• 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.

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.

Don´t let the archives fool you, Futfanatico is one year old today! A little over a year ago, a hurricane struck the town of Houston, TX, forcing my relocation to Waco, TX and giving me a week of nothing to do. So why not start a soccer blog with my friends Santi and Giacomo?

The initial posts centered on game recaps, but we eventually evolved-retrogressed to more opinion pieces and unusual comparisons. Santi has not written for awhile – good luck with the PhD. Giacomo has also entered grad school and fallen off the planet. But we have enjoyed guestposts from Nick of FistedAway and Joel of SoccerAddictNews.

I must confess, though, that my initial online soccer site crush was the wonderful worldcupblog. Since then, I am thankful to RunofPlay and SportisaTVshow for opening my eyes to the endless bounds of sports media analysis. I shudder to think of my Catholic, discipline days of cranking out 10 paragraph game recaps. Although the trackbacks were bountiful. Sigh. Gasp. Sigh. Hiccup.

Also, since the recent move to wordpress, Ahmed of SoccerLens has been most helpful as well as the ranter of reds.

I look forward to another year of soccer analysisery, and will be taking off next week to recharge the batteries and enjoy a vacation with the missus and kids. No posts. You´ll survive.

Okay, so much hullabaloo was made of the Cohen firing/resignation in the States. Some people trumpeted the freedom of expression song. However, no government actor imposed a ban on Cohen’s program. Rather, a well organized product boycott led to his downfall.

But politics aside, one overlooked aspect of Hillsborough is the personal toll it took on Kenny Dalglish, the Scouser manager at the time. While I have mocked mainstream media relentlessly, the dailymail used its resources to good effect: a candid and sobering interview with Kenny’s daughter, Kelly.

I recommend the read, if only to see a more personal side of Hillsborough as opposed to trite ramblings about cause & effect.

For all you anglophiles, RojaDirecta is the king of the Spanish-speaking pro soccer viewing online world. The website serves to organize links to various soccer related events. Often, the links merely point to justin.tv or a similar site. Still, major television networks have targeted the Spain-based website with legal threats. And they have lost.

Audiovisual Sport had the gumption to file a lawsuit against RojaDirecta in 2007. In July of this year, A Madrid court ruled in favor of Roja Directa. The Court noted that the tv programs and channels were in large part international, the website was free and open to any user, and that Roja did not obtain any direct benefit or financial remuneration.

Despite winning the battle, the war wages on. Other TV companies have harassed Roja.

Canal 13, based in Argentina, has sent a threatening email. I know, your knees are trembling. The group threatened civil and criminal suits against Roja if they did not take down images of the Argentine championship within 24 hours. Roja did no such thing. Instead, they sent a tongue & cheek response.

Roja first gave Canal 13 a brief lesson in the happenings of the world wide web, known to some as “the internet.” On the internet, there exists an entity called a “link.” Roja provides links to broadcasts, but does not actually broadcast anything. Thus, if they do not broadcast anything, how can they cease to broadcast?

Technically, they complied with the Canal 13 request – they did not broadcast any Argentine games after 24 hours. But they preferred to let the 24 hour timeframe lapse. And suggested to Canal 13 that they start their own blog to complain to the world.

Televisa, based in Mexico, also sent a threatening email. However, they sent the email in English? ¡Que raro! (How odd). Maybe, just maybe, they subcontracted a legal services agency that send form emails to all the same websites. Perhaps. They also sent a certified letter.

Roja was unimpressed by Televiza´s willingness to pay postage.

From the start, the letter defeats itself. Televisa admits it was a usuario of Roja, not Roja itself, that was broadcasting games. Televisa also came off as pushy, demanding that the relevant user accounts be eliminated and that Roja block the capacity to emit such broadcasts. Still, they were willing to consider documents showing the user did in fact have authorization. How nice.

Roja´s response tickles the tummy. They began with pedantics, noting that Televisa demanded they eliminate & incapacitate the users. However, after eliminating the user account, how can you incapacitate it? By definition, it ceases to exist. Roja then pointed out that Televisa failed to cite any specific law, instead rambling generally about intellectual property.

Finally, Roja received the certified letter after the deadline to respond. Whoops. And Roja correctly pointed out that, as a modest website, they did not have the resources to purchase a flux capacitor. Sadly, Televisa has not responded.

Thus far, Roja is 3/3 in regards to its legal battles. But how many websites cower before a professional-sounding email? The moral of the story is that, just because you receive a letter from a lawyer, that does not mean the law is on his or her side.

“Please Sir, I want some more.” Such spoke Oliver Twist, begging the cook at the orphanage for another spoonful of gruel. We KC Wizards fans ask for similar sustenance – a pro soccer specific stadium. And we are not alone. We form part of the MLS orphanage, of fans destined to fill half-empty American football parks or pack decadent decades-old baseball stadiums. “Please, Sir, I want some more.” The global recession aside, what has gone wrong in each case?

Bleeding Kansas

The KC Wizards currently play at Community America Ballpark, and I wont rehash my previous criticisms. The original stadium plan called for a location to Kansas City, MO, where the old Bannister mall was destroyed. The plan was urban revitalization, which has gone the way of the dodo given current lending restrictions.

And then, as Back Post reports,  Kansas City, KS entered the picture. White knight or opportunistic vulture? Nobody can deny the success of the KC Legends entertainment area, which provides dozens of bars for post, pre, and postnatal game festivities. While the current Community America Ballpark lacks soccer design, the location is killer.

And unlike the lead-footed KCMO government, Wyandotte County has moved with the speed and cunning of an in-form Davey Arnaud. No agreement has been reached, but both sides look at one another with a lover´s eye.

Load of Red Bull

The year is 2008. You are a Red Bulls fan. Your beloved Metrostars have pried away the allegedly talented Juan Carlos Osorio and a new stadium is in the works. Your team makes the finals. The stadium is in the works. The 2009 season starts poorly. The stadium is in the works. Juan Carlos Osorio reigns. The stadium is in the works.

The good news is that the stadium should be ready for 2010. The bad news is we´ve heard that story before. The official NYRB site still lists the Meadowlands, which has the charm of a dilapidated mausoleum. The story is simple: construction delays. At least ground has been broke.

And the virtual rendition has been completed.

DC Divided

The DC situation mirrors Kansas City – a city council that is all smiles until the time comes to open up a wallet. But there is one difference – no white knight has appeared to save the Barra Brava from the dated confines of RFK American Football stadium.

RFK is in such bad shape  that is has become a hazard to fans.

I like RFK´s location in the District near a metro stop. In fact, RFK shares the same stop as the City jail! But dont worry – the daily headcount is almost always one or two off.

However, the parking lot is a death trap for players and fans alike.

We dream of a brighter future, of foster parents who will love and nourish us  with regulation goalposts and appropriate chalklines. But until that day comes, we choke back tears and chow on gruel.

Last Wednesday was a buffet of soccerplayery, with several countries punching their ticket to South Africa. Here are a few headlines from around the world…

England dominated Croatia 5-1 and guaranteed a first round appearance on the dark continent. Capello also revealed to the Guardian his gameplan for South Africa – WAGs can see their boys for one day after each match. He declined to comment on mothers and mistresses.

Spain sputtered but ultimately defeated Estonia 3-0 to secure a spot at South Africa. El Pais hit the nail on the head, pointing out that the right side of the Spanish attack failed miserably. If Arbeloa was bad three days ago, Raul Albiol failed to make a case to supplant him. Luckily, Spain has 10 other World Class players to compensate.

Paraguay qualified and Ultima Hora rejoiced. Meanwhile, Argentina appears headed for an extended vacation next summer. Clarin assessed Maradonna, in-between sobs, accusations, and punching holes in a wall. Only one word can describe Diego´s managerial style – Domenechesque.

Portugal kept the dream alive with a narrow one-nil victory. Ronaldo reported to A Bola, sometimes you have to play ugly. But all the time, Ronnie? France likewise treaded water in a tense 1-1 draw. Raymond Domenech continued to live in his own universe, telling L´equipe that he was happy with his team´s spirit. How about a win?