Europe in their futures

If I would have been asked to look at which players in the MLS could potentially have bright futures in Europe before the summer transfer window closed, I would have without hesitation looked to Jozy Altidore and Maurice Edu.

For still being a teenager, Altidore is an imposing presence up front. His combination of size and speed could render him lethal in a few years. He just needs to get some experience first. He could end up being a solid front-man for Villareal. I still believe his physical presence up top may be better suited in the EPL one day compared to La Liga where strikers rely more on pace and finesse.

Edu may not look like the biggest guy on the field, but he’s a tenacious defender in the midfield. His time at Maryland was well spent gaining valuable experience at the collegiate level and quickly making a smooth transition into the MLS. After two years, he’s made his jump to Scotland to join fellow American, DeMarcus Beasley, with Rangers. Edu is a name American soccer fans will be hearing for years to come.

As for players still in the MLS that could potentially be making it in Europe in the near future, the two names that come to mind are a pair of 23-year-olds. I have left Landon Donovan out of this conversation since he has already spent time in Europe on two occasions and was unable to capitalize on the opportunities. Still, I expect to see him back in Europe very soon.

The first MLS player with the potential would be Kenny Cooper of FC Dallas. He’s currently second in the league in scoring with 15 goals in 26 games. At 6’3” 207-pounds, Cooper is a beast roaming around opposing penalty boxes.

After high school, Cooper signed with Manchester United, but never could crack the first-team, spending his days stuck with the reserves. After being loaned out, United quickly terminated the deal due to him not receiving playing time. He soon found himself headed back to Dallas after the English club released him because he wasn’t progressing as they would have liked. In his almost three seasons now with FCD, he’s been a dominant force. During the summer, he was linked with Cardiff City of England and Rosenborg of Norway, but Dallas rejected both offers. Still, it appears as though his time in the MLS is coming to as close. He should be making a move to Europe during the January transfer period.

The other is Sacha Kljestan. He easily has the most potential between the two. Now in his third season with Chivas USA, Kljestan has the pace and ability to play overseas, but what separates him from many is his knowledge of the game and ability to read on the fly. Having the instincts to see what’s coming has made him a valuable commodity. It’s allowed him to be versatile, playing both central midfield and out wide on the wing for the U.S. team in the Beijing Olympics.

At only 23, the scary thing is that he still has the potential to further his awareness. As with Cooper, I expect to see him cross the pond in January. His technique and pace would work well in Spain, but I would almost rather see him take the route of DeMarcus Beasley and Michael Bradley and head to the Dutch league for couple years. That league has a way of developing young talent like few other leagues can claim to do. He’s just yet another piece to the young talented crop of American players who have the future of U.S. soccer looking bright.

USMNT player to watch

As a weekly post, I’ll be taking a look at key players on the U.S. men’s national team. I will be expecting these players to play pivotal roles for the team throughout the World Cup qualification process as well as the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.


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No team can win without being solid in the back. Every team needs someone they can rely on to make up for their mistakes. The most important player on every team is the goalkeeper and the U.S. has a solid one in Tim Howard.

He’s got all the attributes. At 6-foot-3-inches, he’s an agile big man that has the intelligence and reflexes to match. He is quickly becoming the next great U.S. keeper. He could already be the best that our country has ever seen and he has yet to debut on the world’s biggest stage.

He began his professional career in the MLS with the New York/New Jersey Metrostars in 1998. Throughout his years in the MLS he’s split time with NY/NJ and the U.S. youth national teams. In 2000, he was a member of the U-23 team that finished fourth at the Olympic Games in Sydney. The following year, he became the youngest player in MLS history to win the Goalkeeper of the Year Award.

After back-to-back successful campaigns in 2001 and 2002, Howard made to this day one of the biggest transfers in MLS history. The move sent him English giant Manchester United, where he quickly became the team’s number one keeper.

After a tremendous 2003-2004 season, Howard was voted EPL Goalkeeper of the Year, becoming the second straight U.S. keeper to be awarded with the honor. After an up-and-down second season, where he saw his time being split, Howard was offered a contract extension, which he accepted, later learning that team was not looking at keeping him as their top choice.

United signed Dutch international, Edwin van der Sar, arguably one of the game’s top keepers at time. The move enraged Howard who is typically not an outspoken individual. In May of 2006, Man U agreed to loan their unhappy backup to Everton. Howard was the replacement they were looking for after the retirement of Nigel Martyn. He has been a mainstay in goal for the Merseyside club since the move, making his stay permanent in 2007 after the two sides agreed on a transfer.

After splitting starting time as the national team’s keeper in 2007, Howard has clearly taken over the full-time starting spot for the U.S. in 2008. Despite the progression of Brad Guzan, it is expected that the experience and abilities of Howard will keep him in the top spot through South Africa.

With Howard manning the net and making up for the mistakes of those in front of him, U.S. fans shouldn’t have any worries about that spot. He’s rock solid between the pipes and should come up huge from time to time during the next couple years.

Donovan heading to Germany…again?

If at first you don’t succeed, try try again. And if you don’t succeed the second time around, why not give it another shot. That’s what U.S. international and Los Angeles Galaxy star Landon Donovan is considering. The 26-year-old has done all that an MLS player can do, winning both MLS cups and MVPs. He is arguably the best player that the U.S. has ever produced, but he has yet to prove his worth in Europe. He has made it apparent that he wishes to give it another shot in Europe, but he was reportedly considering England or Spain.

In comes German giant Bayern Munich.

He’s twice floundered for Bayern Leverkusen, so I’m unsure why he would try it again in the Budesliga. As big as Munich is, why is it that Donovan would really want to go there? He does know the Munich boss, Juergen Klismann, well after he lived for a number of years in Southern California. Also, one of Klismann’s top assistants, Martin Vasquez, was an assistant for the Galaxy in 2004.

The drawbacks though far outweigh a little comfort with the coaching staff. Bayern Munich is one of the bigger clubs in the world and has an abundance of attacking talent. Their roster already boasts Miroslav Klose, Luca Toni, Ze Roberto, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Franck Ribery. I don’t see Donovan starting over any of them so where will he play and how much time would he actually spend on the pitch compared to being parked on the bench.

As talented as Donovan can be, I just don’t see his game fitting well in Germany, or England for that matter where players have to be more technical and physical. Without a doubt though, he needs to leave the MLS and head to Europe to challenge himself. His best destination would be to make a move to Spain where the game is more free-flowing and feeds off creativity and pure athleticism. Maybe playing there would also help him re-learn how to be creative and he can in turn bring that back to the national team where the team will be relying on his leadership once again in 2010.

WPS eyes Brazilian talent

During the WPS international draft yesterday, teams were able to select international players to gain the right to negotiate with them. The creativity of the Brazilian national team must be something that the new league is looking for. Of the 28 players selected, 10 were Brazilian, with four going in the first round and three in the second round. The biggest issue for the league now is team’s being able to sign their international players. With some players still under contract, team’s will need to negotiate transfers and prices could be too steep for the start-up league, but things are looking up if the majority of the talented crop do sign. Let’s hope some international flavor can put fans in the seats.

Team-by-team breakdown

Bay Area: Formiga (Brazil), Christine Sinclair (Canada), Eriko Arakawa (Japan), Erika (Brazil)

Boston Breakers: Kelly Smith (England), Fabiana (Brazil), Maycon (Brazil), Shinobu Ohno (Japan)

Los Angeles: Marta (Brazil), Aya Miyama (Japan), Han Duan (China), Margret Lara Vidarsdottir (Iceland)

St. Louis: Daniela (Brazil), Renata Costa (Brazil), Lotta Schelin (Sweden), Melissa Tancredi (Canada)

Chicago Red Stars: Christiane (Brazil), Heather Garriock (Australia), Karen Carney (England), Caroline Jonsson (Sweden)

Washington Feedom: Homare Sawa (Japan), Sonia Bompastor (France),
Lisa De Vanna (Australia), Louisa Nécib (France)

Sky Blue FC: Sarah Walsh (Australia), Rosana (Brazil), Ester (Brazil), Kelly Parker (Canada)

Biggest surprise(s):

It’s a toss-up between Marta going third and the Boston Breakers taking Kelly Smith and Fabiana of which is most surprising. Although Marta is arguably the best and most entertaining player in the world, it is rumored that she is looking for $400,000 and LA was the first team in the draft that has the available cash to pony up to sign her. As far as Boston, I’m not understanding what they are trying to do. They just took Lilly and Hucles last week, now they add a Brazilain striker and an English striker. Fabiana and Smith are exteremely talented so it’s hard to fathom why the team needs four strikers at this point. I guess DiCicco is expecting that he can he can keep the ball up front at all times during their games and pray that they can outscore their opponents.

Another Adu?

The similarities are there. Growing up in Africa and moving to the U.S. and gaining citizenship. An attacking midfielder with pace and the on-ball skills to match. Competing with the U-17 team against international competition and dominating. He’s been on the U.S. soccer radar for a couple of years, and now he’s just getting some real exposure thanks to Europe. Oh, did I mention he’s just 14-years-old. That’s the same age as Freddy Adu when he blew up.

Not to mention, Adu is his idol.

Charles Renken is that man. I mean boy. It’s about time for him to blow up, but the question is can he handle the exposure? The “future star,” who grew up playing barefoot in Zambia with soccer balls made out of plastic bags, has recently been getting looks from Europe, the latest of which has linked him to European power Arsenal. Ironically, it’s an Arsenal DVD which he’ll study for hours.

He’s quickly moved up the U.S. youth soccer ladder and last December is when he began making a name for himself. He made his mark on the Nike Friendlies, helping the U.S. to wins against Brazil and Russia just weeks before turning 14. There’s chatter that he could have already been in Europe developing if it weren’t for an ACL tear eight months ago. Now back and healthy, the chatter is back about this kid.

He may very well be extremely talented and a tireless worker rather than just relying on his raw talent, like his idol has tried to do in the past, but I’m still praying that this exposure will not go to his head. He appears to be level headed, but you never know when it comes to teenagers and fame. Adu has been getting caps with the national team, but his progress was greatly hindered in the past because of too much exposure. Is Freddy mania about to happen all over again? For the sake of U.S. soccer’s future, I sure hope not. Keep this kid’s exposure to a minimum and let him develop like rest of players. Let’s just hope coaches in the U.S. don’t take the creativity out of him before he heads to Europe.

Here's the first major article to be written about Renken:
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=571292&sec=us&root=us&&cc=5901

WPS allocates U.S. WNT players

On September 16, 2008, Women’s Professional Soccer took its first step to assembling teams’ rosters for the 2009 season, set to begin in April. Each of the seven teams was allocated three players from the U.S. National Team player pool. Prior to the allocation, players and teams submitted their preferences, but the decisions were ultimately up to the league as to who went where. Next week, the league will have an international draft of the top players. The order of this draft will be determined by rankings from who is the weakest to who is the strongest team thus far. During this week, teams will gain the rights to negotiate with up to four international players.

Here is a breakdown of the allocation and an evaluation of teams’ current status:

Bay Area
Nicole Barnhart - GK
Rachel Buehler - D
Leslie Osborne - M

Breakdown: Obviously, the team wanted to go defensive and bring local stars back to the area. The team though lacks national team experience. Barnhart was a solid keeper at Stanford (’05), but only has 10 caps with the team, while backing up Hope Solo. Buehler was a defensive specialist for Stanford (’07), but a loaded U.S. backline has left her on the sidelines. Osborne, a graduate of Santa Clara, will be the face of the team. Possibly expecting to land in Chicago, the Wisconsin native returns to the Bay Area looking to pick up where she left off prior to tearing her ACL leading up to the Olympics. She will be a steady player in the center of the midfield as she has quickly been making a name for herself on the national team in recent years.

Outlook: While they’re all young and aside from Osborne inexperienced at the highest level, the sky could be the limit for this trio in the future.

Boston Breakers
Angela Hucles - F
Kristine Lilly - F
Heather Mitts - D

Breakdown: I’m a little puzzled by these picks. They have firepower up top with Lilly and Lloyd and a solid right back with Mitts, but how long with these three be with this team. Mitts’ desire to play in Philadelphia is no secret and will most likely bolt in 2010 when their franchise begins play. Lilly was in the group with Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy so she will most likely won’t be around very long. All three bring a tremendous amount of experience which will be a huge benefit to the organization.

Outlook: A solid group of veterans will lead this team to good first season, but after that, their future will be up in the air.

Chicago Red Stars
Carli Lloyd - M
Kate Markgraf - D
Lindsay Tarpley - F

Breakdown: Chicago went for a little of everything. All three have been staples of the U.S. team for awhile and have played quite well for them. There’s a reason they’ve been in the mix if not starting for some time. They are all very solid players at their positions. This team really got everything a team could ask for with this trio.

Outlook: Led by that trio, this team could be the team looking for a league title at the end of the inaugural season.

Los Angeles
Shannon Box - M
Stephanie Cox - D
Aly Wagner - M

Breakdown: For being a major market, the allocations are a bit questionable unless the team is hoping to nab one of the top international players, preferably a striker. One main reason these three could have ended up here is that they are all California natives. Wagner hasn’t seen much action as of late so it will be interesting to see how she performs. Box is typically solid, but does have her moments and Cox is a solid defender, but has shown signs of inexperience in the past.

Outlook: Unless they bring in some international offense, it could be a long first season.

Sky Blue FC
Natasha Kai - F
Heather O’Reilly -F
Christie Rampone - D

Breakdown: Like Chicago, a very good allocation. Rampone will be a staple on the backline and her experience will do wonders as she returns home to New Jersey. O’Reilly also returns to her home state and will pair nicely with Kai. They could potentially be the most lethal tandem up front if the team brings in the midfield players to support them.

Outlook: They should be at the top with Chicago when it’s all said and done at the end of the season.

St. Louis
Lori Chalupny - M
Tina Ellertson - D
Hope Solo - GK

Breakdown: St. Louis must be feeling comfortable with the world’s top keeper. Paired with the home town girl Chalupny, these two made their allocation. Chalupny has turned into one the most versitle and consistent players on the national team. Ellertson is a wild-card. She’s typically solid, but at times can get a bit risky in the back.

Outlook: This team could potentially be a good team, but other parts need to be filled in to know. If Solo continues progressing, it could be very difficult to score on this team.

Washington Freedom
Ali Krieger - M
Abby Wambach - F
Cat Whitehill - D

Breakdown: Wambach and Whitehill were great pick-ups, if the two can return to form after injuries kept them out of the Olympics. This team will need them to do just that and bring their experience and leadership with them. Krieger is a bit of an unknown, only registering two caps with the national team.

Outlook: High risk, but without the high reward. The talent is there, but there are just too many question marks at the moment.



I will follow up next week after the international draft commences.

*All outlooks are subject to change with the influx of foreign talent.

Top 10 Most Memorable Moments in the last 10 years

10. Music City Miracle - Janary 8, 2000
Not since Cal/Stanford has a kickoff return for a touchdown created so much buzz.

9. U.S. wins women’s World Cup in the U.S. - July 10, 1999
Women’s sports became relevant as over 90,000 fans packed the Rose Bowl to see the U.S. win 5-4 in penalty kicks and Brandi Chastain shocked the world by ripping off her jersey in celebration.

8. Shocker in the Big House - September 1, 2007
Michigan loses to Appalachian St. 34-32, making them the first ranked team in the Football Bowl Subdivision (formally I-A) to lose to a team from the Football Championship Subdivision (formally I-AA).

7. Steve Bartman - October 4, 2003
Five outs away from the World Series, he single handedly cost the Chicago Cubs a berth in the World Series and ruined Mark Prior’s promising career.

6. The Palace brawl - November 19, 2004
Ron Artest goes down in infamy for attacking a fan who (he thought) threw a plastic cup at him.

5. Statue Left - January 1, 2007
Boise St. upsets Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl 43-42 on a variation of the Statue of Liberty to score a game-winning two-point conversion in the first overtime.

4. 18-1 - February 3, 2008
Giants upset undefeated Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII and David Tyree makes the NFL's version of “The Catch”

3. In-Vinceible - January 4, 2004
Vince Young lights up USC and scores on an 8-yard scamper on 4th down with 19 seconds left to knock off the Trojans 41-38 for the national championship.

2. Phelps wins 8 golds - August 2008
Michael Phelps goes 8 for 8 in the Bejing games, overtaking Mark Spitz for the most gold medals in a single Olympic games.

1. Tiger Woods wins the U.S. Open - June 2008
On one leg, Woods defeats Rocco Mediate on the first hole of sudden death in an 18-hole playoff.

U.S. continues winning ways

Wednesday night, the U.S. earned another three points and opened up a five point lead in the group with three matches to go after a 3-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill.

Controlling the game from whistle, the U.S. imposed their will early on against a sub-par T&T team without their best scoring threat in Dwight Yorke. They opted to go defensive in hopes of stifling the U.S. attack, but Michael Bradley’s right-footed flick into the back of the net opened up the scoring in the 10th minute. Clint Dempsey linked up nicely with DaMarcus Beasley on a 1-2 that Dempsey buried easily in the low left corner. It was Dempsey’s fourth goal in as many games during World Cup qualification.

After looking flat in the first half, and dealing with one wave after another, T&T came out with visibly more energy in the second half. In the 57th minute though, Brian Ching put the game all but out of reach with a rebound off the T&T keeper that he put away to give the U.S. a 3-0 lead. After that point, the game considerably lost its pace as the U.S. was content to just keep the game where it was at.

Even with it being the U.S.’s best game scoring wise, the second half left questions lingering. Can they actually play hard for a full 90 minutes? Can they really play like they did and beat a team like Mexico? The only game they have played even close to a full 90 was in the 1-0 win in Guatemala, where the home side was backed by a raucous crowd that was hostile beyond the final whistle.

A look back at the first half of the semifinal round

The Good: The U.S. defense.
They haven’t allowed a goal yet in qualification, dating back to two quarterfinal matches against Barbados. Including a 0-0 draw in a friendly against Argentina on June 8, they have recorded six straight shutouts, a new U.S. record.

The Bad: Lackadaisical play.
The team just has not played up to its potential for reasons unknown. The game against Cuba was a bore at best and they just didn’t finish off the T&T game. It would have been a good opportunity to show how superior they were, but it didn’t happen.

The Outlook: Bradley needs to call up Jozy Altidore and Freddy Adu.
With qualification to the final round all but assured, Bob Bradley needs to bring in his young talents and give them significant playing time. I mentioned this after the Cuba game, and I’ll be saying it after every game until it happens. Bradley is playing for the now rather than for South Africa in 2010. Sven-Goran Eriksson, Mexico’s manager, has already brought up rising stars Giovanni dos Santos and Carlos Vela to his national team to give them valuable preparation time before the World Cup in two years. Bradley needs to do the same or else he is simply just holding U.S. soccer back and that’s the last thing this country needs. Claiming that he let them stay in Europe to get acclimated with their new clubs was nothing but a cop-out.


(Photo by Brian Kersey/Getty Images)

Ronaldinho: Another Brazilian star on the decline?

He’s one of the best in a long line of Brazilian stars. One of the most exciting players of this decade. His highlight reels are absurd. But the things he is most known for is his child-like presence on the pitch and one of the most contagious smiles that the world has ever seen.

The problem: What have you done lately Ronaldinho? Where have you gone?

Ronaldinho Gaúcho made a name for himself long before he donned the jersey of one of Europe’s elite clubs. His skills blossomed at an early age in Brazil, where at the age of 13 he once scored 23 goals in a 23-0 win over another local team. He is one of few Brazilians to compete at every international age level. He was an instrumental part of Brazil’s attack in his first World Cup in 2002 as the yellow and blue hoisted the trophy after dispatching Germany 2-0 in the final.

The following year, after Paris Saint-Germain FC failed to qualify for any European competition, the Brazilian demanded a transfer and eventually got his way, heading to FC Barcelona where he became the face of the team and soon enough, arguably the most popular player in the world.

With back-to-back FIFA Player of the Year awards in 2004 and 2005, and leading Barça to a Champions League title in the 2004-2005 season, fans knew what to expect. Trickery that left defenders awestruck and in disbelief; brilliant goals, and most of all, wins. He was expected to lead the “magic quartet” of Adriano, Kaká, and Robinho to another World Cup title in 2006, but he was virtually non-existent as Brazil was knocked out of the competition by France. The quartet only managed three goals in five games.

Upon his return to Brazil, a statue of him in Chapecó was vandalized as he took the brunt of the criticism for the Brazil’s abysmal effort in Germany. Later that year he finished third in the FIFA Player of the Year award voting. It would’ve been a good showing for most, but not a guy who just won the last two going away. He finished with a stellar campaign in 2006-2007, just trying to put the World Cup disaster behind him.

An injury plagued 2007-2008, where he only saw action in 26 matches, capped off with a muscle tear in his right leg on April 3 has left fans wondering where Ronaldinho is at in his career. On May 19, he wanted to find a “new challenge” to revive what appeared to be his fading career. During the summer he joined AC Milan despite interest from Manchester City. It may turn out to be a wise decision as the physicality of the English game could have worn him down much more quickly.

Wanting to see how fit Ronaldinho was (his biggest question mark), Milan happily agreed to let him play for his country in the Beijing Olympics as he had expressed his desire for Olympic gold even before the move to Italy. At times he looked like his old-self, while at others he looked like the Ronaldinho of the past year where he would’ve been better off on the bench. The flashes showed Milan that he still has it in him to do great things, but his fitness is still lacking. Less than five months removed from the muscle tear in his leg could have resulted in that, but questions about his off-field antics are still floating around. Rumors about late nights at the club fueled speculation about his dwindling fitness.

If there is any truth to this, here’s a tip: train, train, and train some more and for the sake of your career STOP hitting the clubs. Fans follow the great athletes, not those who still have it but refuse to use it and let themselves go. He may have been the world’s most popular player, but things change and his former teammate and international rival Lionel Messi has not only caught him, but has surpassed him as the better draw.

So Ronaldinho, step it up before you end up like the overweight Brazilian striker that tried to save his career with the same club you are. You’re already 28 so use what you have left before it’s gone and you end up finishing your career like him.

U.S. survives Cuban conditions

In a game that appeared on paper like it should be a rout for the U.S., the No. 28 ranked team in the world escaped Havana and the N. 92 ranked Cuban team with a 1-0 win in their World Cup qualifier Saturday night. Rather than being somewhat embarrassed by the score, the U.S. should be thankful for surviving the horrendous conditions and coming out with three points, two up on Trinidad and Tobago after they tied Guatemala 1-1.

Although it appeared that the U.S. could have waltzed into their qualifier with an inferior opponent and come out with an easy win, but the tenuous relationship with Cuba made the game highly anticipated and Cuba was primed to pull off an upset. The team has not traveled to Cuba for a game since 1947 and a travel embargo left the majority of U.S. fans unable to see the match live. Though a few did make it in, they had to obscure their faces in fear of being recognized by U.S. government officials.

Qualification in CONCACAF can typically be difficult on the away sides as crowds are quite hostile, the Cuban fans could not wreak as much havoc on the game as the weather and facility conditions could. A thunderstorm prior to kick-off left the field looking like yet another hurricane just rolled through and the stadium’s lighting was sub-par at best, leaving the game to be played in dark conditions. The game was momentarily delayed in the in 86th after the stadium went black. Once light partially returned, the U.S. hung on in the final minutes, thanks to a tremendous diving stop to his right by Tim Howard.

The darkened, rain-soaked, and gusty conditions could not stop an experienced U.S. squad on this night as they controlled the majority of the game after scoring their lone goal on a 12-yard rip from Clint Dempsy in the 40th minute.

They may have escaped this test, but the U.S. better look to sure some things up before returning home to take on Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday in Bridgeview, Ill. Head Coach Bob Bradley may be best advised to bring back all of his younger players from Europe (Jozy Altidore and Freddy Adu were left off the roster) for the second half the semifinal round, which begins on October 11. Letting them stay to get acquainted with their new clubs is one thing, but when you’re trying to qualify for the 2010 World Cup, nothing should be left up to chance. The players need to gain valuable national team experience before South Africa and these stages are the perfect time.

As for Cuba, the U.S. will face them again on October 11 at RFK Stadium. It’s suspected that a number of their players could use this opportunity to defect from their homeland in search of professional careers. In March, seven members of the U-23 Cuban national team disappeared from the team while competing in Florida.

Reality Check: Your football is not real football

Football to the majority of the world means football. To those in this country and our neighbors to the north, we are forced to refer to football as soccer. If we dare use the term football to mean a game played mainly with one’s feet, most will be utterly confused and others will possibly become irate.

American football as the world knows it is the game where the ball spends more time in a player’s hands than it does on the ground being played with the feet. Americans who love the original football more than the American game called football can thank the ego-driven Walter Camp for stealing the term from the world’s game and forcing those in the States to use the slang term soccer for a sport that was created long before oversized men carrying a pigskin were crashing into one another.

How about next time when you create a sport you come up with a more original name. Make it a name that is actually representative of the sport. Sorry but a football is actually a round thing you kick with your feet so that term was stolen too.

While it’s rather insulting to steal the name football from the world’s game, the most unsettling thing about it is the genuine disgust that most Americans have toward the game. It is as though the name was simply taken for an American-born sport because many in the States could not grasp the game’s intricacies and saw that they would be inferior to the world, and as we all know, the U.S. cannot play second fiddle to anyone.

So instead of trying to play catch up, America took the easy way out and created its own game, stole the name of the world’s most popular sport, and then began to profit from it. During all of this, many in the States despise real football and will criticize it without hesitation. Unfortunately, these people know very little about the game and thus misconceptions are created so I will now give you American football loving, football (soccer for those of you who are still lost) hating people a reality a check.

Complaints about real football or as you prefer, soccer:

1. Why can’t they score more?

While the game may appear very low scoring because there are games where there may only be one or two goals, possibly none, compare it to football. A 28-14 football score is like a 4-2 soccer score. The only reason it looks like there’s not enough scoring is due to six points being given for a touchdown. If they only gave one point for a touchdown, scores in soccer would rival that of football. In soccer there are also typically the same amount of opportunities to score as there are in a football game. In both sports, teams will on average have about a handful of quality scoring chances every game; the worse the match-up, the greater the opportunity for the better team have more chances and blow their opponent out. Yes, winning 3-0 (or by 21 points) is a blow out, and it does happen soccer.

1a. You can tie!

It is possible to tie in football. Take a look back at the history of the game and they were not all that uncommon. Over time, rules committees have implemented ways to create more opportunities to score so that ties wouldn’t happen. Overtime and two-point conversions have appeared to remedy the situation, but is it so bad to have teams tie? It just means that the two teams were evenly matched on the given day. Also, look at the various amounts given for scores. You can receive two, three, six, seven, or eight points depending on how you have scored. In soccer, a goal is a goal, and you will always only receive one point for that. There’s nothing wrong with keeping it simple.

2. Their fans are violent.

Ever seen a drunk, hostile crowd at a football game? It can look eerily similar to the crowd at a European football match. For a good example of how out of control a crowd can get, just look at Philly where they once pelted Santa Claus with snowballs at an Eagles game. Was that really necessary?

3. This game is so slow it’s putting me to sleep.

Soccer is fast. You’re just not in-tune enough with the game to realize it. The ball is moving the majority of the match, it is just not always moving forward. Ever seen a football game where the ball is constantly moving? Of course not. It’s impossible with all of the stoppages that have to occur. Soccer is a game about strategy and knowing how to be patient and pick your spots. If you pay attention, watch for quick passing combinations when teams are most dangerous. When players are linking up in succession down the field, it’s an art form. Build-ups in soccer are far more exciting than what goes on between when a ball is hiked and when it is caught by a receiver.

3a. I have to sit through 45 minutes of this before they stop?

Have we really gotten so lazy that we can’t watch something for 45 minutes straight? I’m positive that you watch roughly the same amount of time in commercials during your football games. Honestly, I’d rather watch 90 solid minutes of action compared to maybe 30 minutes of action with stoppages after every play. If every team decided to go no-huddle maybe it would make games a little more interesting. Then again, I couldn’t see 300-pound linemen running for that long without stopping so that’s one dream that will never come true.

4. Where’s the contact?

Believe it or not, but there’s plenty of contact to go around. When players are crashing into one another, occasionally at full-speed, and wearing very little padding, outcomes can be disastrous. Serious injuries aren’t out of the ordinary. Horrifying scenes do occur. While football has its share of serious injuries, take a look at a game that provides little protection for one’s body. Fractured skulls from heads clashing for balls in the air, shattered kneecaps and ankles, flesh being gashed open by studs, and limbs being snapped like twigs are injuries that can make even the biggest football fans become squeamish. Just because there isn’t repeated contact doesn’t mean there isn’t any.

5. What’s with all of the acting?

Not all players dive. Most play the game the right way, but those who don’t (primarily the Italians) give the game a bad name. It’s something FIFA is trying to get rid of, but it’s a judgment call. Players do it because what’s good for them is good for them, not what’s good for the game. It’s a dirty ploy, but one that does work. And as long as players like Cristiano Ronaldo continue diving and rolling around on the pitch in an attempt to win an Oscar, players will do it. Just get used to it.

There it is. Your reality check about the world’s game. Real football.