spot kicking

Saturday afternoon we got to watch Fulham match up againt West Ham. What is interseting is the amount of Americans on the field.  I got a chance to watch the entire game as I have been quarentined with a cold by my wife.  So I am just allowed to sit in the basement and watch TV and have no contact with my son.  As much as I miss playing with my son, I am on my 6th hour of soccer.

Back to the point…

Representing the Americans on the Fulham side were Clint Dempsey and Brian McBride who is back from injury.  Out of the line up is mainstay Bocengra who was not playing.  That in itself is impressive for the Americans.  But in the 75th minute and his debut in the EPL. Eddie Johnson subbed in for Clint.  Then only a few minutes later and for West Ham, Jonathan Spector came into the match.  Even the commentator had made a comment of it being MLS heavy as a reference to the American representation.

If you watch any of the EPL games, you should be a Fulham supporter and hope they do well.  They dont have to be your main team, but you should wish them well.  Fulham doing well can only help other Americans getting a chance over in the EPL. 

Now lets hope they avoid relegation !

The era in Major League Baseball has been dubbed the steroids era.  With one report after another more names are getting linked into using Human Growth Hormones or Steriods.

Recently All American Boy Roger Clemens went before Congress to plead his innonence. It was amazaing that he and MacNamee can have the complete opposite story.  At this point, I cant believe either one of them.  What I do know is that Clemens is not the only one pinned to HGH and Roids.  Its seems that there is a high percentage of players in this era that have been rubbin’ the ‘roids.

 Which brings the reason for this blog.  Do you think this is an issue across all sports?  Do you think that soccer athletes are out there getting an endge on each other by using HGH or ‘Roids?

Let me know what you think?

US played Mexico February 6th in Texas to a 2 - 2 draw.  It was slated as an “International Friendly” but we all know that there is nothing friendly about this rival.  You can talk about NY vs Boston teams, but this is on another level.  This is our country versus our south of the border amigos.

How exciting of a game! I almost fell over in my chair towards the end of the first half. 

Overall the US looked like they were going to get beat most of the game. I dont think they exactly played their best.  But to go up 1 nill, then lose the lead, then get it back, and then have a goal called back.. man.. by halftime I was ready for a ‘doctor’.

It got me thinking about how great international games are. I cant wait for qualifying to start up in June. I cant wait for 2010.  I am not sure that my nerves can take these close games, but I guess thats why we have a ‘doctor’ on call at all times.

I am sure that I am not alone in the fact that I support the MLS and find myself defending the league in almost ever converstaion I have about soccer.  Whether I am talking to my friends at work who think soccer is a girl sport or my soccer friends who think anything less that the EPL is worthless.

 So here we are in the post-Cosmos era with a new generation of fans overlooking the MLS.

My beef is not with people preferring to watch the EPL or SPL or La Liga over MLS, to each thier own.  But I do have a problem with people in the country who do like soccer bash the MLS.

Here we are in the year 2008.  We have a professional domestic league.  We have our own team based out of our backyard.  We will have a new stadium in a year or so.  How do you not want to get behind this and push for its success?

Is it that hard to pack up a cooler, hibatchi and soccer ball and hit a parking lot with your friends and watch the sport that you grew up playing and watching.

Why do some people feel the need to bash the MLS.? I dont get it.  It is time that they take some resposibility for the sake of the sport and stop.  Not only can they help the MLS cause but they might enjoy hanging out with their friends and some beers during the summer.  That cant be too bad.

When people talk about the MLS, they should be talking about its potential and how great it is to have a professional league of our own.  They should be thankful that they can get out to games rather than supporting from across a body of water.  They should look forward to taking thier kids and grandkids to games. 

We have a good thing here with the New York Red Bulls. I hope you guys and gals can see that.

For those that don’t know I have been blessed to have had a healthy baby.  My son Jack is 3 months old now and I have already started to brain wash   influence him.

He has his fist soccer goal already set up.  The only TV he is allowed to watch is when I am watching FSC.  He had some football sweatshirts returned and replaced with soccer gear.  He has a small soccer ball, medium soccer ball, soccer ball shaker, soccer ball mobile, soccer ball rug, soccer ball clock, soccer clothes and a soccer ball bottle.

 Is it wrong to be that brainwashing influential at such a young age ?

I thought this would be more interesting.  I thought that i could get 5 or 6 people to blog and express opinions.  Basically this section has been a waste. 

Personally, I have sucked at it too.  It would take a great effort for me to keep up a good blog pace.  I dont even have much to say.

Anyone have any suggestions ?

On Sunday June 24 the United States Mens Soccer team beat Mexico 2 - 1 in the 2007 COCNACAF Gold Cup Final.  What might be one of the biggest rivals that our country faces in both the sporting arena and political venues.

Few rivals in sports are as venemous as USA vs Mexico.

First you have all the political incidents with “amnesty” and immigration reform. I will save that converstaion for a few beers in the parking lot at 13B.  Then you have all the “incidents” that you read about and hear about from previous US vs Mexico games.  Granted they may be embellished, but they sure do add to the rival. 

Between bags of urine being thrown at US players, the un-exchanging of shirts at the end of the game, Sanchez or whomever never giving credit to the US team in the press, Mexican press always stating “the better team did not win”, the 9-1 ration of Mexican fans over US fans at a US venue, the list goes on making this rival bigger and bigger.

We as a soccer nation, have never gotten too much respect in the past.  But it is about time Mexico shows us some.  I dont want to hear any ‘booing’ during our National Anthem, I want to see more players exchanging shirts at the end of a game, I want to read some respect in the Mexican press.

Mexico is their worst mental enemy. Maybe if they admit the US is a good team and they need to improve their game to beat us, their chances will improve.  But to deny and ignore the fact that Mexico has a hard time beating the US is proposterous.

Mexico is a team that has great individual talent that play all over in Europe and are well respected across the world. And now the US has the confidence to beat them on any given day.

It feels great to beat Mexico.  I dedicated the game to Miss America.

The only soccer players I can remember wearing non-traditional boots were the legend of  White Shoes Johnson and Alexi Lalas.  Now you can see players wearing colors of the rainbow on their feet:

Times have changed.

What ever happend to the classics:

As a retired out-of-shape player now turned party-boy family-guy, I would buy the craziest looking pair of boots on the market (if I ever stepped on the pitch again).  Atleast something will look flashy on the field.

The year has gotten off to a flying start.   I cant say anything bad about the MLS.  The Red Bulls have done more than their fair share to make this league a more exictible product.

You are going to have to look pretty deep in your book to find an excuse not to come out now.

So let me save you some time.
- There are too many kids and it is such a family friendly environment.
Well, I have spent 2 halves down in section 101 and there is nothing going on in there that is kid friendly. You can talk about chanting and singing all you want, but i will put these guys up against anyone.

- Not worth it for the price of the ticket
Well, we got 103 members in the Kearny Army.  Not to mention the non-season ticket holders in the Kearny Army. There are a lot of FREE-BEES going around.

- The product and quality on the field is not that great.
Well, ummm, if you are talking from 1999, then maybe you are right. But this is 2007.  Between Claudio, Juan Paublo Angel, Clint Mathis, Watterus, DVD, Richards, Freeman, Dunivant… and so on.  This team is talented. 

We are having a blast out there game in and game out.  There is nothing out there that should be stopping you from getting out and supporting the MLS and just hanging out the good ol’ Kearny way.

I am a soccer fan, and I want to be left alone by the mainstream American sports media.  I am tired of hearing and reading about David Beckham’s quest to resurrect American soccer. (When did it die?)  No more analysis (if you can call it that) about my game and its relation to the typical American sports fan.  No more comments on why soccer will never make it here – thereby inherently answering the previous question of whether Beckham can succeed.

How many generic newspaper/magazine/internet articles do we have to read?

Headline:          Beckham heads to Hollywood/L.A./U.S.

Subject:            Will Becks be able to save U.S. soccer?

Discussion:       Compare Beckham to Pele.  Compare MLS to the NASL.  Man U, Real Madrid and England.  Ex-captain. 31 years old.  Free kicks.  Soccer academies. Huge contract. (Insert hyperbole here).  U.S. Kids playing soccer.  Victoria.  Posh Spice.  Spice Girls.  Tom Cruise.  Hollywood.  Star power.

Ask again.        Will Beckham save the game?

Answer.           Only time will tell.

Enough already.  Why do the media feel compelled to perform these end game scenarios so soon?  Why not wait to see what happens?  How about we try this:  Report on what great news this is for MLS.  It’s David Beckham!  And he’s coming here.  We’ll be able to see him in person at the stadium.  So will everyone else across the country. Remind the fans of that.  Talk about how the future is bright.  Talk about the other players who may be coming over (Figo? Ronaldo?  Zidane?).  Talk about the new stadiums, the expansion of the league and the success of the younger players at home and abroad.

And to you non-soccer guys on the radio and/or television:  Stop talking about soccer.  Stop talking about how you “don’t get it.”  Stop complaining about the (alleged) low scoring problem.  Don’t tell me that the field is too big.  Don’t tell me how you think the game can be changed so the American fans will catch on.  I don’t want to hear your theory on why soccer will never be as popular as baseball or football.  And stop taking calls from your anti-soccer listeners!  Ray from the Bronx doesn’t “get soccer.”  Good for Ray.  I don’t care.  Where’s the 20/20 flash?

See, we know you guys don’t “get it.”  We do.  We’ll be there every Saturday at 7:15 a.m. to catch the game at the local pub.  And we’ll be at 13B for R.B.N.Y this summer.  We’ll be in Harrison in 2008.  Sold out stadiums.  World-class international stars.  Top level American players.  The Kearny Army.  Leave us alone.  We’ll be fine.  So will our game.  “Get it?”