It's with a mixture of sadness, gratitude, and excitement for the future's unmapped possibilities that we announce the end of the cherished online institution otherwise known as Philly Union Talk. To everyone who's read, enjoyed (or not) andembraced (or despised)our unique collection of unsourced news, uninformed analyses, unsolicited opinions, and unmitigated gallover the last three years, thank you- for your readership, your input, your support and your criticisms, constructive and otherwise.
Full post game analysis will follow, but a few quick thoughts on the Yanks 3-1 win over Guatemala This roster did what it was built to do. If there's one thing Jürgen Klinsmann has shown a talent for, it's tailoring his roster to his opponents. This roster was built to power over and through packed defenses, and it did just that.
What did you do on your summer vacation? Die Klinsmannschaft took a break from their World Cup
Qualifying campaign to play an international friendly south of the border, where a rag-tag C+ squad
became the first American side to record a win in Mexico. Beats a trip to the beach. Now that
summer's over, its time to get back to business.
"Until then the door is open." At the end of this week Jürgen Klinsmann will announce the 23
players he has called in for the September qualifiers, a home and away set against the Reggae Boys
of Jamaica. These two matches against one of the strongest of the second tier teams in CONCACAF
present the Americans with a chance to punch their ticket for the next round of qualifying, the
Hex, and could bring.
"There is a gap. It would be foolish not to recognize that." Jürgen Klinsmann was not hired to
beat Mexico. The US had been regularly beating Mexico since 2002. To the extent he was haired
to beat anyone; it was the major powers of Europe and South America that were to be his targets.Â
The US didn't even need to beat Mexico to qualify for the World Cup, and that was the prize
Klinsmann wanted.
"If the young players are better, they are going to play." In his 12 months in charge of the US
National Team, Jurgen Klinsmann called up 53 players over the course of 16 games. They
represented teams in the US, England, Scotland, Norway, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Italy & the
Turkish 3rd division.
"We can now concentrate completely on the football." Jurgen Klinsmann's introduction to the USMNT
was simultaneously long in coming and unexpectedly sudden. He was faced with his first match at
the helm of the Yankee clipper a mere ten days after being hired, and his thrown-together side
managed to eke out a draw with Mexico.
A little over a year ago, the US Men's National Team took the pitch against Mexico at Lincoln
Financial Field. Only a month earlier the two sides had met on the other side of the continent,
at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena for the Gold Cup final. Mexico had stormed back from two down at the
half, capturing the regional championship and thoroughly trouncing Bob Bradley's World Cup
veterans.
"If it be now, 'tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it
will come: the readiness is all." – Hamlet, Vii It was an article of faith. There's really no
better term for it. One day it would happen. Not might, not could, would. It had been so
close before; in 1997 when Dooley hit the crossbar, in 2009 when an early.
"Es Mas Facil Ganar en Mexico." – Landon Donovan Ladies and Gentlemen, we may well be living in
the early days of the Golden Age of Mexican Soccer. El Tri hold every Men's regional title, are
Olympic gold medalists, and are headed to the 2013 Confederations Cup.   The fact that they've
achieved this with an almost entirely homegrown player pool following a decade of American
dominance, and in the midst of a near civil war,.
When Jürgen Klinsmann named his 22 man roster at 3:45 pm on Sunday, there were legitimate
questions about its makeup. The majority of the US soccer media had predicted Klinsmann would
call in a borderline A squad, and press for a first American win at Azteca. Instead he shocked
the bloggerati with a low B squad drawn almost entirely from MLS and the Mexican Primera.
This has gone on long enough. Mexico has been in the ascendant in CONCACAF for over a year now.Â
After a generation of US dominance, Mexico currently holds the regional championship in every age
level, from the Gold Cup to the U-17 World Cup, and by the end of this week they may be Olympic
Gold Medalists as well.
In 1775 a detachment of the Continental Army set out from Philadelphia and marched north, intent on
conquering the Province of Quebec. Â The invasion looked promising, but fell apart when one of the
expedition leaders was struck in the head, and his second in command killed attempting to rescue
him.
As Americans, we pride ourselves on many things – especially those things which are men's
sport-related. Football? Self-explanatory; we're beast. Basketball? There's not a team one could
put together on the planet that could touch our players. Baseball? We certainly have the
highest-paid, most popular athletes.
Coming off a contentious loss to the Red Bulls in North Jersey and trade rumors swirling around
their most expensive / least effective player, the Union took the field for the first match of  a
stretch run where they need to average almost two points a game to have a hope of making the
playoffs. There were some here at the PUT Worldwide Offices who felt the Union made a mistake last
year when,.
