Had a hot date last night. No, seriously, I did. Elizabeth and I went to eat at a quaint, albeit slightly overpriced, Italian restaurant about a 1/2 mile from our house called Suburban Garden. Then we went to the movie, followed by dessert.
It was nice to get out of the house and do something fun. We've both been so busy with work and doing stuff around the house that we hadn't done anything fun. So we went on a date.
Elizabeth and I both like Italian, and the atmosphere at Suburban Garden was great, even if the service wasn't. When we walked in around 6:15, we literally were the only customers. Suburban Garden, I'm told, has been around for 100 years. Not literally. But it's an older place. Very dimly lit. I'm sure at night, with a few candles, it can make for a very romantic scene. In the middle of June, however, there's a bit too much natural light shining in. But it was still nice.
My chicken fetuccine was good, even if the portion was about half the size I could get at Monjuni's in Ruston. I was pleased. Elizabeth's spaghetti, to both of us, was a little disappointing. It was actually quite Italian, and even though we like Italian food, we like American Italian food, if you know what I mean. But the bread, oh the bread -- now that was some good stuff. Very fresh. Just out of the oven. Elizabeth absolutely loves, and I mean loves, bread. And I've grown quite a taste for it as well. So the bread was a highlight.
Onto the movies. Over the Hedge, a movie we've wanted to see for awhile. Some very, very funny scenes. Laughed out loud funny. Overall, not the greatest animated movie I've seen. But good. Enjoyable. Cute. Steve Carell is a genius, and his squirrel character, while reminding me a bit too much of Scrat of Ice Age fame, was the highlight of the film. Also had a good plot to it. Family is both what you make of it and important. Good life lessons.
Onto dessert. Dippin' Dots. You know, the ice cream of the future. Before coming to Alexandria had never seen an actually brick and mortar. They have one here. And more than your standard 3-4 flavors. It's no 32 like Baskin-Robbins, but they had 12-20 or so flavors to choose from -- including 2 NSA flavors, otherwise known as diabetic friendly. Fun times. Don't think it will be my last time savoring the ice cream of the future.
All in all, it was a good night. Very enjoyable time with my wife. It was good for us to forget about all the stuff we have to do around the houseand have a little fun. Tomorrow night, however, is back to the grind. We have a list of things to do, including but not limited to, cleaning up the computer room and the living room. There are still plenty of boxes that need to be unpacked, as well. But we are making progress. That's all I can ask for right now.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Wedding bells will be ringing
My trip this past weekend has me very much excited about this coming weekend. Alan's Wedding. Let's get the selfish stuff out of the way. I'm excited to see the guys again. This growing up and moving away stuff is different. I'm not used to not being around my friends. I'm adjusting. I'm fine. It's just different. So I'm very excited to see everyone again. I know it's going to be a blast.
Also my mother and aunt are coming down for the wedding. I know mom is excited about that. Alan is like another son to her, as are many of my friends. After the wedding, mom and Aunt Pat will come up to Alexandria to get their first look at the new house. Oh, it's still a mess. Call it a work in progress. But I'm excited for my mom to see my house. I'm awfully proud, and I know she will be too.
And then the wedding. First it was me. Then Kyle. Now Alan. Binni's next? Lord, I hope so. Alan Walker is getting married. The pimp is settling down. Honestly, of all the guys, I figured Alan would have the least problems getting married. Never seemed to have a problem finding a girl. The problem was finding the perfect girl. Well, he could have done much worse than Misty Harrington.
I'm very proud of Alan, who of all my friends is the most like a brother to me. When I first moved to Ruston in 7th grade, for one reason or another, I just took to Alan. I looked up to him, always setting my sights to better Alan. It wasn't competition. I didn't want to actually be better than him. I just knew Alan was going to do everything well. If I could do better than him, then I was doing something right.
It's funny how my friendships work. Alan was like my brother, even though we both have older brothers. Kyle was my confidante. We could talk about anything and everything. Our relationship was, and still is, very mental. Binni, he was my boy. We just clicked on a sports level. Although he's misguided in some areas (ha!), we saw eye-to-eye in just about everything when it came to sports. He was the guy who would listen to all my off-the-wall comments about sports. He also was the guy who I felt knew as much as I do -- and there aren't many of those people around.
But Alan was just different. He was my friend when I didn't have friends. Kyle and I really became close towards the end of my junior year in high school. Binni and I clicked in college. But Alan was always there. He didn't have to be there every hour or every day. But he was there when I needed him to be, and I hope he can say the same thing about me. Our relationship wasn't one where we had to communicate daily, but it was one where I knew if I needed to talk or wanted to do something or just hang out, I could count on Alan Walker.
Now the kid is all grown up -- a successful engineer in Houston and soon-to-be a successful husband, and maybe one day an even more successful father. A-Dawg, thank you for your friendship. You've meant so much to me over the years, more than you'll ever know or I'll ever be able to put into words. Congrats, buddy. I'm always thinking about you and praying for you. I wish you and Misty nothing but the best.
Also my mother and aunt are coming down for the wedding. I know mom is excited about that. Alan is like another son to her, as are many of my friends. After the wedding, mom and Aunt Pat will come up to Alexandria to get their first look at the new house. Oh, it's still a mess. Call it a work in progress. But I'm excited for my mom to see my house. I'm awfully proud, and I know she will be too.
And then the wedding. First it was me. Then Kyle. Now Alan. Binni's next? Lord, I hope so. Alan Walker is getting married. The pimp is settling down. Honestly, of all the guys, I figured Alan would have the least problems getting married. Never seemed to have a problem finding a girl. The problem was finding the perfect girl. Well, he could have done much worse than Misty Harrington.
I'm very proud of Alan, who of all my friends is the most like a brother to me. When I first moved to Ruston in 7th grade, for one reason or another, I just took to Alan. I looked up to him, always setting my sights to better Alan. It wasn't competition. I didn't want to actually be better than him. I just knew Alan was going to do everything well. If I could do better than him, then I was doing something right.
It's funny how my friendships work. Alan was like my brother, even though we both have older brothers. Kyle was my confidante. We could talk about anything and everything. Our relationship was, and still is, very mental. Binni, he was my boy. We just clicked on a sports level. Although he's misguided in some areas (ha!), we saw eye-to-eye in just about everything when it came to sports. He was the guy who would listen to all my off-the-wall comments about sports. He also was the guy who I felt knew as much as I do -- and there aren't many of those people around.
But Alan was just different. He was my friend when I didn't have friends. Kyle and I really became close towards the end of my junior year in high school. Binni and I clicked in college. But Alan was always there. He didn't have to be there every hour or every day. But he was there when I needed him to be, and I hope he can say the same thing about me. Our relationship wasn't one where we had to communicate daily, but it was one where I knew if I needed to talk or wanted to do something or just hang out, I could count on Alan Walker.
Now the kid is all grown up -- a successful engineer in Houston and soon-to-be a successful husband, and maybe one day an even more successful father. A-Dawg, thank you for your friendship. You've meant so much to me over the years, more than you'll ever know or I'll ever be able to put into words. Congrats, buddy. I'm always thinking about you and praying for you. I wish you and Misty nothing but the best.
Monday, June 12, 2006
Downright Awful
Wow. Not only did the U.S. national team not look great in its opener today, the Yanks looked downright awful. Czech Republic came out, took it to the U.S. and dominated them in all phases of the game in the 3-0 win.
The U.S. backline was exposed by the attacking Czech team, while the offense looked disorganized. No attacking. Bad ball movement. Just a pathetic performance, honestly.
I'll break down the individual performances and see how the U.S. can regroup going into Game 2 against group favorite Italy.
Kasey Keller -- Keller was average. All three Czech goals were because of defensive breakdowns. The first one, in the 5th minute, came off a defensive breakdown on the left side, after Eddie Lewis had pushed up offensively. Jan Koller headed in a cross from point-blank range. Two of the goals were on shots where Keller simply had no chance. The second goal was a magnificent strike from 30 yards out into the upper-right corner of the goal. Beautiful shot. However, Keller didn't do anything spectacular either. He was simply average. He didn't show a great deal of leadership either in reorganizing his backline.
Eddie Lewis -- Lewis played all 90 minutes and was actively involved in both the offense and the defense. Had the early defensive breakdown, but responded to have one of the team's better performances. One of the few players who hustled and was active the whole game.
Steve Cherundolo -- Average game from right back. Played only the first half before being subbed out to get more offense on the field. Did not do anything to stand out -- either good or bad.
Eddie Pope -- Pope was solid. No glaring mistakes, which is usually the senior centerback's MO.
Oguchi Onweyu -- A World Cup debut worth forgetting. Has a reputation for fouling and lived up to it. Also picked up an early yellow card. Was beaten by Koller on the first goal. Also didn't clear the ball out of the zone to set up the Czechs' second goal. He's young and immensely talented. Improved somewhat during the second half. But he looked outclassed on this day. Nerves? Or sign of what's to come? That is yet to be seen.
Bobby Convey -- Another World Cup debut worth forgetting. Very passive. Did a lot of passing backward instead of attacking. When he did attack, he normally turned it over. Did have a couple of good moves, only to lead to bad crosses into the box. Rather disappointing performance. Must improve his game.
DaMarcus Beasley -- See Convey above. Whether he's not in great shape (most likely not the case) or he's uncomfortable playing on the right side (he's left-footed and normally plays left mid, like Convey), he looked out of it the whole game. Beasley's game is attacking, yet he did none of it against the Czechs. The move for him was to get him and Convey on the field at the same time. But the fact of the matter is they play the same position, and one of them will likely be sitting on the bench.
Pablo Mastroeni -- Played the first half and did his job. No glaring mistakes. He was forgettable, which at his position, unlike Beasley and Convey, is what you want.
Claudio Reyna -- Gave the U.S. its best scoring chance, hitting the left post on a strike that would have tied the game at 1 in the first half. Not his best game, particularly in the second half, when he dropped back to holding midfielder. He can play that position, and most likely will more during the Cup, but he's better suited for the attacking midfield position.
Landon Donovan -- Frustrating day for Landon. Started up top at forward and dropped back to attacking midfielder during the second half. Didn't get the ball on his feet much, which is when he's the most dangerous. And also didn't make many attacking runs. Donovan is the star on this team, and he has to have the ball on his feet for the U.S. to be successful.
Brian McBride -- Played about 70 minutes and didn't get too many chances. He provides a big target around the goal, but the U.S. never really got the chance to get the big fella involved in the game.
Eddie Johnson -- The youngest player on the team at 22. Entered the game at halftime and immediately provided a spark. Had 3 shots that all had a chance to go in. Really was the best player on the team against the Czechs.
John O'Brien -- The team's best ballhandler entered at the half due to fitness concerns. Injuries have limited his time on the international level since 2002. Looked good. Serves a great ball. The U.S. offense runs much better with him on the field.
Josh Wolff -- Entered for McBride late. Had one scoring chance. That will be Wolff's role on the team, a late sub to give the team some extra speed and spark up top.
Where to go from here against Italy? On the positives, Eddie Johnson earned a start up top. He simply came to play. Pair him with McBride up top against Italy.
In the midfield, you have to choose between Convey and Beasley. They are 2 of probably the 5 best all-around players on the team, but they play the same position. So who do you choose? While not an easy decision, it's Beasley. One, he's got more experience. Two, Convey had his chance to play on the left side against the Czechs. He didn't do much. So give Beaz a chance to play his natural position for at least the entire first half against Italy. In the middle, you put Donovan and Reyna. They are your young star and your captain -- your 2 best players. Mastroeni didn't do anything wrong, he's just left out due to the numbers game. O'Brien showed flash of his old abilities as a sub. Put him on the right side to start the game and see if he's fit enough to play 90 minutes.
In the back, Eddie Lewis was stellar. Another option here is Convey. He and Beaz attacking on the same side could be interesting. But Lewis played an outstanding first game. Cherundolo also didn't do anything to lose his starting position. In the middle, Pope is a given. And I understand Onweyu had first-game jitters. Do you give him a chance for redemption? Maybe Bruce Arena does, but I don't. I'm putting Carlos Bocanegra in, giving up a little size and power, but maybe getting a bit more polish.
With the 3-0 loss in Game 1, the U.S. has set itself up for a must-win game against Italy. A tie really does you no good because of the goal differential tie-breaker coupled with a three-goal deficit already. The Yanks must beat Italy -- and that's no easy task.
The U.S. backline was exposed by the attacking Czech team, while the offense looked disorganized. No attacking. Bad ball movement. Just a pathetic performance, honestly.
I'll break down the individual performances and see how the U.S. can regroup going into Game 2 against group favorite Italy.
Kasey Keller -- Keller was average. All three Czech goals were because of defensive breakdowns. The first one, in the 5th minute, came off a defensive breakdown on the left side, after Eddie Lewis had pushed up offensively. Jan Koller headed in a cross from point-blank range. Two of the goals were on shots where Keller simply had no chance. The second goal was a magnificent strike from 30 yards out into the upper-right corner of the goal. Beautiful shot. However, Keller didn't do anything spectacular either. He was simply average. He didn't show a great deal of leadership either in reorganizing his backline.
Eddie Lewis -- Lewis played all 90 minutes and was actively involved in both the offense and the defense. Had the early defensive breakdown, but responded to have one of the team's better performances. One of the few players who hustled and was active the whole game.
Steve Cherundolo -- Average game from right back. Played only the first half before being subbed out to get more offense on the field. Did not do anything to stand out -- either good or bad.
Eddie Pope -- Pope was solid. No glaring mistakes, which is usually the senior centerback's MO.
Oguchi Onweyu -- A World Cup debut worth forgetting. Has a reputation for fouling and lived up to it. Also picked up an early yellow card. Was beaten by Koller on the first goal. Also didn't clear the ball out of the zone to set up the Czechs' second goal. He's young and immensely talented. Improved somewhat during the second half. But he looked outclassed on this day. Nerves? Or sign of what's to come? That is yet to be seen.
Bobby Convey -- Another World Cup debut worth forgetting. Very passive. Did a lot of passing backward instead of attacking. When he did attack, he normally turned it over. Did have a couple of good moves, only to lead to bad crosses into the box. Rather disappointing performance. Must improve his game.
DaMarcus Beasley -- See Convey above. Whether he's not in great shape (most likely not the case) or he's uncomfortable playing on the right side (he's left-footed and normally plays left mid, like Convey), he looked out of it the whole game. Beasley's game is attacking, yet he did none of it against the Czechs. The move for him was to get him and Convey on the field at the same time. But the fact of the matter is they play the same position, and one of them will likely be sitting on the bench.
Pablo Mastroeni -- Played the first half and did his job. No glaring mistakes. He was forgettable, which at his position, unlike Beasley and Convey, is what you want.
Claudio Reyna -- Gave the U.S. its best scoring chance, hitting the left post on a strike that would have tied the game at 1 in the first half. Not his best game, particularly in the second half, when he dropped back to holding midfielder. He can play that position, and most likely will more during the Cup, but he's better suited for the attacking midfield position.
Landon Donovan -- Frustrating day for Landon. Started up top at forward and dropped back to attacking midfielder during the second half. Didn't get the ball on his feet much, which is when he's the most dangerous. And also didn't make many attacking runs. Donovan is the star on this team, and he has to have the ball on his feet for the U.S. to be successful.
Brian McBride -- Played about 70 minutes and didn't get too many chances. He provides a big target around the goal, but the U.S. never really got the chance to get the big fella involved in the game.
Eddie Johnson -- The youngest player on the team at 22. Entered the game at halftime and immediately provided a spark. Had 3 shots that all had a chance to go in. Really was the best player on the team against the Czechs.
John O'Brien -- The team's best ballhandler entered at the half due to fitness concerns. Injuries have limited his time on the international level since 2002. Looked good. Serves a great ball. The U.S. offense runs much better with him on the field.
Josh Wolff -- Entered for McBride late. Had one scoring chance. That will be Wolff's role on the team, a late sub to give the team some extra speed and spark up top.
Where to go from here against Italy? On the positives, Eddie Johnson earned a start up top. He simply came to play. Pair him with McBride up top against Italy.
In the midfield, you have to choose between Convey and Beasley. They are 2 of probably the 5 best all-around players on the team, but they play the same position. So who do you choose? While not an easy decision, it's Beasley. One, he's got more experience. Two, Convey had his chance to play on the left side against the Czechs. He didn't do much. So give Beaz a chance to play his natural position for at least the entire first half against Italy. In the middle, you put Donovan and Reyna. They are your young star and your captain -- your 2 best players. Mastroeni didn't do anything wrong, he's just left out due to the numbers game. O'Brien showed flash of his old abilities as a sub. Put him on the right side to start the game and see if he's fit enough to play 90 minutes.
In the back, Eddie Lewis was stellar. Another option here is Convey. He and Beaz attacking on the same side could be interesting. But Lewis played an outstanding first game. Cherundolo also didn't do anything to lose his starting position. In the middle, Pope is a given. And I understand Onweyu had first-game jitters. Do you give him a chance for redemption? Maybe Bruce Arena does, but I don't. I'm putting Carlos Bocanegra in, giving up a little size and power, but maybe getting a bit more polish.
With the 3-0 loss in Game 1, the U.S. has set itself up for a must-win game against Italy. A tie really does you no good because of the goal differential tie-breaker coupled with a three-goal deficit already. The Yanks must beat Italy -- and that's no easy task.
Pitch Fever
Rolled out of bed at 5:45 a.m. Sunday morning. Almost 20 hours later, crawled into bed at 1 a.m. this morning. Why? Soccer.
I've got the fever. Despite the fact the month-long soccer celebration known as the World Cup has kicked off, and the Americans start their Cup today (more on that shortly), I just needed to see soccer firsthand. So Elizabeth and I took a day-trip to Dallas, much like many we took while we were in college. In the process we saw FC Dallas defeat Chivas USA 2-1.
It was good to get back to an MLS game, as I hadn't been to one in two summers. After the World Cup 4 years ago, my friend Binni and I made several trips to the Cotton Bowl to see the Dallas Burn play. We had great trips, getting onto the field with the players and actually meeting a number of them -- including former national team players Clint Mathis and Cobi Jones. However, this was my first trip to see FC Dallas (the team changed from the Burn two years ago) and the team's new facility, Pizza Hut Park in Frisco.
Elizabeth and I met Binni in Shreveport early Sunday morning before driving over to Dallas, where we had lunch with my mom and stepfather. Afterwards, we drove up to Frisco to check out the new park and the game. And it was a blast. I love watching soccer on TV, but the sport is so much better live. They say the same thing about hockey. It's true because you get to see the whole field. You get to see the plays develop. You see the beautiful runs being made. It's just fantastic. I still can't figure out why this game hasn't taken off more in the States.
It was a great trip. I had forgotten how much fun it was to be around Binni when we are both in our element (that would be just about anything sports-related). Although we haven't spent a ton of time together recently, there were moments (and Elizabeth can attest to it) where it was like we've been around each other every day for the past year. Binni, thanks for the trip. Hopefully, we can put another one in this summer.
Yanks make their Cup debut
In a couple of hours, the U.S. national team starts its World Cup with the first of 3 matches in group play against the Czech Republic. Here's my prediction for the Starting XI and how the game will turn out:
Goalkeeper: Kasey Keller. No shocker here. Unless Keller gets hurt, he will play every minute of the Cup, like Brad Friedel did in 2002.
Defenders: Steve Cherundolo, Eddie Lewis, Eddie Pope and Oguchi Onweyu. Pope and Onweyu, the central defenders, are the anchor of the defense. Pope has the experience, while Onweyu is a pup. However, the 23-year-old is emerging as the future of the U.S. backline. He's set to have a coming out party this Cup. Cherundolo and Lewis both play important roles because of their versatility. They anchor the outside of the U.S. defense, yet they are both vitally important in making runs up the sideline to jumpstart the Americans' counter-strike offense.
Midfielders: DaMarcus Beasley, Claudio Reyna, Pablo Mastroeni, and Bobby Convey. Beasley is one of the fastest players in the world and perhaps the most creative player on the U.S. roster. However, he's moving from the left side to the right. How will he respond on the international level to playing out of position? Convey is the most fit athlete on the U.S. team, and the 23-year-old's emergence has moved Beasley across the field. Convey will do something special in his first World Cup. Reyna is the seasoned veteran, captain, leader and best all-around player on the U.S. team. In a comparison to basketball, he is the team's point guard. Or in football, the quarterback. In 2002, he was chosen as one of the best 11 in the tournament. Now in his fourth Cup, his ability to stay healthy and be the anchor could propel the U.S. to new heights. Mastroeni, much like 2002, will not get much notice. He plays a defensive midfield spot that if he's playing well is meant not to be noticed. Pablo does the dirty work and has no problem doing so.
Forwards: Brian McBride and Landon Donovan. McBride is a world-class striker, perhaps the only true goal scorer on the entire U.S. roster. How many opportunities he can get and whether or not he is able to capatilize will determine just how good this U.S. offense is this year. Donovan's versatility is his strength. While not a true forward, he does possess the ability to put the ball in the net. And his speed up top gives the U.S. a good 1-2 punch with McBride.
Subs: Tim Howard (GK), Marcus Hahnemann (GK), Chris Albright (D), Carlos Bocanegra (D), Gregg Berhalter (D), Jimmy Conrad (D), John O'Brien (MF), Clint Dempsey (MF), Ben Olsen (MF) Eddie Johnson (F), Brian Ching (F), Josh Wolff (F).
The subs are so important for head coach Bruce Arena because he likes to play so many people over the three games. Last Cup, all but one of the 20 position players got into at least one game. This year, I believe around 17 will play. Part of the strength of the U.S. is the fact its players (such as Donovan, Convey and Lewis) can play multiple positions on the field. This provides depth even when depth is limited.
For this first game against the Czechs, I see the Yanks making an early statement with a 2-0 victory against the world's No. 2 team. If the U.S. doesn't win or tie, it will not advance out of this group. Following the Czechs with the favored Italians, coupled with the fact that 80 percent of teams who don't score at least 1 point in their first game don't advance out of group play, adds to the importance of this game. But the U.S. has waited 4 years for this moment -- to prove 2002 was no fluke, to prove the Americans can play on European soil and to prove the U.S. has become a world power in soccer.
Brian McBride scores on a header off a corner kick, while Donovan puts in the second goal off a beautiful feed from Convey.
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