(Both photos are by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loco Photography, Copyright 2010, All Right Reserved)
By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2010 TexSport Publications
HOUSTON, TEXAS (June 19, 2010) Facing off in 90 degree temperature at 8:00pm CDT, the Houston Dynamo took the field against CD Aguila in the 2nd Annual Dynamo Charities Cup.
The Dynamo did not waste time getting on the scoreboard as forward Joseph Ngwenya took a pass from midfielder Juan Manuel Quevedo in front of the net to make the score 1-0 at the 8th minute.
They came back in the 28th minute to make the score to 2-0 on a pass from Francisco Navas Cobo to fellow midfielder Corey Ashe.
At the end of the first half, the Dynamo held onto its 2-0 score as they headed to the locker room.
In the 1st half, Aguila was held to 5 shots on goal with goalkeeper Miguel Montes having 3 saves.
The Dynamo took 11 shots on goal with goalkeeper Tally Hall tallying 3 saves.
In the second half, the Dynamo came out just as they had in the 1st half, with midfielder Juan Manuel Quevedo drilling a shot from the top of the box in the 50th minute, which was brilliantly defected by Apulia’s Montes.
Aguila came back on a left side approach on the Dynamo goal with forward Nelson Reyes shooting from about 5-meters out. Hall against found the ball to keep it out of the goal and Aguila off the scoreboard.
The Dynamo kept up the attack when forward Dominic Oduro headed for the goal, took a pass from midfielder Brad Davis and drove the ball into the goal to take the score 3-0 at the 67th minute. He was also assisted Ashe.
Aguila attempted to shut down the Dynamo offense, but looked sluggish and were unable to stop the Orangemen’s on slot of the goal.
Houston came back in the 74th minute when forward Luis Angel Landin took a well place pass from midfielder Sammy Appiah to take the score to 4-0.
Agulia continued to attack on offense, but were unable to find the goal.
The Dynamo won their second annual Charities Cup, while earning needed fund for local charities and those who are affected by the Gulf Oil Spill.
The Dynamo will next take the field on June 26 for a home match against the Colorado Rapids.
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (June 18, 2010) The U.S. Men's National Team played Slovenia to an epic 2-2 draw in its second Group C match at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. After falling behind 2-0 in the first half, an early second-half strike from Landon Donovan and a fantastic finish off a half-volley from Michael Bradley evened the score and earned the USA a critical point before another boisterous pro-U.S. crowd of 45,573 at Ellis Park.
The result puts the USA’s destiny in their own hands, with a win in their final Group C match on Wednesday, June 23, against Algeria at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria automatically earning the Americans a spot in the knockout phase. With Algeria’s 0-0 draw with England in the other Group C match, the U.S. sits in second place in the group tied with the English on two points, but ahead in the standings based on goals scored (three for the United States and one for England). The U.S. can still advance with a draw against Algeria if England loses to Slovenia or if England draws and the U.S. maintains an advantage in total goals scored.
“I think this team has shown that it keeps fighting until the end and we have now had the experience of pushing games when we’re behind,” said U.S. head coach Bob Bradley. “It’s a credit to the mentality of the players and to the fact that they’re going to fight for 90 minutes every game. We have a third match where we still have the chance to determine our ability to move into the final round.”
The USA comeback began just three-minutes into the second half, with a world-class strike from Donovan, who roofed a shot past Slovenian goalkeeper Samir Handanovic from six yards out after dribbling freely into the right side of the box from a tight angle. Donovan was freed into the area on a perfectly placed pass from the halfway line by standout defender Steve Cherundolo that eluded the Slovenian defense.
After several goal mouth chances for the U.S. throughout the half, the USA finally cashed in for goal number two with one of the most skillful tallies in team history. The goal came in the 82nd minute on a lunging half-volley toe-poke from Bradley, who was set-up in the right side of the penalty area, by a perfectly weighted knocked-down header from Jozy Altidore. The big U.S. forward got his head on a service sent by Donovan from midfield and put it right into the path of the charging Bradley. The ussoccer.com Man of the Match scored his eighth career goal, and his first in a World Cup.
The inspiring U.S. comeback could have netted the team all three points just a few minutes later, but Maurice Edu’s volley into the back of the net on a perfect free kick from Donovan in the 85th minute was disallowed by Malian referee Koman Coulibaly for an apparent foul.
Including Edu, four players made their World Cup debuts for the United States in the match. Edu and midfielder Benny Feilhaber were halftime substitutes that helped spark the U.S. attack. Late sub Herculez Gomez and starter Jose Torres also appeared in their first-ever World Cup matches.
For Donovan, the match was his 10th all-time World Cup appearance, moving him to within one game of the all-time U.S. record (11, Cobi Jones and Earnie Stewart), and his goal was the third of his World Cup career (tied with Brian McBride for second best all-time, just one behind Bert Patenaude). He also became the third player in U.S. history to score in two different World Cups (2002 and 2010), joining McBride and Clint Dempsey.
The first half was a difficult one for the United States, who struggled early to break down the compact Slovenians. Slovenia benefitted greatly from a 13th minute goal from Valter Birsa, who hit a perfectly placed strike into the upper right side of the goal from 27 yards out after finding a soft pocket directly in front of the U.S. backline. The shot from Birsa gave goalkeeper Tim Howard no chance.
In the 42nd minute, Slovenia created its second goal on a fast break following some sustained pressure from the United States. On the goal, forward Milivoje Novakovic beat U.S. defender Oguchi Onyewu’s offside trap by playing a perfect ball into the run of midfielder Zlatan Ljubijankic, who tucked his shot easily into the center of the goal underneath an onrushing Howard.
Prior to that goal, the U.S. had been all over the Slovenian net. In the 36th minute, Jozy Altidore was fouled at the top of the box on a dangerous U.S. attack, and Torres expertly hit the ensuing free kick to the near post causing Handanovic to make a diving save. On the corner kick that followed that save a clearance by Slovenia was headed tantalizingly close by defender Jay DeMerit from the top of the box but it flew just outside the left post.
Just three minutes later, forward Robbie Findley was given a yellow card after a dangerous U.S. corner kick when he was whistled for a phantom handball on a cross that ricocheted off his upper chest. With two yellow cards in two games, Findley will be suspended for the USA’s final Group C match against Algeria.
Two minutes after that, the USA’s best attack of the first half preceded Slovenia’s fast-break goal. With a nice build-up in midfield, it was Findley who nicely controlled a ball in traffic at the top of the area and found Dempsey overlapping into the right side of the penalty box. Dempsey took one touch and then slid a pass across the goal mouth that was cleared out of play by defender Miso Brecko just before Donovan could tuck it home from the doorstep.
The USA’s second half chances included a 51st minute free kick from Donovan from the left side that was just out of reach for a sliding Onyewu at the far post. In the 70th minute, Altidore was fouled again at the top of the box and Donovan hit a free kick that bounced around before the 20-year old forward turned fired on goal, but Handanovic made a tough save look easy with a confident catch.
The USA's World Cup continues on Wednesday, June 23, against Algeria in Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria. The match kicks off at 4 p.m. local time (10 a.m. ET) live on ESPN HD and Telefutura, with special pre-game coverage beginning at 9:30 a.m. on ESPN. ESPN Radio and Futbol de Primera Radio will also provide coverage of the game. Fans can also follow along on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker and at twitter.com/ussoccer.
By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2010 TexSport Publications
PASADENA, TEXAS (February 27, 2010) Tonight, while sitting in the comfortable confines of my home outside Houston, TX, I was fortunate to observe the gold medal performance of the USA 4-man bobsled team, aptly named "Night Train."
NBC broadcast the medal ceremony for the four-man bobsled and showed the four athletes, pilot Steven Holcomb, and pushers Justin Olsen, Steve Mesler and Curt Tomasevicz, receiving their medals.
They were all dressed alike, in their multi-colored USA team jackets, and when the national anthem was announced, they promptly placed their hands over their hearts and showed the proper respect for their country, their performance, their sport, and the Olympic ideal.
It was a proud moment for everyone. The United States had not won a gold medal in the four-man bobsled since the 1948 Winter Games in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
As the national anthem was played, the camera focused on Holcomb. He stood tall and proud, showing how humbled he was of their achievement. Viewers could see his lip quivering, fighting to hold back the tears of joy that he and teammates were feeling.
When the camera pulled back, everyone could see the pride and power of this simple yet moving scene; four men who had done something that had not occurred in 62 years.
They had won the Olympic gold medal in the four-man bobsled for the United States. They were proud and emotional and did not care who knew it. The showed the valves, respect and positive demeanors that their fellow citizens want to see in their athletes.
Many of our Olympic athletes should observe and that heed their example. This is the type of behavior and pride we expect to see from our Olympic athletes.
We do not want to see our medal winners waving to the fans during the national anthem. We do not want to see our medal winners playing air guitars during the national anthem. We do not want to see medal winners bringing disrespect to our country. We do not want our athletes wearing their medals like a belt; allowing girls to kiss it.
We want; NO, WE DEMAND; they act like the four men from USA 1; proud, humble, and not afraid to show the emotions which brings a positive light to themselves, their sport and our country.
Kudos ho out to the four athletes of "Night Train." Your performance and your demeanor at the award ceremony make us very proud of you. We, as I know you are, are proud to be Americans.
Aguila came back on a left side approach on the Dynamo goal with forward Nelson Reyes shooting from about 5-meters out. Hall against found the ball to keep it out of the goal and Aguila off the scoreboard.
