Nikesoccer

Respect Is Not Enough

adamspangler — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:10:47 GMT

Three years of preparation. 17 months of qualifying.

Four weeks. 32 teams. One champion. Next summer the world descends upon South Africa.

With a 72nd-minute goal from Michael Bradley and a last-minute header from Jonathan Bornstein, the USMNT came from 2 goals down to tie Costa Rica at Washington's RFK Stadium Wednesday night and win the hexagonal. This team does not quit.

The Difference: substitute Robbie Rogers, who came on in the 69th minute, scoured the field for loose balls, broke up plays on defense, and pushed forward in attack.

At the end it resulted in one moment. A Rogers corner kick in extra time. Bornstein jumping higher than the rest. In a split second the game was tied, the hexagonal won.

Elation with pause, for the health of Charlie Davies and for all the work still to be done.

Respect is not enough. South Africa here we come.

Three Years In The Making

adamspangler — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:07:19 GMT

Gathered in Miami for a short training camp before heading to Honduras, the USMNT is putting the final touches on a game plan that has been in works for more than three years: qualify for South Africa.

After taking on Honduras this Saturday, the team returns to home soil in Washington, DC, to face Costa Rica on October 14. A win in either game means qualification for the finals, but before the party begins, preparation is paramount.

MNT fitness coach Barrieu runs the players through a myriad of drills in order to get their bodies in shape and minds focused for hostile games in sweltering conditions. In the video above, Charlie Davies and Michael Bradley help him demonstrate the Back Peddle Bounce.

The Pledge

DonJulio — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:38:16 GMT

You are on the brink of greatness. For a game here and a game there, everyone knows your name. For a day, maybe a week, opponents respect you.

But.

What is going to take you from eliciting temporary recognition to inspiring permanent fear?

To be that team nobody wants to see on the schedule, nobody wants to face in the first round?

What inside your body and mind will get you not just out of the group but to the top of the table?

What will you tell yourself over and over again to make sure you are not just a team in a tournament but the heroes of the summer?

Respect Is Not Enough.

First To Training. Last To leave.

Cover Every Blade Of Grass.

Control Is Everything.

Never Give It Away.

Be Every Opponent's Nightmare.

This is their pledge. What's yours?

Submit your pledge on Twitter by replying to @nikesoccer using the hashtag filter #MTDpledge.

example: "Joining @nikesoccer I pledge to lock down strikers and never give up a PK this year. #MTDpledge"

To find ideas and responses, search Twitter for #MTDpledge to see what everyone else is doing to make the difference this season.

Must Win Starts Now

adamspangler — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 23:07:10 GMT

The USMNT doesn't have to win every game from here on out in order to qualify for South Africa, but losing even one could cause some problems in a group of nations so tightly packed.

So you prepare like every game is a must win.

As the MNT begins the final push towards qualification for South Africa next summer, they know they will need to be at their very best because at this point in the progression the dreams of every nation hang on the result of each game. The little guys become giant killers, and the giants must stand their ground. That means being prepared for battle.

Before the national anthems, before the stadiums fill with fans, before the bright lights turn on, making the difference on game day means putting in the time at training. National team fitness coach Barrieu is charged with getting the player in shape to handle the rigors of international soccer. In the video above, he explains one of the drills used by the MNT by putting Charlie Davies and Michael Bradley through the workout.

US Loss in Mexico Had Bright Spots

crowlala — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:17:39 GMT

The stadium did not matter. The torrid and talked-up environment of soccer lore did not live up to its deadly billing. The Mexican beehive was full to the brim, and the crowd was vocal, but they were waves coming and going in crashing sets, not the hours of an unending tide pushing forth as was previously warned.

For a brief time it appeared the US might pull off history—and actually they did. The early 1-0 lead was the first time the northern neighbors have ever led at the crumbling pitch which opened in 1966. But it didn’t last.

Landon Donovan and Charlie Davies created some of their own waves, threatening with impressive fitness and speed in the thin, but not so smoggy air. Donovan, as usual, led by example, reaching errant passes others let go out of bounds, chasing down open space on the offense and Mexico’s fastest attackers in the defensive third. His passing led to nearly every American opportunity.

Davies’ goal helped prove his run of form this summer is no fluke, and that he is in the national team to stay. Finishing his goal in the ninth minute with composed concentration in the most daunting of circumstances bodes well for the future of the American attack.

“I was able to get in a good position between the center back and the outside back,” Davies said after the game. “And Landon obviously made a great pass, and I was able to get a good first touch and put it around the goal keeper. It’s amazing, this is what you live for, especially as a striker, to score big time goals. Hopefully there is more to come.”

Another inch on young Davies’ head, and we might be talking about a 2-2 tie. Flying through the air over the six yard line, Davies barely missed a cross in the second half. It will be one of the images taken away from the game—that old sporting question, “what if.”

Though an away goal is always nice—in Mexico, no less—the brightest spot on Wednesday in the southern outskirts of Mexico City for the US team was the last line of defense. Burly performances from Oguchi Onyewu and Tim Howard will be overshadowed by the score, but the two were beasts in the back. Is it any surprise they play for the strongest club teams of any American players? If not for Gooch and Howard, it easily could have been 4- or 5-1. That perspective is what needs to be taken from Mexico into the more friendly confines of Salt Lake City on September 5th when the US takes on El Salvador in their next South Africa qualifier. The hexagonal is all about winning at home.

“I said this week I didn’t want people to get carried away,” Donovan said after the game. “This wasn’t a live or die game for us, it was for them. Now it puts us in a little bit more difficult position, but our next game is home to el Salvador, which we expect to win.”

Against All Odds

Gronamo — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:13:36 GMT

In three incredible moments on Sunday the critics were silenced and the passion returned to American soccer.

The first was pure heart and hard work by Charlie Davies, as he held off multiple defenders and craftily flicked it around his marker and off the Egyptian keeper’s head into the goal. 21st minute, US 1-0.

The second was an awe-inspiring counterattack, as Michael Bradley ran at the Egyptian backline in Landon-esque fashion before giving it to the Captain himself, who crossed it back to Bradley’s right foot. Goal, 2-0. Happy Father’s Day, Coach Bob.

Finally a pinpoint cross in the 71st minute gave Clint Dempsey the opportunity to secure a place in US soccer lore, as Deuce laid out for a picture-perfect header to the back post. GOLASO!

If you missed any of the goals that sent the MNT into the Confederation’s Cup semifinals, check 'em out here. Now the MNT, with the help of a 3-0 Brazilian victory over the Italians, has been rewarded with a chance to butt heads with the No. 1 team in the world, Fernando Torres’ Spain.

With courage, grit and a refusal to say die, our boys have delivered an unforgettable moment in US soccer. It’s time to refocus and back this performance up with another.

Don’t miss this one (Wednesday, ESPN, 2:30 ET). We can hardly wait….

A Hungry Heart

Gronamo — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 01:14:17 GMT

Robinho, Maicon, and Ramires. Those names alone are enough to give any backline a headache. Playing down a man for the second consecutive game against perhaps the world’s most prolific offense is just a plain nightmare. Truly, there were just too many weapons for Tim Howard and his defense to contend with as the US fell to Brazil on Thursday.

All the more reason why this coming game against Egypt is the perfect opportunity for the MNT to show what matters most: A hungry heart.

Egypt might not be a perennial world power, but anyone who has been following the past week’s games knows otherwise. Egypt put in three against Brazil, only losing in the last minute, then responded two days later with a shutout victory against the Italians. Rebounding with a W against the Egyptians would be as big a victory for the US as any.

And there’s still a whole year left until South Africa 2010. We’ve seen the talent level – now we need to raise our game another notch.
Tune in and look for a new starting 11 against Egypt (Sunday, ESPN2, 2:25 pm ET) as Coach Bradley tries to stir the pot a little bit and add some fuel to the fire.

Three's a Charm

gabejazzy — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 23:43:45 GMT

There’s nothing like quality service, and Landon and the rest of the MNT demonstrated exactly what this meant in their rout of Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday night.

Landon assisted on all of his teammates' goals, propelling the team to a convincing 3-0 win and putting them atop the hexagonal for 2010 qualifying.

Fans viewing the game on Wednesday were probably swearing that they were watching a different team than the one they had seen the previous Saturday. No surprise there, as Coach Bradley made a number of changes from Saturday’s draw vs. El Salvador, and they all seemed to work like magic.

Between the new 4-4-2 formation, Beas going to left back and Donovan to left flank, the US attack looked invigorated and dynamic, creating chance after chance throughout the game. The US converted on a world-class beauty in the 13th minute when Landon delivered a laser-guided pass to his teammate on the far post. The Soca Warriors’ defense looked helpless as the ball was tapped in for a lead in the 13th minute. Just check the highlights and see for yourself.

With Tim Howard and Oguchi Onyewu back in the lineup, the lead was never relinquished as the back line held the Soca Warriors to just one SOG.

So if you had any pangs of doubt after the 2-2 tie, let them be gone now. The O is clicking and the D is back to its rock-solid self. Matchday 4 comes in two months as the US heads back down to Central America to face Costa Rica. See you then.

Don’t Tread on the Red: MNT v El Salvador

Gronamo — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:05:24 GMT

The US MNT opened up the final round of qualifying in convincing fashion with a 2-0 drubbing of their biggest rivals, Mexico. And you know what they say about messing with success – don't do it. Adhering to that advice, Coach Bradley has called up all eleven starters from the Mexico match with Michael Bradley, Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey heading the list. Freddy Adu was also included in Coach Bradley’s 22-man roster and will be looking to repay his inclusion with a blistering performance.

The team is currently in Miami training in the humid heat to acclimate themselves to the conditions they’ll face on Saturday (9 pm E.T., ESPN2 & Telefutura) when they play away against El Salvador. The team will then jump on a plane and head to Tennessee, where they’ll square off against Trinidad & Tobago on Wednesday, April 1 in their third qualifying match (7:30 pm E.T., ESPN2 & Galavision).

So make sure you tune in, turn on and raise some ruckus for our boys – let the world know you DON’T TREAD ON THE RED!

Blow Out

Gronamo — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:28:25 GMT

Gale-force winds whipped through Columbus on Wednesday night, threatening to blow away anything that wasn’t lashed to the ground. An hour before the match a menacing storm front blew in, flooding the pitch and knocking down booths. So it’s no exaggeration to call the U.S. v Mexico game a blow out.

Oh, and the 2-0 score line doesn’t hurt either.

That’s right, the U.S. were able to defend their home turf yet again. Riding a wave of red-clad support from the fans at Columbus (big thanks to the American Outlaws and Sam's Army), the national team kicked off the final round of qualifying in style with a convincing win in the border clash against El Tri. The men’s national team has now gone eleven straight matches without a home defeat against Mexico, posting a 9-0-2 record.

Michael Bradley was the undisputed "Man of the Match" – not only did he fire home both U.S. goals, but his tireless effort in the midfield nullified any attempt by Mexico for a comeback.

“Before the match in the locker room I looked around at everyone’s eyes and everyone was very psyched to play,” said Bradley. “We all knew it was a big game and it was going to be tough.”

The match was indeed difficult, as the players not only had to contend with each other but also battle the contentious weather. But the U.S. squad rose to the occasion with strong team play. Landon Donovan even took a break from his role as scorer to turn distributor, setting up both Bradley goals.

“This game is as big as any game we have,” Donovan said. “We’re all willing to do whatever it takes to win. It brings out the best in me and it brings out the best in all of us.”

And while we’re on the topic of bringing out the best, Clint Dempsey brought out his top-shelf Mercurial Vapors for the big match. Clint was sporting personalized Mercurials from NIKEiD that featured his name, as well as the Don’t Tread on Me snake. If you like what you see, go to NIKEiD to design your very own Mercurial boots. And, if you want to rock some Don’t Tread threads, head over to NikeStore to find a DTOM Tee and a DTOM Cap.

In other CONCACAF qualifying news, Costa Rica beat Honduras 2-0 and El Salvador rallied late to earn a draw with T & T. So for now, the U.S. and Costa Rica are right where they want to be – sitting on top of the leader board. But, come end of March beginning of April, when the teams play two games in quick secession, the red, white and blue could put some serious breathing room between themselves and the rest of the pack.

So let’s get behind our team and let it be known throughout the land: DON'T TREAD ON THE RED!

Border Clash: U.S.A. v Mexico

Gronamo — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 22:56:34 GMT

It’s no exaggeration to call the February 11th match the biggest game the U.S. will play all year. So we’re calling upon all the fans from coast to coast to wear red in support of our team. No matter where you are – school, work, bar or at the game – let’s blanket the country with red, so no one can mistake our allegiance to the national team.

And, speaking of the national team, Bob Bradley recently released his 20-man roster. As expected, Coach Bradley brought in the big guns from Europe, like Landon, Dempsey, Howard, ‘Los and son Michael. There will certainly be no shortage of firepower on the pitch, and with the American Outlaws and Sam's Army leading chants of “Don't Tread on the Red,” there’ll be no shortage in the stands either. For those of you planning on attending the game, look for red fan cards on your seats that’ll direct you on when to chant.

And, whether you can make it to the match (7 pm E.T. kickoff, ESPN2) or not, you can still pick up all your Don’t Tread gear at NikeStore (products will be available shortly). However, you won’t be able to buy Dempsey’s one-of-a-kind NIKEiD Mercurial Vapors. Just for this match, Clint designed his very own Vapors that feature the Don’t Tread on Me snake coiled on his instep. Look for the boots to be lighting up Clint’s feet as he lights up the pitch.

So make sure to remind yourself, on February 11th, there’s only one thing to remember: Represent with RED!

Don’t Tread on the Red

gabejazzy — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:22:18 GMT

Red is the spirit of 11 players surging forward together. Red is the roar of 22,000 fans clambering for one cause. Red is the will of an entire nation united in the pursuit of a singular goal.

So be warned Mexico – on Wednesday, February 11th a sea of red, the likes of which you have never seen, will wash over Columbus. And from every corner of the pitch a deafening call to arms will resound:

Don’t Tread on the Red!

Rabid fans will shake the stadium with the chant. They’ll chant it so it’s heard in Mexico. They’ll chant it so they hear it in Europe. And they’ll chant it so loud that their voices carry all the way to South Africa.

Don’t Tread on the Red!

Don’t Tread on the Red!

Don’t Tread on the Red!

Home Sweet Home

Gronamo — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 18:53:18 GMT

There’s nothing like the comfort of being home, especially for the U.S. MNT who put on an offensive display in front of their rapid fans in Chicago last night. Chief amongst their supporters were the members of Sam’s Army and the American Outlaws, who got the festivities started at the Nike Snake Pit pre-game rally. Thanks all!

After scraping past Cuba 1-0 in Havana, the U.S. erupted against Trinidad & Tobago on Wednesday night to win 3-0. The Soca Warriors never had a chance, as Michael Bradley instinctively tapped in Donovan’s free kick with only nine minutes off the clock. This gave the guys the confidence they needed to push forward. And on the 18-minute mark, Beasley played Dempsey on goal and the Fulham forward made no mistake in burying the ball in the back of the net. Then in the 57th minute Gooch got his head on a Beasley free kick that redirected straight to his teammate, who put the game out of reach with the third and final goal of the match.

The team has now all but locked up first place in their qualifying group, but a win against Cuba on October 11 in Washington D.C. will officially seal the deal.

As the MNT ramps up for South Africa, the WNT is celebrating their monumental win in China with the “Achieve Your Gold Tour” throughout the States. The tour kicks off this Saturday in Philadelphia at 8:00 pm E.T. when the women take on Ireland.

So head on out if you’re in the Philly area and cheer on this incredible squad that beat the odds to bring home an improbable gold medal. And, if you can’t make this game, check out ussoccer.com to get the full “Achieve Your Gold Tour” schedule.

The soccer action is heating up, so keep your eyes here to follow all the news as it happens.

Michael Bradley on Inside Training

gabejazzy — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:38:50 GMT

If turning pro at sixteen years old isn’t enough, Michael Bradley is also the youngest player in America to sign with a foreign club. His father--a college soccer coach at the time of his birth--immersed Michael in the game as much as possible. And in no time at all, Michael quickly went from having a childhood dream of playing at the top level to actually living it.

Michael will tell you that it doesn’t happen over night. That’s why he’s so adamant about honing his skills when he’s not in a game. Everything he does, no matter how small it may seem at the time, is another opportunity to improve his playing. Listen to Michael share his insight about immersing yourself in the sport, and understanding the importance of training so you can take your game to the next level.

Adu vs Bradley - Crossbar Challenge

gabejazzy — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:02:37 GMT

Freddy Adu decides to take on fellow teammate, Michael Bradley. The challenge: Be the first to hit the crossbar from center circle.

Watch it go down.