MLS All Stars Defeat German Power House Bayern Munich in Portland

Portland, Ore. - The atmosphere was electric in Portland all week long in preparation for the 2014 AT&T MLS All-Star Game at Providence Park, home of the Portland Timbers. Training sessions by both teams open to the public, player appearances throughout the city, sponsor events all day long in Portland’s main square. It was only fitting that the match itself would be very entertaining.

And indeed it was. The MLS All-Star Starting XI charged the field at kick-off to control the match and set the pace. And they did just that, but it would only last for 8 minutes. That’s when Robert Lewandowski, Bayern’s Polish striker took a beautiful ripper just outside the eighteen which rocketed into Rimando’s net.

Bayern Munich continued to generate scoring opportunities, as did the MLS All-Star squad, with the most clear chance coming from a gorgeous ball played by Thierry Henry to Dempsey, whose right-footed shot was deflected out of bounds by Bayern’s goalie Tom Starke. Bayern was unable to extend their lead due to some amazing saves by Rimando on a couple of point-blank shots by Shaqiri.

It was a well played first half, during which -at no point- did I think this was a “friendly” match due to how both teams left everything on the pitch, and the physical nature with which it was played.

As expected, the second half would bring many substitutions on both teams, but the players who came on for the MLS All Stars -almost eleven of them, actually- looked more like they should have been the clear choice for the starting eleven. The tempo and intensity with which they took the pitch was remarkable. And it took only 6 minutes into the second half for a sublime finish by Bradley Wright-Phillips to even the score 1-1 with a rocket-shot past Starke. Caleb Porter wanted to honor Thierry Henry with a substitution at the 47th minute so that the fans would pay their respects. Landon Donovan took the pitch replacing Henry and the fans at Providence Park brought the house down with the ovation for both players.

On the 69th minute Donovan would show the world -and Klinsmann in particular- that he can still compete at a high level when he gave the MLS All Stars the lead 2-1 over a charging Manuel Neuer, Golden Glove winner at the last FIFA World Cup Brasil 2014. Donovan ran up the middle into the eighteen and was served a perfect ball by Portland’s local hero, argentinian Diego Valeri. As soon as Donovan scored Caleb Porter, Portland Timbers and MLS All Stars head coach subbed him and the fans again went crazy. It looked as if Donovan’s only mission was to get in, score, and get subbed. Was it a “directed-to-someone-specifically” message? Who knows, and quite frankly, who cares, as Donovan did exactly what Donovan does.

The last 20 minutes were intense, with Bayern looking for the equalizer that would never arrive because Bill Hamid -who replaced Nick Rimando in the goal- was having a great match, and the MLS All-Star back line was playing superbly.

The Germans were not going to accept defeat very easily and head coach, Spaniard Pep Guardiola sent Bayern’s heavy artillery to the pitch. Despite having landed in Portland -from Europe- just 5 hours before game time, Neuer, Müller, Schweinsteiger, Robben, Lahm, Boateng, Götze, were all sent into the match with the hope of equalizing.

The MLS All Stars played a very good game against a world-class team, and came from behind to snatch the victory 2-1. It was the perfect way to end the week-long festivities in the so called “Soccer City.”

San Jose Earthquakes Play Inaugural Game at Levi’s Stadium Against Seattle Sounders

For San Francisco Bay Area soccer fans this match had special feelings. Not only were the San Jose Earthquakes playing in the first-ever match at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA, but local high school power-house De La Salle had two former players taking part of the action in this match. A forward and a goalkeeper, one for each team.

Earthquakes star and US National Team forward Chris Wondolowski was taking on Sounders FC goalkeeper Stefan Frei. It’s Wondolowski’s job to score goals and Frei’s to prevent them. The battle was on.

If you add to that the bitter rivalry of recent years between the two teams, and the fact that the Sounders are in first place while the Earthquakes dead last in their conference, we were about to witness a memorable match.

Most of the first half seemed to be controlled by the Sounders midfield while the Earthquakes back line struggled at times to contain Dempsey and Martins. So much so, that an argument broke out during the game between Jason Hernandez and Victor Bernardez, reminiscing of the Cameroon team during Brasil 2014. Although Seattle’s slight dominance did not seem to bear fruit as they created minimal scoring opportunities, it was San Jose getting on the score board. At the 42nd minute a beautifully played ball by Wondolowski behind Seattle’s defense found Yannick Djaló beating his mark and getting wide open to tap and squeeze the ball past a charging Stefan Frei to open the score.

The first-half goal seemed to give the Earthquakes some much needed confidence starting the second half, as they created a few scoring opportunities in the first 15 minutes. Each time the pattern was the same. Wondolowski “dressed-up” as a creative midfielder feeding magnificent balls to Djaló who was unable to find the back of the net.

On the other hand, the first-place Seattle Sounders did not seem capable of finding a good rhythm with Alonso, Dempsey, Yedlin and Brad Evans who were on an off-night. When Kenny Cooper came off the bench on the 65th minute the Sounders seemed to click. A header by Cooper saved by Busch and a beautiful bicycle-kick by Dempsey which barely missed the crossbar started tipping the pitch in favor of the Sounders, while Busch’s performance was becoming pivotal. The last 5 minutes of the match plus the additional 5 minutes of stoppage were electrifying as Seattle charged in search of the equalizer. A header off a corner kick by Seattle’s Chad Barrett was saved on the goal-line by Chris Wondolowski, Yedlin drew a couple of fouls just outside the 18, while keeper Jon Busch again made crucial saves.

As the game was expiring the 48,765 in attendance were a bit distracted by the fireworks from adjacent amusement park Great America, not knowing it was the perfect way to celebrate an Earthquakes victory.

Will Win Against Ghana Be Enough?

For months the “specialized” media talked about this USA National Team and whether it would advance from the FIFA World Cup Brasil 2014 Group G -along with Germany, Portugal and Ghana- or not. The so-called “Group of Death” by soccer fans in the U.S. -I need to clarify that around the world the “Group of Death” was Group D- was to be a make-or-break for the future of U.S. Soccer under the reign of German-born Jüergen Klinsmann.

Player selection was a question mark, while playing style -or lack of- was an even bigger one. Everyone in the American soccer community is by now very familiar with everything that has been said, so my focus will be on the first match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup against Ghana. Many people believed going into Brasil 2014 that by beating Ghana -a huge monkey on the back of U.S. Soccer- our chances of getting out of the group stage increased exponentially. Never mind Portugal and Germany -in that order-, “3 points is all we need!”. Well, I don’t think so. This Ghanaian side is the youngest in the World Cup, therefore lacks serious experience. I say this because defeating Ghana was not -at least on paper- as monumental task as the media and fans seemed to believe. That it was going to be difficult, absolutely. 

And it was. But it was difficult not because of a talented, or speedy Ghana side. It was because of the lack of vision by Klinsmann to secure results while ahead. After Dempsey’s superb, nation-rattling goal merely 30 seconds into the game, the U.S. failed to generate additional serious scoring chances, but instead granted the midfield to the Africans who in turn put the Americans against the ropes. Not surprisingly Ghana’s equalizer came in the second half. Late in the second half, which for a moment seemed to indicate that to be the final outcome.

If the Americans suffered to put away the youngest team in the tournament early in the match, what can be said about putting Portugal or Germany to rest? It will be a much more difficult task, and that will be the breaking point for this American team. Portugal is deeply hurt in their pride, and Germany will not hand us any pity just because our head coach is German. I really doubt it.

While injuries played an important role against the U.S. National team yesterday, that is exactly where roster selection comes to the rescue. But in the case of Klinsmann’s selection, I believe it will hurt more rather than help. I am not making a case for any individual player here, I am simply stating that some of the players who traveled to Brazil are not the players the National Team needs in these type of circumstances.

A win is a win, no matter how you slice it, but sometimes the way you win will not be enough against certain competition. And I believe that will be the case when we play against Portugal and Germany.