This Is American Soccer, US Soccer, MNT, WNT, and MLS - Tackling the subject of Soccer in the US, and worldwide.

I guess you could say I feel like a starter tonight. Why you ask? How could I have such a bloated ego? Well, before you jump to conclusions, the answer is quite simple. As with almost all of our starters, especially those from European club teams, I’m not in Guatemala tonight.

So, I have no great stories about Central American shenanigans or how great it was to see the USMNT play on foreign soil (something I have never done). Like the rest of you, I am home watching the game on TV (see my problems with that below). I am hoping to see some new blood that may or may not join the team as part of the final roster.

And now for my Bill Simmons in-game-time-track tribute:

10:00pm
Uh-Oh. Baseball? Washington Nationals versus the Florida Marlins. 10-1 in the 8th inning. Oh they better be leaving this game for soccer or I’m going to be pissed.

10:05pm
Still baseball. Score, still 10-1. Deep breath. Deep breath. I know what you’re thinking, but I don’t want to say it. Not yet. Keep hope alive!

10:07pm
I frantically switch through all possible TV channels that might ever telecast a soccer game hoping to find the game on another channel or at least some explanation, nothing.

10:09pm
I do the same on the internet. Usssoccer.com, soccernet, pretty much every one of my Del.icio.us Links (btw check those out – pretty cool software link system over there at Del.icio.us)… and nothing. This is just too much. Quiet I’m trying to think. No, I’m not going to say it.

10:14pm
Announcer tells us that following this game will be “Hey Rookie, welcome to the NFL.” No apology. No program alert. No mention of soccer. No nothing. This can’t be right. The guide says the game is on next. I mean NOW! They better air the whole game, not this “welcome to those of you who were watching baseball” crap.

10:18pm
Ok, fine, I’ll say it. This is American soccer. Welcome to Hell!!!

10:33pm
26 minutes, 25 seconds into the game 0-0. Thanks ESPN - for pre-empting my patriotism with a 10-1 baseball game.

First impressions: Central America rain. Not surprising, but not what I wanted. This may make for another ugly game and leave us with little to take away.

10:44pm
This minute-by-minute thing isn’t as funny when there’s no commercials to make fun of, huh Bill Simmons?

10:56pm
Half-time 0-0. Mexico highlights—yes! How calm, how collected, how cool is Bruce Arena? You watching these highlights? Beasley, Onyewu. Somebody’s been reading my blog (ok, they probably would just agree with it).

11:01pm
Not one commercial worth commenting on.

11:04-11:43pm
It’s like a repeat of the Mexico game without the intensity of qualification on the line. I got nothing.

11:47pm
Oh, Eddie - you gotta have that one. Great positioning, just a misfire. As the ball did off his head, and because this is essentially a practice, I’ll let it slide. Landon delivered a perfect ball—quite diplomatic to his Nike Brethren I might add. I’m glad they brought Landon. We needed a leader out there and I think he needed to regain some confidence. A good place to do both. And for what the game was, I think he succeeded.

11:56 pm
Injury time. We should have just lost (and I’m not gonna harp on it)… yet we squeak out another shut-out. It’s been awhile since we gave up a qualifying goal. I’m probably biased (read the last post to learn why), but our defense is going to carry us through Germany. Championships, baby, championships!

What We Learned

1. Bobby Convey should be on the team. After sitting out the Mexico game with two yellow cards, he was back and in the same solid form we saw him in at the Trinidad and Tobago match.

2. We might have the deepest reserves for goal keepers of any team ever. We have three sets of solid hands – the last unknown played well tonight under tough field conditions (away no less).

3. I’d like to see more of Clint Dempsey. He played hard, if not great tonight.

4. And finally, Eddie Johnson, a guy I’ve been waiting to come back. Him and Beasely will be a nasty combo if placed on the same side of the field someday. Now if only that one header would have been on target.

5. No Earth shattering wisdom, cliches, puns, or one-liners tonight. Heavy rains were one reason for that. The other, likely an effect of a bunch of unquestionably good players who haven’t played with one another in a while, if ever (see #6).

6. Never underestimate the need for playing together as a team, especially in International sports (see USA Basketball’s record). Not to second-guess Arena, anyone would have let the boys rest, it just crossed my mind. I bet it did his too. I’ll have to ask him at the next conference call.