Please Allow Me To Introduce Myself...

So Mark has kindly allowed me to grace his blog with my words. Granted, it’s probably so he can look for more deals for Vegas trips, but either way I appreciate the outlet. At least this way he can’t butt in and sidetrack what I’m saying. (Editor's Note: Bite Me!)

For those of you who don’t know me, I used to write for Goal.com, as well as host an online radio show that Mark would sully from time to time, and I returned the favor on his TV show (hello again to the four of you who saw that). Apparently those are enough qualifications to write for “My 2 Cents.” That, and thanks to the economy, Mark needed a penny from me to keep the name of the blog.

But enough with introductions, that’s not why we’re here.

As we all know, MLS is kinda like Broadway in that the show must go on, even if there are those pesky international games that steal the bright stars every so often from the league games. Unless you’re the Galaxy of course, who just so happened to have a bye when they’d be without their talisman Landon Donovan, but that’s another story all together. (Cue Airplane cast: “That’s another story.”)

Looking at the American top flight, the biggest story from the first two weeks isn’t that D.C. United has two points from two tough opening games (which easily could have been six points). Or that Toronto, notoriously poor on the road, has four points from two trips south of the border. Or that that Alexi Lalas still has a job in soccer.

It’s that expansion side Seattle are atop the MLS table and are perfect after two games.

Granted, win numero uno was against New York, who saw Juan Carlos Osorio’s contract with the devil to get him to MLS Cup recalled prior to one week. Last year, Danny Cepero’s posts were seemingly four feet wide, while this year he’s made more errors than Chuck Knoblach trying to throw to first base.

Back to the Sounders, they’re the big story thanks to a diminutive guy. Though some want to ludicrously compare Fredy Montero’s debut to Freddy Adu -- seemingly only because of their first name, though Adu has the extra “D,” perhaps for dud? -- the Colombian is taking Seattle by storm. And anything that can tie in Sue Bird isn’t a bad thing.

Montero, on loan from Deportivo Cali, has three goals through two weeks, including a wicked, dipping blast against Real -- no jokes about Nick Rimando’s height, please -- last weekend that likely will garner Goal of the Week honors. That would go along with his Player of the Week nod for his opening weekend brace. The Colombian has been mercurial offensively, also notching an assist to give him a hand in three of Seattle’s first four goals.

The difficulty will be whether he can maintain this type of run once defenses start keying on him, which they should after he combined with Nate Jaqua to score 16 goals in preseason. Granted, Seattle’s Designated Player and underwear model (no links for that one) Freddie Ljungberg has only played 29 minutes through two games. Once the former Swedish international is fit, he and Jaqua will compliment Montero into the latest Magic Triangle in MLS.

Another question regarding Montero revolves around his length of stay in the Emerald City. With the deep pockets of the Seattle owners, they may be able to buy Montero from Deportivo Cali rather than extending his loan. The problem would then be his salary, currently at $155,000, and whether they could keep him under DP level. Conversely, you have to imagine if he keeps up something close to his current pace -- say 15 goals by the All Star Game? -- European teams will come calling and Jozy Altidore’s record transfer fee may be in jeopardy of being broken.

The surprise, though, is that Seattle has yet to concede a goal. No one doubted Kasey Keller would still be at a high level in finally returning to MLS. Well, maybe Bob Bradley, whose National team could have actually won in El Salvador with the four-time World Cup vet in the nets instead of the green Brad Guzan. But the defense has gelled well for Sigi Schmid’s side, thanks largely to the acquisition of another Deportivo Cali player, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, who was on trial with AC Milan over the winter. Pairing with aging veteran Tyrone Marshall, they have shut down what was considered to be two of the better attacks coming into the season in New York and Salt Lake.

The key that is overlooked by many, though, is the play of Osvaldo Alonso. USL fans will know the former Charleston defensive midfielder, as will D.C. United fans as he was the best player for the losing side in last year’s U.S. Open Cup championship game. But the majority of MLS fans are just opening their eyes to the former Cuban international. (Remember, during their USL days Seattle also had success with another former Cuban player in Maykel Galindo, who has gone on to stardom, followed by numerous injuries, with Chivas USA.)

Can Seattle keep up their pace? With Sigi Schmid at the helm anything is possible, as he proved last year by wearing a good luck scarf through the summer heat.

The Sounders travel to Toronto, who welcome back Amado Guevara and I’m not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing, this weekend for their first road game. Buoyed by great home crowds at Qwest Field, the Sounders will be on the flip side of that coin as BMO Field comes alive for the first time in 2009. Take another three points and then start the talk about the best expansion team since the 1998 Chicago Fire, who went on to win MLS Cup that year. A loss won’t damper things much with a favorable schedule on the horizon.

Either way, with the Western Conference as weak as it is, Seattle is an early lock for a playoff berth. Though that proclamation will change roughly 173 times this season.

Other notes:

- As Mark mentioned yesterday, changes need to be made to the U.S. lineup. Now that Jonny Bornstein is in camp, he provides an athletic option at left back and his former club boss could tip him to start over the regressing Heath Pearce. More importantly, against the similarly athletic Trinidad and Tobago side, start Mo Edu. Not just as a Terp fan, but just as José Francisco Torres was a perfect fit against El Salvador thanks to playing in the Mexican Primera and being accustomed to the passing game that the Cuscatlecos played, so too is Edu a great fit against T&T thanks to his height and physical ability. Same goes for Jozy Altidore over Brian Ching up front.

- Chivas USA are tied with Seattle atop the West with six points, or roughly half a point per injured player. How Preki gets it done is beyond me. But, then again, just like Seth Rogen dancing in Knocked Up, Preki only had one move -- his patented cut back with his left foot -- and still notched 89 goals and 117 assists throughout his MLS career.

- In the East, New England, Toronto, and Chicago are all tied for first, all on four points. The other common factor? None have played at home yet.

- Kudos to Kevin Hartman for passing Tony Meola on the all time saves list. He previously passed Meola for shutouts. And of course has long held the record for “most consecutive games with bleached blonde hair.” With the porous Wizards defense this year, Hartman is gonna have many more opportunities to add to his new record while not tacking on too many more shutouts.

- Also earning kudos are D.C. United’s front office. Though I still question not taking Stefan Frei with one of their two first round picks and solving their long term goalkeeping needs, it appears that Chris Pontius and Rodney Wallace were solid picks. After a history of botching drafts, aside from can’t miss first overall picks Alecko Eskandarian and Freddy Adu, Kevin Payne and company may have turned a corner with this recent crop. Wallace was never afraid of going forward from left back at the University of Maryland, it was his defensive abilities that concerned me which won’t come into play as much as a midfielder. As for Pontius, United could certainly use a few more of those wonder strikes he had against Los Angeles in week one.

- Pat Walsh

What Was That?

"Change has come to America, but obviously not to the U.S. National Team"

Seriously, WTF was that on Saturday night? And no, I DON'T take much solace in the fact that the U.S. came back to tie it up and get the point on the road. That was the OLD U.S. team (or so I thought). The U.S. now beats the weak sisters on the road, wins the games at home, and qualifies by game 8, right? Maybe we all got a little overconfident.

That fact is, the U.S. was outplayed in large portions of that match, and several players sure as hell should have played themselves out of the starting lineup against T&T Wednesday night. Or have they?

"I wish our coach would start letting these guys know that their spots aren't sealed and delivered yet," in an email I received from a former U.S. and MLS player yesterday. "Bob has the tendency to get guys in the mode where they think the game is theirs to dictate...but every game, especially in CONCACAF, is different."

I totally agree. Here's some obervations from Saturday's games. The first several from the U.S. and then comments about the other games.

1. DaMarcus Beasley hasn't been in form in months, and was directly responsible for El Salvador's 2nd goal when he lost the ball deep in his own 3rd of the field. Loses the ball way too often. Speed does nothing when you can't make plays on either end of the field.

2. Brian Ching - You can talk about "workrate" all you want, John Harkes, but the fact is the guy didn't have a meaningful touch or even a positive ball on Saturday. Every ball was square or a back pass. There were 1 or 2 instances where he could have turned and run at somebody but didn't (couldn't?).

3. Clint Dempsey - One of my colleagues asked me during the game "When was the last time Dempsey had a dominant, or even a decent game for the U.S.? If you can think of one, let me know.

4. Danny Califf - Not good enough for the International game. Clumsy fouls, giveaways, and poor communication in the back lead me to believe he is not long for this squad. Speaking of squad members, can you seriously tell me Jimmy Conrad can't play at the CONCACAF level? How about Chad Marshall? What about Jay DeMerit?

5. Heath Pearce - He and Beasley were just abysmal. If Jonathan Spector can get healthy, I'd like to see him get a shot one of these days. And I might be out of the loop on this, but what happened to Jon Bornstein? Injuries, I know, but isn't he fit now? I thought he was our future left back less than a year ago?

6. Brad Guzan - Should have done something on that 2nd goal, son. Was shaky on crosses and directions all night, which is why the backline seemed confused at times, particularly on the 1st goal. Thank God Howard is back Wednesday!

7. What I'd like to see on Wednesday - Howard will obviously start, as well as Gooch in for Califf, so defensively, we'll be tight in the middle. I'd like Spector to get a shot on the left, and Hejduk was THE MAN Saturday night, so he stays on the right. I guess we have to go w/ Donovan, Dempsey, and Bradley (even though I saw little from them), but what about giving Torres a shot? He can play in the 1st division in Mexico but can't start for a U.S. team that has trouble holding the ball? Maybe Maurice Edu? Let Bob figure out the formation. One of the things Bruce Arena could do was get his BEST 11 players on the field and build the team's shape around that. And let's try Altidore up front. He wasn't great Saturday night, but his mere presence for El Salvador to stay on him, whch opened the game up for other players.

Will Bradley do this? Doubtful. It's not that I don't believe in him as a coach, but the guy is so stubborn when it comes to changes that he thinks maybe a lineup too young and inexperienced can't handle the pressure... H'mm, did the "veterans" look like they handled things Saturday night? You be the judge. You already know my verdict...

Other results...

Mexico looked REAL good Saturday night against Costa Rica, winning 2-0. For all the talk about how the Ticos weren't intimidated and were going to bring the game to El Tri, that came to a crashing thud when Mexico almost scored just 10 seconds into the match, and Costa Rica actually kicked off!!! Nice job without the play of Marquez, Dos Santos, or Castillo. They showed they have plenty of guns in the arsenal when they get focused. Sven's job is safe for now, but let's check back Thursday morning after the trip to Honduras.

Speaking of Honduras, they have to have mixed emotions after Saturday's game against T&T. They held a 1-0 lead going into the 88th minute, but gave up the equalizer to get 1 point instead of 3. Not a bad result on the road, though, although their backs are against the wall Wednesday as they host Mexico. A loss, and they're looking up at the rest of CONCACAF with a real tough road to get back in it. Yes, I know I said the U.S drawing Saturday on the road was bad, but in T&T, Honduras got a point they couldn't count on beforehand.

Let's look ahead to Wednesday...

Mexico at Honduras - Must win game for Honduras, whereas Mexico will be satisfied with a point. If they get it, they have the next 2 games against El Salvador and T&T, which they should win. That puts them in a great position for the 2nd half of the Hex.

Prediction - 1-1

El Salvador at Costa Rica - El Salvador has to be in limbo after Saturday. Sure, they got a point against arguably the best team in the region Saturday night, but had they shown a little composure, it would have been 3. The Ticos are looking to come back after a poor showing Saturday at Azteca. Playing at home, the better team wins, and I don't think it'll be that close.

Prediction 3-0 Costa Rica

T&T at U.S. - Lineup I'd LIKE to see: howard, Spector, Hejduk, Gooch, Boca, Donovan, Bradley, Dempsey, Edy, Torres, Altidore. We won't get anything like it, though, I'm sure. Still, the U.S. will win it at home, but it'll be close.

Prediction 2-1 U.S. - Dempsey gets a goal as does Gooch. T&T makes it interesting w/ a late goal.

Sorry, I had planned to do something on the Freedom, but too much going on w/ WCQ. I'll get something up later in the week about them. I thought yesterday's game between the Sol and the Freedom was well played, with several chances by both teams. Bottom line is that L.A. made their chances while Washington did not. That's just soccer, though...

See you Thursday with a review of the mid-week games.

WCQ: Round 2

What The Mexican Headlines Will Read If The Team Does Anything But Win Saturday Night

So I've got about 20 minutes to get this posted before getting back to my actual job. Of course, if my colleague Pat Walsh (formerly of goal.com)would stop calling me and taking up 30 minutes of my time... Who knows? Maybe he'll start writing some stuff on this blog as well?

Anyway, let's get to it. This weekend is the 2nd round of CONCACAF WCQ, and we've got a few interesting matchups to be played. Let's preview and predict each of the 3 games:

1. United States @ El Salvador - Let's put it this way; when the main guy for El Salvador is Eliseo Quintanilla, a guy who couldn't make it with DC United a few years back, you're probably not fielding a strong unit. Quintanilla is a good player but in no way can match up against Michael Bradley and our 2nd d-mid, probably Pablo Mastroeni. Personally, I think Sacha Kljestan should get the nod, as he brings more to the table offensively. I just think Bradley will play conservatively on the road (not always a bad move) and have the veteran in there. However, can Pablo keep his head out of his ass long enough to not get ejected from a big game? Because let's face it, you KNOW this game is going to get chippy from the start. The U.S. is better at pretty much every position, and El Salvador will probably foul early to try and get the U.S. out of rhythm. Unfortunately, I just don't trust Pablo anymore.

Up front, I would like to see Altidore (as would everyone on the soccer internet) but it will probably be Ching. The big target forward is Bob's M.O., and he does work well w/ Landon Donovan, who has had some big games against this team.

The defense will be Gooch and Boca in the middle, Heath Pearce at left back, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Hejduk on the right, again, Bob goes with experience on the road.


Midfield will be Bradley, Pablo, Donovan, Beasley, and Dempsey. No real worries there.

In goal will probably be Guzan, even though neither he or Hahnemann has played much recently for their clubs. If the defense does its job, then either GK shouldn't be too tested too much.


Prediction: Let's go 2-0 U.S., with goals by Bocanegra off a set piece and Bradley in the run of play, probably a long distance shot.

Bonus Prediction - over/under on the fouls? 33... over/under on the cards? 6 yellow and 1 red.


2. Costa Rica @Mexico - This is really a tough one to call. Costa Rica is the only team in the region to beat Mexico in Azteca. They are coming off an impressive 2-0 win against a solid Honduran team, and are arguably playing the best soccer in CONCACAF. The team doesn't have any truly "stud" players, but Head Coach Rodrigo Kenton has them focused and confident, a rarity for a team when it plays in the atmosphere of Mexico City.


Meanwhile, Mexico seems to be unraveling at the seams. Usual Team Captain Rafa Marquez is out due to suspension, which is bad enough, but in a recent article, he seemed to question the direction of where Mexican soccer is heading (no pun intended), although he fully supported his teammates in the interview. His leadership will be missed, as will the possibility of multiple starters out due to injury. Still, this is a team that, on paper, is better than Costa Rica and arguably the U.S. However, there seems to be something missing. Maybe it's Coach Sven- Goran Eriksson? He's not a favorite of the Mexican media, and the jury is still out on if the players will stand up and play for him when their backs are against the wall, which I think will happen sometime in tomorrow's game. Lose or draw, and i think a coaching change is made, even with a looming trip to Honduras on Wednesday. A win, maybe he'll last through game 3.


Prediction - 1-1. Mexico will score early in the game, but Costa Rica will find a way to even the score sometime in the 2nd half to get the all-important point on the road. The Mexican headlines on Sunday will practically write themselves.


3. Honduras @ Trinidad & Tobago - This is another tough call. I think this is the best Honduran team since the one that beat the U.S. at RFK in 2001, and had it not been for a complete collapse at home, would have qualified for 2002. They won't have their best player in David Suazo, out 4 months with a knee injury, so the team will probably have a very defensive look in Port-of-Spain Saturday night. Still, players like Amado Guevara, Carlos Pavon, and Wilson Palacios make this a really scary team that could sneak out a win.


T&T will be without the legendary Dwight Yorke, but let's be honest; has he really made that much of a difference recently? The team should be able to play a bit faster without him and will be more athletic, which can help a team going against better players (yes, I said Honduras has better players). Kenwyne Jones and the seemingly ageless Stern John should put plenty of pressure on the Honduran defense, which is the team's weak link. Plus, the Soca Warriors always play well at home.


Prediction - 2-2. I think this will be a wide open game from start to finish. Honduras will try to be patient to start, but I think their tendency to attack will eventually win out. Of the 3 games on Saturday, I think this will be the most entertaining.


So there you have it. I'll be back on Monday w/ a piece on the WPS, which starts this weekend as Washington heads to L.A. to play the Sol. I had a nice conversation w/ Freedom Head Coach Jim Gabarra yesterday, so I'll be sure to let you know what he thinks about the league, the season, and how the WPS differs from the WUSA.

Thanks for reading!

Loved and Hated

"I am Tom Soehn! Do not speak to me unless given permission to do so!"


Hope everybody had a good weekend. Between all of the college basketball, the start of MLS, and the hectic things going on in the EPL, I was a channel-flipping fool. And my wife loved every minute of it (sarcasm intended).

So here's what I LOVED about this weekend:

1. Seattle - Both the team and the crowd was outstanding. Maybe the best opening atmosphere since year 1 in MLS? The team played very well, and this Fredy Montero kid could be the real deal. Heck, I've even heard that this 21 year old Columbian international might not even last through his inaugural MLS season before a big Euro club tries to snag him. Also thought Kasey Keller played well and will be a vital leader on this team. I said this team would not resemble an expansion squad, and although it's only 1 game, you can't help but be impressed.

2. Chicago - Big 3 points on the road against rivals FC Dallas. Goals from Mapp, McBride, and Blanco are signs that this team might just be able to outscore most teams, much in the way DC United did in its first few seasons w/ Etcheverry, Moreno, and Diaz Arce. Again, only 1 game, but it's a pretty good start for a team which hadn't won in Dallas in 14 games.

3. Liverpool - Is there a team on the planet playing better soccer than these guys? They have absolutely demolished Manchester United and Aston Villa in consecutive weeks, scoring 9 goals against 2 of the top 5 teams in the EPL. They're 1 point behind United in the standings and are in amazing form right now. Chelsea are also playing well, but my nod goes to The Reds when they resume their rivalry in the Champions League 2 weeks from now.

4. Week 1 of March Madness - Sure, a couple of upsets (Western Kentucky, Arizona) in the first round, but mostly expected results. That didn't stop games from going to the wire, as the Marquette/Missouri, Gonzaga/Western Ky., and Florida St./Wisconsin games were all nail-biters. Most impressive opening week team was UConn., who beat both teams by more than 25 points. I still like Louisville and UNC in the Final, but won't be stunned if the Huskies as well as Memphis are in it either.

Here's what I HATED about this weekend:

1. New York Red Bulls - I know you were playing in hostile territory, guys, but did you really have to look scared? They were the ones who looked like an expansion team, right? And I have to share this comment from a friend:

"The Petke/Boynes/Cepero trio is the NY version of the Bermuda Triangle. Balls get sent in but only goals come out."


2. Manchester United - Getting crushed at home 4-1 to Liverpool was ugly, but they were due for a mulligan, and as I mentioned earlier, were playing the hottest team on the planet. But to follow that up by laying a 2-0 egg against Fulham is beyond terrible. Their lead in the EPL is now 1 point w/ a couple teams hot on their tail. With a Champions League showdown w/ Porto on the horizon, is it possible the team might be cracking under the strain of going for multiple titles in consecutive years?

3. The ACC - For a league that complained they didn't get ENOUGH teams in the tourney, only 3 of the 7 won their opening games, and then Maryland got blown out in the round of 32. Only Duke and UNC are left, so maybe next year's committee will take a harder look at this "power conference" and invite more of the mid-major teams to the Big Dance next year...


Bonus: MIXED opinion:

L.A./DC United - Not a bad game, not a great game. United started out well by going up 2-0 and got solid play from rookies Wallace and Pontius (although I think I could have scored a goal after watching Dema Kovalenko's defense on that play). Then the United players bump heads, bleed, and come out, forcing United to play w/ 9 for several minutes. The team seemed to come unglued after that, as the most lethal scorer in MLS, Landon Donovan, gets 2 goals in the final 10 minutes to get the point. Kudos to the Galaxy for not wilting; not sure what to say about Tom Soehn's indecisive action when he went down to 9 men. Of course, asking him about it will only incur his wrath as he continues to cement his reputation as one of the nastiest guys in the league.

That's all for now. Catch you later in the week!

CONCACAF Thursday

The Tailgaters In Seattle Are An Interesting Bunch

No filler today; let's get to it:

1. Puerto Rico knocks off Cruz Azul - Maybe I was wrong and the glass slipper isn't falling just yet. A 2-0 lead going into the return leg in Mexico isn't a sure thing (just ask Montreal), but damn if the Islanders aren't making believers out of even the most pessimistic people. And riddle me this, Batman; Nicholas Addlery has 3 goals for Puerto Rico in Champions League, but wasn't good enough to play for DC United or any other MLS team? Also, do you think Colin Clarke is having the last laugh after being fired by FC Dallas?

2. Vancouver goes to MLS; Is Portland far behind? - I'm hearing from multiple sources that the Timbers will be the 18th team in MLS after the Whitecaps announced their move earlier in the week. It's good for MLS as there's now essentially a "real" west coast part to the league. The Portland, Seattle, Vancouver USL rivalries will continue, throw a northern California team from San Jose into the mix, and these are all fairly easy road trips for visiting fans to attend. MLS fans are some of the most loyal in sports, and will follow their teams almost anywhere. A 6-8 hour road trip is nothing for them.

3. With all of the losses, what happens to USL1? - I have not talked to a single person of any authority in USL, so what I'm going to say is just something I wondered; is it possible to realistically see the USL1 and USL2 merge and become a single league again? The 2 teams furthest west are Austin and Minnesota, while Puerto Rico and Bermuda are the most challenging in terms of geography. Every other team is essentially in the eastern U.S. Sure, trips from Montreal to Miami and back are tough, but they're already doing it now. Maybe a few teams would have a travel issue budget-wise, but maybe it's not too far out of the realm of possibility? Again, let me try and talk to some people, and after they laugh in my face, I'll come back down to Earth. From my perspective, I think it'd be REAL interesting.

4. Match bans for key World Cup players -

a. Rafa Marquez is out for 2 games, home against Costa Rica and away vs. Honduras. That's a real tough loss, folks, even if Rafa has lost a step. He's still arguably the best defender in the region, and his leadership will be sorely missed. I think they'll get past Costa Rica, but I think an underestimated Honduran team can beat them, making them 1-2. I think Sven is not long for this team.

b. Dwight Yorke is banned for 4 matches. Any chance T&T had for qualifying is surely gone now. They're not a bad team without Yorke, but they've got to play the best 4 teams in the region during his absence, and they could realistically lose all 4. Even if they sneak out 3 or 4 points from their 2 home games, that would still leave them clearly behind the 8-ball going into the 2nd phase of the Hexagonal. I think the "magic number" of points to guarantee a spot in the top 3 is 15, and I don't see them getting it.

5. DC United - No Fred and no Quaranta to start the season. Moreno is a year older, as is Gomez, who basically didn't play the 2nd half of last season. The defenders, with the excpetion of Namoff, are young and had some major gaffs last year. Their most solid player is probably Clyde Simms, whose job isnt to score goals. All signs lead to this being a really tough year for United and its fans. I could see them finishing at the bottom of the East, but I've been wrong before.

6. MLS Preview - In all honesty, I don't really have one. Lots of changes in personnel in the offseason have left me not as familiar with some teams, but I will throw out a few random thoughts:

a. Seattle will be better than expected - Keller still has 2 or 3 years left in goal, and if Lungberg stays healthy, Seattle will be quite competitive. Plus, Sigi Schmidt is one of the most underestimated coaches in the history of U.S. Soccer. He'll have the team ready to play.

b. Columbus could repeat, but won't. They've got the talent, but there's something not quite right about them this year. It's not just the loss of Schmidt. Can't put my finger on it just yet.

c. MLS Champion will be... Heck, let's just go with Chicago. They've got tons of talent and are due for another Title.

Okay, that wraps up the week. Watching lots of basketball and eating bad food this weekend. See you all on Monday!

Thoughts on Tuesday

"Down Goes Klose! Down Goes Klose!"

Been away for a few days at a wedding in Florida, hence the lack of work on the site. Let's see:

90 degress and sunny all weekend? Check...

Open Bar at the rehearsal dinner and wedding Saturday? Check...

Prime Rib, Shrimp, Scallops, and other ridiculous food provided? Check...

Attractive Bridesmaids and other female guests? Check...

Watched Space Shuttle take off in the distance while waiting for my flight in Orlando? Check...
Yeah, that was pretty much the coolest thing I've ever seen!

As you can tell, it was a pretty darn good weekend. Now let's get ready for some futbol.

1. CONCACAF Semis - I think the glass slipper comes off for Puerto Rico, but I expect them to give a struggling Cruz Azul team a good 1st game at home. In the 2nd series, I like Atlante. I just feel like they're the more solid team from top to bottom.

2. Kenny Cutler Signs W/ USL2 Richmond - The Kickers' starting midfielders have all, at one time or another, played in MLS. See why I've got them winning the Title this year?

3. Bayern Munich Loses Miroslave Klose - Too bad they didn't give Landon Donovan a little more of an opportunity, huh? I forsee a quick Champions League exit for them, and really not having a chance to win the Bundesliga. Although Klinsmann HAS worked miracles before (German semifinal run in the '06 Cup)...

Non-soccer thoughts:

4. Memphis in the NCAA Tourney - Really? 3 Big East Teams as #1 seeds? Seriously? Memphis wipes the floor with everybody they're supposed to beat and you make them a 2 seed? At least it's in the weakest region. My Terps squeeze in, but even if they survive past Cal on Thursday, the Tigers will run them off the court now that they think they've been disrespected by the panel.

5. My Final Four - Louisville in the Midwest, Memphis in the West, Duke in the East, and Oklahoma in the South. Surprises will be Marquette, Florida State, and Utah.

6. Jay Cutler/Josh McDaniels Rift - How badly has McDaniels screwed up his first few weeks on the job? Your starting and very popular QB has asked for a trade, it's apparent the other players on the team support him, and the owner hasn't said anything publicly, preferring to let the 2 sides figure it out. Most importantly, how is this going to affect our fantasy draft in August?

Back on Thursday w/ MLS previews/predictions column and other assorted things...

This is how DC United fans feel after once again being faced with a stadium issue

1. DC United Stadium - Stadium? What stadium? According to Steve Goff and The Washington Post, there seems to be yet another problem with the propsal for DC's new site. You know, Kevin Payne and the rest of United can huff and puff, and threaten to move the team, but is anyone really taking them seriously? I doubt it. This is the most successful franchise in the history of MLS. How would it make the league look if the team were to pack its bags and move to another city? Not happening fans, so don't worry about that. Right now, worry about the injuries to 3 of your starters and the fact that this team doesn't seem to be nearly as talented as its predecessors. This is a team team that used to dazzle you with speed and skill; now it's a team that will play tough, blue-collar soccer. I don't know how well that's going to pan out.

2. The L.A./Beckham Saga - L.A. is trying to save face, as well as for the league. Beckham loves playing at such a high level in Italy and wants to stay there. The extended loan deal is simply putting a band-aid on a cut to an artery. From everything I've seen, when Beckham does came back in July, he'll play his heart out in L.A., because he's the consummate professional. But his heart won't exactly be in it. It won't be apparent on the field, but possibly in the locker room. How will his teammates react? Landon Donovan gave Becks the Captaincy shortly after he first arrived, but will Landon keep it this time not knowing how long Becks is around this time?

3. Richmond Kickers - We're still a month away from the start of the USL 2 season, but Richmond just has to be the favorite going into the season. Most starters from last year's playoff team are returning, and they've added former Kickers players Joey Worthen and Matthew Delicate to the mix. Also heard another signing or 2 is in the works. All signs point to Richmond hosting the Championship game in late August (man, the coaches are REALLY going to love me for posting this...) Also hearing that Wilmington should field a pretty strong team this year as well.

4. Champions League Tuesday - Any doubts about the dominance of the EPL after Liverpool destroys Real Madrid and Chelsea eliminates Juventus? I think Man U slips by an Inter side that should have lost at home 2 weeks ago, and we could well be on the way for another All-England Finale in May.

5. Washington Capitals - How is it that the team loses 4 straight at home but comes back to win on the road against Nashville after falling behind so early? Maybe home-ice advantage isn't such a big deal for this team? Nice rally, though, last night when they could have easily folded up shop by giving up such an early goal.

I'll try to get another post in tomorrow before heading to Florida for the weekend. Vegas 2 weeks ago and now Florida. Jealous? :)

Monday Musings...

Just some thoughts about this past weekend's various events:

1. DC United gets blown out by RSL 3-0. The scoreline of a preseason game isn't really that much of a deal, but injuries to Fred, Quaranta, and your starting GK Crayton does not bode well for a team that I think looks shaky from the get-go. This team simply cannot afford a horrendous start. It's not like it was in years past when you could get on a hot streak, win your last 4 games, and get into the playoffs. W/ 15 teams now in the League, you can't risk that anymore. Besides, how much patience will the new owners have for the current group of coaches and front office staff?

2. Maryland Basketball - The women put on a great performance and earn a #1 seed in the NCAA tourney, while the men can pretty much start trying to get that home game for the 1st round of the NIT. I believe it was at least 4 games this year the Terps had a double-digit lead in the 2nd half and lost? Inexcusable. I thought the team might rally around Gary Williams after the scathing article about him and the Maryland program written in The Washington Post, but that appeared to last about a week. Not sure where this team goes from here. Can you fire a coach w/ that much money left on his contract? And who would you bring in? There aren't a lot of well-known coaches around these days with too much time on their hands...

3. USL - After my article praising the success of USL, Montreal plays valiantly but falls to Santos Laguna (5-4) in the overall aggregate of the CONCACAF quarterfinals. The Impact should still hold their heads up high for going into such a tough atmosphere and playing so well (something, again, even MLS teams haven't been able to do).

4. T.O. to Buffalo - A team desperate for support from its fans signs the ultimate "it's all about me" guy. Sure, he'll fit right in with the hard-working, blue-collar people of northern New York. He'll stand out in the crowd as much as Kim Jong-Ill does when he goes out (above, but picture T.O. in his place).

5. Chris Brown/Rihanna - I'll be honest; I don't care for any of their music. And no, I'm not going to make any jokes, as domestic abuse isn't funny... But you have to wonder about Rihanna's father saying that he'll support his daughter's choice to stay w/ Brown, win or lose. Hey genius, you do realize that if she "loses," that means she's dead, right? Do you get the picture? Apparently not.

6. H'mmm - Anybody watching the World Baseball Classic? Nah, me neither...

USL Success Isn't Much Of A Surprise

So how many of you had Puerto Rico going to the Semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions League? How many had them even getting out of the initial group stage? Or how about Montreal, who later this evening will take a 2-goal 1st leg lead into the cauldron that is Mexico to take on Santos Laguna? Unless you're working for the USL or a devoted fan of these teams, you didn't; you probably would have had the same expression as our boy Culkin up top.

"We're excited, but not surprised," USL Vice President Tim Holt told me earlier today. "Our teams have gotten better and more stable over the past few years, the chemistry has increased, and I we've established more credibility as a league." (side note: I called Tim around 8 this morning, and the guy calls me, just a lowly blogger, back within the hour. Ya' gotta LOVE that!)

Although he wouldn't comment on the fact that both USL teams have done better in the tournament than any of the MLS squads, DC Examiner's Craig Stouffer certainly did.

"People diss USL all the time, and I really don't think that's fair," he said. "When it comes down to a home-and-away series, anything is possible. The gap isn't as much as some people think."

He's right. One of the top soccer journalists in this country, whom I have the utmost respect for, continues to refer to USL 1 as a 2nd-tier league. Is there really such a difference between MLS and USL 1? There is, but not as much as you'd think.

It's become an age-old argument (age-old meaning the past 13 years since MLS began) about how USL teams would do week in and week out against MLS squads. It's easy to speculate but impossible to know for sure. USL 1 teams routinely beat MLS teams in the U.S. Open Cup, but that's a 1-game playoff. A USL team hasn't won the Cup since Rochester in 1999, but several teams have come close since then. Plus, they play most of those final games on the road, where MLS does have a major advantage.

But what if last year's Final was played in Charleston instead of RFK? What if MLS teams routinely had to play in feisty places like Vancouver or Montreal on a regular basis?

"The home-field advantage is greater in the USL than some people think," said Richmond Kickers Head Coach Leigh Cowlishaw. "Montreal and Puerto Rico are really difficult places to play, and both organizations have taken advantage of it."

Plus, most people don't seem to realize that USL teams play more meaningful games for longer periods of time. The structure is similar to MLS (8 teams make it to the MLS playoffs while 7 make it in USL), but the team that finishes 1st in the USL regular season gets an automatic bye into the semifinals. You can work your butts off all year in MLS to win the Supporter's Shield, but you're still going to be in a home-and-away series in the 1st round. Upsets in the 1st round happen every year.

Want more proof of the USL strength? How about the fact that neither Montreal or Puerto Rico won the USL title last year; that went to Vancouver.

I could go on and on, but the point I'm trying to make is that there is some fine soccer on display throughout CONCACAF, and the USL 1 is certainly proving that they belong in there with the supposed "bigger" leagues.

Even if they don't win the whole thing, the USL, the teams, and most importantly, the fans, should recognize the accomplishments of the Impact and Islanders in the ever-changing soccer landscape.

A Quick Tangent:

As a follow-up to my post yesterday about the Redskins, if they even THINK about signing Terrell Owens, I'll be done w/ them. I'm still trying to figure out why so many sportswriters think he's a 1st ballot Hall-of-Famer when the guy has never won ANYTHING? These same writers are debating Kurt Warner's place, even though he's been to 3 Super Bowls, could easily be 3-0 in them instead of 1-2, and has won the MVP Award twice. If someone can explain the thinking on this one, I'd appreciate it.

Another Spending Spree

New posts 2 days in a row! Told you I'd be back more frequently.

After my long rambling Vegas story yesterday, I thought I'd get to some sports, specifically the NFL, and more specifically, the Washington Redskins.

I admit I have been a fan of the team for close to 30 years, primarily because my favorite team, the Baltimore Colts, made like the Mayflower moving company and took off for Indianapolis in the middle of the night. In those days, the only games you got were the local team, so it was the Redskins or nothing for me (for the record, I have forgiven the Colts for leaving and they became my favorite team again after just a few years).

Being a Redskins fan has had its ups and down over the years, from the success of Joe Gibbs version 1.0 until 1991, and then with the utter and complete debacle of a once-storied franchise since then. And don't tell me about the 3 times they've made the playoffs since 1999. The 1999 team was good, but not great, and the 2 teams from the Gibbs 2.0 era barely crept into the playoffs and simply weren't that good.

Most of the people critical of the Redskins blame owner Dan Snyder and GM/President/Residential Asshat Vinny Cerrato for the mess, and I won't disagree a bit. I won't go into a long diatribe about those two because everything has already been said; Snyder is the kid who got picked last in gym class and is having his revenge by owning his favorite football team and hiring all the guys who beat him up in school to work at his concession stands, and Cerrato has a proven history of incompetence, but because he lets Snyder beat him at raquetball, he gets to stick around.

If you look at the teams who have won continuosly over the past decade, Pittsburgh, New england, Indianapolis, and Philadelphia, you'll notice they all have 1 thing in common; they drafted well. Sure, they signed 1 or 2 impact free agents, but for the most part, it's been their ability to utilize the draft from rounds 4-7 that has been the key to their success.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the guys you take in rounds 1-3 should be starters by year 2 or 3 (even though the odds are that 1 of them will be a bust), but the role players, special teamers, and depth comes from those later rounds. When was the last time the Redskins drafted somebody who could contribute (yes, I will give you Chris Horton, but answer this; if Sean Taylor hadn't been murdered, would Vinny have drafted Horton)?

Exactly. Heck, when was the last time they drafted somebody who had an impact in rounds 1-3? Hard to answer because they've traded so many players away. The 3 2nd rounders were all busts this year, and 3rd rounder Chad Rhinehart didn't even step on the field. Carlos Rodgers came back well from a bad knee injury, but faded down the stretch and still bites on double moves, while Jason Campbell, well, the jury is still out on him, isn't it? LaRon Landry has been good, but not great; you can't fault them, obviously, for the death of Taylor, but Rocky McIntosh can't stay healthy, and I can't name you another starter on the team from the early rounds. Instead, we have this list of players Vinny and Dan have broken the bank for or traded draft picks for:

Deion Sanders
Bruce Smith
Jeff George
Durant Brooks
Rian Plackemeir
Derrick Frost
Mark Carrier
Adam Archuletta
Refusing to pay Antonio Pierce
TJ Duckett (3rd round pick)
Brandon Lloyd
Taylor Jacobs
Jeremiah Trotter
Jesse Armstead
John Hall
Fred "Alarmclock" Davis
Jason Taylor
Patrick Ramsey
Jacquez Green
Chris Doering
Riddell Anthony
Trung Canidate

Trading Bailey AND a pick
Rookie WRs who don't run routes or catch (credit to firecerrato.com for this list)

What about Ryan Clark? They let him go because he wanted a couple of hundred thousand dollars more than what you were willing to spend because you would rather have Archuletta. Last time I looked, Arculetta was banging a former Playboy model while Clark was winning a Super Bowl ring w/ Pittsburgh (okay, for Archulleta, that's probably a wash). But you get my drift...

Anyway, the point of this whole thing is to try and analyze the latest batch of free agent signings and what type of impact they'll have on the team. Let me answer you right now; they will have little to no bearing at all. Haynesworth will be pretty good, but not great. He was playing for a big contract this year, and he got his money, guaranteed. Does Dana Stubblefield ring a bell? Besides, with no legitimate pass rushing DE (I'm looking at YOU Andre Carter), teams will be able to effectively double and triple-team Haynesworth and make him a non-factor.

DeAngelo Hall as your new $54 million cornerback? The guy got cut halfway through his first year in Oakland...let me repeat that, OAKLAND!!!!!! A team in more dire straights than the Redskins over the past several years, right? Again, playing for a big contract year, and he got it. But the guy's got a lot of people skeptical about whether or not he can stay out of trouble. Maybe not PacMan Jones trouble, but bad things nonetheless.

Derrick Dockery. This is actually one signing I can almost get on board with, although I still think they signed him for more than he's worth, which is what the Redskins always do. Dockery is still pretty young and has a few good years left in him, which is more than you can say for the rest of the 'Skins O-line. They'll be applying for Social Security before you know it... Anyway, Dockery is a good but not great lineman who seemed to like playing here until the Redskins actually wouldn't pay him an exorbitant salary to stay. That was a surprise, huh?

As for the draft, they've got a #1 pick (the 13th) and a 3rd rounder. The 2nd is gone in the Jason Taylor debacle. I'll get to what I think (hope) they should do as we get closer to.

Maybe i didn't add anything original to what's already been said, but as I was in Vegas last week and heard about the signings from my friends, these are the thoughts I formulated on the plane trip back. Let me know what you think...

Look Who's Back!

Wow, so I'm back, after more than 2 years of being dormant! Didja' miss me?

I originally started this blog to correlate to the 2006 World Cup, where I provided daily updates about the tournament and my take on the day's games. I really wanted to keep it going, but just couldn't do it on a daily basis. Frankly, I got bored and a little burned out, not to mention the numerous other projects going on at the same time. In addition to my real job w/ the Government, I still hosted and produced my weekly tv show "This Week In Soccer" as well as acting as the Head of Public Relations for the USL's FC Fredericksburg Gunners. Kind of a lot, huh?

The tv show is no longer around, since the station itself shut down, and I've stepped down from my position at the Gunners. I wish them well and will continue to support the organization.

All of that boring stuff said, I'm going to try and post here 3 or 4 times a week. I'll talk about soccer, but also other sports, life, and generally vent about things that piss me off. So, I hope you find this stuff entertaining, but from a personal standpoint, I hope it's theraputic.

Okay, onto something (hopefully) interesting:

I just got back from Vegas. And yes, my wife Kim and I got our asses kicked big-time by the big ol' nasty casinos. We hemorraged money the first few days, but recovered enough to break even the last few. A great trip overall, probably the most fun I've had in the past few years (we try to go every 6 months).

Why was this trip better, you ask? Well, for starters, we stayed at the off-Strip property at The Orleans. Our first time away from the glitz and glam of the Strip...yeah, right! Basically we got tired of hanging out w/ a bunch of young assholes spending Mommy and Daddy's money, trying to look cool, hip, and wasted. We're no longer cool and hip, but we both got wasted several times, so we had that goin' for us.

Anyway, the gambling, the shopping, and the food on the Strip has become so bad that we actually considered going elsewhere for our vacations, because it just hasn't been as much fun. The place was more about seeing and being seen, waiting 2 hours to try and get into the ultracool new lounges, and basically acting like an ass.

Several of my friends over at The Las Vegas Advisor (lasvegasadvisor.com) told us to try staying off Strip and gambling at the locals places and eating at some of the locals restaurants.

Long story short, we got a $24 per night room rate at this 3-star hotel, had some great and fairly inexpensive food (save for the dinner at Ruth's Chris), struggled early with the gambling but caught up a bit as the week went on, and went to a ton of locals casinos where they actually treat you as a customer instead of some jackass to rob blind, as they now do on the Strip.

There was only bad note.

Since we were staying at a New Orleans themed hotel actually CALLED The Orleans, we figured their Mardi Gras (i.e. Fat Tuesday) party would kick ass. Disappointing is probably the nicest thing I could say.

Around 5 o'clock, a 5-piece dixieland band walked around the hotel and a couple of glammed up females in next-to-no clothing walked around passing out t-shirts, but ONLY to people who were gambling at the time. If you were watching the band or standing around, you got nada, zilch. I saw several people ask the blond girl giving them out for one, and she rudely said "you have to be playing...so sorry!" A couple of people looked like they wanted to punch her in the face. I never condone violence against women, but this girl, sporting a mammoth "lower back tattoo that's going to look so good when I'm 60," thing, looked like they literally got her straight out of a dumpster and promised her a free drink if she did 10 minutes of work. I just walked away. Mind you, it was just a t-shirt, so for me it was no big deal. However, have you ever been to a sporting event where they shoot those stupid-ass 75-cents to make shirts into the crowd? You'd think it was friggin' water from the Fountain of Youth the way people fight over them, and yes, I have ACTUALLY seen people fight over them!

So that was it for the party.

Saw some pretty drunk people that night, though, as apparently many wanted to make their own Mardi Gras party. The picture above looked like one of many I saw that night. But that's okay, we had a great time and can't wait to go back in July.

Later in the week I'll get to posting some hopefully interesting stuff, like sports...of course, there is no guarantee of that.

Thanks for reading!