USA & North America Football

[tumpal_oneunited]

Mantaaabbb...
Syamsir Alam gabung DC United..

[Andi Istiabudi]

Ayo Syamsir Alam, kamu pasti bisa!!!

Syamsir Alam Bertekad Tembus Tim Inti DC United
Amalia Dwi Septi - detikSport

Jakarta - Syamsir Alam telah resmi bergabung ke klub Major League Soccer, DC United. Meski berstatus pinjaman, pemain 20 tahun itu bertekad untuk mendapatkan tempat utama di klub tersebut.

"Saya sangat bersyukur bisa dikontrak klub sebesar DC United. Walaupun status masih pemain pinjaman. Tapi bagi saya itu kesempatan yang bagus untuk meningkatkan karier saya," ujar Syamsir di kawasan SUGBK, Jakarta, Senin (28/1/2013).

Mantan penggawa timnas junior Indonesia itu menilai DC United adalah tim yang bagus. Ia berharap dapat tempat utama dan siap bersaing dengan pemain-pemain lainnya.

"DC United ini tim yang sangat bagus. Pemain-pemainnya juga bagus. Tentunya harapan saya bisa masuk tempat utama di sana. Bagaimana caranya saya bisa membuktikan diri agar bisa di kontrak secara permanen," tutur pemain berposisi penyerang itu.

"Persiapan khusus sih tidak ada. Hanya membawa pengalaman main di Belgia saja. Saat ini saya sedang mengurus kelengkapan-kelengkapan administrasi saja."

Kesepakatan antara DC United dengan Syamsir Alam dicapai pada Jumat lalu (25/1). DC United mengontrak Syamsir dengan status pinjam dari klub divisi dua Liga Belanda, C.S. Vise, selama semusim, dan opsi pembelian permanen setelahnya.

[zudomiriku]

Klinsmann’s USA in the Hexagonal firing line



Jurgen Klinsmann’s first taste of CONCACAF’s final qualifying round was a disappointing one. USA, who are regularly competing with Mexico for the region's crown, surrendered a lead and lost on the road to Honduras.

The German coach and former playing idol was selected in 2011 to replace former boss Bob Bradley, with the charge of making changes. And he has. Klinsmann, who told FIFA.com of his desire to make the team “more proactive and less reactive,” guided the Americans to their first win on Italian soil as well as at Mexico’s Estadio Azteca.

But those were friendlies. The overheated, competitive, and occasionally hostile ‘Hexagonal,’ brings different challenges across its ten matches. The 2-1 defeat in San Pedro Sula was unwelcomely historic for the Americans as it marked the first time they had lost a qualifier on the road in Honduras. It was also their first loss in a Hexagonal opener since the format was adopted during qualifying for the 1998 FIFA World Cup™ in France.

“The backline is not the reason we lost the game,” insisted Klinsmann at the post-match press conference. "The reason tonight was that too many players were below their usual performance."

Some pundits disagreed, pointing fingers at the chosen defensive quartet, all under the age of 30, of LA Galaxy’s Omar Gonzalez and English Premier League-based Geoff Cameron, who partnered in the centre, and Germany-based full-backs Fabian Johnson, 25, and Timmy Chandler, just 22, playing in his first competitive outing. The decision to bench long-time team captain and two-time FIFA World Cup veteran Carlos Bocanegra, whose 110 caps total more than all four starters combined, also drew criticism.

“We believe Omar [Gonzalez] is ready for the next step at international level,” said Klinsmann, standing behind his decision to use the centre-back, who helped guide LA Galaxy to an MLS title this season. And he calls Johnson, of German side Hoffenheim, “one of the best backs in the Bundesliga…who can be one of the best in Europe.”

Klinsmann's analysis of his player's underperformance was accurate as there were very few highlights in his team's loss to a youthful and fast-moving Honduras, but Tottenham Hotspur’s Clint Dempsey produced one of them. He opened the scoring after 36 minutes. Getting on the end of a brilliant scooped pass from Jermaine Jones, an impressive revelation of Klinsmann’s lengthy and expansive player search, the striker poked home an elegant volley to silence the home crowd.

The Americans, hunting their seventh straight berth at a world finals, celebrated, but they were having trouble keeping the ball in midfield and their shirts were soaked with sweat. The game was played in mid-afternoon, in scorching temperatures, and eight members of the starting XI play their club football in Europe, where it is the dead of winter. It took only four minutes for them to capitulate. It was the fourth consecutive road qualifier in which they lost a hard-earned lead.

The Honduran equaliser, a stunning bicycle kick, came from an unchallenged cross. The ball pinged around the box, no US player able to clear the danger. The Catrachos grabbed the winner with 11 minutes to go, when confusion between veteran goalkeeper Tim Howard and Cameron allowed Houston Dynamo’s Oscar Boniek Garcia to pass the ball across an open goal. Jerry Bengtson, who also plays his club football in the United States, reacted faster than the flat-footed Gonzalez to poke home.

Road woes and the route ahead
“When you take an early lead on the road, you have to finish it off,” said Howard. “You can’t waste the chance. When you leave a team hanging around, they will usually punish you.”

Roma midfielder Michael Bradley, son of Klinsmann’s predecessor, summed up the current situation, choosing to take the long view. “We need to stick together no matter what happens,” said the hard-working midfielder, who has taken the lion's share of midfield responsibilities while Landon Donovan continues to mull over his international career. “Games on the road aren’t always the prettiest.”

While it is hardly time to ring the alarm bells, things will not be easy for the US on the horizon in the Hexagonal, which Bradley calls: “no doubt, the best six teams in CONCACAF at this moment.” The first home test comes on 22 March against Costa Rica, who last month edged Honduras to the Central American cup of nations title. Los Ticos have shown they can cope playing away from home, clawing back to draw away in Panama in their Hexagonal opener after going down by two goals.

Four days after that must-win meeting in Colorado comes a trip to arch-rivals Mexico at the Estadio Azteca, where the US have never won a qualifier. Then it’s on to Kingston, Jamaica, site of a loss last September, where the Americans took the lead only to eventually surrender it. Bradley, the consummate professional, has the final word: “what’s important is what comes after a bump in the road, because there will always be bumps.”

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=2015194/index.html?cid=newsletter_en_20130221_newsid2015194

[zudomiriku]

Mexico dominate New World four



Mexico were crowned CONCACAF U-20 champions for the 12th time on Sunday night, beating old rivals USA 3-1 after extra time in front of a capacity home crowd at the Estadio Cuauhtemoc in Puebla. The mighty El Tri will be joined at this summer’s FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey by the talented Stars and Stripes and debutants El Salvador and Cuba, who both shocked the competition.

The Mexicans, who hosted the CONCACAF qualifying competition for Turkey 2013, opened the scoring after only four minutes of the final via outstanding striker Jesus Corona, but the Americans pulled level when midfield creator Benji Joya struck from the spot. A game of heavy tension, and one played at a high tempo, was finally decided by a player accustomed to being the hero in a Mexico jersey. Ten minutes into extra time, substitute Julio Gomez, pulled off a sensational overhead-kick to break the deadlock and lead the way to victory. It was almost identical to his extra-time winner against Germany in the semi-final of the FIFA U-17 World Cup two years ago on home soil, a tournament the Mexicans went on to win.

Mexico, two-time U-17 World Champions, are a leading light in junior and youth football, and their run to the final in Puebla was nothing short of straightforward. Corona scored twice in their opener, a 3-0 win over tournament new-boys Curacao. They then repeated the scoreline in their second contest, beating El Salvador with ease and getting goals from Gomez and Julio Escoboza to book easy passage to the quarter-finals.

They didn’t falter in their all-or-nothing last-eight meeting against Jamaica either, the hosts mauling the Caribbean hopefuls 4-0. Marco Bueno, another of the core Mexican stars who won the 2011 world U-17 title, grabbed his first goal of the campaign. It was more of the same in the semi-final as the Mexicans beat El Salvador for a second time, with Antonio Briseno, yet another veteran of the U-17 world-beating campaign of 2011, grabbing both goals and Mexico completing a run of four games, over 360 minutes of football, without conceding a goal.

Ramos inspires lively US
The Americans’ run to the final was not as impressive as Mexico’s, but it turned heads nevertheless. Coached by three-time FIFA World Cup™ veteran Tab Ramos, the US stumbled in their first group game, battling to beat an inspired Haitian side 2-1. Led by the midfield creativity of Benji Joya, who plays his club football in Mexico for Santos Laguna, the Americans also scraped by in their second contest, edging Costa Rica by a slim 1-0 scoreline thanks to a well-taken goal from LA Galaxy attacker Jose Villareal.

Up against familiar opposition in neighbours Canada in the make-or-break quarter-final round, the American attack finally clicked into high gear. Villareal scored a pair of goals in a come-from-behind 4-2 win that put the US through to the World Cup. Ramos’ youngsters then booked their place in the final with a simple 2-0 win over Cuba. “This is what we’ve been trying to do for a year and a half now,” goal hero Villareal said. “So we’re happy, we’re proud of each other and how we played as a team.” Midfield sensation Luis Gil was equally effusive about the Americans’ reaching Turkey. “It’s a great feeling,” he said.

While Mexico and USA were expected to reach the big show in Turkey, the two other qualifiers from the CONCACAF zone were outright shocks. Cuba and El Salvador upset the formbook by reaching the semi-finals and booking first-ever appearances at the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Cuba, El Salvador shock
El Salvador opened their account with a 2-1 win over Curacao, enough to put them in the quarter-finals behind Mexico. In the must-win clash against Panama, who finished top of their section with a pair of wins, the Salvadorans were spot on. Jairo Henriquez scored twice in a 3-1 win, in which goalkeeper Rolando Morales proved himself one of the top net-minders in the competition.

Cuba were no less impressive in their unlikely run to the semis. They won their group with a pair of victories over Canada and Nicaragua, before dispatching fancied Costa Rica in their quarter-final to book passage. Arichel Hernandez was the man of the moment for the Cubans, scoring both goals in the game. “It’s a dream for us to go to Turkey because there is an awful lot of competition at this level,” the country’s FA President Luis Hernandez told FIFA.com, unfazed by a loss in the third-place play-off to the Salvadorans.

The four CONCACAF combatants join a growing cast of global qualifiers for the U-20 finals, which take place across seven Turkish venues between 21 June and 13 July. Australia, Iraq, Korea Republic and Uzbekistan will represent Asia, while Croatia, France, Portugal, England, Greece and Spain carry the standard from the European zone. Neither Brazil nor Argentina have qualified from CONMEBOL, with Chile, Paraguay, Colombia and Uruguay representing South America. Turkey qualified automatically as hosts while the African and Oceanian teams are yet to be known.

http://www.fifa.com/u20worldcup/news/newsid=2024240/index.html?cid=newsletter_en_20130307_newsid2024240

[zudomiriku]

The ball-juggling president!



Barack Obama’s love of the beautiful game is hardly a secret. The US President refers to himself as a “soccer dad”, follows West Ham United, and once convinced the leaders of the other seven wealthiest countries of the world to interrupt the G8 summit and watch the UEFA Champions League final on television!

What a majority didn’t know is that President Obama can play a bit too! That became evident last week, when the Honolulu, Hawaii native hosted the Los Angeles Galaxy and Los Angeles Kings at the White House to honour them for winning the Major League Soccer and National Hockey League titles respectively.

Indeed, when Landon Donovan presented President Obama with a ball signed by the Galaxy squad, the 51-year-old did what you’d expect to see from a football-crazy kid and not the US President: he skilfully began bouncing it up and down off his head to the pleasant surprise of his audience!

Actually, Obama was renowned as a classy soccer player while at Harvard University, which has certainly produced its fair share of prominent sportspeople. Aside from a series of Olympic gold medallists, its alumni include former tennis player Dwight Davis, who founded the Davis Cup; two-time NHL Stanley Cup winner Craig Adams; former NFL center Matt Birk and current NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick; NBA star Jeremy Lin, for whom ‘Linsanity’ began in 2012; and MLS players Andre Akpan and Mike Fucito.

http://www.fifa.com/newscentre/features/news/newsid=2050241/index.html?cid=newsletter_en_20130404_newsid2050241

[Andi Istiabudi]

Landon Donovan masih jadi harapan tim USA !!!

Kembali Perkuat Timnas AS, Donovan Langsung Bikin Dua Gol
Kris Fathoni W - detikSport



San Diego - Landon Donovan menandai momen kembalinya ke timnas Amerika Serikat dengan sip. Donovan mencetak dua gol dalam kemenangan 6-0 AS atas Guatemala, sekaligus mencatat torehan spesial.

Dalam laga friendly di Qualcomm Stadium di San Diego, Jumat (5/7/2013) waktu setempat, Donovan mencetak sepasang gol di paruh kedua laga. Yang pertama ia buat dari titik putih di menit ke-56 lalu disusul gol kedua di menit ke-72, sebelum akhirnya ditarik keluar oleh pelatih Juergen Klinsmann semenit kemudian.

Ini merupakan penampilan perdana pemain berusia 31 tahun tersebut, setelah absen dalam beberapa terakhir AS termasuk sejumlah partai kualifikasi pada bulan Maret lalu. Total Donovan absen nyaris setahun dari timnas--sebelum ini penampilan terakhirnya adalah ketika menghadapi Meksiko pada 15 Agustus 2012 lalu.

Dengan tambahan dua gol ke gawang Guatemala, Donovan kini sudah mengoleksi 51 gol untuk timnas AS. Donovan pun menjadi pemain pertama yang menyumbang setidaknya 50 gol untuk AS.

Untuk Donovan secara khusus, hasil di laga itu memang cukup berarti menjelang ajang Piala Emas CONCACAF tanggal 7-28 Juli ini, selain juga untuk usaha menuju Piala Dunia 2014 di Brasil mendatang.

"Senang bisa kembali. Ini adalah malam yang indah, penonton yang mantap, atmosfer hebat, dan menyenangkan untuk kami semua untuk mempersiapkan diri buat Piala Emas," komentar Donovan di Reuters.

"Wondo (Chris Wondolowski) mencetak gol pertamanya, dan 50 buatku. Ini adalah malam yang indah," lanjutnya.

Empat gol lain AS ke gawang Guatemala di laga ini dicetak oleh Herculez Gomez (42'), Wondolowski (71'), Clarence Goodson (85'), dan Alejandro Bedoya (88')').

Susunan Pemain

AS: Nick Rimando; Oguchi Onyewu, DaMarcus Beasley, Michael Parkhurst, Clarence Goodson, Edgar Eduardo Castillo (Alejandro Bedoya 59'), Joe Corona Crespin (Brek Shea 60'), Landon Donovan (Will Bruin 73'), Kyle Beckerman (Stuart Holden 45'), Jose Torres (Mikkel Diskerud 45'), Herculez Gomez (Chris Wondolowski 59').

Guatemala: Ricardo Jerez; Carlos Castrillo, Elias Vasquez, Carlos Gallardo (Milton Leal 78'), Victor Hernandez (Luis Cardona 60'), Sergio Trujillo (Wilmar Perez 60'), Jean Marquez, Edward Santeliz, Jonathan Lopez (Enrique Miranda 76'), Jose Contreras (Renato Sequen 86'), Minor Lopez (Angelo Padilla 86').

[Andi Istiabudi]

Defoe mengikuti jejak Beckham

Pindah ke MLS, Defoe Berharap Masih Bisa Ikut Piala Dunia
Andi Abdullah Sururi - detikSport



Toronto - Jermain Defoe memutuskan menerima pinangan klub anggota Major League Soccer (MLS) yang berbasis di Kanada, Toronto FC. Ia berharap tidak kehilangan kans main di Piala Dunia tahun ini.

Defoe telah resmi dikontrak Toronto FC per 10 Januari lalu, tapi masih diperkenankan memperkuat Tottenham Hotspur sampai bulan Februari, dengan status pinjaman.

Bergabung dengan Toronto FC bersama Michael Bradley yang dilepas AS Roma, Defoe diperkirakan kesulitan memperoleh kesempatan tampil di Brasil pada musim panas ini di skuat Inggris.

"Aku harus jujur, aku memang memikirkan kans ikut Piala Dunia. Selalu penting main bagus untuk klub Anda. Mmain di Piala Dunia adalah hal terhebat, mimpi yang jadi kenyataan. Untuk itulah Anda bermain sepakbola, untuk tampil di turnamen besar di level itu," tutur Defoe saat diperkenalkan klub barunya kepada pers di Kanada, Selasa (14/1/2014).

"Ya, itu memang terlintas dalam benakku. Tapi di saat yang sama aku percaya MLS akan luar biasa buatku. Masuk timnas untuk Piala Eropa atau Piala Dunia, itu berdasarkan kepantasan. Anda harus main baik, fit, dan siap. Yang terpenting buatku adalah main, cetak banyak gol dan tampil baik untuk tim ini.

"Mudah-mudahan aku bisa ikut Piala Dunia. Aku bermain di Premier League sepanjang karierku, mengemas banyak gol. Dan dalam usia 31 tahun, aku yakin manajer Inggris, dan semua orang di Inggris, tahu apa yang bisa kulakukan dan kbawakan untuk negara ini. Jika dipilih, aku akan siap."

Defoe saat ini merupakan pencetak gol terbanyak nomor lima dalam sejarah Tottenham. Di level tim nasional, ia telah mendulang 19 gol dari 55 pertandingan.

[Andi Istiabudi]

Duh bikin malu saja nih ulah Donovan

Striker USA Tertangkap Kamera Buang Air di Sesi Latihan



Bola.net - Landon Donovan dikenal sebagai salah satu pemain terbaik dalam sejarah Amerika Serikat. Pria 31 tahun yang bisa bermain sebagai winger maupun striker ini tercatat sebagai pencetak gol terbanyak sepanjang masa Team USA dengan torehan 57 gol.

Namun kemarin pria yang kini memperkuat LA Galaxy ini menjadi perbincangan publik akibat perilaku yang kurang sepantasnya. Menjalani kamp latihan di Brasil jelang laga persahabatan kontra Korea Selatan, Donovan tertangkap kamera tengah buang air sembarangan di sekitar lokasi latihan.

Tak pelak lagi, hal ini menjadi perbincangan hangat di kalangan pengamat sepakbola. Insiden ini bukan merupakan yang pertama kalinya, karena beberapa tahun yang lalu Donovan juga pernah kepergok tengah buang air di Azteca yang notabene merupakan stadion keramat di Meksiko. Tak heran hingga saat ini Donovan menjadi salah satu pemain paling dibenci oleh publik Meksiko.(tw/mri)

[Andi Istiabudi]

Jika jadi pindah maka MLS akan kedatangan bintang veteran Eropa lagi

Puyol Hijrah ke MLS Musim Depan

Bola.net - Kapten Barcelona FC, Carles Puyol, dikabarkan bakal hengkang ke MLS musim depan. Bahkan, kabarnya Puyol telah melakukan kontak dengan dua klub dari Amerika tersebut, yakni New York City dan New York Red Bulls.

Puyol saat ini sudah berusia 35 tahun. Sudah tergolong sangat veteran untuk seorang pesepakbola. Ia pun kini lebih sering absen membela Blaugrana karena banyak dihajar cedera. Performanya pun jelas sudah menurun.

Sadar bahwa ia tak bisa lagi memberikan yang terbaik bagi klub kesayangannya tersebut, Puyol pun akhirnya disebut memutuskan untuk pindah. Tujuannya adalah klub asal Amerika, tepatnya di kota New York, kota yang sangat ia sukai.

Walau demikian, sejauh ini masih belum ada pembicaraan serius antara pihak Puyol dan dua klub New York tersebut. Akan tetapi, jika memang benar ia pindah ke MLS, ia harus mau menerima pemotongan gaji yang cukup besar.

Di lain sisi, salah satu rekan Puyol, Andres Iniesta menyatakan bahwa ia ingin tetap sang kapten bertahan lebih lama di Camp Nou. Iniesta juga berharap, isu yang meyebutkan bahwa Puyol bakal pensiun akhir musim ini hanyalah sekedar isu belaka. (mrc/dim)

[Andi Istiabudi]

Sayang pemain Asia lainnya, Syamsir Alam gagal bertahan di MLS ...

Betah Main di MLS, Gelandang Jepang Ini Pindah Klub
By Estu Santoso



Daigo Kobayashi telah bergabung New England Revolution dari Vancouver Whitecaps. Gelandang 31 tahun asal Jepang yang sempat sekali main untuk timnas negerinya itu tampaknya kerasan berkarier di Major League Soccer (MLS).

Kobayashi telah diakuisisi oleh Revs, julukan New England, awal musim MLS 2014. Musim lalu, pemain ini tampil pada 30 pertandingan MLS untuk Vancouver, setelah bergabung dari klub J-League, Shimizu S-Pulse.

Pemain yang pernah main di klub Yunani, Iraklis Thessaloniki FC, membawa banyak pengalaman ke Stadion Gillette, markas New England. Menurut Manajer umum New England, Michael Burns, pengalaman Kobayashi sangat berharga.

”Daigo adalah pemain berbakat secara teknis yang cocok dengan sistem kami. Dia berasimilasi dengan baik dengan klub kami, ketika dia berada di Tucson (kamp pramusim klub ini). Dan kami berharap, dia kembali ke klub ini segera,” tutur Burns dilaman resmi klubnya.

Source : http://sportsatu.com

---------- Post added at 10:46 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:46 AM ----------

Sayang pemain Asia lainnya, Syamsir Alam gagal bertahan di MLS ...

Betah Main di MLS, Gelandang Jepang Ini Pindah Klub
By Estu Santoso



Daigo Kobayashi telah bergabung New England Revolution dari Vancouver Whitecaps. Gelandang 31 tahun asal Jepang yang sempat sekali main untuk timnas negerinya itu tampaknya kerasan berkarier di Major League Soccer (MLS).

Kobayashi telah diakuisisi oleh Revs, julukan New England, awal musim MLS 2014. Musim lalu, pemain ini tampil pada 30 pertandingan MLS untuk Vancouver, setelah bergabung dari klub J-League, Shimizu S-Pulse.

Pemain yang pernah main di klub Yunani, Iraklis Thessaloniki FC, membawa banyak pengalaman ke Stadion Gillette, markas New England. Menurut Manajer umum New England, Michael Burns, pengalaman Kobayashi sangat berharga.

”Daigo adalah pemain berbakat secara teknis yang cocok dengan sistem kami. Dia berasimilasi dengan baik dengan klub kami, ketika dia berada di Tucson (kamp pramusim klub ini). Dan kami berharap, dia kembali ke klub ini segera,” tutur Burns dilaman resmi klubnya.

Source : http://sportsatu.com