State of the States | June, 2011

Welcome back to the State of the States. The plate is loaded this month with MLS in full swing, the Gold Cup kicking off, FIFA corruption scandals with a CONCACAF epicenter, and the transfer window looming. Let’s begin with CONCACAF…

Regional Scuffles

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the FIFA infighting and the part the US’s own Chuck Blazer, henchman to the regional despot, is playing in said backstabbery, but I’ll leave a proper rundown and the explanation of what might be happening and why in the far more capable hands of Grant Wahl. Suffice it to say: the lot of them are criminals and any clear-out will probably just result in a new pack of conniving thugs snatching the reins from the grip of the fallen. While the corruption/bribery story is important, I’d rather turn my attention to the field of play.

After Bradley’s experimental side got hammered in a friendly by Spain three days prior, the US started the Gold Cup with a not-entirely-convincing 2-0 win over Canada. Despite dominating the early chances and receiving a gift for 1-0, the US looked labored throughout most of the match, struggling to create opportunities and conceding far too many on the other end, relying on Tim Howard’s heroics to preserve the clean sheet. Once again, Bradley is left trying to juggle a deep midfield with a thin group up top and at the back. Tactics are a limited beast in the international game, but one can’t help but wonder what Bradley’s 4-2-2-2 formation would look like with two quality, overlapping fullbacks.

Silly Season Starts

The start of summer also sees the first rumblings of movement in the transfer market. The window hasn’t yet swung open, but that hasn’t stopped the game of musical chairs from beginning. The most high-profile moves from a US perspective thus far have been Brad Friedel moving from Villa to Spurs and MLS coaches being dismissed in Chicago and Vancouver.

Of more interest however, will be the futures of both MLS rosters and current USMNT players. Rumors have been swirling about the national team pool, particularly with the American takeover at AS Roma in Italy. Names like Guzan, Chandler, Bradley, Onyewu, Lichaj, Dempsey, Altidore, and Donovan are all making the rounds. Even fringe players like Bedoya, Gonzalez, and Beasley are ripe for moves that could see them boost (or resurrect) their chances of cracking Bob Bradley’s roster. Keep your eye on this space in the months ahead.

Major League Summer

There’s been significantly less whispering with regards to MLS roster moves, though the Gold Cup is bound to offer an excellent shop window for regional talents in search of a suitor. Given the number of injuries to key players suffered thus far, and the underperformance of some DP’s, there’s likely to be a fair amount of action coming soon. With the restrictions offered by the salary cap and a relative lack of transfer funds, any imports will probably come via the bargain bin or on a free. What is potentially more interesting is who comes sniffing around the current MLS crop from abroad and what further moves or trades are forced by any talent being siphoned off.

While all of this player dealing and international Gold Cup play is going on, we’re still in the midst of the MLS season. The Galaxy have a firm hand on the top spot, though they have also played more games than the rest of the league. With clubs having played anywhere from 10 to 16 games, it’s difficult to frame a conversation that leads to any definitive conclusions about the 2011 season yet, but I’ll put my (almost mid-season) votes in for Biggest Overachievers (Philadelphia Union, currently atop the Eastern Conference), Relegation Fodder (Chicago, Vancouver, Sporting KC), and Biggest Surprise (FC Dallas second in the league without talisman David Ferreira).

Looking Foward

So where do we turn our eyes heading into the long, sweltering summer?

• There are probably only three, possibly four, teams with the quality to lift the Gold Cup, though Mexico and the US are the obvious favorites. Can Bob’s boys make another solid tournament run? If not, is his job in trouble?

• When next we meet, the transfer window will have swung open. How many USMNT players will be switching shirts or even switching shores? Will the potential exodus from MLS balance any movement coming the other way?

• Who can take advantage of Gold Cup-weakened rosters to make a push in MLS? Given that well over half of the league finds itself within 6 points of each other, the potential for a vastly different look to the table come July is pretty high.

And that’s where we’ll leave things for this month. Thanks for reading the State of the States. See you next month.

Michael S. Hund is the creator of the Fullback Files, a blog covering DC United, the US National Team, and Major League Soccer.