What are we becoming? 

 

Five U.S. Army soldiers are being investigated for allegedly raping a young woman, then killing her and three members of her family in Iraq, a U.S. military official told The Associated Press on Friday.

Don't get me wrong: I recognize Donovan's talent.  However, he is now dealing with something that all kinds of people deal with around a similar age, a sort of quarter-life crisis.  Why?  Because Donovan's whole soccer-playing life, he has without a doubt been praised for his great abilities, seen as the top of his class.  Even his initial failure in Germany (when he was still in his teens) was acceptable, because he returned to MLS and continued to improve his game.  However, his failure in Germany after the 2002 cup, which led to a return to "comfortable" California, caught up with him.  His last few  years in the MLS have not presented any real challenged - and thus growth opportunities - for him.  I remember seeing interviews with him over the past few years - he always pointed out that MLS was right for him because it was comfortable, and he plays his best when he was comfortable. 

To a certain extent I drank the Kool-Aid, but also in the back of my head was: who the hell would say that about their job?  As in, "Yeah, I thought I was ready for that Fortune 500 firm, but I just wasn't comfortable there, too many deadlines, too much stress -- so I came back to work at my parents' grocery store, where I've helped cut costs over 20%, and now I really feel that I'm finally working in a comfortable place where my true qualities shine brightly."  Yeah - but so what?  You might be rocking a small-town grocery store, but are you really challenging yourself, really trying to hit your prime at a peak level?

So anyway Donovan - you'll definitely be on the team again 4 years.  What role do you want to play?  How do you want to be remembered in American soccer history?  If you want to be remembered as someone who was always comfortable, stay in MLS and buy some high thread count sheets (so soft!).  If you want to be a true world-class player, start getting there by playing in a world-class league.
 

Michael Davies:

 

I've got to tell you my admiration for the U.S. players is only eclipsed by my admiration for the U.S. fans here in the stadium. They are awesome. The soccer haters should be embarrassed of their lack of patriotic support.

 

Reuters:

The second half was old school football -- raw and gutsy -- and also put paid to another lingering stereotype about the United States and the game of soccer.

The thousands of U.S. fans outshouted the Italian supporters, roaring their team on and hurling abuse at some of the refereeing decisions with the kind of passion found at Spanish or English stadiums every week.

The American fans as well as their players deserve to be taken seriously.

NY Times blog:

 

That's one thing we've noticed doing this blog. We're getting readers from all over the world, and many of the people logging in from the United States are fans of other teams. But the largest segment of our audience, based on traffic and the items you post the most comments about, is composed of fans of the U.S. National Team. And those fans are every bit as knowledgeable, excitable, paranoid, obtuse, proud, melodramatic, obnoxious, gracious and obsessed as fans of any other country's soccer.

 

Now, all of that is nothing new to those of us that have been following the US team for some time.  However, the crowd is growing, and that's great. 

 

One place where there is plenty of room for improvement: the play by play on ESPN(2)/ABC.  They're using too many generic, non soccer-specifc play by play guys.  I don't normally like to bitch and moan about stuff like this, but if we want soccer to be taken seriously, we need serious soccer broadcasts.

(credit: Michael Davies on his ESPN blog)

1. The U.S. showed how well they're capable of playing -- they worked harder, they were quicker, they tackled hard, they went a goal down and came back, nine men outplayed ten. Every player in that dressing room now believes they can make it into the next round if they play like that against Ghana.

2. They really can qualify -- A win against Ghana, and the most likely result in Hamburg, an Italian win, takes them through.

3. The Czechs and Ghanaians have lost some players for Thursday's games -- in fact, right now, the Czechs don't even have a striker.

4. I will wear no lucky shirt on Thursday

5. The performance of the US fans -- They behaved like real, world "football" supporters. They sang, they took on the ref. They lifted their team Make no mistake, that was a game of football -- violent, passionate, hard fought and the U.S. contingent responded. Outstanding.

6. Oguchi -- He is world class.

7. Eric Wynalda was wrong -- about dropping Claudio Reyna. I've been wrong about a thousand things so far, but it's nice to be right against someone you respect. Don't kick the crap out of me, Eric.

8. Arena's Face -- The only Arena face that I like more than the miserable one is the smug one. But seriously, every move he made, all week, naming names, changing the lineup, scouting the game himself, worked.

9. The Miserable Faces of -- The International Football media. The reporting will be begrudging. I particularly can't wait for the Italian press who were so critical of England

What a win for Germany yesterday, huh?

The Soca Warriors lost to England today 2-0, but it was much closer than that.  T&T played a hell of a game.  Depending on what happens in the remaining minutes of the Sweden-Paraguay game, it's still possible for T&T to advance.

No predictions.  No expectations.  All I'm doing is planning to watch the game and hoping for the best. 

 

Here's a good column worth a read for some perspective:

 

If I had asked you before this year's tournament began what would you prefer and what would be more significant to U.S. soccer's status in sports-heavy America: a win over the Czech Republic or a win over a three-time World Cup winner and traditional power such as Italy?

You would've taken Italy.

This is the real test of how far U.S. soccer has come. How do you know how tough you are until you've been punched in the mouth? I think of the Dwyane Wade commercial, the one that goes, "fall seven times and get back up eight."

 

 

Today was the first day since the World Cup started that I actually had to work. Like in an office. Fortunately that office had a TV that was showing all of the games and I caught parts of the Brazil - Croatia game. Turns out, I didn't miss too much, other than what was probably a decently exciting Korean comeback over Togo (though the question needs to be asked: Why did Korea have to come back vs. Togo?). France and Switzerland tied at zero. Blah.

US vs. Italy on Saturday: Ives Galarcep suggests a revamped lineup.

Other thoughts:

Mark Warner: my favored presidential candidate for 2008*, as regular readers know. Turns out, he is getting big, particularly among the "netroots", and partially because his outreach has been outstanding. He is out there, talking to people, listening, and getting involved in online fora. Doing video podcasts, experimenting with new technology. He is hiring the right people, who really understand online activism. He is a new, fresh presence with no Washington baggage.

Sound familiar? To me it does. Rewind to late 2001 - I started following the seemingly quixotic campaign of a little-known governor. He was a progressive, largely centrist, a strong believer in free-trade and the new economy, as well as keeping government out of our doctor's offices and bedrooms. He formed an early alliance with the online community, building a symbiotic and very positive relationship.

I'm not saying Mark Warner is Howard Dean, because he isn't But what will be interesting to watch: How does Mark Warner's embrace of the online community affect the way he is covered and even framed by the national media? Will he be branded a fiery, Bush-hating communist like Dean was? Because he's about as far from that as you can get, and about as good of an example of someone who could heal lots of wounds and bring people together as there is. But then so was Dean, until they cut him up and spit him out.
==
*Al Gore still says he ain't runnin.

The New Yorker makes a good point:

 

Among those quietly celebrating the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi last week, no doubt, were Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leaders of Al Qaeda, who have watched their nominal ally wreck the standing of their organization among Muslims around the world.

 

 

Postivity got me nothing today.  I should've known.  When we showed up to Nevada Smith's for the game, I proceeded to order my standard, Carlsberg.  Why standard?  Well, I don't drink it much, but I drank it when the US beat Costa Rica and when they beat Mexico during qualifying - two dominant, important wins.  So, I ordered one.  Only, they were all out.  So right there, somewhere deep down inside, I knew it was over.  The Czechs didn't even need to score 3 impressive goals, making the Americans look like college boys in the process.  All they had to do was drain the Carlsberg keg from Nevada Smith's soccer bar in New York City and ensure it remained dry through gameday, and they got their win. 

 

Oh, I forgot to mention: the beer I drank instead?  Pilsner Urquell, the most famous beer from...the Czech Republic.

 

For those who may not have seen the score:

 

Bruce Arena's Team USA were taught a footballing lesson by the Czech Republic on Monday as they ran out convincing 3-0 winners in their opening match.

 

So, now we just need to beat Italy on Saturday and then Ghana the following Thursday, plus hope for the Czechs to beat Italy (that last little bit is due to the goal differential, which after getting smacked for 3 goals, is not in our favor).  Piece of (European) cake.

I've found the motherlode.  Free MP3 downloads of the official Soca Warrior soca tunes that are lighting up Trinidad right now (via The Warrior Nation fansite). 

NY Times:

 

The pneumatic drills stopped, and workers pulled bottles of beer from a cooler and began rooting, some for the Polish players in red and white, and others for the Ecuadorean team in blue, yellow and white.

The fans stood crowded next to piles and rows of Dunlops, Goodyears, Firestones and Michelins. They rested their beers on the rim clamps and tire balancers.[...]

Pepe's is just one of the many places in New York where these kinds of scenes will unfold as the monthlong World Cup tournament becomes a passion of the city's diverse population and offers international matchups certain to make strange bedfellows out of various ethnic groups.

Great news: Kevo, author of the popular Miseducation of Kevo column here at Cicero Jones, has moved on to start  his own blog.  Yep, that's worthy of another plug: Go check out The Miseducation of Kevo immediately. If you don't remember, he's a Brooklyn school teacher, well, for a few more weeks.  I am assuming his blog, which is already several posts long, will chronicle his final days at the chalkboard and then his transition back to being a student again.  Here's an excerpt:

 

 

It is Kevo, it is.  Check. out. the. blog.

 

Also of note: the new, prominently displayed link at right.

 

Trinidad & Tobago: Mangoville
187-30 Jamaica Ave, at Hollis, Queens; 718.468.4100
The official home of T&T's American boosters -- the Cup's most optimistic fans, as not since Cool Runnings has a Caribbean squad been given worse odds to win.

The nyt world cup blog is finding places in NYC to watch the games for each country.

 

I plan to catch a few games at Nevada Smith's (best soccer bar in NYC).  Also, I want to watch a T&T game out in Brooklyn where all the Trinnies are. 

Kos introduces the Libertarian Democrat:

 

So in practical terms, what does a Libertarian Dem look like? A Libertarian Dem rejects government efforts to intrude in our bedrooms and churches. A Libertarian Dem rejects government "Big Brother" efforts, such as the NSA spying of tens of millions of Americans. A Libertarian Dem rejects efforts to strip away rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights -- from the First Amendment to the 10th. And yes, that includes the 2nd Amendment and the right to bear arms.

So far, this isn't much different than what a traditional libertarian believes. Here is where it begins to differ (and it shouldn't).

A Libertarian Dem believes that true liberty requires freedom of movement -- we need roads and public transportation to give people freedom to travel wherever they might want. A Libertarian Dem believes that we should have the freedom to enjoy the outdoor without getting poisoned; that corporate polluters infringe on our rights and should be checked. A Libertarian Dem believes that people should have the freedom to make a living without being unduly exploited by employers. A Libertarian Dem understands that no one enjoys true liberty if they constantly fear for their lives, so strong crime and poverty prevention programs can create a safe environment for the pursuit of happiness. A Libertarian Dem gets that no one is truly free if they fear for their health, so social net programs are important to allow individuals to continue to live happily into their old age. Same with health care. And so on.

Ok, I'm reading so much about the World Cup, why don't I share some news with y'all:

 

Is Beasley not going to start?  It's a possibility, but I think it's more likely that he will start at right wing.  That article courtesy of the Washington Post's coverage.  Bruce Arena would have to be crazy to take DMB's creativity and pace out of the starting lineup. 

 

The NYTimes blog:

 

By now it seems pretty clear that Bruce Arena is playing it very mysterioso to confuse the Czechs, Italians and Ghanians — a closed-door match yesterday in which his players don't wear numbers; no comment from any American on that match, even on the official United States Web site; and a shroud of silence so complete that a panic swept through the Big Soccer bulletin board yesterday and today among United States fans afraid that Kasey Keller had been hurt and that the team was hiding the injury. Keller doesn't seem to have been injured, but the fact that there was confusion is probably fine with Arena.

The close-to-the-vest approach may take a toll on Arena's players; yesterday, DaMarcus Beasley called it "irritating." But the real aim of Arena's secrecy would appear to be the opposition, and it seems to be hitting its target. At least that's the impression left by the Italian coach, Marcello Lippi, who told Jere Longman in The New York Times Play magazine Sunday that Italy's "concentration is urgent when playing against the Americans because of their 'high technical level,' 'good athletic qualities' and 'discreet organization.'"