World Cup 2010 Blog: “USA vs Poland Preview: A One on One Interview with Michael Bradley” plus 2 more

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• USA vs Poland Preview: A One on One Interview with Michael Bradley
• France Turns To Alternative Medicine
• Japan Beat Argentina, Now Unofficial World Champions.

USA vs Poland Preview: A One on One Interview with Michael Bradley Posted: 08 Oct 2010 05:13 PM PDT I had the chance to sit down for a brief chat with US National Team midfielder Michael Bradley ahead of Saturday’s friendly at Soldier Field in Chicago. To hear Michael’s answers and comments on different topics, simply click play on the audio box below each question. How does it feel to be back in the States and back with the team? Is it more difficult for experienced players to “get up” for friendlies in a post World-Cup cycle as compared to younger players who may be getting their first opportunity? What have your observations been on how well Jermaine Jones has been able to integrate himself into the team this week? What are your thoughts on this strange start to the Bundesliga season and what Borussia Mönchengladbach can do to improve? Finally, what do you expect to see from Poland on Saturday? Our on-site coverage of the US-Poland friendly in Chicago will continue with reporting from the stadium on Saturday. As always, you can see more interviews with US soccer players at USsoccer.com

France Turns To Alternative Medicine Posted: 08 Oct 2010 09:40 AM PDT Leading the charge against France over the past few months has been France. It’s been an internal housecleaning of many varieties, and no fingers have done more pointing than those directed inward. Hasn’t worked. Not, at least, as quickly as they would’ve liked. So Laurent Blanc and those surrounding the team have taken to alternative methods to get France back in working order. Psychological profiling: France is turning to psychological profiling and has hired someone coach Laurent Blanc believes will give him a greater understanding of his players. “Someone who can help us go a bit further into the human that’s behind the player,” Blanc said Thursday. “To have some more information about the personality of each player.” A fair concept, but one which is doomed to fail once Franck Ribery returns from suspension. Does anyone really want to know what makes this man tick? Financial incentives: France’s 12 sponsors will base their contributions over the next four years on results and behaviour following the team’s embarrassing World Cup campaign. A 10 to 15 percent bonus could be awarded to the French Football Federation (FFF) if results and behaviour are deemed good enough. However, if they are not there may be a 10 to 15 percent reduction in contributions. “There will be bonuses and penalties based on results and image,” FFF vice-president Noel Le Graet told reporters on Thursday ahead of the Euro 2012 qualifier against Romania in Paris on Saturday. Start removing bills from someone’s wallet and watch them shape up real quick, so this has potential. However, unless that 10-15% trickles down to the players, the potential for issues still lingers. All in all good ideas, but only time will tell whether or not they prove successful. If not, Laurent will delve further into the atypical searching for a path to the straight and narrow, where he’ll probably (hopefully) stop short of trying out baseball’s slump buster. (Would not be safe to tweet that to Benzema.)

Japan Beat Argentina, Now Unofficial World Champions. Posted: 08 Oct 2010 07:51 AM PDT To the rest of the world it may have been just a friendly, and Argentina will surely play it off as such, but to Japan and the people at the Unofficial Football World Championships, there’s substantially more meaning: they’re now World Champions. Unofficially, of course, but that won’t matter – not when the last three hands to grasp the chalice have read the Netherlands, Spain and Argentina. Shinji Okazaki got the goal which beat an Argentine lineup that most would consider full strength. Would anyone be full strength after flying from Europe and South America all the way to far side of Asia? Probably not, but it’s no matter – Japan are still (kinda sorta not really) World Champions. Somewhere, Takeshi Okada is smiling.

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World Cup 2010 Blog: Euro 2012 Qualifying Matchday Preview

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Euro 2012 Qualifying Matchday Preview Posted: 07 Oct 2010 05:18 PM PDT For the second time in a little over a month, we’re enticed with Euro 2012 qualifying before heading into hibernation until late March, so enjoy it while you can. The bulk on the games will be played on Friday, with a couple stragglers on Saturday so as not to keep your weekends international free. UEFA’s all about the people. Fixtures Kazakhstan v Belgium Austria v Azerbaijan Germany v Turkey Armenia v Slovakia Andorra v Macedonia Ireland v Russia Serbia v Estonia Northern Ireland v Italy Slovenia v Faroe Islands Luxembourg v Belarus Albania v Bosnia and Herzegovina France v Romania (Sat.) Hungary v San Marino Moldova v Netherlands Georgia v Malta Greece v Latvia Israel v Croatia (Sat.) Wales v Bulgaria Montenegro v Switzerland Cyprus v Norway Portugal v Denmark Czech Republic v Scotland Spain v Lithuania Groups/Games to Watch Group A Kazakhstan v Belgium Austria v Azerbaijan Germany v Turkey Game to Watch: Germany v Turkey Group A has intrigue and potential for fireworks, with Austria, Turkey and Belgium all plausible for that second spot behind Jogi & Co, and that makes this game important from a football perspective. However, this one has a greater cultural significance, with Germany’s young revolutionaries having a multicultural tinge. Only one player of Turkish lines made the squad, but it’s the man spearheading the new-look Germany, Mesut Özil. And with the players only a very small percentage of the population, you can rest assured the Turkish fans of both teams will be waging battle – some internally. Group B Armenia v Slovakia Andorra v Macedonia Ireland v Russia Game to Watch: Ireland v Russia There are a number of similarities between this game and CR v Scotland (below): an English-speaking country looking to widen the gap at the top against a struggling once Eastern power. However, one slight different in Group B: no Spain. Slovakia is obviously a footballing nation on the rise, but Ireland could crack out a massive 9 points in 3 games, while Russia is struggling to find that swagger, entering the room with humility, it had in Euro 2008. Breaking away is a distinct possibility. Group C Serbia v Estonia Northern Ireland v Italy Slovenia v Faroe Islands Group D Luxembourg v Belarus Albania v Bosnia and Herzegovina France v Romania (Sat.) Game to Watch: France v Romania One of these days both sides will enter a competition and only be able to wave to each other from afar: Euro 2008, World Cup qualifying, and now Euro 2010 qualifying. But maybe the downfall of both teams could be traced back to Euro 2008, when both teams failed to make it through the groups. Since, neither team has had what might be called their finest run – or an even remotely decent run. France might blame Domenech, and Romania might blame…well, I’m not really sure…but maybe this is just football’s version of a toxic relationship, destroying all it touches. As the Saturday game of note – one of two with Israel v Croatia – the world will be watching, waiting for the meltdown with curious eyes, just like a toxic relationship of the romantic variety. Group E Hungary v San Marino Moldova v Netherlands Group F Georgia v Malta Greece v Latvia Israel v Croatia (Sat.) Group G Wales v Bulgaria Montenegro v Switzerland Game to Watch: Montenegro v Switzerland Quietly, ever so quietly, Montenegro is becoming a Cinderella of European football. Still in its infancy, it’s been rocketing up the FIFA rankings table while netting two wins in two thus far in 2012 qualifying. A third win, against a solid team no less, could vault them up several notches in the eyes of the football world. Switzerland, meanwhile, will be trying to reclaim the momentum from their stunning upset of Spain this summer. Or perhaps they’ll just take any momentum whatsoever – small group, smaller window with which to get in line. Group H Cyprus v Norway Portugal v Denmark Game to Watch: Portugal v Denmark The last time these two danced in Portugal, it produced arguably the ten best minutes of football during World Cup 2010 qualifying. The added subplot is that Portugal will be featuring their new coach, Paulo Bento, having taken over for Carlos Queiroz just a couple weeks ago, thereby making his debut with the demons of Lisbon hanging over his team. Luckily this one’s at the Dragao in Porto. Group I Czech Republic v Scotland Spain v Lithuania Game to Watch: Czech Republic v Scotland Scotland haven’t qualified for a major tournament since 1998 and weren’t really done any favors by being drawn into a group with Defending Everything champions Spain. However, a short group and a blinding start just might sneak them second-place (Spain have been put into first with an erasable pen) and, at the very least, a chance in the playoffs. Their biggest competitor on paper? The Czech Republic. Of course they’ve looked decent only on paper, with everywhere else a minor disaster. On the pitch, off the pitch, in the hotel rooms, out of the hotel rooms, etc. The game is in Prague, which helps, but a Scottish victory could easily make group an early two-horse race.

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World Cup 2010 Blog: US Squad Completes Second Training Session in Chicago

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US Squad Completes Second Training Session in Chicago Posted: 05 Oct 2010 06:31 PM PDT The rumble of freight trains, the rattle of trucks traversing the adjacent Harlem Avenue and the peculiar scent of corn starch (manufactured by the ton nearby) may not be the ideal setting for soccer training. But Chicago did cooperate with unusually spectacular October weather. So it was that with a temperature tipping to the warm side of 70 degrees and a sky devoid of the faintest cloud coverage, the United States men’s national team completed their second full training session on the training pitch at Toyota Park on Tuesday in preparation for Saturday’s match against Poland. Integration Time It’s immediately apparent that it will take some time for Jermaine Jones to integrate himself with his new national team. Jones tended to stay close to fellow Bundesliga players Michael Bradley and Steve Cherundolo during warm-ups and drills. Bradley, who figures to play alongside Jones, seems to be the one tasked with helping Jones along. In a moment of confusion during drills, Bradley held up proceedings and trotted over to Jones, and the two conversed in German until Jones nodded with understanding and play continued. To Jones’ credit, the moments of disconnect with teammates that occurred occasionally throughout the rest of the session didn’t seem to ruffle his feathers. Jermaine Jones: Trying to get off on the right foot. (AP Photo/Charles Cherney) The Beat of a Different Gooch While the US players looked sharp in their red training kits, one player just had to be different. Oguchi Onyewu took the field in a battered pair of gray sweatpants, but it was not immediately known if “Gooch” was paying tribute to Arjen Robben or if the pants are just that comfortable. Down to Business Following possession drills, the meat of the session began with a 9X7 across the full pitch. It was clear that coach Bob Bradley was paying special attention to Jozy Altidore through much of the early portion of this segment. Bradley reminded Altidore to apply pressure to defenders bringing the ball up and had to remind Altidore not to drop too deep as a lone striker. Coach Bradley was not particularly enthused with the energy level early on. About 10 minutes into the 9X7 session he shouted “Don’t just stand next to a guy.” As the team transitioned to an 8X8 segment, play predictably opened up a bit more, but Bradley still found himself stressing the importance of exploiting opportunities as they occur in order to build a rhythm, as several players had been foiled by a moment of indecisiveness up to that point. Something that cropped up during the World Cup was in evidence throughout the session, namely that there was a tendency for the both sides to play rather narrowly. Only as the session progressed did one see more balls going out wide and more runs deep into the corners. Ups and Downs Already a dead ringer for a 14th round Rocky Balboa courtesy of a black eye picked up against West Ham, Clint Dempsey went down for the count after taking the biggest knock of the session in a confrontation at the touchline, inches from the spectators. After a contemplative moment with ankles crossed on the ground, the Fulham man trotted gingerly back into the action and was soon up to speed again. A lot of the players were loosey-goosey, but perhaps no one more than Tim Howard. Finally getting that first EPL win of the season may have brightened his spirits, and he made a fantastic stop of a Michael Bradley laser beam in the 8X8 session. No one found the net in either the 9X7 nor 8X8 segments. In the closing shooting segment though, it was bombs away against both Howard and Brad Guzan and the nets quickly filled. Steve Cherundolo took on the role of Marv Albert, calling out an exaggerated “Yes!” after each success. Notes on the Day With late arrivals Altidore, Maurice Edu, Clarence Goodson and Michael Parkhurst ready to roll, coach Bradley had his full compliment of players available. About 40 die-hard fans, some of whom came from as far as 5 hours away, were allowed access to the practice pitch and watched from just beyond the touchline. According to US Soccer’s Michael Kammarman, it was the first time that the US team has opened a training session to the public. The team will train at Toyota Park in closed sessions on Wednesday and Thursday, before moving to Soldier Field for Friday’s session. Our on-site coverage will continue Thursday when coach Bob Bradley and an as-yet unnamed player hold a press conference.

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