Top 5, 06.27: Teaching the Youth; Chicago Changes

In the order in which I wrote 'em....

- It turns out us Yanks aren't the only ones worrying about turning our youth into the soccer superstars of tomorrow; the Canadians have wrung hands of their own. But I couldn't help trip over one section in a Toronto Star article on the subject:

"The hope is that a handful will one day graduate to the senior side – "the [Ajax of Amsterdam] first team" – that has won four European championships. Until that day, the on-field scoreboards will not be lit up. No goal tally is kept during their games."

"European youth soccer focuses on skills development and little else. Winning is not important. Learning the skills needed to win is."

I don't know the state of this debate so well, but I seem to recall an argument that our kids need to be put in competitive games to sharpen their game. I'm wondering if that's the case - and I've certainly read compelling pieces (can't find them now) about the corrossive effect the win-at-all-costs mentality can have on how we teach the game. And who's going to argue with Ajax in any case? (Actually, it could be fair to ask why Dutch players tend to implode on the largest of occasions; maybe they need to light up that scoreboard a little before the first team?)

- I feel compelled to note Mexico's 2-0 win over Brazil. I can't say I pull for Mexico often, but if there's one thing I always pull for, it's a Brazil loss. Can't wait to see what we do tonight (and I'm not going to let the doom bring me down, either - or a loss by fewer than, oh, four goals for that matter).

- In happier tournament news, the U-20 FIFA Cup starts this weekend (wow!). And guess what? We go first! I don't know that anyone's carrying this (doesn't look like it), so you'll have to follow this where you can. Turning again to our northern neighbors, they seem pretty stoked to be hosting the U-20s; the more interesting question - especially when future World Cup qualifying is concerned - is are they loaded with talent?

- The Chicago Fire cleared some money/international space today by shit-canning Pascal Bedrossian; they got even more help with Ivan Guerrero picking up his green card. The real question, though, is whether they've got time to help themselves before July 1? (Isn't that when rosters have to be fixed?)

- Finally - and this really pisses me off - why is it that ESPN will carry (it's in there; trust me) a dog-n-pony show like goddamn World Series of Soccer, but they won't pony up for the U.S. games for the Copa America?

(##########)

Chicago Fire: 2007 Season Preview

(NOTE: A decision against being totally psychotic about research no doubt played a hand in making it easier to churn out these previews. I anticipate getting to one of these a day...allowing for the odd day off. That is all.)

Past
Before looking forward, it seems a good idea to look back, so here's a look at what some easily located items had to say about the Chicago Fire's 2006:

MLSnet.com: 2006 Season Wrap
MLSnet.com: Big Questions after '06
My Thoughts on Chicago's '06 (Know my biases)

Present
2006-07 Off-Season Changes
Soccer New England's Ins & Outs for (most) changes to the roster (listed alphabetically)

Roster
MLSnet.com's tardy listing; or the actual current roster from ChicagoLand Soccer

Now...The Future.

Key Men
Justin Mapp - Call him what you will - Clint Dempsey’s little brother, the one-man revival the Peter Tork cut - but he’s unquestionably the unsettling presence for Chicago’s offense. He had a great 2006, not to mention showing flashes for the U.S. men in early 2007, and, absent a key signing, he’ll have to carry still more of Chicago’s offense this year. Skills-wise, he’s up to it, but he has gone missing before.

C. J. Brown - One of the two most-hated players on the Fire - and that’s saying something - but, near as I can tell, Brown is the team’s leader in the back. He’s wicked smart and not a little dirty, but very effective.

Ivan Guerrero - Though he pushes for “most-hated” honors, especially among New England fans, I count this cat as one of the most under-rated offensive contributors in the league. He’s more than his numbers; he gets forward like gang-busters and pulls the opposition defense like taffy.

Liabilities
Forwards? - With Nate Jaqua and Andy Herron gone, there’s a very real question about who will score for the Fire. Calen Carr? Chad Barrett? Rookie Jerson Monteiro? Pencil in “maybe” for the first two and “doubtful” on Monteiro and that leaves a lot of work for Chris Rolfe. Soccer New England’s trade sheet mentions Ryan Coiner, but he’s not showing on any roster I can find. Between Rolfe, Mapp, and Guerrero they do have good mobility up top, but only one player possesses much by way of size (Barrett). After these few, though, there’s a clear shortage of proven quantities. If the Blanco thing fails to come together - or, failing that, an equally impressive deal, or, failing that, one of the new guys coming out of left-field - look for the Fire to stay in more games than they win.

Thin at ‘Keep - I like Matt Pickens; just think he’s a bang-up ‘keeper. But, after him, there’s just some 2nd-year ‘keeper named David Mahoney and a completely new guy named Nick Noble (great name, by the way). One or both might prove as much a happy surprise as Pickens proved to be...but would you want to count on that?

Unknowns
Central Midfield - Whether it’s going forward (Thiago) or having the legs to police the space in front of the back four (Chris Armas, Diego Gutierrez), I can’t believe Chicago will have the players to control the middle of the park. Brian Plotkin looked decent last year and I seem to remember some good things about Logan Pause, but they’re not of the same caliber as the two elder statesmen, not yet at least. I would have put the Armas/Gutierrez midfield pairing in the “liabilities” column had those two not proved me wrong - Armas, in particular - in the past. On the “going forward” side, I’ve seen two sides of Thiago: the raiding, pillaging midfielder and the guy you only notice when he fails to pass the damn ball. The Fire’s chances, and the size of the burden Justin Mapp must carry depends quite a bit on which version of Thiago shows up.

The Entire Draft Class - To be blunt about it, someone in this bunch of new players needs to pay off and not now, but right now.

Prospects in Gambling Analogies
Assuming nothing changes, Chicago off-season strategy amounts to standing pat on a 14 with the house showing a seven. Put another way, enough teams across the league improved that I can’t see these guys keeping up. I think they’ll miss the post-season this time around.