So, in case you have resided in a cave on the large rock in outer space formerly known as planet Pluto, Real Madrid played Barcelona in the 2nd leg of the Copa del Rey. Based on secondhand accounts, ’twas a most enjoyable spectacle. Teams scored goals. Teams kicked soccer balls. Teams ran. At the end of 90 minutes, the two teams tied 2-2. On global goal difference, Barcelona advanced 4-3. Most importantly, Pepe did not stamp on anybody’s hands and Busquets did not call any players mono. Thus, Barca fans accepted the narrowest of victories and Madrid fans  boasted about effort & dedication & spirit.

Yet, of course, a third class of person watched the game. The kind that write under deadline pressures. Here is what he or she or it wrote in a vain attempt to explain the sporting phenomena. Inside the chest cavity of Barcelona players beats the heart of a Champion. The heart is not abnormally large. The heart does not beat any faster or any stronger than most other hearts. However, there is still a great difference. And it is this: the heart beats inside a chest cavity of a player that is a Champion. And you can always tell a Champion from a non-Champion because the non-Champions finished second or worse in a competition. The Champion? First. So, Barcelona advanced over Madrid because of that little thing between their sternum and spine.

Barcelona had that extra something. Madrid did not. The Cule players just have “it”, but “it” cannot be precisely described with words. Rather, “it’ must be defined in relation to surrounding phenomena. For example, rumors percolate that Elvis Presley himself crafted “it” while working as a secret scientists at Area 51 and manufactured “it” out of the skin of the Lochness Monster, the brain of an alien, and the hair of Bigfoot. “It” was last reported in unofficial government records as being in the hip pocket of Amelia Earheart as she boarded her last flight. Since then, rumor has it that the kidnappers used “it” to help calm down the crying Lindbergh baby, but we can’t really speculate too much more on “it.” The important thing is that Barcelona has “it” and Madrid does not. “It” is the reason that they advanced. Duh.

Barcelona has the right mix of veterans and young players. Sometimes, veterans will get old and no longer be useful. They will lose footraces to younger players. Other times, a player will be too young and react poorly to an adverse crowd or a mistake or a foul. Barcelona’s roster is the perfect mix of veterans that are knowledgeable and young players that win footraces. Real Madrid’s roster is not the right balance. Madrid has too many veterans that are now old and well past their expiration date. Madrid also has too many young players that react poorly to new stimuli like being booed. Thus, Barcelona advanced because of the balance of their roster.

Barcelona’s youth academy is better than Real Madrid’s youth academy. Let’s just forget the Quinta del Buitre and focus on Bojan Krkic and Giovanni Dos Santos, the living proof that La Masia regularly produces world class players like an assembly line. Let’s also forget that Fabregas, Pique, and Iniesta actually left Barcelona to play at other clubs. That is not important. What is important is that La Masia produces consistently world class talent. This is not a golden generation of Spanish players that will fade like Les Bleus of the late 90s and early 2000′s. This is all the work of La Masia. Barcelona has La Masia, Real Madrid does not. Case closed.

Also, tactics. Barcelona played with better tactics. In particular, Puyol’s clever “let Benzema embarass me” tactic truly and fully lured Real Madrid into a false sense of hope, exactly as Pep drew up the game on his chalkboard at halftime. Pep also strategically planned on a Dani Alves screamer goal. Beforehand, Mourinho’s tactical gameplan to concede two early goals was a mistake. He should have tactically planned to only concede a single goal. Conversely, Pep’s halftime tactics to concede two goals was edgy but paid off. And that was the difference. Tactics. Tactics. T-A-C-T-I-C-S.

Lastly, the locker room. My reputable foreign sources reported that Mourinho has lost the locker room. A few weeks ago, Mourinho knew exactly where the locker room was. Mourinho could have been blindfolded and found the locker room. Mourinho knew the locker room like the back of his hand. It was a static, enclosed room in which players dressed into and out of their uniforms. Not anymore.

Mourinho woke up and everybody realized that he had lost the locker room. He’s still not sure how the locker room escaped. It may have been a hole in the fence. Or Perez may have left the gate open for the 1,000th time. What’s worse is that unlike most respectable dog or locker room owners, Mou did not even try to inject any GPS tracking device into the locker room. Thus, Mou’s best bet is to offer a reward, ask some friends to drive around nearby neighborhoods with him and shout “locker room”, and frequently check the “found” section of Craigslist. Pep, however, has his locker room. And it was a major advantage.

Players are people. If you prick them, they bleed. Despite a professional existence that involves getting kicked, not all are invincible shoulder-goal-popping memes. They have feelings. If they sit on the bench for not scoring goals, then their confidence dips and they score less goals. It’s a brutal cycle. And it’s one in which Fernando Torres finds himself.

But there is hope. Thanks to my total lack of knowledge, education, and experience as neither a psychiatrist nor a coach, I have some ideas for El Nino. We can hopefully restore his confidence in a few simple steps.

First and foremost, honesty is always the best avenue. AVB needs to find some positive words of encouragement, but they can’t ring hollow. Players can smell insincerity a mile away. Thus, you can’t call Fernando “world class” anymore. You can’t even say “you’re the best striker at Chelsea.” However, you can say in a loud voice “Fernando, you are easily the most talented striker at Chelsea today….” and then say under your breath “…named Fernando Torres.”

Second, AVB needs to prioritize and also keep Nando in the loop. Above all, AVB has to put a positive spin on his decisions. For example, when Fernando warms the bench in a league game against a lowly team, AVB just needs to let him know that this team is way way below Fernando. Then, when Chelsea play a do-or-die Champions League encounter, AVB needs to let Nando know that the game is still below him. In fact, all games aside from the Champions League final will be below him for the foreseeable future. And if they reach the final, it will be below him. Only the historically important Carling Cup is worthy of Torres. And even then, only for 30 minutes a game.

Third, AVB needs to help Torres get over his love affair with Spain. Right now, the whole “will I be selected or not” question is totally messing with his head. In part, it is understandable. Yes, la Furia Roja has won a World Cup and European Cup. Yes, Nando played for both of those teams and got some silverware. But answer me this – if Spain is so good, then how come they can’t take on any dead weight like Torres? If Spain was a bunch of super all-stars, they’d easily be able to compensate for his recent misfiring ways. But they aren’t that good. And there’s no shame in Fernando realizing that the team is not good enough to call him up because the players are simply not talented enough to compensate for his poor form.

Fourth, and importantly, Fernando needs to know that Chelsea cares. This also deals with how the message is delivered. Torres needs to know that he’s loved and cherished. Every time he rides the pine or doesn’t dress for a game, he needs to know that the Blues have his long-term interest at heart – after all, if he plays a game, he could get injured at any minute. ANY MINUTE. And that’s a risk they just can’t afford to take with Mr. Important Player.

Fifth, and lastly, Torres needs to feel like a million bucks. This will require some PR magic and a bit of sleight of hand. First, the Blues should circulate a rumor that they are willing to sell him for half his price last winter: $31 million dollars. Then, when he confronts the manager or the owner about the rumors, they can feign ignorance. They can drop their jaws and state “Fernando, that is such a preposterous thing! We would never sell you for that…..but, did you or your agent hear anything from other clubs?”

Elliott’s eBook “An Illustrated Guide to Soccer & Spanish” is available on the Kindle for only $5.99. Check out a free preview here.

For the last decade, the greatest benefit to being a Manchester United fan has been the license to perpetually wear a smug grin of satisfaction. Liverpool only qualified for the UEFA league again? Poor King Kenny. At least Andy Carroll has curbed his drinking problem and keeps the bench nice & warm during winter. Arsenal struggling to start the season? Well, at least they’ll get a cash injection from Barcelona in the transfer window. Lately, though, the tides have turned.

I don’t care to talk about tactics. Or signings. Or injuries. Or luck. United crashing out of the Champions League at the group stages raised my eyebrows, but did not alter the Earth’s orbit. For the last few years, since the Ronaldo-Tevez-Rooney trident split up, Sir Alex has patched together a quilt of a team from uneven scraps of cloth. Like a baby-boomer refinancing a mortgage, SAF always found family jewelry in the attic to auction and get an iPad. Until now. I love the current players, but even I find myself going elevator-eyes when City’s roster flickers on screen. But we couldn’t finance the purchase of an ottoman with our credit score.

So, for the first time in years, I actually rooted for Chelsea in a game. The match reminded me of the NBA lockout, where behind closed doors billionaire owners from small Midwestern cities fought with multi-billionaire owners from the big coastal metropolises. I wanted both to lose, but knew that wasn’t possible. No matter how many times I rubbed the lamp, City and Chelsea were not going to kiss, hold hands, and jump off a cliff like scorned lovers. I needed mini-Goliath to beat Goliath. A draw would help, but not much.

During the World Cup, lots of neutrals watch games to keep tabs on groups, advancement possibilities, and to see some good teams. This was not one of those “general interest” viewings. I have occasionally engaged in Schadenfraude (especially when Arsenal is up by a single goal to a Stoke City-esque side), but normally keep my eyes to my own team(s). This was kinda Schadenfraude, but not entirely. Watching City-Chelsea was without a doubt a new experience – after years of holding destiny in our hands, I sat helpless as lady fate swung her pendulum to-and-fro. It was…an uneasy feeling. Like a tattoo parlor that is not open Friday or Saturday nights, something was very amiss.

So, yes, I am kinda embarrassed to be in the Europa League. However, as an optimist, at least we don’t climb the mountain to lose the hill-race. If, heaven forbid, we were to catch up with Liverpool in Champions League victories just to fall behind in Europa League crowns, then we’d still be at the same destination. Right? RIGHT? Still, United fans have very sore necks. We can no longer look down, and the grin has turned into a smirk.

We will become Gunners fans for a week, but secretly pray that this is the last weekend where we need to keep tabs on other teams.

In other parts…

The False 9 had a pretty cool Venn diagram, even if the Matrix reference is not entirely right. Check it out here.

For those of you who love streams of games, the well may soon run dry. The US Congress is considering a law that will give large corporations the tools to shake down ISPS and domain registrars, all in an effort to prevent you from seeing content streamed by RoniTV. I’ve written about RojaDirecta‘s legal battles before and you know whose side I’m on. A Football Report details all the pitfalls of the “SOPA” law here.

Elliott’s soccer eBook “An Illustrated Guide to Soccer & Spanish” is available on the Nook for only $5.99. Check it out here.

Rocking chairs. Porches. Cross-stitching. Some things were made for long international breaks before worthless international friendlies. Entertaining and insightful sports writing is not one of them. At least not in these here parts. Instead, we bring you the next best thing – random thoughts and musings sent our way via electronic mail from you the reader.

Thus, if you don’t like this post, then you only have yourself to blame. Why didn’t you send in a more entertaining email? Tsk tsk. Now let’s reach into the illustrious mailbag and see what’s going on…..

Ali of Washington, D.C. is our first reader to send us mail in a long-time. Ali didn’t mention it, but we suspect he is a long-time D.C. United fan. However, instead of reflecting upon the goal machine that is Dwayne DeRosario, Ali had an unusual question:

I am MR. ALI, A member of the federal government contract award and monitoring committee in the national petroleum corporation.few years ago A contract was warded to a foreign firm, this contract was over invoiced to the tune of $10.million Dollars.The over invoicing was deliberate by me and two of my colleagues to benefit from the project.  now the main contractor have been paid off,still the over invoiced sum of ten million is now in a suspense account with [NNPC] waiting to be paid into any foreign account you will provide to me now.the nnpc knew that a foreign company owes this fund,but they did not know the actual company that owes this fund,therefore i seek your help to provide me any account favorable to you,with your company latter headed paper which i will post to various departments here for immediate release of the fund.fifty / fifty is my deal with you,i will make sure the fund is transferred to your account within 14working days .contact me if your are interested for more information with this mail address

I understand that we are in the midst of an international break, so everybody’s mind melts and turns to FIFA and embezzlement and creative accounting, but our website does not endorse and will not participate in your contract-graft-shaving scheme Ali. At least not at 50/50.

Next up, we got some love from the Middle East. Hassan Abdul, of Libya, obviously did not exactly have soccer on the mind. While we were curious what folks from North Africa thought about Bob Bradley taking over Egypt’s national team, Mr. Abdul instead gave us a peek into the chaos engulfing his country.

I am so sorry for sending you this unsolicited and unexpected mail. I am Abdulrahman Hassan the senior assistance to President Mammaur Gaddafi’ s son Saif al-Islam Gaddafi who has entrusted to me the sum of $65,000,000.00 (Sixty Five Million US dollars) in a sealed security luggage to escape with it but I diverted the movement of the fund to a secured security vault right now because I am personally against the killings and dehumanization of my fellow innocent Libyan citizens by his father’s detector ship government in our country Libya. I seek your indulgence to consign or transfer this $65 million dollars to you for safe keeping. Then later we discuss how this fund can be disbursed and invested in any good business field as you may suggest and some part to help the poor people. I will give you full details regarding this fund as soon as you respond to this email. Please treat this matter as urgent as possible as I wait your swift response to this regard.

Hassan, I really appreciate your apology at the start of the email. I’m also so sorry about the heartbreaking warfare that has torn apart your country. I admire your bravery in betraying Qaddaffi’s son and stealing a quaint eight figure sum, but my tax adviser has warned me that a deposit of that size will maybe, just maybe, push me into a new tax bracket. At the advice of my CPA, I decline your offer and wish you the best. Here’s hoping the national team can keep up the momentum in African Cup qualifying.

Lastly, Max from Russia shot us a few words. We were curious – with Yuri Zhirkov a flop at Chelsea and back in Russia, Arshavin bench-warming at Arsenal, and Pavyluchenko anonymous at Spurs, is Russia in a serious free-fall after their electric Euro 2008 performance under Gus Hiddink? Max, though, had his mind elsewhere.

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Max, those are some pretty impressive stats. However, we are a little suspicious that you measure the length gain in inches and the width gain in percentages. Until you clarify this discrepancy, I’m afraid no thanks. I also am a bit curious about the repetitive use of the phrase “100%.” And who is this Doctor that approved it? And, of course, I am no gentlemen. However, no hard feelings – we still hope Arshavin and the proper national team can emulate the beach soccer team’s success.

The soccersphere has become a very introspective place. Blogs, media, money, turnover. These topics rule the day. On the one hand, the battle for attrition has left us sans redranter, with a burned out Tom Dunmore, and sent OzCitySoccer into a cruel SEO domain repurchase cemetery. On the other hand, the Guardian picked up Zonal Marking for a Monday column, Brian covers soccer for Slate, and Mr. Peck’s blog was basically purchased by Yahoo. Some fall by the wayside, some climb. Some argue that a “subscription model” is a de facto donation button. Others insist otherwise. The basic question remains: why do we blog?

I won’t lie – the temptation to turn my beloved site into a niche focus group has been great at times. Some mornings I wake up and Plan B looks pretty darn good. The theme would be obvious – the personal lives of US players living and playing in Scandinavia. Did Chris Rolfe get a new haircut? You read it here first! Did Benny Feilhaber close on a tasteful yet affordable sublet? Details & Pics!

But then a realization strikes me – my creativity trumps my fact-gathering capacities. Also, though you won’t hear it from many other bloggers, sometimes I am too much of a perfectionist and “miss a headline.” The changing world of soccer pulls the rug out from under my feet. What happens to these perfectly crafted posts? No, I do not tear them up in a drunken rage. I do not throw my laptop against a wall and shatter it to a million pieces. Rather, they sit in the long line of posts, crying to be shared.

So now, for your reading pleasure, I give you the greatest soccer headlines never blogged.

ROBINHO SIGNS FOR REAL MADRID – PERFECT MATCH MAY LAST A LIFETIME!

Today, as a merengues fan, I am pleased to report that Robinho has forced his way out of Santos in the most petulant of fashions – so he can sign for Real Madrid! Of course, his lack of professionalism and maturity in dealing with Santos could never be reflected in his relations with Madrid. I anticipate a long and prosperous relationship.

SVEN GORAN-ERIKSSON READY TO SETTLE DOWN AND GUIDE CITY TO THE PROMISED LAND

You heard it hear first – the swinging Swede has decided to set up shop in Manchester….with City! Sven did spend eight years as coach of the England National Team, but I won’t go that far in predicting his tenure at Eastlands – he should last at least three years though as City rebuild and buy around the brainy Swede’s decisions & demeanor. His debut 2-0 victory over West Ham is the start of a beautiful relationship.

ROBINHO SIGNS FOR MANCHESTER CITY – READY TO LEAVE HIS LASTING MARK IN THE ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP

Robinho has left Real Madrid to cement his place in the annals of football history with Manchester City. As a Madrid fan, I’m disappointed, but I understand that as a supremely talented & well paid professional, competing for a starting spot with other talented and well paid professionals can be very stressful. The Brazilian has finally found a quiet enclave and should enjoy several fruitful years, if not a decade, of plying his trade in the most exciting league on the planet.

SVEN GORAN-ERIKSSON LOOKS FORWARD TO A LONG & FRUITFUL RELATIONSHIP WITH NOTTS COUNTY

The Swede’s move to a lower level English team shocks many, but not me. After years of being in the limelight, feeling the pressure, bearing the heat, could any other club offer the placid setting of historical Notts County? Plus, Eriksson enjoys a lengthy and multi-tiered challenge – getting Notts to the EPL will probably take hims years. Best of luck!

ROBINO MOVES ON LOAN TO SANTOS, 99% SURE WILL BE MADE PERMANENT

Robinho has returned to the Brazilian club of Pele and where he made his initial splash. Could you imagine a more delightful homecoming? The weather, the food, the culture, and, of course, the futbol - all factors point to a permanent move at the end of a successful loan spell. And if any player can force his way out of a contract to sign for a new team, its Robinho.

SVEN GORAN-ERIKSSON TAKES THE REIGNS AT IVORY COAST, FOR NOW AND POSSIBLY ETERNITY

Sven is a coy and playful negotiator. Even though he insists he will only coach Les Elephants for the World Cup, we all know what that means – up my wages a few thousand pounds and I’m here for life! While the country may be ravaged by a seemingly ceaseless civil war, he can reside in Europe and catch games of all-stars such as Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure, and Kolo Toure. With that roster of talent, who could turn down a longer deal? Not Sven. That’s who.

And there you have it – I can’t run a profitable newspaper enterprise because quickly I would become the most popular and successful man on earth. And who wants that kind of pressure?

There’s really no way to tell a jointed story of Day 1 of the Cup, but three things stood out:

• There’s nothing in the world like watching a soccer match in a general area with 20…30,000 other people.  Stadiums are restraining.  You can celebrate with the person in front of you and behind you, to your left and to your right.  But when you’re in a big open park like at the Coca-Cola fanfest, the entire match becomes a social party.  People meeting people, posing for pictures, doing huge group dances…and the celebration of a goal is truly a celebration with 20,000 other people.  You feel like you’re on the pitch yourself, running around in circles and hugging everyone and everything you can find.  For 20 minutes.  I can’t find a metaphor, because it’s honestly like nothing I’ve ever experienced.
• Speaking of Coca-Cola, boy is capitalism and globalization alive and well.  If you’re thinking South Africa is anything other than utterly familiar, you’re wrong.  Sony, Coca-Cola, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, McDonald’s, BP, Nike, Adidas…all of them and much much more have enormous footprints here.  Heck, I brought a box of Frosted Flakes this morning.  But these things beg the question: How and Are South Africans creating their own wealth?  With so many opportunities to buy items whose eventual benefactor is housed in Chicago or LA, how many dollars are staying in local communities here?  There’s no doubt that these corporations bring jobs with them, but shouldn’t the ideal be South African brands with South African ingenuity?  Which also makes the community less exposed to the whims that (benevolent? maybe?) benefactor in Chicago?
• I’m a city boy–always have been.  I can comfortably say that I understand cities.  And so when everyone started making a huge deal about how incredibly dangerous Johannesburg and the rest of South Africa are, I raised an eyebrow. (Actually, I wish I could raise a single eyebrow, but I don’t have that gene.  Damn you, Stephen Colbert!)  Nonetheless, the consistently deafening roar on the internet and among those I knew was that South Africa was especially dangerous, far more so than I could possibly imagine.  But then I arrived.  And I realized that Johannesburg really is just like every other city I’ve ever been to.  Sure, you walk around in the wrong part of New York and you’re asking to get robbed.  Sure, you walk around in the wrong part of Atlanta and you’re asking to get robbed.  Sure, you walk around in the wrong part of DC and…have I made my point?  The locals find South Africa’s external reputation somewhat amusing, and certainly outdated.  So what is it that makes this fear of South Africa so persistent among so many people?  I’m not saying it’s racism…
• But don’t let me paper over some of the very real issues here:  excessive poverty, AIDS, and a government that still hasn’t figured out how to right some of the wrongs of apartheid.  First hint:  relocation is not the answer.  (h/t Capitol Jill)

Keep up with my moment-to-moment musings on twitter! I’m @TahirDuckett.

For those who have forgotten, I am covering the Ivory Coast at the delightful World Cup blog. I recently wrote a two part series on an overlooked part of the Portsmouth FA Cup run – the resurgence of Aruna Dindane. And the nasty contract squabbling behind the curtains. It’s a bit more traditional journalism than the regulars are used to, but I found the story compelling. Enjoy Parts One & Two.

So, my tongue & cheek series on the African World Cup has taken a grisly turn – the horrific incident in Togo. I am still in a state of shock, sadness, and solidarity: my prayers are with the Togo players, their families, friends, and loved ones.

However, while some have asked my thoughts, I defer to the brilliant and analytically sounder bloggers at Justfootball and Pitchinvasion. Now is not the time for a FF laugh, but neither should we overreact. The risk in these times is to let fear, ignorance, anger, and hate lead to negative discursive cycles.

I trust these bloggers, and so should you.

I’m gonna wait a week and see how I feel in about a week.

The USMNT qualified for the 2010 World Cup in style, defeating Honduras in San Pedro Sula, in a 3-2 barnstormer of a game. This victory, coupled with a strong Confederations Cup showing, has led to a peculiar claim – the US can win the World Cup

Technically, no legal obstacle bars the US from winning the World Cup. And the US has gone toe-to-toe with the giants of the game. But let´s not forget the last Copa America. Or the first two games of the Confederations Cup.

In the spirit of rattling the fenches surrounding Area-51, of shedding light on the CIA operative to assassinate JFK, and of finally evicting from his posh Las Vegas apartment, I will take a knife to some alien cadavers. I will closely examine some USMNT myths. And this could get messy.  

Myth #1 – the US depends on Landon Donovan

Donovan has been in scorching form – and the sliderule passes have been delightful. But who scored the winning goal against Mexico in the Gold Cup Final two years ago? Who scored against Egypt? Landon is an assist machine, but finally has teammates to put the ball in the back of the net.

Bradley deserves immense credit for finding Donovan´s best spot on the field. In Germany 2006, Bruce Arena gave Donovan total freedom as a second striker to roam the field. His resulting performances would have made the protagonist of a certain Ralph Ellison novel seem visible. Conversely, on the left flank, Donovan has a set patch of grass which he must attack and defend. And he has never looked more focused. But with his responsibilities limited, other players have blossomed.

Myth #2 – the US has improved at forward

Everyone is excited by the young crop of US forwards. Davies & Altidore provide pace & power, so yes, depth has improved. But can either of them, at this stage in their career, hold a candle to Brian McBride?

Brian, known as “yee haw” by Fulham supporters, laid an egg at the last World Cup. But, at the time, he was an established starter and consistent goalscorer for an EPL club. Yes, Fulham faced relegation and McBride´s game was one dimensional, but he still was an established day in -day out professional. And Hull is not exatly much better.

Both Charlie and Jozy scream potential, but how will they react to soccer´s biggest stage? Will they be a bundle of nerves? McBride scored in two different World Cups, and scoring for the US 98 side is a monumental achievement.

Myth #3 – The US has retrogressed at defense

Remember Eddie Lewis? He currently plays midfield for the LA Galaxy and had a successful spell in England with Leeds & Derby. He was well-known as the American David Beckham – not for his looks, but for his sweet left-footed cross. But he was not known for his defending. And he was our starting leftback against the Czech Republic!

Jonathan Borstein struggles against aerial threats, while Carlos Bocanegra´s first step fails to convince. Heath Pearce is awol. But these are all respectable candidates who play defense day-in and day-out. There is competition – not a gaping blackhole.

In the center, Gooch is four years wiser and either DeMerit or Bocanegra is an improvement over the elderly Eddie Pope. And at rightback, Spector made a strong case at the Confederations Cup, while Cherundolo offers a solid veteran presence.

We may not know which combination will start, but the depth and competition ensure a respectable if not spectacular backline.

Myth #4 – the US is “ready”

Under Bradley, the US has recorded impressive away victories in both rounds of qualifying. Still, to an extend the US has rode its luck. What if Cornel Glen´s chip had gone in? What if Carlos Pavon had sunk his penalty kick? What if the Italy had only lost to Brazil 2-0?

The US offense has improved beyond setpieces and counterattacks. In a sense, the US now has the talent and savvy to capitalize on good forture. This is an important development. At the last World Cup, when De Rossi got redcarded, my heart literally stopped as my mind buzzed into overdrive – could the US capitalize on the man advantage? Would Eddie Johnson be subbed on? No. No. Even worse, the US would soon have two men sent off.

Despite some important steps forward, the US does not control its own fate. A FIFA seeding would be nice, but underlies a cruel fact. Sepp Blatter´s air-powered, numbered ping pong ball shaker will determine largely the US´s destiny. The US could go on a confidence-inspired run, ala Turkey at Euro 08, but you don´t expect miracles. You pray for them.

The American tendency is to view time as an ascent, a linear progression headed towards the boundless skies. There is a natural tendency, thus, to view the present as novel and unique. As such, many US fans are shocked to see the US struggle against Honduras, a country in political turmoil and with a fraction of our GDP. What exactly is going on?

We could view the current crop of Honduran talent as self inflicted wounds. Amado Guevara and the ageless Carlos Pavon both have served time in MLS. In the EPL, we could cry about globalization and Wigan giving a springboard to young Catracho talent.

Yes, it hurts that Honduras has produced a world class holding midfielder, Wilson Palacios, capable of competing at the highest level of the sport. How good is Palacios? The true sign of talent is how many jobs you can land for your family. And Wilsons brother Johnny is firmly in Wigan´s sight.

But a glimpse at the past shows Honduran roots of soccer revelry, roots which prove stronger than the still languishing US soccer seeds.

Honduras qualfied for the 1982 World Cup in Spain, eight years before the US shot was heard around the world. In that squad, you can see the signs of intergenerational futbolery. Carlos Costly, the current gem of the Catracho squad, watched his papy play for the Honduras white and blue. Another member of that sqaud, Armando Betancourt, was the son of a professional soccer player.

Should we expect more of Landon Donovans son? Or Bradley the third?

And a look at the fandom makes Uncle Sam blush even redder. When the US flirtation with the NASL was in its infancy, Honduras fought a war with El Salvador for its favorite sport.

Granted, there were other factors. Controversial land policies and illegal immigration put relations on edge, but the 1969 world cup qualifiers provided the spark, the gentle nudge. Honduras won the first game one nil, but one week later El Salvador crushed the Catrachos 3 nothing. Honduras fans rioted in the streets of San Salvador, humilliated to have lost to the country which supplied cheap labor. The shooting only last a few days, but the state of war endured a decade.

Did the US defeat at Azteca spark a conflict? Despite similar, simmering tensions over immigration, no. Not even close. Although it did produce a Bill Simmons article, which is a start. I am not advocating a full blown war, but at least a peasant uprising would be a pleasant surprise.

However, a promising development is the presence of US players on the roster who can turn to papy for advice. Michael can hissyfit to Bob during Thanksgiving dinner. This is a step in the right direction, but, but, but….

The current rise of the Catrachos should surprise no one. And a draw would be a victory.