referee!!!

After a mind boggling 16 cautions and 4 expulsions, today’s Netherlands v Portugal match merely solidified the fact that FIFA needs to make some drastic changes before 2010!  Not only has the officiating been absolutely horrific throughout this entire tournament, but the referees have been handing out more cards than a black jack dealer at the Mirage!  Now this wouldn't be such a big of a deal if the cards didn't carry such heavy consequences, but the aftermath of this years cowboys in black have sidelined some of the world's greatest players!  It’s ridiculous!  Not only is it heartbreaking for a player to have to miss out on a game that rolls around once every four years, but it’s painful for the fans that have to miss out on their beloved heroes as well. 

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In no other sport do reprimands yield such a devastating blow as they do in soccer.  In basketball you have technical fouls, in hockey you have 4 minute penalties and in football you get a yellow flag tossed in your face, but in order for a player to get kicked out of a game you practically have to start a bench clearing brawl!  In soccer, you can get a yellow card for dissenting against a ref…which basically means telling him he made a bad call in a not-so-nice way.  Really?  Dissenting???  Put a microphone on Terrill Owens or Pete Rose for five minutes and see what comes out of their mouths during the course of a game; and yet both the NFL and MLB seem to manage just fine. 

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The point of this whole rant is this, referees should be virtually invisible during a game, and during this World Cup, they have been making headlines around the world.  The solution?  Dissolve the rules surrounding accumulated cards.  Cards received during a game should have no effect on any future games.  The same goes for red cards with the exception of any malicious tackles or fouls, which should then be left to the referee’s discretion.  Hell, maybe even switch over to hockey rules where players have to sit for extended periods of time, I don’t know…but FIFA, if you’re reading this, whatever you decide to do, do it fast!  The players, the fans, and the game itself deserve it!

Hofbrau Hullabaloo

Well, after a solid week in London it was time to get down and dirty in Germany: Destination – Munich.  Along with all the World Cup excitement, the mere thought of bratwurst, sauerkraut, and liter steins of beer had my mouth watering.  Now there are plenty of places to satisfy one’s Bavarian urges in Munich, but only one stands out above the rest…the legendary Hofbrauhaus! 

After rendezvousing with fellow World Cup Blogger Diego Rovira, we bee-lined it straight to the Haus.  We were still several blocks away when we heard Braveheart-esque rallying cries sounding throughout the streets. When we finally arrived we were greeted with hundreds of chanting fans, clustered together in chairs and on top of tables, all grouped according to nationality. You had the Brazilians versus the Australians in one area, the South Koreans in another area, the US and English owned the patio and the rest of the pub was littered with random groups of fans. After grabbing our gigantic beers from a buxom, lederhosen-clad beauty, we gathered with the rest of the US fans on the patio where we joined in on our one and only heartfelt chant, “USA! USA USA!”; which was of course greeted with a chorus of “Boooos” from the rest of the bar. The British soon followed with a tumultuous verbal assault as they let loose a volley from their quiver of chants. Seeing as how we (the US) only had one chant (which was made painfully clear in one of the English rants), we retreated into our steins to look for inspiration. Finally, just when the English thought they had won the battle and silenced us for good, we returned fire in true American fashion by belting a passionate and slurry rendition of “You’ve lost lovin feelin” from Top Gun! We had the Brits dazed and confused as they sat back, scratching their heads while trying to figure out what the heck we were saying. Then we finished them off with a round of “Born in the USA!”, thus solidifying not just our place on the patio, but in the World Cup as well.

Anyone up for some footy?

In addition to all of the partying and watching the games on TV, I was lucky enough to play in 5 aside game at the local Power League.   For those of you who are unfamiliar, Power League is a soccer complex with numerous 5v5 courts (about the size of a tennis court) and a couple of 10v10 courts.   Each complex provides a clubhouse which includes a full bar, flat screen TV’s so you can catch the latest game, several free x-box 360 arcade stations and a changing room equipped with lockers and showering facilities.   It’s an amazing place to play and has become widely popular with new complexes popping-up all over Europe.   With any luck (and a little bit of diplomacy) they will soon be in the states!

At any rate, back to the game itself.   After arriving a little early and having a kick-around on one of the open pitches, I noticed that the atmosphere was pretty intense.   The combination of shots rifling off of walls and middle aged men screaming at the top of their lungs was enough to intimidate even the most seasoned players…but experience has taught me that a lot of these Brits are more bark than bite.   In spite of all of their yelling and cursing, most of the players are genuinely good people who tend to let their passion take over during a game.   Once, a few years back I nearly saw a fight brake out between two teams.   The match was so heated I thought a post-game riot was surely inevitable.   But, as the final whistle blew and they all shook hands, they couldn’t help but laugh at their behaviour as they shared a pint in the clubhouse.

After all was said and done, we had a great match but ended up falling short to the English.   Clearly, our goals were not regulation size and the referee was riddled with cataracts, but what can you do?   It’s funny, whenever you play in a foreign country, the locals always tend to think they will dominate the game because: A) You’re American and therefore have no talent whatsoever; and B) They’re foreign and thus God’s gift to futbol!  In actuality, after the final whistle blows, the English are left feeling a bit embarrassed after a noteworthy performance by a clearly underestimated opponent. VIVA USA!!! 

OUTSIDE THE CUP...PART I

With all of the hype and commentary surrounding this years tournament, little has been said about the World Cup’s extra-curricular activities.  Now I know what you’ve all been thinking…you’re saying to yourselves, “Bret, your witty and insightful rhetoric continues to both educate and inspire us, but what about the vivacious social scene within which you must surely be flourishing?” 

Well to answer your questions in short, yes, the social scene here in London is alive and well, and yes, I have been right amongst it!  Last Saturday’s  adventure started off at the Apollo Pub in the West End for the England vs. Paraguay match.  The pub was jam-packed with England supporters and England décor.  The chanting, the drinking and the carousing were enough to make even the biggest super bowl party pale in comparison!

A few hours and several pitchers later we are off to the next hotspot on what became an impromptu pub crawl.  The streets were teeming with the fashionable youth of the trendy West End and you could feel the energy pulsating throughout the city!  This area reminded me a lot of New York City where sleep is optional and good time can always be found. 

Needless to say, we did our part in keeping many of the local watering holes in business that night.  After leaving our final destination around 7am and grabbing a quick snack at a local Chinese restaurant (which was packed), we were spent!

SCARS AND STRIPES

Dinnnnngg!!!  Wake up America, school is officially in session!  So much for that 5^th seed in the world rankings.  Now we've all heard it before...the snide remarks, the nay-saying, the constant barrage of insults upon the talent level of US Soccer; but I have never been as close to buying into the hype as I was today.  Now I'll admit, the Czech Republichas an outstanding side and they will do very well in this tournament, but the US performance in today's match was nothing short of disgraceful. 

Not only were our stars seemingly absent from the entire game, but the pitifully idle demeanor of our coaching staff screamed defeat as the route manifested. Even though there is no excuse for the way our players performed today, Arena, this loss is on you!  The US looked disorganized, unfit, inexperienced, and ill-prepared for the Czech’s.  Maybe next time we should do a little more homework before playing the number two ranked nation in the world.

With all that said, there were a few bright spots in today’s match.  DaMarcus Beasley was a workhorse on the flanks and Eddie Johnson made an immediate impact firing off several close shots on goal.  I do believe there is still hope for our lads, but if the US wants to prolong its stay in Germany, they need to step it up in a big way!

EnnngOOOland, Engoland Engolaaaand!

After a brief 14 hour plane ride, an emotional reunion, 2 hours in the car, a pound of fish and chips, a couple of pints and two official matches, the  2006 FIFA World Cup is officially underway!   

In spite of an early morning and a rocky start, I knew I was in for a treat as I boarded my connecting flight to England and was immediately surrounded by a sea of green jerseys and oversized sombreros chanting "Viva Mexico!"  I could tell right away that this is going to be an amazing trip!

Upon my arrival in London, the air was thick with the pungent anticipation of a futbol crazed country.  The city was blanketed with English flags that were hung from every nook and cranny, including the passenger and driver side windows of nearly every car on the road.  Cup predictions, updates and reports littered the front pages of newspapers and magazines alike…it was obvious that something very special was about to go down.

After a quick nap, I was presented with the opportunity to help coach a U9 training session out in the countryside.   I was a little hesitant at first seeing as how I haven’t coached in a while, I was extremely jetlagged from my flight, and I was a foreigner coming into the Motherland of soccer!  But, after lacing up the ol boots and diving straight into a familiar game of world cup with the lads, all my anxieties quickly melted away. 

After practice, I took a minute to sit back and soak in my surroundings.  It was at that moment I came to the realization that this is what the World Cup is all about.  It’s about people coming together from all walks of life to share in something extraordinary…something that every four years manages to eradicate cultural barriers, bring flourishing nations to a standstill, and unite fellow countrymen in pursuit of glory, all through one common bond…the love of soccer.  And that my friends, is what makes the World Cup the greatest sporting event in the world!

Make it official!

That's right ladies and gents, I’m locked, stocked and ready to rock for the 2006 World Cup!  The plane tickets are booked, the accommodations accounted for and I even scored a US Jersey in support of the lads. 

In honor of this momentous occasion, I have been trying to take in as much futbol as possible to rouse the spirits and rekindle the passion.  Unfortunately, this worthy endeavor resulted in a rude awakening as I was reminded that soccer gets about as much airtime as competitive underwater basket weaving (maybe even less in some instances). 

I realized that unless I wanted to be stuck watching static reruns of Cruz Azul on Univision like a pre-pubescent teen trying to find the not-so-fuzzy channel with the late night programming…I was going to have to take action. 

So I bit the bullet, picked up the phone and called the cable company to upgrade to a digital sports package…which of course means having to buy 300 channels worth of trick pool shot contests, National Cheerleading Championships, Strong Man competitions, professional bowling, spelling bees, bull riding, outdoorsman games, darts, cards, polo matches and jai lai just so you can have one channel that shows soccer  3/4 of the time!

Now I know what you’re all thinking, and after watching and re-watching the incredible final match of the Champions League tournament through the miracle of DVR, the answer is yes…it’s has all been worth it!

Berlin or Bust!

Finally, the 2006 World Cup is almost here!  I hope you're all getting amped up for this summer's Battle in Berlin!  I just wanted to drop a quick line to introduce myself and hopefully give you a better idea of who’s going to be dropping knowledge on you for the next 10 weeks.

I played most of my club soccer back in Colorado with Littleton United and the Colorado Storm.  I dabbled for a few years in the politically-entrenched Olympic Development Program before capping out at the Regional Pool level.  I then went on to play college ball at Drake University (that’s in Des Moines, Iowa for those of you with a confused look on your face) and spent a season with the semi-pro Denver Cougars.

My favorite player is Vinnie Jones, my favorite goal was Roberto Carlos’ infamous free kick, and my favorite moment was when Frank De Boer dropped to his knees and gave a not so nice gesture to a hostile crowd that had been heckling him all game after slotting the game winning goal in the upper 90 from 35 yards out.

Till next time…