Wimbledon Commences...

Tennis god and Swiss citizen Roger Federer was pushed to the brink by 60th-ranked Alejandro Falla of Colombia today, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (1), 6-0. Federer called the siutation "uncomfortable," but realized that he has an obligation to the creators of this blog to win his seventh Wimbledon. And Roger Federer, who should have won the AP's Athlete of the Decade contest unanimously, is really fucking awesome. He's the most aggressive man in the game, totally unafraid of making mistakes. He is the most complete player in tennis history. Rafa Nadal is back on his game, as evidenced by his blistering performance at the French. I look forward to a Federer victory.

Roger Federer escapes major upset at Wimbledon

A little more perspective

I'd like to consider myself a mindful sports fan, but I am not a forgiving or forgetful one. I'm well aware that some calls will go in one's favor and some will go against. Of course the referee isn't evil. Hell, I don't consider NBA ref Tim Donaghy "evil" and he admitted to fixing games. Donaghy may have been wrong, but ultimately it was an NBA game, hardly a life or death experience, as the league's comatose crowds can attest to. I've experienced the benefits and detriments of officiating. But it still hurts a great deal to have one go against you. The pain of Argentina's 1990 and 2006 World Cup defeats are still fresh.

I also agree on the major points. I don't think Americans are too "parochial" for soccer, though. Americans have tons of distractions. No single sport in the USA comes close to rivaling the importance of soccer in, say, Argentina. I don't think ALL US sports combined have that sort of social importance. Americans do want to win and to have the world's best leagues. It is difficult to accept that the US is not the best at something, but increasingly American fans are coming around to the truth that the national team is competitive and among the top 15 or so sides in the world.

I also think that the decline of interest in baseball among those born in the US, especially in participation, is coinciding directly (this does not imply causation) with the rise of soccer. I am a fan of both sports and will save this observation for a more detailed post at a later date.

Just Anger?

Every proud fan of the American national soccer team, and truly every person I have spoken to about the World Cup, calls the decision made by the Malian referee towards the end of the last USA group stage game against Slovenia to be a fluke. Some people go as far as to claim that the decision to annul the goal was terrible, horrible, “the worst ever seen”, shit, garbage, etc. The list really goes on forever. Even the English announcers on ESPN call the decision wrong. I agree.

However, as any self-respecting soccer fan knows: soccer is masochistic and subjective. Fans suffer for 90 minutes, and well 50% of them are generally frustrated beyond belief at the end. Many times the best teams, or shall I say the teams that play best, lose. This is extremely common. My personal example is Barcelona’s home game against Inter-Milan during this year’s Champion’s League semi-finals. Barca outplayed Inter, but lost the series on aggregate scoring. I almost jumped in front a bus that day.

Knowing how emotionally painful soccer is, we must add that perhaps Americans are too parochial for soccer (Parochial Americans). I’m not so sure about that argument. As I think each culture is set in their own ways for various reasons. I generally don’t buy the anti-soccer arguments of most Americans, but I do at least understand their arguments against it. Specifically, I empathize for their frustrations with referees and decisions. No black and white, no screen replay, no bird in the sky technology, no public-pandering corporate apologies, and least of all no congressional investigations into sports. (Jajaja, the last two were just for kicks.)

At this point I do something rather controversial. I only am doing this after reading this post (Defense of Ref). If you check out the camera angles you’ll notice that there was grabbing, BUT from both teams. Sure, the Slovenians were being more aggressive, and they surely did foul American players. But I think the difference between Coulibaly and me is what spirit of soccer we take. I always take the side of forwards, and give the offside advantage and foul advantage to strikers. This is in part due to the style of soccer I enjoy, and in part to foster a more exciting game (Dunga may gasp at this opinion!). Coulibaly perhaps takes the other side, he prefers to err cautiously. Just imagine what the Slovenians would have said if their side lost due to a foul not being called in the box!

I think the USA should have been given that goal, and if anything, perhaps even a penalty. But, he isn’t some horrible ref, or an evil person dropped in that game by FIFA to sabotage the American chances of getting far in the World Cup. They would love to have the American market open to soccer!! Really! And they’re only going to get it if the Americans win! (You know how Americans will only watch it if we’re alive in the tournament.) So maybe he made a call that errs on the side of caution, and even a bad one. But soccer is subjective. And let’s not forget: The USA played like shit for the first 45 minutes. We wouldn’t even be discussing this if we would have defended and scored during the first half!

Righteous Anger

Sports aren't fair and neither is life. We all know this to be true. But sometimes we need to get angry about something. Everyone should be angry about the call that nullified the US goal vs. Slovenia. There simply is no excuse for this officiating. It was bullshit.

The US needs to stop falling asleep at the beginning of games. Its defense was caught flatfooted on its first goal and was beaten by a splendid counterattack on the second. The team did show tremendous grit and skill in its remarkable comeback. Landon Donovan's goal was among the best of the tournament.

All in all, the US finds itself in a decent situation. As long as it beats Algeria, the US team should have nothing to worry about.

The Pain in Spain

Euro 2008 was supposed to have bridged divides among Spaniards (and Catalans) and eviscerated Spain's history of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Judging by their performance against Switzerland, it didn't. Del Bosque relied on a 4-1-4-1, stupidly giving undue responsibility to Sergio Busquets, who has demonstrated time and time again that he is Barçelona's worst player who starts with regularity. Mistake prone David Silva had to be removed in favor of the more creative and inspiring Jesús Navas. The press seems to think that Spain is trying to act like FC Barçelona by employing a horizontal passing game to wear down opponents and create space on the pitch. They aren't. Barçelona has a directive: use passing and movement to fill and create gaps in defenses, enabling attacking runs to be made. Spain kicked the ball around and hoped for something to happen. When Barçelona fails, the team turns around and regroups for another attack. Spain lacked the mental fortitude to intelligently attack the Swiss fortress. The Swiss showed tremendous heart and balls.

Historically, Spain has not achieved the footballing success of European counterparts Germany, Italy, and France. Moreover, despite its vast empire, Spain never reached the heights of international prestige attained by many of its counterparts during the Scientific Revolution and the Renaissance. While Italy's Mezzogiorno and Germany's East remain markedly poorer than the rest of their respective nations, neither face the kind of perpetual questions of regional and cultural cohesion (or lack thereof) that Catalonia does with Spain. I leave aside the issue of the Basque Country due to my lack of familiarity with its peculiarities.

All this brings me to my recent experiences while watching the Spain game with three Spaniards. They came from different geographies and backgrounds: Málaga in the South, Santander in the North, and the capital, Madrid. The one from Santander is a Barçelona supporter, the other two Madridistas. All three were understandably shocked and devastated by the defeat. They took it very badly. I was reminded of how I felt while watching the brutal Copa America final in 2007, in which Argentina inexplicably lost its cool despite having considerably more talented players than its Brazilian adversaries.

Almost immediately, the Spaniards roundly criticized outgoing Barçelona President Joan Laporta by saying that Laporta was celebrating Spain's loss. Laporta is outspoken in his Catalan nationalism and has expressed a desire for a Catalan national team to be independently recognized by UEFA and FIFA by 2014. A Spain loss, especially by such a talented collection of stars, might help his cause paradoxically. One must question two national teams if Spain can't win with stars from Catalonia already. After all, the majority of the squad plays for Barçelona and many are Catalans. However, Spanish defeats are likely to rile up Catalan support for going it alone.

Rather than expressing animosity toward Catalonia, however, the Spaniards were keen on noting their historical "alliance" and a desire that Catalans maintain and express their own culture. They were distraught that Catalans reject Spaniards and showed great disappointment in the perceived negative attitudes of Catalans toward Spain as a whole. They felt disrespected by Catalans, but not in a fighting manner. It was more a genuine sadness. It was fascinating to listen to such a conversation. As a Barçelona fan, I hear and read the history of animosity between the club and Real Madrid as well as between Catalonia and Madrid. But what I saw was not animosity in the slightest way. It was a profound, innately human desire to be respected and accepted by one's neighbors (and in strictly political terms, one's fellow countrymen!).

Simply put, the "Catalan question" is not black and white. Perhaps my surprise is rooted in genuine ignorance of Spanish history. Though I majored in Political Science and History and am currently working on a Master's Degree in Economics, I have NEVER, at ANY LEVEL OF SCHOOL, studied the Spanish Civil War. Nor have I received classroom instruction on Spain's post- World War II economic miracle. I doubt that this experience is unique. Spanish history seems to be very much its own. Those outside the country probably have little idea as to its complexity. I watched its results play out in dialogue.

My Spanish friends were not satisfied to vent only footballing frustrations, however. The conversation turned to the financial crisis, and the potential successors to José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. The conservative Mariano Rajoy was mentioned, but criticized by the Madrileño for his lack of panache and personality. Other candidates were dismissed as mafiosos. What was evident was great frustration, but a burning desire for Spain to achieve its potential and be recognized as an economic and cultural leader. 

A good start would be by winning tomorrow.

Jabulani Alert

Latest news in: According to Glenn Beck, Nancy Grace and Al Gore the Jabulani Soccer Ball is responsible for the earthquake in Haiti, terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, child abductions, sex slavery, internet porn, surprising divorces and climate change. Oh, and for a couple of mishaps at the World Cup.

German Loss

I guess I may have spoken too soon in posting that inspirational article about Germany last night. Serbia's win snaps a German 16-match win streak, and definitely throws some doubts into group D. If Ghana beats Australia, we know that they will most likely leave the group on top. I suppose thats a "feel-good" result for this African World Cup.
Serbia, for their part, played well. They defended very well. Most importantly, they took advantages of the opportunities they got. However, the turning point in this game seemed to parallel yesterday's Greece- Nigeria game. Getting a player ejected really changes the dynamic of your team. It became apparent how valuable that player was to the team, and how their dynamic was messed up. Muller, Podolski and Ozil had been charging down the flanks, but without a 9 to pass it into, the dynamic totally changes. Plus Serbia had one less player to guard, and could concentrate on the fast flank players.
The Spanish ref, Alberto Undiano, played a massive part in the game. I don't blame the German defenders for being afraid to make a challenge. He was handing out yellow cards like lollipops in the first half.
The cup isn't over for Germany, but they must learn from this and they must find different strategies. Mario Gomez is not a replacement for Klose. Cacau is going to have to be fit in.

The European Dilemma

A recent post in the NY Times' Goal blog by Rob Hughes made a good point of contrasting Germany and Italy. The timing of this article could not be any better as both teams prepare for their second games of the group stages. In their first games the teams displayed very different impressions; however, none were really surprising.

 Every analyst and soccer writer had been commentating since the qualification stages that Lippi’s Azzurri were depending too heavily on their tried-and-true squad of world champions. This wouldn’t be a problem for the Celtics in the NBA, or a baseball team here; but in world soccer, especially at the World Cup, youth and vigor are essential. Italy even lost in the pre-World Cup friendlies to Mexico! You could say that Mexico isn’t really a soccer powerhouse (and I would normally agree with you) but they beat France 2-0 in their second group games, and Italy barely managed a tie with Paraguay (which is truly a soccer force in Latin America). With Pirlo injured, and Gilardino incapable of even making a shot on goal, Italy is in real trouble. Their display was void of offensive prowess, and was not particularly defensive, they just looked desperate. Their age, and lack of creativity were obvious. More than anything their manager looked weak and helpless. Hughes comments that it is typical for Italy to start off slow, and become more powerful as the knock-out stages progress, but that would be so detrimental to world soccer. And truly, it would be detrimental to Italy. Their is a much deeper problem than not simply not playing well in South Africa this summer. That country’s soccer establishment seems to be in denial of the changes occurring in society. European countries are being flooded with immigration. Some of these new immigrants are bringing African power, Latin American skill and Eastern European grit to the game. For the sake of soccer, and the sake of these new Italian immigrants, let us hope that Italy crashes and burns. Perhaps they will wake up some day and call up Mario Balotelli.If the Italians don't, then perhaps their soccer will join their buildings as crumbling monuments.

Germany, on the other hand, has embraced their multi-cultural entity. If you have ever been to this land of Mercedes Benz and supposed pure citizenry, you will know that the country is more ethnically diverse than the United States (or at least it appears that way in the streets). This influx of talent was seen positively since the 1970’s. It is no surprise then that Beckenbauer was quoted as saying in the ‘70s: “When the talent from the East is added, no one will be able to beat us for years. I’m sorry for the rest of the world.” We can apply this to the influx of immigrants from the “Middle East”. Germany is full of Turkish, Middle Eastern and African immigration. To not include these kids on the squad would be to deny what Germany is today. Perhaps these kids don’t have much of a chance of rising in Germany with education, due to the exclusive and stratifying education system, but they can rise in soccer. As displayed in their first 4-0 win, their speed and offensive prowess seem to be rivaled only by Argentina. And maybe it was a good thing that the part-German KP Boateng injured Ballack. Germany seems to have left him behind and moved on to their future.

France seems to have embraced their African immigration a long time ago. However, they seem unable to harness it's positive benefits. Or, perhaps Domenech is just a crap coach. I'll take the later guess. Most other European powerhouses are not really confronted with these issues yet. When their time comes, they would be wise to follow Germany's example.

Rob Hughes Article

Sandro Rosell- President Elect of FCB

Nuevo Comercial Coca-Cola Mundial 2010 Argentina

Laporta’s Legacy of Growth

Joan Laporta’s tenure at Barçelona is ending with the election of new club President Sandro Rosell. Notably, Rosell resigned from the club’s board five years ago amidst a falling out with Laporta. Rosell has blasted Laporta for being heavy handed, undemocratic, and megalomaniacal. Laporta, who harbors aspirations of political grandeur in Catalunya, may be all of those things. But as a Barça fan, they aren’t of particular importance to me because Laporta laid the groundwork for Barçelona to have the most successful year in footballing history and turned a big Spanish club into an international icon.

When Laporta took the reins in 2002, Barçelona were second-fiddle to Real Madrid. Los Merengues had won Champions league for the third time in five years and Barça were trophy-less since 1999. Los Galacticos drew the attention of the world, while Barçelona piled up debts. Enter Laporta, who focused on paying debts while emphasizing the youth academy, La Masia. The youth squad produced Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi, and Pedro Rodriguez. Laporta added Ronaldinho via transfer and Frank Rijkaard as manager. When Rijkaard lost control of the team and results sagged, Laporta promoted Pep Guardiola as first team manager and Luis Enrique as Atletic’s head man. Pep led the senior squad to the greatest year in footballing history and “Lucho 21” has the youth squad on the verge of promotion.

Barçelona have long been an extremely important club, but the reach extended mainly to Spain with a smattering of European and extra-continental supporters. Now, Barçelona has almost 2000 peñas around the globe. Some criticized Laporta for his overtly nationalist sentiments on the question of Catalan autonomy. Laporta is a vocal supporter of a separate national selection for Catalunya (an idea that I have serious qualms with). Yet, it was Laporta who extended the club’s reach like never before. A 2007 survey put Barça’s popularity at 25.7% in Spain (after Marid’s 32%). Another survey listed Barçelona as Europe’s most popular club, with 44.2 million sympathizers on the continent (Real Madrid were second at 41 million!). Laporta’s Catalanism is not the reason for Rosell’s victory. While such sentiments may alienate a significant portion of the fan base, Rosell is also fervently supportive of the club’s Catalan identity, and illustrates it in a rather disturbing manner. He actually wishes to restrict club membership outside of Catalunya on the grounds that an increasingly geographically diverse membership is diluting the “Catalan identity” of the club. This is a move that I consider unforgivably stupid and antithetical to the ethos of FC Barçelona and the city itself, which has long welcomed migrants from Spain and immigrants from abroad. If one embraces Catalan culture, he has been able to integrate into society and find acceptance. Laporta seemed to share this sentiment; perhaps it is not good enough for Rosell. I have serious reservations about Catalan nationalism and the politics of identity more generally, but those feelings will be expressed in future posts.

Barçelona is a Catalan club, a Spanish club, a European club, and a global club. Much of the credit for its growth must go to Laporta’s management over the last eight years.

How far will the USA go in South Africa?

With a 2-0 win over juggernauts Spain in last summer’s Confederations Cup, the US national team proved its capacity to compete with the world’s best given the right conditions. The standard of American players is improving steadily, with Michael Bradley finding an important role for his Bundesliga squad (Monchengladbach) and Clint Dempsey becoming a true star at Fulham. Amazingly, Fulham actually made the final of the Europe League, losing out to an Atletico side that features Forlan and Aguero. With US soccer at its historical zenith, is this the year that the “Stars and Stripes” break through to World Cup glory?

Yes and no. I do not believe the US is strong enough to win the World Cup. But neither are most of the teams in South Africa. It would be a huge disappointment is the Nats failed to advance from the group stage. I believe they have an excellent chance to make it to the quarterfinal round. Let’s examine their chances in greater detail.

The strength of the US team lies in its midfield. Michael Bradley is a holding midfielder who ably controls the ball and starts the attack. He is, along with Dempsey, the key to the USA’s success. Bradley is a fiery player who backs down from no one. He is capable of scoring goals at important times, as evidenced by his strikes in qualifying against rivals Mexico. He must be at peak form in South Africa, and I fully expect him to be. Bradley plays with a chip on his shoulder and the entire side would do well to adopt this attitude. The US is good enough to beat anyone, but isn’t good enough to look past anyone either. A superb effort must be given at all times to match a more talented but over-hyped England team.

Some think that with Charlie Davies out, Clint Dempsey will be moved to a second striker position. Dempsey should be put in a position that maximizes his creative skills. He is the most technically gifted American player that I have ever seen. His form in the Premier League has been phenomenal. Why he is not universally regarded as the best American player is beyond my comprehension. He was by far the best performer in Germany four years ago, and must be allowed to provide creative juices for this team. I’d like to see him in a central, attacking midfield position. He has the ability to make life miserable for defenders with his ball-control skills. “Deuce” is also a dangerous goal scorer. Goal scoring, or lack thereof, may be a serious hindrance to American chances, so Coach Bob must find a way to get Deuce some good looks at goal.

Landon Donovan, regarded incorrectly as the best American player, will provide boundless energy on the flank, but must know when to distribute the ball. Donovan is not as technically gifted as Bradley or Dempsey. His strength is in the open field, not in on-on-one situations.

The biggest question in the midfield is the other holding midfielder. Jose Francisco Torres and Benny Feilhaber have seen time in the past. I think Torres is the more gifted player, but he his small at 5’5” and Coach Bob has not given him much time in the past. Expect Feilhaber to start; he can be very good or very non-existent.
The weaknesses of the team are obvious: Firstly, the defense stinks. With stalwart Oguchi Onyewu recovering from injury and clearly not at 100% fitness (his “leaping” capabilities vs. Czech Republic were laughable), the defense is even weaker than usual. It is crucial that the midfield keep the ball out of the US goal area or it will be a miserable time for Everton keeper Tim Howard. Secondly, it is hard to see where goals will come from. I like the recent call ups of Edson Buddle and Herculez Gomez, but they are newcomers to the world stage. True, they have been on fire for LA Galaxy and Pachuca, respectively, but they remain unproven. They looked good in friendlies and both are experienced, but the World Cup is an entirely different level of pressure. Jozy Altidore has performed well for the Nats in the past, and figures to start, but after horrific stints with Villarreal, Xerez, and Hull, will he have the form necessary for success? Expect a mixed bag from the young striker.

The US has superior fitness and must use this to run teams ragged. Offensively, the US has always been idea-starved. The side relies on set pieces and corner kick rebounds for goals. Every type of goal counts, but the team can’t rely on these types of situations as its only form of scoring. It must find some organization and creativity in the attack and create genuinely dangerous situations. This really comes down to the coaching staff. US soccer has never emphasized a particular style. There is no reason to try to emulate anyone else, but an ounce of organization is in order. There needs to be a coherent idea for attacking. Give it to Dempsey. I don’t want to see any “boot and run” English tactics on the pitch. That shit is garbage and will fail miserably, like England.

This is the best crop of players the US has ever had. It’s time to show it. Beat England.

Publicidad Quilmes para la Copa Mundial Fifa 2010