OK, let's get the qualifiers out of the way before we jump into any analysis: St. Vincent is terrible at soccer and so are the Grenadines. You can't really learn anything from how anyone played in a game between such mismatched opposition.
We can learn, though, from who played. Because Clint Dempsey is out, USMNT manager Jurgen Klinsmann started Bobby Wood up top with Jozy Altidore. Both scored.
Bobby Wood’s play hasn’t been dissected to the level with which we’ve examined Gyasi Zardes. Wood, at 23, doesn’t come with the ‘phenom’ label that’s attached to Jordan Morris. He doesn’t uniformly divide opinion like Jozy Altidore or Chris Wondolowski. Wood has endeared himself to USMNT supporters without ever triggering the American soccer hype machine.
It's down to this international break for Jurgen Klinsmann and the USMNT to advance in World Cup qualifying, and the squad has been picked. Did he pick Wondolowski? Of course he picked Wondolowski.
On Friday, the Seattle Sounders released a distressing statement concerning Sounders and USMNT forward Clint Dempsey. The 33-year-old will be undergoing medical evaluations for an irregular heartbeat over the coming days, missing Seattle’s match against Portland on Sunday and the United States’ September World Cup qualifiers against Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago.
While Jozy Altidore’s goalscoring record for Sunderland will always torment him like a black spot, a piece of low-hanging fruit for doubters who refuse to recognize his enormous talent, those who’ve followed his career of late will know that it’s his troublesome hamstrings which remain his personal Kryptonite.
¿Qué tan enojado estarías si fueras expulsado de un gran torneo internacional por gente como Bahrein? Preguntemos al equipo masculino sub-19 de EE.UU., que perdió 3-1 contra Bahrein en el torneo COTIF, asegurando su salida de la competición.
Bueno, eso se intensificó rápidamente. Parece que no están entusiasmados con eso. (Por cierto, EE.UU. está con las camisetas de color oscuro y Bahrein con las blancas).
When we last reported on Charlie Davies back in April, it was to celebrate his remarkable recovery from a 2009 car accident that could’ve claimed his life. The subject of an ESPN documentary entitled “The Unrelenting Charlie Davies”, the New England Revolution forward was looking forward to a successful 2016 MLS season.
This season will be a pivotal one for Julian Green. The 21-year-old USA international will not play for Bayern Munich's reserve team, and will insead try to break into the first team.
Saturday, in Bayern Munich's International Champions Cup pre-season friendly against Inter Milan, Green began making his case for first-team minutes, scoring a hat trick in the first 35 minutes of the match.
Christian Pulisic only made his debut for Borussia Dortmund back in January 2016. Since then, we’ve learned that the 17-year-old is an absolute gem of a player. In seven months time he became the youngest player to score two goals in the Bundesliga, made his USMNT debut in March, scored against Bolivia and represented the USA three times at the Copa America Centenario.
It’s been over two years since Julian Green introduced himself on the largest of international stages with that fantastic goal against Belgium in the World Cup round of 16. Now, it finally looks as though he’s ready to progress at the club level with Bayern Munich.