Holden, U.S. top Japan in Olympic opener

Tianjin, China -- The unheralded U.S. men's Olympic soccer team certainly wasn't spectacular, but it definitely did enough to come away with a solid 1-0 win over Japan Thursday morning in their opening group match at the 2008 Olympic Games.

It was the Americans' first Olympic victory since a 3-1 win over Kuwait at the 2000 Sydney Games that clinched their group title. It also was the first time since 1984 -- five Olympics ago -- that they had won their opening match of the competition (only team captain Brian McBride and defender Michael Parkhurst were alive back then).

"My boys put up quite a fight tonight," U.S. coach Peter Nowak said. "You prepare yourselves for two weeks, play games, then you try to find the right recipe. It wasn't a perfect game for us but in this case it was important to present ourselves the way we did tonight and get the three points for our mentality, our confidence. As a coach, my first Olympic win -- there's nothing better than that."

Look at how the U.S. pulled it off: The Americans used a fortuitous goal by Houston Dynamo midfielder Stuart Holden, a defense led by Maurice Edu that stretched but never snapped, a goalkeeper, Brad Guzan, who caught or knocked away everything headed his way. McBride, the old man at 36 years of age didn't score, but he was fouled six times, several times near the penalty area to set up free kicks. Freddy Adu had nothing to do with the goal, but his overall play -- he cleared the ball out of the defensive zone a couple of times -- helped the U.S. cause.

"We played a smart game," McBride said.

Smart enough to be in a position to clinch a spot in the quarterfinals, thanks to the Netherlands' scoreless draw with Nigeria Wednesday night.

Here's the scenario:

If the U.S. defeats the highly favored Netherlands, the Americans (three points) are in because the Dutch (one point) wouldn't be able to catch them and only the Nigerians (one) or the Japanese (none) would be able to surpass them.

If the U.S. loses, the Americans still would be in the running for a spot, although next Wednesday's Beijing encounter with Nigeria would be a must-win situation.

And, if the Americans tie the Dutch, they obviously still would be alive with the Nigeria confrontation still being the deciding match.

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"We want to go as far as we possibly can," Adu said.

Quite appropriately, the unlikely scoring hero of Thursday's match was someone who had experienced a worse scoring drought than that the Olympic team, which was at 378 minutes and counting entering the match at Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium.

Holden hasn't scored in an MLS match this season -- 1,151 minutes over 16 games -- although he did find the back of the net in a 3-1 SuperLiga win over D.C. United July 19.

The U.S. attacked down the right flank early in the second half as former Red Bulls and current Toronto FC fullback Marvell Wynne beat defender Yuto Nagatomo. He sent a low ball toward the middle of the goalmouth, but captain and defender Hiroki Mizumoto deflected the ball toward the top of the box right to Holden. Holden took a step and then fired a 16-yard shot that trickled under and then past goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa for a 1-0 lead.

The U.S. had not found the back of the net in 425 minutes, or since Sammy Ochoa's goal in the 3-2 loss to Turkey in the Toulon Tournament May 21. The scoreless streak included six games -- four consecutive shutouts and parts of two others.

"It's a good feeling, obviously, to get a goal," Holden said. "It's a great feeling not only for me personally but to help the team win. If we hadn't gotten the three points it wouldn't have been as exciting."

On the other end of the field, Toronto FC's Maurice Edu, a midfielder-turned-defender for the U.S. side, spearheaded a defense that broke up and survived several Japanese attacks and near misses.

U.S. coach Peter Nowak tried Edu in central defense during the CONCACAF qualifying tournament in March. He acquiesced himself well and Nowak decided to use him there in the Olympics after injuries to defenders Jonathan Spector and Nathan Sturgis.

"We knew from the beginning that we needed to find some options," Nowak said. "Mo is a very intelligent player and he did very well. The cooperation between him, Michael Parkhurst, . . . I'm very happy with how Maurice played tonight and I'm looking forward to having this kind of quality player not only for the Olympic team but also the senior team."

Edu has settled in, quite nicely. "They feel confident in me back there, and I feel confident playing there," he said.

Nowak solved a glaring first-half problem with a halftime adjustment. For a good portion of the opening 45 minutes, Japan right back Atusuto Uchida owned the right side, causing major headaches for midfielder Robbie Rogers and left back Michael Orozco with his overlapping runs.

"We knew that the Japanese team is very dangerous on the counterattack and they find good spots to get between our defenders and midfielders," Nowak said. "We did make a few adjustments in the locker room at halftime to correct these problems. There were some lapses.

"It wasn't a perfect game from us. We still have to be more focused and disciplined. From that perspective the players adjusted very well in the second half. We still kept playing our game."

The Americans will have an opportunity to improve with two more opening-round matches. Incidentally, they have never won two Olympic matches in the same tournament.

The competition doesn't get any easier with the Dutch looming Sunday here. And even though the U.S. posted a "W," you have to remember the Americans have scored but nine goals in their last nine games, not exactly gold-medal numbers.

But, a couple more wins and the scoring woes may be forgotten.

Revs return from SuperLiga, still grand

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Revolution halted MLS play for future SuperLiga glory after a 2-1 victory against the Los Angeles Galaxy on July 4. The Revs led the Eastern Conference by seven points against Columbus.

Five weeks later, the Revolution will take to the field Saturday evening against the Chicago Fire at Gillette Stadium with a two-point lead still intact and two games in hand over the second-place Crew.

"Obviously, the gap has closed quite a bit," Revs captain Steve Ralston said. "We still have a little bit of a lead on Columbus. We were stacked up early in the season. We played quite a few games. We knew that we needed to get some points when we could."

Given that Columbus was two wins behind New England on July 5 after a 2-2 draw with Chicago and had four other MLS games to play before the Revs returned to league play, most observers expected the Crew to overhaul New England.

"We are surprised," Revs head coach Steve Nicol said. "The results have gone our way so far. But it's not something we're relying on. We need to get back into the swing of winning league games. That's our bread and butter. That's the thing that gets you all of the other benefits. We have to do well with [league play]."

The Fire have proven a bogey team for the Revolution so far this season. Two losses by a combined seven goals have made Chicago a team the Revs simply haven't been able to handle.

"It's not something we think about, to be honest with you," Nicol said. "We just try to keep doing what we're doing. We want to keep rolling on the things we're doing. We're not giving much away. We're creating chances. We've been good with the ball and we've been passing it well. That's the only thing we're concentrating on right now. Forget what has happened previously."

Dynamic attacking play has proven the Revs undoing against the Fire this season as the team has struggled to combat the maneuverability of attacking trio of Chris Rolfe, Justin Mapp and Cuauhtemoc Blanco.

"Offensively, that's how they've hurt us," Revs 'keeper Matt Reis said. "Defensively, they are solid. They haven't given us too much."

New England hasn't been in a giving mood lately either. Since July 1, the Revs have allowed five goals in eight games despite chopping and changing at the back because of injuries and suspensions.

The shift to a 4-4-2 formation has covered up most of those changes and allowed Nicol to swap personnel.

"We've really moved into it seamlessly," Reis said. "It's changed our mindset and our attack."

A winger-inspired attack received further fuel with the cover of fullbacks behind Mauricio Castro and Sainey Nyassi, but Shalrie Joseph's aerial prowess might prove more vital to the team's continued offensive success. The Grenadan midfielder finished as the top SuperLiga scorer after netting three headers from three Ralston set pieces.

"We've been working on our set pieces," Ralston said. "He's a big, strong guy. He's going to get his head on things. Early in the season, he'd gotten some good chances, but he was just missing. Guys were saving off the line. He's a great player whether he scores goals for us or not."

Joseph will partner Ralston in the center of the park while Reis will make his 100th consecutive league start in between the sticks for Nicol. The return of Jay Heaps in central defense could consign Amaechi Igwe to the bench after Chris Tierney's assured performance against Houston.

Nicol admitted that any players with knocks could earn the night off with the U.S. Open Cup semifinal against D.C. United slated for Tuesday at RFK Stadium.

"We've got a couple of knocks which will change things anyways," Nicol said. "We're trying to put on the field what we think is the best team that day. If that means we make changes, we'll do it. We're not going out of our way to make changes."

Nowak weighing U.S. midfield options

TIANJIN, China -- You can call the U.S. Olympic team's midfield a donut, because coach Peter Nowak has a huge hole to fill in the middle as the USA prepares to face Nigeria in a key match in Beijing Wednesday.

The Americans must earn at least a tie with the African side to advance to the quarterfinals and they must do it without their two best midfielders -- attacker Freddy Adu and defensive-minded Michael Bradley.

Both players received their second yellow card of the tournament in the USA's 2-2 Group B draw with the Netherlands Sunday. And both are vital to the Americans' success.

Adu is the midfield leader who is not afraid of taking chances -- take a look at some of the runs he made against the Dutch and his pass to Sacha Kljestan that set up the U.S.'s equalizing goal.

Bradley is Adu's antithesis at midfield. He stays home, tries to break up plays, helps starts attacks and becomes part of it whenever he can.

"We have a good enough team," Bradley said. "We still have enough confidence that we'll go to Beijing and take care of business."

Adu admitted it will be difficult to sit the bench in such a key situation.

"I can't tell you how difficult it's going to be," he said. "I've never been in a situation like this before. This is the first time I've been in a situation like this. I can tell you right now, it's a horrible feeling. It really is."

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Nowak's three options: He can use switch from a 4-4-1-1 formation that he has used to start the first two games to a more conventional 4-4-2. That way he can deploy Jozy Altidore up front alongside Brian McBride instead of starting the former Red Bulls forward on the bench. He would still have to fill the defensive/holding slot in the middle.

He has three options -- Benny Feilhaber, who has played 18 minutes off the bench in both games; Danny Szetela, who probably is more suited for an attacking or all-around role; and former alternate Dax McCarty, who stood out during CONCACAF Olympic qualifying. Szetela played four minutes vs. Japan and McCarty has not seen a minute.

There is a fourth possibility -- returning central defender Maurice Edu to midfield, but Nowak probably would be unwilling to break up one alignment and make a huge hole there to fix another.

Nowak said he will consider his options.

"As I've said from the beginning it's all about the group," he said. "The 18 players we've chosen have to be up to the challenge."

Adu was optimistic whoever winds up in the lineup will do well.

"I have faith in the guys to get the job done," he said. "Not one person makes the team. It's a team effort and I know the guys will get the job done."

Dealing from the middle of the deck?: As it turns out, Bradley and Adu did not exactly accrue their yellows on hard tackles or rough play in the first two games.

Bradley received his first yellow card from referee Badara Diatta (Senegal) in the 64th minute for a soft foul on Hiroyuki Taniguchi in the 1-0 victory against Japan Thursday.

The former MetroStars midfielder called that card "a joke. It was not a foul."

His second card came in the first minute of stoppage time as referee Michael Hester of New Zealand sanctioned Bradley for taking his time on a restart -- a free kick -- vs. Netherlands.

"Obviously, the one today I should have been a little bit smarter," he said. "I should know to play the ball in quickly."

Adu was slapped with his yellow on his first foul of the game in the 1-0 victory against Japan after he was used as a pincushion by the opposition until then. It was the first yellow card of the game.

On Sunday, the 19-year-old midfielder got his second for kicking the head of goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer while going for the ball in the penalty area in the 78th minute. Adu claimed his innocence, but replays showed the inside of his left boot hit Vermeer's head. Two minutes later Nowak pulled Adu for Feilhaber.

"Obviously it's disappointing, but I don't think I touched the goalkeeper," Adu said. "I touched the ball first, trying to get over him. The referee sees it a certain way and calls it. We'll see what happens. I'm very disappointed in that because it is an important game."

Actions speak louder than words: There is no official eating crow competition at the Olympics, at least not yet.

But the U.S. team certainly made Netherlands coach Foppe de Haan take down a heaping portion Sunday night.

Prior to the match, de Haan said that the United States did not measure up to Nigeria.

Here's his exact quote:

"I think the USA and Japan don't have the level of Nigeria," he said after the Dutch played the Africans to a scoreless in his team's opening game last week.

He was asked to elaborate on his remark at a press conference Friday.

"Nigeria is confident on the ball," he said. "They have two very good forwards. The Americans are more of a team whose players are on the same level. Nobody is extremely good. They have a good system."

After the surprising USA dominated Sunday's encounter, de Haan did not exactly apologize or that he was wrong, but he did say the U.S. made life difficult for his side.

"We had a lot of problems of the players of the USA," he said. "We lost control of the midfield."

He was referring to Nowak switching things around in the midfield to give midfielder Freddy Adu more room. Adu took advantage of it to make several runs through the Dutch.

"We are not, not now, a real team," de Haan added, referring to the fact the Dutch hadn't practiced together for long periods of time.

Needless to say, the U.S. made a big deal of de Haan's original comments.

"I knew their coach was doing a lot of talking before the game," Adu said. "We used that talk as motivation. we came out there and we wanted to prove to everybody that we're here to play. This team can play. It gets to a point where as a player you get a little tired of people disrespecting the United States, saying that we can't play, we can't do this, we can't do that. We keep proving people wrong over and over. At the end of the day, it's about what you do on the field. We felt it was a great team performance. We felt we were a little bit unlucky at the end."

Gomez regaining fitness, lifting Rapids

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. -- Christian Gomez's impact on the Colorado Rapids attack has been everything the club hoped for when trading for the former MLS MVP in the offseason. He has ignited the Rapids offense, sharing the team lead alongside Terry Cooke in assists with six and trailing only Omar Cummings and Tom McManus in goals with three.

Head coach Fernando Clavijo believes there's still more to come from Gomez, however, as the midfielder continues working himself back to full fitness after a series of nagging injuries - to his right knee, shin, and right leg, that have slowed him down throughout the season.

"I don't feel that Christian is 100 percent yet, fitness-wise," Clavijo said after the Rapids last league game, July 27 against the Crew. "He was nursing an injury for about three to four weeks. He was unable to run to get fit. Then he goes to the All-Star Game and he started the game, and of course that was something I wasn't looking for. We have to deal with it. Hopefully we can get him fit."

Gomez started in his fourth consecutive All-Star Game, playing 59 minutes and scoring his side's first goal in the MLS 3-2 victory against West Ham United. Gomez followed his appearance in Toronto by playing all 90 minutes against the Crew, the first complete game he'd played in nearly two months, since a June 7 match in Los Angeles.

The centerpiece to the Rapids attack has been limited to an average of 71 minutes per game this season. He arrived in Colorado as a marked man and has felt increasing pressure as opposing defenses have focused on him in their efforts to shut down Colorado's attack.

"In our league, he's going to be marked," Clavijo said following Sunday's friendly with Everton. "Everybody knows him. We need him to be fit. He missed three-and-a-half, four weeks of fitness, and we have to get him back into match fitness. [Sunday] was a good day for him to be able to do that."

With the Everton match hotly contested by Colorado, Clavijo had the option of either resting Gomez or taking the opportunity to work him back up to full speed. Clavijo chose the latter, and was pleased with the result, getting a second 90-minute performance from Gomez, his second complete game on successive Sundays.

"It was for his conditioning," Clavijo said, emphasizing that the decision to stick with Gomez was more about his midfielder's fitness than the coach's hunger for a win against the English Premiership side. "It was important for him to go 90 minutes. We're talking about resting some of the guys, making some changes, but we used this game first to win it, second to get some of the players back where they need to be."

Gomez wasn't the only one getting a full workout against the Toffees on Sunday, as Clavijo used only four substitutions, three at the half and one in the 87th minute. Aside from splitting the goalkeeping duties between Bouna Coundoul and back-up 'keeper Preston Burpo, Clavijo primarily stuck with his starting squad, using the friendly as an important opportunity to solidify the team play in preparation for Colorado's run for a playoff berth.

"I thought it was needed," Clavijo said of his approach Sunday. "I looked around and I didn't see anybody except maybe Christian and Conor [Casey] struggling a little. It was an exercise that we wanted to do. You have to remember, the mind starts playing tricks when you get tired. I want to make sure that people understand how everybody's role plays on the field. I thought they did well."

New additions give United jolt

WASHINGTON -- D.C. United aimed for the stars in the run-up to the 2008 season, signing a throng of South American talent -- led by designated player Marcelo Gallardo -- with an eye towards domestic dominance and success in international competition.

Four months into the campaign, a jaded-looking D.C. side found themselves beset by injuries, stuck in the middle of the competitive Eastern Conference and 0-for-2 in international tournaments. The club's first moves in response: grab two players from an expansion side -- the San Jose Earthquakes, far and away the league's biggest strugglers this year.

Some might have perceived "bargain-bin shopping," or even desperation, in the acquisitions of Joe Vide and Ivan Guerrero, but on the evidence of last Saturday's 2-0 victory against Kansas City, both acquisitions are paying early dividends. The duo added a timely dose of energy and intensity to the Black-and-Red midfield in what was the first United start for both men, with Guerrero roving the left flank and Vide anchoring the middle alongside Clyde Simms.

Both newcomers were aided by head coach Tom Soehn's straightforward, defensive-minded approach to the match -- and with an emphasis on steel over style, it certainly wasn't textbook United soccer. Vide's attributes were put to good use, however.

"I'm not going to be the guy that's going to beat people dribbling or passing the ball really so much. I turned the ball over a little too much today as it is," Vide said afterwards. "I just try to bring energy to the team, try to get stuck in and throw the opponents off their game and at the same time try to bring a little bite to the midfield."

For an inconsistent team missing key contributors during the most draining period of the season, such practicality might be the best way forward.

"When the team works that hard, it makes it easier on everyone to read plays and play off guys offensively," said goalkeeper Zach Wells. "We worked really hard defensively and stayed compact. I thought Joe Vide and Ivan did a really good job coming in, and made a difference for us. And we still got our two goals, so there's something to be said for that."

Vide's contribution belied an unassuming arrival in D.C. via the waiver wire on July 16, yet Guerrero's performance was even more remarkable given that his trade wasn't finalized until Thursday, giving him barely enough time for introductions before stepping directly into the first XI. The former Chicago Fire mainstay showed signs of a quick rapport with strikers Jaime Moreno and Luciano Emilio, beginning the sequence that led to Emilio's game-winning goal in the 28th minute.

"Ivan, we didn't have much time with, but he's got a great soccer intelligence," said Soehn. "When you make decisions on guys you bring in, you try to see them in your environment and Ivan, for him to step in our environment, it's a perfect situation for him."

Guerrero admitted that his sudden departure from northern California posed a challenge for him, his wife and their two children. But he remained philosophical about the move as he contemplated life with a club whose outlook and ambitions are far different from those of this year's Quakes.

"It's difficult, especially because I'm married and I'm missing my family," he said, "but this is business. You know the league -- today you are here and tomorrow you are not. But I'm happy because I know D.C. United is a big team. That's very important for me."

As for his chemistry with United's Latin American strike force, Guerrero made light of the challenge of meshing with their style despite having only one United training session under his belt.

"We know Jaime and Luciano are good players," said Guerrero. "It was a little difficult for me because I am new on the team, but I know how Luciano and Jaime play. It's simple: play on the ground and overlap."

Guerrero, presently residing in a hotel, is understandably anxious to find a home so his family can join him in the Washington area, while Vide considers his move a homecoming of sorts after stints in New York and San Jose. He's living with a friend in Georgetown and is familiar with the region after a collegiate career at the University of Virginia.

"I'm from the area, more or less -- grew up in North Carolina and went to school in Virginia," he said. "So I know a lot of people around here. I'm really happy to be back on the East Coast, my family's around here so I'm really excited."

If their contributions can revive United's title hopes down the stretch, Vide and Guerrero could have ample opportunity to get comfortable in D.C. for the years ahead.

Crew welcome two-week vacation

COLUMBUS -- Unlike the previous time when the Columbus Crew absorbed a 2-0 away loss but were eager to get back on the field five days later to redeem themselves, the latest 2-0 road setback left the team happy to have two weeks before its next match.

Following Saturday's defeat at Houston many of the players headed to their offseason homes or vacation spots because coach Sigi Schmid does not have a practice scheduled until Aug. 11.

"For the mind that's going to be good," said Schmid, who will spend this week in southern California where his wife still lives. "We all need to get away for three or four days."

It's not just a mental break. A depleted starting XI against the Dynamo was reduced further when defender Chad Marshall and midfielder Brad Evans suffered knee injuries.

"Maybe it is a good time. It will help some guys get healthy," midfielder Brian Carroll said.

The Crew entered the match without injured midfielder Stefani Miglioranzi and defender Frankie Hejduk and forward Steven Lenhart were suspended (Lenhart will also miss the Aug. 16 match vs. FC Dallas). Also, starting midfielders Robbie Rogers of the U.S. and Nigerian Emmanuel Ekpo missed their second matches because of Olympic duty.

"We were hoping to get a good win or at least a point out of it going into the little break but now we have to regroup," defender Jed Zayner said. "We had half our starting lineup out. It's going to be nice to get people back, regroup and get set for our last push to the playoffs."

Columbus hasn't qualified for the postseason since 2004 but is in good position to do so despite a 1-2-2 record in its past five matches. The Crew missed an opportunity to jump over New England into first on Saturday and now have only a two-point advantage on third-place Chicago. The Fire have played one fewer match and New England two.

Still, the situation is a lot brighter than the previous seasons Zayner experienced in Columbus.

"It's been a tough two years. It takes time to build a team," he said. "Look at Houston. How long have they been together? Four years since San Jose. Now that we've built this core, we trust each other. We'll fight for each other and when the going gets tough we're still going to put in the minutes for each other."

The Crew failed to build on the momentum from a 2-0 win at Colorado. Against the Dynamo, the Crew had four glorious chances in the first 16 minutes of the second half to cut a two-goal deficit but Evans missed on a couple and Pat Onstad stopped Alejandro Moreno and Guillermo Barros Schelotto.

"We talked about it at halftime -- if we dug a little bit deeper, put in a little more effort we would create good chances," Carroll said. "We had decent possession. We had decent chances. Unfortunately, we didn't put them away."

"It's tough on your morale," said Zayner. "You work so hard to get the chances in the first place. You've got to keep plugging away. You can't think it's not going to be your night because if you do you've already lost the game."

Schmid said the match came down two things.

"We didn't finish well and making two substitutions because of injuries, we couldn't make the moves we wanted tactically," he said. "Last week we probably didn't deserve to be walking out with points. (Saturday) we deserved to walk off with points. Last week we got three, this week we got none so it all evened out in the end."

The Crew will have two consecutive home matches to get untracked and make the home park a fortress again. After winning the first four times in Crew Stadium, Columbus is just 1-2-2 in the past five.

Schmid has to sort through the injuries and decide if the recent move to a 3-5-2 formation will work with the personnel available for the Dallas game.

That will come later. For now, the training center in Obetz is quiet except for players rehabbing injuries.