We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
Hopefully Timmy Howard will have more on tonight than he did for this recent "Spot the Ball" photoshoot for ESPN magazine, as the U.S. take on CONCACAF rivals Honduras tonight in a friendly match in Miami. It's on FSC from 6pm onward. Drop on by for some more footie chatter tonight, won't you?
posted by The Blue Devil @ 4:58 PM
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
120 Comments:
The pregame show has started on FSC with Waldo, Cobi and Sully in the studio and Brian McBride via Skype. Lineups shortly.
The big news tonight is that it's our first look at German-born Hoffenheim midfielder Danny Williams who makes his debut for the US tonight after only getting his passport on Tuesday.
Nice highlights of the US Open win for Seattle this week. A worthy effort from the Pacific Northwesterners who have the best fan base in the nation.
The team news out of Miami tonight:
USA: Howard, Cherundolo, Orozco Fiscal, Bocanegra, Chandler, Edu, Beckerman, Shea, Williams, Dempsey, Altidore
Honduras: Escobar, Sabillon, Leveron, Chavez, Mejia, Garcia, Cesar de Leon, Figueroa, Costly, Espinoza, Bengston
Hey mate. Back from Maryland and just finished up restoring my iTunes. Now I'm backing it up on a new and dedicated external hard drive, so I've hijacked Eric's MacBook.
By the way, what the hell's up with that picture? Yikes, well more than I ever wanted to know about Timbo.
A rainy Miami tonight as the teams come out of the tunnel.
Thought you might like the Timmy image. ; =}
Where's Andy Najar?
This has got to be a win tonight for the US boys, as Jurgen has yet to get a win for the national team.
And we're underway in rainy Miami.
It's as appalling as the weather in LA
No idea where Andy Najar is tonight. Is he crocked? Might be on the bench. They didn't offer us the subs list.
Miami?
Odd - it's like a late summer afternoon here. The ball's going to skip about a bit tonight on the greasy surface. And someone needs to towel off the lens for FSC.
Yes - this is at Sun Life Stadium in Miami.
Beckerman seems to be lining up as a holding to break up some of the sprightly breaks for the Hondurans.
Costly roasts Orozco Fiscal and the US center back hauls him back by the shirt-tail.
Oh - that could have gone anywhere. From the free kick Bengston should have done better. It skies off of him at the backpost.
The US defense looks as if they're going to play a high line. That's got to be a mistake against a fast break team like this. We're really under the cosh already.
who is this o-fiscal guy? him and chandler give me the yips
Must be a late season tropical storm going on in Miami - that's the only explanation for this shower.
I don't like him either. O-F plays for the Philly Union. He's getting done time and again.
It might be a canny move for juergen to include beckerman. you gotta believe non of those hondurans want to get hit with a soggy white boy dread.
Why schedule a friendly against CONCACAF opposition? I only want to see this tossers when we're doing them in the qualifiers. Otherwise, bring bloody Venezuela or another Conmebol side in.
timbo rightly irritated by boca's casual approach to that wide man
I agree - Beckerman's got to be smelling like a wet sheephound.
Yeah - but Boca can always say that at least he didn't get his kit off for ESPN mag.
Oh - decent move there ending with a header just wide by Shea. Brek Shea is about the only guy I'm even slightly excited by on the US set-up these days.
hey, i've been saying that the us fed rats out the fans as well as the coach and the players by continually matching us up against concacaf competition in friendlies. i can't believe we don't have these and the other central american's number by now. gotta be the gate cash is too much to pass up.
i'm slowly coming around on shea. he's less than what's called for, but he does put him self about with more threat than does dozy altidore.
That's better - the US defense is dropping back a bit now and forcing the Hondurans to play it about to feet. They're incapable of that. They want to be able to just chip a ball over someone's head for Bengston and Espinoza to speed onto.
I'm just about done with Jozy. And Juan Agudelo's not on my Christmas card list anymore either. We definitely have a poverty of striking options - probably why Jurgen's just playing one up front.
The standard of play has dropped below that of the SUNYAC third division. Bring on Tom Nocito to class up this dump!
tom-no would have filled his boots by now!
Floppy dive there by de Leon and rightly the ref waves on. Should have been a card for that bollocks.
Bloody hell - Timmy saves his defenders' bacon there, with Bengston straight in on goal. Great save!
pathetic to resort to that in the 18th minute.
funny, i watched that guy and i never thought he'd score on timbo. no quality that mope.
Oh - nice connection there between Chandler and Shea in the inside left channel. Leaning back on the shot though and well over.
We are lucky - a more clinical finisher would have put Honduras 1-0 up.
bengson right at the keeper and either side would have meant a goal. no quality.
down the other end, shea should have been a lot more possessed than that. shocking
I haven't seen a lot of the debutante Danny Williams yet. Fairly anonymous.
Chavez should really pick up a card for that blatant obstruction on Jozy.
Oh - free header for Edu along with two others in the box. Puts it wide!
To be fair, that was a good save by the keeper on the replay.
edu with another shocking miss. all alone, should bury that leaving the keeper no chance.
I still can't quite believe that FSC haven't got some techy with a towel out to wipe off the lens - we're half way through the first half!
We luck out again. Chandler plays a shocking ball into Mejia's feet and he doesn't have the talent to release Bengston out wide left. He might have been off to the races behind Chandler.
More blatant obstruction from Chavez - nothing called this time. The oik just basically fell over on Jozy.
Costly tries a pop from distance and Timmy can only parry out.
Oh - Shea did a lovely job to get down the side and pull it back. Williams had a chance to bend it in but he was well over with the effort. Could have been a Roy of the Rovers debut effort there.
nice intricate passing opens up williams but his effort is woeful.
I agree with JP - the Jamaican ref has let a lot go so far. Everything a bit too "cool runnings" so from the guy.
Costly buys Cherundolo a yellow card there with some histrionics.
Kyle Martino needs to shut his trap - he thought that challenge was worth a red?!
Dempsey's effort is deflected out for a corner. Shame he was off balanced.
churuldalo gets the card that edu and beckerman have been lucky not to pick up.
one of our players gets leveled off the ball from that corner. the hondurans will pick up a few cautions soon.
martino is a smug muppet. can't imagine what possessed fsc to buy that he could commentate.
GOAL-Dempsey.
GOAL! Dempsey makes something of nothing there as a nothing cross by Shea evades everyone but the Fulham man. Jinks onto his left and nails it.
1-0!
Dempsey's 23rd goal in about 75 appearances. Nearly 1 in 3 ratio - very good for an attacking middie who doesn't take the team's penalties.
Shea hits a cross from the other wing and Dempsey after over elaborating a bit, finds space to squeeze off a rocket into the top of the net.
Hondurans react by bringing the ball forward and creating a real chance. dopey us defending could have had us level in 30 seconds.
you're right about shea. anything good about the us has his jersey number on it.
You're right - here come the cards. Jamaican ref's growing impatient. Garcia into the book.
boniek garcia(?) picks up a yellow for a foul right at the foot of the ref.
and now dozy picks up a yellow.
Jozy picks up a yellow for his mouth. About the only activity from him in this first half. Martino unbelievably says "he's done a good job in this first half." On what evidence?
It's a long time since those cocky Adidas ads with Jozy talking about he had to play with the older kids when he was young because he was so intimidating.
Oh - Shea with a lovely floated cross to the back post that Williams met. Blocked out.
Boca is the next into the book. They're coming thick and fast now. Ref needs to light up a fattie at half time and chill out.
great cross from shea that williams gets a head to.
another card. ref's lost the plot somewhat. needs a lie down to have him thinking straight again. blow up--half time.
Half-time - 1-0 US.
Not a lot good about this match apart from Timmy's performance and Clint's goal.
Here's your half-time talking point. How many of the US starting XI are you completely satisfied with in that you wouldn't want to search for a better option?
I'm thinking Howard and Dempsey and that's about it. You?
OK, despite going in 1-0 up, we were the poorer side for the first 20-25 minutes. and against a pack of second rate mugs like this honduran team? not good enough. get the hair dryer out juergen. this is not inspiring.
you're not wrong. few of them have acquitted themselves adequately. i would agree with your two picks, and add edu from his previous performances if not this one. shea is too green to get too excited about yet. cherundalo and boca will be too old to represent in 2014, but the rest look decidedly carlton palmer-geoff thomas era england when we were just waiting for new crop of players to rise.
Would you add Landycakes to the list if he were fit?
Not at all sure about those two blokes into the red, white and blue catsuits.
O-F is coming off at half-time to be replaced by Gooch. I can't disagree with that. O-F looks all at sea in the first 25 minutes.
Oh - Danny Williams is teed up again by some sparkling approach play between Shea, Dempsey and Edu and he comes up short again. I'm about to revoke his passport.
Really FSC? You're going to put a legend like Brian Dunseth out in the bloody rain while Kyle Martino is up in the box? Really?!
just got back from ordering a couple of pizzas and am happy that o-fiscal pulled up lame. our luck could not hold out and he was a bad tackle or a flat footed moment from real disaster.
nice also to see that the weather had cleared up. i didn't fancy the wind at honduras's back.
martino with another inane comment about shea's arrival at the international level. this is honduras and not a full strength honduras. go model menswear for jc penny you idiot.
Uh oh - Brek Shea in one mad moment ruins his performance tonight with a shocking miss out in front of a gaping goal. Perhaps you can fault a slippy pitch. Perhaps....
bugger. shea makes an absolute dogs dinner of a chance set on a plate. think he took his eye off it and was already deciding between the shining his shoe or the rocking the baby display.
Oh - Garcia should have scored the equalizer there. Chandler pulled out of the challenge as Garcia blew by him into the area.
damn, real close there from honduras. a let off for our slow to react defence. we need another goal.
Shea's confidence seems to be shot now after that shocker. Might be the time soon to stick Sasha Klejstan on for him.
Mo Edu picks up a card. For a moment, I thought that the ref was going to pull out a red.
thank goodness these are falling to bengson who really is pap. there was a guy up front for shrewsbury that gave us more trouble than this guy is likely to in a month.
the ref thought about it, didn't he. that would have been a travesty.
and though he was off-side, the hilariously inept bengson with another hopeless attempt.
Lots of Honduras pressure now. This is usually the point of the match where we cough up a cheap goal.
listen to the crowd get behind the hondurans. i hope the fed is properly pleased with their cash.
By the way, that "Free Tapes" site you linked to my FB page is a real mindblower. I'm still absorbing several of the mixes.
shea has lost his head, but that was a shot of damarcus beasley on the bench. say it isn't so.
Brek Shea gets the next booking. Six yellow cards now.
I looked at the Soccernet site before the match and they had Beasley on from the start as part of their "prospective" team before the Danny Williams debut was announced. I nearly had a heart attack.
Bradley on for Edu - that's wise.
"Good debut" - Kyle Martino's review of Danny Williams. Is this bloke watching another match?
Oh dear - a shocking miss by Gooch from the parry by the keeper. Should have been 2-0.
So - "Boniek Garcia" Dad was a big fan of the 1970s Polish side?
it's concacaf time. shea picks up a card for another nothing foul. yes it's a free, but thie ref sees everything in yellow now. and he's going to throw someone off soon. Bradley on for edu. and beasley on for williams. Oh no, it's the end of bengson. now they might score off of one of their seemingly endless opportunities.
pizza's here. silent running for a while.
Beasley's first touch isn't bad. First time ball to Altidore, whose does a good imitation of Carlton Cole in the box.
Enjoy the pies!
Another big save from Timmy.
I keep looking up at the score and being surprised that it's still only 1-0 through that Dempsey effort. It really should be about 5-3 US at this point. Some shocking finishing on display tonight.
Now both of the Honduran forwards have been withdrawn as Espinoza trots off. I agree with you - could be a bad omen.
Jonathan Spector looks to be entering in a moment.
Chandler off and Spector on. Chandler was okay going forward and linking up with Shea. I'm worried about him when we don't have the ball.
Another profligate Honduran striker Garcia is off now.
And his replacement Chavez breaks a record there by picking up a yellow card in about six seconds.
Ten minutes left and this one is winding down to an inevitable 1-0 win for Jurgen and co.
Ecuador on Tuesday in NJ should be a more interesting and useful exercise.
Mejia becomes the 8th player to be booked tonight.
Juan Agudelo coming on for a cameo as Jozy comes off.
I do not understand the praise for Jozy here. He just doesn't score enough for the US (or anyone else for that matter). 12 goals in about 50 caps for him now. Not good enough for our #1 striker.
GOAL! Dempsey rises to meet a lovely cross. 2-0!
No - the referee has waved it off for a push. Shame.
A bit of a sloppy moment there for Timmy as the ball skids off his chest and near the goal.
Oh - Beasley got onto a Route 1 ball from Timmy but his touch was poor and it drew him too wide to really threaten the Honduran keeper.
Into three minutes of stoppage time now.
Bradley bursts through and then scuffs his shot.
That's it - Jurgen has his first win for the US. 1-0. The clean sheet actually flatters a shaky US defense that often looked all at sea against a rather ordinary Honduran forward line.
That's it for me today. Cheerio, lads!
I thought Clint's goal was good. he'd reached maximum elevation before he had his hands on that defender. I don't blame the ref for chalking it off because in the split second, he sees Clint's hands on the guys shoulders.
it's got to be a happy talk edict that gets dozy the plaudits that he gets. he's obviously off form, possibly overweight, and doesn't take his chances when they come. What's to love?
a very unconvincing 1-0 home win against mediocre and under-strength honduras. simply not good enough.
juergen's casting a very wide net these days looking for new blood that has not paid off.
when is it time to pick a squad of 25 and mold them into a fighting unit that if they're not scoring, will grind out competent performances? I think it's got to be soon. I'm not crazy about any of the new group of chandler, o-fiscal, torres, wondolowski, williams, etc. so now, maybe it's time to deal with the hand he's been dealt and play to their strengths.
Tonight, i'd seriously put forward Bengson as the US man of the match. Were it not for an increasingly hilarious inept display, these b-squad hondurans would have flown home with a 3-1 victory under their belts. We didn't defend bengson out of his goals either. He was seriously that crap.
cheerio!
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