Despicable.

After talking myself down off the ledge that is the only word that I can find to adequately describe the US performance against the Czech Republic on Monday. The US team conceded 3 goals against a very good Czech team and scored none. A lot of credit has to be given to the Czechs because the team played superbly and capitalized on nearly all of its opportunities. On the other hand, the US never gave itself a chance by playing passive soccer and never attacking. Ultimately, the Czechs have most likely stomped, as the Czech player on the right seems to be doing, on the US heart and chances in the Cup.

Nobody on the team showed up to play except for second half substitute Eddie Johnson, who showed considerable spirit in getting a number of quality shots off. In particular, those missing in action were Landon Donovan, DeMarcus Beasley, and Brian McBride. Although, McBride’s performance can partially be blamed on Donovan and Beasley’s disappearing act because he did not get any good playable balls from the midfield. In fact, I don’t believe Petr Cech was seriously tested by the US in the entire game.

To be sure, there is plenty of blame to go around. The players came out dispirited and flat in the game and only to get worse after giving up the early goal to Jan Koller. After that goal, the team had no drive and looked lost. Coach Bruce Arena deserves a considerable amount of blame as well. It appears he and his team bought into the hype surrounding the team coming into the World Cup and caused them to lose their hunger. Ultimately it is the players’ responsibility to be ready but the coach has to get them there, and then after the game he sold his players out. Arena laid plenty of blame on Beasley and the midfield, but did not accept any fault for himself.

Arena surely had to share in the blame because of his managerial decisions. He played Beasley out of position on the right side and it was clear he was not comfortable on that side. (Interestingly, I heard on ESPN this morning that Beasley and Arena are having a significant dispute about Beasley’s role.) Arena also came out with a line-up that was obviously going to slow the tempo down and judging by the play this is what he coached the team to do. In the end, this was exactly the opposite of what he should have done because it played right into what the Czechs wanted to do—slow down, hold the midfield and counterattack—and once they scored the US didn’t adjust until it was too late.

In the end, this was the worst possible outcome for the US. It was not surprising that the Czech Republic won, but the manner in which it did has destroyed a lot of the advances US soccer had made home and abroad in the last 4 years. If the US fails to respond in its next game, this could be a disaster just like in ’98.

In Other Games

Australia 3 - Japan 1—The Soccerroos, led by Tim Cahill, scored three times in the final 15 minutes to come back and defeat Japan. It was quite remarkable.

Italy 2 – Ghana 0—Italy looked very good against a spirited Ghana squad. Chelsea player Michael Essien was superb for Ghana although he could not his team over the hump. Italy will be very tough for the US to score against. If Ghana had just a little more technical ability this game could have easily been a win for them.

South Korea 2 – Togo 1—Korea had two exquisite goals, one from a set piece, to come back from a one goal deficit, only the second time that has happened this Cup. This comeback came after a Togo player was sent off early in the second half for a tackle from behind that stopped a goal scoring chance.

Recap -- Sunday's WC Action

Netherlands 1 - Serbia & Montenegro 0: The Dutch looked very strong but couldn't put the ball in the net more than once. Arjen Robben looked impressive on the field while causing all sorts of trouble for S&M including the lone goal. Some have complained that Robben wasn't passing the ball.

Mexico 3 - Iran 1: Mexico looked good on offense with precise passing and inventive play. However, the defense left something to be desired.

Portugal 1 - Angola 0: Portugal dominated the game but couldn't really put it away, like the Netherlands earlier. Angola had a much more solid game than I thought the team would.

Argentina 2 - Cote D'ivorie 1

Quick note on probably the best matchup of teams so far. Argentina looked ruthlessly efficient and precise in the first half. If they continue to play like that they will be around for a while. However, the Elephants' speed and athleticism did cause the defense some serious trouble. If not for some bad finishing and luck, the Ivory Coast could have won the match.

The Ivory Coast looked very talented but they need to corral that talent. Clearly, the team was far more athletically gifted than Argentina but it did not have the precision and organization of Argentina. I still like the Ivory Coast to come out of this group.

SHAKA HISLOP!!!! SHAKA HISLOP!!!!

In-friggin-credible!!!!! Trinidad and Tobago just tied Sweden in the country's first ever World Cup match. Sweden is one of the better squads in the world and has members that play in the best leagues in the world. It also has 9 times as many people as T&T. It was an inspired effort by the Soca Warriors led by the backup keeper Shaka Hislop (see right). T&T's starting keeper was a late scratch after an injury during warmups. Hislop stopped everything Sweden sent at him. To top it off T&T had a player sent off in the early moments of the second half and played down a man the rest of the way. Sweden missed a ton of opportunities and seemed to press in the second half. Even though it was a tie, T&T has to consider this a victory. It was like a 15 or 16 beating a 2 or 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

God Save the Queen...

England has won and a collective sigh of relief comes from its fans. It was a good first half for England, but the team shut it down in the second half to preserve the win. England's defense really stymied the Paraguay attack. The ref, with a serious environmental disaster on his oil slick of a head, really seemed to favor Paraguay in the second half. He really let Paredes and Valdez (maybe that was the ref's name too?) get away with a lot of dissent and flopping when England could barely do anything.

Halftime Update: England 1 - Paraguay 0

So...the last 30 minutes of soccer was far less exciting that the first 15. England scored on the own goal and had several good shots in the half. Beckham has looked very sharp with his kicks, passes, and possession. Good for him. He needs to have a quality Cup after some very disappointing competitions in the past. England has dominated the half and has a significant lead in awkward 6'7" forwards. Peter Crouch surely doesn't look like a world class athlete.

One thing to note...the shadows at the stadium are crazy. The shadow looks like a 100-legged spider. See left for the cause of this awkward shadow. I'm sure it's not optimal for the play. It reminds of a reverse of the Dallas Cowboys stadium shadow.

Crap...It's Early To Be Watching Soccer

v.









5:55 a.m. PST: drag myself out of bed for the England v. Paraguay match.
6:00: kickoff
6:03: England scores of an errant header from a Paraguayan defender in the third minute after an Beckham free kick from 40-45 yards out. Thank god I'm up!
6:06: In the 7th minute the Paraguayan keeper has to come out because of a calf injury.

Wow! A lot happened in the first 15 minutes I was up. England is dominating the control and Paraguay can't really get any buildup or momentum. The team had some bad luck to begin with and has finally settled down a little bit.

Ecuador 2 - Poland 0

In what has been termed the first upset of the World Cup, the Ecuadorians beat the Polish team 2-0. I really don't think it was that much of an upset because the Poles haven't been in great form as of late, but did have a good qualifying run. And, Ecuador performed well in a tough South American qualifying. That said, this game was a complete letdown after the high scoring (but lacking in defense) Germany-Costa Rica match. Ecuador looks to be in good position to make it to the round of 16.

Germany 4 - Costa Rica 2

Germany prevailed in the first game of the 2006 World Cup. In a break from tradition, it was the German offense that performed very well without its superstar, Michael Ballack, while its defense looked suspect. Lahm for Germany scored a beautiful goal at the 6 minute mark from the left corner of the penalty box. He scorched it past the Ticos' keeper into the upper right V.

In a sign of things to come, Costa Rica's excellent forward, Wanchope, scored on a breakaway from a through ball after the Germans failed in an attempted offside trap to even the score in the 12th minute. In the 17th minute, Klose put Germany up one on an excellent pass from Schneider. From then on the Germans controlled the half.

In the second half the Germans continued to dominate the ball but had defensive lapses as well. Klose scored his second goal off a rebound of his own header after an excellent cross by Lahm. But, the German defense again let Wanchope score after the offside trap failed in the 73rd minute. Although, Wanchope was offside the linesman didn't call. Scoring ended in the 87th minute when Frings scored a rocket from 35 yards out.

In all, it was a good first outing for the Germans to work out the nerves. But, the Germans defense was very suspect in allowing two goals to Wanchope who was Costa Rica's only real threat for scoring. I bet the German fans are a bit nervous right now, but glad to have the country's World Cup under way.

And we're off!...like a dress on prom night.

Germany v. Costa Rica is underway and there have been 3 goals in the first 17 minutes.

The Big Lead points us to a NY Post story about the US Men's Team checking out the prostitutes in Hamburg, Germany. These women-of-the-night are apparently not that attractive and are flocking to Germany to meet the World Cup demand for sex.

From experience, not with prostitutes, but with living in Germany, I know that Germany has very loose laws for this industry. Just around the corner from my apartment in Berlin were two "massage parlors" with pornographic advertising in the windows. I assumed these weren't the normal spas that women go to. And, I used to ride the streetcar back to my apartment and would see women on the street wearing only heels, hose, thongs, and bustiers while holding an umbrella in 30 degree weather on Oranienburger Strasse. I was amazed by their toughness. I know I wouldn't be out in the Berlin winter with that little clothing on. Anyway, I suppose that these women will be quite busy for the next month. Just look at Windsor, Ontario, which was just across the border from Detroit, the host of this year's Super Bowl.

The World Cup Is Nigh

Tomorrow, the World Cup begins and I, for one, could not be happier. It means oodles of soccer on the tube for the next month and being unemployed means I can watch the majority of the games. That is, if I can get my lazy ass out of bed to watch the 6 a.m. games. I'll try to, but I'm not sure how long it will last. I will attempt to briefly write about each game I watch.

For what it's worth, below are my predictions for the matches. It looks like a lot of straight chalk but there are a few surprises in there. Most notable is the USA winning its group. A lot of that is pure optimism and patriotism, but I definitely think it is a possibility. If Italy ends up winning the group then I would put them into the semis and have USA losing to Brazil.

Cote D'ivorie (this is the spelling the country wants regardless of the language) is my sleeper because the team has some spectacular talent that plays in the top leagues, but I don't know how the rest of the team will respond. I really think England and Argentina have the best shot to win the whole thing outside of Brazil. The defense of Brazil might be its weakest point, but if the offense dominates the ball it doesn't really matter.

Group A
Costa Rica
Ecuador
Germany
Poland

Who will advance (1st, 2nd): Germany, Poland

Group B
England
Paraguay
Sweden
Trinidad and Tobago

Who will advance (1st, 2nd): England, Paraguay

Group C
Argentina
Cote D’ivorie
Netherlands
Serbia and Montenegro

Who will advance (1st, 2nd): Argentina, Cote D’ivorie

Group D
Angola
Iran
Mexico
Portugal

Who will advance (1st, 2nd): Portugal, Mexico

Group E
Czech Republic
Ghana
Italy
USA

Who will advance (1st, 2nd): USA, Italy

Group F
Australia
Brazil
Croatia
Japan

Who will advance (1st, 2nd): Brazil, Croatia

Group G
France
Korea
Switzerland
Togo

Who will advance (1st, 2nd): France, Switzerland

Group H
Saudia Arabia
Spain
Tunisia
Ukraine

Who will advance (1st, 2nd): Spain, Tunisia


Round of 16
A1 v. B2: Germany defeats Paraguay
C1 v. D2: Argentina defeats Mexico

E1 v. F2: USA defeats Croatia
G1 v. H2: France defeats Tunisia

B1 v. A2: England defeats Poland
D1 v. C2: Cote D’ivorie defeats Portugal

F1 v. E2: Brazil defeats Italy
H1 v. G2: Spain defeats Switzerland

Quarterfinals
Argentina defeats Germany
France defeats USA

England defeats Cote D’ivorie
Brazil defeats Spain

Semifinals
Argentina defeats France
Brazil defeats England

Third place match
England defeats France

Finals
Argentina defeats Brazil

Carl Monday Is My Hero

Thanks to Deadspin I have seen two of the funniest videos on the worldwideinterweb in a while.

First up is the intrepid investigative journalist Carl Monday in Cleveland, Ohio. Carl found this Ohio State Buckeye fan masturbating in a public library and confronted the culprit along with his family with hilarious results.

The other highlight is documentation of a new sport, trampoline basketball. Watch and learn.

Blazers get the 4th pick

Despite having the worst record in the NBA and the best chance to get the #1 pick, the Blazers managed to get the lowest pick the team could possible get, the 4th pick. (I think that is the lowest the team with a worst record can get.) However, this may not be as bad as it seems because of the lack of a clear cut superstar in the draft. (Blazers Edge seems to agree with this sentiment.) Now I don't want any teams to tank its season but maybe the Blazers could get some new talent and trade the bad apples (Miles and Randolph) and have a shot at Greg Oden next year.

As far as what the Blazers should do with the pick, it all depends on whether the team can work some trades for Miles and Randolph and what the team gets in return. If Portland stays pat and makes no significant changes, the biggest need is outside shooting. This has been its most desperate need for several years and if the Blazers can get a shooter, it would take some pressure off the inside game. Martell Webster looked good at times this season but it remains to be seen whether he can be a complete player on defense and know what to do on offense. So, a shooting guard is a possibility and I think Brandon Roy would be the best option there (as I said previously) because he can slash, play defense, and has developed a consistent outside shot in the last year. Another possibility is Adam Morrison at SF, but the team has a surplus at that position with Miles, Outlaw, and Khryapa. The guy can't play defense but he can shoot. Both of those players have been projected around the 4 spot so it should work. One thing the team doesn't need is another young point guard.

Clippers Fans Must Be Upset

The Clippers squandered a 3-point lead in the first overtime with under 5 seconds left in Game 5 last night. The team went on to lose in double OT in what was by all accounts a very, very good game. I enjoyed it immensely.

Now that the Clippers have won a playoff series their fans must expect the team to win and that it is a destiny for the team to make the finals. So, this loss that puts the Clips down 3 games to 2 and that has to be heartbreaking for the fans. But, to put salt in the wound the consumate Lakers fan, Jack Nicholson, has now decided its ok for him to be a Clippers fan. And, to top it off he gets second row tickets to last night's game in Phoenix and a bunch of face time on TNT.

I had always thought that Jack was a real fan considering how he was always at the Lakers games even when things were not going well. However, it has become clear that he is truly just another fair-weather LA sports fan. Whichever team is doing well is the team he will be supporting. Although Jack will always rate high in "cool factor" this has to bring him down a half-point or so on a scale of ten. It will be interesting to see who is in the house for Game 6 in LA.

I fully expect to see Dyan Cannon with Jack in the second row cheering on their "beloved" Clippers. What would be nice to see is Billy Crystal giving both of them a beatdown with a broomstick.

Jenn Sterger Really Likes Hooters

I ran across the blog of the internet phenomenon that is Jenn Sterger. Miss Sterger has turned a 10 second appearance on TV as a spectator and fan at a Florida State football game into money and a potential modeling career. The women is quite comely and quite busty. She will be in an upcoming issue of Playboy and has appeared in Maxim Magazine as well. By most accounts she seems to have a fairly level head despite her demi-celebrity status, although she does want to attend law school. (I can't imagine anyone doing that and being completely sane.) Now that I have given her bio, the real point of this post is the following quote from her blog:

After getting her settled and forcing her to sleep it off, I went to Hooters to clear my mind.

What!!!??? How great is that? I can't believe a woman would say this. Although, I guess there are less distractions at Hooters for a female than for a male. Since Miss Sterger is still finishing college I am going to grade this portion of her resume and it gets a solid A in my book.