik's denial of Fanendo Adi's first half penalty kick when the score was still 2-0 was probably the biggest play of the night. No disrespect to any of the amazing stuff Kaká did, but if Adi scores there right before halftime, it's a huge momentum changer and maybe City doesn't run away with this game early in the second half. It's an even bigger deal when you consider that Bendik had only stopped one kick out of 12 in his MLS career before that one, and bigger still because Bendik made his MLS debut with the Timbers in 2012 before getting traded to Toronto.


8. I thought it was somewhat comical when Alexi Lalas was talking about the chances of Brek Shea returning to the USMNT roster this summer, and he said something to the effect of: I know not to rule anyone out, except Benny Feilhaber. Poor guy. I do think Feilhaber has been treated just a bit harshly by Klinsmann. Granted, he's been injured so the recent qualifiers weren't up for debate, but to say he's not at an international level,' or whatever the language Klinsmann used, is a little harsh, right? We're talking about a player who scored 10 goals to go along with 15 assists last season in MLS. Michael Bradley and Darlington Nagbe COMBINED for 10 goals and 11 assists. Lee Nguyen and Mix Diskerud COMBINED for 10 goals and 11 assists. With chance creation an issue for the U.S., wouldn't you at least bring him in to push the players 'ahead of him' on the depth chart?

USMNT Roster Thoughts

So, rather than comment on the USMNT rosters for the Guatemala World Cup Qualifiers and the U-23 showdown with Colombia, I thought it would be interesting to see if I could put together a roster of players not selected for either group that could, on paper, give Guatemala a run for their money. I didn't consider injured/suspended players (Benny Feilhaber, Brad Evans, Bill Hamid, Jermaine Jones, etc), but here's what I came up with:


For the purpose of argument, we'll line up in a traditional 4-4-2, but I think our roster offers enough flexibility to be able to run a 4-3-3/4-5-1 as well if need be:


Goalkeeper - Nick Rimando - Real Salt Lake - The veteran netminder was a part of the U.S.'s World Cup roster in 2014, and he's been an MLS All-Star each of the last three seasons. CAPS: 21


Left Back - Jorge Villafaña - Santos Laguna - Villafaña is fresh off an MLS Cup win with the Portland Timbers, and has started all three of Santos's CONCACAF Champions League knockout round matches where they have yet to concede a single goal. A member of the ill-fated U-23s in 2012, Villafaña hasn't received any attention for Jurgen Klinsmann, and with left back such a question mark, you'd think the 26 year Villafaña would at least be due a look. CAPS: 0


Center Back - Nat Borchers - Portland Timbers - Borchers has been a key contributor on multiple MLS Cup winning sides and the 6'2" mountain man would bring a toughness that the U.S. teams often lack when visiting Central America. Borchers is 34, and his best days are probably behind him, but I think you could get two matches out of him. CAPS: 3


Center Back - Chad Marshall - Seattle Sounders - A three-time MLS Defender of the Year, most recently in 2014, the 6'3" Marshall would be big (figuratively) on set pieces. Always a threat to score on corners, Marshall's head could be the difference in a close game. CAPS: 11


Right Back - Eric Lichaj - Nottingham Forest - Lichaj's been a regular in the English League Championship for Nottingham Forest and at 27, is at that right age for a breakout. Lichaj hasn't appeared for the U.S. since 2013, but he's really seen his playing time increase overseas since we last saw him in the red, white and blue. CAPS: 10

Americans in the CCL Semis

The first leg matches of the CCL semifinals both ended in scoreless draws as none of the four remaining Liga MX teams could find the back of the net this week. The second leg matches will be held on April 5th with Tigres hosting Querétaro and América hosting Santos. Three Americans featured in the Leg 1 tilts, here's a look at how they did:

Ventura Alvarado - América - Dressed but did not play vs Santos
Jonathan Bornstein - Querétaro - Started vs Tigres - 90 mins
José Francisco Torres - Tigres UANL - Sub vs Querétaro - Entered match in 61st minute
Jorge Villafaña - Santos Laguna - Started vs América - 90 mins

Proposed USMNT Lineup vs Guatemala

Still a couple weeks to go, but here's the Starting XI I'd like to see us go with against Guatemala:


GK - Brad Guzan - I know there were talks about alternating between Guzan and Tim Howard, but with Howard riding the bench at Everton and Guzan having regained his starting job at Aston Villa, I think Guzan gets the edge here.


Left Back - Jorge Villafaña - After winning a championship with the Portland Timbers, Villafaña has won a starting job in Mexico and recently contributed to Santos Laguna's back-to-back shutouts of the LA Galaxy while advancing to the CCL Semifinals. While Villafaña doesn't have a CAP with the USMNT, his high level of play should be rewarded, plus it allows Fabian Johnson to push into the attack.


Center Back - Matt Besler - Apologies to John Brooks, but the edge goes to the veteran Besler here even if he's not in midseason form. Plus, it makes sense for Brooks to head to Colombia to try and help the U-23s qualify for the Olympics.


Center Back - Omar Gonzalez - Gonzalez has done well since heading south of the border already becoming a valuable contributor with Pachuca. While the U.S. has lots of options at central defense, I feel like Gonzalez deserves the nod here.


Right Back - Geoff Cameron - The versatile Cameron has played well for the U.S. lately and by playing out right, instead of centrally, allows DeAndre Yedlin to join the U-23s in Colombia.


Left Midfield - Fabian Johnson - Arguably playing as good as any American in the world right now, I feel like Johnson is far more valuable in the attack than he is on defense. At a time when the U.S. has struggled to score goals, we need his attacking skills now more than ever.


Defensive Midfield - Michael Bradley - This probably is a reach since it dramatically changes the structure of the U.S. team, but Bradley played deeper in Toronto's opener against the Red Bulls and it worked out just fine. Plus, the U.S. has creative attackers that can fill that #10 role (Nguyen, Nagbe, etc) which allows the U.S. to put a more offensive-minded team on the field.


Attacking Midfield - Lee Nguyen - I love Darlington Nagbe, but Nguyen has been better for the U.S. lately, and his experience probably gets him the nod here. No doubt Nagbe makes the team, but the high-energy Nguyen should get the start.


Right Midfield - Alejandro Bedoya - Gyasi Zardes has been getting a lot of looks with the U.S., but Bedoya's in midseason form thanks to the European schedule so I think it's fair to say he's ahead of Zardes right now.


Striker - Jozy Altidore/Clint Dempsey/Chris Wondolowski - This one's tricky. Jozy is the clear cut starter when healthy, but he's not (hamstring again) and may not be ready when these games role around. Additionally, there are rumors that Dempsey is staying out of the National Team picture until this summer which means he might not be available either. If both of those two are out, I'll probably get flak for this, but I give the nod to Wondo. The veteran striker has a knack for scoring goals against weaker opponents (which Guatemala is) and he's already gotten on the board in MLS this season. We need goals, Wondo scores goals, so he's my third option.


Striker - Bobby Wood - Wood has been taking the 2.Bundesliga by storm ranking third in the league with 12 goals. Wood's red hot league play, coupled with his solid play for the U.S. gets him a start, no questions asked.


Subs - Tim Howard (GK), Mix Diskerud (MF), Gyasi Zardes (MID/FWD), Darlington Nagbe (MF), Jonathan Bornstein (DEF), Michael Orozco (DEF), Chris Wondolowski (FWD)*, Danny Williams (MID)**


*If Jozy or Dempsey Starts
**If Wondo Starts

Crew-Timbers Five Thoughts

1. I thought this was a really fun game to kick off ESPN's Sunday slate for the 2016 season. It had a little bit of everything. Lots of attacking (39 shots between the two teams), pretty goals (Federico Higuaín's overhead kick may end up being the Goal of the Year), talented young USMNT contributors (Tchani, Nagbe, Trapp, Finlay), and solid performances (Diego Chara and Diego Valeri come to mind). If this is the level of play we're going to see in MLS all season long, I think we're in for a real treat.


2. Dairon Asprilla had SO MANY chances that he failed to take advantage of in this game. I always find these kind of situations frustrating because on the one hand, he must be doing something right to get so many chances, but on the other hand, ARRRGH. Asprilla had just one goal and two assists last year in his debut season with Portland, but if yesterday was any indication, he could put up some gaudy numbers in 2016. You know, IF he can start converting some of those opportunities.


3. Jermaine Taylor wasn't spectacular for Portland, but he was good enough to limit references to the departure of Jorge Villafaña. The Crew were limited to a spectacular goal by Higuaín, but otherwise the Portland defense, despite surrendering over 60% of possession, was up to the task. The one "concern" is that Taylor has never made more than 26 starts in a season, compared to Villafaña who started all but one game a year ago. So keeping that in mind, the Timbers will have to find someone else who can hold down left back for at least a portion of the season.


4. I thought Diego Valeri was terrific and you could really see what a difference he makes when he's healthy. I would expect to see him deliver numbers on par with his performance in 2013 and 2014 (combined 21 goals, 27 assists). What's really impressive to me is what Valeri's talent says about the level of skill in Argentina. Here's Diego Valeri, a 29 year old in the prime of his career putting up double-doubles in MLS, and yet he's managed a measly 3 CAPs in his international career. CRAZY.


5. Anyone else get nervous when Will Trapp went down holding his knee after that collision with teammate Gastón Sauro in the first half? Trapp missed several months of 2015 with a concussion, and he's an obvious difference maker for the Crew when he's on the field. Not to mention his contributions to the U.S. U-23s who have a huge series with Colombia coming up. So definitely glad to see he turned out to be all right.

USMNT vs Canada, Final Thoughts

1. Regardless of how it looked, the U.S. comes away from their January camp with a pair of victories, and as we approach the next set of World Cup Qualifiers, the confidence gained from those wins shouldn't be undervalued. Equally notable is the fact that Jozy Altidore scored in both matches, and getting him on a hot streak in 2016 would be huge given some of the other question marks surrounding the USMNT.

2. I thought Brandon Vincent looked excellent in his National Team debut at left back. It wasn't a perfect outing or anything, but he looked confident and comfortable. Canada failed to do anything of note down his side, and Vincent was effective at getting into the attack even forcing a tough save in an attempt on goal. With lots of question marks on defense, it was nice to see a newcomer really seize the opportunity given him in the January camp, and there's good reason to be excited if you're a Chicago Fire fan.

USA vs Iceland Thoughts

1. First and foremost, it was good to see the U.S. start 2016 with a win. After what can only be classified as a disappointing finish to 2015, it's important for the U.S. to turn the page and start fresh. The 3-2 win, during which we twice came from behind, was far from perfect, but a win just the same.

 

2. The U.S. certainly outplayed their European opponents dominating in virtually every statistical category (Corners 8-2, Shots 16-6, Possession 62-38), but despite not having the bulk of the chances, Iceland was still very dangerous. If not for some poor finishing, Iceland could have easily walked away with a 5-3 win. I'd like to point fingers at the defense for sloppy play, but I'll temper that noting that the defense also scored the tying and winning goals. Still, the first Iceland goal - while a result of a lucky deflection - was also a result of ball-watching. And the second goal came as a result of a heady play by Iceland in generating a quick re-start, but also showed a lack of communication and organization along the U.S. backline (it also involved a brilliant finish by Aron Sigurdson). Granted, this was a group that hasn't played together before and it's the January camp when not everyone's at their fittest, but I still didn't think it was great performance from a defensive standpoint.

Making Moves - Portland Timbers Addition

With the MLS Cup in their trophy case, the Timbers aren't sitting idly by this offseason making three more big moves this week. Here's a rundown of who they brought in:

Zarek Valentin - Valentin, a former US Youth National Team member, was the fourth overall pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft. After parts of three seasons in MLS with Chivas USA and the Montreal Impact, Valentin moved overseas and spent three seasons with Bodø/Glimt of the Norwegian Tippeligaen. A versatile defender, Valentin provides additional depth along a back line that has already lost Jorge Villafaña, likely won't bring back Norberto Paparatto, and hasn't yet signed re-entry draft pick Jermaine Taylor. Valentin, who played for Timbers coach Caleb Porter at the University of Akron, may even be able to challenge Chris Klute for the starting left back spot.

Ned Grabavoy - A veteran of 12 MLS seasons, Grabavoy will help fill the void left by Will Johnson's departure, and brings a veteran presence to the Timbers midfield as well as their clubhouse. A two-time MLS Cup winner, Grabavoy joins Portland after spending 2015 with New York City FC. Grabavoy enjoyed his best statistical season with Real Salt Lake in 2013 when he had 5 goals and 5 assists in 32 appearances.

Jack McInerney - Despite scoring 38 regular season goals before his 24th birthday, Jack Mack can't seem to find a home. In less than two years he's gone from Philadelphia to Montreal to Columbus and now to the Timbers. A member of the U.S. Youth National Teams from 2008-2011, McInerney is the obvious replacement for the departed Maximiliano Urruti, and gives the Timbers another credible striking option to go alongside Fanendo Adi.

Odds and Ends

Ridgwell to Debut this Weekend?

Portland Timbers center back Liam Ridgewell is on loan until February with English Football League Championship side Brighton & Hove Albion, and may get his first action this weekend as Brighton takes on Hull City on Saturday morning. If he does, he'll have a chance to match up against former Chicago Fire striker Shaun Maloney who joined Hull City in August after spending just eight months in Chicago. Maloney has scored one goal since returning to England.

Copa América Centenario Playoffs

Today Panama City will play host to the final two play-in games for the Copa América Centenario. In the first match, Panama will take on Cuba, and in the second Trinidad and Tobago will play Haiti. Current MLSers Aníbal Godoy (Panama, San Jose), Joevin Jones (Trinidad and Tobago, Chicago), Kevan George (Trinidad and Tobago, Columbus), and Cordell Cato (Trinidad and Tobago, San Jose) will all be suiting up for the matches as well as a number of former/unsigned MLSers including Soni Mustivar (Haiti), Blas Pérez (Panama), Gabriel Torres (Panama) and Daneil Cyrus (Trinidad and Tobago). The actual tournament, which will be held in the United States, will begin in early June.

Making Moves

Here's a look at three more moves in what has already been a busy MLS offseason:

1) Marco Pappa traded to Colorado. Pappa's two year stint with the Sounders has drawn to a close as the Guatemalan midfielder was shipped to Colorado for cash earlier this month. It comes as a bit of a surprise that Seattle would cut ties with the useful midfielder, but in addition to Pappa, the Sounders will also be heading into 2016 without Lamar Neagle (DC United), Michael Azira (Colorado) and Andy Rose (Coventry City) in addition to having Chad Barrett, Leonardo Gonzalez, Troy Perkins, Gonzalo Pineda and Zach Scott all not under contract. Pappa should provide an immediate boost to the Rapids' league-worst attack and adds a veteran presence to their midfield. The MVP of the 2014 Copa Centroamericana has 35 goals and 27 assists in 161 regular season matches for Seattle and Chicago, and has also notched three assists in ten postseason appearances. He also scored this gem against the U.S. during World Cup Qualifying in 2012.

The Mexican Exodus

It's still early in the MLS offseason, but already four MLS regulars have made moves south of the border to join first division teams in Mexico. Juninho (Tijuana), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca), Luis Gil (Querétaro) and Jorge Villafaña (Santos Laguna) will all be in different jerseys next season with Villafaña and Gonzalez joining Champions League sides from Liga MX. While this is a positive move for U.S. Soccer with Gonzalez, Villafaña and Gil all with some level of National Team experience, it doesn't do a lot for MLS's Champions League aspirations. The Galaxy lose both Juninho and Gonzalez from their 2015-16 Champions League run and could now conceivably have to play against Villafaña in the CCL Knockout Round. Not only that, the Timbers won't have Villafaña for their run in the 2016-17 Champions League. Similarly, Real Salt Lake is also still alive in the 2015-16 Champions League and they will have to move forward without Luis Gil. A Champions League title continues to prove elusive for MLS and as long as players in their prime (Gonzalez is the oldest of the four at age 27) are transferring south instead of north, it will continue to be an uphill battle for MLS clubs.

Three Things - 12/6/15

1) Lucas Melano's nail in the coffin against FC Dallas last weekend was filthy, and that's exactly the reason that Portland signed him to a designated player contract. The 22 year old had just a goal and three assists during the regular season after signing in July, but he's obviously got some moves.



2) Two of MLS's best African strikers will face off against another today as Fanendo Adi (Portland/Nigeria) and Kei Kamara (Columbus/Sierra Leone) both led their clubs in scoring this season. The two combined for all three goals in the only meeting between the Crew and the Timbers during the regular season, a 2-1 win for the Timbers.



3) Here's five players to watch from each team in today's final.

For Columbus:

Kei Kamara - Tied for League Lead with 22 goals this season
Ethan Finlay - 12 Goals and 13 Assists during regular season
Federico Higuaín - Excellent playmaker in central midfield
Gastón Sauro - Big Center Back who has dramatically raised Columbus's level of defending
Justin Meram - Iraqi International; scored fastest goal in postseason history vs NYRB

For Portland:

Fanendo Adi - Led Team with 16 goals during regular season
Diego Valeri - Sensational passer/playmaker, now finally healthy
Darlington Nagbe - Latest addition to USMNT, could play huge role in 2018 World Cup Cycle
Nat Borchers - Amazing Beard, bruising defender, natural leader
Adam Kwarasey - League-high 13 shutouts, won shootout vs Sporting KC this postseason

MLS Cup Conference Finals Diary, Leg 1

11/22/15

All right, time to watch the first leg of the Conference Finals. We'll start off with the Red Bulls taking on the Columbus Crew and then we'll follow that up with FC Dallas against the Portland Timbers. Hopefully we can get through both games, but that will really depend on whether or not my poor laptop can hold it together and if my wife can hold off on going into labor (due date is tomorrow). Let's start with Columbus vs New York...

The big story for Columbus is the fact that they're without their starting center back, Gastón Sauro, who's on a yellow card suspension. Sauro has been a tremendous addition to a defense that had issues all year, but tonight it'll be on Tyson Wahl teaming up with Michael Parkhurst in the heart of the Crew defense. Here we go!

0' - WOW. So the game has been going for all of 10 seconds and Justin Meram already has the Crew up 1-0. Taylor Twellman made the comment before the game started that this game would have some fireworks, and so far it has not disappointed. Ethan Finlay got absolutely trucked my Matt Miazga on that play too, but funny how those plays don't seem to hurt as much when you score.

U.S. Opens World Cup Qualifying with 6-1 Win

Five Thoughts on the U.S.'s 6-1 Win over St. Vincent & The Grenadines

1) Yes, the U.S. won this match, and won big in the end, but a 6-1 win over a team like St. Vincent & The Grenadines really doesn't tell you a whole lot. In fact, it's probably more significant that the U.S. trailed in this match than it is that the U.S. won by five goals. The St. Vincent goal was a result of a bad clearance and soft defending, and it's still unclear if the U.S. has settled on a starting back four moving forward. This much is for certain, we'll know a lot more about the U.S. after Tuesday's match against Trinidad and Tobago. On a side note, the St. Vincent goal scorer, Oalex Anderson plays in the USL for Seattle Sounders FC 2 which means you might see him in a Sounders uniform next season. Anderson, who just turned 20, has already scored 10 goals for St. Vincent & The Grenadines.

2) One of the biggest stories of this match is the fact that the U.S. was able to get both Matt Miazga and Darlington Nagbe onto the field which means that both will (hopefully) be a part of the U.S. soccer team for years to come. Miazga was being actively courted by Poland while Nagbe was born in Liberia and still eligible to play for them. Now, having appeared for the U.S. in a Qualifier, they're both "Cap-Tied" to the United States. Obviously it's too early to tell what kind of impact they'll have, but adding a center back and playmaking midfielder into the mix are never a bad thing.

3) Three of the six U.S. goals came as a result of set pieces, but what was interesting was that it was Fabian Johnson taking the kicks early on instead of Michael Bradley. The result was a free kick that deflected in off the wall, and a pair of corners flicked on to players making a back post run. Johnson, who started in the midfield instead of outside back, was dangerous all night and if Klinsmann can afford to keep him in the midfield, that could be a huge boost to the U.S. attack moving forward.

4) All Bobby Wood does is score big goals. He's scored four times (all this year) for the U.S. and his four goals are as follows: 1) Game Winner against the Netherlands, 2) Game Winner against Germany, 3) Extra time equalizer against Mexico in the CONCACAF Cup, 4) Equalizer in World Cup Qualifying against St. Vincent & The Grenadines. I know Clint Dempsey's still out there, but could Bobby Wood and Jozy Altidore be our solution up top? We should know more after we see the Trinidad and Tobago game next week, but there's no question that Bobby Wood is for real.

5) With a pair of goals, Jozy Altidore moved ahead of Brian McBride and into fourth place on the all-time scoring list with 31 career goals for the United States. Altidore now needs just three goals to catch Eric Wynalda for third place.

Final Thoughts on the Conference Semifinals

Wow, what a Sunday! All four games were highly contested and just made for some really exciting soccer. In no particular order, here's a bunch of my observations from an action-packed day:

1) Of the four conference semifinal winners, the Red Bulls are the only ones who won both legs of their respective match-up.

2) Substitutes on Sunday accounted for 2 goals (Tesho Akindele, Walker Zimmerman) and 4 assists (Marco Pappa, Blas Pérez, Gonzalo Verón, Cedrick).

3) Every player to come off the bench for FC Dallas on Sunday (Tesho Akindele, Walker Zimmerman, Blas Pérez) notched either a goal or an assist. Akindele and Zimmerman also both scored PKs during the shootout. During the regular season, Akindele (goal) scored just once in fourteen appearances as a substitute, Zimmerman (goal) did not log a goal or an assist during the entire regular season, and Pérez (assist) did not log a goal or an assist in nine appearances as a substitute.

Playoff Match-Ups: Conference Finals

EAST

New York Red Bulls (1) vs Columbus Crew (2)

2015 Meetings

3/28/15 - New York Red Bulls 2 Columbus Crew 1
NYRB: B. Wright-Phillips, Grella; CLB: Tchani

7/4/15 - Columbus Crew 2 New York Red Bulls 1
NYRB: Abang; CLB: Finlay 2

10/3/15 - New York Red Bulls 2 Columbus Crew 1
NYRB: Sam, B. Wright-Phillips; CLB: Meram

New York In Brief

Record: 18-10-6, 62 Goals For, 43 Goals Against (+19)
Goals: Bradley Wright-Phillips - 17 goals
Assists: Sacha Kljestan - 14 assists
Goalkeeping: Luis Robles - 9 shutouts, 1.26 GAA, 18-10-6

Defeated DC United, 1-0 - McCarty (1)
Defeated DC United, 1-0 - B. Wright-Phillips (1)

Columbus In Brief

Record: 15-11-4, 58 Goals For, 53 Goals Against (+5)
Goals: Kei Kamara - 22 goals
Assists: Ethan Finlay - 13 assists
Goalkeeping: Steve Clark - 6 shutouts, 1.56 GAA, 15-11-8

Lost to Montreal, 2-1 - Higuaín (1)
Defeated Montreal, 3-1 (a.e.t) - Kamara 2 (2), Finlay (1)

Playoff Match-Ups (Conference Semifinals)

EAST

Columbus Crew (2) vs Montreal Impact (3)

2015 Meetings

6/6/16 - Montreal Impact 2 Columbus Crew 1
7/11/15 - Montreal Impact 3 Columbus Crew 0

Playoff Match-Ups (Knockout Round)

EAST

Montreal Impact (3) vs Toronto FC (6)

2015 Meetings

5/6/15 - Montreal Impact 1 Toronto FC 0 (Canadian Championship)
5/13/15 - Toronto FC 3 Montreal Impact 2 (Canadian Championship)
6/24/15 - Toronto FC 3 Montreal Impact 1
8/29/15 - Toronto FC 2 Montreal Impact 1
10/25/15 - Montreal Impact 2 Toronto FC 1

2012 Olympic Qualifying - Where Are They Now?

As the U.S. U-23s get set to take on Honduras tomorrow with a spot in the 2016 Olympics on the line, I thought it would be fun to look back at the ill-fated U.S. squad from 2012 and see where they are now:

Bill Hamid - Now in his sixth MLS season, Hamid continues to man the pipes in DC with 138 regular season starts under his belt to go along with 37 shutouts. After a dismal 2013 that saw him post a record of 2-17-6 in 25 starts, Hamid bounced back to win the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Award in 2014. Now 24, Hamid has 2 CAPs for the USMNT.