Waynespotting, You Know?

A couple of weeks back, an excerpt from an interview with Wayne Rooney was included on BBC Radio Five Live's Daily Mayo podcast. During the brief 3 min 36 sec clip, he said "you know" and "em" an impressive 36 and 37 times, repectively. Combining the tallies for both crutches, he uttered an average of 20 crutches per minute, or one every three seconds.

I've seen Rooney interviewed numerous times, so I knew he used these crutches a lot when speaking. Truly, pro athletes have a long pedigree of using these time-honored little verbal helpers. I remember watching Dennis Johnson, the erstwhile Boston Celtics guard, make mincemeat out of the language by appending "or so" to the ends of sentences that didn't need its assistance (e.g., "We played our game tonight, and that's why we won, or so.") However, with his torrent of superfluous words, Rooney speaks so choppily that I really think he should have a media consultant. Maybe his stacatto approach to the language will smooth itself out as he matures, but maybe it won't. It doesn't seem right that the most gifted English player should present himself so poorly.

If someone close to Wayne is reading this (ha ha), please get the people in his life togther for some sort of "intervention," like those done with substance abusers. Maybe Coleen could set up a pre-season night out on the town as a ruse. I'll let her sort out the details. I've done my part.

someone with a little too much free time...

...has made the Zidane headbutting video game.

Go knock yourself (and Materazzi) out.

Germany 2006: Superlatives

My contribution to the parade of post-tournament World Cup lists...

Best game

Argentina 2-1 Mexico (Round of 16)

This one had non-stop action in the second, as both teams desparately tried to score. It looked like Mexico could pull of the upset until Maxi Rodriguez brilliant volley (and goal of the tournament) toward the end of the first extra period.

Honorable Mention: Australia 3-1 Japan

Worst game

France 0-0 Switzerland

Zzzzzzzzzzzz.

Honorable Mention: England 1-0 Paraguay. After the own goal in the 3rd minute, it was time to have a nap.

Best player

Fabio Cannavaro (Italy)

Italy's best defender was nearly perfect throughout the month.

Honorable Mention: Gianluigi Buffon (Italy)

Take a look where he winds up after the Serie A scandal leaves Juventus in shambles.

Best goal

Maxi Rodriguez's game-winning volley against Mexico

An incredible once in a career moment, and in crunch time, to boot.

Honorable Mention: Joe Cole's volley from chest against Sweden. A very close second.

Saddest moment

Zinedine Zidane's head butt and red card against Italy

This really was a tragic end to the career of one of the all-time great footballers. Rather than going out with dignity, something drove Zizou to a shocking assault on Marco Materazzi. Whether or not we learn what was being said between the two right before the foul, it was a shame to end such a brilliant career in such ignominy. I have a feeling that this single mindless act will be the moment of the tournament that is remembered most in the coming years. He will regret this for the rest of life.

Honorable Mention: Michael Owen crawling off the pitch on all fours in the first minute of the Sweden game.

Biggest disappointment

Frank Lampard
He was a mere shadow of his own club form for Chelsea.

Honorable Mention: (tie) Thierry Henry's dive against Spain leading to a Zidane penalty kick; Luis Figo's head-butt on the Netherland's Mark van Bommel. I love these two players, but it was hard to accept these unfortunate acts.

Most underrated team

France

Never given a chance to go as far as they did. If you predicted they would win before the games started, you're either lying or on crack. Allez les vieux.

Most overrated team

Brazil

They're arrogance has been reoportedly a major factor, especially when it comes to their paleolithic training schedule. They were definitely not the fittest side and Ronaldinho did nothing, despite being hyped endlessly around the world before June 9.

Honorable Mention: USA. Also failed to meet expectation, suggestion that 2002 was a fluke: that's two out of three tournaments of failing to get out the group stage.

Best World Cup website

BBC Sport

Like everything the BBC does, their football coverage is second to none. The World Cup website's columnists, live match coverage, cool virtual replays, and complete team info made it the best of a crowded group.

Honorable Mention: Official Site of the FIFA World Cup

Best World Cup podcast

Baddidel and Skinner's World Cup Podcast

Hilarious and fun. Frank Skinner's wacky references and banjo tunes combined with the dry wit of David Baddiel made this a real highlight of the past 30 days.

Best US broadcasting team

JP Dellacamera and John Harkes

Knowledgeable and understated, Dellacamera is as good as American football commentary gets. And John Harkes was an excellent color man, who never spoke just to hear his own voice.

Worst US broadcating team

Dave O'Brien and Marcelo Balboa

I actually feel sorry for O'Brien, because he worked so hard to prepare himself for the assignment. But as he showed, doing a crash course is not the way to prepare to broadcast the world's top sporting event. It's been said that to really be a master of something, you need to learn everything, then forget it. (Not literally, but that way you show a true knowledge.) O'Brien's problem was constantly not allowing himself to forget what he'd learned in his five month cram session. I will admit that the trivia lessened over time, but there was still the fish out of water vibe of an Olympic luge announcer. And his baseball announcer's cadence really was unsuited for the game.

Balboa was everything John Harkes was not, filling every free moment with a not terribly insightful insight.

Best US World Cup program

Ticket to Germany, Fox Soccer Channel

Max Bretos and company did a fine job giving match reviews and previews. Three guys who love the game.

Best British World Cup progam available on Comcast cable

Sky Sports News (on Fox Soccer Channel)

Despite being a Rupert Murdoch channel, Sky Sports does an excellent job covering football with good presenters, lots of player and manager interviews, and expert analysis. It gave a level of coverage unseen on US television. I can't imagine life without it!

Most flagrant foul

Zidane's headbutt

See above.

Honorable Mention: Luis Figo's headbutt; Daniele De Rossi's elbow to Brian McBride

Worst refereeing decision

Graham Poll's yellow card trifecta

Can there be any serious competition?

Most uninspired TV ad based on a good premise

The ubiquitous Adidas José + 10 campaign

The idea was solid, but the ads themselves were pretty shallow. Too much MTV-style fast editing. Not enough time with the individual players. Including Beckenbauer and Platini part was cool, but it really seemed like much ado about nothing in the way they merely walked in and weren't really seen again. Guess I'm spoiled by the amazing Nike "Secret Tournament" ads in 2002.

Honorable Mention: Nike's Joga Bonito spots. The individual ads themselves were unique and quirky, but we only got to see about 2-3 different ones in the US (the Brazil and US teams).

Worst hair

Loco (Angola)

Ridiculous.

Best kit

(tie) England home; Germany home

Both are simple and tasteful, light shirts with dark shorts. Classic.

Honorable Mention: Portugal home. Cool maroon color.

Worst kit

(tie) Croatia home; Ecuador home

Croatia for its ever-hideous red and white checks; Ecuador for its if-one-loud-color-makes-a statement-then-three-of-them-must-make-an-even-better-statement fiasco.

England Flag Controversies

With the USA up to its armpits in the Stars and Stripes this time of year, it makes sense to do a quick post on the issues surrounding the sudden explosion of St. George's Crosses (the flag, not this blog, dumb ass!) blanketing Blighty.

Traditionally, England supporters have waved the Union Jack to show where their loyalities rest. And as I understand it, St. George's Cross (SGC) has a history as something of an symbol of the extreme right, especially the British National Party. However, during the 1990s, the SGC flag has come to be associated with the England national football team. The flag has been flown throughout England during this World Cup, yet its history as a banner for ultra-conservatives brings controversy.

Here are just a few stories that the BBC has reported on recently:

No 10 Downing Street is to fly the England flag on World Cup match days. (This offended other British nations, especially the Scottish.)

An 11-year-old football fan has been allowed to fly an England flag from his bedroom in south Wales after initially being told to take it down. (Apparently it violated the rules of his estate.)

A fire service has banned crews from flying England flags during the World Cup because it is afraid they could offend other nationalities. (Sounds like the Confederate battle flag, doesn't it?)

A school has lifted a ban on pupils carrying England flags during this summer's World Cup after the policy "upset" the children.

A schoolboy is returning to his school in Kent after being banned for refusing to remove a stencilled red and white St George's flag from his hair.

Interesting how a piece of cloth can have such power. I hope the flag continues to be used for football (I fly one myself!) and not for nationalism and bigotry. I dont want to have to change the name of this blog!

Controversy and the St. George's Cross

With the USA up to its armpits in the Stars and Stripes this time of year, it makes sense to do a quick post on the issues surrounding the sudden explosion of St. George's Crosses (the flag, not this blog, dumb ass!) blanketing Blighty.

Traditionally, England supporters have waved the Union Jack to show where their loyalities rest. And as I understand it, St. George's Cross (SGC) has a history as something of an symbol of the extreme right, especially the British National Party. However, during the 1990s, the SGC flag has come to be associated with the England national football team. The flag has been flown throughout England during this World Cup, yet its history as a banner for ultra-conservatives brings controversy.

Here are just a few stories that the BBC has reported on recently:

No 10 Downing Street is to fly the England flag on World Cup match days. (This offended other British nations, especially the Scottish.)

An 11-year-old football fan has been allowed to fly an England flag from his bedroom in south Wales after initially being told to take it down. (Apparently it violated the rules of his estate.)

A fire service has banned crews from flying England flags during the World Cup because it is afraid they could offend other nationalities. (Sounds like the Confederate battle flag, doesn't it?)

A school has lifted a ban on pupils carrying England flags during this summer's World Cup after the policy "upset" the children.

Interesting how a piece of cloth can have such power. I hope the flag continues to be used for football (I fly one myself!) and not for nationalism and bigotry. I dont want to have to change the name of this blog!

France in the World Cup Final? Incroyable!

France has made it to the 2006 World Cup final.

In the wake of France's unimpressive first group match three-and-a-half weeks ago, anyone making the above statement would have seemed delusional at best. Well, the crazies were right: this Sunday, les Bleus meet the Azzurri in Berlin.

After the France's draw against South Korea, I wrote on this blog that I was happy to have seen what was very possibly Zinedine Zidane's final game. I never thought we'd be watching arguably (is it even arguable?) the greatest player of his generation going for his second trophy in three tournaments. And that's precisely why the World Cup is the greatest of all sports tournaments: It's long enough to allow teams to develop, improve, and establish momentum that — for the great sides — can be nearly unstoppable. We've all seen that with France, Italy, and Germany in this tournament. And with some Zizou magic, France's momentum will be unstoppable on Sunday.

Allez les Bleus!

Cristiano Swan-aldo Getting His

I'm not sure who's doing it, but every time Ronaldo touches the ball in the France-Portugal semi-final, he is booed lustily. I suspect it's England fans, but maybe it's the French. He can't possibly return to Man Utd now, despite his and Sir Alex's statements to the contrary.

Mundial Musings, Vol. 2

Some more thoughts about the 2006 World Cup, in the hours before the France-Portugal semi-final.

Much was made about the joy with which the Brazilians play the game. About their "samba" futebol. One question: How did that work out for them? Is it possible that all the little tricks they do in the non-stop "Joga Bonito" ads are just the result of having too much spare time?

At the outset of the tournament, how many pundits actually gave Italy (too distracted by scandal), Germany (too young), or France (too old), a real shot at making the semis? Is this an indictment on the state of punditry in football? Note to self: Never write-off the major footballing nations in big tournaments.

The Baddiel and Skinner World Cup Podcasts have been a real highlight of the WC for me. They've been hilariously entertaining, and I wish they could continue them indefinitely. Example: In their July 4 podcast, they suggested that Steve McClaren use Peter Crouch in the last 20 minutes of games for his "shock" value, including having him emerge from behind a curtain on the touchline.

My goals of the tournament: 1) Maxi Rodriguez's volley against Mexico, 2) Joe Cole's chested volley against Sweden, 3)Torsten Frings long-range missile against Costa Rica, and 4) Esteban Cambiasso's tap-in from a Hernan Crespo backheel against Serbia & Montenegro.

It's a wonder England can ever play well given the barrage of negativity they face from the print and electronic media.

As well as they had played earlier in the tournament, it was a delight to see Spain and their racist manager and fans go out sooner than expected.

Would a team of 11 fit Jan Möllers be unstoppable? Just wondering. What about 11 Peter Crouches?

With a fully fit Michael Owen playing with a fit Wayne Rooney, England would have at least made the semi-finals

Speaking of Rooney, I don't think he purposely "stomped" on Ricardo Carvalho nether regions. Firstly, he didn't "stomp" his foot. And secondly, repeated viewings of the replay pretty clearly indicate accidental meeting of metatarsal and manhood.

With David Beckham stepping down as England captain, thoughts have turned to his rightful successor. John Terry seems the frontrunner, with Steven Gerrard in second. But why not Gary Neville? He's got longevity and is a class player. In his post-Portugal press conference, he was candid, proud, and strong, all traits you'd want in a leader. One thing that most impressed me was when he said he would never retire from international football, as he doesn't think it's his right to make that choice. He said that he would never turn down his country if they needed him. He also said that giving a 100% effort in a match is not particularly impressive, as 100% should be expected of everyone by default. What better example to set for the young players? Gary Neville for captain.

Taking in the Action at The Field

Having found the Bad Abbots crowd to be shockingly dead this World Cup, my wife and I decided to take in the quarter-finals at The Phoenix Landing on Mass Ave in Central Square. I knew it would be crowded, so we made sure to get there early — 10:00 for an 11:00 kick-off.

As we approached, we saw loads of England fans in their England gear standing outside, so I figured they were waiting for the place to open. Then I saw the sign on the door: "We are at capacity. Please go to The Field." We couldn't believe it! How the hell early did we have to get there?!

Dutifully, we headed to The Field, which is right down around the corner on Prospect Street. The crowd was extremely small when we got there at about 10:10, so I was pretty bummed. But as the kick-off approached, the England people started pouring in, and it was a great crowd. There were people singing songs for England and the crowd's reactions to the play on the pitch were pretty exciting. I'd highly recommend The Field to football fans looking to check out England games in the future.

Here are some snaps from the pub; click any photo to enlarge it:


People sitting along the window sill.


Aerial view of the crowd.


The crowd reacts to a missed penalty by Portugal.

England 1-3 Portugal: Same Old Song and Dance

Massive disappointment is the special of the day. When it became clear that this was going into penalties, did we ever have any doubt about the result? It would have been brilliant had they done the unthinkable, but penalty shootouts ain't for the English.

Sadly, they played probably their finest football of the World Cup. Owen Hargreaves made quite a statement to his naysayers (taking Man of the Match honors). The defense played extremely well throughout. Aaron Lennon showed some exciting moves in his brief time on the pitch. But 'twas for nought, wasn't it?

I can't comment on the red card as I haven't seen the replay enough times, but I don't think His Petulance can be blamed for this loss. Though the avuncular Sven-Goran Eriksson seems like a very nice man, he probably is partly to blame for not getting his players to really believe in themselves. He wasn't taking the penalties himself, but except for Hargreaves, none of them looked like banging one in when it counted. That's got to be partly down to the manager.

Will Steve McClaren do any better? A couple of weeks ago, a Middlesbrough supporter called in to 606 and was extremely negative about Sven's assistant. He basically said that England is doomed with Steve at the helm. I am willing to give him a chance before writing him off.

You Call It Football, I Call It ποδόσφαιρο

This morning, I thought I would put together a list of the words different countries use for football, at no added charge.

Listed below, in order of the most commonly used words, are the 32 countries competing in the 2006 World Cup. I don't know what word Iran uses, and if there are glaring errors, please leave a comment!

football (6; called le football or le foot in CIV, FRA, & TOG)
Côte d'Ivoire, England, France, Ghana, Togo, Trinidad & Tobago

fútbol (6)
Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Spain

futebol (3)
Angola, Brazil, Portugal

soccer (2)
Australia, USA

Fußball (2)
Germany, Switzerland

kurat al qadam (2)
Saudi Arabia, Tunisia

nogomet (1)
Croatia

fotbal (1)
Czech Republic

Iran ???

calcio (1)
Italy

sakka (サッカー) (1)
Japan

voetbal (1)
Netherlands

piłka nożna (1)
Poland

fudbalski (1)
Serbia and Montenegro

chook gu (축구) (1)
South Korea

fotboll (1)
Sweden

футболу (1)
Ukraine

Winning Games, Not Style Points, Is the Goal

Not surprisingly, the England team just want the results to go their way. Here's a snippet from the BBC.

Rio Ferdinand is happy to win the World Cup any way he can - style does not get the vote over substance.

And he even used former Arsenal striker Alan Smith, covering the tournament in Germany for a national newspaper, to make his point.

Asked about whether he would like to win in style, Rio pointed at Smith and said: "Ask him. Boring, Boring Arsenal."

[Rio happy to win ugly at World Cup]

At least the players aren't buying the press's drivel.

The Global Reach of This Blog (Not)

So maybe the journos are finally reading the keen insights detailed within this blog. What other possible explanation is there for today's column the Guardian "England hurt the eyes but the bottom line is all that matters?" Clearly, Richard Williams is finally reading me! (Yes, I know, I know. But please don't begrudge me this one flight of fancy.)

Notes from the Portuguese Press

Today in the Portuguese newspaper, O Primeiro de Janeiro, 55% of respondents in an online poll pick Portugal to win the World Cup. Also in O Primeiro de Janeiro, Deco says he's not sure if he'd "pay to watch England play." Well, you don't have to buddy; enjoy your seat on the sideline.

Regarding Henry, France Shoves Spain Aside, 3-1

Another World Cup, another heartbreaking exit for Spain. With the luck of the easiest group draw of the Cup, their qualification for the second round was never in doubt. Of course, they did carry a ton of baggage when they took the pitch against the Ukraine to start their tournament. After the 4-0 drubbing, the baggage was thought to a little lighter. The wunderkinds, Torres and Villa. The veteran stalwarts in Raul and Puyol. A young but experienced keeper in Casillas. Maybe this was finally Spain's year was a refrain heard from Madrid to Milwaukee.

Then they lost again.

In the time it took Thierry Henry to feign being elbowed in the face, the early success against the Ukraine was merely a memory, one that would make today's loss all the more difficult. And make no mistake, Henry did dive. The replay clearly shows him taking an elbow to the chest, yet he collapsed in a heap, hands on face. Luis Aragones must be loving the fact that the man he once called a "black shit" found a way to exact the ultimate revenge. It's poetry.

Ribery's Goal Celebration

After he netted the equalizer for France, Franck Ribery did the standard run-to-the-touchline scamper. But instead of stopping and waiting for his team mates to jump on him, he ran along the line and when he reached the coaches and substitutes area, he jumped on top of them. A rather inspired twist on an old standby.

Return to Form for Ronaldo

Based on what I saw if him today, Ronaldo seems to be turning the corner, and that should be cause for alarm for future opponents. His goal in the fifth minute was brilliant, and that show of skill was completely absent in his first two games. Yikes. This wasn't supposed to happen.

Obviously He's Not Reading the Local Press

In today's New York Times, Jere Longman writes:

Beckham....became ill and vomited on the field in the second half....his brilliant goal and general hustle will surely provide a reprieve from criticism that he has played aimlessly on the right wing [my emphasis].

We already know that's not going to happen!

Lucky Luis, the Lisbon Lunatic

Apparently Luis Figo won't be disciplined any further for the headbutt he gave Mark van Bommel. According to FIFA rules, the only way they could have done something would have been if Figo hadn't been booked at the time. Another example of a bad rule that needs to be changed. If this happened in the Premiership, Figo would be suspended upon review of the video.

The Negativity of the English Media

Throughout the World Cup much of the English print and electronic media have been unrelentingly negative about the team. As an American sports fan, this is rather hard to comprehend. The only explanation is that there must be some sort of cultural need to suffer.

When an American team is winning ugly, few would ever complain. Winning is the object of the game! When you make mistakes or don't play your best, yet still win, that is a good thing! Many in England don't seem to accept this and it seems an ugly win might as well be a crushing defeat.

Some examples will illustrate my point.

Last night on BBC Radio Five Live's 606, Alan Green said (as I remember it), "If England win the World Cup playing the way they are now, it will be an embarrassment." (My emphasis.)

Let me clear my throat. Ahem... WWWHHHAAATTT???? Surely Alan needs to increase the dosage of his neuroleptics because that is simply preposterous. I don't care if England plays the most cynical game of long ball in history if they go all the way. Would it be nice to see some creativity and invention along the way? Of course. But a win is all that matters! Period. End of discussion.

Headlines in today's Guardian:

• "Beckham wilts in the heat and throws up on the pitch" (on front page of Sport)
  
• "England have world stage and how the world laughs"

Post-match comments from BBC pundits:

• "It's very difficult to know what to say after that match." - The Turnip (How about "We're in the quarter finals?")
  
• ...although Beckham's goal was absolutely brilliant, he didn't give England a lot else." - Alan Hansen (As I saw it, he did plenty!)

I'm not looking for mindless optimism, but the facts are these:

1. England has conceded only two goals in four games, including three clean sheets.
2. Beckham has played a crucial part in four of England's six goals. No, he doesn't tackle. No, he hasn't got pace. But where would England be without his ditribution and free kicks?

If it makes the English media happy to slag the team at every chance, fine. Maybe that's how they have learned to cope with the possibility of failure. But they are missing out on enjoying a nice run that has a good chance of earning Becks and Co a semi-finals berth. If the media wants to dwell on negativity, it's only their loss.

Figo's Glasgow Kiss

Forgot to mention this earlier: What will FIFA do about Luis Figo's deliberate head butt today?

Alan Mullery was talking about it in the studio tonight on Sky News and reminded me of what I was thinking as I saw it. The referee had his back to the incident, but not only was it bookable, it was clearly a red card offense! FIFA has got to do something, and I am confident they will. If that happens, for the quarters, Portugal is down three starters from red cards and possible one from injury. Ingerland!

Schadenfreude

This just in: Deco and Costinha are out of Saturday's match due to being sent off against the Netherlands. To be fair, Deco did nothing at all to deserve his second yellow. The ref lost any control of that game, awarding a record 16 yellow cards and sending off four (also a record). And Cristiano Ronaldo's fitness will be an issue, as he hobbled off in tears in the first half. Are the stars coming into alignment for England? It's beginning to look that way.

England 1-0 Ecuador: Becks Responds to Critics

Masterful game plan by England today: rest for the first half, hope for a draw going in at the interval, then come out like gangbusters in the second half. At least that's the way I saw it. In the 92º heat, wouldn't that make sense?

And hats off to David Beckham. Maybe his many critics will give it a rest for a while. From The Guardian:

Lord knows England need to find some penetration on the flanks, what with Joe Cole having to come in from the left to get the ball on to his stronger foot while David Beckham's lack of acceleration is denying the team similar opportunities to reach the byline on the right. The captain from Castille is looking less of a leader than ever. (Emphasis added.)

Becks had this to say after the match (from BBC Sport):

"It was an ugly performance but it was what we wanted and we'll take ugly performances....It was nice to silence a few people who have been critical. I can handle my criticism and I'll prove them wrong. It was a great feeling to get a goal and put us into the quarter-final."

The bottom line: England won this game, they never really looked like losing, and they're on they're way to the quarter finals. With some better finishing by Mssrs. Lampard and Gerrard, they might have won going away. We now wait to find out who we play on Saturday, Portugal or the Netherlands. Why do I have the feeling that somehow, that game will be easier?

MEX 1-1 ARG 89th Minute

Game of the tounament so far!!! More later...

USA 1-2 Ghana

Aside from the obviously blown penalty call, I think Eric Wynalda was spot on when he criticized Arena's tactics after the game. He should have been playing a more attacking formation, one with more of a sense of urgency. Having Brian McBride as the lone forward in a game you can't lose was ridiculous.

Bottom line is the USA didn't look very good and definitely didn't live up to the SI/ESPN hype machine. To really become a consistent power in the World Cup, they need to get more players playing in Europe, and on big clubs; the national side is never going to be truly good until the players start playing world class talent week in and week out. As it is now, half the team play in the MLS, which is roughly comparable to the English Championship (second division). That won't get it done in the short term. It'll take some time, and American players will have to be less xenophobic about going abroad to learn the game.

The fact that they play in the weak CONCACAF inflates their FIFA ranking and gets American fans who don't follow the sport all excited. With his long tenure an anomaly, I Arena will be replaced sooner rather than later. They should bring in a big name European or South American coach to take over. Someone more in touch with European styles (as the Brazilians all play in Europe now).

England 2-2 Sweden

Wayne Rooney's intensity was a welcome sight. Michael Owen crawling off was not. Will Sven's hand be forced into a 4-1-4-1 as many pundits have suggested? I bet Sven wishes he left Little Theo home now. What a wasted choice. Defoe anyone?

This was a tale of two halves. We saw England play the way we've all been dreaming about during the first half. Attacking, creative, spirited football. On top of that, Joe Cole scored a Goal of the Cup candidate from 35 yards. But soon after that joyful moment, the boys started to lose the plot. The score could easily have been England 2-4 Sweden, if not for the helpful crossbar.

The upside is that they won the group and get to play Ecuador instead of Germany. Statistically, they've got to have a better chance of a victory on Sunday. Statistics don't lie, right? Time to go drink some more of my Kool-Aid.

Beenhakker Shock!

According to BBC Radio Five Live's newsletter today, Leo Beenhakker, Trinidad & Tobago's manager/England rubbisher, has apparently had a change of heart.

[He] has phoned Sven Goran Eriksson "seven times in the last 24 hours" with tips on how England should handle Sweden in their final group game.

So can anyone tell me why this would be? Is he offering help to Sweden's Lars Lagerback (brilliant name!) on how to beat Sven? Is this a common practice among the managers? What gives?

Please post a comment if you know!

Return to Form for England, Rooney?

According to The Guardian, Sven promises a Rooney-centric game plan based more on moving the ball through midfield rather than a barrage of long balls.

"When Crouch is on the pitch we play too many long balls. I can agree to that," Eriksson said. "Statistically we played 50% long balls and 50% through midfield. Tomorrow I suppose the team will play more short balls."

I for one am heartened by this, and -- fingers crossed -- the England team is, too. They've got to know that having even an 80% fit Rooney one the pitch makes them a far more dangerous side. Anyone who saw him run wild in Euro 2004 knows that.

2nd Weekend—USA Gives a Brave Performance; France Robbed!

Czech Republic 0-2 Ghana
The tournament's first major upset. The Czechs missed Koller. Petr Czech showed why he is arguably the greatest keeper in the world.

USA 1-1 Italy
It was perhaps the most intensely contested match yet. The United States gave hope to their fans and surely gained confidence in their gutsy performance against Italy on Saturday. While Italian manager Marcello Lippi slagged his side rather than laud the Yanks, an objective observer would have to admit that the Americans played gritty, aggressive football, and might have won if not for all the bookings. With a win over Ghana and some help from Italy when they play the Czechs on Thursday, Arena's men may go through yet.

France 1-1 South Korea
First I need to get one thing off my chest. Why did ABC refer to South Korea as Korea? Guys, remember the little conflict in the early 50's? There were some geographic changes as a result! Does Kim Jong Il rule Korea, as well, or would that be North Korea? Let's be consistent and precise!

As for the match, France was totally screwed by the ref, Benito Archundia Tellez. He missed what should have been a goal when Patrick Vieira's header clearly crossed the line, before being batted away by keeper Lee Woon-jae, who was standing inside his own goal when he did it! If the French don't go through, it will surely be remembered for years to come.

When Zizou was booked in the waning minutes (another questionable call), it was sad to think that this may be his final game, with his retirement due after the World Cup. I was glad to able see a little history to tell my son about some day. As the greatest player of the past decade, he accomplished what few ever will.

Brazil 2-0 Australia
After two unimpressive outings, I am still not convinced that Brazil can win this. Ronaldo looked a shadow of his formerly brilliant self. Australia had many chances (mainly from Mark Viduka) to equalize before Fred put it away. Will Team Samba's defense do them in? And well the Socceroos make to the second round? I'm pulling for them.

A Ruud Awakening

It was really nice to see Ruud van Nistelrooij have a nice performance today, scoring what would be the game winner. I've always thought he was a class act and as one of the game's top strikers of the past five years, he deserves to enjoy success in the World Cup.

I'm not sure about the details of his falling out with Alex Ferguson (one report I read described a fight with Cristiano Ronaldo), but the fact is that Man Utd will almost certainly part company with him after the World Cup. I'll be sad to see him go, and it won't be a small loss for United.

England 2-0 Trinidad and Tobago

Once again, England have a relatively indifferent performance. Once again, England get their three points in spite of themselves. They've qualified for the knockout stages (and a dream game with Germany?), so at the end of the day, I suppose I'm happy. Or at least satisfied. They do need to start attacking more, however. They'll have no chance if they don't improve quickly.

I watched the match at my local with another disappointingly small crowd. Noon on a weekday? The highlight of the day was that the guy on the stool next to me "accidentally" walked off on his bar tab.

So what should Sven do? As I see it, there are some concrete changes offensive that would help straight away. These are realistic and doable, as they take Sven's tactical stubbornness into account, and wouldn't make him stray too far from his overall plan.

1. Get Steven Gerrard off of his holding midfielder assignment. He plays on the right side with Liverpool, but Becks is Sven's right wing for England and that won't change. So involve Gerrard in the offense more, swapping roles with Frank Lampard, who's been spotty at best. When Gerrard scored yesterday, one was suddenly reminded that he was even playing. A world class talent shouldn't be allowed tobecome so invisible.
   
2. Drop Michael Owen and start Wayne Rooney. This is a difficult decision, but as much as I like Owen, he hasn't been playing up to his standard and doesn't appear to be fit. Starting Rooney, who surely isn't 100%, seems the better option, given the roster. England seemed to come alive when he replaced Owen with a half hour to go against T&T.
3. Get the left and right backs into the attack more often. A healthy Gary Neville should help things there. I'd like to see the "Cole Brothers" (Ashley and Joe) work together more fluidly.

It would be great to see them finally beat Sweden on Tuesday and sweep Group B.

Finally, Argentina has just given Serbia & Montenegro a 6-0 pummeling. Their attack was technically brilliant and they are really looking like the team team to beat for any teams with visions of hoisting the trophy on July 9. And the shots of Maradona whooping it up in the stands were very amusing. Can he really be clean and sober and still be so manic? I hope so....

June 14: Best Day of the Tournament

Spain 4-0 Ukraine
Spain looked really good today. Could this finally be the year they get something done in the World Cup? And why did I ever drop David Villa from my fantasy team? (Transferred him back today.)

Tunisia 2-2 Saudi Arabia
Despite what I wrote earlier today about Saudi Arabia, I thought this was the best match of the World Cup. The last 10 minutes of this was a battle that reminded me of Hagler vs Hearns in 1985. I may have to retract my earlier slagging of SA...they showed so much passion today. And though I'd never heard of anyone on either side, I am looking forward to the rest of the fixtures in the group.

Germany 1-0 Poland
This would have been a fine match even at 0-0, but Germany really poured it on at the end and surely won the group today. Klose had a bunch of chances, and Michael Ballack appeared to be pretty sharp despite missing the opener.

I really felt for the Polish fans, though. Their journey ended too soon and they looked so dejected. That'll be a long trip home.

Manchester Buccaneers

I may be a little late in finding this, but if you haven't seen Manchester Buccaneers, you really should check it out. It's a hilarious blog written from the point of view of a fictional 12-year-old American boy who loves all things Glazer-iffic. It's all about seeing English football from a stunningly USA-centric perspective.

Sample from the website:

Manchester's EPL series came to a close with an expected heavy loss to the London Chelseas, who added the EPL Bowl Play-Off trophy to their Divisional Title.

To make matters worse, Wayne Roonaldo had to be rushed to hospital after fracturing a bone in his foot and he is going to be on the Injured Reserve list for this year's World Cup Series, which starts in six weeks. It's such a shame for him, as he was being tipped to be one of the stars of the tournament. I guess he'll just have to wait until next year's World Cup Series.

Check it out if that sort of thing floats your boat...

One for the Ladies

Spain's El Mundo has an article today on what many—women and gay men, presumably—see as the most compelling reason to watch the World Cup: the parade of guys in shorts. All of this should give Becks (or, "Spiceman," as the Univision announcer called him on Saturday) something else to worry about this month.

As detailed in the article, here are the poll results from various European newspapers. As a service to those interested, I've included links to the "official" mugshots:

Die Welt (Germany):

1. Roque Santa Cruz (Paraguay)
   
2. Raúl (Spain)
   
3. Luis Figo (Portugal)
   
4. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
5. Thierry Henry (France)

La Gazzetta dello Sport (Italy)

1. Alessandro Nesta (Italy)
2. David Beckham
3. Figo

Ekstra Bladet (Denmark)

1. Freddie Ljungberg (Sweden)
2. Beckham
3. Figo

And the gay community apparently fancies Ljungberg, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Ukrainian Adrei Shevchenko.

Not sure why I wrote this one. It's amusing?

Mundial Musings...

Not that you care, but...

• Torsten Frings' 40 yard rocket strike against Ecuador and Luca Toni's laser beam off the crossbar against Ghana are the highlights of the tournament.
  
• Ronaldo is fat. How can anyone once so brilliant be so lame before age 30? He'll be lucky to stay in the squad, let alone break Gerd Müller's all-time scoring record.
  
• England needs to occasionally score goals that don't come from set pieces.
  
• Mexico's form in the second half against Iran should be of concern to Portugal, who couldn't really get anything going against Angola.
• If the USA can't dramatically improve in their woeful opening game that they'll be headed home a week from tomorrow. (That concludes today's statement of the massively obvious.)
  
• Loco (Angola) should be immediately deported for his hideous hair.
• As much as I like underdogs, I hope England beats T&T 5-0 tomorrow.
• I don't mean to sound jingoistic, it wouldn't upset me to see Saudi Arabia and Iran get a couple of hidings before the end of the tournament. I've nothing at all against the players or people. But the Saudi royal family and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad shouldn't have the satisfaction.
• Ji Sung Park (Park Ji Sung?) is not too cute.
• Nor is Carlos Puyol.
• If there is ever a biopic on Terry-Thomas, then Scott Carson is really the only choice for the starring role.
  

Brazil: World Beaters or Beatable?

Is it just me or did Brazil look quite beatable today?

Ronaldinho had a few flashes, but didn't produce any goals.

And what's going on with Ronaldo? He was lethargic and does look quite heavy, not the nimble-footed Golden Booted menace of 2002.

Kaká's strike at the end of the first half was brilliant, but Brazil's strength is in the creativity of the forwards and midfielders. They'll need to see a lot more from their ultra-hyped scoring attack.

But to be fair, they played strong defense and held back a Crotian side that might have stolen this one with a few lucky breaks here and there. They'll probably improve as the tournament unfolds, but right now, the whole thing seems more wide open than it did a week ago. I suppose that's good news for England, right? Sort of?

(Of course, all of this will be retracted if Brazil wins their next one 4-1. Natch.)

Gekommen auf England!

Anyone who has spent any amount of time on the BBC website already knows that it is in a class by itself; nothing else can compare to the depth and breadth of information of the Beeb online. Just in time for the World Cup, they have added some fun content to the already wicked cool language section: German football phrases!

Here's a taster:

Der Schiedsrichter braucht einen Blindenstock = The referee needs a white cane.

Der Bolzplatz = Football pitch.

Steh auf, wenn du für Deutschland bist = Get up if you're supporting Germany (sung to the melody of "Go West" by the Pet Shop Boys/Village People)

Schweini = Sebastian Schweinsteiger

Balla = Michael Ballack

Klinsi = Jürgen Klinsmann

How do you say, "Germany go out on penalties?!"

Color Me Bad Abbots

I live outside of Boston, and though it may rattle your cowbell, we have no shortage of Irish pubs here. It's been said that there are more Irish pubs around Boston, per person, than toes. Obviously, this is not true. It's actually toes and fingers.

So in the spirit of mundial merriment, I thought I'd take a few moments to write about my local pub, Bad Abbots, in Quincy, MA. (It appeared in the Boston Globe's Sidekick supplement last week, in a piece on local pro footballers' favorite soccer-friendly bars.)

Bad Abbots is one of the longest standing Irish pubs in its local area, and I've been going to watch matches there since 1999. (They are the only place around with a Setanta Sports package.) I saw Euro 2000 there, World Cup 2002, Euro 2004, and now Germany. As it's Irish-owned and staffed, you can get a great pint of Guinness and excellent pub food. But the football culture there is what has kept me returning.

Abbots is first and foremost a Celtic pub, but during tournaments and qualifiers, you get a good amount of England ex-pats. And "Irish Reds" turn out for Man Utd, especially when they are doing well. Last Saturday, a disappointingly small crowd of England supporters watched a generally soporific 1-0 match. But I will put the small size of the crowd down to the early kick-off time. I expect there to be a much better crowd this Thursday for T & T at noon, and next Tuesday against Sweden.

If, in the unlikely event that you may actually go to Bad Abbots as an England fan, a caveat. There are lots of Irish folks there most afternoons, especially during tournaments. As an England supporter, I have had to endure the wild cheers of a crowd whose international allegiances include Ireland and whoever is playing England. Even France. It can get slightly annoying, but usually there are enough England people there to return an equilibrium to the often good-naturedly rowdy atmosphere. (For USA matches, the crowd tends to be pretty firmly on the side of our own soccerballers.)

Finally, one of the coolest things about Bad Abbots is the efficiency of the bar staff. One barmaid, Assumpta, kept a heaving crowd from ever going thirsty during the 2000 and 2004 European Championships. And she does it alone and with a smile! I have never seen such virtuosity and she truly sets the standard for crowd management. If you live around Boston and are looking for a great pub for the World Cup, Bad Abbots is a brilliant choice.

Waking up the Three Sleeping Lions?

In case you missed it, Leo Beenhakker, manager of the immortal Soca Warriors slagged England a couple of weeks back, giving them motivation to pummel his team:

"All I see with my eyes wide open is a team that doesn’t perform when it comes to the World Cup and the European Championships...[with] a population of 50 million...these guys should be prepared for everything but they never win."

Now, that may be true up to a point, but why deliberately give the other side some bulletin board material? Can you imagine Sven ever doing that? Let's hope Leo's attempt at gamesmanship backfires, inciting the boys to run riot on Thursday. Come on England!

Rue, Britannia!

According to a BBC report, Peter Crouch is not going to do his goal celebration unless it's in the WC Final. This is a devasting loss to England supporters everywhere. How I was looking forward to Robo-Crouching at my local on Thursday, in the event that the gangling striker put one in.

Parapodiatry for England

Do you find daily horoscopes compelling?

Are you wearing a "healing" magnet as you read this?

Do you think praying helps the England squad?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then click here and follow the instructions. It's simply the least you could do for the Scouse wunderkind.

England 1-0 Paraguay

It was ugly. Sloppy at times. Uninspired. It was, to be fair, BORING. But, results-wise, England's quest for the cup got off to a good start. As any fan knows, they haven't won an opening match in a major tournament since 1998. So this was what we needed. Teams winning their first game have proceeded to the knockout stages 80% of the time in the previous two world cups. With this in mind, one can only hope Sven will play a little more of an open game against Trinidad and Tobago, now he's won this crucial tie.

Soemtime around the 60th minute, the guy sitting next to me at the pub said England was "locked down." To me, it seemed like a longer time than that. It was like an Italy catenaccio-fest, playing for 1-0. Not very interesting, but it got the job done.

Now for some comments on the ABC coverage. In a word, it was brutal. Dave O'Brien, a baseball announcer, did lots of "research" to prepare himself for the assignment. This was painfully obvious. He endlessly bludgeoned his audience with the fruits of his labor. He sounded like a baseball announcer, filling down time with tidbits of trivia, but this is football! There is no down time!! Pay attention! (And it's pronounced Sven YOOR-an Erikkson, not GOR-an! )

Marcelo Balboa is just as guilty. Stop rambling! Talk about the action! And talk less!

Even the barmaid at the Irish pub I was at noticed how annoying the commentary was. We were all wishing we could have had Tommy Smyth and his "old onion bag" clichés. At least he gets it.

Well, on to T&T and hopefully more goals...