In a wide-ranging interview published on ESPNFC today, Roger Bennett asked U.S. national team star LandonDonovan if he expects to play in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. His reply:
“I don’t have the answer to that. There are a lot of moving pieces: Will I be playing, period? Will I be part of the team? Will I be good enough to be wanted? If I had to guess I would say it is 50-50. I will have more clarity after I take a break.”
The “50-50” part of that quote lit up Twitter like a Roman candle this morning, and it’s not hard to see why. But we would pay equal attention to the last sentence: Donovan needs a break, plain and simple. He’s been playing professional soccer for 14 years, which is one year shy of half his life, and he’s gone on winter loans in three of the past four MLS offseasons.
He’s suffering from burnout.
If he takes, say, four weeks off in November and December, we’d wager that he’d come back refreshed and renewed, ready to join the U.S. in Jurgen Klinsmann’s January camp, and spark the Nats in the WCQ Hexagonal in February.
Very rare—possibly even unprecedented—is the occasion that Argentine legend DiegoMaradona is cast as the voice of reason.
But at a press conference in Dubai yesterday, he played the role surprisingly well when asked about Pelé’s recent comments that LionelMessi is not as good as Brazilian wünderkind Neymar. His response:
“Maybe Neymar is the best player of the world, but only if we clarify that Messi is from another planet.”
If you’re scoring at home, that’s Maradona 1, Pelé 0.
“Congrats Rafa. U look like an ass & ur team mates now hate you. At least u have killer apartment in NYC.”
Courtesy of Grant Wahl, the above hard-hitting tweet is by U.S. and Estudiantes Tecos striker HerculezGomez (left), in response to RafaMarquez’s comments that his Red Bull teammates are not on the “same level” as he is.
After making his initial comments, Marquez, who earns $4.6 million per year, was asked if he was happy in New York.
Nurnberg defender-midfielder TimothyChandler, speaking to Yanks Abroad about speculation that his absence at the Gold Cup meant that he still had a desire to play for Germany:
“No. That is absolutely not the reason why I missed the Gold Cup. It is my goal and dream to represent the United States at the 2014 World Cup. What I said in March is true. I will absolutely not play for Germany. There is no way that will happen.”
This is obviously music to the ears of U.S. fans, who had to be impressed by Chandler’s showing for the Yanks in two friendlies back in March. The 21-year-old cited fatigue and a lack of full fitness as reasons for skipping the CONCACAF tournament, a move he also said was made at the behest of his club team.
He told YA that he hopes to be called in for the Americans’ next international, a friendly against Belgium on Sept 6. “If I am invited, I would love to play for the United States again,” he said. “I have a very good opinion of BobBradley as a coach. He brought me in back in March and I like playing under him along with the players on the U.S. team.”
Again, this is great news for U.S. fans—even if Bradley’s status as coach appeared uncertain following the U.S. loss to Mexico in the Gold Cup final. Federation president SunilGulati told The New York Times last Tuesday that he’d “have something to say later this week” regarding the coach’s future, but he has yet to make a statement.
“Mr. Austin has not been notified of any action by FIFA regarding any suspension. There is no existing suspension so there is nothing to extend. Lisle Austin remains acting president of CONCACAF, and has urged FIFA to intervene and resolve these so-called leadership questions.”
When last we left this spellbinding tale, Austin had fired CONCACAF general secretary ChuckBlazer, only to see Blazer immediately reinstated by the confederation’s Executive Committee. The committee then suspended Austin, and installed Honduras’s AlfredoHawit as acting president of CONCACAF.
That’s where we stand now (well, all of us outside Austin’s camp). But there are sure to be further twists in the tale before the Gold Cup final on June 25.
FIFA president SeppBlatter, after running unopposed and winning a fourth term in yesterday’s election, which followed months of devastating allegations of corruption:
“We will put FIFA’s ship back onto the right course in clear, transparent waters. We will need some time, but we shall do it.”
From Daily Telegraph football correspondent HenryWinter’s Twitter feed comes this gem, out of the mouth of Barcelona coach PepGuardiola ahead of his team’s Champions League clash with Arsenal and young midfielder JackWilshere, who’s back from injury and available tomorrow:
“He’s an excellent player for Arsenal and England. We have many types of his player in our second team.”
Ouch.
Winter insists it was meant as a compliment, but we say scrap the context, it’s bulletin-board material for the Gunners!*
Here is a former U.S. international and MLS veteran who switched clubs in the offseason, discussing his search for a new home for his family:
“I’m doing it old-school. I’m riding around on my skateboard, pulling down for-rent signs and calling people. I’ve got my gravity board and I’m just cruising around. I remember doing that in college, riding around and looking for a place to live. It’s 15, 20 years later, and I’m doing the exact same thing.”
Yes, except now you have a wife and two kids.
Not that we’re judging; far from it: we approve of both the quote and the house-hunting method.
So, Backpost readers, who said it?
(We’d give you a hint but, really, it’s all there in the quote.)
We’ve got a three-part post to start off this morning.
First up, the answers to Tuesday’s NASL quiz. Thanks for playing. A few readers came up with several correct answers, and Prison Mike came verrrry close on one, but no one was able to ace all five.
Here they are:
1. Name the two players who played in both the NASL and Major League Soccer.
Hint: One is South African by birth who played for the USMNT, and the other is a recent coach of the Mexican national team.
Hint: He went on to a legendary indoor-soccer career—as much as such thing is possible—with the New York Arrows, among other clubs. Also earned 14 caps for Yugoslavia.
A: SteveZungul, who went on to score 372 goals in 145 games for the Arrows. Check him out here, and here.
3. Which team won the league in ’84?
Hint: They had a German striker with a wicked left foot, and were located in the Midwest, like the Columbus Crew, which has the same black-and-yellow color schem as this team did.
A: Giorgio Chinaglia, with an astonishing 193 goals in 213 appearances. He also scored 50 in 43 playoff games. The man’s play was as immense as his ego.
5. Which team suited up George Best, Teofilo Cubillas, and Gerd Muller, yet never won an NASL title?
Hint: They also featured former MLS coach and current Gol TV commentator Ray Hudson—and they might be coming back.
A: Ft. Lauderdale Strikers
QUOTE OF THE DAY (POSSIBLY THE YEAR):
From Reuters:
Michel D’Hooghe, Senior FIFA executive committee member and chairman of FIFA’s medical committee, on the rash of brutal tackling the game has seen in the past few years:
“I have made myself a compilation of hard tackles with dramatic consequences over the last two or three years in the most important competitions in the world. I do not dare to present it—it would take away your appetite. It is terrible. This must go out [of the game]. … This is my wish, that all that brutality that sometimes goes close to criminality on the field is thrown out in the interest of our players and of a nice soccer game.”
Los Angeles 1, Philadelphia 0
Beckham follows last week’s game-winning goal with a game-winning assist; EdsonBuddle bags his league-leading 16 goal of the season; and Fred gets his melon split open by fellow Brazillian Juninho (not intentionally, we don’t think).
Also: A terrific backheel by MVP-worthy SebastienLeToux produces a save-of-the-week candidate from Donovan Ricketts.
Good game last night. Check it out:
It’s Friday: the next four days hold a full slate of MLS action, Euro 2012 qualifiers, and international friendlies—including two U.S. games. Buckle in.
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