Latest Paul Oberjuerge News: US Soccer Review

Recent Paul Oberjuerge Articles

With Tie, U.S. Also Gets A Reminder
by Paul Oberjuerge (Analysis | New York Times - March 30)
Enthusiasts thought it could be time for new math for the United States men’s national soccer team. Three points, plus 3 points, plus 3 points and so on would equal quick and easy qualification for the 2010 World Cup. And that would leave the rest of the regional powers struggling far into 2009 to secure the other two guaranteed trips to South Africa. more details | go to article

U.S. Grabs Late Goals And Tie In El Salvador
by Paul Oberjuerge (Result | New York Times - March 29)
The rewarding side of the United States national team’s 2-2 tie in a World Cup qualifier at El Salvador on Saturday night was rallying from two goals down with 18 minutes to play. The disappointing aspect: falling behind by two goals against a team considered one of the weakest in the six-nation qualifying group. more details | go to article

Freddy Adu Speaks Out
by Paul Oberjuerge (Profile/Interview | New York Times - March 28)
Freddy Adu would like it to be known. He’s O.K. Really. He is. more details | go to article

Love Him Or Hate Him, At Least Sports Fans Know The Name Landon Donovan
by Paul Oberjuerge (Profile/Interview | New York Times - March 28)
But Donovan’s most noteworthy accomplishment might be that he has achieved enough recognition as an American player for a wide swath of sports fans in the United States to have formed an opinion on him. more details | go to article

In Central America, U.S. Team Often Faces More Than 11 Men
by Paul Oberjuerge (Preview | New York Times - March 28)
Venturing south of the Rio Grande for World Cup qualifying matches never rates as a vacation for the United States soccer team. At best, the Americans are met by passionate fans in packed stadiums; at worst, by invective, gamesmanship and flying debris. more details | go to article

For Hejduk, Success Comes In Waves
by Paul Oberjuerge (Profile/Interview | New York Times - March 28)
The 30s are the Golden Years for a soccer professional, the time when injuries and the aches and pains of aging begin to reduce him or her as a physical force, cutting into speed and endurance and, usually, playing time. Bora Milutinovic, the globe-trotting coach, once summed up the aging process: “At 20, you run 25 meters and pass the ball 5 meters. At 30, you run 5 meters and pass the ball 25 meters.” more details | go to article

Women's Soccer Not Like It Used To Be
by Paul Oberjuerge (Commentary | Carson Daily Breeze - August 26)
The sport lost its mojo years ago, and it hasn't gotten it back. A World Cup half a world away in the middle of September won't help the cause. more details | go to article

Becks Just Like A King
by Paul Oberjuerge (Commentary | Pasadena Star-News - July 11)
It's deja vu all over again. It was the summer of 1988. The most famous athlete in an exotic, vaguely foreign sport joined the Los Angeles franchise - struggling for traction in a crowded marketplace. more details | go to article

Victory
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Arena Counts On Big Two
by Paul Oberjuerge (Article | San Bernardino County Sun - June 5)
In a span of 30 minutes of the second half of the U.S. national team's game with Costa Rica on Saturday, one fact became abundantly clear. The Yanks are OK if, and only if, Landon Donovan and Kasey Keller are on the pitch. more details | go to article

Donovan Would Like A Move To L.A.
by Paul Oberjuerge (Profile/Interview | San Bernardino County Sun - March 27)
Landon Donovan confirmed Saturday he would prefer to leave Germany and join the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer. "That would be so great if it could happen,' the U.S. international soccer star said at the team hotel on the eve of today's World Cup qualifying match vs. Mexico. more details | go to article

Destination Achieved And Ready For Kickoff
by Paul Oberjuerge (Preview | San Bernardino County Sun - March 27)
We needed all 150-or-so cubic inches of raw muscle from our "hecho en Mexico" Chevrolet Chevy to sputter over the last peak, a full 10,000 feet above sea level. And there before us, in a giant bowl as brown and opaque as bean soup, sat Mexico City. Sprawling home to more than 18 million people- as well as today's highly anticipated (here, anyway) World Cup qualifying match between soccer arch-rivals Mexico and the United States. more details | go to article

Calm Before The Storm
by Paul Oberjuerge (Preview | San Bernardino County Sun - March 26)
As a half-dozen brass bands tooted and blatted for thousands of smiling and dancing citizens in the San Blas plaza late into Thursday night, it was hard to imagine Mexicans capable of animosity toward anyone or anything. more details | go to article

It's A Real Jungle Out There
by Paul Oberjuerge (Preview | San Bernardino County Sun - March 25)
Strangest thing. In one tank of gas, we went from semi-arid Culiacan to swampy Nayarit state. The hint of blast furnace was replaced by amped-up sauna, complete with chirping tropical birds, palm trees and mangroves. more details | go to article

Best Laid Plans ... Scrapped
by Paul Oberjuerge (Preview | San Bernardino County Sun - March 23)
First admission: You simply cannot drive from Tijuana to Hermosillo, deep in Sonora state, in less than 11 hours. To think otherwise is First World arrogance of the first order. You do not just turn up at the Tijuana airport, get your documents in 10 minutes, you car in 10 more and hop on the autobahn for an effortless drive among luxury sedans. more details | go to article

Donovan's Run
by Paul Oberjuerge (Profile/Interview | San Bernardino County Sun - March 20)
And for his next trick, Landon Donovan attempts to become an international star, lead the U.S. national team back to the World Cup and, oh, yes, live up to his "face of American soccer' reputation. He wouldn't put it quite that baldly, but that is the agenda that U.S. soccer, media, fans and probably even Donovan himself now are working from. more details | go to article