MVP = MLS Vexes People

Ah, Jamie Trecker strikes again. This time, he argues that "In 2002, Arena was lucky to have young players pushing veterans for slots, raising everyone's game in the process. This time around, there isn't that pressure — most of the youngsters remain a good length behind and you get the feeling that a number of players feel that they've already locked up a roster spot." Huh? Let's take a rational look at who's locked up a roster spot:

Goalkeeper(s): Kasey Keller
Defender(s): Steve Cherundolo, Carlos Bocanegra, Cory Gibbs, Oguchi Onyewu, Eddie Pope (?)
Midfielder(s): Claudio Reyna, John O'Brien, Pablo Mastroeni, DaMarcus Beasley, Eddie Lewis, Bobby Convey
Forward(s): Eddie Johnson, Landon Donovan, Brian McBride

That leaves five, perhaps six slots open. There's still healthy competition for defensive positions (especially left and right back), right midfield, and forward.

As for complacency, what about thumping Panama 3-0 in Panama, a place where Mexico could only manage a draw? It seems to me that Trecker's once again grasping at straws. He even had the audacity to write this (regarding last week's article), "Your mail was overwhelmingly in agreement with much of what I wrote. To date only 37 letters out of that bunch disagreed with what I had to say (by my math that's about 2.76% of all respondents)." Oh please. He obviously missed the discussion over on Bigsoccer, where Trecker would have hardly found himself among the majority opinion. He must not have included some four e-mails sent to him by our friend over at Climbing the Ladder. And speaking of Bigsoccer, they more or less have once again taken Trecker's article apart.

Per the title of today's blog post, MLS has begun its 2005 Awards Tracker. Going along with the purpose of this feature, which is to create discussion and argument about MLS players, I'm going to go through each of the award categories and weigh in on my choices and their choices:

Most Valuable Player:

MLS:

1. Taylor Twellman --
2. Landon Donovan --
3. Dwayne DeRosario +
4. Ronnie O'Brien -
5. Christian Gomez --

My List:

1. Shalrie Joseph --
2. Dwayne DeRosario --
3. Taylor Twellman +
4. Jaime Moreno -
5. Ronnie O'Brien -
Moving up: Jeff Cunningham

I don't understand how MLS can leave Shalrie Joseph off a list of MVPs. Donovan's inclusion is something of a joke. Yes, he's the Galaxy's MVP, but I wrote to MLS calling this the "Alex Rodriguez" syndrome. Can you win league MVP if, despite how good a player you are, your team still finishes in the middle or bottom of the pack. Now, there's still a lot of time left, and clearly Landon makes the Galaxy a better team, but he's not an MVP yet in my book.

Rookie of the Year:

MLS:

1. Scott Sealy +
2. Michael Parkhurst -
3. Brad Guzan +
4. Chris Rolfe --
5. Bobby Boswell -

My List:

1. Michael Parkhurst --
2. Scott Sealy +
3. Bobby Boswell -
4. Brad Guzan +
5. Chris Rolfe --
Going nowhere: Gonzalo Segares

MLS has an infatuation with goal-scoring, that much is clear. Sealy could still wrap up the award in the next few months, especially if he continues to score at a rapid pace. However, Parkhurst has been the anchor of MLS' best defense this season, making few rookie mistakes, and making his teammates better. Until the last two weeks, Boswell and Parkhurst were neck-and-neck for this award. Boswell's fortunes have sunk recently, but there's still 1 1/2 months left in the MLS season.

Goalkeeper of the Year:

MLS:

1. Pat Onstad --
2. Matt Reis --
3. Nick Rimando --

My List:

1. Pat Onstad +
2. Matt Reis -
3. Nick Rimando --
4. Joe Cannon --
5. Brad Guzan +
Making me laugh: Tony Meola

Reis has been a big part of New England's success this year, don't get me wrong, but he's also been a liability at times, making rash challenges, and injuring two players this season as a consequence. Onstad has been a model of stability in the back. He doesn't make flashy saves all that often, but he can do it (see his save(s) of the year against LA in June) if he needs to. Guzan has bailed out Chivas so many times, it's become routine for him. Cannon and Rimando need to keep up their good work to move up the list.

Defender of the Year:

MLS:

1. Jimmy Conrad --
2. Wade Barrett +
3. Greg Vanney --
4. Michael Parkhurst -
5. Tyrone Marshall +

My List:

1. Eddie Robinson +
2. Michael Parkhurst --
3. Jimmy Conrad --
4. Bobby Boswell -
5. Greg Vanney --
Moving up: Danny Califf

I don't understand how MLS can neglect the success of the anchor of MLS' best defense, while also leaving off the anchor of the league's second-best defense. Scoff if you will at my inclusion of Boswell and Parkhurst but they belong, and their teams' successes are indicative of that. One could easily flip Robinson and Califf, but since Califf's inclusion in San Jose's starting eleven, Robinson has been an absolute rock in the back, helping a defense that has been key number one to San Jose's sucess.

Coach of the Year:

MLS:

1. Dominic Kinnear --
2. Steve Nicol --
3. Dave Sarachan -

My List:

1. Dominic Kinnear +
2. Steve Nicol --
3. Peter Nowak -
4. Bob Gansler --
5. Colin Clarke -
Feeling the heat: Dave Sarachan

Kinnear is easily the front-runner right now, and even if his team doesn't win the Supporter's Shield, he still deserves the award. He's taken a team that everyone left for dead before the season, filled it with MLS cast-offs, and is second only to the Revolution in points with 44. Why Sarachan's on MLS' list I don't know. He has tons of defensive talent yet has one of the worst defenses in the league. In fact, he has talent all over the field (except at right mid), but his team is in a worrying slump with a terrible road trip ahead.

Finally today, Jimmy Conrad finally has weighed in on his Madrid experience, and it was worth the wait. Best quote:

"I told [Beckham] that despite any effort I use to beautify myself, he's much better looking than I am."

You Got a Lot of Splainin' to Do

Until US Men's National Team coach Bruce Arena releases his roster for the Mexico Game, we can't do much expect speculate who will play. However, with several key players returning from injury, including Pablo Mastroeni, DaMarcus Beasley, Carlos Bocanegra, and Eddie Johnson, we'll see a slightly different line-up than what we saw against Trinidad and Tobago. From the list of players known to be in camp, it would seem that Saturday's line-up might look as follows:

Goalkeeper: Kasey Keller
Defenders: Chris Albright, Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, Eddie Lewis
Midfielders: Steve Ralston, Claudio Reyna, Pablo Mastroeni, DaMarcus Beasley
Forwards: Landon Donovan, Brian McBride

That's a very weak right side, but barring a major philosophy shift, I don't see Arena starting Santino Quaranta out at right mid. Without Steve Cherundolo (and without a proper right midfielder), our offensive output (and defensive prowess) suffers mightily on the right.

Speaking of right midfielders though, Kansas City Wizards midfielder Chris Klein is aiming to get himself back into the National Team picture. While Klein never impressed me in his previous chances, his career has been set-back numerous times with injury, and he's a stand-up player enjoying a tremendous season (7 goals, 8 assists so far). At the very least, Klein's earned himself another call-up.

Dallas shows where it's priorities are: ticket sales. It seems more clear than ever that previous Dallas GM Greg Elliott was forced out to make room for a more business-savvy (but apparently still soccer-friendly) GM in John Alper.

For my money, Shalrie Joseph has been the MLS MVP so far this season, and barring a major catastrophe for the New England Revolution, he'll stay my choice for the rest of the year. Today, there was a great article on Joseph. Here are some quotes:

"I support the US team and my heart is with them."

"Some days I regret my decision, but my roots are in Grenada and I decided to play for them."

''You are not just winning balls but also distributing. Some guys can win balls but can't distribute and others can distribute but are not so good at winning balls. My strength is that I can win the ball, I can organize the midfield, and I can convert to attack."

Finally, Real Salt Lake has acquired Minnesota Thunder forward Melvin Tarley. The weird thing about this is that Tarley will be able to play for the Thunder in their semi-final Open Cup match (and the Open Cup final should Minnesota advance). Is a player that has been "acquired" allowed to return to his team to play? I know that it's not unprecedented for a loan player to sit against the team that loaned him (per the stipulations of the loan deal), but the language used here is "acquired" and yet Tarley will be able to play for the Thunder. Anyone well-versed in the FIFA laws of the game able to puzzle this out?

What a Weekend!

It was a great weekend for American soccer fans, both for MLS and for our Yanks abroad. Hopefully, next week will be another great weekend, a win over Mexico in Columbus will ensure the United States makes its fifth consecutive trip to the World Cup.

In MLS action over the weekend, fans witnessed a pitifully refereed match between the Kansas City Wizards and the Columbus Crew. Over on BigSoccer, some fans were absolutely indignant. However, while some found Friday's match indicative of the quality of refereeing in the league, at least two solidly refereed matches on Saturday quieted the mob. In the weekend's biggest match (Galaxy v. Earthquakes), referee Abbe Okulaja did a very good job containing two very spirited sides, and allowing play to flow freely and effectively. While fans on both sides questioned a few calls, none could really complain as Okulaja had neither an adverse impact on the game nor was he an impediment to the flow of play.

I was thrilled to have been at Spartan Stadium for the aforementioned Galaxy v. Earthquakes match. I was at the LA game earlier this season, and this game was just as, if not more passionate, rowdy, and fun. It's always great to heckle and I was pleased to get a rise out of hot-head Tyrone Marshall.

The situation: LA has just come out for pre-game warm-ups. Marshall is walking over to the bench. I yell out, "Tyrone Marshall!" I pause, and Marshall looks up to see who could be yelling out his name. He spots me. "Tyrone," I continue, "Thanks for scoring for us!" He gives me a long look, then a double-take in an attempt to stare me down. I keep staring at him, as though to say, "That's right Tyrone, I'm looking right at you, what are you gonna do about it?" He walks over to Cobi Jones and says something. Jones glances up and glares. I flash both a big smile.

Still doesn't quite compare with making faces at Chris Carrieri, making Bob Bradley smile, or so utterly confusing Tim Hankinson with insults that he didn't know what to do about it but smile and nod, but it's always great to get opponents mad (even if my insult was as simple, and disarming, as they come).

I was also happy to see that Landon has embraced his role as local villain. His finger-to-lips and logo-patting routine after the goal was a delight to see. The crowd just keep on booing, but I'll give credit where credit's due: His goal was a quality strike, the likes of which I haven't seen from Landon in a while (see his goal and all other game highlights here).

Power Rankings:

1. San Jose Earthquakes - It wasn't just a big win over LA, it was a convincing win. LA worked hard to shut down Dwayne DeRosario, but it wasn't enough. Inspired play from Mullan, Chung, and the two forwards, Alejandro Moreno and Ronald Cerritos, gave San Jose the deserved victory. Brian Ching's return from injury also seems imminent and should give an even greater boost to a team already firing on all cylinders.

2. New England Revolution - Yes, New England leads the league in points, but of late they have not been entirely convincing. However, New England is a team that finds ways to win late, but they have to stop relying on such late-game heroics and start winning games earlier if they want to advance to MLS Cup.

3. Kansas City Wizards - Is their confidence shaken after losing to Minnesota in the Open Cup? Was it just a bad week? Perhaps Kansas City was screwed by the referee, but even if that were true, it doesn't take away the fact that they looked uninspired and flat Friday night against a Crew team that didn't look much better.

4. D.C. United - The Dema ejection might be a blessing-in-disguise for D.C., likely forcing Nowak to start Freddy Adu. Adu has played his way into the starting eleven this season, and he should infuse much-needed energy and creative flair to a side that has looked tired and one that is lacking in sharpness. This team also needs Bobby Boswell to find his form quickly; two own goals in two weeks?

5. Chicago Fire - They weren't able to hurt themselves by playing this weekend, so I'll give them a pass. They have a tough road game in LA ahead of them this week, but their Eastern Conference rivals really helped them out this week by losing.

6. FC Dallas - A point is a point, but at home? More troubling still is that they are yet to win at new home Pizza Hut Park. They are now eight points out of first place in the West, and have a huge home game against San Jose this week. While San Jose will be without midfield general Dwayne DeRosario, Dallas will be missing Greg Vanney, Carlos Ruiz, and Eddie Johnson (World Cup Qualifiers), and Clarence Goodsen (yellow card accumulation). It's going to be a long rest of the season.

7. LA Galaxy - Inspired play from Landon was not enough. Missing Nagamura hurt, but not nearly as much as another away loss. However, LA should be encouraged from their recent road form, nearly drawing points against Chicago, beating United, and battling tough against a superior San Jose side.

8. Colorado Rapids - While they may find themselves down the pecking order this week, a weekend off should do the Rapids a lot of good as they try to move their way up the Western Conference standings.

9. Columbus Crew - Another win, this time against a surging Kansas City side. Say what you want about the referee, but Columbus actually did look dangerous for stretches of the game, displaying a bite that's really been lacking all season.

10. Metrostars - Bob Bradley may not have much time left to turn around this team. A defensive midfield signing should help, but it won't solve all of the Metrostars' defensive woes. They still need to keep looking for defensive help before the transfer window closes, or they'll find that they're playoff window will close right along with it.

11. Chivas - Rising, rising.

12. Real Salt Lake - It's going to be tough the rest of the season, and now Chivas is nipping at their heals. Clint Mathis needs to step up now more than ever.

Soccer News and the Weekend MLS Preview

The biggest MLS story today is the resignation of FC Dallas General Manager Greg Elliott. He will be replaced by John Alper, who has been a longtime executive within the FC Dallas organization. Word on Bigsoccer is that Elliott is getting the can after the problems and delays related to the opening of Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. According to one Bigsoccer poster, "The 4+ month delay in opening PHP cost Hunt Sports Group an extra $15 million." Ouch.

The Metrostars are hoping to sign Argentine defensive midfielder Daniel Garipe. Ives Galarcep writes, "Garipe is a central midfielder expected to battle with Michael Bradley and Mark Lisi for one of the team's defensive midfield slots." Hopefully, if this Garipe is at all worth bringing in, he won't have to battle for his spot. Michael Bradley (who, as it happens, is the son of head coach Bob Bradley) is not an MLS caliber defensive midfielder, and Lisi isn't a defensive midfielder at all. If Garipe can't beat out those two, I don't suspect that the team would pick up his option for the 2006 season.

In an article in today's Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle Sounders General Manager Adrian Hanauer talks about his hope of bringing the Sounders into MLS. Of course, he needs an investor and a viable stadium plan to do it, but he is one of the few USL executives who thinks it would be more beneficial to join MLS than to remain in the USL. Hanauer had this to say about the gap in talent between MLS and the USL:

"The difference right now is about three players. If we could add three top-end players to our roster we could play with any MLS team," Hanauer said. "The MLS and USL are very similar, other than those two or three special players that are making big money that the USL just can't afford."

I'm not so sure that three top-end players would be enough to allow the Sounders to compete over an entire MLS season. That said, it would certainly be one of the deeper squads in MLS.

Weekend MLS preview:

Kansas City v. Columbus - Kansas City was knocked out of the US Open Cup by USL side Minnesota Thunder on Wednesday. That loss though should not be indicative of the club's recent success in MLS competition. I expect that to continue at home against a Columbus side that has struggled with consistent form this season. Prediction: Wizards 2:0 Columbus

New England v. D.C. - What two weeks ago would have been a cracker of a match-up, now may be a much less exciting affair. New England will be without keeper Matt Reis or midfield engine Clint Dempsey. However, Pat Noonan should be available for his first MLS match since the end of the Concacaf Gold Cup. D.C. will be without Brian Namoff (suspension) and likely Jaime Moreno (injury sustained in the Real Madrid "friendly"), but should have both Freddy Adu and Ben Olsen available for this match. Prediction: Revolution 1:1 United

Dallas v. Chivas - Three weeks ago, it would have been laughable to suggest a Chivas victory, away from Los Angeles no less. However, with Chivas' new additions and Dallas' struggling form it isn't outside the realm of possibility. While I don't see victory in Chivas' horizon, unless new signing Mark Wilson is ready to play the full 90, I don't see a victory in Dallas' either. Prediction: FC Dallas 2:2 CD Chivas USA

San Jose v. Los Angeles - Ah, the true "Super Classico" of MLS. San Jose expects a crowd of over 20,000 fans for this nationally televised match (8:00 PST, ESPN2), and expect a good majority of them to come out swinging at Landon Donovan (again). However, LA's road form, once laughable, seems to have improved (a road victory in D.C. last week, and an Open Cup victory against San Jose in Spartan on Wednesday), and San Jose's form seems to have hit a brief snag. That said, Ricardo Clark will be available for this match (although Brad Davis will be out), which should boost San Jose's fortunes immensely. Prediction: Earthquakes 2:1 Galaxy

Last week: 3-2

New Kids on the Block

In US Open Cup action last night, eight teams were whittled down to two. The remaining teams will match up on September 14:

LA Galaxy v. Minnesota Thunder
Chicago Fire v. FC Dallas

The Galaxy's victory demonstrated a few very valuable lessons for Earthquakes head coach Dominic Kinnear. First, he now knows that he has no depth, anywhere. In Brian Ching's absence, his only real option up top other than Alejandro Moreno and Ronald Cerritos is Brian Mullan. In the midfield, he was very wise to pick up Mark Chung, but with Davis battling injury (he re-injured his groin last night), he has no one who can come off the bench for either Chung or Mullan. He has very little depth in defense outside of Kevin Goldwaithe, Ryan Cochrane, and Chris Aloisi, and backup goalkeeper Jon Conway gifted LA with one goal last night and was beaten badly on the second. Second, Kinnear realized how vital Ricardo Clark is to this team's success. Not only is Clark proving he's matured into an excellent defensive midfielder, but without him in center midfield, DeRosario's game falls off considerably. Clark outlets the ball to Dwayne and vice versa. When O'Rourke was in midfield last night, this just wasn't happening, and as a consequence, DeRosario had little impact on the game.

The Earthquakes need to pick up another forward or midfielder to add depth. This player doesn't even have to be a starter, but this individual would have to be speedy and a definite improvement (skill-wise) over the likes of Julian Nash and Ian Russell. In addition, Kelly Gray's production has fallen off. If Davis was available for Saturday, it would be expedient and possible to bench Gray (he may just need a rest), but with Davis now out, that's unlikely. However, if Davis were healthy, I'd love to see Chung move to right mid and Mullan move to the right fullback position. The move would not be unprecedented, as Mullan has played right back with the Earthquakes before.

The Minnesota Thunder of USL-1 pulled off yet another big victory over an MLS club in Open Cup competition last night, defeating the Kansas City Wizards (away!) 3-1. This team, which has been a borderline playoff club in the USL all season, seems incredibly hungry. I would not be surprised if they made it to the Open Cup final.

Other soccer news:

Colorado going back to green?

Chelsea and Liverpool to rematch in group stage of the Champions League

Collina screws Everton against Villarreal

MLS Officials to blame for Madrid "debacle"

5-0

Yes, an MLS Select Team lost to internationally renowned Spanish club Real Madrid 5-0. Yes, that's a terrible scoreline, even against Real Madrid, even in a meaningless friendly. But the hysterical overraction, not only from MLS fans on Bigsoccer (here, here, and here, among others), but from none other than Jamie Trecker. He's (mostly) right about the game itself. Indeed it was "an embarrassing loss, another missed opportunity for a still-young American league that maddeningly manages to blow chances with abandon." But his outlook on the future of American soccer is maddening.

Trecker has every right to bring up contraction, wasted money, declining attendances, and sparse media coverage, but it is missing the point. I'm glad that Trecker is willing to bring up troubling issues, but he paints a picture of the league that is only half right. On the other side there are new investors (Kroenke, Checketts, Vergara, Payne), new stadiums (six soccer specific stadiums for 2007 by my count), and steadily improving quality of play. Yet, it is this last issue that is most contentious for Trecker. He argues that "[MLS] will have to stop pretending that international no-names like Donovan, Taylor Twellman, Tony Sanneh and Ante Razov (to name just a handful) are 'stars'." However, Trecker fails to offer any solutions to MLS' marketing conundrum. Must MLS run ads telling potential fans to "come see the continent's most average talents"?

I must give Trecker credit for generating a lot of healthy discussion about the league and about what exactly this match means in the grand scheme of things. However, this doesn't make his article any less of an overreaction. Frank Dell'Apa has written a much more balanced story, but he is wrong when he writes, "instead of inviting clubs on exhibition tours during the summer, the MLS could revive the NASL's Trans Atlantic Challenge Cup, offering big-money incentives." No Frank, what MLS ought to do is negotiate with MFL and other Concacaf leagues to put more money and time into the Concacaf Champions Cup. The other step is to support D.C. United in the Copa Sudamerica next month.

Oh, and Jamie, where were you when D.C. United lost to Pumas 5-0? Just asking.

Last night, a journalist from the Orlando area, posted a story that linked Ajax Orlando (the Dutch club's American affiliate) with potential minority investment in San Jose or Kansas City. This was confirmed today in the San Jose Mercury News, and by Soccer Silicon Valley. This confirms several things:

1. San Jose has local investors working to keep the team in the area.
2. A sale is probably still contingent upon a stadium plan.
3. AEG lied.

Today also features quarterfinal matches of the U.S. Open Cup:

LA Galaxy at San Jose Earthquakes
Kansas City Wizards at Minnesota Thunder
Chicago Fire at Rochester Raging Rhinos
FC Dallas at D.C. United

Other soccer stories:

Adu is back!

Youri is for real

The Orlando take on the Ajax announcement

"Come hug me or the referee isn't going to allow it."

Last week, I posted a link to a BBC article about Diego Maradona's new Argentinian talk show. Well, this week he finally addressed his infamous "hand of God" goal", explaining "I was waiting for my teammates to embrace me and no one came. I told them, 'come hug me or the referee isn't going to allow it.'"

Ives Galarcep has written a great piece on US International Bobby Convey. It is almost inevitable that comparisons are drawn up between Convey and fellow US International Landon Donovan, who gave up on Bayer Leverkusen in Germany after only a few months. Whether this is a fair comparison or not, I don't know (it's being discussed on Bigsoccer, here), but it is very clear how Landon and Bobby view their soccer careers, and they really couldn't be more different. Landon sees his job (rightly or wrongly) as growing soccer in the United States. He does not feel that this could be done abroad, but that he could better achieve this aim by playing with MLS. Some may see this as an excuse for Landon's home-sickness, but whatever his reasoning, it's hard to dispute his importance to the American game. Bobby on the other hand, only wants to become a better player. Yes, it'd be great if he could help grow American soccer, but Bobby, like DaMarcus Beasley, is an ambitious young player. He wants to succeed in Europe, something that was complete ancillary to Donovan's ambitions.

Finally, the Trofeo Santiago Bernabeu match between an MLS Select Team and Real Madrid, is today, live on Fox Soccer Channel (and maybe available online at MLSnet.com) at 3:30 EST. Landon Donovan said of the game:

"At the end of the day it doesn't matter. It's not like we're battling to get a 0-0 draw. We're going to go play and make the game fun."

I sure hope so.

Want To Get Mad?

Note: As always, today's soccer post can be found below.

This week's Economist featured an article about a Supreme Court decision handed down last October in a case called Kelo v. City of New London. Amendment 5 to the U.S. Consitution states that:

"[Nor] shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."

When most people think of taking private property for public use, they think of houses being bull-dozed to build a highway. They certainly don't imagine that their homes (or property) would be destroyed so that a private developer could build on that sight. However, that's exactly what happened in this instance and what was at stake in Kelo v. City of New London. (The court ruling can be read in its entirety here).

In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the City of New London was justified because
"in addition to creating jobs, generating tax revenue, and helping to build momentum for the revitalization of downtown New London,. id., at 92, the plan was also designed to make the City more attractive and to create leisure and recreational opportunities on the waterfront and in the park." This of course has nothing to do with "slums or roads" (as the Economist writes), but it does massively expand the government's power of eminent domain. Indeed, what's to stop them from removing any private property that gets in the way of property development?

Justice John Paul Stevens, defending the majority opinion of the court, cited a 1954 Supreme Court Case (Berman v. Parker) in which, "this Court upheld a redevelopment plan targeting a blighted area of Washington, D. C., in which most of the housing for the areas 5,000 inhabitants was beyond repair." But the residents in the case in question certainly did not live in a blighted area of New London. This ruling gives a power to the government that it shouldn't have. Market forces will naturally take care of private development projects. Now the government has the power to take matters into its own hands regards eminent domain.

Show your support for organizations like the Libertarian Institute for Justice which opposes the right to eminent domain. Certainly, I don't believe that the government's going to come bulldoze my house, but that won't stop them from bulldozing some else's.

Signs of the End Times: Chivas Is Geting Better

Is Michael Kennedy not the absolute worst referree in MLS? After last week's debacle in San Jose, a game in which the Colorado Rapids' sole tactic for defeating the Earthquakes was to persistently foul them, Kennedy returned this week to screw over yet another MLS club, this time CD Chivas USA. Now, I don't have much love (or hate) for Chivas, but they were absolutely screwed by an abomination of a referreeing performance (highlights available here). While I honestly don't much care about the result, I do feel that the quality of referreeing in MLS is particularly poor. I've written about this before, but after this weekend's games I've really begun to lose faith in the ability of an MLS referree to call a fair and balanced soccer match. During the off-season, whoever is in charge of referree oversight really needs to take a long, hard look at the situation.

Power Rankings:

1. Kansas City: You may be wondering, "why not New England or San Jose?" My answer is simple. Kansas City did not lose to Colorado in the middle of the week (like New England), they've maintained their winning ways (unlike D.C.), and they play in the East (a vastly more difficult conference than San Jose's West). Oh yeah, and they're playing great ball.

2. San Jose: It certainly wasn't a convincing victory over Real Salt Lake, but a win's a win.

3. New England: A loss to Colorado means this club is still in a bit of a funk. Better now though than in September/October. Just ask the 2002 Earthquakes or the 2004 Metrostars and Columbus Crew.

4. D.C. United: A miserable loss to an LA team that hadn't won a road match outside of Los Angeles this season. Nowak may have shouldered the blame for the loss, and D.C. may have been the victim of some bad breaks and poor calls, they still played poor and uninspired soccer.

5. Colorado: Think I'm crazy? Of course you do. This team doesn't even have a winning record. But what they have done is played winning soccer lately, drawing San Jose in San Jose last week was tough, but on Wednesday they won a valuable three points against a (somewhat) depleted New England side. These aren't called power rankings because they're based on who has the most points.

6. Los Angeles: The Galaxy won on the road (and they actually looked like a quality side). Enough said.

7. FC Dallas: The Hoops are sinking fast, and unlike New England, there's no easy solution to right this ship. They lack wingplay, they lack a healthy Eddie Johnson, and their defense is making costly errors. Colin Clarke has been able to coast this season with smoke and mirrors. Now we get to see whether he's as good a coach as we've been led to believe up to this point.

8. Chicago: Chicago's fading fast, and their ghastly road schedule must be causing Dave Sarachan fits right now.

9. Metrostars: Very lucky not to lose to Chivas yesterday. Very lucky.

10. Columbus: They played a very gritty game to get three points against a slumping FC Dallas this weekend. It was a must-win game, but with Kansas City, D.C., and New England so far away, it'll be very tough for Columbus to make the playoffs. Now it's just about winning back some self-respect.

11. Chivas: Robbed against the Metrostars, Chivas' offense is looking absolutely explosive with Palencia and Juan Pablo Garcia. Their defense...that's another matter entirely.

12. Real Salt Lake: They played San Jose tough, but it wasn't good enough. They may have improved their defense, but their offense is still a total mess.

No Tino Palace, You're Wrong.

In this week's The Clean Sheet, MLSNet.com writer Tino Palace wrote:

"Ridge Mahoney in Soccer America brought up a good point: Frank Yallop being reunited with Alexi Lalas as head coach of the Mutts. Makes sense."

So I wrote him an e-mail that reads as follows:

"Regarding your quote: "Ridge Mahoney in Soccer Americabrought up a good point: Frank Yallop being reunitedwith Alexi Lalas as head coach of the Mutts. Makessense."News flash: This does not make sense, at least not inthe way you're thinking, because Yallop and Lalas were never united in the first place. Yallop left San Jose for the Canada gig after the 2003 season. FormerEarthquakes GM Johnny Moore left the organization (inprotest) before the 2004 season. Thus, Lalas andYallop never worked together."

I got this note back from Tino (read, sarcastic):

"Couldnt you have emailed me before I wrote that? Thanks for nothing.
TP"

Hey Tino, if you need an editor, I'm your man.

In other MLS news, yesterday they announced the roster they'll be sending to Spain to take on Real Madrid on Tuesday. I don't quite understand why, but MLS apparently didn't follow their own plan to send two players from teams no longer in the U.S. Open Cup, and one from teams in it (both Kansas City and D.C. United are sending two players each). Ives Galarceps absolutely threw a fit over on ESPN Soccernet. I couldn't agree more. MLS has become absolutely obssessed with these international friendlies of late, and while I had no problem with the Madrid, Milan, and Chelsea matchups here in the States, MLS' agreement to play this game is the equivalent of saying that they don't care about the U.S. Open Cup.

Today has been a great day for Yanks Abroad. Today's biggest story though has been Bobby Convey's play for Reading. Convey scored two goals against Milwall in a 5-0 Reading win. The announcer said of Bobby's first goal: "And what a goal it was, he rode a challenge,, no more than 30 yards from his own goal, sped from there past the defense and slotted home." Amazing. And, as expected, Bigsoccer is primed to explode.

The Stanford Theatre

Today's Soccer blog can be found below.

On Monday, I wrote about Palo Alto's Stanford Theatre. Indeed, the place is a landmark of the Bay Area film community. I wanted to share some pictures now:

Recently, much has been said about declining movie ticket sales. There has been even more furor recently over Disney's alleged plan to simultaneously release their films in theatres and on DVD. It's sad that the public no longer wants to see films on the big screen (half the experience of seeing a film in my opinion), but it's also understandable. Home entertainment and DVD quality have improved exponentially in the last ten years. Couple this with terrible theatre experiences (obnoxious audiences, tiny screens, and less than stellar service), and what you have are declining ticket sales. I don't buy the argument that films have been bad either. The fact that audiences gravitated towards movies like "The Dukes of Hazzard" and "The Fantastic Four" this summer (even with competition from above-average summer films like "Revenge of the Sith," "Batman Begins," and "War of the Worlds") is proof that the Hollywood formula is more successful than ever.

No, the problem can only be resolved by reclaiming the theatre experience. Loews is bringing back the double feature, and other theatre chains are working effortlessly to ensure that they install digital visual and audio equipment, as well as providing new and various ammenities to film-goers. These are steps in the right direction. To understand what Hollywood and the movie-theatre once was, you need look no further than the Stanford Theatre. That is a real movie experience.

"Don't worry; this man just needs some football."

A friend of mine sent me a fascinating article today about a tiny Swiss club on the verge of Champions League qualification. There's a great quote in the article which neatly sums up the success of MLS' San Jose Earthquakes the last five seasons: "Gerber, a hard-working midfielder who spent three seasons at both Grasshoppers and Young Boys Bern, is a good example of Thun's ability to get the best out of other clubs' cast-offs." That's exactly what San Jose has done. They won by trading for proven commodities and for players unhappy with their current situations, placing them with a club that emphasized creativity and teamwork above all else. Good luck to Thun on Tuesday.

Yanks-Abroad strikes again, with a tremendous DaMarcus Beasley interview. The passion, committment, and fire in this young man is incredible. Biggest regret last season?

"'Basically, the penalty kick I missed in the quarterfinal (against Lyon),' Beasley replies, disregarding the fact that his miss did not stop the club from advancing past the four-time reigning French kings."

"'But at the same time... if that chance came again, I'd definitely go again.'"

DaMarcus does not back down from any challenge, and that included taking the leap of faith and making the move to Europe. His improvement whilst at PSV has been nothing short of astonishing, and he should no doubt improve even more this season (once healthy). He also makes an interesting comment regarding who should become the next US Men's National Team coach:

"'If he [PSV coach Gus Hiddink] ever did decide in the future that he wanted to coach the US, I think it would be a good move for our federation to consider,' he suggested. 'He's a great coach and he demands a lot.'"

MLS really wants to piss off its fans. Check out their idiotic MLS Cup ticket lottery for proof.

Now, time to preview this weekend's MLS match-ups:

Kansas City v. Chicago: While Chicago has been slumping (they desperately miss Ivan Guerrero and Nate Jacqua), Kansas City has been absolutely resurgent, coming back to defeat Chicago in Chicago last Wednesday. Unless Chicago's defense improves, I don't see them getting any points out of Kansas City tonight. Prediction: Wizards 2: 0 Fire

Columbus v. Dallas: Both teams have found themselves in a rut of late. Unfortunately for Dallas, new signing Mark Wilson still hasn't finished his paperwork and won't be with the squad for this game. Dallas is a team in desperate need of a spark, and until that spark comes, I don't suspect that they'll get the three away points that they'll want Saturday night. Prediction: Crew 1: 1 FC Dallas

D.C. v. Los Angeles: Los Angeles the team that can't win on the road, facing D.C. United, the hottest team in MLS currently. D.C. United will have new Argentine defender Facundo Erpen available. LA have no such new signings available. Prediction: United 3: 1 Galaxy

Salt Lake v. San Jose: Real Salt Lake signed three defenders this week to help shore up MLS' second worst defense. However, I'm not certain that all of them will be available this weekend, and even if they are, it's doubtful how effective they'll be against the Earthquakes, who have been one of MLS' best over the last two months. San Jose will no doubt come hungry after a disappointing home draw against Colorado last week. Expect fireworks. Prediction: Earthquakes 2: 1 Real Salt Lake

Metrostars v. CD Chivas USA: The Metrostars have been playing well lately. Unfortunately for them, the fourth playoff team in the East (currently Kansas City) have the same number of points as the best team in the West (currently, San Jose). However, if they can get a home win against the theoretically much improved Chivas, they'll still be in the hunt for a playoff spot. Prediction: Metrostars 2: 2 Chivas

News on the March

Note: Again, for soccer blog readers, my soccer post for today can be found below.

In the news:

"I'm mad at Coach Snoop. He was so cool; he told me to play my heart out and to play everything I've got. But now I just want to ask him, why did he take all our players?" [I think this is pretty self-explanatory]

I better knock that heroin addiction, quick!

Confirms what we've known all along: Fox News is biased and really, it doesn't matter.

An American safari? This group of scientists seems to think it'd be a great idea.

The correct response to this article: Does anyone still give a shit?

National Geographic goes photoless. Meanwhile, my parents cancel their nearly thirty year subscription.

Sri Lankan government in talks with Tamil Tigers.

This last one is noteworthy, because several months ago I read War, Evil, and the End of History by Frenchman Bernard Henri-Levy, wherein there is a fascinating tale of brainwashing and manipulation concerning the Tamil Tigers. The book's sort of a big, fat, existentialist mess, but some of the anecdotes that Henri-Levy provides are fascinating, and the story described is one of the highlights.

Bobby Convey: International Man of Mystery

Last night in Concacaf World Cup qualifying, the United States defeated Trinidad and Tobago 1-0. The result, not at all indicative of the United States' utter dominance, moves the United States within a win of booking themselves a spot to Germany next summer. However, with their 2-0 win over Costa-Rica, Mexico is still atop the qualifying standings before their match against the United States in Columbus on September 3 (congratulations to Jared Borghetti, who became Mexico's all-time top goal-scorer last night).

The standings:

1. Mexico - 16 points (5-0-1)
2. United States - 15 points (5-1-0)
3. Guatemala - 7 points (2-3-1)
4. Costa Rica - 7 points (2-3-1)
5. Trinidad and Tobago - 4 points (1-4-1)
6. Panama - 2 points (0-4-2)

The U.S. got off to a roaring start, scoring in only the second minute of play. The goal was the result of a series of brilliant plays. The first was the brilliant run that Bobby Convey made across the box, using his speed to blow by his defender and get to the ball. The second was the adept play made by midfielder John O'Brien to spot the streaking Convey and get him the ball. The third was the excellent ball played by Convey across the goalmouth. Fourth and finally was the sublime finish by forward Brian McBride. The whole sequence must have taken no more than ten seconds, and it was a beautiful sight to behold; certainly more beautiful than any of the soccer played in the Gold Cup.

However, all the positives of this game, including some excellent defense, crisp passes, a few excellent runs, was marred by the team's complete inability to finish their chances. Both Convey and Donovan had between them at least five quality chances on goal that should have been put away. This is something that needs to be addressed before the Mexico match, before it returns to hurt the squad. The U.S. lost to England in a friendly in May because they couldn't finish, but they haven't been punished in a crucial match...yet.

Player ratings:

Kasey Keller - 6: I don't recall Keller having to do anything all evening.

Chris Albright - 6: A solid, if unspectacular game for the converted right back. Against a team like Trinidad, Albright needs to play more of a two-way game, moving forward into the attack more often. He has too good of a cross to be sitting back against a 10 man Trinidad team, especially when we needed a second goal so badly.

Greg Berhalter - 6: With Berhalter getting the start, it's clear that Arena is still not sold on Conrad, but it also indicates that Greg may still be in the mix for 2006, at the very least as an alternate. He played a solid game, which saw him struggle a bit early, but he made a crucial tackle in the second half that helped ensure U.S. victory.

Oguchi Onyewu - 8: A marvelous performance from rising star Onyewu. He made big time tackles, bailing out Berhalter (twice), and nearly scoring on a brilliant header. Had he scored that goal, he would have been a clear MOTM.

Eddie Lewis - 6: Eddie did very well defensively in his first performance as a left back, but he, like Albright, was too tentative going forward, and we desperately needed his left foot in the second half.

Steve Ralston - 4: A very weak match for Steve. With every game now he seems to be playing his way out of the National Team picture. He contributed nothing of note last night, and was turned around more than once defensively. It's a wonder that he wasn't subbed out sooner.

John O'Brien - 5: It's wonderful to see O'Brien back, and he sprung Convey with a brilliant pass leading to the game's only goal. However, his night was cut short by a hip pointer, which clearly seemed to have taken him off of his game.

Claudio Reyna - 7: Claudio proved that he's still very valuable to this team (although I'd love to see him tried out on the right wing) in the center of the pitch. He played an excellent (perhaps even dominant) first half last night, but he was much less active when O'Brien left the pitch. Coincidence? I don't think so.

Bobby Convey (MOTM) - 6: I must say, I've been impressed with Convey of late. He has played well for Reading so far this year, and his play last night was exceptionally good. He made great runs, set up the McBride goal, and should have had a goal or two of his own. However, he marred his good play with a reckless challenge that saw him sent off (it was his second yellow of the night). Say what you will about the first yellow, but the second was a dangerous tackle. This may be a blessing in disguise for Bobby though, as it means he can concentrate on solidifying his spot in the Reading starting eleven.

Brian McBride - 7: While Brian didn't do all that much in this game, he instantly earned himself a "7" by actually finishing his one chance of the game.

Landon Doovan - 6: Donovan played some exceptional passes last night, and it seemed like everytime I began to think, "where's Landon disappeared to now?" he would appear almost out of nowhere, latching onto the end of a pass or making one himself. Unfortunately, Landon should have had two goals which he just could not finish. That must improve.

Subs:

Chris Armas - 5: Played a typical Armas game, and made a great saving tackle, but the U.S. attack fell off when he entered the pitch, as did Reyna's game. I hope Armas isn't in Arena's long term plans, but I appreciate some of the work he's done for us in the short term.

Taylor Twellman - 6: Should have had the second goal of the night, but we all know that Twellman can't catch a break. Great finish on a goal called back for offside, but it should have impressed Arena enough to give him another look.

Santino Quaranta - 6: Got the assist on the Twellman almost-goal, and contributed, which is what a substitution should do. Why we wasn't subbed in for Ralston earlier is a wonder, but he might prove to be valuable for World Cup 2006 at a position (right mid) where we have absolutely zero depth.

Coach:

Bruce Arena - 7: You can't blame Arena for the fact that his team couldn't finish tonight. He put out a great line-up given the team's rash of injuries, and nearly saw his team absolutely demolish Trinidad. While I don't understand why he didn't sub in Quaranta earlier, and while I disagree with his decision to sub in Armas for O'Brien, if the Twellman goal had stood, few people would be criticizing his substitutions.

"Oh My Goochness!"

Today witnessed an absolute spate of articles about American soccer players:

The first is an absolutely wonderful article about rising U.S. National Team star Oguchi Onyewu. It's a nice, factual fluff piece, but in it, "his London-based agent Will Sterling says the move [to Manchester United] is unlikely at this time, and no offer has been tendered." He'll get plenty more offers after the World Cup I'm sure, and now he can focus his energy on his upcoming season with Standard.

There was also a great piece in today's New York Times about U.S. captain Claudio Reyna. Reyna, who has missed the U.S.'s last three World Cup qualifiers, speaks out about taking time off, and ensuring his fitness for club and country. Landon Donovan spells out why Reyna is so important to the team:

"We're athletic, we're fast, we're just physically a good team and we like to go, go, go. Sometimes we wear ourselves out and sometimes we need to know when to stop, and that's what Claudio does. He knows how to mix from let's go, let's counter, let's get at them, to let's keep the ball. He just completely settles our team."

But wait. There's more. Ives Galarceps interviews goalkeeper Tim Howard, who says, "would I have signed a four-year contract if I wasn't happy there [Manchester United]?" More shockingly, Howard makes some pretty edgy comments about his playing time and his future with the National Team:

"I think all things being equal, Kasey would play. If I played every game for Manchester United this year and Kasey played every game for his team in Germany, and we were both on form, tell me who you think would play? I think we both know who would play, but what can you do?"

Then this:

"We can go head to head anytime you want. I could go to Reading and play every game. Does that make me better? Does that make somebody better than me? I don't think so."

Unusually combative stuff from the normally docile and media savvy Howard. But you just have to admire his toughness and tenacity:

"It's about being a big boy. I could leave there and come home and be labeled a hero," said Howard with a chuckle. "I could have, but I stuck it out. It's not easy in Europe and I hear so many people complaining and whining, for what? It's not easy and it never was going to be easy. Do I just pack up and leave and go somewhere where it's easier? I could, a lot of people would and do. I chose not to do that. I choose to fight it out."

Still one more, believe it or not, a a chronicle of Santino Quaranta's dramatic comeback at the ripe old age of 20.

Also, on the US Soccer homepage you can find a number of new videos, including video footage of Paul Caliguiri's "shot heard round the world" against Trinidad and Tobago in 1989.

In MLS news, the LA Galaxy may be looking to sign former River Plate standout Claudio Hussain. I don't what's more novel, the Galaxy looking desperate, or an American club signing a player whose last name is Hussain (spelled differently, I know).

Grant Wahl published his MLS Power Rankings this week, and there was one glaring error, "Are you like me? Are you starting to envision MLS Cup X ... as a rematch of MLS Cup IX?" (which has since been edited out). I guess Grant forgot that Kansas City had moved to the Eastern Conference. Well, he performed his mea culpa over on Bigsoccer not to long after its publication on SI.com. Classy as always Grant; don't worry, we forgive you.

Other news:

Remember that Brazilian guy that was accidentally killed by the police in London? Well, the story got even worse...

"Doh!"

Great. Let's give men even more reasons to act pretentious and dress like emo rockers.

A radioactive water spill? Sweet!

"...one of the biggest stories of our age." No, he's not exaggerating or anything.

Wow...just...wow.

The Whacked Out Story of My Whacked Out Sony Vaio

Note: For those of you who read my blog for soccer news and comments, see below for today's latest.

Last Monday, I came home from work and was ready to crank out some music from iTunes on my laptop. Putting on the third movement of Shostakovich's 8th symphony, Vivaldi's "Summer," "Dance of the Knights" from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, or something similarly pulse-pouding is really the highlight of my day (that, or taking off my tie). So imagine my dismay when I turn on my computer and get a blue screen of death with the message, "Fatal system error, something, something [insert random number sequence here]." I was grief stricken. Then angry. Angry as hell. Hadn't I purchased this damn laptop less than a year before? Can the damn thing really crap out so quickly?

Well, I figured it might've been a glitch. You know, the sort of thing you can go online and solve yourself pretty quickly. Well, screw me if that was the case. Microsoft's troubleshooting involved loosing everything I'd ever saved onto my hard drive. Shit. "Well," I thought, "Fuck microsoft. But if that's what I have to do..." Then I realized, I didn't even have my reboot software with me. Damn again. So then I hoped that the problem would solve itself. Dumb. Of course it wouldn't solve itself.

Now the weird thing about the whole situation was that, according to Microsoft, the problem stems from newly installed hardware/software. I hadn't installed anything. Quite frankly, the problem still baffles me. I went to work, computer was working fine. I come home, it's dead. Maybe martians came down and screwed with it in the interim, but I doubt it. Even after "solving" the problem, I still don't really understand what the hell went wrong. Maybe I rub my laptop the wrong way, I don't know.

Back to the story. So, a week after the problem surfaces, I finally drag my ass over to Circuit City where I purchased it. They told me they couldn't service it themselves because my warranty was with Sony, not them. But they did refer me to these geeky-looking tech kids. Now the kid they referred me to was your typical computer geek: lanky, pimply, and slightly-awkward (like the teenager that works everywhere on The Simpsons). But I have to hand it to him, he knew what he was talking about (unlike say, me). He started talking all sorts of jargon. His plan of advice was as follows:

1. Do what Microsoft says. (My reaction: "Damn.")
2. Make sure everything is in Safe Mode when you do this (My reaction: "Still damn, but alright, whatever you say.")
3. If that doesn't work, send it to Sony (My reaction: "Double damn.")

But then he said something about taking out the memory and putting it back in place. Since that solution sounded completely ludicrous I almost ignored him, but I asked him how to do that anyway.

So I went home a little dejected. I was hoping I could just take the thing in, they would say, "Alright, we'll just take this in and you can come back tomorrow and it'll be as good as new" (as though all customer service representatives act like characters from "Leave it to Beaver"), and I could leave with a fat smile on my face. But I decided to do that stupid crap with the memory anyway, what the hell! So I take out the screws, pop the memory out of place, and then pop it back in. "Preposterous," I'm thinking, "Why in hell would this do anything?" But mother of mercy, I turn on my computer (fingers tightly crossed), and I'll be damned if that thing didn't work as if nothing had ever happened. I felt like Dr. Frankenstein, "It's alive! Alive!" And it was all thanks to that awkward kid at Circuit City, who gave me the most ridiculous solution I'd ever heard (and something I wouldn't have thought of in a million years) and saved me a bunch of money in the process. I'm thinking of going back there just to give him a big fat man-hug.

"Life is now being lived according to women's rules"

The rumors about Eddie Lewis moving to left back on the US Mens National Team may be true after all. He said this in an ESPN chat yesterday:

Mac, Traverse City, Michigan: Eddie, congratulations on your excellent play during qualification, and thank you for your service to the team. Fan boards are always talking about our weakness at left-back, and your name comes up often. So let's cut to the chase - any interest on your part in playing there, now or in the future?! Where do you see your best position in terms of the USMNT?

Eddie Lewis: (2:14 PM ET ) First of all, that's a great question. Wednesday night might provide some interesting answers. In general, I would like to have a spell at leftback although I haven't had a lot of experience there, I think it's a natural progression for me. Considering it can keep both players like myself and Beasley on the field at the same time, I think it can be a real advantage.

There's an excellent discussion of this move and what it might mean for Lewis and the National Team over on Bigsoccer. If Lewis is run out at left back here's the line-up we'll probably see tomorrow night against Trinidad and Tobago in Hartford:

Goalkeeper: Kasey Keller
Left back: Eddie Lewis
Right back: Chris Albright
Center backs: Jimmy Conrad, Oguchi Onyewu
Left mid: Bobby Convey
Right mid: Steve Ralston (Santino Quaranta?)
Center mids: Claudio Reyna, John O'Brien
Forwards: Brian McBride, Landon Donovan

With Albright and Lewis making runs from the back, it would instantly add to our attack, utilizing each's crossing ability, and allowing Lewis to overlap with the speedier Bobby Convey. For a team decimated by injuries (Gibbs, Bocanegra, Cherundolo, Johnson, Beasley, Mastroeni), this is an excellent line-up (and one that doesn't feature Frankie Hedjuk!). Personally, I'd rather see Quaranta get a run at right mid., but Arena will probably stick with Ralston until we've wrapped up qualification.

MLS transfer wrap (so far)

Watch as Galaxy fan taco_jones completely fools a group of his fellow fans into believing that AEG was going to try and purchase Michael Owen

Other News:

More air tragedy: When it rains, it pours

Bird Flu is for real

"Cut spending," my ass

"My mother says I was the better player, and Pele's mother says it was him"

Have men been reduced to sperm donors? BBC news anchor thinks so

More positive HIV news, but crocodile blood?

"I ain't threatening nobody, and I ain't pointing a gun at nobody. This is Texas."

The Stanford Theatre is a Bay Area treasure and a Palo Alto landmark. If you live in the Bay Area and you've never been there, go. If you're visiting the Bay Area and want something to do (as if there's a shortage of things for a tourist to see), go. It's a magical place, reminiscent of a bygone era in which going to the movies was itself an experience. Adorned with a massive big screen, a Wurlitzer organ that rises from below the floor, "Persian" art, two floors of seats, and plenty of vintage movie posters (including an original Japanese poster for Hitchcock's North by Northwest), the Stanford Theatre is a beautiful relic, a fitting tribute to Hollywood's Golden Era, that makes me giggle like a kid in a candy store everytime I go. After re-opening only a week ago, this summer's line-up is a good one, having recently featured The Philadelphia Story and The African Queen. Coming up is Nosferatu, All About Eve, Citizen Kane, Bride of Frankenstein, Sunset Boulevard, and many other greats.

Onto soccer...

MLS' Eastern Conference is beginning to heat up. Four teams are all within four points of one another (New England, Chicago, D.C., Kansas City), with one team still fighting desperately for a playoff spot (Metrostars). In the West, things are beginning to cool down. The Colorado Rapids slowed down the surging San Jose Earthquakes, tying, leaving the Earthquakes with a three point cushion on top of the West, as F.C. Dallas failed to get three points at home for the second straight week, losing to New England 2-1. LA lost again, and the bottom two teams aren't even contending for playoff spots. Fortunately, for the bottom five, help may be on the way, as the summer transfer window opened today.

Help should be on the way for F.C. Dallas who will soon announce the signing of former Middlesborough midfielder Mark Wilson. Wilson should definitely give Dallas a much needed boost in the form of consistency on the left side of midfield. For the last two months, Dallas has continued to run out a 4-3-3 formation, using all sorts of spare parts in the midfield and at forward. With the exception of Mulrooney, Dallas is now mostly healthy (although Johnson still does not seem fully fit), and would perhaps be best served by running a 4-4-2. This should lend their defense a little more help, and should give the line-up some consistency.

New England is on the verge of signing Panamanian international forward Ricardo "Paton" Phillips. Speedy with a nice touch, Phillips should give the team much needed depth at forward and in the midfield. Along with the signing of Daniel Hernandez last week, New England is making the moves to be a contender down the stretch run.

MLS Power Rankings:

1. New England Revolution: Leads the league in points (42) and played a very solid game against Dallas on Saturday, and absolutely dismantled Real Salt Lake in the mid-week fixture.
2. D.C. United: United has found their form of late (they won on Saturday without Freddy Adu, Jaime Moreno, and Alecko Eskandarian), and should only improve with the signing of Argentian defender Facundo Erpen.
3. San Jose Earthquakes: While they may have hit a snag playing uninspired soccer Saturday night, they have opened up a three point lead on Dallas in the West, and seem well poised for the stretch run.
4. Kansas City Wizards: The Wizards have been shocking opponents lately, coming back from 2-0 on the road in Chicago to win last Wednesday, and destroying Real Salt Lake 4-2 on Saturday night. They may even had Jamaican international Jermaine Hue to add some flair and creativity to their midfield.
5. Chicago Fire: Chicago won against a suprisingly aggressive LA Galaxy on Saturday, but they dropped a precious three points against the Wizards in midweek.
6. FC Dallas: After a tremendous start, Dallas has hit a bad spell of form at the wrong time. Hopefully, the addition of midfielder Mark Wilson should give them a much-needed spark. Ruiz is also returning to fine form.
7. Metrostars: They've started getting much-needed points, but unless they purchase a defensive midfielder and a strong central defender, they won't have the tools necessary to win a playoff spot.
8. Colorado Rapids: They did get a point on the road in San Jose on Saturday night, but Clavijo's strategy was a disgracefully violent and thuggish one. They committed 25 fouls (and many more that weren't called), disrupting the flow of play, and making it an impossibly ugly game to watch. 9. LA Galaxy: Sure they beat Chivas on Wednesday, but they've lost on the road again. How long now before Sampson is gone?
10. Columbus Crew: No more playoff hope with Kansas City and D.C. United surging. Now the question is: Do we stick with the status quo next year?
11. Real Salt Lake: At least they've been apart of two MLS milestones in one week (5000th goal, Kreis' 100th goal).
12. CD Chivas USA: Help is on the way!

Other news:

Today's blog title was taken from this article

We have the audacity to complain about gas prices? Check out this table

More fun with Howard Dean

It's either fear mongering or this is seriously an "Oh shit" moment

Tragedy in the air

Gaza pullout

Soccer News and Real News

It looks like DaMarcus Beasley will not be playing with the US National Team against Trinidad and Tobago. The question this raises is who Bruce Arena will call in to replace him? Likely candidates are Clint Dempsey, Brad Davis, Josh Wolff, and perhaps even the Grown-Ass Man himself, Eddie Johnson.

US National Team defender Oguchi Onyewu is being targeted by Manchester United among other teams. If his contract was purchased, I have little doubt that he would get playing time, but would he get the amount of playing time he needs in preparation for the 2006 World Cup? For once a big player move actually has one US fan hoping he doesn't make the move until after the '06 World Cup. Either way, this is great news for the American player.

Ives Galarcep writes that both Guevara and Ruiz want out of MLS. I mentioned yesterday how Guevara had pulled a Livan Hernandez and talked about quitting the league. However, it appears that Ruiz has done the same. I personally can't blame Ruiz for complaining about the marketing and treatment of foreign players in MLS. Ruiz, while a nuisance, is a great player, yet he makes only $70k a year. While he still makes money from his former club because of a shared-loan deal, that's still an appalling figure for arguably the best striker in MLS.

It's official: D.C. United have signed Argentine defender Facundo Erpen. The 22 year-old should only strengthen a D.C. United defense that is second in MLS in goals allowed. United will probably retain their three-man backline, keeping Brian Namoff on the right, rookie sensation Bobby Boswell in the middle, and sliding Erpen out left. D.C. United is hitting its stride now and Eastern Conference teams need to be very careful, D.C. is only going to get better. What's most surprising about the goals against statistic though is that the top two defenses in the league use a three man backline anchored by a rookie defender. Go figure.

In other news:

Lula speaks up: Brazilian President apologizes for corruption scandal

"Domestic terrorism": British airport staff strike strands 73,000 passengers at Heathrow Airport

Breakthrough in HIV treatment?

Howard Dean opens his mouth; comedy ensues

Can Kiir replace Garang and bring peace to Sudan?

Physics holds the key to understanding relationships? What?

How could I forget this: Mangal Pandey opens in India and the UK. I don't know if I'll get a chance to see it in theatres, but it's got Aamir Khan in it, and if the music is by A.R. Rehman than it must be good.

Refereeing in MLS, Winning Hispanic Fans, and Speaking of Hispanics...

If you follow discussions on Bigsoccer, you may have read today that the problems with MLS referees have reached "critical mass". As with many things on Bigsoccer, don't believe the hype. In fact, if you do follow discussions on Bigsoccer you must be aware by now that 90% of posts are hysterical, bloated diatribes bemoaning [fill in the blank]. However, to say that there is a "probelm" with MLS referees is an understatement of the highest order. MLS referees are bad, moreso than many referees around the world. Indeed, refereeing is a problem in leagues all over the globe, but MLS referees are bad, and to miss that is to miss the point. Talk all you want about how bad refereeing is in other leagues, but it doesn't matter because I don't really care about other leagues, I care about MLS, and refereeing in MLS is bad. However, while the quality of refereeing in last night's fixtures was atrocious, fans, players, and coaches have overreacted. Amado Guevara, pulled a Livan Hernandez and talked of quitting the league after being sent off against D.C. United last night. He said this about the refereeing in MLS:

"'What can I say, that the referees are a disaster,' said Guevara. 'I can't say anything because the league fines you, which is a rule that I don't agree with, and since I don't agree with the rules and I'm not going to change the rules or the referees, I'm going to say it right now, publicly, that next year I don't want to be in this league.'"

Even normally mild-mannered Steve Nicol, coach of the New England Revolution, spouted off against the referee of last night's victory over Real Salt Lake 4-1:

"Early on, he referred to the foul that led to Kreis' free kick goal as 'awful,' and he later said, 'There was a bad call that led to their goal - just one of many.'"

However, to say that the "problem with MLS referees has reached critical mass" would be incorrect. All the red cards given out last night were deserved. Guevara was given a second yellow for barrelling into Ben Olsen, but he wouldn't have been sent off if he hadn't gone off on referee Terry Vaughn earlier in the match, earning his first yellow for dissent. Jaime Moreno deservedly received straight red after pushing down Eddie Gaven, denying a clear goal scoring opportunity. Yes, replays showed that Gaven may have embellished and their legs may have tangled, but it doesn't deny the fact that there was contact and that Jaime was the last defender. Big Zach Thornton was justly sent off against the Kansas City Wizards for going off on the referee, twice! Maybe the refs were bad, but they do have the right to card for dissent.

Yes, refereeing is a problem, one that MLS needs to take a long look at. However, knee-jerk reactions like those displayed by fans, players, and coaches need to quit. Frustrations should be submitted to the league, not the press.

In other soccer news, Chivas USA and the LA Galaxy played another uneventful "super-classico" last night. The catch? It was in front of 80,00+ fans at the Rose Bowl. These fans, most of whom came to watch Chivas de Guadelajara face Mexican rival Club America, probably didn't leave the stadium singing the praises of MLS. This has made some fans wonder: "How come MLS always seems to lay an egg? Indeed, almost everytime MLS has the chance to impress new fans, the teams involved play like crap. Winning the Hispanic soccer fans has been MLS' stated goal since its inception, and Chivas USA was supposed to be a step forward in that regard, but Chivas' poor results on the field this season haven't been exactly drawing in the fans like the team was supposed to. I have no doubt that once Chivas begins to improve, their attendance will as well. However, that being said, MLS still has a long way to go to win Hispanic fans, but playing attractive soccer is probably the easiest (not to mention the cheapest) way of doing it.

Finally, speaking of Hispanic Americans, Texas has now become the fourth state with a non-white majority. America has been slow to adapt to these rapid changes, with protectionists on both the left and right decrying either the loss of American jobs (on the left) or the loss of our "way of life" (on the right). William Frey, a demographer quoted in the article gets it right though when he says:

"'Immigration is good for the United States ... it's important for us to keep our doors open, but we need to keep an eye on the people coming in,' Frey said. 'While initially it will be a state problem, eventually it will be a national issue, and education is the best way to deal with it.'

The last part's the most important, "...education is the best way to deal with it." Yes, finally, someone gets it!

John Roberts Update: "TVAd Attacking Court Nominee Provokes Furor"

Falling In Love With Futbol...and Other News

My fascination with a sport that we Americans call soccer, began during the 2002 World Cup, and has developed from that fascination into all-out obsession. I knew I had become a fan when I woke up at 4 a.m. while on my summer vacation, just so I could watch the U.S. play Poland in what I thought would be a meaningless match. I was wrong. But the near heartbreak that game cost me proved to me what kind of a fan I'd developed into. I wrote about that game here. This sums up my thoughts about that game: "That morning, when I trudged back to bed at six, I was unable to sleep; the very thought that we were so close to elimination kept me awake for hours. The Poland game was a disaster, it was gut-wrenching. A game the U.S. only had to tie and they conceded three goals (to a team that had not scored any in the tournament) and lost by two. To think, the U.S. was a goal-post away from World Cup elimination." I had become a fan.

From then on out, it was difficult to keep me away from the damn sport. I obsessively took in MLS games, and could hardly contain my excitement when the 2002-2003 EPL (English Premier League) season started. In those days, I actually had Fox Sports World (now Fox Soccer Channel) on my cable and was able to watch EPL games on Saturday. A friend of mine told me I should pick an English team to support. I foolishly looked at history instead of at the current team and picked Liverpool. Well, I picked a bad time to be a Liverpool fan. Within a year I was so sick of Gerard Houllier and El-Hadji Diouf that I stopped watching the team altogether and was already looking for a new team to follow. After some deliberation I came up with Middlesborough, don't ask me why. However, like Liverpool that too was short lived. Finally, I latched onto Everton, Liverpool's cross-town rival. I began to live and die with their results and knew that I'd made a good choice. Their stunning finish in fourth-place last season only confirmed that sentiment.

Yesterday, Everton played the first leg of their Champions League qualifier at home against Spanish side Villareal. Unfortunately, they lost 2-1, and, barring a miracle away leg, will likely find themselves confined to the UEFA Cup. It's the "luck of the draw" (or, in Everton's case, the "unluck") I suppose. It still pisses me off that Liverpool was allowed to play in this year's Champions League tournament despite not finishing in a position that would allow them to do so. Their victory over AC Milan last spring was amazing, I'll admit, but winning the Champions League doesn't equal instant qualification. Maybe it's justice that the team I refused to support takes away the glory from their cross-town rivals who had fought so hard just to be there and then were forced to face a quality Spanish side. Fate can really suck.

In other soccer news, Bruce Arena, head coach of the US Mens National Team, today released his 20 man roster for the August 17 World Cup qualifier against Trinidad and Tobago. The most notable absence on this roster is center back Carlos Bocanegra. It's made all the more curious when one thinks about who's out due to injury, including Cory Gibbs and Eddie Pope. The only explanation is that Bocanegra is now fighting for a spot at his club, EPL side Fulham FC, and Arena told him to stay and win his spot. What starting line-up do I expect to see (not that it's necessarily the line-up I'd like to see)?

4-4-2
Goalkeeper: Kasey Keller
Defenders: Chris Albright, Oguchi Onyewu, Jimmy Conrad, Greg Vanney
Midfielders: Steve Ralston, Claudio Reyna, Chris Armas, DaMarcus Beasley
Forwards: Landon Donovan, Brian McBride

Finally, in other extraneous news, Bob Woodward expects a 2008 Presidential race between Dick Cheney and Hillary Clinton. While I respect Woodward as a journalist and think him one of the best in the business, I find this particularly laughable. While Clinton's a possiblity (although not a shoe-in), the idea of Cheney winning his party's nomination is almost comical. I can't even imagine him trying, let alone winning. He'd have about as good a chance of winning his party's nomination as Gary Bauer or Alan Keyes.

Looking For a Message; German Gangsta Rap

It's official, the Democrats currently don't have a plan or a message. Well, that's not entirely true, they do have a plan, but the plan is to have a message, which they don't have. Make sense? Howard Dean says he wants the Democratic Party to be a party "of change," yet how can a party of change promote protectionism and isolationism? Isn't that a conflict of interest? Believe me, I want the Democrats to re-assert themselves as a "party of change," and challenge the Republicans. As a moderate, a strong Democratic Party keeps the Republicans honest, and provides a valuable voting alternative. The Republicans have become the party of big-spending and big-government. But to succeed, the Democrats must fundamentally alter the values that they represented in the 1960s and embrace a politics of small-government, efficient spending, economic environmentalism, civil liberties, and free trade. That's a party of change, a party that will reflect the diversity of 2050 and save a waning political institution.

In other news, the New York Times has run a story on German gangsta rap. Sound like an oxymoron? Strangely, it's not. In fact, the article suggests that gangsta rap is booming, even in a language as unsuitable for rhymes as guttural, polysyllabic German. What's most fascinating though, is not that gangsta rap is thriving in Germany, but the racial tension that all of this evokes. Indeed, Europe is now facing a major crisis of racial tension that has not been seen since World War II. In Germany, there is a conflict between immigrant Turks and native Germans resentful of these immigrants that take their jobs at lower wages (sound familiar?), making Turkish entry into the European Union a political hot potato that new party wants to touch. In France, conflict exists between the French and Algerian and Moroccan Muslims, many of whom live in isolated ghettos. In the Netherlands, indigenous Dutch struggle with the fanaticism of a small percentage of its Muslim minority. And the recent London bombings is a more than self-explanatory explanation of the United Kingdom's problems. These are the growing pains of a society that is just now adapting itself to a quickly changing world. Open borders and globalization have made human movement as possible as ever. Rather than see this racial tension as a bad sign, we should be heralding it as a sign of a more diverse and open society. Hopefully gangsta rap can serve as a positive, creative bridge between German Turks and native Germans.

"Condoleeza Rice? Sounds like a Mexican dish."

A few interesting tid-bits from the news:

A fascinating look at the inner-workings of the State Department under Rice, by TIME Magazine of all publications

Can we just leave John Roberts alone already and wait for his confirmation hearing?

Dubai wants to build the world's tallest building for nothing more than honor

More Oil-for-Food scandal? Gee, why am I not surprised?

John Garang is dead. What now in Sudan?

"Is our children learning" from videogames?

San Jose Earthquakes: Kicking Ass Since 2001

This weekend featured a spate of MLS games that were incredibly entertaining. The day began with a nationally televised match featuring MLS' two worst teams playing one another in 100 degree heat. The quality of play, not surprisingly, sucked. But the best part of the game occured in the seventeenth minute. After embellishing after a light foul, Clint Mathis was hit by a ball that was kicked at him by the mostly classless Chivas forward Isaac Romo. Forgetting that he had just been feigning injury, Clint "Cletus" Mathis rose like a man possessed and ran after Romo. Insanity ensued, causing players from both sides to engage in a melee not usually seen this side of the NHL. Mathis was ejected as was another Chivas player, but curiously, Romo was not. As Mathis began his slow trot off the field, he walked back up to Romo. The two stood tete-a-tete when suddenly Romo fell to the ground in a great heap and curled up in a fetal position, grasping his groin as though Mathis had punched. Replays clearly and repeatedly showed that Mathis initiated zero contact and that Romo is an idiot. Of course, this little event nearly sent Bigsoccer's servers crashing, with one, two, three threads devoted to Isaac Romo alone. I have to hand it to both Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake for taking a terrible game and turning it into a news-worthy event.

Where Chivas-Real Salt Lake lacked in quality, the FC Dallas-Metrostars matchup made up for in quality. What a cracker of a game to open up FC Dallas' brand new Soccer Specific Stadium Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. While it has one of the most terrible corporate sponsors imaginable, the stadium is an absolute gem. The game wasn't bad either, featuring end-to-end action and some beautiful goals by Carlos Ruiz and Youri Djorkaeff. Unfortunately for FC Dallas and its fans, the result was an unfavorable one, a 2-2 tie. However, for my San Jose Earthquakes, the result (along with defeats of both the New England Revolution and the Chicago Fire) was a blessing.

In the final game of the evening, my beloved Earthquakes defeated the Columbus Crew 2-1. San Jose dominated Columbus for eighty minutes before running out of gas and nearly blowing the game. However, passing was crisp and the goals were absolute class. More importantly, with the win San Jose moves into sole possession of first place in the Western Conference, and leads the entire league in points (37). If that weren't enough, according to ESPN's power rankings, the Earthquakes are quickly catching up with New England for the honor of being ranked the best team in the league. While the threat of moving the team looms ominously over fan joy, we've all taken pride in what this team has accomplished and hope for greater and better things to come.

Taking BART and Buying Hats

Without a hat, a man is naked. It is the essential piece that completes any man's ensemble. Panamas, Fedoras, Stetsons; these are the hats of lore. A hat not only keeps the sun out of your eyes, and shades you from the summer heat, but keeps your head warm during those windy, snowy, rainy winter months. Upon the heads of such classic screen icons as Bogart and Cagney, the Fedora became the stuff of legend (or as Bogey might have said, "the stuff that dreams are made of") and a cultural icon. I went in pursuit of my own legendary fedora today with my "style expert" Joe. We travelled to The Hat Guys in Oakland where I found my own Fedora, finally "covering my nakedness" and completing my ensemble.

To get to Oakland, Joe and I took BART. Now, I've taken BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) a number of times before, but as great as BART can be, it's for the most part an inconvenient and poorly designed rail transit system. Granted, I'm spoiled. I spend most of my year in Chicago where I get to use the El (Elevated Train), an ugly, but extremely efficient and cost-effective transit system. The El is cheap (you can travel all across Chicago for $2), BART is not. In fact, BART (watch me as I refer to BART as though it were a person) charges you more money the farther you travel. I will admit that BART is much cleaner than the El, and anyone who has used both will certainly attest to that. Yet I can't help but shake the feeling that I'm geting ripped-off everytime I use BART.

Right now I'm smiling. I'm watching my San Jose Earthquakes taking it to the Columbus Crew. A win will put them in sole possession of first place in the MLS Western Conference, as FC Dallas tied tonight. Besides, I got my hat.

Bob Novak: Comedy Gold

If you haven't heard, Bob Novak said "bullshit," live on CNN. That right there is comedy gold. Now, for those of you who don't know who Bob Novak is, let me fill you in. If you've never seen Bob Novak, you've really been missing out. I mean, if you crossed the DNA of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Princeton historian Bernard Lewis, and literary critic Harold Bloom, you'd probably end up with good old Bob. Yeah, yeah, he's a conservative pundit on CNN's Crossfire (well, maybe not anymore), but he's been in the news recently because of the Valerie Plame controversy, a controversy that's extended its tendrils all the way to the White House and landed New York Times journalist Judith Miller in jail for refusing to name a source. Yet good old Bob, who originated the whole damn story, hasn't said anything, except teasing us all by suggesting that maybe he took the name from a book. Huh? Bob Novak's a comedian, he just doesn't know it yet.

On an entirely unrelated note, the entire John Roberts nomination has been an absolute fiasco for the Democrats. Under party chairman Howard Dean, the party's modus operandi has been to stall, fuss, and cry foul as much as possible. For a party realing from successive losing Presidential campaigns, this tactic will be particularly scarring especially if they expect to win Congressional seats in 2006. Instead of waiting until the confirmation hearings to begin their attacks on Robert's (limited) judicial record, they began from the moment of his nomination. Pointing to a case he argued while a lawyer as proof of his "threat" to Roe v. Wade has looked amazingly stupid after news yesterday that he lent his judicial expertise to a group lobbying for gay rights in Colorado. Proof positive that the Democrats should have just waited until his confirmation hearing before opening up the floodgates of criticism. The act has gotten tired, and while it may be impressive to legions of Democrats on the coasts, the very voters they need to win, those living in the blooming suburbias of the Southeast and Midwest, would care for more a little more substance than the Democrats have been giving them.

There's still time for the Democrats to turn things around. However, instead of finding positive labor solutions during a conference that saw a massive rift develop between the AFL-CIO, the best and brightest of the Democratic Party, including such heavies as Nancy Pelosi, Johnathan Edwards, and Barack Obama, found nothing better to do than bemoan the decline of labor and speak of the evils of free trade. The Democratic Party has embraced a policy of isolationism at a time when America needs fresh ideas, not backwards ones. This is the party of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who himself defeated the last great isolationist, Herbert Hoover, and began the most celebrated of all Democratic economic policies, the New Deal. There's still time, but it's running out quickly. Rather than worrying about who'll run in 2008 (and if either Rudy Giulianni or John McCain win their party's nomination, it'll be damn tough to win), they should be keeping their gaze firmly fixed on the 2006 mid-term elections.

P.S. Novak's this is bullshit is eerily reminiscent of Peter Finch's epic meltdown in the classic film Network, when he declares (and urges us to do the same), "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!" Well, apparently Bob was mad as hell and he wasn't going to take James Carville's shtick any longer.