4 Days To Go: The 5 Best Games of the First Round

4 days left and the 2010 World Cup gets underway!

There's SO much news on the internet, magazines, newspapers, television, etc.
I'm but a lowly blogger trying to carve his niche in the big, bad soccer media world.

Having said that, I'm BEYOND excited for the Cup, even if I can't make it to South Africa.
I'm making lemonade out of lemons, looking forward to enjoying the Cup in New York City!

So what are the 5 biggest matches of the first round?

1 - USA vs. England (June 12, 2:30pm)

Call this the teacher vs. the student, if you wish. It's the colonial power against the formerly subjugated. The football powerhouse against the budding superstars.

USA-England has all the drama of a Spanish soap opera.

Most prognosticators give USA little chance against the magic of Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.

Having said that, USA's not as bad as many pundits think. They're scrappy, they're quick and with Landon Donovan and Michael Bradley, they have pace and vision.

Expect a tough one before the USA succumbs to the English brawn and power.

2 - South Africa vs. Mexico (June 11, 10 a.m.)

Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg will be rocking for the opening match of the 2010 Cup. South Africa's not a strong team, but Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has provided the squad with much needed structure.

Mexico is consistently one of the quickest, most offensive sides in the world, so this should be a show stopper and a fancy way to open the Cup.

3 - Argentina vs. Nigeria (June 12, 10 a.m.)

The unstable Diego Maradona guides the likes of world player of the year Lionel Messi and Gonzalo Higuain into a match against one of Africa's powerhouses. Who knows what'll happen here?

Expect a raucous atmosphere. It's one of Africa's best hopes of advancing out of the first round against a perennial power, coached by the greatest player of all time.

Must See TV, anyone?

4 - Brazil vs. Portugal (June 25, 10 a.m)

Brazil is the co-favorite to win it all. Portugal boasts the world's most expensive player in Cristiano Ronaldo and a fast, loose style.

Both teams will be looking to finish first in the group, as the second-place side settles into a likely match with co-favorite Spain. So expect a knockout, drag-out fight by these two Portuguese-speaking nations

5 - Ghana vs. Germany (June 23, 2:30 p.m)

Who will feel the injury bug the most: Ghana, who is missing Michael Essien? Or Germany, who is missing Michael Ballack?

The Ghanaians will be hard pressed against the efficient Germans, but their freewheeling style may cause fits of anxiety for the former World Champions.

The pro-African crowd may play a part in this.


All in all, five games that will entertain and excite. What do you think?

12 Days To Go: Protracted Edition

We're less than two weeks away from the 2010 World Cup and we here at 'Road to 2010' pause to reflect during a holiday weekend in the USA ...

(pause)

And how was that for everyone?

Today, a short edition of the blog as it's Memorial Day in the US and we'd like to get our BBQ on.

Today's Tidbits

1 - USA defeated Turkey 2-1 last night in their final domestic tuneup before traveling to South Africa. Not bad. But June 12th is what counts.

2 - Quick! What's the best country never to win a World Cup? Yep, the Dutch. Can they win it all this year?

3 - Samuel Eto'o whined and threatened to take his ball home if people didn't stop bad mouthing him. All for naught, as Eto'o plans on playing for Cameroon in the World Cup. Baby ...

4 - England didn't look too hot in a 2-1 win over Japan.

5 - Mexico '86: The World Cup that had everything! According to Four Four Two magazine, at least.

What I Think I Think

I think I need to get off this computer and enjoy some sun! You do the same. See you tomorrow!!

15 Days To Go: The Beautiful Game

Followers of soccer or football or futbol (or whatever you call it) also refer to the sport as 'the Beautiful Game.'

Certainly, long-time fans know why it's beautiful.

Skillful play, impeccable ball handling, expert dribbling and exhilarating goals make us jump out of our seats and tremble with joy.

But where I'm from, the United States, most people would rather watch baseball or golf than 'the Beautiful Game.'

Come 15 days, though and the casual fan will catch a match or two to figure out what the rest of the world finds so fascinating about this strange game.

So for those of you with friends who have no idea what the World Cup is about, I present ...

Today's Tidbits

1 - A World Cup FAQ for your friends who have no idea what the World Cup is about!

For example, say your friend ask, 'How does the World Cup work?'

Well, there's an answer for that and so much more. Make sure to forward it along.

2 - President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton welcomed the USA national team to the White House before their departure to South Africa.

"Everybody's going to be rooting for you" Obama said.

No, they won't.

3 - Some bad news: Michael Essien is out of Ghana's World Cup squad. UGGH.

4 - The final FIFA rankings of all the 2010 World Cup teams. #1?

Brazil.

Surprise, surprise.

5 - Another FAQ of sorts for people who don't watch soccer but want to watch the World Cup. This is comprehensive and just awesome in so many ways.

It's called 'A World Cup History for Dummies/Americans'

It's good, it's informative and it's very funny ... Read it now!

What I Think I Think

I don't really have anything to say today, so I'll just list some stuff I think.

- I'm not a fan of friendlies. I understand they're important, but they're pointless overall. So until the real matches start in 15 days, I just don't care.

So the US lost to the Czech Republic in a friendly. And? What exactly does that mean and why should I care?

- Speaking of the USA, if they happen to win the World Cup, what would the celebrations be like in the States?

- Who do you think is the favorite going in to the Cup?

For me, it's Spain. Some say Brazil. Others say it's England. Others say it's Holland.

I'd really like it to be Spain. It's their time and they play brilliant football.

Umm, that's it people. I don't have anything more.

Has Soccer Arrived in the USA?

Ok, so the United States gave Brazil all it could handle in the 2009 Confederations Cup final, falling to the 5-time World Cup champions, 3-2.

But what does it really mean?

According to the Boston Globe's Mark Stokes, this final could be the match that pushes soccer into the forefront of American sports.

David Beckham and MLS haven't done it. Can a spunky USA team in South Africa in 2009 do it?
Have a read and send us your opinion.

They came, they saw, and they almost conquered the world!

Bob Bradley’s US soccer team had their hearts broken in Ellis Park, Johannesburg, on Sunday, coming within sixteen minutes of one of the biggest shocks in footballing history, yet ultimately failing to lift the Confederations Cup thanks to a late one-two punch from five-time world champions, Brazil.

We kicked every ball with them, held our collective breath through countless Brazilian raids and thought the gods were on our side as the clock ticked down towards full time. But alas it was not to be!

After an enthralling opening half from the Screaming Eagles the underdogs lead 2-0 at the break. Clint Dempsey registered his third goal of the competition after only ten minutes, the Fulham midfielder ghosting into an advanced position and getting the slightest of touches to Jon Spector’s cross before watching the ball drift wide of Julio Caesar and into the corner of the net.

If the American players were in dreamland following Dempsey’s strike they were positively in Heaven seventeen minutes on when Landon Donovan led a breakout from inside his own half. The pint-sized striker fed Chalie Davies on the left and took a wonderful return pass from the former Boston College player. The LA front man still had much to do but produced a deft cut inside his marker, worthy of anyone in a Brazilian shirt, before unleashing an unstoppable shot past the goalkeeper to send his team mates wild with delight.

Suddenly the impossible dream was possible. But Brazil stormed back with a superb second-half display.

Luis Fabiano fired home within mere seconds of the restart, turning the brilliant Jay DeMerit before rifling a left foot shot past Tim Howard.

But the pressure proved too much at the other end and, after seeing Howard steal the ball from his feet, Luis Fabiano was on hand to convert a Kaka cross which skimmed across the face of the goal from the left - Robinho's initial shot hitting the crossbar and falling into the path of his strike partner.

Coming on 74 minutes the equalizer had the effect of dropping US heads and more than a couple of passes went astray in the middle of the park. The Americans had been brilliant under the aerial threat all week, but were found wanting on 84 minutes when Lucio was allowed time and room to meet Elano's corner with thundering header that flew off a post and into Howard's top right-hand corner to complete a remarkable comeback.

In the final analysis this was a tournament which instilled pride in the American soccer public more than any other venture in the past. This was also a tournament for all those soccer moms and dads who devote countless hours of their lives (and gallons of gas) to advancing their kids’ soccer education. Finally the parents can see tangible results and perhaps prospects for their offspring in years to come.

And take it from a European born soccer scribe, this is a team which showed many a nation across the pond about belief in oneself and possessing the courage to take on the so called ‘best in the world.’

The USA will be in next year’s World Cup in South Africa, of that there is little doubt now. Hopefully they’ll have the support of the nation this time around, not the half-hearted effort of years past. And it’s not every day of the week that we see foreigners sporting the star-spangled banner, but judging by the thousands of flag waving neutrals in the crowd at Ellis Park, this team has apparently done more for the image of America abroad than any politician in recent memory.

So move over David Beckham - your time has come and gone. US soccer is now in the hands of the blue collar kids from Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Texas and, more importantly, in the hands of a public which apparently has had its appetite whetted and cannot wait for next summer.

It’s a subject which has been debated for decades, but after all its trials and tribulations in the land of the free and the home of the brave, the time may now be at hand.

Whisper it very quietly: Soccer may finally have arrived in America.

President Obama to Attend 2010 World Cup?

The Confederations Cup nears its conclusion in South Africa this week ...

The days tick down to the 2010 World Cup next summer ...

My computer is broken AGAIN!

And news that US President Barack Obama may attend the world's biggest sporting event in South Africa next summer.

The White House would not confirm Monday that President Obama will head to Africa for the Cup, but top aides already seemed to be sizing up tickets for the opening ceremony and first match.

Earlier, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said the president had accepted an invitation to attend the opening of the world football extravaganza next year.

"You know that heads of state are extremely busy and hopefully his schedule will allow him to attend," Blatter told reporters in Johannesburg.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said he could not yet say whether Obama would go to the event, but as a former college soccer goalkeeper, sounded like he couldn't wait for the possible trip.

"I asked specifically... in order to get my seat early," Gibbs said at his daily briefing.

"I'm told from scheduling that the president has accepted a meeting with the head of FIFA World Cup, but we have not yet altogether made plans. I can assure you that a small group of us have assembled in order to move the president in that direction."

The opening ceremony for the 2010 World Cup will be at the new 100,000-seat Soccer City stadium on the outskirts of Soweto. The match is likely to feature either hosts South Africa or defending world champions Italy.

2009 Confederations Cup FAQ

26 Days to Go: 2009 Confederations Cup FAQ

We're 26 days from the start of FIFA's 2010 World Cup dry run in South Africa, the 2009 Confederations Cup.

Like many of you, I have no idea what the Confederations Cup is.

Let's spend the next 26 days previewing the Cup, answering questions and becoming Confederations Cup experts!

First, we'll answer the pressing question of the day: What is the Confederations Cup?
Then we'll preview the teams, the groups, the stadiums and follow the action until a champion is crowned June 28th!

Let's get to it!

The easiest way of starting this is by answering the most important questions.
I'll use a simple Q and A format for this first post.

Q: So, what's the Confederations Cup?

A: The FIFA Confederations Cup is a national team football tournament, held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships (Africa, Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Oceania) plus the previous World Cup winner and the host country, bringing the total to eight.

According to the South African Times, 'The eight team championship is now regarded as second only in prestige to the World Cup finals and is hosted 12 months before the World Cup finals in order for Fifa and the Local Organising Committee to test the readiness of their stadiums and infrastructures ahead of the world showpiece. Most coaches and countries regard the 2009 Confederations Cup as a dress rehearsal for the 2010 showpiece.'

Q: When is the Cup?

A: It starts in 26 days, June 14th. It lasts until June 28th. Two weeks.

Q: Who is in the Cup?

A: The eight teams this year are ...

1. South Africa - Host nation
2. Italy - 2006 World Cup champions
3. USA - North American champions
4. Brazil - South American champions
5. Iraq - Asian champions
6. Egypt - African champions
7. Spain - European champions
8. New Zealand - Oceania champions

Q: Where will the matches be held?

A: Four cities will host matches.

1. Johannesburg (Coca Cola Park)
2. Pretoria (Loftus Versfeld Stadium)
3. Bloemfontein (Free State Stadium)
4. Rustenburg (Royal Bafokeng Stadium)

Q: What are the matches, group stages, etc.?

A: The eight teams are divided into two groups, A and B. A random draw was held and teams from the same confederation were not drawn into the same group
Here's how it breaks down ...



Group A
South Africa
Iraq
New Zealand
Spain

Group B
USA
Italy
Brazil
Egypt

The most anticipated first round matchup takes place on June 21st when Brazil takes on defending world champions Italy.

Brazil are defending Confederations Cup champions. The 5-time world champions beat Argentina in the final in Germany in 2005.

Q: What's the schedule?

A: Please click here for a match schedule.

Q: Where's the final held?

A: The top two teams in each group advance to the knock out stages.
Group winners will face the other group's runner-up in the semifinals.
The final will be held June 28th in Johannesburg's Coca Cola Park.

Q: Any history?

A: I've no clue. But how about we scour the 'net for some answers?

According to Wikipedia, the tournament has its origins in the King Fahd Cup, held in Saudi Arabia in 1992 and 1995 and contested by the Saudi Arabian national side and a few continental champions.

FIFA took over the running of the competition in 1997, renaming it the FIFA Confederations Cup and staging the tournament every two years up until 2005.

In 2005, FIFA decided to hold the tournament every four years - one year before the World Cup, in the World Cup host country - making it more or less an official dress rehearsal for the World Cup.

Previous Confederations Cup tournaments:

• 1997: Saudi Arabia (winner Brazil)
• 1999: Mexico (winner Mexico)
• 2001: South Korea/Japan (winner France)
• 2003: France (winner France)
• 2005: Germany (winner Brazil)

Obama Wants the World Cup in the USA

Is U.S. President Barack Obama trying to get the World Cup to America?

According to the New York Times, he just might be.

Not the 2010 World Cup, of course. But how about the 2018 or 2022 Cup?

In a letter hand-delivered to FIFA President Sepp Blatter, (Blatter's so important that Obama has to have his letter hand-delivered) the US President said, “As a child, I played soccer on a dirt road in Jakarta (his youth in Indonesia), and the game brought the children of my neighborhood together. As a father, I saw that same spirit of unity alive on the fields and sidelines of my own daughters’ soccer games in Chicago,” the president added.

“Soccer is truly the world’s sport, and the World Cup promotes camaraderie and friendly competition across the globe,” Obama added in the letter, a part of which was released to The New York Times by the United States Soccer Federation with permission from the White House.

“That is why this bid is about much more than a game,” he added. “It is about the United States of America inviting the world to gather all across our great country in celebration of our common hopes and dreams.”

Obama is hoping to influence FIFA when the decision for 2018 and 2022 is made in December 2010, five months after the next World Cup in South Africa.

Does the President have any experience with football?

Sure does!

According to the article:

He has attended games involving his 10-year-old, Malia, in Chicago and in 2003 visited his half sister Auma in London and went to a match at West Ham, in the Premier League. After he was elected president in early November, West Ham invited him to return to Upton Park, but his publicists denied the basic tabloid speculation that he roots for the Hammers, or anybody.

A man that politically astute should know that the claret-and-blue Hammers are an ideal team for a community organizer. Long identified with shipbuilders and dockworkers, West Ham has seen many of its ticket holders move out of the area while local periwinkle shops gave way to halal butcher shops. The club has run clinics to draw neighborhood children from South Asia into their fan base.

So what do you think? I know I'd love to see the World Cup here in the States.

US Soccer is trying to use the popularity of the new President to sway FIFA's vote. With the vast infrastructure already in place and the generally positive reviews the 1994 US World Cup received from FIFA executives, why not?

The infrastructure isn't there in South Africa. But FIFA awarded Africa their first World Cup for a variety of reasons.

Brazil will host the 2014 Cup. They have a plethora of infrastructure issues.

Maybe FIFA will decide to go with the nation most ready for the World Cup?

England? The USA? What do you think?

U.S. Makes Bid for 2018 or 2022 World Cup

We're years away the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, but what better time to start thinking of them than now?

The United States was among 12 candidates to submit bids to FIFA for the right to host the 2018 or the 2022 World Cup.

FIFA set a deadline of May 2010 for the bidders to provide paperwork in support of their bids. The winning countries will be named in December 2010 after surveys and inspections by FIFA’s executive committee. The 2010 World Cup will be in South Africa (we hope) followed by the 2014 gala in Brazil.

“I don’t think that there’s any doubt that what happened two weeks ago in Washington has dramatically changed the view of the United States around the world,” Sunil Gulati, the president of the United States Soccer Federation, said Monday, referring to the Barack Obama's inauguration as President of the U.S.

“The change has been noticeable, audible and visible. It’s a positive for Chicago’s bid for the Olympics and now for the World Cup.”

The United States hosted the 1994 World Cup for the first time, with a cumulative attendance of more than 3.5 million fans, a record at the time. It led to the establishment of a domestic league (Major League Soccer) and helped kick-start the sport’s growth in the United States, which had not been particularly receptive to the sport.

FIFA has also received bids from England, Russia, Qatar, Australia, Mexico, Japan, Indonesia, Egypt and South Korea, and joint bids from Spain/Portugal and Belgium/the Netherlands. It is widely believed that a European country, possibly England, which last hosted the tournament in 1966, has the inside track for 2018.

Gulati, speaking on a conference call, also announced the initial members of the United States organizing committee: Don Garber, the commissioner of Major League Soccer; David Downs, the former chief executive of Univision, the Spanish-language television channel; Dan Flynn, the United States federation’s chief executive; and Philip D. Murphy, the former national finance chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

“Soccer has grown tremendously, and I know we have the qualities to once again host the World Cup,” Downs, the committee’s chairman, said. “More than that, the United States was founded on diversity. The country has and will always open its arms to citizens of the world.”

MY POV: I've often stated I'd love to see the Cup come back here. Having said that, I'd love to travel to Australia or Egypt for the Cup. Let's see the Cup in the Middle East!

2018 World Cup in USA Thanks to Obama?

Looks like Barack Obama's election to the United States Presidency will do wonders for US soccer as well.

According to an article in the Guardian Unlimited, Obama's election could derail England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup, according to a "high-placed" FIFA official. The unnamed source told Yahoo Sports that Obama's popularity will be "a huge factor" in deciding whether the USA is selected to host either the 2018 or 2022 tournaments.

"How can it not make a difference," said the source. "Now when you think of America, you don't think George W Bush or war, you think of this man, Obama, who has made history and given hope to millions. The men who vote on World Cup hosts are not immune to those same feelings. If the US bid stacks up in terms of infrastructure and organization, then Obama could be a huge factor."

US Soccer President Sunil Gulati has said that the organization intends to bid "in an aggressive fashion" as soon as FIFA clarify whether nations will be forced to choose which World Cup to bid for or if they will be allowed to bid for both 2018 and 2022.

"We know we would stage a terrific World Cup and having people view us as a nation in a better way is a positive," Gulati commented. "Anything that enhances the perceived views of the United States can only be a positive for us. It was very clear from the reaction around the world just how popular this result has been. This election has given a lot of people a reason to cheer."

Even if he wins a second term, Obama will no longer be in office by 2018. The winning bid will be determined, however, by a vote in 2011 - before the end of Obama's first term.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter is expected to visit Obama at the White House next year. Earlier this year Obama revealed that he had been a West Ham fan since he visited England in 2003. He can often be seen pitch-side at his daughter's soccer games in Chicago.

His election is also believed to be likely to have a galvanizing effect on Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Olympics, meaning that, as in the 1990s, the USA could host the two biggest sports tournaments on the planet in the space of two years.

MY POV: THANK YOU OBAMA!!! I knew electing this guy was the right way to go!

South Africa, Danny Jordaan and Obama

Interesting article in today's New York Times about Danny Jordaan, South Africa's World Cup chief organizer.

Jordaan flew into New York for meetings this week and happened to land here right as the United States was electing their first African-American President, Barack Obama.

Considering South Africa's delicate history with race and apartheid, it was an interesting time for Jordaan to be in New York.

According to the article, Obama's election reminded him of the time South African Nelson Mandela was let out of prison in 1990.

It was a strange evening to be landing in New York. Jordaan, the chairman of the South African committee that will stage the World Cup of soccer in 2010, watched the celebration on CNN and compared the mood in America to the mood in South Africa on Feb. 11, 1990, the day Nelson Mandela walked out of prison after 27 years.

“The majority celebrated,” recalled Jordaan, who had worked against apartheid without going to prison or into exile. “But many people did not celebrate,” he recalled. “You have to be magnanimous.”

Obama has long expressed his respect for Mandela, saying he had been inspired by a visit to Mandela’s former prison cell on Robben Island. In turn, Mandela sent a message to Obama on Wednesday, saying, in part, “Your victory has demonstrated that no person anywhere in the world should not dare to dream of wanting to change the world for a better place.”

While much of the world sees Obama's victory as a new symbol of hope, a successful 2010 World Cup in South Africa would be equally satisfying to many.

Jordaan is assuring people that everything will be ready in approximately 600 days' time.

Joseph S. Blatter, the president of FIFA, once mentioned a Plan B for the World Cup, then amended his remarks to say they referred only to natural disaster. But Jordaan knows there is skepticism about the stadiums, the hotels, the transportation, the security.

Just about every major sports tournament around the world is dogged by tardiness, incompetence, graft, repression, you name it. The tear gas from civil unrest had barely been cleared before the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul, and they were a success. The trolley lines and expressways had barely been opened in Athens in time for the 2004 Summer Games.

“And we finished half an hour before the first game,” Sunil Gulati, the president of the United States Soccer Federation, said about the 1994 World Cup in the U.S.

But a tournament for 32 national teams, including the woeful national team of South Africa, automatically invited as host, is a huge task from a nation still only 14 years past gigantic change. A caretaker government is in charge at the moment, awaiting a new election in 2009, but Jordaan suavely noted that Germany had a change of parties as well as chancellors shortly before the highly successful 2006 World Cup.

South Africa will be fine. Obama will do great things. And in 2010, the world will have something else to celebrate: the wonderful experience of an African World Cup ...

USA '94: Not that bad??

We (ok, me ... ) here at Road to 2010 have been watching football for a mere 11 years as an avid fan.

Call me a neophyte but it's been long enough to have seen some incredible European finals (my team Valencia in 2000, the '05 classic in Istanbul between Liverpool and AC Milan), some wicked goals (Zidane in 2002, David Bentley's smacker today), some awesome World Cup games (Italy-South Korea in '02) and the ultimate - Spain winning Euro 2008.

Before that, I didn't follow football. Sure, it was here and there, popping up on TV now and again. But here in the USA, we watch American football and baseball, basketball and pro wrestling.

'Soccer' is for the rest of the world ... and let them have it, for all we care.

That changed for a month in 1994 when the USA hosted the biggest tournament in world sports - the World Cup.

Honestly, not that many people in the States cared. Sure, the Italian-Americans in New York and the ... Irish-Americans in New York (I'm in New York, by the way) cared.

But the rest were focused on the impending baseball strike and the upcoming NFL season.

For this and many other reasons, USA '94 is considered one of the worst World Cups in history.

But wait ... today's Guardian Unlimited has an interesting article from writer Rob Smyth saying the '94 Cup wasn't quite as bad as we imagined ...

Maybe he's right. I wouldn't remember. I watched Brazil win a putrid final against Italy in the heat of the Rose Bowl in California and thought, 'What's all the hub bub about?'

Now look at me ... obsessed, in love and totally consumed by 'soccer'. Funny how time makes us think differently about things ...

Here's a small excerpt from the article. Clink the little blue line for more.

Then there were the little details, the one-liners that embellish the plot. In what may turn out to be the longest paragraph ever, we'll attempt to list them. The late kick-off times in England, nirvana for the freaks, geeks and insomniacs; Barry Davies doing his only World Cup final; Martin Dahlin and Andersson proving that direct football could be both thrilling and classy (Sweden were the tournament's top scorers with 15); the haircuts, from Yordan Letchkov legitimising baldness to Alain Sutter's uber-Fabio mane, Tony Meola's Shep-from-Fargo greaseback, the Happy Days side-parting of Mexico's Zague, Alexi Lalas's - well what exactly was that? - and, of course, future Reading keeper's Borislav Mikhailov's syrup; Romania, the World Cup's best loose cannons since ever (and to think it could have been Wales); the Americans' cool but hangover-baiting home kit and their hideous away kit; Rashidi Yekini's throatlump-inducing celebration after scoring Nigeria's first World Cup goal; a dead rubber given significant life by the record-breaking of Roger Milla, the oldest World Cup goalscorer, and Oleg Salenko, the first man to score five goals in one World Cup game; the story of Italy, who went closer to the precipice than James Bond in almost every game but kept surviving; Clive Tyldesley's absurdly extravagant pronunciation of 'Dooooooomidrescu'; Romario slithering magisterially through a non-existent space between two defenders only to eventually have his shot cleared off the line in the semi-final against Sweden; the bravest decision in managerial history, by Arrigo Sacchi, when he took Roberto Baggio off after Gianluca Pagliuca was sent off against Norway; the magnificent certainty of Dunga's spot-kick, the eighth and penultimate in the final, which put Brazil in the lead for the first time and was the first example of the 'captain's penalty'; the glorious meltdown of John Aldridge and Jack Charlton; the brutality and Hitchcockian suddenness of Leonardo's elbow on the USA's Tab Ramos, an incident that has become more unfathomable as we have got to know him subsequently; Greece being so inept that they allowed Argentina to have a four-on-one attack in the second minute of their first-ever World Cup game; Viola's 14 minutes of fame; a group of death so tight that Mexico, Italy, Ireland and Norway finished on the same points and with the same goal difference; the forgotten contribution of Daniele Massaro, the only non-Baggio to score for Italy in the tournament and the other man besides Baresi and Baggio to miss in the final shoot-out; and a performance of such comic ineptitude from the referee Jamal Al Sharif in the Mexico v Bulgaria match that even Trevor Brooking eased himself away from the splinters of the fence to call it: "(An) absolute scandal ... I cannot find words to find the stupidness of that decision".

It wasn't all bad, was it.

USA World Cup in 2010?

Since the time FIFA president Sepp Blatter announced that the 2010 World Cup would be staged in South Africa, people have wondered whether the Cup would actually be held in the African country.

Will South Africa be able to host the World Cup? Will people travel to a country riddled with crime problems for the biggest sporting event in the world? Will companies invest in the African nation?

2010 World Cup organizing committee chief Danny Jordaan has worked hard to squash negative assumptions, assuring everyone the World Cup in South Africa (SA) will be a huge success.

Still, Blatter has again stirred controversy by saying that SA could still lose the rights to host the 2010 World Cup in the event of a catastrophe. MY POV: What catastrophe?

However, Jordaan downplayed the concerns.

"I have spoken to Blatter and he reaffirmed that only God can prevent South Africa staging the World Cup in 2010," Jordaan said. "Blatter has gone out of his way to bring the 2010 World Cup to South Africa. It makes no sense for him to say he has another plan. Obviously FIFA must have a plan if we suffered a major natural catastrophe, but that is all."

Yet, Blatter keeps talking about a contingency. And there are problems.

According to the Zimbabwean, 'a group of committed and professional Zimbabwean journalists and friends from around the world who have come together to start the first physical newspaper for Zimbabweans in exile', there are growing fears that Zimbabwe's economic and political crisis could impact negatively on the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

This is the warning of analysts who believe the problems in President Robert Mugabe's country could spill into South Africa and the rest of the region, and thus make the region volatile ahead of the global football fiesta.

Zimbabwe Exiles Forum (ZEF) director Gabriel Shumba said the prevailing situation did not bode well for the hosting of a successful event.

"The possibility of a civil war is very high (in Zimbabwe), which can only mean that the Zimbabwe issue will in practice impact massively on the region as a threat to regional peace," he said.

So where does the USA fit into all this?


According to boston.com, the USA could step in should South Africa be declared unable to host the Cup. (Yes, I'm having a little fun with the picture above ... I am American, by the way.)

"I would be a very negligent president if I didn't have a Plan B ready for the 2010 World Cup," Blatter said in an interview in Vienna Sunday.

A decision on confirming South Africa as the first African country to play host to the World Cup will be made following the Confederations Cup, scheduled for June 14-28, 2009.

Eight countries will participate - Brazil (South American champion), Egypt (Africa), Iraq (Asia), Italy (World Cup), South Africa (host), Spain (Europe), the US (CONCACAF), and an Oceania representative.

Stadium construction delays and security fears have raised concerns that South Africa might not be capable of hosting the event.

"We will decide after the test of the Confederations Cup and only a catastrophe would put the alternative plan into effect," Blatter said. "The World Cup is a logistical challenge and South Africa wants to shows the world it is able to do it."

The US is among the few countries capable of hosting a World Cup on short notice.

MY POV: I understand Blatter's need to make contingency plans for the Cup. But does he need to talk about it every month?

Does he really think this instills confidence in the people of South Africa?

Look, we all know the problems hosting a World Cup in South Africa present.
From SA crime to regional difficulties, everyone involved knew hosting a Cup in SA wouldn't be easy.

But as Jordaan has said many times in rebuttal to Blatter's comments, the money is streaming in, the stadiums are being built and the infrastructure is growing.

Why harp about the need for contingency in every public comment about the 2010 Cup? How come Blatter didn't do this with Germany 2006 or Korea/Japan 2002? Why haven't we heard criticism of Brazil 2014? Brazil's soccer federation and soccer infrastructure is in shambles. Crime is just as rampant in the South American nation. Why no talk of a contingency there?

If FIFA wanted SA to prove their worth in 2009 with the Confederations Cup, I wish they had just named the USA the host of the 2010 Cup from the beginning.

I see SA having to pass a 'quiz' in 2009 as a slap in the face. They're doing what needs to be done. Why keep examining every fiber of their build-up? Does anyone in FIFA have confidence in SA?

What do you think? Please leave comments and opinions.

USA World Cup 2022? Warner Says So ...

"My message to the USA - and they don't have to listen - is to try to make a deal for 2022."

With those words, FIFA vice-president Jack Warner effectively ended all hopes of a 2018 USA World Cup. Warner presumably wants to leave 2018 open for an English bid to host the coveted soccer tournament.

Warner, the president of CONCACAF, which covers North and Central America and the Caribbean and has three of the 24 votes in the bidding process, is broadly supportive of England's bid but admits it would be "political suicide" for him not to back a US campaign first.

However Warner believes the US would do better bidding for 2022 - FIFAwill decide on both hosts at the same time in 2011 - and should agree a deal to stand aside.

In an interview with BBC Radio Five Live, Warner said: "I have to convince them not to bid. It is easier for me to convince America to wait until 2022. I don't think they will be able to get as many of the votes as they will need [in 2018] for all kinds of reasons. I have said to England that until America gets knocked out that's where my vote will have to go.

"My message to the USA - and they don't have to listen - is to try to make a deal for 2022 and I'm quite sure that would have universal support. The kind of discussion I would have between England and the US is 'Will you support me in 2022?"'

Warner's backing for England was cemented by the friendly against his home country Trinidad and Tobago over the weekend. He said the challenge for 2018 was to do the same in other parts of the world.

He added: "England left behind a positive impression that will last for decades and they have to replicate that in other areas."

Warner had previously accused the hierarchy at the English FA of being "faceless" and "cold" while urging it to increase its political pro activity and to tap into David Beckham's celebrity to help secure the tournament for the first time in over half a century.

MY POV: What does one make of this? One day he's for the USA bid, the next he's not.
I don't know. Either way, I'd love to see the tournament here again. So we go from South Africa to Brazil to England and then here ... what about Asia? I guess the rotation system is dead in the water, eh?

USA World Cup 2018?

As the soccer community prepares for a USA-England friendly today at Wembley Stadium, word comes out that the United States may be prepared to bid for the 2018 World Cup finals.

England travel to Trinidad tomorrow before Sunday's friendly. The primary motivation behind the trip is to get on FIFA vice-president Jack Warner's good side and back the FA's (England's Football Association) World Cup bid.

Warner is also president of the North, Central American and Caribbean Confederation (CONCACAF). Warner has long indicated that he would prefer to see the tournament held in his region, and confirmation that the US is preparing its own bid to host the finals appears to damage the FA's prospects.

"We will be making a decision in the next two or three months, but we are looking very seriously at (making a bid)," said US Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati yesterday.

"I can't think of any reasons why we wouldn't bid for the tournament. We've done this before (1994) and been successful at doing it before. The bid process has become very competitive and whether playing a game in Trinidad has anything to do with that I am not sure. But I think the FA are more sophisticated than to think they are going to get Jack Warner's vote on the back of playing one game. There aren't any CONCACAF bidders at this point, and Mr Warner is the president of CONCACAF."

Only last year Warner described England as "an irritant" in an interview conducted with the BBC's World Service and said he'd "fight" moves to bring the competition to England for the first time since 1966. "Nobody in Europe likes England," he said.

He was more conciliatory in interviews earlier this year, but his long-standing belief that the 2018 tournament should be held in the CONCACAF region would suggest he will side with any bid mounted by the US.

While Major League Soccer (MLS) is just coming to prominence, the United States clearly boasts the infrastructure to host the finals with Gulati confident all rival bids from Europe can be deflected. "Clearly England will have a very strong bid, Spain and Germany would be formidable candidates," he said. "But we are going to focus on the quality in the US. There is no country in the world in a better position in terms of stadium facilities and size than us.

"We have got 50 stadia of 70,000 capacities capable of hosting the World Cup. We could have hosted the competition in 1998 in stadiums that didn't even exist in 1994, and the same goes for 2002 and not use any stadiums that existed in 1998.

"We are determined to finish what we started in 1994. We are the most diversified nation in the world. If Nigeria and Ghana played each other, it would sell out. If Australia played Costa Rica, it would sell out. When we staged a third-place play off between Sweden and Bulgaria in 1994 there were 85,000 people there. My point is that it is not a question of fearing any country. We think we'd have a great bid, great structure and a great landscape."

Gulati also hinted at the intriguing possibility that the Community Shield, the traditional curtain-raiser to the new Premier League season, could be held in the US in the future. Such a plan would reopen the furious debate over the Premier League's controversial scheme to play a 39th league match abroad, though it remains a possibility attractive to the American game.

"We hosted the Italian equivalent of the Community Shield in the mid-1990s," added Gulati. "It would be very different to holding a Premier League game, but we would consider it and be open to the idea."

MY POV: Interesting comments by Gulati. Looks like the USA is very adamant that they (we?) have the infrastructure, the manpower and the money to host the '18 tournament.

As an American, I'd love to see the World Cup in my backyard. Certainly, Gulati is spot on when it comes to comments regarding the stadia and the fact about our diversity.

Speaking of the Community Shield, it was announced today that the Italian Supercoppa between Roma and Inter Milan will be played at Giants Stadium this August. The game was played at Giants Stadium in 2003.

Still, one must think England will be strong competitors for the finals. What do you think? Who would you like to see hosting the 2018 finals?

'The American' Gets Ready to Play for Senegal

Bouna Coundoul, a 25-year-old goalkeeper who has spent the past 11 years playing in the United States, is not American by birth. But his Senegal teammates call him 'the American' anyways.

Coundoul moved to the United States at age 14, played at Martin Luther King High School in Manhattan and the University at Albany, and is now the starter for the Colorado Rapids of the United States' Major League Soccer team.

He is the only M.L.S. player at the tournament and as veteran football reporter Jack Bell's article in today's New York Times says, Ghana 2008 may be “Bouna Time!”, a catch phrase Mr. Coundoul has thrown around often.

Coundoul's fighting Cheikh Tidiane N’Diaye to be the team’s No. 2 keeper behind veteran Tony Sylva of Lille in Ligue 1 in France.

Good luck and may “Bouna Time!” strike and not hurt anyone in the process.

Drogba Won't Leave & International Friendlies

Didier Drogba is a favorite of this blog.
I started off not liking the Ivorian international, but anyone who has read the blog knows his humanitarian side and skillful play won me over.

Now comes word that on the heels of Jose Mourinho leaving Drogba's club team Chelsea, the leading scorer of last season's English Premier League won't be looking to leave.

"I am not considering quitting Chelsea, I have a contract which I will follow through. I feel other players will feel the same way too," Drogba explained.

"I will decide on my next step of action when the time is right and I get an offer.

"As footballers we obey our contract and concentrate on building our career. We'll miss Mourinho though."

Not the highest endorsement, I know. But as least this will cool Chelsea fans' heads some, who thought the Mourinho supporters would look to jump ship with the captain.
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Some international friendles involving our friends from Africa to announce.

First up, Mexico will host Nigeria at the Estadio Olympico Benito Juarez in Ciudad de Juarez on October 14th.

It will be the Super Eagles’ first trip to the central American country since the 1968 Olympics, when African countries participated at the games with full international sides.

Nigeria play Mexico for the third time, having drawn 1-1 at the Inter Continental Championship in Saudi Arabia in 1995 and again a few months later when Mexico won 2-1 in Dallas during the US Cup.
Should be fun.

Next up, my home country the United States flies to South Africa for a first-ever trip to the World Cup host nation for a friendly in November. Now this sounds tasty!

The match, the annual Nelson Mandela Challenge Cup, will be played at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on November 17th.

The game will be played just eight days ahead of the preliminary draw for the 2010 World Cup.

"It's a great honor to be invited to participate," US coach Bob Bradley said.

"South Africa has always had a talented team and the match represents an excellent opportunity for our players to travel and play in South Africa."

The Americans defeated South Africa 4-0 at Washington in 2000 in their only prior meeting.

It will be only the third match in Africa for the Americans, who lost 3-1 at Morocco in 1992 and 2-1 at Morocco in 1999 exactly eight years to the day before the scheduled South Africa match.