USWNT 1 - 1 NED and Arsenal Friendlies

 This was a really good game.  The US had most of the ball, but the Netherlands (packed with Arsenal players and ex-players) was full value for their point.  They defended very well and showed menace when they broke out of their half.  Since they had the early lead, they were happy to allow the Americans more of the ball.  Both teams pressed energetically and both dealt with that press pretty well.  This was important experience for our squad, and I really felt they played at a high level all game.  The ref left a lot go and it got very physical.  Tempers flared, blood flowed.  The Netherlands tired as the game went on and they were glad to hear the final whistle.  If we play this well from now on, we will win the World Cup again.  Sophia Smith was 

We got beaten by Man U 2-0 and won 5-3 over Barca.  Managers at this stage are trying various player combinations to get them used to the way they want their squads to play.  I think everyone learned a lot.  Saka just gets better and better!

Zaha headed to Turkey

 Here's wishing him well.  He gave Crystal Palace many good years.  

MLS All-Stars 0 - 5 Arsenal

 You never know what you're going to get with these exhibition matches.  The mass substitutions, the odd lineups, the fact that the all-stars don't normally play or train together and that this is Arsenal's second preseason game guaranteed that there'd be some sloppiness.  But both squads took this match seriously.  There was a record total of yellow cards for this fixture, and a few injury stoppages.  The Gunners took this game by the throat early and never let go, with Jesus scoring in the fifth minute and Trossard after 20.  A first minute handball in the second half gave Jorginho his chance from the spot, which he converted.  Martinelli and Havertz scored late to embarrass the MLSers, who got their first shot on target in the 86th minute.

Trossard, Saka, Odegaard, and Timber were especially sharp, I thought.  Kiwior was misplaced in the Zinchenko role and was dispossessed repeatedly.  The all-stars should have punished a couple Arsenal mistakes but couldn't finish their chances, while every Arsenal goal was very well taken.  Rice played about a half hour but didn't really feature much in a game played mostly in the offensive half.

USMNT Ousted by Panama; Gunners Get Their Men

 Turner couldn't bail us out this time, saving one PK while his opposite number saved two in the shootout.  Few of the MLS players in the roster for this Gold Cup can say they sealed a spot in future World Cup qualifiers (if any--the US, as co-hosts, is an automatic participant this cycle).  Ferreira scored a lot of goals.  Turner was always a lock.  The rest gave energetic performances but didn't stand out.

....

The lawyers took a week to draw up the paperwork, so Declan Rice's welcome to Arsenal happened today, though everyone knew it was coming.  Jurrien Timber arrived from Ajax a day earlier.  £200M has bought us three big pieces in the jigsaw puzzle that just might look, when assembled, like a trophy celebration.  Our first choices in every position save center forward are first rank, and there is more than adequate cover for them all, with the possible exception of Rice.  Xhaka is gone, and Partey expected to follow (though it's not certain).  Were Rice to have to miss a big game, we could go three at the back, or repurpose a defender (Timber?) as a holding mid.  Either one would be fine with me.

We'll have to sell, and there are some fine players who will attract significant offers.  Balogun should go for £40M, Holding for maybe £5M, Cedric for almost nothing, Tavares and Lokonga for something between £5M and £10M each.  If we sell Tierney, he should bring £25M.  (All those are guesses; Transfermarkt thinks I undervalued a few of those players.)  That can either be reinvested in another good player or return to Stan Kroenke's piggy bank.

Speaking of our esteemed owner, I owe Mr. Walton an apology.  He's a winner.

In 2022, Kroenke experienced a unique feat with three of his teams winning championships in the same calendar year - the Rams winning the Super Bowl (February), the Mammoth winning the NLL Championship (June), and the Avalanche winning the Stanley Cup (June).^[56][57]

In 2023, Kroenke's Denver Nuggets won the NBA Championship, giving him four different sports titles in a 16-month span.

Now he seems determined to back Mikel for a run at a major title for Arsenal--maybe more than one.  In the past, I have criticized him, but he's done well in the last three years.  I believe he has confidence in our manager and Edu, the guy who does the transfer deals.  We got Martinelli for very little and he's an elite winger; Edu had proven his worth. Now it's on to the next step.  If there's no silverware for a third year running, it will be a huge disappointment.

Matt Turner!

 The US #1 and backup Arsenal keeper was the hero last night, saving two shootout penalties from Canada and watching another one hit the crossbar.  One American blasted his PK over the bar, but the next three scored theirs.  The USMNT dominated statistically but could not score until the 88th minute.  Canada equalized on a handball PK in stoppage time.  Each team scored in the second OT period, Canada in the 108th on a fine shot that took a deflection and the US on a Canadian own-goal under extreme pressure.  Turner saved from Vitoria, who tried to repeat his "up the middle" PK in regular time, but Turner got a strong hand on it and kept it out.  His other save was on the second attempt, going down to his left for a two-handed block.  Turner has an excellent save rate on PKs--40%.  The fifth Canadian taker may have been influenced by Turner's prowess and he put an otherwise fine attempt an inch too high, so it bounced down and just out.  Panama is next up for this group of young players, who are showing Berhalter he has options.

More Movement on Squad Building

 The Havertz deal is done, and the Rice and Timber deals are all but done.  Xhaka is departing for Leverkusen for a £21M fee; Mari has already gone to Monza for about £6M.  Arsenal just re-signed the out-of-contract Reiss Nelson, who seems really happy about it.  Balogun is going to tour with Arsenal for the off-season friendlies, so maybe Arteta is thinking about keeping him, or perhaps putting him in the shop window anticipating a fee in the range of £40-50M.  I've heard nothing about Tierney for a while.  I'd love to keep him, but Arteta just won't start a traditional left back, preferring to use Zinchenko as a spare midfielder.  I expect Holding will go somewhere he can play, and he's a very good option for teams that want to sit back and defend.  He'll win headers all game, but don't ask him to track speedy forwards into the midfield.  There's some noise about the Gunners wanting Southampton's Romeo Lavia, but if Partey stays I don't think they'll go in for him.  Partey was thinking about a move to Saudi Arabia, but that's gone quiet lately.  Tavares will probably be sold, and should bring in a few mil.  We might be able to get a case of beer for Cedric.  Pepe, Marquinhos, and Lokonga should be moved on; they'll never play another minute for us and are quite decent players.

What all this means is that Arsenal has improved qualitatively already, with more possibilities to come.  The major questions are around midfielders Fabio Vieira and Emile Smith-Rowe, to my mind.  The former hasn't in his first year fulfilled the hope Arteta had for him, and has to improve.  ESR has to show he's back to the form that won him the #10 shirt two years ago.  If either of those things happen, our midfield will be awesome.  If not, it'll be excellent but subject to an injury crisis.  I keep forgetting that we bought Jorginho as insurance in central midfield, and he's been really good.  Obviously, at his age he's not going to be around much longer.

We still have a Giroud-shaped hole in the forward line.  Arteta apparently sees no need for a big, strong center forward to bang in headers off crosses, hold up play, combine, and tire out opposing central defenders with relentless physicality.  Maybe he's right.  Havertz scores a lot of headers (he's tall) and I think he'll be crashing the penalty area on a regular basis.

It seems impossible for Saka and Martinelli to get any better, but they're very young and still learning.  If they and our other young stars (Odegaard, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior, etc.) keep improving, we could be unstoppable.  Arteta is not the most astute tactician in the league, but he's pretty good and he has the players he wants.  They all seem to be behind him and happy to play their assigned roles.

I'd be crazy not to be optimistic about next season.  It should be fun.  We'll have to fight on four fronts.  Resting stars in Champions' League is not going to get the job done.  Squad rotation will have to be intelligent, and that's not been Arteta's strong suit.  But this is a team with enormous potential.

Pat Viera - new job

 Pat Viera is said to be new manager for Strasbourg on a three year deal.  All of we Palace fans wish him well.  

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12253897/Patrick-Vieira-set-appointed-Strasbourg-manager-three-year-deal.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490