American Trailblazer

Forty years and two days after Neil Armstrong made one giant leap for mankind on the moon, Oguchi Onyewu will make one giant step for American soccer. While the comparison between Armstrong and Onyewu is a little bit of a stretch, I hope you get my meaning. Most of the world laughed at President John F. Kennedy in 1962 when he declared: “We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” The rest, as they say, is history. Seven years later, on July 21, 1969 UTC. Armstrong planted the Stars and Stripes into the moon dust.

Now, if someone had told you ten years ago, or even seven (even though the US had made the quarterfinals of the World Cup in 2002), that a field player from the United States of America would be playing for a top four team in one of the top three soccer leagues in Europe… you would laugh in their face. But today, Onyewu has achieved the unthinkable. Tonight, “Gooch” will take the field as a member of the back line for his new squad, AC Milan of Italy’s Serie A. Although the match is an exhibition, the significance should not be taken lightly. Gooch will have a lot of pressure on him coming from many directions, but there is no doubt he and American goalkeeper Tim Howard have become the trailblazers for future American soccer stars.

If Onyewu is able to crack the starting XI regularly for AC Milan when their season begins, there is no doubt in my mind the world will take notice.

Good luck Gooch.

Soccer is Back, in Iraq

A feel-good soccer story hit the news wire today: The Iraqi National Soccer Team will play their first home match in 7 years this coming Friday. The Iraqis are scheduled to play two friendlies (as exhibition games are called in soccer) against Palestine – the first in Northern Iraq and the second in Baghdad next week.

These two matches were announced only two weeks after the US military pulled out of urban security duty, handing over all control to Iraqi forces. The last match played on Iraqi soil was on July 22, 2002 in Baghdad before the March 2003 US invasion propelled the country into violence. While the Iraqi people are far from enjoying the safety we take for granted in this United States, being able to finally schedule a contest speaks wonders to how much US-Iraqi security has improved in the last few years.

Rarely does FIFA, the world governing body of international soccer, comment on the political implications of soccer, but this historic event might draw some attention. The beauty of soccer – both the game and peaceful nationalism through sport – mostly speaks for itself, but sometimes one can’t help mentioning the hope and pride the game imparts upon ailing nations.

No story is more powerful than the Ivory Coast soccer team that temporarily united their country in early 2006.... read the story here.

The narratives told through soccer are unique. No other sport in the world has the power that soccer commands. The sport transcends politics, war, and hatred – all allegiances. When the United States played Brazil in the Confederations Cup Final, Red Sox and Yankees fans found a common ground, or team, to cheer on. More seriously, on Friday in Iraq, I hope the stands are not filled with Kurds, Sunnis, or Shiites but overflowing with proud Iraqis, cheering on their reborn country – violence free.

You cannot more perfectly describe soccer the way the World Cup did in 2006: "Soccer closes the shops. Closes the schools. Closes a city. Stops a war. Fuels a nation. Breaks borders. Builds a hero. Crushes a dream. Answers a prayer. And changes everything."

On Friday, Iraq's healing process will take another step forward, this time on the pitch. The historic match will unite all Iraqis behind a common idea, something that unites us all, something that doesn't need language or religion -- soccer.

Dempsey on the Move?

In a late-night story, Goal.com is reporting Clint Dempsey (US midfielder) has rejected a contract extension from his club team Fulham. Rumors are swirling that 2009 FA Cup runner up Everton is set to offer Fulham around £4 million for his services paying Dempsey up to £67,000 per week.

With Dempsey's stature on the rise after his stellar performance in the Confederations Cup, he would join an already dangerous Everton squad led by fellow American teammate, goalkeeper Tim Howard. This combo would be a welcome sight to American soccer fans who would be able to watch two of our best players competing for the same side.

Everton finished 5th this past season in the English Premiership. The possibility of acquiring Dempsey shows Everton looks to challenge the usuals in the top four next season - Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal.

More to come as this story unfolds.....

The Aftermath: Lots of Good News

In the wake of Sunday’s loss in the Confederation Cup final, the US National Team is receiving nothing but positive reviews from the media with diverse outlet coverage. Want to know why I think the US team has succeeded even after their stinging loss? Stephen Colbert did a piece on the team last night on The Colbert Report and was joined by former US defender and current ESPN analyst Alexi Lalas. If the comedy juggernauts grab hold of the US Soccer story, you can count on the fact Soccer matters. Watch the clips below:

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Is it Time to Care About Soccer?
http://www.colbertnation.com/
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Jeff Goldblum

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Is it Time to Care About Soccer? - Alexi Lalas
http://www.colbertnation.com/
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Jeff Goldblum

While the loss is still raw in the players’ minds, a few of them will cash in on their performance from the tournament. Among the many rumors to come out of South Africa it seems that Charlie Davies, Jozy Altidore, and Ricardo Clark are a few players whose stock has peaked enough for some high-profile European teams to possibly invest in their services. I’m all in favor of moves for all three of these young players. An exposure to a higher level of talent and high-pressure games would only enhance their skill and composure, ultimately benefitting the National team heading into next summer’s World Cup.

- - - According to Sky Sports, Rennes is looking into acquiring the midfielder Clark from the Houston Dynamo. If the club name rings a bell, it’s because US defenseman and team captain Carlos Bocanegra is already a member of Rennes. Apparently Clark didn’t scare off all potential suitors with his dangerous tackle against Italy that resulted in his ejection, which left the US a man down for the majority of the match.

- Fox Soccer reports that forward Davies has received attention from a number of teams in Germany, Holland, and France. Davies currently plays for Swedish club Hammarby ,but his injection into the US starting 11 for the final group stage game against Egypt (and his goal) has impressed some bigger fish.

- Finally, Jozy Altidore’s name has been connected to a loan deal from several clubs including Greek powerhouse Olympiacos (currently ranked 34th in Europe), Fulham from the English Premiership (current club of US star Clint Dempsey), and several Spanish La Liga teams. Altidore’s contract is with Villarreal of Spain’s top division, who bought the 19 year-old two seasons ago for $10 million - the highest contract ever given to a US player.

A quick side note for those of you who don’t know how soccer contracts work: If a team like Villarreal doesn’t have room at the moment for a young player, like Altidore, and they think his time on the bench will stunt his development, the team can loan him out to another squad who can use his services for a year for a certain price. After the season is up, the player is offered back to the club that owns his contract. The owner can either take the player back or try to loan him out again until they think he’s ready.

I think the loaning out of Altidore would be a beneficial move for his development, especially to a team like Fulham where he can play alongside Dempsey in the English Premiership. Whatever the case, Alidore needs to land on a club where he will get significant minutes in significant games. He was already loaned out last season to another Spanish team, Xerez and barely saw the pitch. Although Altidore is only 19, he has the most promise of any US player and the earlier he is exposed to good competition the better player he will become. There should be no doubt in any scout’s mind if they watched his play in the Confederations Cup. He is the real deal. He is the future face of American soccer. Its time Europe gave him the shot he deserves.

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