While Jozy Altidore’s goalscoring record for Sunderland will always torment him like a black spot, a piece of low-hanging fruit for doubters who refuse to recognize his enormous talent, those who’ve followed his career of late will know that it’s his troublesome hamstrings which remain his personal Kryptonite.
Alfredo Talavera owes Erick Gutierrez a debt of gratitude. Talavera made the mistake that allowed Fiji to go 1-0 up on Mexico Sunday, and for a while it looked like Fiji might pull out the Olympic upset to end all Olympic upsets.
When we last reported on Charlie Davies back in April, it was to celebrate his remarkable recovery from a 2009 car accident that could’ve claimed his life. The subject of an ESPN documentary entitled “The Unrelenting Charlie Davies”, the New England Revolution forward was looking forward to a successful 2016 MLS season.
It’s been over two years since Julian Green introduced himself on the largest of international stages with that fantastic goal against Belgium in the World Cup round of 16. Now, it finally looks as though he’s ready to progress at the club level with Bayern Munich.
The story arcs that football provides us with are both fascinating and absurd. Who could’ve guessed that, come 2016, Brad Guzan would be doing battle with Victor Valdes to be named the starting goalkeeper for Middlesbrough?
Guzan, the 31-year-old Illinois native with 50 USA appearances to his name, is expected to join the newly promoted Premier League club on a free transfer following Aston Villa’s relegation.
Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez is more than happy to stay at Bayer Leverkusen and help the club make an impact in the Champions League according to coach Roger Schmidt. And why wouldn’t he be?
Chicharito flourished in his first real opportunity to start week in, week out in Europe. The Mexican striker scored 26 goals in all competitions for Leverkusen, the most he’s scored since his early days in Guadalajara.
The Mexico national team has become, in recent years, a fertile ground for European scouts to find promising talent. Of course, Chicharito is the most famous example, but the likes of Hector Herrera, Jesus "Tecatito" Corona, Miguel Layun, Andres Guardado and Hector Moreno have not only found success, but have become integral to their respective clubs.
Many people give credit to the rise of Chicharito for shining the spotlight on Liga MX as a spot for promising talent, but in reality, more credit should be given to the sustained success of the Mexican youth.
What a week it’s been for 20-year-old Hirving “Chucky” Lozano. First, the Mexican winger was included in Mexico’s 18-man squad for the Rio 2016 Olympics. Then, Pachuca’s rising star was linked with a massive transfer to Manchester United in the Premier League. Finally, Lozano began the 2016 Liga MX Apertura with two goals and an assist in Pachuca’s 5-1 demolition of Leon.
The New York Times has won more Pulitzer Prizes than any other news organization, which makes their July 12th publication of Jay Caspian Kang’s “The Dark Side of American Soccer Culture” that much more dumbfounding.
Landon Donovan has returned to the public spotlight with a couple of high profile appearances in the last week. On Monday, Donovan took part in Major League Baseball’s All-Star festivities by participating in a celebrity softball game. The USA’s all time leading scorer hit an inside-the-park home run that showed off the 34 year olds still electric pace.