South America is the revelation at this World Cup.  Not because Argentina and Brazil are doing well; that’s expected. But because the entire South American delegation of five made the second round … and four of them are in the quarterfinals. And when was the last time South America was the best continent in the […]

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I was driving up Airport Road here in Abu Dhabi at about 11:30 p.m. (more about the driving thing later), and I saw a crowd gathered outside a restaurant across from the ironically named “Happy Yemen” seafood resto. Dozens of men, standing and looking at the restaurant window … and it struck me: They were […]

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It’s time for FIFA to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century. Heck, we’d settle for the late 20th century. (Wouldn’t want to unsettle the lords of soccer too much; 1980 might be about all they’re ready for.) If the world is going to watch the World Cup … wouldn’t it be nice […]

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So, Project 2010 didn’t quite work out, after all. The plan, back in 1998, that would make the United States a serious contender for the 2010 World Cup championship … well, it’s 2010 and we’re not there yet, as demonstrated by this: Ghana 2, U.S. 1. But we could argue that this U.S. team, flawed […]

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My friend Shelley sent me this link a week ago, and I just now got around to looking at it, and it’s quite fun. It’s an interpretation of the goals scored in the U.S.-England match … “re-enacted” by Lego figures. Have a look. What do I like about this video?

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I don’t usually go into these places, but since we tend to follow Landon Donovan, and this story about a possible reconciliation with wife Bianca Kajlich is all over the web, well … Landon started this on Wednesday night with some post-match references to Bianca, who filed for divorce last summer. And then he spoke […]

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Most of us are already looking ahead to the second round of the World Cup, but before we consign it to history, a few statistics and observations. –Is it your imagination, or is this one of the dreariest World Cups, so far?

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USA 1, Algeria 0. Big events like this one, ideas pop into your head hours, days later. You look around, you make more connections and wonder “why didn’t I think of this sooner and write about it?” Each of these items is worthy of its own blog entry. Still, I’m going to mention all of […]

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Had it all the way. Sort of a strange way to see the United States national team in its do-or-leave match with Algeria. A day off for us here in Abu Dhabi, so no flat-screen TV in the office, which is just as well. Hard to watch when you’re working. And the Yanks played at […]

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Tomorrow is all about the United States and Algeria and Group C … But today, we are going to look at some continental trends emerging, at South Africa 2010. In particular, the struggles of the European teams instinctively considered the best in the world — along with Brazil and Argentina. Europe is not having a […]

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