A grand thank you to all who contributed to this site with your passionate thoughts on the game of soccer. As you know it’s importance in the media is a critical component to it’s future . Those who have dared to comment, critique, question and explore the sport locally, nationally and internationally are all playing a part in it’s growth in the eyes of the sporting culture.
Personally, I have great gratitude for all whom visit this site and support the other work that I do in the media! Without you there are no tv shows, radio shows, soccer columns or Houston Dynamo in this town. Lets continue to push the game forward in 2010 with our sheer enjoyment and passion!!!

Wishing you Happy Holidays and a great New Year!!

Glenn

PS: Soccer Matters with Glenn Davis brought to you by Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine Institute on Fox Sports Houston will return January 14th to open up the 2010 year.
I will be back on the radio in January on 790 AM and am looking forward to conversing with you the fan .

My thanks also to FIESTA for the Houston Unsung Soccer Hero Award and their support of the KICK CANCER CAMP! More great Fiesta events coming up next year. Also to Danish Inspirations Contemporary Furniture on Fondren and my friend Jan Christiansen for sponsoring the tv show along with Memorial Hermann.

Space City Futbol and Randy Evans for being progressive and the only youth club sponsoring the radio show! Soccertots and Marc Castillo, San Jacinto College and Dave Santesteban, Mark West Pinot Noir the best selling Pinot Noir in Texas and my friend Kirk Helberg, all whom donated to the charity of FIESTA’s KICK CANCER and Tesars Restaurant in the Woodlands and Bill O’Rourke!!!!

Manager Bob Bradley released his roster for the January mens national team camp that leads up to a game against Honduras on January 23rd.
Dynamo members Brad Davis and Geoff Cameron were selected to the squad while both Brian Ching and Stuart Holden were left off it.
Five European based players were picked who all play in Nordic countries.

Goalkeepers: Kevin Hartman (KC), Troy Perkins (Valerenga), Nick Rimando (RSL), Zach Thornton (Chivas USA)

Defenders: Kevin Alston (NE), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Jimmy Conrad (KC), Omar Gonzalez (LA), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Chad Marshall (Columbus),
Brandon McDonald (San Jose), Heath Pearce (Dallas), Marvell Wynne (Toronto).

Midfield: Kyle Beckerman (RSL), Alejandro Bedoya (Orebro), GEOFF CAMERON (Houston), BRAD DAVIS (Houston), Brad Evans (Seattle), Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus), Eddie Gaven (Columbus), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Jeff Larentowicz (NE), Dax McCarty (Fc Dallas), Chris Pontius (DC), Robbier Rodgers (Columbus),

Forwards: Justin Braun (Chivas USA), Conor Casey (Colorado), Jeff Cunningham (Dallas), Robbie Findley (RSL), Marcus Tracy (Aalborg)

So a couple of notes with this squad. Who in reality has a shot at going to the World Cup on this roster that we have to consider.
With injury to Charlie Davies and Oguchi Onyewu does that open up opportunity to a Robbie Findley up front or Geoff Cameron at the back? Chad Marshall? Is Bradley even considering Cameron as a central defender in this camp. I believe Cameron can re-define this position in MLS with more experience. He has a few elements that others don’t.
Now in the case of Brad Davis who comes off a very good year…could he make the final World Cup roster or is their just too many players in midfield. He clearly has an amazing skill set but can he cover enough ground internationally and is he flexible enough.
With Stuart Holden not selected is that a tip off he is headed to Europe? Is Brian Ching just not being selected because he is a known quantity?
Could Jeff Cunningham be kept off the World Cup roster if he produces again in MLS and upcoming friendlies? Don’t forget the Netherlands in February.
Lots of players who had excellent MLS years…..Kevin Alston of NE is another to watch for the future and the choices remain limited at left back with Jonathan Bornstein and Heath Pearce. Edgar Castillo?

Weigh in with your thoughts……?

Blackburn according to goal.com has offered Stuart Holden a four year deal to play in the EPL.
The article on the website says the information comes from the Sun newspaper in England.
Blackburn is currently in 13th place and is managed by Sam Allardyce, the squad includes former DC United defender Ryan Nelsen and name players like El Hadj Diouf, Benni McCarthy and Paul Robinson.
Holden’s agent is European based.

If you are like me and leaving the shopping to the last minute then consider the DYNAMO HOLIDAY PACK..head over to Houstondynamo.com…you might also want to consider sending your youth players to the Dynamo Camps…..

SPONSORS that have supported soccer!!!! MEMORIAL HERMANN SPORTS MEDICINE INSTITUTE, FIESTA, DANISH INSPIRATIONS CONTEMPORARY FURNITURE, SAN JACINTO COLLEGE SOCCER, MARK WEST PINOT NOIR, SPACE CITY FUTBOL CLUB, TESARS RESTAURANT IN THE WOODLANDS, STERLING BANK , SOCCERTOTS

Thanks to these great sponsors and consider supporting their business because they support the sport that you love!!!!

According to the Spanish newspaper AS, Almeria manager Hugo Sanchez is out. The former manager of Mexico took the job after getting the boot from the Mexican National team.
The squad is 17th place in the Spanish League.
What are your thoughts on Sanchez and will he return to a club in Mexico? I say yes.

Soccer Matters with Glenn Davis presented by Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine Institute returns to the air on Fox Sports Houston January 14th

Dynamo All Access with Glenn Davis takes this week off due to scheduling at 790am

LAMPARD HITS THREE PENS

I am not even going to mention the referee’s name in the Chelsea/West Ham game due to the ridiculous nature of how he handled the Frank Lampard taking of a penalty kick.
Chelsea was awarded a dubious penalty kick and Frank Lampard stepped to the spot and converted , yet it was called back due to encroachment which clearly was led by West Ham players. He should have let it stand as it was West Ham players who clearly were looking to take advantage.
Lampard stepped up again and cooly converted and again due to encroachment the referee had Lampard take it again. Again West Ham players looked to be the ones clearly gaining advantage, so why not let it stand.
Finally Lampard converts and the referee allows it with once again what looked like encroachment.
True travesty and I guess this was more about a referee wanting the limelight. Lampard was cool, collected and never got upset at the referee and promptly made three straight penalty kicks. The game ended a 1-1 draw.

MANCINI IN AT CITY

Despite a 4-3 Manchester City win today against Sunderland, manager Mark Hughes has been fired by management. Now before I get into Roberto Mancini lets look at where City is after an amazing spending spree. The squad currently is in 6th place in the EPL with a record of 7 wins, 8 draws and 2 losses but apparently ownership expected more after huge player investment in the summer. Giving 6 goals up in their last two games might also not have helped Hughes cause to go along with a boatload of draws. They are 11 points off of Chelsea who are atop the table in England.
He was a dead man walking today as he had to know the axe was coming down with Roberto Mancini in attendance at the game. So the former Sampdoria and Lazio star takes over after taking a break from coaching Inter Milan. At Inter Mancini won a total of seven trophies as a manager including 3 Serie A Titles.
Fascinating stuff going on at Manchester United with the appointment of Mancini. English coach out, Italian coach in. Having called Serie A games in the late 90’s at Fox Sports World (now the Fox Soccer Channel) I always loved watching Mancini’s amazing skill and how unique his approach for the game was. Over 200 serie A goals with most of his time spent at Samp. Did win a Serie A title at Lazio in 97 and appeared for Italy only 40 times despite his immense skill and variety of ideas.
Thoughts?

How about the craziness in the EPL. Fulham smack Manchester United 3-0 at Craven Cottage as Bobby Zamora continues to score goals and on one was aided by Texas native Clint Dempsey who continues to impress. Portsmouth beats Liverpool 2-0…….The EPL is far more interesting with some of the recent results and a new world order.

BARCA win 6th trophy……Is there anything they can’t win? Barcelona defeated Estudiantes 2-1 to earn the World Club title!!!!

Please support these sponsors who support soccer in the media: MEMORIAL HERMANN SPORTS MEDICINE INSTITUTE, FIESTA, DANISH INSPIRATIONS CONTEMPORARY FURNITURE, Mark West Pinot Noir, Space City Futbol Club, Soccertots, San Jacinto College Coyotes mens soccer, Tesar’s Restaurant in the Woodlands, Sterling Bank, Skyrokh salon in the Woodlands………Thank you for all your support!!!

So we are down to the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League after the draw on Friday:

*Stuttgart vs. Barcelona…………………unlucky for the Germans.

*Olympiacos vs. Bordeaux………………Bordeaux not one of my favorite wines

*Inter Milan vs. Chelsea…………………what a match-up!!! The “special one” wants this one over his former team Chelsea.

*Bayern Munich vs. Fiorentina………… Louis Van Gaal’s squad playing better as of late and near the top of the table.

*CSKA Moscow vs. Sevilla………………Top Russian squad vs. Spaniards

*Lyon vs. Real Madrid…………………..Another great match-up and one that should trouble the “Galacticos”.

*Porto vs. Arsenal———————–Arshavin, Arshavin and Arsenal should prevail

*AC Milan vs. Manchester United……..Can’t wait to see this one and if Ronaldinho and Pato can live up to Rooney and United. Leonardo vs. Sir Alex

What are your thoughts on the draw?

SHOT DOWN
An assistant coach for Indios of the Mexican football league was shot to death in Ciudad Juarez. Pedro Picasso was found dead in a store that sells cell phones.
The 34 year old becomes a statistic in a city that 2400 people have been killed this year.

OTAMENDI to Real?

Velez Sarsfield defender Nicolas Otamendi is making it clear he would love to be the replacement for Real Madrid central defender Pepe who is out for the rest of the year.
Otamendi is saying that he would love a transfer to the Galacticos in the Madrid newspaper AS.

GIGGS forever

Ryan Giggs signed a one year contract extension that sees him a Manchester United player until the end of next year. Giggs has never player for another club and is 36 years old. Giggs is the only player to have scored in every Premier League season since it’s inception in 1992. He also is the most decorated EPL player of all time winning 11 EPL titles.
Not bad work!

Check out my other blog at Foxsportshouston.com and footage from Soccer Matters with Glenn Davis presented by Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine Institute

twitter.com: Soccermattergd

The Dynamo are clearly hoping to accelerate talks with Stuart Holden and are expecting to have a decision before Christmas and maybe as early as next week according to CEO Chris Canetti. As mentioned in earlier blogs it seems the Dynamo would remain very similar to next year if Holden re-signs. If he doesn’t then the Dynamo will clearly be in the market for more players and will have money to put towards those acquisitions and will look alot different in midfield.
I have said that I believe Holden will stay but in the end we must also consider the potential of a work stoppage in MLS which is now being mentioned. Pat Onstad of the Dynamo who is involved with negotiations says the players are preparing for a potential lockout on February 1st. A long lockout would be devasting for the sport and MLS at this stage.
Could Holden be influenced to head overseas because of this potential problem looming? You would think Holden and his agent will consider this among all their criteria.
Check out my column in the Houston Chronicle tomorrow with more thoughts on the CBA….go to chron.com, click sports, click soccer…….also head over to Foxsportshouston.com for another blog that I am doing for FSH……..twitter.com: Soccermattersgd

GERMAN NEWS from Salman Mitha

Global warming? I don’t think so. It’s extremely c-c-c-cold in Germany right now, and I’m sure all the teams will agree with me that the winter break could not come at a more appropriate time. However, with the competition heating up over the past weeks, teams that have turned it recently around may regret the stoppage.
The first team that may want to continue playing is Bayern Munich. Only a few weeks ago Louis Van Gaal was “Mr. No Victory” after three consecutive draws and leading a team that may fall out of the league title race, and the team was about to be eliminated from the Champions League. Now, after beating Juventus in Italy 4-1 and qualifying for the knockout stages of the UCL and wins in the last three league matches the club has risen to third in the table. They take on Berlin Saturday with the return of Franck Ribery a possibility.
Schalke has also turned it around and got another win today against Mainz 1-0 behind a goal from Jefferson Farfan as they now sit at the top of the table.
The win will put pressure on Leverkusen now who have shown signs of fatigue and are looking towards the break. They have drawn twice in consecutive games including against last place Berlin. They face an interesting match against Moenchengladbach and Michael Bradley.
Bremen winless in three take on Hamburg.
The team most needed the break is Wolfsburg the defending champions. They were eliminated from the Champions League and winless in their last four league matches. They sit mid-table and will lose top scorer Edin Dzeko to Italy or England during the break. They need a win against Frankfurt.

A Merry Christmas to all,

Salman Mitha in Munich, Germany

Ok Cruz Azul fans. Pachuca’s Christian Gimenez is on his way to Mexico City.
It will be the fourth Mexican club for the Argentine who has also played in Argentina for Boca Jrs., Independiente and Union.
Is this the move that can finally help Cruz Azul win it’s first title in 12 years?
Cruz Azul lost the 2009 Apertura title to Monterrey this past weekend.
Gimenez is an excellent player and both a finisher and one that can open up a game with his ideas and skill set.

Landon Donovan has re-signed with the LA Galaxy but will go on loan to Everton and manager David Moyes in the EPL.
Donovan will join fellow U.S. national team teammate Tim Howard in the top flight and this will be something to see.
My hope is that Donovan can make some noise in the EPL.
Everton is lying low in the EPL in 15th place and Donovan will join the “Toffees” in early January.

Soccer Matters with Glenn Davis presented by Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine Institute will return to Fox Sports Houston in January on the 14th.
Just taking a little break !!! Have you seen the show and do you like it?

Can you imagine if MLS went on strike? What a disaster it would be for the sport and what a disaster it would be for the league.
More spiteful jokes would hit Saturday night live and the mainstream sports media would have a field day with this so called “foreign” sport.

My hope is that both the players union and MLS will keep to their senses and make sure that lawyers and advisors don’t take over the negotiation concerning the collective bargaining agreement that runs out at the end of January. Sure players want a larger salary cap and of course the main point would like to see MLS conform to FIFA regulations fully when it comes to contracts. I agree.
There should be a move in this direction in my opinion but with MLS losing talented players like Chris Rolfe, Yura Movsisyan, Ricardo Clark and potentially others, how will they be able to keep players in MLS? This is how they see it.
I do think that locking players initially into a four year contract is a bit much but from a league perspective it keeps players like a Geoff Cameron of the Dynamo who blossoms quickly from jumping ship or demanding a higher salary. I would assume the Dynamo and the league have come to Cameron with a pay raise after making the MLS best 11.
The players union also must realized that the league has improved but not arrived. Clubs have not made headway in Colorado, Dallas, Kansas City and other markets.
Yes it was a great year in Toronto, LA and Seattle for sure…….

If there was a work stoppage in MLS think how it would effect any MLS player trying to make the World Cup squad, if you weren’t playing regular football, why would National team manager Bob Bradley think you can play in a World Cup? This is another defining time for MLS and I hope that they take a quick crash course on the NHL and how a work stoppage worked for them……………….By the way, Stuart Holden has been mentioned with Blackburn as his agent is Euro based. Would it be wise for Holden to leave if in fact he believes the players union would strike in February. This is more complicated than maybe we know and MLS Commissioner Don Garber must be feeling the pressure like others……

Here is an excerpt from a blog by Kasey Keller who if you remembered negotiated a long time to come back to MLS. He once told me MLS ‘did not want to pay goalkeepers’.

KELLER: “You will probably start to read more and more about the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that is up at the end of the month. Negotiations have been under way between the players union and MLS for some time now. I wish I could report that we were close to signing an agreement, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. As players we have been told or a probable lockout date of Feb. 1st. What’s most disapointing to me is, this isn’t a negotiation for a bunch of players wanting 8 million a year instead of 7 million a year. The main points revolve around us being given the same rights under FIFA as the rest of the players around the world. As an MLS player you have to sign away your FIFA rights before you are allowed to sign your contract.”

My personal thank to all involved in the FIESTA KICK CANCER CAMP that took place this past weekend.
The camp will grow next year and be re-named in honor of a great young man…Nick Doize.

Some fantastic stories came out of these three days. The campers worked with some of the most passionate and committed coaches in the area. So it is fitting that I give a big thank you to all of those that jumped on board with no questions asked:

Misty Jones-Houston Baptist University Womens Soccer Coach
Steve Jones- Houston Baptist University Mens Soccer Coach
Dr. Dave Santesteban- San Jacinto College Mens coach
Mark Castillo- Soccertots
Steven Graves- Soccertots
Aaron Champenoy- University of St. Thomas
John Adams- Houston Baptist University assistant coach
Jhonathan Montenegro
Olivier Finidori- Cy Fair Dynamos
Mark Gibbs- Houston Express
Danny Foster- Space City Futbol and Kick Off Magazine
Bill McDonald-Strake Jesuit head coach
Patrick Robertson- Puerto Rico Islanders
Dario Sala-FC Dallas
Geoff Cameron-Houston Dynamo
Craig Waibel -Houston Dynamo

The coaches listed above deserve the applause from the Houston soccer community for their unselfish efforts and we need to continue to shine a light on those committed to community service and helping our sport grow!!!!! Thank you again!
Additionally Robert Corrigan of the Houston Express and Dr. Patrick Thompson of Texas Childrens Hospital. I know I have missed others who have worked behind the scenes on the event. I can only say it was great fun and for a great cause. My thanks to Craig Waibel and Geoff Cameron of the Dynamo for coming out Friday and Saturday and Dario Sala on Sunday. Dario drove ten hours both ways from Frisco (and we all know how far that is ) in one day to show up for the camp on Sunday and mix with the campers. A great story!!!!!
My thanks also to Fiesta who continue to promote the game of soccer and community in our city and have been doing it for years!!! Also to Federico Arellano of JOMA SPORT who provided beautiful camp gear including the FIESTA KICK CANCER shirt that is signed and will hang in the Texas Childrens Hospital!!!!

Funds were raised, awareness created and we will be back for more again next year in December even bigger and brighter!!!!