Me likely Klinsyball.

I hope this is the end for a few U.S. players like Jermaine Jones and Edson Buddle.

Really? The first half was embarrasing. No shots on goal. We've had plenty of those types of scrappy second halves under Bob.

-----------------Dempsey----------------
Shea----------Donovan--------------Adu
----------Holden-----(someone)---------

Would be a front six worth trying when Holden gets healthy. With the 3 AMs switching around a bit.

Not sure we have anyone more "powerful" but we shouldn't try to shoot from 25 yards out

The adjustments were quite good

Landon's calling out the ref...haha

The team looked different...better.

It was night and day once Juan and Brek came on. As I said, I hope this is the end of Edson Buddle. I don't see any reason he should be out there in an international competition. I haven't seen anything from him ever.

New blood. Not sure how much was due to the Mexico pulling their guys off. I must say, I think Mexico has a really good team. The last several times I've seen them I've just been impressed overall.

They have to play Agudalo...plain and simple. The team has a different energy level when he is in. The finishing and understanding will come with experience. I would play him up top with Jozy or Dempsey and create some havoc up top with Donovan and Bradley behind them. Put the Shea kid on one wing and someone else on the other.

I think Klinsman is going to have to make what will be an unpopular decision for many and cut ties with some of these guys who have clung around on "experinece" and get some of these young guys in. The Shea kid played very well.

Buddle will also be 33 by the time Brazil 2014 rolls around. Let's play the guys that will be in their primes then.

edit: And while unlike Buddle, Bocanegra and Cherundolo are both still the best options in their positions, will that still be the case when both of them are 35 in 2014?

I want to see LA's Gonzalez get some looks at centerback in addition to Ream. And we all hope Chandler can be the guy at right back but we need to give these guys some games.

+Buddle sucks. Let's be honest.

They called Chandler in, and he was ready to roll, but his club team held him out under alleged fitness concerns. He then went 90 in their season opener on Sunday. Alas, they said that he'd be there for the Costa Rica and Belgium friendlies.

Not a fan of Buddle on the US team really, but the struggles in the first half were not because of him

Totally agree. But he is still not a national team-level player and it certainly didn't help having him on the field.

It's pretty obvious left back is still a major problem. And that you really need Stuart Holden (or maybe Torez or Adu?) as the advanced midfielder.

Maybe we should just tell whoever starts at left back next game that they're the right back, but they're just looking at the field wrong.

Also,

La Liga is La postponed due to striking.

La Liga set for delayed start as Spanish players' union calls strike | Football | guardian.co.uk

Freddy Adu is off to the Philadelphia Union. Hopefully he can finally get playing time at a position he's comfortable in.

FSC just showed a Liverpool fan wearing a Red Sox cap and a 49ers jacket at Anfield. What in the shit is that?

I think that's called "being a frontrunner", but that's only a guess.

edit to add: Likely a fairly old frontrunner but still.

Dortmund lose to Hoffenheim on this free kick.

Love Sagna's dive for Arsenal earlier. He was barely knicked, then about 2 seconds later went down like he had a baseball bat to the knee. And the referee gave him a free kick. Nice to see Arsenal starting the season off like normal.

Joey Barton needs to get the fuck out of the Premier League.

Having watched the games today, I'm going for Man Utd, Chelsea, Man City and Spurs for the top four this season.

I guess we all missed this somehow, being too busy suffering from depression in the first half and overcome with excited optimism and ref rage in the second half.

Ridiculous phrasing though.

Of course, Arsenal dive more than every other team in the EPL, right? If you want, we can watch every game from last year and we'll tally the Arsenal dives, the BS calls against other teams in favor of Arsenal and the BS calls in favor of other teams. I can promise you that Arsenal had more BS calls against than in favor.

Today was a joke from all sides. Song should get a 2 or 3 match ban for his ridiculous stamp. For the second straight year, Joey Barton should have seen red and didn't. Last year he ended up scoring two goals in the comeback, this year he ended any chance of Arsenal getting the away win with his antics. He's a scumbag who has no place in professional soccer. Him and Shawcross should throw themselves off a building and do the world a favor.

This season is going to suck for all sorts of reasons, but at least it's good to see the EPL refs are still spectacularly terrible.

Fabregas to Barca. Wow. This one came out of nowhere!

I love Cesc, but this was long overdue. I hope Nasri isn't far behind him. The guy has one half of a good year in an Arsenal shirt and suddenly everyone thinks he's a superstar. While it would be nice to see Arsene actually use the money from these players to replace them, I'd just as soon cheer for a garbage Arsenal team with players who want to be there than an above average squad of guys who don't.

Between Cesc, Nasri, Bendtner, and Eboue Arsenal should have well over 60 million dollars to reinvest. I'd be thrilled if we could get Mersacker, Parker and another decent striker to cover for Robin. . . but I know Arsene will say the squad he has not is perfect. Ugh.

What kills me is seeing Rosicky still starting EPL games. For the love of God, he needs to be shipped.

Rosicky should have long ago realized that Premier League soccer isn´t for him, i think he would have had a much better career playing in Spain or Italy. Of course the injuries didn´t help.
The guy was brilliant as a youngster ...

Kun looks good

So is Barca gonna run a 1-7-2 formation? How are they gonna get all those midfielders enough playing time?

Oh dear. Kun Aguero is going to rip shit up!

In his defense while I'm not going to comment on his private life or him as a person I DO rate Joey Barton as a footballer quite highly.

He's an incredibly emotive player, but one who always gives 110% for his side and is actually a fairly skillful player which is often overlooked because of his petulant side (when he was younger) and ability to wind up other players (now he's a bit older).

In some ways he reminds me a lot of Robbie Savage, another work horse who was lambasted continually - but only ever by supporters from teams he wasn't playing for (ie. they're the type of players who you value IF they play for you and hate otherwise).

PS - Also do bear in mind he had done any of the acts committed against him during that match the media would be all over him asking for ludicrous suspensions; however because of his reputation he's coming out as the bad guy in this ... I do agree he went down 'hard' considering, but that doesn't excuse the opposing player or indeed the prior 'stamp' on Barton.
PPS - My favourite memory of Barton is him getting sent off during a Man City vs Spurs FA Cup match when he was younger, the referee had blown for half time and was trying to walk off the pitch, but Barton wasn't letting him go because he had a grievance with him over something ... eventually the referee sent Barton off, despite the fact that the half was over and everyone else was headed for the dressing rooms (City were 3-0 down at this point and in a totally bizarre match ended up winning 4-3).

I sincerely hope that was sarcasm - that transfer has possibly been the worst kept on-going saga in football during recent months ...

It was sarcasm - even us footie fans over here in the US have known all about it.

I don't think anyone doubts his ability as a footballer. However, it's the rest of the shit that you described which is the issue. For someone with a bad rep, he gets away with a lot imo.

Song deserves a three game suspension for the stamp. Gervinho deserves 1 to 3 games for the slap. Both of them will get what they deserve.

Barton? He deserves at least three games too. Of course, he won't get them? Why? Because for the second straight year in this fixture, he saw yellow instead of a deserved red. So nothing will happen to him. The refs who hate him so much allowed the bastard to stay on the field two straight years when he should have been sent off.

So Arsenal get screwed (as they should for letting this piece of human excrement get under their skin) Barton won't miss a game.

By the way, I'll pray to ANY God that will ensure he doesn't ever wear a jersey for one of my favorite teams. I've reluctantly cheered for dirtbags before (Bill Romanowski in American football is one example) I'm sure I'll reluctantly do it again. But I'd throw up if I had to cheer for this guy.

Why does barton deserve a three game suspension? Do I like him or what he did? No...but i saw nothing deserving of a suspension based off comparable events around the league

You need to take a look at the Derby County forums. They've done plenty of lambasting of Savage. :)

Look, you go grab a guy with both hands and drag him up starting off a potential brawl? Then you act like you've been shot in the head to instigate the brawl further? That a red for violent conduct. He wasn't "hugging" Gervinho. He dragged him up with the sole intent to start a fight.

The fact Gervinho acted like an idiot and didn't get away doesn't change the fact that Barton started this entire situation by charging after him and dragging him up. He was actually far roughter on Gervinho than Gervinho was with the school girl slap.

He deserved red and he deserved to have time off from the EPL. Period.

That's because they know he's Leicester at heart :)

I can't stop laughing at this for some reason.

More Mick McCarthy!

Months? :lol:
Don't you mean the last couple of years?

Why Gervinho Wasn't A Violent Man | Referee 365

One ref's view

Ridiculous foul against Fabregas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYRb4jgD60w

Congratulations to Cesc Fabregas for winning as many trophies in 10 minutes at Barcelona as he did in the last 6 years at Arsenal.

Nasri in tomorrow. Him and Dave Silva should compliment each other greatly. Silva has the vision and passing. Nasri is a better dribbler and finisher.

Oops.