2.26.13
ASN Morning Read: Dempsey Down, U-20s a Go
The American star misses a match with Tottenham due to injury but will be back in time for the World Cup qualifiers; Tab Ramos leads the U-20s against Canada in a must-win; JAB for America?
BY
Jesse Yomtov
Posted
February 26, 2013
8:45 AM
The U-20s take on Canada tonight at 6 p.m. ET in the CONCACAF Championship quarterfinals. (Watch it on Fox Soccer.) Nothing complicated. Win and you’re in the U-20 World Cup. Lose and it’s another immense failure for the U.S. youth system. No pressure, boys. "Whenever the U.S. plays the Canadians it comes down to one thing, which is a battle,” says Canada manager Nick Dasovic. Meanwhile, U.S. manger Tab Ramos denies any rivalry, saying “Canada is another opponent.” Maybe our neighbors to the north have a little-brother complex?
Clint Dempsey was scratched from Tottenham’s 3-2 win over West Ham on Monday and will miss one or two weeks with a mild calf strain. At worst, it would give Dempsey less than two weeks to get fit for the World Cup qualifier vs. Costa Rica on March 22, with a trip to the Azteca for another four days later.
John Anthony Brooks started and went 62 minutes as Hertha Berlin went top of the table in the 2.Bundesliga with a 1-0 win over Kaiserslautern. Alfredo Morales was in the squad but didn’t play. Brian Sciaretta reports that Brooks wants to play for the U.S. in the U-20 World Cup, which, of course, the U.S. has to reach first:
Brek Shea is quickly learning that Maurice Edu isn’t good at communicating:
Edu’s former Rangers teammate Alejando Bedoya agrees, and Cameron retweeted his support. There's love all around:
ASN's Noah Davis writes for The New Republic about how the New York Cosmos were the best and worst thing to happen to American soccer.
