Bleacher Report - Articles by Joe G

Sunil Gulati and Charlie Davies Have Lost Their Minds

Joe G — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:46:41 -0400

The qualification cycle for 2010 isn't even officially complete yet, but bold predictions are already being thrown around like confetti.

In the wake of the United States' 3-2 victory over Honduras in San Pedro Sula, both USSF President Sunil Gulati and striker Charlie Davies have come out and said that the US has what it takes to make a run at the World Cup title in South Africa next summer.

It's a nice sentiment, but don't go buy tickets for the final yet, US fans.

US supporters would be positively ecstatic if the Americans were somehow able to take home the World Cup Trophy. I would probably kick off a week-long bender by running around town draped in nothing but an American flag singing The Battle Hymn of the Republic at the top of my lungs while simultaneously shooting off fireworks and pouring a gallon of Sierra Nevada down my throat.

But please folks, let's try and be realistic. A trophy would be the most exciting thing to happen to the US footballing community ever, but if we start to drink the kool-aid like Gulati and Davies, we're setting ourselves up for disappointment.

The US program is better than it has ever been. The 3-2 victory in Honduras was a gritty one, a match that previous squads would likely have failed to win. But they still have a long way to go before it can break through and become a true contender on the world stage. They're a good group of players, but not quite elite.

When you compare the US to an elite team like Spain or Brazil, there's one notable difference—the ability to finish a match. When one of the world's elite gets a lead, they will most likely be able to hold onto that lead and go home with three points.

In recent matches, the US has shown the ability to take the lead, but not always hold it. Against Brazil in the Confederations Cup Final, the US lost a two-goal lead and eventually the match. They took a one-goal lead at the Azteca against Mexico, and ended up losing 2-1.

An elite team would not lose these leads. If you disagree with this assessment, you'll likely point to the victory against Spain as proof that the US can hold a lead and finish a match.

That's a valid point, but you've got to remember that the victory came as a result of a historic defensive effort by the US back line. Spain outshot the US by a wide margin, they just couldn't make their chances count against an inspired US defense.

If you take a look at the final, the defense failed to hold a lead in nearly identical circumstances. Against both Spain and Brazil, the US was up 2-0 and had retreated into a defensive shell. The Spanish weren't able to penetrate the defensive wall, but Brazil was successful.

Both Davies and Gulati mentioned the Spain match specifically, but noticeably shied away from mentioning Brazil.

I don't want to take anything away from the monumental effort exerted by every American player in the victory against Spain. They played fantastically and deserve all the credit. But, the 3-2 loss to Brazil showed that the defense wasn't quite up to the level of the forwards and midfielders. They're still prone to lapses which cost them victories.

The tandem of Jozy Altidore and Charlie Davies, with Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley supporting in midfield, can now score against most countries. Davis and Altidore arguably have the potential to become world-class strikers, with their fantastic blend of speed and strength. The offense is not a weak link in this side.

As good as the offense has been, it's defense that wins championships. You can't expect to win trophies in football if your back line keeps shipping goals to the opposition.

The US needs a few more defenders in the mold of Jonathan Spector and Oguchi Onyewu if they're to make the jump from "good" to "elite." Onyewu and Spector are physical defenders with the athletic ability to bother both the big, powerful strikers and the small, speedy goalscorers.

As defenders continue to develop and go through the US program, we'll see the US National Team begin to pick up wins against the elite national teams with greater frequency. This will be a slow process though, certainly not something that will be achieved in the space of less than a year.

Just a few months ago, DaMarcus Beasley was filling in at left back. He wasn't the solution, and the US still has a gaping hole at that position. Perhaps Edgar Castillo will be the answer when FIFA finally gets through his paperwork and allows him to play with the US.

For now, the US needs to focus on developing the defenders that are currently in the national team fold. Trust that the offense will be okay, and try and develop a world-class defense.

If the US continues to improve at a steady rate up until they ship out to South Africa, a quarterfinal or semifinal berth won't be out of the question. They've been there before and this team is more skilled all around the field than the 2002 edition.

Taking the step into a World Cup Trophy isn't happening next summer though, but it's not too far over the horizon.

Sparty On: Michigan State Beats The Illini, Moves to 3-3

Joe G — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:44:04 -0400

For the second week in a row, the Michigan State Spartans rode a strong defensive effort to victory.

For the second week in a row, that victory came at a price. Starting running back Glenn Winston is likely out for the season after badly tweaking his knee in the second half. Back-up quarterback Keith Nichol, forced into action after Kirk Cousins sprained an ankle in last week's game, may have dislocated his non-throwing elbow toward the very end of the game. Freshman sensation Larry Caper also picked up a knock in the second half that slowed him down and limited his minutes after a stellar first half performance.

The 24-14 victory was nice, but the cost was high. Nichol is expected to be back within a couple of weeks, but losing Winston hurts.

Despite the injuries, it was another dominating performance from the defense that allowed the Spartans to continue to climb back to respectability after a 1-3 start. They held the Illini to numerous three-and-outs, and allowed only 272 total offensive yards, with a big chunk of that yardage coming in garbage time right near the end.

The Spartan defensive front created six sacks, and kept the Illini quarterback duo of Eddie McGee and Juice Williams uncomfortable all day. The two quarterbacks combined to go 9-28 with 140 yards, with 41 of those yards coming on a touchdown pass with 1:24 left in the game.

It's fitting that a great defensive effort was capped off by Danny Fortener's 45-yard pick six to start the scoring in the second half. That chased McGee out of the game and sealed things up for the Spartans.

Offensively, it was clear that the Spartans weren't at their best without Kirk Cousins. Nichol made a few nice plays, including a beautiful 30-yard touchdown pass over Caper's shoulder to set up first and goal at the one. Glenn Winston would fumble on the next play, but that doesn't detract from the pass at all.

Despite making a few good passes, Nichol also made some questionable decisions and clearly needs to improve his accuracy. On the first offensive play for the Spartans, he rolled out to his right and overthrew a wide-open Brian Linthicum by a country mile. Nichol was also intercepted after forcing a throw into triple coverage, and narrowly avoided picks on a few other plays.

Nichol would finish 13-25 with 179 yards and one interception.

Fortunately the running game more than made up for the sputtering passing attack. Caper and Winston shouldered the bulk of the load, rushing for 159 yards on 30 carries, and scoring two touchdowns. It looked like Caper was on his way to well over 100 yards until he picked up the injury, but by then the game had been decided.

The good rushing attack also allowed MSU to control the clock for the second week in a row, racking up 36:07 of possession and keeping Arrelious Benn off the field for long stretches.

It was over when...

Danny Fortener returned an Eddie McGee interception 45 yards for a touchdown to put MSU up 24-0. This seemed to break the Illini spirits, and it forced Ron Zook into a quarterback change.

Cheap shots and poor officiating

You can expect Mark Dantonio to be lodging another complaint with the Big Ten after a second straight poor performance by the zebras in a Michigan State game. They missed a couple of easy facemasks as well as a holding call on a punt that led to a touchback rather than the ball being downed inside the five.

But the non-call that takes the cake came on Nichol's injury. Watch this clip. At the 12-second mark, Illinois defensive lineman Corey Liuget takes Nichol's head and slams into the turf after Nichol was ruled down. That should result in a one-game suspension, especially considering that Nichol was already down and had been injured on the play.

Rating the units

Spartan offense: B-

They really struggled to move the ball in the second half, and this game would have been a lot closer if not for Fortener's pick. It's clear that the offense runs a lot better with Cousins in charge, but they still shouldn't have struggled so much to put points on the board against a team surrendering 30+ per game.

The running game did show signs of improvement, which will be a big factor as the weather starts to cool down and the Spartans get into the meat of the Big 10 schedule.

Spartan defense: A-

Six sacks, one interception and nine Illinois punts. A great job by the Spartan defense, with the only real blemishes coming in the very late stages of the game. They'll need to continue giving this kind of effort if they hope to finish the season bowl-eligible.

Spartan special teams: A

The special teams weren't terribly busy against Illinois. Brett Swenson hit a 35-yard field goal, and Illinois didn't do anything all day with their return game. The Spartans also took care to not get beaten by an onside kick at the end of the game, showing that they're learning from past mistakes.

Helmet stickers

Larry Caper

16 carries for 95 yards and a touchdown. If he keeps improving at this rate, he'll be able to pick up the slack for the absent Winston.

Michigan State defensive front

Six sacks, and they forced McGee/Williams into rushed throws all afternoon. They really set the tone for the entire game.

Danny Fortener

Showed how valuable he is to the secondary by jumping a route and returning the resulting interception for a touchdown. With Roderick Jenrette out for the season after breaking his foot against Michigan, Fortener's veteran presence will be needed.

Blame Benitez, Says Gillett—Is This The Beginning Of The End?

Joe G — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 00:41:10 -0400

The latest remarks from Liverpool co-owner George Gillett seem to have turned the temperature on Rafa Benitez' already-warm seat up to blistering hot.

"That means it should be getting better. Now if it's not getting better, it's not Gillett and Hicks; it's the manager; it's the scouting. You have to make sure you balance out your analysis.

"There was plenty of money, so if you have any complaints, take a look at the ins and outs," said Gillett, speaking of the £128 million invested in the club by himself and co-owner Tom Hicks in the last 18 months.

Such a statement makes it sound like the clock is ticking on Benitez' tenure at Anfield, but is all of this pressure deserved?

Liverpool fans are understandably anxious with regards to their club's league title drought, but it's not as if the club is starved for silverware. Benitez has had success with Liverpool both in Europe and domestic cups. He is undeniably a manager of high-quality, but he seems to face a lot of criticism over his inability to bring a Premier League title to Anfield.

Rather than be so quick to criticize, perhaps we should take a look at his competition and his other accomplishments at Liverpool.

Every member of the Big Four has a world-class manager. In his time at Liverpool, Benitez has had to compete with Arsene Wenger, Jose Mourinho, Alex Ferguson and Carlo Ancelotti.

In addition to their managerial prowess, the Big Four also boast considerable financial resources. Liverpool is not alone when it comes to making large investments in a squad.

Both Chelsea and Manchester United have been willing to splash cash on pricey transfers, and Manchester City has also recently joined the ranks of the extravagantly wealthy.

The competition for silverware is fierce. Only four clubs have ever won the Premier League title—Arsenal, Blackburn, Chelsea and Manchester United. Since 2004, only Chelsea and Manchester United have won titles in what has essentially been only a two-team race each season.

It's unfair to judge Benitez based solely on his accomplishments in the Premier League because of all that he's accomplished elsewhere for the club.

When he arrived in 2004, he was faced with the prospect of Steven Gerrard leaving the club. Benitez ultimately convinced Gerrard to stay, and has enjoyed success at the club because of it.

Since joining Liverpool, Benitez has taken home an FA Cup, an FA Community Shield, a European Supercup and a Champions League trophy. Chelsea and Arsenal can't lay claim to any Champions league trophies, and out of all English clubs, only Manchester United has been able to match Benitez' record of two appearances in the final with one victory.

In fact, the only club with more European success, since Benitez arrived in Liverpool, has been Barcelona, with two Champions League titles to their name.

That puts Benitez in pretty elite company.

Sure, Benitez has his detractors due to his policy of squad rotation and some transfers that haven't quite worked out as he'd hoped—Ryan Babel and Lucas, anyone? But he also turned Jamie Carragher and Sami Hyypia into one of the most formidable defensive tandems in Europe, brought in Fernando Torres, and convinced Gerrard to stay with his boyhood club.

Maybe I'm reading too much into Gillett's remarks, but regardless, they seem unwarranted. You would be hard-pressed to find a manager who would be able to do a better job for Liverpool, much less a manager who would do a better job and is currently available.

Perhaps instead of throwing his manager under the bus, Gillett could encourage some wiser investments.

Detroit Tigers: Plenty Of Blame To Go Around

Joe G — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:28:16 -0400

Before I write anything else, I have to offer congratulations to the Minnesota Twins. They were seven games back on Sept. 7, and closed the season on an incredible hot streak, winning 17 of their final 21 games—including the one-game playoff against the Detroit Tigers.

Remember, Minnesota accomplished all of this without All-Star first baseman Justin Morneau. Coming back from a large deficit in the final month of the season without one of your best players? Minnesota deserves their playoff berth and all of the accompanying accolades.

As much credit as Minnesota deserves, the Tigers deserve an equal amount of blame. With their spectacular implosion over the final month of the season, they set a record that surpasses anything that the 2007 and 2008 New York Mets managed to do. The Tigers are now the first team in baseball history to miss the playoffs after holding a three-game lead with four to play.

That's right, not even the late-season collapse of the 2007 Mets was this sudden and this dramatic. You're in great company, Detroit.

I hate to pile on my home state team like this, especially given the current state of the city of Detroit, but they have to expect some harsh criticism due to their recent play. There is plenty of blame to spread around, and you can expect general manager Dave Dombrowski to make some major changes in the off-season.

Baseball is a game of statistics, so let's examine some of the numbers behind Detroit's collapse.

Curtis Granderson—my favorite Tiger—had a downright awful season from the lead-off spot. Just one season after batting .280 with a .365 OBP, Granderson posted numbers of .248 and .325. Yeah, he hit 30 home runs, but the job of a lead-off hitter is to get on base to set the table for the power behind him. Granderson failed in that duty.
The run support that Detroit gave some of their best pitchers was very poor. I was at Comerica Park in August when Justin Verlander struck out 10 against Seattle. His teammates supported him with a single run. Verlander's ERA was a very respectable 3.45, and his WHIP was 1.18. Those numbers should result in a record better than 19-9. In six of those losses, Verlander gave up three earned runs or less. His teammates let him down.
Speaking of Tiger bats, they were uncharacteristically silent this year. Only Miguel Cabrera and Magglio Ordonez hit above .300, but Ordonez' power numbers were way down from 2008—he hit eight fewer doubles, 13 fewer home-runs and had 55 fewer RBI in 2009. Carlos Guillen hit .242, and Placido Polanco failed to hit above .290 for the first time since 2003.
Polanco, who rarely strikes out, fanned twice in the one-game playoff. He had only done that four other times this season, and not since Aug. 11th.
Adam Everett posted the 20th-best batting average among AL shortstops, tied for 16th with three home runs, was 20th in OBP, and 21st in OPS. While he's good with his glove, he's basically Brandon Inge with no power at the plate. Detroit must get more power at the plate from the shortstop position.
The Tigers under Jim Leyland have only posted a second-half record above .500 once in four seasons. They were 38-37 this season.
Since back-to-back sweeps of Tampa and Cleveland to open September, Detroit has only won one series, another sweep of Cleveland from Sept. 22-24. In that span, the Tigers lost two series to Kansas City—including one sweep—and two series to Chicago. Chicago finished the season four games under .500, Kansas City finished 32 games below .500.
Fernando Rodney's ERA in non-save situations was over 7.00. In September and October, opponents batted over .300 against him after hitting .231 in August and .139 in July.
Jarrod Washburn, who posted a 2.64 ERA for Seattle early in the season, had a 7.33 ERA for Detroit and gave up 2.5 home runs per nine innings pitched.
As a team, the Tigers were 10th in batting average out of 14 American League teams. They were also 9th in OBP, 9th in OPS, 11th in sacrifices and 12th in hits.
The Tigers' pitching staff allowed opponents to hit .263 against them, three points better than the Tigers' own batting average.

The stats tell us that the Tigers overachieved a little bit this season. Their Pythagorean win-loss record puts them firmly at .500.

Even with all of those stats, Detroit still should have been able to finish off the weaker teams in the Central. A .500 team should be able to win a series or two against Kansas City. Had Detroit avoided being swept by the Royals, they would be facing the Yankees instead of the Twins, but we've got the whole offseason to play "what-if?"

The stumble down the stretch will have the front office and fans alike asking, "What happened?" in the offseason. The only sure thing is the Tigers will look very different in 2010.

Bob Bradley Names Squad For Upcoming Qualifiers—What Can We Expect?

Joe G — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:58:29 -0400

With the final two qualifiers on the road to South Africa looming, Bob Bradley has made few changes to a squad that has at times sputtered and limped their way to first place in CONCACAF.

Jay DeMerit and Chad Marshall will be left at home due to injury, but veteran Jimmy Conrad gets a rare call-up, along with Kenny Cooper.

Aside from those inclusions, the roster looks very similar to what Bradley has fielded during the final round of the hexagonal and in the Confederations Cup. Depending on whether your glass is half empty or half full, you'll either be excited or terrified by this.

The Squad

Defenders: Jonathan Spector, Carlos Bocanegra, Clarence Goodson, Oguchi Onyewu, Jimmy Conrad, Steve Cherundolo, Jonathan Bornstein, Frankie Hejduk.

Midfielders: Michael Bradley, Ricardo Clark, Clint Dempsey, Jose Francisco Torres, Stu Holden, Benny Feilhaber, Robbie Rogers.

Forwards: Jozy Altidore, Conor Casey, Kenny Cooper, Landon Donovan, Brian Ching, Charlie Davies.

The Stakes

Win at Honduras and you're in. Failing that, a draw against Costa Rica will suffice. It sounds simple enough on paper, but recent history has shown us that the final stretch on the road to South Africa will be filled with potholes.

Bradley has a nasty tendency to field a conservative side when on the road in CONCACAF, and that has led to some disastrous results. Going into a defensive shell against El Salvador led to a 2-2 draw. An under-prepared US side was blown out 3-1 at Costa Rica. Against Trinidad, the US was lucky to escape with a 1-0 victory.

The US can't afford a similar slip-up at this stage in qualifying. Even though they top the table, the margin for error is razor thin. No American wants to go into the final match against Costa Rica with their World Cup hopes hinging on them taking home a point.

Bigger upsets have happened before, and the US would be best served by putting out an aggressive squad against Honduras and just ending the suspense.

It's also worth mentioning that if the US somehow misses out on the World Cup this time around, Bradley will most certainly be fired faster than you can say "Bruce Arena."

Who Should Play

Clint Dempsey is going to miss the Honduras match with a sprained shoulder. It's nothing too serious, and he's expected back to face Costa Rica, but this opens up a spot for another midfielder to get a start. Bradley should go with Stu Holden, Benny Feilhaber, or Jose Francisco Torres in this role to replace Dempsey's presence in the attack.

Ideally, the job would fall to Torres. In very limited appearances in the US shirt, he's shown that he's capable of good ball control, maintaining possession, and being a serious offensive threat. Based on what we've seen out of Torres so far, he might be the best attacking midfielder not named Landon Donovan in the US pool.

If Torres is paired with Holden on the right side of the midfield, goals are likely to follow. The two played together for a short spell at the end of the match against El Salvador and combined nicely together. Torres entered the match in the 84th minute and almost immediately had a goalscoring chance thanks to a Holden assist.

Holden and Torres also tend to be more careful with the ball than Dempsey. Dempsey is prone to frustrating turnovers—especially in recent matches—and the US midfield will have to dominate possession in order to nullify the Honduran and Costa Rican attacks.

After Holden and Torres in the midfield, we'll almost assuredly see Michael Bradley and Landon Donovan holding down the other two midfield spots. Both have played very well in qualifying and no current US player has the tools to unseat them.

Bradley is very effective in the holding midfielder role, and when Donovan is aggressive, he provides a crucial link between midfield and forwards, as well as providing plenty of offense on his own.

Defensively, we'll probably see Steve Cherundolo at right back and Jonathan Spector on the left, with Carlos Bocanegra and Oguchi Onyewu in the center. This is essentially the same group that started against Trinidad, with the addition of Cherundolo in favor of Jonathan Bornstein.

That back line was vulnerable at times, forcing Tim Howard into several saves. Eliminating Bornstein and moving Spector to left back could solve that problem, but it also seemed that Bocanegra was a liability, as well.

Perhaps that's the reason behind calling up Jimmy Conrad. Conrad is a veteran presence who won't commit any mental mistakes in defense, and will provide a solid backup if Bocanegra proves unfit for the task.

Up front, Bradley shouldn't consider anybody but Jozy Altidore and Charlie Davies. Altidore has played wonderfully in the Premier League for Hull City to start the season, and should be sharper than ever in a US shirt now that he's finally getting some regular playing time.

Davies has consistently been one of the US' more dangerous attacking threats since becoming a regular fixture in the squad, and has formed an excellent partnership with Altidore.

Brian Ching and Conor Casey shouldn't see the pitch at all, due to a lack of production on Ching's part and a poor work rate on Casey's part. They aren't the dynamic players necessary to walk away with three points; they'll just handicap that US attack.

Kenny Cooper could see action as a late substitute. He's a big, physical presence that would be able to continue Altidore's work up front, especially if the squad is still struggling to find a goal around the 60th minute.

The Prediction

Beating Honduras on the road will be a difficult task. They've got a very talented squad that includes the likes of David Suazo, Wilson Palacios, Maynor Figueroa, and Amado Guevara. Hopefully Bob Bradley recognizes the importance of this match and fields his strongest squad as well. Anything less, and the US probably goes home empty-handed.

I'll give Bradley the benefit of the doubt here, though. The US walks away with a 2-1 victory, clinching a trip to South Africa.

Michigan-Michigan State: Why Paul Bunyan Will Stay in East Lansing with Spartans

Joe G — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:33:11 -0400

In anticipation of Saturday's heated in-state rivalry, I teamed up with Michigan writer Justin Potts. Each of us presents his case for how and why his respective team will win the game. Justin's article can be found here.

The battle for Paul Bunyan has come early this year.

Usually, Michigan State takes on Michigan in the chill of November, when the bitter temperatures match the relations between the players and fans of each school.

But perhaps early October is a more fitting time for this game this season, with the changing colors of the leaves a metaphorical match for the changing fortunes of these two teams.

Michigan has already eclipsed its 2008 win total. Michigan State has already matched its total losses from the 2008 regular season.

The true beauty of this game is that none of those numbers will matter when the two teams take the field at Spartan Stadium on Saturday.

It's a rivalry game. Anything can happen—last-second catches in the end zone, lengthy fumble returns by beefy Samoans, and upsets galore.

It's a rivalry that plenty of people don't understand.

When asked why I harbor such disdain for the University of Michigan, I'll tell people it's because of guys like Mike Hart, Larry Foote, and the Fab Five.

But really, this is a rivalry that goes well beyond sports if you're a Spartan fan. This football game represents over 150 years of institutional disrespect from that other school.

A brief history lesson:

In the early 1850s, before Michigan Agricultural College—now MSU—had even been established, the University of Michigan fought against its creation and eventual birth in East Lansing.

You see, the brass in Ann Arbor were all for an agricultural institution in the state. They just wanted it in Ann Arbor, under their control.

Just a few years later, in 1862, Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Act into law. This act established the land-grant colleges in the United States—Penn State and Michigan State are the most famous examples.

The Morrill Act granted each state 30,000 acres of land for each member of Congress they had as of 1860. This land, or the sale of it, was supposed to go toward the establishment and funding of land-grant institutions.

Well, Ann Arbor attempted to strike again. They were perfectly okay with this bequeathal of land—as long as they were the recipients.

Michigan actually lobbied the state legislature to close the East Lansing campus so they could absorb their programs and funding.

I'll flash forward to 1946, when MSU—then called Michigan State College—gained entry into the Big Ten. A space in the conference had opened up after the University of Chicago had folded its varsity sports.

MSC was accepted into the conference by a vote of 8-1. Care to guess the lone dissenter?

This rivalry isn't about football and it isn't about basketball. It's about the repeated attempts by one university to handicap or destroy the other.

That's why the hundreds of thousands of proud Spartan alums have such a deep-seated hatred for their rivals in Ann Arbor.

Now, on to the game.

Welcome to the Big Ten, Mr. Forcier

True freshman quarterback. First road game of his collegiate career. Hostile environment.

Sounds like a recipe for Spartan success to me.

Michigan's Tate Forcier has been good this season, but he hasn't faced the considerable pressure of playing on the road. Every snap he's taken has been done in relative silence.

He's gotten loads of support from the crowds in Ann Arbor. Playing at home just gives a quarterback, especially a true freshman, a sense of comfort.

That ends on Saturday.

There are a lot of angry Spartan fans looking to vent their frustrations over a poor start to the season.

Spartan Stadium will be seething.

Don't forget about the men in green, either. The Spartan defense will have seen what mediocre Indiana did to Forcier last week and wants to take its own shots.

The fact of the matter is he's too small to endure the brutality of a full Big Ten season. If Indiana beat him up, what happens when Greg Jones takes a lick?

Even worse, what happens when Iowa and Penn State get their cracks? And that Ohio State defensive line?

Michigan State is the next school to step up and have a chance at Forcier. They won't be purposely trying to inflict injury, but there's a very real possibility that a bruised and battered Forcier will be the byproduct of the heavy hitting that always happens during this game.

Don't think the Spartans know how to welcome somebody to the Big Ten? They ran Sam McGuffie completely out of town last season.

Big Ten's Best Passing Offense vs. Boubacar Cissoko and Co.

Thanks to a veteran receiving corps, incredible depth at tight end and the savvy sophomore Kirk Cousins, the Spartans own the Big Ten's best passing attack.

The duo of Cousins and Keith Nichol—along with one 30-yard touchdown pass by wide receiver Keshawn Martin—has combined to average 320.75 yards per game through the air.

They've also thrown for 12 touchdowns already, three more than Brian Hoyer threw in 13 games last season.

Michigan knows the aerial attack is coming. But will they be able to stop it?

All signs point to "no" right now.

Michigan is giving up 242.75 yards per game in the air right now, but those stats are a little skewed because Eastern Michigan elected to try and win the game on the ground, resulting in some very lopsided playcalling.

Take out the game against EMU, and Michigan is surrendering 288.3 yards per game.

That's a porous secondary.

And it gets worse from here.

With regards to total defense, Michigan allows 385.75 yards per game. Notre Dame and Indiana showed that Michigan's defense was susceptible to the big play.

That's good news for Michigan State, who used the big play—I'm looking at you, Blair White—to assert itself last year.

The Spartan crowd won't need much help getting excited for this game, but a big play or two will turn the stadium from loud to deafening and demoralize the Michigan defense in the process.

Whose Defense Is Worse?

At this point, it's hard to say. Michigan State racked up some gaudy but misleading sack totals early in the season against mostly immobile quarterbacks.

Aside from the occasional sack, the defensive line has been pretty ordinary, placing a lot of pressure on the secondary.

The backfield hasn't responded well, surrendering big days to Dan LeFevour, Jimmy Clausen, and Scott Tolzien.

The good news for Michigan State is that Forcier is less likely to beat the Spartans with his arm than those three. The bad news is he can still do damage with his feet, especially if the linebackers are unable to rise to the occasion.

Michigan's defense has also been weak, especially the secondary. Some of the blame can be placed on the revolving door they've had at defensive coordinator. Greg Robinson is their third in as many years.

But that doesn't excuse poor fundamentals. Blown coverages and missed tackles have been a common sight during Rich Rodriguez's brief tenure.

Looking at total defense for all of the Big Ten schools, Michigan ranks two slots lower—ninth place—than Michigan State. The difference is negligible. A grand total of 23 yards per game separate the two teams.

We'll just look at a couple key areas.

First, Michigan has only registered four sacks on the season.

The Spartan offensive line has done a pretty good job of pass blocking this season, so it looks like Cousins will have time to pass.

Michigan has also allowed their opponents to run the ball fairly effectively.

Currently, the Michigan run defense is eighth in the conference, allowing 142 yards per game. That could be crucial when it comes to the time of possession battle.

Michigan State's pass defense is worse than Michigan's, but that might not be a huge factor this week. Forcier does have seven passing touchdowns on the season, but he's not as tough to handle through the air as LeFevour or Clausen.

These Swiss-cheese defenses should lead to a shootout, but expect the Spartans to come up with one or two more stops than Michigan.

The Records and Accompanying Statistical Dissonance

Michigan State is not as bad as their 1-3 record would suggest. Conversely, Michigan is not as good as their 4-0 record and Top-25 ranking.

The Spartans are a couple of unfortunate mistakes—and a better defensive line—away from 3-1 and being well on their way to another good bowl.

An offsides call on a missed last-gasp field goal against Central, and an interception in the last minute against Notre Dame is all that stands between Michigan State and their third straight fantastic start under Mark Dantonio.

Michigan stands at 4-0, but could easily be sitting at 2-2 if not for some terrible playcalling by Charlie Weis and a botched simultaneous-possession call against Indiana.

Two very close shaves by the Wolverines have their fanbase confident, but not necessarily comfortable. There is still work to be done in Ann Arbor.

There's a very real chance that some Michigan players will be overlooking the Spartans on Saturday. Some of their alumni already are—the Detroit Lions' Larry Foote has been shooting off his mouth despite the fact that he was 1-2 against the Green and White as a player.

By virtue of their 1-3 record, the Spartans are also a very desperate team. There's nothing more dangerous than a desperate team with some talent, playing for a win that could either turn the season around or sink it. You can't overlook the intangibles.

The Prediction

It promises to be an exciting game with lots of scoring. The Spartans will come out on top by a touchdown, 41-34.

Michigan State Unable to Stop the Bleeding, Falls to 1-3

Joe G — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 15:27:53 -0400

First, a brief disclaimer. I did not watch the entire game this weekend, not even close. I saw all that I needed to see, and decided that my time was better spent elsewhere.

As a fan, there's only so much one can take in a single season. Many Spartan fans are close to their breaking point already, and we're just four games into the season. Now, on to the analysis.

Same Old Spartans is a phrase that I've grown to loathe over the years, but those ghosts are rearing their ugly heads once again. Instead of fighting for a conference title, it now looks as if the Spartans will be fighting to go .500 on the season.

Michigan State lost their third consecutive game this afternoon, 38-30 at the hands of Wisconsin. Don't let the scoreline fool you, this one was a blowout until Keith Nichol put some points on the board in the last two minutes against Wisconsin's defensive scrubs.

After a 1-3 start, this is a team that has gone from a ton of pre-season hype to a team with gaping holes all over the field and on the sidelines. A team that showed lots of promise in a close loss to a veteran Notre Dame squad just one week ago has now taken a huge step backward with their latest performance.

2009 looks to be a long season for Spartan fans after back-to-back bowl berths during Dantonio's first two years.

What's behind this unexpected regression, and more importantly, is there anything that can be done to salvage the 2009 season?

1. End the quarterback debate immediately

Michigan State's quarterback battle has been exhaustively debated. It's time to end the illusion of a two-QB system and name Kirk Cousins the starter.

While Keith Nichol might have more raw athleticism and a higher ceiling, Cousins is clearly the more polished and game-ready of the two right now.

Against Wisconsin, Cousins led the Spartans to their first touchdown of the game, connecting with Mark Dell on a surgically precise throw toward the back corner of the end zone. Cousins had built up some momentum and gotten into a good rhythm on that drive.

Surprisingly, Keith Nichol was given the ball on the very next drive. After picking up a first down with a nice toss to Dell, Nichol heaved an ill-advised bomb downfield that was easily intercepted.

Go ahead and file that one under "awful coaching decisions."

Why throw the offense completely out of rhythm, especially after Cousins had just led the team to a touchdown? It doesn't make any sense.

The Badgers turned that interception into seven points of their own, likely deflating the Spartan psyches beyond all repair.

2. Find a good running back combination

After four games, it's painfully clear that the Caulton Ray/Larry Caper platoon isn't the solution. Caper is a highly-touted freshman, but Ray was nowhere near the top of the depth chart before summer practices began. Now we're starting to see why.

Instead of insisting on throwing those same two backs out there every week, the coaching staff needs to make a change.

Name Glenn Winston the starter and remove Ray's name from the two-deeps. Winston has an excellent combination of speed and power, and ran with a purpose against Wisconsin. He only carried the ball 9 times, but picked up 52 yards.

Winston also ran through several tackles on the afternoon, and broke multiple runs for gains of 10+ yards. A pro-style offense needs a back that is capable of picking up positive yardage on every down. Winston can be that back for the Spartans.

Finding a workable solution for the running game will also assist the passing game. Currently, opponents are able to key in on the pass and really load up in coverage, because they know the Spartans have struggled to run.

Through these first four weeks, Michigan State has had to establish the pass in order to have a successful run. That's a backwards approach.

Get the running game working to take the pressure off the young quarterbacks.

3. Accountability on defense

Before the season began, the defense was supposed to be the backbone of the Spartan team. They were returning plenty of starters, including a secondary that was very solid in 2009. They also boasted the preseason Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, in Greg Jones.

So far, Jones has lived up to his billing as a great defensive player, but the other 10 men on that side of the ball have come up woefully short. Instead of helping a young offense through some rough patches, they have created the rough patches.

Defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi has to be held accountable for the failures of his defense.

Against Central Michigan, he refused to make any adjustments in coverage, allowing Dan LeFevour to move the ball up the field at will by making short passes into soft coverage.

Against Notre Dame, his unit missed too many tackles to count, and a corner blitz on Notre Dame's final scoring drive left Golden Tate wide open for the game-winning touchdown.

Then there's Wisconsin, where we can't be sure than anybody on the defense even looked at a scouting report. Any Wisconsin fan will tell you that Garrett Graham is a great tight end. So why did the Spartans leave him wide open for not one, not two but three touchdown receptions?

That failure has to be on Narduzzi. It's his job to get the defense ready every week, and for three straight weeks, they haven't been up to the task.

The offense can put up all the points they want, but it won't matter if the defense can't hold the lead.

Over the past three weeks, MSU's defense has allowed 1,291 total yards and 100 points. The offense would have to be absolutely perfect in order to make up for that sieve.

4. Accountability on offense

"The drops" is a terrible disease which has affected the Spartans for many seasons. It's characterized by a complete inability to make simple catches on perfectly accurate throws from the quarterback.

This year's crop of receivers are not doing their job when it comes to helping out the quarterbacks. Watch film of any game and you'll see multiple drops.

These drops kill drives, and essentially take points off the board. Look at the first two Spartan drives in South Bend—three drops by the wide receivers and no points. Make those catches, and we could have had an entirely different ballgame.

B.J. Cunningham and Keshawn Martin are two of the worst culprits. It's difficult to understand why Cunningham has so much difficulty making simple catches, because he showed an ability to make circus catches against Wisconsin.

The ball he caught for a touchdown was tipped into the air, yet he managed to corral it on his way to the turf. It's maddening that he'll make catches like that, yet drop a pass thrown right into his stride.

These receivers need to be held accountable for their drops. Perhaps Blair White and Mark Dell need to be getting more reps on offense, because they've shown relatively sure hands compared to the rest of the receiving corps.

5. Drastic changes on the sidelines

While the players haven't been stepping up and making plays, the coaching staff has put them in a difficult position repeatedly during this young season.

Against Central Michigan, Pat Narduzzi's defensive schemes left Chippewa receivers wide open for 6-8 yard gains on every play. After being gashed by short throws for the entire first half, no adjustment was made.

Against Notre Dame, the defense could not take advantage of a hobbled Jimmy Clausen and an absent Michael Floyd.

Golden Tate scored the game winning touchdown on single coverage by a safety, because the cornerback on his side of the field had blitzed. Why was one of the best receivers in the country left with single coverage?

Against Wisconsin, the tight end Graham was left largely uncovered for his three touchdown catches.

On the first catch, the entire MSU secondary retreated five yards into the end zone, so it was easy to find Graham, who had set up—uncovered, mind you—right at the goal line.

Narduzzi's schemes clearly aren't cutting it, so we might see Mark Dantonio get more involved in the defensive playcalling in an effort to pick the Spartans up and get them to a bowl game.

Dantonio was the defensive coordinator on Jim Tressel's 2002 National Championship team. That group went 14-0 and held six opponents under 10 points.

Dantonio clearly knows defense, and may have to get more involved if the season is to be saved.

6. Sack up and finish strong

The hallmark of Dantonio's Michigan State teams has been an absolute unwillingness to quit even in the face of adversity. At no point in his two-plus years in East Lansing has the team faced such an uphill climb.

The team still has eight games left in which to accomplish something this season, and the players must realize that. They have to come to each practice and each game mentally prepared, and ready to play to the best of their abilities.

For inspiration, they can look back to some of George Perles' teams. The Rose Bowl-winning squad of 1987 started 2-2, but rebounded for nine wins.

The current team is likely not Rose Bowl material, but they do have the talent to make it to the postseason if they learn from their mistakes and work their tails off for the remaining eight weeks.

It's an uphill climb, but not impossible.

Michigan State's Kirk Cousins: A Star in the Making

Joe G — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 23:09:11 -0400

Just last season, Kirk Cousins was an unheralded freshman. An anonymous two-star recruit from Holland, Mich. taking snaps for Brian Hoyer during mop-up duty, like at the end of the Ohio State blowout, and long after the Capital One Bowl had been decided.

Cousins has exploded onto the scene in 2009, turning heads and dissecting opposing defenses.

After the first three starts of his collegiate career, Cousins stands as the 14th most efficient passer in the FBS, with a rating of 164.3. That puts him ahead of Colt McCoy, Jevan Snead, Todd Reesing, Darryl Clark and Max Hall. He's just behind sophomore sensation Kellen Moore—only Moore has an entire year of starting experience on Cousins.

The young man from Holland is putting up numbers that rival the elite quarterbacks in the country. He's averaging 9.3 yards per attempt, good enough for 10th in the country. Cousins has only thrown for 649 yards this season, but he's done so while splitting time with Keith Nichol. In essence, he's had three fewer quarters than his competitors to put up his impressive numbers.

If we project his numbers over those missing quarters, it's quite staggering. He's putting up 288.4 yards for every four quarters played, which extrapolates to 865.3 yards for three full games. That would put Cousins at ninth in the country for total passing yards, instead of 42nd—where he currently sits.

All of this, ladies and gentlemen, as an untested sophomore.

His teammates saw something special in him even before the season started. They elected him as one of their captains in the summer, largely based on qualities that can't be quantified with mere statistics—confidence, leadership, and poise under pressure.

The Spartans' 1-2 start is no fault of Cousins'. How can you find blame in a quarterback who, in his first ever road game, walked into Notre Dame Stadium and threw for over 300 yards?

Unfortunately, the old saying is true. You can't please all of the people all of the time. There is a very small minority of Spartans fans now calling for Keith Nichol to get his shot at starting.

Detractors point to the interception thrown by Cousins to end the Notre Dame game. Anybody who watched the entire game will tell you that it's a testament to Cousins' abilities that the Spartans were even in a position to win that game at the end.

The naysayers in the Spartan fanbase will also tell you that Michigan State is 1-2 with Kirk Cousins as the starter. Again, to say this means that you expect Kirk Cousins to shoulder the responsibility for missed tackles, blown coverages, and generally poor defensive play.

Any time your offense puts up 57 points and 775 total yards over the course of two games, your football team should reasonably expect to win those games. 28.5 points would have been good enough to beat Florida last week. It beat Virginia Tech to open the season. With 28.5 points, you would have beaten either Ohio State or USC at the Horseshoe in week two, take your pick.

Fact is, Kirk Cousins is an untested sophomore in name only. He's shown the poise and accuracy of a savvy veteran, something that the Spartans so desperately need this season with the departures of Brian Hoyer and Javon Ringer. Watching him play, you can tell that the young offense really appreciates having that calm presence as their leader.

Cousins' abilities become even more important when you look at the struggles the Spartans have had running the ball this season. In 2007 and 2008, they didn't need big production out of the quarterback spot thanks to the considerable production of Jehuu Caulcrick and Javon Ringer. Those two produced 49 total touchdowns during that period, and rushed for roughly 4,000 yards.

In 2009, without an elite, established running back, the Spartan ground attack is suffering. The platoon of Caulton Ray and Larry Caper shows plenty of promise, but they're still freshmen and are running behind a patchwork offensive line. Currently, the Spartans are ranked 81st in the country in rushing, producing an anemic 127 yards per game.

With rushing production like that, the passing attack has to carry the bulk of the load on offense, and Cousins has answered the bell. Even though opposing teams have been able to plan for the pass, Cousins is still putting up great numbers. He's making incredibly accurate throws into tight coverage, and has already put up more than half the touchdowns that Brian Hoyer did during the entirety of the 2008 season.

Before this current season began, many pundits predicted that the Spartans would struggle to replace Brian Hoyer. The reality has been the opposite—Cousins has been playing at a higher level than Hoyer ever did. In fact, he might eclipse Jeff Smoker's sophomore numbers by season's end, and Smoker had the best ever season by a Spartan sophomore quarterback.

Cousins' abilities should scare all future Michigan State opponents. Not only is he blossoming into a great quarterback right now, but the fierce competition between him and Nichol could very well propel them both to dizzying heights.

The best part is, they're only sophomores.

Do Premier League Refs Favor Manchester United?

Joe G — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:35:31 -0400

It's safe to say that most football fans have, at one point or another, been told that the Premier League referees favor Manchester United.

Supporters of losing sides have been crying foul for years, complaining that referees never award the visitors a penalty at Old Trafford, or that refs like Mike Riley and Howard Webb exhibit a pro-Manchester United bias.

According to a recent study by the Guardian, those rumors might not be too far from the truth.

There is no evidence to suggest that United have been unfairly given penalties at home—not in this study. Instead, the Guardian's statisticians focused on United's penchant for scoring late. Specifically, in stoppage time.

After Michael Owen hit a controversial winner in the sixth minute of stoppage time against Manchester City when a minimum of four minutes had been given, Mark Hughes felt an investigation was warranted.

In his post-match remarks, Hughes made mention of historical timekeeping inaccuracies at Old Trafford.

"Historically it has happened before," Hughes said. "I was on teams here who had that benefit and I never thought it was an issue because I actually thought we had a bad time by referees. Since I left I have probably changed my view."

Understandably, Hughes and his squad were upset by Owen's match-winner. The four minutes of stoppage time shown by the fourth official is only a minimum guideline, but very rarely will a referee exceed that amount by a minute and a half.

In fact, Martin Atkinson ended up adding a full seven minutes of extra time—an excessive amount by even the most liberal of standards.

In the wake of the liberal dash of stoppage time received by United, the Guardian—in conjunction with the the Opta Statistics Bureau—decided to take a look at the stoppage time in Manchester United matches at Old Trafford since the 2006-2007 season.

What they uncovered will not raise the Citizens' spirits.

United were ahead after 90 minutes in 48 matches over that time span. In those matches, they were given an average of 191.35 seconds of stoppage time, roughly three minutes.

In the 12 matches that United were behind after 90 minutes, they received over a minute of extra stoppage time, an average of 257.17 seconds. That's four and a quarter minutes of stoppage time, folks. More than 65 seconds better than the extra time given when United was ahead.

This season, the discrepancy is nearly two minutes. In the two matches they led after 90 minutes, the referee added an average of 304 seconds, just a smidge over five minutes. On Sunday, United was given 415 seconds, just five seconds shy of seven minutes.

This is a disturbing trend, to say the least.

There have long been rumors of referees being intimidated into making decisions by the Old Trafford faithful. Is this study the manifestation of that intimidation?

One extra minute might not seem like a significant amount of time, but in the harried exchanges between a team desperately defending and a team searching for an equalizer or a winner, that can mean an extra couple of attacks. Two, maybe three extra chances to grab that valuable goal.

In a game where matches can be decided by a single shot, that is a wealth of chances.

Judging by the numbers, it seems like Hughes has a legitimate gripe. Would Manchester United be able to score as many late goals as they do without these extra seconds tacked onto their matches?

It's a legitimate question, and United's opponents at Old Trafford deserve an answer.

Harry Redknapp Pours Fuel on the North London Fire

Joe G — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 22:16:58 -0400

Just when you thought that Arsenal's successful appeal against UEFA's two-match ban for Eduardo would be the last word in the saga, Harry Redknapp offered his two cents after his side lost 3-0 to Chelsea.

Tottenham striker Robbie Keane was denied a clear penalty following a tackle by Ricardo Carvalho. Keane had beaten Carvalho, and was taken down after nudging the ball past the Chelsea defender.

Match referee Howard Webb neglected to give the penalty, and was the focus of Redknapp's post-match comments.

"When Carvalho first caught him, if Robbie had gone down, he'd have got the penalty. But, given all the talk there's been about diving, he's tried to stay on his feet. I think it does play on players' minds. They're scared that if they go down, they're going to get a card," said an aggravated Redknapp.

Read his statement carefully, Redknapp seems to imply that all of the recent unpleasantness with Eduardo is somehow at fault here.

While Redknapp didn't name Eduardo directly, it's a pretty easy connection to make. All the talk about diving has occurred because of that Arsenal/Celtic tie.

Such comments are certainly not surprising, given the nasty history of the North London rivalry. Remember back in 2006, some conspiracy theorists claimed that Arsenal had given Spurs players food poisoning to ensure a Champions League berth.

Redknapp's comments are mere child's play compared to what has transpired between these two clubs in the past.

Still, this will doubtless raise a few eyebrows over at the Emirates, and Arsenal doesn't ever need motivation to beat Spurs. Such is the nature of a rivalry game.

There may be a second reason for Redknapp to make those comments though, one that is being ignored by the media for now. It seems to me that Redknapp is trying to deflect attention from his club's obvious shortcomings.

After their fast start to the season, many folks thought that Tottenham would join Manchester City in challenging for a place in the top four. Spurs encouraged such speculation with an opening weekend victory over Liverpool.

Even before the season, Peter Crouch had tipped his new club for a Champions League slot.

But in their past two matches, they've been exposed as paper tigers. They've faced two established top four opponents in Manchester United and Chelsea, losing both matches.

They've been outscored 6-1 during that stretch, and to make matters worse, have suffered some very unfortunate injuries, thinning their squad.

Ledley King was substituted early in the second half against Chelsea with a hamstring injury. Later in the match, Sebastien Bassong was stretchered off in a neck brace after sustaining a head injury.

Things had begun to unravel for Spurs well before the injury bug hit, but losing both central defenders was the icing on the misery cake.

Spurs missed several chances early in the game, allowing Chelsea to take control of the match with their more disciplined finishing.

Don't forget, Tottenham also led against Manchester United before the wheels fell off. They've now given up six unanswered goals to two supposed rivals for a top four position. Their fast start to the season is giving way to a suddenly-porous defense and injuries.

So perhaps this was a calculated dig at Arsenal, as well as Howard Dean. It could have designed to take the heat off of his own players and potentially allow them to regroup after a tough couple of weeks.

Is it a smart ploy by Redknapp? Only time will tell, but he had to try something if they are to right the ship and make a run at Europe once again.

Michigan State-Notre Dame: Spartans Suffer Heartbreak for Second Straight Week

Joe G — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 22:52:04 -0400

All good things must come to an end, six-game winning streaks in South Bend included.

Spartan fans could do without the heartbreak, though.

Notre Dame took home the Megaphone Trophy for the first time since 2006 with a nail-biting victory over Michigan State that came down to the last minute.

The Irish survived Larry Caper, wide-open in the end zone with just over a minute left, and sealed a 33-30 victory with an interception on the last play. You could hear the Irish fans in Notre Dame stadium collectively exhaling in relief after the pick, because it looked like the Spartans would be the second team in two weeks from the state of Michigan to snatch a last-minute victory over Notre Dame.

This was a game with four different lead changes, two 300-yard passers, and nearly 900 yards of total offense.

After their first two drives, it looked like Notre Dame was going to walk out of the stadium with a blowout victory. They were up 13-3 and moving the ball with ease on offense. Then, Blair White caught a touchdown pass from wide receiver Keshawn Martin on a beautifully-executed trick play.

That's when things really got weird.

On the ensuing kickoff, Brett Swenson caught the Irish by surprise with a perfect onside kick. His kick barely went 10 yards, then took an MSU bounce and rolled back toward the Spartans. Michigan State jumped on the kick, and the stadium got quiet as the Irish fans sensed a momentum shift.

The Irish forced a turnover later in that Spartan drive, essentially negating the successful onside kick. But, all they could manage was a field goal. Just a couple minutes later, Larry Caper was plowing through a mass of bodies at the goal line to give the Spartans a touchdown and a one-point lead heading into halftime.

Notre Dame opened the second half with two straight scores. One was a trick play of their own, a five-yard touchdown pass by Armando Allen out of the Wildcat formation. Nick Tausch tacked on a field goal, and it was a 26-17 game. Advantage Irish, once again.

Larry Caper would answer the bell once again, with a seven-yard touchdown run on a sweep off the left side of the line. Some great blocking by fullback Andrew Hawken allowed the true freshman to score for the second time in the game. Notre Dame did manage to dull the celebrations a little bit by blocking Brett Swenson's extra point attempt. 26-23 to the Irish after three quarters.

The fourth quarter opened with yet another lead change. Kirk Cousins found Blair White for his second TD catch of the game just over five minutes into the fourth. The Spartans held a four-point lead, but it wouldn't hold.

Jimmy Clausen led an eight play, 73-yard touchdown drive that was capped off by a 33-yard pass to Golden Tate, who celebrated by taking an unnecessary dive into the Spartan Marching Band. The Irish held a three-point lead with just five minutes to play.

Fast forward to the final Michigan State drive of the afternoon. A Notre Dame punt left the Spartans on their own 30 yard line with three minutes left. Kirk Cousins decided to take matters into his own hands, marching Michigan State 52 yards down the field in under two minutes. He was 7-for-8 on the drive as the Spartans lined up at the Irish 18 yard line.

Cousins took the snap, and saw Larry Caper wide open in the end zone. No player, Spartan or Irish, was within 20 yards of Caper. Cousins launched a pass toward Caper, but it sailed just out of his reach. The pass fell incomplete, when a catch would have likely sealed a seventh straight win in South Bend for the Spartans.

On the very next play, defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta sent a blitz, forcing Cousins to rush a throw down the center of the field. It was picked off by Kyle McCarthy, and the Irish could celebrate for the first time since 1993. An effort by the Spartans that would have been good enough to win on most other days had fallen three points short.

The Controversy

If, like me, you were watching the game on NBC, you no doubt noticed the controversial incomplete pass to Michael Floyd late in the first half. Floyd was injured on the play with a likely broken collarbone, but the announcers seemed to feel that justice had not been served. Despite the fact that Jeremy Ware had a hand on the ball, preventing Floyd from gaining solid possession, the NBC announcers seemed to think that the Irish had been robbed of a touchdown.

According to the NCAA rulebook, that's not the case. From the interpretations section, "Airborne receiver A85 grasps a forward pass and in the process of going to the ground, first contacts the ground with his left foot as he falls to the ground inbounds. Immediately upon A85 hitting the ground, the ball comes loose and touches the ground. RULING: Incomplete pass. An airborne receiver must maintain control of the ball while going to the ground in the process of completing a catch."

Even after the replay official shared this with the announcers, they still felt robbed. The Irish didn't need the touchdown in the end, but it would have been nice to do without such obvious bias in the booth.

Game-changing moment

On the final Irish scoring drive, Jimmy Clausen heaved a deep ball toward where Golden Tate was supposed to have been. Tate had stopped his route, but MSU cornerback Chris L. Rucker was positioned to intercept the pass. Instead, the ball slipped through his hands and just five plays later, Tate had scored the winning touchdown. Had Rucker made the play, we would likely be looking at a seventh straight win in South Bend for the Spartans.

The Good

Kirk Cousins

Cousins seems to have a very solid grip on the starting quarterback job after a great performance against the Irish. Yes, he threw the interception that sealed the win for the Irish, but before that he was 23-for-35 with 302 yards and a touchdown. His numbers would have been even better if not for the three dropped passes in the first two Spartan drives.

Mark Dell

In his return from a shoulder injury, Dell dropped the first pass thrown at him, and then caught six for 121 yards, including a 57-yard gain on a simple slant that set up a Spartan score.

The Bad

Notre Dame penalties

One week after penalties cost the Irish dearly against Michigan, they were again undisciplined. Notre Dame was called for 11 penalties, including a pair of late hits and a personal foul late in the game that could have forced the Irish to punt from deep in their own territory.

After Washington's upset of USC, Notre Dame's upcoming schedule just got a lot tougher, so they'll need to clean up the penalties if they hope to improve on last season's total of seven wins.

The Ugly

Missed tackles by Michigan State

In all honesty, this is where the Spartans lost the game. They repeatedly missed chances to wrap up Golden Tate and Armando Allen. Irish drives were frequently extended by missed tackles, and it looks to be another long week of practice for a defensive unit that was already under a lot of fire after losing to Central Michigan.

Helmet Stickers

Kirk Cousins—Enjoyed his first ever 300-yard game, looked like a seasoned veteran instead of a sophomore starting his third game.

Mark Dell/BJ Cunningham/Blair White—White was his usual solid self, with six catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns. Mark Dell turned in a great performance that no doubt made MSU wish he had been able to go last week. And Cunningham, in addition to his seven catches, made a highlight-reel catch on the final drive after a Cousins pass had been deflected by a Notre Dame defender.

Jimmy Clausen—In his third season, it looks like he's finally ready to justify the hype. Playing with a right big toe injury for the entire second half, Clausen led the Irish on several scoring drives and had a lot of success with the deep ball. He's thrown for over 300 yards in every game this season.

Creature Vs. Creature: Why The Spartans Will Keep The Megaphone

Joe G — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:50:44 -0400

For Dan Scofield's take on this game, click here.

Which team will reign supreme on Saturday afternoon? Irish fan Dan Scofield and I go head-to-head analyzing the rivalry matchup between Notre Dame and Michigan State.

The similarities between these two teams are striking. Both entered the 2009 season with high expectations after a marked improvement in 2008. Both enjoyed blowout wins in week one, followed by devastating last-second losses in week two to teams running the spread offense.

In week three, both teams will look to rebound from disappointing losses and get their season back on track. Only one team will come out on top and take home the Megaphone Trophy. Notre Dame leads the all-time series 44-27-1, but Michigan State is 9-3 against the Irish since 1997.

What follows are five reasons why the Spartans will continue their success against the Irish this Saturday.

1. Spartan Stadium South

It's been sixteen years since Notre Dame has been able to beat Michigan State in South Bend, a run of six straight games. No other Irish opponent can match that mark, not even the vaunted USC Trojans. All of their success in Notre Dame Stadium means that Michigan State isn't intimidated by the 80,000 fans, or the history of the Fighting Irish.

Thousands of Spartan fans—as well as the Spartan Marching Band—will be making the short journey to South Bend as they do every time these two meet. This heavy Spartan presence creates an environment that's downright friendly at times. Michigan State loves making this trip, and this year will be no exception.

Remember, a few of the teams that have been part of this six-game streak haven't exactly been world-beaters. John L. Smith's 5-6 team from 2005 has a victory there, as well as his 2003 team, which spent the week prior to the Notre Dame trip losing to Louisiana Tech from the FCS.

Heck, even Bobby Williams, a coach with a reputation among Spartans that's almost as unfavorable as that of John L., managed a win in South Bend.

Maybe Touchdown Jesus is a Spartan at heart.

2. The Spartan Phalanx

Otherwise known as the chief military unit of the ancient Spartan military. A highly-trained, very dangerous defensive force, much like what Mark Dantonio has quietly assembled in East Lansing.

I won't make any attempt to excuse the defensive performance against Central Michigan last week. In fact, I agree with the notion that defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi called a terrible game. But, Charlie Weis has struggled with the Michigan State defense for years now.

In 2007, the last time these teams battled in South Bend, Notre Dame managed just 203 yards of total offense while accumulating only nine first downs. The Irish rushed for 117 yards, averaging only 3.3 yards per carry. Jimmy Clausen wasn't any better, throwing for just 86 yards.

As a brief aside, some might say it's unfair to judge Clausen by a performance during his freshman year. If Matt Barkley, Tate Forcier and Robert Griffin (Baylor, 2008) can be put under the microscope as freshmen, Clausen is fair game as well.

Last season, the Irish rushing game was abysmal against the Spartans. Notre Dame managed just 16 yards on 22 carries, in what I believe was their worst rushing output of all time. The passing game was better, with Clausen throwing for 242. But, the Spartans also forced two interceptions.

Even going back to 2006—the infamous John L. Smith coaching second-half coaching meltdown—you can see a struggling Irish offense. Remember, that Notre Dame team went to a BCS bowl. They began the game with four straight drives ending in a punt—three of those drives were three-and-out. On seven drives, they failed to gain more than five yards. The rushing game also struggled once again, just 47 yards on 17 carries.

3. Key Returns

The Spartans have been without two key offensive contributors to start the season, but both could return to action this Saturday against Notre Dame. Center Joel Nitchman sprained his knee early in the game against Montana State and did not play against Central Michigan. It's possible that he could see limited action against Notre Dame, giving the Spartans a veteran presence on the line that was sorely missed against CMU.

Wide receiver Mark Dell could also see a good amount of playing time against the Irish. He's been out with a nagging shoulder injury so far, but warmed up before the CMU game last week and seems likely to return against Notre Dame. Dell's return would mean that the passing game would no longer have to rely on Keshawn Martin—who has a tendency to drop passes—in his place.

Adding Dell back into the mix would give the Spartans a lot of potency through the air, with Blair White, Dell and B.J. Cunningham working against the Irish secondary. This should be a favorable matchup for the Spartans, as the Irish secondary has surrendered roughly seven yards per passing attempt this season. That number rises to 10.5 yards when you only consider completions.

Dell's return should put a lot of strain on the Irish secondary. He's quick, he's sure-handed, and he's hungry to return to the field.

4. The Narduzzi Rebound

Pat Narduzzi has coached bad games before, but he has a habit of quickly bouncing back and locking down on defense the very next week.

The single worst game of his tenure at Michigan State came in 2007 against Northwestern, a spread offense much like Central Michigan's. In that game, Northwestern racked up 611 yards of total offense, including 520 through the air. Narduzzi was quoted after the game as saying, "We couldn't have stopped East Lansing High School today."

How did he change things the next week against Indiana, another team with a mobile quarterback and spread offense?

The Hoosiers were held to 193 yards of total offense, and coughed up two fumbles. Remember, this Hoosier team put up huge offensive numbers in 2007 and went to a bowl, they weren't your average four or five win Indiana team.They had a very potent receiver in James Hardy, and quarterback Kellen Lewis was always a threat to run.

Yet, against the Spartans just a week after MSU's defense had been a sieve, they couldn't move the ball.

Narduzzi will make the necessary adjustments in the defense after last week's meltdown. He and Dantonio—a secondary specialist—won't let their secondary get burned for a second time in a row. They'll come out with a good game plan against the Irish.

It helps that Notre Dame doesn't run the same scheme as Central Michigan. The Chippewas relied almost entirely on wide receiver screens and short out routes to pick up their yardage. While Notre Dame's receivers are more talented than those of Central, the Irish are, schematically speaking, a more favorable matchup for the Spartans.

5. The Aerial Attack

In 2008, the Spartans passed for an anemic 11 touchdowns on the entire season. Defenses had the luxury of essentially ignoring the passing game while stacking the box to prevent Javon Ringer from running wild.

The 2009 edition of the Spartan offense has a distinctly different feel.

The tandem of Kirk Cousins and Keith Nichol have already thrown for seven touchdown passes. They'll likely eclipse last season's total sometime in the next two weeks, with over half the season remaining. This new-found calm and collected presence in the pocket could throw a wrench into Notre Dame defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta's plans.

Tenuta's passion for blitzing is no secret, but it could leave the Irish secondary out on an island if he gets too aggressive on Saturday. So far, Michigan State's offensive line has only surrendered one sack, so it seems likely that to get pressure, Tenuta would have to bring at least six bodies on the blitz, maybe seven.

Doing so would give the MSU quarterbacks ample opportunity to connect with one of their talented wide receivers, or a member of the excellent stable of tight ends that Mark Dantonio has at his disposal.

What's more, while Irish QB Jimmy Clausen is being praised for his performance under center so far this season, Spartan QB Kirk Cousins is quietly putting together similar numbers.

In shared playing time this season, Cousins is completing 65.7 percent of his passes, compared to 66.7 percent for Clausen. Cousins is averaging 9.91 yards per attempt, compared to 10.85 for Clausen. Cousins' quarterback rating is 186.71, not too far off Clausen's 196.31. Lastly, Cousins is throwing a touchdown every 8.75 attempts, compared to 8.57 for Clausen.

Those numbers confirm what Spartan fans already know—that Cousins offers a very legitimate threat to defenses. While most big-name analysts would say that Clausen is head and shoulders above Cousins, the numbers say that the gap is not that large. This is not an insult to Clausen, but rather a compliment to Cousins, who is playing like a seasoned vet in his first chance at extended action in a game.

Total 90: American Football News For September 16th

Joe G — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:33:32 -0400

There's never a dull moment when Total 90 is involved! We've got retirements, transfers, injury news and Kanye West—no, not really.

Toronto FC striker Danny Dichio, who bears more than a slight resemblance to Beldar from The Coneheads, has officially retired from football with six matches remaining in the MLS season. Dichio had originally intended to retire at the end of the season, but has decided to hang up his boots a little early.

Dichio scored the first goal in Toronto FC history, and has been immortalized in song by the club's fans, who sing in his honor during the 24th minute of every match. No, that isn't a joke; it's a wonderful gesture of devotion by a proud bunch of Canadians.

Just as Toronto says goodbye to a fan favorite, they welcome another. Canadian international Julian De Guzman has signed with the club after spending four seasons in Spain with Deportivo La Coruna.

De Guzman's contract at Deportivo ended on June 30, and Toronto has snapped up the free agent. He and his afro will be eligible to play for Toronto this weekend, pending international clearance.

US international defender and popular target of fan abuse Heath Pearce has signed with FC Dallas. Prior to the move, Pearce had been relegated to the Hansa Rostock reserve squad, and hasn't been able to crack the lineup for any of the US National Team's recent matches.

Darren Huckerby's season in San Jose has ground to an unceremonious halt. He has only made 14 appearances for the club in 2009, and underwent hip surgery last Friday, officially putting an end to his 2009 campaign. The fan favorite might even be done with MLS for good, with his contract up in December and a possible return to Norwich on the books.

We've said it before, and will surely say it again—MLS teams need to turn to young talent from this hemisphere rather than giving aging European players one last shot at trophies.

Jermaine Jones, the Schalke midfielder slated to join the U.S. National Team pool in the near future, has suffered an injury setback. Jones underwent surgery for a shin injury in June, but has continued to feel pain. Schalke's metrosexual manager Felix Magath has announced that player and club will decide on a course of action later this week.

While Jones may be going under the knife soon, a key cog in the US defense is returning from injury. Jay DeMerit, who made a massive impact at the Confederations Cup, will be returning to action in the Coca-Cola Championship for Watford this week. DeMerit picked up an unfortunate groin injury while training for the recent US matches against El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago. Needless to say, he was sorely missed, pun intended.

MLS Stat of the Week

In a desperate, shameless attempt to broaden the appeal of this second-rate football rag, we've decided to pander to the statisticians among us. You're welcome.

This week's stat comes to us from the Los Angeles-Dallas match on September 12th.

Los Angeles 3-6 FC Dallas

There have been 366 matches played in MLS so far this season. During those matches, 474 goals have been scored, for an anemic average of 1.29 goals per match.

Ouch.

This match obliterated that average. The teams combined for nine goals, nearly eight better than the league average. That's a pretty impressive output, and the fans surely appreciated the pyrotechnics.

What's more, this match featured two pairs of goals scored in consecutive minutes. Dallas took a 2-0 lead thanks to a Jeff Cunningham goal in the 25th minute, but LA equalized in the 26th through a Jair Benitez own goal. In the 82nd minute, Dallas went up 4-2 through Atiba Harris, and extended the lead in the 83rd minute thanks to David Ferreira.

Where did this offensive explosion come from?

It's also worth noting that this hasn't been the first goal-fest that Dallas was involved in this season. Earlier in the summer, Total 90 was present at the Dallas-Real Salt Lake match that ended 4-2 after a second half hat-trick by super-sub Yura Movsisyan.

With performances like these, it's no wonder that Dallas is tied for the league lead in goals scored, and has the second-worst defensive record as well.

Michigan State Gift-Wraps a Victory for the Chippewas

Joe G — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 16:47:13 -0400

It was a meltdown the likes of which had not been seen in East Lansing since John L. Smith roamed the sidelines.

Central Michigan had dominated Michigan State's passing defense all afternoon, but the Spartans still led 27-26 after a failed two-point conversion. Even in a game where Michigan State allowed Dan LeFevour to run rampant, amassing 328 yards, the Spartans were still in an excellent position to win the game with just 30 seconds on the clock.

Then, the game went from bad to worse.

With a golden opportunity to recover an onside kick, run out the clock and forget about just how badly they had played, they choked. It was a very well-executed onside kick, but replays show that the Spartans also had a great chance to smother the ball before it took the high bounce into Bryan Anderson's waiting arms.

From there, all the Chippewas had to do was keep tearing apart the MSU secondary like they had for the entire game. They got themselves into field goal range very quickly, and lined up for a 47-yard attempt.

Wide left!

But wait, Michigan State's special teams had let them down for the second time in 30 seconds. Colin Neely jumped offside, negating the missed field goal. Central would have another shot at victory, this time from 42 yards.

Andrew Aguila wasn't going to miss twice. He snuck his attempt just inside the left upright, giving the Chippewas a 29-27 victory in Spartan Stadium.

Grading the units

Defense: F-

This loss has to fall squarely on the shoulders of Pat Narduzzi, Michigan State's defensive coordinator. LeFevour picked the secondary apart all afternoon, but Narduzzi did not make a single adjustment.

Central Michigan made excellent use of short wide receiver screens all afternoon, racking up hundreds of yards after the catch. This play was as effective in the first quarter as it was on the final drive because the Michigan State secondary was giving the CMU receivers a very large cushion on the line of scrimmage, often 10 yards or more.

Once Narduzzi saw that his zone defense was being shredded to pieces by the accurate LeFevour, he needed to make an adjustment but failed to do so. Some bump and run coverage at the line would have likely done a lot to disrupt the CMU receivers' routes and timing, but Narduzzi was all too content to allow Central to continue to take advantage of his pass coverage.

Special teams: F

The special teams were only slightly better on the day than the defense, by virtue of a pair of Brett Swenson field goals. But, when the game was on the line, the special teams came up short.

First, the Spartans neglected to recover an onside kick that would have allowed them to escape with a victory. Again, it took a perfect bounce, but the Spartans could have pounced on the kick well before it reached that point.

Once the kick cleared the first line of defenders, there was nobody but Chippewas waiting to recover the kick. That's a big failure on the part of the kicking team.

The special teams unit blew it again when CMU missed the 47-yard field goal attempt on their final drive. Had Colin Neely not jumped offside, MSU would have escaped by the skin of their teeth.

It's rare that a team gets a second chance to redeem itself after blowing an opportunity to ice the game. It's even rarer that a team will miss a second consecutive opportunity to escape with victory.

Offense: B-

For the second consecutive week, Michigan State got a fantastic game out of Blair White. He followed last week's nine catch effort with seven catches for 105 yards this week. Kirk Cousins found White with a 39-yard reception on the opening drive that set up a one-yard touchdown run by Caulton Ray.

Cousins also found B.J. Cunningham on a 35-yard play during the Spartans' last drive, setting up a Cunningham score to put the Spartans up 27-20. Charlie Gantt chipped in with a touchdown catch of his own as well, continuing the excellent tight end play of the Spartans.

It seems like the Spartans will finally be able to settle on a quarterback after this weekend's game. Keith Nichol didn't exactly play poorly, but he did come up short with a couple of easy passes. Cousins, on the other hand, looked very composed in the backfield and completed passes all over the field with a great deal of accuracy. Right now, it looks like Cousins will give MSU the best chance to win.

While the passing game was a highlight, the running game was anything but. As a team, Michigan State ran for 101 yards on 30 carries, a far cry from the production they received last year from Javon Ringer. The offensive line is struggling to open up holes, and as a result, the running backs have been frequently held to gains of just one or two yards.

The good

The play of Kirk Cousins. A 39-yard strike to Blair White on the opening drive, and a pair of excellent passes to B.J. Cunningham on the Spartans' final scoring drive appear to put him in the driver's seat in the quarterback battle.

The bad

Pat Narduzzi's playcalling. Generally, when a team is carving up your secondary by running the same play on every down, you're expected to make an adjustment to stop that play. Narduzzi neglected to do that, and the Chippewas marched to victory.

The ugly

Bad penalties. MSU was whistled for eight penalties, for a total of 81 yards. More than a few of these calls extended CMU drives, and the last penalty gave CMU the victory. Mark Dantonio prides himself on playing mistake-free football, but this game was anything but.

Game balls

Dan LeFevour, for being the best player on the field by a wide margin.

Blair White, for turning in another fantastic effort and racking up his second consecutive 100-yard receiving game.

Inconsistency and Conservative Play Will Doom Team USA

Joe G — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 01:03:56 -0400

If you bought stock in Team USA's chances at the 2010 World Cup, it's time to sell now before it plunges toward rock bottom.

After reaching new heights during the Confederations Cup, the U.S. Men's National Team and their fans have been brought back down to earth after yet another run of uninspiring performances.

Sadly, this level of play has become commonplace under Bob Bradley.

Yes, the matches against El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago ended in victories for the U.S., shooting them to the top of the CONCACAF qualifying table. But the Americans were perilously close to earning nothing from those two matches. Had that been the case, they would be sitting in fourth place, outside of the guaranteed qualifying spots with just two tricky matches remaining in the cycle.

How can a team that beat Spain just a couple of months ago revert back to such poor form?

Add in equal parts inconsistency and conservative coaching, and you've got a recipe for disaster.

Clint Dempsey has been the most prominent offender when it comes to inconsistency on the pitch. The man who won the Bronze Ball as the third-best player at the Confederations Cup has a nasty tendency to disappear at inopportune times.

Dempsey played a decent match against El Salvador, scoring once and coming close on a couple of other chances. Four days later against Trinidad and Tobago, Dempsey was arguably the most ineffective player on the pitch, something that seemed to affect the rest of his teammates.

At an individual level, we can point out Dempsey's numerous turnovers against Trinidad. He was very careless with the ball, even cavalier and reckless at times. After he scores goals, Dempsey has a tendency to be too lazy with his ball-handling, and that rolled over from the second half of the El Salvador match into the Trinidad match.

If you look at the U.S. midfield as a whole, you can see just how much of an effect Dempsey's play has on the team. The U.S. struggled to maintain possession against Trinidad and at times was dominated in the midfield despite having far superior talent. When one of your best possession players disappears, everybody else tends to follow suit.

The American defense also remains a mystery. Against the Spanish, they were a well-organized, dynamic group who were sure-footed in their clearances and blocked shots. Against much weaker CONCACAF opponents, they were out of sorts. A foolish Jonathan Bornstein defensive error—one of the worst clearances you'll ever see—allowed El Salvador to take a 1-0 lead against the run of play on the American's home turf.

The best teams in the world do not suffer from these defensive lapses. They maintain organization even when under fire.

Even the addition of Oguchi Onyewu against Trinidad did little to stabilize the back line. They were still scrambling to clear the ball too frequently, and were bailed out multiple times by the woodwork and the agility of Tim Howard.

We can use Spain as an example yet again. The Spanish took dozens of shots in that match, but an American body prevented the shots from reaching Tim Howard repeatedly. They managed to keep him safe against one of the most potent midfields in the world, but couldn't do it against CONCACAF minnows.

Bob Bradley's conservative nature means that if the U.S. ever finds itself behind in a match, they will struggle mightily to come back and earn even a draw. Even worse, his willingness to sit back and attempt to soak up pressure means that the U.S. will also struggle to hold onto leads—as they did against Brazil—because they allow their opponents to get numbers forward into the attack.

It's not as if Bradley doesn't have creative, attack-minded options at his disposal. Jose Francisco Torres has been fantastic in very limited action. Benny Feilhaber has got his groove back. Freddy Adu wowed audiences in Beijing, and hasn't been given an honest chance since. Stu Holden is one of, if not the best attacking midfielders in the entire U.S. pool.

Yet, Bradley is reluctant to give these guys extended minutes. Instead of pairing an out-and-out attacker in central midfield with his son Michael, he often prefers to use a defensive midfielder like Ricardo Clark or Pablo Mastroeni.

The younger Bradley is an excellent distributor of the ball, but he is not an attacker. He seems to do his best work in a holding role—he's an excellent tackler, occasionally moving forward into attack if the flow of the match allows. In essence, Bob Bradley is using two defensive-minded players at times when he has paired his son with Clark or Mastroeni.

That is a pairing that should be used late in matches to protect leads, not starting matches when the U.S. needs to bring home three points. If Bradley were to shift to more defensive tactics later in matches, using Michael as a fulcrum to launch counterattacks, the U.S. would be far more successful in establishing and maintaining leads.

There is no good reason—especially in World Cup qualifying—to not attempt to go for three points from the very first minute. Those points are valuable and you have to imagine that an aggressive midfield would help the U.S. win even during those tricky CONCACAF away matches.

Under no circumstances should Trinidad and Tobago ever dominate the U.S. midfield, but that's exactly what happened on Wednesday night thanks to Bradley's conservative tactics. I know Clark scored the match-winner, but he should not have been starting in the first place. By using Holden, Feilhaber or Torres from the outset, the U.S. would have been able to dictate tempo and in all likelihood would have found the back of the net much sooner.

While Bradley's preferred style of play might be good enough to eke out victories in CONCACAF, the U.S. will be sent home early from South Africa unless they actively try to control the match. A defensive shell is not the answer, unless the goal is a second-consecutive first round exit.

US vs. Trinidad and Tobago: A Minute-By-Minute Report

Joe G — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:07:49 -0400

Preamble

Good evening and welcome to tonight's matchup between Team America and the Soca Warriors of Trinidad and Tobago. T&T are hoping to play the spoiler in this match, while the US would love to take home three points and a bucket load of goals in order to move to the top of the CONCACAF hexagonal.

Saturday's match against El Salvador was a nervy one for the United States, as they went behind 1-0 thinks to a glaring Jonathan Bornstein error. Team America was able to snag the victory thanks to the industry of Charlie Davies, Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey, but it should not have been that close.

Naturally, US fans will be hoping that Bornstein will be buried on the bench tonight.

Starting lineups

Team USA! USA! USA!

Howard, Bocanegra, Spector, Onyewu, Bornstein (grrrr...), Donovan, Dempsey, Bradley, Clark, Davies, Altidore

Soca Warriors

Ince, Lawrence, Samuel, Tinto, Bakr, Edwards, Spann, Noel, Leon, Jones Glen

Referee

Joel Aguilar, El Salvador. Great, I'm sure he'll be a competent, partial official...

Prediction

Bornstein makes another terrible mistake, giving T&T a goal. 3-1 to the US.

Anthems

I don't know what sort of music is playing as these teams walk out, but it sounds like something you'd hear in a really cheesy 1980s working out montage. It also appears to have been recorded entirely by synthesizers. I'm at a loss for words here...Alan Parsons Project meets Raffi?

US anthem is up first...and it's being played by a choir of steel drums! This is fantastic! It's a lot more uplifting and interesting than your standard instrumentation.

Trinidad's anthem is also being performed by the same steel drum ensemble. It's so refreshing to see an anthem that accurately reflects Caribbean island culture, instead of the drab, stereotypical marches that you hear everywhere else. I'm already glad that I tuned in.

1 min: Team America kicks off moving right to left in their white/blue away strip. Trinidad defending in red. Jonathan Bornstein has not screwed up yet.

2 min: And Bornstein has screwed up. A poor touch gives Trinidad a throw-in deep in US territory. It's official, he's the new Beasley.

4 min: Charlie Davies is dragged down from behind, about 40 yards from goal. Dempsey decides to take a shot, but it had no chance.

6 min: T&T is actually winning the possession battle right now. Bob Bradley started with a very defensive lineup, which is just unfortunate. The US needs three points right now, not one.

7 min: Kenwyne Jones has a good look from about 20 yards out, but puts it over Tim Howard's crossbar. Howard is already angry with his defense, not a good sign.

8 min: A combination of a poor throw by Bornstein and a poor touch by Davies gives T&T a goal kick.

10 min: Corner kick to the US as Davies tries to cut a ball back into the center. It looked like he had a decent shout for a handball and a penalty there. Donovan on the corner, but it's collected easily by Ince.

11 min: Spector waltzes forward, finding Dempsey on the wing. Dempsey's cross finds only a defender, allowing T&T to break out and counter. Luckily the US defense is up to the task and they keep Howard safe.

13 min: The action is so thrilling, John Harkes and JP Dellacamera are discussing the "triple hops" in Miller Lite. Their commentary is so thrilling that I've hit my mute button.

15 min: Davies earns another corner for the US. He looks perfectly fine after suffering a bit of a knock at the end of Saturday's match.

16 min: A second straight lackluster corner by Donovan allows T&T to break once again. They're caught offsides, and no, it wasn't really close.

17 min: Ten bucks and a hearty handshake to anybody who can tell me why Landon Donovan is back on defense. Hang on a minute, Altidore is busy muscling a defender off the ball and earning a corner for his troubles. Donovan takes it short this time, and somehow earns another corner.

18 min: Donovan's second effort is much better. Ince flaps at it awkwardly, much like a stork going through puberty. Another corner to Team America.

20 min: Davies fires a shot from long range. Not a bad shot, but he had a wide open Donovan making a run through the center. If anything, Davies is a little too selfish sometimes, especially when the US has numbers.

22 min: Edwards desperately tries to get past Spector using a combination of stepovers and headfakes. No dice, Spector isn't moving. Great defense from the West Ham player.

24 min: Jozy Altidore has big hops, but he gets undercut and draws a free kick. Let's not try another 45 yard shot here, okay? Donovan takes it quickly and finds Dempsey on the right. Dempsey immediately loses possession, but luckily Spector bails him out by drawing a yellow card.

25 min: Donovan finds Onyewu on the back post, but his cross was way too hot to handle. Onyewu can't control it, and concedes a goal kick. This is way too sloppy from the Americans.

27 min: Terrible defending by the entire US team, not just Bornstein, allows Cornell Glen to whip in a dangerous cross. Kenwyne Jones gets his head to it, but fires right at Howard. Anywhere else, and the US is probably a goal behind.

29 min: It certainly isn't helping the US defense that their midfield can't seem to hold possession or put any pressure on the Trinidad midfield. And T&T hits the crossbar! The US defense is sleepwalking through this half.

30 min: Free kick on the left wing for Donovan. It gets into traffic in front of goal, but is eventually cleared. Team America retains possession, but can't get a pass into a good area.

32 min: Dempsey appears to have taken a bit of a knock, but perhaps he's just embarrassed by the way he and his teammates have played. T&T go searching for a goal once again, and Cornell Glen nearly latches on to a low cross.

34 min: More atrocious defending by the US as Cornell Glen hits the deck in the box. The US somehow clears for a corner. They have been outplayed by a wide margin so far.

35 min: Bornstein makes another poor decision. He made a great run down the left and had an open shot 18 yards from goal. Rather than take a chance and strike toward goal, he plays a poor cross that results in a turnover. Will somebody please be aggressive?

37 min: A dangerous free kick for Trinidad about 30 yards out on the left wing. Onyewu committed the foul. Noel takes the shot, and Howard dives to the bottom corner to keep the score level. Meanwhile, Paraguay leads Argentina 1-0.

39 min: Donovan takes a shot from 30 yards out. It's wide, but looks to have taken a deflection. That was pretty clear, but the referee—who could see it clearly—denies the US a corner.

40 min: This is a little better from the US. They're attempting to be at least a little more adventurous. The passing needs to get much better in the second half though, and the defense needs to wake up.

42 min: Onyewu commits a cynical foul in a dangerous spot. T&T will have a crack at goal from 25 yards out down the left channel. Howard is shouting at his defense, and hopefully they're listening. It's Noel again, but he curls his shot wide of the post by this much.

44 min: Donovan hoofs a ball 65 yards downfield toward Altidore, but it was hit too hard. Another turnover for the US.

45 min: Noel makes the worst pass I've ever seen, just knocking the ball out for a US throw nowhere near a teammate.

45+1 min: Altidore finds Donovan streaking into the box, and it takes a miraculous save by Ince to keep the score level. Kick save and a beauty. Ince is down injured, with a possible sprained ankle. Either that, or he's faking it. That's the end of an ugly first half.

Halftime analysis

Here's what Bob Bradley is probably telling his team at the half: "Well guys, keep defending. We can be happy with one point against an inferior opponent in a match that we need to win."

Here's what Bob Bradley should be telling his team at the half: "Unless your name is Tim Howard, play better. In fact, if you don't want to be watching the World Cup at home next summer, play better. Be aggressive. We can hit this team on the counter-attack. Bornstein, hit the showers, you're cut."

I can appreciate a club playing for a draw on the road against a difficult opponent—like, Mexico for example. Against Trinidad, who is all but mathematically eliminated from qualification, Team America needs to be going for all three points, because qualification is far from guaranteed right now.

If the US is to come away with a win, they need to pass more accurately and put bodies forward. It wouldn't hurt if Bradley replaced Ricardo Clark with either Benny Feilhaber or Jose Francisco Torres.

46 min: And we're back! ESPN's cameras pan across the stadium to show a lot of empty seats. How is the US not taking advantage of an inferior opponent and sedate environment?

47 min: Another moment for the Jonathan Bornstein highlight reel. Dempsey plays Altidore through with a good cross. The ball trickles out back down the wing, and Bornstein completely misses the ball, instead getting leveled by the T&T defender. Sa-wing and a miss.

50 min: Bradley with an awful pass to Donovan. Well, "to" isn't the right word, "at" works better. Turnover US. Team America gets it back, and some fancy passing outside of the box leads to a good cross by Donovan. He finds Clark, who gets whistled for a foul. That was probably the best moment of the match for the US.

51 min: Clark gets stripped quicker than somebody who shouts "Bomb!" at an airport. Corner kick to Trinidad, and it's cleared away from the goal mouth by Bornstein.

52 min: Altidore breaks down the left wing on a counter-attack, and narrowly misses Davies with a seeing-eye cross.

54 min: Cornell Glen breaks into the US box, and tries to curl a shot into the far post. The shot doesn't curl, and ends up going laughably wide. Meanwhile, Dempsey attempts a failed nutmeg at the other end of the pitch and—surprise—turns it over.

57 min: The US continues to be dominated in midfield. They aren't creating a single meaningful opportunity, and Bradley hasn't looked like making a change, either.

58 min: Onyewu hacks down Kenwyne Jones, free kick to Trinidad 30 yards out. They should have a shot here.

59 min: Edwards takes the shot, no dice. It was well wide.

60 min: Spector finds nobody with a pass toward the middle, another turnover. Good news for the US, Feilhaber and Stu Holden are getting ready to enter the match.

62 min: GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLL!!!! Dempsey lays it off to Donovan on the wing, who centers for Ricardo Clark, who takes a touch and drives it into the back of the net from 25 yards. What a beautiful shot from Clark to give the US a 1-0 lead.

63 min: US Sub: Feilhaber on, Altidore off. Holden didn't enter the match, apparently he was pulled back.

64 min: Edwards takes a shot from an identical position to Clark's effort, but Howard punches clear. There can only be one Highlander.

66 min: Trinidad sub: Daniel on, Tinto off.

67 min: Donovan has caused two Trinidad turnovers in the last 15 seconds. He's still got a great deal of energy left, and he just got over swine flu. What's your excuse, Dempsey?

69 min: Bradley puts a ball through the defense toward Davies, but he's offside by a step. Great idea, and great buildup to that point as well. Momentum has definitely shifted here.

71 min: Donovan made a great run into acres of space, but Davies was just a step too slow in getting to the ball. That should have been 2-0 right there. Still not fantastic football from the US, but it's better. Trinidad sub: Baptiste on, Spann off.

74 min: Only in Trinidad will you hear snippets of calypso music in the stands. Davies takes a very poor shot despite having four teammates running into the box. Remember what I said about him needing to be less selfish?

75 min: Corner kick to Trinidad, but it's easily dealt with. The Soca Warriors helped out by badly mishitting their shots.

77 min: US sub: Ching on, Davies off. It's like Bradley has decided to play with ten men. I'm not a Brian Ching fan.

78 min: Dempsey earns a corner with a deep shot. Ince stretches to make a fingertip save. Good stuff by Dempsey, it's his first contribution in awhile. Donovan hits the side netting with his corner.

80 min: Feilhaber is knocked to the pitch with a picture-perfect shoulder check, but not before finding Donovan running down the wing. Donovan finds Dempsey in the middle, but his header is deflected—by a Trinidad defender—for a goal kick. That's surprisingly tame for a CONCACAF official.

82 min: US sub: Stu Holden on, Dempsey off. He looks exhausted. And he needs a shave. Maybe he's going as a hobo for Halloween and just wants to practice his look.

84 min: Trinidad sub: Scotland on, Noel off.

85 min: It's official, Paraguay has beaten Argentina and booked their tickets to South Africa. The US is still doing a good job with possession. Where was this during the first hour?

87 min: Donovan finds Ching, who plays a cross well behind Holden and too far in front of Donovan. Trinidad counters and earns a corner, which Spector easily clears.

89 min: Donovan nearly makes it 2-0! Holden makes an overlapping run and gets a good ball from Ching. Holden plays the cross perfectly to Donovan's feet, but he puts it just over the crossbar. I wouldn't mind seeing a Holden/Bradley pairing in central midfield.

90 min: Ching makes two foolish plays in a matter of seconds. First, he plays a weak, unexpected backpass to Spector, who takes a heavy tackle making the clearance. Then, Ching neglects to play Landon Donovan through until well after he's gone offside, creating a turnover. Three minutes of stoppage time.

90+2 min: Bradley takes a shot from distance that gets blocked, but the US is maintaining possession deep in Trinidad territory. Another minute, and they've got the three points locked up.

90+3 min: Some fantastic work by Feilhaber/Ching/Holden nearly leads to a second goal for the US. Trinidad was out at sea there.

Full time: That's it for this one. If not for a fantastic effort from Ricardo Clark, the US would be going home with just a single point, and their qualification hopes would be in serious doubt.

Instead, fans will hope that the last two poor performances will galvanize Bradley into playing aggressively in the remaining two qualification matches.

Spartan Saturday Preview: Michigan State Vs. Central Michigan

Joe G — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:35:02 -0400

The Game

Michigan State Spartans (1-0) vs. Central Michigan Chippewas (0-1)
Saturday, September 12, noon Eastern (ESPN2)
Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan

The Breakdown

The opening week of the season could not have been more different for these two teams. Coming off three straight seasons that resulted in a bowl berth, expectations for Central Michigan were running high. This team has an incredible talent at quarterback in Dan LeFevour, and the Chippewas were expected to pull off an upset or two en route to contending for yet another MAC title.

Arizona brought CMU back down to earth with a 19-6 victory last Saturday in Tucson. They dominated the game on the ground and managed to keep LeFevour in check, no small accomplishment.

Michigan State enters Week 2 on the heels of a 44-3 blowout victory over Montana State from the FCS.

While the opposition wasn't particularly glamorous or difficult, it did give head coach Mark Dantonio an opportunity to introduce several new faces to his system.

The new Spartans responded well to their first snaps in a college uniform, but there is still much work to do on both sides of the ball. For now, Michigan State looks to continue their undefeated start to the season as they prepare for a huge clash with Notre Dame in Week 3.

CMU offense vs. MSU defense

Dan LeFevour is a great quarterback. He's thrown for 74 touchdowns and more than 9,500 yards during his college career while passing at a fairly accurate rate. LeFevour is the big reason why CMU was a trendy pick to pull off some upsets in 2009.

The Arizona defense had him in shackles last week. LeFevour was only 18-for-31 through the air for a paltry 108 yards and one interception. The Wildcats were able to limit LeFevour to very short gains through the air, holding CMU without a first down until the very end of the first half.

Unfortunately for the Chippewas, they can probably expect more of the same this weekend.

The Wildcats were so successful because they utilized the quickness and physicality of their defense to upset the Chippewa attack. Michigan State's defense has both of those qualities in spades.

Johnny Adams, Chris L. Rucker, Jeremy Ware, and Roderick Jenrette provide plenty of athleticism in the Spartan secondary and they should be able to shut down the CMU receivers. Up front, Michigan State also has the bodies to put pressure on LeFevour thanks to one of the deepest linebacking corps in the entire country.

You can expect Mr. LeFevour to be very familiar with a certain Greg Jones (14 tackles, 2 sacks in Week 1) by the end of the afternoon.

Central also appears to lack the necessary talent to exploit the weak link in the Spartan defense, the defensive line. While Trevor Anderson is a decent pass rusher and Antonio Jeremiah has the bulk to be a good run-stopping tackle, the line lacks the depth to be a dominant force right now.

But Central's rushing game was even weaker than their passing game in Week 1. They only amassed 74 yards on 20 carries. Expect the Spartan linebackers to aid in stopping the run this weekend.

MSU offense vs. CMU defense

This battle is where the Spartans will expose many of their unknown quantities.

Mark Dantonio is likely to continue his quarterback platoon to help decide on a starter for Week 3. Both Kirk Cousins and Keith Nichol played very well in the opener, but were victimized by no fewer than six dropped passes by the receivers.

The two combined to complete 52 percent of their passes, but that number would have been roughly 71 percent without the drops.

Dropped passes is a problem that has plagued the Spartans for years, and they need to fix that issue in the very near future, before they get into the meat of their schedule. B.J. Cunningham showed some improvement in that area in Week 1, and Blair White had no trouble catching passes, but the rest of the receivers need to get up to speed quickly.

The running game is also filled with new faces for the Spartans, with the top three spots on the depth chart occupied by freshmen. Red-shirt freshman Caulton Ray started in Week 1 and displayed a nice blend of speed and power en route to a healthy 5.9 yards per carry.

Second-stringer Larry Caper added another 4.9 yards per carry while Keith Nichol showed a nice ability to run as well, with four carries for 18 yards.

But, the Spartans will have to deal with the possible absence of veteran center Joel Nitchman. Nitchman sprained his knee at the end of the first half against Montana State and is currently listed as day-to-day. His absence could hurt an already inexperienced offensive line, especially in the running game.

Prediction

Central Michigan is a very good MAC team, but very good MAC teams don't beat very good Big Ten teams. Michigan State just has too many weapons on both sides of the ball and should enjoy an easy victory this Saturday.

Michigan State 38, Central Michigan 14

Total 90: American Football News for Sept. 6

Joe G — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 22:09:17 -0400

After a brief absence due to the start of the various European leagues, as well as college football, Total 90 is back with more news and commentary than you can stomach.

First, we travel to Washington, where the Seattle Sounders captured the US Open Cup with a 2-1 victory over DC United. Fredy Montero and Roger Levesque tallied goals for Seattle as the Sounders took home the first trophy in club history. The best fans in MLS have been rewarded for selling out Qwest Field all season with a big, shiny trophy and some medals.

Moving on, we've got to tackle the standard American transfer rumors. Pint-sized Chicago Fire forward Chris Rolfe looks to be on his way out of MLS in January. He'll be hanging out on the shores of the Limfjord, playing in Denmark's fourth-largest city for Aalborg BK.

Rolfe, who is just over 5'6", figures to resemble a hobbit in a land filled with tall Scandinavians.

Freddy Adu is on the move once again, this time to Portuguese club Belenenses on a season-long loan. A proposed move to Odense BK fell through earlier in the summer when the Danes were unwilling to pay Adu's salary, so now he'll have the chance to perform in Portugal and possibly exact a measure of revenge on Benfica for not being able to include him in their plans.

My money is on Benfica to unload Adu permanently sooner rather than later. He's only appeared in 11 games for the club since his original move in 2007 and the current coaching staff doesn't seem to be that interested in his services.

A pair of American teenagers are moving to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. The Bundesliga club has secured the services of Joseph Gyau and Charles Renken. The pair of US U-17 standouts had offers from major European clubs, including Chelsea and Bayern Munich, but opted to move to Hoffenheim because the club offered an excellent plan for their development.

Gyau and Renken will begin their new careers first with a residency at the Vancouver Whitecaps academy, and then make the move to Germany starting in 2010. The teenagers are gifted attackers and could make a bigger impact abroad than any previous American.

American football fans may soon have a breakaway league to enjoy, a direct competitor to MLS. The United Soccer Leagues (USL), which were originally owned by Nike but sold to a new consortium last week, faces a dispute with some of their largest clubs. These clubs made a bid to purchase the league themselves but were turned down. The eight teams in this group released a statement that mentioned a "commitment to achieving a team-owner controlled league."

This is not necessarily a bad thing for the Beautiful Game in the U.S. If these breakaway clubs can mount a reasonable challenge to MLS, both leagues will be forced to step their game up and improve their product. In that situation, the fans will walk away as winners.

Be sure to tune into ESPN Classic this Wednesday night at 6 p.m. ET as the United States takes on Trinidad and Tobago in World Cup qualifying action.

Sources: Goal.com, ESPNSoccernet, Soccer365, Majorleaguesoccertalk.com.

Sparty On: Michigan State Opens Season With Rout Of Montana State

Joe G — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 14:05:49 -0400

Yesterday was indeed a beautiful day for football, the perfect way to open the 2009 college season.

After days of unseasonably cool and rainy weather, the sun shone down on East Lansing as Michigan State prepared to open their 2009 campaign.

It was a special day, memorable for the football, and my first game in Spartan Stadium as a proud alum.

After a tailgate—during which I could barely contain my excitement over the upcoming game—I made my way down to Adams Field to take in the spectacle of the real Best Damn Band in the Land.

After joining my fellow Spartans in a rousing rendition of the fight song, the band was off on their weekly march to the stadium, their first one of the year. Cross the Red Cedar River with a perfectly in-time high step and horn swing, hang a left at Sparty, and you're there.

Spartan Stadium, football heaven for followers of the Gospel of Mark Dantonio.

This was by no means a titanic season-opening clash. It lacked the sexiness of Alabama versus Virginia Tech, and didn't have the BCS-busting implications of Oregon against Boise State. It was important for other reasons, though—it gave the Spartan faithful their first glimpse at the new-look Green and White.

They did not fail to deliver.

Kirk Cousins, the young quarterback out of Holland, Michigan tasked with starting the opener, showed some nerves at the start. He soon settled down and began delivering accurate throws all over the field, connecting with B.J. Cunningham on a 29-yard touchdown pass with 8:24 left in the first quarter.

The Spartans would strike again just six seconds into the second quarter, with Blair White the beneficiary of Cousins' arm this time. Two quick touchdowns and a defense that wasn't budging, the 1-AA Bobcats never stood a chance.

After Cousins' early performance, the other half of the quarterback battle was given a chance to deliver. Keith Nichol, the transfer from Oklahoma, got straight to work. He delivered a pair of touchdowns to a pair of tight ends, Dion Sims and Brian Linthicum. The Spartan air attack was looking good, and nobody was lamenting the loss of Brian Hoyer any longer.

In the second half, MSU took their foot off the gas, electing to try and work in some running backs who were fairly low on the depth chart. Glenn Winston, A.J. Jimmerson, and Ashton Leggett all made appearances as Dantonio slowed the game down to avoid making the blowout worse.

The change in tempo meant that Brett Swenson would have a couple of chances to convert field goals, and he picked up where he left off in 2008, with two accurate kicks from 45 and 37 yards. The Spartans relied heavily on Swenson's leg last season, and it looks like they will be able to do the same in 2009. He's a great kicker who is not fazed by pressure at all.

Montana State was done well before halftime, as was expected. The Bobcats were an outmatched FCS team that merely provided a chance for the Spartan newcomers to stretch their legs.

Fans were treated to one moment of drama late in the game, however. With the score 41-3 in favor of Michigan State, redshirt freshman kicker Dan Conroy stepped up to attempt a 43-yard field goal. A Bobcat defender managed to get a slight touch on the kick as it traveled toward the uprights, and those still left in the stadium gasped as the kick hit the crossbar and bounced through. That would be the final score of the game as the Spartans took home a 44-3 victory on opening day.

Grading the units

Offense: B+

Kirk Cousins and Keith Nichol both looked capable of leading this team to a third consecutive bowl game. Their throws were mostly accurate, and the passing attack accounted for all five touchdowns.

Fans may lament the lack of a rushing touchdown, but Montana State made a commitment to stopping the run, allowing the Spartans to air it out. Caulton Ray and Larry Caper had very healthy YPC numbers, and those figure to stay good once opponents realize that they have to prepare for both the run and pass this season.

Defense: A-

Greg Jones was his usual dominant self, with 14 tackles and two sacks. The Spartan defense surrendered only 12 first downs, and held Montana State to 2.2 yards per carry. But, the defense also gave up a few big plays during the lone Bobcat scoring drive, and there were a few missed tackles due to players forgetting to wrap up.

Special teams: A

The Spartans were three-for-three on field goals. Keshawn Martin had some very nice punt returns, including a long return of 26 yards. And, the punt unit also blocked a kick, leading to a Michigan State score. Punter Aaron Bates was only called into service twice on the afternoon, averaging a very impressing 57 yards per kick.

The good

With so many new faces in key positions, many people thought that the Spartans would struggle in 2009. While we can't pass judgment on an entire season before Labor Day, it does look like many of those concerns were blown way out of proportion.

Both quarterbacks showed good decision-making capabilities, and made big plays—Cousins with his arm and Nichol with his feet. Dantonio's team will be in good shape regardless of who wins the quarterback position.

The Spartans also have to replace Javon Ringer, the most productive part of their offense in 2008. To open the season, freshmen Caulton Ray (RS), Edwin Baker, and Larry Caper were platooned at the position. Ray and Caper showed excellent speed and evasiveness, registering 5.9 and 4.9 yards per carry, respectively. Baker showed that he could have the power to run between the tackles, setting the Spartans up for a "Thunder and Lightning" platoon like they enjoyed in 2007 with Ringer and Jehuu Caulcrick.

The bad

Another year, more dropped passes. The box score will tell you that Kirk Cousins and Keith Nichol combined to go 19-for-35 through the air. Television replays will show you that Spartan receivers are once again being plagued by a case of the drops.

Last year, drops were a constant companion during games. B.J. Cunningham dropped an easy touchdown catch against Wisconsin that nearly ended up costing Michigan State the game. Thank goodness Brett Swenson's foot is better than the receiving corps' hands.

Yesterday, balls were frequently bouncing harmlessly off the hands of Spartan receivers. The only guy who seemed to be sure-handed each time he was thrown to was Blair White, who caught two touchdown passes. These kind of mistakes aren't going to cost you a game against Montana State, but the schedule gets a lot tougher very quickly. The receiving corps need to eliminate drops now before it's too late.

The ugly

Center Joel Nitchman appeared to have injured his knee early in the game, and did not return. According to reports from the MSU post-game show, it's being diagnosed as a grade two MCL sprain. Nitchman will likely miss next week's clash against Central Michigan, and could be doubtful for the big trip to South Bend that follows.

Nitchman is a key veteran on an offensive line that is still growing. He was named to the preseason Rimington Award watch list, and losing him could destabilize a very young rushing attack.

Game balls

Greg Jones, for his 14 tackles—including two sacks—and constant presence in or around the Montana State backfield.

The tight ends, for their combined six receptions, 73 yards and two touchdowns.

Blair White, for his nine-catch, 162 yard, two touchdown performance.

US Vs. El Salvador: A Minute-By-Minute Report

Joe G — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 22:04:07 -0400

Preamble: Good evening, and welcome to another exciting round of World Cup Qualifying. Tonight's match between Team America and El Salvador comes to you from the crown jewel of MLS stadia, Real Salt Lake's gorgeous Rio Tinto.

Team America currently occupies unfamiliar territory, sitting in third place in the CONCACAF standings with qualification by no means a sure thing. This had led many fans to wonder, "Just how will Bob Bradley screw up in this match?"

My money is on Bradley to continue to ignore Jonathan Spector.

Spector showed the world that he was one of the USA's best defensive options—the other being Oguchi Onyewu—during the Confederations Cup, and was rewarded by being ignored by Bradley in last month's match in Mexico City.

Speaking of Onyewu, he's out for tonight's match due to yellow card accumulation.

His replacement, Jay DeMerit, is listed as day-to-day with a groin injury. Expect to see a lot of Carlos Bocanegra in this one, and some Steve Cherundolo.

As for Bradley, he needs to coach each match from here until South Africa as if his job depends on it. If Team America somehow misses out on the World Cup, he will be fired.

A poor showing in South Africa could also see Bradley joining the unemployment line.

If Bradley would like Sunil Gulati to continue to sign his paychecks, he needs to put out an aggressive side and attack.

Starting lineups

Team USA! USA! USA!

Howard, Spector (hooray!), Marshall, Bocanegra, Bornstein, Dempsey, Donovan, Feilhaber, Bradley, Davies, Altidore (double hooray!)

El Salvador

Montes, Henriquez, Umanzor, Flores, Gonzalez, Salazar, Alvarez (an American), Quintanilla, Castillo, Sanchez, Zelaya

Referee

Jose Pineda, from Honduras. Great, from CONCACAF. I'm sure he's really good at his job.

Prediction: Davies and Altidore mean that the Americans will have plenty of bite in attack. Team America defeats EL Salvador, 4-1 .

Anthems: I always enjoy listening to other national anthems. The El Salvadorian anthem sounds like it should be played at a horse race. Lots of people singing along, should we be worried? Is there a big Salvadorian population hiding among the Mormons in Salt Lake City?

The U.S. anthem...it's one of the most unsingable anthems in the world, and the fans are rushing through it.

Let's get to the football!

1 min

Team America kicks off, wearing their white home stripe. El Salvador in blue.

2 min

A very early corner kick for the US. Donovan takes it, but Montes comes out to collect.

A good sign for the Americans.

4 min

Montes collects another Donovan cross, and boots it out for a US throw.

How kind of him.

So far, the US is enjoying all of the possession.

6 min

A dive from El Salvador leads to a set piece 40 yards out.

It's almost touched by Zalaya right in front of Howard.

Instead, goal kick.

7 min

Bornstein just gave the ball away with the worst touch I've ever seen.

Meanwhile, Chad Marshall is called for offensive pass interference despite the fact that he was wrapped up in a huge bear hug by Sanchez.

Can we please not use CONCACAF referees for anything, ever?

9 min

DAVIES! He latches onto a through-ball into the box, at a tough angle.

He fires his shot low, and off the post.

The US controls the rebound and Donovan draws a foul just outside the box, 20 yards or so from goal.

11 min

After some shoving in the box, Donovan finally puts his cross into the box.

It's low, and off an ankle.

Could've taken a shot at goal there, except the Salvadoran wall had crept up to within four feet of Donovan.

14 min: We've got a bit of pinball on the pitch, until Bradley controls the ball and finds Spector making a run down the right. Spector suffers from some serious indecision, and hangs on to the ball for a little too long.

15 min

We've got our first ridiculously puzzling refereeing decision of the night.

Dempsey is fouled, and the whistle is blown. But, in the brief time between the foul and whistle, Dempsey was called for a foul, and the ball is given to El Salvador.

16 min

None of that matters. T

he US won a corner kick, but young Jozy Altidore failed to make the trap at the far post.

Goal kick El Salvador.

18 min

Free kick to the Salvador as they enjoy their first extended spell of possession.

Davies came in on a tackle from behind.

He avoids a card, but this could be dangerous. Good news, El Salvador is terrible on set pieces.

20 min

Bradley tries his luck from about 30 yards out.

It's a decent effort, but not on target.

I like the early aggression from the US.

21 min

Dempsey with one of the worst passes I've ever seen in international football.

It was 10 yards away from anybody.

Throw-in for El Salvador.

25 min

This team misses Onyewu and DeMerit.

The defense is not organized at all, and Tim Howard slays a defender in front of his teammates as a warning.

26 min

See 21 min, replace "Dempsey" with "Bornstein."

28 min

Some nifty footwork by Davies frees him up to put in a cross to Dempsey.

Deuce's shot is just wide, but that was the best move of the match so far.

Please sir, I want some more.

29 min

Free kick for the U.S., 40 yards out on the left wing.

Donovan to work his magic, and, by that, I mean whip it into the wall/a defender.

Nope, it found Bocanegra's head, but he couldn't do anything with it.

Michael Bradley was wanting it, and probably would have scored.

Good ball, Landon.

31 min

See 26 min.

32 min

GOOOOOAAAALLL!

Castillo puts El Salvador up 1-0 with a header that completely wrong-foots Howard.

If I'm being totally honest, that was Bornstein's fault.

His "clearance" fell right to Zalaya, who had loads of space.

It was a simple matter for him to put the cross in.

34 min

Howard makes a great save as his defense collapses like a flan in the cupboard.

He's blowing a gasket right now.

This would be funny if it weren't so sad.

35 min

DAVIES! El Salvador gets caught napping, and Davies nearly makes them pay.

He pokes his shot past Montes, but also past the post by this much.

Montes decides to feign injury.

He must have been stabbed by a blade of grass. Shouldn't this be a yellow card?

38 min

Spector trying to get forward and create something.

He earns a throw-in, then Marshall earns a free kick. Not bad.

39 min

Dempsey fails to finish, somehow.

Spector puts in a great cross, which finds Dempsey's forehead eight yards out.

Dempsey, rather than putting a shot on target, fires directly into the ground, and the ball bounces over the bar.

40 min

Davies with his third great chance!

Montes came off his line, but Davies beat him to the ball and slid a shot toward goal.

A Salvadoran defender was there to clear off the line.

That really should have been 1-1.

41 min

Another US set piece after an El Salvador handball.

Donovan steps up once again...GOOOOOOAAAAALLLLL!!!!

This time, Dempsey doesn't miss. He puts his diving header past a helpless Montes, and it's 1-1.

Great service, great goal.

The replay shows that Dempsey was the only US player onsides during that set piece.

44 min

Quintanilla lines up a long shot, but Marshall thankfully decides to put his body in front of it.

45 min

Dempsey channels his inner Brazilian, with a rabona to Bradley.

Bradley finds Davies, who runs at the end line and attempts to cut a pass back to the center.

El Salvador clears, but the US is creating chances at will right now.

45+1 min

A great cross by Spector finds Altidore, who earns a corner. It's cleared for another corner, which comes to nothing.

45+2 min

GOOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLL!!!

Yet another superb cross from Donovan finds Altidore, who places his header in the same spot as Dempsey.

2-1 to Team America, and Jozy and Davies dance seductively in the corner.

Halftime analysis

Team America's play in the last five minutes begs the question—why couldn't they just play like this all the time?

They've dominated the match the entire time, and El Salvador's only goal came on a terrible defensive lapse by Jonathan "DaMarcus Beasley" Bornstein.

Donovan and Davies have been the two best players on the pitch tonight, with Spector right behind them.

The last several times I've seen Spector play, he's been brilliant.

What does he have to do to become Bradley's first choice?

My buddy Adam has a theory with regards to Spector, "Maybe he accidentally ran over Bradley's dog with a steamroller." That would explain it.

Meanwhile, Brazil is leading Argentina 2-0. That match could be potentially awful for CONCACAF. If Argentina slips up any more, they'll be playing off against the 4th-place CONCACAF team for a ticket to South Africa.

Bob, I hope you're listening.

46 min

And we're back!

Can The Salvador regain their footing, or was the barrage at the end of the half too much?

47 min

Donovan launches a ferocious shot from 30 yards out, and doesn't miss by much.

He had acres of space.

50 min

Spector getting forward again, but his cross goes out for a goal kick.

El Salvador sub: Alvarez off, Romero on.

53 min

Another cross from Spector finds Altidore, but the US pulls back for some reason.

54 min

The US is firing from distance.

This time, it's Bradley shooting just over the bar.

56 min

As per usual for CONCACAF opponents, Zalaya flops like a dead fish in the box, hoping to draw a penalty.

No dice.

58 min

GOOOOAAAA...no, wait.

Our esteemed referee has pulled back a clean Altidore strike for offsides.

Replay shows that Jozy was onside by at least a yard.

Terrible, terrible officiating.

Pineda made the offside call despite no flag from the assistant. See why I keep railing against CONCACAF refs?

61 min

Apparently, Pineda whistled Dempsey for a foul as he was feeding Jozy with the beautiful through-ball.

Replay reveals that Pineda is, in fact, a moron.

While I'm writing that sentence, El Salvador gets away with a deliberate handball. Fix!

63 min

Bradley turns it over in a bad spot, and The Salvador are very unlucky not to equalize.

Of course, it should be 3-1.

Meanwhile, Altidore is called for a dive as he is hacked down.

Aren't you supposed to get calls at home?

65 min

Dempsey on a breakaway! Aaaaand, he puts his shot right into Montes' stomach. T

hat was very, very poor.

Go for a chip, anything but straight into the keeper.

66 min

Some nice work from Altidore and Spector leads to nothing.

Sigh...this is not polished stuff from the US.

69 min

Dempsey, Feilhaber and Bradley engage in some great passing, and earn a throw.

It was a brief moment of Arsenal-esque ball movement.

Then they lose possession, very unlike Arsenal.

71 min

Davies is hurt.

He went down in the box, and it looked like he might have jammed his knees into the turf a little hard.

He's limping badly, and will be done.

Stu Holden is coming on, and we could see Dempsey move up front.

74 min

Jozy is called for offsides, and he heartily disagree.

I'd like to take this opportunity to admit that I have a man-crush on Stu Holden.

75 min

The Salvador sub: Corrales on, Quintanilla off.

76 min

Good news on Davies—it's not the knee, just a bruise on the outside of his calf.

He's hopeful about playing on Wednesday.

78 min

Kyle Beckerman's dreadlocks are preparing to enter the match.

80 min

Beckerman on, Feilhaber off.

The Real Salt Lake fans give Beckerman a nice ovation.

Zalaya is booked for throwing a tantrum like a four-year old who's had his favorite toy stolen.

81 min

A dangerous moment for the US as they struggle to clear an El Salvador cross. The Salvador (yes, I'm doing that on purpose) might have been dominated for the first 80 minutes, but you can't fall asleep on a counterattack.

83 min

The US is just trying to play keep-away when really, they'd be better served by attacking some more and keeping The Salvador on their heels.

84 min

Team America sub: Jose Francisco Torres on, Altidore off. Great match for Altidore.

85 min

Stu Holden does a great job of clearing a corner.

Hopefully Bornstein was watching.

Meanwhile, Argentina have pulled one back. It's 2-1 in the 65th minute in Rosario.

87 min

Howard comes up with a great save from close range on Reyes—who was probably offsides, but we'll ignore that.

That preserved the lead.

89 min

See 26 min. Replace "Bornstein" with "Beckerman."

90 min

Out of nowhere, Holden launches a great cross into the box. Torres gets a head to it, and only a spectacular save from Montes keeps it from being a 3-1 match.

Dempsey tries to volley the rebound home, but it's just wide. He's a special player, Holden.

90+1 min

It's now 3-1 to Brazil, that looks to be over.

It's frenzied football in Salt Lake.

The Salvador are desperate.

90+3 min

Panicked, terrible clearances for the US as Bocanegra is scythed down in the box. That should be it, the US hangs on for a gritty 2-1 victory.

Full time

Yeah, the US got the three points they needed, but it was alternately great football and sloppy play.

They need to clean up their act on Wednesday against Trinidad and Tobago, and maintain a high level of play until they can book their tickets to South Africa.

Are They Mad? John Terry, Sir Alex Weigh In On Divers

Joe G — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:08:13 -0400

Eduardo-gate keeps gaining steam in its quest to become the most surreal and farcical incident ever to be dealt with by UEFA.

First, we had UEFA handing out an unprecedented two-match band to the Arsenal striker, a massive increase in gravity from the standard yellow card he would have received had he been punished during the match.

Just days later, Arsenal was a cruel victim of karma as Wayne Rooney went down under the strong challenge of, well, nobody. Last time I checked, there was no UEFA investigation into that matter, even though slow-motion replays clearly show that Rooney was on his way down before any contact.

Now, we're treated to the expert opinions of John Terry and Sir Alex Ferguson. These two gentlemen apparently felt that their own anti-diving stances needed to be added to the discussion, despite the fact that several of Terry's England teammates are known offenders, as well as a few players on the books at Old Trafford.

People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

I'll start with Ferguson, because his comments actually contained some truth.

In a conference of coaches organized by UEFA, Ferguson stated, "Something should be done and we hope the message gets across."

A valid opinion, certainly. The vast majority of people involved in football, from the fans to the managers to most of the players, seem to agree that diving only hurts the game and should be eradicated.

Shortly after that statement, Ferguson dives off the deep end.

"I would not criticise one of my own players publicly. When you make public criticism of your players, you damage morale. Your job is to keep [the dressing room] solid."

I'd wager that most non-Manchester United fans find it very difficult to believe that Ferguson ever reprimanded Rooney or Ronaldo after one of their spectacular diving exhibitions.

In fact, I'd wager that dressing-room discussions about diving are more of the "don't get caught" variety rather than "don't do it again." Football managers are quite adroit at becoming temporarily blinded when one of their own is busy doing their best Greg Lougainis impression. What's to say that this indifference doesn't extend to the dressing room?

With all of the video evidence against United's players, Sir Alex would make a more meaningful contribution to the debate if he just stayed quiet.

This brings us to John Terry, who deserves some sort of recognition for his ignorant statements.

At a press conference during England's preparations for their next round of World Cup Qualifiers, Terry asserted that English players don't dive, and their reluctance to simulate hurts them on the international stage.

I'll give you all a moment to pick your jaws off the floor.

Sadly, it's true. Terry had the audacity to publicly claim that English players are too honest to dive.

"I can speak about the England lads and I think it is something we don't do," said Terry. "I think we're too honest, sometimes even in the Premier League you see the English lads get a bit of contact and stay on their feet and try and score from the chance they have been given.

"I think sometimes that honesty goes against us. I think sometimes as a country we're too honest. I think the Eduardo one was a dive and we can all see that and it is disappointing to see because Arsenal are a quality side and I don't think they want to be portrayed like that."

As a country, England is too honest? Just a few minutes of searching will reveal quite the opposite. England harbors some of the most notorious divers in Europe.

We've already covered Rooney, but that still leaves Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, and Joe Cole as known divers. Terry should be plenty familiar with the antics of Lampard and Cole, because he's been able to witness them taking dives for both club and country.

For exhibit one, I'd like to present Frank Lampard's tidy effort in the FA Cup Final against Everton. Thankfully, he was booked for his troubles, but it certainly doesn't help Terry's case.

Take a look at Joe Cole in action here. Spectacular, and shameful. That looks to be anything but honest play, Mr. Terry.

And then we come to Steven Gerrard. Not only is Gerrard a frequent diver, he speaks out against diving as well. The video evidence would suggest that Mr. Gerrard is a hypocrite. And, unfortunately for the credibility of Terry's statement, Gerrard is also an Englishman.

Despite the evidence against his statements, perhaps we should give Terry the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he's just trying to get the rest of the world to embrace the dive-free fantasyland that he's created in his own mind. Let's see what he said later in the press conference...

"As Chelsea first came into the Champions League and the UEFA Cup, I think we had to adapt, because in the last minute of games we were giving away silly fouls that weren't [fouls]. I think we have to adapt to the game and if the rules are there and the referees are giving them fouls we have to play along with that as well.

"I think that is how we play, if there is a foul or a touch and you're through on goal you go down. If you stay on your feet and [the referee] realises you don't get a full contact on the shot after that, it is for the referee to decide."

Stop me if I'm wrong, but that seems like Terry is encouraging diving. He's using the classic "everybody does it" defense, and telling his England teammates that they, too, must flop around on the pitch like a wounded deer if they hope to compete.

If his first statements didn't completely incinerate his credibility, surely those have done the job. Should we accept diving if it makes our national team more competitive?

Suddenly, this article by Mary becomes even more serious.

Diving is definitely a serious issue, one of the ugliest parts of modern football. We should be taking steps to eradicate it, not encourage it. Hopefully John Terry will realize that his statements are only adding to the problem.

UEFA Has Made Their Bed and Now Must Lie In It

Joe G — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:38:58 -0400

Ladies and gentlemen, the Eduardo Rules are now in full effect.

In handing down a two-match European ban to Arsenal striker Eduardo, UEFA have created the standard by which all future diving must be judged.

There can no longer be a gray area. If you dive to earn an advantage for your club, then prepare to take a mandatory vacation to reflect on your sins.

I spoke out about this situation earlier in the week, and I'm still struggling to come to terms with what I see as nothing more than a one-off witch hunt by UEFA.

There are legitimately serious doubts about UEFA's ability to choose a course of action and stick with it. Remember the "Respect" campaign? You can still witness players in every match lining up to launch some nasty tirade at an official who has made an unfavorable decision.

Michael Ballack was hit with a laughably short ban after his childish antics in last year's Champions League.

Players still feel comfortable treating officials poorly because they have no fear of serious repercussions. I worry the same will happen with their latest actions against diving.

Arsene Wenger was right when he said that UEFA were opening a Pandora's box with this decision. Ugly stuff could be on the horizon, with big, nasty, pointy teeth.

UEFA have set the precedent, and now they must abide by it or they will likely be hit with accusations of bias and discrimination. It certainly doesn't help matters when Eduardo is not British, and fans for years have witnessed British divers not only avoid consequences, but be treated as heroes by the media.

What happens in the future when UEFA neglects to punish somebody who dives to earn a penalty?

In today's game, it's certainly not a matter of "if," but '"when." If said player doesn't receive an equal punishment, could that be considered legitimate grounds for legal action?

In the lawsuit-happy land of America, UEFA would have aggrieved Arsenal fans beating down their doors with pitchforks and torches. Given the passion that this whole incident has aroused in football fans, it's not that far-fetched.

We all agree that something should be done to stamp out diving, but this isn't the greatest course of action. Plenty of UEFA's campaigns over the years end up like a cheap, shiny toy given to a young child on Christmas—it holds their attention for a short period of time before it's discarded and starts gathering dust in a closet.

Players are still disrespecting referees and you can still hear racist chants in the stands at many stadia across Europe. I don't think this latest crusade against diving will end up any differently.

Sure, we might see a drop in infractions for now, but as soon as a few players start diving successfully without punishment, it will be right back in the game.

A better solution must be offered, and it's such common sense that we really shouldn't be surprised that it hasn't yet been implemented.

Get better referees. Now.

Better officials on the pitch would go a long way toward placating angry fans and players alike. Replace Tom Hennig Ovrebo with a competent human being, and the ugly incidents of incompetent officiating would not have marred that match.

Replace Jorge Larrionda with a man who knows the laws of the game, and U.S. fans would not have felt so miserable after their match against Italy in 2006.

There's no need to deeply examine Mike Riley and the long list of complaints that travels with him.

Fixing the referees seems to be a more proactive manner of attacking the problem. If UEFA can start hiring and training officials that will actually discipline diving on the pitch, during a match, it will save us all from complaining when inevitably, a player on our own team is sent to the stands for a couple of matches.

UEFA's Hypocrisy in the Eduardo Saga Is Disgusting

Joe G — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:06:46 -0400

Aside from the infamous 'Hand of God' goal, never has a split-second of football that has been put under the proverbial microscope like this. And in all my years, never can I remember a situation being mishandled to such an extreme degree.

Even as an Arsenal fan, I have to say that upon review of the video evidence, Eduardo seemed to go down with minimal—if any—contact on the part of Artur Boruc. That much we can all agree on.

But the press and UEFA have deemed this one incident—in isolated incident for Eduardo—worthy of needless condemnation and disciplinary hearings. The Croatian is set to learn his fate tomorrow, when UEFA decides if his actions are worthy of a two-match ban.

That, my friends, is where UEFA has gone too far.

Yes, Eduardo was guilty of going down far too easily in drawing the penalty against Celtic.

No, it did not change the outcome of the two-legged tie against Celtic, nor did it change the eventual outcome of even the second leg. It was not the earth-shattering, game changing moment that UEFA and the pundits would have us believe.

It's disgusting that UEFA is even giving this five minutes of thought. Why choose this moment to speak out about diving rather than the dozens of incidents in past years that arguably had a greater effect on the outcome of a match?

If UEFA is determined to throw the book at Eduardo and retroactively punish him for his actions, then consistent treatment is needed for all participants in these competitions. You can't make an example out of one player and let the rest slide by.

While their intent may be to discourage any future incidents, other players are just going to look at the percentages and decide that the odds are on their side and continue diving regardless.

If Eduardo is forced to sit out a couple of matches because of some bloodthirsty UEFA suits, then we should reasonably expect all divers—past and present—to be handed a similar ban for their actions.

I'll even help UEFA with their future investigations. There's a lengthy list of known divers from which to choose. We can go after Cristiano Ronaldo, Drogba, Robben, or even Steven Gerrard.

Yes, England's Golden Child is guilty of some pretty heinous dives. Ask Atletico Madrid fans how they felt after Gerrard flung himself recklessly into one of their defenders—himself committing a foul in the eyes of most impartial observers—and drew a penalty for his troubles.

If that isn't enough to convince you, ask AC Milan fans about that final. Gerrard's dive (at 35 seconds in this clip) led to a penalty that undoubtedly changed momentum, and eventually the outcome, of the match.

By the newly-formed Eduardo Standard, Gerrard should be facing a four-match ban.

I'm willing to bet that most fans would disagree with that argument, but it's no less ridiculous than what is happening to Eduardo right now. The match official made an honest mistake and missed the infringement, so UEFA is seeking to retroactively punish the striker.

There is no statute of limitations governing the punishment of divers, so it's time for UEFA to go back through their video archives and start doling out the punishment.

Either that, or end the hypocrisy all together and allow Eduardo to play.

Arsenal-Celtic Champions League Qualifier: A Minute-by-Minute Report

Joe G — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:36:46 -0400

Preamble

Good evening and welcome to the second leg of the Champions League qualifier between Arsenal and Celtic. The Gunners hold a two-goal lead after dominating the first leg in Scotland and will probably rest most of their starters today in anticipation of the big weekend clash against Manchester United.

Celtic, meanwhile, will be trying to salvage whatever they can from this tie. A consolation goal, fancy new suits from Oxford Street, tickets to a play on the West End...there are pretty long odds on Celtic to make a comeback here. It's not impossible, but it's highly unlikely.

Prediction

It looked painfully easy for Arsenal last week, and I'm expecting more of the same. Even if they rest their regulars, it should be another Arsenal win.

Arsenal 3-1 Celtic.

Starting Lineups

Arsenal

Almunia, Gallas, Eboue, Sagna, Clichy, Vermaelen, Song, Diaby, Denilson, Eduardo, Bendtner

Celtic

Boruc, Caldwell, Hinkel, Loovens, Fox, Donati, Brown, McGeady, Maloney, McDonald, Fortune

Referee

Manuel Mejuto Gonzalez (Spain)

Pre-Match Formalities

Celtic's away strip is absolutely garish. Day-glo yellow and black? I'm watching this in high-def, and I think my eyeballs just started bleeding. It burns, it burns!

Wenger is going with a 4-3-3, Diaby out wide on the left in Arshavin's usual place. Perhaps he's being rewarded for a great showing against Portsmouth on the weekend.

Tony Mowbray is going with a 4-4-2 with Fortune and McDonald up front. Will they test the Arsenal defense?

1 min: Arsenal kick off in their classic red and white home strip. Celtic, resembling radioactive bumblebees, defending.

2 min: It's a very high-paced start. Celtic know they've got to score first to have any chance, and they're moving very quickly around the pitch. Arsenal have already been whistled for two fouls, perhaps taken aback by the Bees' quick start.

3 min: Loovens makes a terrible backpass towards Boruc that's intercepted by Eduardo, but he's been bailed out by the whistle. Apparently there was an infraction back by the Arsenal box, and Almunia hoofs the kick down the pitch.

5 min: Alex Ferguson is in the stands, scouting the Gunners. Mind you, the lineup he's watching today will probably not be the same one he sees on Saturday.

7 min: Denilson takes down McDonald some 30 yards from goal. Not a smart decision. Maloney to take the set piece, right into the wall. Well done.

8 min: William Gallas, the European leader in goals scored by somebody's shot luckily deflecting off their unsuspecting teammate's body, leads an Arsenal counter that fizzles out.

9 min: A great move through Bendtner! Boruc is forced into a save at point-blank range, and Eduardo narrowly misses tucking the rebound home. Bendtner started that with a great run at the heart of the defense.

11 min: First corner of the match to Arsenal. Eduardo gathers the ball and steps up to the flag. It deflects of Bendtner but Arsenal retain possession, only to lose it thanks to a feisty Celtic defense.

13 min: Denilson with a chance! A great one-two move with Eboue sets Denilson free in the box, but he probably waits too long with his shot and puts it into the side netting. Great stuff from Arsenal though, they've found their stride.

15 min: Eboue tries a nifty little dribbling trick (the Garrincha, I believe) but rather than faking out a defender, he falls on his face. Physical comedy at its finest.

16 min: The second menacing cross in as many minutes is whipped in by Denilson. He missed Abou Diaby's forehead by that much. Celtic haven't really done anything to threaten the Arsenal goal yet.

18 min: Bendtner has come to play tonight. He nicks the ball away at midfield and tries to beat Celtic's defense into the box. He was nearly successful, but at the end he conceded a goal kick.

19 min: A diving header clears an Aiden McGeady cross, which leads to another Arsenal counter. Bendtner tries to pick out Eduardo with a pass that would have put him through unopposed, but it was just slightly off, allowing Caldwell to extinguish the threat.

22 min: Another McGeady cross is dealt with, this time by Almunia. It's better from Celtic, but still not good enough to win the tie. Bendtner is called for a handball, but pleads with the ref, probably claiming that he deserves lenience, being nearly as gangly and awkward as Peter Crouch.

24 min: Some nifty work from Diaby leads to an open shot from Eboue. It was a good effort, but a couple of yards wide. Frustrated, Eboue shouts some naughty words at himself.

26 min: Penalty kick to Arsenal! Another great passing move through Eboue put Eduardo in alone on Boruc. Eduardo flicks the ball ahead as Boruc slides out, and Eduardo goes down. The replay reveals no contact, but it was a great acting job by the Croation.

28 min: GOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLL!!!!! Eduardo steps up and calmly places his shot past Boruc. One-nil to the Arsenal.

30 min: It's now been a half-hour without Fabregas, and it looks like Arsenal still remembers how to play football. Celtic now must score thrice, a tall order for any visitor to the Emirates.

32 min: Another good cross by Sagna, but Eduardo can't challenge Boruc. At the other end of the pitch, Song commits a foul on the wing, 30 yards out. Good chance for Celtic to pull one back.

33 min: And Danny Fox puts his shot well over the bar. That's just poor. On the resulting counterattack, Caldwell pulls down Eboue and draws a booking.

35 min: Sagna draws a foul on the right wing. He's too quick for Celtic to deal with. Eduardo takes the kick, and boots it well over everybody, out into touch.

38 min: Gallas puts a great move on Scott Brown and ends up winning a corner. My goodness, Arsenal are playing some beautiful football tonight. The corner is too high for everybody though.

40 min: GOOOAAAA...no, offside. Fortune crossed on the ground to McDonald, who was sitting right on Almunia's back post. Offside by half a yard, but Celtic have finally put one in the net against Arsenal.

42 min: McGeady gets McGreedy (ha!) with a shot from 30 yards out. It's wide, and it's back to the drawing board for Celtic.

45 min: Passes going awry all over the place right now. The match has stagnated just a bit. Loovens finds McGeady on the wing, but he's immediately swarmed by a pair of red shirts.

45+1 min: Eboue breaks down the left flank and finds Eduardo. The Croatian fires a gorgeous curling shot toward the far post, and it's all Boruc can do to tip it out for a corner. That's it for the first half.

Halftime analysis

Yes, it was a dubious penalty, but you can't fault Eduardo for trying. It was a great bit of acting on his part, but Celtic will be rightfully upset by the decision. Boruc can be seen arguing with the officials on his way to the changing rooms.

With that one questionable decision, Arsenal is now a lock for the group stages while Celtic will be forced to try their luck in the Europa Cup.

All of the luck in this tie has gone Arsenal's way, but an aggressive club creates their own luck and that's what Arsenal has done.

Andrew McNair has posted the following complaint to my facebook status (one-nil to the Arsenal)—"Because of a dive. Classy stuff." I know...it was a terrible call by Gonzalez, and Boruc has every right to be upset with it. Fair point, Andrew, and now you've made me feel guilty cheering for Arsenal.

46 min: Halftime change for Celtic: O'Dea on, Caldwell off. The radioactive bees kick off to start the half.

48 min: For those of you who can't do maths, Celtic must score three now, and keep Arsenal at bay for the rest of the match. McGeady does his best to get the scoring started with a rocket of a shot that fizzes just past the post. Almunia's heart will be racing after that shot.

50 min: Arsenal breaks thanks to an Almunia punch. Denilson finds Eduardo in the center, and after putting himself into space thanks to a couple of dekes, Eduardo scuffs his shot wide. Badly.

52 min: Fun fact about Eduardo's opener: it was the first goal in this tie that Arsenal have scored with their own feet. Gallas scored with his back, and Caldwell had an own goal.

53 min: GOOOOOOOAAAAALLLLL!!!! Arsenal 2-0 Celtic. Diaby takes a great backheel from Bendtner and feeds Eboue in the middle. He moves to the right a few steps and puts his shot across Boruc and into the net. Surely it's all over.

55 min: McDonald fires a wishful shot toward goal from 40 yards out. It goes high, and we learn that Eboue was booked for his celebration. McGeady also picks up a booking for a dangerous challenge on Diaby.

59 min: For now, Arsenal are content to sit back and wait for Celtic to try and string together a decent attack. We might see some substitutions soon, so Wenger can rest some players ahead of Saturday's big match.

61 min: Celtic substitions: McGeady off, Lee Naylor on. Maloney off, Flood on. Arsenal sub: Diaby off, Ramsey on to a big cheer.

63 min: Dejected looks on the faces of the Celtic support. Perhaps they've just realized how rubbish their away kits look.

65 min: Denilson plays a beautiful backheel to Vermaelen, who had gotten bored in back and decided to try his luck up front. He loses possession, but we'll still have the memory of that great pass.

68 min: Aaron Ramsey looks like he's picked up a bit of a knock after contesting a 50-50 ball with Brown. He's limping fairly heavily, but he'll try to run it off.

70 min: Fortune splits a couple of defenders and finds himself in the box. He wins a corner for Celtic, which Naylor tries to volley into the back of the net. Tries. He was about 15 yards wide with his shot.

72 min: Arsenal subs: Arshavin and Wilshere on, Eduardo and Eboue off. Great contributions tonight from the departing players.

74 min: Bendtner tries to play a cross into the box, but instead falls over. Interesting strategy, that, and it doesn't pay off.

74 min: GOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLL!!!! Arsenal 3-0 Celtic. Arshavin is the benefactor of a steal by Denilson, and plays a nice one-two to get into the box. A quick turn and right-footed shot is all that it takes to beat Boruc.

75 min: Wilshere surges forward and nearly finds Arshavin again. Celtic are spared only by a very timely tackle.

78 min: Boruc makes a great save on Wilshere, who had bolted 40 yards unchallenged and tried to chip the Celtic keeper. Great effort from Wilshere, even better save. Corner to Arsenal.

81 min: Celtic just look completely gassed right now. They've lost their energy and imagination.

82 min: Bendtner is whistled for offsides when there is no evidence of an infraction. He looks puzzled. It was a great through-ball from Arshavin and Bendtner was in on goal. Maybe it was a whistle born out pity.

83 min: And we've got some handbags! Wilshere is whistled rightfully for a hard tackle, and Brown takes exception, yelling at the teenager. Brown and Denilson have a brief shoving match, and each are shown yellow for their troubles.

86 min: Celtic lose possession in midfield once again—a recurring theme tonight—and Arsenal attack through Wilshere. A good tackle by Hinkel prevents Arshavin from latching onto a pass that would have likely led to a second goal for the Russian.

87 min: Arsenal down to 10 men for the moment. It looks like Ramsey has gone off injured.

89 min: Flood finds Naylor's head on a cross, but Naylor mistimes his leap and hits his shot too high. Probably Celtic's best opportunity of the entire match.

90 min: Two extra minutes added on. Will it be enough for Celtic to score five times? Or even once? Not likely.

90+2 min: GOOOOAAAAALLLLL!!! Arsenal 3-1 Celtic. It was a great strike from Donati on a diagonal ball. He was at full stretch, and somehow beat Almunia with a volley at an impossible angle. Still, it will be little consolation for the Scots.

Full time: That's 15 goals in four matches for Arsenal this season, and they'll get two well-earned days of rest before their match against Manchester United. They've beaten Celtic 5-1 on aggregate, and more important, my pre-match prediction was right!

An American In Paris: Landon Donovan May Give European Soccer Another Shot

Joe G — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:31:38 -0400

"Back home everyone said I didn't have any talent. They might be saying the same thing over here but it sounds better in French." —Jerry Mulligan, An American In Paris

Those lines accurately sum up Landon Donovan's professional career, at least the parts that have been spent in Europe. His critics have long said that he couldn't hack it in European football.

That might change with a move to Paris-Saint Germain.

You read that correctly. After last winter's frustrating spell with Bayern Munich, the face of the U.S. National Team is set for a move to Paris.

The former home of Ronaldinho.

Seven time winners of the Coupe de France.

A club that missed out on the Europa League on goal differential last season.

And from a footballing standpoint, the Parc des Princes is miles above the Home Depot Center.

Some very credible rumors have popped up claiming that Donovan will be moving to the French capital, either on loan or via permanent transfer.

Domestically, he's been playing better than ever before.

He's produced magic like this on a weekly basis during the current MLS season, so it's no surprise that European clubs are once again interested in his services.

Donovan has also played quite well in a National Team shirt this year, save for a lackluster performance in Mexico City that was the result of a bout with swine flu.

This proposed move comes with a lot of pressure.

At 27 years old, this is surely one of Donovan's last chances to impress a European club. Success in Europe is one of the few competitive hurdles that Donovan has not been able to clear, and he's desperate to do something about it before he gets to the latter stages of his career.

An important question must be raised—why should we believe that this will be any different than Donovan's time with Leverkusen or Munich?

For one, Paris Saint-Germain is not Bayern Munich. Donovan won't face the same competition for playing time that he did in Germany because he's not going to be battling Miroslav Klose and Luca Toni, not to mention Bastian Schweinsteiger and the other midfielders.

At PSG, Donovan could slot into the midfield with relative ease, or play as a striker. There are very few players on the books at PSG that can boast Donovan's combination of experience and success.

Put him in the midfield in front of Claude Makelele and PSG gets an exciting holding/attacking midfield combination. Pair him up front with Guillaume Hoarau and PSG gets a quick player who's good with the ball at his feet to work with their prolific 6'4" striker.

Ligue 1 as a whole also suits Donovan's skill set better than the Bundesliga. It's less physical and more technical, which is a good thing when you've got his diminutive frame. Germany was never the best place for Donovan—he fits in much better with the Spanish or French style of play.

It definitely looks like a good move on paper. All of the elements needed for success are in place—playing time, technical league, good pairings for Donovan all over the field.

But, the matches aren't played on paper. Donovan has yet to show that he's got the necessary mental toughness to survive in Europe. His confidence may have been shaken due to a lack of playing time at his earlier stops, but he can't dwell on that now. Time is running out.

Perhaps this is the move that will finally work out for him. It looks like a good fit, and he wants to succeed. Does Paris hold the key to European success for Landon Donovan?

Golden Homers Are Ruining My College Football Preseason

Joe G — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 18:15:25 -0400

With his latest ludicrous preseason prediction, Lou Holtz has officially crossed the line between "harmless old homer" and "certifiably insane."

Don't believe? Go ahead and enjoy this rambling bit of nonsense, where Holtz predicts—with a straight face, I might add—that Notre Dame will be facing Florida for the BCS Championship when January rolls around.

Mr. Holtz, we're going to need you to walk a straight line while reciting the alphabet backward.

What makes this clip so aggravating is the fact that Holtz makes some legitimate points about Florida and Utah in his opening remarks. He tells us that Urban Meyer's biggest challenge will be keeping Florida motivated, and that Utah might struggle with all of the talent lost due to graduation.

Then, he blindsides us with a fistful of crazy.

"If you ask me who's gonna play in the National Championship Game, I'd say Florida and the University of Notre Dame."

We get it Lou; you're just pulling our collective leg. Now, how about your real prediction?

"They only play one team in the top 37 preseason...I just look at the schedule and I say 'I think Notre Dame is focused, they had a great win. I just look for them to have one difficult game, and that's Southern Cal.'"

Give his prediction a careful second listening. You can hear the Sportscenter anchor laughing at Holtz offers his unique brand of wisdom.

Okay, I guess he wasn't joking.

Let me preface the remainder of this article by saying that I'm well aware that Lou Holtz has forgotten more about football than I could ever hope to know.

But...he's dead wrong here.

First, his assertion that Notre Dame only plays one team in the top 37 couldn't be farther from the truth. I can only assume that the 'one team' he's referring to is USC. Fair enough, that's going to be a difficult game.

But, all you need to refute his statement is a copy of the recently released AP Poll. We see both Pitt and Michigan State knocking on the door of the Top 25. They come in at 28 and 29, respectively. Last time I checked, 28 and 29 were higher rankings than 37.

Lou also claims that Boston College was picked to finish last in the ACC. Then perhaps he would like to explain why they're receiving preseason votes in the AP Poll? You can't have it both ways. Either they were picked to finish last, or some voters think that they're going to have a pretty decent season.

Let's move onto Lou's prediction that Notre Dame will struggle only against USC, leading to an 11-1 record at worst. For such a turnaround to take place, two things need to happen. First, Notre Dame needs to have significantly improved their on-field product from last season. Secondly, all of Notre Dame's opponents need to have taken a step back, or at least stagnated.

The Irish have improved, but if you honestly believe that every team that beat ND last year and remains on the schedule in 2009—Michigan State, Pitt, Boston College and USC—is going to be significantly easier to beat this year, then there are some politicians who would love to talk to you about death panels and euthanasia.

Michigan State's offense might have lost a couple of key players, but they retain their top four wide receivers. Oh yeah, the defense that held Notre Dame to an abysmal, embarrassing 16 yards rushing on 22 attempts has actually gotten better. Then there's the small fact that MSU has won six straight in South Bend.

It's funny how Lou forgot to mention Michigan State as being a tough game for Notre Dame. It seems like that's been a difficult game for well over a decade now.

I can't speak about Pitt or Boston College with any kind of authority, but I've got to imagine that USC will be more than ready for Notre Dame. Even though the Trojans lost a lot of talent to graduation, they aren't exactly working with a bare cupboard. Something tells me that the Irish won't be able to turn a 35-point loss into a victory.

The most incredible part of Holtz' ramblings is his ignorance of immediate history. Lou seems to be basing his predictions of success on the ancient history of Notre Dame, much like pollsters do every time they fill out a ballot. But, recent history tells us that Hawaii was the only .500-or-better opponent that Notre Dame beat last season. Recent history tells us that Charlie Weis could very realistically be outmatched on the sidelines in multiple games.

Most importantly, recent history tells us that when it comes to Notre Dame, tempering your expectations is the only prudent course of action. Didn't a few prominent Golden Domers predict 11 wins last season as well?

Notre Dame has a great chance at improving on their seven-win total from last season, but the jump from Hawaii Bowl to BCS Title Game is longer than what we've been seeing in Berlin this past week.

If the Irish have one loss or fewer after they play USC, then people will start taking their BCS aspirations seriously. If they stumble as has been the pattern in previous seasons, then non-Irish fans across the nation will gleefully rejoice as we watch Holtz rapidly retreat from his National Title prediction.

If Holtz is proved wrong yet again, then perhaps it's time that we all give him the Tom Izzo treatment.

Total 90: American Football News For Aug. 21

Joe G — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 20:51:05 -0400

David Beckham has found a regular space in this column, but his swine flu-stricken teammate Landon Donovan hasn't been creating a lot of buzz.

All of that changed today, with a report that Donovan will be heading to Ligue 1 when the MLS season ends, specifically to Paris Saint-Germain. Details are still being worked out, and nobody knows yet whether this will just be another loan spell or a permanent transfer. Keep your eyes peeled for an official announcement in the near future.

If Donovan does move, this could be his best chance to stick in Europe. The French league should suit his style much better than the physical Bundesliga. He'll have a chance to play a more attack-oriented game, and he'll be getting playing time with a club that missed out on the Europa League by one spot.

Clint Dempsey version 2.0, anybody?

New York Red Bulls fans, you can start singing joyfully from the rooftops. Embattled head coach Juan Carlos Osorio has resigned as of today. After guiding New York to the MLS Cup Final last season, Osorio and New York have sputtered to a 2-16-4 record, the worst record in the league by seven points.

“It has been a difficult season for Juan Carlos and he felt that it was in the best interest of the team to step aside,” said Red Bulls Managing Director Erik Stover in a statement released on New York's official Facebook page.

Replacing Osorio on an interim basis is Assistant Coach Richie Williams. Williams has been at the helm of New York once before, going 4-3-2 in the summer of 2006 while the club searched for a replacement for Mo Johnston.

When asked to comment, the Red Bulls' fan base could only weep joyfully and mumble praise for the decision around mouthfuls of champagne.

But wait! The good news for New York doesn't end there!

According to an unnamed source—as reported on bigapplesoccer.com—the Red Bulls might be up for sale. To Barcelona.

Before the final expansion sites for 2011 had been decided, it was rumored that Barcelona was in the running to purchase an expansion franchise. That deal never materialized, but if these rumors have any credibility at all, Barcelona still wants a piece of the MLS action. Perhaps their recent American tour opened their eyes to the possibility of the Beautiful Game in this country.

The Houston Dynamo are making a push to strengthen their roster before the playoffs. Mexican international Luis Angel Landin is set to become the club's first designated player, pending receipt of a work visa. Right now, Landin is joining the club on a loan deal until the end of the 2010 season, with an option to move permanently after the loan expires.

With the Landin signing, it seems very likely that we'll see Houston and the Columbus Crew meet in the MLS Cup Final this season.

According to reports out of Portugal, Freddy Adu's proposed loan move to the Danish club Odense BK has fallen through. Adu's current club Benfica was searching for a club that could take on Adu's entire wage bill, but Odense simply can't afford it. The quest for first-team action for Adu will continue, as Benfica's coach has informed Adu that he won't be a part of the club's plans for the upcoming season.

Freddy, you might want to consider a move to Spain or the Netherlands. Maybe even France. If you want to play in the next World Cup, you've got to find some playing time.

Lastly, in a bit of news that nobody in their right mind should be surprised by, apparently the United States and Iran won't be meeting in an international friendly. Wow, total shocker there. I had thought that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would have relaxed his anti-American rhetoric just long enough to squeeze in a match.

Sources: Soccer by Ives, MLSNet.com, Goal.com, soccer365, FootballBlips

Prepare For Glory: Spartan Linebackers Among Nation's Best

Joe G — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:08:12 -0400

In a conference that contains the legendary "Linebacker U", it's tough for a group of linebackers from a different school to grab the spotlight and shine.

Unfortunately for the rest of the 'Big Ten,' Michigan State has taken a page from Penn State's playbook and created one of the most fearsome linebacking units in the entire country.

Running backs across the conference and country, please try not to soil your pads.

With the addition of junior linebacker Greg Jones to the Bronco Nagurski watch list, the media seems to have realized what Spartan fans have known for quite some time—this is a talented and dangerous group.

All of the preseason chatter has centered around the absence of Javon Ringer and Brian Hoyer, but the presence of these linebackers still makes the Spartans a dark horse contender in the 'Big Ten.'

While media and fans alike were focusing on what was lost from MSU's roster, they should have been focused on what was retained—Jones, Eric Gordon, Adam Decker and Brandon Denson, the top four linebackers from last year's quality group.

Add into the mix Chris Norman, the unbelievably athletic freshman—and eighth-ranked linebacker recruit in the country last season, two more freshmen among the top 25 linebacker recruits, and a bloodthirsty defensive coordinator and head coach. It's a recipe for complete devastation.

These guys will form the core of a defensive unit that absolutely loves the challenge of trying to win games by themselves.

They're a hard-hitting, intelligent group and should go a long way toward helping the Spartans absorb the loss of several key seniors on both sides of the ball.

The numbers from last season offer a foreboding sign for opposing offenses.

Greg Jones, the undisputed star of this unit, led the team with 127 tackles. He picked up his game in conference play, averaging slightly over 11 tackles per game. Jones stepped up even when the rest of the defense didn't, with 13 and 15 tackles against Ohio State and Penn State, respectively. He also spent a lot of time in opposing backfields, with 14 tackles for loss.

Adam Decker had 56 tackles, with six of them for a loss. Eric Gordon made 85 tackles, with 7.5 for a loss.

That's well over 250 tackles returning to the field at Spartan Stadium, and that's without the contributions of Brandon Denson or Jon Misch.

They've got talent, and they've got depth. Greg Jones was quoted by the Grand Rapids Press as saying, "From the freshmen all the way to the seniors, there's not one guy who doesn't want to play and doesn't think he can play."

Linebacker coach Mike Tressel—Jim Tressel's nephew—seems to agree. He's been predicting a fierce battle for starting positions and playing time. By the time the season opens, Tressel predicts that the Spartans could be three deep at each linebacker position, an embarrassment of riches.

The goal for this year is going to be for the linebackers to come up with game-changing plays. Tressel wants those tackles for loss to turn into sacks, and he'd like to see some more interceptions and forced fumbles as well.

"We need more critical-situation sacks, interceptions, cause fumbles. Making big, big plays in big, big situations," Tressel said.

If these linebackers can deliver and help lead the Spartans to a second straight January bowl game, they'll force the rest of the country to sit up and take notice of the transformation taking place in East Lansing.

Tressel says it best, "We still hear people talk about Penn State's linebacking corps—and Penn State's always had great linebackers, they have a great linebacking corps—but our guys believe they're as good as anybody."

Information from the Grand Rapids Press was used in this story.

Joleon Lescott's Poor Display Is Only Going To Cost Everton in the Long Run

Joe G — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:12:36 -0400

What's the point of having a contract if the athlete who signed it isn't going to honor the contract?

In the highly fluid world of modern football, the wishes of the individual are all that matter. The desires of the player have turned the concept of contracts and club loyalty into a farce.

This summer alone we witnessed this sad spectacle when Emmanuel Adebayor artfully whinged his way out of Arsenal, and when Xabi Alonso departed Liverpool for Real Madrid despite the efforts of Rafa Benitez.

Now, Joleon Lescott seems dead set on joining the ranks of those who seem determined not to honor their contracts, alienating fans and teammates alike in the process.

Throughout the latter part of this summer, the Everton defender has been a big target for Manchester City's Mark Hughes. Lescott's own manager, David Moyes, has repeatedly told the Citizens that Lescott is not for sale, warning them on multiple occasions to end their pursuit.

Lescott is a very valuable asset to Everton. His performances on the pitch have led to him being voted the club's Player of the Season twice. The fans also showed their appreciation by awarding him their Player of the Year honor for the 2007-2008 season.

Moyes has also shown how highly he rates the defender this summer by repeatedly refusing City's overtures, despite their significant economic clout. It seems that Moyes can't put a price on a defender who has meant so much to the club during his short tenure with the club.

How has Lescott repaid the admiration and adulation levied upon him by teammates and supporters alike?

By losing his focus and mailing in his performance in the 6-1 season-opening defeat at the hands of Arsenal. He was on the pitch in body only, his mind distracted by the ongoing transfer drama.

Where's the loyalty to the manager who plucked him out of relative obscurity with Wolves and helped make him into the player that he is today? More importantly, where's the sense of professionalism and competitive drive that makes a player want to give his best each time he takes the pitch?

Judging by physical abilities alone, Lescott is Everton's best option in the back line. Mentally? Right now he's completely unfit to help the team as they try to progress through the season and clinch qualification for Europe once again.

As a direct result of his mental state, Moyes has dropped him for the Europa League match against Sigma Olomouc.

"Joleon's attitude has not been right these past days; he has disappointed me and he has disappointed his teammates. He is not in the right frame of mind," said Moyes in The Guardian.

Even though Moyes has been understandably reluctant to sell to one of their biggest rivals for a European slot, a move for Lescott should come sooner rather than later. The Toffees can't hope for anything close to a repeat of last season's fifth place finish if such lackluster performances from the defense continue.

The club needs everybody to be focused when they're on the pitch, and there are serious doubts as to whether or not Lescott can deliver on that front.

Lescott's actions—or rather, inactions—on the pitch signify the continuation of a disgusting and deeply disturbing trend. Players who are under contract yet desire a move elsewhere can basically hold their clubs hostage by sinking their performances on the pitch or upsetting the balance in the dressing room.

Hypothetically, if a perfectly happy player is valued at £15 million, clubs will be able to get him on the cheap if the player becomes disgruntled. Their current club will be desperate to sell, especially if the alternative is keeping the unhappy player around to produce more poor performances on the pitch.

Just like that, a £15 million price tag could become "£15 million or best offer," a deal that damages the seller on multiple fronts.

First they lose the services of a talented player, and then they don't get properly compensated, making it difficult to fill the void left by the departure. A drop in quality at the club could lead to more players wanting out, causing a vicious downward spiral that could take multiple seasons to reverse.

Lescott has put Everton in a very difficult position—sell him and they risk dropping out of Europe thanks to the buyers. Keep him, and they risk dropping out of Europe thanks to a continually distracted defender.

It's a classic catch-22, a no-win situation. Everton are damned if they do, damned if they don't.

Bruce Arena Out Of Line With Postgame Comments

Joe G — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 20:32:50 -0400

Aren't coaches supposed to stick up for their players?

When a player is the victim of a harsh or questionable decision, isn't the coach supposed to stand up for the aggrieved and try to right the wrong?

After Saturday's loss to the Seattle Sounders, Bruce Arena had the chance, no, had the obligation to stand up for one of his boys and instead decided to take the opposite route, sticking up for referee Ricardo Salazar.

"The initial one on David Beckham, I can't complain with that. He came in pretty hard and I'd have to look at it on a replay and all...I'm sure if it wasn't exposing his cleat I can see how the referee would determine if that was likely a dangerous tackle," Arena said during the post-match press conference.

I bet Beckham was thrilled to hear that.

Beckham's own post-match comments reflected a great deal of disappointment in Salazar's decision.

"The referee saw it differently and maybe he'll decide against it when he sees the replay." Beckham said. "But no, hard tackle but not malicious. In my eyes, definitely not a red card,"

Here's the tackle, you can judge for yourself.

Regardless of whether or not you agree with Salazar's call, Arena needs to show some more support for his players.

Landon Donovan—LA's best player—was hobbled by swine flu and couldn't go the full 90 minutes. Beckham was sent off in the 17th minute, essentially ensuring that LA's hot streak would be coming to an end against an immediate rival for a playoff position.

With all that was riding on this match and the next, which Beckham will now also miss, Arena couldn't muster up a little more passion?

Even some neutrality would have been a step in the right direction.

How tough would it be to say, "We were disappointed to lose David so early?"

It's a statement that doesn't attack the referee—thus avoiding a fine for Arena—and still shows some support for Beckham.

In the end, that's what this is all about—support for a Galaxy player and team unity. If Becks felt hard done by the call, then publicly agree with him. It won't cost anything and it doesn't compromise your integrity as a coach or a footballer.

Team unity is the big issue here, though. When player and coach start having disagreements, you risk upsetting the balance in the dressing room. When the player has the star power of David Beckham and the coach is as notoriously stubborn as Bruce Arena...

Well, you can do the math. This hypothetical situation would not end well for the Galaxy.

Egos would clash, performances on the pitch would suffer, and in the long run, Los Angeles would miss the playoffs for the third year on the trot.

That's the definite worst-case scenario and for now it doesn't look like Los Angeles is headed down that road.

But, Arena should be a bit more careful with his choice of words when speaking to the media, especially if confronted with a situation that has so obviously upset a Galaxy star.