Compelling Soccer

This kickoff comes as a sorry replacement for the Match Day recap, which had to be cancelled due to work related commitments. Or you know, me having a job on a weekday afternoon.

-A busy day yesterday kept be from watching Liverpool's 2-0 loss at Fiorentina (a coincidence that I couldn't follow a loss, I swear). It's too bad in a way, critiquing a team when it loses can be even more educating than a when a team wins. On the other hand, I figure I might have pulled my hair out if I had to watch the squandered chances.

I've mentioned before how much MLS tends to annoy me with it's the strange attempt to appear soccer-ish in name but not in principle. There was a strange dichotomy set up, especially at the beginning, when you had this allusion to traditional sounding soccer names like DC United, while setting up rules to differentiate it from international soccer like it's old way of doing penalty kicks and the fourth substitution. In fairness to MLS, while that naming convention has continued (Real Salt Lake, FC Dallas, Seattle Sounders FC) they've gone much more towards the traditional format in terms of rules. However one thing that is missing is the thing that would make a soccer league in this country truly unique; relegation.

As I begin this Tuesday kickoff, I'm left wondering if the US Under 20 team must always play on the same day as Liverpool...

-I caught the second game for the Trinidad Under 20s yesterday and the effort was loads better. Perhaps the raucous crowd in the first game, they were playing hosts Egypt, affected the players. Or maybe it was just nerves of a different sort as many haven't been in a competition this large before. Either way, things were better in this one, even if the results ended up being the same points wise as they fell 2-1 to Italy.

These thoughts come courtesy of a man whose wallet is 88 dollars lighter thanks to Arizona's ineptitude...

-I didn't follow much of the US-Germany under 20 opener but the scoreline told me all I needed to know. Three unanswered goals later, things couldn't have started more poorly for the US squad. To make matters worse, this supposedly wasn't even the best and brightest the German youth had to offer.

Win Rating: 8- Expected Massacre

This one was what Liverpool was supposed to do. There were some tense moments after Hull City drew level as Liverpool's suspect defending again let them down. But Pepe Reina was there when necessary and it was only a matter of time before the brilliant Liverpool attack went back to work. And by "Brilliant Liverpool attack" I actually mean Fernando Torres. Three Torres goals later and Liverpool had more than enough to pick up three points.

Thoughts on the Starting Lineups:

Liverpool: One change from last weeks' starting XI against West Ham. Alberto Riera's back in for Javier Mascherano. I wondered if Mascherano had officially been suspended, but he's on the bench. I've been less than impressed with Riera thus far so we'll see how he handles today.

Hull City: Much to my disappointment, no Jozy Altidore in the starting lineup. Don't know much about Jan Vennegoor but he's 6'2. If he has speed, then he could pose trouble. If he's just size, then hopefully Jaime Carragher can handle him.

Liverpool v. Hull City

Liverpool 12 points, 3rd in the Premiership
Hull City 4 points, 19th in the Premiership

Stakes: Liverpool is rolling; since dropping two of the first three, Liverpool has won three straight Premiership games and five straight overall. Hull City comes in having dropped two straight home games. It's early, but Hull City could use road points to get themselves out of the relegation zone. Hull's at the bottom of the table, tied with 4 teams for the 16-19 spots. Hull's lousy goal differential (-8) drops them down to 19th. Liverpool needs to beat up teams like this to get truly back into the Premiership title battle. Hull needs to steal points from teams like this to make up for losses at home to teams like Birmingham City.

Thoughts on the Opposing Side: My interest in Hull City is entirely based around the development of one Josimer Altidore. American fans love to rank on manager Phil Brown, but he's been true to his word in giving Altidore time and Jozy seems to be acclimating to the English game well. He could have a very interesting match up against a suddenly struggling Jamie Carragher, who struggled with the speed of Zevon Hines and the size of Charlton Cole in last week's game against West Ham United. Altidore possesses both size and speed, though it is raw. He could cause lots of problems for the Liverpool back line.

Questions I Have: As mentioned, how does the Liverpool center backs, namely Carragher but to a lesser degree Martin Skrtel, handle Altidore? The answer to that could well decide whether this game is an easy win like Burnley or a nail biter like West Ham.

I'll also be trying to watch two games at once; the US Under 20 World Cup team is playing. My focus will be on the Liverpool game since it interests me more, but I'll see how much of both I can absorb.

Will I Be Watching: Barring my cable going out, I plan on it.

Expectations: Hull City's down in the relegation zone. Even if they're better than that, they should not be able to walk into Anfield and pick up a point, let alone three. Liverpool showed Burnley what playing a top draw side on the road entails a few weeks back. One would think Hull gets a similar lesson today.

Youth Served

-I checked out the opening game of the Under 20 World Cup yesterday, for no other reason than to see the future Soca Warriors go at it against Egypt's under 20 team. In theory your under 20 team doing well and making it this far, there are less teams in the Under 20 Cup than the actual World Cup, should be indicative of a bright future. It's not a moment too soon for Trinidad, who has gotten very old, very quickly and haven't found suitable replacements for the likes of Dwight Yorke, Stern John and Russell Latapy, or the quickly declining Dennis Lawrence.

Some thoughts to kick off your Thursday morning, which isn't as good as Friday morning, but much better than Wednesday or Tuesday morning.

-It was a mixed day for Americans playing overseas yesterday. The highlight would probably have to go to Kenny Cooper, netting a goal for TSV 1860 Munich. The goal put Munich up 2-0 though they'd piss away the lead in three minutes and eventually go on to win in penalties. The goal was Cooper's third in seven starts with the team.

Cooper has become the anti Brian Ching; a polarizing figure whom non Ching fans want to get Ching's spot on the US national team. Their argument is Cooper is young, talented and scores whenever he plays. Seriously, he scored seven goals in 15 games in MLS, 18 in 30 last year and 2 goals in five gold cup appearances (one start). His clip is impressive and he seems to have carried that over to the second level of the Bundesliga, which is still a higher level than MLS. Ching's supporters say Cooper doesn't play like a player with his 6'3 size should and that he tends to be selfish, never feeding to teammates.

The good: The final outcome: 1-0 Liverpool. David Ngog's winner puts them through to round four.

The bad: Everything else.

Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit. This side was filled with B teamers; only Jaime Carragher and Javier Mascherano started for the Reds. And hey, they won with that side plus about fifteen minutes of contributions from Glen Johnson and Steven Gerrard. That's a victory in itself.