The Almost-American All-American XI (Or, the AAAAXI)

Some of our long time readers won’t be surprised to learn that compiling the weekly team of honorees is not an exact science. One of the biggest challenges is remembering who is and who is not eligible to make the team. All of us have been around MLS and the US National Team for quite some time, and so never get tripped up by age old discussions about Ronnie O’Brien making the AAXI and being called up for the Nats. But there’s a group of others who regularly come up for nomination because they’re in the gray area of being almost American in some way. Here now is a list of those players nominated this year to be on the AAXI who couldn’t because, well, they aren’t American. Call them members of the AAAAXI:

The Liberians: Chris Gbandi and Willis Forko have spent as much or more of their lives in the United States as fellow African emigree Freddy Adu, so if Adu is eligible, then why not these two?. They were born in Liberia and moved to Texas, Gbandi when he was 10 and Forko when he was 3. Both still list Houston as their hometown. Both played collegiately for the University of Connecticut, where Gbandi earned a degree in Sociology. And both have played some standout defense for their respective teams, FC Dallas and Real Salt Lake. What, then, keeps them from the AAXI? Gbandi accepted a call up from his native Liberia in 2004, when he appeared in a World Cup Qualifier against Senegal, making him cap tied to the Lonestars and thus ineligible for the AAXI. Forko, on the other hand, is not cap tied, but has never become a US citizen and is thus not currently eligible for the USNT. But being Liberian isn’t something that the AAXI staff readily remembers, so one or the other’s name co mes up for consideration every month or so.

The Senegalese: Another African immigrant, Bouna Coundoul, appeared out of nowhere for the Colorado Rapids when Joe Cannon went down with injury early in the season. He appeared in five straight games, and caught the AAXI staff’s attention with one particularly memorable game against the LA Galaxy. Out came the nominations - isn’t Bouna from New York City, after all? Not really, as it turns out. He moved from Senegal to New York with three of his brothers at age 15, and is in citizenship-limbo with Forko. So despite being an American high schooler, and temporarily occupying the top of the goalkeeping charts in MLS, Bouna remains on the Almost-American All-American XI.

The Chivas Contingent: Sure, some of the Chivas roster is straightforward. We all know that Paco Palencia, Juan Pablo Garcia, Claudio Suarez, Ramon Ramirez, and Panchito Mendoza are Mexican citizens, and that Ante Razov, Tim Regan, Jonathon Bornstein, Jesse Marsch, Preston Burpo, and Brad Guzan are Yanks. But look down the roster, and just try and determine clearly who else is eligible for the AAXI. Is Jason Hernandez the next coming of Chris Armas, or part of the Puerto Rican XI (Answer: not cap tied to PR, and so AAXI eligible). Orlando Perez and Mike Munoz were born in California with their families hailing from Jalisco and Guanajuato, Mexico, respectively, so they’re eligible. Rodrigo Lopez was born in Guadalajara and played for the Chivas reserve squad, but he holds dual citizenship. Rene Corona played for Chivas this year, but doesn’t even have a bio on MLSNet. Neither does Carlos Borja. Esteban Arias played at UConn like the aforementioned Liberians, and is California born with family ties to Nayarit. But it turns out that the “Mexican” team Chivas USA features only five players on the roster who are not AAXI eligible.

There are others as well whose names came up this year. For example, Mehdi Ballouchy’s appearances for Morocco at youth levels are easily obscured by his time at Santa Clara University when excited RSL fans think they have someone eligible. Kei Kamara has looked good a few times for Columbus, though his Sierra Leonean roots make him ineligible for now. But the only really straightforward team roster is DC United. Except for Srs. Erpen, Gomez, and Moreno, the whole team has made the AAXI, so they all must be eligible.

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AAXI Week 17, featuring a remarkably “normal” 4-3-3 . . . if normal includes three members of the New York Red Bulls! But any time a team posts a pair of shutout wins, you can expect some good representation on the AAXI if their Yanks are front and center.

Matt Reis – (2)

Reis faced a barrage of shots in his team’s 1-1 draw with the Houston Dynamo, and had no chance on Stuart Holden’s first-ever MLS goal. But in perhaps the most ironic moment of the MLS season through 17 weeks, Reis complained loudly several times that the Dynamo players were bumping into him in the penalty box. Having Reis complain about rough play in front of the goal is a little like Sigi Schmidt tell Bruce Arena he should lay off the buffet table.

Marvell Wynne – (4)

Wynne anchored two shutouts in what was sort of a miracle week for the heretofore-reeling Red Bulls franchise. True, much of his prowess this week came on the attacking end against both the Crew and the Wizards, and he was the most consistent New York threat in the Columbus game while earning his first assist in the Kansas City match. His speed in recovering back to defense is simply jaw dropping, and once he masters positioning and defensive tactics, look out.

Ritchie Kotschau – (1)

Kotschau played a terrific game in the center of the Columbus defense. He might not be as fancy as a selection as Robin Fraser was the last two years leading the Crew defense but Ritchie has come over from Colorado and been a typically steady man in the middle, and played very well against a talent pair of LA forwards. Of course, anyone watching the game on ESPN2 needed to watch closely to see if Kotschau deserved the mountains of praise he was receiving from Eric Wynalda. He did.

Ryan Cochrane – (3)

Cochrane had one of his best games of the year while dealing effectively with the likes of Taylor Twellman, Pat Noonan, Andy Dorman, and Clint Dempsey. He and Eddie Robinson played very well together, which hasn’t always been the case this season. Cochrane doesn’t go in for the crunching tackles that seem to make Robinson’s day, but he was good positionally the whole game. When things did break down a bit at the back, Robinson was almost always there to clean things up. The best look the Revs got at goal all night was Dorman’s cross/shot that Craig Weibel kicked past Dynamo GK Pat Onstad. Other than that the Revs had zero shots on goal and credit goes to Cochrane and Robinson.

Dasan Robinson – (4)

Yea, the kid noone heard of before the season began keeps making the AAXI, but he keeps earning the nominations. Saturday the rookie again stepped up and showed why he deserves to be mentioned at the top of the list for ROTY. Robinson marked, or helped mark Freddy Adu and Jaime Moreno out of the game, and made a game saving clearance off of the line to save the Fire after a scrum inside the box. He is strong, smart, and plays beyond his years. The kid not only has a future in the league, he could possibly be one of its top defenders before you know it.

Carey Talley – (2)

Real Salt Lake picked up a host of players in the off season, and fans of the club can be forgiven if Talley wasn’t a guy many were excited about. But he has emerged as one of the only positives in a second dismal season in Utah. Against FC Dallas, Talley played well on both sides of the ball in what was a largely forgettable game. He had no fault on the last gasp goal that won it for Dallas, and was one of only two or three RSL players who played with heart and intensity enough to resonate along the Wasatch Front.

Chris Henderson – (3)

Not only did Henderson run his guts out, make dangerous passes, and score - he did so at the age of 50 years old. Okay, he hasn’t been around quite that long, but “the last player cut from the USNT roster for World Cup 1994″ has been around forever. We hate to alarm you people, but Energy Drink United showed some fire last week, and the Bruce Arena era may be beginning with Richie Williams as coach. It’s odd, but the one player Red Bulls fans could agree was crap for the first twelve weeks of the season is on the AAXI in back to back weeks.

Ricardo Clark – (4)

Okay, we admit it: it was a relatively weak week for Yank midfielders in MLS. But, Clark helped keep the Revs in check all night and made some nice runs forward. He attempted one of his patented blasts from outside the 18, which was blocked - but when a defensive midfielder teams with center backs like Cochrane and Robinson to allow zero shots on goal, then he’s done his job well even if a long range shot or two doesn’t go in.

Jonathon Bornstein – (3)

Made the AAXI a few times as a defender and maybe even a midfielder, but this time he lined up as forward, and oh what a game he had against Colorado. He had a hand in all three Chivas goals, scoring three and forcing a rebound save from Joe Cannon that Paco Palencia put into the net for the other Colorado goal. His first goal was incredibly calm and collected, as he slid to his right after beating Dan Gargan and Pablo Mastroeni to fire one home past Cannon. Maybe it doesn’t matter where he lines up? There’s a reason why Jorge Campos thinks Bornstein may be a good find for Mexico. Let’s hope that he decides to play for the US.

Edson Buddle – (2)

Nominated for his pretty sweet footwork and setup of the Henderson goal, the Red Bulls’ lone remaining starting forward (Mr. Peguero? Mr. Djorkaeff?) came back to Columbus and made his mark by doing the things Crew fans saw way too little of during his day in the Black and Gold. He ran off the ball, at the defense and passed with vision rather than waiting for all offensive attempts to come through him.

Alecko Eskandarian – (5)

Esky is back, again. This week he came on as a sub at halftime against the Fire and was quiet temporarily - until he leveled the game with a sweet strike. From then on he threatened the Fire several more times. Even with every Fire defender in range knowing the guy was going to cut back to his left, Eskandarian still sold the move and buried a nice shot. He gets the nod from the AAXI staff for his impact on the game - and a good thing, too, since we were close to going “DC-less” this week!
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• Header by ismitje .
• List compiled and edited by ismitje, with input from the AAXI contributors.
• Basically, ismitje has lately been the Justin Mapp of AAXI contributors.
• All typos and errors should be blamed on Max Bretos.

It’s July in MLS.

Somebody thought it was a really smart idea to have a summer soccer league. Yeah, that works really well, in, like SCANDINAVIA. But guess what, genius, IT’S STILL COLD THERE IN THE SUMMER! At least, I think it is. And even if it’s not, do you think those people have ever even seen 90 degrees? Do you think they’ve ever tailgated in a parking lot in Dallas in July, snuggling up to the gas grill because it is COOLER THAN THE AIR TEMPERATURE?

I don’t think so.

Look, I’m sure there are very good practical financial reasons for playing in the summer, and I’m sure that Don Garber knows more about these things than we here at this humble lil’ column. But no matter how solid the logic behind the rationale, I’m just not sure if it’s worth it when things like this happen:

E. RUTHERFORD, N.J. (MLSnet.com) On their first game on the newly installed FieldTurf at Giants Stadium, the New York Red Bulls scored their first penalty kick of the season Friday afternoon and won their first game of July, beating the Colorado Rapids 1-0. In his best game in a Red Bulls uniform, Amado Guevara scored the game’s only goal in the 34th minute as the Red Bulls ended a three-game losing streak and a five-game winless slide. He then burst into flames. Officials at Red Bull called the spontaneous combustion a tragedy, adding that it was compounded by their failure to get the extended warranty on the new field.

Or this:

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (MLSnet.com) Jeff Cunningham sliced through the New Engand Revolution defense, and Real Salt Lake picked up just its second-ever road win with a 3-1 triumph Friday night. Cunningham’s 51st-minute slalom run through a static Revolution defense provided the spectacular game winner after Chris Klein gave the visitors the lead after 16 minutes. Jason Kreis added a third in the 55th minute with a well taken strike from an Andy Williams corner before Taylor Twellman grabbed a consolation goal two minutes later. The game was briefly delayed when the Adidas Teamgeist ball melted in mid-air in the 70th minute and fell on Matt Reis’s bald head. Reis suffered second degree scalp burns, but is expected to survive. The ball, unfortunately, had to be put down.

This was especially troubling:

WASHINGTON (MLSnet.com) D.C. United continued their march through Major League Soccer, burning RFK stadium to the ground in an act of wanton destruction not seen since Sherman’s march thorough Atlanta.

Or what about this disciplinary report from the L.A. Derby?

Misconduct Summary:
CHV — Ante Razov (caution; Dissent) 25
CHV — Jesse Marsch (caution; Reckless Foul) 29
LA — Tyrone Marshall (caution; Reckless Foul) 43
LA — Chris Albright (caution; Professional Foul) 53
LA — Troy Roberts (caution; hogging the water bottle so no one else could even get any) 84

Do you see my point?

Wouldn’t we all rather see players lose fingers and toes to frostbite instead of seeing them go up in a burning conflagration? Wouldn’t we all rather tailgate with some Irish Whiskey-laced coffee instead of plain ol’ boring beer? Wouldn’t we all like to see one of those really cool orange soccer balls they have to use in the snow? Wouldn’t we all like to have something to look forward to in February apart from Valentine’s Day?

Of course we would.

We here at the AAXI join other right-thinking Americans everywhere in calling for an end to the summer MLS season.
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A 3-5-3. Really, a 3-5-3!

Kevin Hartman – (1)

Hartman looked shaky under Steve Sampson, but is rejuvenated under Frank Yallop along with much of the rest of LA’s lineup. He made a great save going to his right to keep Chivas off the board and earn the tie (with the acknowledged help of the post and crossbar). Chivas GK Preston Burpo also kept a clean sheet, but didn’t face a shot until almost 80 minutes into the match. True, he may not often display the catlike reflexes that earned him the nickname “El Gato,” but perhaps he’ll do enough to get the Galaxy on track the rest of the season.

Eddie Pope – (3)

Many Salt Lake fans, like USNT fans, have decided that Pope is no longer interested in the MLS game, is too quiet and slow, and cannot hack defending duties any longer. The last two games belie that. Against New England, Steady Eddie stopped more than a dozen good Revolution chances and was beaten once by an ill-timed offsides trap. But largely because of Pope’s play, New England could not convert a huge advantage in possession into more than a single goal. With the emergence of All-Tico XI member Danny Torres, RSL has a solid pair in the back.

Marvell Wynne – (3)

Wynne has emerged from the Mo Johnston doghouse with new passion. Richie Williams has reinstalled Wynne while reinstating the 4-4-2, as the interim coach recognizes in the big rookie everything that made ABMOD himself a great player - exceptional athleticism, being bigger, stronger and faster than almost everyone else on the field, and showing an instinct for attacking any piece of open space in front of him. Wait, I’m thinking of some other Richie Williams. However, on a 100-degree day, Wynne did things like get all the way into the offensive box for a cross off a play that took place entirely on the left side of the field. Why did he do that? There was open space, and he’d be there wide open if the cross came. But no one else was making any unnecessary forty-yard runs. Maybe it’s just that it takes Wynne so much less time to run forty yards than the other guys on the field…

Bobby Rhine – (1)

Bobby is the best attacking defender in Major League Soccer (even if he didn’t really line up as a defender against the Fire). He is also the soccer version of Pete Rose, minus the gambling addiction. Never. Stops. Working. He’s been quite frustrating this year (and most years too) but with so many forwards busted up for Dallas it’s nice to move him up to be in position to make a huge goal for his team. Possibly the goal of the year for Dallas as it got them back even with Chicago when they could easily have taken the loss in that heat. He has taken a while to become comfortable as a defender, having played forward since, like, birth, but by the end of this season he’ll be among the class of the League at his new position.

Ben Olsen – (3)

Apparently Olsen drank some of whatever juice Frankie Hejduk does before the Columbus-DC game because he was just a workhorse from end to end and got a goal to boot. He was allowed the freedom to roam the field and he took advantage of it, playing like a man desperate to be back on the pitch. A cleverly placed goal was his personal highlight, but the combination of Adu and Olsen pushing the attack forward with pace was too much for a Crew side that did an admirable job of sticking with the game even when they looked to be run out of the building. DC was substantially worse when Ben came off. He should be back in the swing of 90 minute matches soon … look out (as if DC needed another weapon). If anyone saw Olsen when he played outside for Nottingham Forest in 2000, then you saw Saturday a bit of what he did in the English First Division that year.

Freddy Adu – (6)

Adu just carved up the Crew. TWO (not one) excellent, calm finishes were called back (both correctly). But Freddy was inches away from perhaps his best game as a pro, minus a poor clearance that indirectly led to the Crew’s second goal. A masterful performance by Freddy, during which he almost always made the correct space. And when he had any space at all - well, his teammates responded and made runs as if they expected the effort to lead to a goal. He also worked well with Christian Gomez and had a sick backheel nutmeg that put the ball out in front of a streaking Josh Gros. The kid is finally showing he’s got the goods, and he, like the DC team, is worth the price of admission.

Chris Henderson – (2)

The brutally hot conditions at Giants Stadium really affected both the Rapids and the Red Bulls, but Chris had a good, interesting game. The often languid pace of the game allowed the viewer to ponder things while watching the action, such as Henderson’s career. Chris’ game has always been about speed and stamina but this year (and last) it has looked like his age was finally catching up to him. No longer can he just burn out his opposing winger. But this game he showed a bit of his old self again. How could that be? Because he reacted less to the heat than the other players, such as his opposite number, Terry Cooke, pretty soundly. He rew the penalty that wound up being the game-winner (hat tip, Eric Denton) and kept pressure off Seth Stammler, who was filling in behind him at left back.

Eric Vasquez and March Burch – (1 and 1)

These two Crew players share a spot on the AAXI this week since the staff was divided on which of these Crew substitutes most influenced the other - but we’re clear that Columbus’ play improved upon their insertion into the game. We weren’t sure if we should go with Burch and point out that he really brought some life to the Crew attack when he was subbed in, and not just when he assisted on Vasquez’s goal (he also almost set up the tying goal with a beautiful cross to Gaven that Perkins saved nicely). Then again, we considered Vasquez, who seemed to have an immediate understanding with Burch, even though they couldn’t have practiced together more than once. Vasquez proved a handful for the DC defense, and his cracker of a goal made things interesting over the final 20 minutes as the Crew seemed poised to net the equalizer. Hence, the shared spot on the AAXI for week 16.

Kenny Cooper – (6)

In this game Cooper looked like he could do anything except beat somebody on the breakway. The new favorite of the AAXI staff (who may be out-Mapping Justin Mapp in terms of AAXI devotion) put in a good 90 against Chicago in the absence of many of his potential strike partners (Ruiz, Mina, and Oduro, who left early due to injury). He found space between two Fire defenders for the winning goal when it seemed unlikely that anyone could upstage Andy Herron’s brilliant comeback win bid effort, but Cooper did by staging a subsequent comeback win of his own. He’s also a class act - he never dives, never plays dirty, and always offers his hand to somebody he’s been involved in a hard tackle with. Who would have believed in March that effectively swapping Eddie Johnson for Kenny Cooper on the FCD roster would be so overwhelmingly positive?

Jeff Cunningham – (3)

About two minutes into the game, Cunningham made a move to go into the Revolution box, and was promptly tackled hard by Jay Heaps - the last time the New England defense tackled Cunningham for the rest of the game. He made a pinpoint cross to Chris Klein for the first goal, and then slalomed through half the opposition to score the game winner. You could almost hear the collective shout from the RSL fans: “Pass it, pass it, pass it, pass it you fool - don’t pass, shoot it! GOAL!!!” Some would argue that Cunny flat out stole this game single-handedly. Which he still has the capability to do. Why he can look like the best player in the league only every third game is beyond the AAXI staff, but as neutral fans we’ll take any player who can steal a game while being outplayed. After New England’s goal, it seemed 50/50 to me that they’d come back to tie it, at least - they had that determined look. But a three-goal cushion is a pretty big one, particularly in the absence of a spectacular own goal by Jeff Agoos…

Taylor Twellman – (2)

This may have been the first game all season when Twellman played well despite the absence of Clint Dempsey. Aside from his goal, he distributed nicely to teammates in better positions to shoot, and was generally a pest all night long. He almost had a unique assist in the first half when he passed a cross - using his chest - to Pat Noonan, whose effort was saved. Twellman also hit the post with another shot and came as close as a player can to willing the Revs to a tie as is possible.
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• Header by DJ Walker.
• List compiled and edited by ismitje, with input from all of the AAXI contributors.
• All typos and errors should be blamed on Richie Williams.

Has there ever been a more glorious month in the history of American soccer?

No, in the end we didn’t win it all but at last we put the skeptics in their place. They said 2002 was just a fluke. They said we could never compete in Europe. They said American players were soft, played in two-bit leagues or were, at best, two-bit role players in the big leagues.

But those nay-sayers aren’t talking so loudly after the display of pride and passion by the American side in Germany. The Yanks finally proved what we knew all along: they can compete with the best in the world.

Only a bit of bad luck kept us out of the final game. If the brackets had lined up differently we would have been there. But it’s tough to play the home team in the semifinals, particularly when their coach is an understudy of your own. Jürgen Klinsmann’s side, buoyed by their home country support, simply got the better of us that day. But at least we can take pride in having taken them into the final minutes of overtime. If not for the some last minute German heroics the score would have been 0-0 and we’d have gone to penalties. But as it was Germany moved on by a score of 2-0.

But if ever there was a 2-0 loss that felt like a win that was it. Watching Klinsmann sing Arena’s praises in the post match press conference was quite a sight. Everything he knows about coaching he credits to Arena! Who’d believe it!

It’s a shame Arena’s moving on to bigger and more lucrative pastures in Brazil. But that’s what happens when you’re a successful World Cup coach. What’s somewhat unexpected is the sudden demand for American coaches in the world soccer scene. Greg Andrulis has resigned from George Mason, declared himself “The New Bora,” and signed on for Saudi Arabia. And following their defeat in the third place game England also opted to get themselves an American coach: Steve Sampson.

Along with the rush on American coaches there’s also a rush on American players. All the World Cup players that made names for themselves are signing on with big European clubs – Ching and Albright apparently going to German sides, GAM considering his options in England. Even Landon Donovan has finally decided it’s now really time to take up the challenge of Europe and is expected to sign on with a Spanish side.

If MLS rosters are looking a bit depleted right now it’s only because so many MLS standouts who didn’t make the World Cup squad are benefiting from the USA’s World Cup performance. Everyone wants American players these days. (Of course nobody here at the AAXI is surprised at the bidding war that’s erupted for Justin Mapp’s services.)

But there’s also now a number of established European players looking to improve their game by coming over to Major League Soccer. Freddy Adu has even urged Michael Essien to join him at DC United. “Essien is a really good player and I hope he joins me at DC United,” Adu said. “It would make me very happy, for sure. But it’s up to him to decide in which country he wants to play and he would be more than welcome in our team. He’s a good player who has more to learn.”

People used to scoff at Project 2010 – the United States, a legitimate threat to win the World Cup by that year? But now we see the absolute reality of that ambitious project. Today there is no doubt about it: in 2010 the Yanks will travel to South Africa as favorites.

Yes, it was a wonderful month that exceeded all our expectations. I only wish Zidane and Matarazzi hadn’t sung show tunes at halftime during the World Cup final. That was just bizarre.
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A stop laughing 2-6-2.

Troy Perkins – (4)

Okay. To many, Perkins was just holding down the fort until Nic Rimando returned to health. It was lucky for Perkins that the recovery stretched into the regular season. Some of his early season work seemed to rely on luck as well, but he is starting to get better than lucky. During week XV Perkins saved a couple of great C-bus chances and exhibited good judgment on catching or punching, and going out or staying back. In technical terms, he was “extra-huge.” The upshot? Perkins has displaced Rimando; anyone want a slightly under-sized goalkeeper?

Marvell Wynne – (2)

The AAXI staff admits that it wasn’t exactly a banner week for American defenders in MLS (funny, since so few goals were scored league-wide). Despite getting beaten by David Wagenfuhr on the second FC Dallas goal in the 2-1 Red Bulls loss, Marvell played really well. He was most effective when pushing forward and was unlucky not to score on a point blank stop by Dario Sala. Actually, he’s unlucky to be playing for Red Bull, but that’s a topic for a different day.

Nelson Akwari – (2)

Nelson lost his starting spot to Eddie Pope upon the latter’s return to the RSL lineup following his return from injury and World Cup duty. But Pope’s back flared up at halftime of RSL’s July 4 match, whereupon Akwari returned - and marked the Chivas USA attackers flawlessly. Akwari’s presence was a source of much consternation during the early part of Pope’s sojourn, but over the last three games, he has looked closer to the US international he once was at the youth levels.

Ricardo Clark – (3)

For about 20 minutes in the Houston-Chivas game, the Goats came at the Dynamo in waves. Juan Pablo Garcia and Franciso Mendoza could seemingly do no wrong, and Ante Razov looked like he might score multiple goals. Then Clark crossed to set up Brian Ching’s equalizer, and suddenly shut down Chivas in midfield – and, in effect, Razov for the rest of the game.

Kyle Beckerman – (3)

Beckerman has very quietly (easy to do in Colorado) become an MLS Best XI candidate. Even though he missed two shots (one off a post) he was still so strong in the center of the park that he gets my nomination. If you traded him to DCU for Ben Olsen we suspect Beckerman would be getting tons of publicity. And unlike other midifelders who get credit for controlling the midfield but do so using fouls and aggressiveness, Beckerman controls the midfield by better tackling and much better forward passing than others. He has become for the Rapids what Razov is for Chivas: the center, the leader of the team.

Josh Gardner – (1)

He may have developed into the player he hinted he would be during the MLS preseason and the CONCACAF Champions Cup. He plagued the aforementioned Nelson Akwari all night, significant considering the strong run of form the RSL man enjoyed the preceding three games. Gardner also took advantage of some terrible goalkeeping to get his first MLS goal five minutes into the second half. The only downside on the night: his bizarre haircut, which almost costs him any credibility generated by his play.

Brian Mullan – (5)

Against CDCUSA, Mullan dominated the right flank all game. He beat Jonathan Bornstein, who has had an excellent season so far, several times on the dirbble. His finishing at a tight angle on the goal capped off a nice play. He also tracked back defensively and helped keep Chivas in check as the game progressed.

Jacob Thomas – (3)

The Crew import from Germany’s lower divisions could have turned out more like John Thorrington or Gus Kartes than emerge as a solid MLS midfielder. He first showed up on AAXI radar in a game against the Galaxy, when he went down with injury but impressed enough to make the squad. Now he’s all the way back, and he proved very active all evening, forcing DCU to defend in the Crew’s narrow 1-0 loss over the weekend.

Steve Ralston – (1)

Remember this guy? Ralston scored a terrific goal in the first stanza against Chicago, and he remained a threat throughout the half. Unlike his midfield and forward teammates, he also played solid defense in the second half when New England sat back and let the Fire hammer shots at the goal (at one point, it was Fire 13, Revs 0 for shots in the second half). His goal featured a sweet turn and spin into the box followed by a perfect, curling ball through four defenders and past Zach Thornton to the far post.

Ante Razov – (5)

With so many other mentions scattered amongst the other week 15 honorees, is it any surprise that Razov made the list, too? Since we are halfway through the season it isn’t too much to say that Ante is leading the race for MVP of the league right now. He netted a nice goal against Houston and stayed dangerous all afternoon while not getting too much support. It was interesting to contrast him with Ching who also had a nice game (and a goal): Ante is playing a cut above The Chinger. As it turns out, the US failed to advance out of the group stage of the World Cup not because of Bruce Arena’s tactics, lineups, or strategy, but solely because he did not include Ante Razov in the squad. Way to go, Bruce.

Brian Ching – (5)

Ching finished off a nice cross from fellow AAXI member Ricardo Clark, but also had three dangerous headers in the first half alone. As usual, Houston expected Ching to win the constant long balls that comprise virtually all of Coach Dominic Kinnear’s offense, then collect the balls that he knocks down, and then pass effectively to the occasional teammate who may, eventually, join him in the attack. It’s remarkable that Ching manages to remain effective in this ridiculously predictable scheme. One caveat: as in the July 4 game against Columbus, Ching should have added a second goal to his singles against the Crew and Chivas. Still, no one else found net in both games, and he earned his spot on this week’s squad.

The Bench

Ugo Ihemelu, Mike Magee, Clint Mathis, Kevin Novak, Mike Petke, and Dasan Robinson.
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• Header by The Belly. (We expect he’ll get back to his blog once he gets back to … uh … reality.)
• List compiled and edited by ismitje, with input from all some a handful what’s left of the AAXI contributors.
• All typos and errors should be blamed on Dave O’Brien.

This was the week that MLS returned to full strength, as the returning World Cup heroes returned to their respective club teams on an emotional high and performed very strongly.

Hmmm, that doesn’t sound right . . .

This was the week that MLS returned to full strength, as the returning World Cup players returned to their respective club teams, stung by poor performances and ready to atone with great club play.

Hmmm, that doesn’t sound right either . . .

This was the week that MLS remained about where it was, as some players returned from World Cup duty and played well, others played poorly, still others were injured, and one was just missing.

That sounds more like it.

The anticipated return of MLS players to their clubs following more than a month of World Cup duty occurred during week 14, and the results were decidedly mixed. A team-by-team analysis looks like this:

Real Salt Lake: A funny thing happened while Eddie Pope and Douglas Sequeira were away: RSL put together a modest run of five games without a loss, and the defense gelled around Danny Torres, Willis Forko, Nelson Akwari, and Kevin Novak – a surprising development to say the least. Torres played so well that you had to wonder if the right Costa Rican was playing in the World Cup – and if the results of Sequiera’s two games back are any indication, Torres is the better player. As for Pope, his injury was questioned in some parts, leading to little hand wringing when retirement rumors surfaced. Verdict: an underwhelming return.

New York Red Bulls: No one lost to World Cup duty – unless, of course, you count Youri Djorkaeff attending the France-Brazil game for personal reasons.

New England Revolution: With Pat Noonan injured and Clint Dempsey on World Cup duty, Taylor Twellman looked less than stellar for a better part of a month. Then Dempsey returned from Germany, and Twellman suddenly revived, scoring a goal about fifteen minutes into the first game Dempsey played. In two games, Clint scored three goals and looked every bit the dangerous player he seemed against Italy and Ghana. Avery John also returned, which was welcome news for an injury riddled Revs defensive corps. He, too, played like he did in the World Cup, but in his case this meant a red card rather than a goal scored. That his expulsion this time happened because he shoved Amado Guevara’s face means that most of MLS forgives the action. Verdict: strong return.

Los Angeles Galaxy: A player some of you may have heard of – Landon Donovan – returned to MLS to find new teammates (John Wolyniec and Kyle Martino) and a new coach (Frank Yallop) and even a new GM (Alexi Lalas). What he didn’t find was any more points in the standings than when he left. But his return rejuvenated the Galaxy, as he netted two goals in a long awaited victory. Chris Albright actually made it back one game before Donovan, and in one of the more welcome substitutions in MLS history, he sprinted off the field when subbed around the 60 minute mark to attend the birth of his first child. Cornell Glen, who showed some flash for Trinidad and Tobago, was injured in Germany and will be out a minimum of six weeks, meaning this is a two part return. Verdict: strong return

Kansas City Wizards: The return of the Wizards’ trio of USNT players was decidedly disappointing. Each player was given until June 29 to report to the team. Jimmy Conrad made it back faster than that, but netted an own goal five minutes into his return to the field - but at least he was playing in that Wednesday match. Josh Wolff made it back on time and put in a pedestrian effort, but at least he was playing in that Saturday match. By comparison, Eddie Johnson made it back an hour before Saturday’s game after being AWOL for more than 48 hours, and was promptly suspended. Add to this a red card for Conrad in the Saturday game and you have this verdict: terrible return.

Houston Dynamo: Whereas RSL saw an entire defensive unit step up during the World Cup absence period, the Dynamo spent the entire time waiting, hoping, and praying that somebody would act like a forward should while Brian Ching was gone. No one ever did, with one goal scored from the forward position the entire time. Even supermen/midfield dynamos Brian Mullan, Dwayne DeRosario, and Brad Davis looked pedestrian with Ching out. The group looked disjointed during their lone effort together during week 14. Verdict: relief.

FC Dallas: No one lost to World Cup duty, but welcome back from Germany, Shaka Hislop.

DC United: It seems like everyone was curious to see how Clyde Simms would perform while Ben Olsen was toiling for the USNT. Most had modestly positive expectations for Simms, who instead emerged as a terrific two way threat and helped propel DC to an unbeaten record in Olsen’s absence. Given that scenario, it wasn’t terribly disappointing that DC had only a midweek game during week 14, meaning no Ben until the July 4 game during week 15. No one wants to see Olsen displaced permanently, but Simms is a keeper. Verdict: delayed return.

Columbus Crew: Frankie Hejduk took the injury detour on the way to Germany, and while he didn’t miss any games for the World Cup, he has been missed by the Crew.

Colorado Rapids: Colorado was the only team to not play during week 14, so Pablo Mastroeni didn’t get a chance to return. But since he has been seen in the MLS Colors advertisements more often than in a Rapids uniform, having him absent one more week seems somehow appropriate. Verdict: delayed return.

Chivas USA: It could be argued that over the past eight weeks, Ante Razov played like he belonged on the USNT roster in Germany, but as he was not there, Chivas sent only two players to the World Cup. In the midweek game of week 14, neither John O’Brien nor Claudio Suarez played, and two games later O’Brien remains inactive. But El Emperador scored two goals within five minutes of each other upon his return to the lineup, and while Chivas has to feel pretty good about the work Carlos Llamosa, Jonathan Bornstein, Tim Regan, and Lawson Vaughn did on defense while Suarez was away, having him back makes Chivas a serious western division contender. Verdict: mixed return, pending O’Brien.

Chicago Fire: No one lost to World Cup duty.

But we digress - on with this week’s team:
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A palindromic 3-4-3

Preston Burpo – (3)

Usually, you don’t think of a goalkeeper saving a 3-0 victory, but Burpo pretty much did so against FC Dallas (that’s first place - for now - FC Dallas to you and me). A superlative offensive match from El Emperador and El Loco put Chivas in position to win, but it took “El Burpo” to keep the pressure down in the second half after Chivas forgot how to play aggressive defense. Several strong second-half saves got the job done.

Craig Waibel – (1)

Houston’s defense was anchored by Waibel in a midweek match against the Goats, which featured a lunging block of an Ante Razov cross that would have been a near-certain goal. A Chivas counterattack that seemed destined for great things was cleanly chased down from behind by Waibel after an unfortunate moment of hesitation by Paco Palencia. Waibel won more than his share of headers, and outshone the rest of his defensive line.

Nelson Akwari – (1)

In a bizarre game, Akwari totally shut down Justin Mapp for 65 minutes; then came a lengthy delay for thunder. The Fire wisely used the time to have Mapp switch sides - away from Akwari. Neither of the two post-restart Barrett goals which won the game could be attributed to Nelson, who had his first complete game in two years with RSL. Akwari just might be a pick that coach John Ellinger got right after all.

Jonathan Bornstein – (2)

How did we not know how good this guy is? He’s putting together an argument that he’s as pacy a left back as there is in this league. He seems to have developed an instant understanding with Jason Hernandez in central defense, as well as Francisco Mendoza ahead of him. Drew more fouls on Brian Mullan than he committed himself. Oh, and he denied a Brian Ching header with a goal-line clearance, holding his position at the near post to prevent a goal for the third time in five days. Not a bad night’s work. Then, asked by Bob Bradley to move up into the midfield after a great performance at left back midweek, all Bornstein did was take a highlight-reel pass from Juan Pablo Garcia and calmly place it in the lower corner, leaving Dallas ‘keeper Sala basically no chance. His run showed vision, his finish showed composure, his move to the midfield showed versatility. A jaw-dropping week.

Clint Dempsey – (4)

Dempsey essentially earned a nomination for both games this week. He hasn’t missed a beat since his return from Germany, even as some of his compatriots haven’t even made it back to their teams yet. In his first game back, against FC Dallas, Clint was the reason that Taylor Twellman seemed rejuvenated against FC Dallas. Dempsey created chances for his teammates and himself in a strong display. Then against New York, Dempsey proved that he is much better than almost everyone else in the league right now. He scored one goal off a “brilliant assist” from a poor Jeff Parke clearance that basically just bounced of Clint into the net, while his game winner was a moment of individual brilliance, as he dispossessed Steve Jolley, ran right around Parke, and buried the shot low to the far post in an eight-second sequence. And he played tight defense. Welcome back, Clint - but for how long? Send us a post card from Europe, buddy.

Sacha Kljestan – (2)

Against Houston, Kljestan’s central midfield partner got the glory of the game-tying goal and Man of the Match honors from Christian Miles and Thomas Rongen, but Kljestan may have outplayed him. It’s tough to know how much Jesse Marsch’s presence makes everything easier for Sacha, but the 20 year-old was making those penetrating, visionary passes and dribbling moves himself. The rookie set up enough chances to pick up a couple assists.

Nathan Sturgis – (1)

Perhaps we weren’t paying enough attention before, but Sturgis is a surprisingly strong prospect in the midfield. Sturgis demonstrated a very strong understanding with Landon Donovan, which is not a bad idea if you want to play for the Galaxy. Nearly set up a Quavas Kirk goal, and showed strong ball control in the midfield. This may be one of those “better than we would have thought” nominations, but, well, he was a lot better than we would have thought.

Eddie Gaven – (1)

Wasn’t this supposed to be the week of his breakout performance at the World Cup? At least, that’s what out wishful thinking said a couple of years ago. Instead, Eddie’s finding his loping stride again for the Crew, and though he didn’t help find a winning goal, he pretty thoroughly dominated Danny O’Rourke in his return trip to Giants Stadium, and was responsible for the Crew’s best moments.

Edson Buddle – (1)

After a slow start against New England, Buddle pulled off one of the individual runs of the year, beating Andy Dorman, and then burning the normally burnproof Michael Parkhurst. That was impressive enough, but then he beat Matt Reis near post from an angle too ridiculous to even contemplate trying - and hit the far post, from where it deflected in. The goal was so surprising from that angle, it took everyone in the stadium a little while to absorb what had just happened. Everyone, that is, except Buddle, who acted like he does that in practice everyday. And while he deserves recognition just for the goal, Buddle was very active and confident the rest of the match, and picked up a nice secondary assist on Mike Magee’s goal, but couldn’t out-Dempsey Dempsey on this day.

Chad Barrett – (1)

Barrett looked like the real deal when he entered the game versus RSL. His Fire teammates found space throughout the game but never seemed likely to score (paging Mr. Jaqua?) until Barrett’s insertion. His two goals could have been three - he exhibited a confidence long lacking in his play, and breezed about the field as if the whole thing belonged to him. In many ways, it did for 25 minutes he’ll long remember.

Landon Donovan – (3)

The AAXI staff doesn’t want to name Landon to the AAXI so close to the World Cup any more than you do - but two goals in his first game back in leading the Galaxy to a road win merit the nomination. He equaled the Nats’ World Cup goal total in just one game. (Bitterness … fading … RISING … fading …) His first goal should really have been an assist, since Josh Gardner could have finished it himself, but when a loose ball fell to Donovan, he made no mistake. Perfectly buried a great Quavas Kirk ball for his second goal. Clearly the best player on the field, LD played with passion, and (dare we say it?) played like a captain. We hear England needs a new one.

The Bench

Jeff Parke, Marvell Wynne, Jason Hernandez, Davy Arnaud, and Jeff Larentowicz.

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• Header by ismitje.
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