Transfer Monday: Vol. II

Let me start by saying that I do realize that last week's "Transfer Monday" was posted on a Wednesday. I'll be honest, I completely lost track of what day it was. However, that mental lapse has inspired me to continue calling this series "Transfer Monday" no matter which day it goes up.

Again, Gold Cup would be a good topic to write about, but I'll be honest, I missed most of the USAvCRC game. And I have a gripe about that which I will post in the near future. Moving on!

There haven't been many big names moving around over the course of the week, but I'll take a look at those who have, and some potential transfers on the horizon.

Edinson Cavani (Striker) - Napoli to PSG

Cavani is a beast. He has lit up the scoring charts in Italy for the past few seasons with Napoli, and helped them to a second place finish last year. The Parisians have been buying up big names since the Qataris became majority shareholders in 2011. With a team of stars (and egos that come with them *cough*Ibra*cough*) I think it's only a matter of time before there is some lockerroom discontent. If Ibrahimovic isn't moved after this season, or if Monaco (or anyone else, for that matter) usurps PSG's short-lived championship, look for heads to roll in Le City of Lights.

Asier Illarramendi (Midfielder) - Real Sociedad to Real Madrid

I may have seen a total of two Real Sociedad games over the last 3+ years. But, I had heard of Illarramendi as a kid with a bright future. He has been touted as the next Xabi Alonso, which is exactly what Real Madrid need. Alsonso isn't getting any younger, and his injury before the Confeds may worry Los Galacticos. We'll all learn a little bit more about Illarramendi this season with the spotlight on him.

Emanuele Giaccherini (Winger) - Juventus to Sunderland

This one is a bit of a head-scratcher. Giaccherini has established himself as a regular for the Italian national team over the last two years. They way top Italian clubs swap players, it is surprising to see one of their own jump ship for the Prem. Even more surprising is that Giaccherini landed in Sunderland, of all places. It seems as though the Black Cats are tired of finishing at the bottom half of the table, and they're making their push towards European qualification.

Thiago Alcantara (Midfielder) - Barcelona to Bayern Munich

"Greed, for lack of a better word, is good." Gordon Gekko said it, Pep Guardiola seemingly lives by it. Forget, for a moment, the fact that Bayern won the Champions League last season, and that they demolished Barcelona to get there. When Pep was at Barcelona, his roster was stacked. Yet, he continued to bring in players that proved to be somewhat surplus to requirements. Boasting Xavi, Iniesta, and even Busquets in the center of the field, Pep brought in Javier Mascherano and Cesc Fabregas. Both players were previously stars for their respective clubs, but have since struggled to break in regularly for Barca. Mascherano moved to center-back, while Fabregas has come off the bench more than he would have liked.

Queue Thiago, who spurned a likely starting role at Manchester United for Bayern (much to Wugene's dismay), which already features the likes of Schweinsteiger, Muller, and now Mario Gotze. Granted, the German giants will probably play close to sixty games this season, and depth is definitely needed, but someone will be left out in the cold, featuring mainly in cup matches and occasionally in the league or Champions League. Bayern may not need much help anywhere on the field, but the midfield was probably the least of their concern. Pep, quit being so greedy!

Keep an eye out for...

Luis Suarez: Hopefully he goes to Madrid instead of Arsenal. I would be extremely annoyed for him to criticize the British media only to stay in England.

Wayne Rooney: David Moyes has said he is staying in Manchester, but Chelsea, Arsenal, and PSG have all been interested this summer.

Gonzalo Higuain: Federico's younger, and more famous brother (well, outside of MLS circles perhaps) is on his way out of Madrid. Arsenal were the favorites, but he may decide to go to Italy with Napoli looking for a Cavani replacement. Liverpool have also surfaced as a possibility with a potential swap for Suarez.

Thiago Silva: The Brazil captain seems to be leaving Paris for Barcelona. Silva's dominance at the heart of defense would be greatly appreciated in Catalonia.

Christian Benteke: One of two big reasons Villa has lived to fight another year in the Prem (the other being Brad Guzan... USA! USA!), the Belgian has been fiercely linked with Tottenham.

Feel free to leave comments and feedback, suggest future topics to cover, whatever. Also follow me on Twitter @biasedsoccer

Confederations Cup Recap

Well, the precursor to the World Cup is now in the books, and it's time to take a look back. Overall, this edition of the Confederations Cup was pretty successful. In terms of quality of play and stadium atmosphere, you can't complain. Protests and activism in cities around Brazil didn't affect the event itself very much. I'll go over some of the highlights, lowlights, and revisit some of my pre-tournament predictions.

Highlights:

Goal of the Tournament

Spectacular goals are often the most remembered of tournaments (Ronaldinho vs. England in 2002, Maxi Rodriguez vs. Mexico in 2006). This is even more true when they are the first goal the competition (Lahm vs. Costa Rica in 2006, Tshabalala vs. Mexico in 2010). That's why Neymar's strike against Japan to open up the Confeds gets the nod.

Save of the Tournament

You would think names like Casillas, Buffon, and Julio Cesar should easily qualify, and they each had some great saves, to their credit. However, no save was more meaningful than David Luiz's goal-line clearance in the final. That tackle kept Brazil in the lead; had Pedro scored the game would have gone much differently.

Best Match

Hands down, the Japan vs. Italy match was the most exciting of the Cup. A back-and-forth brawl where both teams had chances to ice the game, until the Azzurri prevailed.

Feel-Good Moment

Expectations for Tahiti were to be thoroughly embarrassed, and judging by their scorelines, they were. However the integrity and spirit with which they played each match was very admirable. The Brazilian fans adopted the OFC champs as their own, but the best moment for the minnows was when Jonathan Tehau rose above the Nigerian defender on a corner kick and scored their only goal of the tournament.

Lowlights:

Social and political issues were brought to the forefront in Brazil during the Confeds. Protests occurred in most major cities, including on gamedays. While they were mostly peaceful, there were a few of instances of police using rubber bullets and tear gas on the crowd, as well as some troublemakers lighting fires in the streets. 

These events were foreshadowed when President Dilma Rousseff, a popular leader until recently, was booed at the opening ceremony. For his efforts to calm the crowd, diminutive FIFA President Sepp Blatter received the same treatment.

Hindsight is 20/20:

The reason I decided to call this blog "Unbiasedly Biased" is because even though I am very opinionated in the world of soccer, I am also man enough to admit when I am wrong. 

So here is me coming full circle, boasting about my correct calls with my tail between my legs.

For reference, here are the two preview posts:

Group A

Group B

Correct Predictions:

• Selecting Brazil and Spain to meet in the finals.
• Brazil's defense holding strong, allowing a tournament-low three goals.
• Uruguay's midfield being a liability. Forlan dropped back far too often to collect and distribute the ball.
• Mario Balotelli scoring a goal and receiving a card (though it was only a yellow).

Incorrect Predictions:

• Spain holding the trophy at the end (Fair Play trophy doesn't count).
• Japan sneaking into the semi-finals. They could have done it, had Kagawa not missed a point-blank header.
• Italy having a strong defense. They leaked eight goals in five games, and Buffon looked past it.
• Brazil's strikers being a weakness. Fred has a nose for goal, scoring five, and Jo chipped in with a couple of his own.
• Neymar underwhelming. Yeah, I blew it on that one.

Onto the Gold Cup!

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Nitpicking the USA Gold Cup Roster

The USMNT 23-man roster was finalized yesterday for the biannual CONCACAF Gold Cup by Jurgen Klinsmann. All the names were on the 35-man provisional roster named a few weeks ago, and Klinsy had hinted at how this team would look various times since then. So, there should not be many surprises to the hardcore fan. 

In years past, this edition of the GC would be a throw away because it had no implication towards the Confederations Cup. However, this year's champion will battle the 2015 winner for a spot in the 2017 Confed Cup. With that said, let's break it down by position and see what we come up with.

Goalkeepers:

Bill Hamid (DC United), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)

No surprises here, at all. These three have been Klinsmann's go-to MLS 'keepers since he took over. I would imagine Rimando earns starting duties, but it really is a toss up. Rimando is 34 years old, and while he is probably the best out of the three, US soccer would be wise to start investing in younger 'keepers once Timmy Howard (also 34) is done. Personally, I'd like to have seen Brad Guzan get some minutes in meaningful matches for the Nats, since he is heir-apparent to the throne (aka goal).

Defenders:

Corey Ashe (Houston Dynamo), DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Tony Beltran (Real Salt Lake), Edgar Castillo (Club Tijuana), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Oguchi Onyewu (Malaga), Michael Orozco Fiscal (Puebla), Michael Parkhurst (FC Augsburg)

There are some interesting names in this group. One would assume that these players are here to stand out as substitutes for the current preferred defensive line Klinsmann will put forth next summer. DeMarcus Beasley played pretty well in qualifiers, and he figures to be the starter at left back, but he defensive abilities are a liability. Castillo is far from a fan favorite, he'll try to silence his critics if given a starting role. 

Onyewu is back! I'm sure this has more to do with reputation and the potential to replicate, but he has not been the same since his injuries began, along with a handful of woeful career moves. I was never the biggest fan of Gooch because other than aerial ability and physical prowess (he is beastly), his ball skills and decision making leave much to be desired.

This group has a lot  to prove. Honestly, having any one of this cast of characters as a starting option come the World Cup scares me a little.

Midfielders:

Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Helsinborg), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Joshua Gatt (Molde FK), Stuart Holden (Bolton), Jose Torres (Tigres)

If the defense was worrisome, this midfield needs to pick up their slack. Other than Beckerman (who is either a locker room guy, or a REALLY good practice player), every selection offers exciting potential. The trio of Scandinavian-based players have had solid runs for their clubs over the course of the year, while Corona and Torres have played consistent minutes in Mexico. Corona even has experience against big names in the Copa Libertadores (Xolos were a penalty kick save away from the semi-finals. They lost to Ronaldinho, Jo, and Bernard of Atletico Mineiro and Brazil), which is great for such a young player. There is no pressure on Holden, which should help him settle in and get his rhythm back.

One question still stands, though. Is there no holding midfielder worthy of fighting for a place, other than Beckerman? A position that seemed deep in 2010, considering Maurice Edu couldn't (and still can't) break the starting eleven, has run dry. Young MLS players will probably be given a chance only after 2014.

Forwards:

Will Bruin (Houston Dynamo), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Herculez Gomez (Club Tijuana), Jack McInerney (Philadelphia Union), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

I would like to see Landon fill the Clint Dempsey role for the tournament because he seems to fit the position best. Though Landon is the only proven goal scorer at this level, it is encouraging to see names who have been performing well for their respective clubs. Wondo may not be at his best this season, but three consecutive seasons at the top of the scoring charts in MLS merits him a place on this team. At the very least, his and Herc's experience should help the younger guys.

Altidore finally found his shooting boots in June, but if he dries up again someone else will need to be relied on to find the back of the net. Hopefully McInerny and Bruin seize this opportunity and don't fall by the wayside like some other MLS stars have.

Outlook:

The fact that this is the Gold Cup, and not the Confeds, or the World Cup makes accepting this roster easier. There is a good mix of proven talent, players on the cusp of a breakthrough, and fresh blood. This team will have two games to start strong and potentially lock up a quarter-final berth. If the this group can jell quickly against Belize and Cuba, they should have plenty of confidence facing the toughest challengers Costa Rica.

With that said, there are no guarantees this squad will lift the trophy. Between whomever Mexico send (which I assume would also be a 'B' team), and other CONCACAF heavyweights, this figures to be a wide open competition. Expect lots of sloppy play.

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Highlights and Reactions: USA vs. Honduras (6/18/13)

Note: This post will be slightly bit different than my last recap post.

Honduras Tactics

It was always going to be a tough game, even with Honduras missing key players. With the US looking for sweet, sweet revenge on home soil, Los Catrachos can't be blamed for trying to prevent that from happening and escaping Rio Tinto with a point. Too bad for them. 

Now, I am not a fan of defensive, ten-men-behind-the-ball soccer, but it often works (see: USA vs. Spain - 2009 Confed Cup semi-finals; Inter Milan vs. Barcelona - 2010 Champions League semi-finals, second leg, etc..). Whenever it fails, as it did last night, I feel a smug sense of gratification. Why? The reason is simple: evolution of the game. The game is not improving by an inferior team suffering a barrage of abuse for ninety minutes, hoping for one counterattacking chance. Take the Tahiti vs. Nigeria match from the other day, for example. Sure, the South Pacific islanders were expected to sit back and try to absorb pressure and not be humiliated, but chances are they would have let in six goals that way, anyway. The fact that they didn't do that is the reason they scored their lone goal and accomplished, which I am sure was one of their objectives for the Confed Cup.

There's a reason they are called "negative tactics". Rant over, let's continue.

Recap

The USMNT controlled the match, but were often lacking in the creative third. The first half was a bit devoid of chances. Eddie Johnson got a good look in the 17th and Dempsey had an open header a minute later, but overall not much in the way of scoring opportunities. 

The second half was better for the US. Brad Evans had a clear header off a Graham Zusi free kick, but put it straight at the keeper, Noel Valladares (who had a good game, by the way). In the 59th minute, Timmy Howard launched a counter attack (remnants of USA vs. Algeria, World Cup 2010) down the left sideline which ended in Jozy slotting the ball home from an offside position. A little while later, Graham Zusi hit the post from the endline, a scramble ensued, and a Honduran handball was missed by the officials. Still scoreless in the 70th, Captain Clint pulled an Evans and smashed his headed shot straight at Valladares. Bradley should have done better with the rebound, blasting it over. The breakthrough finally came in the 73rd  on a perfectly worked play. Dempsey passed to Zusi, who dummied it to a streaking Fabian Johnson. Johnson pulled it back for Altidore, and the on-fire striker calmly put it into the back of the net. 

Final score, USA 1 - 0 Honduras. The Nats are now one step closer to Brazil, with 13 points good enough to lead Hex after six games.

Standout players

1. Fabian Johnson - He looked dangerous every time he ran down the left flank. This was the best I've ever seen him play. Defensively, he didn't seem to have much to do, but I'm convinced he should be there instead of Beasley.
2. Graham Zusi - The dead-ball specialist turned it up a notch. I wasn't a fan of Zusi and EJ switching flanks early in the game, but Zusi made the left side his own. Great vision letting the ball through on Jozy's goal.
3. Michael Bradley - He's just a beast.

Postgame Rant

What to do about the left side... Fabian Johnson has had a strong run of starts, topped off by last night. In my book, he has earned his starting spot, but at which position? He may be the best left fullback we have, at the moment, but he is equally as valuable in a purely offensive role. Personally, I would like to see two more scenarios and stick with the best option. The first would be Timmy Chandler at left back, with Johnson on the wing. Obviously, Chandler and Cherundolo would have to be healthy for this option to ever take effect. The second is Johnson at fullback and Landon in front of him. Why Landy? Why not? It's no secret that I don't exactly rate him, but the reason for that is because I've seen him at his best, and would like him to deliver it consistently. Which he doesn't. But if he could pull his act together, LD and Johnson could be a formidable tandem.

Man of the Match

After everything I've said about it, would you expect me to choose anyone other than Fabian Johnson?

Useful Random Fact

USMNT record under Klinsmann with Bradley in starting 11: 11-2-5. Without Bradley in 11: 5-6-1. (Credit @BrianStraus)

Feel free to leave comments and feedback, suggest future topics to cover, whatever. Also follow me on Twitter @biasedsoccer