Soccer FanHouse

Rogers Rising: US Midfielder Dishes on Bradley, Davies, Cup Chances

Brian Straus — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:37:00 EST

Filed under: MLS, US Soccer, U.S. Men's National Team, FanHouse Exclusive

The U.S. national team's stirring comeback against Costa Rica last week will be remembered for Bornstein's header, Davies' tragedy, Bradley's hustle and Onyewu's injury. But it also should be remembered for the contribution of Columbus Crew midfielder Robbie Rogers, whose entry in the 69th minute changed the match.

Playing in his first World Cup qualifier, the nimble winger added an obvious spark to a team trailing by two goals. He hit the cross that led to Michael Bradley's 72nd-minute goal, came close twice to tying the game himself, then delivered the corner kick that Bornstein finished in stoppage time. A key member of this summer's CONCACAF Gold Cup squad and a regular camp participant, Rogers certainly made his case for South Africa when presented with the opportunity.

This weekend, Rogers sat down with FanHouse and offered some interesting insight into a young player's path to the national team, his famous mentor, the Davies accident and the curfew culture that likely played a role.

FANHOUSE: What was it like to be part of those furious final minutes against Costa Rica? What were the emotions?

ROGERS: Something that I definitely won't forget. Definitely. I was just trying to make some sort of impact. When I got on there, I had a lot of energy. I felt like the Costa Ricans were a little tired. I was getting the ball in some dangerous spots. I was happy to bring some energy to the team and it worked out. I was happy to get that goal there at the very end. It was a special night. We won the group and kind of paid tribute to Charlie. I got to wear his number. In the big picture Charlie's okay. I got to see him. There's more to life than just soccer. I'm just happy he's alive. He's recovering and he's doing really well.

FANHOUSE: The team's reaction at the whistle was telling. The result obviously meant a lot to you guys. This was no meaningless game, was it?

ROGERS: After the Honduras game we talked about it and we said, 'Look, we want to get a top seed. We want to do well in the World Cup.' To do that we need to win our group -- it gives us the best possibility of getting a top eight seed. That was part of the motivation.

Also, there's a bunch of winners on that team. No one likes to lose, not in training, not in a game of cards, not anything. You can really tell. I think a lot of teams maybe after going two down would have really just dropped their heads and kind of just forfeit the game, but all the guys fought back until the very end, until the 94th minute I think we scored, and it just kind of showed the character and what the team is all about. It's been like that the whole qualifying cycle. I was just happy to be a part of it. Even though I played in one qualifying game, I was on five rosters. But I was really happy to get a chance to play and change the game when I came in. It was exciting.

FANHOUSE: You've been in camps, as you said, and played a key role on the Gold Cup team. What sort of opportunities are there for less experienced players to break into the national team? Does Bradley give you a fair shot?

ROGERS: Bob watches us in training. You have to work hard in training. You have to be playing well with your club. He gave a chance to me in the Gold Cup...He gives young guys chances. If you're playing well and working hard, he's not afraid to put you on the field. If you earn it, he'll definitely put you on the field. There's no politics involved, nothing like that. He was fair to me. He gave me that chance and hopefully I'll get more chances. If not I'll keep working and doing the same things.

FANHOUSE: You went to Europe [Dutch club Heerenveen, where Michael Bradley started] in 2006 but it didn't work out. Did you see the Crew as a step down? Do you think it's added or detracted from your career?

ROGERS: To tell you the truth, I didn't really know what to expect. When I first got there, I didn't know if I was going to be traded or if they wanted to keep me. I knew they had a lot of guys in my position. But I had a long history with Sigi [Schmid, then Columbus coach], so I knew he might want to keep hold of me. I knew him out in California and his son played on my club team, so we've known each other for a long time. Sigi really helped me find my game and helped me grow up, especially last year, and helped me develop into a midfielder that hopefully can play more with the national team.

Bobby's [current coach Robert Warzycha] helped me a lot as well. These guys also, Guille [Barros Schelotto], and some of the other guys like Frankie [Hejduk] and all these guys really help me out on the field. I was really lucky to be put with this group and I think you need a little luck in your career if you really want to make it farther and be a good professional.

FANHOUSE: David Beckham's opinion that he must play in Europe to prepare for the World Cup raises the question though, can MLS put you where you feel you need to be to take the next step with the national team?

ROGERS: I think this is a good stepping stone for me. Columbus Crew, like I said, I was lucky to be put with this kind of organization, with this group of guys. They've really helped me. I don't know if I can say the same thing for every club because I've only played here. But I can definitely say this club has helped me.

I still want to go back to Europe and try to further my career and play for a bigger club. I think at one point in my career I'm going to have to do that if I really want to step into the national team and be a solid contributor. But you can still look at guys like Landon, Stuey [Holden] has been starting the past few games, Jonathan Bornstein, who scored the game winner, is also in MLS. There's definitely a place for those guys. Just, I think there are more guys playing in Europe that are on the national team and those are the guys who are playing for their clubs.

FANHOUSE: But the key factor is that they play.

ROGERS: They play, exactly. That's the most important thing, that you're playing in games. If you just go to a club in Europe and sit on the bench or sit in the stands, I mean, there's no point.

FANHOUSE: So you think you have a realistic shot at playing in South Africa next summer?

ROGERS: That's definitely one of my goals. I definitely think I have a shot. I'm confident I can get on that roster. Of course I need a little luck and be playing really well, but I think there's a chance. To go to a World Cup, just the possibility to be on the roster, you know, is pretty ridiculous. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed and I know that maybe it can happen. But I won't get my head down if it doesn't happen either.

FANHOUSE: You spent time with Juergen Klinsmann while growing up in California. What impact did that have on your development?

ROGERS: In Huntington Beach I played some PDL and some men's league with him. He played under a fake name. He didn't want media and other people coming out. He just would teach me little things on the field, talk to me off the field, talk to my family about what he thought maybe would be a good way for me to develop as a young player, as a young professional. Just gave me different ideas about soccer.

I remember him always telling me that the only time that you're really going to be playing well is when you're happy. I went to Holland and I wasn't happy and I wasn't playing the way I want to be playing. That for sure, happened. Just when I watched him play. He was always moving and always running. He was never stagnant, always playing quickly. I definitely learned from him just playing beach soccer and pick-up games. He was definitely someone I watched when I didn't know him, and then when I got to know him he was a great person as well, a great role model. He really helped me.

FANHOUSE: And he was the guy that everyone thought should take over the national team after Bruce Arena resigned in 2006.

ROGERS: Juergen I think was pretty close to taking the job, then he went over to Germany [Bayern Munich] and everything. Bob's done a great job. A lot of people aren't giving him as much credit as they should.

FANHOUSE: Why is Bradley the right coach for this team?

ROGERS: There's a lot of things. I think he's great at giving young players a chance. I think he's good at building a team that's strong on and off the field, that has a winning mentality. He knows it's important to have structure off the field as well as on the field. He's good tactically. He's a strong individual in that he doesn't really care what people think, and he's a good person as well. I think there's just so many things that contribute to his success and the success of his teams. He's really helped me this past year and I'm looking forward to every camp I go to and even look forward to just training. I think he's a good coach.

FANHOUSE: And the criticism? Is any of it valid?

ROGERS: I don't really look at that kind of stuff, but when you see like titles, you're like, "Oh, this is nonsense."

FANHOUSE: Bradley talks so much about the responsibility, commitment and sense of community he wants from those of you on the national team. The Davies accident must have hit him pretty hard. While Davies certainly didn't deserve what happened, he was out at 3 AM.

ROGERS: It sucks because we already qualified, so I'm sure a lot of guys kinda wanted to celebrate qualifying. We did have curfew, I think 12 o'clock. It's not uncommon for guys to sometimes miss curfew a little bit after you've already qualified or you're celebrating a win or whatever. I know Bob feels bad about it. Everyone feels bad about it. It just shows you how fragile life is. You look at that kind of stuff and you read about that kind of stuff on the internet or you hear it on TV or whatever, and you never really think it's going to be someone you know.

FANHOUSE: Has it changed you?

ROGERS: Yeah, for sure. When I talk to my friends now and they say, "Oh, we're going to go out," I'm like, "All right, well make sure you're careful."

[Davies] is a great guy, a great person, a great friend and a great player, so I feel really bad for him. But, he'll be back. He's got great character. He'll work hard to get back to where he was and he'll have another World Cup to fight for....He's a great kid and everyone really needs to kind of learn from it.

Rogers Rising: US Midfielder Dishes on Bradley, Davies, Cup Chances originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:37:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Columbus Crew Are Coming Together

Brian Straus — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:34:00 EST

Filed under: MLS, US Soccer, FanHouse Exclusive

The Columbus Crew tamed the Purple Monster on Wednesday night, adding yet another impressive chapter to the quiet but compelling claim that the humble side from Ohio is American soccer's best team.

"Honestly, flying under the radar hasn't been a bad thing. Whether people want to respect us or not, we're back at the top," veteran midfielder Brian Carroll told FanHouse. "Obviously playing in this market is a little different from a marketing and pressure standpoint, but the fans here are extremely passionate. They want the best from us, and we're trying to work hard to give that to them."

For the past year and a half they have, and it's time that supporters and media in the rest of the country take notice.

Carroll wore the captain's armband on Wednesday night in Costa Rica and set up the winning goal, a fifth-minute strike from Eddie Gaven that was enough to secure a 1-0 CONCACAF Champions League victory over Saprissa. Carroll, a Washington-area native who was a starter on D.C. United's 2004 championship team, started the play with a steal on Saprissa's right flank. He created a bit of space, sent the ball inside and then received it back further upfield before chipping a pass into Gaven's path. Gaven did well to settle it on the run and finish.

The goal was historic. Saprissa, the "Monster's Cave," has been a house of horrors for both the U.S. national team and MLS. The national team is 0-7-0 in the Costa Rican capital and has been outscored 16-5. Professional clubs had fared only slightly better before Wednesday, going 0-5-1 in San Jose. D.C. United earned a 2-2 draw there last October, while "marquee" MLS teams like Chicago, Los Angeles and Houston all left defeated.

But this Columbus team is proving itself worthy of elite status, even if it doesn't field many household names or play in a city that attracts much media or television attention. It came from nowhere to win the MLS Cup/Supporters Shield double last year but lost the architect of that rebirth, Sigi Schmid, to Seattle in the offseason. Heading into 2009 there was a "wait and see" attitude about the Crew, similar to the one directed toward the Arizona Cardinals. One good season does not completely eliminate perceptions created by years of anonymous mediocrity.

Columbus began this season as if 2008 indeed was a fluke. Schmid's former assistant coach and long-time Crew midfielder Robert Warzycha lead the defending champions to a 0-2-5 start. Questions arose about the new coach's competence and whether the Crew had the hunger or talent to defend their title.

"I think those questions are going to happen whenever there's a change, and when things didn't start up for the best, of course they're going to point fingers," Carroll said.

"I think [Warzycha's] handled it tremendously throughout the entire year, keeping our egos down, keeping us working hard, keeping us fighting for each other, knowing all along that if we do that we'll be back to where we were the previous year. He's just letting us develop and do our jobs and keeping us level-headed and on the right path."

Columbus finally got a win on May 9, defeating visiting Kansas City, and the Crew was off to the races. They ripped off a 10-1-4 run that has them once again in the driver's seat for the Supporters Shield with an 11-4-9 record. In addition, they are a very respectable 2-1-0 in the Champions League, which has been unkind to MLS teams over the past couple of years.

Most impressively, they did much of that good work without 2008 MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who missed significant time after hurting his hamstring in mid-July. He did not start another MLS game until last Sunday's 2-1 win over the Dynamo. Columbus is spreading the goals around, with six other players who've gotten on the scoresheet more than once and a sound defense led by a healthy Frankie Hejduk, new U.S. international Chad Marshall and the underrated Gino Padula and Danny O'Rourke. The Crew also boast young American attackers like Robbie Rogers and Gaven that can and will take on defenders - something worth noting in MLS.

Carroll said of the poor start: "I think you can attribute it to a little bit of everything. I think we just found our bearings again and got back to the basics of what made us successful last year, just focused on playing together, tackling, being opportunistic. And before you know it, we're getting results."

And they're continuing to get them during Champions League play, while other clubs use schedule congestion as an excuse for their poor form. This is simply a team that has learned how to win, and at this point they must be the favorite to lift a second MLS Cup this November. Perhaps that will get them some notoriety.

Columbus Crew Are Coming Together originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blanco Makes Commitment to Fire

Brian Straus — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:10:00 EST

Filed under: MLS, FanHouse Exclusive

Mexican soccer icon Cuauhtemoc Blanco indicated that the new FIFA 10 cover featuring him wearing a red Chicago Fire jersey may not be obsolete by this winter after all.

Six months after telling the Chicago Tribune that he had decided to leave the Fire when his contract concluded at the end of this season, the mercurial forward said Tuesday that, "I'm happy to play in Chicago. The goal and the hope is that I'm renewed one more year with the Chicago Fire."

Blanco signed with Chicago in 2007 and is scheduled to make nearly $3 million this season. In March, he said, "My contract will be done [after the 2009 season] and I will leave happy because I have great teammates. It's a decision I made. I'm going to look for other options. I want to return to Mexico or see offers from another [MLS] team, but this is my last year with the Fire."

On Tuesday, speaking through a translator, Blanco said, "That comment was taken out of context."

Yet another bit of deception from a player known for his beguiling moves with the ball and his gamesmanship with opponents and referees.

It's been an unpredictable year for the 36-year-old. In March, he was retired from the Mexican national team and seemed to be interested in leaving the Windy City. Now he is a key figure in El Tri's resurgence and, apparently, a committed member of the Fire. In April, Javier Aguirre returned to rescue Mexico's floundering World Cup qualifying campaign and, although blessed with a corps of impressive young attacking talent, felt he needed the services of the veteran No. 10.

"The reason I returned to the national team was I received a call from the new coach," Blanco told FanHouse. "I was happy to receive the call and I agreed to rejoin the team. I was very happy to be able to rejoin the team. The new coach has brought a lot of life and now we're all on the same page in terms of communication, energy, working as a group and trying to achieve the same goal."

Mexico is now the team to beat in CONCACAF, having dismantled the U.S. in the Gold Cup final and roaring to the top of the Hexagonal standings with wins over the Americans and Hondurans at Azteca and a stunning 3-0 demolition of Costa Rica at the Estadio Saprissa. The maturation of Giovanni Dos Santos, Carlos Vela, Nery Castillo and Andreds Guardado has been key, but it's been Blanco who's been pulling the strings thanks to his uncanny ability to find space, locate the vulnerabilities in an opposing defense and make his teammates better.

Blanco said he's enjoying his new lease on life with El Tri.

"I would be very happy if I was 20 years old again and could play many more years," with the likes of Dos Santos and Vela, he said. "But I will relish the opportunity to play with them at the World Cup."

Should Blanco stick to his word and turn out for the Fire next spring, he will be preparing for that World Cup as an MLS player. That commitment obviously stands in stark contrast to David Beckham, who continues to insist that only another spell in Europe will have him fit to compete next summer. The American journalists in attendance at Azteca on Aug. 12 were pretty much unanimous that Blanco was Mexico's best player during the first hour of the game, despite being the only one in MLS.

Asked whether he thought MLS would prepare him adequately for next summer, Blanco said, "In terms of me playing in MLS and preparing for the World Cup, it's a very competitive league and it's a league that's getting better. It's a league that gives me good competition that helps me prepare for important games with the national team."

At this rate, it certainly does appear that Blanco will play in his third World Cup and first in eight years. And at least today, it appears he will be doing so as a member of the Chicago Fire.

Blanco Makes Commitment to Fire originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Drew Carey, Kasey Keller Sound Off

Brian Straus — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:37:00 EST

Filed under: MLS, US Soccer, FanHouse Exclusive

The team with 'Tradition' printed on the backs of their jerseys, the one whose marketing campaign for Wednesday night's U.S. Open Cup final centered on a collection of trophies unsurpassed in this country, wound up being the side that appeared nervous and out of its depth. The visiting Seattle Sounders attacked D.C. United from the start with confidence and speed and were unlucky not to be ahead by two goals at the half. They sealed their first trophy when Fredy Montero scored in the 67th minute and D.C. goalie Josh Wicks lost his mind, jumped on the Colombian and was ejected.

Seattle's players, staff and ownership celebrated heartily afterward in RFK Stadium's visitors' locker room, spraying champagne and singing their traditional rendition of "Jingle Bells." FanHouse was there and spoke with former U.S. national team goalkeeper and Sounders captain Kasey Keller and minority owner and comedian Drew Carey about winning the Cup and what makes their club different from its competitors in Major League Soccer.

KASEY KELLER

OPENING COMMENTS: Any time you're in a cup final, whether it's in Europe or it's in the States or it's with the national team or whatever, winning a cup is winning a cup. We were obviously excited. We really felt this game should have been played in Seattle so we really wanted to make a point, coming here and winning it for our fans and for our organization. That truly made this a first-class experience for everybody so far and a model for MLS. Our ownership group got pounded with champagne because that's the people they are. They're the guys. They're with us. We know they're part of it. A first-year organization or a 100-year organization, we're doing it the right way, and when you win things you win things it's great. Hopefully, long may it continue.

I was giving [United President] Kevin Payne a little bit of stick, and [U.S. Soccer CEO] Dan Flynn and stuff, just saying that this is our attendance for an autograph session [United drew 17,329 on Wednesday]. Obviously the D.C. fans were great. They were vocal. They were loud the whole game. But our fans in Seattle are something special. You saw what we traveled. We traveled several hundred to the game, 3,000 miles away. Imagine what it would have looked like in Seattle. It wasn't. It was here. We won it on foreign soil and we're taking it back home.

On whether Seattle fans understand and appreciate the Open Cup: I think the hardcore fanbase does. I think it was part of the, kind of the group that maybe have come in a little bit newer and didn't quite know what this was. But I think it's something that U.S. Soccer needs to do. They need to market this a little bit better, because it's a fun competition and I think if people truly knew that their local club team could actually be in the final, it would make more sense to them. But it's a great night....Hopefully there's more to come.

FANHOUSE: It's been a while since you've won a club trophy....

KELLER: Leicester was '97 [Keller won the League Cup with the Foxes]. It's been a while. I've been in two cup finals since and lost them both. I've won some [CONCACAF] Gold Cups where we destroyed some locker rooms so that was fun.

FANHOUSE: What's been more surprising, the success the Sounders have had this year off the field or the success on the field?

KELLER: It's a combination. You don't have one without the other. We did things the right way from the very beginning. We've got a great ownership group that's really doing things the way it should be done. That made the transition for myself so much easier.

FANHOUSE: But you couldn't have come back from England expecting it to be like this.

KELLER: This was a long process for me, to make this decision. It was on-again, off-again a couple times. I knew after the first game that I made the right choice. I would have really struggled if I would have gone to a club where they did things non-professional. We've got everything. We've got a great training ground, great fan support, a great stadium, a relationship with the Seahawks which is second to none to any other sports franchise in America. Regardless of MLS, probably any franchise to have that cooperation between the two. It should be the model for MLS going forward, and that's why we're so proud to win something in the first year.

FANHOUSE: It validates it?

KELLER: Exactly. When we knew we had a difficult game here -- the game should have been in Seattle but it wasn't -- the ownership group gets a charter and we come out here on the charter. We're staying at the Ritz-Carlton in Pentagon City. We're not staying at a Holiday Inn somewhere eating the free continental breakfast. We're doing it the right way. To reward that is what's so important for myself and the players.

FANHOUSE: Now that you've had two-thirds of a season to observe, what do you think is good about the level of play in MLS and what needs improvement?

KELLER: If you look at the English Premier League and you think you're going to compete, you've got to think that basically the salary cap [per team in MLS, about $2.5 million] is about the average salary of one player in the English Premier League. You have to know your place, put it that way. I would just love to see the cap go up a little bit, a couple million, and just get it so the teams can just continue to do things the right way. We're an organization that's pushing that and I'm sure we can do that.

DREW CAREY

FANHOUSE: You've just beaten the club that was considered the flagship franchise of MLS, and now Seattle is staking its claim. Did you think you'd be this succesful both on and off the field, averaging so many fans while competing for a playoff spot and winning the Open Cup in your first season?

CAREY: You can't have one without the other, I don't think. One of the main reasons we've been successful is, I think a lot of sports teams, not just in soccer but teams in other sports, you can tell when they're run by accountants. They don't have any passion. It's just about selling tickets, a promotion here or there. You can always tell. We're a team that's not run by accountants. Everybody here has a passion for winning and success. All of us, between Adrian, me and Joe and, well, Paul Allen [laughs], nobody really needs money

We were never like, "Oh my God, we could really make money if we got into the MLS. Finally get out of debt. Pay off those college loans." It was all about, can we go to this thing and win and be successful. Honestly, in all the meetings we had with all the owners, I've never heard somebody bring up, "Hey, we gotta make money." I've never heard that phrase even uttered.

FANHOUSE: Does that attitude translate to wins on the field?

CAREY: It does because then every thought you have -- if you're an accountant, every thought you have is about how you can make a little bit of money. But when you're us, every thought you have and every decision you make is about, how can we kick everybody's butt? How can we win? We have to get his coach. We have to get this environment. We have to have these kinds of conditions. We have to have this personnel. And that guides all our decisions.

Plus the idea that the fans can get rid of [GM] Adrian [Hanauer], is a big deal, that the fans have some power and say-so and we're talking regularly with the fans, that affects all our decisions too in a way. We have to please the fans. We have to win. That's our main goal all the time. That's what drives all our decision making. That's what's in the back of our mind all the time.

FANHOUSE: So then how big is coming to D.C. and winning the Open Cup?

CAREY: It works. You get into the sports business and think, "Oh, I can make a buck. Or if I make a good stadium deal or something people will like me at the country club." I don't even know what people think when they get into the sports business, honestly, based on the decisions some people make. For the Seattle Sounders, it's all about how we can win, how we can put a winning team on the field. Every meeting I've been to, every discussion I've ever had with anybody, that's all that comes up....

The money will come. That's my philosophy anyway, if you do a good job. Your first thought shouldn't be about money. Your first thought should be about doing a good job. The money will flow.

FANHOUSE: How have the Sounders turned soccer fans in Seattle into MLS fans? It's a struggle for many clubs around the league.

CAREY: When we started marketing the team up in Seattle it was all through all the fan groups and on the internet. We didn't go a traditional way. It was more like introducing ourselves to these fan groups that were already there with the USL Sounders and saying "Hey, we're going to expand this and make it a bigger thing. Why don't you come along and be a part of it?" And we held hands and took the leap. That's a big thing. You want the fans on your side.

All our decisions are about pleasing the fans and winning games. That's what we're in the business for, to win trophies and championships. And to beat other teams in games, even individual games. If we had a losing season but made money, I'd call that a bad season. I know there are other teams, not just in MLS but in other leagues, baseball and football and stuff, where if they had a losing season but made money, they'd be congratulating themselves. That's not the way we do it.

FANHOUSE: How important is it to have a veteran like Keller as the face of this franchise?

CAREY: He's really well liked by the fans. He's a top-notch player. He makes the plays. When he says something it has a lot of importance, because he's been there, done that, you know what I mean? You need to have somebody who's one of the best players on the team stepping up and championing you on the field and motivating you.

In a league like MLS, people really need to be coached. When Ruud Gullit came to L.A., I think the mistake they made was they hired a guy who came in and didn't realize you need to teach people how to do their job and how to be better. We only have so much money to pay these guys and they're at a certain level. You have to teach them.

FANHOUSE: If MLS wanted to double or triple the salary cap tomorrow, would you be supportive?

CAREY: Totally. Because we're making money [laughs]. When people watch Real Madrid, Man. U., Barcelona, those are the teams they follow, it's like being a baseball fan. You might like the Yankees or the Red Sox or the Dodgers or whatever, but you go see a AAA game because you like the sport. That's why people are coming to MLS. They know they're not seeing Barcelona. They like the game. And what you need to do, we need to get the casual fan, we need to bring up the level so it's approaching the European level.

FANHOUSE: But fans in many countries that aren't England or Spain support their league. They love their hometown club, even though it's not Barcelona.

CAREY: I know. But that's the only sport they have. America's different. There's basketball, football, baseball. There's everything. You really have to step up and say, "You can't miss these games because you're seeing the best players America has to offer." When we're able to keep all the Clint Dempseys and Jozy Altidores, and keep them in town because we can afford them now, keeping these guys and having these stars raised in America will be a big thing for us.

But it's growing all the time, and if I didn't think it was growing I wouldn't have invested in it. I think it's a good investment. I really have a lot of faith in the future. There's nothing but upside for soccer in America.

Drew Carey, Kasey Keller Sound Off originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:37:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Donovan 'In Control' of His Own Galaxy

Brian Straus — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:22:00 EST

Filed under: MLS, US Soccer, FanHouse Exclusive

He's dealing with a divorce and a highly-publicized conflict with teammate David Beckham, along with the stress and strain of international competition. Yet Landon Donovan is playing perhaps the best soccer of his career. How can this be? FanHouse speaks with Donovan's teammates, coaches and the man himself to figure out what's changed.

He may very well be the most talented field player this country has ever produced, yet Landon Donovan has been far from beloved. His failure to stick with Bayer Leverkusen, his poor 2006 World Cup, his occasionally grating personality and his bizarre mannerisms seem to have trumped his accomplishments in the eyes of many American soccer fans and observers.

This summer, the mercurial forward has proven he is worthy of a reassessment. Despite distractions that would have derailed him in the past, Donovan has inspired the Los Angeles Galaxy's return to prominence and the U.S. national team's run to the Confederations Cup final with the best soccer of his career -- soccer that belies a change of attitude and that he confirmed has been noticed across the Atlantic.

Following L.A.'s tie in Washington on Saturday, Donovan and a couple of colleagues discussed that new attitude, his play and his future.

The evidence for Donovan's rebirth is undeniable. The player who used to appear as if he took the field with the weight of the world on his shoulders is gone. Rightfully criticized for his nervous, tentative performances in the summer of 2006, Donovan finally seems to have developed faith in his own abilities. He is secure in his captaincy with his club, clearly confident on the ball and eager to challenge opposing defenses. At the moment, he must be considered the frontrunner for this year's MLS MVP award thanks to his 10 goals and five assists in 18 games for the resurgent Galaxy.

It had always seemed to be about comfort with Donovan, who told FanHouse over the weekend that his fuel now comes from within, that there is interest from abroad and that he is ready to prove himself on the global stage.

"I am in control of what I do, and before I thought different things determined how I would play or how I would respond or how I would act on the field," he said. "I'm in control of that now, so, and knowing that I'm in control of it means I know what my ability is. I know what I'm capable of and I bring it every time."

That assertion can't just be dismissed as wishful thinking. Not this year. It's hard to imagine the overly-sensitive Donovan of the past playing through the release of The Beckham Experiment and the ensuing questions about his relationship with his famous teammate, and it's even harder to believe the old Donovan would be playing at this level as he negotiated the pain and distraction of his impending divorce from actress Bianca Kajlich. On top of that, he's had a busy summer with the national team and has played high-profile games in South Africa, Costa Rica and Mexico City, all while knowing that potential employers abroad are watching. He's had every excuse to crumble.

"He's got a lot going on, from bouncing back and forth with the national team and constantly playing at a high level here in MLS. He's done a very good job preparing his body and preparing his mind to be ready when he steps on the field," veteran Galaxy midfielder Chris Klein told FanHouse. "From being around Landon, I definitely see a difference in his preparation for games. It started last year with him and he's more focused. I think he grasps now the ability he has to take over a game and he's starting to demonstrate that. He's demonstrating that with us and he demonstrates that with the national team and it's just tremendous to watch. The sky's the limit with him."

L.A. is in second place in the West at 8-4-11, and demonstrated its playoff mettle last week with a win at Chicago (without the suspended David Beckham) and a 0-0 draw at RFK against a desperate, full-strength United side. The Galaxy is 5-1-2 since Donovan returned from the Confederations Cup.

"I'm doing the things I'm good at," he said. "I'm helping the team in all ways, competing, being agressive. And when I do that, I play well."

Asked about Donovan's maturation, L.A. coach Bruce Arena said: "Well, his attitude is great and his leadership is great. He's more consistent. He's not up and down from game to game. He goes out and he's a good performer each and every game and that's really the charge of quality players, good players that have to bring that consistency game in and game out, and Landon's certainly beginning to achieve that.

"It's mental. It has nothing to do with technique. It had to do with whatever's between your ears."

Klein scoffed at the possibility that Donovan should have to do anything more to prove himself to the detractors, calling it "mind boggling" that any critics might remain. "He's got a realization now of what he can do and the ability he has and he's starting to use that," he said. "He's only 27. He's still maturing and he's still yet to hit that prime stage of his career."

That prime stage is coming fast, however, and Donovan knows that his play in MLS and with the national team won't answer the questions lingering from his two failed stints in Leverkusen and his inability to stick with Bayern Munich during a loan spell last winter. To cement his status, he must leave his California comfort zone and excel consistently at the highest level. On Saturday, Donovan confirmed to FanHouse that there is interest from abroad and that this time, he is ready.

"I'm in the moment very much right now. If something comes up that's serious I'll look at it. There's been some interest but at this point, nothing's going to happen until at least the winter, so I will address it then. For now, there's nothing I can do about it so I'm not going to think about it," he said.

That seems to be the key to the new Donovan -- staying in the moment and focusing only on those things that will help him on the field.

"I'm just more grounded, more centered, and I know what's in me and I know how to bring it out of me," he said. "Wherever I play it's going to be that way. I'm not going to let it go. It's too much fun."

Donovan 'In Control' of His Own Galaxy originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci Reflects on Inaugural Season

Brian Straus — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:56:00 EST

Filed under: FanHouse Exclusive, WPS

This summer hardly has been the ideal time to start a women's soccer league. While the recession saps the enthusiasm and income from potential sponsors and fans, a series of high-profile events like the Confederations Cup, World Cup qualifying and the tours of popular European clubs such as Barcelona and Chelsea have commanded most of the spotlight.

But then again, women's soccer didn't exactly thrive when launch conditions were ideal. With the U.S. national team and players like Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain and Julie Foudy at the height of their popularity following the 1999 Women's World Cup and 2000 Olympics, the Women's United Soccer Association nevertheless spent itself into oblivion after just three seasons, failing to attract either the large crowds it expected or consistent television viewership.

For the next four years, former Yahoo! executive (and Foudy's former Stanford teammate) Tonya Antonucci worked quietly but diligently to reestablish the women's pro game in the U.S. The result is Women's Professional Soccer, a modest, seven-team outfit whose playoffs begin Saturday outside Washington, D.C.. Antonucci recently chatted at length with Fanhouse about the ups and downs of the league's first season and its future. The conversation is after the jump:

FANHOUSE: Can you reflect a bit on how it feels to finally see a product on the field after so much time and planning?

ANTONUCCI: To look back on all the effort so many people put into launching the league, it's an unbelievable thrill that we've launched and that we have such amazingly talented players. That's what it's all about. To be able to do that for the players, so that they can be full-time professional athletes and do what they love every day, for fans, the media that covers the sport, to have the world's most popular sport and the world's best players in our country in one league, to be able to live up to the goals we set to bring world class players from the U.S. and across the globe -- we ended up with players from 11 different countries -- it's like having an Olympic tournament week-in and week-out.

The quality of the play has just been shockingly good. Everyone I talk to, all kinds of people are raving how good our athletes are....We're just so proud. We're really really proud of what we're doing out there. We couldn't ask for more.

FANHOUSE: The play may be technically good, but scoring is quite low. Can you explain that? Is that a problem? [Note: With one week remaining in the 20-game regular season, only Los Angeles and Washington were averaging one goal per game or more. In contrast, no team in the three-year history of the WUSA managed to score fewer than one goal per game. There were seven scoreless ties heading into the final weekend of the WPS season.]

ANTONUCCI: You always want to see more goals, for sure. We have amazingly talented goalkeepers in this league. I think we're seeing chances and half-chances created...we're also seeing some amazing goalkeeping and defending. You always want more goals. But I think there have been some really exciting games even when they're low scoring.

The game has been very fast, and I think it's been faster than many fans expected it to be. The skill level is off the charts, technically and tactically. There's been end-to-end action. The players are hitting hard, they're tackling hard and going for it, every game.

FANHOUSE: Can you discuss the main points of the WPS business plan and how it differs from that of the WUSA's? [Note: The WPS plan reportedly includes a salary cap of approximately $565,000 per team.]

ANTONUCCI: We want to keep our eye on the ball managing the operating expenses and not overspend beyond how big the business is in the early years, whereas the WUSA really invested quite heavily, about $100 million, thinking the business would be as big as the [1999] Women's World Cup was. They weren't going to have those type of returns and it wasn't sustainable.

We've taken a more modest set of expectations. Attendance-wise, we want to have investment levels that support 4,000-6,000 fans per game. [Note: WPS was averaging about 4,600 through Aug. 5.] We plan to grow over time. We have growth plans and we have ways to invest in that growth. Initially we're really trying to keep costs contained, and that has some key ripple effects. We're looking for partnerships at the local level, efficiencies and economies of scale in how we put the product out on the field. We're playing in smaller and medium-sized stadiums that promote a great fan experience for the 4,000-6,000 but don't break the bank in terms of opening and operating the stadium.

We're not paying [television] rights fees. We have partnerships. We're investing in getting the product out and programming out to where our audiences our, whether that's Fox Soccer Channel, Fox Sports Net, or at the regional level with Comcast SportsNet, targeting the right audience -- sports audiences, soccer audiences [as opposed to the WUSA which put its games on TNT and PAX]. The costs are managed and fairly contained. Whether you're looking at TV or in stadium, the teams have an entrepreneurial franchise model approach that frees them, as long as they're meeting minimum standards. They're taking on more grassroots partnerships, have more local sponsorship categories, have more control over their revenues. They keep more of their revenues. There's a local ownership approach that really helps these teams have gas in the tank to launch and sustain.

We think our model's working, despite a tough economy. We have new investors that believe in our model and our approach. They believe in our product and our fanbase. We have money in the bank from both [expansion franchises] Philadelphia and Atlanta.

FANHOUSE: The WPS seems to be taking some very innovative approaches on certain fronts but may be repeating some of the WUSA's mistakes on others. One well-received innovation has been the unique playoff structure, which rewards regular season excellence more than any other American pro league while also giving the hosts time to market the games.

One concern has been a few of the team names, which have raised a few questions. While the WUSA suffered as fans and media tried to distinguish between or identify with the Power, Charge, Freedom, Spirit and Courage, WPS has allowed two franchises -- FC Gold Pride and Sky Blue FC -- to choose seemingly inscrutable names that reflect no geographic location at all. Is the criticism justified?

ANTONUCCI: The league is involved in approving those names. We have a role in that. We have struggled with this. I think we have learned since those names were approved and put out there in the media that there's a challenge to identify with a city. That's a big part of the goal -- "This team plays in this city." The association with a city, a place, a pride in a community to get behind a team, those are important factors. We're looking at ways to improve that identification. It's a concern for me. I think you need to associate the city with the team. I don't have an answer today, how we're going to reach that goal, but we're not going to gloss over it and say we don't understand.

FANHOUSE: On the plus side, however, you signed Marta, who is almost unanimously considered the best female player in the world. [Note: Marta leads both the first-place Los Angeles Sol and the WPS with ten goals heading into the playoffs. She was FIFA world player of the year in 2006, '07 and '08 and won the golden ball and golden shoe at the 2007 Women's World Cup]. How important was it for the league to sign the Brazilian?

ANTONUCCI: Signing up Marta and signing up the U.S. national team, those things were really monumental for us to set a tone for the quality of play and set a tone for players around the world and in this country to say, "I want to play with and against the best." Getting them was game changing for us because it set a tone for the quality of player we're going to have in this league. It really did. This is a league that has had stars from day one.

FANHOUSE: The WUSA attempted to capitalize on the popularity of Hamm, Chastain and a few of their teammates and marketed around those individuals. Does the WPS need that sort of individual star power to survive? If so, who are those stars, or what can you do to help create them?

ANTONUCCI: All we can do is create the environment and support them so that our players become transcendent stars. The important lesson we've learned is that we can't require or expect ourselves to have that to define success. We want to create stars and amplify stars within the audience that we feel will support WPS. We want to grow with our audience. To have a household name, right away in the first five years or so of this league, if we put that kind of pressure on ourselves it would make for tough expectations.

1999 was lightning in a bottle. It was just a seminal moment in women's sports. Big, big stars came out of that, with the support of Nike. Those things were wonderful and to achieve them immediately in a brand new league may not be realistic. The objective we have is to set some really modest and attainable goals right away, try to meet those and beat those and grow stars as we go through the process. Not have any expectations to do that right out of the gate or else we failed. We know how great these athletes are. The soccer community knows and embraces that. Our job as marketers and business people is to introduce them to the public the best we can. These things catch fire when they catch fire and we have to have some patience.

FANHOUSE: That raises the big question, however. How do you market this league? Do you go for the committed soccer fans who may be skeptical of the women's game? The elusive family and ponytailed hooligan demographic that proved to be so inconsistent during the days of the WUSA? Will you attempt to sell "dreams" and "the cause" like the WUSA did, or are you taking a more pragmatic approach?

ANTONUCCI: One of the lessons we learned from the WUSA and that we continue to learn is that you have to get out and meet the fans where they live, the grassroots, do things for the fans within the soccer community that are really partnership oriented to make them feel good about coming out to support the team. It's not a one-way street. You have to put in time and effort in order to be relevant in their lives. It's like electing a political candidate.

It takes time to build trust. Ultimately whomever you're attracting to your sport, they have to become loyal to our players, they have to become passionate about their team in their market. It becomes part of the fabric of their lives. One of the things we're learning, the core fan base is certainly the soccer family, the 8 to 18-year-old girl and boy in the family, the soccer dad looking for experiences with his daughter or daughters, to create a relationship and get passionate about sports together. The soccer mom, who has always been a useful political idea, she's a pretty complex person. She doesn't just ferry kids to practice and games. She's a person who has goals and values what she's achieved in life, she's someone who might look at our athletes and might relate to them more as peers, respecting them as successful women, looking up to them as competitive, fit, attractive women who are succeeding.

We also want to expand to the male soccer fan, the traditional soccer fan who follows the EPL, MLS. That male soccer fan, we're inviting him more than the WUSA did. There's no reason to exclude him. We have the best female soccer athletes in the world. We believe we can give him a really entertaining experience, a fast, exciting, skillful game.

We've rebranded in an important way. WPS is about the pinnacle of sport. It's great to have role models for little girls, and we are that, but we're not that exclusively. We are the pinnacle of our sport. We're taking a totally different approach. We're partnered with MLS. We have owners in common. We have facilities in common. We have a strategic operating relationship in common, all at the team level.

At the league level, SUM [MLS's Soccer United Marketing arm] is helping us sell sponsorship rights at the national level. We're trying to grow soccer together. In some cases we're sharing fans, in other cases we're complementing each other, but we'll get there together. Whenever male soccer fans get exposed to what we're doing, enjoy the match, enjoy the quality of players, that's thrilling for us. I think it means a lot to the players as well to see fans of all kinds.

Gone are the aspects of the message that its charitable, that you're obligated to support this, that it's something we must have for little girls to dream. We think all of that is wonderful that little girls have their heroes, but you can't sustain that type of message. It's not a sustainable platform.

FANHOUSE: And part of positioning yourself as a more a genuine sports property has been the choice of television networks. You're on Fox Soccer Channel instead of general interest cable networks. Was that the right choice?

ANTONUCCI: We're exposing a lot of soccer's traditional male audience. We're doing our part to bring more females into the audience, who are coming to the network to specifically watch our games. We're pretty pleased with it. I'd love to have ratings that are more in the 0.2 range. We've had games that are more than 0.1, averaging just shy of 0.1....For the regular season games in the first few weeks it's a fine start in terms of the launch of a new sports league. I've had people tell me it's the best they've seen in a long time in terms of how we've been received and in terms of programming and media coverage.

The good news for us is that we have a blended approach. A pretty decent Sunday time slot [on FSC] and for our postseason, we're going to cross over to 80-90 million homes for the whole Fox Sports Net. We'll go from 32 million homes with Fox Soccer Channel to 80-90 million for the playoffs. It's going to be great exposure. Being on these channels is a matter of perception. It's legitimacy. It's how we're going to pull in additional and new fans. This product is so good, I'm thrilled we're getting it out there on sports platforms.

FANHOUSE: Regarding your attempt to attract the 'traditional' soccer or sports fan, one of the WUSA's most significant successes in that arena was the popularity of Heather Mitts. Many may know her as much or more for her appearance than for the fact that she's won two Olympic gold medals. How do you feel about positioning WPS players that way, and are you ready and willing to let your players go a little PG-13 in order to broaden the league's appeal? [Note: Mitts currently plays for the Boston Breakers.]

ANTONUCCI: We don't have to have all of our players fit into a box. I'm so happy the league exists for young girls and I want to our players to be role models. Heather Mitts is a complex person with different facets of who she is and what she wants to do. Many of our players are offered all kinds of things, and we're really about helping the players amplify who they are off the field. If promoting their looks and lifestyle and attractiveness is part of that then we embrace that.

We have players like Natasha Kai, who's a bit of a wild child in terms of personality and appearance, and we know that's going to appeal to some fans. If it's not appealing to you, then don't pay attention to her. We want players to be the kind of athletes and personalities that reflect who they are inherently. We want to support that. It's sort of a women's tennis analogy -- we have some amazing, kick-butt athletes who look great doing what they do, by objective standards.

It's all about your perceptions. We're not going to shy away form this notion that we've got the girls next door, who are great people who look great doing what they're doing. That's part of who we are and we're certainly not going to try to shut it down. We want to embrace who they are and get their personalities out there and get them talking and sharing with people. That's what American sports fans like, whether it's male or female. American sports fans want to know more of the stories. They want to see the personalities.

One way we see it so far, in a lot of the media coverage we see, and we embrace this, is that it's more feature oriented. We're in a lot of the agate, but beat writers aren't necessarily covering us and reporting game results, but we're seeing feature stories. I think that's one of the unique aspects of the soccer athlete, male or female, and we'll take it. We'll go with that as a way to tell our story and hopefully create compelling story lines for fans.

WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci Reflects on Inaugural Season originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:56:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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D.C. United Loses to Real Madrid in Audition Before Hometown Fans

Brian Straus — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: MLS, US Soccer, La Liga (Spain), FanHouse Exclusive

For a little more than a half, D.C. United was on a level playing field with Real Madrid, whose rich tradition is surpassed only by its financial largesse. In the end, the depth and talent attracted by both (along with fresh legs in 95-degree heat) proved too much for the modest Major League Soccer outfit and the Spanish side triumphed, 3-0, in Sunday's friendly at FedEx Field.

United certainly can be proud of its effort. Its commitment and courage in possession and on the tackle far surpassed that of starstruck Toronto FC, which fell behind by three goals after a half hour in Friday's 5-1 loss. But D.C. is as tradition-rich as they come in MLS and has played these sorts of games before (Madrid in 2006, Chelsea, Boca Juniors, Vasco da Gama, Tottenham Hotspur, etc.).

The more compelling issue concerns the league's continuing quest to convert the millions of soccer fans in the U.S. into supporters of the teams in their own country, and how many of the 72,368 at FedEx Field (the largest crowd to ever see United play), many of whom wore white, watched the proceedings with an open mind.

United President Kevin Payne was clear earlier this week when asked about the wisdom behind organizing an exhibition match just as his team enters the busiest part of its very demanding schedule.

"I'm so adamant there's a strategic play to this," he told Fanhouse. "I wouldn't want to do Real Madrid against Liverpool. What does that do for me, except maybe make us some money? The fact that we're playing Real Madrid is important. If there's 80,000 people in the stands, and 5,000 of them say, 'This D.C. United team is pretty good. I really like that guy Moreno, or I like that guy Pontius or Fred,' then we've accomplished something and maybe we'll develop more fans out of that.

"In some ways it could be argued, and I've had this argument in the past with coaches going back to 1996, in some ways these games are more important than our league games. They don't count in any standings, but if we play well against Real Madrid, what is that worth? We all know about the soccer snob mentality, which you can see reflected in these big crowds, these people who discovered soccer two years ago and think they're too good for MLS. How am I going to convince those people to support D.C. United other than by proving that we can compete with these teams? It's not an ideal situation, but it's part of the process of developing our league and our club.

"We can't just do that by talking about it. We have to get out there and compete," Payne concluded. "They are better than us, but we're worthy of support from people who care about the game."

Therein lies the risk of scheduling Real Madrid. Were there fans who left the Seattle Sounders' recent 4-0 loss to Barcelona, or Toronto's drubbing by Madrid, feeling their suspicions were confirmed? Would the players feel any extra pressure if they worried the perception of their club and league was at stake?

"Every time one country's team plays another country's team, you're a reflection of that country's club system," United veteran Ben Olsen told Fanhouse. "Especially in our league where it's single entity and, unfortunately, all of our teams are around the same level. It really reflects our league. I understand that side of it. I choose to look at this game as a wonderful experience that I know that myself and my teammates will enjoy and we'll go out there and play as hard as we can and do our job."

And United did that, standing toe-to-toe with Madrid throughout the first half. The visitors had a strong spell midway through the stanza, but D.C.'s Marc Burch and Rodney Wallace, who played their college soccer at nearby University of Maryland, made excellent defensive plays on Kaka a few minutes apart to keep the score level. United had its share of possession, albeit nothing too threatening, and D.C. goalkeeper Josh Wicks had a couple of fine saves. The difference between the sides was not that dramatic.

"We came out and accomplished what we did for about 55 minutes what we wanted to do," D.C. coach Tom Soehn said afterward. "We pressured high. We forced a lot of turnovers in higher parts of the field. In the final third we just missed a little bit. Against good teams you're only going to create a couple of opportunities."

"We did a good job in the first half, making plays when they counted and really clogging up the middle and putting good pressure on them. They didn't have the time to make the plays that make them special. We put a lot of work in," Olsen said.

But Madrid spends all that money for a reason. Entering the match in the second half were Raul and Arjen Robben, fresh and ready to go. Guti would enter 20 minutes later. Twenty-seven games into its season, United's depth was tested by injuries and fatigue. "The difference is they bring in world class subs who are fresh, and on a hot day like today, to have that depth is a big difference-maker for them," Soehn said.

Wicks saved United in the 52nd minute, dropping to block Robben's bouncing shot with his right arm. But there was nothing he could do five minutes later, when Argentine Gonzalo Higuain rounded United defender Greg Janicki, who was playing with the third-tier Pittsburgh Riverhounds at this time last year, and slotted home a low shot. Higuain doubled the lead in the 59th, converting a feed from Robben, and the game was put out of reach with the Dutchman's chip in the 69th.

As Madrid imposed its will, the crowd came to life. Not in dismay or in support of the local underdogs trying to shock the world, but with cheers. The goals were greeted with the rapture of thousands, and cheers of "Madrid! Madrid!" swept through the stands. These were not supporters who traveled across the Atlantic to follow their team. A pregame walk through the concourse revealed hundreds, even thousands, of Latin Americans and white Americans -- D.C. locals -- wearing the colors of the opposition. The crowd, for the most part, seemed to be rooting for the behemoth with all the advantages over the hometown boys trying to make good from scratch. It was a sobering reminder of how far MLS has to go.

"I don't think it bothers us who cheers. It bothers us that someone scored," Soehn said of the crowd's reaction, while Pontius said he was "just excited to be playing in front of that many people. You don't get that opportunity too often. I think the fans just wanted to see a good game today. I think they saw that. I don't think the scoreline shows how close the game was."

Olsen, who had left the game in the 58th, was aware. "When [Madrid] went through their stretch -- I was on the bench -- you heard the crowd going at that point."

Real Madrid, and La Liga, obviously hold a special place amongst Spanish speakers in the Americas. It's an important part of their cultural heritage, just as the English Premier League represents all that is good about soccer to many white American fans. But there was no Rocky IV moment on Sunday outside Washington, where the club with the annual payroll of less than $3 million (less than 1% of the combined transfer fees paid by Madrid this summer) would get no breaks from the locals despite its willingness to face Madrid head-on. Perhaps D.C.'s accomplishments on the day were too subtle to have the effect Payne was hoping for. Perhaps people really have no interest in building a strong domestic soccer culture.

At least Madrid's main men were impressed. Coach Manuel Pellegrini said that "Today we had a more difficult opponent" then the team faced Friday in Toronto. Cristiano Ronaldo said United "played very well in the first half. It's a team that plays good soccer, so it was great. We enjoyed playing here." Whether or not any of those in attendance were enlightened by what they witnessed remains to be seen.

D.C. United Loses to Real Madrid in Audition Before Hometown Fans originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Sun, 09 Aug 2009 18:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FC Barcelona Exciting Fans on Its Tour

Elie Seckbach — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:42:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer, International Soccer, International, Soccer Posts, La Liga (Spain), FanHouse Exclusive

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

They are the hottest soccer (aka futbol) team on the planet. They're FC Barcelona, which last season captured three titles, including the UEFA Champions League title, making them numero uno in Europe. These days Barcelona is in the middle of a three-city U.S. tour, visiting Los Angeles, Seattle and San Francisco this week. In this FanHouse video, we get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the team's workout, which is normally closed off to outsiders. Find out what's it like to be a teammate of Lionel Messi, what fans do to get a glimpse of their favorite stars and more.

Check out the video after the jump.

FC Barcelona Exciting Fans on Its Tour originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MLS Faces CONCACAF Conundrum

Brian Straus — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:22:00 EST

Filed under: International Soccer, MLS, US Soccer, FanHouse Exclusive

I half-jokingly asked D.C. United's veteran midfielder and sage Ben Olsen on Monday afternoon whether he had "Champions League fever." He said "yes", and that he was excited about the buzz created during a summer that so far has featured the U.S. national team's amazing run to the Confederations Cup final and a slew of high-profile exhibitions drawing massive crowds, and which will continue with Wednesday's All-Star Game against Everton.

No, I clarified. The CONCACAF Champions League. The official continental club tournament that United will kick off Tuesday night against El Salvador's L.A. Firpo; the one that offers a shot at international glory and a berth in the Club World Cup.

"I haven't caught that yet," Olsen said.

It's not Olsen's fault. Nobody else north of the 2-0 Parallel (is that term still valid after Sunday's Massacre at the Meadowlands?) seems to have caught the fever either. As recently as 2001, CONCACAF was unable to conduct a regional club championship. For a few years prior it had been an afterthought - an eight-team, single elimination event played at one U.S. site. Both D.C. United (1998) and the Los Angeles Galaxy (2000) managed to win the tournament in their own backyard.

From 2002 through 2008, the tournament was run as a home-and-home style cup competition. Major League Soccer teams struggled, to say the least, demonstrating no ability to win away from home and consistently failing to qualify for the final round. The statistics since the league's 1996 inception are not good. MLS clubs are just 41-38-24 in CONCACAF competition. On the road in all international competitions (also including events like Copa Sudamericana/Merconorte, etc.), MLS sides are 1-15-1 in Mexico and 3-14-5 in Central America. And yes, that one win in Mexico was a forfeit.

Things got even worse once CONCACAF transitioned to the current champions league format, which sees 16 clubs contest a preliminary round followed by a 16-team group stage. In the 2008-09 tournament, MLS clubs went a pathetic 2-10-6. The New England Revolution and Chivas USA were eliminated in the home-and-home preliminary round by teams from Trinidad and Panama, respectively. United finished dead last in the group stage with a feeble 0-5-1 mark while the Houston Dynamo (2-1-3) managed to advance to the quarterfinals, where they were blitzed 4-1 on aggregate by eventual champion Atlante. MLS's decision to send different clubs to Superliga and the Champions League this year was a very good one.

"I didn't know it was that staggering," Olsen said of MLS's CONCACAF ineptitude. "They're obviously disappointing numbers from the league's standpoint. But everyone's in different circumstances and takes these games in a different way. I know some teams focus more on the league and they're playing a second team for some of these games, and frankly [MLS] is set up where your second team in this tournament isn't good enough to win it. I think that's the reality."

He's right. It is the sad reality, and it explains a good bit of that sorry history. Houston, thanks to both a relatively healthy team and Dominic Kinnear's outstanding player identification and development, was the only club of the four that gave the competition its best effort. Based on their history, the capitulation by Chivas and New England was not surprising. United's was unfortunate. It's an organization that typically embraces international play, but an incredible glut of injuries last fall and the poor play of several big South American signings including Argentine playmaker Marcelo Gallardo left coach Tom Soehn little choice but to steer his resources toward D.C.'s desperate chase for a playoff berth.

Think how often we hear of a player in Europe or South America expressing an interest in moving from one club to another because of the opportunity to play in the Champions League, Copa Libertadores or other international competition. It is the fuel that drives club soccer around the world. And yet here, the rewards are eclipsed by the burden. It is doubtful, as Olsen's slip-up revealed, that players in North and Central America dream of lifting the hideous, dracula-inspired CONCACAF Champions League trophy. That sort of tradition simply doesn't exist here. In addition, and even more importantly, MLS rosters are just too thin and too cheap to negotiate both league play and a tournament against far deeper and richer teams from Mexico and Costa Rica.

"It's a whole different scenario," Olsen said. "Those are different teams. They've got higher-paid players and when you get higher paid players you often get better players. They have more money to spend. They have deeper teams. This is not changing in [MLS], and frankly it's going to continue that way until the league changes.

"We've lost a lot of depth in this league because guys are leaving for other countries, not for huge money, but for good salaries. It's usually not your No. 1, 2 and 3 guys, it's your 4, 5 and 6 guys that really made the great teams in this league in the past, those teams that really balanced the money and spread the wealth....Eventually that's tough to deal with. Now you win, guys want rasies and people tend to go where they can get some money. Those guys are going to leave because there's just not enough money."

And the short-sighted CONCACAF executives continue to punish that lack of depth, making the tournament unreasonably difficult on the participating teams. Clubs playing in the UEFA Champions League group stage get an entire extra month to play the six group-stage games, while teams on this side of the Atlantic must cram that schedule into just nine weeks. In a soccer culture that still has little experience and regard for international play (much of which is CONCACAF's fault), it's impossible to blame coaches for focusing on the games that will offer the most noteriety and reward.

So Tuesday night United will entertain Firpo in the first leg of their preliminary round tie just two days after a cross-country flight from San Jose, knowing that they are two points out of first place in the Eastern Conference and just two points from being out of hte playoffs altogether. On Thursday, New York Red Bulls manager Carlos Osorio must decide how he wants to handle a match in Trinidad against W Connection, knowing his job is on the line because of the floundering club's 13-game winless streak.

Then how will Houston, perhaps on the verge of losing midfield anchor Ricardo Clark to a small Serie A club, and Columbus, concerned about the health of MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto, approach the grueling group stages?

It may be some time before an MLS team has the talent, depth and time to contend seriously for continental honors. Until then, choices will have to be made. For United, the team is healthier than it was last year and has the luxury of at least playing a few regulars against Firpo in the hopes of building some momentum. It also has some tradition to uphold, which Olsen said the club takes seriously.

"We have a history of being successful in this tournament. Winning CONCACAF was a big deal when we did it early and it's something the club is very proud of," he said.

"We're a little low in numbers right now but we're better. We're deeper. We respect CONCACAF. We respect this tournament. A lot of teams are out of it early and they've got more important things on their plate. You've got the league, Open Cup, everybody kind of chooses that path. I think we're going to go ahead and give this thing a run and take each game how it plays out, look who we have, who's available, who's tired, who's fresh....I think everyone would like to do well in this tournament, but if they don't win or two, can you really blame them for resting gusy so they can put more emphasis on other tournaments? It's just different circumstances."

MLS Faces CONCACAF Conundrum originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Interview With Grant Wahl, Author of 'The Beckham Experiment'

Brian Straus — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: MLS, FanHouse Exclusive

Where there once was adulation and optimism, now there is skepticism and annoyance. David Beckham is back, for a few months at least, and the mood is far different this time than it was on a sunny morning two years ago at the Home Depot Center when he was presented as the Los Angeles Galaxy's biggest star before an adoring throng of fans and journalists.

We knew about the injuries, the losses and then the quiet negotiations for a loan to AC Milan. But we didn't know about the debacle behind the scenes -- his management team's de facto takeover of the Galaxy, his aloof behavior, his feud with Landon Donovan, and more. Those details were revealed in Grant Wahl's explosive book, The Beckham Experiment, released this week just in time for Beckham's perhaps reluctant return to MLS action.

Beckham takes the Giants Stadium field Thursday against the New York Red Bulls, having claimed this week that "what you've seen is that I've been very dedicated to the Galaxy, dedicated to the fans." Readers of Wahl's book might beg to differ. Ahead of Beckham's return, Wahl spent a few minutes with FanHouse discussing his year-and-a-half covering the Galaxy, what he learned about Beckham and what the future might hold.

FANHOUSE: We saw, with the failures of both Frank Yallop and Ruud Gullit, how critical it is to have the right coach when dealing with personalities like Beckham and Donovan, as well as those anonymous "piano carriers" making $30,000 a year. Does Bruce Arena have what it takes?

WAHL: I think this is a different team under Bruce Arena. He was hailed as a genius as far as managing players, pre '06 World Cup, and this is going to be one of the biggest challenges of his career, to manage this situation and actually have success on the field when you're two biggest stars clearly have issues with each other that probably will continue.

At the same time, winning solves a lot of things [L.A. has won three in a row heading into Thursday's game]. If Beckham can come in and make the Galaxy a better team, this is a team that has some potential. The question is how the Galaxy players will handle the reintroduction of the Beckham circus, the crush of media attention that follows him wherever he goes. I don't think they've dealt with that very wll in the past. Since Beckham's arrival [in 2007], the Galaxy has a better winning percentage with him off the field than on the field. ... Players told me it was just having to deal with the circus and trying to keep your focus on the game. They had a hard time dealing with it.

[Beckham and his management's desire to be in control] has not changed, but the Galaxy has changed. [Galaxy owner AEG's President and CEO Tim] Leiweke has changed. Bruce Arena won't be railroaded into doing things he doesn't want to do.

FANHOUSE: Will that make Beckham's re-assimilation more difficult?

WAHL: I think Beckham is going to have to adapt to the new situation, not the situation to him. Bruce has made Landon Donovan the captain of the team, and I think the question is, will Beckham and his handlers care about what Bruce has to say? The only people at the Galaxy who Beckham and his people cared about in the past was Leiweke and Phil Anschutz. They didn't care what Alexi Lalas had to say, didn't care what Yallop had to say, so I don't know how they feel about Bruce Arena, but the mere fact that Bruce Arena has Tim Leiweke's support suggests that Beckham should probably fall in line. Will Beckham put out 100% on the field? I would suspect he would but I'm not certain at this point. If he played like he did for Milan, he should be a useful addition to this team.

FANHOUSE: What is Beckham's incentive to play hard? He's likely just leaving at the end of this season anyway, either for another loan or permanently.

WAHL: He has an incentive to increase his credibility as an athlete here in the U.S. Maybe that's not that great of an incentive. The people who have embraced him in great numbers don't really seem to care about how the Galaxy is performing on the field. ... Maybe Beckham has made the calculation that what happens on the field doesn't matter much, but that would be antithetical to everything that is supposedly really important to him.

FANHOUSE: But how smart is Beckham? Was he the manipulative mastermind of all of this, or is he a bit simple? Certainly his comments to you in the book, especially when compared to those of Donovan, Lalas and the others, seem bland and devoid of any real insight. Is that by design? What sort of person is he?

WAHL: I don't totally know the answer to that, but my experience in dealing with him over the years has been as a member of the media only. I do think in interviews he's very pleasant and surprisingly normal acting. But that doesn't mean he's really saying all that much. I think he's trained like Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods or Mia Hamm, to talk without really communicating. That's an issue.

How does that connect with the start of your question -- was Beckham actually aware of all that stuff or was his head in the sand? On one hand, I don't think Beckham's stupid. I think he shared his opinions about players in the team with Byrne, who was asked to chime in by the Galaxy which players he wanted to keep for the expansion draft list, or whatever, so I think Beckham, being a human, shared his opinions with his best friend. I think Beckham is one of these guys who does like to have his head in the sand, doesn't want to be bothered with organizational details, just wants to play soccer and have decent teammates to play with.

I don't think he's an idiot by any means. But at the same time, I think any star needs to be held accountable for the actions of his handlers and can't just say "I wasn't a part of this." This was all done in Beckham's name. I don't see his handlers taking much responsibility for what the Galaxy became over the last couple of years.

FANHOUSE: Who was more naive? Leiweke, Alexi Lalas and the Galaxy for underestimating the ambition of Beckham and 19 Entertainment, or Beckham and his people for thinking they had MLS all figured out?

WAHL: I think Beckham didn't know all that much about the situation he was getting into. To be honest, I don't think his handlers did either. I don't think the Galaxy did a very good job explaining. ... It's one of the strangest things I've ever seen in sports, that Beckham's best friend and personal manager [Terry Byrne] would be a paid consultant to the team that conducted a search for the coach [Gullit].

Beckham had only been with the team for four months. What did they know about this strange and unique world of MLS? Big name Europeans come to MLS and see the standard is so much lower and think what they know from Europe will make this better. And some of that no doubt is true, but a lot of it isn't. It's almost like two different sports.

FANHOUSE: So was there a point where things went sour, or was the Beckham Experiment doomed from the start?

WAHL: I think it's easy to look back and say this was inevitable. I don't think it was completely inevitable. When you look back, his being injured in '07 was an absolute killer. To have unprecedented attention on MLS when he arrived and not be able to play much at all, he really missed that big window of opportunity.

And then, I think there are choices made by people, like at AEG, Tim Leiweke and Beckham's people, to go down a path with 19 Entertainment's shadow takeover of the team, a path that just didn't seem smart. I think it's still possible to bring a big-time soccer star into this league and for it to be successful, and on a smaller scale it's worked with [Guillermo Barros] Schelotto at Columbus. Last year it worked with [New York's] Juan Pablo Angel in the playoffs, and with [Chicago's Cuauhtemoc] Blanco to an extent.

You really have to be smart about how you make the decision, how you handle the player and his management team and if I'm the Galaxy, you have to have some pride in your team and not just hand over the keys to your star player and his people.

FANHOUSE: Have your impressions of MLS changed after reporting and writing the book?

WAHL: I think through all of this I've gained an even greater respect for the Americans in this league, players and coaches who invariably work their tails off. Maybe the players don't have the most talent in the world, like Alan Gordon [a featured player in the book], but they put in an amazing effort and get paid very little. I know Alan Gordon is never going to star at a World Cup, but here's a guy who's gotten the most out of his talent and is symbolic of all these other players keeping the league afloat.

I understand the Beckham stuff has gotten all of the attention, but I think other parts of the book are just as compelling, including Gordon and some of the unintentional comedy that results from these two different sporting worlds colliding.

Who you sign for $30,000 in MLS is more important than who you sign for $6 million. Look at Brad Evans for Columbus last year. That's a guy who had a big role for Columbus winning the championship. Sigi Schmid found him, got him on his team. If you look at the guys the Galaxy had for $30,000, they weren't at that level or anywhere near that. A guy like Ruud Gullit wasn't going to get into the bushes of college soccer.

FANHOUSE: You've written this book before we find out how this story really ends. How will it ultimately be evaluated? Where do you think it will go from here?

WAHL: It's never really been about the soccer, this whole experience, and that's been it's main downfall. We still don't know if the Galaxy can really win with David Beckham. Everyone's made money. Good for them. And yet there's a real lack of credibility in the whole enterprise because the team's been so awful on the field. That for me is what it has to be about over the next few months. That's putting a lot on the Galaxy players and an awful lot on David Beckham to back things up on the field and work things well with his teammates and win games.

Interview With Grant Wahl, Author of 'The Beckham Experiment' originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bob Gansler: Heavy Underdog US Must Rely on Intangibles Against Spain

Brian Straus — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: International Soccer, US Soccer, U.S. Men's National Team, FanHouse Exclusive

Imagine if that famous 1980 Olympic hockey game between the American collegians and the Soviet Big Red Machine had been played in Red Square instead of Lake Placid. Those were the kind of odds facing Bob Gansler and his young U.S. national team on June 14, 1990, when they kicked off against Italy in a World Cup match at Rome's Stadio Olimpico.

The American side defined "moral victory" that day, holding the tournament favorites to one goal and nearly scoring through Peter Vermes in the second half. "The difference between our team in the first game [a 5-1 loss to Czechoslovakia] and the second was psychological,'' Gansler said at the time.

Nineteen years later, Gansler told FanHouse that the psychological again will play the defining role as the U.S. faces similarly long odds against a Spanish juggernaut in the Confederations Cup semifinals Wednesday.

Of course, just getting to this point was like winning the lottery. Losers by a combined 6-1 in poor performances against Italy and Brazil, the current American side shocked Egypt, 3-0, on Sunday, while the Brazilians defeated the Azzurri by the same score. Just for fun, noted baseball sabermetrician Voros McCracken ran 10,000 simulations of those two games and found that the odds of the U.S. playing in Wednesday's semifinal in Bloemfontein were 1.71 percent! The chance of becoming the first team to beat Spain since Romania won a friendly in November 2006 probably are just a little bit better.

To do it, the U.S. will have to replicate the spirit, humility and commitment with which they approached the Egypt game on Sunday, according to Gansler. Symbolized by Charlie Davies' relentless effort to push the ball past three defenders, Landon Donovan's brave runs through midfield and Oguchi Onyewu's towering performance in back, that effort overwhelmed the ball-watching Egyptians and produced a final margin that could have been larger.

"Yes we've got to play with good technique. We've got to be smart. We've also got to bring the intangibles. This is where that 14th [FIFA] ranking can lead some folks astray," said the man who nearly helped orchestrate an upset of Italy 19 years ago. "The players have a responsibility, and that is to know who they are, how good they are, and when they play their strong suit, pull the right clubs out of the bag, they can come up with an Egypt performance."

He continued, "I'm not convinced they always come with that, call it attitude. It is passion. Passion quite often trumps talent. ... We have to play to our strengths. The intangibles have to be intact. We have to come out with confidence, courage, humility, effort and consistency. When we do that we get a Honduras performance," he said, referring to the come-from-behind win over Los Catrachos in a World Cup qualifier on June 6.

The Americans' lack of commitment, humility and effort was noticed by just about everyone who watched the first two games of this Confederations Cup. Most observers pinned the blame squarely on coach Bob Bradley, with many calling for his dismissal citing an apparent lack of motivational skills. Gansler, who won championships with the Milwaukee Rampage and Kansas City Wizards after Italia '90, scoffed at the notion that it is a national team manager's job to inspire professionals.

"The coach needs to motivate you to play for the national team against Brazil? Pardon my French, but give me a [expletive] break. The situation is what motivates you. ... It's the clubs you choose [from your bag] in order to get the job done. That sometimes leads some of our players, and maybe the collective body, astray. It starts with competing. If you or I was a fly on the wall, I would be pretty certain that coach Bradley is saying, 'Let's compete. This is another time to learn.' The best way for good players to learn how to get better is to play against very good players. Then choose the right clubs. Let's remember what got us success against Honduras and Egypt."

Regarding Wednesday's opponent, Gansler said, "You don't have to say a lot about them. You say to the team, 'It's about us. How do we compete? How do we react to a good patch of their work, and how do we take advantages when opportunities come?' They're not going to be that wide open and they're not going to give balls away the way Egypt did, but we will have moments. You point out your own strong suits. You reinforce those."

Spain will dominate possession, and the Americans already have conceded that. "In every game they play, the advantage of possession is always clearly on their side," Bob Bradley said.

"The coach needs to motivate you to play for the national team against Brazil? Pardon my French, but give me a [expletive] break."Gansler told FanHouse the Americans will have to stay focused and pick their spots.

"It's transition. It's when you win it and when you lose it, how quickly are you able to think your way to the right spot? Those kinds of psychological moments, every time we lose it, how quickly can we form in order to make sure they don't dissect us? And Spain is awfully good at that. And when we get it, is there something we can do besides passing the responsibility, a square ball or a back ball, or getting the ball back to our central defenders and making those two guys, when Bocanegra isn't in there, the playmakers who really don't have the technique to do that?"

Gansler recommended that Bradley not just "circle the wagons", but try to press players up against Spain's back four. "I think we need to play," he said, and "defend further away from our own goal. You look for your opportunities because they'll be there. When a team like Spain comes with both outside backs, there's going to be room for you to go."

The key to making that counterattack work will be Donovan. The mercurial forward, still just 27, has abandoned the caution that has handcuffed him in previous tournaments and has been one of Bradley's most consistently effective players because he has been willing to take space with the ball and keep defenses off balance.

"He has an immense responsibility because he is flat out our best player," Gansler said, adding that Donovan, too, must choose the right clubs and play to his strengths. "When he errs, it's because he tries to do too much. ... But that young man can play. We have to hitch our team to him on the offensive part and he will have a lot of room because Spain brings both wing backs more often than not. They sit one defensive midfielder. There's some room."

Whatever happens on Wednesday, Gansler said he hopes Bradley and the players will use it as a valuable teaching tool and that the rest of us will recognize that it's all "part of a process."

"I would think the critics, the severe critics of Mr. Bradley and the national team right now, are younger people. They don't know how far we've come in a short period of time. They don't know how difficult this is, to give it the final polish. ... Those last little improvements are so difficult," he said. "The games like these, these are the games that help you to prepare for the big show. These guys have a fantastic opportunity. They need to be smart enough to realize this themselves. This is how you get better. You play against the best team in the world and you say, 'Let me pull the right clubs in order to stay in this game and hopefully to prevail.' "

Bob Gansler: Heavy Underdog US Must Rely on Intangibles Against Spain originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Juan Pablo Angel on Past, Future

Brian Straus — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: MLS, US Soccer, FanHouse Exclusive

Juan Pablo Angel's relative lack of fame in this country says more about American soccer fans and media than it does about him.

The Colombian has done his part. The former River Plate and Aston Villa player is a consummate pro who conducts himself with grace both on (see video after the jump) and off the field, and he's done more than just score goals. He has made the New York Red Bulls relevant since signing in 2007, helping them reach an MLS Cup final for the first time while providing commitment, stability and some watchable soccer in the league's most important market. This is an almost superhuman accomplishment, considering the club's pathetic history.

Angel extended his commitment to the league through the 2010 season, but the Red Bulls have hit the skids. Coach Juan Carlos Osorio has struggled to find the right combination of players to complement Angel, and the club enters tonight's game at Toronto FC on a five-game losing streak in all competitions and with a 2-9-3 record that is the worst in MLS. Angel has four goals this season and already is the third-leading scorer in team history.

Upheaval could be coming to New York once again. But Angel has pledged to stick it out, and it is within that context that he recently spent a few minutes with FanHouse discussing his past and future with the Red Bulls.

On extending his contract:

I'm happy here. My family is really happy. We're enjoying our stay here so far. Last year was really important in terms of what we achieved after a very difficult start to the season. We had the opportunity for the frist time in the franchise history to win something. We won the conference championship and we were in the final for the first time. That, obviously, was very exciting and I was looking forward to stay here just a little bit longer.

On coming close to his first title since 2000 (with River Plate) and playing in an American-style playoff tournament:

The opportunity to make history, although we wanted to win the championship, we still managed to achieve something. Which, at the end of the day, will make the history of the football club which, for me, is a great achievement, and for everyone to be part of that history in the future. One of the reasons I came here was because it was a big challenge. This franchise had never won anything and New York City is a city that's used to having winners. But at the end of the day we're building something here and it's going to take time to make a successful team that will last for generations for come.

On trying to carry over from last fall's success:

Everyone in here, we still believe we have a better team than we're showing right now. Unfortunately you're judged by results and the results right now are telling different things, proving differenty, proving us wrong. I do believe, and I think everyone inside believes we have a better team than we had last year. Hopefully things will turn around sooner rather than later.

On the team's recent tour of Red Bull Arena:

We went around and we're very excited. It's going to be the best stadium in the MLS. It's something different. It's going to be important that we have our home field, so we can start to build something from there. We have to have that sense of belonging, family, home field, that this franchise never had before. I think that will change the perspective of the game from the regular fans, the Red Bull fans and everyone in the area. This is going to be by far the best stadium in the MLS, which will eventually set a very high standard for franchises that eventually want to come into the MLS.

We don't have that right now. We don't feel at home. We play in a stadium that's extremely big. Even if you bring a decent amount of people it still looks empty. So hopefully that will change the perspective of the game in the metro area. And we're really looking forward to it because it's going to be beautiful.

On his commitment to MLS and how it compares to that of other Designated Players:

I believe I have proven that I came here for the right reasons. I came here as a Designated Player and I still feel that there obviously is a lot of responsibility on our shoulders and every DP, but I hope that people by know they kind of respect me as a professional and as a player.

One of the things that happened in the last couple of years is that this league had more exposure around the world. You can probably say it was the Beckham stuff, because he's arguably the most popular guy in the game. What he did was expose this league in the media for the rest of the world. I believe the standard in this league is a lot better than what people think it is. I find it very unfair when people compare this league with some other leagues in the world because this is a league that is building up. It's getting stronger every year and I definitely think it's going from strength to strength. Right now people surprise themselves, players surprise themselves, when they come to play in this league because it's harder than they think.

=========

Here's that aforementioned video. So simple, yet evidence of such immense soccer intelligence. I love this goal. Here's hoping Angel gets the attention he's earned as a model DP and that he's successful in helping build a competitive club in New York, something MLS sorely needs.

Juan Pablo Angel on Past, Future originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Sat, 13 Jun 2009 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse in the Stands: Newcastle United FC vs. Fulham FC

Andrew Johnson — Sat, 23 May 2009 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: English Premier League, FanHouse Exclusive

With some three minutes left in a crucial match between Newcastle United and Fulham, the skies - sunny all afternoon, but suddenly and ominously dark now - opened up and literally began to rain on our American parade.

Hull City was drawing with Bolton Wanderers and the Magpies (aka Newcastle United) were down a goal and a Bassong (Sebastien after an all too harsh red card) to Fulham with the clock creeping toward 90 minutes (aka full time).

We were getting drenched and the realization was settling in: once again, Newcastle was staring at a spot in the relegation zone, teetering over the abyss of Championship football.

At least, as our native Geordie friends (and bloggers at the esteemed Beyewatch!) would tell the three of us who made the pilgrimage more than 3,500 miles from Washington D.C., the most powerful city in the world, to the North-East of England and to heavenly St. James Park only to see Newcastle fall 1-0 to Fulham, we had gotten the full Newcastle experience.

The black-humored quip generated a good laugh later that evening after more than a few pints. It's the type of wry humor that can make a night out on the town (or Toon, as it were) so enjoyable.

The thing is, it almost made it sound like we should feel shortchanged. (Not the intent, of course.) Even though relegation is now likely and we traveled all that way and it just isn't fair that so many passionate fans could be dealt such a cruel fate - the least of whom is certainly me (I began supporting Newcastle two years ago as a choice, not a birthright) - I didn't feel robbed at all.

Fascinated. Blown away. Enraptured. Amazed. Hypnotized. Hooked. Hopelessly addicted.

All of those adjectives fit. The last thing I was left with was the feeling of wanting more.

The English Premier League will never be as popular in the United States as it is everywhere else. It's not our own, and Americans love their own things to a fault. (There is nothing wrong with this, by the way.)

But 90 minutes into my career as an actual spectator of Prem football (not just a silly Yank who rolls out of bed early on Saturday mornings to watch ants kick around a blurry white ball on the tube), I had the same feeling as the first time I heard London Calling by The Clash.

I wondered if I had been born in the wrong place at the wrong time. I wished then that I could see Joe Strummer and Mick Jones play live. And I wished now that I could have grown up on Tyneside, a short walk from St. James Park, and been a season-ticket holder when Kevin Keegan and his Entertainers nearly won the Premier League title in 1995-96. I wished that I could have seen scores and scores of the legendary Alan Shearer's record 206 career goals for the club.

It was only a fleeting daydream. I wouldn't change a thing about my upbringing and baseball remains my greatest passion (I think), but it was enough to make me wonder.

The Premier League is that good - the experience that dazzling.

If you've gotten this far, through these ever so slightly self-indulgent words, let me explain why.

o. The skill. This is going to sound snobby, but it's not meant to be. It's impossible to fully appreciate how good the players in the Premier League are until you see it in person. You can only sort of see it in television.

Go to a regular season MLS match and you will witness protracted stretches where the ball bounces around like a pinball, almost without purpose. This rarely happens in the Premier League. The touches, passes and trapping have this calm about them, but also a sense of purpose that you can't fully appreciate until you see it from a place like the Sir John Hall Stand at St. James.

o. The relentless action. There isn't an American sport as captivating second-by-second, minute-by-minute as the English Premier League. Imagine a tennis volley that lasts 90 minutes, and you've got something close.

o. The atmosphere. We just don't do chanting well here in the states. "Let's go Yankees" and its bizarro doppelganger "Yankees suck" just aren't very creative when it comes down to it. The Geordies have many good ones, but my personal favorite is this:

We are the Georrrrdies
The Geordie boot boys
And we are mental
And we are mad
We are the loyalist football supporters
The world has ever had

Couple the singing and chanting with the two hilariously vulgar pre-teen boys sitting in our row (every time the Fulham supporters above us chanted "Come on Fulham!" they responded with "F*** off Fulham!" and the English equivalent of the one-finger salute) and you've got an environment that can't be found in the States.

o. The purity. Do you remember what American sports were like before jumbotrons and sideline reporters?

Neither do I.

But I'd like to think it was something like going to a Premier League match. There is no scoreboard. At all. Imagine the horror of having to pay attention to the game to know what the score is. Imagine the horror of having to decide on your own when to clamor in support of your side.

The Premier League is not without its modern evils of course. The money in the sport might make even Scott Boras blush (or get aroused ... probably aroused). Their stars can't stay out of the police blotter either. (Hello, Joey Barton).

But at least the game on the pitch seems relatively untainted by the likes of Ed Werder, t-shirt cannons and pixelated two-story scoreboard hands exhorting us to clap at random moments. If we need that much to distract us from the game at hand, then why are watching it to begin with?

Of course, it is not just the Premier League experience I've fallen head over heels for. It's Newcastle too. The Geordies are a proud people from a beautiful, but not well-known, area of England. They support their club with a fanaticism akin to a Cubs or pre-2004 Red Sox fan, waiting and waiting and waiting for the next trophy, a piece of silverware that, most of the time, seems like will never come.

(Newcastle United last won a significant trophy, the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, a precursor to the UEFA Cup, in 1969. While that might not seem like long time to a Cubs fans, consider that the Magpies have, at minimum, three different competitions - the Premier League, the FA Cup and the Carling Cup - every season in which to end their title drought. That's more than 120 separate competitions they've entered without taking anything home!)

The odds are against them surviving in the Premier League Sunday morning. We'll know by 1 PM ET if they've been successful, but my hopes are not high, needing some sort of result away to Aston Villa and help from Manchester United, or less likely Chelsea, on top of that.

As an American interloper, I suppose I could abandon Newcastle, given that I "chose" them in the first place, and it will become infinitely harder to follow them in the Championship than it was in the Premier League.

But then, that's not what being a sports fan is all about, no matter which side of the pond on which you find yourself.

FanHouse in the Stands: Newcastle United FC vs. Fulham FC originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Sat, 23 May 2009 21:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Football, Fussball, Soccer

Brian Straus — Tue, 19 May 2009 11:39:00 EST

Filed under: MLS, US Soccer, Bundesliga (Germany), FanHouse Exclusive

The nine games played on the penultimate weekend of the Bundesliga season featured average crowds of more than 50,000. I was fortunate enough to attend the one with the largest (about 74,000), a draw between Hertha Berlin and Schalke 04 at the historic Olympiastadion that ended the capital club's quest for its first championship in nearly 80 years.

The atmosphere was electric both inside and outside the stadium, the supporters colorful and loud. The scene at HSH Nordbank Arena in Hamburg last Wednesday, where I was among the 48,000 who saw Hamburger SV defeat VfL Bochum, 3-1, was similar. It was enjoyable, but it was hard not to feel a bit wistful at the same time, knowing that the game in the U.S. may never achieve that kind of prominence.

But prominence can be a double-edged sword. With it comes saturation, corporatization and reduced access for the common fan - the lowest-priced ticket I saw available for sale at HSV, for example, was 35 euro (about $47), a Coke was 4 euro, and the Hertha game had been sold out for nearly a month.

Who brags about seeing an aging, popular band in a large stadium years after their first platinum album? Nobody. But everyone wants to be able to say they were there at the beginning, standing in a small, smokey club listening to a bunch of unknowns destined for stardom. Counterculture is cool, and it can be a brand as well. No-frills can be appealing in its own way, especially in an era of luxury suites, seat licenses and the like. Based upon my experience at the Millerntor stadium, just blocks from Hamburg's famous Reeperbahn red light district, going punk rock may be just the ticket for Major League Soccer.

The Millerntor is home to FC St. Pauli, whose motto is "Non established since 1910". The Pirates of the North returned to the Bundesliga's second division last season after four years in the regional leagues and cannot hope to compete with HSV athletically or financially. But neither can any MLS club, so it's worth looking at how FCSP manages to fill both its mostly rickety, 23,000 -seat stadium and its souvenir shop each time it plays.

The Millerntor's brand-new, 12 million euro south stand features terracing for the ultras, seats for fans who want a bit more comfort and even a few suites up near the top. Sven Brux, a 20-year St. Pauli employee who handles game day organization, security and press, confirmed that the suites don't necessarily conflict with the club's anti-establishment philosophy: "Well, here they're not so big." The stadium's other three stands are old, small and bare-bones, and will be replaced eventually, Brux said. But in the meantime, they do the job. They're close to the field and the roofs hold in the noise -- a stark contrast to the open-air, shallow stands that seem to feature in just about every copy-cat MLS stadium that's been built so far.

The fans show up early, gathering around the sausage and beer carts that sit outside. This is not a family and youth soccer crowd. There are kids, certainly, but they're more likely to be wearing little leather jackets and carrying pirate flags than they are to be sporting shin guards. Anti-fascist T-shirts (a swipe at HSV), earrings, leather and anything else that might make you think you were at CBGB in the 1980s, in addition to FCSP's distinctive brown jersey, are everywhere. Those same shirts moved briskly at the very modern club shop.

The fans create the atmosphere. They are the event. The singing is constant, the rejoicing following FCSP's two goals against Mainz euphoric and the cheers and banners creative. On this day, they throw balls of paper toward the field to mock the bizarre incident that contributed to HSV's UEFA Cup elimination a few days earlier. Brux himself was wearing a badge reading "I [heart] Papierkugeln".

Prior to the 2007 season, MLS introduced its 'Game First' initiative, designed in part to professionalize the presentation of its games. A reduction of in-stadium announcements and background noise, better television broadcasts, etc. played a part in reducing the clutter surrounding the match. My day at St. Pauli convinced me that the league should go further.

Clubs are wasting their money on amenities at stadiums that do nothing to generate atmosphere. Gourmet food stands that distract fans, high "roofs" like the ones in Sandy and Commerce City that add only to the facility's cost and not its noise level, multiple, glass-enclosed suites and shallow stands that separate fans from the field suck the life from an event. That money, if available, should be spent securing the site itself, not on the facility. Better to have basic, humble digs downtown than a soulless palace in the far-flung suburbs. Toronto FC has it right, and everyone knows it.

Present MLS as the alternative to the corporate, overpriced NFL or the slow, tired, drug-riddled farce that is Major League Baseball. Be punk rock. Be pirates. Be the up-and-coming band at the crowded, smelly club that people are dying to get into. Get your message out to the millions who don't just consume the popular and obvious. If the atmosphere is there, customers will want to be as well. A place to stand and a few basic refreshment vendors should be sufficient. The fans for whom that's not good enough aren't going to add to the spectacle anyway.

Football, Fussball, Soccer originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Tue, 19 May 2009 11:39:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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D.C. United Fans to Rally for Most Important Goal of All

Brian Straus — Sat, 09 May 2009 11:03:00 EST

Filed under: MLS, US Soccer, FanHouse Exclusive

Before there was any clamor in Seattle, any color in Toronto or any singing from Chicago's Section 8, there were the Screaming Eagles and Barra Brava, the supporters groups who established themselves as Major League Soccer's most devoted, creative and authentic fan base from the very first kick in 1996.

They helped boost D.C. United to four league titles and were a big part of what made the franchise a model for those that followed. Today, incredibly, American soccer's flagship club is in trouble. Politicians in two jurisdictions have reneged on promises to help United build a new stadium, leaving its future in the capital in doubt. "There's no question that [moving] is a possibility. It's not an outcome we desire and it's something we will work very hard to ensure never happens," United President Kevin Payne told FanHouse.

Today, as United (3-1-4) prepares to play Toronto FC (3-2-3) in a battle for first place in the Eastern Conference, its fans will once again attempt to help carry the club through a rough patch -- this time, outside RFK Stadium.

Starting just before 4 p.m. at a park about a mile west of RFK, United's fans will stage a rally and march in support of the club's effort to stay in Washington. A tailgate will follow, naturally, and Payne is scheduled to address the gathering.

"This is totally a grassroots effort. We had nothing to do with it until it was already a fleshed out idea....It's very gratifying," Payne said. "I hope the politicians pay attention."

Deals to build a stadium and retail/housing complex on riverfront property in southeast Washington and near a subway stop in neighboring Prince George's County, Md. already have fallen through, despite initial political promises to the contrary. It may simply have come down to the money that D.C. co-owners Will Chang and Victor MacFarlane are or are not willing to spend. Payne said the club presented "very reasonable financial proposals" in both cases, and that a "lack of political will" was the defining issue.

"The rally is not directed at a particular jurisdiction. It's really a plea from our fans to the politicans of the area to show a little backbone and a little foresight in this and work with us to find a solution," Payne said. That solution is a necessity. RFK is an aging stadium that's incapable of providing the revenue United needs to survive -- as Payne pointed out, the NFL's Redskins and MLB's Nationals left it as well. Now the dissolution of the deal with P.G. County has left United scrambling.

"I don't think there's a drop-dead date. But if there's not a reasonable path to a stadium in the foreseeable future then we're going to have to look very carefully at where our future in fact lies, whether its in this area or somewhere else," he said. "There are more interested ownership groups around the country than there are franchise expansion opportunities. There are people who would be interested in having us move to their community. A lot of those people would have an easier time getting a commitment on a stadium [from their jurisdiction] if they had a team lined up."

No news has surfaced about any movement or progress in the D.C. area. Payne, frustrated that his club's significant community and charitable commitments seem to be unrecognized by elected officials, told FanHouse that United is having "quiet, early conversations to see if there's anything to talk about" and "trying to understand if there's a community or communities out there that want us." He said if the team does move into the suburbs, that delving into Virginia is more likely considering more of its fan base resides there. "But we won't rule anything out," he said.

Meanwhile, the fans obviously have come to terms with the fact that losing their team is a distinct possibility. The clock is ticking, the home team needs a goal, and the Eagles and the Barra will be there for them.

"I don't think it's at all inappropriate for people to ask their elected officials to tackle an issue such as this one. We're an institution that's a big part of people's lives. Our elected leaders have an obligation to find a solution to this," Payne concluded. "There's more to what makes a community than just dollars and cents. Even though we believe the dollars and cents are in favor of our stadium, we believe the lifestyle and cultural enhancement argument is more compelling."

D.C. United Fans to Rally for Most Important Goal of All originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Sat, 09 May 2009 11:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Freddie Ljungberg to Heat Up MLS

Bryan Tucker — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: MLS, FanHouse Exclusive

Freddie Ljungberg, who made his MLS debut this past weekend, was interviewed by Dave Hollander recently.

Now that Beckham won't be playing in the MLS anytime soon, who will replace the sex symbol as the Google object of female soccer fans? Can you say "Freddie Ljungberg?" Well, maybe you can't, but the former captain of the Swedish national team signed a multimillion dollar deal with the Seattle Sounders FC of the MLS. Voted Swedish player of the year (2002, 2006) and Swedish midfielder of the year (2004), he has also graced the covers of numerous magazines and is an underwear model for Calvin Klein. So who needs Beckham, right?

The full interview is after the jump.

Dave Hollander: Are you basically the MLS replacement for David Beckham?
Freddie Ljungberg: I wouldn't say it that way. I decide a while I was coming to the MLS. Maybe people see it as replacement of one star from Europe for another, but I'm just coming to play some good football, to be honest.

In soccer, unlike other American men's sports, the players become major sex symbols. How does that make you feel?
It's a hard question to answer. In the beginning, I had to ask if people were blind. You have to see it as a compliment. In football in Europe, sometimes that comes with it. With me, that's happened. I don't think too much about it.

Are you better looking than Beckham?
You'll have to ask the ladies about that.

Well it seems the people have weighed in you were voted one of Sports Illustrated Magazine's 20 Best Looking Athletes (2007), one of Esquire Magazine's "Best Dressed Men in the World" (2007), one of Glamour Magazine's "Top 10 Celeb's Women Lust After" (2008) and you were named one of E! Sexiest Men in the World. So?
What can I say. I am a shy person. It's almost a little embarrassing.

Were you always lusted after by women even before you became famous?
That's a difficult question. I've been doing alright. Leave it at that.

Do you ever feel like do your viewed more as sex object and not as a soccer player?
Not really. In Europe, before I did a Calvin Klein ad, I (had) some doubts (if) as a major football player I should do that. Will people see it as a bad thing? Should I concentrate more on soccer? But not in Europe, but maybe when I go in America they're like, "Hey, you do the Calvin Klein ad." But yeah, you also play for Arsenal. It's the reverse in Europe.

Beckham was in LA with lots of paparazzi. But you will be in Seattle. Why Seattle?
Lot of reasons why. We have a lot of paparazzi in London. There won't be as many in Seattle. But me, I'm Swedish and I've been living in London for the past 10 years. One thing I've been missing is water. That was for me a major issue. Seattle is a bit like the nature of Sweden. Also that part of America is where the highest percentage plays soccer.

No basketball team. The baseball team is very bad, and football is on the decline. What happiness will you bring to the city?
We have to wait and see for a couple of months. The owners want us to play attractive soccer. That's the game I've played my whole life -- a technical game, scoring a lot of goals, not me personally but the team. That's what I need to bring to Seattle.

This questions is asked every year: What will it take to make American love soccer like they love baseball, football and basketball?
If anyone knew the answer it wouldn't be the way it is. You have to look at the culture and history of those sports in America. Just like soccer has so much history in Europe. Your dad, granddad, your grandma has seen the games. You've got to look at it in America as a new sport and every year it gets a little bigger. I understand we'll be sold out, 28,000 for every game in Seattle. Even in Europe, that's not too bad.

Who would we be surprised to see as a friend on your Facebook page?
I don't have Facebook. I think there are 20 fake Freddie Ljungberg Facebook pages but none of them are me. My friends are like, "You never reply to my messages." And I'm like "That's not me."

For many Americans their biggest exposure to Swedish culture is IKEA. Will you visit IKEA stores if you get homesick?
I've been living abroad for 11 years. I think I'll be fine.

Freddie Ljungberg to Heat Up MLS originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rising U.S. Star Sacha Kljestan Talks About Road to 2010 World Cup

Michael Cardillo — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: FIFA World Cup, International, MLS, US Soccer, U.S. Men's National Team, FanHouse Exclusive

The United States returns to its 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign this week with a pair of matches on the road to South Africa. First on Saturday, it's a trip to hostile territory against El Salvador, then next week it's Trinidad and Tobago in Nashville, Tenn.

FanHouse was able to catch up with one of the rising stars on the American soccer scene Sacha Kljestan this week via phone from Miami before the team headed south. Many feel the Chivas USA midfielder is the next U.S. breakout player. We talk to the 23-year-old about these expectations, what it's like to play for Bob Bradley, and his favorite music.

All this and more after the jump.

FanHouse: First off, what made you cut your hair?

Sacha Kljestan: No reason, I had long hair for a long time. I just decided to shave my head, but I do miss the look. It's growing back.

FanHouse: What do you think your best role is with the national team?

Sacha Kljestan: The middle of the field alongside Michael (Bradley). Our relationship has gotten good. (In the middle) I see the ball a lot more and it lets me be an easy link between the defenders and attackers. Anywhere in the midfield, it doesn't matter to me. I like being close to the forwards, but I'm also close enough to the defenders.

FanHouse: What's it like playing alongside Bradley, is he as rugged as he looks on TV?

Sacha Kljestan: He's very focused. You know, he's a pretty big boy for being 21 years old. We get along well. I met him (for the) first time when I was in New Jersey during an offseason and Bob (Bradley) gave me a chance to train with the MetroStars. When Bob was the coach of Chivas, and Michael was back from his games in Europe, he'd train with us to stay fit.

FanHouse: What are your thoughts on the game with El Salvador this weekend?

Sacha Kljestan: Our goal is to treat all 10 (qualifiers) the same way. That's what will lead us to the World Cup. Playing on the road is always difficult, especially against some of the Central American countries. I was on the bench against Guatemala, and it was a bit of an eye opener.

Latest Soccer Images

France's soccer player Peguy Luyindula greets a supporter in Kaunas March 27, 2009. France will play Lithuania in a World Cup 2010 qualifier on Saturday. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins (LITHUANIA SPORTS SOCCER)

Reuters

France's soccer player Yoann Gourcuff signs an autograph for a supporter in Kaunas March 27, 2009. France will play Lithuania in a World Cup 2010 qualifier on Saturday. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins (LITHUANIA S SPORT SOCCER)

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A supporter hugs France's soccer team head coach Raymond Domenech (R) in Kaunas March 27, 2009. France will play Lithuania in a World Cup 2010 soccer match on Saturday. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins (LITHUANIA S SPORT SOCCER)

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German national soccer player Mario Gomez addresses media during a news conference in Leipzig, eastern Germany, Friday, March 27, 2009. Germany's national soccer team prepares for the upcoming World Cup group 4 qualification match against Liechtenstein in Leipzig on Saturday, March 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Eckehard Schulz)

German national soccer goalkeeper Robert Enke addresses media during a news conference in Leipzig, eastern Germany, Friday, March 27, 2009. Germany's national soccer team prepares for the upcoming World Cup group 4 qualification match against Liechtenstein in Leipzig on Saturday, March 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Eckehard Schulz)

Royal Excelsior Mouscron soccer team Chairman Jean-Pierre Dufermont leaves after a news conference in Mouscron March 27, 2009. The team's patron Philippe Dufermont announced he has found anonymous investors to solve the first league soccer club from bankruptcy. REUTERS/Sebastien Pirlet (BELGIUM SPORT SOCCER)

Reuters

Royal Excelsior Mouscron soccer team Chairman (L-R) Jean-Pierre Dufermont, administrator and patron Philippe Dufermont and administrator Benoit Roul present water sanitation company Sodraep as the new jersey sponsor during a news conference in Mouscron March 27, 2009. Philippe Dufermont announced he has found anonymous investors to solve the first league soccer club from bankruptcy. REUTERS/Sebastien Pirlet (BELGIUM SPORT SOCCER)

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Royal Excelsior Mouscron soccer team (L-R) Chairman Jean-Pierre Dufermont, administrator and patron Philippe Dufermont and administrator Benoit Roul give a news conference in Mouscron March 27, 2009. Philippe Dufermont announced he has found anonymous investors to solve the first league soccer club from bankruptcy. REUTERS/Sebastien Pirlet (BELGIUM SPORT SOCCER)

Reuters

FanHouse: What did you take away from training with (Scottish super club) Celtic over the winter?

Sacha Kljestan: It was a good training experience. I enjoyed my time and just tried to stay sharp.

FanHouse: What is the thought process for Americans who want to go play in Europe?

Sacha Kljestan: There are a lot of factors, for one bettering your career. The chance to play for a better team or league is a goal for a lot of aspiring players.

FanHouse: A lot of people have pegged you as the breakout American for 2009, what does that mean to you?

Sacha Kljestan: I try not to pay attention to what they say since it doesn't matter. If Chivas is going to do well, I'll have to have a big year.

FanHouse: The Galaxy obviously make a lot of headlines. What's it like playing sort of under the radar for Chivas USA?

Sacha Kljestan: It's good, I guess, there's no media buzz to cause a distraction. We've made the playoffs the last three years, and they haven't, so we're the team to beat in Los Angeles.

FanHouse: Did it help you to play under Bob Bradley at Chivas before he became national team coach and pulled you into the fold?

Sacha Kljestan: It helps being around Bob. It's good for me because I got to know him on a personal level with Chivas. It makes it easier to work on the national level. I had a good time under him at Chivas.

FanHouse: How do you keep focused with so many competitions and commitments?

Sacha Kljestan: I try to think what's going on at the moment. It's important to try to get Chivas to win something while I'm still there. Right now my mind is 100 percent on the national team.

FanHouse: How good did it feel to score that goal against Sweden on the free kick?

Sacha Kljestan: It's one of those you work on a lot in practice. Luckily, that one got on target.

FanHouse: What's on your iPod right now?

Sacha Kljestan: I listen to a lot of different stuff. A rapper called Silent Army, a lot of the Chili Peppers.

FanHouse: What was the last good movie you saw?

Sacha Kljestan: Gran Torino, I really liked that.

FanHouse: Finally, to steal from Inside the Actors Studio, describe your perfect day?

Sacha Kljestan: Going to training, having a good day of training, finishing with a round of golf.

The U.S. plays at El Salvador on Saturday night in a 2010 World Cup qualifier at 9PM ET on ESPN2.

Rising U.S. Star Sacha Kljestan Talks About Road to 2010 World Cup originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Abby Wambach Excited About WPS, But Don't Expect Her to Use Twitter

Michael Cardillo — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: US Soccer, FanHouse Exclusive, WPS

For fans of the U.S. women's national soccer team, Abby Wambach doesn't need any introduction. The 28-year-old forward from Rochester, N.Y., has scored an astounding 99 goals in 126 international games.

Wambach will also be one of the marquee faces as Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) kicks off its inaugural season this weekend, six years after the previous women's pro league in America, the WUSA, folded in 2003. Earlier this week, Wambach took time out of her busy training schedule -- she's still recovering from a broken leg suffered before last summer's Beijing Olympics -- to talk to FanHouse about the WPS on the eve of its curtain raiser.

The full interview is after the jump.

FanHouse: So what's the feeling ahead of this weekend's kickoff?

Abby Wambach: First of all, I'm very excited to be a part of the inaugural season. Being with the Washington Freedom and recovering from the leg injury, it's great to be back in the game. ... Everything is so new right now, we're all on a high to be a part of it.

FanHouse: What was it like to for you between the time the WUSA folded and the WPS started?

Abby Wambach: I was with national team in its stead, so I didn't feel like the other girls on my team. I didn't feel like something was missing, because of the residency camps. I know for a fact the girls on the team who weren't on the national team are excited to be a part of it. It's great to be a part of a competition and get to call yourself a pro athlete and play soccer for a living.

FanHouse: How do you think the WPS will be different from the WUSA?

Abby Wambach: It's hard to say, since they're two different animals. Comparing them would be apples and oranges. From a player's perspective, there's not much difference. From the front office, there is a big difference since they're using a franchise mold. I believe the league is starting off in a more moderate way where as the WUSA was spending in places shouldn't have. I'm excited to see what this league will do.

FanHouse: Are you happy to be back in Washington (the Freedom also were a member of the WUSA)?

Abby Wambach: We're lucky because our coach (Jim Gabarra) stayed on. The team went from the WUSA into W-League, so he kept intact a system and the personnel. He's coached some of the girls playing for a couple years. Some may say because he has that foundation our team might do really well, but you never know, it's all so new. Getting to know each other is the game plan.

Womens Pro Soccer Photos

Brazilian soccer player Marta (3rd L) poses with Los Angeles Lakers NBA basketball guard Kobe Bryant (back C) and members of the Los Angeles Sol at a press conference to announce her arrival to the women's professional soccer league team, in Carson, California, March 5, 2009. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson (UNITED STATES)

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Women Soccer player and FIFA Women's Player of the Year Marta Vieira da Silva, right, looks on as Los Angeles Lakers basketball player Kobe Bryant after a press conference in Carson, Calif., on Thursday, March 5, 2009. Marta will play for the Los Angeles Sol in the new Women's Professional Soccer league. (AP Photo/Hector Mata)

Brazilian soccer player Marta laughs at a press conference announcing her arrival to the Los Angeles Sol women's professional soccer league team, in Carson, California, March 5, 2009. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

Brazilian soccer player Marta (L) poses with Los Angeles Lakers NBA basketball guard Kobe Bryant at a press conference to announce her arrival to the Los Angeles Sol women's professional soccer league team, in Carson, California, March 5, 2009. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

Los Angeles Lakers NBA basketball guard Kobe Bryant (L) works out with Brazilian soccer player Marta after a press conference to announce her coming to the Los Angeles Sol women's professional soccer league team, in Carson, California, March 5, 2009. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

Women Soccer player and FIFA Women's Player of the Year Marta Vieira da Silva,left, pose for photographers with Los Angeles Lakers basketball player Kobe Bryant during a press conference in Carson, Calif. on Thursday, March 5 2009. Marta will play for the Los Angeles Sol in the new Women's Professional Soccer league. (AP Photo/Hector Mata) (AP Photo/Hector Mata)

Brazilian soccer player Marta (front) watches Los Angeles Lakers NBA basketball guard Kobe Bryant play with a soccer ball after a press conference to announce her coming to the Los Angeles Sol women's professional soccer league team, in Carson, California, March 5, 2009. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

Women Soccer player and FIFA Women's Player of the Year Marta Vieira da Silva shakes hands with NBA player Kobe Bryant before talking with reporters at a press conference in Carson, California on Thursday, March 5th 2009. Marta will play for the Los Angeles Sol in the new Women's Professional Soccer league. (AP Photo/Hector Mata)

Women Soccer player and FIFA Women's Player of the Year Marta Vieira da Silva, right, poses with Los Angeles Lakers basketball player Kobe Bryant pose for photographers at a press conference in Carson, California on Thursday, March 5, 2009. Marta will play for the Los Angeles Sol in the new Women's Professional Soccer league. (AP Photo/Hector Mata)

Women Soccer player and FIFA Women's Player of the Year Marta Vieira da Silva talks with reporters during a press conference in Carson, Calif., on Thursday, March 5 2009. Marta will play for the Los Angeles Sol in the new Women's Professional Soccer league. (AP Photo/Hector Mata)

FanHouse: Will it be hard to juggle national team commitments with the league?

Abby Wambach: Obviously, the national team will take a front seat. It's not an Olympic or a World Cup year, so I want to focus on WPS to set up a lasting foundation. This just deepens the national team pool. Before it was only a select few players.

FanHouse: What's it like playing with international players? (The Freedom have players from France, Canada, Japan and Norway on its roster.)

Abby Wambach: If you went back to the WUSA, and saw what happened, it seems that the game has gotten better, because all of us were learning from each other. In general, Americans think they do things the right way all the time, and that's just not true. There are different things the internationals bring to the table, and we have to learn.

FanHouse: What do you say to people that are wary of the league considering the WUSA failed?

Abby Wambach: I challenge people not to think negatively, because it failed once it doesn't mean it'll happen again. It's different this time around. As long as everyone takes care of their own role, it'll be around a long time.

FanHouse: What should the public expect from the WPS?

Abby Wambach: I want people to not judge it before they see it. Come to a game and see the product on the field. Come out and try it, I think you'll be pleased.

FanHouse: The U.S. women's team has built up a strong fan base, how do you get those fans to support and care about the league?

Abby Wambach: That's the question at hand, how to get people interested on consistent basis? End of the day, you get fans that are loyal. Each team will do their best to get those fans signed on.

FanHouse: I heard the league will have its players Twittering at halftime, will you be?

Abby Wambach: Nowadays you can't just let it be a game. You have to find the different technologies the kids are into. Twitter, all the stuff they're doing for marketing strategy can only help. But I don't even know what that word means. So I don't think I'll be Twittering, not sure if it's a word in my vocabulary.

FanHouse: Finally, what are your goals in regard to WPS?

Abby Wambach: Ultimately I want this game to be better than the way I found it. Letting this league grow the way it can would be a dream come true for me. I would love for this league to grow into something great. It won't happen over night, but patience is a virtue. When I retire, I want to look back and say I gave all I could to this league and the game.

The WPS kicks off this weekend with seven teams in Boston, Northern Jersey, Northern California, St. Louis, Los Angeles and Chicago. The 20-game regular season runs until August 9.

For more information, check out the WPS Web site.

Abby Wambach Excited About WPS, But Don't Expect Her to Use Twitter originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Soccer Star Marta Scores Goal on Kobe

Elie Seckbach — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Soccer, FanHouse Exclusive

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

NBA Superstar Kobe Bryant is a huge fan of Brazilian soccer star Marta. In this video we hang out with Kobe, Marta and players of the Los Angeles Sol, a new professional soccer team which is part of the WPS. Kobe says if he was not a basketball player he might have been a soccer star -- and also imagines what it would be like if the gold-medal winning Redeem Team grew up playing soccer.

Check out the video after the jump.

Soccer Star Marta Scores Goal on Kobe originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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