Hi! We’re the Red, White and Blues Brothers and this is our color-coded U.S. Soccer blog. Chip writes in red and Danny writes in blue. We cheer for the U.S. and you better too! 

Up Next:
Tuesday, October 15. USA vs. PANAMA, Estadio Rommel Fernandez, Panama City, Panama
9:30pm EST, 8:30 pm CST, 7:30pm MST, 6:30pm PST
Watch on: beIN SPORT
Follow on Match Tracker at ussoccer.com
and via Twitter @ussoccer 

     Well, we did it! We finished first in CONCACAF for World Cup Qualifying with a victory over Jamaica and now the Yanks have traveled down to Panama for the 10th and final match in the Hexagonal. U.S. and Costa Rica are already fine-tuning for next summer's tournament, as Honduras, Mexico and Panama battle it out for the final spots. All Honduras has to do is tie last-place Jamaica and they're through, but the 4th place finisher will be playing in next month's inter-continental playoff with New Zealand and the 5th place finisher will be watching the World Cup on TV next summer. I predict 3. Honduras 4. Mexico and 5. Panama but there are usually surprises and upsets with so much at stake! Tuesday promises to be one of the most exciting days of international football, so tune in!

Let's check in with Chip Daly to see what he thought of Friday's win against Jamaica...

     So USA fans. 2-0 win and we won the HEX! Time to celebrate.... NOT SO FAST! I hate to complain about a win, but did anyone else feel like we were just going thru the motions out there? And I sure wish I had 10 minutes to talk to Jurgen about what he is thinking! Is it just me, or does Zusi make things happen EVERY time he is on the field? He knows when and where to distribute the ball. He can finish when he needs to. He knows when to push and when to get back on D. I am not wrong am I? If not, then WHY does he not start? And when he does start, why is he the first one substituted for in the 55th minute?

 

I was upset that Landon was taken out at halftime, but found out he is fighting an ankle injury, so would wonder if that is why? I still think DaMarcus should be a midfield sub. Not sure if Edgar (Castillo) is the answer in the back, but he did well for the time he was in. We need to get our defense in solid order in my opinion and we should know who should be playing back there by now! And DaMarcus is not the answer. No? Well he is going to be the captain on Tuesday night! Tim Howard, Landon Donovan, Jermaine Jones and Matt Besler all went back to join their club teams. 

 

Why did Wondo (Chris Wondolowski) not get the call? All he does is score goals! Was it because he was called up late and they weren't sure he was ready? I say Plbbbt! to that! Everyone says Aron (Johannsson) played well up front, but I didn't see it! He may very well develop into a formidable striker, but not yet. Does Jurgen rely on his "German" background to make decisions? Chip, Aron did look good in the first half which I believe you missed. You're right, he didn't look great in the 2nd half and it would have been great to see Wondo.

 

Now don't get me wrong. I feel Jurgen has done a GREAT job so far! I am impressed whenever I hear him interviewed. I only wish I COULD interview him! I also understand we have been hit with a ton of injuries and we have done well to play thru them and win the HEX. I just want to make sure we are ALL READY to WIN the Cup next summer! I saw a blip somewhere where someone said we can't win the Cup anyway. I am not sure who said it or what the context was, so if anybody out there knows who said it, let me know! I would like to give them a piece of my mind!

 

Well, there is my 2 and a half cents worth of ranting. Agree? Disagree? I am all ears to what say YOU the American soccer fans!

 

Go Red White and Blue!

Thanks Chip! Wow! There's some passion there! Yeah, I thought it was great to see Castillo come in for Beasley in the 2nd half. He looked like he was having so much fun out there and he contributed by getting an assist on Jozy Altidore's goal. And can I just say, Jozy's goal celebration ROCKED! He knocks the ball into a wide open net and just walks right into the goal... I loved it! Zusi has been consistent all year and oftentimes has been USA's best player. I'm looking forward to an awesome night of soccer and I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN!

Final Push for WC 2014

Hi! We’re the Red, White and Blues Brothers and this is our color-coded U.S. Soccer blog. Chip writes in red and Danny writes in blue. We cheer for the U.S. and you better too! 

Up Next:
Friday, October 11. USA vs. JAMAICA, Sporting Park, Kansas City, Kansas 
6:30pm EST, 5:30 pm CST, 4:30pm MST, 3:30pm PST
Watch on: ESPN, WatchESPN, UniMas
Follow on Match Tracker at ussoccer.com
and via Twitter @ussoccer 

Last month the U.S. qualified for World Cup 2014 but we're back at it again... Two upcoming games with two very desperate sides are upon us and then qualifying will be over except for a few inter-continental playoff games to determine the final World Cup slots. Thankfully we don't have to worry about that. In this upcoming game with Jamaica we can't let our guard down... they are in last place but they beat us last year in qualifying. And earlier this year they battled back to tie the U.S. late in the game but an extra-time heroic goal by Brad Evans gave the US a very exciting 3 points. What do you think, Chip?

Well, it is getting down to the nitty gritty of preparing for the final push to win the World Cup. (Coach) Jurgen (Klinsmann) sure has the right attitude, that we need to continue to build on what we have established. And everything we do NOW sets the tone for WC 2014!

Jurgen called in 20 players to camp, but Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey and Omar Gonzalez are all injured so there are some gaping holes in the roster.

Without Michael Bradley, Jurgen says it will give a chance for players like Mix (Diskerud)  and Aron (Johannsson)  to step in and show what they can do. Mix showed some gumption against Mexico, so I am hoping he gets to play more to see if he can really play well for a longer period of time, or if he's just a bit player. So, you're saying Jurgen should throw him in the MIX? Either way, we still NEED Bradley if we hope to win the WC!

Without Clint Dempsey, it leaves Jozy (Altidore) up front with?? Jurgen mentions Eddie Johnson as the other forward. I would personally like to see Landon (Donovan) up with Jozy. And I really wish he would have called on Chris Wondolowski to come in and show what more he can do! He is a pure goal scorer I feel, and could really help if Jozy gets tired and we need a goal to win. Yeah, it would have been fun to see Wondolowski in there, but Terrence Boyd and Johannsson are both hot for their club teams now, so we're stacked up front. He can put any of them up there.

Also without Clint, it opens up a captain's spot. Will it be Landon? Will it be DaMarcus (Beasley)? I really don't know how he can't give it to Landon. He has been captain before and has the coolest head on the team in my opinion. I was thinking Tim Howard, but if you want a cool head, yeah maybe not.

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict the starting lineup...
GK: Howard
Defense: Evans, Besler, Cameron, Beasley
Midfield: Beckerman, Jones, Donovan, Zusi
Forwards: Altidore, Johnson

and the three subs will be Diskerud for Zusi, Johannsson for Johnson and Bedoya for Beckerman and I'll say Donovan will have the captain's armband.

The most interesting matchup... At midfield we have Jermaine Jones and they have Jermaine Johnson There could actually be 2 Johnsons and a Johannsson on the field at the same time and 4 Jemaines: Jones (US) Johnson, Anderson and Taylor (Jamaica)

OK, let's go out and support the Red White and Blue on Friday. Come on KC, show us what you got from your fan base! Lets not get complacent! I was very impressed with KC's Supporter section in last year's World Cup Qualifier so I know they will not disappoint! They also have to prove to Columbus that they can be even louder! Let's Go U.S.!

Dos a Cero... Again!

Hi! We’re the Red, White and Blues Brothers and this is our color-coded U.S. Soccer blog. Chip writes in red and Danny writes in blue. We cheer for the U.S. and you better too! 

I must say I was extremely proud of my hometown, Columbus Ohio! We speculated it would be a 75/25 crowd in our favor, but I must say we had about 90 or even 95% of the crowd Tuesday night. I must also say I am extremely proud of the USMNT! It took some guts and determination and weathering an early storm, but they got the result we needed! 

We certainly have A LOT to improve upon too. In a short interview with Danny before the game, I predicted a 2-1 score. WHAT was I thinking? We were playing Mexico IN Columbus... of course the score was going to be 2-0! (The same score it has been ALL 4 times we played Mexico in Columbus!). Yes, Even a Clint Dempsey penalty kick in stoppage time couldn't change that score. He missed the net! I also predicted Beasley to be the Man of The Match. I think I was just trying to project my positive energy towards him, but again.... WHAT was I thinking? Still love Beasley and his commitment to the team, but he NEEDS to be moved out of the defense! Yeah, I'll have to agree with you on that one, Chip. I might be one of the biggest DaMarcus Beasley fans going all the way back to his Chicago Fire days at the turn of the Millennium and I love his attacking style of play, but he needs to be a strong defender and he almost gave up an own goal in front of Tim Howard early in the game. Is he even playing left back for his club team, Puebla?   Goodson played a strong game in the back I felt. Fabian Johnson did not. Fabian was actually playing that position for the first time in over a year and strained his hamstring towards the end of the first half and his dog ate his homework and...  Michael Parkhurst came in at halftime for Fabian.  We shall see how it goes with Cameron and Besler back for the next game. Hopefully Jurgen will not tinker too much just because we have qualified. We still NEED to win the HEX in my opinion to go into WC with a strong confidence. 

The pregame crowd was spectacular. Danny and I even got to dance with some of the Mexican fans and they were wonderful and gracious! Well, except  for that Mexican dude who was dancing with my wife. He took our hats off of our heads and started doing the Mexican hat dance, which I was cool with, until  he started kicking dirt on my hat. Hopefully Danny and I can really get our P.E.A.C.E. PARTY movement going for Brazil.... because, there were still embarrassing moments inside the stadium. Beer throwing, cursing and taunting. It just makes me sad that we have to degrade ourselves and the sport I love that way! Hopefully we can change that. Yeah, that would be nice but I don't think we can change it. Unfortunately, I think it will always be a part of the game. I do think we can unite like-minded fans and families and give them a safe and rewarding supporter section experience. To find out more and to join the P.E.A.C.E. PARTY, visit our new website, RedWhiteAndBluesBros.com

I did get to meet Tony Meola and give him our book and our flyer on our Supporter Group movement for families and kids. Hoping he will mention that somewhere and help kick start it. Also met a guy named DJ who does a great blog called Wrong Side of The Pond. He has some soccer connections and knows what he is talking about too. So hoping he will help get the word out about our movement too. And check out his blog, podcast and website at  www.wrongsideofthepond.com

Kyle Beckerman did a solid enough job for the game, but it also has become blatantly obvious that we NEED Bradley desperately if we want to WIN the WC! I say Bradley is our best and most important player moving forward. What do YOU say? Landon and Dempsey played solid and with Jozy coming back I am not worried about our offense at all. But if we don't control the midfield and keep the flowing of the game going well, our defense will break down and it will be ugly I feel! I was surprised to see Zusi on the bench and used only as a late sub, but we also need to mention the great job by Gold Cup stand out, Mix Diskerud. He was the playmaker on the Donovan goal. 

OK, go out and root for the Red White and Blue in KC and Panama!! And see ya all in Brazil!! Next up is U.S. vs Jamaica in Kansas City on October 11. Go USA!

USA vs. Mexico, Gameday

It's USA vs. Mexico finally! Heading down to the tailgate in a couple of hours. Danny is on the road heading there too. I am so excited and ready to experience USA soccer in my home state of Ohio! There should be plenty of passion at the game and I am expecting the Yanks to come out kicking and firing on all cylinders! We have to do better than the poor showing we had on Friday night against Costa Rica. 

Things we learned Friday night I feel are.... We NEED Bradley desperately to be healthy for the rest of qualifying and next year at the World Cup. Without him we have little to no chance in my opinion. He controls everything. We also learned it is time to give up on the Beasley experiment! Please Jurgen, Please! I love Demarcus and his passion for the team. But he is just much better as a late sub at midfield in my opinion. He is NOT a defender and it showed even more on Friday night.

Tonight we need our defense to really step it up! Without Cameron and Besler, it will be a tall order, but I am counting on EVERYONE to step up. Mexico is reeling after the Honduras game and even changed coaches. That might work in their favor, but either way We have to show up and play 90 minutes! Not 89 minutes, but 90 minutes!! So, show up and root on the Red White and Blue with positive energy! Leave ALL of you negativity at home please. I know it is Mexico, but if we can't be gracious host to our worst enemy, then we ARE our worst enemy in my opinion. 

GO USA!!!!!!!!!!!

Fall stretch

Hi! We’re the Red, White and Blues Brothers and this is our color-coded U.S. Soccer blog. Chip writes in red and Danny writes in blue. We cheer for the U.S. and you better too! 

Well, we are on the eve of the fall stretch. Time to qualify for WC. We could conceivably qualify by beating Costa Rica. A lot has to happen for that to happen and there is some sorta math formula and cosmos lining up and things like that. So, we won't get into that now. Besides, I would rather qualify on Tuesday night by beating Mexico in Columbus! Wouldn't you? I will be there live and in person with none other than Danny Donuts to root on the USA! And I'll be there with the one and only Chip Daly!

But for now... Costa Rica. It won't be an easy game if the airport arrival is any indication. But the Yanks won't allow some taunting Yahoos and egg throwing Bohemians deter us from our goal. Keep that winning streak alive in Costa Rica and on into Columbus!

The U.S. is hot with our longest all-time winning streak and we’re coming off an undefeated Gold Cup Championship. The European leagues are up and rolling and the MLS players should be in mid-season form. Since the last qualifier in June, big moves have Clint Dempsey back in the MLS and Jozy Altidore playing in the English Premier League. Landon Donovan had a successful Gold Cup run, signed a big contract with the LA Galaxy to stay in the MLS and has found his way back onto the Senior team. A couple of youngsters who had good showings in the Gold Cup found their names included in Jurgen Klinsmann’s 23-man roster. I’m most interested to see what he does up front. Jozy Altidore is hot and needs to be the target in front of the net and Captain Clint Dempsey will most likely be up top with him. Will Landon Donovan and Eddie Johnson be used as subs?  Rumors of playing Landon at halfback or using him as a substitute abound. Cleary Jozy and Clint have earned their positions and I am afraid Landon is going to have to prove himself once again. I think he will. IN fact, I predict Landon comes on early in the second half and provides a spark that leads us to a 2-1 victory! What say you?
I was also surprised to see that Chris Wondolowski did not get called into camp. He had the magic touch scoring goals in the Gold Cup but he’ll have to wait and see f he gets called up in October. We also have several players carrying one yellow card. If anyone gets a yellow in Costa Rica on Friday, chances are they’ll be sitting out with a suspension against Mexico on Tuesday.
Even though U.S. took care of Costa Rica without two much difficulty in the Gold Cup, the last time these two teams met in qualifying was the famous SnowClasico back in March in Denver. Dempsey got the only goal and Brad Guzan was in net because Tim Howard was out with a broken back. I’m pretty sure snow is not in the forecast in Coast Rica this Friday, but one thing is for certain, Los Ticos wants revenge and this time they’re the home team. It’s going to be a tough game on the road. Although the Yanks need to take it one game at a time, Us fans get to look forward to an amazing game next Tuesday at the sold-out Columbus Crew Stadium. The Red White and Blues Brothers will be in attendance as part of U.S. Soccer’s largest Supporter Section! There will be 9,000 U.S. screaming Supporters and several more fans!

Golden Boy Wondo Gets 3, USA Beats Belize

Hi! We’re the Red, White and Blues Brothers and this is our color-coded U.S. Soccer blog. Chip writes in red and Danny writes in blue. We cheer for the U.S. and you better too! 

The U.S. Men's National Team opened their 2013 Gold Cup with a powerful 6 goal blowout over Belize Tuesday night in Portland. Chris Wondolowski, the 30 year-old striker from the San Jose Earthquakes of MLS gets a hat trick in the first half, Landon Donovan scores another goal on a penalty kick goal and gets 2 assists and this Gold Cup squad after 2 games together looks like they've gelled. Despite his age, Wondolowski is a relative newcomer to the MNT. He has about 13 caps since 2011 and now has scored all of his 4 goals in the past two games. The name on his jersey was spelled wrong... U.S. Soccer added an extra "W... Wondowlowski" Let's go to Chip for some Gold Cup analysis...

So, how do you spell Wondolowski.... Wondolowskie... Wondowlowski.... I spell it  GOALS! 6 goals in back to back games for the USA is an encouraging sign! The players are making it tough on Jurgen to pick his WC roster. Someone is inevitably going to be left off the team that should have a chance. We will have to see how the rest of the Gold Cup plays out and see if Jurgen tinkers with the lineup again in Sept. and Oct. Landon is still producing, so that adds pressure too. Pressure is a good thing. The caliber of teams in Gold Cup are not great, but as Danny pointed out any team can be dangerous on any given day. See you in Salt Lake this Saturday.

That's right! Chip is right down the road from The Rio Tinto stadium where the U.S. MNT beat Honduras in their last World Cup qualifier last month. The temperature was almost 90 degrees for the 7pm start. What is it going to be this Saturday for the 1:30pm kick off? Hey supporters... remember to drink plenty of water! We need you for a full 90 minutes!

Yes, Jurgen is going to have some tough decisions to make. Hercules Gomez and Oguchi Onyewu each sat on the bench and their replacements both scored. It will be good to have deep talent when we go into the World Cup. Between yellow card suspensions, injuries and slumps, we'll need several players who can step up and put the ball in the net. 

Interesting tidbit I discovered at ussoccer.com  ... Chris Wondolowski is half Native American (I'm guessing the Wondolowski name is Polish.) His tribal name translates to "Warrior Coming Over The Hill." Well at 30 years-old he is coming over the hill and if he keeps battling like this for a spot on the World Cup roster, he's going to be a victorious warrior!

Go USA... Beat Cuba!

Gold Cup Preview- Belize

Hi! We’re the Red, White and Blues Brothers and this is our color-coded U.S. Soccer blog. Chip writes in red and Danny writes in blue. We cheer for the U.S. and you better too!

Tonight, July 9, 2013 USA vs. Belize JELD-WEN Field, Portland, Oregon 8pm PST
Game 1 of The Gold Cup for the U.S.

The Gold Cup has already had it's share of upsets and the U.S. wants to make sure they don't fall in their opening game to a weaker team like our neighbors to the North and South did. Canada and Mexico are both 0-1-0 in group play. The U.S. has Belize tonight, Cuba on the 13th and Costa Rica on the 16th. Costa Rica might be the only team that gives them a fight in their group, but we've learned every opponent can be dangerous in this tournament.

This is not our World Cup team, but we will definitely see some of these players in our last four World Cup Qualifiers and probably on next summer's World Cup team. Everyone seems to think that Landon Donovan will be on that squad. Another blast from the past, Oguchi Onyewu is back and trying to make the World Cup squad on the back line and Hercules Gomez is back up front after recovering from his injury.

This same lineup beat Guatemala 6-0 in a friendly in San Diego on Friday. It was interesting to see the Yanks bring out the "Where's Waldo" red and white striped kits. I thought those were going to be retired forever. I thought they would play all season in the simple Centennial all-white or white and blue kit. I don't know where Chip is tonight, but if he was here, I know he would have SOMETHING to say about DaMarcus Beasley being named captain of The Gold Squad team! Well, it's almost time for the game. Hopefully we'll hear what Chip thinks about what's going on the Gold Cup.

Go USA!    

MNT vs. BLZ | 07/09/2013 | 8 p.m. PT | JELD-WEN Field; Portland, Ore. - See more at: http://www.ussoccer.com/#sthash.SleTX30q.dpuf

MNT vs. BLZ | 07/09/2013 | 8 p.m. PT | JELD-WEN Field; Portland, Ore. - See more at: http://www.ussoccer.com/#sthash.SleTX30q.dpuf

U.S vs Honduras- The Fan Experience

Hi! We’re the Red, White and Blues Brothers and this is our color-coded U.S. Soccer blog. Chip writes in red and Danny writes in blue. We cheer for the U.S. and you better too!

Happy 4th of July- This is OUR HOLIDAY! Hooray for The Red, White and Blue, Brother! Here's our recap of our fan experience attending the U.S. vs. Honduras World Cup Qualifier.

A great time was had by The Red White and Blues Brothers as Chip and I saw our first game together in 2013. Chip is living in Salt Lake City so I flew out from Chicago for 3 days of Fun, Food and Football. In 2009, Chip saw his first U.S. game, which was also our first U.S. game together. Ironically, it was USA vs. Honduras and a World Cup Qualifier for the 2010 World Cup. The game in 2009 took us by surprise. U.S. fans are used to being in the minority when we play Mexico in big American cities like Chicago or LA, but when we showed up to Soldier Field in Chicago, we were shocked to see Honduras fans were in the overwhelming majority. To make things even harder for us, our U.S. Supporter section was divided between the 100 and 300 level with Honduras fans filling up the 200 level.

Yeah, well if it was MY FIRST game ever, then it stands to reason it was OUR FIRST game together too... seems a bit redundant Danny. Not necessarily! What if I wasn’t there? It is possible you could have gone to the game without me... you wouldn't do that though... would you?   Hmmm, Yes, I think I probably would! I do remember that game well and was shocked to see so many Honduran fans at the game. I thought USA soccer had come farther than that, but apparently not yet. It was still an electrifying game for me, being my first time and just being in the atmosphere of it all.

This was going to be a much different situation. Playing in the intimate Rio Tinto Stadium, Real Salt Lake’s soccer specific stadium was chosen because we would have the home field advantage with a pro-U.S. crowd. The capacity is listed at just over 20,000 and it sold out within a few days.
The game in Chicago had 55,000 mostly Honduran fans.

Once again we were surprised to see large groups of fans wearing the blue and white of Honduras.  I think it was still a pro-U.S. crowd but Honduras was definitely well-represented.

Different is certainly putting it mildly Danny. I would almost prefer to have had more Honduran fans there to be honest. It would have made for a more exciting crowd (I said almost!) I would say our crowd was about 70% American. On one hand it was good to see more Americans at the game, but on the other hand Americans sure are sedate when it comes to soccer! I mean, let's see... Danny brought a drum to the game and there was only ONE other drum in the whole stadium!! (Actually, a few Honduras fans had drums but we only had two in the U.S. Supporter Section) AND that one came from Iowa for God's sake! Come on Utah! If you want more USA games in Salt Lake, I suggest getting a little more positive energy in the stadium. The only time the crowd really got going was when a Honduran player went down and the crowd chanted "let him die". To be honest I was a bit disgusted by it. I know players dive and stuff and pretend they are in agony, but using our energy to antagonize that AND to even suggest someone should die for it is appalling to me. Yeah, I agree. Unfortunately, too often the passionate fans have hatred towards the other players, the other fans and the other team. Many U.S. Supporters have a great sense of humor and they are super-clever. I like when we use playful humor in our chants and songs. Too many of them are negative and derogatory. The Red, White and Blues Brothers stand for unity through soccer and good sportsmanship. We have a blast interacting with the other team’s supporters before and after the games. We take pictures and drum and dance with them. It truly can be an international party. In 20 years of attending national team games, I can only recall one negative experience where a drunk Mexican fan stole my Uncle Sam hat after a game in Houston.  Can't we be loud and boisterous in a POSITIVE way to lift our team up and give them energy to help them win the game?! That is what a "12th man" is for in my opinion. And before all the feminists jump in, let me point out it was a Men's National Team game. If the women were playing, then it would be called a "12th woman". Whew, I could hear the wrath coming already on that one!

With that being said. I really did have a great time at the game, as I always do with Danny. I only wish we could have more passion in our country for the MNT. Danny and I went around the stadium after the game with Danny's drum and we had more Honduran fans dancing with us than American fans. I had to double check the scoreboard to make sure I didn't miss something and wondered if Honduras actually won the game. I hope tons of Americans go to Brazil and get to see and feel their passion for the game! Danny and I went there to experience it and it is a trip I will never forget. Especially since we wrote a book on it. Check it out at http://www.fieldsofpassion.net  We danced more in Brazil than I have danced in my lifetime. So go out and dance America! It is fun!

For the past year, U.S. Soccer has really become fan-friendly. Last May they started having a training session open to the public a day or two before the game. Recently, they started holding a pep rally the night before the game. Chip and I went down to the rally and were quite pleased. It was held in a medium-sized music venue. They played great videos on the big screen and had Q & A sessions with U.S. Soccer Federation president, Sunil Gulati, , former U.S. great Eddie Pope, current U.S. players Eddie Johnson, Jermaine Jones, Nick Rimando and coach Jurgen Klinsmann.  What a unique experience… and it was free!  

Yes, I really enjoyed the pep rally, Danny. I came away impressed with Jurgen and I feel he just might be the right guy for the job actually. I may not have said that a ear ago. My only regret is I didn’t step up to the microphone to pepper Jurgen about his substitution selections and his thought process in it all. Next time perhaps. Maybe that’s a good thing. If you got going they might have called Security and have you removed!

After the rally we helped out a TV reporter by being his colorful and cheering backdrop during his live remote. On Tuesday-game day we ran around getting last minute additions to our Red White and Blues Brothers uniforms and I needed some supplies for my sign I was making. Since the game was being broadcast on a jumbo-tron screen back home in Chicago’s Grant Park I made a sign that said, “MAKE SOME NOISE CHICAGO!” I know the cameraman filmed it more than once, but I didn’t hear from anyone who saw the sign on the air.



You can see all our other photos on our online photo album HERE

We also filmed scenes from my Castrol Correspondent video. The video was good enough to get me in the top semi-final round.  You can watch it and vote once a day from this link:
https://www.facebook.com/castrolusa?sk=app_362434780537080&app_data 

Thanks and Let's Go USA!

Honduras Recap

Hi! We’re the Red, White and Blues Brothers and this is our color-coded U.S. Soccer blog. Chip writes in red and Danny writes in blue. We cheer for the U.S. and you better too!

On June 18, the Red White and Blues Brothers attended the U.S vs. Honduras World Cup Qualifier in Salt Lake City where the Yanks came up victorious 1-0 to that pesky Honduras team.  Now let's go to Chip with the game recap...  

A win is a win they say. It was a big win for the USA MNT for sure and it solidifies us as a team to be reckoned with. However, we still have a long way to go to be ready to WIN a World Cup. Keep in mind my review is from ground level BEHIND the goal which is a little different perspective than watching on TV. 

It felt like we had little or no flow in the game. Bradley controlled the midfield as usual, but other than that if felt like we were kicking the ball around a bit. We did play nice defensively in my opinion. Honduras only had one or two real chances at goals. Tim Howard stepped up both times as expected. And not to pat myself on the back, but it does reinforce my belief that Beasley needs to be used as a midfield substitution (instead of Castillo) and not as a starting defender. I guess we will see how Jurgen feels come September. I don't think we need to wait that long. The Beas was just appointed Captain of the U.S. squad during the Gold Cup for the month of July! Our offense did have some superb attacks and we could have had 2 or even 3 goals with a little luck or a little NO OFFSIDE call. (Minutes before the U.S. scored their real goal, a U.S. goal was waved off with a controversial-for-us offside call.) Jozy (Altidore) came thru once again and Clint (Dempsey) was a bit unlucky not to head one in. Unlucky? It was beyond that. It was surreal! I’ve never seen anything like it. Dempsey hit a nice full-extension header that went off the post and it bounced back directly over his diving body. If he was able to bend his leg up he might have scored the most amazing forward-heel shots ever scored!  Bradley even had his opportunity to score, but it sailed just over the crossbar. Overall it was nice to see the attacking mindset. I still wish we could do it with a little more fluidity and I wish we could counterattack better.  Counterattacks are some of the most dangerous plays in soccer, and Honduras almost proved that on Tuesday night. Luckily they had a miss dribble to ruin one and a misfire to ruin another. Our counterattacks look like we are setting up for a tea party or something... We are not the British National Team, we are the US Men's National Team!!

I feel Graham Zusi is one of the most under appreciated players on our team. Well I appreciate him if that helps. Why does Jurgen always sub for him? I need to know these things. Now, I was really impressed with the way Brad Davis played when he came in for Zusi, but what if Zusi stayed in and Davis came in for Eddie Johnson? That might just be dynamic! In an earlier post I had mentioned Eddie might be in top form since he scored a couple of goals and yes he scored against Panama in Seattle, but I retract that statement. He hasn't impressed me much personally.

Again, overall I am pleased with our progress and look forward to seeing how we improve over the next few months and into next summer. Danny and I will be in Columbus to see the HUGE game against Mexico. Come on out and meet and greet with us!

I almost say here that it didn't help that the officials insisted on taking away all the streamers that the fans were throwing towards the field and the goal. Don't they watch any soccer games in Europe or Brazil? There are always streamers along the field and the goal. It seemed to take away some of the enthusiasm from the crowd and it showed how little America really knows about the passion and fun of the game.

Wow, I’m glad you ALMOST said that, because if you really said that, it might be taken a little harsh!

Read about our fan experience in the next blog and as we get ready for the Gold Cup... Let's Go USA!

Panama Recap/ Honduras Preview

Hi! We’re the Red, White and Blues Brothers and this is our color-coded U.S. Soccer blog. Chip writes in red and Danny writes in blue. We cheer for the U.S. and you better too!

What a difference three games make! Before our second game in the Hexagonal World Cup Qualifying round back in March, the U.S. team was sitting dead last as the only team without a point. Now after game five, our halfway point, The U.S. sits alone at the top as we prepare for the Honduras rematch this Tuesday in Salt Lake City.

Up next: Tuesday, June 18. USA vs HONDURAS, Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, Utah
9:00pm EST, 8:00pm CST, 7:00pm MST, 6:00pm PST
Watch on: ESPN, WatchESPN, UniMas
Follow on Match Tracker at ussoccer.com
and via Twitter @ussoccer
CHICAGO: Watch it live on the big screen at the Petrillo Music Shell in Grant Park!

OK USA fans... a strong showing against Panama. I like seeing Eddie (Johnson) and Jozy (Altidore) finishing off goals. That is so important in World Cup Qualifying and will be even more important in the World Cup. You can dominate a game, but if you don't hit the net then it means nothing. We still need to improve in some areas I feel, but overall I am pleased with our progress. Honduras will be an interesting game. I’ll say! Honduras shocked us with a late goal back in February to steal a victory. That was our only loss in the first half of the Hex. We will get to see how Zusi comes out after sitting out a game. And I will get my personal wish of not having Beasley in the backfield, although I would like to have him available for a late sub. Speaking of late subs, Jurgen Klinsmann didn’t even make his first sub until the 87^th minute. I’ve been a DaMarcus Beasley fan since his days with the Chicago Fire. I thought he played a very exciting, attacking-minded game at left back, but his lack of national team experience as a defender is a concern. We will find out about some of the other defenders I guess. I'm curious to see who Jurgen will play back there. Gonzalez, Cameron, Evans and Besler is my guess... with Evans on the left.  And it will be nerve racking to see if Jones is able to go or not. I think as long as we have Bradley in the middle and our strikers continue to finish, it should be a good result. However, Honduras did beat Jamaica 2-0, so they will be a formidable opponent. So come out and support the Team or watch for us on TV! We will be there! The Red White and Blues Brothers will be unveiling our new supporter uniforms at the game!

Jozy Altidore was again named the Budweiser Man of the Match. Tim Howard shaved his beard. Jurgen Klinsmann looked much more professional in his Centennial USA sweatshirt. Kyle Beckerman who plays for Real Salt Lake was just called up to the team. He has a lot of National Team experience and it’s good to see him back. If the U.S. would have beaten Mexico in the 2011 Gold Cup Final, they would be representing CONCACAF in the Confederations Cup in Brazil right now. That would have been a much better test to prepare them for the World Cup in Brazil. This will be the last World Cup Qualifier until September. The Gold Cup takes place in July and we might see Landon Donovan and Carlos Bocanegra suit up for the U.S. in that tournament. Let’s home the U.S. can extend their 2-game win streak with a victory over this pesky Honduras team. You might have watched the following Honduran players with for their club teams… Victor Bernardez and Marvin Chavez (San Jose Earthquakes) Mario Martinez (Seattle Sounders) Oscar Garcia (Houston Dynamo) Arnold Peralta (Glascow Rangers) Roger Espinoza (Wigan) and Wilson Palacios (Stoke City, teammate of Geoff Cameron).

GO USA!

   

Jamaica Recap/ Panama Preview

Hi! We’re the Red, White and Blues Brothers and this is our color-coded U.S. Soccer blog. Chip writes in red and Danny writes in blue. We cheer for the U.S. and you better too! 

Well, it's a busy couple of weeks for U.S. Soccer! Friday night down in Jamaica the Yanks had us fans on an emotional roller coaster, but our boys pulled off an exciting win in stoppage time!  A trip back to the Pacific Northwest and we're ready to do it again! It's USA vs. Panama in Seattle Tuesday night for our 5th game and the halfway point in the Hexagonal round of our CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying.

Up next: Tuesday, June 11. USA vs PANAMA, CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington 9:30pm EST, 8:30pm CST, 7:30pm MST, 6:30pm PST
Watch on: ESPN, WatchESPN, UniMas
Follow on Match Tracker at ussoccer.com
and via Twitter @ussoccer

Now Here's Chip with our Game 4 Recap from Friday night...
Hey USA fans. It was a nice, strong win in Jamaica... but we certainly can't rest on our laurels or our Heartys.  We will still need to play with a lot of heart in the up coming games this summer. (Oh, I get it Laurel and HEART-Y! Sometimes your sense of humor is more like a Hardy Boys mystery!) We can't afford to give away points in our home games. In other words, we need to strive for 6 points in Seattle and in Salt Lake City. 4 points would be OK, but I don't want OK. I want brilliance! And we can do it. We will surely miss Zusi against Panama, thanks to a second yellow card. Someone will just have to step up and then he can come back against Honduras. We also have to be careful with several players carrying yellow cards. A yellow card in the Panama game for several players would mean a 1 game suspension. I don't think we can afford to lose any players for the Honduras game, especially Bradley, Dempsey or Evans.

Friday night's hero, Brad Evans received a yellow card for celebrating after his amazing goal! All he did was put his shirt over his head, run to the sideline and laid on his back before he was mobbed by his teammates. I think it was crossing the touchline and leaving the field, but I guess it could have been "delay of game". I think the Panamanian referee could have let that slide. I think the game is better with goal celebrations.

Now for an assessment of the game. I felt we controlled and dominated the first half. This made me very happy, but I also felt we were lucky to be up 1-0 at half. Another breakdown in the defense gave Jamaica a golden opportunity in the 42nd minute, but luckily the right post held strong. Of course, we hit a post early on too, so fair is fair. I don't think goalposts operate on a basis of fairness, but each team just missed and hit the post in the first half. Either goal would have been a huge momentum swing as Bradley's post was in the second minute of the game and Jamaica's was right before halftime. 

Speaking of post shots. Is it just me that thinks this, or is Michael Bradley the best player on the field these days? He controls and dominates the mid field and seems to do it with ease. He always knows where the ball should go and almost always gets it there. Nobody ever dribbles around him when he is on the defense and he can get a shot off once and a while too.... as he did when he hit the left post early in the game. We can thank our lucky stars and stripes we have him on our team!

Well, Budweiser awarded Altidore the man of the match and I thought Zusi was the best player for the U.S. on Friday. It's a bummer he has to sit out Tuesday's game with that yellow card suspension.

On to the second half. I felt we played fairly well in the second half as well, but a little sluggish. Blame it on the heat and humidity perhaps? Or partaking in Jamaican customs at halftime? One thing is for certain, we need to shore up the line on free kicks! Jamaica has 3 goals off set pieces in the past two games against us. That is unacceptable! I would blame this one on late sub Eddie Johnson. He was out of position in the end. He is a forward and a goal scorer, so can we really blame him or should we blame Jurgen for the substitution choice? I don't really like to "blame" anyone, so let's move on and hope that both people learn from their mistakes.

However, I sure would like 5 minutes with Jurgen to discuss his substitution choices. So much for moving on! It looks like Chip is getting fired up. We now return to his rant, already in progress... I understand his hand was forced a little with the Jones injury (let's hope his injury is not serious) and bringing Cameron in. I am not sure about the Castillo sub? He didn't seem to do too bad, but he didn't seem to do too much either. Maybe he needs to develop more. But I am baffled by the Johnson sub. Was Jozy exhausted? Hurt? If so, why not bring in a fresh defender for him and move Beasley up to fill the void? Beasley could attack some and still get back to help on defense. Or were his legs done too? These are things I don't know by watching on TV, and I sure would love some insight into it! In an earlier post I mentioned Johnson scoring two goals and being in form. I am not so sure about that anymore. He didn't impress me, and he certainly didn't seem to understand the situation of the game. I can think of at least two times where he pushed the envelope forward late in the game when he should have settled and controlled. Another goal at those times would have been nice, but the play wasn't there in my opinion. Of course, that is just MY opinion. What is YOUR opinion? The Red White and Blues Bros. want to hear from you!

Danny, anything you want to add?
Why yes Chip, thank you for asking! Since you're asking our readers their opinions of coaching tactics and strategy, I have a few items I'm curious about... Tim Howard's beard and Jurgen Kilinsmann's wardrobe choice. Tim, it's great to have you back in the net after recovering from your broken back, but c'mon man, lose the beard! You're one of the only players on the U.S. team that a casual American sports fan might recognize on the street and now you have a disguise. And Jurgen, I think it's totally cool that you brought the team down a few days early to enjoy Jamaica and to watch the Mexico/Jamaica game, but your khakis and T-shirt was a bit too laid back. You looked like you were coaching your daughter's Saturday morning youth game.

And I'd like to point out, that Klinsmann started the same line-up 2 games in a row for the first time since he became the U.S. coach in 2011. Unfortunately with Zusi and Jones out, he won't be able to continue the streak. In the three U.S. away games in the hex, they've worn 3 different uniform combinations. In Honduras in February they wore the all-blue kit and in Mexico in March they wore the all-white kit as the Mexicans wore all black. On Friday they mixed it up a bit by wearing white shorts with the navy blue jersey and socks. Maybe they did that because Jamaica wore black shorts, but it got them a win, so in September when they resume qualifying on the road, I hope they wear the lucky kit.

And things to watch for the Panama game... Panama is coming off a 0-0 tie with Mexico on Friday. That's huge for them, even at home. They're currently in 4th place in the hex. Brad Evans should get a hero's welcome at his home stadium in Seattle. Eddie Johnson also plays for the Sounders and he got a hat trick against Panama (as a sub!) in 2004. Ok, it was 9 years ago, but still that's pretty cool. Panama is playing only their second game on the road in the hex. They tied Jamaica back in March. Panama has never qualified for the World Cup. They have only 1 player playing in the Eastern Hemisphere (Rolando Blackburn plays in Slovakia) and only one player in The MLS (Blas Perez plays for FC Dallas but he might miss Tuesday's game.

Let's Go U.S.A!