U.S. men’s new national team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann seems to have pulled off some surprises among the list of players called up for his first game as U.S. coach on Wednesday, Aug. 10 against Mexico at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field.
The names DaMarcus Beasley, Bill Hamid, Freddy Adu, Edgar Castillo and Michael Orozco really shouldn’t be surprises. Klinsmann opted for speed and skill, and skill was something former coach Bob Bradley wasn’t too keen on.
Beasley (Pueblo, Mexico) is much needed because he is one of only a handful of left-footed players around that gives balance to the U. S. team; Adu (Benfica, Portugal) was left out for years, but he too is quick and a left-footer, which was lacking in Bradley’s teams. Both players are very skillful, especially Adu, who looked as though he should have been in the starting lineup from the start but was called on only in the last two games of the Gold Cup. DC United’s 20-year-old goalkeeper Bill Hamid has been exceptional in goal this season but was also overlooked.
Klinsmann looked across the border in Mexico and unearthed defensemen Edgar Castillo (Club America) and Michael Orozco Fiscal (San Luis) who have performed well in the Mexican top division., which his smart because these players are very familiar with the Mexicans, the U.S. main rivals in CONCACAF. Heath Pearce’s (Chivas USA) is back after being dropped by Bradley and Tim Chandler (FC Nuernberg, Germany), who was a bright spot at right back in his U. S. debut versus Argentina at Meadowlands Arena earlier this year but was not called on for the Gold Cup, was recalled. Defensive midfielder Ricardo Clark (Eintracht Frankfurt, Gremany), dropped since a mistake in last summer’s World Cup, and Edson Buddle (FC Inglostadt, Germany), also left out since the world tournament, were also recalled. Left off for now are Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar, Holland) and Clint Dempsey (Fulham, England).
The entire team: Goalkeepers Hamid (D.C.United) and Tim Howard (Everton). The defenders are Carlos Bocanegra (Saint-Etienne), Castillo, Timmy Chandler, Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Orozco Fiscal, Pearce and Tim Ream (New York Red Bulls). The midfielders include Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Clark, Maurice Edu (Rangers), Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04), Brek Shea (FC Dallas), Jose Torres (Pachuca). The forwards are Adu, Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls), Beasley, Buddle and Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)
MLS
The New York Red Bulls (6-6-12, 30 pts.) were shut out by hosts Real Salt Lake as the visitors allowed three goals at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah, last Saturday night. Nat Borchers (13th), Luis Gil (44th) and Alvaro Saborio (77th) scored for the victors as a very flat and purposeless Red Bulls team played one of its worst games so far this season.
Fresh off its win in the Emirates Cup in London where it beat Paris Saint Germain and tied hosts Arsenal FC of London to win that tournament, so much was expected from the Red Bulls, at least a more energized effort on the field, but the opposite occurred. Borchers’s goal came off a set play when he out-jumped Red Bulls defenders to head home Kyle Beckerman’s corner kick. Gil dribbled towards the Red Bulls goal with no pressure on him, and shot from about 24 yards and beat Frank Rost to his right. The third and final goal came off a penalty after defender Roy Miller was called for a hand-ball in the goal area. Midfielders Dane Richards (suspended) and Teemu Tainio (Flu) did not play. The Red Bulls take the field again at Red Bull Arena against the Chicago Fire on Saturday at 7:30 PM.
Also on Saturday, Geoff Cameron (85th) scored to give the Houston Dynamo a 1-1 draw against the Philadelphia Union; Jack McInerney (15th) scored his first goal of the season for Philadelphia. Chivas topped hosts New England Revolution, 3-2, on two goals from Alejandro
Moreno and one from Nick LaBrocca; Shalrie Joseph and Diego Fugundez scored for the Revolution.
On Friday night, Brian Mullan and Omar Cummings kept the defending champion Colorado Rapids winning as they each scored in the Rapids’ 2-0 victory over the Columbus Crew. Mullan hit a hard shot from about 24 yards that landed in the top of the left upper corner of the goal; Cummings, the Jamaican international, scored when he dribbled inside the right side of the penalty area to score in the lower, far left corner of the goal.
On Wednesday night, Chicago and Philadelphia played to a 1-1 draw, Sporting KC got goals from Roger Espinoza and Teal Bunbury scored for Kansas City in a 2-0 defeat of Real Salt Lake; Sporting has an unbeaten streak of 14 games. Also on Wednesday night, Portland upset Los Angeles, 3-0, and halted the Galaxy’s 14-game unbeaten streak. Portland recently traded for Jamaican international Lovell Palmer. Another new addition, Mike Chabala (26nd), scored and so did Jorge Perlazza and Eric Brunner.
