Both the Houston Dynamo and DC United showed their value in their 1st Leg CONCACAF Champions’ Cup Semifinal matches against traditionally strong Mexican sides.

The Dynamo are clearly in the better position as they defeated Pachuca, newly crowed Copa Sudamericana Champions, (2-0) in Houston while DC United needed a 90th min. strike from recently acquired Brazilian striker Luciano Emilio, who headed DC level (1-1) against Guadalajara in DC.

Now the American teams have to travel down to hostile territory to secure the dream of qualifying for the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2007, as the winner of this tournament wins the right to compete against the crème de la crème.

Both 2nd Leg Matches will be played in Mexico—Chivas vs. DC United (April 3rd) and Pachuca vs. Houston Dynamo (April 5th).

Both teams just need one more strong performance to make it an All-American affair in the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup Final.

Perhaps Chivas had one eye on this Sunday’s Clasico when they came out against DC United in mid-week and pulled level in the States. Remember though they actually lost to W Connection in Trinidad already in the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup and still advanced.

They now turn with confidence to Azteca and take on their old league rivals America, who limp into this classic, having dropped to 2nd place in Group 3 with their loss to bottom side Monterrey (1-0) also in the midweek. Las Aguiles have shown worrying inconsistency with 4 defeats already in the league and big losses in the Copa Libertadores.

Chivas, on the other hand, missed out on a chance to retain their 1st Place Spot in Group A, as Cruz Azul took advantage of the missed game and have taken the lead for the moment.   

Having lost to Chivas in the Semifinal legs to end last season, America will be hoping that a victory will heal the pain and loss of last season and begin to turn this season around.

The roster:
Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Tim Howard (Everton, England), Kasey Keller (Borussia Moenchengladbach, Germany)

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham, England), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover, Germany), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City), Jay Demerit (Watford, England), Oguchi Onyewu (Newcastle, England), Heath Pearce (Nordsjaelland, Denmark), Frank Simek (Sheffield Wednesday, England), Jonathan Spector (West Ham, England)

Midfielders: DaMarcus Beasley (Manchester City, England), Michael Bradley (Heerenveen, Netherlands), Brian Carroll (D.C. United), Ricardo Clark (Houston), Clint Dempsey (Fulham, England), Benny Feilhaber (Hamburg, Germany), Justin Mapp (Chicago)

Forwards: Brian Ching (Houston), Kenny Cooper (Dallas), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles), Eddie Johnson (Kansas City), Chris Rolfe (Chicago), Taylor Twellman (New England)

The warm-ups:
Ecuador on March 25 in Tampa, FL
Guatemala on March 28 in Frisco, TX
Chine on June 2 in San Jose, CA

The tournaments:
CONCACAF Gold Cup on June 9 against Trinidad and Tobago at Carson, CA
CONEMBOL Copa America on June 28 against Argentina at Maracaibo, VE

The reality:
While interim coach, Bob Bradley has brought in some new faces to the National side, unfortunately the product is to remain the same—a disciplined, disruptive style that usually fails to bring any true vision to the game.

It’s the lack of veteran quality in the squad, however, that leaves one a little disheartened. With most all the old-guard cycled out, it is finally down to Donovan and crew to prove that the USSF can produce viable soccer talent.  

While we should be able to lift the Gold Cup on home soil, the real test is really awaiting in Venezuela.

Have you ever felt in a rut? Have you ever felt that game preparation was just a kind of “going through the motions?”  Obviously, training has become stale with probably no place for reaching for improvement on the individual or team level.

Both coaches and players have a responsibility to keep things fresh. The coach must prepare practices with attainable agendas and relevant topics while players must approach practice with a focus for learning and application. So, you can imagine the results when both parties show up to practice without these things prepared or in mind.

These are the main points of the game that if taken care of, efficiency and production simply start to happen. So, coaches try to think of what your team needs to improve and search for help a day or two before training.

Players, come into training thinking that today you want to do better. You want to score two goals, or complete two passes. At this point, Players and Coaches are both taking it up a notch. Hey, a little effort on both parts begins to push your team forward; otherwise, practices will be the same-old-same-old with a lack of involvement from all parties, even the parents and administration, but when interest and industry is shown then everyone starts to want to take part. 

Whether you’re a coach or a player, there is help for you. Utilizing training programs like 4skills.com’s Virtual Soccer Trainer can provide you the tools to change for your challenges—looking for an individual skill or topic you need clarification for, looking to create a training module to focus on dribbling for a full team practice, or even aiming to build a curriculum for full club development—and to help you achieve your soccer visions.   

Remember every time the ball changes situations in a game it is a new challenge. Will you be ready?

To read Mar. 09, 2007 Edition, Click here

To learn more about Aerobic Soccer Training, Click here

Some of us might be preoccupied with the Champions League, the F.A. Cup, or the impending doom that will rise when David Beckham hits our shores, but I have to keep my eye on Manchester United and their plight to regain a title that once sported their name and their lineage, but has been captured by probably the best team in football.

The reason Chelsea is the best team in football is because of Arjen Robben and his ability to cut through his environment like a Spider Monkey in the trees. Branches or obstacles come up and with swift agility he is up, over, or through the situation with the greatest of ease.

I haven’t seen this level of athleticism since Michael Jordan. He is the new Cruyff, working the midfield with genius to spare.

With this player’s introduction, the game is all his to command. Just get the ball to him and work off of it. Now it is nice to also have players around Robben who understand and can work at his pace, even though they are not the most likeable of players, i.e. Michael Ballack. I’m sure Robben in the locker room is laughing at Ballack’s Oafish ability, even if he can work off the play that Robben sets in motion.

Why do I praise this Dutchmen on the second place team in England? It is because he is the only thing between Man. U. and the next Premiership title.

What is against Man. U right now? As a team, the only thing that can go wrong is Larsson leaving and Alan Smith being the only player that can fill his shoes (Shout out to the Dagger). Their offense would be reduced to battling rubble, but even Giggs can rebuild on that.

It can’t be their schedule. Not until the last four games of the season, then that will be a factor. Right now they are hovering on eight games, and these next four are ducks in a barrel.

For now, be distracted with the Champions League, F.A. Cup, and throw on some Libertadores thought. In a month, The Prem. will be down to it, and we should all be ready for Man. U. to lose it.

Arjen Robben should be European player of the year with a title this year, and a title at the Euro’s next year.

The International field has been set for both the upcoming US Men’s National Team Tournaments as well as for the US U-20s, and for the large part, it looks like it’s going to be an uphill battle.

The best opportunity to win a trophy will be for the US Men in the Gold Cup as we will match up against Guatemala, Trinidad, and El Salvador in the opening round. These are 2nd and 3rd tier teams that the US has a history of handling easily and contrasts sharply against the opening round we’ll be facing in the Copa America.

Down in Venezuela it will be another story as we will be up against Argentina, Paraguay, and Columbia and really look to be fighting it out against unpredictable Columbia for the last spot in this group. We had a difficult time facing similar traditional opposition in the World Cup at Germany, and this will appear no different as our current digression at the National Level is there to be observed.

With no new player developments at the top level we should be asking what is it that the USSF produces? Other than hype and chance after chance for certain players to compete, but never truly measure up!

Perhaps that best glimmer of the US Soccer future will come in Canada for the U-20s at their World Cup. Unfortunately, we face off against Brazil, Poland, and South Korea and are not assured of anything. The initial match against Brazil will be all important, though a victory does not have to be the result.

The way we play in this first match will tell the tale of the next two fixtures. Victory will be bonus, but a positive result will bode well for our young ones’ confidence and could carry us when we play the lesser, but disciplined powers of Poland and South Korea.

It’s about time we stop just competing at these tournaments and really start keeping score with our National team performances. Fans are getting less-and-less satisfied with the good old American try. With the current lack of direction at the top level, is not anyone else alarmed at the US growth in soccer?

The Round of Sixteen gave way to intrigue as a few of the chosen ones were taught lessons by some of the less illustrious sides.

The biggest upset having to go to Liverpool’s defeat of Barcelona, last year’s Champions. Even though the Spanish side won at Anfield, the damage had already been done in Spain—away goals getting the better of Ronaldinho and Co.

Unfortunately the original dark horse, French side Lyon was eliminated, primarily in the 2nd Leg against Roma at home in France. Lyon failed to score in the Round of 16—all the goals from the opening games evaporating into thin air.

Dutch sided PSV Eindhoven is the new long shot as they defeated Arsenal, having drawn level (1-1) at the Emirates. Perhaps the Gunners are still undefeated at home; however, they certainly aren’t holding that out there to cover the pain of elimination.

The classic battle between the old guard fell to the match between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. With the Germans getting the last laugh at the Alianz Arena, where they defeated Real (2-1) also going through on away goals. It was a heated match that saw Dutch dirty-tricks Van Bommel and Real’s Diarra expelled from the action.  

The biggest bust up came at the loss of Inter Milan at the hands of Valencia as a major brawl followed Inter’s elimination from the cup. The Italian midfielder Burdoso getting the worse of the fracas with a busted nose; however, multiple players and club sanctions are soon to follow.

The round up of the Quarterfinals, and of the stronger horses, is Chelsea, AC Milan, and Manchester United. With the field a little lightened by the road rash of this round, these three will especially believe they now have the right to aces.

It is cash-money, literally, because if you can do this, you should be paid.
 
At least I think so.
 
It takes timing, ball skill and the ability to read a trajectory. What is a trajectory: it is the path of a projectile. Well this projectile is a ball, and its path should be over your head directly to your back heel.
 
Oh I love it—the skill of a no look heel connection!
 
You should lift your heel, but make sure it is as flat as you can make it. That ball has to pop straight back up. And for those of you who own 6 minute soccer skills juggling you know the lesson about a flat surface.
 
The first thing you must do though is send the ball smoothly over your head. Make sure the trajectory is nice and looping.
 
Watch the path of the ball over your head and let that heel come up. Here is where a boat load of confidence needs to kick in. what is done is done, and it will just take some faith for the connection to happen. You should calculate where the ball will end up and place the heel to meet it there.
 
It is great when you connect! When the ball and your heel make contact it’s a bit surprising, but you got to love it!
 
After all, the best skills that come out of you are the ones that surprise you!

The Hammers looked as though they were going to finally take 3 precious points on Sunday as they jumped out to 2-0 lead at half time against Tottenham thanks largely to the tenacity and skill of Argentine striker Carlos Tevez.

While it’s obvious that Tevez’s skill and ability out weighs the sum of the rest of the West Ham players, the little striker has not let that affect his effort on the field as on Sunday, he ran about chasing everything in his sight—his time playing as in Argentine in Brazil obviously helping his cause. 

It was no doubt that Tevez had his hand in all the goals that West Ham scored as he set up the first with a chest trap that fell into the strike path of Mark Noble who volleyed home for the Hammers. Tevez then finally scored his first EPL goal as he placed an excellent free kick into the back of the net beating England keeper Paul Robinson.

Having given away the two goal lead in the 2nd half, Tevez then swerved in a free kick that the substitute Bobby Zamora headed home to restore the lead in the 85 min.

Lightening struck twice, however, as Tottenham hit back with their own free kick masterpiece as Dimitar Berbatov curled one in, and all was lost in stoppage time as Tottenham finished another goal as West Ham tried to push forward for all three points.

The Hammers now find themselves rock bottom with relegation looming once again.