Black and Blue Podcast Episode 6

A Growing Support

It's great to see the American support starting to grow. I've heard rumblings from "foreign friends," and I use the word foreign in quotations because these particular friends reside in the United States and have for years now. They were complaining about fans jumping on the "bandwagon" of American soccer. They're claiming that these people(United States fans) don't know soccer, so they have no right to cheer for the American team. And that they're going to be completely disenchanted with the tournament as soon as the American team was dispatched.

One such friend resides in the United States, has for four or five years, but is originally from Jamaica, and yet cheers for Argentina. A little national pride, despite the naivety of their fanhood, is still national pride nonetheless and should be treated as patriotism and attributed to the growth of a sport that has a limited fan-base domestically. That begs the question from me, "Is it more appropriate for a fan to cheer for his home country knowing nothing about a sport, or for a 'true soccer fan' to support a country he has no affiliation with?" For me the answer is simple, but maybe it's not as cut and dry as I think it to be.

Regardless of this, and the US disappointment during the cup, the sport does look like it is gaining popularity little by little. With the MLS season still going on, they are likely to have more viewers now that the country's interest in the sport have been raised with these disappointing, albeit resilient efforts from the United States team in South Africa.

With more international stars perceived to be making their way to the States to end their careers in MLS, the interests of the nation will increase. With the likes of Henry and Raul being rumored to come stateside, the nation has a lot to look forward to domestically in club soccer. The "Beckham Effect" is looked at a lot as a failure, but it still peaks the interests for whatever reason. And with the league likely gaining two more expansion teams next season, there is likely nowhere to go but up for the interest of American soccer fans.

Once Again Not Enough

It's been four years since the heartbreaking elimination in the group stages of World Cup 2006 in Germany, and yet again the USA are sent home packing. Every four years, you hear American announcers and analysts talking about how "this is the team, this is the year." Well yet again they've come up short. It's yet another early exit and another disappointment at the hands of Ghana. Though their poor play was more to blame for their elimination in 2006 than Ghana, this year, they were taken down in a straight elimination game.

"They put up a valiant effort," "Bob Bradley rallied his guys, made the right subs," are just a few of the statements that keep coming from the mouths of announcers, but there has to be nothing but disappointment in the US camp right now. What do you take away from this? You take away that your coach didn't one time put the correct starting eleven on the field throughout their tournament, their center defense was shaky for the most part, and they have proven strikeforce.

Is this too harsh? Not in my estimation, just due to the fact that time and time again Bradley changed his midfield and his striking duo, and never aloud any sort of continuity to take hold on his team. Despite Clark's absolute disaster against England in the first game, Bradley insisted on starting him over Maurice Edu, who had proven to be a good holding partner alongside Michael Bradley. What happened? Ghana came out early, Clark had a poor deflection/clearance and the German, Kevin-Prince Boateng, took advantage and slotted one home.

What happened as soon as Bradley took Clark out for Edu? The shaky nature of the midfield play dissolved, and the team started to have more of a flow to their play, especially when Robbie Findley was pulled off in favor of Brazilian born Benny Feilhaber. That was the starting eleven that should have taken the field to begin with. The American Football Federation needs to look at Bob Bradley's decision making, both pregame and postgame.

If I am coming off harsh, it's not intended. I'm not saying at all that I'm not proud of the way the United States fought, but I'm just disappointed at the results yet again.

With all of that said, the Ghanaian team showed a lot of flair, and a lot of it for the dramatic, especially toward the end. As an American fan I was livid at the time when they were wasting time, but it is completely understandable within the context of the game. We would probably do the same thing given a role reversal. Kudos to Ghana, especially for Asamoah Gyan's beautiful volley that came from nothing. They will be squaring off with one of the most impressive teams in the tournament thus far, La Celeste--Uruguay.

Black and Blue Podcast Episode 5

Goal of the Day June 24, 2010

Personally can't stand the guy, but he's incredible.

Link

Transfer News

It seems as if Sergio Aguero's move to Chelsea has been halted, as for now. For two years now it seems that Kun has been keen on moving to London, but after a Europa League win, Atletico Madrid seem set on keeping him.

Story

Liverpool's new wing man is still set to join the club in the fall. Milan Jovanovic's move has been under some speculation since the dismissal of manager Rafael Benitez, but he seems set on coming.

Story

Also much maligned Bulgarian attack man Martin Petrov has signed a free transfer contract with Bolton Wanderers, who had been after him since Manchester City dropped him.

Story

Much much more transfer news to come. There has been a ridiculous amount of speculation, even during the World Cup. A lot of these deals, I would expect to go down after July 11. Keep up to date on here. Also check out two of my favorite sites for soccer transfer news ESPN Soccernet and EPL Transfer Rumors

Eights Years Coming

It seems since the United States exploits in the 2002 World Cup, that we(American soccer fans) have been saying, yeah this team is the team to do it again! I won't dwell on the 2002 Cup, despite a Torsten Frings handball leaving a sour taste in a country's mouth. We had "the team to do it" in 2006, but failed to reach the knockout stage, and failed to win a game. Our stars like Landon Donovan and Demarcus Beasley more than disappointed in the 2006 World Cup, and gave me much doubt for the 2010 competition.

During qualifying and his stint at Everton, Landon Donovan really began to win me over. I was always one of his biggest skeptics, but really saw a player with a lot of pressure, finally start to shed some nerves and live up to his potential over the past year or so. He, a lot of times, has carried the Yanks on his back and led us to victory. Though he was non-existent in the second half of today's game against Algeria, he was really there when it counted.

It was hard to fault him for any wrong doing in the game, because it wasn't like he was taking bad touches in the second half or being selfish, he just wasn't on the ball one bit. Dempsey, Altidore and Feilhaber loaded up the hopes and dreams of a country in need of a win and kept pounding the Algerian defense, possession after possession. Despite another disallowed goal, their persistence along with great positioning in the closing moments by Landon Donovan, helped push them through to the next round and produced quite an eruption from a country on the edge.

It's hard to use absolutes like no one, everyone, only, etc, but it's also hard to think that anyone had the United States winning the group against one of their biggest rivals, England. They defied the odds, and probably made some people a few thousand dollars richer in Las Vegas.

Soccer might not be a sport that Americans really get up for during club seasons, but it is amazing to see how patriotic we can really be when it comes to big competitions like the World Cup and even the Confederation's Cup last year.

Now the United States faces the same team that pushed them out of the 2006 World Cup, Ghana. It seems as if the analysts are broken records as of late. The last two games, all I heard was "The United States is better than Slovenia/Algeria, but will they be able to win? I don't know. It depends on what team shows up." Well the best 90 minutes this team has played, was split between games. The second half of the Slovenia game, paired with the first half of the Algeria game was an outstanding performance for the Yanks, but they'll need that collective effort in the same game if they hope to advance against a very organized and talented Ghanaian team.

It's good to see them advance, and to be able to watch the games at a reasonable hour as opposed to Korea/Japan 2002, when the games were on in the very early morning. But this team isn't done yet, and they shouldn't feel satisfied yet. There's a fine line between fulfillment and accomplishment. Though they've accomplished something for the first time in eight years, I wouldn't bank on them feeling fulfilled in the least.

The USA and Ghana kick off at 2:30 EST on Saturday.

Goal of the Day June 23, 2010

So everyone who knows me personally, knows how strongly I felt about this year's Serbian team. So I have some egg on my face, but at the same time I think that Milos Krasic really stood out in their three games. He and Jovanovic proved to be outstanding wingers and it's no wonder that Krasic is so heavily sought out by teams like Manchester City, Inter Milan, and Chelsea.

Enjoy this cracker of a goal.

NBA Draft

Tomorrow marks the 60th NBA Draft. Throughout the years we've seen tons of college talent come into Radio City Music Hall and completely disappoint. For as shallow in talent as this draft is, it possesses some real talent at the top.

It all starts at the top with the Washington Wizards and the first pick, which will be John Wall, barring a Mario Williams type switch. The next pick should be Evan Turner, but the rest after that is up in the air. A team could take a risk on a youngster like Derrick Favors, or a proven player like Wesley Johnson.

This draft has a mixture of experience in it. NBADraft.net, a mock draft website that I've been following for years only has three freshmen being taken in the lottery. It's good to see teams taking these proven commodities instead of drafting a player who wowed in one year of service. There are of course exceptions to that, like Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony(the rule wasn't in place at the time), and Tyreke Evans.

A lot of teams seem to enjoy the prospect of a 19 year old "stud," but it seems like since Brandon Roy was drafted, that teams are seeing that a proven player is much more likely to provide for you immediately. It's not often that a junior or a senior comes out and is deemed a project. There are of course exceptions to this as well, like Hasheem Thabeet and Adam Morrison.

There of course is already talk of draft night trades. This always makes for a good night, as long as your team doesn't get robbed like the Milwaukee Bucks trading Dirk Nowitzki for Robert Traylor. Even if tomorrow is top heavy, it's always a fun event nonetheless, if for no other reason than Spike Lee calling Renaldo Balkman a sleeper.

Draft starts at 7pm EST.

Goal of the Day June 22, 2010

Nice build up and quite a beautiful volley on Robben's part.

Enjoy!

Goal of the Day June 21, 2010

Amazing free kick by Mario Balotelli.

Black and Blue Podcast Episode 4: A New Hype

Zach Lascell joins Tim, Joseph and Kevin to discuss the past few days of the World Cup. They discuss groups A, B, C, D, E, and F as well as the controversies in the French camp, and the recent officiating blunders. They give their thoughts on who is going to advance and how they expect them to do it.

Black and Blue Episode 4: World Cup Recap

Black and Blue

Goal of the Day June 20, 2010

Sorry for not posting goals from the World Cup, but they get removed quite quickly from Youtube. This is the first time I've seen this one by Roberto Carlos. Everyone's probably already familiar with the incredible free kick, but this is just as nice.

Goal of the Day June 18, 2010

Excuse the quality, it's the best I could find at the moment on Youtube. This is the crucial goal that gave the US a draw with the Slovenians. The real goal of the day was made by Maurice Edu, but Mr. Koulibaly didn't like the way that Maurice looked at the ball before he hit it.

Season's End

Tonight marks Game 7 of the NBA Finals series. This couldn't have gone any better as far as the ratings go. The NBA has the two biggest rivals in the NBA playing in a huge Game 7 to decide the championship tonight.

The Celtics will be without Kendrick Perkins, who if nothing else, is a big body in the middle to help clog lanes. They'll have to rely a lot on Glen Davis and Rasheed Wallace at the five spot.

They'll also have to hope Ray Allen catches fire and Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett continue their great play.

The Lakers are coming off a dominant win, but as we saw from game one to game two, that doesn't mean too much in the NBA Finals. This will mark an unprecedented 18th championship for the Boston Celtics if they win, and a 15th for the Lakers.

The game starts at 9 EST on ABC.

Crazy, Yet Sad Story

It would be a little naive to think that politics wouldn't play their part in the World's biggest sporting event. But this is a little crazy. According to a report in Canada, the North Korean fans in South Africa for the World Cup, are indeed hired Chinese actors. I heard this two days ago during the North Korea and Brazil match, and found it quite funny. I was a slight bit skeptical, but it makes some sense. According to the story, 1,000 of them are hired Chinese actors that have cheered for the Chinese in previous World Cups.

It's an interesting story nonetheless, and hopefully this is the extent of which politics will play in this magnificent occasion.


Story Link

Goal of the Day June 15, 2010

I've been pretty slack lately about writing. I have been wrapped up with the Cup and some other things. But here's a goal that Hunter Wolfe told me to check out. Absolute school yard trick, and a beauty.

Black and Blue Podcast Episode 2

Black and Blue Episode 2: World Cup Weekend Recap

Black and Blue

New episode. We had some technical difficulties with Skype/Audition, but for the most part it's good! Listen!

Goal of the Day June 14, 2010

Been a huge fan of this guy for a long time, and in honor of his goal today to beat Cameroon, inspired by Hunter Wolfe, I give you a beauty of a free kick from Keisuke Honda. Enjoy.

Goal of the Day June 11, 2010

Goal of the day, and the first World Cup goal ever on African soil. Enjoy.

Goal of the Day June 10, 2010

It's a shame Mali didn't make the World Cup. Freddy Kanoute is a very good striker, and is often overlooked. For those who have never seen him play, here's a glimpse!

Podcast is Up!

Goal of the Day June 9, 2010

Maybe it's the night time cold medicine, but I was having trouble finding a goal for the day. But I came across this beauty. Enjoy!

Thursday Podcast

So I know I haven't been writing much in the past week or so. Aside from the group breakdowns, I've been pretty slack. Well Thursday, I'm teaming up with my friend Joseph Champey, and we're putting together a World Cup podcast. No idea yet if it will be more than one episode, though we've talked about it.

Just be on the look out. I'll make sure to put it up on iTunes in the podcast section.

Goal of the Day June 8, 2010

I couldn't find a solo video of either of Novakovic's free kicks, so I just put this highlight video from the Slovenia vs. New Zealand game. Pure class from Milivoje Novakovic from set pieces. Americans really need to be ready for this guy, because it seems that Slovenia goes the way of Robert Koren and Milivoje Novakovic.

Goal of the Day June 7, 2010

I normally find Robin Van Persie to be a little overrated, but this goal is just pure genius.

Goal of the Day June 6, 2010

So I'm back from Alabama, and I got a hint dropped to my by Hunter Wolfe about this classic Obafemi Martins goal. One of the most powerful goals I've ever seen.

Group Breakdown: Group H

Spain


Key Players
G - Iker Casillas
D - Carlos Puyol, Sergio Ramos
M - Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta
F - David Villa, Fernando Torres

Advantages
-Possession
-Great Finishers
-Great Depth

Weaknesses
-Susceptible to Counter-Attack
-Defending Set Pieces

Prediction
First Place in Group H

Switzerland


Key Players
G - Diego Benaglio
D - Philippe Senderos, Ludovic Magnin
M - Hakan Yakin, Gelson Fernandes
F - Alexander Frei, Eren Derdiyok

Advantages
-Experience
-Set Pieces
-Size

Weaknesses
-Speed
-Depth
-Scoring Options

Prediction
Third Place in Group H

Honduras


Key Players
G - Noel Valladares
D - Maynor Figueroa, Oscar Garcia
M - Amado Guevara, Wilson Palacios
F - Carlos Pavon, David Suazo

Advantages
-Set Pieces
-Speed
-Passing

Weaknesses
-Size
-Experience
-Depth

Prediction
Fourth Place in Group H

Chile


Key Players
G - Claudio Bravo
D - Gonzalo Jara, Pablo Contreras
M - Rodrigo Tello, Matias Fernandez
F - Alexis Sanchez, Mark Gonzalez

Advantages
-Speed
-Creativity
-Strong Qualifying Campaign in CONMEBOL

Weaknesses
-Depth
-Experience

Prediction
Second Place in Group H

Group Breakdown: Group G

Brazil


Key Players
G - Julio Caesar
D - Maicon, Lucio
M - Kaka, Elano
F - Luis Fabiano, Robinho

Advantages
-Experience
-Scoring Threats From Everywhere
-Possession

Weaknesses
-Susceptible to Counter-Attacks

Prediction
First Place in Group G

Korea DPR


Key Players
G - Ry Myong-Guk
D - Ri Kwang-Chon
M - Pak Nam-Chol
F - Hong Yong-Jo

Advantages
-Surprise?

Weaknesses
-Inexperience

Ivory Coast


Key Players
G - Boubacar Barry
D - Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Eboue
M - Didier Zokora, Yaya Toure
F - Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou

Advantages
-Great Finishers
-Powerful Midfield
-Speedy Defense

Weaknesses
-Experience
-Depth

Prediction
Second in Group G

Portugal


Key Players
G - Eduardo
D - Bruno Alves, Pepe
M - Raul Meireles, Simao
F - Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani

Advantages
-Great Firepower
-Speed
-Set Pieces

Weaknesses
-Defense
-Goalkeeping
-Depth

Prediction
Third Place in Group G

Group Breakdown: Group F

Italy


Key Players
G - Gianluigi Buffon
D - Fabio Cannavaro, Giorgio Chiellini
M - Mauro Camoronesi, Andrea Pirlo
F - Alberto Gilardino, Vincenzo Iaquinta

Advantages
-Experience
-Great Defense
-Great From Set Pieces

Weaknesses
-Speed
-Age

Prediction
First Place in Group F

Paraguay


Key Players
G - Justo Villar
D - Denis Caniza, Paulo Da Silva
M - Cristian Riveros, Edgar Barreto
F - Roque Santa Cruz, Lucas Barrios

Advantages
-Good Finishers Up Front
-Size
-Experienced Backfield

Weaknesses
-Speed
-Depth
-World Cup Experience

Prediction
Second Place in Group F

New Zealand


Key Players
G - Mark Pastan
D - Ryan Nelsen
M - Simon Elliott
F - Shane Smeltz, Chris Killen

Advantages
-Size
-Set Pieces

Weaknesses
-Inexperience
-Depth
-Speed

Prediction
Fourth Place in Group F

Slovakia


Key Players
G - Ján Mucha
D - Martin Škrtel, Marek Čech
M - Marek Hamšík, Stanislav Šesták
F - Róbert Vittek, Filip Hološko

Advantages
-Size
-Set Pieces
-Won a Tough Qualification Group

Weaknesses
-Speed
-Inexperience
-Depth

Prediction
Third Place in Group F

Goal of the Day: June 2, 2010

May not like the guy, but you have to respect his power. Newcastle apparently didn't respect it near enough.

Where's the Beef? I'm hungry.

Thursday marks the eleventh time the Celtics and Lakers will engage in an NBA Finals battle. This got me thinking, where have the great rivalries gone? When I was growing up, the NBA was filled with so many rivalries, both personal and team rivals. Sure the nature of the league has become less physical due to whatever reason, but the lack of healthy trash talk and competitiveness has been absent for the most part for years.

When I think about my childhood, sports definitely played a huge part, and the NBA Playoffs were always a highlight. Whether it was the Rockets and Spurs, the Pacers and Knicks, the Bulls and Knicks, Bulls and Pacers, or Bulls and Jazz, there always seemed to be some animosity with the teams that played each other. These days it seems as if everyone is so disenchanted with the team pride aspect of the sport, and are all friends with each other. So many players used to hate each other, and it would feed the hype train in the series.

Back then, a hard foul would give your team momentum just as much as a big three or dunk. The physical nature has just been depleted, and a lot of it probably has to do with the Malice in the Palace. A hard foul now will get you ejected, fined and suspended. I understand it's for the safety of the athlete, but at the same time it takes away from very marketable rivalries. Bird and Magic hated each other on the court, well Bird more so than Magic, but they helped save the NBA with bad blood.

This finals match-up is one of the few rivalries really left in the NBA. A lot of it stems from the history, but they also have some bad blood. In games this year there was a lot of hard fouls, players bowing up at one another, and technicals. I'm normally disenchanted with overplayed match-ups in big games like seeing the Patriots or Steelers in almost every Super Bowl, or the Yankees and Red Sox always representing the American League. I can make an exception for this though, just because I'm not sure any other match up would produce such an old school, physical result. Hopefully the rest of the league can take a note from this rivalry and start playing more physical and stop loving every player on every team. Put friendships aside and go out there to win at any cost.