Buy the HYPE

Allow me to preface this post by stating for the record, that 1. I am a fan of American football, and 2. I am upset that my favorite NFL team, the New England Patriots, fell short of the playoffs this season, despite winning 11 games. So let's consider the air cleared before I launch into this mini-tirade.

I don't care about what kind of music Eric Green likes. Nor do I care about which hair products Troy Polamalu uses. And yes, I did notice that Mike Tomlin looks like Omar Epps. Like, two years ago in fact.

The Super Bowl is still more than two days away, and I'm already sick of it. The press conferences. The silly questions. The ad nauseam search for the perfect soundbite.

I get it, already. There's a big game going on come Sunday involving two teams that, outside of Pittsburgh and Phoenix, few people really care about. People like hype, the stupid questions that show up on late-night TV, and the multi-million dollar commercials. The rest of us, however, view it for what it is: a championship game.

That being said, I would absolutely send one to the afterlife for MLS to have 1% of this kind of media exposure for MLS Cup.

Yes, I am jealous. I'm jealous that it's Kurt Warner being asked the same questions over and over rather than Taylor Twellman. I despise the fact that a third-string quarterback gets twice as many questions asked of him in one week than a superstar goalkeeper gets during an entire MLS season. It makes me want to throw myself into the path of a speeding car.

I often dream of what an MLS Cup week would comprise of with all the journalists, live reports, "breaking updates" and endless storylines. I fantasize about a trash-talking striker guaranteeing a Cup, or a certain bald goalkeeper showing up to media day in his hairy alias.*

(*Isn't Matt Reis the EXACT the kind of player you'd want in front of the media? That guy, let me tell you, is exactly what this league needs more of. He's personable, funny, and will say whatever's on his mind. Oh, and he's a pretty decent 'keeper too.)

It frustrates me to no end that this sport isn't promoted to the full extent. What MLS needs is a what we in the hip-hop culture call "a hype man."

You can probably guess what this guy (it's ALWAYS a guy) does. Before and after the MC spits, the hype man shouts a bunch of nonsensical phrases, like "AWWWWWW YEAH!", "WHAT! WHAT! WHAT!" or, my favorite "PUT YO' ****** HANDS TOGETHER FOR THE REALEST ***** ON THE ***** FACE OF THE ***** PLANET ******S!******!"

This cat gets paid for just hyping his boy. Because you know what? The label, the MC, the groupies, etc. all know the same thing: it works. Hype works.

So where's the hype in American soccer? You want more soccerheads? Here's a hint: feed Americans some hype. We can't get enough of it. We eat, drink, and sleep with the hype. We love things big, overblown, and thrown in our faces. Hyperbole is our forte'.

You know why the NFL is so big here? Why office interns and CEOs alike play fantasy football? Because the NFL is constantly being promoted. Yeah, I know that they have alot more money to play with than MLS. But take a look at the look at how many NFL-related commercials you see this week, nevermind on Sunday. Americans love American football because they've been constantly told to like it for the past fifty years or so. And we do.

MLS would be extremely wise take cues from the NFL and adopt a far more aggressive approach in promoting itself. I know Don Garber is a former NFL guy, and I sense that he really wants to apply some of the lessons learned there to MLS. I think he has to a certain extent. The Commissioner's State of the League address the week before the Cup and highlighting the first week of league play as an event - First Kick - (much like NFL Kickoff Weekend) are steps in the right direction.

But these are only baby steps. Alot - and I mean ALOT - more needs to be done. Where's the excitement before the All-Star match? What about MLS Cup? SuperLiga? U.S. Open Cup? These are just some of the events that the American public knows little to nothing about. And I have a problem with that.

It boils down to hiring people who genuinely believe that soccer has and will continue to succeed here. I'm not talking about who has the best resumes. Because if you don't have people who truly believe in the success of the product, then American public will never learn about Landon Donovan, Sacha Kljestan, or Taylor Twellman.

Soccer will become big here in America. I honestly believe that. But until enough people actively push this league, or promotes it in the same fashion the NFL does, the time when MLS's big moment will only be further delayed.

Can we blame Becks?

(I know I said that I had this 18-page paper due this week, and yeah, I'm definitely not finished, but I feel compelled to get this thought off my chest. )

I suppose we asked too much for a world-class footballer like David Beckham to play in a country that calls his trade "soccer" for five whole years.

After all, no matter how much money you throw at an athlete, footballer or otherwise, whether it be the league minimum or mega millions, the the deciding factor in a player's loyalty toward his employer almost always boils down to a single concept: happiness.

And it was clear that after a year-and-a-half of MLS, Becks wasn't happy. He was chained to a horrible club that missed the playoffs during both of his years. He chased down much too heavy crosses before waning crowds on plastic pitches. To him, this wasn't the kind of football he had in mind two summers ago. Which is exactly why he embraced an offseason loan to AC Milan.

No doubt, he surely enjoyed the challenge of proseltyzing the beautiful game here in America. Here was this handsome lad, with a world-class pedigree coming to the States to grab MLS and push it into the same limelight cast onto baseball, football and basketball. It was a noble - not to mention profitable - cause, not unlike the one Pele took up thirty or so years before Becks' arrival.

For the first few months, the spotlights shined brightly. The stadiums were packed. Talk shows were abuzz with - gasp! - MLS. The nightly news had features on the league's crown jewel. It was an exciting time for American soccer fans. This was going to be grand.

But then, reality bit. Hard. Becks' wasn't always fit. His club badly underachieved. So another superstar was brought in to manage. And Ruud Gullitt was equally horrible.

Before long, the feverish crowds, like the ones seen in 2007 when New York hosted Los Angeles before a sea of 65,000 fans became nothing more than recent memories. The American media's flirtation with soccer cooled. And Becks was still stuck on a poor team in a nascent league that was far removed from the blinding lights of European football.

And just like that, Beckhamania had folded up its tent. Gone were the hordes or media types at each match. Only slight bulges of interest remained.

That's not to say that Americans didn't like Beckham. I think most people generally had an appreciation for him, whether they liked soccer or were simply smitten over him. But I think that all the hype surrounding his arrival was just that: hype.

One man alone cannot alter the way Americans watch their sports. It was foolish to think this. It was preposterous to think that within five years, MLS could alter the landscape where the Big Four of American sports could add a fifth member. It was a noble attempt, sure, but one of pure fantasy.

And on the personal level, this whole grand experiment of increasing soccer's popularity all fell on the shoulders of David Beckham. I can only imagine that after eighteen months of injuries, lengthy transcontinental flights, and the stratospheric expectations, Becks, always the competitor, missed what it felt like to play big-time football.

Today, he plays with some of world's best players. The masses in Milan adore both he and his sport. His coach and new teammates love having him around. The owner is itching to write a check for a transfer. And David Beckham is finally happy.

And quite frankly, who could blame him?

OMG! No wai!

Becks wants to stay with Milan.

Wow, didn't see that one coming...

Until soccer is my life...

I've been bad. Negligent. I really, really love this blog, and the inkling of attention it gets from a few good people, which really makes this little project even more worthwhile.

Here's my excuse. I have this 18-page paper to write, and it's kinda due this week. Unfortunately, it is not about soccer this time around.* So I can't even put forth any whimsical soccer-related comments on the particulars of putting it together. All I can say is that it's something I've dived into from a high plank, which, unfortunately, leaves little to no time for me to stop and do other things. Like, eating. Sleeping. Feeding the cat.

(*This time, I've decided to write about a very good friend of mine, who will be graduating in May. It's a deeply personal story about our friendship, and according to a friend who's read the draft, it almost made her cry.)

But anyway, that's my excuse for being an absentee landlord for the past few days. Bear with me. I'll be back posting very soon.

In the meantime, if you are in dire need of some commentary, I highly recommend checking out my buddy Jason Davis' Match Fit USA blog while I'm gone. Be sure to give him a high Blogged rating. He's good.

Kljes he can!

Few American players have impressed me more than Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan has in the past year.

Yeah, I know he’s a pretty darn good player. He would have been a starter for last season’s MLS All-Star game. The only trouble with that was he was busy with the U-23s preparing for the Olympics, where he went on to have a sensational showing in Beijing.

Even so, I suppose I’m guilty of failing to fully appreciate his play out on the left coast, where more than half of his home matches have start times of 11pm three time zones away. Call it an East Coast bias.*

(*Or plain general ignorance. Take your pick.)

But in the past seven months or so, I’ve definitely turned the corner and have come around on the sometimes-mustachioed menace. Thanks a recent string of matches with the National Team, I’ve become better acquainted with his body of work.

And before long, I recognized that he belonged with the Yanks. He looked comfortable and fluid on the international stage.

Yet, comfortable was not how I’d categorize his performance against Sweden. Last night, the Goat went buckwild.

In just under 74 minutes, the former Seton Hall Pirate exploded for his first three international goals against a formidable Swedish side that nearly stuck it to the Yanks in the waning minutes. The last time an American scored his first three international goals in the same match occurred nearly 75 years ago, when Aldo “Buff” Donelli pulled off the hat trick against Mexico in 1934.

Talk about being in the right place at the right time. His timing could not have been more impeccable. The attacking mid had just returned Stateside after spending the past week on trial with Celtic, and rumors fluttered that the club is preparing a multi-million dollar offer for the 23-year-old playmaker.

It’s hardly a stretch to say last night’s performance just may have earned him a few extra quid on the transfer market. I wouldn’t be surprised if the star of those adidas commercials was soon teaching kids in Glasgow some dribbling skills before the close of the current transfer window.

Go figure. You finally come to appreciate a guy, and he’s ready to pack his bags to another distant time zone.

Running the gauntlet

Tonight is the first of many nights in which we, the American soccer public, find out whether U.S. Soccer President Sunial Gulati made the right choice in appointing Bob Bradley as the manager of the Men's National Team.

For the last two years, Bradley has overseen a squad that has performed admirably at times, depending upon which circles you surround yourself within. However, there's no debate that the Yanks' recent form has been proof positive that U.S. Soccer isn't as dead as it looked after a disasterous Germany '06.

Yet, the last two years, a period through which the National Team has gone 12-5-1, will mean little what will be an intense 18 months ahead. Bradley's charges will be tested like never before. World Cup qualifiers against Honduras and Cuba are one thing; a Confederations Cup with Italy, Brazil, and Egypt as opponents? Get ready for teeth knashing and cold sweats.

And it won't get much easier thereafter. A year from now, we'll know who the U.S. will be grouped with for South Africa '10, and if the competition is anything like what it was during Germany '06, it may be a very long and trying year-and-a-half ahead.

Which brings us back to the original question: with a gauntlet of world-class competition up the road, was Bob Bradley the right choice? We all know one thing: he wasn't the federation's first choice. Their sexy pick for manager was none other than Juergen Klinsmann, ne' the manager of third-place Germany during the World Cup. The California-based manager and U.S. Soccer appeared to be a match made in football heaven.

Yet, for reasons widely speculated, U.S. Soccer was left all alone at the altar. Klinsmann decided to stay out of the spotlight for a few months, only to re-emerge as the man in charge at Bayern Munchen. Enter Bob Bradley, with the oh-so-flattering interim label affixed to his managerial title, and a media whirlwind filled with sharp questions and pointed criticisms directed at Gulati and the USSF.

Eventually, the eye of the storm passed, with names like Jose Pekerman and Sven-Goran Eriksson hurled around, Sunil Gulati eventually stuck by his man and named Bradley as his man for this World Cup cycle.

Two years into the Bradley regime, the results have been promising. Victories over Mexico and a gritty, well-earned result against Guatemala in Guatemala City, not to mention a thrilling 0-0 draw to Argentina have all been positive signs of of the club's progress.

However, let's not forget that they've stumbled badly as well. An embarrassing 2-0 loss to England last May, not to mention an absolutely futile Copa America showing two summers ago cautioned American soccer public not to get too far ahead of ourselves.

What can we expect tonight against Sweden? Without many of his regulars - namely Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard - at his disposal, it may be a wily, tooth and claw affair on the outskirts of Hollywood.

Whatever the result, though, there's no doubt tonight will be the first in a lengthy series of matches that will ultimately determine whether Bob Bradley is the right man for the job.

I HEART the WPS playoff format

Something that definitely didn't receive a great amount of press - but should have - was WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci's announcement regarding the league's playoff format in the "Commissioner's Update" release.

I've pasted the pertinent text here for your review.

The WPS Playoffs will feature the top four teams from the WPS regular season, in a unique format that rewards regular season success while offering the post-season drama which American fans are accustomed to in their sports season:

-- The winner of the WPS regular season will automatically advance and host the WPS Championship Game at their home stadium.

-- The No. 4 team will play at the No. 3 team in the first playoff game with the winner advancing to play at No. 2 in the semifinal game.

-- The winner of the game at No. 2’s host venue will advance to the WPS Championships game on the weekend of August 22nd-23rd.

Wait. It gets better.*

(*I love this league more and more each day. I have a feeling this will be a really fun league to cover come spring.)

By selecting the winner of the regular season to host the Championship Game, we stay true to soccer’s roots and genuinely, and generously, reward the winner of the season table. It also provides for a venue with an exciting championship atmosphere and rooting interest, while giving teams and the league several weeks of preparation and opportunity for ticket sales.

This means that the race to the regular season crown will have added meaning for the public, the media and the players throughout the late part of the 20-game schedule.

By having No. 4 play at No. 3 we offer a home game to another team and reward the second place finisher in the league with a first round “bye”. Similar to Champions League or UEFA Cup qualifications in the European leagues, we wanted the final placings in the league table to have real meaning in WPS.

Lastly, we finish with a winner-take-all one game final like most major Cup competitions – but one that is heavily skewed toward the home team. To win the league title means either a great season performance capped by a final game victory or an incredible run of play in the post-season to overcome the odds. I like those storylines.

I do to. Astonishing. A playoff format that rewards regular season results? What will they think of next: a soccer ball that doesn't need to be filled with feathers? Psshht!

I'll say it right now: this is the best thing to happen to American sports' postseasons since the advent of the wildcard. No diggity. No doubt.

See, you can have an American soccer league without a watered-down, it's-anybody's-title-to-win playoff format (*cough*MLS*cough*). It shouldn't be easy to win an MLS Cup. It should be difficult from First Kick to the Cup, not from late-September until mid- November.

If I'm Don Garber, I'm going to give serious thought as to how MLS can adopt a similar format for its postseason.

Because I don't know what was worse about last season's playoffs - the fact that it took 11 matches to tell us that, yes, our suspicions were confirmed, that Columbus was the best club in MLS, or the fact that New York Red Bulls managed to claim the Western Conference Championship.

Unreal.

The Project of World Making

Yep, it's that time of the year. The time in which I inexplicably disappear from this blog, leaving you nothing more than cricket chirps and a stale, five day old post. It's the third full week of January, which can only mean one thing: I've returned to school.

Luckily for me, there were other more interesting topics transpiring during the course of my absence that surely kept you busy. All politics aside, yesterday's inauguration was historic. There's little doubt that January 20, 2009 will be recorded as one of the most historic dates in American history.

As you can imagine, the events in Washington, D.C. were discussed in many a classroom throughout the country. Craig-Lee 253 was no exception.

There, in a class which was originally titled "Modern Fiction", my professor flipped the proverbial script on us. Exit "Modern Fiction." Enter "The Project of World Making.*"

(*A bit pretentious? I thought so, too. Maybe that's why they originally gave it a mild, non-threatening label, then BOOM! Day 1: Welcome to THE PROJECT OF WORLD MAKING impressionable youth of Rhode Island!)

Which leads me - I'm getting there - to the point of this post.

The concept, if I've mastered it after only one class, focuses on how we know things. How do we know our names? Well, because someone affixed a label to us. I am not Brian - the term "Brian" signifies who I am because that is what my parents named me - but the label is not what I am. Follow me?

We discussed the importance of signs, and how they are used, either positively or negatively, to re-create an object. For instance, if sports radio and the talking heads at large tell you that soccer is boring, and you don't know any better, those people have re-created the meaning of soccer for you. They have not allowed you to think for yourself. It is their undeniable truth that soccer is boring. Therefore, soccer is a boring game to you because people around you have told you so.

Over the years though, this perception - or this sign - of soccer has changed in America. More Americans are coming to accept soccer as a worthwhile sport, and not the game of foreigners that was embedded into many of our parents brains. Whether you notice it or not, soccer's influence has spread across this country in very subtle ways.

How many soccer fields are there today, compared to thirty years ago? How many kids and adults today play soccer vs. baseball or football? How did the term "soccer mom" suddenly pop into in our social vocabularies, to the extent that an entire marketing demographic has been created where companies like Dunkin Donuts gladly roll out the red carpet for?

The American meaning of soccer has changed drastically. Kids playing soccer is as American as kids playing baseball. That idea was once impossible to grasp, even during the heyday of the NASL. How many backyards today have a soccer balls rolling around it? How many soccer-themed bumper stickers and magnets flash by you on the road?

Thirty years ago, these ideas were almost inconceivable. Soccer has reached into forums it was shunned from only a generation ago. Over time, many of the signs built up by the anti-soccer crowd have been obliterated. This can be attributed to the aforementioned NASL that first brought soccer to the forefront. Thus, there are parents who grew up with the NASL, and after catching on due to Pele, Chinaglia, Carlos Alberto and the Cosmos, have passed on their appreciation for the game to their children.

And sometimes, that's all it takes. Many kids today view soccer just as they would football or baseball. Much of the old thinking has vanished. Eventually, generations to overcome stereotypes. It's a series of small seismic shifts. But there are shifts nonetheless.

That said, I honestly believe that it's only a matter of time before many, if not all, of the surviving negative connotations affixed to the sport by previous generations - it's a foreign game, it's boring, it's un-Americam - will simply disappear. My kids and grandkids will laugh when I tell them that there wasn't first division soccer when I ('80s babies) was growing up because of the negative light it was cast into for many years.

Thirty years from now, a new sign for soccer will have been formed. And one way or another, it will likely be drastically different than it is today.

[POST SCRIPT: Incidentally, my buddy Jason Davis at Match Fit USA, also wrote about attitudes toward soccer today. Neither one of us copied from the other. I can't speak for Jason, but I definitely I don't have telepathy. Anyway, here's his entry - something that definitely expands upon what's written here. What can I say? Great minds think alike.]

The Good A-Rod comes to Beantown

It's really not fair for Amy Rodriguez.

Of all the places she could have started her professional soccer career, she ends up in locale where she get booed and hissed at right from the start.

Yes, I know that she was just selected first overall in the very first WPS Draft yesterday in St. Louis. I also know that she's easily one of the best American players, by virtue of her gold mdeal earned last summer with the Women's National Team, not to mention her outstanding collegiate career at University of Southern California, where she and her teammates clinched the 2007 NCAA Championship. The 21-year-old has pretty much done it all.

But, I'm telling you, that stuff doesn't mean anything when you're nicknamed "A-Rod." Not in Boston, at least.

Take a summer stroll down Boyleston Street and you'll see the sidewalks littered with unflattering tees that say "A-Rod SUCKS", "Jeter (Heart) A-Rod" and a couple of other "colorful" slogans that aren't exactly PG. Poor Amy.

She can score bushels of goals like Leo Messi, deliver Beckham-quality crosses, and dribble like Cristiano Ronaldo, but that moniker will doom her in Beantown. No doubt about it.

So with that being said, I feel compelled, both as a soccer lover and a citizen of Red Sox Nation, to propose a solution. On behalf of all sports fans this side of the Hudson River, I publicly welcome Amy Rodriguez to Boston.

Now, to avoid any negative connotations to much-persecuted Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, I suggest the following qualifier to Amy's nickname: "The Good", as in "The Good A-Rod." Henceforth, by decree of no one but myself, Amy Rodriguez, the newest big-name athlete in the Hub, shall be known as "The Good A-Rod" among the sports masses in and around New England.

When the WPS regular season fires up in April, shower The Good A-Rod with hearty cheers and applause when she races onto the pitch at Harvard Stadium. I don't want to hear the Bronx (no pun intended)-inspired "AAAAAAA-ROOOOOODDDDDD...AAAAAAAA-ROOOOOOOODDDDDD!" No, that mocking proclamation is reserved for The Bad A-Rod - yes, the aforementioned Alex Rodrigruez. We're talking about The Good A-Rod here.

Besides, The Good A-Rod is not at all like The Bad A-Rod. The Good A-Rod is actually pretty good in pressure situations. Her assist on Carli Lloyd's game-winning goal against Brazil for the gold during the last Olympiad? Yeah, pretty darn clutch. Winning the 2007 NCAA Title? I didn't see any choking in that one, either.

So, please, soccer fans, Beantown sports fanatics, Red Sox Nation, Sons of Sam Horn, and all other circles where the term "A-Rod" is a dirty word: let us all make a clear distinction.

There's a new A-Rod in town, and she's a heck of alot better - not to mention cuter - than that overpaid Madonna seducer in the Bronx.

Yay! More soccer fun today

I have to admit, yesterday was pretty darn fun. I'm still not a believer in SuperDraft, but the banter surrounding it is, bar none, pretty entertaining. And that was just on the internets!

But the discussions on the telly were pretty, um, interesting. Alexi Lalas said that Taylor Twellman was "gone." Twellman came on a few minutes later with Allen Hopkins and said, "No, that is false. I am staying in New England. By the way, isn't Alexi Lalas still unemployed?"* And while there was alot of trade buzz - Christian Gomez being the biggest name discussed - only minor ones were orchestrated.

(*Okay, I made that up. But you knew Twellman just wanted to publicly rip Alexi a new one after that comment. I was fearful for the safety of Allen Hopkins ear drums during that interview.)

Perhaps my favorite SuperDraft non-story was this update on Ives Galarcep's blog a little after the two o'clock hour.

"Mo Johnston and Steve Nicol are talking as we speak."

Really? Mo and Stevie? TALKING??? Next update: the earth's climate is changing - perhaps getting warmer in some locales.

When are the old Scottish pals not talking? That's not a development - that's just a couple of bffs catching up with each other!

Anyway, after three hours of rumors, banter, false reports, needless stalling and timeouts,* every MLS club collected the inexpensive training fodder, I mean, fresh young talent they've coveted since their seasons concluded last fall. Praise be to the soccer gods.

(*Timeouts? Jeez, I thought this was a professional selection process, not a rotisserie draft at a Cub Scout meeting. After New York took its second round (!!!) TO, I was waiting for Dallas to call a maxsie's taksie's.)

But the fun isn't over. Nope. Even though the bone-chilling temperatures will likely keep you indoors for the evening, soccer's gonna come through once again. You better get the recliner warm, station the remote on the arm rest, and a have hot beverage ready for tonight. Because tonight, not only will Women's Professional Soccer announces its first class of prospects, but the National Soccer Hall of Fame will introduce its 2009 class as well.

All this haberdasherie may mean little to some, but for soccer lovers, it's the proverbial first blooming bud on the cherry tree. Although single-digit highs and sub-zero nights may state otherwise, spring is almost here. In a matter of weeks, MLS clubs will commence their preseason training schedules, and WPS clubs will follow shortly thereafter.

Ahhhhh...I can almost hear the constant, but soothing patter of boots kissing soccer balls.

Spring will be here soon, my friends. And that's when the real fun will arrive.

Shameless American Idol/MLS SuperDraft tie-in

American Idol is back, and so is MLS SuperDraft!

Full disclosure: I rarely watch American Idol. In fact, I haven't watched it regularly since one of my ex-girlfriends used to guilt me into becoming a regular viewer. She used to say that I was "obligated" to join her on the couch for Idol because she watched sports with me all of the time. Yeah, because I always force my girlfriends to watch MLS, MLB, the NFL, the NHL, Arena Football, college basketball, World Series of Darts, etc. Whatever. Chicks.

ANYWAY, as we prepare our DVRs* for yet another edition of MLS SuperDraft, I can't help but ask the question: is SuperDraft the soccer equivalent to American Idol?

(*The person who thought that it would be a good idea to conduct the draft on a weekday afternoon is a real man of genius. A showcase event that starts 2pm on Thursday afternoon. Really?)

Let's think about it. I mean, the premises for both are remarkably similar. On Idol, the first order of business is to conduct tryouts in front of the judges. Thank you William Hung. In SuperDraft the league conducts similar tryouts, except they call it a 'combine', and is judged by the league's coaches and technical staffs. Thank you Steve Shak.

Idol has a bevy of wannabe professional singers vying for a recording contract. On SuperDraft, has a bevy of wannabe professional footballers vying for a playing contract.

Idol has Paula Abdul. SuperDraft has Don Garber. Push.

But Idol and SuperDraft also reinforce one of my favorite pearls of wisdom - looks can be deceiving. By my count, just about every female Idol winner has been blessed with good looks. Kelly Clarkson? Pretty cute. Katherine McPhee? OMG! But were they the best singers during their respective seasons? Unlikely.

Now, with SuperDraft, I think the same could be also said. Chance Myers? Yeah, he's got those curly blonde locks and a smile that could light an entire soccer field. But his Laguna Beach looks weren't exactly helpful to the Wizards cause last year.* Unless you count those shrieking teeny boppers at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.** So the theme of "all-style, little substance" pertains to both forums.

(*Not that I'm calling him a completely talent-less player. I'm sure his superb collgiate career at UCLA wasn't an abberation. But, unless I am completely misguided, you usually tend to expect more out of the first overall pick than say, oh, seven starts on an incredibly mediocre side.)

(**For the record, I have NOTHING against those teeny boppers - at all. If they're shieking their heads off at a soccer game, then that's all the better for soccer here in the States.)

Anyway, I think by now, it doesn't take a neurosurgeon to see the parallels.

So what am I saying? Quite frankly, I think both forums are kind of silly. I mean, when you really boil it down, Idol is essentially a SuperDraft for musicians. SuperDraft is essentially an Idol for footballers. The reason they exist is for pure entertainment value.

Um....what was I saying about style over substance? Get Katrina Darrel on the next flight to St. Louis ASAP!

Bring the Hulk to Foxboro

I believe it was last week, while tuning into a replay of the Porto-Nacional Portuguese Liga match, that, as I am wont to do while watching Portuguese football, began to fantasize about a player lacing up his boots for the Revolution.

Last week, the player of my affections was a scruffy Brazilian striker named Givanildo Vieira de Souza. During the match, he scored a goal and nearly clinched another minutes later after putting ball inches wide of the right post.

Yeah, ok, so you may have gathered by his surname that he's Brazilian. He's supposed to be good. But, due to his uncanny resemblance to actor Lou Ferrigno, de Souza is better known as "Hulk."

And the Hulk is quite a talent. The 22-year-old was just signed by Porto over the summer, after spending three years in the J-League with Tokyo Verdy, Consadole Sapporo and Kawasaki Frontale. He racked up goals by the bushels - he scored 70 goals in 104 matches. In his first twelve matches for Porto, mostly off the bench. He's scored five goals already. I'll say it for you: Wow.

Considering that J-League competition is often considered on par, if not higher, than that found here in MLS, you can only imagine the kind of stats he'd put up Stateside. He'd make Landon Donovan look like a pub league player. His name would create instant buzz. Boston loves larger than life characters. See David "Big Papi" Ortiz and Glen "Big Baby" Davis.

Of course, a player of Hulk's talent won't come cheap. Porto just paid eight million Euros to Kawasaki for the Brazilian. But hey, aren't that what designated player allocations are for?*

(*Unfortunately, I cannot confirm or deny that Revolution brain trust knows what a DPA is.)

Forget another mediocre, non-eventful draft where the Revolution scrape together another freshman class. After Marcus Tracy elected to bypass MLS, there isn't a bona fide star in the making in this year's draft.

So, if I had any say in the matter, here's what I'd do: trade the picks - all of them - to the rest of the league for allocation money. Use the money to go buy a colorful character like Hulk. Come early March, I'd guarantee you'd find alot more navy blue seats filled in Foxboro, and bunch of goals being fetched out of opponents' nets.

Not that Porto would ever give up Hulk less than a year after signing him. It would make absolutely no sense. The Dragaoes would have to be Rusty Pierce crazy to do something like that. Like I said, the whole premise of this post is based entirely on pure fantasy...

Then again - why not negotiate a summer loan?

A picture for framing

I apologize in advance, but this is going to be a very, very personal post. It's not news worthy, relevant to the current soccer world, nor very opinionated. In fact, I suspect you may be better off going back to the TV or the game of solitaire you were busy with before you stumbled upon this post.

Anyway, I received an especially meaningful item in the mail today. Last week, I purchased a black and white 8 x 10 photo of the 1962 Champions League Cup winning Benfica squad on - you guessed it - eBay. Well, it arrived on my doorstep this afternoon.

This photo is of particular interest to me because my late maternal grandfather, my vovô ("grandfather" in Portuguese), was a tremendous Benfica supporter. Although I cannot specifically recall any particular instance in which my vovô specifically mentioned the '62 side, I can bet it was one that surely filled him with a great deal of joy. So, when I first saw this photo on eBay, well, I just had to have it.

The first recognizable face is obviously that of Eusebio, the all-world Portuguese striker who starred at Benfica during its Golden Age. The others aren't as recognizable, like José Augusto Torres, Mario João, Domiciano Cavém and Mário Coluna. Along the touchline, manager Otto Glória would go on to establish himself as one the greatest coaches of his time. And I can imagine them all: players gliding along the pitch, attacking fluidly, and just intimidating the heck out of any given opponent, and Gloria urging his players forward.

When I look at this photo, I think of my vovô, who lived just long enough to see his grandson become a fellow Benfica fan as well. For I can remember the grainy television images of Benfica matches from the many times he and my grandmother watched my brother and I at their cozy East Side apartment back in the late-80s and early-90s. Although I couldn't understand a thing the announcer was talking about (it was on Radio Television Portugal, and I, shamefully, still have not yet learned the language), I tried to understand, both the language and the game.

I also try to imagine what Vovô thought about that particular team. He was a 36 year old businessman at the time, living in Lisboa with his wife and four children. He had visited the United States in 1961 - the same year Benfica clinched the first of its two European championships - and was contemplating moving his family there. Truly, more pressing matters were on his mind. But I'm almost positive that as Águias were more than just a passing thought at that time.

I never got to ask him a whole lot about Benfica. I'm sure if I had, there would have been many, many hours of stories and memories. My vovô always loved to talk with me. Family, politics and education were our three favorite topics.

I guess what I'm trying to get at (perhaps unsuccessfully) is that when I look at this photo, I can see my vovô in Lisboa, 1962. I can imagine him, quite vividly, at the old Estadio da Luz, watching his favorite club playing some of the best football in the entire world. He's in usual handsome business attire -a dark, sharply-taylored European suit - his bright blue eyes behind his black-rimmed glasses. He's nursing a small cup of espresso, and chatting away with a friend about the splendid football in front of them.

Nearly fifty years later, through this photo, I can almost hear him, in his thick, but wonderfully familiar Portuguese accent, telling me, 'ohhhhh, they were fantastic!'

It is more than just a snapshot of a great football team. When I look at it, and gently run my fingers across its glossy finish, a rush of warm memories flood my mind. I try to keep the tears at bay. I cannot help it. My vovô is still with me.

Wait - Marcus Tracy isn't coming to MLS?

Last month, just after finals passed and the holidays gnawed away at my blogging time, I wrote a completely biased post on Marcus Tracy, the stud striker from Wake Forest. I am not afraid to say that it bordered on man-crush material.

Anyway, I basically stated what could have been summed up in two or three high-quality sentences: the Revolution must find a way to draft and sign him. They must. Lest they face the threat of another mediocre season.

Well, thanks to my new Soccer America subscription, I learned yesterday - via e-mail (how cruel)- that Tracy is apparently working on a deal to sign with a Danish club after bypassing last week's MLS Combine.

No!

After I propped my jaw back up, my emotions turned from disappointment to slight anger. It's not so much that his goal appears to be across the pond, but that MLS may not have even made a sizeable pitch to him. First Charlie Davies, now Tracy. Ugh. It's not always fun being a soccer enthusiast in the good ol' U-S of A.*

(*TIRADE ALERT! Five...four...three...two....one...)

If MLS wants to raise its profile here, then it has GOT to start signing these top-notch prospects at once. It should be the first bullet point at the top of the memo. Forget expansion.

As a fan, it pains me to watch top-tier talent bypass the league completely, and playing in relatively obscure leagues that no one here has regular TV feeds to.

The sad thing is that this becoming all to commonplace. Two of the past three sure-fire first picks have skipped country for Europe. First it was Davies. Now Tracy. And I'd bet my left kidney that he won't be the last.

MLS and U.S. Soccer have to fix this. I understand the theory that international experience aids the development of young American footballers. I'm not arguing that. I just feel there has to be a way to keep these guys in the States for couple of years before they go abroad.

I'm not blaming the players themselves for chasing the fatter paycheck, even in the guise of improving one's game. But, I think some perspective is warranted here.

Eric Wynalda, John Harkes, Cobi Jones, Tab Ramos and Alexi Lalas all came back to the U.S. when MLS launched fourteen years ago. They could have easily stayed in their European dwellings, making a bit more money, and in front of livelier crowds. Instead, they understood the obligation to promote the game here, and they did, because they knew that first division soccer in the States should not be taken for granted.

Yes, I think some of today's college guys forget that. They grew up with pro soccer already in place. It's easier for them to take MLS for granted. But those of us that didn't have MLS around in our youth understand the true value of having a professional soccer league in our backyards.

So, yeah, I'm disappointed to see Tracy go to Europe because it means he definitely isn't coming to New England. However, I'm more saddened that young kids, in dire need of American soccer heroes, won't get to see a potential star develop in MLS.

Women's Professional Soccer is almost here

I definitely haven't given WPS as much love as I would have liked to lately. I have no one to blame but myself...and the orangutang that shot me a death stare at the zoo when I was six years old. Creepy.

For now, here's a clip of the WPS Player Combine.


Find more videos like this on Women's Professional Soccer

Bend it (the truth) like Beckham

First of all, let me just state for the record that I have no personal ill will toward David Beckham. I enjoy watching him play. He is one of the classiest big-name athletes I've ever covered.

But my job here is to be as fair* as possible, and not to put kiddie gloves on any story, even the ones involving people I actually like.

(*"Fair" as in "fair", not "fair" as in "infallible.")

That said, you probably read where former Galaxy GM Alexi Lalas believes that David Beckham's stay in Milan may extend beyond the winter.

We all know Alexi's a pretty candid guy. He's never been shy to say what's on his mind, whether he's right or wrong.

In this instance, I happen to agree with Alexi on his assessment that Beckham's lead spokesperson, Simon Oliveira, is telling a fib when he says Becks will be back Stateside on March 9th, which, according to the current Gregorian calendar, is exactly 59 days from today.

Two months in Milan? I don't think so. Only Hollywood stars, I mean, actors, go to Italy for two-month excursions. So let's measure common sense vs. the infallible words of a sports agent. Because we all know that whatever agents say is always written on stone tablets.

"Whilst we respect Alexi's right to an opinion, he has not been party to any contractual discussions on the loan agreement to Milan."

It is so ORDERED.

As much I, like many of us, wish soccer, like any sport, was a simply game in which honor, goodness, and one's word should always prevail like it does fables and fairytales, I am aware of the cold reality. Soccer can be a soulless business. One where handshake deals are made, and written contracts are forgotten faster than a New Year's resolution.

Plus, prima facie, it makes little business sense to go play for one of the world's biggest clubs for only a handful of matches. I could be very wrong, but I just don't see it.

I have the distinct feeling there is, as the the Transformers theme song once told my generation, more than meets the eye.

Stay tuned.

Same day, different blog

I just took a look at the archive list for the month. Wow. Two posts in seven days? Really? For shame.

I think an explanation seems in order. So, here it is.

Based upon my previous post, the big news in Rhode Island Stingray Land - of which I am an official citizen due to my title as the club's director of media relations - is that one of our own, Geoff Cameron, was recently called up to the U.S. Men's National Team Camp. I could be very wrong - and pardon me if I am - but I believe he is the first former Stingray to be called into a National Team camp.

Wonderful news, right? Naturally, it's my job to spread that news. I did, with my previous post. But I also felt that something should come from the organization stating how proud we were that a former player had ascended to that level, one in which he has gained the attention from the National Team.

So what did I do? After consulting with Stingrays president Mario Pereira, we decided to start an official Rhode Island Stingrays blog.

In short, the blog will be regularly updated to keep the fans, friends, and local media apprised of the latest news concerning the club. We hope to get some feedback to really make the blog a one-stop shop for all things Stingray soccer. I'm still fine tuning it as the week progresses, so what you see today, tomorrow or Friday may not be the finished product.

Interestingly enough, the idea was actually inspired by Josh Hakala, a fellow journalist/public relations man himself, who recommended a live match blog back in July. I tried to do just that, but you know how I can be with this technology stuff.*

(*I STILL can't figure out how to add an enclosure link. It's 2009. Jeez, am I inept or what?)

It's likely that the Stingray blog, paired with the Spring semester (which starts on January 20th) may prevent me from posting here as much as I have during the past four months. I hope it doesn't by much. I really like it here. I like the comments, the feedback, and the freedom of writing about whatever the heck I feel like.

So, check out the Stingray blog. It may not be as witty as it is here, but I hope it's informative and engaging. Tell me what you think here, or there.

Former Stingray Cameron in camp with USMNT

(**I know, I know...I'm just like a week late on this. I'm sorry...Wait...what's this? SWEET! A Holiday Bustle Free Pass! Wooo-hooo! Woooo! Woooo....woo....ahem.**)

I'm sure I'm only like the 1,349,789th person to say this, but isn't it just awesome to see someone you frequently crossed paths with in a smaller arena really make it on the bigger stage?*

(*Feel free to answer that semi-rhetorical question in the comments section.)

The awesome-ness scale reaches even higher when that person is 1. from the same geographic area as you and, 2. is, by many accounts, a good guy, and 3. friends with some of your friends.*

(*Seriously, it's like two degrees of separation.)

So when the news of Geoffrey Cameron - formerly of the Rhode Island Stingrays, currently of the Houston Dynamo - getting called into Bob Bradley's first MNT camp of the year, I couldn't help but flash a dumb grin while after I read the one-graph blurb in the Providence Journal sports section.

Not that I had anything to do with his development. He absolutely did not need the help of a smalltime soccer journalist to make the leap. But in a way, it's as if his success is validation for what I do for the Stingrays.

Why? Because even though the Stingrays are about as smalltown as it can get in the US Soccer universe, I really believe that the club is great springboard for many young players. Geoff is certainly one of them. He's not the only one, either. Guys like Nico Colaluca, Danleigh Borman and Lukasz Tumicz, all sported the Stingray royal blue. All are playing first division soccer (Tumicz in his native Poland) as I punch the keys.

Don't get me wrong - I love covering the Revolution, the men's and women's national teams, and any other brands of big time soccer here in the States. But when it comes to the Stingrays, there's a greater satisfaction because I'm often the only one covering their efforts.*

(*During my first season covering the Stingrays, circa 2007, the team's director of operations mentioned Geoff was a potential MLS prospect, and an interview might be a good idea. I agreed. Unfortunately, Geoff got hurt like three days later, and it completely slipped my mind. I know: I suck.)

And that's fine. It's really a joy writing about these guys. They all have stories to tell.* Finding those stories is what makes journalism so rewarding.

(*Speaking of which...I've actually got one such story in the works.)

Sure, it also affords me a host of "I knew them when..." stories and anecdotes when some move on and play for bigger clubs. I love telling those kinds of stories. But even better than that is seeing how hard alot of these guys work on these proving grounds. They're hungry. Determined. It's borderline Clearasil clear, even from the press box. For me, it's actually a bit of thrill to watch.

And when a Stingray player, after paying his dues with hours of practice and training, "makes it" and jumps to the bigger stage?

Well, that just makes the matches ahead a bit more thrilling.

American player of the 1980s

First of all - Happy New Year! And what better way to ring in the New Year than by reminscing about the past?

So, I recently read a post over at one of my fav blogs, Joe Posnanski's blog, wherein the Poz tries to determine the best pitcher in baseball during the 1980s. Naturally, in the same vein, I wondered: who was the best American soccer player in the 1980s?

First of all, I'll tell you the first thought that crept into my brain: I have no idea. I was an 80s baby, but the only soccer I can vaguely recall is the indoor scene. And even then, my memories of that were obscured by baseball, football and fingerpainting. In retrospect, a couple of names swirled about: Tatu. Wait. He was Brazilian. Kyle Rote, Jr? He entered his prime in the 1970s. Ricky Davis? Hmmmmm....

Since Dave Litterer's History of American Soccer Archives is the closest thing soccer has to a Baseball Historical Abstract, I'm going to raise my argument for Ricky Davis based on the statistical information contained there.

An excellent case for the former Cosmo could be made. He joined the New York Cosmos in 1978, the heyday of the NASL, and played 129 total games between then 1984, when the league ultimately folded. Without a first division outdoor league, Davs turned his attention indoors, and played for the St. Louis Steamers in the Major Indoor Soccer League from 1983 to 1986. After a stint with the New York Express, he finished his indoor career with the Tacoma Stars in 1989.

Given one more shot to play outdoors, he managed to find playing time with the Seattle Storm of the Western Soccer Alliance in 1989, which afforded him a chance to land a spot on the Wolrd Cup roster. But after struggling to overcome hobbled knees, U.S. coach Bob Gansler never called up Davis for Italia '90. Davis hung his boots shortly thereafter.

Let's take a look at Davis playing stats:

Years/Club/App/Goals
1978-1984 New York Cosmos 129 games/15 goals
1983-1986 St. Louis Steamers 123/89
1986-1987 New York Express 23/7
1987-1990 Tacoma Stars 98/31
1989 Seattle Storm N/A


U.S. National Team
1977-1988 36/7

I think the most disguinshing aspect of this data is Davis' time with the Cosmos. He was a regular on a team that consisted of Carlos Alberto, Giorgio Chinaglia, Franz Beckenbauer, Bogie Bogicevic and Dennis Tuart. Often, he was the lone American on the synthetic pitch of the aptly-named Giants Stadium. But does this alone make him the best American footballer of the 80s? Not entirely.

To me, his 36 caps with the Yanks is the stat that sets him apart from his peers. At a time when caps were about as easy to come by as Cabbage Patch Kids, he set the bar for National Team consistency. During Davis' prime - the early '80s - the USMNT played a total of 21 matches from 1980-83. In fact, until the late-80's, the lethargy of the Yanks likely kept Davis from accumulating far more than his 36, many of which he skippered. Telling most of all is that by the time he collected his final cap in '89, he had set the benchmark for most caps all-time in U.S. Soccer history at the time.

So is Davis worthy of the distinction? I think it's hard to make an argument against him. His NASL stats aren't overwhelming, but in the same ilk, he was good enough to play with the Chinaglias and Tuarts, those very same players were often the ones who were instructed to score the goals, rather than Davis.

Now, his indoor days may somewhat hinder his consideration. But what could he do? The NASL lied. Soccer was not the sport of the 1980's - at least outdoors among professionals. The indoor game was where it was at. The outdoor game may as well have been played on the moon. Davis could do little to change that.

Overall, it's best to judge based on two criteria - the portfolio and the circumstances. Taking both into account, it's fair to say that Davis is very worthy of the title.