The Drubbing

The Adidas ball used in the 2010 World Cup was not without detractors, some of them more noteworthy than others. One of the more notable critics was nice enough to share his thoughts with us on Amazon.com.

Fishermen and outdoor enthusiasts everywhere awoke this morning to find ESPN2 airing funny accents, dribbling and goals rather than the usual rods and reels. I can only imagine the horror they felt.

In a move that will make any US soccer fan weep with joy, ESPN has recently, and at the 11th hour, secured the rights to up to two English Premier League fixtures per week.  The two time slots fall at 7:45 AM EST or 10:00 AM EST on Saturdays and all of the Monday 3:00 PM EST fixtures.  With the top league in the world now on a major cable network for all to see, soccer will have its day here in this country. Even if it is quite early on Saturday morning, especially for the West Coast viewership.

But this morning, while watching Chelsea v. Hull City in HD, I couldn’t help but think how great it is that the highest level of soccer will be on display for those who find little joy in the currently mediocre talents of the MLS. The sight of Didier Drogba scoring from a vicious set-piece to draw Chelsea level at 1-1 had me yelling at the top of my lungs before the 9 o’clock hour had even rolled around, leaving my wife truly worrying about my mental state.
Continue reading “Christmas Morning for Soccer Fans in US” →

A committee is already building support to bring the World Cup back to U.S. soil in either 2018 or 2022 (my vote is for both), and I couldn’t be more excited. The World Cup is one of my favorite sporting events and it’s made even more special because it occurs only every four years.

The excitement is only heightened in New York when for a few weeks in the summer the streets empty at kickoff, and every bar with a TV in Manhattan is filled to capacity. It really is, “the world’s game.”

So the U.S. is generating support to make their bid for the 2018 event, and I’m really hoping they can pull through. My hopes of going to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup dwindle with every passing day. So 2018 may be my next best chance to see it live. So go sign the petition. And tell friends to do the same.

Watching yesterday’s FIFA Confederations Cup championship match and cheering for the USA team was a brutal experience. Surprise, joy, elation, cautiousness, nervousness, fear, disappointment, sadness, disbelief and ultimately devastation all played out on the face of every American soccer fan I saw at Dempsey’s Pub. If you weren’t drinking when you got there, you certainly were by the time Brazil knocked in their third (fourth to be honest) goal. What happened?
Continue reading “A tale of two teams, two halves” →

Let me be the first to admit that the United States Men’s Soccer Team looked outstanding today against a Spain side who were blind-sided by the Yank onslaught.  Contrary to my gloom and doom post yesterday, the US played with piss and vinegar making Spain seem incredibly ordinary at times.

Was it a case of Spain coming out flat and underestimating the Americans?  Was it the Americans finally playing a flowing game of soccer that we’ve all been looking for since their pre-2006 World Cup days?  Perhaps a bit of both.  
Continue reading “Slaying Goliath… US 2 – Spain 0″ →

Dear US, prepare to be dismantled. Love, David Villa.

The United States Men’s National Soccer Team find themselves in the semi-finals of the Confederations Cup in South Africa.  However, when they meet Spain on Wednesday in Bloemfontein (a completely real city, despite its seemingly fictitious name) they will not subsequently find themselves advancing to the finals.  Anything can happen in sports, but the fact that the US are in the semi-finals is a bit of a false indicator to the lay soccer fan.  In all honesty, they made it here by mistake.
Continue reading “Fumbling, Bumbling, Tumbling… Into the Semis.” →

Sicilian team, Catania, pulled a 90s-era Mark Wahlberg and dropped their pants while the opposing team was taking a free kick. Was this the start of a very public circle jerk? No. It was their best attempt to block the goalkeeper’s vision.
Continue reading “Italian Soccer Team Channels Marky Mark” →