Robles Shaky In His Debut

Luis Robles made his international debut Saturday night when the US took on Haiti at Gillette Stadium. The young Kaiserslautern keeper was named to the Confederations Cup roster and is in the running for the third goalkeeper spot for next summer's World Cup, but his performance in his first cap did not go as well as he would have liked it to.

Early in the first half, Robles almost gifted Haiti a goal when he let a long distance effort by Fabrice Noel slip through his hands. Though he escaped the first 45 minutes with a clean sheet still intact, his shaky play would soon have an impact on the match.

Less than a minute into the second stanza, a cross from the wing found Vaniel Sirin at the back post for a free header. The ball, which landed inside the six yard box, appeared to be within Robles' range, but the keeper appeared flat-footed and taken by surprise.

Just three minutes later, Robles found himself watching the Haitians celebrate another goal. The young keeper may have been guilty of being over-aggressive, as he stormed off his line only to see Jay Heaps sweep a ball out of the box. With Robles caught out of net, Mones Cherry was able to put a beautiful strike into the far upper corner. While some might say that such a strike likely would have been unsaveable regardless of the keeper's positioning, one must think that a player with as much athletic ability as Luis Robles could have gotten a hand to that shot.

Despite the nervous moments Robles had in his debut, he did have one big save in the first half that helped preserve the US lead. After a defensive breakdown, Robles was able to make a sliding save on a shot from just outside the six that allowed the US to keep its lead throughout the half.

With only 19 appearances for Kaiserslautern and this lone cap, Robles clearly needs some more experience before he is ready to handle the international stage. With tonight's performance, Bob Bradley may begin to lean towards a more experienced option for the third goalkeeper roster spot for next summer's World Cup, with Troy Perkins and Marcus Hahnemann being two possible choices.

Though he did not have his best showing tonight, Luis Robles will continue to develop his game and will likely remain a fixture in the US goalkeeping pool for years to come.

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Adu unable to dazzle DC fans

The Gold Cup was expected to be Freddy Adu’s opportunity to shine with the USMNT. With lower quality sides Haiti and Grenada in the group, Wednesday night’s game against Honduras was the game in which Adu’s play could be assessed against a tougher opposition before he leaves the team to join Benfica’s preseason camp. In 63 minutes, Freddy failed to dazzle the hometown crowd, which included 102 of his friends and family members.

Adu was guilty of a few too many touches several times during the first half. Early on, he was dispossessed easily while trying a clever turn 30 yards from goal. Later on, Adu found himself in a 1v1 matchup on the right wing that provided a great opportunity to attack with speed and flair. After a slew of stopovers, Adu still had not created much space and allowed several Honduran defenders to get back behind the ball before serving in a weak cross to the near post.

Freddy had some good moments throughout, such as his deft touch to Robbie Rogers that helped spring him past the Honduran backline. When he played simple 1-, 2-touch soccer, Adu also was effective in moving the US attack along. Adu was able to put himself in a good spot to get on the end of Heath Pearce’s cross in the first half, but his header was straight down the middle, making for a comfortable save by Donis Escober.

Adu had another opportunity to attack the Honduras backline with speed early in the second half, after Kyle Beckerman slotted a nice ball through the midfield. Freddy did not make the most of this opportunity, however, as he took a few too many touches before being stripped.

At times, it almost seemed like Freddy felt as if he had to show everyone his magic every time he touched the ball. Without a doubt, Adu felt some pressure to perform well in this game, particularly in front of his hometown fans. This led to him forcing the issue at times, opting for an elaborate, flashy play when a simple pass would have served better.

One must consider what effect rust has on the Freddy Adu we have seen thus far. With only 169 minutes of playing time at Monaco this past season, it’s understandable that Freddy’s game sense and technical abilities are not at their peak. Regardless, Adu might not have many more opportunities like the Gold Cup to show what he can do with the USMNT before next summer’s World Cup. Adu will need to have a strong club season to make his case to Bob Bradley for more playing time in the lead-up to South Africa.

-STTU

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Historic Ineptitude

We have known for quite some time that the New York Red Bulls are terrible. Aside from a shock run to the MLS Cup final last fall, the artist formerly known as the MetroStars has had little in the way of success since its inaugural season in 1996 (aside from that coveted and prestigious La Manga Cup). Now, the Red Bulls are in the midst of a horrifically bad season, even for their standards. With Red Bull Arena opening next spring, ownership is intent on improving the on-field product, as they have called management over to Austria to explain this debacle.

The shakeups in New York might end up having some ramifications for the Union, as local product Jon Conway was released in order to bring in Senegalese GK and former Colorado Rapid Bouna Coundoul. Some believe this will clear the way for the Media, PA native to return to the Philadelphia area next year. Conway, who will turn 33 next Spring, would not be as big of a name as Kasey Keller, the GK that the Seattle Sounders brought in for their maiden campaign, but he would add an immediate local connection to the team while also bringing years of MLS experience to the GK position (whether as a backup or starter).

Last summer, Seattle signed its first player from outside the organization on August 14, when Kasey Keller was brought in. (Sebastien Le Toux, who was signed on May 7, was already a member of the Sounders USL team.) So, we may be just a month or so away from the first player in Union history (who hopefully will end up being a lot more than just an answer to a trivia question).

-STTU

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Onyewu to the San Siro

The biggest news in the American soccer world this week has been Oguchi Onyewu's signing with AC Milan. After a seemingly endless saga with teams from every corner of the Old Continent vying for the central defender's services, the surprise winners were i Rossoneri. With the retirement of Paolo Maldini and some of the injury-prone CBs already on Milan's books (Nesta and Kaladze), Gooch should have the opportunity to see some significant playing time this club season. Factor in the likelihood that Milan will progress in the Champions League and Coppa Italia, and you have to figure that there will be minutes to be had at some point during the year.

In the span of several weeks, Onyewu went from being courted by the likes of Birmingham City and Borussia Monchengladbach to being linked with global powers Real Madrid and AC Milan. Gooch's 3-year deal also means that another lucrative move could still be in store if his game continues to improve the way it has since WC '06.

With Onyewu finally signed, the focus shifts to several other Nats who might be moving on to greener pastures in the near future. Players such as Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, and Charlie Davies have drawn significant praise for their Confederations Cup performances, in addition to some interest from some bigger clubs.

Overall, Americans across the pond seem to be garnering more respect (and $$$) for their abilities. If someone told you 10 years ago that we would have a player signed by AC Milan and linked to Real Madrid (however serious that interest may have been), you probably would have laughed in their face. Just think where our players might be in another 10 years.

-STTU

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First Kick

Welcome everyone to the first entry of my blog. Sticking to the Union will focus primarily on Philadelphia's MLS team, while also discussing the rest of the league and the US Men's National team. There will also be the occasional musing on footie news from across the globe.

STTU will bring you post-game reports of every Union game, in addition to analysis of player movement, coaching, and business news. With kickoff about nine months away, there certainly will be plenty to discuss as our team begins to take shape.

As an SoB member, soccer player, and all-around enthusiast for the beautiful game, I look forward to providing insight and analysis (and hopefully some interesting opinions) to all of you.
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Union til I die,

-STTU

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