Gongatore - Who or what team was the biggest surprise for you in La Liga this season?
Who do you think will win in the Gold Cup semis? Can Capello survive to coach another season at Real? Will FR be shown the door at Barca?

Bobby – I predicted Racing Santander would be relegated and they finished mid-table so they have to be in contention my biggest surprise. Recreativo Huelva and Getafe would also be worthy of consideration. If you need me to pick one then I will opt for Recreativo given that they had just been promoted.

I will go for a USA - Mexico final but I would not underestimate this Canadian side. Hutchinson and De Guzman in midfield are excellent players. If I was Bob Bradley I would try to make sure that are not allowed to settle and in particular I would play a quick player - Landon Donovan? - a bit deeper against the Canadian holding midfielder Martin Nash.

Nash is a fine passer but he lacks pace and when he doesn't have time he normally struggles. In Canada's case I would be trying to get a skilful player up against Onyewu rather than trying to match him with brute strength. Canada tends to stick De Rosario out wide on the left and he can drift out of the game for long stretches. If he came inside he might cause enough problems to create a couple of clear cut chances or get a set piece opportunity.

Capello will leave and I believe Rijkaard will go also.

Henry14 - Q1 Do you know what Milan are up to, the other week Berlusconi claims he want Sheva, and has $140m for Ronaldinho , and then Ancelotti was Henry, then Galliano wants Eto'o , who do you see them signing. 
Q2 What do you think will happen to Capello as coach, because Marca claimed 56% of the fans wanted Capello back
Q3 Do you remain adamant Henry is staying, even after dubious statements he has made which are so far from the one he said last summer and I quote "this is my last contract, the fans in England appreciate me even if they are not Arsenal fans something l can never get anywhere, l will never play in Spain"
Q4 - Who do you think will own Arsenal summer next year?

Bobby – A1 – Circumstances have overtaken the answer seeing that Milan signed David Suazo from Cagliari. A2 – I would have thought that an approval rating of 56% after winning La Liga for the first time in four seasons is hardly  a ringing endorsement or vote of confidence. I still believe that Capello will saddle up and ride out of Dodge. A3 – It’s silly season in England and I am taking transfer speculation with a kilo of salt. I think Henry will start the new season with Arsenal. Q4 - The same people that own the club now.

Quest5227 - My question deals with Manchester United (as always). I think we both agree that they could use another striker for the upcoming season. Who do YOU believe would be the most useful striker that they can get- realistically?

Bobby – Probably a fully fit Louis Saha – unfortunately he doesn’t come with a 100% health guarantee. I would be surprised if United make a move for a striker before moving some players out. Given the three new signings United will need to shave a chunk of money off their wage bill as well. Once they have decided who they have shifted and how much they get for them then we will have a better idea. The money being quoted for the likes of Darren Bent is silly. When you consider Andy Johnson moved for around 7M pounds last summer, 17M is crazy. 

  
Wyofc – I was reading the some of the articles today and the one about demands of Club and National teams caught my eye. Do you think they will impose a game limit? If so what would be the number and who gets to decided if they are all for club, all for national team or what breakdown? If you look – say the number is 52 games is the max – that is one a week – and it looks like the standard number of league games are 38, that leaves 14 for FA Cup, Champions/UEFA, National team duty, other tournaments. To me putting a limit on number of games makes sense for the human body/mind is concerned, but posses many many more problems between clubs and nations. Just kind of wondered your thoughts.

Bobby – It is an interesting thought but one that would also raise considerable problems beyond the club and country debate. How would account for playing conditions, or travel ala David Beckham, or the age of a player? Another factor might be how spread out are the matches.

Digity - Care to comment on Lalas' statements regarding the 'inferior' EPL product?

Bobby – Lalas works for a very large and successful organization – I’m meaning the company that owns the LA Galaxy. I would find it amazing if he just said what he did on the spur of the moment as opposed to a well thought out strategy. However, I would agree that the average English pundit is generally pig-ignorant about anything that happens in the football world outside of England.  But beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I have never understood the debate about what league is the best. Frankly, I don’t even see how you can compare leagues or why anyone would want to.

Maoze Reading - With Guadeloupe reaching the semifinals of the Gold Cup I was wondering what would happen with the CONCACAF spot at the Confederations Cup if they were to somehow win it all? Would the spot go to the second place team since Guadeloupe is not a recognized member of FIFA?

Bobby – My understanding is that in such a case the runner-up would get the CONCACAF place at the Confederations Cup.

CIAO - Do you think Capello will be fired? If so, with the instability, would any respectable/skilled player still consider moving to Real Madrid? I could see if they keep Capello last season would be considered a transitional and a successful period. So players may want to join Capello’s team. I could even see Kaka making the move to Madrid. Suazo was snatched from under Moratti's nose by rival AC Milan. Inter is perplexed. Regardless, I think it may be good for Inter as they should try to bring in players that will challenge for a starting position... Who do you think Inter should bring in to replace Recoba? And Adriano if he leaves? I personally would like to see Miccoli replace Recoba. And Cassano, Klose, Guti, F Torres or David Villa replaces Adriano. Cassano might be interesting. He will probably step it up a bit this season to regain his spot on the national team - at least I hope... Regardless, I think Inter should definitely keep Ibra and Cruz, they cannot replace them.

Bobby – I think Capello will leave. Some great players will still sign for Real Madrid because Real Madrid has been a mad-house for a while and it didn’t stop players moving there. The problem with your theory about players wanting to join Capello’s team is that it has never been for a longtime or unlikely to be in the foreseeable future Capello or any other coaches’ team. Real Madrid is always only two or three games away from a crisis and that means that whoever coaches Real Madrid will find themselves in a tenuous position. After all, if Capello’s termination clause had not been so costly he would have been gone earlier this year.

Do you think Inter is looking to replace Recoba? He has hardly been used under Mancini so I don’t see it as a great loss to Inter. Miccoli is a great little player and I never understood why Juventus never kept him around. Adriano needs to sort his head out and until that happens Inter is not likely to get market value for him. I’m not sure that there are too many clubs who would gamble on taking Adriano at this time. As for the possible replacements you mentioned – Cassano (it would a trouble for trouble swap at least), Klose (cannot see that move happening now), Guti (not the same type of player and Inter has signed too many floaters like him before), Fernando Torres (I don’t think he would fit with Ibrahimovic) and David Villa (more likely to say in Spain). 

Henry14 - Q1. l think an arsenal take over is really on the cards, it might not happen as early as some reports suggest but rumours that some Russian guy and a whole lot of Dubai guys will not go unchallenged. With the money the share holders want and all the stadium liabilities, l really can not see the American guy as a possible bidder, because anyone to take over Arsenal should be prepared to lose and then gain in the long run. What is your take on that?
Q2 l think Ade is made to look like a villain, but l think the guys who run African soccer embezzle quite a large sum of money and to have players not paid for two years is a shame. l think the problem would occur even with England but because they take care of that it’s under control. If any civil servant can go on strike why can't footballers. l really think African football really has to change in administrations.

Bobby – Q1. All clubs are sold eventually but I don’t see Arsenal being sold in the near term.
Q2 A total lack of organization has been major drawback for a lot of African countries and until it is fixed an African country will never win the World Cup.

Bigdave disaster - I’m late in writing this but your comment about Portuguese reporters "falling down" was amazing and I'm curious if you got a letter from the Portuguese associated press? or were you simply fined by FSCFA for disparaging remarks?

With the television contract now signed by the EPL and the mess in Italy do you see the EPL becoming the highest paying league in Europe? and is that why we began to here all the rumors about a weekly player salary cap?

Bobby – Carlos did threaten to send me to the stands. As far as I know the Ppremiership is the highest paid league in the soccer world. You will find some players in other leagues getting higher salaries but I doubt that the average salary would be higher.

Mistafantastic – What's your opinion of one, Landon Donovan? It frustrates me to the core that he can play as brilliantly as he did Sunday, but when he's needed most he folds up. His lack of heart & commitment to stick it out in Europe is another sore subject & NOW comes the news that he doesn't want to play in either the Gold Cup or Copa America this summer so he can stay & help the Galaxy! With all the great young talent the US has now, why must they continue to force him down our throats as the "Golden Boy" of US footy? Any opinions? Thanks!

Bobby – Donovan on his day can be a match-winner at any level. However, because he has done it in the past then many expect him to do it everytime and he is never going to be a player of that caliber. He has fantastic pace, he is a good finisher and tactically he appears to be sound. Inconsistency will be the hallmark of his career but because he is a potential game breaker he will always be a first choice for the USA. “Mercurial” might be a good description of him which is a lot better than being an “enigma.” A Scottish commentator once described former internationalist Jim Bett as an enigma and went on to say that it was just a nice way of saying that Bett had played a good game about five years before and everyone was waiting for him to have another.

Realmadridccfan - 1. What is your favourite and least favorite play by play soccer commentator right now? 2. With the Copa America this summer, what do you think are the best hopes for Mexico and the United States at this tournament? 3. Do you think that Jose Mourinho is actually done like dinner at Chelsea and move in years end to Real Madrid CF?

Bobby – 1. Favourite is Martin Tyler by a country mile. Another I enjoy listening to because he has a very understated delivery is John Helm. As for the least favourite it would have to be Ian Darke – the man must wake up each morning in mid-sentence, he never shuts-up.

2. I am assuming Mexico will send a full team and will qualify for the knock out stage. It looks as if the USA will be hampered by sending a squad without any MLS players but with up to three teams qualifying then one win can almost put you through. in passing I did hear that Argentina will be taken a squad made up completely of home based players to Copa America.

3. My money is on a Mourinho move during the summer but on the other hand I would not be surprised if he stayed either. When he moved to Chelsea he made mention of coaching in Italy one day and I think that is a more likely destination for him than Spain.  

The British Sport Book Awards were announced yesterday. In the Best Autobiography category Paul McGrath, Back from the Brink was the winner. Leo McKinstry's Sir Alf won the  
Best Football Book.

Under 20 update from Tuesday evening - Hyundai Under 20 men's national team presented by Yahoo! Canada 1-2 Scotland. And we wonder why the European media make fun of North American soccer!!

Ok this one is for the way forward, those of you who need to still vent (and having gone through this a number of times there is nothing wrong with you continuing to vent) can continue on the inquest blog.

Consider the age of the spine of this squad - up the middle in other words.

Keller (36); Pope (32) & Onyewu (24): Mastroeni (31) & Reyna (33); McBride (34).

If you go back through teams that do well at World Cups the core of the teams is usually between 25 and 29. Clearly this USA  team that is beyond its shelf-life and has to be re-built.

I thought that the Donovan, Beasley age-type players would step up but they didn't but I don't think it makes a lot of sense dumping these players given that the next WC should see them at their peak.

However who is the next genearation?