No Robinho, Kaka or Ronaldinho in the Brazil squad for this summer's showpiece - not a huge surprise, but all 3 will be missed, although they are no longer at the peak of their powers.
Who else will be missed this summer?
The easy answer is Zlatan, but we'll exclude him as Sweden didn't qualify.
Any thoughts? The early answer is Francesco Totti, although I'm still holding out hope that he makes the Italian squad.
Micheal Bradley, Tim Cahill and Omar Gonzalez came to visit today and all three were making the right noises about MLS.
Bradley was insistent that MLS is no longer a place where players come to end their careers. Having joined Toronto FC at 26, 10 years after playing for the MetroStars, Bradley said that the quality of the league is now starting to match the rest of the world. Saying that he wanted to build something in the sportscentric Canadian city, Bradley said that, although he may have unfinished business in Europe, MLS is the place for him right now.
He noted how all the strong international teams have a core group of players in their domestic league, something MLS has done ahead of the World Cup in Brazil this summer.
Although pushed a little on preparations for the World Cup, conditions in Brazil and their international careers, what came across was how impressed they were with the growth and direction of MLS.
Talking about the star power of David Beckham and Thierry Henry, Cahill commented on the organizational strengths on the league and how the structure is key to continued development. He mentioned the excitement of being part of a group that is building the league and taking the world game to a place of its own in the US where it doesn't need to compete with other sports.
Ahead of the season's start on March 8, the players raved about the soccer specific stadiums helping to build rivalries and create match-ups that fans can't wait to see.
Gonzalez said while he's going to be disappointed to leave the Galaxy for a month during the World Cup, that playing for your country supercedes everything, and that the league is now strong enough to hold its own even if the stars are off for a few weeks.
Roll on the new season as there are now plenty of players here in MLS that will feature in Brazil - a trend that looks set to continue as the league grows.
World Cup year, top league signings making headlines
The 2013-2014 offseason in Major Leage Soccer was no ordinary trip for football fans that usually kick back and wait out the longest break in between campaigns for any domestic league in the world. In fact, we'd have to point out that this was--and continues to be--one of the more exciting offseasons in league history.
As preseason training kicked off this past weekend, supporters furiously are trying to keep up with any latest signings or rumors of potential signings before the domestic championship kicks off in early March. Next year, the league welcomes two more teams to its format--New York City FC and Orlando SC.
So ahead of what should be a pivotal year before the expansion teams join the fray, we take a look at some of the top signings and trades that will make for an electric season for MLS this year in the midst of the World Cup in Brazil.
* Toronto FC's double-capture of England international Jermain Defoe and U.S. national-team stalwart Michael Bradley set a precedent not only to other sides but to the league in itself and marks an important chapter in the book of U.S. soccer. The signings represent a new era whereby MLS is announcing to the world that it will seek some of the better players it's strived to obtain earlier in its history, whether that means paying out a larger transfer fee or splashing cash in a hefty contract. Despite a dropoff in attendance, supporters of the Reds are some of the more loyal in the league and BMO Field should be rocking come March.
* While Philadelphia Union's acquisition of U.S. international Maurice Edu hasn't been made official yet, the signing would represent yet another coup for the league if Edu can reignite his form that gave him 45 appearances in the national team kit. The Union is looking to build a foundation in its midfield as Edu is only 27 and the team is already on the hunt for others to upgrade its unit and complement Edu. Philadelphia looks like a good bet to get back into the playoffs and keep PPL Park loud and boisterous.
* Eddie Johnson has had a roller coaster ride in his stint with Seattle Sounders but after the Washington side grabbed Kenny Cooper, EJ's days were numbered. DC United now hope his goal-scoring threats can help United climb out of a disastrous 2013 season in which they finished dead last.
* Before a car crash that claimed the life of a friend and caused major injuries to him, Charlie Davies had a successful season in France and was riding high. After slowly recuperating, he is now back on the pitch and seeks to seize on the opportunity bestowed on him with New England Revolution, who made his loan from last year into a permanent deal.
* Seven years ago, legend Guillermo Barros Schelotto put MLS on the map in Argentina and his Columbus Crew jersey was seen at Boca Juniors games. Today, Argentine players look at MLS as a viable option as current Crew forward Federico Higuain--brother of Napoli's Gonzalo--noted to a publication in his home country. Case in point, Portland Timbers. The fanatical support, the beauty of the city and its surroundings and the professionalism displayed in training and overall regime have given its four Argentines currently on its roster a new love for the game in the U.S. The Oregon side have brought in Gaston Fernandez from Estudiantes and Norberto Paparatto from Tigre.
Of course, we still have the silly season upon us where players like Xavi, Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole continue to be linked with the league. But unlike its early days, MLS is now in a position to capture these and other players, who it seems more and more are looking at America's top flight as a serious competition.
All 32 places for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil are now taken
after the play-off games were completed this week, and the field has a familiar
look to it. Twenty-four of the 32 teams are same as in 2010, with the
qualification process seemingly paving the way for the bigger teams to make the
tournament.
Mexico won just two of their 10 games in the final round of
qualifying, yet still got another chance to make it by playing a home and home
series with New Zealand, a team ranked 79 in the world (Mexico are 24).
Bosnia-Herzegovina are the only debutants, with 14 of the 32 teams having
reached double digits in appearances (Brazil 2014 is the 20th World
Cup).
Although 76 different national teams have made the finals, there have only been 17 new teams since the format expanded to 32 teams in 1998, and only seven of those have made a repeat appearance.
Only South American teams have won the tournament when it's been held in the Americas, and no team from outside of Europe or South America have ever made the final in any World Cup - so although it's great to see representation from Algeria to Australia, it's unlikely they will reach the later stages - with South Korea and the US (in 1930) the only teams from outside the traditional powerbases to even make a semi-final.
The African teams tend to vary a little, but teams from Asia, South
America, North and Central America and Europe are largely the same every four
years. Some bigger European nations always miss out as the region gets 13 spots
for 53 nations, but it’s the World Cup and the beauty of it is seeing teams
from all over the world – because there’s no other stage to potentially watch
Iran against Costa Rica.
Tevez in form back in Italy, Argentina move on in N.J.
Argentina manager Alejandro Sabella refuses to discuss Carlos Tevez and his absence from the national team. Although he does his best to be mild-mannered about it, you can sense his tiresome sighs as he fields inquiries from his country's reporters at the Westin Hotel in Jersey City, N.J. where the team is stationed at ahead of tonight's friendly against Ecuador at MetLife Stadium.
Sabella feels it's disrespectful to speak of a player that's currently not with the team and also belittles the ones that are.
Fair enough.
But why--with Lionel Messi out nursing the most famous hamstring in the world--would Sabella not call El Apache up? The man has netted six times in 11 matches so far with Juventus following his transfer from Manchester City and has looked in fine form. He's happy in Turin, is more comfortable with the language and has an array of talent surrounding him that fits his on-the-pitch personality, giving him the fuel to perform.
His last appearance in the famous sky blue and white colors was at Copa America 2011 in Argentina where the home side was eliminated in penalty kicks to Uruguay in the quarterfinals. Tevez missed his from the spot.
From there speculation arose about his commitment to the national team. There were murmurs of attitude, unhappiness and burnout. His rift with then-manager Roberto Mancini at City that led to him taking leave from the team didn't help his cause. Tevez also had made remarks about quitting his international career at 28 years old on several occasions. You have to wonder what his mindset is at now.
However, the joy that is displayed on his face this season is priceless. He comes from a rough Buenos Aires neighborhood called Fuerte Apache and may not be the most articulate or engaging individual to the press and upper management but he is a true warrior of the game, representing what we all strive to do whether on the pitch or off of it. Tevez isn't Cristiano Ronaldo-glamorous but his hard-working personality sparks a demeanor that makes us fans root for him. And he will surely be missed tonight in New Jersey.
So the big game tomorrow in the European playoffs for the Brazil 2014 World Cup has to be Greece v Romania. Can't wait for that one!
Then there's Portugal v Sweden. Cristiano against Zlatan. The two superstars have 48 goals between them this year, and 7 hat-tricks. With Lionel Messi injured, these two are the best two players in the game right now.
Zlatan has it all - the goals he scores are unbelievable, but his technique is phenomenal. He's such a character and has a personality that Brazil needs next summer.
Ronaldo is moody, elusive and more model than footballer. But what a footballer. He has everything, and has to be considered one of the greats of the game already - and he's only 28.
But we can't have both. Never team could win their group, although Sweden had a much tougher task after being paired with Germany. And the luck (or should we say bad luck) drew the two teams together. I wouldn't be bothered if Sweden or Portugal weren't there, but if Ronaldo and Zlatan aren't there, they will be missed.
France should beat Ukraine over two legs. They have quality at the back and in midfield, with Ukraine posing little threat in my opinion. Iceland are huge underdogs against Croatia, but they are the feel good story of European qualification. Greece and Romania is a game that doesn't excite me at all, which probably means it will be the best one. Neither team will do much in Brazil, but then I said that when Greece won the Euros in 2004!
I'm taking Sweden to win over the two legs, with Greece, Iceland and France joining them. Cristiano has it all already, and he'll sulk for a while, but then console himself with his model girlfriend, millions of dollars and addiction to sunbeds.
FIFA's overlord wants to do away with World Cup playoffs
Sepp Blatter, not one to provide the most glamorous of quotes, may have gotten it right this time around. What's the point of the playoff system to enter the World Cup?
Yesterday, Mexico trampled a New Zealand side that hoped to minimize the goalfest by hanging back but the desperate Aztecs--with a hounding press and angry supporter base--penetrated the Kiwis' wall for five in the net that surely will secure its ticket to Brazil next year, barring a collapse in the second leg next week. And don't forget this Mexico side was a domestic side with the majority of them from Club America.
Meanwhile, in Jordan, Uruguay may as well have whipped out a chalkboard and pull up some chairs to teach football to the Asian side. The gap in class was evident almost immediately and the South Americans showed no mercy in the midst of a timid atmosphere compared to the hostilities shown on their home continent when visiting places like Bogota, Quito and Lima.
It's understandable that FIFA and its money-making machine looks to expand and include non-traditional powers into the mix (see Qatar 2022) but the reality is yesterday's results show how much the continuing changes in its system to attract some sort of competitive balance on a global scale is....well, Blatteresque.
There are lots of relieved people in Mexico this morning. Thanks to some late goals for the US against Panama, Mexico still have a chance to make it to Brazil next summer.
The Mexican drama has been like one of their infamous soap operas. An overhead kick with 5 mins to go to beat Panama, an unbelievable miss by Chicharito, followed by a Graham Zuzi header for the US in stoppage time to give the Mexicans a lifeline after they lost away in Costa Rica.
Mexico have always qualified when the competition was held in the Americas (1930, 50, 62, 70, 78, 86 and 94), and no doubt will have a good following if they beat New Zealand in two-leg playoff in November.
But surely it's now time that the CONCACAF region made a change in how teams qualify - or maybe FIFA need to look at taking one of the 3 automatic places away - or at least ditch the Intercontinental playoff game.
Mexico finished 4th in a group of 6, only won 2 games, scoring just 7 goals. This is undoubtedly one of the weakest Mexican teams in recent memory - they are so bad that they can't even rough teams up like they used to.
They finished behind the US, Costa Rica and Honduras - the latter two of which are highly unlikely to make it out of the group stages in Brazil. So why should Mexico get yet another chance to go? They have been very poor and don't deserve to be at the main event. The US have a decent team, but not one you would say is going to genuinely contend at the World Cup. Jurgen Klinsmann has done a very good job, and the US have completely dominated the region, but they really should - beating teams like Antigua & Barbuda, Guatemala and Jamaica should be pretty straightforward. But you can only beat the teams put in front of you.
And Mexico couldn't.
New Zealand won 6 of 6 in their region, but they should too - Tahiti and New Caledonia aren't much of a test either.
Maybe FIFA needs to revamp the qualifying process as it seems like they want some of the same teams there at every World Cup. With the current system, the US are pretty much guaranteed to be in, and it seems Mexico are being given more chances than most to also be there.
Everything you need to know about the Egypt-Ghana match can be summarized in one word: letdown.
With their 6-1 loss to Ghana on Tuesday, Egypt is in a deep hole in their attempt to qualify for their first World Cup since 1990. The beating makes all of the recent press coverage on Bob Bradley's impressive and inspiring run at the helm a bit moot and a lot anticlimactic.
The story of Bradley going over to Egypt and taking on their soccer culture amid turmoil in the country is a tremendous one. Not many would have guessed an American coach would take the Pharaohs to a perfect 6-for-6 record in World Cup qualifying.
I found myself rooting for the Egyptian side for the quality narrative it would have made in Brazil and to see the former U.S. coach make a little bit of history in such an unlikely place.
Unfortunately, with a 5-goal cushion heading into the second leg, Ghana may have just ended this remarkable story before it got really interesting.
England have failed to win a major tournament since 1966, but need some perspective.
Quite simply, if they don't beat Poland, they will face a playoff game - because Ukraine will beat San Marino.
They are guaranteed a place in a two-leg tie where they could face Portugal, Sweden, Croatia or France and others.
But England don't have the right to qualify just because they invented the game 150 years ago. The problems the English national team have created are largely their own fault. Yes, the media is a huge issue as they only deal in soundbites, but some perspective is needed.
England last won a major tournament in 1966 - their only success. And would they have won it if Pele hadn't been kicked off the park in the early rounds? Maybe as they had some fantastic players, but that was a tournament held in England when they genuinely had world-class players. They could have repeated in 1970 had Gordon Banks not been ill for the quarter-final against West Germany, but that fantastic Brazil team of Jarzinho, Pele, Carlos Alberto etc, probably still would have won in Mexico.
The Premier League is fantastic, the players (of all nations) are a pleasure to see. And I don't blame the growth of foreign players in the league as part of the reason England aren't successful. If anything, it has helped. Kids want to emulate Gullit, Juninho, Ronaldo, Zola et. all - it's much better than them growing up with Carlton Palmer, Warren Barton or Kyle Walker on their wall. These players are distinctly average and aren't the world beaters the nation expects.
Be thankful there have been 'world-class' stars like Gascoigne, Keegan, Hoddle and Lineker, because there have been lots of awful players to pull on the shirt. We don't need names, but you all know who they are/were.
I'm not sure how this media coverage helps anyone.
The hype surrounding Wilshire, Rooney, Owen and other 'wonderkids' is stupid - they can never be who the media thinks they could have been. Let's not make Andros Townsend the next 'saviour'. He's not, he's an average player hoping to be part of an average international team that goes to Brazil next summer - which is where every player and fan wants to be - and nobody has the right to be there, you have to earn it.
It's a small country that no longer deserves to be considered a big team in world football. I want them to win as much as the next Englishman, but I'd prefer them to qualify, participate in the big tournaments and maybe pull off a shock or two.
A win against Poland would be great, but then the media machine starts again, placing the players and Roy Hodgson in a no-win situation. Celebrate any win, and enjoy winning. Watching England shouldn't be so stressful that we don't enjoy it. Because there's still a playoff should it be needed.
Some exciting qualifiers in Europe on Friday, a great comeback from Colombia to draw 3-3 with Chile, goals galore in the African playoff games, and now it's Monday.
Hurry up and be done so we can get to the big games on Tuesday.
Ethiopia play Nigeria for a place in Brazil next summer
Brazil are hosting the 20th World Cup next summer.
They qualify automatically, and have so far been joined by Japan, Australia, South Korea, Iran, Holland, Italy, Costa Rica, Argentina and the USA. 10 names are confirmed, with another 7 having the possibility of joining them today.
Belgium, Germany and Switzerland are all in if they win - and I can't see Ireland upsetting the Germans, and it's even more unlikely that the Swiss will lose to Albania.
Russia can qualify if Portugal lose to Israel - it's not worth mentioning that the Russians play Luxembourg, 3 points have never been so easy - just ask Northern Ireland...oh wait. Honduras can make it if they beat Costa Roca and Mexico don't beat Panama.
Colombia and Chile can both clinch from South America, and even if they don't do it right now, both will get it done soon.
But who does that leave?
Spain and France are going to be the top 2 in their group, and it seems likely the holders will get teh automatic place. England have 'amazingly difficult' games against Montenegro and then Poland at home if they are going to clinch the automatic place - that's in quotes because the British press would have you believe that those games at home are too much for a team that includes so-called world beaters like Rooney, Gerrard and Wilshire. Can't have it both ways unless you're the British press - at club level, the players are the best in world, but not so much once the England shirt goes on.
Plus there are so big games in Africa - Ghana against Egypt, Senegal v Ivory Coast, and underdogs Ethiopia and Burkina Faso both still have a chance to make it. It's 5 from 10 in Africa, with the second leg in November after the openers this weekend.
Ecuador, Venezuela and Uruguay seem to be fighting it out for one automatic place and the chance to play Jordan in a qualifier - can't see that qualifier being much harder than playing the Page 3 girl Jordan, so it seems like 2 of 3 from there.
But there's still loads to play for with a couple of games left - 22 names still need to be confirmed, but we'll probably have 16 of the 32 known about once the weekend is over. Settle in, get the DVR cleared out, because there is a lot of football to watch this weekend.
Many questions were answered last night: how would the US fare against El Tri without the injured Michael Bradley and three suspended players (just fine), would they beat Mexico 2-0 once again in Columbus (they did), would Honduras send us through to Brazil (also, yes).
But the one question that we still don't have a clear answer for is what in god's name happened to Landon Donovan's eye?!?
I mean look at this thing!
The picture made the rounds over Twitter and the rest of the Interwebs last night during the match. It became such a meme that someone came up with that oh-so-clever thing of having his eye tweeting in the first-person from a single-serving Twitter account. I wonder how soon that thing will go dormant.
While ESPN's Roger Bennett said Donovan had an eye infection, I came up with my own theories as to why Landon looks like he went toe-to-toe with Floyd Mayweather.
From least likely to most likely:
5) He's been possessed. With qualification still up in the air, Landon took one for the team and sold his soul to the devil to ensure a trip to Brazil. But since selling your soul is a high price to pay, I'm sure Landon got his money's worth and the US is guaranteed to take home the gold trophy next year.
4) He got punched in the eye at Friday's. Now hear me out - the night before the match, the boys went out to the local pub to enjoy a few beers and watch some Monday Night (American) Football. (In Columbus, the place to go is TGI Friday's.) Hailing from California, Landon probably supports the San Diego Chargers, so naturally he was sporting a Phillip Rivers jersey.
Right before he bit into a jalapeno popper (his favorite), some drunk local started jawing at him over his taste in quarterbacks. (Unsurprisingly, Rivers cost the man a fantasy football championship the year before) Landon defended his QB's rep, things got heated and a few punches were thrown. Landon took a fist to the eye. (He deserved it as Rivers stinks.)
3) He's wearing fashion contact lenses and one fell out. He wanted to look intimidating so he bought a pair of those awful lenses. You try finding a tiny, clear plastic lens on a giant green pitch.
2) He's been crying over his breakup with his wife. Yes, his split with actress Bianca Kijilic happened way back in 2010, but I could see why he might still be upset.
and the most likely scenario...
1) He has pinkeye because he doesn't wash his hands properly after wiping / or someone farted on his pillow. Pinkeye, or conjunctivitis, is the swelling of the mucus membrane between the eye and eyelid and it can be caused by allergies, bacteria or a virus (such as herpes!). Hands can become contaminated by coming in contact with infectious tears, eye discharge, fecal matter, or respiratory discharges, according to the CDC.
If pinkeye is indeed the case, it's probably because Landon was in such a hurry to get back on the practice field to ensure US domination that he skipped a step or two while utilizing the training facility commode.
Or maybe someone just farted on his pillow. It could have been a prank gone horribly awry by one of his puckish teammates (my money is on Eddie Johnson) or a revenge stunt by the hotel staff in Costa Rica. We may never know for sure.
What we do know is that pinkeye is pretty contagious, so I'm surprised he didn't find himself in open space more often last night. And while it hasn't been confirmed if beer helps with conjunctivitis, I doubt anybody was in a rush to hold his bottle for him.
First of all, congratulations. The US have qualified for the World Cup in Brazil next summer.
They deserve to be there, but frankly, they should qualify every time if the CONCACAF regions continues to get 3 automatic spots and the chance of a 4th. The US have now qualified 7 times in a row, but it's tough to think they'll ever be the 5th worst team in the region - especially when FIFA ranks Haiti as the 6th best team in CONCACAF. Yes, Mexico have been awful this qualifying campaign, but they still have a very good chance to finish 4th and reach a playoff against New Zealand (ranked 57th in the World).
The region isn't necessarily too easy, they just get too many qualifying spots - make it a hard 3 and the games would be even more competitive, and ultimately improve the standard.
The thing the US need to do now is play difficult games against top European, African and South American opposition. I hope Jurgen Klinsmann and the US Federation arrange friendly games with teams that will challenge them, and highlight the weaknesses.
Currently, the full-backs and outside midfielders are the weak links - with the exception of Landon Donovan. DaMarcus Beasley and Fabian Johnson aren't good enough, Alejandro Bedoya isn't ready yet. Klinsmann needs to get Brek Shea back in form, look to the MLS for new full backs and develop a system to utilize the strengths of Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey - by far their best players.
Now is a time to celebrate, but finishing second in the group in Brazil and not progressing in the knockout stages isn't progress for soccer in the US. Now is the time to build and improve - simply qualifying isn't a measure of success for the US anymore, competing at the highest level should be the goal.
England boss Roy Hodgson can't win, even if he wins. If England beat Ukraine later, they would be pretty close to being able to book tickets to Brazil - and start the paperwork for all the convicted criminals in the team to get visas! But they are expected to make the major tournaments, even tho they haven't won one since 1966 - just so that the fans can turn on the team, get depressed, smash up the bar and boycott the favorite beer of the host nation or team that knocked them out.
So here's to the optimism of England fans, and the hope that a win is on the cards, just so I can get easy access to Bohemia beers on the Copacabana next summer!
There's a Japan v Ghana friendly, Lithuania v Liechtenstein and a few other real humdingers.
In other news, there are plenty of games that could decide who we will see in Brazil next summer - if only they had a playoff between Alexi Lalas and Mark Lawrenson so that we wouldn't have to see both of them talking about the World Cup. Hopefully Tommy Smyth has already been eliminated as the Faroe Islands of football announcers - it's not in the Ol' Onion Bag for you Tommy, you bell end.
The US v Mexico, Ukraine v England, Armenia v Denmark, Italy v Czech Republic - can't wait for it all to start. I'm almost as excited as this fella...
The soccer gods aren't all against you, they just don't care
The Geezer supports England and West Ham United; yours truly follows Peru, Alianza Lima and the New York Red Bulls; Nick the American obviously roots for the U.S. but, by all accounts, is making a serious attempt to sew his loyalties to the Philadelphia Union.
What's missing here are the glamour teams. So, yes, we're used to losing. A lot. Suffice to say, the mediocrity of our sides builds our football character. Or so we'd like to think. But at least we're realists.
Come Friday, realists will be outnumbered by the delusional.
As World Cup qualifying winds down to the final matches by year's end, nationalistic pride will take over the lot of us. The conspiracy theorists will no doubt keep us abreast of their thinkings with pure muppetries disguised as analysis:
*the sub-human match officials were bought out, obviously by the opposing team's mafia connections;
*the pitch is in dire condition because of the rain, snow, hail, locusts plague, purposely produced by the host side and its relationship with Mother Nature;
*your beloved team was cursed by witch doctors (happens all the time in South America!);
*the manager is a clueless sap; how dare federation administrators hire him without your input;
*all of the above merits conspiracy thoughts because your side is just too good for the rest of us minnows.
Hyperbole aside, there indeed have been examples of match-fixing, incompetence and unfair play throughout this game's history, we'll give you that. But, then again, what sport hasn't? And it's doubtful that it happens every time your side is down. However, this doesn't matter to the deluded fan because logic and practicability have no part in its quest to be champions of the universe.
The ineptitude in tactics used by your nation's gaffer can be questioned; the lack of dignified work by your nation's players on the field can be criticized; hell, even the two same, boring songs that your supporters belt out throughout the match deserve some scrutiny.
But any external factors that affect your role as a fan should not be outweighed by the silliness and hypothetical reasonings you find that justifies your team's ineffectiveness. Because at the end of the day, your team is crap, my team is crap, our teams are crap.
And unless your bloodlines consists of the Spanish, Brazilian, Italian or French regions, then reality should set in as quickly as possible. Or at least before that first drink on Friday!
"I'm asking you all to string three passes, three!! Not 28 like Barcelona!" --the furious geezer in the video says in Spanish, aside from some other choice words. At least he blames his own players.
Tio Pelotas provides a small glimpse of what's to come on a fun FIFA friendly day
So it's friendly-match day. Some of us don't care because they're just that---friendlies--while others do because it's more football in the middle of August. With summer winding down here in the States, school about to start and, oh yeah, World Cup qualifiers, major European campaigns and MLS playoffs nearing, let's look at some of the matches on tap for tomorrow:
South Korea-Peru (5am) - South Korea went to the World Cup semifinals in 2002; Peru went to the World Cup in 1982. This has 0-0 written all over it.
Chile-Iraq (noon) - Iraq is rebuilding and will face the wrath of Chile's attack. Chile reportedly will play Iran in its next friendly. No word or confirmation if North Korea is on tap as well.
Colombia-Serbia (2pm) - Radamel Falcao is rich, good-looking, scored on his Ligue 1 debut over the weekend, just became a dad and his side is close to a World Cup ticket, its first in more than 15 years. Now he's the most interesting man in the world.
Bosnia-USA (2:30pm) - Clint Dempsey is big news in the US but won't be in Bosnia for this friendly. No problem. Maybe. OK, crap, 'merica may be in trouble. Bosnia is a scary side, ranked 13th in the world, has a goal differential of plus-20 in their qualifying group after six matches without a defeat.
Italy-Argentina (2:45pm) - So who does avid footy fan Pope Francis root for in this one? (I know, I know, the whole world used that one today.)
Switzerland-Brazil (2:45pm) - Neymar avoided a press conference, just hours ahead of the match, leaving the band of journalists fuming. But poor Neymar was still reeling after being profiled at a local boutique when told a handbag he wanted to look at was too expensive for him.
England-Scotland (3pm) - For the good of this historic rivalry match, please invite Gazza. Oh, and Wayne Rooney too.
Belgium-France (3pm) - Yes, England is not involved here but between these two sides, there's around 20 Premier League players. 20.
Portugal-Netherlands (3:30pm) - Of course all eyes will be on Ronaldo and Robin van Persie but the true supporters will be on the lookout to see whose gonads Pepe will stomp on.
Ecuador-Spain (4pm) - Both sides will honor the late Christian Benitez, who died last month at 27. The match will take place in Guayaquil, Ecuador, home of Barcelona SC, 6000 miles away from the Nou Camp, home of FC Barcelona.
Mexico-Ivory Coast (9pm) - No Chicharito but we do have Drogba, Gervinho, Salomon Kalou and Yaya Toure here in Giants Stadium (not calling it MetLife) in the beautiful outskirts of northern New Jersey. Mexico manager Chepo de la Torre will be seeking out help from state troopers if results don't go his way because you can bet there will be a sea of angry Mexican supporters.
