Making the Case - No More Trolling

This is a case of beer. We are making an argument or case about something. See the connection?

By Mike Cardillo / That's On Point

"Crawl. Walk and then run." -- Clay Davis

"I'm just a troll who's intentions aren't good, oh lord please let me be misunderstood."  -- Anonymous

Where are we as soccer fans in America?

Certainly past infancy and the terrible twos. Perhaps we're now in the petulant teen mode.

(I must file a strongly-worded letter to the
maker of this graphic, post haste!)

We want everything -- immediately. Right now! Every game, every second, every play should be a World Cup final multiplied by the Champions League wrapped in the 5-foot-7 frame of Lionel Messi with a cooing Ray Hudson shrieking in the background about champagne bubbles. 

Right or wrong behavior or mentality, that's sometimes how it seems. Yes, sure, it's progress from the "modern" era of U.S. soccer that began with the 1990 World Cup, but maybe it's a little unrealistic.

One place where we can all, as American soccer fans, agree is that we probably need to grow up -- or at least grow a thicker skin -- when the old, dying wave of media members with an ingrained hatred of the Beautiful Game open up their yaps or get behind their keyboards and spew garbage, as Joe Queenan, a "humorist" did in the Wall Street Journal, trying to frame the U.S. U-23 team's failure to qualify for the London Olympics as proof nobody in America cares about the sport.

At the same time last week, apparently, UFC president Dana White called soccer boring in advance of promoting a fight at a soccer stadium in Brazil, leading to some banter back and forth on Twitter.

My question: why give these trolls any credence?

The Queenan story in the WSJ was so fraught with factual errors it was actually hilarious and, come on, does anyone truly care if the UFC president does or doesn't like something? Does it cause you to lose sleep at night?

Same thing goes for the King of American "soccer haters," Jim Rome. His schtick is about as fresh as rollerblades, stuck somewhere in 1993 where calling your listeners "clones" was considered edgy.

Truly, why engage people who are have nothing left to cling onto other than the fact, as has been proven for years, that America soccer fans have the softest skin in the world? (I, like all of us, is guilty of this, admittedly.)

Look, in a way, trolling especially via Twitter and other Internet means fascinates me. Gun to may head, the ultimate troll account, @Fansince09 might be the most hilariously brilliant use of the medium out there. If you don't get the joke, I feel bad for you.

As it is, when you go onto an online forum whining -- yes whining -- about the mean things a Queenan writes or a Rome says, you're playing into their hands when realistically these idiots are no better than a pranking troll like Fansince09, albeit much less offensive or hilarious. For decades there was no lazier sports' columnist trope than writing how soccer was for commies or would never be accepted in America, and watch the teary-eyed fans lash back and retort.

More than anything, as soccer and soccer fans mature in America, shouldn't we be past worrying about who does or doesn't like the sport? Sure, the anchors of "SportsCenter" still can't pronounce half the names correctly when they read a highlight -- but soccer plays are a almost a daily fixture in their "Top 10" plays.

Over the weekend when New York Cosmos legend Giorgio Chinaglia died it garnered more attention than was expected, all with the proper amount of reverence -- especially for a player who was most famous for playing in a league that became extinct nearly 30 years ago.

And let's face it too, when the NASL died in the early 1980s soccer did nearly fade away from the American sports landscape. Nowadays you almost can't go a day without a major soccer event on television. Just look at this week, starting with the weekend's European action, the Monday Manchester United/Blackburn game, the (UEFA) Champions League and CONCACAF Champions League on Tuesday and Wednesday, MLS and Europa League on Thursday ... there's never a dull moment.

That's not even to mention the new generation of kids on playgrounds kicking a ball around or sitting in their bedrooms trash-talking me when they beat me at FIFA, who've grown up not knowing a world where soccer wasn't part of the mainstream American sports culture.

So yeah, if you want to fall into the fading, desperate trap in the last wheezing breaths of the soccer-haters, be my guest. Yet when people leap to the defense of the sport they themselves end up coming off as preachy, evangelists. It's a free country. People can like or dislike sports as they please. Personally, I loathe professional golf and tennis. I understand why people are interested in it -- maybe not rooting for an individual golfer who probably wouldn't piss on them if they were on fire -- but it doesn't bother me one way or another. Yet no matter how much purple prose is waxed poetic about Roger Federer, I'm just not going to care. In one ear, out the other.

Granted, soccer fans have had thin skins for years of being told that their sport sucks, is for fancy European divers and will never be popular in America. At the same time, trying to convince someone why they MUST like something gets tiresome after a while (EDITOR'S NOTE... No... never.).

In the world we live in circa 2012, shouldn't we all better than that? There's enough high-level soccer easily accessed that a person can decide on their own whether or not they like it. (ANOTHER EDITOR'S NOTE: Free beer does help, though)

Shouldn't we all have grown up, if only a little?

And isn't one of the biggest leaps from teenager to adult learning to be comfortable in your own skin and not worrying about what everybody else thinks?

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That's On Point - USMNT vs. Italy Recap

"The catcher hits for .318 and catches every day// The pitcher puts religion first and rests on holidays." -- Piazza New York Catcher, Belle and Sebastian. 

Maybe it was business as usual inside the Stadio Luigi Ferraris in Genoa, Italy for the U.S./Italy Leap Day friendly.

On couches across America, things were slightly ... weird.

Call it the repeated airings of "Leap Dave Williams" on USA all day.

Was that Italy wearing ... white ... at home? The Azzurri?

Why was the U.S. looking, as my Internet amigo Erik pointed out, looking like they were doing their best scrappy college point guard impression with white undershirts under their navy kits? (Or as others pointed out, the Nazi kits in the 'Escape to Victory' movie, aside from the socks.)

And what the heck was Mike Piazza doing in the stands, sans mustache!

A strange day -- without Mario Balotelli in the mix, no less -- turned into a historic day for the U.S. notching its first victory over Italy in a history spanning back to 1934 thanks to, who else? Clint Dempsey.

Hard, as usual with friendlies, to get a true gauge on just exactly what this result means. Italy seemed to play the game at a snail's pace, context to let Andrea Pirlo try to thread in a pass here-or-there. It wasn't until the Azzurri went down 1-0 that they seemed to ratchet up the attack, which to that point could be summed up with Alessandro Matri being flagged offside.

The U.S. did, however, look organized and composed. More importantly, up a goal they didn't lose their cool and ground out a 1-0 result. Again, grinding out results against Antigua and Barbuda isn't exactly the goal at this point, but it's what the U.S. has facing it in the immediate future of marathon CONCACAF qualification.

The pragmatic (buzzword) 4-4-2-ish the the U.S. played against Italy might be boring and soccer's missionary position, but it seems to suit the team in the long term. You could even make the argument with fewer teams in Europe (or elsewhere) it might behoove the U.S. to stick with this, over the more in vogue 4-2-3-1 formations since teams aren't used to facing it any more.

Still, whichever way you want to look at it, Italy is still Italy and a team that didn't give up a goal at home in Euro 2012 qualification. Even for a friendly it's not worth diminishing the result. It's probably not worth trumpeting either from on high either.

That said, chances are we probably saw the high-water mark for the U.S. in 2012 and for the brief Jurgen Klinsmann era as a whole.

Random Thoughts: 

* Biggest talking point is going to be Michael Bradley and his commanding, box-to-box, performance. Not sure how much of this is because he's playing for Chievo Verona or since Jermaine Jones -- who gobbles up the ball a lot when he plays for the U.S. -- was out injured, but the No. 6 shirt was excellent throughout. Maurice Edu didn't do a ton, but he was a nice complement to Bradley otherwise.

* Jozy Altidore was the bad Jozy Altidore in the first half, meaning tumbling over at a sneeze from the Italian defenders. The second half he held his ground, won Fabian Johnson's cross and laid it off to Dempsey for the game-winner. He's still the best option the U.S. has at forward, but it wasn't a coincidence he looked more active when Dempsey pulled up closer to goal.

* We're all running out of words for Dempsey. Please stay healthy, Deuce.

* Nobody reading this cares too much about Italy, but the U.S. certainly did the Azzurri and Cesare Prandelli a favor today because there's no way he heads to the Euro without Balotelli or with the pint-sized Sebastian Giovinco has his No. 1 option. The way Italy played Wednesday went right into the U.S.'s hands. It almost felt a lot like the U.S. game in the Confederations Cup against Spain where they scored a goal and hung on, blocking a bunch of shots in the process, namely Jonathan Spector. Nothing exactly revolutionary via Klinsmann.

* Hard to muster up too much vitriole, despite the past, with Italy considering the Azzurri played with almost zero emotion until it was almost over.

* If there's going to be an issue for Klinsmann down the road in two years, but going to have to wait and see if old hands Steve Cherundolo and Carlos Bocanegra as still capable of starting at the international level.

* Fabian Johnson and Timmy Chandler (perhaps Eric Lichaj, too) could be a fun little battle at the black hole that is traditionally left back for the U.S.

* On a great night otherwise, Sacha Kljestan probably didn't win any brownie points in the eyes of Klinsmann in a brief 20 minute cameo.

* Is it wrong to think, with the bulk with a starting XI comprised solely of players playing professionally in Europe, that the intimidation factor for American players isn't what it once was.

And by same token, in a weird way it's probably tougher on these pros to go to a place like Guatemala in the sweltering heat of summer than a nice, quaint European ground against a disinterested Italian crowd?

* Took a swipe at Taylor Twellman yesterday, but credit is due for his solid performance on the mic for ESPN, as he didn't talk over the game. 

* How about that Clint Dempsey, huh? Should we mention him again?

Final thought:

Nice, no, great result. Overall a fairly forgettable match, as far as the actual game went, but it was a solid, professional and performance ... one that was revenge for Brian McBride's forehead.

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That's On Point - USMNT vs. Italy Preview

Kaiserslautern ... not just a jersey Darrell Sheets found in a storage locker.

It's about time, right? We've got ourselves a U.S. National Team writer. Mike Cardillo, who we've been reading for YEARS on his site, "That's On Point", for US preview/reviews and English Premier League musings will be providing some coverage of the Nats as they begin their 2014 World Cup Qualifying campaign.

Mike's has been writing about the National Team for as long as we've been reading about American soccer on the Internet! He's got a quick wit and pop cultural references up the ying-yang. 

So welcome Mike to the site and your opinions on the USMNT fly! 

---------------------------------------------------------------

By Mike Cardillo / Senior National (Team) Correspondent 


"Ich habe Durchfall." -- Lonley Planet's Guide to Germany

Sometimes you really have to hand it to Germany, no, not for their efficient railway system, luxury sports cars and 7-foot sweet-shooting power forwards named Dirk. Perhaps the highest compliment you can pay any Teuton is their undying commitment to efficient organization, which might be a stereotype yes, albeit a nice stereotype to have heaped on you as an ethnic group.

This organization trickles down Germany's sports where its fan clubs seemed better run than most American municipalities. German soccer fan groups in recent years have successfully lobbied the Deutscher Fußball-Bund for keeping ticket prices -- including standing sections -- affordable and for keeping an on-air highlights package of Bundesliga matches on free television. Sadly in America, the land of supposed freedom and democracy, our sports fans act no better than braying sheep as owners, leagues and sponsors continue to suck more and more money out of pockets.

In turn, the grounds across Germany probably host the best of that fabled "atmosphere" of anywhere in Europe. You'd think, by their cold, stern outward apperance Germans would be indifferent to such trivial matters as grown men kicking around a ball, but apathy and fußball don't exist.

Something Ze Germans love with all their hearts, too, beside beers and sausage are megaphones. Don't ask me why but German fans must single-handily keep the megaphone business in hard because you're not going to a match without a couple fan "captains" leading the cheers with them.

And yes, you'll note in the video below that is indeed the reviled former German captain -- and future ESPN Euro analyst -- Michael Ballack joining in with the Bayer Leverkausen fans.









Now at this point you're probably thinking what the heck all this has to do with Wednesday's United States/Italy friendly in Genoa (2:30, ESPN2). Rest assured, this isn't going to be a swipe at U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsman's subtle attempt to mold the USMNT into Die Mannschaft 2.0.

Instead, let's rewind almost six years to a simpler time in our lives, a time before Justin Beiber and Katy Perry had even used ProActiv, let alone star in those unending strings of commercials for the face product which used to air nonstop on Fox Soccer Channel. Let's go back to a trip on Die Bahn from the idyllic college town of Heidleburg, Germany to some far flung outpost known as Kaiserslautern, which was home to both a nearby United States army base and the Fritz-Walter Stadion -- the site of a 2006 World Cup encounter between (then) three-time champion Cup Italy and two-time mullet World Cup champion, the United States.

It was on this train I personally witnessed the German's love for megaphones great and small with the entire ride comprised of a would-be German comedian trying to play AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" via the sound tones on said megaphone's keypad. Well, that was until a real comedian -- me -- took the reigns and gave those Germans, along with a random Japanese journalist, the time of their lives by reciting the medical terms from the Lonely Planet guide.

Suffice to say, men talking into a megaphone about their menstrual patterns must be a taboo subject in Germany because my "set" killed. Germans react to comedy by silent, stern faces instead of laughs, right?

And that set a tone for a wonderful, memorable day in Germany, which served as a personal turning point in my experience with the USMNT. Call it a day when everything seemed possible yet finished, in Don Henley terms, with the end of the innocence.

Due to all the nearby U.S. servicemen and women, plus their families nearby, Kaiserslatuern was overrun with red-blooded Yanks. Stars and Stripes facial tattoos outnumbered Azzurri in Roman Legion helmets 10-to-1. This wasn't like the U.S.'s first game at the 2006 World Cup, where the menacing, grim, dare I say barbaric Czech Republic fans ran roughshod over Gelsenkirchen in advance of a dispiriting 3-0 defeat at the Arena Auf Schalke.

It was the Czechs who provided the greatest lift of all, as they lost to Ghana 2-0 earlier in the day meaning if the U.S. notched a result against Italy it would control its own fate in the final group game against the Black Stars (let's not talk about this game, okay?). This revelation kicked what was already a day of joy, merriment and libation into another gear, which turned out to be a tough decision later on as it turned out the Fritz-Walter Stadion was situated atop a small mountain that was only accessible by foot.

Fortunately that handy, dandy Lonely Planet book provided nonstop entertainment -- especially when blurting out half-drunkenly to other random (bombed) people that you have your own syringe or you don't want a blood transfusion. (Ich habe meine eigene Spritze!)

Although the ascent to the stadium would have made Sir Edmund Hilary blush, it was well worth it, as the Americans were, as the Europeans say, in full voice. Since the stadium was enclosed by steel walls, it made for a cauldron of sound unlike anything I've ever been a part of, aside, from this one NBA game I went to when they played "Carwash" midway through the second quarter.

By the time the National Anthem was played, the crowd was whipped well into a frenzy. It's important to note, despite the presence of heavy scarves in near 90-degree weather, there wasn't an influx of costume-wearing, look-at-me U.S. fans. The pomp all happened oraganically, perhaps aided by the easy access to cheap German suds.









The ensuing 90 minutes were the best -- and worst -- of the U.S. rolled into one.

At its best, it felt like all those Nike-sponsored, "Dont' Tread on Me" ad campaigns might actually be more than something cooked up in Beaverton, Ore. At its worst, it felt like no matter what the U.S. did, unless it embraced the dark side of the game it would never get to the next level. For all the strides since a mainly amateur team played Italy at the 1990 World Cup, the gap had closed ... but not all that much. Wednesday's game in Genoa gives the U.S. another barometer to judge themselves against the longtime European standard-bearer, now with a coach won lifted the World Cup on Italian soil 22 years ago.

It helped, too, that the Italians that day in 2006 were an easy enemy with Rino Gattuso, Fabio Canavarro, et al, lining the phone booths of Kaiserslautern wearing nothing more than their briefs in a Dolce and Gabbana ad. The stereotype, too, of Italians doing everything short of killing their mothers on the field to win never felt more accurate. Seemingly everything Americans hated about soccer -- the flopping, the prancing, the guys with girls names -- it was all there in the form of the nefarious Azzurri and their meticulously groomed haircuts.

Granted, none of this mattered when Alberto Gilardino's header from a beautifully delivered Andrea Pirlo free kick beat the U.S. defense barely 20 minutes into the match. The Italians, lo and behold, as detestable as they might be, were also quite good at soccer.

Somehow, though, that U.S. never-say-die attitude pulled the U.S. level through a Christian Zaccardo own goal. (Only goal in open play scored against Italy during its run to winning the tournament.)








Then things basically, in the words of the kids, "jumped off." Danielle de Rossi's elbow split open Brian McBride's face like a ripe peach turning the men in blue shirts into Satan incarnate. Fortunately the American sports fan, as aforementioned is a docile sort, because it felt like a riot might ensue when first Pablo Mastreoni and later Eddie Pope were sent off for the U.S. (In retrospect, yeah, rash tackles leading to cards is a U.S. trademark, however that night it felt like the team was being jobbed by the Sepp Blatter brigade.)


Still, down a man for almost a half, Bruce Arena's boys hung in -- appeared to have a winner through DaMarcus Beasley waved off via offside -- and nicked a point off the eventual tournament champions. Yet in the long run, the blood of McBride paled in comparison to the grift and graft of the Old World.

That night however, despite, on the descent from the stadium play-acting like the flopping Italians and hurling out insults at Silvio Burlesconi -- and Gabibbo -- it still felt like the U.S. had done something tangible that night, even if that tangible result was, in fact, a tie thanks to an own-goal. Whatever, the U.S. had a chance to prove itself -- on European soil, no less. 

Sure, the U.S. has had success in the ensuing five and a half years. The Gold Cup win over Mexico in 2007. The stunning win over Spain at the Confederations Cups, as examples, but some of the spark from Kaiserslatuern seems to have faded. 

The naivety, however, that the U.S. might simply be able to win a World Cup going about things in their own special, unique American-way seems to have been extinguished. The removal of Bob Bradley for Klinsmann seems have only to have confirmed that. If the U.S. is going to win, it'll be playing their game -- not vice versa.

However the next few World Cup cycles pan out, we'll always have that shining moment of Kaiserslautern.

Miscellany:

* So much for the "first game Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey playing together under Klinsmann" narrative, eh? Sounds like Donovan is very sick.

* Eric Wynalda has been a bit of a blowhard, lately, trying to position himself as a truth-teller outside the accepted, tacit U.S. Soccer media. While that act can be grating, his constant reminders on Fox Soccer for Dempsey to play closer to goal in a U.S. shirt is one of his better, if not best points. Dempsey playing closer to goal is important since, we've seen repeatedly, Jozy Altidore isn't suited to play alone up top without a running partner. Long-term Klinsmann has grand designs on a playing style and system for the U.S. You wouldn't think that includes a traditional two-forward system, but at some point you have to start winning games, too. For the immedaite future, Dempsey playing a more traditional attack role, even as a withdrawn striker is the U.S.'s best option.

* Jonathan Spector has never gotten a ton of love from me in this space, but he deserves a chance to claim a place in the U.S. defense -- or even midfield. After playing a bit role and suffering relegation with West Ham last year, the former Manchester United youth player swallowed his pride and went to Birmingham City -- also relegated. At Brum he's been a regular for Chris Hughton's side, which is within striking distance of promotion playing both as a defensive midfielder and at right back.

* Maybe it's me, but it seems like there are, what, about 50 potential guys in the U.S. pool to play defense all offering roughly the same level of play?

* Figure two guys who'd want to play in this match and play well are Carlos Bocanegra and Maurice Edu, considering the financial meltdown engulfing Rangers at the moment. 


* Damn you Cesare Prandelli, damn you to hell for leaving Mario Balotelli out of the Italian squad. Let's just laugh at this picture instead.

She ordered a .... fish filet?

* Not that it's an area of strength for the U.S, but if it were ever to generate some play in the wide areas of the field it's here, since Italian soccer seems averse to developing wingers of any sort. The fact, at 32, Andrea Pirlo remains the creative force for both Juventus and the Azzurri says a lot. Figure on Italy starting four natural central midfield types.

* Italian forward Giampoalo Pazzini and Alessandro Matri aren't speed merchants or all together that dynamic, yet they're crafty and have the knack for creating their own space in the box. The usual physicality that the U.S. defense displays -- albeit without the injured Oguchi Onyewu -- will be tested by the (term make me look smart) "tactical nous" of the Italians. That said, the most anticipated player for Italy is 20-year-old Roma striker Fabio Borini, who naturally isn't anticipated to start.

* Shame Freddy Adu wasn't in the mix for this one since Sebastian Giovinco is in the team for Italy. It's not every day Adu can line up on the field an toward over an opponent. Giovinco is generously listed at 5-foot-4.

* Fortunately Giuseppe Rossi -- scorer of two goals in Italy's 3-1 win in the 2009 Confederations Cup against the U.S. -- is out injured for this match. Beyond tired of that narrative.

* In keeping with the German nomenclature, perhaps we'd best start labeling it the 1.USMNT.

* With Jermaine Jones pulling out of the team due to injury, I'll be planning on giving myself a yellow card sometime around the 27th minute.

* Part of me, the devious part, hopes Michael Bradley starts the game on the bench to start a massive conspiracy theory/meltdown by U.S. fans on Twitter, considering Bradley is the only American playing in Italy.

* Nothing personal, although his admitted love of the Black Eyed Peas might taint this, but ESPN analyst Taylor Twellman is a little too much of a "bro" for my tastes behind the mic. Then again, Ian Darke could make a potted plant wearing an Affliction t-shirt seem witty and insight sitting next to him.

* Next scheduled match for the U.S. isn't until a May friendly with Scotland in, of all places, Jacksonville, Fla. Guess the USSF wanted a place that's already used to dealing with small, indifferent crowds via the Jaguars. Then again, haggis is huge in northern Florida. Huge.

* Apropos of nothing, Paulie Walnuts in Italy is never not funny. The entire three-minute montage has been deleted by the YouTube cops, so this clip will have to suffice.

Lineup Guess:

Midfield diamond, perhaps?

GK -- Howard

DEF -- Cherundolo -- Bocanegra -- Cameron -- F. Johnson

MID -- D. Williams -- Bradley -- Edu -- Kljestan

FOR -- Dempsey, Altidore

Closing Thought:

A lot of how you view this match probably boils down to your impression of Italy. The Azzurri, post their World Cup 2010 flame out in the group stages, have lost some luster. That said, with the Serie A success in the Champions League this year, plus the Italian's recent upturn in the last year, which includes a friendly draw with Germany and win over Spain. Is Italy good enough to beat either of those two in the Euro, probably not, but the Azzurri are still among the elite in the world.

Still, with the cagey way Italy is prone to play, this is a game the U.S. should be thinking is winnable if not for the maddening, frequent mental mistakes by made by the team. ...


Prediction: Ita;y 1, U.S. 1


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That's On Point: "Canal Kings" (USMNT vs. Panama Review)

It's about time, right? We've got ourselves a U.S. National Team writer. Mike Cardillo, who we've been reading for YEARS on his site, "That's On Point", for US preview/reviews and English Premier League musings will be providing some coverage of the Nats as they begin their 2014 World Cup Qualifying campaign.

Mike's has been writing about the National Team for as long as we've been reading about American soccer on the Internet! He's got a quick wit and pop cultural references up the ying-yang. 

So welcome Mike to the site and your opinions on the USMNT fly!

-----------------------------------------------------------

By Mike Cardillo / Senior National (Team) Correspondent


U.S. 1, Panama 0. 


First thing's first, there is a special ring of purgatory reserved for an American soccer blogger/writer with the temerity to poo-poo a result on foreign soil ... even in a no-stakes friendly. In that regard, let's say a hearty well done for Graham Zusi for being Johnny on the spot and scoring inside of 11 minutes and the rest of the U.S. players for holding off a semi-dangerous Panama team for about 30 minutes after Geoff Cameron's straight red card.


It gave Jurgen Klinsmann a solid 2-0-0 start to the 2012 campaign before next month's higher-profile friendly with the dastardly Italians in Genoa. If anything, it's better to see U.S. 1, Panama 0 for the next couple hours on the ESPN crawl, right?


At the same time, there was something, let's say retrogressive about Wednesday night's friendly, though not from a sporting standpoint. It simply felt, oh, like it was 1995 all over again.


During the afternoon on Wednesday American soccer fans were treated, first, to a taunt Liverpool second-leg Carling Cup semifinal victory over Manchester City on Fox Soccer, followed by the second-leg of the Copa del Rey quarterfinal between eternal blood rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona. Depending where you were those games were aired in crisp, sparkling HD with pulsating atmospheres at hallowed soccer grounds at Anfield and the Camp Nou, where the eyes -- and tweets -- of the world cast their gaze.


This isn't a "U.S. can never be as good at soccer as it is in Europe argument", yet here it was a couple hours later and the U.S./Panama match wasn't available on cable in English, relegated to ESPN3 online and Galavasision's embarassingly awful Spanish broadcast in murky, standard definition.


Again, this is probably taking complaining on the Internet to another level, yet this felt like the days when my father and I would scramble and cross our fingers a U.S. game would -- if we were lucky -- air on Univision.


In short, everything felt a little second rate from what we've grown accustomed to, if in a totally spoiled first-world problem (ugh, buzzword) type of way.


However you frame it, the eyes of the world weren't exactly fixated on the Estadio Rommel Fernandez(*) for the U.S.'s 1-0 win over host Panama.  


(*) Wonder if David Lee Roth and or Van Halen have ever performed a concert there? (C'mon, you know I'm not writing anything about Panama without sneaking a Diamond Dave or Teddy Roosevelt reference, however forced.) 


Again, quality result for the U.S. "B/C" team. Did anyone on the field against Panama -- or Venezuela -- exactly distinguish himself for Herr Klinsmann going forward? Considering the German head coach still seems to rate Michael Orozco-Fiscal, it's thoroughly impossible to read between his ears.


Brek Shea, hellbent on a move to England apparently, is a lively player with a lot of drive and power wherever you stick him on the field. Nick Rimando, too, is solid as per usual in goal and should even at 32 remain in the mix as a second or third keeper.


The Bob Bradley-approved "Captain" Jermaine Jones and Ricardo Clark didn't do anything great or awful. Jones, for better or worse, appears right in the thick of Klinsmann's plans, even if the German-born midfielder's best chance to help the U.S. was probably in 2010 rather than 2014. If Jones reigns himself in, he's effective, but it all depends on what his role is: destroyer? disruptor? creator? shield? He launched some missiles from deep, but again drew a yellow card.


Clark? Glad he got a positive memory with the 97th minute winner vs. Venezuela, but if Kyle Beckerman didn't withdraw from the squad does he even see the field? Hard to see Clark vaulting past Beckerman or Michael Bradley or Maurice Edu or even Stuart Holden in the middle of the U.S. central midfield pecking order.


Moving on.


Tactically(*), with the U.S. playing a standard 4-4-2, until Cameron's sending off, the main focus of the attack seemed to come from the flanks. If this is going to be the main offensive strategy going forward, when the full U.S. team is called in it better be somebody like Shea serving crosses toward Clint Dempsey, not the other way around. If there's one thing Dempsey does -- obviously he does more -- but the Texan knows how to finish off movements in the box.


(*) These two matches weren't exactly the free-flowing, revoluntionary soccer Klinsmann hinted at in August, no?


Hard to say any of the U.S. forwards who saw the field did enough to declare themselves worthy of being called in for the Italy match -- which figures to be Euro-based player packed. Teal Bunbury has potential, but at what level? CONCACAF or a higher international? Chris Wondolowski is a nice MLS grinder and has the worst luck in a national team shirt, getting denied on an absolutely brilliant reaction save by Luis Mejia.


In typical U.S. two steps forward, one step back fashion Cameron shined against Venezuela only to get sent off for an arm bar on Blas Perez, who'd run behind the defense and had a clear 1-v-1 with Sean Johnson unless the Houston Dynamo man interceded. Did Perez let his feet go out from him rather easily? Sure. At the same time, in the state of the modern soccer game what is and isn't a red card anymore? Who knows. Cameron might have been better off stamping on Perez rather than leaning into his with his forearm.


Again, considering his track record it's probably fruitless to guess what Klinsmann gleaned from this month of practices and two friendlies. Aside from the Bundesliga Badboy, "Captain" Jermaine and Shea nobody else who featured is a sure-thing to play next month in Italy. Maybe a couple of the players, say, Zusi did enough to warrant a spot on a roster vs. a CONCACAF minnow to save guys like Dempsey or Landon Donovan a trip across the Atlantic. 


Like most USMNT January friendlies, the best approach is to take the Homer Simpson reaction to the family's ill-fated shortcut to Itchy & Scratchy Land. So, as he said, "Let us never speak of this again."


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That's On Point: USMNT Preview - Venezuela

Smiles mandatory, umlauts optional.

It's about time, right? We've got ourselves a U.S. National Team writer. Mike Cardillo, who we've been reading for YEARS on his site, "That's On Point", for US preview/reviews and English Premier League musings will be providing some coverage of the Nats as they begin their 2014 World Cup Qualifying campaign.


Mike's has been writing about the National Team for as long as we've been reading about American soccer on the Internet! He's got a quick wit and pop cultural references up the ying-yang. 


So welcome Mike to the site and your opinions on the USMNT fly!

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By Mike Cardillo / Senior National (Team) Correspondent


"You want it to be one way ... but it's the other way." -- Marlo Stanfield.

Back in the spring of 2010, during my epic, streets of Bodymore, Muderland-tinged World Cup preview, that quote was used to describe a lingering sentiment hanging around certain corners of the U.S. National Team fans.

In short, there's anyways going to be a segment of the USMNT fanbase that who's hopes, dreams ... and maybe ideals of what the team should be don't exactly jive with the reality of the situation. Fast forward to a couple of months from now when the national teams of the big European powers trod onto the fields of Poland and Ukraine to the strains of the White Stripes "Seven Nation Army" (or more likely the ear-cancer, "I Got 2 Feeling" song by the Black Eyed Peas) and they'll probably be some American fans wishing (somehow) the U.S. was in the mix. They want to be decking out in the the latest Nike designed kit, belting out songs, throwing up confetti and jumping up in down in a state of pure nirvana.

Only ... the reality of the situation in June the U.S. will be playing Antigua and Barbuda and Guatemala in third round CONCACAF World Cup qualifying.

Excitement is thy name.

Barring some sort of crazy game of "Risk" that gets applied to the real world, there's no way for the U.S. to up and leave the relative backwaters of CONCACAF  for the higher-rent, more-exciting (in theory) world of UEFA.

That left a lot of U.S. fans, myself at times included, wondering if we can't exactly transplant the intensity and all-or-nothing aspect of European soccer, what's the next best thing?

Hire a European coach, nay a former superstar with a short track record of success but positivity out the ying-yang, obviously.

So in August 2012, out went Bob Bradley -- who despite his success at the 2007 Gold Cup and 2009 Confederations Cup -- was never 100-percent loved and embraced by American fans. In came the erstwhile Tony Robbins of German soccer, Jurgen Klinsmann who came to the States talking about changing the "culture" of American soccer, basically saying everything lots of supporters wanted to hear.

Stuff like "youth development" and creating a "mentality."

You know, vague-sounding buzzwords that inspire lofty aspirations in the mind, but in actuality take years, if not decades to develop to fruition.

In the interim, Klinsmann beat the backwaters of the Bundesliga and 2.Bundesliga for players with links to American passports, won a pair of games, lost four and drew Mexico in his much ballyhooed U.S. debut.

And here we are in January 2012 with the annual USMNT "B" camp for MLSers, out-of-season European players and whatever other castoffs are remaining without anywhere else to play -- hello Jermaine Jones.

The crazy irony here? When you scan the group of players Klinsmann has called to the Home Depot Center for a month of training, fitness tests, YouTube videos, and games of ping pong ... it's decidedly Bradley-ian.

The Internet's favorite U.S. whipping boy this side of Jonathan Bornstein, Ricardo Clark? Back, as our old pal Dave O'Brien would say, 'into the mixer.' The scorned Chris Wondolowski, of Gold Cup forgetibility, yep he's back too.

Peel away a level of cynicism, and there's some reason for optimism. Forwards at the camp CJ Sapong, Teal Bunbury and Juan Agudelo are all 23 or younger, and as we know a truly world-class, goal-scoring forward remains yet another 'White Whale' in the U.S. soccer fan canon on things we Quixotically always are left searching for.

Aside from that, there's not all that much to get jazzed up about. Or at least that's what ESPN and NBC must have figured since the friendly Saturday vs. Venezuela in Phoenix and Wednesday at Panama aren't available on English language cable. (Realistically, how many U.S. fans have ever thought of the Venezuela/Panama games more than, 'Oh right, there's a game this weekend.'?)

However you want to draw it up, here we are, as U.S. fans hoping and fantasizing for something that's probably unrealistic faced with a reality that is difficult to get all that jazzed up against until the games get spicy in the later stages of World Cup qualification, if even then.

The game is the game, yo. 

Miscellany:

* Forever the reason, the guy amongst the training camp I'm most interesting to check out long term is Geoff Cameron in the center of the defense, perhaps that's since it appears the National Team careers of both Tim Ream and Omar Gonzalez might equate to a pair of ships passing in the night, as it were.

* Brek Shea is likely the U.S. offensive focal point. He looked next to dead considering all the games he played in 2011 in his last time out in a U.S. shirt. Hopefully he picked up some good Andrey Arshavin stories during his time training with Arsenal. 

* In a massive, nearly 100-player pool of possible internationals a good or bad thing? Or does it illustrate the U.S. might have a lot of solid players, but not a ton of sure-fire, five-star international caliber guys. 

* Was Benny Feilhaber U.S. Soccer's "one hit wonder" via the 2007 Gold Cup?

Lineup Guess:

(This is purely a guess.)

GK -- Hamid

DEF -- De La Garza -- Cameron -- Parkhurst -- Pearce

MID -- Feilhaber -- Beckerman -- Jones -- Shea

FOR -- Bunbury -- Wondolowski

Final Thought:

Maybe this is a far too simplistic way to look at the last month of U.S. Soccer, yet, unless there's a portal on the 7 1/2 floor in a building somewhere in New York City -- or more likely the U.S. Soccer House in Chicago -- that leads into Jurgen Klinsmann's head, it's nearly impossible to gauge what was learned from the January training camp. You'd have to figure the training sessions or even the time together away from the field with the players will be more valuable than what transpires vs. Venezuela in what is about as low-stakes a friendly as possible barring the players wearing pinnies during the match.

"America! Fuck Yeah!" USA - Netherlands Game Day Edition

Obligatory image of crushed orange. We're looking at you, Holland!

Skip work. Take a long lunch. Call in sick. Quit.

Do something to get out of whatever it is that you normally do and watch today's U.S. National Team game against the "Total Football" Orange Machine Holland. As an American soccer fan these are the games that we're supposed to get for. They define our fandom.

A meaningless international friendly? Not one featuring most of the members of both national squads South Africa-bound World Cup squads. The United States playing in Europe against one of the top five teams in THE ENTIRE WORLD? Sign us up!

A reason to have a few (or more) cold ones on a Wednesday afternoon? Say no more.

As an American soccer fan you have a patriotic duty to report to a bar filled with like-minded fans. Feeling like serving the call of duty further? Grab a few soccer newbies, too. A fellow burnt out co-worker, you worthless roommate that doesn't usually leave the couch in between class, the cat that just sits on the window sill. We don't care. These games are signature American soccer and Free Beer Movement days.

Days where we get to show off our American soccer pride with... um.... pride!

It's game day here at the Free Beer Movement, which means we wish our boys good luck and send all of our lovely readers elsewhere in the soccer Inter-web-blog-o-sphere.

Why?

Cause we don't do news. We do drinking and America loving and we do it during soccer... no sense and pretending we're going to have any professional insight to hand out here.

If you're looking for quality coverage of today's massive match up between the United States and the Netherlands check out these links:

- The Shin Guardian's "Preview" and "Oranje Slices: Game Day Post"

- That's On Point's "Netherlanding Story"

- ESPN Soccernet "Instant Analysis In-Game Blog"

And since we couldn't decide on which orange-related image to include in this post we're doubling up and dropping this one, too.

Get it? Orange Crush! We're creative!