MLS Insider Blog

BY SHAWN FRANCIS

Did anyone for the U.S. have a tougher day at the office than Clint Dempsey? Certainly not unless there was an invisible player out there who also had a legitimate goal disallowed, took a split lip-inducing fist to the face that went uncalled, had a shot that fell victim to the post and a handful of near-misses in front of goal.

It was a bruiser for sure (to both the body and ego) but if there is any player on the U.S. squad that can move past a game like that quickly it’s Dempsey. And with the non-Altidore portions of Bob Bradley’s strike force putting in less than noticeable performances so far in the tournament he’ll have to put it behind him quickly as it wouldn’t be a shocker to see him starting up top against Ghana; having scored against the African nation the last time the two sides met that might not be a bad look at all.

BY SHAWN FRANCIS

Tim Howard competing against Clint Dempsey and Stuart Holden? What gives? It was all part of a friendly competition between the three of them to win $50,000 grant for the charitable project of their choosing from Pepsi.

Howard finished victorious  with the Pepsi Refresh Grant going to the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome but USMNT  teammates Holden and Dempsey each received a $5,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant for their ideas. The winner was determined by fan voting at http://www.ussoccer.com/PepsiRefresh.

BY SHAWN FRANCIS

In New York it is very hard to find a bar that would favor one side or the other for the uber-hyped World Cup match between the U.S. and England. Most places are a fine mix of British ex-pats & the Europhiles who love them and good old fashioned Yank supporters. So I ventured to the Jersey side of the Hudson to hook up with the North Jersey Brigade of Sam’s Army who were throwing probably the largest U.S.-centric event in the area at the legendary Scots-American Club in Kearny.

While Findley’s start, Gooch’s form and the outrageously affordable drink prices (ethnic social clubs have prices that are only rivaled by VFW halls & Elks Lodges) were some of the hot topics of the day, it was Clint Dempsey’s goal/Robert Green’s gaff that dominated the half-time & post-game conversation. Check out the clip above to see what the men on the street had to say about it. Was it totally Green’s fault? Or did Dempsey’s determination to get a shot off have anything to do with it all?

BY SHAWN FRANCIS

Here it is, Bob Bradley’s 23-man roster for the U.S. Mens National Team. I know you have something to say about it so let the pontificating begin.

USA’s 23-man Provisional World Cup Roster

Goalkeepers- Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann, Brad Guzan

Defenders- Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, Steve Cherundolo, Jonathan Spector, Jay DeMerit, Clarence Goodson, Jonathan Bornstein

Midfielders- Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Stuart Holden, Ricardo Clark, Maurice Edu, Benny Feilhaber, Jose Francisco Torres,  DaMarcus Beasley

Forwards- Jozy Altidore, Robbie Findley, Edson Buddle, Herculez Gomez

BY Shawn Francis

Herculez Gomez may be one of the bubble players in the current USMNT camp but if his soccer career ever goes south, something I don’t see happening any time soon, he can always turn to a career in magic. At first I was surprised but then I realized he’s a guy from Las Vegas; he probably already has a 6-week, post-World Cup stand at the Flamingo already booked.

BY SHAWN FRANCIS

Clint Dempsey is widely regarded as one of the most creative American players ever produced. The Texan plays with a flair that is seldom seen in domestically-developed collegiate, MLS or USMNT players and attributes some of the dash in his game to a pair of influences grounded in Hispanic culture:  a youth spent playing in Mexican pick-up leagues and televised South American soccer.

BY SIMON BORG

In his years with Fulham FC, Clint Dempsey has become yet another American legend at the London club. My only hope is that his legendary status is not feeding dreams of Old Trafford or Stamford Bridge for Deuce.

The truth is that a player like Dempsey is the perfect fit for a club like Fulham. Although fans dream of eventually seeing Americans star for the likes of Chelsea, Barcelona, Inter and Real Madrid, the American player is just not there yet when it comes to profile or technique.

In the historical progression of U.S. players in Europe, it’s more important for talents like Dempsey and even Landon Donovan (see Everton stint) to be stars and overachieve on lesser profile clubs than be forgotten on galactico squads. Although it made headlines, it is still open for debate as to whether AC Milan is better than Belgium’s Standard Liege for U.S. defender Oguchi Onyewu. The same can be said of Freddy Adu at Benfica and any of the Americans ever acquired by Manchester United.

Sochaux’s Charlie Davies said yesterday that he has ambitions for bigger clubs. Maybe it’s youthful exuberance of a player who has experienced a meteoric rise. But Davies needs to look back at the plight of Americans who have wound up on European super clubs and seriously reassess.

BY SHAWN FRANCIS

Former New England Revolution midfielder Clint Dempsey could be in the line-up for surprise Europa League finalist Fulham today as they face Althletico Madrid in Hamburg, DE (2:45pm EST, Direct TV) making him the first American to play in a European cup final. But as you probably know Dempsey isn’t the only MLS-Fulham connection. Hear what current Chicago Fire and former Fulham forward Collins John had to say yesterday about the Cottagers chances against their Spanish opposition today.

BY SHAWN FRANCIS

Coach Bob Bradley announced his preliminary 30-man roster ahead of next week’s pre-World Cup training camp in Princeton, NJ. All of the usual suspects (Howard, Donovan, Bocanegra, Bradley, Altidore) are present including a few who were questionable due to injury (Onyewu, Ching).

The selection of forwards does not include the recovering Charlie Davies, a player whose potential inclusion has been the subject of much debate in U.S. soccer circles for months. It does however include relative USMNT greenhorns Edson Buddle & Herculez Gomez as well as once out-of-favor striker Eddie Johnson.

The preliminary 30-man roster in full:

Keepers: Tim Howard, Brad Guzan, Marcus Hahnemann

Defenders: Oguchi Onyewu, Carlos Bocanegra, Jonathan Bornstien, Jay De Merit, Heath Pearce, Johnathan Spector, Clarence Goodson, Chad Marshall, Steve Cherundolo

Midfielders: Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, Alejandro Bedoya, Clint Dempsey, Sacha Kljestan, Ricardo Clark, Robbie Rogers, Stuart Holden, Maurice Edu, Benny Feilhaber, Jose Francisco Torres, Michael Bradley

Forwards: Jozy Altidore, Edson Buddle, Robbie Findley, Brian Ching, Herculez Gomez, Eddie Johnson

BY NICK FIRCHAU

Is it really possible that DaMarcus Beasley, at all of 27 years old, has already peaked? Really?

The news out of Glasgow says that Beasley , who just four years ago was penciled in as one of the faces of the U.S. national team this summer, is likely about to see his days with Rangers end before next season.

Consider it another strange and disappointing turn for one of the best American talents of the past 10 years.

“Rangers haven’t spoken to me about coming back so I guess you can put two and two together and make your own conclusions,” Beasley told Yanks-Abroad.com. “But never say never. I would consider (a pay cut) so I wouldn’t count that out.”

So now Beasley is offering up a discounted rate, when not so long ago he was a star with PSV? He’s effectively fallen off the radar with the USMNT since a flub in last summer’s Confederations Cup final against Brazil, and now we’re talking about Stuart Holden and Sacha Klestjan shoring up the midfield?
Yikes.

Wasn’t that Beasley who laced a cross to Clint Dempsey during the 2006 World Cup? Now it seems like those two were simply passing trains in the night, Beasley unsuspectingly peaking at the very moment Dempsey started his career in earnest.

Marred by injury, racial taunts and a February car-bombing reportedly linked to Scottish mobsters and a romantic fling Beasley evidently had with the wrong woman, it’s sad to think that a career so promising now seems to be entering its twilight. Beasley deserved a better fate, a better hand to play in South Africa this summer, and a career that lasted longer than roughly eight years. Hopefully he’ll find a team who believes he’s due for a resurrection.