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fifa's problems continue - jack warner

7/23/2015

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The one-time Vice President of FIFA, Jack Warner, spent a night in jail in Trinidad and Tobago after the arrest warrant came his way for corruption charges in international soccer. Denying he did anything wrong, Warner turned himself in, appearing before a judge, who he likely knew on first name basis, in Port-of-Spain, where his bail was set for $395,000; he was instructed to surrender his passport and to report to the police twice a week. He is accused by US authorities of taking millions of dollars in bribes. 

Escape was out of the question. The atmosphere outside the dome was cyanide, and Earth was 446,120,000,000,000,000 miles away. 
Kurt Vonnegut
Slaughter House-Five 

   As the President of CONCACAF, Warner exclaimed no wrongdoing. In his mind, these allegations were preposterous. After leaving his post in 2011, to avoid FIFA sanctions during the organization’s election process, Warner also has two sons that had pled guilty to charges of corruption in similar situations.
   It turns out that practically any position having to do with organizing soccer must be associated with corruption. Why must this be? The saying in Brazil is that “Brazil has the best footballers, and the worst managers,” referring to the inability to organize well, and the proclivity to act in vice. As a kid staying in Brazil I got a sense of this – disorganization – firsthand, noticing that when it comes to traffic, there are basically no rules. Drivers would hustle and bustle for positions at a stop light making what was meant to be a straight line turn into a jigsaw puzzle, making what could have been an orderly Andy Warhol painting into a curved-space-rendition of Salvador Dali, and no one did anything about it – unless you consider honking, fist waving, empty threats and mad chaos doing something. So I wondered where are the authorities and why aren’t they doing anything? When my host would talk with vendors, everything had a wink or a nudge behind it; there was always a possible bargain to be had – something hidden under the rug as an option.
   Americans have plenty of disorganization and corruption in the states, but there are firmer rules in place, to help prevent such things. There are serious looking, well dressed, members of the FBI lurking around, not taking a sip of alcohol, waiting anxiously for someone to commit a high crime that might offend the likes of Jimmy Stewart. Jack Warner has been the guy to spark that legal interest of the FBI. Warner has been blatantly acting out of step with the laws of the Bureau, and, as audacious as it would seem, from behind the desk in his small office space in Trinidad he is belligerent that he would be accused of anything at all. He has been quoted in the New York Times saying:
   “I have been afforded no due process and I have not even been questioned in this matter…I reiterate that I am innocent of any charges…I have walked away from the politics of world football to immerse myself in the improvement of lives in this country where I shall, God willing, die.” He says the US investigators “know where to find me” adding “I sleep very soundly in the night.”
   In 2006 as a special advisor to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF), Warner initiated a deal with the national team players to share some of their proceeds from playing at the 2006 World Cup. (They were a team whose members did not enjoy the big salaries of most other players around the world…a team with practically no chance in the universe to lift the World Cup trophy, so not only was the team destined to lose, they had to give up some of their much needed income from participation.) On top of that, the players rejected Warner’s projected figure of what they should have been paid. Warner owns a variety of businesses on his island, where he remains, for now. Loretta Lynch of the US Justice Department is firm on bringing him to the US for trial, for the millions of dollars he has allegedly collected over twenty years. There is much more to come from these unfolding events.

Excerpt from FIFA Exposed, The Collapse of FIFA copyright 2014-15 Shane Stay
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gold cup 2015...semi final #2

7/23/2015

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Gold Cup
Mexico vs Panama
Semi Final
7-22-15

Featured also at Cardinal Publishers Group, July 2015

The raucous affair that was Mexico vs. Panama in the Gold Cup Semi Final turned into an all-out bizarre spectacle. First, a player from Panama was ejected when his arm “accidentally” made contact with his opponent’s face. It was a very questionable red card. A yellow card – one hundred percent. The replay showed the player’s arm definitely making contact – as they were contesting a ball in the air – but the intent of the glancing touch seemed unintentional. To say the Panamanian players were upset is an understatement. The ejected player would not leave the field for close to ten minutes. The crowd was throwing projectiles at him, one after the other. The game was halted, the referee was verbally harassed, and physically touched. This is a no-no in sports, across the board. No one is allowed to touch the referee, particularly in anger. A pat on the back for a good call is not out of the question. It’s the acrimonious touching – prodding the chest with an outstretched finger, pushing from behind, grabbing an arm – that is disallowed. The NBA, NHL, NFL and even baseball prohibit such a thing. In baseball coaches get creative. During a disputed call it is the coach's job, and responsibility, to get as close to the umpire as possible, without actually touching him. He often resorts to kicking dirt at the umpire’s shins. This is completely normal, but laying hands on him, ugh-uh. That’s the line one cannot cross. If they do, they get ejected and likely suspended with a fine.
   Panama was hell-bent on showing their distaste for the head official. It seemed to linger on as a continuous blur, as the Panamanian players and coaches stopped the game outright, protesting calls by the referee. Some players approached the Mexican coach, pleaded their case with him, as though that might somehow change the situation. All of these antics became even more pronounced right at the end of the game. Playing with one man down, Panama miraculously had the lead, on their way to the final match, when the referee gave a crucial, and debatable, penalty kick to Mexico. No one knew when the game would start again. The announcers were considering what would happen if Panama left the field. Possibly the game would have to resume the following day with an empty stadium? Somehow, everything resumed and Mexico scored the tying penalty kick.
   Finally, in extra time, another penalty kick was awarded to Mexico. This one was a true “take down.” Mexico went on to win 2-1, watching on as the game ended and the Panamanian bench bum-rushed the referee, charging toward him at center-field, getting in his face, taunting him. Large security men had to push the potential mob out of the way, escorting the referees off the field.
   The larger issue is something has to be done by CONCACAF and FIFA. The game was held at the Georgia Dome, in Atlanta. The two teams took over the affair. The referees were powerless at times, hoping the Panamanian players would resume their place on the field. The bottom line is, you can’t touch a referee. It was an out of control barnacle of misbehavior. The players, coaches and fans were producing a scene contemptuous of authority, doing everything short of a full-on riot. How can CONCACAF and FIFA control the fans throwing projectiles? How can they punish players and coaches that lay hands on referees? Multiple suspensions should be placed, with multiple fines. Security has to be more active with fan control, and, with aiding officials in a game when things get out of hand. The question of when things get out of hand is subject to debate, but when a full team is swarming a ref, disrespecting his authority and the image of the game, whether his call was right or not, this is a moment when FIFA might initiate security on the field. Teams cannot take over a game. You can't touch the ref. Just like you can't touch a policeman. You don't get mad at a cop, point your finger in his chest multiple times, telling him off and expect to avoid getting arrested. You might not like a cop. You might not agree with a cop. The law is respected for good reason: It eliminates chaos and anarchy in the streets. Cops might be wrong at times, but they have a role that is essential in society. They're there to keep order. The rule is you cannot lay your hands on them. Within the framework of sports, referees represent the law. Sports are indicative of the way we carry ourselves in society. Pushing referees, or pointing your finger into their chest, or spitting in their face is unacceptable, even if they're bad refs. Note to FIFA and CONCACAF: study this game as reference for a future precedent.  

 

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gold cup 2015...semi final

7/22/2015

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The Four Year Review: America's Quest for the Cup 
Featured also at Cardinal Publishers Group, July 2015

United States vs Jamaica 
7-22-15
Gold Cup
Semi Final
1-2

Line up, line up, line up…What else can be said?

                              Howard/Guzan

Yedlin              Tim Ream        Bradley            Shea

Zardes             Diskerud         M. Adu              Zusi

                        Dempsey         F. Adu

    A variation of this lineup was displayed by Klinsmann earlier this year and it was a rock solid group, ready for a World Cup title run. I’m not sure what’s been going on with the defensive line lately. There seems to have been a lot of changes; new looks; new outside backs; different inside backs. If you want the US to win, face reality and accept that Bradley is a perfect central defender, ala Beckenbauer, as the Queen on the chessboard who is allowed – and encouraged! – to drift upward, joining the attack, stringing together the attack. He starts from that deep anyway; he’s a good defender; he’s six feet tall; he’s the guy. And, yes, I brought back Freddy Adu. He’s only “nineteen.” There’s a lot of room for growth, the potential is there, just give it a chance.
   Jamaica, throughout their whole history with their passion for soccer, should be better than they are. They go through cycles. With them, you have to catch the right generation with the right talent, at the right moment, a little like the 1954 magical ride of Bobby Plump, AKA Jimmy Chitwood and Hoosiers. Yet, they remain a relatively flat team, with enough potential to beat anyone from CONCACAF, Africa, Asia and some South American sides. So many people assume since the US and Jamaica dominate the 100 yard dash in world competitions, they should be able to transcend that expertise to soccer. But, as most should know: Fast doesn’t always make the best team. So many coaches have said over the years, “I’ll take technically sound over fast any day.” Pure speed isn’t the key to winning the Gold Cup, Confederations Cup or World Cup. It helps. But you must first have the skill and technical ability. On this night neither team in the first half dominated with skill. It was an all out battle for midfield with high tempo at virtually every moment. The first goal came from a backwards header off a long throw that tinkered off the far post, lingering over the line before hitting the “other” post, trickling in. Guzan may have been caught out of position but it was a weird goal that was practically meant to go in, on some level. For the second Jamaican goal, Guzan was penalized for a play that occurs regularly…when goalies punt the ball they tend to cross the goal-box line. It never gets called. In this case, Guzan crossed the goal-box line with a throw, not a punt. The free kick at the edge of the box was brilliantly slotted in from Jamaica as they celebrated like mad.
   Back in 1990, when the US made the World Cup for the first time in forty years, Meola and company were considered the “Hoosiers underdog.” Now, with twenty years gone, we’ve crept past that stigma, lurching closer and closer to elite status, as we’re currently a solid medium-grade team. For the moment, Jamaica is going for their first Gold Cup title, seeking out that big victory which has eluded them for so long. They were lucky in the second half, giving up an early goal. For the remainder of the match they played terrible defense – not marking, looking lazy, reacting not anticipating, lunging. You name it. They were fortunate to win 2-1, advancing to the finals to play Mexico (who, in turn, was lucky to get past Costa Rica and Panama).  
   The World Cup qualifiers begin shortly in the fall. The US will have a lot to think about until then, with plenty to reflect on. First, they can look forward to the Third Place match with Panama this weekend.


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gold cup 2015...game 4

7/18/2015

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Gold Cup
US vs. Cuba
7-18-15

Featured also at Cardinal Publishers Group, July 2015

A strange thing happened a day before the game: Five Cuban players defected. That’s right, they disappeared from their hotel, to be seen…no more. Just like that, they were gone. On the eve of playing the US, in the US, they defected to the US. No formal announcement, no letter; just gone and out of sight, leaving their teammates with an uphill battle against the heavily favored US side.
   By the time the close of the first half came around, the US was in the lead by four goals. Even with relations improving between the US and Cuba in the past few months, the defectors threw a monkey wrench into the chemistry of their team, leaving them vulnerable to multiple attacks at goal, with few chances of their own. Although, the Cubans were crafty, showing good possession, they were heavily outmatched by the more experienced Americans. Dempsey scored a hat trick, on his quest to passing Donovan for the all-time US leader in goals. He’s looking more and more like Rudy Voller, the West German forward, a former teammate of Klinsmann. Voller was never fast, but fast enough. He wasn’t the quickest, but quick enough. He was crafty, always with an eye for goal. That’s a knack you can’t teach. Dempsey is the same in many regards. He has a knack for goal and he’s never been the fastest or the quickest, but he has enough of both. Years ago, he started out playing more in the style of Cristiano Ronaldo, on the wing, using moves, showing some flair. Nowadays he still has the flair of Ronaldo combined with the guile of Voller – that pesky sense around net that drives other teams crazy. Cuba sat back with no answer and a befuddled goalie. Now the US can look forward to putting this Quarterfinal behind them and moving onto the Semi’s next week.  

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new horizons flies by pluto (ns)

7/16/2015

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Picture
Nine years in the making, the spacecraft New Horizons flies by Pluto and checks in with the United States, NASA reports on 7-14-15. Moving 31,000 mph, it flew by the debatable planet, now considered a non-planet in some circles, reporting back on its progress to this point. Stephen Hawking sent a congratulatory message to NASA for the well-received mission in progress. Amy Shira Teitel reported on the similarities between earth and Pluto. Mainly, it is the nitrogen-based atmosphere that we share, which is one of the few things we have in common. Pluto's moon, Charon, is half its size, which is quite large, just as earth's moon is fairly large (compared to other moons out there, such as Jupiter's "solar system" of followers that are dwarfed in size). It is asserted by Teitel, and others, that a Mars-sized planet smashed into earth, causing our moon to come about. This is debated, still, though many believe this is the case. And they also think this is how Charon became Pluto's moon. 
   Photos of Charon and Pluto take about four to five hours to reach earth. Many people eagerly await the images. Past missions have yielded remarkable images of Mars, Saturn and Jupiter. New Horizons is capturing photos, and testing dust, among other things, looking at what the solar system looked like four and half billion years ago. 
   The team behind New Horizons assembled a particular set of instruments for the spacecraft's long journey. From NASA's website, here are the seven instruments built into New Horizons: 

"Ralph: Visible and infrared imager/spectrometer; provides color, composition and thermal maps.

Alice: Ultraviolet imaging spectrometer; analyzes composition and structure of Pluto's atmosphere and looks for atmospheres around Charon and Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs).

REX: (Radio Science EXperiment) Measures atmospheric composition and temperature; passive radiometer.

LORRI: (Long Range Reconnaissance Imager) telescopic camera; obtains encounter data at long distances, maps Pluto's farside and provides high resolution geologic data.

SWAP: (Solar Wind Around Pluto) Solar wind and plasma spectrometer; measures atmospheric "escape rate" and observes Pluto's interaction with solar wind.

PEPSSI: (Pluto Energetic Particle Spectrometer Science Investigation) Energetic particle spectrometer; measures the composition and density of plasma (ions) escaping from Pluto's atmosphere.

SDC: (Student Dust Counter) Built and operated by students; measures the space dust peppering New Horizons during its voyage across the solar system."


Other missions such as Voyager from the late 70's have made it past Pluto, the furtherest "planet" in our solar system. So many naysayers - who think we should send Tony Shalhoub to Pluto in character as "Monk" - question the purpose of these missions. Who knows, someday New Horizon, or another spacecraft equipped with a scientific gadgets that have brought crazy sci-fi ideas to life, may discover resources to help the quality of life on earth...or, as many scientists envisage: these missions will build the stepping stones toward off-planet colonies which would connect us closer and closer to the very distant places that are currently out of reach. One artifact attached to the craft was the Florida state quarter, which is part of the tradition of reaching out to the unknown. 


Below: The Golden Record sent by a past NASA mission. 

Picture
Picture
New Horizon, before launch, at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
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Gold cup 2015...game 3

7/16/2015

3 Comments

 
The Four Year Review: America's Quest for the Cup 
Featured also at Cardinal Publishers Group, July 2015

United States vs Panama 
7-13-15
Gold Cup

Panama had an uphill struggle trying to beat the US in order to qualify for the next round. It was a must win. The US, on the other hand, was already clear into the next phase of the tournament, on route for the final destination: the final game, and hopefully the Confederations Cup in 2017. There's something about CONCACAF uniforms that keep getting better and better. Panama is sponsored by New Balance. Who is sponsored by New Balance? I think it's the coolest thing in the world, just as Reebok sponsoring NFL teams is awesome. It's so nice to see teams wearing something other than the traditional monopoly of Adidas, Nike and Puma (to a lessor extent). Why not bust out some Diadora sponsorship, or maybe Lotto? Possibly, Saucony? The US home uniform is looking as good as it can get. All white, simple, classy. However, there's a slight discrepancy with the buttons on the collar. Some players button all the way up, while others leave the top button undone. Follow France's route: they have the top button naturally undone, leaving all the players looking the same. Onward with Panama! 
   The first half looked like absolute rubbish from the US; looking like days of old, with passes not connecting, no harmony and "bad tempo" as Brad Freidel pointed out. Panama got their much needed one goal lead but in the second half the US changed the lineup a bit, eventually outplaying the opponents. There was never a moment of "No mas" from the Panama side, even when the US tied the game in the second half and it became clear that they were on the way out. 
   Prior to the game, the Panamanian side complained of a previous referee and insisted on having a new one, which came to fruition at the last moment, unbeknownst to the US. The Mexican ref did a good job, letting the game flow, allowing the players to bump and grind, calling things fairly with the exception of a horrible oversight on a Bedoya breakaway as he was clearly fouled from behind. Yet, no foul was called, giving Panama a clear pass. Guzan was strong in goal, making a case to stay on board instead of the experienced Tim Howard. As the lineup continues to be tinkered with, Klinsmann and staff are finding "the way" the best they can, discovering many things along the journey. 
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gold cup 2015...game 2

7/13/2015

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The Four Year Review: America's Quest for the Cup 
Featured also at Cardinal Publishers Group, July 2015

United States vs Haiti
7-10-15
Gold Cup
Foxborough, MA

At Gillette Stadium the US advanced past a surprisingly good side, Haiti. Most teams will be sponsored by the usual brands, Nike, Adidas or Puma. Haiti, on the other hand, had Saeta written across their shirt. I haven’t heard of them but that was nice to see. Another miniscule aberration was Diskerud wearing Umbro shoes. That’s something you don’t often see from a center midfielder. A thumbs up for Haiti and Diskerud stepping outside the box. The game itself was open, back and forth, with good chances to score for both sides. Altidore was benched after first half blunders including bad passes, traps and shots. His replacement was Zardes who made an immediate impact, setting up a diagonal pass from the end-line to about the six where it connected with Dempsey for the eventual game winner. Guzan made good saves and was very active off his line, grabbing anything and everything around the top of the box as a good goalkeeper should. Ream played a very good, skillful game for the US in central defense working in tandem with the midfielders and forwards to create good possession stints. Haiti had a good effort, with a lot of fight to the very end. They were athletic and good on tackles but they lacked marking concepts, out of laziness or flat out unawareness leaving key US players open with ten to twenty yards of space, which put the Haitians in a position to make up for it with their speed and quickness, however, their one-v-one defensive skills were hit or miss. They were a good test as the US advances into the next round. 

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gold cup: what is it again? 

7/9/2015

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Picture
The Four Year Review: America's Quest for the Cup
Featured also at Cardinal Publishers Group

(Image courtesy of CONCACAF)



THE CONCACAF GOLD CUP
What is it? 

The CONCACAF Gold Cup has people excited, but scratching their heads. “What is it again?” they may ask. Soccer fans are exuberant but often there has been some ambiguity as to what the Gold Cup actually is...It is governed by CONCACAF and it is the main tournament for the region, which determines the champion of all CONCACAF, which is North America, Central America and Caribbean islands. For US fans, it’s the equivalent of the European Cup. It is held every two years.
   As of 2015, the winners of the two successive Gold Cups will face each other for a game to decide who will represent CONCACAF in the next Confederations Cup. (The Confederations Cup is the pre-tournament to the World Cup, taking place one year prior, held on the grounds of the host country, as a practice run for the World Cup. It gives the World Cup exposure while also giving the host nation an opportunity to test everything out from a practical sense with potential problems like stadium accessibility, traffic issues, parking issues, public transportation issues, hotel accommodations, crime, police response, working with TV stations, and so on.) As you may recall, the US did well in the 2009 South Africa Confederations Cup, reaching the final, eventually losing 3-2 to Brasil.
   If the same team is the winner of both consecutive Gold Cup tournaments then they automatically qualify for the Confederations Cup.
   Before 1961, the year CONCACAF formed, there was an attempt at a “Gold Cup” of sorts, which was broken into smaller regional match-ups in which Costa Rica did quite well dominating the Central America region, winning in 1941, 1946, 1948, 1953, 1955, 1960 and 1961.

1991: The Beginning   
   In more recent years, the first Gold Cup was in 1991, as the US won the title. Mexico went on to finish the decade winning three consecutive titles in 1993, 1996, 1998. From 1996 to 2003 the rules were broken a little bit as guest nations like Brasil were invited to join the Gold Cup (likely to give it more exposure). I remember these years, and it left myself and others slightly befuddled, wondering: What is the Gold Cup? Just a tournament for the sake of having a tournament, or, a special CONCACAF-only competition? Then in 2005, it returned to only CONCACAF members. With the exception of Canada winning in 2000, it has been a back-to-back struggle for supremacy between the US and Mexico.

The 2015 groups are:

A) US, Haiti, Panama, Honduras

B) Costa Rica, El Salvador, Canada, Jamaica

C) Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, Guatemala, Cuba

   From the Group Stage goes the Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Third Place match and the Final game.
   Get ready for large attendance numbers as the 2011 championship at the Rose Bowl between the US and Mexico held over 91,000 people, and the 2013 final between the US and Panama at Soldier Field in Chicago brought in over 57,000 fans.
   The US looks to be the favorite this year around, with Mexico disappointing many fans with recent losses. Costa Rica should turn heads as the second best team in the running, coming off their successful 2014 World Cup run.
   Currently, Mexico is in the lead with six titles, as the US is knocking on the door with five, giving the American team a lot of motivation to surpass them, one tournament at a time. 


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gold cup 2015...game 1

7/8/2015

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Gold Cup 2015
US vs. Honduras

Featured also at Cardinal Publishers Group, July 2015

Kicking off the Gold Cup competition the US played Central American rival, Honduras. Unfortunately for Honduras, they outplayed the US on the field but lost on the scorecard as Dempsey knocked in two. The play was back-and-forth, the US had better scoring opportunities, while Honduras had plenty of dangerous moments around goal but none of them – save for a few – seemed to have any shock value. In other words, there was never any substantial trepidation around them scoring. For some reason, each chance predictably went wide or over the goal, even on sure-opportunities that “my grandma” could put in. Chippy play amounted to an intense game; however, Honduras was dragging their feet by the end, looking very fatigued. This opening win in a Gold Cup game marked "thirteen out of thirteen" opening wins for the US. Pretty good. “Pretty, pretty good,” as Larry David would say. 
   As a good preparation for the World Cup, the Gold Cup is a good test for where the team needs to be. Looking three years down the line, Klinsmann must be noticing Dempsey has slowed down a little bit. In years past, say, ten years ago, Dempsey was extremely quick on the dribble with a burst, which he lacks now. He was never “Donovan fast” but he was quick. If Donovan and Cobi Jones were to race, Donovan would win in a fifty-yard or one hundred-yard dash. However in a shuttle run, from a distance of ten or twenty yards, Cobi Jones would probably have the edge. Quick and fast are different. Dempsey will have to avoid injuries to make the squad in 2018 and use what speed he has left, along with his experience. For US fans, should the team qualify, this will likely be Dempsey’s last World Cup appearance. First things first would be the Gold Cup…and Dempsey is clearly the best player on the field, keeping the team dangerous, while keeping opponents off balance. The next game should be an easy win for the US, hoping to go undefeated. 

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us wins #3 in great fashion!

7/5/2015

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US vs. Japan
The 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Championship

Featured also at Cardinal Publishers Group, July 2015
Part of the Summer Soccer Blog Series

The rematch was set to commence. Four short years ago, in 2011, which may seem like an eternity for some of the players, the US lost an agonizing defeat against the talented Japanese in the final match. With all eyes on Vancouver, the beauty of fate in sports gave everyone another chance to sit back and watch two great teams do it all over again. I’m tempted to make the most suspect analogy but it’s worth it. When it comes to the US vs. Japan the US is “Maverick,” Tom Cruise, and Japan is the “Iceman,” Val Kilmer. The US has to live up to the reputation of “Duke Mitchell” (the 99’ squad) and they have something to prove, playing with great skill, momentum and two inches from the edge, just like Maverick and Goose. Japan is steady, always patient, wearing you down, waiting for a moment to strike, just like the Iceman and Slider. In an attempt to find out “who is the best” the US had to go through the better team, the number one ranked team in the world, Germany (AKA “Cougar”), who lost their wings, in a momentary lapse of concentration…(Yes, I’m stuck in the 80s; you should see how I dress.)
   In front of over 53,000 fans in Vancouver, Canada, it was finally time for Maverick, who’s athletic, daring and emotional, to go head-to-head with the steady, precise, perfection-oriented Iceman. Maybe, just maybe, the US would have to tap the brakes for a moment allowing Japan to fly right by, for an opening at goal. Not exactly.
   The only brake taping may have arrived later in the game as the US was holding on to a secure victory. As most people know, the game erupted with two early goals from Lloyd, setting the stadium ablaze with excitement. Six minutes hadn’t even gone by and it was 2-0! By the time the third came – still in the first half, mind you – no one thought it could happen, but it did: Lloyd scored a hat trick…in the first half. Not only was it a hat trick, which is rare enough in soccer, it was a hat trick in the first half, and, from a long distance “chip shot” from half field, as Lloyd capitalized. This is a shot which many people have tried and failed, only to occur on rare highlight goals from VHS tapes called “The 100 Greatest Goals” and it’s done by some Englishman in the mid-80s. And Lloyd scored one to complete a hat trick, in the championship game? Yep. It’s the equivalent to a NFL quarterback throwing five or six touchdown passes in the first half of a Super Bowl. Maybe. It’s hard to compare. The point is, you’re not going to see something like this very often. And that made it 4-0. The US was sailing. Japan, on the other hand, kept things steady, chiseling away at possession, eventually knocking in a goal before the half let out.
   By the second half, Sawa, Japan’s best player from the past had joined the pitch, hoping to improve the effort. It became 4-2, with Miyama, the talented number eight, leading the way and at this moment Japan had a chance. With one more goal they could have put the US on their heels with the unthinkable comeback, however, Heath found a nice pass on her foot in front of the goal for a guided one-touch score, which took away Japan’s momentum.
   For soccer fans of “yesterday” so to speak, Christie Rampone got subbed in at the young age of forty. Born on June 24, 1975, she completed a cycle of sorts, from the 99’ bunch to now. She played with the national team on-and-off since 1997 but was left off the memorable 99’ roster. From 2003-2009, she took a break from the game, returning all this time later to join Wambach on the stage to hoist the trophy high in the air for a triumphant victory against a worthy rival, bringing a third World Cup title to the United States Women’s side.
   Sepp Blatter, the President of FIFA, usually presides over the ceremonial functions but he was absent this time around saying, “…I won’t take any travel risks,” being investigated by the US Department of Justice for the legal problems he and many of his FIFA colleagues are facing at the moment. This was only a footnote to an otherwise remarkable game as the US team stole the show in fashion, golden confetti and all. To play with such style late in the tournament was a huge turn around for a team many people were questioning in the early rounds. Analysts noted good play here and there but spoke with trepidation. The talent was there; the potential was there, yet they weren’t “impressing” anybody. Sure, they had moments of brilliance, but the immediate future was gloomy, at best. Then, from the China match onward, everything clicked as the team was destined to stand in the middle of golden confetti to be compared – rightly so – with the 99’ squad, who they’ve been chasing all this time.
   At this point, the team will enjoy the celebrations and get ready for the next time around! 

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    KEY
    (NS) refers to "Non-Soccer" related blog entries, stories and essays.

    Author

    Shane Stay, author of The Euro 2020, The World Cup 2018 Book, Why American Soccer Isn't There Yet.

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    All Written Work Copyright 2014-2023 Shane Stay

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