Because I’m a bad, bad blogger

Esteemed Readership,

I have failed you the past fortnight. Instead of delivering the regular articles, features, and random thoughts ready for semi-daily chastisement (sp?), I have been remiss in updating this little blog o’ mine. Surely, your soccer landscape has become like desert as a result. For this, I truly do apologize.

Anywho, here are some random thoughts for to lessen the enormous amount of unused brain cells that have dogged you these last two weeks.

*USSoccer.com just released the U-23 roster, and there is not a single Revolution player listed, even though Adam Cristman has been called into camp in the past. Obviously, cases (very convincing ones, in fact) could be made that Freddy and Jozy obviously deserve spots up front. That’ll be a given for the next half-decade, whether it be U-23s or the full men’s team. Robbie Findley is an intruguing selection, but Charlie Davies? Yes, he was probably one of the best collegiate forwards last year before he scuttlebutted to Norway. But during his previous US MNT stints, he really hasn’t shown much at all. For real. Why isn’t Cristman on the latest roster? I smell another anti-Revolution conspiracy!

*Woke up this morning just in time to catch SportsCenter’s Top 10 players. At number 3: an actual La Liga highlight in which a Valencia player (I was just waking up – I’m wasn’t conscious enough to remember his name) deftly headed a free kick into the ol’ onionbag. Brilliant goal. Soccer…on Top 10 Plays? That sound you hear is my disdain for ESPN deflating.

*Lastly, Revolution camp’s been fairly quiet. No word on whether Mauricio Castro has joined the team. There hasn’t been mention of it in the Official Revolution Blog posted on their website. Hey, it could be worse: at least it’s not some overweight, washed up former superstar we’re waiting on.

The case for Joe-Max Moore

It might take a miracle for Joe-Max Moore to make the list of inductees for this year’s National Soccer Hall of Fame enshrinement.

Although he gained an impressive 48.2% of the vote during his first year on the ballot, Moore will be hard-pressed to make the cut this year. Stacked against fellow repeat nominees Marco Etcheverry and Carlos Valderrama and newcomers Preki and Ernie Stewart, Moore will likely have to wait at least another year before becoming the second Revolution player to be fitted for a scarlet jacket (Alexi Lalas being the first in 2006).

However, there should be zero doubt that the fourth-leading scorer in US Men’s National Team history (24 goals), not to mention the second best scorer in New England Revolution history (41 goals) is worthy of such an illustrious honor. It’s simply a matter of time. For some perspective, look back at pro soccer’s landscape in the early-to-mid 1990s.

While the national team began to bloom internationally and the Revolution just birthed, Moore emerged as the man who successfully helped steer both ships during the mid-1990s. Moreover, Moore wasn’t just a member of the first edition of the Revolution; he was a tremendous influence on professional soccer’s re-emergence in New England.The fantastic mixture of the Revolution and the thrice-named striker was first cast back on July 27, 1996.

The club was mired in mediocrity and was in desperate need of a goalscorer. Enter Joe-Max Moore. Freshly picked by MLS from the German club FC Nurnburg and allocated to New England, Moore made an almost immediate impact, scoring two goals in just his second game with the Revs, a 2-0 victory against San Jose in front of the Foxboro faithful on July 31st.

The following week, he was named FujiFilm Player of the Week, officially signaling the beginning of the Moore era along Route 1. Despite missing the first 18 games of the season, he went on to become the club’s leading scorer, scoring an astounding 11 goals in 14 games.From 1997-99, Moore regularly launched balls into the back of the net, scoring 26 goals in 61 matches. A string of injuries and national team call ups limited his numbers during the 1997 and 1998 seasons, but 1999 saw Moore re-emerge as a premier striker.

Fully fit and rested, the Oklahoma kid tore through MLS competition with 15 goals and 8 assists, good enough to be named an MLS All-Star. After his monster ’99 season, Moore elected to return to Europe to play for Everton in the English Premier League, where the injury bug followed and limited him to only 27 league matches between 2000 and 2002.

By the end of the 2001-02 season, the series of injuries that dogged his career were beginning to take their toll. A knee injury sustained during the 2002 World Cup eventually led to his release from Everton at the end of the calendar year.Out of a contract and a shortlist of options, Moore contemplated a stateside return.

As if Disney had conjured up the script, the fan favorite was welcomed back by New England in 2003, although the toll on his legs had made him a noticeably changed player. With the remarkable scoring rate diminished, he somehow reinvented himself as a superb passer, allowing the goalscoring tandem of Taylor Twellman and Pat Noonan to shine. Yet, the thirst for the goal remained unquenchable, and Moore recorded four goals of his own in sixteen matches during the 2003 season.

But 2004 was a different story. He saw limited action in only three matches, as his ravaged legs finally began to betray him. Undaunted, he planned to make a triumphant return in 2005. Unfortunately, the final scene of his career had already been completed. The gifted, gutsy striker suffered the one final injury during the preseason that forced him premature retirement at the age of 34.

To this day, Moore’s name is still synonymous with the Revolution. His tireless efforts and contagious energy brought the fans back to Foxboro clamoring for more. Nearly four years after his final match, navy blue jerseys bearing the familiar number nine are still sprinkled among the numbers worn by today’s players. In fact, many Revs fans cite Everton as their favorite EPL club because of Moore, and many more are well aware that before Twellman, this club belonged to one Joe-Max Moore. When the club searched for an identity during the late-1990s, Moore gave it the perfect avatar: a creative, yet lethal finisher that wowed the Foxboro Faithful.

With the retirements of three original MLS players (Cobi Jones, Eddie Pope, and Chris Armas) after the 2007 season, it’s fair to say that had his damaged legs not betrayed him, the crafty striker could have very well taken a farewell bow with his fellow original MLS stars.

Sadly, unlike his peers, Moore was never afforded the chance to retire on his own terms. Today, he has distanced himself from the game somewhat, and has become a public face for a nutritional beverage.

Yet, it will only be a matter of time before Moore makes his triumphant return – one surely deserved – when he is someday enshrined in his sport’s National Hall of Fame.

A star is born…

*For those of you who watched last night’s US-Mexico match, you just witnessed a star being born.

Thrown into the wolf den known as the fiercest rivalry in North America, the much-heralded Jozy Altidore shined. Even without the deft header he scored to put the States up 2-1, the 18-year-old looked like a man amongst boys many times. Although his defending may have been suspect at times, he unquestionably displayed the qualities to be a thoroughbred up front for many years. Good news for the National Team, bad news for MLS.

It’s worth noting that World Soccer magazine recently profiled the “Top 50 Teens” in world football, and amazingly, omitted Altidore in this group. Memo to World Soccer: get your heads out of your arses.

*For all the criticism made of the decision to can Eric Wynalda from the ESPN broadcasts, and the ensuing wrath that followed, John Harkes isn’t that bad. Sure, he’s nowhere near as entertaining as Waldo. In fact, he’s actually as personable as a cardboard cut out. But, what can’t be said is that he doesn’t provide good insight on the match. Whatever his shortcomings are in terms of personality, he (almost) makes up for in his knowledge on the game.

That being said, him and JP Dellecamera make a pretty good broadcasting team. Is it as good as the Dave O’Brien, Waldo, and Tommy Smyth presentations? Give me two more matches before I decide. Now, a Waldo and Smyth duo in the booth? Why, that would be a match made in soccer heaven.

The Monday Morning Question

Ok, so now that Pat Noonan’s packed his bags for Norway, the purveying myth endures: that player moves abroad will somehow improve the National Team by having its players play in Europe. Personally, I buy that excuse about as often as Paris Hilton buys her own lemon drop shots.

So let me ask you:

Does Pat Noonan’s move overseas benefit the national team?

Discuss!

US-Argentina post-match reaction

Aaaiiiiiiiiiyeeeeeee!

That was my AIM away message last night after watching last night’s USA-Argentina game at my buddy Tony’s house. While the 25-mile drive up to Norfolk, MA to watch the game, in living color, was better than lifelessly staring at 22 red and blue dots on MatchTracker, it was a tough drive home, as I contemplated what Bob Bradley could have done better.

It was a 20-minute drive starting on North Street in Norfolk, through Route 1, onto 495, connecting to 95, and finally onto 195, Exit 6, and by the time I pulled into my driveway, I couldn’t think of anything. I suppose it was just the inevitable that Argentina, currently ranked 5th in the world, would find a way to win. Boy did they ever, and in convincing fashion, as they manhandled their American counterparts 4-1.

When Eddie Johnson was pulled down in the box early on, leading to the US’s first goal off the ensuing PK, I had hope. Hope that this was not going to be box office bomb it had been promised to be by so many prognosticators. Said hope lasted less than three minutes, before Hernan Crespo capitalized on a Kasey Keller mishandled ball for the equalizer.

The Americans played admirably, and did well to suffocate a exceptionally potent Argentinean offense comprised of Crespo and Lionel Messi for an hour. Then, as if the clock had struck midnight of the boys in pinstriped blue, their stalwart defending turned into a pumpkin, and the Argentineans feasted. Crespo struck for the go-ahead in the 64th, followed by a Pablo Aimar tally in the 78th, and capped off with one final dagger to the heart by Carlos Tevez in the 85th. If my hair were long enough to grasp, I would have ripped most of it out.

So I took a deep breath, and tried to put on a smilie face and figure out, aside from the four goals and Argentinean dominance in the final third of the match: what went right for Bradley’s boys?

It was nice to see the young guys -Feilhaber, Bornstein, Wynne and Mapp – get some minutes on international soil. Although the score was unflattering, the experience acquired by these gentlemen is invaluable, since there is no substitute for playing a formidable team like the Argentines miles away from home.

Eddie Johnson performed well in space, but there were at least two instances where he had a clear shot on net and passed instead. Conrad and DeMerit played well for 64 minutes, and truly asphyxiated an “oh no, not those guys” front line of Messi and Crespo until the wheels on the pumpkin fell off. The Argentines struggled to assemble their attack for the first two-thirds of the match, and much credit is due to Conrad & Co. Then, in the words of Nick Hornby, “it all went to crap.”

One question that begs prior to the Paraguay tilt on Monday is whether Bradley elects to go with Brad Guzan in goal, or remains with Keller. The 101-cap veteran looked more like a nervous rookie last night, and Crespo’s first goal in the 11th came off a critical misjudgment of a dangerous ball in the box.

Another question is whether we’ll see Twellman and EJ up front again, or if it will be EJ and Herculez Gomez, who came in as a late-game sub for Twellman.

While Paraguay will certainly pose another challenge, it shouldn’t be of the same variety that Argentina brought forth last night. While they thumped Colombia 5-0 in their opening match, the US is a much better squad, and proved it for 64 minutes last night. That being said, it’s time draw the curtains on last night’s match, and begin looking ahead toward Monday.

The real nitty gritty

“Summer breeze makes me feel fine, blowing through my mind “- Seals & the Crofts

Hours before tonight’s USA-Argentina Copa America game – a game in which the Americans are without their Beasleys, Dempseys and Donovans – we can only hope that the Twellmans, Conrads, and EJs provide enough spark for us to escape Venezuela without the embarrassing after-effects of a horrendous tournament like the ones achieved last year in Germany.

For what it’s worth, it will be at very least, an interesting exhibition of how our younger players handle their trade in third-world working conditions. How will Charlie Davies endure a smorgasbord of Spanish swears being hurled his way? Can Benny Feilhaber adjust to scene of the twenty-foot fences being patrolled by armed guards, and playing in what is essentially a prison yard? Despite both having played in Europe, where the atmosphere is of greater intensity than in the U.S., none of the youngins’ home stadia is anywhere near the prison riot level seen at previous USA matches played in structures that could double as home training bases for terrorists and guerilla warlords.

Oh, and by the way, the team they’re playing is currently ranked 5th in the world. Ye gods. This could get ugly.

But before it does, let’s just take a minute to realize that this is a very young team. Despite the results, it will be a good test for the lower-capped guys who’ve only played in the most luxurious American stadia before, at very worst, a large pro-Mexican crowd at Soldier Field on Sunday. If you want to gauge whether the other balls employed onto the pitch are of the steel variety, then this is the perfect venue to do so.

It is also ample opportunity for guys like Taylor Twellman, Jay DeMerit and Ricardo Clark to make a name for themselves. All three are players that have yet to have their efforts rewarded with World Cup action, and their resolve in these matches could prove to be a deciding factor before the club is assembled prior to South Africa.

So don’t be frustrated if the success attained by the boys in pinstriped blue is a few stories down from the level it was during Gold Cup competition. View these next matches as soccer’s version of basic training; it will separate the men from the boys.

Sunday Morning Striker: Back in the win column

The Revs and Toronto FC kicked off on Saturday night on the artificial surface that they first played on back in April – a match in which the Revs thoroughly spanked the so-called Reds 4-0. Nevertheless, for the third match in a row, the Revs played a much lesser club in the standings, but this time came away with the just reward of three points by taking the 3-0 result.

At 7:35pm ET, the Revs kicked off to begin the match, and early on set the offensive tempo by controlling the Toronto end of the pitch. The Canadians only exacerbated their situation with some questionable passing and a rather unorganized defending policy.

At 7:49pm ET, in the 13th minute, Avery John put himself at the top of the box and mailed a pass directly into the mixer. The ball bounced off of defender Kevin Goldthwaite’s leg and right to a sneaky Andy Dorman, who lassoed the gift deflection and sailed it past the keeper for the opening goal of the match. 1-0, Revs.

While the Revs controlled the ball for a large part of the first half, Toronto eventually clawed its way into the opposite end. On a Toronto free kick just above the left corner of the box at the 26 minute mark, the Revs backline blocked the initial kick, and then proceeded to wall up two more consecutive shots, and the threat dissipated soon thereafter.

As the Revs continued to dominate possession, it was only a matter of the time before the home side acquired goal number two. At 8:10pm ET, Jeff Larentowicz catapulted a pass over two defenders en route to an airborne Pat Noonan, who headed the ball past a diving Djekanovic and into the net for the second goal of the match at the 33rd minute mark. 2-0 Revs.

In the 37th, Toronto crashed again. Jeff Cunningham rocketed a hard shot toward Matt Reis that was deflected away, but created a dangerous rebound that trickled back toward Toronto’s Danny Dichio, who attempted to steer it back on net before Jay Heaps guarded the line and kicked away the menacing ball.

With time winding down in the half, Andy Dorman raced down the heart of the field, and sent in a left-footed shot from the top of the box that skipped feet away from the side post, narrowly missing a potential third goal for the lads from New England in the 45th minute.

As Toronto kicked off for the second act, the Revs immediately continued their dominance of both the ball and the Toronto end of the pitch and reclaimed the rhythm they orchestrated in the first half. The Revs peppered Djekanovic with a Shalrie Joseph free kick in the 49th, then a Dorman surface-to-air missile in the 54th that required an acrobatic save by the Yugoslavian keeper.

Toronto countered with an obligatory rush in the 60th minute, but was effectively snuffed out before it ever reached Reis’ zip code, as the ball unsurprisingly journeyed back toward the Toronto end of the pitch.

New England continued their mastery of the adidas MLS teamgeist match ball, and it became increasingly apparent to be that another goal was imminent. Said imminent goal materialized at 9:09pm ET, during the 81st minute, when Dorman, who had barely missed the Revs’ third goal of the match in the 45th, took a beautiful ball from Cristman and delivered the ball wide of Djekanovic and into the back of the net. 3-0 Revs.

The remainder of the match became a passing clinic, as the navy and red played a fine game of keep away from the Canadians for the final few minutes, en route to the home club’s first victory in over a month.

Stat of the Match, Part 1: With their win vs. Toronto, the Revs have now won all three home matches on FieldTurf.

Stat of the Match, Part 2: Andy Dorman has scored three of his five goals this season vs. Toronto.

Stat of the Match, Part 3: Pat Noonan has scored three goals in his last two matches.

Stat of the Match, Part 4: The Revs have allowed 0, 4, 0, 3 & 0 goals respectively in each of their last five matches.

Stat of the Match, Part 5: Toronto FC manager Mo Johnston is 0-2-1 all time vs. New England.

Random observation of the match: Prior to the beginning of the second half, the PA announcer touted Gillette’s new “Phantom” razor, which the company touts as being so smooth, you’ll barely feel the blade.

Ok, two things: a phantom is invisible – by that principle, because the razor itself is quite visible, isn’t that deceptive advertising? Secondly, the Revs are currently unadorned with any sponsorship labels on their kits this year. Hello, anyone home at Gillette? Why doesn’t Gillette sponsor the Revs? It would be a perfect marriage between the local soccer team and the local razor conglomerate.

The AND1 “OH BAY-BEE!” Play of the Match: In another display worthy of a mixtape DVD, Wells Thompson found himself with his back to the proverbial wall as Toronto made a rare excursion into Revolution territory. As Toronto FC midfielder Andy Welsh paced down the left flank, Wellsie kept up with him step-for-step. Then, when Welsh tried to get cute with spin move, Thompson simply poked the ball between the red-shirted poseur. Once again, the sweet move drew the approval of young kids covering their mouths in stunned amazement, and then waving their oversized tees in delight.

As an aside: Should the Revs or MLS ever put out a mixtape/DVD, Wells Thompson should be given a “streetball” name, in the same vein as “The Professor”, “Hot Sauce” and “The Pharmacist”. SMS will get to work on Wellsie’s street name in the coming weeks.

Sour sequence of the match: In the final minutes of the first act, Jeff Larentowicz hit the turf after it appeared that he has gotten poked in the eye by an unidentified Toronto FC defender. The harm required Larentowicz to visit the sideline for medical attention. Less than tow minutes thereafter, Toronto cornered as James Riley was grounded with an injury as well. Riley traded spots with Larentowicz on the sidelines. Luckily, both appeared to be ok, although Larentowicz was substituted for at the commencement of the second half.

Who did the Krafts root for? Patriots 9, Revolution 3. No, your eyes do not betray you. The Revolution and the Patriots actually played to a 9-3 score Friday night in front of a sold-out crowd. And guess what? They played two more times this past weekend…in York, PA, as the York Revolution and Somerset Patriots square off in Atlantic League baseball action.

The soccer gods chortled: After beginning the season 4-6-2, Dave Sarachan was fired as manager of the Chicago Fire this week. Revs fans remember well that it was Sarachan who successfully badgered the league office last fall to have Shalrie Joseph suspended for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals last year after the Grenadian “elbowed” Fire midfielder Ivan Guerrero during Game 1. Like Revs fans, the soccer gods also have a crystal clear memory of this incident, and doled out punishment accordingly.

The soccer gods did not chortle: SMS counted at least three instances in which Shalrie Joseph was hard tackled – and all three went unseen by referee Alex Prus.

Why not the Tea Men? As you may know, SMS has been known to allow himself to be distracted by other sports like baseball and hockey when there’s no soccer on the telly. Such was the case on Friday night, when the Padres and Red Sox squared off in San Diego both wearing vintage, 1980-style throwback jerseys.

This scene got SMS thinking…why not have the Revs don throwbacks as well? Picture this: the normally navy and red Revs in the garish, mustard yellow and red kits of their predecessors: the New England Tea Men! Revs marketing department, SMS’s agent is standing by to take your calls regarding more can’t-miss marketing campaigns.

Rhode Island Stingrays Update: SMS previously stated that the Rays had a formidable challenge when the Cape Cod Crusaders came to town for Saturday night’s PDL match up. The Crusaders are among the elite PDL teams in the Northeast, and to drive home the point, they went 14-0-2 last season. So true to form, the Rays battled, but could not muster the firepower to counter a five-goal output by the 2006 champs, as they fell 5-2. Jeffrey Gonsalves continued his goal-scoring streak by netting both of the home club’s pair of goals, while Rays keeper Joshua Ford had his hands full, to say the least, as he had to come up with ten saves just to keep the score somewhat respectable.

US Women’s National Team Update: Instead of the usual individual player feature, SMS decided to devote this section to the entire team, after their 2-0 win against Brazil Saturday afternoon. Kristine Lilly scored in the 1st minute directly from a free kick at the corner of the box, and Abby Wambach scored in the 17th, as the US women continued their incredible streak of dominance (35-0-7) since manager Greg Ryan took over in 2005.

By the way, how cool are those new WNT gold jerseys? SMS loved them, and in fact, may have to pick one up prior to their World Cup in September. What’s that you say? It’s a chick jersey? As a comfortably secure 26-year-old male, SMS has no problem donning the jersey of one of the best teams in the world.

Next stop on the tour is Hartford, CT on July 14, and yours truly will be there to support the best women’s team in the world against Norway.

“I’m going, going/back back/to Cali, Cali…” Ok, so SMS is not going to California anytime soon, but the Revs are next week as they face Chivas USA for the first time this season. The match will thankfully be on TV38, which improves the chances that SMS will be able to watch the game live after catching the local Stingrays at Pierce Field at 7:30pm. It doesn’t get any better than this!

Finally, although the victory warrants more than what SMS can give right now, a big congratulations to the US Men’s National Team on their amazing 2-1 victory over Mexico in capturing the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup! How exquisite was Benny Feilhaber’s heat-seeker in the 73rd minute? Unquestionably – the greatest goal in recent US MNT history. Great job guys!

US Men thrill, seize Gold Cup over Mexico

If you were lucky enough to see it, you witnessed one of the greatest US MNT matches in history.

The 2-1 victory over across the border rival Mexico gave millions of US Soccer fans hope that the nightmare of last year’s World Cup can finally be replaced by the American triumph that occurred on a sunny and warm Chicago afternoon.

During the past 365 days, the US MNT has endured a humiliating early exit from the World Cup, the termination of Bruce Arena as manager, a five month period of managerial limbo followed by another five month period of the same. And yet, all of the distractions, follies and bad fortune were put on the backburner after a beautiful two-hour Sunday afternoon affair between two biting rivals.

After Mexico took a 1-0 lead in the waning minutes of the first half, the Americans found themselves in unfamiliar territory during Gold Cup action: trailing an opponent. More importantly, the Mexicans looked recharged at the beginning of the second half; ready to purchase goal number two as they maintained possession for lengthy spells.

It wasn’t until Brian Ching was brought down in the box that led to the American answer. Landon Donovan converted the ensuing penalty kick – his 35th career MNT goal, tying him with Eric Wynalda as king of the mountain – and the Americans finally came alive. On paper, it was simply two sides pitted against each other for a shiny golden trophy. On the battlefront, it was a fierce battle for bragging rights of North and Central American football superemacy.

Although the Mexican crowd clearly dominated the Soldier Field seats, with the Americans effectively playing in front of a hostile crowd, the sudden hush that overcame the pro-Mexican crowd after Benny Feilhaber’s 73rd minute cruise missile the was absolutely priceless. It was a seminal moment in US Soccer history.

If this game didn’t make you a believer in US Soccer, at least temporarily, then you missed a wonderful display of what this team – and by extension, American soccer – can accomplish.

U.S. battle Panama for 2-1 victory; Advance to Gold Cup final four

Almost one year ago to the date, Gillette Stadium welcomed U.S. supporters to view the U.S.-Italy World Cup match live on the large screens within the stadium. On Saturday afternoon, the stadium played host once again to US supporters, this time with their team in significantly closer proximity, as the Americans battled Panama to a 2-1 victory in the Gold Cup Quarterfinal round.

Almost immediately the Americans set the offensive tone when, in the 2nd minute, the U.S. penetrated the Panamanian box as Landon Donovan split a vulnerable Panama defender before he mailed a dangerous shot on Panama keeper Jaime Penedo.

An early scare occurred in the form of Man on Fire DaMarcus Beasley injured himself in the 6th minute. Although grounded for a few anxious minutes, the gritty midfielder returned to his feet soon after, surely allowing Sam’s Army to breathe a sigh of relief.

Soon after said scare, Taylor Twellman raced into the box in the 9th minute and launched a left-footed shot that just missed the goal by inches.

After a Panamanian corner kick in the 18th minute, the Bradley’s boys quickly counterattacked when Donovan raced down the heart of the pitch leaving one defender in his wake and took an acute-angled shot on goal that was batted away by Penedo.

Things got ugly in the wake of the ensuing corner kick, when Peneda appeared to have a launched a back-of-the-neck pulldown of a defenseless Twellman. What should have warranted at very least, a yellow, went uncarded, and the match was gradually turned into a rather fisticuff-filled match halfway through the first half.

Minutes later, in the 26th, Donovan airmailed a corner that Twellman headed toward goal for what would have been the first goal of the match had the crossbar not gotten in the way, of course. Four minutes later, Dempsey decided to try and get in on the offensive display when he slid into a shot that skipped into the clutches of a diving Peneda in the 30th minute.

Undeterred, Panama found its first scoring opportunity a minute later when Blas Perez snuck into the box before three U.S. defenders and directed a tantalizing shot that went mere feet wide of the U.S. goal in the 31st minute.

In a bout of incredibly comical luck, Twellman escaped his mark, turned, and launched a brilliant shot that was inadvertently blocked by his former Rev teammate Dempsey in the 38th minute.

As the second half commenced, the U.S. kicked off hoping to spark an offensive series that would produce a goal. The halftime stat sheet showed that while the Panamanians had the advantage on total possession (52%), the Americans acquired more quality chances (three shots on goal to one for Panama).

In the 48th, Perez raced down the pitch on a jailhouse break that gave Howard his first true test of the match when marched right up to his doorstep like a menacing girl scout before firing a hard shot on Howard. The Everton keeper passed the test with flying colors, and denied Perez the back of the net.

A critical moment occurred in the 57th minute; Donovan was haphazardly tackled after he crashed the box, leading to a penalty kick. Donovan accordingly stepped up and skipped in career Gold Cup goal number ten (most in US Men’s National Team history), which cued the flying streamers from the Sam’s Army contingent behind the Panama net.

Less than five minutes later in the 62nd, Carlos Bocanegra headed a spectacular right flank free kick engineered by DaMarcus Beasley for pay dirt, giving the Americans the 2-0 lead midway through the second half. An ominous sign hanging from the Fort (yes, it’s still the Fort even during non-Revolution events) implored “Release the Hounds,” and said hounds had been effectively uncaged during this sweet five-minute sequence.

More trouble ensued in the 76th minute when Manuel Torres hard tackled Clint Dempsey in what was a sure-fire card eliciting offense. Torres attempted to plead his case, with teammates offering expert witness testimony. But it was all in vain as referee Neil Brizan issued Torres his second yellow card of the match, and the subsequent red card ejection, which left his teammates in the unfortunate predicament of having to make up a two-goal difference a man down with fifteen minutes left in the match.

Despite the one-man disadvantage, Panama attacked like bats out of hell in the 84th minute, when Perez escaped three hapless American defenders and rolled into the middle of the box before firing a hard shot into bottom corner of the U.S. goal, cutting the U.S. margin in half, 2-1.

With four minutes of stoppage time added, Panama had its work cut out if it were to acquire the equalizer one man down. They hurried to reassemble the attack, but failed to find the back of the net, giving the U.S. the all-important quarter final victory in front of the Foxboro faithful.

US Dominate El Salvador, 4-0

As the video camera peered in on Clint Dempsey during the playing of the American National Anthem prior to Wednesday night’s US-El Salvador Gold Cup match, the former MLS star-turned Fulham FC savior stoically peered at the very crowd that cheered him when he first made his Revolution debut just over three years ago. And it was Dempsey, upon his return to the Gillette Stadium pitch, who became an offensive catalyst by constantly finding himself in the attacking mix during the Americans’ 4-0 victory over El Salvador.

The U.S. kicked off for the first half in an unconventional in a 3-4-3 formation, and Dempsey was placed in his familiar attacking midfield role. Right off the bat, the US displayed the one-touch passing that helped them go undefeated early on in the first two games of the tournament.

The Salvadorans tempered the U.S. attack with a developing offensive sequence in the 6th minute, causing Tim Howard to smother the ball out of harms way. But by and large, the US controlled the tempo of the match for large chunks of the first half, whereby thsquad surely owned the on the El Salvadoran side of the field.

At the 20 minute mark, Dempsey broke through the El Salvadoran back line and put a wicked side-heeled shot on goal that was stuffed by keeper Miguel Montes. Deuce struck again in the 24th minute when he pulled the trigger on a shot deep within the box that struck the side post. It was clearly evident that the Nacogdoches Kid was determined to take the leading role on this, his former center-stage.

By the 28th minute, the Americans had engineered a string of well-placed passes, patiently weaving through the El Salvadoran half of the pitch, as the El Salvadorans struggled to keep up with the well-organized and exquisitely-executed attack.

Then, in the 33rd minute, for the all the entire display of technical soundness, the U.S. finally beared down on clinching the opening salvo, when it awarded a spot kick on the left flank when DaMarcus Beasley was manhandled on the attack. Although the spot kick failed to materialize into the back of the net, a corner kick was awarded when the ball bounced off an El Salvadoran defender and rolled past the goal line.

Seconds later, Donovan launched an outswinging corner kick into the box that deflected its way to the top of the box and fortuitously fell to the feet of Beasley. Beasley hit the deflection in stride and skipped the ball past the keeper for the opening goal of the match in the 34th minute, giving the Americans the 1-0 lead.

“It was important to get that first goal,” said Beasley, during his post-match press conference. “We knew El Salvador was going to be very compact and difficult to break down.”

Throughout the second half, the El Salvadoran side was able to come up for short gasps of air, but the U.S. relentlessly pushed their victim’s head under water time after time in relentless pursuit of conquering their opponent’s territory.

In the waning minutes of the first act, the Americans opened up on two simultaneous scoring chances; the first as Donovan raced into the box, stopped halfway, and turned to pass to Beasley at the top of the box in the 43rd minute. Perhaps still pumped over his goals mere minutes before, an excited Beasley launched kick that sailed well over the cross bar into the seats. Seconds later, the Americans re-organized the attack and sent in an odd-man infiltration that featured the speedy Beasley on the left. Beasley took the final pass and floated another shot that sailed over the goal.

Controversy erupted in stoppage time, when Michael Bradley kicked a shot that caught the arm of a El Salvadoran defender planted in the box, to which referee Benito Archundia awarded a penalty kick to the U.S. Donovan took the kick and initially launched the dead ball right into the wall erected by keeper Montes. However, the referee awarded Donovan another try after Archundia determined that the El Salvadoran keeper left the goal line prematurely. On the do-over, Donovan’s second attempt rang true, and the ball coasted into the corner of the net for the 2-0 lead just before halftime.

El Salvador manager Carlos De Los Cobos vehemently protested the call, and was subsequently ejected at the end of the first half for the protest.

“I didn’t think it was a good call,” said the El Salvadoran manager through a translator after the match. “(Archundia) did not like the way I talked to him, but I did not disrespect him.”

The El Salvadorans took the second half kick off determined to, at very least, avoid embarrassment in the second frame, and at very best, tried to block out the morale-deflating call at the end of the first half. Midfielder Julio Martinez enthusiastically clapped and implored his team to pick themselves up in the frame.

A welcome sight at the start of the second half was the emergence of Taylor Twellman who went in as a substitute for Donovan, giving the U.S. side a total of three players on the pitch who sported (past and present) the home Revolution red, white, and blue.

The El Salvadorans wasted little time in trying to stake their flag in the U.S. end, on a couple of less than threatening advancements in the first ten minutes of the half. The U.S. reclaimed their majority ownership of the ball soon there after as they dispossessed their opponent of the ball time after time.

In the 57th minute, U.S. defender Oguchi Onyewu stonewalled a hard charging Juan Campos, which resulted in a scary collision just before the box. For said stonewalling, a yellow card was issued to the 6-4 defender, and the El Salvadorans were awarded a free kick – their first set piece of the match. Alfredo Pacheco took the spot kick, and laced a left-footed shot just wide of goal, giving his side its first true scoring chance.

As the bright lights of the Gillette Stadium light towers shone upon the field, the U.S. hunkered down on a zone-like defense. Although De Los Cobos’ boys seemed to discover better chances in the U.S. end due to a “bend but not break” defensive mindset, the El Salvadoran attack ultimately wilted every time.

The ES tried its best to muster the kind of scoring chances the US did almost at will. In the 72nd, ES Jose Martinez raced through his defender, turned, and launched a rocket just over the cross the bar, giving the El Salvadorans a rare chance to, at very least, smash the hopes of a shut out for the Americans.

In the 73rd, the US counterattacked yet again when Brian Ching ran up the heart of the El Salvadoran half. Just as the defenders converged upon him, he sent a perfect pass to Taylor Twellman who took a touch, and calmly glided toward goal before sending the ball past the keeper for the third American goal of the match, in front of his home Revolution crowd.

The remainder of the match became, for all intents and purposes, a game of high-stakes “keep away” on the part of the U.S. players, as the Americans performed well in this popular elementary school exercise for the remainder. Seemingly uncontent to sit on their three-goal advantage, an interesting sequence materialized in the 81st minute when Dempsey tried to join his former teammate Twellman appearance on the goal sheet by rendering a majestic shot across the box that was deflected away by the paw of keeper Montes.

With two minutes of stoppage time added to the second half, the Americans gave one more go at goal. In 90th minute, Ching again crashed the left flank and served the ball to Clint Dempsey, who then immediately passed to his immediate right in directly the path of a gate-crashing Beasley. Beasley took the pass in stride and sent in a ground laser into the goal for his second goal of the match just before extra time commenced. Seconds later, the toot of the final whistle shrieked, as the Americans won in convincing fashion, 4-0, thus earning them CONCACAF Gold Cup Group B Title.

“(It was) a good win for us. It’s especially nice that when the game opened up in the second half, to see some of the soccer that we put together,” said manager Bob Bradley after the match.