Bradley given the pink slip

Bob Bradley was relieved of his duties as the Head Coach of the US Men National Team.  YEAH!  Today is a happy day for those of us who have been yelling and throwing shoes at our television screens for the past 5 years - especially the last 3.  The US has struggled to integrate a younger and technically more gifted generation into the National Team set-up.  Bradley has never been able to get the best out of players like Torres, Feilhaber, Donovan (and stop bringing up the last minute goal vs Algeria...), and other youngsters that have bypassed his ability to manage - not just motivate.  Not that I am a fan of his body of work, but I do hope that someone gives this guy a job in Europe, so that he can test himself with a much better group of players, in a full time capacity.  The odds-makers, not that I gamble on these sort of things - are making Jurgen Klinsmann (formerly the Head Coach of Germany @ the 2006 WC) the favorite to take over, with Marcelo Lippi (former Italian coach), and Guus Hiddink (former Dutch, Korean, and Russian, who is currently losing his way with Turkey) the other foreign favorites.  The main American being mentioned, is Jason Kreis, who has been at the helm of Salt Lake (I REFUSE to call them "REAL" since they are NOT affiliated with any royal moniker, or with Madrid!) in the MLS.  Kreis is the rising young superstar coach, having taken SLC to the CONCACAF Champions League Final this past year, and winning the MLS title 2 years ago.

So who do you think?  Vote in the comment section!
1 - Jurgen Klinsmann
2 - Marcello Lippi
3 - Guus Hiddink
4 - Jason Kreis
5 - Rafael Benitez
6 - Carlo Ancelotti
7 - Sigi Schmid

rolling into the Fall

Another summer month has come and gone, and the soccer world in Southern California continues to evolve and change by the minute.  First, I want to give a quick shout out to The LA Galaxy's Under 16 Boy's Academy and the Pateadores Under 18 Boy's teams, that recently won the US Development Academy's National Championships in Milwaukee. Congrats to Pat's Coach Matt Tutton, & to Jose Villareal (scoring 2 goals in the Final vs FC Dallas) for getting called into the USA Under 18 National Team that is competing at the Northern Ireland Milk Cup.  Also, special congrats to the LA Galaxy - where our own Eddie Soto and Billy Bizzaro are staff coaches in their Youth Academy!

The crazyness that is referred to as the 2011 Copa America, down south in Argentina, was eventually won by the up and coming Uruguayans.  Led by Liverpool's Luis Suarez, and Athletic Madrid's Diego Forlan - Uruguay crushed a defensive minded Paraguay 3-0.  How about this for a fun fact: Diego Forlan isn't even the 1st Forlan to win the Copa America!  Actually, he isn't even the 2nd either!  Forlan's grandfather and father BOTH won the Copa America before he did!  Very impressive blood lines, huh!  In the meantime, Argentina decided that maybe Diego Maradona really might have been a better choice - in hindsight - than Sergio Batista in leading the National team.  After only several friendlies, and only 4 games in charge - Batista was sent packing.  The Argentines should never have ran off Marcelo Bielsa - who went on to change Chile for the better, and is now coaching in Spain...good luck finding a new coach Argentina!

Meanwhile, here in So Cal - Beach FC hosted the Nike Pyramid Cup in Long Beach, and it was a smashing success - as expected.  Over 150+ teams played, and next year, there is discussion on adding several "Super Groups" that will be the start of a Beach FC college recruiting showcase.  Check out the most recent Beach FC newsletter and website for the list of teams from Beach that came home victorious!  Thanks have to go out to all of the countless volunteers who made the tournament possible, and especially to Shelly Marsden, who put it all together with many a sleepless night changing and arranging game schedules!

Finally - we look ahead at the end of summer and the beginning of Fall, and all of the soccer that it brings.  Surf Cup (youngers weekend) hosted 3 of our Beach FC teams this past weekend, with 2 older teams this coming weekend.  The inaugural So Cal Developmental Soccer League (SCDSL) kicks off in September; the US Youth Soccer Far West Regional League has begun (with the winner advancing to the 2012 FWR tournament in Hawaii!); the GU16 White has been accepted to compete in the USYS National League (winner and finalist go straight to the USYS National Finals in 2012!); and the college season is around the corner, with the Long Beach State Women's Team kicking off at USC on the 19th of August.  After touring the world and running up scores against weaker opponents - the Premiership, La Liga, Ligue 1; Bundesliga, and Seria A all kick off in the next several weeks.  Who you got?  Me - I see Real Madrid in La Liga; Chelsea in the Premiership; PSG in France's Ligue 1; Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga - and finally - AC Milan in Seria A.  Give us your predictions and maybe you could win something....then again, I think I have already won with my picks above! HA!

Talk to you soon - Go Beach FC

all new female babies born this week named Abby!

US News reports that all female babies born this week with bigger than normal heads, to be named "Abby" in honor of the aerial beast known as Abby Wambach.  The kid doesn't do anything except take up space, then BAM - goal in the air!  The USA Women's National Team are into the WWC Final vs either Sweden (a rematch from the pasting in the opening round) or Japan (the upstarts who knocked the 2 time champs - Germany).

Q1: How does Pia Sunhage NOT start Megan Rapinoe, or Alex Morgan for the final?  I think Alex Morgan forced the hand of the coach with one of the classiest goals of the WWC.  A subtle and cheeky chip to beat the keeper.

Q2: If the USA does win the World Cup, does US Soccer dare face it's serious issues of age and technical ability with a changing of the guard both in it's coaching staff and it's core players for the future?  Or does it say: "We are great - we won - we have the "american spirit" - we have Abby and Hope to continue to bail us out" -- and keep the status quo as is?

Q3: Who took my remote control (and removed the MUTE button)?!  I was forced to listen to Julie Foudy all tournament talk about the 1999 team!  Be quiet already!  This is the 2011 team - it's not Brandi, Mia, Julie, Christine, and Michelle anymore.  It is: Rapinoe, Solo, Wambach, Lloyd, and Rampone.

Copa America is W-I-D-E OPEN

What Am I?

The media in South America is having a field day!  First you have an out of sync Argentina FULL of star players, who haven't won a game while playing in front of their home fans - who are now DESPERATE for a win, or EVEN just a good game from their billionaire players.  Today, we saw how even the South American national teams are.  Brazil having to come from behind to just get a tie, and Venezuela (and it wasn't their baseball team!) beat Ecuador to go top of their group.  What is going on down in the freezing pampas down south?  Is it the Yerba Mate that everyone drinks down there?  Is it the lingering hangover - one year later - from another freezing and rainy summer tournament being held in the Southern Hemisphere?  WC 2010 in South Africa was also in the southern hemisphere - and like Argentina, their "winter" is like our summer.  OR - could it just be, that everyone has slowly caught up to the powers that are Argentina, Brazil, and dare I say it - Uruguay?  Colombia is showing off their somewhat "new" generation of players and what it is capable of (....playing great and never scoring....)  Last summer, Chile did the same while unleashing Alexis Sanchez to the world.  BTW: Sanchez is now ready to become Barcelona's most recent summer signing.

Here are some fresh thoughts.  Brazil has an incredible youth generation building (and the craziest hairstyles...), with Neymar, Pato, Elano, and the best one of them all - Ganso.  All are under 23 and capable of taking the Canarinho to the World Cup win in Brazil in 2014.  Argentina will only right the ship if they make a coaching change, and remember that there will only be one Diego, and there will never, never be a repeat of Mexico '86, where one player can single-handedly win the tournament himself.  They can keep going to the Church of Diego and chanting his name at every Argentina game, or writing songs about and for him (here is the man singing....) - but it will not help.  What they need, is to bring back Bielsa, or someone who can bring a system that works with this group of players, and stop catering to one single player - Messi.  The upcoming marathon which is called the South American World Cup Qualifying Tournament is going to be fun.  Everyone can beat everyone.  Brazil won't have to worry - they are in as the host and will welcome all comers in 2014 with their bikinis (the men) and their "tangas" (their women) in full force.  FYI - the link to the Maradona song is for the poor Argentinians still wondering what is happening down south - enjoy - you know who you are!

Copa America and Women's WC

Yesterday we saw the world come to an end.  At least that what the rest of the world thinks, when it comes to Argentina and Leonel Messi not winning against Colombia!  Actually - the rest of the world thinks that Messi should just be able to put on a uniform and win any game that he plays.  Headlines from Argentina are calling for Sergio Batista's head; and of all things - they (the fans in Santa Fe, Argentina) actually started to chant: "...ole, ole, Diego, Diego..." in reference to Diego Maradona to come back and "save" the team from this Copa America debacle.  The truth to the matter is this: Colombia played a perfect match in their scheme to defend against the Argentine front line of Tevez, Messi and Lavessi.  They contained a tired looking Leonel Messi without man-marking, but group defending and if not for a some DREADFUL FINISHING, Colombia should have scored 2-3 goals and won the match.  European giants should be all over the Colombian outside backs Armero and Zuniga.  FC Porto should light candles that Chelsea and Manchester United don't snap up Freddy Guarin and Radamel Falcao-Garcia.  Is Argentina done?  NO.  They will finish 2nd or 3rd in group, move on, and likely fix the broken thought process of Sergio Batitsta before the next few games.

Meanwhile, over in Germany, the Women's World Cup saw it's first major upset in group play yesterday.  Sweden beat the US Women 2-1, making the road for the US Women MUCH harder than it should have been.  Pia's ladies missed too many chances against Sweden, creating the quarterfinal showdown on Sunday morning vs the individually dangerous Brazilians (Marta, etc..).

At The BEACH this past month: we had several teams win tournament championships.  Notably, Jared's little Under 8 girls won the Irvine Summer Classic, while Shelly Marsden won with both the U12 and U15 Girls at Arsenal's Summer Tournament in Temecula.  This month see's the club kick into full gear with tournaments every weekend of July and August, including the upcoming NIKE Pyramid Cup in Long Beach, the USYS Far West Regional League, Surf Cup (Beach FC will be sending FIVE, yes FIVE teams), and the start of the inaugural So Cal Developmental Soccer League.