USSoccerPlayers

American Abroad

By Andrew Dixon - MIAMI, FL (Jul 14, 2009) USSoccerPlayers -- Don't get it twisted: the thing most American soccer fans will remember about the summer of 2009 will be the Confederations Cup. Yes, the Gold Cup is nice and I hope we win.  The soap opera version of Major League Soccer is kinda fun too.

But to me the second event thus far is Oguchi Onyewu's signing with AC Milan.  An American signing for one of the biggest  clubs in the world is simply amazing. I'm not spending this column debating whether his style of play will mesh with Serie A or whether he'll be in over his head.  I'll let the more learned American soccer pundits debate that.

No, today I'm simply giving props to the American players who started playing in the States, have gone over to Europe and made this happen with ground breaking and respected European sojourns.  They didn't accept any limitations or listen to the haters.  They simply went there to be the best they could be and open doors for other American players so that a day like this could occur.

Showing love by position and not by order of importance:

Critical Theory

"All of the critics in America who said we were no good after losing to Italy and Brazil, let's see what they say now." - Michael Bradley

By Andrew Dixon - MIAMI, FL (Jun 24, 2009) USSoccerPlayers -- Michael Bradley doesn't know who I am, but this Grown Man has been one of those critics that he's talking about. I don't regret being one, nor do I take back anything I've said over the past year.  The results against Costa Rica away and the first two matches of this tournament only exposed the team's shortcoming in key areas of which top sides took advantage.

That's why the win against Egypt was so brilliant.  While a lot of commentators put this win down to heart, that alone does not win matches against good teams.  To quote Roy Keane, "You have to have the heart and passion but that only gets you so far."  

Heart is how teams like Fulham command a place in Europe.  Don't get me wrong, it takes heart to pick yourself off the mat after some of our recent results.  But the US won this match with its vast improvement in several areas in which top teams perform well, game in and game out.

The Bucket

By Andrew Dixon - MIAMI, FL (Jun 9, 2009) USSoccerPlayers -- Your favorite Grown Man has been suffering from some ill health lately.  Dizzy spells,  throbbing ear pain and alternating periods of rest, calm and then more pain.

I thought all of these symptoms were my body’s reaction to the wildly inconsistent play of my beloved National Team during this latest leg of qualifying, but it was merely an ear infection.  While I have been successfully diagnosed and given several huge antibiotic pills to cure my aural issues, I'm not sure what to make of our Red White and Blue as they land in the RSA for the Confederations Cup.

What's Happening DC?

By Andrew Dixon - MIAMI, FL (May 29, 2009) USSoccerPlayers -- About a year or so ago, I wrote about the end of the Major League Soccer season and how I was glad that there were several unresolved questions lingering.  The  MLS equivalent of a dramatic series cliff hanger. It gave MLS fans things to ponder during the off season and built up the start of Season 14.

This year, we didn't even have to wait until the end of the season. Victor MacFarlane's decision to sell his ownership shares in DC United last week came as a surprise to many. And while it will change little with DC's on the field production, (ultimately the most important measuring stick for the success of any franchise) this has raised more questions than it has answered about the future of the League's most decorated franchise. 

Taking Attendance

"13 years deep in this marathon I'm runnin’"
De La Soul, Trying People

By Andrew Dixon - MIAMI, FL (May 18, 2009) USSoccerPlayers -- When Major League Soccer began play in '96, there was a lot of negative energy thrown its way.  Just the thought of maintaining a soccer league in the United States seemed like a long shot.  It was suggested that the League lost momentum by not starting play in '95.  Then, of course, there were the Soccer Haters who just simply wanted the league to go away.

Here we are. 

Few players remain from those first few seasons.  Veterans of questionable defending, some questionable jersey choices, and the shootout.  The Old School, by any standard.  The ones that remember.  Today, I'm paying tribute.

Working The Triangle

By Andrew Dixon -- MIAMI, FL (Apr 22, 2009) USSoccerPlayers -- We get a little crazy with sports statistics here in the United States but we're Americans. That's what we do. Last week, Jaime Moreno became the first Major League Soccer player to score 100 goals and notch 100 assists. No doubt that some of them were probably the result of that dubious secondary assist, but nonetheless it's an impressive achievement.

What has helped Moreno achieve this feat is the fact that he's been a part of that Magic Triangle that DC United has used to spearhead their attack since the club arrived in 1996. DC has won championships and a lot of MLS games using this three-headed attack. An out and out play maker wearing the #10, Moreno, and a pure goal scorer.

Let's take a look at the evolution of DC's Magic Triangle.

The Breaks

By Andrew Dixon - MIAMI, FL (Apr 16, 2009) USSoccerPlayers -- I was recently interviewed by Tony McClean of the Black Athlete Sports Network for his show "Weekend Sports Rap". The focus of the interview was mainly about Blacks in the game of soccer domestically and internationally, but the discussion turned toward soccer's relatively low spot in America's sporting landscape.

What will it take for soccer in general, and Major League Soccer in particular, to get to that high level? My answer was the same as it's always been: Time.

I cited the examples of the National Football League and the National Basketball Association. How it took years for football to overcome the dominance of baseball and establish itself as an American institution. How I could remember the days when The NBA Finals were on tape delay. Both of those leagues had to go to through growths periods longer than MLS has even been around before they became the big time sports that they are now.

The Points

This column will observe a moment of silence for those who died in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on Saturday.

Thank you.

By Andrew Dixon - MAIMI, FL (Apr 1, 2009) USSoccerPlayers -- I've been cranking a lot of old school hip hop recently. In fact it was the late Professor X (the Overseer) who summed up what I was thinking as the US gets ready to welcome Trinidad and Tobago to Nashville tonight.

We've been here before.

The background then? Guatemala City. The background now? San Salvador.

The last time the US got ready to square off against T&T on these shores they were coming off what I thought was an awful away match against a team they should have beaten handily. The USA came away with a 1-0 win against Guatemala that was celebrated and called historic in some circles.

Why Us?

By Andrew Dixon - MIAMI, FL (Mar 18, 2009) USSoccerPlayers -- MLS has attracted-and continues to attract its fair share of critics and haters, perhaps even more so since a certain London-born Englishman began his protracted exit strategy out of LA. 

Some of these have been legitimate criticisms (e.g. shootouts, loose allocation rules, pay inequities) but there are others have been based more on wanting the see the league operate along the lines of its European and South American counterparts (dropping single entity, single table standings).

Sure Thing

By Andrew Dixon - MIAMI, FL (Mar 10, 2008) USSoccerPlayers -- I've slept on it.

I've given it a few days.

My initial reaction hasn't changed about FC Barcelona not coming to Miami.

What I Was Thinking

By Andrew Dixon - MIAMI, FL (Feb 27, 2009) USSoccerPlayers -- I've been sick recently, so the celebrity mailbag has been filling up.  Let's take a gander, shall we?

The first letter comes from a David B. in Milan, Italy.  He writes: Eh, I'm desperate to stay where I am because I love my club football again.  But if I have to go back to Los Angeles, what kind of reaction will I get?

Just One Grown Man's Opinion of course, but if anyone is going to boo you, they're likely going to be wearing a Galaxy shirt. With all of this talk about how much you enjoy playing club football again, if I'm a Galaxy fan- or one of your Galaxy teammates - I'm not feeling too good about what you're saying.

Promotional Consideration

By Andrew Dixon - MIAMI, FL (Jan 9, 2009) USSoccerPlayers -- I've always believed that college basketball and football are the closest thing this country has to the passion and hype that is professional soccer to people in other countries.

The pre-games shows, the constant commercials themed around them, the debate about various conferences and teams, even the ridiculousness that is national signing day (no, I'm not going to capitalize it) is closer than the established North American pro sports. Sure, the EPL is attempting to become the NFL revisited, but the fan experience and game day environment aren't even close.

Find The Market

By Andrew Dixon - MIAMI, FL (Jan 30, 2009) USSoccerPlayers -- Can I be real for a second?

The very notion of establishing and maintaining a professional outdoor soccer league in these United States of America requires vision, patience and (at the very least) ambition.  To get Major League Soccer on par with not only the top soccer leagues in the world, but also the top professional sports leagues in the US, requires a certain belief and a will to see it come to fruition.

Choosing The States

Andrew Dixon - MIAMI, FL (Jan 13, 2009) USSoccerPlayers -- The Neven Subotic episode and to a lesser extent the loss of Edgar Castillo got me thinking about the players who weren't born here but proudly represented the United States.  While other countries have used players born elsewhere (France, Netherlands, Jamaica, Mexico) the issue is a dual edged sword for American soccer. 

The old school belief was that the US wasn't good enough to compete and had to get players from elsewhere, but we've had players who had been proud to represent the US to the fullest and we cheered them no matter where they came from.
 
Some of have become legends, others had some degree of success, and others you might not remember.  So let's take a look at some of them.

And That's

By Andrew Dixon - MIAMI, FL (Dec 22, 2008) USSoccerPlayers -- It’s the end of the year, so several Grown Men and Women with Opinions will be penning columns about the world of football from 2008.

You know, salute the various domestic and international champions, speak about some off field issues that the game saw this year, pay homage to those special performances and moments that had the significant portions of the soccer world buzzing throughout the year.  They’re fun to do and gives pundits a chance to celebrate the game.

Grouping The Designates

By Andrew Dixon - MIAMI, FL (Dec 11, 2008) USSoccerPlayers -- A few weeks ago a sports columnist proclaimed the "David Beckham experiment" an abject failure in Los Angeles. The reason should be common to most MLS fans, has Beckham raised the American game?

It's naive if anybody really expected Becks to turn MLS into the EPL in a season and half. Moreover, it's easy enough to ignore Beckham's biggest contribution, namely the other Designated Players who have arrived in his wake.

Some have been epic failures, but others have been worth the extra money shelled out beyond the salary cap and have succeeded in bringing added attention and in most cases quality to he league.

How much? Read on.

Me Too

By Andrew Dixon - MIAMI, FL (Nov 28, 2008) USSoccerPlayers -- Let’s be real for a second.  The things I’m most thankful for are my family, Mrs. One Grown Man, and the relative fortunate circumstances that allow me to enjoy my life as I do. But my love for soccer is part of that enjoyment and so in that vein, so let me answer my man Graig Carbino and say what I’m thankful for:

What About Miami?

By Andrew Dixon - MIAMI, FL (Nov 25, 2008) USSoccerPlayers --

One Grown Man: Goal!  Whaaa, huh!  Oh man!
 
Mrs. One Grown Man: You ok?
 
OGM: Yeah, yeah...Wow. That was some dream.
 
MOGM:  Who was she.
 
OGM: Huh, no, not like that.  I was dreaming about the Fusion?
 
MOGM: Who?
 
OGM: The MLS team that was here about seven years ago.   I dreamed they were still here.
 
MOGM: Oh... were they any good?
 
OGM: Yeah, they were actually. I dreamed that MLS and Ken Horowitz' the Fusion's former owner/investor had worked out the numbers and decided to give the Fusion one more year.  See in 2001 they had gotten to the semi final round only to lose at home overtime.  But they were able to stave off contraction and play another year in Lockhart.

Continuing The Conversation

By Andrew Dixon -- MIAMI, FL (Nov 21, 2008) USSoccerPlayers --

What's up, Grown Man?

Um, not much.  Have we met?

You don't remember me? We talked after the last US-Guatemala match?

Oh, yeah. You. How are you?

I'm great!  US is headed to the Hex, top of the group. Well played match the other night.  It's all good.

I imagine you're psyched about the Guatemala game the other night, huh.

Of course!  Oh wait, you're going to tell me that was nothing to get excited about, aren't you.

Eh, it was a solid win but...

Strengthening The Region

Has CONCACAF really improved enough to justify their extended World Cup slots, or has the competitive level stayed the same and really only benefited from FIFA politics?

By Andrew Dixon

MIAMI, FL (Nov 15, 2008) USSoccerPlayers -- While Major League Soccer fans will spend most of next week trying to figure out while their team isn't in the final, Wednesday night should be an exception.  It is, of course, the final match day in the preliminary stages of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying. 

Three spots are still up for grabs in next year's Hexagonal. Costa Rica has absolutely sailed through without dropping any points with El Salvador coming in right behind them. The US, of course, is also already through to the Hex.  The T&T match last month and next Wednesday's game against Guatemala bring in guys looking for to impress for next year.