Will talent and skill finally trump politics and egos on U.S. men’s national soccer team?

Having covered American soccer for more than 30 years, I’m not inclined to jump on bandwagons – especially the next attempt to jump-start our men’s national team. But make no mistake, the U.S. men’s program made a quantum leap toward respectability in only 30 minutes this week.

It wasn’t just its 1-1 tie with Mexico in front of 30,183 fans in Philadelphia, after an embarrassing 4-2 loss to El Tri in the Gold Cup final earlier this summer. More important, the addition to this week’s U.S. game roster of some key athletes pushed to the sideline by former coach Bob Bradley was an infusion of fresh air for the stale program. To be more specific, it was a welcome lack of politics.

Commentators carefully avoided criticizing Bradley, who had some fine moments leading the men’s program to a 43-25-12 record. But he made the one mistake a coach cannot afford – he left some of his best athletes and top performers off the squad. As a result, the program was in a not-so-slow slide down world rankings (#30 and down six places since June).

That won’t happen under new coach Jurgen Klinsmann, if this week’s tie with Mexico is any indication. After 60 minutes of business-as-usual U.S. soccer – a decent defense and goalie with a predictable offense unable to finish – Klinsmann apparently had seen enough. The substitutions he made in the final 30 minutes represented a welcome new direction. Three replacements combined on the equalizing goal. All were active and aggressive, opening up room for Landon Donovan to work in space. Most important, the youngsters can flat-out fly.

Though Mexico was missing some key players – especially Javier Hernández  (“Chicharito”) – it’s still an explosive, talented team. With the U.S. missing underrated stalwart Clint Dempsey, things could have gotten ugly in the midfield for the Americans. And for the 60 minutes, it was.

The U.S. men didn’t have a single shot on goal or corner kick the first half. Ouch. That changed when Klinsmann brought in midfielders Brek Shea and Robbie Rogers along with 18-year-old striker Juan Agudelo.  Only one minute after entering the game, Rogers scored the tying goal on a perfect cross from Shea set up by Agudelo. From that point on, Mexico was the team on its heels as the U.S. challenged balls aggressively, pushed up-field with pace and finally took some shots (6).

In 30 minutes, a one-dimensional team seemingly built on drawing offsides penalties transformed into a well-balanced squad continually pressuring its opponent. Granted it’s just one-game, but style of play isn’t what encouraged me most. It’s the style difference between Klinsmann and the last two men’s coaches – the bland Bradley and arrogant Bruce Arena.

Case in point: On Tuesday morning, Klinsmann invited coach Bradley’s son – midfielder Michael Bradley – to coffee in their hotel café to ask his thoughts.  What a classy and intelligent move. Michael Bradley, only 24, already has 59 international appearances and has played in European club soccer more than five years. Klinsmann clearly can set aside politics and work with a variety of personality types. He’ll need that skill to mix veterans like Dempsey, Donovan and goalie Tim Howard with the next generation. Most important, the U.S. clearly must add speed to succeed in the faster game of international soccer.

That opens the door for players like former U.S. phenom Freddy Adu, who announced on Friday he’s returning from exile in Turkey to join the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer. Adu made his nationally-televised professional debut for the DC United at age 14 in 2004, but he has bounced around second-tier European clubs since 2007. Like a number of other top-quality offensive players, Adu never quite fit into Bradley’s conservative approach – and was played too infrequently to make a serious impact.  He was even left off the team for two years.

Now, all things seem possible.

“He (Klinsmann) told me: ‘You know what? If you’re playing and you’re doing well, you will get a chance,” Adu said in his first press conference with the Union today. “That really helped me obviously to make my decision, because … your ultimate goal is to be on the national team and represent your country.”

Adu and others will get their opportunity. And don’t be surprised if it happens by the team’s Sept. 2 game with Costa Rica. Klinsmann – a fine player, manager and World Cup winner himself for Germany – is a seasoned pro who will field the best athletes, hardest workers and proven performers. And he’ll do it soon.

That may be the most encouraging news for the U.S. men’s soccer team in decades.

— New Old Flame (Stan Johnston)

UEFA Final teaches unexpected lesson – one granddaughter tops even the best sports TV event

After months of anticipation, the UEFA Champions League produced a dazzling final between two of the best professional soccer teams in the world – Barcelona FC and Manchester United. About 300 million people watched it. I was not one. My granddaughter had other ideas, and it ended up a memorable lesson in priorities.

I have written several blogs about the UEFA Champions League and have followed the tournament closely, especially the Round of 16. It’s a terrific format – the winners of Europe’s best professional leagues come together for an eight-month super tournament. Since it draws the best players from around the world, the quality is very high and the pressure higher. It culminated Saturday with a one-game final in London’s Wembley Stadium, featuring two of the most popular teams in the world and drawing a far bigger global broadcast audience than the Super Bowl.

I was hugely looking forward to kicking back and soaking in the spectacle. In addition, I could watch it at our Northern California cabin. Though my wife and I had planned to take two grandchildren to the mountains for the weekend, I figured they’d understand my need to watch this one game.

Unfortunately, one child got Chickenpox, so my wife remained behind. I went ahead and took my 10-year-old granddaughter, Kaya. I mean, how tough could it be to persuade one little girl to let me watch one game? Besides, she played soccer and should want to watch the world’s best players, right? In retrospect, I guess her hot pink soccer shoes should have been a tipoff – or the in-depth conversation about world religions on our drive up. Obviously this girls is way smarter (and cuter) than the average 10-year-old.

So about the time Wayne Rooney of United scored to make it 1-1 and I was jumping off the couch, Kaya was losing interest. I turned and asked what she thought of the goal. She said:

“Can we please go hiking, grandpa?”

Kaya didn’t care about the Champions League; she wanted me to be her champion.

Dozens of excuses shot through my mind. It was unseasonably cold, cloudy with occasional showers, the dog would get muddy, and … well, you get the picture. I glanced at Kaya smiling at me, looked up at United celebrating on TV, and came to one of those humbling life lessons on what really matters.

No offense to Wayne Rooney, but he won’t be top-of-mind on my deathbed. Sir Alex Ferguson isn’t managing my life, just Manchester United. Lionel Messi may be the best world football player, but he’s not my child’s child.

I looked down at Kaya, turned off the TV and said, “Yeah, let’s go hiking.”

So about the time Messi was putting Barca ahead, 2-1, with an amazing left-footed shot just outside the penalty box, Kaya and I were walking along a beautiful recreation lake booting pine cones. About the time David Villa brilliantly looped one into the top right corner for a commanding 3-1 Barca lead, we were sitting on a bench eating a delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwich her mom made for us. And about the time Barcelona’s players were hoisting the UEFA championship trophy, she was explaining to me the nuances of “The Bachelorette” TV show along a tree-lined trail.

Later that night, I laid in bed thinking about choices. For years I was a sports writer and editor at several U.S. newspapers, but went into corporate communications to spend more time with my family.  Even getting into sports was a big deal for me, since I started as a news writer and still think of myself as a journalist more than fan. Heck, my son knows more stats than I do these days.

It’s easy to pay attention when making major decisions, because they demand your consideration. But when it comes to life choices, the little ones often make the biggest difference.

Lionel Messi is a special, talented and driven competitor.* But compared with Kaya, he was just another TV athlete this Saturday. Why? Because instead of watching Messi break down United’s defense, I got to watch Kaya get past mine. The result was a wonderful afternoon hiking along a mountain lake with a very interesting young woman.

Now about that Bachelorette format…

— New Old Flame (Stan Johnston)

* Messi has been named FIFA’s World Player of the Year and World Pro Player of the Year twice. In addition, he was named the top player in the two most prestigious tournaments the past year – the FIFA World Cup (for national team Argentina) and UEFA Champions League. Oh, and he’s only 23…

A sports hero for older workers: Manchester United’s Ryan Giggs saves best for age 37

Occasionally an athlete comes along with a quality and depth that transcends their sport. I’ve interviewed some – Ali, Musial, Pele, Jordan, Staubach and other memorable human beings. But it’s hard to top English soccer legend Ryan Giggs of Manchester United. In fact, it’s hard to find a comparison in pro sports.

Giggs has been a productive leader on the same world-class team from age 17 to his current 37 – and may be playing his best now. Even more, he was a good goal-scorer on a great squad early in his career, then changed positions and became a star playmaker later. That’s like Brett Favre playing 10 years as a wide receiver and shifting to quarterback for 10. Giggs is a serious yoga practitioner, husband and father, and a UNICEF representative who launched a campaign in 2002 to prevent landmines from killing children. Yep, he’s the real deal.

That’s why you can’t help but root for him, and why he continues to respond. Giggs is a key reason Manchester United this week earned a berth in the semifinals of the incredibly popular and talent-laden UEFA Champions League tournament. United will face German club Schalke 04 in one semifinal, while Spanish rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid face off in the other semi. The title game on May 28 in London’s Wembley Stadium will be seen by more people worldwide than the Super Bowl.

Don’t be surprised if Giggs is there. He’s one of those rare athletes who performs best in the biggest games. Case in point: this year. After winning UEFA group play, United beat French team Marseille in the round of 16 and cross-town rival Chelsea in the quarterfinals. In those four games, United sccored five goals; Giggs had the assist on four of them.  In each case, he collapsed the defense with amazing displays of speed and dribbling skills followed by a perfect (and unselfish) pass to an open teammate.

That kind of big-stage success – plus a blue-collar work ethic – has endeared Giggs to several generations of United faithful. In fact, Giggs recently was voted the best all-time player for Manchester United by fans above better-known names such as David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, George Best and Sir Bobby Charlton – by a wide margin.  And yet the day after winning the award, there was Giggs in his 20^th season a key factor as his team rallied from an 0-2 hole in the final 20 minutes to win an important league game.

Giggs broke the record for most United appearances held by Sir Bobby Charlton (above).

“Last year, I thought that was the best he had ever played, but this year he’s been even better,” said Charlton after Giggs broke his longstanding United record for English Premier League appearances last month (Giggs passed his record for overall appearances in 2008). “I don’t know what he’s putting in his tea, but he’s been at his peak again this season. He’s a great, great professional footballer, and I’m ever so proud of him for what he’s done, what he’s still doing and what hopefully he’ll continue to do.”

Giggs credits two things for his longevity – his yoga regime (see his video), and his decision in 2007 to retire from international soccer (to the dismay of fans in his native Wales). He played his first 10 years as a high-scoring left winger with a reputation for clutch performances. As the game of soccer changed, Giggs adapted and found a spot as one of the most prolific and creative midfielders in Premier League history.

He made his first appearance for the club during the 1990–91 season and holds the United record for competitive appearance (870 and climbing) and team trophies won by a player (23). All that came while playing on a very good team in a top league.

“I get asked about Ryan all the time and I always find myself talking about the same attributes — the way he’s looked after his physique, the way he constantly strives to better himself and the way he applies himself to make sure he succeeds,” long-time United manager Sir Alex Ferguson told Goal.com. “He’s a fantastic role-model for young players. Ryan is a model of how to carry yourself, both as a footballer and a human being. He’s shown by sacrifice what can be achieved.”

The 5-foot-11, 157-pound Giggs played in his first UEFA competition in June 1991. But his finest UEFA performances arguably have been this year. In the quarterfinals, Giggs assisted teammate Wayne Rooney’s winner in the first game, then set up Javier Hernández and Park Ji-Sung  in the clincher. Giggs was predictably modest about his contribution:

“I am enjoying it,” Giggs said. “I was fortunate to make the two goals tonight and I am in the position where I put it in the right areas. You’ve got players like Hernández who are just born goal-scorers and they are going to be there.”

Teammates feel the same way about Giggs. He has been there for 20 years. Don’t be surprised if he’s there on 28 May.

— New Old Flame (Stan Johnston)

Bottom line: Since 1992, Giggs has collected 11 Premier League winner’s medals and five second-place finishes. He also has four FA Cup winner’s medals, three League Cup winner’s medals and two Champions League winner’s medals. In addition, he has runner-up medals from the Champions League, three FA Cup finals and two League Cup finals.

Most Americans won’t watch biggest TV sports event of 2011: UEFA Champions League

What if this year’s Super Bowl finalists qualified for broader multi-country tournament – paring the top teams from pro football leagues around the world? Football has no such reach; but futbol does. Unfortunately, this year’s UEFA Champions League is the best event most Americans will miss.

In 2009, a soccer game became the first single sporting event to surpass the Super Bowl in terms of viewership. About 109 million people watched Barcelona (Spain) beat Manchester United (England) 2-0 in the 2009 UEFA final. The next title game of the every-two-year UEFA Champions League is on May 28 in London’s Wembley Stadium. The Round of 16 is under way and hits a critical point this week. Far more people will watch the UEFA championship game than the 111 million for Super Bowl 45. To add drama, both the 2009 finalists are in danger of being upset in the quarterfinals being held this week.

Why should UEFA matter to Americans? First, you must understand the importance of European club soccer to the sport and world.  FIFA, the world’s governing body, is divided into six continental confederations. By far the biggest and strongest in terms of club-level wealth and influence is the Union of European Football Associations, almost called by its French acronym, UEFA (pronounced ew-AY-fa). 

Most of the top players spend time in European leagues because of the salaries available from the world’s wealthiest football clubs, especially in England, Spain, Germany and Italy.  And since UEFA oversees most of the national soccer associations of Europe, its Champions League series draws huge interest globally.

The genius of the Champions League is matching professional clubs instead of national teams, as in the every-four-year FIFA World Cup. Since any club in any country can bid on any player in the world, you hugely internationalize the appeal – and marketing reach – of UEFA teams beyond their geographic borders.  It’s even called the “transfer” market instead of “free agents.” Think of it as talent on loan from the soccer gods.

A few examples from the UEFA Round of 16:

• Cameroon’s star striker is the tournament’s leading scorer, playing for Italian club Inter Milan.
• An Argentine superstar is leading defending champion Barcelona of Spain.
• England’s Manchester United is anchored by a standout Serbian defender.
• A Swedish striker is the top scorer for Italian club AC Milan.
• French team Lyon is led by a Brazilian midfielder.
• Portugal’s national team captain is a key player for Spain’s Real Madrid.
• Spanish midfielders are leading German club Shalke 04 and English club Arsenal.
• You get the picture.

Because of the broad global interest, an entire cottage industry has arisen around speculating and analyzing soccer’s transfer market. Think Carmelo Anthony going to the New York Knicks in America’s National Basketball Association was a big deal? England’s Chelsea signed Spanish star Fernando Torres to a record contract worth about $80 million just before the UEFA deadline. Speculation is still rampant on who won and lost in the pre-UEFA maneuvering. The positive side of additional coverage, of course, is we also get stories on player “WAGS” (wives and girlfriends), with lots of bikini photos. The British tabloids get it right on some things.

Of all the team sports, soccer has most successfully marketed its products internationally. Certainly a number of individual sports have cultivated global appeal, in particular golf and tennis. And semi-pro sports festivals like the Olympics always have wide interest. But soccer provides a level playing field for professional player development, allowing even small countries such as Paraguay and The Netherlands to field competitive national teams.

With that kind of solid fan base, you can guarantee broad viewership by attracting the top athletes in soccer. The UEFA Champions League has done that in spectacular fashion. Quite simply, you have some of the best athletes in any sport going head-to-head for very high stakes – including the defending finalists both on the ropes this week. What’s not to like, America?

Who knows, I may even learn a team song before it’s over…

— New Old Flame (Stan Johnston)

From global soccer perspective, NFL title game is only semi-super

The NFL should be proud of leading the U.S. TV market – by a mile. Especially after producing a title game that broke viewership records. However, its growth will remain domestic because football simply isn’t that popular internationally. Out there, soccer is king – by several kilometers and gaining. 

Sunday night’s Super Bowl 45 (drop the archaic Roman numerals, please), the championship of America’s favorite TV sport, drew a record 111 million viewers. The Nielson Co. estimate tops the 106.5 million who made last year’s Super Bowl the most-watched U.S. television event ever. At No. 3 is my personal choice, the series finale of “M-A-S-H.” It held the top spot for 27 years.

However, consider the Super Bowl’s 111 million from a global sports perspective:

• An estimated 4.7 billion people watched the 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, with an estimated 842 million viewers in China alone.
• Both the 2010 and  2006 FIFA World Cup finals, soccer’s premier event, were watched by more than 700 million people worldwide.
• The most popular regular-broadcast sports event and TV program is the top pro soccer league in England, the Barclays Premier League. It is broadcast to 600 million households in 202 countries. And that doesn’t count rampant pirate signals and Internet streams we’ve come to expect from our inventive U.K. friends.

“Outside the U.S., Canada and Mexico, only a couple million people see the Super Bowl — and probably a lot of them are expatriate Americans,” Simon Kuper, co-author of “Soccernomics,” told CNN.

Still, give the NFL credit for focusing on an achievable niche – the lucrative U.S. weekend TV sports market. The league has long understood it has a narrow segment with limited global growth potential. Why? Because football is simply not a participant sport in much of the world. The NFL is content to rule a rich little kingdom, and you can’t blame them. For those outraged at the idea of sports being that popular at all, be at peace. Few sports events compare to viewership of major news:

• The memorial service for Michael Jackson drew an estimated 2.8 billion viewers.
• More than 2 billion people watched the funeral of Princess Diana.
• The funeral of Pope John Paul II was watched by more than 1 billion people.

Add in things like Chilean miner rescues and lunar landings, you get the picture. While the Super Bowl deserves kudos for huge ad sales, six times as many people saw England’s top sports championship game. But I’ll bet the cost per minute for that great VW commercial with the kid Darth Vader was a lot more in the U.S. And that’s the bottom line for the NFL.

As for sports events in 2011, my favorite will be the Round of 16 in soccer’s European club championships, the UEFA Champions League, beginning next week and running off and on for three months. About 109 million people watched Barcelona (Spain) beat Manchester United (England) 2-0 in the 2009 UEFA final. That was the first time another sporting event displaced the Super Bowl in viewership, putting a spotlight on the distinctly American appeal of the NFL’s product. How many Brazilian or Dutch players were in the Super Bowl? Most UEFA clubs are cross-pollinated with top players from other national teams (“transfers” instead of “free agents”), increasing the international flavor and interest.

This year’s Champions League final is May 28. It may not have Aaron Rogers, but I promise you even Ryan Giggs of Manchester United is a more interesting story anyway. Tune in for more.

NewOld Flame (Stan Johnston)