Times Square Looks Beautiful Today

 

New ad for NBC's Premier League coverage this season. Clearly only one option here. 

Another Murder on the Pitch in Brazil

Just kidding. Just some kid running on to  the field and kissing Fred's feet. Fred...so hot right now. This explains a lot though. The guy just waltzes right up to him and nobody reacts. No teammates run over. The ref just stands there. The kid jogs back to his seat clapping. Looking like he's about to lift the World Cup. And then the security guard at 0:18 is like, "Oh there's a kid on the field." Referee chuckles and it's Game on. A lot different than America. Just makes you wonder what would happen if a mob ran on to the field and tried to behead the referee or something.

The Transfer Window: Lots of Smoke, Very Very Very Little Fire

Even though the European transfer window only occupies 1/4^th of the calendar year, it’s become a full year worldwide circus. Rumors (and by “rumors,” I mean 95% complete bullshit) are churned out by every paper and source from the free sidewalk papers in London to the BBC and there are literally thousands of twitter handles claiming to be “in the know” reporting throughout the year on possible transfers and player movement. A good run of form by any young player on the continent will earn a back page headline linking him with any amount of top European clubs - the general format being _________ set to raid _______ for €15m rated _________. Most people are lured into the stories much too easily which results in fans sitting with their dicks in their hands on deadline day disappointed because not one of the big names they were “linked with” end up signing. This often results in frustration towards the front offices of clubs. The problem is this attitude of thinking that management didn’t try hard enough to sign a player (yes, I’m sure they’ve been sitting at home all off-season watching Debbie Does Dallas on repeat), or that they’re too stingy to throw out a couple extra million Euros to grab a top name, as if an €5m can be tossed around like monopoly money. Don’t people ever wonder, “Hey, maybe everything in the paper is complete bullshit?”

Perfect example of this has been for the past month or so with Tottenham being linked with David Villa. Villa signed today with Atletico Madrid for a very low sum of €5m after everyone on the internet has been quoting a €12m figure for the past couple of weeks between Spurs and Fiorentina. Not only that, but there were actually multiple outlets who claimed over the weekend that the fee had been agreed (some sources said Fiorentina, others Spurs – but no one Atletico) and that there would be further talks this week to iron out other details. Never mind the fact that the monetary figure was completely wrong, but knowing that Barcelona let him go for just €5m, one has to wonder, were Spurs even in for him at all? Is it possible that (audible gasp) the entire thing was completely made up to sell newspapers? Not to mention the Gareth Bale saga, as that pile of steaming trash Marca has been reporting for the better part of a year that Madrid were preparing an €80m bid for Bale, he was their number one transfer target, Zidane jerks off to his haircut every day, etc. Until today when the President Florentino Perez said that they haven’t even put in a bid for him and hinted even further that one was not coming this summer. I guess my point is simple. Any idiot or fan of a team knows their points of weakness and the kind of players that need to be signed. The transfer window provides a ridiculous, but in some ways necessary distraction during the soccer offseason. Knowing both these things, any smart person can use a filter to decide between the ridiculous, and the possibly somewhat reasonable. But most of all, don’t trust anyone but the team website.

             

Well, most of the time at least.

Amateur Brazilian Match of the Day

An amateur football match in Brazil led to two deaths as a referee was beheaded by spectators after he had stabbed a player. The shocking incidents occurred in Maranhao, Brazil, last Sunday. According to reports, referee Otavio Jordao da Silva fatally stabbed footballer Josenir dos Santos Abreu. Dos Santos Abreu is believed to have struck the referee after questioning a decision. In retaliation, Jordao da Silva stabbed the player. Having witnessed the incident, an outraged group of spectators turned on the referee. He was tied up, beaten, stoned and quartered. They then put his head on a stake and planted it in the middle of the pitch. One man, Luiz Moraes de Souza, 27, has been arrested over the incident. Police are searching for two more suspects. Valter Costa is handling the case and, in a statement, he said: "One crime never justifies another crime. Actions likes this do not collaborate with the legality of state law."

Sounds about right.

Jozy Altidore Done Gone and Got Signed by Sunderland

Jozy "Kunta Kinte" Altidore has reportedly agreed on terms with Sunderland for the upcoming season. America's takeover of England continues. Put him down for at least 20 goals this year which hopefully means a whole lot more of this-

Breaking News: LD Says He's Old and Slow

Link to ESPN article here.

Some highlights:

"I'm a lot closer to where I'd like to be," Donovan said in a video released by US Soccer on Thursday. "Part of getting older is that you just don't have as much explosiveness, you're not as dynamic as you were, and that's all part of it and that's part of evolving in general.

"I'm excited about this opportunity to take it up a level and see how I do and see how I can perform at this level against competition that's going to be difficult, but I'm ready for it and I'm exicited for it and I think it's going to be a great month," Donovan said.

The headline of this article is a little misleading. But reading between the lines, it seems like LD is trying to temper the expectations of U.S. soccer fans across the country by telling them to not expect the same player that we've come to know. It's definitely going to be interesting watching him at the Gold Cup. But one has to wonder, if he's a step slow and doesn't have the kind of pace that he's always had, is a really a lock to start out wide over someone who does have that pace (Eddie Johnson or Fab)? Or someone like Zusi who is the best dead ball specialist/crosser of the ball that the U.S. has on the roster? 

Jurgen gave some credence to this idea where he is quoted in the article: "I come from a different background and in soccer it's normal to have to work your way back into the mix," said Klismann. "When someone takes time off or has an injury, we evaluate that case from zero. We respect the past accomplishments, but that doesn't help you tomorrow. It doesn't help you today."

LD's experience will be considered valuable among a young squad and there's virtually no doubt that he'll be in the squad going to Rio next summer. But he still has a lot to show and prove if he hopes to force his way into the starting XI. His first test will be next Tuesday night (July 9th) against Belize in Portland

WAG of the Day - Special Edition

Obviously Alex Morgan is not a WAG. But seeing as tomorrow is the 4th, I thought I should keep this one red, white and blue. Being the sweetheart that she is, there's really not enough scantily clad pictures of her on the internet as there should be. But I spent more time searching for them today than doing actual work. Just couldn't let America down like that...just couldn't do it.