Hell froze over today as David Beckham donned the Saints fleur-de-lis to show off with Reggie Bush... great show.  Can you imagine the day when an NFL team's highest paid player would be a kicker?  Me either, but if Beckham could wear an NFL uniform for the day, I'm glad it was a Saints' kit.

It also ruins the joke that the Saints have about as much chance to win a Super Bowl as seeing Beckham wear black and gold...

After two disappointing performances in elimination games, the USA Men's National Team brought its "A" game on Sunday in coming from behind to defeat Mexico 2-1.  The officiating was not perfect, but the official seemed to make and miss calls for both sides (to me, that's fair.)  Mexico does not really have the officials to blame for this loss.

My ten thoughts:

1.  Despite Guardado's goal and Sanchez's fantastic saves, Nery Castillo was Mexico's best player.  His speed and playmaking ability set up the goal and had the USA defenders turning in every direction but his.  Unlike the previous two games, the USA's best player was Tim Howard.  He made a couple of beautiful saves and never seemed to lose his cool.

2.  Bradley's substitutions were perfectly timed and impacted the gave positively for the US.  He's no Iain Hume, but Ricardo Clark was a great move, and his energy enthused the US team.  His 59th-minute deflection of a Mexican shot was also significant.  I thought after Dempsey's weak shot that Bradley would remove him.  Max Bretos thought for sure it would be Ching coming out.

3.  I don't see how Mexican fans can think the team was robbed on this day.  With the USA hitting the crossbar (Beasley) and the goalpost (Ching) as well as several outstanding shots by the US (and saves by Sanchez), the game could very well have ended up 4-2.  The first 10 minutes after half-time was the best the USA has played in a long time.

4.  I was not surprised to see Mexican players diving in the box after Megallon's penalty. 

5.  The hush of the crowd after the USA's goal and toward the end of the match told me the Mexican fans wanted this game badly.  From the way they began and played throughout the match, it was clear the Mexican team and Hugo Sanchez wanted this game.  When the USA beats a soccer-loving country in a game they desperately want to win, then the US team has accomplished something.

6.  Bocanegra's retaliation after the no-call on Beasley was deserving of a yellow because the official was able to stay in control and not let the fouls get out of hand.  Again, the official seemed to have a good feel for the flow of the game.

7.  DaMarcus Beasley's free kicks have been outstanding--not too high, not too low.  Why does Donovan take the corners?

8.  After falling behind 1-0, many US teams would have folded.  Particularly since the US had been tearing up the turf on the Mexican end prior to that goal.  I have seen US teams in the past fold after that kind of momentum-change.

9.  Jonathan Spector's play was a surprise, and makes me wonder why Hejduk was in there so long in the first place.  I suspect, though, that he should have been on Guardado when he scored.

10.  I think Feilhaber's goal was more luck than skill.  So many times in that position, the ball sails into the cheap seats.  Still, you gotta shoot them before they go in.  Bravo, Benny.

Upon further review, I actually like that US Soccer has decided to send a lesser talented team to Copa America.  This is the challenge that us fans so far have spared Bradley becuase of the way his hiring was handled.  This is Bob's opportunity to show that he can coach.   Countries like England, France and Italy have to babysit superstars.  You don't have to impress upon any soccer-heavy nations' players the importance of going out and playing well for your country.  Well, one thing Americans can do is play well as underdogs or when no one else thinks they have a chance.

This is Bradley's Herb Brooks moment.  Herb Brooks ran afoul of USA Hockey from the day he got the job--he refused to bow to their player decisions and even benched or berated his own college players who won championships for him at Minnesota.  Bradley has a chance to show US Soccer that he won't be a yes-man or a syncophant, and that he is not an opinionated arrogant arse like Bruce Arena.

And, really, who cares about US Soccer's cred or our reputation to our Yankee-hating fellow American Continental brethren?  The Copa is in Venzuela for gosh sakes.  We don't need cred with these folks because they have none for us in the first place.  American soccer players are discounted from the moment they arrive on the pitch in Europe and Central and South America because of where they are from.   A team of American Soccer superstars would still be laughed at by CONMEBOL Countries.

Leadership can do amazing things.  I hope Bradley has a few tricks up his sleeves to make these mostly kids believe they can actually win a game at the Copa.  Stranger things have happened.  What American team of any caliber would have been thought to hold Italy to a draw with 9 men at the World Cup? 

The Crucible in Caracas awaits you, Mr. Bradley....

A response to U.S. goes young for Copa America

I was glad to see the US-Canada soccer match turn into a hockey game.  The 2-1 score was not indicative of the result, and Canada's disputed goal will hopefully live as the spark that unites this rivarly.  Both countries will always have sports ahead of soccer in the popular mindset, so this can hopefully fuel more border disputes. 

I wish the American fans would have given the Canadians the reception Vancouverites gave the US Junior Hockey Team in 2005 (malice aforethought intended).  We'll see if this rivalry has any teeth.  Nice also to hear the boos of Landon Donovan on our own turf.  Come on, Americans!!  Can we please outnmber the Yankee-bashers on our own soil at least once?

More on this later, but when I think of Iain Hume, I think that every Canadian team needs a Tie Domi......  Still, his goal was brilliant and he played with more passion than the entire US team at times.  I like Max, but I wonder if the USA Soccer brain trust (or Don Garber) are pulling Bretos' strings?

My ten thoughts:

1.  The Fox announcers were totally sugarcoating the US performance.  At one point, Max Bretos' partner (Chris something?) was saying the US play in the midfield was great.  I disagree.  I thought we were good at times, but not consistent.

2.  The announcer also said Eddie Johnson had a good game.  Again, I disagree.  I would have taken him out after the second offside.  Didn't this guy just tear it up in MLS?  If I would have had my pick, it would have been Ching if he was ready to play.

3.  I just suspect that the team on the pitch is MLS-heavy for a reason.  I think I know the answer, but I am not sure if I'm crazy or not.

4.  I have always liked Kasey Keller.  He did everything he could on that goal.  I'm from the old school in hockey where you don't blame the goalie.

5.  The ref missed some calls and made some.  The red was well deserved and Bocanegra should have gotten one for the DeGuzman tackle.  I thought Onstead deserved his penalty as well.

6.  Both sides were also guilty of chippy-ness.  Again, it reminded me of a typical US-Canada hockey game, with the shoe (or skate) on the other foot.  Canada has a couple of stars, but the US has more depth.  Of course, the best guy on the pitch was a Canadian substitute.  Easily, Hume was Man of the Match for me.  That's not even mentioning his save on the Dempsey header.  Best US player was Donovan again, and I thought he was better than he was against Panama.

7.  Beasley redeemed himself a bit in my eyes.  As did Gooch--no glaring mistakes by either one, and Beasley's free kicks near the penalty area have been very good.

8.  Someone on an earlier post said Hejduk's best days were behind him.  I am kind of agreeing, of course he played an integral part in the scoring tonight.  De Rosario beat him like a rented mule (I love hockey analogies) a couple of times.

9.  De Rosario is a player.  I like this guy--and again he makes others around him better.  Bravo. 

10.  I get frustrated watching the Americans protect the ball--it seems like every time Canada pressured the US players, they gave up the ball and Canada seemed at times to be dribbling through the US defense.  I would say Donovan was an exception, but Dempsey should be better with his foot near the goal.

I watched the US down Panama 2-1 and I have the following observations:

1.  I thought Panama's decision to take the physical game to the US took the Yanks by surprise.  Panama was scrappy and intense throughout.

2.  The takedown of Donovan was worthy of the PK, and the takedown by Onyewu was worthy of one as well.  However, I have watched many a US match in Mexico and Central America where Oguchi's foul would not have been called in favor of the US down there.

3.  Onyewu is the most enigmatic player on the US side.  He was brilliant past the 80th minute, absent or distracted before that.

4.  What would have happened if Blas Perez scores that goal in the 57th minute?

5.  Shoot, Dempsey, shoot!!

6.  Hejduk ran well, and Beasley, who I remember used to run the entire length of the field for 90 minutes, looks old.

7.  Was it just me or did Howard kick 2 balls out of bounds with no one on him?  Could that have been planned?

8.  Why can't we get more American fans in the seats for US home games?

9. It looked to me like the Yanks still lack focus.  I saw so many balls in uncontested space go from one toe to the opponents', that when pressured, our guys still don't know how to back each other up or make a smart play with the ball.

10.  Our guys looked tired.  To their credit Panama punched the US in the mouth and let them know this was going to be no easy victory.  

I am looking forward to playing Canada.  I'm a big hockey fan, and since they dominate us on the ice, we need to dominate them on the pitch.