Nikesoccer

Stay On The Radar

DonJulio — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 17:56:40 GMT

The next USMNT match is not for another month, but to earn another cap you've got to be consistently in good form.

Benny Feilhaber reminded everyone he wants a roster spot, scoring a hat trick that included the winning goal in Denmark's domestic cup tournament.

Which American has shown the best form so far this fall?

Have your say and don't miss a single Write The Future moment. Join the conversation with Nike Soccer on Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace. Watch all the latest videos from Nike Soccer on Youtube.

Thank You USMNT

DonJulio — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:38:09 GMT

The success of a team is not only measured by how far they go but how far their performance pushes the next generation.

Thank You USMNT for redefining expectations. Write The Future.

How will you remember this summer's team? Leave your thoughts on Twitter using #ThanksUSMNT

Shutout Soccer

Gronamo — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 22:00:13 GMT

Another game, another W. The US MNT posted a second straight shutout Wednesday night, controlling a potent Honduran attack to win 2-0 in our nation’s capitol.

Charlie Davies (on his way to a new French club in Ligue 1) and Benny Feilhaber ignited the offense with some fresh creativity and precision passing to instigate a two-goal second half assault.

The first tally gave a new definition to the term low and hard when Davies received a pass with his back to the goal and touched it on for a charging teammate, who wasted no time with a sizzling blast that easily found its way by the Honduran keeper. The dagger came five minutes later when we finished a strong header into the top shelf.

The MNT has now taken over first place in Group B with a five-goal lead over second place Haiti, and will look to further their lead when they finish group play against the Haitians. One more game till the knockout round of Gold Cup (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET, FSC and Telefutura). Let’s keep the shutout ball rolling.

U.S. Open with a Turkey

Gronamo — Fri, 23 May 2008 17:28:52 GMT

Hard to say how meaningful the U.S. MNT U-23 loss to Turkey on Wednesday really was. Our lineup was relatively inexperienced on the international level and many of the guys had never played together before the five days of training in Toulon.

Turkey, on the other hand, was younger, more familiar with one another and impressively talented. They attacked hard and responded immediately whenever the Americans got on the board. It wasn't the ideal start for us, but probably a fair one (recap and running commentary here).

Until he came off in the 67th with what looked to be a slight knee injury, the brightest spot on the U.S. side of the field was Benny Feilhaber. Benny was slotted into an attacking center midfield role and he effectively possessed and distributed the ball. Scoring chances didn't develop easily, but Benny was in the thick of it whenever they did.

Hopefully, Benny's knee is alright, ‘cause he flew back after the game for double duty with the senior team. The much-anticipated friendly against Rooney and Co. is this Wednesday.

Now the U-23s are preparing for the Ivory Coast on Friday, followed by Italy on Sunday (both games will be televised by FSC).

Winning is always a plus, but in this case it is not the be-all and end-all. The equation is pretty simple: More games = more experience = a better national team pool.

The Toulon Test

Gronamo — Tue, 20 May 2008 21:52:33 GMT

It's gonna be a busy summer for the U.S. MNT program: Top-notch friendlies set against England, Spain, and Argentina; going for gold at Beijing 2008 and the first stages of qualification for South Africa 2010.

Starting everything off, though, is the Toulon Tournament in southern France, which serves as a chance for members of the U-23 player pool, like Benny Feilhaber, to raise their stock before training for Beijing begins.

With group play against Turkey (Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. ET), Ivory Coast (Friday, 12:30 p.m. ET) and Italy (12 p.m. ET), the competition won't be light. Should the US advance, the other side of the bracket - including France, Chile, Japan and the Netherlands - isn't any easier.

Stay up on all the action on television at FSC and online at The YNT Blog. At the blog, be sure to check out the pics of the fresh Nike training gear and new Nike T90 Omni balls.

Here's to starting the summer off right!

Preparing for Poland and Beyond

gabejazzy — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:23:23 GMT

While European clubs take a quick breath before the season’s homeward sprint, the Americans called in by Coach Bradley for Wednesday’s US MNT friendly versus Poland will need to reenergize themselves on the run, as they face a tough Poland side in Krakow (FSC 3:30pm EST). The roster is composed of a senior squad, with all the big guns: Tim Howard, Gooch, ‘Los, Benny, Clint, Eddie Johnson, etc. No real surprises. Landon and Ricardo Clark flew over from the States too, and should look fresh given that they’re coming from pre-season training camps. Helping the entire squad look fresh is the fact that they’ll be sporting their brand new away kit. Hopefully the new uniform will have as positive a debut as the home kit did against Mexico.

This fixture is great preparation for this summer’s host of qualification matches. Poland is a solid team by all accounts, and with nothing to lose, don’t expect either team to pack defenders behind the ball and play cautiously. This is a chance for players to get a run in without the intense pressure of point standings, relegation or European qualification demands looming overhead.

Also, the short training camp and match will be an opportunity to catch up on the progress players have been making over the winter. It’s been a mixed bag overall, but there’s a lot for Bradley to feel good about.

Starting with his son – Mike struck for two more goals over the weekend, pushing his season tally up to fifteen and helping Heerenveen in a crazy come-from-behind win over Roda. Check the highlights. He’s not in a bad situation at all over there in the Netherlands (talented team, great fan base), but now it looks as though he’s got his sights set for a summer transfer.

If there’s been a U.S. teammate able to keep pace with Mike, it’s Tim Howard. Howard, of course, already starts for one of the top sides in England, but he’s never stopped focusing on personal development. And now he’s taken his game to a truly world-class level. Case in point: Saturday’s Everton match against West Ham. In addition to a few incredible saves and controlling box-play throughout the match, Howard is now a candidate for “Save of the Year” after he volleyed a redirected free kick out of the goal at the end of the first-half (video). Think keepers can forget about footwork? Think again.

Wondering about the lineup? Potential formations? Read SoccerByIves – he’s probably got the most entertaining message board. To see US MNT training in action, head over to the MNT Blog, put together by USsoccer.com.

For those of you on spring break here are some more of the big matches for this international friendly date. Sit back, relax and enjoy the action as National Teams from around the globe look to put the final polish on their squads before this summer's European Championship and qualifications for South Africa.

England v France
Brazil v Sweden
Italy v Spain
Netherlands v Austria
Germany v Switzerland
Portugal v Greece
Croatia v Scotland
Czech Republic v Denmark
Australia v China
S. Korea v Korea DPR

Border Battle

gabejazzy — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 02:44:28 GMT

Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX was a sea of green, parted by sections of red, white and blue. But no matter their allegiances, the 71,000-plus fans were treated to a stunning match.

As the US MNT took to the field they were greeted by a chorus of whistles and catcalls, but for Clint Dempsey it was just another day at the office.

"Mexico is our toughest rival in CONCACAF, and it's always a good game. Obviously, there are going to be more Hispanic fans in the stadium, but the good thing is that people are supporting soccer. In these types of games there's a lot on the line, and everybody wants to shut the other team up."

Sporting their new team kit, the US jumped in front midway through the first-half when the always-threatening Landon Donovan sent a ball across the box, where Gooch rose above everyone to smash a header into the netting on the far post.

"It's been a couple of games since I scored a goal," said the imposing US defender. "So, to do it against Mexico, a team which is always a difficult game for us, it makes it all the better."

The team's elation was short-lived, though, as the tri-colors came storming back to equalize five minutes later. However, the US broke the deadlock once again, as they asserted their dominance in the air with another lethal header in the 40th minute to go 2-1 up.

The first-half reached its climax in the waning moments when the ever-dangerous Dempsey settled the ball and brushed by three would-be defenders and slotted the ball past the Mexican keeper for a commanding 3-1 lead. But, much to the chagrin of the US team and their supporters, the goal was called back for offside.

This proved to be a pivotal call in the game, as the Mexican side came out blazing in the second-half and tied the game at two apiece in the 47th minute. The score line remained the same for the rest of the match, with neither team giving an inch across the entire pitch.

Second-half subs, Freddy Adu and Benny Feilhaber, made their presence known with great energy and skill throughout the park. But, after the full ninety, the two evenly matched teams ended in a stalemate 2-2.

Though the guys are never happy with less than a W, the man between the posts, Tim Howard, had this to say, "We were disappointed to have had the lead twice and let it go, which is very unlike us. But, there are positives to take away from this, like the fact that we kept our streak of unbeaten matches alive."

We here at 365 want to give a huge shout out to all the fans that made it out to the game in Houston, especially the ones who stopped by the Snake Pit and helped take it to the next level. We also want to give special thanks to all of you from Sam's Army and American Outlaws - your spirit and enthusiasm were truly contagious.

As we close the chapter on another Border Battle, it's hard not to think "what if?" What if we had tightened up the D after our two goals? What if we could have found another moment of inspiration in the dying minutes? What if Clint's goal had stood?

But, the levelheaded Dempsey summed it up best after the match when he said, "That's the way it goes sometimes. It is what it is, and all you can do is keep on keeping on. But, I felt like the team played well tonight and that's important for our confidence."

Keepin' It Fresh

gabejazzy — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 17:23:19 GMT

While the United States WNT has been the center of attention recently, the U.S. MNT coaching staff have kept busy tracking player development at home and abroad. It’s a tough task with more and more Americans scattered around the world’s top leagues and the country’s best clubs. The most efficient response is probably to have all the talent come to you, which is what happened last week at The US Soccer Development Academy’s Fall Showcase, but for the senior national team the program goes to the players.

Our team has mixed in some fresh faces with the European-based vets for this weeks training camp before Wednesday’s friendly against Switzerland. Some guys on the roster you might never have heard of before.

U-20 standouts Sal Zizzo, Danny Szetela, and Freddy Adu, all of whom have begun their careers in either Germany or Spain, get a chance to reunite with teammate Mike Bradley (whose just about the youngest veteran imaginable) after their performance in Canada this summer. Benny’s now one of the offensive leaders in the midfield, along with DaMarcus, whose been getting the job done - and in style - with Rangers recently. In his first game with the fresh blue boots, a Champions League match against Lyon, Beas notched a goal and an assist in a 3-0 Rangers win. The Fulham boys, Dempsey and Bocanegra, are in camp too, helping things out on the leadership side of things.

With MLS still going strong, one man you won’t be seeing is Landon Donovan. But that doesn’t mean he’s been forgotten about. Last week LD won his fourth Honda Player of the Year award. If it wasn’t before, the jury is now definitively out: he’s the best. All-time assist leader, momentarily tied for all-time goal scorer. It’s reassuring to know that he’ll be the link in this period of transition.

Check out the game this Wednesday, on FSC and Galavision at 2:30pm EST. But if you're an American Outlaw (pictured below), we'll see you there!

60 With The Best

gabejazzy — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 19:27:55 GMT

For over 60 minutes, a young US MNT hung tight with a star-lit Argentina squad in each side’s first match of Copa America 2007. Then, in the final 30, the boys in the baby blue were able to open things up and net three more goals for a 4-1 result. The score alone, however, belies just how close many moments of the match really were, as well as some great individual performances by couple fledgling national teamers.

after a challenge like that, it’s only going to get easier

Argentina did not break away from the US MNT last night because of anything related to better physical conditioning. Rest assured, Head Coach Bob Bradley and the rest of the MNT staff know what they’re doing in that department. Argentina’s last three goals were about mental endurance, something players develop over the course of their careers, with experience and high-profile exposure. Talking about a Gold Cup hangover for players given a chance to suit up a couple days later and compete with the best in the business is just plain ridiculous. Benny, Rico, EJ, Bornstein and every other American were up for this game, and it showed for the first two thirds.

Bornstein was especially impressive for his solid performance in difficult circumstances. In Messi, Jonathan was assigned to mark one of the best young talents in the game. The Argentine winger was clearly roaring to go but Bornstein kept pace, blocking shots and tackling cleanly. It’s good to the California native rise to the occasion, and after a challenge like that, it’s only going to get easier.

Benny also put in some good work last night, especially his break-out through ball to EJ in the seventh minute that setup the PK goal. Vision and awareness may be Feilhaber’s best qualities on the field, attributes one would expect out of any successful central midfielder. By now he’s proven that he’s ready to play consistently on the international level, and with that new Venezuelan faux-hawk, he even looks the part. If he continues to work hard and quicken his distribution, it’s safe to call him a long-term answer for South Africa 2010.

It was also great to see Ben Olsen back running the flank for MNT. Olsen’s gritty style worked well in slowing down or at least disrupting the attacking flair of Argentina. His substitution marked the game’s ultimate breaking point, a testament to his defensive presence in the midfield. When asked how the team can turn around from the loss and get ready for Paraguay on Monday (6:30pm, Telefutura), Olsen wasn’t over dramatic: “You learn a little bit from it and put it behind us. You know there are still two games out there. At this point the goal is to get enough points to move to the next round.”

Per Ardua ad Astra

gabejazzy — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 22:19:44 GMT

Inked into central midfielder Benny Feilhaber's 22-year old left forearm, where his short-sleeved U.S. MNT jersey cannot conceal, is a personalized reminder, written skin-deep in black Latin calligraphy. It reads, “Per Ardua ad Astra,” which translates into English as “Through adversity to the stars.” It’s the perfect byline to Benny’s miraculous biography, one that began as a toddler in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, developed as a walk-on collegiate athlete in southern California, and continues to unfold as a professional in Hamburg, Germany.
So far, Benny’s found a way to hurdle every obstacle set in his path, including last month’s US MNT friendlies against Ecuador and Guatemala, hopefully the first of many caps with the full side. His performances in those two matches more than justified his call-in to Coach Bradley’s camp. For those of you who last heard the name “Feilhaber” in regards to the 2005 World Youth Championships, where he turned-heads as a leading member of the US U-20s, these past two friendlies served as a chance to catch up with the kid whose already seen Champions League action and recognize all the hard work and long hours he’s invested overseas with Hamburg SV of the Bundesliga. Benny’s come a long way in only four years and it looks as though the sky’s the limit. Scary to think that he’s shooting for the stars.

Benny’s lightening journey began in earnest as a midrange high school recruit from California. Though he had trained and competed with the Irvine Strikers Soccer Club, a proverbial factory of collegiate talent, he didn’t get any scholarship offers from the nation’s top soccer programs. Thankfully his grades earned him a chance to tryout for Tom Fitzgerald, then head coach for the local Bruins, one of the most successful programs in the nation.

“Looking back on it, I can’t imagine not playing soccer in college,” Benny said in a 365 Todays phone interview last week, “but my mindset back then was that if for some reason I couldn’t play, than it wouldn’t be like my world was over.”

Turns out his world was only about to begin. Not only did Benny make the team, but the next year as a sophomore he started nearly every game for the Bruins and performed well enough to pique the interest of Sigi Schmid, head coach of the U-20 MNT, who invited Benny to train in a pre-World Youth Championship camp.

“That was the first time I had ever trained with one of the national teams,” Benny admitted. “It was only two months before we started qualifying for the tournament. I didn’t get ahead of myself and thought I was a long shot to make the team being that there were guys who had been training with the team for two or three years already.”

Per usual, Benny made up for lost time and grabbed a roster spot alongside heralded teammates Freddy Adu, Eddie Gaven, Lee Nguyen and Jonathan Spector. The team went on to upset favorites Argentina and play impressively before bowing out to Italy in the round of 16. Benny took center stage at center midfield, and was recognized by scouts as one of the tournaments most intriguing talents.

“I joked around with my mom before the U-20s that I was going to do really well and go play in Europe,” Benny said. “She told me to stop dreaming so much. It’s good to dream, but you have to be realistic. I told her you never know, and look what happened, it all fell into place. I got the deal with Hamburg.”

And so on to Germany. Going from a comfortable college-life surrounded by friends and family to living alone as a professional American soccer player in Europe, as so many other American footballers with experience abroad can testify, is by no means an easy transition. Nor is it simple getting acclimated to the cutthroat competitive atmosphere of a top European club. To make the situation more trying still, Benny was deemed ineligible to compete with the first team because of a UEFA rule limiting the number of non-European Union players on any given roster to four. He made the best of a challenging situation, training with the second team, making friends in a multilingual environment, keeping in contact with his friends and family at home, in addition to proving and improving his stock on the field. The Californian also admitted to have slightly fallen victim to that ever so distinctive Euro fashion sense, but he’ll take the good with the bad.

“I’ve been a little bit lucky in my life to be used to moving around a lot,” Benny reflected. “I was born in Brazil, I’ve lived in New York, Texas, Connecticut, I’ve lived in California, and so I think the way I grew up really helped me over here. I can definitely understand why it would be so difficult for some people to live far away from home and the people that they love. I remember the first six months I was here I talked to my parents everyday almost. Calling my home friends every week, letting them know what’s goin’ on, not letting them forget about me! (laughs) You need to find a social life wherever you are and I think I did that reasonably well. Soccer wise, I think my qualities fit in pretty well to Bundesliga. Some of the weaknesses I had when I came into Germany I’ve worked hard to improve so that I can adapt to this style of soccer.”

As fortune would have it, some of the veterans at SV Hamburg were hit with the injury bug and Benny was called up to the first team to make his debut. Talk about a fate written in the stars. Next thing Benny knew, he was lining up in Champions League against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium in London (he also saw action against Portuguese power FC Porto). Pretty good for a former walk-on.

What’s next for Benny? With a year remaining on his contract with SV Hamburg, he’ll need to help his club avoid relegation and find a way out of the funk they’re currently in. And though the last name might make local fans think he’s one of their own (part of Feilhaber’s heritage is, in fact, from Austria), another top priority is cementing his spot on the US MNT. Benny’s one of many up and coming Americans with their sights set on the 2010 Cup in South Africa (seems like it’s only a matter of time before this world traveler makes his rounds to a new continent). This summer’s Gold Cup and Copa America are two huge opportunities for him to keep the momentum building. Just like the days before the U-20 World Youth Championship, Benny continues to dream while keeping perspective.

“Soccer is a real funny sport, though One second you’re upset about one thing and the next you’re really happy about something else that’s going on. It can change from one minute to the next. My goal for next year to be playing consistently at a first division level, whether that at Hamburg or maybe on loan someplace else. I just want to get some games in, wherever that is.”

What does Benny attribute to all his unexpected success? To succeeding when others saw potential but not a sure thing? Simple: self-confidence.

“You need to go into it knowing what type of player you are, and if you’re going into that type of situation than you need to remember what you’ve done to allow you to get there,” Benny recommended. “You should have confidence in yourself already. The first day or week or however long you need to play a style of soccer that will allow you to grow in confidence every day. The first day with the national team I was definitely playing simpler than maybe I would in a different situation. I played simple passes, worked hard defensively. You might make some mistakes, but working hard can fix a lot of it up. I think everyday I spent with the national team I got a little bit better, and that has everything to do with my confidence. Then slowly you need to show what extra things you can do and what extra things you can bring to the team.”

“Per Ardua ad Astra,” easy as that. Remember the phrase, cause that tattoo’s already taken.

Check out some of Benny’s podcasts at USsoccer.com. Gold Cup 2007 starts June 7th. Will Benny be there? Keep updated with 365 Todays to find out.

Dressed for Success

gabejazzy — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 23:47:22 GMT

USA v. Ecuador Recap/Guatemala Preview, Euro 2008 recap

While Landon Donovan was strutting in Copa pinstriped formal wear on Sunday afternoon, Ecuador went business casual. Apparently the South Americans didn’t get the memo.

But it wasn’t just any old hat trick for the tireless captain and it didn’t seem like just another positive result for the US MNT. Each of the three goals Donovan scored was a reminder of the crazy skills our #10 has at his disposal. Did you see the speed Landon flashed from midline to the 6-yard box? Try watching it in slow motion if you can’t keep up (still think his breakaway goal against Mexico was just good fortune?). The 1st minute volley from outside the box and the 20-yard blast that stung the upper right hand corner of the net were both impressive, but there was something different about Landon’s form. Maybe it was the way he celebrated with jumping, knockout fist pumps and a look of a man possessed. Keep in mind Ecuador is no slouch; that was a World Cup quality team with some talented players that LD almost single-handedly dismantled.

But while Sunday’s friendly will be remembered for one man’s explosion, there’s no doubt that the hard-fought win was a team effort and featured notable performances from a few European-based stalwarts and a certain rookie central midfielder named Benny Feilhaber. Benny seemed to quickly find his rhythm in his first cap, distributing the ball with accuracy instead of hesitation, plus he worked back defensively and even cleared the ball off the end line at the 30:30 mark in the first half. The 22 year-old’s experience and development in the German Bundesliga was obvious against the Ecuadorians. It was a very solid performance all around, so you might as well get used to the Brazilian-born, California-raised kid now, because Benny’s going to be in Bob Bradley’s mix for a long, long time.

Another treat was seeing DeMarcus zip around the sidelines with his trademark pace and aggressiveness. Beas closes on defenders trying to clear the ball faster than anyone on the field and made sure to help out Gooch, Carlos Bocanegra and the rest of the US defense in their attempt to handle the fast and physical Ecuadorian forwards. The man’s the human counter-attack. He’s still not 100%, but he’s already got that extra gear nobody can seem to match.

So what can we expect for Wednesday night’s match against Guatemala? Bradley’s handling of the roster has been nearly impeccable to this point, but we can certainly hope to see some new faces help LD keep his goal-scoring streak alive. Maybe some JMapp action? Keep your fingers crossed.

Euro 2008 Qualifying
Just in case you didn’t catch some of the other games, we figured we’d let you know about some of the other scores from this soccer-filled weekend and highlight a couple of the usual suspects. Cristiano Ronaldo further bolstered his Player of the Year campaign after striking twice in Portugal’s 4-0 win over Belgium. At this point CR7 seems unstoppable. Not to be outdone, however, Ronaldinho kept pace with two goals of his own as Brazil beat Chile 4-0 (goals at 4:09 and 6:25 in this highlight).

Exciting stuff all around, at home and abroad!