Hugo Sanchez announced his roster for the U.S. Mexico game on February 6th at Reliant Stadium.
The roster does not include Oswaldo Sanchez which makes it clear that Mexico should start the talented Guillermo Ochoa in goal of Club America.
Numerous European based players have been picked as well including Pavel Pardo (Stuttgart), Carlos Salcido (PSV Eindhoven). Andrew Guardado (Deportivo La Coruna), Giovani Dos Santos (Barcelona) Carlos Vela (Osasuna) and Antonio de Nigris (Ankaraspor, Turkey).
The United States is expected to announce their roster in the next few days and will be bringing European based players in as well.
Mexico manager Hugo Sanchez is under pressure to get a win with an ad campaign called “enough is enough’ urging the Tricolor to victory on February 6th. Mexico and the United States will play for the third time in the span of a year and Sanchez could be looking at a third consecutive loss.
The U.S. beat Mexico 2-0 last year in Glendale, Arizona and also at the Gold Cup final 2-1 this past summer at Soldier Field in Chicago.
What do you think of the roster Sanchez has chosen, Nery Castillo who caused the U.S. fits in the Gold Cup final is not available due to a shoulder separation playing for Manchester City on loan from Shaktar Donetsk of the Ukraine.

By a unanimous vote City Council has passed on the item of a new soccer complex that would also house a training facility for the Houston Dynamo. Work will still have to be done to complete a purchase agreement for the facility that is down towards Pearland but the Dynamo hope the fields would be in use in the fall of 2009.
Now it is a known fact that Houston lacks enough soccer fields to accomodate both the youth and adult soccer communities. And the developing of more soccer fields was grossly ignored in this city.
Even back when I was a youth director of the Hurricanes Soccer Club in the Bear Creek Area field issues were a problem.
This complex will have numerous fields and can become a “beacon’ for attracting more events to Houston , TX plus accomodate both adult and youth leagues. The Dynamo will finally get a training facility that lives up to their standards as two time MLS Cup Champions.
This type of development can spur more development.
In an unrelated note the youth club Albion Hurricanes will also open their own fields again addressing the above problem of lack of field space in Houston, Texas.
A winner all around for the sport.
Now the focus will come on the completion of a downtown stadium .

LA Galaxy midfielder David Beckham insists that he is fit enough to wear the England jersey on Feb. 6th in a friendly against Switzerland. Beckham has been training at Arsenal and is hoping to acquire his 100th cap.
New England manager Fabio Capello is already confronted with a unique situation with Beckham playing in MLS and currently in the off-season.
The simple fact is that Capello is a very autocratic coach who makes all the decisions but this could be a PR nightmare if he doesn’t select Beckham especially going for his 100th cap against Switzerland.
It’s a meaningless game except for the introduction of a new manager…….
Beckham was down in Brazil endorsing a new academy and although I have been out-spoken that he has been brought up by his father and in the Manchester United system respecting the game of soccer (under Alex Ferguson of course) and good things are to come. Enough is enough, I really don’t want to hear more about his academy ventures. Get your 100th cap and produce on the field next season in MLS?
Will Beckham produce for the Galaxy in the upcoming season?
Glenn

English Premier league action rolled on today in England and one game I had a chance to watch was Bolton hosting Fulham. Both teams not in the best of places in the EPL walked away with a point each in a 0-0 draw.
Clint Dempsey is clearly being played out of position as a lone striker and rarely has much good support and service so the job for him at the moment is difficult and frustrating. If Eddie Johnson gets a game in the future under Roy Hodgson at least defenses will have to honor his speed. It can move Dempsey into a more favorable role where he can ultimately face defenses. Rarely does Fulham look dangerous and even their set pieces lack any real clear danger. The British analyst on this game was highly critical of Dempsey never once mentioning that this is not his natural position.
Carlos Bocanegra was brought into the match to help secure the point as a defender. Not being in a starting role may effect how he is used against Mexico if he is brought in by Bob Bradley. Lets not forget he had a solid game in the 2-1 Gold Cup win over Mexico back in the summer. He still remains despite not starting these days one of the U.S.’s most experienced players.
So who is the central pairing at the back for the U.S. against Mexico? Jimmy Conrad, Oguchi Onyewu, Carlos Bocanegra? Does Dynamo Eddie Robinson get a shot?
Your thoughts?

Bold statements and predictions can come back to haunt you.

Yet when you are the most successful soccer player in the history of Mexico, it might feel as though you are obligated to make them.

Expectations are high and maybe even unrealistic. When you are Hugo Sánchez you are part idol, savior and icon.

When Sánchez became Mexico’s coach, his first order of business was to get over this nonsense of the United States beating Mexico.

At the time the United States was 6-0-1 against the Tricolor on American soil and was playing with a less experienced squad. It was time for Sánchez to make a statement.

Sánchez brought in seasoned veterans such as Pavel Pardo, Jared Borgetti, Rafa Márquez and Ricardo Osorio to go for the knock-out punch last February in Glendale, Ariz.

But Mexico lost to the Americans again, this time 2-0 before a pro-Mexico crowd of 65,000. Mexico played the better soccer, not necessarily the smarter soccer.

Sánchez’s second shot at beating the United States came last summer in the CONCACAF….……check the rest of Glenn Davis’s article at chron.com

* Dynamo pre-season schedule unveiled: February 1st pre-season training begins for 10 days
San Jose 1 week trip to play Earthquakes and college team
Feb. 17-24 Pan Pacific tournament
Return to Houston for on week of training
March 3-10 San Antonio pre-season event with DC, Toronto and Chivas USA
March 12th Concacaf Champions Cup vs. Municipal in Guatemala
March 19th home vs . Municipal
Saturday March 22nd -game in outlying city like Austin or OKC
MLS opener at NE

*Eto’o to break record? Cameroonian striker could break the all time goals score record in the African Nations Cup this Wednesday when they take on Sudan in Group C. If he scores it would be his 15th goal all time and would eclipse the record currently held by Ivory Coast’s Laurent Pokou.

*Dynamo will sign another goalkeeper today that has played in England and Scotland but is not a household name.

*Speaking of goalkeeper’s Chivas USA’s Brad Guzan who should be in Houston for the US/Mexico game has received a four million dollar offer to MLS from Aston Villa for his services. More attention for MLS players. The offer doubles Scotland’s Celtic’s offer. Remember how Guzan was shelled in year one for Chivas USA.

*South America’s side: DC United……….They continue to be the best in MLS at securing talent south of the border . DC United have acquired the following South American players: Marcelo Gallardo-Argentina (2 World Cups) mid
Gonzalo Peralta-Argentina defender
Franco Neill -Argentina , for. loan Argentinos Jrs.
Gonzalo Martinez-Colombia def (Colombian Int)
Jose Carvallo Peru- GK

*Podcast available from last nights Dynamo Power Hour’s with Glenn Davis at www.790thesportsanimal.com, interviews include US National team members Ricardo Clark, Taylor Twellman, Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear and Rumbo newspaper writer Gustavo Rangel

For your thoughts, rants, raves and story ideas email me at gdavis98@swbell.net

According to the MLS league office Nate Jacqua has now signed in Austria with Altach .
This one may come as a surprise as it is hard to fathom that Jacqua would be getting paid more.
The Dynamo now will be thin up front and their lone out and out striker is Brian Ching who has had injury problems.
The Dynamo will certainly be looking to add players in this area but lets remember finding strikers for MLS is not easy business from within the league or from outside it. Top strikers in Mexico, South America and Central America will come with a price tag and the Dynamo certainly are not going to take apart a team that has won two titles. Dwayne DeRosario and Brian Mullan can both play as a striker as we have seen in the past yet losing both Jacqua and Ngwenya now challenge the Dynamo to fill a void.

Soccer on the Radio tonite from 7-9pm on 790 The Sports Animal

*Guests Ricardo Clark, Taylor Twellman, Dominic Kinnear.
Call in number 713-212-5790

Join Glenn Davis tonite as he welcomes U.S. National team members Ricardo Clark and Taylor Twellman in for the best in soccer talk on 790 The Sports Animal. The Dynamo Power Hours with Glenn Davis will run from 7-9pm and fans are encouraged to call in at 713-212-5790 with their comments, takes, and rants and raves on the game of soccer . This is your show!
Call in number 713-212-5790
Streaming live on the internet at 790thesportsanimal.com or MLSNET.com
Podcast available at 790thesportsanimal.com

This is why I love the FA Cup.
The whole underdog scenario, minnow vs. giants, players trying to prove themselves against teams playing in a higher division. You may have caught Sheffield United’s 2-1 win at Bramall Lane.
Sheffield United who play in a division below the Premiership pull off a win that can change the entire optimism of a club. Instantly the players for the moment become heroes.
They did it on grit, determination and it is interesting to watch how some of the City players deal with the intensity of their opponent.
The first goal was bizarre as service from Jon Stead hit two balloons on the way into the box throwing off a Manchester City defender who whiffed on his clear and Jamaican international Luton Shelton scooted in to score and give the “Blades” a 1-0 lead. By the way the balloons were blue so that one can come down to City fans. Now if they were red or black it may have been another issue.
Jon Stead got the second goal for Sheffield United while Danny Sturridge pulled one back for City.
Having played against Sheffield United here in Houston and trained in England with them in the mid eighties I always have been aware of their history. A win like this can revive spirits at clubs.
Slick Sven the manager of City now has only won 2 out of their last 10 in all competitions and are struggling to keep a European place.

*Former Houston area youth player Josh Gardner is headed to pre-season camp with DC United.
Gardner won an MLS Cup with the LA Galaxy and a USL title last year with the Seattle Sounders of the “A” League.

* By the way in the 1-0 Ghana win over Namibia the goal scorer was none other than Junior Agogo (one of the all time great soccer names) making him a national hero. Agogo is another one of the Colorado Rapids players that have gone on to achieve greater things.
Another Rapid , Cameroonian Alain Nkong recently won the Mexican league title with Atlante.

*Tottenham may have thought they were going to knock off another giant in the FA Cup when they took a 1-0 lead over Manchester United today but one goal these days against a team with Cristian Ronaldo is nothing. Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice including one from the penalty area and now has 25 goals in all competitions. Is there a better attacking player on the planet? I say not at this moment.