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usmnt: a look ahead to "world cup 2022"

8/13/2021

“The Four Year Review: America’s Quest for the Cup” continues!
(The World Cup that is!)

The Gold Cup of 2021 just concluded with a grand finale on 8-1-21 in the final between the United States and Mexico! It doesn’t get any better than that!

United States 1
Mexico 0

Gold Cup 2021 Champions: United States!

Here’s the good news/bad news:

Good news:

The US won the Gold Cup
The US has momentum going into the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers
The US has partly swiped away the dreaded reality of not qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup

Bad news:

The Gold Cup is great but, according to practically everyone in the world, CONCACAF is arguably one of the weakest Confederations in the world***
The US still has to overcome the dreaded reality of not qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup—in arguably the weakest Confederation, CONCACAF—which is a tough hill to climb
In recent years, the US has done quite well in ‘it’s own backyard,’ i.e., the Gold Cup and within CONCACAF; once the US exits its own backyard things get very difficult
The US roster is perhaps in a state of fluctuation; there are a lot of questions going into the upcoming Octagonal pertaining to team chemistry and who should play where

For newcomers, essentially the Gold Cup is the CONCACAF championship, with the exception of this year’s guest-team Qatar (who played quite well). Let’s take a look at the Gold Cup, which, in essence, is a warm-up tournament for the USMNT as it looks to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup starting this fall!

Here is a summary of the 2021 Gold Cup for the USMNT:

United States vs Haiti
7-11-21
Gold Cup
1-0

Haiti put up a good fight but the win went to the United States.

United States vs Martinique
7-15-21
Gold Cup
6-1

Martinique, a small island-nation, didn't have the best of games.

United States vs Canada
7-18-21
Gold Cup
1-0

Canada, a nation improving with soccer by leaps and bounds, had a decent showing but lost in the end.

United States vs Jamaica
7-25-21
Gold Cup
Quarter-Finals
1-0

Jamaica, always a tough opponent and a classic rival to the USMNT, put up a good fight but couldn't hold off the United States.

United States vs Qatar
7-29-21
Gold Cup
Semi-Finals
1-0

Qatar, a guest-team this time around (the host of the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup), had a great game but couldn't find a goal.

United States vs Mexico
8-1-21
Gold Cup
Final
1-0
Las Vegas, Nevada

Mexico had a better game yet the US pulled out a gritty win with a set piece toward the end of the match.

The bigger picture is clear: What about the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers beginning this September 2021? Well, that’s the question. Can the US pull it off? Will the roster be adequate enough to topple the best of CONCACAF in the accelerated Octagonal qualification process? It’s yet to be seen as the USMNT chases America’s last athletic frontier: a men’s championship in the FIFA World Cup!

*** Outside of Oceania, of course. The discussion is interesting though, as one could reasonably conclude that CONCACAF, Africa, and Asia are a tie.

italy: mission World cup 2022!

7/28/2021

ITALY IS BACK!

As Italy climbed back to European supremacy with the recent UEFA Euro 2020 title, it now has a great opportunity to win it all at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar which, in soccer terms, is just around the corner. A one-two punch conquest of the Euro and World Cup would put the Italians in rare air as Spain most recently did as much with the 2008 Euro, 2010 World Cup, and then an unheard of third championship with the 2012 Euro (three titles in a row is ridiculously good, but let's not get ahead of ourselves quite yet; Italy has to go one step at a time before the Triple is a possibility).

With all payers healthy and everything rolling together chemistry-wise, it should be an interesting run as Italy is prime and ready for such a feat.

japan vs. mongolia: you guessed it !!!

7/27/2021

Japan is on a roll. Not too long ago, on 3-30-21, Japan had a match with mighty Mongolia. There may have been some anxiety before this one. You never know.

Though, the result ended up:: Japan 14 Mongolia 0.

Note to Mongolia...never mind.

Qatar vs. El salvador: who knew?!

7/27/2021

Never thought I’d say this: I can’t wait till the next game between Qatar and El Salvador. It turns out, before their 2021 Gold Cup Quarter-Final, they had a heated match in which un-nice things were exchanged thereby setting the stage for an exciting Gold Cup ecounter just recently. Tempers flared and a good game ensued as Qatar walked away with a narrow 3-2 victory. Dare I say it? A rivalry has been established: Qatar and El Salvador. It reminds me of the ‘international games’ at SIUC I witnessed when I was a kid. These matches—which were primarily bouts to express anger—were often between two teams representing geographical locations somewhere in the middle of the world that resulted in squabbles over certain affairs regarding hegemony back in the homeland; the bird was given in multiple ways, foul words were exchanged, promises of curses or something therein were made, invisible lines were drawn thus tempting the other side to cross to see what’s next, arms flailed around—it was beautiful. Sometimes I’ve thought about those games and wondered ‘what was the point?’ You know, no one cared, no one was there, outside of a few friends, say. The point was: They were in the moment, competing. Likewise, Qatar and El Salvador—two teams you’d ordinarily forget about—were in the moment, competing like there was no tomorrow. It was great to see and hopefully there’s more down the road.

By the way, Qatar, so it was finally announced, is a “guest team” in the 2021 Gold Cup. It’s about time. For second there it was like: Okay, Gold Cup, we’ve got US, Mexico, Honduras, Qatar, Jamaica…wait a second! Huh?! Somebody call 911! What the?! Qatar?! Somebody call the doctor! What the?! So basically, as a promotion for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar is showcasing its talents as a guest team in the 2021 Gold Cup just as the Gold Cup has welcomed previous guests to the tournament such as Brazil, Colombia, and South Africa. Go figure.

EURO CHAMPIONS LIST

7/12/2021

ITALY IS BACK!

Euro Winners Prior to 2020:

1960: Soviet Union
1964: Spain
1968: Italy
1972: West Germany
1976: Czechoslovakia
1980: West Germany
1984: France
1988: Netherlands
1992: Denmark
1996: Germany
2000: France
2004: Greece
2008: Spain
2012: Spain
2016: Portugal
2020: Italy

euro 2020 bracket

6/24/2021

UEFA
EURO 2020

Champion: Italy!

Final

Italy (w) England

Semi-finals

Italy (w)    England (w)
Spain Denmark

Quarter-finals

Belgium Ukraine
Italy (w)    England (w)

Switzerland Czech Republic
Spain (w) Denmark (w)

Round of 16

Belgium (w) Sweden
Portugal Ukraine (w)

Italy (w)   England (w)
Austria Germany

France Netherlands
Switzerland (w) Czech Republic (w)

Croatia Wales
Spain (w)   Denmark (w)

Commentary:

7-12-21

Italy are worthy champions of the 2020 UEFA Euro! A true nail-biter of a game, Italy came back to take down mighty England in an exciting penalty shootout to earn its second overall Euro. As I predicted before the tournament, Italy would be champions and it did so in deserving fashion. There is much more to come from this Italian side as the next FIFA World Cup is right around the corner!

7-7-21

Both Italy and England are on a roll and playing well, with a spark. It should be a tremendous game. Don't be surprised to see England walk away as champs!

Prediction:

7-7-21

Before the tournament I chose Italy all the way. I'm still going with the Azzurri but it's a toss up!

Commentary:

7-7-21

England is back in a major tournament final for the first time since 1966! A 2-1 victory over Denmark today in the Euro 2020 semi put the Three Lions over the top!

7-6-21

Italy has reached the final after a long slump in international soccer that was accentuated by its absence in the recent 2018 FIFA World Cup. (Unheard of!) This 2021 squad, which deftly got past Spain in a semi-final shootout, reminds me of the 2006 FIFA World Cup champions. The 2006 side had a fervor unlike most. You can tell a lot about a side from its subs. The 2006 Italians had no ego in terms of who came off the bench; there was a unity among starters and subs that was refreshing; they all served an important purpose; you could see it on their body language; i.e., no sub felt inferior as everyone felt honored to be on the team, to serve their country, and the coach configured the lineup based on chemistry, and no one seemed to care; it was more important to support one another and win. This 2021 side shares that sentiment. So far so good. It's looking prosperous for Italy in the final. My prediction before the tournament, that Italy would win it all, still stands. A lot of my prediction was based on a gut feeling. Hopefully it will stand. The world of international soccer is better when Italy wins. Go Italy!

6-30-21

Best match from the Round of 16? By far: Spain vs. Croatia! High octane, amazing passing combinations under immense pressure, lots of drama!

6-30-21

As I predicted months before the tournament, Italy all the way! However, the Italians are up against the world no. 1 Belgium. This is the matchup of the Quarterfinals, by far!

Equally interesting is England vs. Ukraine. England should win, though you never know. Ukraine has some fight in them. However, with Kane and Sterling in scoring form it might just be England's year to find the championship game.

Spain should handle the Swiss with no problem. But I've said before: Spain will have a hard time finding goals in the post Golden Generation era. With that said, Spain scored a ton in the Round of 16 yet this, in my opinion, was an anomaly.

Czech Republic and Denmark: A toss up. Both are playing well.

did you see that?!!! best goal of copa america: colombia vs. Brazil

6/23/2021

6-23-21

Colombia vs. Brazil

The opening goal for Colombia, from Diaz, was not a bicycle kick, but something in-between. You be the judge. Best goal of Copa America!!!

Euro 2020 has some competition!

euro & copa America thoughts!

6/21/2021

Euro 2020-21

Denmark's Uniforms: The best!!!

Thank you Denmark for not going with ubiquitous Nike or Adidas! Instead the Danes have adorned their typical (and awesome) Hummel brand! Very nice, a great change of pace! More Hummel please!!!

Copa America 2021

Uruguay. I hate to say it but Uruguay takes all the life from my soul and just stomps all over it with boringness. My goodness are they awful. My apologies Uruguay, but you might be the most boring team to watch, ever! And I mean ever! Wow it hurts to watch, they are so boring. I've rarely seen such a lack of creativity in all my life. Literally.

So then Shane, Mr. Know it all, how does Uruguay qualify for the Copa America and World Cup? Got me!

Here's the thing, traditionally, Uruguay is one of South America's powerhouses. True, but you have realize the list down there is small. It goes like this: Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela, Paraguay, Suriname and that's about it.

Uruguay, man, just get better, please!!! And do it now!!!

BOOK EXCERPT: THE EURO 2020-21 BOOK

6/6/2021

The following is a book excerpt from The Euro 2020-21 Book:

Stay’s UEFA Euro 2021 All-Star 11 Lineup

Who says we need “defenders” in the traditional sense? With a little work, these offensive powerhouses can transition into defensive roles that would unleash outright offensive magic. The 4-3-3 seems like the best formation for such a group. The possession would be off the chart, and few teams would be able to break through this organized defense.

Timo Werner               Harry Kane                 Cristiano Ronaldo

Mbappé                      Luka Modrić               Marco Reus

Julian Brandt               Sergio Ramos              Jorginho          Eden Hazard

Thibaut Courtois

Other players who deserve to be on this list:
Antoine Griezmann, Isco, Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitić, Ivan Perišić, Dele Alli, Harry Maguire, Memphis Depay, Frenkie de Jong, Matthijs de Ligt, Bernardo Silva, Toni Kroos, Serge Gnabry, Paulus Arajuuri, Birkir Bjarnason, Leonardo Bonucci, Marco Verratti, and too many others!

EURO Cup 2020-21
All games take place: June 11-July 11 2021 !

The Book & Tournament that Almost Didn't Make it!
COVID-19 Will Be Defeated
Enjoy the Tournament Safely!

the 1991 Holland cup u16 championship: 30 years ago!

5/19/2021

KNVB headquarters, Netherlands, 1991. Team photo after Holland Cup U16 championship.

KNVB headquarters, Netherlands, 1991. Holding Holland Cup U16 championship trophy. (Hit the gym kid!)

I was reminded that this summer—2021—is the 30-year anniversary for a team I was on that won the Holland Cup U16 championship in 1991. The tour was successfully organized by Lyle Ward. Our coach was St. Louis native Ed Gettemeier, SIUE national champion in 1979, NASL and MISL goalie, who led us to victory. In summary, our one-off Metro East team from St. Louis had only two practices before departing. We were supposed to ‘have fun and get a taste of Europe.’ This was code for ‘maybe win a game and lose the rest.’ We went undefeated and became the first North American team to win the Holland Cup. In doing so, we defeated talented clubs from Netherlands, Denmark, Austria and Italy. How? It’s a testament to St. Louis soccer! (Much more to come!) To the best of my memory, after our conquest one of the local Dutch organizers suggested to Ward a top-notch team near our living arrangement at the KNVB headquarters.* This team was the equivalent of Scott Gallagher** or something of that sort. Shortly before we left, we played a friendly with them at KNVB and won 2-1.

Now 30 years later I’ve written a book The Euro 2020-21 Book. It seems I’m back in Europe!

Details of the Holland Cup are in Why American Soccer Isn’t There Yet.