The Fight For South Africa

by Justin Franklin on June 20, 2008 · 3 comments

After a dis­mal 2006 per­for­mance, the U.S.M.N.T (United States Men’s National Team) looks to a younger gen­er­a­tion for a bet­ter out­ing in 2010. The old boy’s are gone, Clau­dio Reyna, Brian McBride, and Kasey Keller. In come the likes of Freddy Adu, Jozey Alti­dore, Mau­rice Edu, and Michael Bradley to name a few. With the recent matches in Europe against some of the best in the world, this young and improved U.S side looks to make its mark in CONCACAF qual­i­fy­ing. A 8–0 win over a dis­mal Bar­ba­dos side was impres­sive, but has yet to bring out the very best that the U.S. has to offer. I believe that with the fresh new blood in the air that the U.S will be the best team out of CONCACAF and will makes its mark on world foot­ball in the com­ing years.

Hello my name is Justin Franklin aka Justinthe­manc on theEPL com­mu­nity. I am a new “blog­ger” on here and will be review­ing and pre­view­ing the up com­ing qual­i­fy­ing matches and the results on the road to South Africa. A lit­tle info on me, I’ am from the U.S, My favorite club team is Man­ches­ter United and always will. A favorite player of mine is Cris­tiano Ronaldo and although may be leav­ing, will not affect my lik­ing of this won­der­ful player. I hope that you enjoy my arti­cles in the future and i to will enjoy your thoughts.
Cheers!

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2 comments… read them below or add one

1 Kartik June 20, 2008 at 12:55 pm

Welcome Justin!

I'd call the US MNT “new” but not “improved”

As someone who has followed the national team for 20 years I believe right now we are about at the same place we were in 1993 and worse than we were in 1999 or 2005. WC 2010 if it happens (if we qualify in a tougher CONCACAF with a weaker squad) will be three and out without a goal unless things chance.

Right now if you take Landon Donovan away from the US I am almost positive we are not one of the top 3 teams in the region.

Here is a comment from Paul Gardner the dean of American Soccer writers:

Bob Bradley is skilled at producing workmanlike teams. But they play banal soccer — if we didn’t know that previously (those of us who suffered through his years at the MetroStars sure as hell did) we do now. Pedestrian soccer rules, and Banality Bob is saved, on occasions, only by the flair and brilliance of Donovan. As long as Donovan is around, there is hope of something more rewarding than Bocanegra’s crunching fouls or Michael Bradley’s late tackles. The question that needs answering is why — at this late stage in the Great American Soccer Boom — the hopes for skilled, international-level play rest so heavily on one player. Is there an obvious replacement for Donovan waiting to take over? I don’t know of one — yet there should, by now, be three of four such candidates.”

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2 Kartik June 20, 2008 at 6:55 pm

Welcome Justin!

I’d call the US MNT “new” but not “improved”

As someone who has followed the national team for 20 years I believe right now we are about at the same place we were in 1993 and worse than we were in 1999 or 2005. WC 2010 if it happens (if we qualify in a tougher CONCACAF with a weaker squad) will be three and out without a goal unless things chance.

Right now if you take Landon Donovan away from the US I am almost positive we are not one of the top 3 teams in the region.

Here is a comment from Paul Gardner the dean of American Soccer writers:

Bob Bradley is skilled at producing workmanlike teams. But they play banal soccer — if we didn’t know that previously (those of us who suffered through his years at the MetroStars sure as hell did) we do now. Pedestrian soccer rules, and Banality Bob is saved, on occasions, only by the flair and brilliance of Donovan. As long as Donovan is around, there is hope of something more rewarding than Bocanegra’s crunching fouls or Michael Bradley’s late tackles. The question that needs answering is why — at this late stage in the Great American Soccer Boom — the hopes for skilled, international-level play rest so heavily on one player. Is there an obvious replacement for Donovan waiting to take over? I don’t know of one — yet there should, by now, be three of four such candidates.”

Reply

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