MLS Power^d Rankings WEEK 3

Keeping it simple with this one. Every year weekly power rankings are handed out for MLS teams and week in, week out there is that one head scratcher of a pick. So, what I've decided to do is take matters into my own hands.. with a little assistance from some great soccer journalists. What I've done is  taken the rankings from what I believe are the most popular soccer sites (Goal, MLSsoccer, ESPN, SI and FOX)  added each teams rank for the week and voila! You arrive at what I like to call  MLS "Powered Rankings. These guy consensus can't be wrong, right? Here we go!

1. Seattle
T-2. Real Salt Lake
T-2. Sporting Kansas City
4. Los Angeles
5. Houston
6. Vancouver
7. Chicago
8. FC Dallas
9. San Jose
10. Colorado
11. New York
12. Portland
13. Columbus
14. Chivas USA
15. DC United
16. New England
17. Toronto FC
18. Montreal
19. Philadelphia

Fingertips Save… and Taketh Away

WOW. What else can you really say? The U-23 MNT vs El Salvador game has been over for some time now and I’m still in utter disbelief. I’ve been toying with the idea of starting a blog for some time now and just haven’t had that “moment” that kicks me into gear. Well, after tonight’s surprising elimination from the 2012 London Olympics, there really is no better time I suppose. Also, a slight disclaimer to anyone who does actually stumble across this little blog attempt of mine, please excuse the amateur nature. This is my first time.

[Sigh] Where do I even begin? Well first let me preface by sending a huge thank you the U-23 MNT for their hard work and effort. This is not the result that we would have wished for, but what’s done is done. I think we forget sometimes that these players are still vertically kids, it is 23 and under after all. We must remember the human side of this and realize that as upset as we are as fans this is truly and tremendous blow to these players psyche and a morally crushing defeat (albeit a tie) leading to elimination.

Cuba 6-0. Woo-hoo! We’re bringing home the Gold! Canada 0-2. Well, this is going to be a little more difficult than expected. Canada v. Cuba 1-1. Phew! At least we don’t have to worry about Mexico until the final. El Salvador 3-3. Is this real life? Did that seriously just happen?

I don’t think there is one particular thing that happened which led to our elimination. I mean… OF COURSE it is Sean Johnson’s fault that we’re not grinning like a Cheshire cat right now, but there are a lot things that you could look to, the onus should not have to fall on Johnson’s gloves alone. For starters, why did we only have one natural CB on the entire roster? Why did we hand such a talented and promising group over to a college coach with no prior international level coaching experience? Why didn’t the ref award a pk and give that El Salvador player a red for punching Terrance Boyd in the face? The questions truly are endless when you get to thinking.

The shockwave that this will send throughout the U.S. will be miniscule. ESPN probably will not even waste characters on a mention of this game. I doubt half the country even knows there was a game being played and I am sure the other half didn’t even know that soccer was played during the Olympics.  Myself, the ardent soccer fan, along with all of you who appreciate this beautiful game however, will be reeling probably until the USMNT qualifiers begin in June or at the very least, when the USWNT team suits up in London. I want to say that I hope the sting of this loss will be imbedded into these players’ minds and they will be better for it and do their damnedest to not let it happen again. Then I remember that our U-20 team already failed to reach the World Cup a year ago and this tournament was supposed to take that bitter taste out of our mouths. Better luck next time?

As with any tournament, there will always be winners and losers.  And while this loss is an unfortunate and an extremely hard pill to swallow we must always try to take away some positives. The U-23 setup is a platform for our younger players to step on to and more or less a path to the ultimate goal, the full Men’s National Team. There were definitely players who looked the part and with maybe a little more seasoning will be able to contribute in the future. From Terrance Boyd to Joe Gyau to Joe Corona to Mix Diskerud to even the age old question of Freddy Adu, who did by all accounts put in a Man of the Match performance tonight. So I say this my fellow U.S. Soccer fans, let us stew and pout about this match for as many days as it takes! However, know this, there will always be another tournament to look forward too. As a matter of fact I can think of one whose qualifiers lie right around the corner.