Utterly disappointing. Three games. No wins. One tie.
Two mistakes is all it takes. Knowing it had to win -- a feat never before accomplished by the U.S. in a World Cup on European soil -- the Americans made two big mistakes. The first was a turnover by Claudio Reyna, one in which he injuried his knee on the play, that quickly turned into a Ghana goal and a 1-0 lead for the African side. The second was on a quick whistle by the head ref. Oguchi Onweyu, who proved in this Cup that is a world-class defender, was called for a foul in the box late during stoppage time in the first half. The PK turned into the decisive goal in the 2-1 loss.
First let me talk about the foul. Onweyu's big. That's not his fault. He's 6-foot-4, 215 pounds. Raw muscle and power. Just because a tiny forward is leaning into Onweyu does not mean there is a foul. Eventually, as the 24-year-old develops into a star overseas, Onweyu will start getting more calls. For now, refs love to blow the whistle whenever he touches someone. Again, like Shaq, not his fault he's big (in soccer terms). Now that PK never should have happened, if only Carlos Bocanegra would have cleared the ball instead of kicking it to the middle of the field. It was a bad call. You don't make that touch foul call in the box in stoppage time in the World Cup. In the words of Binni Keleta, "Sir! Let them play!"
Reyna's injury hurt. He's the captain, the leader. But Ben Olsen played tremendous in his only action of the tournament. He defended well and pushed up well. The difference in the game, in the Americans' inability to make the next step on the international level, simply is a lack of firepower around the net. They lack pure goal scorers. For the tournament, they scored 2 goals, 1 of which was an own goal by Italy.
The goal against Ghana was a thing of beauty. DaMarcus Beasley made a great cross from the left side, a beautiful ball that was emphatically put into the back of the net by Clint Dempsey -- a U.S. star of the future and one whose name will begin surfacing for a transfer overseas. In the second half, the U.S. played some tremendous football. They had plenty of chances -- chances that went wide, or over the post, or in the case of Brian McBride's header, off the post. They just couldn't get the ball into the back of the net. Therefore, they will go home after three of the most disappointing games I've personally seen.
It's obvious to me the U.S. can play with anyone on the international level. Anyone. They just don't always come to play. And they can't always finish. So now we start all over in preparation for the 2010 Cup, which will be held in South Africa. It will help the U.S. that the games will not be in Europe. Playing in South Africa will level the playing field, although look for several of the African nations, including Ghana, to make a strong run.
I hope this poor result doesn't hurt the growth of soccer in America. It's frustrating. We are on the brink of something special. We just need to continue developing. Many of our best players will be back and stronger than ever in 2010 -- Landon Donovan, Beasley, Bobby Convey, Dempsey, Eddie Johnson, Onweyu -- as well as a mixture of some of the up and coming superstars of American soccer like Freddy Adu, Eddie Gaven, Danny Szetela, etc. The best is yet to come, if we are willing to be patient.
I still firmly believe we can make a run at the World Cup title in 2010 -- I'm just not sure if Bruce Arena is the man to get us to that point. He was the right coach at the right time for U.S. soccer. But is he the right man to get us over the hump? I'm not convinced. It might take a foreigner -- like Germany's Jurgen Klinnsman -- to come in and help us achieve that goal.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Flash forward to the future
Pay attention NBA. The future is now. Just call him Flash. Or D-Wade. His wife and mother call him Dwyane, and his little boy calls him Daddy. He had a little help from the real daddy -- Shaq Daddy, with 13 points and 10 boards -- but it was Flash who willed the Miami Heat to 4 straight wins and the NBA title. 35 points. 7 boards. 4 assists. Best all-around player in the NBA.
LeBron has the most potential. Kobe still is the best pure scorer. Carmelo is a lethal assasin. Flash is the total package.
If I'm King James, I take tapes of every one of the Heat's playoff games and study D-Wade and his will to win. LeBron is developing the killer instinct, but Wade was born with it. I believe LBJ will be scary sick next year and into the future. Flash is scary sick right now.
Even as he showed he was human, missing 2 late free throws that could have iced the game when Miami was up 3, Dwyane Wade remained a man among boys. He can get any shot he wants. Any time he wants. Sound familiar? Remember a guy named Jordan. His Airness. D-Wade was 9 when MJ led the Bulls to their first title. The 9-year-old kid from Chicago has morphed into the second coming of MJ.
Who knows if or when the Heat will be back for another title. Could it be next year? Sure. As much heat as Pat Riley took for pushing Stan Van Gundy out the door, it worked didn't it? Maybe because Riles new the Heat's window of opportunity was now. After all, Shaq finished with 13/10 in the series. Pedestrian for the Diesel, one of the best scorers in NBA Finals history. Gary Payton. Antoine Walker. Alonzo Mourning. Not exactly going to have a lot of years left in the tank. But there's always D-Wade, and he's someone to build a team around. He'll be back. It might not be next year or the next, but he'll win another one. Maybe a couple more.
As for the Mavs, I actually feel sorry for Avery Johnson. After the game, the ABC broadcast crew was praising Johnson and his young team. "They'll be back." Are you sure? After all, Dallas plays in the super loaded West. The Spurs. The Suns. The Clips. All teams arguably as good or better than Dallas. It's not like winning the West is ever a lock. So they might not be back. Odds are, yes. But it's never a lock.
Thanks to Dwyane Wade and Dirk Nowitzki, along with their teammates. Thanks to the Pistons, LeBron, Gilbert Arenas, Steve Nash, Elton Brand and the many other NBA players who made this year's playoffs ... THE ... BEST ... EVER! I'm actually not a huge NBA fan (college is more my game), but I enjoy quality basketball. And this year's NBA playoffs offered just that. From the first round to the nailbiting drama that was the NBA Finals, the games were close and played at a high level. That's all the fans can ask for. Stern, you and your league set the bar high this year. I hope you can improve upon it next year. For some reason, I think the Suns, Clips, Mavs, Spurs, Pistons, Heat, Wizards and Cavs will see to it that we are not disappointed in 2006-07.
LeBron has the most potential. Kobe still is the best pure scorer. Carmelo is a lethal assasin. Flash is the total package.
If I'm King James, I take tapes of every one of the Heat's playoff games and study D-Wade and his will to win. LeBron is developing the killer instinct, but Wade was born with it. I believe LBJ will be scary sick next year and into the future. Flash is scary sick right now.
Even as he showed he was human, missing 2 late free throws that could have iced the game when Miami was up 3, Dwyane Wade remained a man among boys. He can get any shot he wants. Any time he wants. Sound familiar? Remember a guy named Jordan. His Airness. D-Wade was 9 when MJ led the Bulls to their first title. The 9-year-old kid from Chicago has morphed into the second coming of MJ.
Who knows if or when the Heat will be back for another title. Could it be next year? Sure. As much heat as Pat Riley took for pushing Stan Van Gundy out the door, it worked didn't it? Maybe because Riles new the Heat's window of opportunity was now. After all, Shaq finished with 13/10 in the series. Pedestrian for the Diesel, one of the best scorers in NBA Finals history. Gary Payton. Antoine Walker. Alonzo Mourning. Not exactly going to have a lot of years left in the tank. But there's always D-Wade, and he's someone to build a team around. He'll be back. It might not be next year or the next, but he'll win another one. Maybe a couple more.
As for the Mavs, I actually feel sorry for Avery Johnson. After the game, the ABC broadcast crew was praising Johnson and his young team. "They'll be back." Are you sure? After all, Dallas plays in the super loaded West. The Spurs. The Suns. The Clips. All teams arguably as good or better than Dallas. It's not like winning the West is ever a lock. So they might not be back. Odds are, yes. But it's never a lock.
Thanks to Dwyane Wade and Dirk Nowitzki, along with their teammates. Thanks to the Pistons, LeBron, Gilbert Arenas, Steve Nash, Elton Brand and the many other NBA players who made this year's playoffs ... THE ... BEST ... EVER! I'm actually not a huge NBA fan (college is more my game), but I enjoy quality basketball. And this year's NBA playoffs offered just that. From the first round to the nailbiting drama that was the NBA Finals, the games were close and played at a high level. That's all the fans can ask for. Stern, you and your league set the bar high this year. I hope you can improve upon it next year. For some reason, I think the Suns, Clips, Mavs, Spurs, Pistons, Heat, Wizards and Cavs will see to it that we are not disappointed in 2006-07.
Sunday, June 18, 2006
U.S. still alive
OK. Haven't had a chance to talk about the World Cup and the U.S. team's 1-1 tie with Italy on Saturday.
Unfortunately, didn't get to actually see the game. Was at Alan's wedding. Taking pictures. With a TV. Without cable or a remote or ABC. So no U.S.-Italy game. But I've seen highlights, listened to analysts and read recaps.
From the best I can gather, the Americans played inspired football. They went toe-to-toe with one of the world's best, a European superpower on European soil, where the Yanks never perform well. Remember, this is the same Italy team that many predicted as one of the top 2-3 favorites along with Brazil to win the whole dang thing.
Here's what ESPN.com's Michael Davies wrote in his Page 2 blog after the game:
"An incomparable performance by the U.S. national team in the modern era. And listen to those fans. Football just arrived in America, I think. The players and fans played and cheered with the true passion of a footballing superpower. The U.S. may not win this World Cup, they may not even qualify for the next round, but this performance continues to lay the groundwork for the future."
As bad as things were in the opening loss to the Czechs -- and they were downright awful -- they were much better against Italy. For nearly the entire second half, the U.S. played a man down (thanks to some questionable officiating), and yet the Yanks still outplayed Italy. They had their chances, plenty of them and didn't convert. In fact, they only converted thanks to an own goal by the Italians.
But keeper Kasey Keller was magnificent. He did what world-class goalkeepers do -- he took away a goal or two and kept his team in the game. Bruce Arena's decision-making was brilliant, and all of his changes worked. It would have been huge to come away with the 3 points from the win, but the 1 point from the tie -- couple with Ghana's win over the Czechs -- means the U.S. is still alive. All they need is a win over Ghana and an Italian win over the Czechs.
Now Bruce must face some tough decisions. Defensive midfielder Pablo Mastroeni is out, thanks to a questionable red card. So, too, is central defender Eddie Pope, who was sent off with two yellow cards, the second of which was a harmless tackle that might not have even been a foul, much less deserving of a card. However, the cards came. And now the U.S. must face Ghana's attack without 2 of its 3 best central defenders.
So what does Arena do? Most likely, he'll shift Carlos Bocanegra from left back into the central defense to replace Pope, then reinsert Eddie Lewis at left back. Oguchi Onweyu, who made up for his inauspicious debut with a brilliant performance against Italy, will anchor the backline, while Steve Cherundolo will once again get the call at right back.
Will the U.S. go back with a 4-4-2 or stick with the 4-5-1. In my eyes, you have to award Eddie Johnson with a start up top after not doing so against Italy. Pair him with Brian McBride up top. Then in the center you are faced with some major dilemmas. Bobby Convey and Clint Dempsey both showed they were deserving of starting on the left and right sides of the midfield, while DaMarcus Beasley looked like a different player coming off the bench. I think you go with that same lineup. Then you have 3 attacking midfielders in Landon Donovan, Claudio Reyna and John O'Brien who all have a claim to start. You could go with 2 of the 3 and push either Reyna or O'Brien to defensive mid in place of Mastroeini, leaving you with a weakness on defense. Or you could insert Ben Olsen at defensive mid and choose one of the 3 -- Landon, Claudio or O'Brien. It's hard to envision 2 of those 3 not being on the field. Which means Eddie Johnson might be left out again in favor of a 4-5-1.
It will be interesting to see what direction Arena takes. But no matter what, the U.S. faces a must-win situation. A tie does no good. And Ghana will bring it. They are sky-high after the win over the Czechs and a win advances them to the Round of 16. Thursday morning at 8 a.m. It's must-see TV.
Unfortunately, didn't get to actually see the game. Was at Alan's wedding. Taking pictures. With a TV. Without cable or a remote or ABC. So no U.S.-Italy game. But I've seen highlights, listened to analysts and read recaps.
From the best I can gather, the Americans played inspired football. They went toe-to-toe with one of the world's best, a European superpower on European soil, where the Yanks never perform well. Remember, this is the same Italy team that many predicted as one of the top 2-3 favorites along with Brazil to win the whole dang thing.
Here's what ESPN.com's Michael Davies wrote in his Page 2 blog after the game:
"An incomparable performance by the U.S. national team in the modern era. And listen to those fans. Football just arrived in America, I think. The players and fans played and cheered with the true passion of a footballing superpower. The U.S. may not win this World Cup, they may not even qualify for the next round, but this performance continues to lay the groundwork for the future."
As bad as things were in the opening loss to the Czechs -- and they were downright awful -- they were much better against Italy. For nearly the entire second half, the U.S. played a man down (thanks to some questionable officiating), and yet the Yanks still outplayed Italy. They had their chances, plenty of them and didn't convert. In fact, they only converted thanks to an own goal by the Italians.
But keeper Kasey Keller was magnificent. He did what world-class goalkeepers do -- he took away a goal or two and kept his team in the game. Bruce Arena's decision-making was brilliant, and all of his changes worked. It would have been huge to come away with the 3 points from the win, but the 1 point from the tie -- couple with Ghana's win over the Czechs -- means the U.S. is still alive. All they need is a win over Ghana and an Italian win over the Czechs.
Now Bruce must face some tough decisions. Defensive midfielder Pablo Mastroeni is out, thanks to a questionable red card. So, too, is central defender Eddie Pope, who was sent off with two yellow cards, the second of which was a harmless tackle that might not have even been a foul, much less deserving of a card. However, the cards came. And now the U.S. must face Ghana's attack without 2 of its 3 best central defenders.
So what does Arena do? Most likely, he'll shift Carlos Bocanegra from left back into the central defense to replace Pope, then reinsert Eddie Lewis at left back. Oguchi Onweyu, who made up for his inauspicious debut with a brilliant performance against Italy, will anchor the backline, while Steve Cherundolo will once again get the call at right back.
Will the U.S. go back with a 4-4-2 or stick with the 4-5-1. In my eyes, you have to award Eddie Johnson with a start up top after not doing so against Italy. Pair him with Brian McBride up top. Then in the center you are faced with some major dilemmas. Bobby Convey and Clint Dempsey both showed they were deserving of starting on the left and right sides of the midfield, while DaMarcus Beasley looked like a different player coming off the bench. I think you go with that same lineup. Then you have 3 attacking midfielders in Landon Donovan, Claudio Reyna and John O'Brien who all have a claim to start. You could go with 2 of the 3 and push either Reyna or O'Brien to defensive mid in place of Mastroeini, leaving you with a weakness on defense. Or you could insert Ben Olsen at defensive mid and choose one of the 3 -- Landon, Claudio or O'Brien. It's hard to envision 2 of those 3 not being on the field. Which means Eddie Johnson might be left out again in favor of a 4-5-1.
It will be interesting to see what direction Arena takes. But no matter what, the U.S. faces a must-win situation. A tie does no good. And Ghana will bring it. They are sky-high after the win over the Czechs and a win advances them to the Round of 16. Thursday morning at 8 a.m. It's must-see TV.
Happy Father's Day
Today is Father's Day, and I'd like to send a congratulations to the three men in my life.
To my Dad -- Every day I admire you more and more. As I grow older, I see some of your great qualities coming out in me. In fact, I feel like I am becoming more and more like you every day. Although for the majority of my life I didn't live with you, there is something strange about genetics because I have seemed to pick up many of your traits. As I've started my career and my family, I understand and appreciate many of the sacrifices you made at a young age for the sake of your family. You have constantly shown me love and support, and I am forever grateful for that. I hope you have a wonderful Father's Day.
To Mr. Kyle -- I owe you a great deal because you brought stability into my mother's life. After bouncing around more than a pinball as a youngster, you showed up and brought a peace and comfort to my life. Best of all, you treated my mother like she needed to be treated. You have shown me what it means to be patient and content. You are slow to anger and quick to listen. The best part of all, you treated me like the son you never had, meaning I had two Godly men in my life to look up to and strive to impress. Thank you.
To Mr. Raymond -- The newest father figure in my life. A patient, kind man. Also one who works very hard and is very family-oriented. Those are qualities I want to have. You have shown me how to do projects around the house, and even when I'm not provided much help at all, you have let me believe I'm valuable, while also taking time to teach. I've learned many things from you in a short time, and I hope to learn many more through the years. Most importantly, though, you are my wife's father -- someone she looks up to and expects me to emulate. Therefore, you provide me with the perfect blueprint of how to be a husband. I can only hope I live up to your high standard. Happy Father's Day.
To all the fathers out there, and eventual fathers, enjoy this day. It is one where you are celebrated. Despite what our culture shows up, not all men are dead-beats. Fathers still play a vital role in their child's lives. And a special happy father's day to my brother, Heath, who is celebrating his second father's day. I love you brother. And I see how much you love your son. If I am blessed one day to have a child, I can only hope I will have that same pure, unconditional love that you show Connor. Always remember to put him first. Love you.
To my Dad -- Every day I admire you more and more. As I grow older, I see some of your great qualities coming out in me. In fact, I feel like I am becoming more and more like you every day. Although for the majority of my life I didn't live with you, there is something strange about genetics because I have seemed to pick up many of your traits. As I've started my career and my family, I understand and appreciate many of the sacrifices you made at a young age for the sake of your family. You have constantly shown me love and support, and I am forever grateful for that. I hope you have a wonderful Father's Day.
To Mr. Kyle -- I owe you a great deal because you brought stability into my mother's life. After bouncing around more than a pinball as a youngster, you showed up and brought a peace and comfort to my life. Best of all, you treated my mother like she needed to be treated. You have shown me what it means to be patient and content. You are slow to anger and quick to listen. The best part of all, you treated me like the son you never had, meaning I had two Godly men in my life to look up to and strive to impress. Thank you.
To Mr. Raymond -- The newest father figure in my life. A patient, kind man. Also one who works very hard and is very family-oriented. Those are qualities I want to have. You have shown me how to do projects around the house, and even when I'm not provided much help at all, you have let me believe I'm valuable, while also taking time to teach. I've learned many things from you in a short time, and I hope to learn many more through the years. Most importantly, though, you are my wife's father -- someone she looks up to and expects me to emulate. Therefore, you provide me with the perfect blueprint of how to be a husband. I can only hope I live up to your high standard. Happy Father's Day.
To all the fathers out there, and eventual fathers, enjoy this day. It is one where you are celebrated. Despite what our culture shows up, not all men are dead-beats. Fathers still play a vital role in their child's lives. And a special happy father's day to my brother, Heath, who is celebrating his second father's day. I love you brother. And I see how much you love your son. If I am blessed one day to have a child, I can only hope I will have that same pure, unconditional love that you show Connor. Always remember to put him first. Love you.
And they both said ...
DERIDDER, La. -- I do.
Two words. A pair that is used together in many sentences every single day.
Yet when put into a certain context, the two words carry a powerful message.
In the case of Misti Harrington and Alan Walker, those two words supplanted their firm commitments to each other's lives. On Saturday, June 17, 2006, the two became one at First Baptist Church here in DeRidder.
What a joyful ride it was. Yes, there were tears. From Alan. From Misti. From the bridesmaids. Yes, even from me (and Michael Eddy, despite what he'll say). But they were tears of joy. The tears marked a crossroads -- from the tw0-year journey that brought Alan and Misti to the this point joining with the commitment they made at the altar until death do them part.
There were some great times over the weekend -- many of which I'm sad to say I didn't chronicle due to the fact of technical difficulties with a camera -- but the memories will last.
It was such a beautiful wedding. Misti looked wonderful, while my boy Alan was extra suave.
I'd like to congratulate both Mr. and Mrs. Alan Reynolds Walker. Continue to work hard, put God first and each other's interests ahead of your own. I'm sure there are many years of happiness yet to come for both of you.
Two words. A pair that is used together in many sentences every single day.
Yet when put into a certain context, the two words carry a powerful message.
In the case of Misti Harrington and Alan Walker, those two words supplanted their firm commitments to each other's lives. On Saturday, June 17, 2006, the two became one at First Baptist Church here in DeRidder.
What a joyful ride it was. Yes, there were tears. From Alan. From Misti. From the bridesmaids. Yes, even from me (and Michael Eddy, despite what he'll say). But they were tears of joy. The tears marked a crossroads -- from the tw0-year journey that brought Alan and Misti to the this point joining with the commitment they made at the altar until death do them part.
There were some great times over the weekend -- many of which I'm sad to say I didn't chronicle due to the fact of technical difficulties with a camera -- but the memories will last.
It was such a beautiful wedding. Misti looked wonderful, while my boy Alan was extra suave.
I'd like to congratulate both Mr. and Mrs. Alan Reynolds Walker. Continue to work hard, put God first and each other's interests ahead of your own. I'm sure there are many years of happiness yet to come for both of you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)