HexagonalBlog

A PBC kid does good

Credit: Villarreal FC website

He's Boca Raton's own, and now he's part of Villarreal as MLS' first 8-figure transfer.  Jozy Altidore has come a long way in the last three seasons.  He showed promise in MLS with the Red Bulls, burst upon the international scene at the U-20 World Cup, and shortly thereafter appeared on the transfer shortlists of some of the major clubs in Europe (and some smaller ones as well).  Altidore's arrival in Spain has already generated some excitement, from over 4000 visits to the official Villarreal CF website (most from the USA) to the club president likening the transfer to Pau Gasol's move to the Lakers.  We'll see about that, but perhaps that's why the club may not want to immediately loan him to Recreativo after all. 

Several of the US players who have played in Europe have given Altidore advice.  Jozy doesn't know me from the next random guy, but I'll give him some as well: be patient, keep improving, stay hungry, and don't forget what it took to get to this point.  And to quote the advice given by the coach who played Diego Maradona for the first time, "Get in there and see if you can nutmeg somebody!"

News from Spain

Some news from Spain relevant to CONCACAF in general and MLS in particular:

• Welcome to La Liga, Giovani.  In the final match of the season against Getafe, Giovani dos Santos scored his first goals in the top flight in the best possible way -- a hat-trick.  His second and third goals were beautiful.  Barca won 5-3, and with Guardiola taking over from Rijkaard the next question is, "Does Giovani stay?"  If he goes, that could be an even bigger mistake than letting Ronaldinho go.  Giovani did have ankle surgery today and will wear a cast for four weeks.
• After navigating yet another Liga side into the Champions League, Javier Aguirre decides to fulfill the option on his contract with Atlético Madrid.  And now Mexico's federation will have to look elsewhere to fill that national team position.  Aguirre said that his future at the club was never in danger, which I doubt many people believe but begs a question: why was his job ever in danger?  El Mundo Deportivo has more. 
• And might Thierry Henry be in Seattle on MLS First Kick 2009?  MARCA is reporting (and quoting an Independent of London story) that the Sounders have offered close to US$5 million per year for Henry's services.  (The Independent is saying that the offer is for £5.2 million a year, and that's quite different.)  It would be tremendous for MLS -- Henry might be the second most recognizable soccer player in the USA next to Beckham -- but it probably won't happen right now.  Henry is on the downswing of his career but he has at least one more year in Europe, and Diario AS quotes him as saying that he'll stay in Barcelona. 

Fulham stays up

Congratulations to Fulham for staying up in the Premier League.  To win four of their final five games, including three consecutive away wins, in the face of certain relegation is an impressive escape act.  And it would not have been good for American soccer's image to have a club with five American players demoted from the top flight. 

In the end, however, two of the three relegated clubs have Americans playing on them: Reading (Hahnemann and Convey) and Derby (Feilhaber and Lewis).

Onyewu a champion in Belgium

Standard Liege won their first Belgian League title in 25 years by virtue of a 2-0 victory at home to Anderlecht today.  US defender Oguchi Onyewu has played in all but one League match and has been part of a defensive line that has conceded the fewest goals in the Belgian top flight this season.  He's also scored two goals and received only four yellow cards without an early dismissal.  (Referring just to League play here)

Standard will enter the third qualifying round of next year's UEFA Champions' League.  They still have a chance to make history; if they avoid defeat in their final three matches they will be the first Belgian side in 42 years to complete an unbeaten season.

Congrats to Big Gooch!

CONCACAF at the Champions League, Matchday 6

The group stage of the UEFA Champions League concluded this week, with a number of spots in the final 16 still unclaimed. 

On Tuesday in Group B, Rosenborg went down 1-3 to an inspired onslaught by Schalke and in the process were demoted to the UEFA Cup Round of 32.  Needing just a point on the road to advance to the Champions League knockout stage, Rosenborg gave a performance that could only be described as naive, pushing forward in attack while leaving the defense terribly exposed.  Lars Hirschfeld (Rosenborg) started and played the full 90, but he could do little about Schalke's three goals.

The remainder of the matches involving CONCACAF players were played on Wednesday.  In a showdown match in Group E, Rangers were overhauled by Lyon 0-3 and lost out on a Round of 16 place in the Champions League.  DaMarcus Beasley (Rangers) is out for the season recovering from the knee injury that he suffered in Rangers' previous Champions League match.  The other match in Group E saw Barcelona defeat Stuttgart 3-0.  Giovani dos Santos played the entire match and scored what I believe is his first goal as a Barcelona player, although it seemed that Ronaldinho's cross took the slightest of deflections from dos Santos.  Rafael Márquez also played the entire match for Barça and received a yellow card in second-half stoppage time.  For Stuttgart, Ricardo Osorio played the entire match but Pável Pardo remained on the substitutes' bench.

In Group F, PSV lost 0-1 at home to Inter Milan and finished third place in the final group standings.  Carlos Salcido (PSV) and David Suazo (Inter) played the entire match, but Suazo was much more influential with his runs and dynamic play.  Suazo assisted on Cruz's goal in the 64th minute.

So of the seven teams in the group stage of the Champions League with CONCACAF players on the roster, only two -- Barcelona and Inter Milan -- will go on to the knockout stage.  Four -- Benfica, PSV, Rangers, and Rosenborg -- will continue their European season in the UEFA Cup, and only Shakhtar's European adventure has come to an end.

CONCACAF at the Champions League, Matchday 6 [Group D]

The final round of matches in Group D were moved because of Milan's participation in the Club World Cup, and there was only one match featuring clubs with CONCACAF players on the books.  Benfica grabbed a 2-1 win away to Shakhtar Donetsk that ensured that they would play in the UEFA Cup in 2008.  Nery Castillo was not in the lineup for Shakhtar; Freddy Adu (Benfica) only made it as far as the substitutes' bench.

CONCACAF at the Champions League, Matchday 5 [Wednesday's matches]

Today there were three matches involving clubs with CONCACAF players in the lineups:

Rosenborg 'keeper Lars Hirschfeld had a busy day for the wrong reasons as the Norwegian side lost 0-4 at home to Chelsea.  I'm relying on the match report, but it appeared that Hirschfeld couldn't be faulted on any of the goals.  Even with the defeat Rosenborg still need just a point against Schalke to advance as the second place team in Group B.

In Group D, Celtic defeated Shakhtar 2-1 with practically the last kick of the game to stay in the race for the top two.  Nery Castillo (Shakhtar) was not in the squad list.

Benfica and Milan drew 1-1 in Lisbon, but Celtic's last-minute victory eliminated the Portuguese side from further action in the Champions League.  Freddy Adu (Benfica) entered the match in the 88th minute. 

CONCACAF at the Champions League, Matchday 5 [Tuesday's matches]

VfB Stuttgart took their first points in this year's Champions League with a 3-2 victory over Rangers, in a match where two of the CONCACAF players from both sides were prominent.  DaMarcus Beasley (Rangers) played an active role in the match; he should have scored early on and midway through the first half sent in the corner the led to Rangers' opening goal.  Unfortunately he was taken off the field in a stretcher four minutes into the second half, and Rangers manager Walter Smith fears that he may be out for an extended period (HT Ives).  Pável Pardo (Stuttgart) was also an active participant, sending in the cross that Cacau converted in first half stoppage time, and then scoring a goal of his own to give the German side a 2-1 lead.  Ricardo Osorio (Stuttgart) was on the substitutes bench and did not play.

Lyon drew 2-2 with Barcelona in a thrilling match at Stade Gerland.  Barça still advance to the round of 16 as Group E winners.  Rafael Márquez (Barcelona) entered the match and played eight minutes, and Giovani dos Santos was not in the Barcelona squad.

Inter Milan defeated Fenerbahçe 3-0 to clinch first place in Group G.  David Suazo (Inter) did not start but played the final twelve minutes.  He was on the field long enough to take a shot on goal, be  fouled twice, and get caught offside once.

PSV grabbed a precious 1-0 victory away to CSKA Moscow, and maintained their chances of advancing to the knockout rounds.  Carlos Salcido (PSV) started the match in defense and played the entire game.  Interestingly enough, he was the only member of that defensive unit who didn't commit a foul during the game.

Palacios kidnap ordeal continues

It had been reported that Wilson Palacios' brother had been freed from kidnappers who took him two weeks ago.  The parents are saying that that hasn't happened and they're still waiting on news on Edwin.  So the sad saga continues, and it has already had adverse effects on some of the loved ones.

CONCACAF at the Champions League, Matchday 4

I usually split this into two posts for the matches on both days, but I didn't because, frankly, there wasn't much to talk about yesterday.

On Tuesday there were two matches involving sides with CONCACAF players -- Celtic vs. Benfica and Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Milan.  Celtic defeated Benfica 1-0, in a match where Freddy Adu was on the bench for the Portuguese side but did not play.  Shakhtar were walloped 0-3 at home by Milan; Nery Castillo entered the match in the the 77th minute but could do little to change the scoreline for Shakhtar, much less the final outcome.

Tonight there were four matches involving sides with CONCACAF players.  Barcelona defeated Rangers 2-0 in the Camp Nou.  DaMarcus Beasley (Rangers) started and played 69 minutes on the right; he was one of only four Rangers players to make any kind of shot toward goal.  Rafael Márquez (Barcelona) was supposed to play in central defense today, but injured his calf muscle in the pre-match warmup and had to withdraw in favor of Lilian Thuram.  Giovani dos Santos (Barcelona) watched the match from the substitutes' bench.

In the Stade de Gerland, Lyon twice turned back a Stuttgart comeback to win 4-2.  Ricardo Osorio and Pável Pardo were on the Stuttgart bench, but only Osorio saw playing time (in the final 13 minutes).

There was more drama in Milan as Inter stormed back from two goals down to defeat CSKA Moscow 4-2.  David Suazo was not part of Mancini's three-man attacking unit and had to come on for Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the 84th minute.

In Istanbul, two goals in two minutes were enough to give Fenerbahce a 2-0 victory over PSV.  Carlos Salcido (PSV) played the entire match and picked up a yellow card for -- I'm guessing -- repeated fouling.

UPDATE/CORRECTION:  The commenter to this post alerted me to another CONCACAF player I inadvertently overlooked - Canada's Lars Hirschfeld, who is a goalkeeper for Rosenborg.  He's started every match in the qualifying rounds and the group stages.  Hirschfeld also holds a German passport and is listed as such on the UEFA website, which may explain why I missed him the first time.  I'll include him in my future updates, and update this post.