Compelling Soccer

Jonathan Bornstein's last action for the US National team was the game tying finisher against Costa Rica that secured the first place in CONCACAF qualifying. Could it also have been his last start for the US squad in International tournament competition? Bob Bradley has called in Edgar Castillo for the US' European friendlies in November. Castillo is the New Mexico born left back who plays for Tigres UANL in Mexico's first division. He also played for Mexico's national team until losing his spot under Sven Goran Eriksson. Under the new FIFA regulations, he was allowed to switch to the US national team. Yeah, we get Mexico's sloppy seconds. But I'm perfectly okay with that; I mean honestly, would you care if Sean Avery made fun of you for dating Elisha Cuthbert? No, because you're hooking up with Elisha Cuthbert. Not that Castillo could be compared to the Girl Next Door. However US national team isn't in any position to refuse talent here.

From what I've heard, Castillo is similar to Bornstein, offensive minded with some defensive liabilities. They're the same height, 5'9, as well. The advantage for Castillo is that he plays his league games against a higher level of competition, which should be a big plus. But that doesn't necessarily mean that he's necessarily the answer at left back either. If we believe the Mexican team and the US team are comparable in terms of talent, and I believe they are, then Castillo's inability to retain his spot on Mexico's backline doesn't necessarily bode well for his chances on outrightly taking the job away from Bornstein, who Bradley has stuck with through quite a few low moments only to be rewarded with his equalizer against the Ticos.

However, the equalizer should not make people forget that Bornstein is a guy who pretty much everyone but Bradley was calling to be benched against after his awful performance against El Salvador. His improvement might seem like a big jump, but that's because he was as low as you can go and has risen his game to average/slightly below average, depending on who you talk to. Think of it like a baseball player who was hitting .180. If he ends up hitting .250, that doesn't mean he's a good hitter, even though his average jumped seventy points. Bornstein still doesn't strike me as truly an International quality left back and the game against Costa Rica doesn't change that. (Let us not forget he was also part of the huge defensive breakdown which led to Costa Rica's second goal)

So Castillo's call up should hopefully start the US on the path to figuring out whether or not Castillo can play, rather than if Bornstein is the answer at left back. Even if Castillo proves he's no better than JB in these two friendlies, all that should mean is he's not the answer either. This should not be an either/or situation between the two of them.

-I don't get the Clint Dempsey hate. I understand the frustration at times. Watching games like the one he had against Trinidad and Tobago or even El Salvador can make you pull your hair out. For a US fan especially, it can be strange watching a player who clearly has incredible talent not play up to the highest level considering the US has rarely had players who could make the first claim. Landon Donovan has had frustrating moments, but for the most part, his deficiencies have popped up on the club level rather than the international one. Dempsey has been the opposite; he's much more consistent on Fulham than he has been on the Nats.

So frustration is understandable. Most Nats fans aren't tuning in to see Fulham's games, so they aren't going to take someone else's word over what they see with their own eyes. However, what I don't understand are the people who insist Dempsey should be benched in favor of Stuart Holden and/or Jose Francisco Torres. I think highly of Torres from what I've seen and I am starting to believe that Holden had some real talent (though not so much in the wing position), but neither deserves to play over Dempsey. I don't care if he's had a string of bad games for the Nats, find me another US midfield/forward who is having the level of success that Dempsey has had at Fulham at the club level. I'm sorry MLS players, do not compare. You can speculate that Holden or even Donovan would be as good in the EPL, but that's all it is, speculation. Dempsey IS a consistent starter and 90 minute player on a side that's playing in Europe this year. If he's a pretty solid player in a league that plays at the highest level, I'll take my chances with him over guys who are good or great players in a league that is three or four levels down in quality. At this point that's what Holden is and heck that's what Torres is. The Mexican leagues are good and their top squads are better than MLS' but they aren't on the level of the EPL's best.

Holden's had some good games in a US shirt. Great. Dempsey's had them too and day in and day out is facing better competition. He's proving his worth every day he's suiting up for Fulham. I hate quoting a line from FIFA 10, but "Form is temporary, class is permanent." Dempsey's poor form for the US is likely not going to last forever; his true talent level will emerge. If healthy, he's and Donovan are the only two 100% locks for the US starting lineup. No one else has done enough that honor yet. Sorry Holden fans; he's not shown to be on Dempsey's level yet. We'll see what happens this winter when he may head to Europe and get the chance to prove it week in and week out.

-Yeah it's pretty clear Rafa's prioritized the Champions League over the EPL. But I'm still left wondering if whether or not it's the right move. Let's face facts here; the EPL title isn't happening. I don't think even making the knockout stages of the Champions League is either. However, that's still a possibility. If Liverpool were to sweep the their final three games, then odds are, they'd have a decent shot at finding their way in. Compare that to the EPL, where even if they won every game from here on out, the title is still not happening.

So what is a manager to do? His job could be on the line. Can you fire a manager who takes his team to the Champions League final, let alone win it? Probably not. Could you fire a manager who finishes fourth in the EPL and gets knocked out of the group stages of the CL? Yeah, you very well could. What would you do in that situation? If it were my job, I'd be doing everything I could to salvage it and CL is probably his best chance at salvation. Scream all you want; realistically, you can't expect someone to not do everything they can to survive.