And I’m back…

June 14th, 2006 | Posted by PostmanR

So, I’m pretty sure none of you were actually watching that Tunisia-Saudi Arabia match-up, but it was a pretty sweet game, even though it ended in a 2-2 tie. You can check out my live blog of it here.

Anywho, there’s not a whole heck of a lot going on today. So I’ll direct you to some good reads around the interwebby.

Mr. Irrelevant has an insightful post about Michael Wilbon’s love for D. Wade and how the NBA Finals is star-studded despite some big names that were dropped in the playoffs.

The Realests have an exclusive report about the latest details of Duke’s endorsement deal with Polo. (This is hilarious, but also entirely untrue.)

And if you’re really bored, you can also swing over to Youtube and watch all the videos the World Cup Blog have posted on there.

Here’s one of our favorites.

Hooligan profiling? That just ain’t right

June 14th, 2006 | Posted by PostmanR

So, we’ve got an interesting little hooligan story coming out of this here World Cup.

Germany v. Poland is later today and the Polish fans have come spewing across the border to support their team. It seems that 40 Polish fans have been arrested for…well read this section of the AP story and let me know why they were arrested.

Four known hooligans were arrested near the soccer stadium and found to have knives after Polish police in town for the game pointed them out to German authorities, Dortmund police spokesman Georg Blaszyk said.”They won’t be seeing the game,” he said.
The other 36, most arrested near the city center, also were known hooligans, Blaszyk said.

Nowhere in that little snippet or anywhere else in the article does it indicate any real motive (the knives maybe) as to why these fans were arrested, other than the fact that they are known hooligans. That’s just hooligan profiling and I don’t think it’s fair.

If they’re being rowdy before the game (even if it’s somewhat calm) you go drop the hammer down and tell them to cut it out or you’ll arrest them. But if they’re sitting having a beer with other Poland supporters near the city center in Dortmund, cops shouldn’t be allowed to mess with them. (Again, I’m not positive this is what they were doing, but the article doesn’t indicate otherwise.)

Okay, hold up. I’ve found more evidence of this. In England, they stopped a known hooligan from getting on a plane to come to Germany and apparently British police have the power to stop any convicted hooligan from going to the World Cup. This guy was arrested under the ‘Football Disorder Act’ in England.

Okay, so I guess I’m wrong. If you’re a hooligan and the cops know it, you’re done for. I guess it’s kinda like a sex offender showing up to a 10-year-old’s birthday party in the States or something.

But still, I don’t know, hooligan profiling? I thought in the year 2006 we were beyond all this in society, but I guess we still have a ways to go. Sigh.

(P.S. I’ll be live-blogging the Tunisia-Saudi Arabia game over at Deadspin this afternoon. The game starts at 11:55 am EST. Join me over there, won’t you? I’ll be back here after that.)

(Update: Finally, a real reason to arrest some hooligans.)

While searching for synonyms for “letdown”…

June 12th, 2006 | Posted by PostmanE

Seriously, I did not expect that. Even as I attempt to gather my thoughts, I can’t fathom how a team with skill and speed and fitness could have suffered such a comprehensive defeat.

If the U.S. were as legitimately bad as they were in, oh, 1994, I would be ok with this result. I would say, hey, maybe that is the best we can play; these Europeans are just too good. Good effort.

But you can’t say those things about the 2006 MNT. They’re so much better than the 1994 team, or the 1998 team, it’s an absolute shock to see them outclassed in midfield, dominated in the offensive end, porous in the defensive third. And the gaps in performance seemed less due to ability and more due to a lack of energy and cohesive (attacking) strategy, rare form for a Bruce Arena-managed team.

Credit the Czechs, who are looking pretty set. Rosicky has to have pleased Arsenal fans with his brilliant striking out of the midfield, and Nedved proved he still has the creative skills that made him one of the most highly-revered players in the world.

We, on the other hand, are looking pretty screwed. It would likely take two wins in our last two group games - over powerhouse Italy and upstart Ghana - to get a second-place finish in this group. A win and a draw might get it done, but it’s pretty doubtful.

So, with all of the buildup, the hours and hours spent speculating over the U.S.’ ability and its progression on the international soccer stage, soccer in the U.S. seems to have come down to a swift 90 minutes in which the United States showed just how far they might have regressed.

USA loses to Czech Republic 3-0

Case of the Mondays: Seinfeld Style

June 12th, 2006 | Posted by PostmanR

(Monk’s Restaurant - Jerry, George)

Jerry: So what’s the deal with Americans calling soccer, soccer? I mean, it’s a game in which only your feet are used, why don’t we call it football like the rest of the world?

George: Yeah. Have you been watching any of this World Cup? It’s madness. I saw England beat Paraguay 1-0 on Saturday. And how about the Ivory Coast stopping their civil war because they qualified for their first World Cup? My mother and father can’t find any reason to end their 30-year civil war, but the Ivory Coast make the World Cup and boom – civil war on hold.

(Enter Elaine)

Elaine: What’s up Georgie Porgie? Jerry?

Jerry and George: Hello, hello.

Elaine: So George, thanks a lot for those Yankees tickets yesterday. But a 6-5 loss and getting sweep by the A’s for the first time at home since ’94? What kind of a mood was Steinbrenner in this morning?

George: I don’t know.

Jerry: You’re sleeping under your desk again, aren’t you?

George: Yeah, it’s a Monday Wednesday thing. Tuesdays and Thursdays I act really annoyed at my desk, so it’s looks like I’m in the middle of some hard work.

Elaine: And Fridays?

George: Well Fridays I have a new plan. Get this. I roam the halls all day with a stack of papers in my hands, so it looks like I’m either dropping something off to someone or I’m heading back to my office with the stack. Brilliant, huh?

Jerry: Yeah, sounds like a seamless plan, George.

Ecuador wins; Tommy Smythe proves (slightly) more enjoyable than Marcelo

June 9th, 2006 | Posted by PostmanE

Didn’t see much of this first half, but heard Ecuador scored a goal.

Returned from work, just to see the second one go through on the floor on a simple pass. Fair enough.

Congrats to Ecuador, who now have hopefully caused announcers and analysts to stop bringing up the elevation issue. If you don’t know what I’m referring to, I’m going to spare you. Just trust me.

Anyway, the next game, which should be tremendous, is England - Paraguay tomorrow at 9 ET. Early, I know, but it’s going to be worth it.

Day Four: Thierry Henry

June 8th, 2006 | Posted by PostmanE

(To get you excited for the World Cup - if such a thing is possible - we’ll be rolling out one World Cup related video a day until the whole thing kicks off Friday in Germany.)

So, commenter Chris asked for an Henry video last night. Ask Chris, and you shall receive.

Here’s what appears to be a compilation of his best goals from recent years, most of which seemed to occur in the Premiership. If you didn’t know already, here you go: Henry is a goal-scoring machine.

The music in this isn’t quite as good as the Arctic Monkeys of the Wayne Rooney vid yesterday (or Chumbawumba in the Ronaldinho selection), and it’s a little too slash-metal for me. But the goals, my friends, the goals are worth it. Enjoy.

Clint Dempsey: American soccer player, rap star…wait, rap star?

June 8th, 2006 | Posted by PostmanE

This video, which has actually been on BET, is a Nike promotional video. You’ve probably seen a lot of those lately, especially World Cup ones.

What makes this different is that it stars Clint Dempsey, aka “Deuce,” rapping about not treading on him and other such interests. There is another, larger, human on this video also. Not sure who that is exactly.

ESPNSoccernet has a story about Dempsey’s background, which, we’ll admit, seems sufficiently ghetto as to allow a rap video’s production. The real surprise here, besides the fact that this was made, is that it’s really not all that bad. That is, it could be a lot, lot, lot worse. A lot worse.

Disliking America has never been more difficult

June 8th, 2006 | Posted by PostmanE

If you have had your head shoved in the sofa cushions for the past few years, than this might be news to you. If not, then you already know.

The World. Does not like. The United States.

I know, I know. Stop the presses, right?

Well, this blog over at the Guardian, by Steven Wells, makes reference to such hate, but does so within the context of the U.S.’ rising international soccer(football) presence.

In fact, blog says, it’s tremendously difficult to hate the Americans this World Cup. Our squad is undermanned and underappreciated, but perhaps the most fit in the world with a necessity for strategic success to win. He can support that, as can I.

Where he makes his best points, though, is where the U.S. goes from here. According to him, it’s up.

The US men’s team is an overdog in embryo. A glance at the stats (pro-soccer in the US is already better attended than in most European countries while the grassroots game continues to explode) tells you that the US will soon be a soccer superpower.

And when that happens this intensely patriotic country will - for the first time ever - have a men’s sports team that can consistently kick international ass (the US women’s soccer team has been doing it for years). And that’s not going to be pretty. There’ll be nothing ‘plucky’ about it. Just the brutal application of raw demographic power.”

For U.S. soccer fans, that can either be a good thing or a bad thing. Which would you rather root for? The underdogs taking on the world, Miracle on Ice style? Or sport’s replication of the U.S. government, fully equipped with the ability to crush all comers?

Eh. We don’t care. As long as our Landon Donovan jersey doesn’t lose its value for a while, we’ll be happy.

Oh and by the way, if you’re bored and want to read quality World Cup opinions, the Guardian’s blog page has like 20 a day. It’s ridiculous, and awesome.

Ronaldinho’s Magic

June 6th, 2006 | Posted by PostmanR

(To get you excited for the World Cup - if such a thing is possible - we’ll be rolling out one World Cup related video a day until the whole thing kicks off Friday in Germany.)

This video needs little in the way of introduction, but I’ll tell you anyway. It’s the best player in the world tooling people. Chumbawumba is used as a soundtrack. Now press play.

This isn’t a job we’d like to have…

June 5th, 2006 | Posted by PostmanR

It may be all smiles for you right now, World Cup referees. But once you blow a call and have a nation of millions sending you death threats, it won’t be so funny anymore, will it?