EPL Preview Pt. 2

15. Middlesbrough
Is there a less interesting side in the EPL? I think not. The only reason I have them finishing this high in the table is because I think Arsenal reject Jeremie Aliadere will be an upgrade over chubby Mark Viduka and serve as a fine complement to Ayegbeni Yakubu. Manager Gareth Southgate has a decent group of defenders to work with. If they can both stay healthy - a mighty big if - Jonathan Woodgate and Robert Huth will be crucial to any success the club has this season. Stewart Downing has never impressed me and I have no idea how he keeps figuring in the England setup. I fully understand why Southgate is desperate to land Manchester United's Alan Smith. He needs a versatile player like Smith who will attack, tackle and draw attention from Yakubu - as it stands the only threat (until Aliadere proves me correct) to opposing defenses. It will be another up and down season. Middlesbrough always seem a frustrating club to figure out. They pull off a win against Chelsea and then get thumped by Portsmouth. They lose to Man City and Watford only to beat West Ham and draw Liverpool. This inconsistency will always prevent the club from being anything other than a bottom half of the table club.

14. Sunderland
I expected more from Roy Keane during the close season. The job he did to bring Sunderland back up was amazing. But the EPL will be an entirely different story. I don't think he has the resources at hand to challenge clubs in the top half of the table. We will see just how good of a coach he is in 2007/08. Kieran Richardson will have a huge job of being the offensive spark each match. He may want to prove to Sir Alex Ferguson he was wrong to let him go and prove to Steve McClaren he has a future at the international level. He could wear down or suffer injury because he will have to take on serious minutes. Dwight Yorke and Stern John are not Premiership class players. And Keane's inability to land Leighton Baines has to be immensely disappointing. I believe Keane will motivate and inspire Sunderland to survive the drop and the huge crowds that will come out to see the manager will raise the intensity of his players. If Sunderland are still competitive when the January transfer window opens I would expect more players to be interested in playing for Keane. At this moment though I don't think many are convinced Sunderland is a chance worth taking.

13. Reading
They could be one of the most exciting sides in the league again. Steve Coppell is the real deal and probably one of the top managers in the EPL. The problem is that Reading do not have the budget to make upgrades the way many in this part of the table last season will have. Kevin Doyle will be good for double digit goals again and Leroy Lita should increase his tally to double digits as well. However, the loss of Steve Sidwell is going to be a lot to overcome. No one in the current squad can replace him. But Stephen Hunt will be relentless and if Bobby Convey can recover from his injury Coppell will have another option to fall back on. And he doesn't have many if Reading hit choppy waters. Nicky Shorey will lead a decent group of defenders and Marcus Hahnemann will have to be a rock between the posts. Again, it will be only a lack of depth that keeps the club from pushing for a UEFA Cup spot again. The starting 11 will wear down over the grueling domestic and cup campaign. I plan on watching Reading matches and I would not be surprised if someone looking to purchase an English football club thinks Reading are an attractive option.

12. West Ham
A year removed from narrowly avoiding relegation West Ham will be the surprise of the league. Whatever happens in the Carlos Tevez saga one thing can be assured: Tevez won't be in a West Ham shirt ever again. Which means new players like Craig Bellamy and Freddie Ljungberg will need to have outstanding seasons. If Bellamy regains the form he had two seasons ago with Blackburn and Dean Ashton is fully recovered West Ham could have a surprisingly dangerous attack. Manager Alan Curbishly was wise to get rid of Nigel Reo-Coker and Marlon Harewood. They were dead weight at this point and can now be Aston Villa's problems. I think Bobby Zamora is an underrated player and will only bolster the attacking options. Scott Parker will either be great or an injured non-factor. Matthew Upson has to stay healthy and contribute to the cause. American Jonathan Spector has been too up and down for me since arriving in England. Curbishly should give him lots of minutes in the early part of the campaign and then make the call if he is worth hanging on to. I think West Ham's season will rest heavily on the shoulders of Parker and Ljungberg. At 30 years of age Ljungberg is far from ancient but has to regain his previous form that made him so lethal at Arsenal. Parker had moments at Newcastle where I thought he looked like one of the best midfielders in the league. Barring a points deduction from any Tevez fallout West Ham will not get pulled in the relegation battle this season. If you are not a Sheffield United supporter you may go so far as to call them the Feel Good Story of the season.

11. Manchester City
People are going to have to get over Sven-Goran Eriksson's stint with the England National Team. Look at his club level CV and one thing will jump out at you: Trophies. Eriksson will take advantage of the new City ownership and Thaksin Shinawatra's willingness to spend by forming a squad that will compete in the EPL and eventually in Europe. City are probably 2 seasons away in that regard but will make a remarkable jump up the table in Eriksson's first year. The Swede arrived with some players already in place that never prospered under Stuart Pearce. In hindsight, Pearce was a disaster at the club and squandered some serious talent. One can assume Micah Richards and Richard Dunne will be outstanding in defense. But the real challenge will be whether he can get more out of Georgios Samaras and Bernardo Corradi. If he manages to build their confidence and they manage to produce City could suddenly be an interesting side to watch. Keep in mind he has brought in Rolando Bianchi, Geovanni and Martin Petrov. I've always liked Darius Vassell and am not ready to give up on him. He is 27 and could be poised to break out - finally. All his new recruits are attacking players that have attracted attention from several clubs. Yet, they wanted to come to City. The process of the new and the established players working well together in combination while understanding Eriksson's system could result in early stumbles. But City isn't expecting to compete for a UEFA Cup spot just yet. In fact, a top 10 finish should be considered a remarkable success. Given the dark days that should be in the past, an eleventh in the table finish will be a sight for sore supporter eyes.

Vein of Form: EPL Preview Pt. 1

20. Derby

I know starting off the 2007/08 English Premier League preview by stating Derby will finish in dead last is not exactly going out on a limb. But it is the obvious and safest bet this coming season. While I fancy myself a professional football journalist of the highest order, I fully admit the rest of my predictions could be well off target. Derby are going to be in the EPL for the single purpose of being the 20th club in the league. They won't score, they won't stop the opposition from scoring and they will be about the same level as Watford last season.

19. Wigan

They were very difficult to watch at times and were it not for another bit of Paul Jewell magic they could easily have gone down. But they turned it around at just the precise second turning was demanded and will defy many expectations with a 3rd straight season in the top flight. And then it will all come to a hault. Wigan don't draw the crowds that make them worthy of being a Premiership level club. Jason Koumas has arrived and will do well enough to earn a contract from a mid-table side next season. Jewell is out as manager because he needed a nap or something so when the magic is needed, I don't believe Chris Hutchings will be able to wave the wand. I think Leighton Baines is a very very good player and should be considered for an England National Team senior role soon. I also think much like Koumas, he'll be playing in the EPL next season while Wigan are back in the Championship.

18. Birmingham

One season removed from the top flight Birmingham have made it back up. It will be short lived though as the lineup doesn't reveal the talent or depth to survive at the top. Steve Bruce did a fantastic job to get his club back up again. And he will have a massive fight on his hands to avoid finishing in the bottom two. He has reportedly come close to signing Egyptian striker Mido but it looks like no deal will get done. But why does he even want him? Mido is a pain in the ass and stick him in a relegation fighting side he's only going to bring everyone around him down. Bruce is savvy enough to know that a player like Mido would be a bad signing over the course of the season, but he also needs someone to produce goals. And with or without the crabby Egyptian, the goals are just not going to come in quantities that will ensure survival.

17. Fulham

There are plenty of players on the Fulham squad that VoF will be pulling for. Call me biased for writing from America, but I can't help but want Brian McBride, Carlos Bocanegra and Clint Dempsey to have fantastic seasons. McBride is fit enough to once again lead the club in scoring and Bocanegra looked deserving of the captain's armband during the Gold Cup. Will his leadership and intensity carry over to the EPL? Dempsey had a mediocre Gold Cup but was at times sharper and more determined than his teammates which I have to believe comes from the confidence built when he scored against Liverpool a relegation preventing goal. Manager Lawrie Sanchez has players like David Healy, Diomansy Kamara, Papa Bouba Diop and (hopefully) a healthy Jimmy Bullard. Sanchez will need to equal the job he had previously done with the Northern Ireland national team to save Fulham from relegation. Make no mistake: this side could easily go through a bad spell and get trapped in a situation where they cannot recover. No other club in EPL history has had their fate so much in the hands of American players.

16. Bolton

Big Sam realized that he had taken this club as far as they would ever go. UEFA Cup football and for a short time within breathing distance of the Big 4. New manager Sammy Lee is going to have a hell of a time keeping the Bolton ship from sinking. Nicolas Anelka is probably on his way somewhere else. Nothing against Bolton, this is just what Anelka does. Allardyce was able to tap into a player like El-Hadji Douf and bring out the best of the most annoying player in the EPL. Lee probably won't have that connection and fans should be worried a meltdown could be in the making if the club stumbles out of the blocks. Captain Kevin Nolan still has several people calling for him to be a regular in the England squad. I'm not convinced he is anything more than a great leader of a mediocre side. Put him in the fire against top competition or in a Champions League match and I suspect he would go missing. Jussi Jaaskelainen remains one of the better goalkeepers in the league and he will be tested. Bolton cannot expect to rely on the likes of Gary Speed, Stelios Giannakopoulos, Ivan Campo and Kevin Davies again. They just can't. If they do Bolton could easily be fighting relegation. It is going to be dark days ahead at the Reebok Stadium.

Super Liga: Feel the Super-ness

As I type this Houston Dynamo and Club America are just 10 minutes in to their match. The opening matches of the Super Liga have been impressive. The MLS clubs have given the Mexican clubs all they can handle and more. LA Galaxy - without question the worst club in the competition - even managed to win and had FC Dallas not been the victim of an atrocious non-call on a blatent handball they may well have emerged victorious.

The fitness of its players and the physical nature of the league are a couple things the MLS likes to boast about. However, when they have conceded goals it has been due to a lack of mental conditioning as they have not been able to maintain focus for 90 minutes or the Mexican clubs score in the 2nd half as they are able to out run the opposition. I don't get the impression the MLS players are hanging their heads out of disappointment after the match ends, but because they are completely exhausted.

That being said, the level of competition has forced the MLS clubs to play a more attractive and skillful football for large chunks of the match. And no one can question the desire of the players and how committed they are to winning the Super Liga. The goal has to be that by facing the Mexican clubs and having to raise their game the competing MLS clubs will carry that intensity over to league play. Which would then of course trickle down through the rest of the league.

Not to mention clubs not competing should be driven to qualify for Super Liga in the future with the opportunity to play in meaningful matches and collect a cool million in prize money. Plus, the fact that these have hardly been played at an international friendly type of pace and have featured several scuffles cannot be a bad thing. Bad blood and rivalries that can carry over to the next Super Liga will only help with marketing.

And we all know that the MLS loves their marketing opportunities.

So this is a cool deal that gets started just over two weeks before the EPL begins and has the makings of being incredibly tight. Obviously if an MLS club fails to reach the championship match the entire venture will be a first year disaster. You could argue even if an MLS club makes it to the final and it is not a David Beckham led Galaxy the league will be a bit upset.

In the end, these are additional matches to spread the word that MLS has grown in depth and talent over the years and that it is nearly ready to emerge as a legit 2nd tier league. Maybe next time Fox Soccer Channel or ESPN will manage to pick up the English language broadcast rights.

Will One Player Make the Difference?

As un-Hollywoodesque of a debut David Beckham had yesterday, Cuauhtemoc Blanco's first appearance in a Chicago Fire shirt could not have been better written. Pre-season form or not, Celtic have looked very average on their tour this summer and that pattern held true this afternoon at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois.

Blanco was running past Celtic defenders with ease, he was fooling them with ball tricks and spot-on passes, and he scored the Fire's only goal as the match ended 1-1. The question now is will he be able to elevate a dreadful Fire that are well deserved of their bottom of the Eastern Conference spot? Anyone that thinks that assessment is harsh should look at the recent heartless showing against Houston Dynamo before the All-Star break and the fact that the All-Star game was devoid of any Fire representative.

Blanco won't be bringing out any of the Chicago area celebrities the way Beckham will. But he will bring out the best in the players around him. Chris Armas and CJ Brown put in fantastic performances. Hell, even Calen Carr looked like he had real promise as he worked quite well with Blanco. Chad Barrett still needs lots of help. His finishing is non-existent at the moment so if he watches Blanco in practice and takes any inspiration from Blanco's efforts he might just develop into a true scoring threat for the Fire.

Celtic fans and MLS detractors will be quick to point out that this was just a friendly. Scottish Premier League detractors (hands raise around the Vein of Form office) will point out that the SPL is overrated and clubs like Celtic and Rangers might get beaten by clubs like Houston, New England, and DC United on a routine basis during league play. The Celtic players could well have been out too late on Rush Street the night prior, but they had no answer for the Fire attack when Blanco was leading the charge.

Only when the Mexican international came off did they begin to look dangerous but it was all too late. Backup Fire 'keeper John Busch - John Busch?!?! - made a few great saves to deserve Man of the Match honors and hold this to a tie. Toronto FC on the road July 29 will be Blanco's opportunity to lead this club out of the basement in a meaningful match. It is easy to turn things around in MLS and qualify for the playoffs.

The Fire were picked to be one of 3 or 4 teams with a chance to win MLS Cup before the season for good reason. They have a decent group of players. Justin Mapp is one of the league's best and if Chris Rolfe gets healthy they could begin scoring goals in bunches.

If Blanco brings this type of class every match he will raise the play of his teammates. They will either fulfill their potential or play beyond themselves. The end result could be the Fire go on a great run and live up to the preseason hype. This would appear to be what Juan Pablo Angel has done for New York Red Bull and what LA hopes Beckham will do. However, Blanco has alot more to work with in Chicago and doesn't have a bad ankle.

Guily Gets Off the Barca Bench

I almost don't want this close season to come to an end. Almost. It has just been that good. Transfers, international competitions and now the pre-season training is under way with some rather important clubs going through preparations here on American soil.

While the Tevez to Manchester United saga continues to be the main focus - and deservedly so - I think there was a deal today that is flying slightly under the radar and could prove to be a very important signing. I'm talking about Ludovic Giuly being acquired by AS Roma. At 31 years of age it could be said that Barcelona were making the smart deal. The La Liga runners up must be totally sold on the idea that a 29 year old Thierry Henry can keep his fellow Frenchman permanently on the bench.

I fully realize Henry is one of the great players of all time. But Giuly is an outstanding player and I think Roma are going to benefit greatly from this transfer. He will bring experience Champions League experience - to a club that came undone in the most embarrassing of ways against Manchester United in last season's competition. I'm not suggesting Roma are about to close the gap on Inter Milan or even hold off the likes of AC Milan and Juventus during Serie A. What I am suggesting is that this is a deal to keep an eye on. This was a club that bull dozed Lyon over two legs and had a majority of the footballing world convinced they were going to do away with Man U in the second leg. They may not be that far off.

Another situation to keep an eye on is Didier Drogba at Chelsea. Is the Ivorian unsettled? Does he have a wandering eye? AC Milan - in yet another instance of tapping up by this club - have suggested Drogba could be one of their targets. Drogba has mentioned while a Chelsea player that the Italian league interests him. Jose Mourinho came out today reiterating the importance of Drogba to the club and that even when he was stinking up Stamford Bridge his first season he was still an important player!

Now, AC Milan have made it very clear they want Andriy Shevchenko back. And Sheva hasn't exactly said he insists on staying at Chelsea. What should irk Chelsea fans is Vice President Adriano Galliani's insistence that these two under contract players are targets for his club. Tell me, how is this not tapping up? And besides Real Madrid is there a worse offender in football than AC Milan when it comes to this? I cannot believe that they continue to get away with this.

VoF Soaks in Some MLS

The Vein of Form staffers ventured out of the office last night to take in a little MLS action at the "soccer specific" Toyota Park. As far as soccer specific stadiums go, this one is Specifictacular.

The last place Chicago Fire were taking on the first place and defending MLS champion Houston Dynamo. There was a great crowd on hand. Great meaning that the park seemed almost full to capacity. The only section making noise was "Section 8". Those fans sang the entire match. Even when the Fire fell down 3 goals to nil. They had a tremendous percussion section backing them up. The songs could use some work, but the "We are red! We are red! We are fucking dynamite!" was the winner on the night.

The losers were clearly the Fire defending and the Fire attacking. Actually, nothing about the Fire looked remotely decent or encouraging. They cannot pass, they refuse to shoot and the Houston attack looked capable of cutting through the defense whenever they felt like scoring a goal. The new manager has some work to do as it looked like all 10 field players had their own agenda while 'keeper Matt Pickens was abandoned on more than a few occasions.

All that being said, this was a Thursday night match featuring an atrocious club and the hometown fans still came out to offer support. Just think what could happen if Mexico's Cuahtamec Blanco injects some life in the attack, the new manager sorts this thing out and potential new ownership can turn them into a playoff contender.

You might be wondering why a bunch of Euro snobs would turn out to watch an MLS match. First, we wanted to check out Rico Clarke and Justin Mapp after they converted this publication into huge fans during their recent US National Team appearances. Second, we heard they shoot free t-shirts into the crowd at halftime. Third, we wanted to see what the hell David Beckham could be dealing with on his road travels.

Chicago is probably a far better atmosphere than what he'll face in other MLS cities. In fact, he will probably have lots of supporters in the Toyota Park stands when the Galaxy come to town. I'd like to be the first to warn Posh about the Toyota Park tacos. The tortilla shells were so dry I went through three Diet Pepsis trying to wash them down and the stench wouldn't wash off my hands until the following afternoon.

Just a couple of observations. The Fire mascot, a person in a dalmatian costume that goes by Sparky, is not helping legitimize the game in America. It is a clear attempt to pander to the younger fans when what they should be doing is trying to bring in the 18-35 year old demographic. An age group I happen to a part of. I can tell you I wanted nothing to do with that mascot after the first 30 seconds. Next, the Soccer Mom of the Match award is embarrassing. Serious, just stop that nonsense now.

It was a beautiful night and the stadium is wonderful. Plus, Chicago managed to avoid selling to a sponsor like Pizza Hut or Home Depot so "Toyota Park" doesn't sound atrocious. It just happens to be tucked away in Bridgeview. The great thing about the location though is the highways are easily accessible so you can leave Bridgeview as easily as you navigate through the stadium entrances and to your seats.

VoF plans another outing in October when LA comes to town. Maybe even sooner to check out NYRB and leading MLS All Star vote getter Juan Pablo Angel. When Angel was seeing sporadic minutes at Aston Villa, I wonder if he ever daydreamed about being an All Star while on the bench?

Is CONMEBOL Overrated?

That wasn't a misprint in the title. It is a serious question and if you have been watching the 2007 Copa America you should ask the same of CONMEBOL. At the risk of sounding like the epitomy of a "Euro Snob", I can't help but wonder if any of the participating nations besides Brazil and Argentina would qualify for Euro '08. Indeed, were it not for those 2 great footballing nations there really is not much to get excited about when watching Copa America.



Mexico, an invited nation out of CONCACAF, even managed to dominate Brazil during the group stage meeting and have looked as impressive as the Argentines have. But consider the tournament as a whole to this point. What matches have been of epic quality that would be expected from such a highly regarded region? Some of the play during the group stage was unwatchable. I'm speaking of Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile and even Venezuela. Yes, Group A winners Venezuela! I don't care that they were on home soil, how does Venezuela win their group after going some 30 years without winning a Copa America match?

Okay, so maybe the group stage was sloppy, unattractive football hardly reminiscent of what I have come to expect from South America. But then, the knockout round arrives and we get scores like Uruguay 4 - Venezuela 1, Brazil 6 - Chile 1, Mexico 6 - Paraguay 0 and Argentina 4 - Peru 0. These are the quarterfinal results of what is supposed to be one of the top 2 football regions on the planet. To me, these scores reflect an enormous amount of mediocrity and a tiny amount of world class talent. That amount of talent is reduced when you - once again - consider Mexico is not part of this region but could easily win the competition.

Maybe the semi-finals will live up to the hype. As I write this Brazil leads Uruguay by a goal at the half. The first half featured shocking defending from both squads and plenty of unorganized play. I fully expect Argentina and Mexico to be nothing short of outstanding in that semi-final clash.

I would like to see CONCACAF and CONMEBOL get together and combine their competitions on years when a Confederations Cup spot is not up for grabs. They should have a true Football Cup of the Americas and see if the US can be coaxed in to bringing a full strength side. There is no one that can convince me nations like Canada, Guatemala, T &T and even Guadelupe couldn't hold their own against some of the stinkers that have competed in Copa America this year.

It could very well hold true that either Brazil, Argentina or Mexico would always win such a tournament. With Uruguay or the US pulling off the occassional upset to reach a final, but it would have to make for an overall more exciting competition than what the Gold Cup and the Copa have produced in 2007.

I don't want to sound disrespectful to CONMEBOL, but I think some of the enthusiasm for how great this region is should be reigned in. It may very well be the 2nd most prestigious footballing region behind UEFA. But it is no where near as deep. And if it must be regarded as 2nd best, it is a very distant 2nd.

Tevez Staying in EPL is Good for the League

Manchester United look to be days away from signing Carlos Tevez. There are rumors that the transfer will be anything but an easy process as who should benefit from the sale of the Argentine is murky at best. West Ham United? Corinthians? A third party that claims to "own" Tevez and Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano? I have a feeling there will be some closed door meetings to determine where the £30million is to be awarded, but the move will not be blocked altogether.

To remain more popular than Spain's La Liga the EPL must do whatever it can to keep young, talented and electrifying talent in England. While Thierry Henry has moved on to Barcelona at the age of 29, he was arguably the face of the league. Henry's departure to a club that already features the likes of Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi means Barca have widened the gap on the rest of the world in terms of star power, viewing interest and more than likely fan base. Personally, unless Arsenal are playing Man United, Chelsea or Liverpool I would prefer to watch Barca against anyone. Consider also that Tottenham Hotspur look very close to surpassing Arsenal in the league this year given the projected starting lineups comes August.

Which is why it is crucial of the EPL to keep the non-English talent currently playing in England out of the hands of big clubs in Italy and Spain and bring in additional foreign players. The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Dimitar Berbatov, Michael Essien, Michael Ballack and Obafemi Martins are what makes the EPL so fantastic. The signings of Fernando Torres, Sulley Montari, Nani and Eduardo da Silva should be applauded by fans of the league, regardless of who they support. In addition, the transfer buzz around another Arsenal player, Cesc Fabregas, should be of concern as he is undeniably one of the most exciting players in the EPL right now.

Getting back to the Tevez transfer. If you examine the Manchester United roster it is impossible not to consider the ages of the stars at the club. Wayne Rooney (21), Cristiano Ronaldo (22), Michael Carrick (25), Nemanja Vidic (25) and Tevez is just 23. That is one hell of a young core of talent that could dominate the league and possibly Europe for the next 7 years or more.

I may be wrong on this - but I doubt it - Alex Ferguson will not be managing the club when Ronaldo and Rooney are in their late 20s. He may not even be there when Carrick or Owen Hargreaves (26) approach their 28th or 29th birthdays. This is all speculation. I have no idea how long Ferguson can go on at the club. He will never grow tired of the fight year in and year out. I believe he will only go out on his terms, and he will want to go out on top.

Which only adds to the intrigue surrounding the activity in the close season by Man United. I am predicting that the club believes Roy Keane is two years away from being ready to take over as the manager. I think it might be the worst kept secret in football that both the former player and the club want to reunite in that capacity. Given the work he did with Sunderland last season that reunification may be sooner rather than later.

So, is Ferguson building a club that will not suffer when such a landmark event as the changing of managers takes place? Is he planning to overwhelm the league the next two seasons by pairing Tevez with Rooney? This is a combination that - in a perfect Red Devilish world - could bring another European trophy to the club before Ferguson steps down. If you guess at what the potential starting lineup could be next season - and barring serious injuries - it is hard to imagine the club going without some kind of trophy.

No matter how the relationship between Keane and Ferguson ended, I don't think the manager would think short-term when he puts together this squad. He knows the club is bigger than any manager and that its continued success is in all honesty good for football. Even if Keane is not the next manager, I would have to believe an obvious short-term replacement would be Carlos Queiroz. He is the assistant coach, Ferguson's close friend and his adored by the players.

Tevez has made it known for some time he is a huge fan of the club. Remember, he once showed up to a press conference in a United shirt while he was playing for Corinthians. All of the current players on the Man United roster I mentioned above could conceiveably retire as a United player. I realize it is outlandish to predict the future of Ronaldo or Rooney at such a young age. But if the club continues to win, the players continue to experience success and it is all done at one of the biggest clubs in the world in the best league in the world...Where else could they go? Where else would they want to go?

The money in the EPL, the history of the clubs and the worldwide exposure should mean that the stars of the game will continue to flock to England. The rest of the league hopes that these players just don't keep flocking to Manchester United. Thierry Henry defined Arsenal and thus departure leaves the club looking lost at sea. Alex Ferguson has without question defined Manchester United during his time at the club. The difference is that when he departs the pieces will be in place for continued success and the panic and waywardness that currently grips the London club's supporters will not be evident at Old Trafford.

The lesson here is no club should allow a single player to define who they are.

Massive (Lack of) Attack

Going 3 and out plus finishing in last place did not come down to the squad that the US brought to Copa America. It came down to the coaching these players receive at their clubs. Don't think so? The glaring weakness in the US squad right now is an inability to put the ball in the back of the net. It is a simple game really. Score more goals than your opponent. To do so you have to take chances and you have to show a willingness to take the defenders on and move towards the goal.

Eddie Johnson didn't figure that out over the 3 matches played. The one time he did make a true run the Argentina defense got tangled up and he drew a penalty. Is his coach in the MLS teaching him to pass backwards on such a regular basis? Is he being taught to take the ball horizontally when he gets in the area instead of using his pace to beat the defenders? If he isn't being taught that he isn't being taught not to do that at Kansas City.

Lee Nguyen could teach EJ a few things. And Nguyen is just 19 years old and 140 pounds. But he plays for PSV Eindhoven in Holland and is part of one of the best systems in European football. From the moment he took the pitch against Colombia he wanted to score. He wanted to attack. Hell, when Colombia caught the US on the counter Nguyen was the one racing back to try and thwart a shot on goal.

Charlie Davies is an example of how to use blazing speed, ball skills and youthful determination when the opportunity arises. Davies, who plays in Sweden for Hammarby IF, looked prepared to show Bob Bradley something tonight. And if Bradley didn't see a bonafide attacking option in Davies then I fear we'll be seeing more of Taylor Twellman.

Don't forget the likes of Danny Califf - Aalborg BK (Denmark) - or Heath Pearce - FC Nordsjælland (Denmark) - both were very impressive tonight. Pearce in particular on some of his runs down the wing. Califf, for how he was willing to play a physical game and not show intimidation. The four aforementioned European based players are not featuring for clubs in Spain, England or Italy. They are playing in smaller leagues, but are still getting superior coaching and playing in matches where the competitive level is much higher than in MLS.

Anyone could have watched tonight's match and seen a real difference in skill when comparing these players to the ones in MLS. I don't want to knock MLS. I really don't. But I also realize that for the US to experience success at the next World Cup the entire starting lineup will probably need to consist of European based players. And your first 3-4 options on the bench should also be playing their club football overseas.

These players were not flawless. To be fair, they didn't have much time to train with or get meaningful matches with their teammates. I can't imagine when they get called back to the US camp they will miss having the likes of Kyle Beckerman, Eddie Gaven or Herculez Gomez around. I mean Eddie Gaven, you were shockingly awful.

So, if this Copa was to find the diamonds that the previous staff refused to dig deep enough to discover, Bradley has found them. Write the names down: Danny Califf, Charlie Davies, Lee Nguyen and Heath Pearce. They are probably already in a limo on its way to the airport with Benny Feilhaber and Jay DeMerit heading back to their clubs. And they should be confident that this won't be the last time they pull on the US jersey.

Unable to Finish Means the US is Finished

Something is severely broken within the United States soccer system. How can this country fail so miserably when it comes to producing a goal scorer? No matter the sport in America, it is the player that puts points on the board that is the hero. Baseball has home run & RBI hitters. Football has running backs, quarterbacks and receivers. Basketball has flashy point guards and versatile forwards.

Tonight's loss to Paraguay was much worse than the loss to Argentina. Now with just a mathematical hope & a prayer of staying in the Copa, the US can begin packing their bags. If this competition's purpose was for Bob Bradley to bleed the young & the inexperienced he certainly has done so. But I think the real lesson here is that whether we are looking at the US "A Squad", "B Squad" or "Z Squad" there is not a hungry goal scorer to be found. In fact, the best American scorer on the planet right now is Brian McBride and he has retired from international soccer to devote all his attention to one of the worst sides in England: Fulham.

There were multiple opportunities tonight to put Paraguay away and get 3 points. Opportunities that were right in front of the goal were wasted. Counter attacks that started out promising ended with an errant pass, a poor touch or a wasted cross with no one attacking either the near or far posts. Set pieces remain a dreadful thing to watch. Just as the first match should have marked the end of Eddie Gaven's time with the national squad, the final match against Colombia should be the end of the line for Taylor Twellman. The guy just doesn't have the ability to go beyond being an excellent MLS player. Probably a handy guy to have around when beating up on a country like Haiti or Cuba, but not World Cup aspiring sides. I like Twellman. I think he gives it everything. But this is a case of your best just not being good enough.

Eddie Johnson needs help. His pace is blistering. His strength is great, but he slows down the closer he gets to goal. He passes the ball back when he should be making a move to get off a shot. He creates opportunities to score with his head, but his shots are well off the mark! For the sake of this program - a program I still believe has come alive this summer - EJ has to get out of Kansas City. MLS cannot do anything else for him. The same goes for Richardo Clark, Jonathan Bornstein and Justin Mapp. They are not ready for a top tier European league, but they are capable of going to a league where the coaching and competition will help them reach their potential.

For US fans, the outcome at Copa will probably mean this was The Summer of What Ifs as opposed to the summer the US repeated as Gold Cup champions. The quality is not that great in Copa. In fact, I'll have more to say about that in the days to come. Had someone stepped up and driven one of these opportunities into the back of the net knockout round soccer was a real possibility. With Mexico and Argentina the only countries to really stand out from everyone else, anything was possible. But again, what if...

In the coming months Bradley will have to find a striker or attacking midfielder that will produce on a regular basis. Otherwise, the US will continue to fall short of breaking into the upper echelon.