Nowak? USMNT?

Nowak as USMNT head coach? Rumors? I hadn't heard any until this at the weekly MLS rankings on soccernet:

Peter Nowak wins the All-Star coaching post, and the buzz that comes with it -- whispers of U.S. national team candidacy

And then here, in an article on soccernet:

There is very little doubt that Nowak is a man with an enormous upside here in the United States and he should be a strong candidate for the position.

Went and looked at the DCU threads at Big Soccer and couldn't find anything as of 4:30pm 7/3. Briefly looked at the USMNT threads and couldn't bring myself to explore. I find it hard to believe that a coach with only one team and two and a half years coaching experience would be given the USMNT job, but if it's Nowak or Sigi Schmid or Bob Bradley or Dave Sarachan, I'd take Nowak, my reservations about him (which are eroding) notwithstanding.

(Somewhere over the weekend I heard or read that Klinsmann has committed to Deutschland through Austria/Switzerland Euro 08, quashing that Klinsmann the Californian for USMNT rumor. Scolari has pledged to Portugal.)

In the Washington Post pregame article for tonight's DCU-FCD game, Ben Olsen defends Arena and attacks Arena's critics:

"It's being done in a disrespectful way from a lot of guys around television," said Olsen, who is expected to travel with his United teammates for today's match at FC Dallas. "I think it's just completely ridiculous and cowardly the way they're going about it."

I think Arena did as well as he could with what he had, but after eight years it's time for a change for everyone. The big advantage USMNT had in 2002 over 2006 was an element of surprise: no one in USMNT group in 2006 didn't have the advantage of years of tapes: they knew what to do against the USMNT system. And Arena's fascination with particular players - Beasley, Johnson, Pope - locked him into that system. It's just time for a change.

Nothing about the game itself in the article, really: the projected line-up is the same. Of the two games this week, this one is more important than the road game in Columbus. Beyond the strategy of winning tonight and worrying about Saturday Saturday, this is a six point game in the race for the Supporter's Shield. And FCD's kits are ugly. And Carlos Ruiz is a diving pussy. And Kenny Cooper is dangerous.

But remember Ronnie O'Brien's happy dance in front of Barra and Eagles when FCD tied DCU at RFK back in April? Be nice to see a couple or three happy dances in front of Dallas' fans.