Home Run

There are several promising young Japanese internationals playing in European leagues this year, one of them being 21-year old Shinji Kagawa. He has been impressing in his first term with Borussia Dortmund and this morning, he had another fine run out. Not only did he score two goals in the Bundesliga's biggest derby, Dortmund v. Schalke 04, but he pulled a "Babe Ruth" by predicting the brace. Sure, he said his two would be the only goals in the match but how many professional athletes say they're going to put up certain stats and actually do just that? (And at one point is was actually 2-0 on the count of his goals.) The score ended up being 3-1 as Schalke got played off the pitch. There lone goal came late in the game due to some lazy Dortmund defending, but other than that, Schalke got dominated.

Schalke 04 have their own young Japanese player as well, 22-year old Atusto Uchida. It would have been nice to see Kagawa go head-to-head against his Japan teammate but Uchida was out with a broken toe. He's had a decent start to the season as well but maybe not as strong as Kagawa's. While it would have been fun to watch them play against each other, I doubt Uchida would have helped Schalke much as he is more of an attacking defender than a ball-stopper.

One final thing about Kagawa: I can't help but think he could have made a difference in South Africa. Not only do I think he should have been there but I think he should have started in a second-striker's role. How could manager Takeshi Okada leave a player like him at home? Don't get me wrong, Okada did a great job at the World Cup (much better than I expected) and Japan did extremely well. But they were missing the offensive creativity to complement their hard work and defensive discipline. And when Japan went out on penalties after drawing 0-0 with Paraguay, it's hard not feeling like Shinji could have done something...

Anyway, It's good to see Kagawa, Uchida and other Japanese players like CSKA Moscow's Keisuke Honda and Cesena's Yuto Nagatomo succeed in Europe, so let's hope their good seasons continue... And along the same lines, I hope to see other Japanese footballers in Europe, like Wolfsburg's Makoto Hasebe, Catania's Takayuki Morimoto, and Leicester City's Yuki Abe get more playing time.

Put On

Japanese youngster Rio Miyaichi, currently on trial at Arsenal, just turned out an impressive performance as The Gunners beat Boreham Wood, 3-0. Apparently, he has an upcoming trial at Ajax and is now attracting attention from other big clubs, as well. I don't know much about this kid but I would love to see a Japanese international suit up and succeed at Arsenal. Who's to say that he'll be able to break through and excel in Europe (or in Japan, for that matter) but I say if the potential is there, sign him, Wenger!

This video is the only thing I've seen of Miyaichi. Even though he's probably playing against weak competition, he looks good on the ball and appears more than willing to take on defenders down the wings and through the middle. His running style, speed and dribbling skills remind me a bit of C. Ronaldo. I'd be more than happy if his finishing matches Ronaldo's as well, but let's hope that the comparisons end there. We could do without him taking on Ronaldo's divier, whinier characteristics and his tendency to not show up for big games.

Come Original

Adidas Originals teamed up with a bunch of celebrities to remake the cantina scene from Star Wars, as a World Cup viewing party. I think they should take it one step further and just re-film the entire Star Wars series with Snoop Dogg in place of whiney Luke Skywalker. That would be awesome.

Two Times, Two Times

With the World Cup just around the corner, it's international friendlies week in world football. Yesterday and today, I watched the US fringe players put in a lackluster performance against the Czech, and caught bits and pieces of France v. Costa Rica. One game I wish I would have watched because of its Arsenal ties, was The Netherlands taking on Mexico. The Dutch won 2-1, behind Robin van Persie's brace. Man U's latest addition nabbed the lone Mexican goal.

Check out RvP's two goals. He had some decent deliveries to set up both shots, but the second one is truly a thing of beauty. It's nice to see him settling in after coming back from his long-term injury. I know it's a big "if", but if Robin van Persie could just stay healthy for a full season, I really believe he could be considered a top, top class player, right alongside the Messis, Ronaldos and Rooneys of the world. I know that's a bold statement but the man is as gifted as he is injury-prone.

World Of Entertainment

Because everyone and their mothers (myself included) are going nuts over the new Nike ad, I decided to post the behind-the-scenes clip instead of the actual commercial. It's not overly interesting or insightful but it's worth a quick watch. I had no idea the ad was directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu of Amores Perros, 21 Grams and Babel fame. That's kind of awesome.

The End

Now that David Villa has signed for Barcelona, everyone's attention is Cesc Fabregas and his possible move back home. I know my favorite player is destined to play for Barca again one day, but I am just hoping to put that day off for as long as possible. Before the end of this season, I thought that day was at least two, maybe three years away. Now, it seems like that day could be tomorrow.

If Cesc leaves Arsenal just when he is entering his prime, it would kill Arsenal's chances of winning a trophy next season, and it would kill me. Cesc is Arsenal, and for him to leave now... I just don't know... What I do know is that if Cesc moves before the World Cup, which I am currently greatly anticipating, it could ruin the tournament for me. Don't get me wrong, I'd still watch Fabregas and support him for both country and club-- Barcelona is actually one of my favorite teams-- but there's just no replacing him at Arsenal, no matter how they spend his transfer money. He's one of, if not the best young midfielders in the world and for him to leave the team and manager that made him into the player he is today, that would say a lot about the current state of the Gunners. Ugh, I don't want to think about it...

And not to entirely gloss over the David Villa signing, it is a great move for Barca. Villa is a perfect fit for them, and with the support of Iniesta, Xavi, and Messi, a huge upgrade over his supporting cast at Valencia, I'm guessing he'll win the Pichichi next season. Villa might be my second favorite player behind Cesc, so it hurts me to see him leave Los Che but I knew it was coming. I think I even posted about it last year, wondering whether or not I would even follow Valencia after the Davids leave. (David Silva, another favorite, is still being linked with a move to Juventus and Real Madrid. If those rumors carry any weight, I hope he goes to Juve.) So yeah, we'll see how things go in La Liga next season. Barca is a team I enjoy watching and I never had love for Valencia so much as I liked their two best players, so I'm guessing my Spanish allegiance will swing-- just don't call me a front-runner.

This isn't a great compilation, but watch David Villa do his thing:

High Speed

Adidas' latest promo is only partially World Cup-related, centering around the release of their newest boot in the F50 series. This commercial features three of my favorite players: Messi (the best player in the world), David Villa (my favorite striker in the world) and Zidane (arguably the best player of his generation, head-butts and all), but there's another ad that focuses our attention solely on the boot, which is just as good. While neither of these commercials quite capture the spirit of the Puma campaign, they are pretty impressive from a special effects standpoint. And if these commercials are a bit of a letdown for you, it's hard to knock Adidas when they unveiled the adizero speed boots with matching Formula 1 race cars.

I'm Going On

I'm getting amped about the World Cup and in a way, I'm actually pretty excited about all the soccer commercials, too. Nike and Adidas usually roll out impressive ad campaigns and this year Puma seems to be stepping it up as well. Sponsoring several African nations and players, Puma put out this commercial which uses Gnarls Barkley's "Going On" to capture all the joy and hype of the South Africa-hosted tournament.

And as one of the hundreds of Arsenal fans who came around on Eboué this year, I figured I'd post his Puma advert, too.

Throw My Hands Up

Yesterday, Arsenal demolished Porto 5-0 to advance to the quarter-finals in the Champions League, 6-2 on aggregate. While a lot of post-game talk has focused on Nicklas Bendtner's hat trick following his poor performance in Saturday's game, it's Samir Nasri's goal that stands out in my mind. Nasri filled in for Captain Cesc Fabregas perfectly and capped off a fine showing with a brilliant, Messi-like goal. As you can see, Nasri seemed somewhat contained on the wing until he weaved and feinted through 3 defenders before cracking home an authoritative finish from a tight angle. What makes it even more impressive is that the goal came right when Porto were mounting pressure for the equalizer and it sealed the Gunners' victory, putting the aggregate at 4-2. I've watched a lot of soccer in the past few years and this was one of, if not the best individual goals I have witnessed.

Motivate Me

After seeing it a few days ago, this Nike promo video had me really excited for the start of Arsenal's season. Even though European soccer seems to have the shortest off-season of any professional sport, it has been a long summer of never ending transfer rumors and few actual transfers. The Gunners have sold a couple want-away players and only brought in former Ajax defender Thomas Vermaelan but the squad remains strong and hopefully hungry. There are still a few weeks left to add some strength or depth to the team but new signings or not, I'm really looking forward to watching Arsenal play again.

In Arsenal's EPL season opener on Saturday, the Gunners didn't disappoint. They cruised past Everton by a whopping 6-1. This is the same Everton that finished a close 5th to Arsenal last season, and who many consider are a strong contender to knock the Gunners out of the top 4 this campaign. Although it's only one game, this Week 1 victory sent a message to the league and left me feeling somewhat reassured. Despite what most writers and fans think, I'm optimistic about the Gunners this year and what doubts I had about the team were put to rest during the game, if not permanently. I realize the weaknesses I thought Arsenal had a few days ago are still there but it goes without saying that laying the groundwork for a strong start to the season is ideal. Now, I just hope this momentum can be carried into Tuesday's Champions League Qualifier (Celtic United) and into the next several EPL games (which include ManU and ManC).

The Past And Pending

It's not often that you see Youtube clips of defenders, especially here, but now is a good time for such a post. Kolo Toure has left Arsenal for the greener ($$$) pitch of Man City. In my short time following Arsenal in a more than casual fashion, Toure has been a stud in central defense. And in learning more about Arsenal's recent history, it's apparent that he is one of the Arsenal greats, at least during the Wenger Era anyway. On more than a handful of occasions, I've seen him save goals, score goals, lead the team as Captain, inspire the players on the field and impress fans watching around the world. While he had his ups and downs last season, and a few shaky, missteps in the previous couple seasons, the cons are vastly outweighed by the pros.

Toure was the last starting member of the Invincibles at Arsenal and the last "real" tie to that team. From a symbolic standpoint, it may be a good thing for him, and Arsenal, to move on. I don't think there was ever any conscious effort to top or even match the Invincibles' standards but still... That season is just near enough to remember the glory and just far enough away for everyone to spout that Arsenal haven't won anything since. The players have been constantly reminded of how they have not won league since that historic team, and not won any trophy since the 2005 FA Cup. For this current team, not being connected to the Invincibles might be a good thing. They will know of the stories but they will want to achieve their own success so they can experience it for themselves. Sure, players like Fabregas and Clichy were on the team in 2003-04 but I think they will want to know what it feels like to win as starters and leaders as opposed to substitutes.

Anyway, I'm not saying that Toure leaving is good; I have mixed feelings about it. His departure does weaken the squad on the defensive side, a side which few would argue as Arsenal's strength in the first place. While it wasn't clear whether or not Arsene Wenger considered him a starter anymore, the depth at center-back and right back is now more of an issue without Toure. As I mentioned above, we're not only losing a strong player but we're losing a leader as well. Fans were clamoring for another center-back signing before he left and now they might just want more than one. And on top of that, in an era where Arsenal seems to be losing all of their top players in the transfer market, some disgruntled fans may be even more frustrated with this loss.

On the flip-side, I think Toure had to leave now because he was going to leave sooner or later. He's not getting any younger and while he still has good seasons left in him, I don't think he's getting better by any means. He went through a rough patch last season, to the point where he requested a transfer. I have always thought that players should be sold if they don't want to play for a certain team. (I guess on the same note, I have always wondered what contracts were for, if players just get to leave whenever they want.) Why should Arsenal bother to keep Toure if he wants to leave. Who's to say he will train and play with his heart, which is a big part of what makes Toure a good player. From a financial standpoint, I doubt Arsenal would be able to sell him for this much in the future. What's better: the money now, from a Real Madrid/Man City-inflated market or one more season with Toure and significantly less money in the future? The money Wenger received now can be put to good use strengthening the center midfield, or even reinvesting it in another center-back.

As much as I hate to see him go, I think the timing is right. He'll get to be a starter for sure; he'll feel more at home considering Adebayor (who I don't even want to talk about other than to say it's good he left and took his drama with him) is there too. Anyway, Toure definitely strengthens Man City's squad, so good luck to him but bad luck to them. Now, let's just hope Arsenal can sign one or two solid players and hit the ground running come August 15th.

Stay

Yes, with Real Madrid's signing of French striker Karim Benzema, it looks a slight bit more likely that David Villa will remain at Valencia for next season. Well, he may still get swooped up by another team, but at least he isn't going to Madrid who were thought to have been the front-runners in the Villa saga. I don't know why, but I was never keen on him going to Real. It has nothing to do with the spending (if they have the money, let them use it) but more to do with the fact that they aren't building a team so much as collecting big players and that I am becoming less and less a fan of Cristiano Ronaldo each time I watch him. I would much rather have Villa join Barca over Real Madrid, so if he must go it's good to hear rumors that he's meeting with them. With Eto'o likely on his way to Man City, David Villa would fit right into the front-line with ex-Gunner Thierry Henry (my other favorite striker, although he's more of a winger now) and the real best player in the world (sorry, CR7), Lionel Messi. Throw in a few other guys I like (Iniesta, Xavi, Puyol, Pique, Toure) and yeah, I guess I'm kind of a Barca fan, after Arsenal and Valencia of course. So, here's to hoping David Villa stays and Valencia can keep a few of their young up and coming players...

To speak on the Benzema signing, I think it will benefit both the player and the team. Based on last season and after their two big signings this summer, I thought Madrid needed a striker more than a winger/midfielder. This move makes so much more sense than them bringing in Ribery (another player I'd rather not see at Madrid... Although Madrid sounds much better than ManU). Now, I don't have a great idea of just how good Benzema will be but I do know he is a good. Playing in top league (no offense, Ligue 1 fans) where he can play against better competition at a high profile club is the next logical step for him. It'll be interesting to see how he performs and handles the pressure.

Also, in related but old news, I'm kind of bummed that Raul Albiol is out. This doesn't have that much to do with Madrid as it does with the fact that Albiol is one of the most promising young center backs in the world and he didn't want to leave Valencia (touch up on your Spanish). Good signing for Madrid, I guess. At least they aren't completely ignoring the defense.

Get Right

I thought I'd do a bit of follow-up regarding the Confederations Cup and US Soccer...

When I wrote the last post, I was considering touching on the impact that a good game against Spain would have. At the time, I was leery of the reaction that a positive result would have by the media, casual soccer fans and sports fans in general. As much as I wanted the US to win, I was worried what a victory might do. Well, maybe I wasn't worried so much as I was dreading what might already be happening: over-hype. I'm all for people getting excited about soccer but without taking anything away from the US national team, let's keep things in perspective.

First off, it was a great win defeating Spain 2-0 yesterday. The US played a solid game tactically, and played an even better game in terms of effort. To be honest, I don't remember the last time the US played with that much heart and fire. Players like Clark and Bocanegra were throwing themselves at every pass and shot. Players, for the most part, were hustling all over the pitch. The US saw another good game from Donovon, and from Davies as well. Altidore, while still very raw, showed great strength and positioning with his goal. And after another mediocre game overall, Dempsey made a very heads up play in finishing off the game with his second goal in two games. In limited minutes, Feilhaber again impressed with his composure and decision-making. Above all, Onyewu and DeMerit were excellent in back. I'm glad to see DeMerit finally getting a chance to earn a place in the starting line-up (his story is pretty incredible) and I was waiting for Onyewu to "wow" me like has these past few games. The only disappointment for me was Michael Bradley. Even before getting sent off on a questionable call, he didn't really make a mark on the game.

On top of all the positives for the US, Spain didn't play well. David Villa was missing shots. Xavi and Xabi Alonso were extremely quiet. Torres played as poorly as I've ever seen him play. Capdevilla played awful and surprisingly, Puyol and Pique were spotty as well. Ramos had a huge mental lapse that resulted in the second goal. Without any bias (hopefully), I have to say that just about the only player who did anything was Fabregas, placing a few dangerous balls through and over the top of the defense, and he was subbed off midway through the second half. Even with poor performances by the bulk of the team, Spain still dominated possession but they just couldn't break down the US enough to score. To maintain a huge win streak, teams need a few breaks here and there, fortunate bounces, lucky calls, goals off deflections, etc. and yesterday Spain just didn't get any those.

To put it simply, one team played well, the other didn't. I do agree with most that this was an important win, but one of the biggest in the history of American soccer? Sure, I guess it was. But when it comes down to the ultimate goals, becoming an international powerhouse and winning the World Cup, this win doesn't mean much. It does not put the US among the top teams in the world. Despite curbing the incredible unbeaten and win streak of the number one team in the world, it shouldn't overshadow the fact that the US struggles with consistency and has some glaring deficiencies on the field. Even though it was a semi-final victory in an international tournament, it was the Confederations Cup (google "Confederations Cup pointless" to see what people think) and it was the semi-finals.

So beware of the hype. Let's see what happens in the finals before we start thinking about World Cup 2010 success. And before we start thinking about WC 2010, let's see what happens in the Gold Cup this summer, and for that matter, the rest of World Cup Qualifying. It's not that I don't want more people to watch soccer (I do), or that I'm an elitist fan (maybe I am, a little), or that I don't think the US team is improving (they are). Just beware of the hype. Remember what happened after reaching the quarter finals of WC 2002 and winning the Gold Cup in 2002 and 2005? The US bowed out of WC 2006, finished last place in their group (I know it was the Group of Death but still). This team can be good. It has a balanced mix of young talent and experienced veterans, domestic and international club players. I, like most Americans who like soccer, want to see this team succeed but let's just wait and see what happens.

Listen Hear

It's been a pretty hectic few weeks for David Villa with transfer rumors and gossip overwhelming the news but he hasn't let that affect his form on the field. While his penalty miss against South Africa was pretty bad, Villa's goal (one minute later) was an incredible display of skill and helped to extend Spain's record-breaking unbeaten run and win streak.



A few more thoughts on the Confederations Cup group stage:

- First off: the United States. Wow. I'm sure several professional sports journalists have written about it so I won't get into it all but wow. After two lackluster performances, they finally showed some spirit on the field, producing 3 goals and conceding none against a tough but suddenly out-of-form Egyptian team. Not only did they pull off that miracle (they had only one goal, from a PK no less, in their two previous games) but they were handed second place in the group when Brazil destroyed Italy, also 3-0. Things like this don't happen often in sports so suffice to say, it was very exciting. Now the US moves on to face Spain in the semis. A respectable display against them would do wonders for a team that has been shaky as of late.

- I'm not usually one to heap praises on Landon Donovan but he has had a strong tournament. He's been working hard on defense, running at defenders with the ball and creating good space without. I know he's one of the best players in US history but I am a little surprised at how he has done. Let's just hope he continues playing well in this tourney, and carries this form into the Gold Cup, WC Qualifying and WC 2010.

- I am quick to praise Clint Dempsey, one of my favorite American players but he has had a pretty bad Confederations Cup. He picked up his play against Egypt picking out a couple superb through balls and scoring a nice header but other than that, he has not done that well. Had he not scored in the Egypt game, he would have warranted being benched for the early Gold Cup games. He's given up the ball cheaply, not hustled on defense and attempted to draw a foul too many times. All that leads me to believe he should be playing higher up on the field. He hasn't shown the work-rate to play in the midfield and honestly, he's just more effective as a forward or striker, something Coach Bob Bradley probably realizes now.

- After catching several Barca and Spain games in the past 18 months, I'm beginning to understand and appreciate the play of Xavi and Puyol. Earlier this year, it happened with Iniesta but after watching these Confederations Cup games I see why people love Xavi and Puyol as well. For someone not looking for things to like about these players, their ability to impress can be subtle because neither player is known for the spectacular in a SportsCenter Top Ten sort of way. Xavi's vision, confidence and composure on the ball when pulling strings in the midfield is top notch. He is also a solid defender which might not be expected based on his height and speed (or lack thereof). I've seen Puyol play at center back and on the right the past few times. Out wide, he's surprisingly effective going forward, creating space and picking out the right passes. In the middle, he uses his strength and smarts to win headers over players much taller than him, and he is a naturally-gifted tackler. The more I watch soccer, or any sport for that matter, the more I become familiar with the intricacies (some them obvious oversights based on prejudices, I admit) that make great players great. I don't know. It's nice to find reasons to like world class players that typically don't impress me.

- Even while missing some big name players and not choosing to play others, Brazil has looked strong. Fans may be complaining about the lack of flair this team plays with but few can argue the results. Yeah, it'd be nice to see some fancy footwork and silky skills but the style that Dunga has the Brazilians playing is grittier and more effective than I remember seeing the past few World Cups. Also, players I am less familiar with, like Maicon, Ramires, and Felipe Melo (a possible Arsenal transfer???) have been more impressive than players like Robinho, Kaka and Julio Cesar.

- The Italian team is an aging bunch but even still, they underachieved this tournament. I don't know what it was, but they just didn't look sharp. To touch on the age thing, I don't follow Serie A as much as La Liga or the BPL but I have gathered that the Italians like to honor their veteran players and they are a little hesitant to give young stars a chance. Without knowing the whole story about any of this, look at Giuseppe Rossi. He's only 22 years old. He plays in Spain for Villareal, where he earned a starters spot and has played really well. That allowed him to be called up to the national team where he also has done well, most recently scoring two goals against the US. Had he played in Serie A, I don't know if that would have happened so soon. Juve's Sebastian Giovinco for one, might be an excellent player for the national team but he doesn't get enough playing time for the coaching staff to evaluate him. Yes, Juve is arguably a deeper team than Villareal and Giovinco may not be as good as Rossi, but he still deserves a chance. At Juventus, he was playing behind the soon-to-retire Del Piero, the just-retired Nedved and the injured Trezeguet but he still only made a few appearances last season. Maybe it's because I like him but I feel that with experience, he could be a good player for the Italians... Other players that do get playing time at the club level and have been called up to the national team, need to get more games too. How can players like Santon and Santacroce gain experience at the international level when they don't get a chance?

- Last random thoughts... It was unintentional but I didn't watch any of the New Zealand games except the first half of the Spain game, which saw El Niño get a hat trick in 17 minutes. NZ didn't look good... Egypt played well in their first two matches. Even though they were missing Zidan, I would have thought they would have come out stronger in the US... Against Spain, Iraq showed everyone how to lose respectably. They held the best team in the world to one goal and they did it without parking 11 men in the box. Aside from giving the ball away too easily throughout the game, they were even able to maintain possession on occasion... South Africa looked decent from what I saw, which is good. It's always nice when host nations step their game up and compete against stronger teams. It definitely adds to the excitement, and this tournament has gotten me really excited for 2010... Finally, I don't see what the big deal is about the horns. One of my roommates can't stand them but I think they're fine. I don't think they take anything away from the broadcast. I think they either add to the atmosphere or provide a nice white noise to tone down annoying commentators. Mostly though, I just don't notice them that much because I'm focused on the game and they really aren't overwhelmingly loud through the TV. If they get banned from WC games, it would be stupid and if I was South African, I would be pissed.

Kick, Push

At times this season I have been okay with the fact that Adebayor might leave Arsenal this summer but after this goal, which probably left Villareal fans having flashbacks of Ronaldinho, I'm not so sure:



Similar to this past weekend, Fabregas placed a nice ball in the box to Ade but all credit should go to the big man for that finish. Because of his size and rugged style of play, it's easy to forget Adebayor has this level of skill and composure. I don't know what has gotten him back on track but after some bland performances this season, but it's good to see glimpses of why this guy was the African Player of the Year.

In regards to the rest of the game, the Gunners only came away with a 1-1 draw (Marcos Senna had a screamer early in the first half) but the crucial away goal puts Arsenal in the driver's seat for the second leg at the Emirates. The team didn't put together a great performance but I wouldn't say it was disappointing. If anything, this minor blip can be used as more motivation to pull out a win in the second leg.

Trick Love The Kids

A clean sheet win in World Cup Qualifying is nothing to take lightly for the US National Team (even though it was against T & T). That's all well and good but it's even better to see Jozy Alitdore not only get the nod, but get a hat trick too. I've been waiting for him to get a chance to shine and this will do wonders for his confidence after having a relatively disappointing year in Spain this season. At just 19 years old, I think he's one of the most promising young American players right now so it'll be interesting to see how far he can go. Hopefully this was just his coming out party.

Sound Off

Here are the highlights and analysis from last night's MLS season opening game. I don't normally watch MLS games but it seems that every year, people are trying to hype the league (rightly so) and entice fans. I've been reading most of the league previews over the past week or so and it seems like this is a big year for the MLS even with Beckham on a year-round timeshare. Some interesting things about Seattle in particular (I think):

- The expansion team, Seattle Sounders, without their designated player (ex-Gunner/
Swedish superstar/male model Freddie Ljundburg) beat last year's MLS Cup runner-up on opening day. Yes, it's only one game, it's still Week 1 and anything can happen in soccer, but a 3-0 victory is saying something. With a proven winner and last season's coach of the year, Sigi Schmid at the helm, this team could be going places.

- The Sounders are co-owned by Drew Carey. I remember seeing him in interviews and on ESPN a while ago, talking about how he was drawn to soccer and about the MLS' popularity. It doesn't surprise me that he grew interested enough to purchase a team. What is a bit surprising is that he has big plans for the club. Well, it's not surprising that he has "big plans" part but the actual plans are ambitious. He wants to run the team based on how some top flight European clubs are run, with Presidential elections and more fan input on how the club is managed. I think this is a good thing. It may be new and different for Americans, myself included, but the sooner the MLS embraces certain aspects of European football, the sooner the MLS will become a more respected league. That will lead to an increase in the level of play, and high profile players might come to the league while they still have plenty of gas left in the tank. Speaking of which...

- I admit, it is a little exciting that 21 year-old Fredy Montero is in the MLS. Sure, he is only in Seattle on loan but this marks one of, if not the first time that a young, foreign player has chosen to come to the MLS in his prime. (Just take a look, most of the foreign-born MLS stars are in their 30s and while they can dominate this league, they aren't in their primes anymore). Montero supposedly had interest from bigger clubs in La Liga but he ended up on The Sounders, which is a definitely a good thing. Last year, he co-led the Colombian league in goals and judging from last night's performance and his 9 goals in pre-season, I don't think he's letting up.

- The MLS seems to be taking a very smart approach to league expansion. Already, I would say The Sounders are a success. There is clearly a market for soccer in Seattle and after losing the Sonics, there is definitely a hole in Seattle sports that The Sounders can attempt to patch up. They have already sold more season tickets than most MLS teams average in total attendance. On top of that, the league is "starting" traditions for the club and for the league itself with the Heritage Cup (which celebrates the NASL) and future rivalries with Vancouver (co-owned by Steve Nash!) and possibly Portland.

Ah, so there's that. It's all mildly exciting, something worth noting. The MLS is growing and it's gotten to the point where I care to watch and read about it every so often. This could very well be due to my renewed and growing love for soccer but it's also a testament to how much the league has developed over the years. There is still no way I will support the MLS in the same manner as I follow the EPL, La Liga and more recently Serie A, but staying in tune peripherally is better than nothing.

Dip Dip Dive

This is one of the main reasons Americans think soccer players aren't tough and why they think the sport is ridiculous. At least Pedersen didn't get the call but he should have been booked and more importantly, he should be ashamed of himself.

A few more quick points:

- Diving, running into slide tackles, creating contact and then falling down, rolling around in agony only to pop right up if the whistle doesn't blow, these things happen often. I understand that they are just part of the game but these theatrics are a big problem that FIFA hasn't properly addressed. Sure, they have called for harsher consequences to these actions but really, it hasn't helped. In my mind, a possible solution is video replay/review.

The discussion of adding instant replay comes up every once and a while with all the usual pros (correcting poor goal/no goal decisions) and cons (disrupting the flow of the game). Maybe instant replay isn't right for soccer but I think diving is a perfect way to get video replay implemented. For starters, it'd be best to avoid NFL-style coaching challenges and any other stoppages of play during the game for obvious reasons. Video replay should be used at half-times and after games to allow officials (the match referees or better yet, separate officials) to specifically review for unsportsmanlike conduct. Based on the reviews, bookings (and fines?) could be doled out and/or rescinded. Sure, this brings up a whole host of other issues but something like this could be a good first step in cleaning up the game. And as a secondary benefit, it could help hold refs accountable for their performances as well.

(I should note that I'm not sure if they already have something like this in place or not. I don't think they do because I've never read or heard anything about players being suspended or fined for any blatant dive that wasn't dealt with during the game.)

- It's funny how players don't want refs to ruin matches by making too many calls but at the same time, many of them blatantly try to put the refs in position to call fouls that could significantly alter the course of a game. The best referees are the ones that fans, players and coaches don't even notice, so why do players constantly put refs on center stage?

- When it comes down to it, the diving issue is only an issue because at times, it has gotten out of hand. I mean, every single sport has problems with athletes bending the rules and when it gets to a certain point, they should be dealt with accordingly. The NBA has flopping. The NFL has holding. MLB has corked bats and pine tar. Soccer has diving. Problems like these are never, ever, ever going to go away. That's not to say that they should be accepted but it'd be stupid to think that once addressed the sports will have perfect, clean competition. If it's not one thing, it's another. I just think that FIFA should try a little harder to make these diving problems just a little bit better now, and worry about the next thing when it comes.

I Wonder...

This is part of some viral marketing campaign for Valencia and Unibet. When they show Españeta, he's knocking the ball into the goal post similar to the Joga Bonito ad where Ronaldinho also used the goal to pass it to himself. I'm not saying they blatantly stole the idea but they kind of did.

There's something really cute about the tiny Japanese woman from Tokyo Sport speaking Spanish to Joaquin. Before being interrupted, she asks him about food and about playing football in Japan. He says how he likes paella and gazpacho over sushi, and that it's possible that he could play football in Japan in the future. I think.

This reminded me of when I helped a Mexican lady buy the right train tickets in Tokyo during my Japan trip. My Spanish is pretty terrible and my Japanese is even worse, but somehow I got her to Kobe or where ever she was going. At least I hope...

The Sweetest Thing

Obviously, I'm a little biased but this has to be one of the goals of the year and/or season. Not many players can casually slice a side volley with their heel on an over-the-top through ball. I think this is what announcers means when they use the term "clinical."

What makes this goal even sweeter is that it happened in Eduardo's second game back in action after sitting for over a year due to injury. He suffered a broken fibula and an open dislocation in his ankle early last year as the result a horrific tackle -- one that several news shows chose not to replay. He came back a few games ago, scoring two goals in that return, only to injure his hamstring in the second half. He missed a game or two and returned (again) to captain the side yesterday, in a 3-0 win over Burnley in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

What makes this goal even more sweet(er) is that with Eduardo's form and the contribution of others, Arsenal is finally scoring goals. Their unbeaten run has stretched to 17 games and they're turning what used to be 0-0 draws into clean sheet victories. It's only been a couple of strong games and admittedly, they were against weaker teams, but those are the teams that Arsenal have struggled with this season. I don't want to get my hopes up but the Champions League qualification for next year, the Champions League trophy and the FA Cup trophy suddenly don't seem quite so far away...