On old tapes, old games and older players

So recently I bought a DVD component recorder. I have some old tapes that I have been wanting to put into a digital format so that I can save some storage space. (Okay, so I justified buying the thing by saying that I would use it for old family videos—but the soccer games come first.)

But ultimately, why do I want some of these games. Allegedly, I am going to use material from them for the videos that I do, like the Waldo’s Way or Joe-Max Warrior compilations that I did. But are some of these games actually going to be useful for that? Could I really use anything from the 2/3 of the USA vs. Saudi Arabia 0-3 loss in Riyadh from 1992? I kind of doubt that there’s much that I could use in that game, unless I suddenly wanted to do a video remembering Jean Harbor (who scored a goal which was called back in that game.) Or the USA’s 0-0 draw with El Salvador in St. Louis from World Cup Qualifying in 1989, bemoaned for being such a dull game.

So why record them at all? Why save these dull games onto DVDs when I haven’t even watched the tapes themselves since they were recorded? I think that partially it’s the work of a compulsive collector, and part of it is nostalgia.

Ask me who my favorite US national team players are, and I will still answer with John Harkes, Tab Ramos, Mike Sorber or Hugo Perez. Maybe even John Doyle. They’re my frame of reference. That squad; 1990-96 or so. All these players that Bruce Arena is capping now (save Kasey Keller) are young upstarts as far as I’m concerned.

I remember when Jovan Kirovsky was the great future star for the USA. I remember when Brian McBride was never going to cut it at the international level. I remember caps for Brian Quinn, Henry Gutierrez and Jimmy Banks. It’s one of those things where the games from that era are just more comforting. The US starting lineup SHOULD include John Harkes and Eric Wynalda. It’s comforting. It’s just what I am used to.

Nostalgia is an odd thing. The word itself, 'nostalgia' comes from the Greek 'nostos' meaning 'to return home.' I wonder if the comfort I take from these games is really hearkening back to being at home with my parents.

Iran

I heard a few days ago that there are some people petitioning to have Iran excluded from the World Cup due to their nuclear program and all of the controversy concerning it. I feel that it's the opposite way to go; inclusion is the only way to eliminate the alienation that causes most of these types of problems.

Anyways, this is mainly an excuse to post a poem by Michael Flanders:

I have seen it estimated:
Somewhere between death and birth
There are now three thousand million
People living on this earth
And the stock-piled mass destruction
Of the Nuclear Powers-That-Be
Equals--for each man or woman--
Twenty tons of TNT.

Every man of every nation
(Twenty tons of TNT)
Shall receive this allocation
Twenty tons of TNT.
Texan, Bantu, Slav or Maori,
Argentine or Singhalee,
Every maiden brings this dowry
Twenty tons of TNT.

Not for thirty silver shilling
Twenty tons of TNT
Twenty thousand pounds a killing--
Twenty tons of TNT.
Twenty hundred years of teaching,
Give to each his legacy,
Plato, Buddha, Christ or Lenin,
Twenty tons of TNT

Father, Mother, Son and Daughter,
Twenty tons of TNT
Give us land and seed and water,
Twenty tons of TNT.
Children have no need of sharing;
At each new nativity
Come the ghostly Magi bearing
Twenty tons of TNT

Ends the tale that has no sequel
Twenty tons of TNT.
Now in death are all men equal
Twenty tons of TNT.
Teach me how to love my neighbour,
Do to him as he to me;
Share the fruits of all our labour
Twenty tons of TNT.

World Cup Ladder

On the Plane

Kasey Keller – No. 1 Goalkeeper, no questions asked.
DaMarcus Beasely – Playing very well for PSV often described as the best player in camp.
Landon Donovan – Golden boy.
Claudio Reyna – Captain America.
Brian McBride – Still the best forward we have.
Eddie Pope – Back to being steady Eddie. Experience is worth a lot.
Steve Cherundolo – Might be useful as a tour guide in Hanover.
Gregg Berhalter – The only real organizer the US has in defense.
Eddie Johnson – Goal against Guatemala seems to show no ill effects of injury.
Eddie Lewis – Left back, left mid; Lewis makes it three Eddies in the squad.
Pablo Mastroeni – Leadership and bite in the midfield

Must Fancy Their Chances

Bobby Convey – Doing well for Reading.
Clint Dempsey – In great form, versatile and confident.
Carlos Bocanegra – Might play in central defense or on the left.
Oguchi Onyewu – Only concern is discipline.
Frankie Hejduk – Work rate, versatility and tenacity, not to mention the step-over
Jimmy Conrad – Played himself into contention through friendlies.
Steve Ralston – Lack of better options on the right see Stevie making the team.
Josh Wolff – Speedy and smart if not clinical.
Taylor Twellman – Finally able to break his mental block, but is it a false dawn?
John O’Brien – Slipping down the order due to injuries, but goes if fit.
Marcus Hahneman – Regular playing time puts him in at #2 behind Keller.

Bubbling Under

Cory Gibbs – Injuries see him fall behind Conrad, can he recover in time?
Chris Albright – Either outside back position and size make him a strong contender.
Tim Howard - #3 Keeper unless he gets some more games.
Kerry Zavagnin – Consistent DM, but there are better options if they’re fit.
Ben Olsen – In a war with KZ to see who’s the #1 backup.
Todd Dunivant – Looks a good prospect, not enough experience
Santino Quaranta – Injury bug hit just when he most needed to impress.
Pat Noonan – Showing more skills, but will it be enough to find a role on the team?
Chris Klein – Playing a weak position puts him in contention, but hasn’t impressed enough.
Jonathan Spector – Not enough experience. Yet.
Brian Ching – despite finally scoring hasn’t shown enough in games to merit inclusion.

On the Outside Looking In

Kevin Hartman – Hot MLS GK sits at #4.
Jeff Cunningham – Hasn’t shown at the international level, personality questionable.
Chris Rolfe – Currently the #6 forward out of 4.
Greg Vanney – Too slow, with Arena choosing to deploy Lewis at LB instead.
Ricardo Clark – Injury hit when he needed to be in camp.
Freddy Adu – Not enough maturity shown in brief minutes.
Conor Casey – Injuries again.
Eddie Gaven – Perhaps 2010
Justin Mapp – Injury kept him out of camp, but would only have a chance on the right.
Kyle Martino – Didn’t show enough in his minutes (or practice, evidently)
Heath Pearce – Probably going to be a factor in 2008.

Received a look in 2005, but won’t be going

Brad Davis – Not good enough at Gold Cup.
Tony Sanneh – Past it.
Chad Marshall – Too much quality at CB in front of him.
Brian Mullan – Ahem. No.
Ritchie Kotschau – See above.
Nat Borchers – See Marshall.
Matt Reis – Behind Harman in the pecking order.
Danny Califf – See Borchers
Nate Jacqua – not enough from camp.
Clint Mathis - 'nuf said.
Brad Guzan - No.
Zach Wells - no.

77 days later...

Okay, I know, it’s been 77 days since I last posted, but I’ve been busy. Out of the country, applying for promotions (and not getting them) and applying to work for my local soccer team (and being given the brush-off.) I’m sorry. I’m back now though and I hope to post more frequently. That’ll happen as the season starts going and there’s more to write about in this country.

Well I guess the biggest news in the country recently was EJ’s move to KC. I think this is a good move all around. Johnson’s rumored attitude problems are not something that Bob Gansler will put up with. Bobby G was the US coach in 1990 and although the US lost all three games, I have to say that I think he did a magnificent job with what he had. There were a lot of decisions that were questionable, like leaving Hugo Perez at home (injured or not—still a debate) and deploying Eric Wynalda as an outside back (!). However, to take a team of college players and a couple of lower-level professionals like Peter Vermes (who was playing in the Dutch second-division at the time) to the world cup is no small feat. I hope that EJ can mesh well with Josh Wolff and tear it up at the World Cup.

Does anyone remember when Ben Olsen was the up and coming promising young player for the US? I do. I remember him coming into the Bruce Arena National Team Set Up in 1999 and looking GREAT. He set up a nice goal for Joe-Max Moore in the US Cup and scored one himself against Chile. Then he went to Nottingham Forest on loan and came back injured. He simply hasn’t been the player since. I think he’d be the answer to the US right midfield question if it weren’t for that. That being said, I don’t want nostalgia to be the reason that he goes to the World Cup. However, with Armas out, I think he has a decent chance of taking that role for himself. He has to pass Kerry Zavagnin and Brian Carroll for Mastroeni’s backup. If he plays as well as he did against Guatemala, I think he’ll do it.

Soon I’ll get together my list of players and how they stand on the trip to Germany.