June 2010 Archives

It was a good run. Right?

A hollow feeling blanketed US soccer as the final whistle blew in the USA's 2-1 defeat at the hands of Ghana. So much promise, waisted.

The USA seemed to start the match flat, like may be just may be too much positive press had inflated their egos. In doing so the USA fell behind early, and I mean early, like the first 5 minutes. It was an odd personal decision that lead to the early hole. For some reason Ricardo Clark, the man partially responsible for Steven Gerrad's early goal in the England match was back in the starting eleven. Clark once again looked terrible, and let Ghana take the ball from him in the defensive third and score. Clark was subbed out twenty-five minutes later.

The second half was better, but it was too little too late. Ghana scored a sparkling goal early in overtime sealing the USA's fate.
It's too early to decide if Bob Bradley should remain coach. He made a huge error in starting Ricardo Clark, but he was man enough to admit it.
Literally a tough pill to swallow, to be so close to catching the imagination of a nation, to being sent home. The ebb and flow of high level futbol proved to be too much for a US squad that conceded early, scored late and had no attack from their forwards.

Moving on... The Cup has entered it's most exciting portion....KNOCK OUT ROUND. That's right America, you finally get a winner, NO MAS TIES!!!

So we're on Day 3 of the round of 16, here's a brief re-cap...

Controversy: In group play it was the Jubalani ball that was causing all the problems. Now it's technology or lack thereof. England and Germany played on day two, down 2-1, Frank Lampard scored a goal that wasn't. It clearly fell a foot over the line on replay, but not to the line judge and referee, who both said no goal. Then in the nightcap of Day 2, Carlos Tevez of Argentina was more than a foot offsides on the games first goal.

FIFA doesn't want goal-line replays because they are worried it will tarnish the games image. So what about blown calls doesn't tarnish the image of FIFA? I'm in favor of goal-line replays, but not full replay. Replay slows the NFL to near stand stills, I would hate for a game with no stoppages to become stagnant.

Otherwise the group stage has been exciting, with lots of goals so far. Argentina scored three, highlighted by a brilliant strike by Tevez. The kind of goal that could be the goal of the tournament. The Germans put four goals on England. Argentina will meet Germany in the next round and that has me drooling. What a match-up! If Brazil can take out Chili, they will face the Netherlands, who won 2-1 early today. A Brazil v Netherlands match has the potential to be extremely free flowing and full of goals.

The World Cup may be done for team USA and the casual followers, but us futbol die-hards are in heaven. This is when the cream rises to the top, it time to sit back and enjoy the beautiful game....

That's it and that's all....

Greivis Vasquez was drafted 28th overvall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA draft tonight. Oh yeah, the Washington Wizards drafted John Wall overall number 1. Of course Wall is the story of the NBA, but when will Vasquez get more national attention than tonight?

Vasquez, the former Maryland Terrapin, was one of the most passionate players under the guidance of Coach Gary Williams. Via Twitter, Williams said "I have no doubt Greivis will continue to work hard and will do everything to accomplish his goals in the NBA." Based on his years at Maryland, I believe that as well. Vasquez was never one to give up. His work ethic and intelligence showed prior to this past season when he entered and left the 2009 NBA Draft. Clearly the best choice as he would have been a 2nd round pick at best then, and now he's a 1st rounder. Congratulations to Vasquez.

It was intense. It was torture. Then in the waining moments of the game, it was pure ecstasy!!
Few moments in US Soccer have felt like that one did. A last minute goal in the final minutes of a must win game and in the World Cup non to less.
Insert any cliche you want, it felt like the world was against us.
Then like many games over the past eight years, the game went the way Landon Donovan did.
With all the weight of a nation on his shoulders Donovan cleaned up a loose ball and slotted it home for the win.
As Donovan slid on to the pitch and awaited the dog pile a huge monkey was lifted off his and the US National teams shoulders. The USA had not only advanced, but it had won it's group. The screw jobs were over and no one could deny the US their spot in the knock out round.
For awhile it felt like the soccer gods were hell bent on denying the US Soccer team and it's fans any joy. Then in one frantic moment everything including the terrible call from the game before was forgotten.
As a life long fan of the beautiful game I must say that today is one of the best days of my life. My team, playing my sport, hiked up their boots and fought like dogs scratching and clawing and refusing to quit.
Today I'm am proud to be an American!!
Piss off to everyone who has ever said that soccer players are soft or that the game is boring, if you can't realize the moment that we are in right now then don't call yourself a sports fan. Because you're not.
But I digress. Big ups to my boys Landon, Clint, Jozy, DeMerit, Cherundalo, Bradley, Gooch, Howard and even Bornstein.
I'm going enjoy this one for a few days, watch the highlight of Donovan streaking towards the ball over and over again.
On Saturday June 26th, the United States of America will field a team of eleven men who have proven themselves worthy of playing with the best the world has to offer.
USA!!! USA!!!
That's it and that's all!!

Through all the Albert Haynesworth issues, the Redskins made another significant stride towards improving the offensive line by trading for Jammal Brown from the New Orleans Saints. Brown, a two-time Pro-Bowl OT was limited in playing time last year due to a sports hernia. He signed a $3.62M tender offer to pave the way for the trade.

His signing almost ensures that Artis Hicks now moves back to a more natural position of guard (along the right side) as Brown takes the RT position. The move brings more talent, depth, and flexibility along the offensive line and was speculated in April (see final paragraph on The DC Sports Page). Should Trent Williams become injured Brown steps in at LT and Hicks moves to RT, as well as a situation where Brown succumbs to injuries Hicks could slide to RT.

The offensive line with the addition of Brown, 29, now has most of the offensive line set to turn 30 or slightly over with the exception being Trent Williams. Although the unit should still be a target for an upgrade in the draft, the Redskins have drastically improved enough to ensure that McNabb shouldn't become close friends with the turf.

The move that is tied to the McNabb trade for the following reason - if a 3rd Round pick goes to the Eagles the Saints receive a 4th Round pick and if the Eagles garner a 4th Round pick the Saints receive a 3rd Round pick. The Skins also pick up a 5th or 6th depending upon which way the higher pick falls.

The addition of Brown signals what many fans have come to realize over the years and a verdict that the front office has finally reached - Stephon Heyers isn't a starting tackle in the NFL. Trent Williams was drafted and immediately inserted into the lineup as a starter, as was Jacoby, Grimm, Samuels, and Jansen. Heyers couldn't even push Jansen out of the line up on his own. At this point Heyers is what he is - a journeyman reserve tackle.

One more move could be made before the final roster is set. Washington could re-sign Levi Jones as further depth. He may not be the answer at tackle, but was the unsung hero along the offensive line last season providing the stability the unit needed. Jones would be an upgrade as the first tackle coming off the bench over Heyers or at least push him in camp if competition is what the coaches really want, but rookie Capers (OT) may also have something to add to the equation and warrants watching in training camp. It now appears that tackle could be a position of strength and versatility on the line while the interior part of the line could stand an infustion of upgraded skills over the current reserves.

Lost in the insanity of the World Cup is the fact that a game seven looms on the horizon. For those who complain that the NBA season is too long, that it starts in the fall and goes through the winter and spring and summer, fear not. There's only one game left and what a game it is. Game 7.
Thursday night will mark the first Game Seven in finals history since game seven of the Knicks and Rockets series from 1995.
Nothing in sports is better than a game seven for all the marbles. Not to mention that it's a rivalry for the ages.
Do the Celtics have one more push in their brittle old bodies or can Kobe prove once again that he doesn't need Shaq?
You really couldn't have written a better script. I'm literally drooling as I type this.
Few things in sports can be as exciting as a game seven. There's a desperate feel in the air, the realization that this is it.
The Celtics may be without Kendrick Perkins who left game 6 with a knee sprain and may have to rely on "Big Baby." If Baby can play like he did in game four, then the Celts will hoist banner 18. Man that is a lot. Unless you are Phil Jackson and you could have 11 when the night is over.
I can guarantee that Kobe will put on a magical performance since he hasn't been able to be stopped yet, but can Lamar, Ron and Gasol match that intensity? So much will be answered tomorrow night. Don't set your tivo or dvr. Watch this one live, because there is a real good chance they will talk about this for awhile.
That's it and that's all.
P.S. I LOVE THE WORLD CUP!!

Well, we all saw this coming didn't we? Albert Haynesworth's agent has informed the Washington Redskins that he will not be reporting to the mandatory training on Wednesday. This is a very fitting final jab from the Vinny Cerrato era. Granted, we all know Dan Snyder was behind many of the moves, Cerrato was supposedly the master in the plan.

Last pre-season, the NFL was trying to figure out who would sign Haynesworth. It came as little shock the Redskins were the winners (or maybe losers) in the race. But at what cost? Now that the player's intentions are public, his value with potential suitors go down because they know the Redskins have to unload. Then there's the thing about a disgruntled employee. That might turn off a few teams. Ultimately this is the biggest free agent bust the Redskins have signed. His out of shape, out of breath 2009 campaign only help usher Cerrato and Jim Zorn out the door. Then again, maybe that's not so bad.

The Redskins, under new direction by Head Coach Mike Shanahan, have stressed the importance of competition at all positions on the team. The release of WR Marko Mitchell underscores a similar thought process throughout the Dan Snyder owned Redskins. It's a process that has weighed a team that has invested large salary figures on free agents over the development of its young existing players to the bottom of the division.

Mitchell became a fan favorite upon reading reports that he was lighting up practice and torching his counter parts on defense similar to starting receivers the Redskins faced on game days. His tall stature and likeable demeanor endeared him to the fans. The question during the season was if Mitchell had developed to the point where he could not only provide a good test for the starting secondary, but beat them on routes why wasn't he further ahead on the depth chart.

The answer was simple. Mitchell didn't consider himself a special teams player and preferred not to participate on the special teams squad...or at least that was the scuttlebutt.

Taking the following points into consideration a strong case could be made that the Redskins have fallen back onto a similar path when evaluating and making personnel decisions.

It's been said that a tie is like kissing your sister. Well if that's the case lets get to inbreeding.
The USA stole a vital point with a 1-1 draw with heavily favored England. It took a stroke of luck to secure the tie after Steven Gerrad put the Three Lions ahead within the first five minutes of the game.
Clint Dempsey tied the game after he put what looked like a harmless shot on goal. English keeper Robert Green tried to stop the ball, but it slipped through is hands and over the line.
Even Brazil needs luck to do well in the World Cup and for that brief moment in time the futbol gods finally smiled on the US.
With the game tied 1-1, the USA did what they do best, hang on. It was another gritty performance by the back four and Tim Howard once again proved why he is one of the top five goalkeepers in the World.
Oguchi Oneywu (Sherwood High School) and Jay DeMerit both played outstanding. DeMerit marked star striker Wayne Rooney for much of the game and pretty much shut him down. Even with the brilliant play by the defense, Howard was called on and he responded with stellar saves.
The US attack was pretty much non-existent, but like I said it's better to be lucky than good.
The US is now tied for second with England after Slovenia defeated Algeria 1-0 this morning.
USA will now return to camp and prepare for Friday's 10 am kick-off against group leader Slovenia.
It's hard to convey what English goalie Robert Green is going through, but think of it like this. Robert Green will surely become the Bill Buckner of English futbol. The only problem is that Buckner had the Red Sox "Nation" against him; Green has the entire nation of England against him. I feel for Green, no one should be subjected to what he will be in the next few months or for that matter depending on how the English finish, it may be for years to come.
The World Cup is only three days old and it couldn't have started better for the US.
Check back for the finest World Cup blogs around all tournament long.
That's it and that's all!!

Strasmas mania continues. On Thursday, on the Late Show with David Letterman, Nationals phenom pitcher Stephen Strasburg delivered a pretty decent Top Ten List. Of course Letterman's staff wrote them, but Strasburg delivered it well. With his next start this coming weekend in Cleveland against the Indians, can the Strasburg Fever continue? Watch the Top Ten below.

Time to get out from under the rock and realize that in less than 24 hours the biggest sporting event in the world kicks off, literally!!
At 10 am Eastern Time tomorrow morning South Africa defends home soil against US rivals Mexico. Hosts usually play well in the tournament, so Mexico should tread lightly.
Following the opener we get a salivating match-up between two former World Cup Champs in Uruguay and France. And that's just day one.
For one month the World will have one eye on South Africa and who can blame them, this is what we've been waiting for.
Day 2 marks the start of the USA's World Cup run against the UK. The hype surrounding this game is immense. Can the USA, a country that most weren't aware even had a soccer team; defeat the country that claims to have created the sport?
Local area fans can watch USA v England at the circle in DuPont on a giant television screen. Now that's European.
That's just day one and two and I didn't even mention that Argentina opens play against Nigeria on Saturday morning. So Saturday you get to see Messi and then watch the USA game. Guess what, it doesn't get any better than this.
For all the old school sports fans and the down right haters, DO NOT MISS THIS!! Seriously, because if you do, you have to wait four years, FOUR YEARS!! To a guy like me that is a freaking eternity.
As soon as Italy hoisted the cup in Germany, I turned off the television and sat in silence for a moment. "Four more years," I said to myself. It's too long to wait. For the next thirty days I will be a kid on Christmas morning, my favorite sport is finally going to be on display. Don't be afraid to jump on the bandwagon, because unlike Capitals fans, I welcome all United States citizens and illegals for that matter. Let us unite for our country. USA!! USA!! USA!!
I hate to preach, but you're a dummy if you miss this.
That's it and that's all....

The most anticipated call up in the short Washington Nationals history was a success. That is if you count 14 strikeouts in 7 innings a success. Stephen Strasburg, in his Major League debut downed the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2. Tyler Clippard and Matt Capps each pitched a scoreless inning to solidify the win. The important stats: 7.0 IP, 14 K, 0 BB, 2 H, 2 ER, 2.57 ERA. Oh plus this...he clocked 100 mph a few times, averaging 99 mph on his fastballs. Also there are reports that on the MASN telecast, they recorded at least one pitch at 101 mph.

The crowd was there for a show and Strasburg did not disappoint. We could feel that a good outing was coming. When the Pirates' Delwyn Young lofted a home run to right field to take them to a 2-1 lead, it showed that the young pitcher was human. But the best part was the reaction. He came back out confident and struck out his final 7 batters. The 14 overall strikeouts set a Nationals record in one game for a pitcher. It was something to see. The soldout crowd roared at every strikeout. We barely sat the first inning as every pitch was reviewed by the fans.

While it was Strasburg's night, the pitcher had solid defense behind him. Adam Dunn launched a 2 run home run while Ryan Zimmerman and Josh Willingham provided solo shots.

Even the expert and analysts were in awe. Listening to ESPN Radio's MIke & Mike show, their baseball people one after another noted how great his start was. On the Internet, in particular Twitter, the term "#Strasmas" was coined to describe the debut.

Of course we are talking about one game. Strasburg has many more to come. It will be how the opponents prepare for him. For the few teams that might see him multiple times this season, what will they do to adjust? Time will tell, but savor the moment for now. Strasmas might go down in the books as the day baseball truly returned to the Nation's Capital.

The Nationals selected 17 year old Bryce Harper (OF) as the #1 overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft last night. Harper, who spent much of his time at catcher, will be fast tracked to the majors by playing in the outfield vs. spending time behind the plate and risking injury. If he lives up to his potential Washington could find the corner outfielder so desperately needed. He possess the speed, arm, power, and defensive prowess that the team has been lacking in the OF. The promise of another possible game changing player to don a Nationals uniform marks this week as the week that could turn around a franchise mired at the bottom the past few years.

Stephen Strasburg's time to shine in the major league spotlight begins tonight (officially). Strasburg's talent has been showcased all season as one of his minor league starts aired on MASN. Tonight the city of Washington, Nationals fans, and baseball fans from all over get to witness one of the most anticipated spectacle in years to watch what could be the next great pitcher of this generation. The last time such excitement was in the air that forced networks to interupt programming was Sosa/McGwire's HR Chase or Cal Ripken's streak. Time will write its own story on Strasburg's career, but tonight Nationals fans can delight in the beginning of the Stephen Strasburg story that could turn around the franchise. Let tomorrow start the talk of whether the Nationals can sign Harper (a Boras client) or how Strasburg fares in his debut and let the Nationals fans bask in the glow of the past two days and dream of what could be.

Yours truly was on hand this past Saturday as the US came from a goal down in the first half to defeat Turkey 2-1. Landon Donovan anchored the US attack assisting on both goals in the second half. Clint Dempsey's goal in the 75th minute proved to be the game clincher and sent the US to South Africa with confidence.
The US will play on more tune-up match against fellow world cup participant Australia on June 6th and then set their sites on England.

The US has qualified for the past six editions of the World Cup, here's how they faired:

1990 Italy: It was 40 years until the US returned to the World Cup and 1990 proved why they had been gone for so long. The Yanks were outscored in their three group stage games 8-2 and failed to gain any points. It was a disappointing performance for the US, but just making that tournament was a huge accomplishment.

1994 USA: The unthinkable happened in 1994, the World Cup made its first appearance on US soil and the US advanced to the knockout stage. The US stunned the world by drawing 1-1 with the Swiss in game one. Game two pitted the US against a tournament favorite in Columbia. After an own goal by Columbia, the US added another and behind a brilliant performance by keeper Tony Meola, they escaped with a 2-1 victory. The US lost their final group stage game, but they still advanced to the knock out stage. The knockout stage was short lived as the US was matched with eventual tournament winner Brazil. The US bowed out with a 1-0 loss to Brazil

1998 France: In 98 US soccer was riding on an all-time high. Not only had the US played above and beyond their level in 94, but the creation of MLS was furthering the USA's player development. Sadly, 98 showed the World just how far behind the USA's soccer program was. As in 1990, the US failed to gain any points in the group stage and only scored one goal (Brian McBride).

2002 Korea/Japan: Lead by head coach Bruce Arena, the US once again shocked the world. Game one pitted the US against the talented Portuguese. When the final whistle blew the US left with a 3-2 victory. A draw against Korea secured the USA's advancement to the knockout stage for the second time in four tournaments. The knockout stage pitted the US against continental rivals Mexico. The US scored in the first eight minutes and Brad Friedel has amazing in goal as the US beat Mexico 2-0. The next match up pitted the US against Germany for a chance to go to the semifinals. Germany won 1-0, but not without controversy. An apparent hand ball by the Germans was not called and the US was dispatched.

2006 Germany: A much hyped US squad traveled to Germany with a daunting group in front of them. The Czech Republic, Ghana and eventual champs Italy made up the rest of the group. After a deflating 3-0 loss to the Czechs in game one, the US found themselves in an unflattering position. Italy was up next and the US fought valiantly after going down to just nine men to draw 1-1. In the final game against Ghana, the US needed a win to advance. They fell short losing 2-1.

So what does all this mean? It means that if the pattern holds, the US should not only advance out of this year's group stage, but they should make some noise in the knockout stage.
The US contingent has stated all year that getting out of the group stage is their main goal at the Cup. Don't think that this is any easy task. A tough English squad is up first followed by another tough European team in Slovenia. To rap up the group stage the US must face Algeria, an African nation playing on home soil.
Whatever happens in Africa, the US must play with the same confidence they displayed last year against Spain. They have to believe they can play with the world.

That's it and that's all

On the day Ken Griffey Jr retires and the Stanley Cup gets interesting, we are discussing Armando Galarraga's near perfect game. And not in the good way. As you probably know by now, a mistaken call by first base umpire Jim Joyce, with 2 outs in the ninth, cost the Detroit Tiger the rare gem. Well maybe not so rare, since it's been done by Roy Halladay just a few days ago and Dallas Braden recently.

Viewing the video (embedded below) clearly shows Cleveland's Jason Donald out at 1st by a step. It wasn't one of those close call incidents. Yet Joyce, in an interview afterwards, had fully believed Donald was safe. But to his credit, he admitted his mistake, and went to Galarraga and apologized. The pitcher in return, accepted the apology. Class act by both, especially Galarraga, who has every right to be mad because he was robbed of his chance to be the in record books.

Besides Griffey, Galarraga, and Joyce himself, Tiger OF Austin Jackson was maligned by the mistake, as he made an incredible catch at the beginning of the inning to preserve the perfect game chance. No one is really discussing that. From all corners of the sports world, opinions were given as to what to do. On ESPN Radio's Mike & MIke show, the likes of NCAA Analyst Jay Bilas, SportCenter & NFL Live's Trey Wingo, and NFL Analyst Adam Schefter provided their take. Schefter had an interesting position. Have the game declared a "28 Out Perfect Game", making it such a gem, it could almost never be matched, and also allow Major League to make a one-time change.

More importantly though, this play may finally show Commission Bud Selig that instant replay is needed beyond Home Run or Foul Ball. While there should be nothing regarding balls and strikes, which are subjective, objective instances, such as whether a baserunner is safe or out should be available for review. At worst, make it reviewable in the 9th inning only.