Air Qatar

So the good ole U-S-of-A lost the 2022 World Cup to Qatar. Let me say that again, we lost to Qatar. What do they have that we don't have...money. To be clear, buckets of oil soaked money that can be spent getting attention from aged fat men sitting in leather chairs with "FIFA" embroidered on the head rest. We spend our money on oil spills and the military...way less fun than World Cups. And to be honest, I'm not sure why we're so upset. Sure, I was like everyone else on the planet when the announcement was made..."good one, now grab the REAL envelope", after all, we're America...right. But alas, it's true! Now let's get back to the "I'm not sure why we're so upset" part. This IS America, we invented the idea of getting attention for no "valid" reason. Paris Hilton. Kim Kardashian. Who's gonna step up and tell me that either of these two deserve to be twittered and facebooked about on a minute by minute basis. Why do they deserve to be splashed across the internet and reported on as if their movements between Starbucks and Harry Winstons need to be tracked because they hold the fate of the world in Sepp there Gucci bags. They have money...and lot's of it, and they can spend it on stupid things like miniature chihuahua's, diamond crusted cell phones, and lip injections. They can also buy coverage. They can pay people to like them. They can pay people to put them on TV and in movies. Face it folks...hard work is for suckers; honesty and respect good you a good seat at church but screwed at the office and at poker.

Why did Qatar get the World Cup, because they could, and that's how the world works these days. And if you don't like it, don't tip the guy at the door to get in, because you'll be just like Qatar, only poorer and waaaaaaaaay less hot.

Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses...

I have been mocked

I have been ridiculed

I have been disrespected

I have disappointed

I have broken hearts

I have been ignored

I have been dismissed

I have been patient

I have felt the weight of the world

I have lifted a nation

I am American Soccer

I Quit...in a few months...maybe!

Professional sporting has always defied logic...don't believe me, remember when the New York Red Bulls were the Western Conference Champions? Did you see the Flyers comeback from a 3-0 series deficit, and a 3-0 game deficit to eliminate the Bruins from the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs....inconceivable! You get the point.

What I'm talking about is the comments from agents. Logically, the time to start up the press release machine is when the recent stellar performance of your client tips the scales in his/her favor in order to acquire more money. Like when you were a colossal disappointment in the latest USA National Team Friendlies, or the going goal-less so far in the MLS Season (this was before Thursday). Clearly Robbie's agent suffers from Tourettes when it comes to negotiating through the press, OR the intern he has working for him hit "send" to early.

Where in the manual of "Sports Agentry" does it state: "Piss off the management of your clients team by stating that your client is going to Europe at the end of the season, event though he's out of contract at the end of the season anyway". Genius! What type of illuminating resume deeds proves your an a**hole enough to be a sports agent...2001-2002: Clubbed Baby Seals in Antarctica, 2002-2004: Health Insurance Claims Adjuster, 2006-2009 Tobacco Exec, 2009-2010 Massey Mining - Head of Safety?

Or is Mr. Findley's agent simply trying to get the money now...whether from RSL or a team in Europe? Has he seen the writing on the wall with the stellar play of Saborio, or is he assuming Robbie will improve in Europe like Yura apparently has? Does Robbie really want to leave RSL?

Regardless how this plays out it's in the hands of Garth Lagerway and right now, he holds the high card. With Robbie being in USA camp, we'll see how we fair with Sabo, Campos, and Espy. If we continue to pick up the points while Findley plays in a different sandbox...who knows maybe we'll tell Robbie...no thanks, we can get our Swedish cookies from Ikea...take care up there, where a warm hat, and tell Yura we said "Hi".

Blame Canada

It was a dark and stormy night...thank god we won!

The claret and cobalt thoroughly dominated possession against the invaders from the north last night in a 2-1 victory at Rio Tinto. The reds managed a few quality strikes and had it not been for the most prolific penalty kick stopper in MLS, and some help from the woodwork, it could've been disastrous for the home side. Nick kept us well in the match in the first half with a full stretch save on a quality header from Nane, who easily beat Russell to the cross. In the 2nd, a gift from the frame kept us ahead in the match. But I digress, let's give credit where credit is due. The boys played an impressive game, and the scoreline does not do justice to the possession and myriad of chances that were created.

Saborio continues to find his form and settle comfortably into his side and the MLS style of play. I, as I'm sure many of RSL fans, am salivating over the future brilliance and buckets of goals this young man may yet score this season. His situational awareness and positioning give us the aerial threat up top that we've been lacking. We can only hope that the time they have on the training pitch will make Findley and Sabo one of the most prolific attacking tandems in the league.

Collen Warner also continues to impress as the first year player seems to have all the confidence as a 10 year veteran in our midfield. Though not a thoroughly developed scoring threat he tested Stefan Frei on at least one occasion and seemed to be comfortable with his partners in the middle. I like the fight in this young man, and his speed and quickness (yes, there's a difference) are tremendous asset to the counter attack possibilities.

And then there's Andy...what can you say about the aging veteran who has turned back the clock at least 10 years this season. We all marvel at his touch on the ball, but the goals like last nights curler into the top corner that should serve notice to all that he's not back, he never left. Fan favorite, class, and technical wizardry to boot!

MOTM....hard to say in my eyes. Solid performances from everyone (especially Nat who was hard done by the unfortunate bounce and call) but if forced to pick...#77. For the goal, surely, but more than that, his control in tight spaces and threading the ball into dangerous areas kept Toronto on their heals for most of the match.

The weather was poor, but we were well rewarded and the boys reminded all of us in attendance why we brave the elements. Here's to better weather on Mother's Day eve and to three more points from the Union!
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http://4foosball.blogspot.com/

Keep It Up?

"You played well boys, keep it up and good things will come!"

How many times can you hear that before you start to believe otherwise? RSL begins a much needed home stand tomorrow night at Rio Tinto stadium, and it couldn't have come soon enough. I can understand the few reasons (get them out of the way so we're at home down the stretch, set the tone for road games early, etc) behind starting the season with a road swing, but as the results have not produced the points we'd hoped, did we do too much mental damage too early in the season? Many will argue (and have argued) that our play has warranted more points, and I would agree with that statement. I see the battle with Toronto as the key to getting us on track before frustration takes a semi-permanent seat in the locker room. If you saw the post game interview with Captain Kyle last week, a blind man could have seen the frustration in his body language, not to mention his inability to coherently answer the questions posed. After the stunning opener to the 2010 campaign, many of us were cautiously optimistic about the first few games of the season, but after 5 games and 4 points, we've crashed back down to terra firma. I guess this is where Jason Kries (...superstar) earns his salary, and wishes he paid more attention in Psych 101.

My take on probable line-up:

            NIM_Homeboy

Beltran - Olave - Borchers - Wingert

 Will - Javi (Andy) - Kyle - Gonzalez

            Sabo - Findley

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http://4foosball.blogspot.com/

Never Gonna Get It

Are we EVER going to learn from our mistakes? Will we ever hear another country say "thank god the CEO of _________ thought ahead"? Look no further than the culture of this country...shoot first, ask questions later...leap before we look. From healthcare to the environment to lives of the American people, we're all about the blame and the clean-up instead of the prevention. Why is the economy in the toilet? Why do miners continue to die in accidents? Why do we have a massive oil slick threatening the coast...again!

Look no further than these recent stories:

1. AstraZeneca: Sure they're paying $500+ million in settlements, but they made $4+ BILLION on the drug before we learned years later that it had negative side effects.
2. Massey Energy: racked up how many violations before the latest mine disasters? They challenge them instead of making changes...why....so they could keep digging and making money, because no matter how much they end up paying out to the miners families, they made 10 fold (safe to say a lot more than that) while those safety violations were tied up in court.
3. Oil Rig Explosion: a massive oil slick is reaching the shore and threatening the eco-system and the livelihood of thousands...why....because safety measures to shut the well down weren't enacted because of the oil company lobbying. Now we have the companies involved in the drilling arguing over who should pay for the clean-up while untold damage is landing on our shores!
4. Goldman Sachs: sold people bad investments resulting in thousands of people losing millions...why..."hey man not our fault if they bought bad investments (CEO says while checking his Cayman account balance).

See a pattern? Though we cannot and probably should not try and legislate morality, I am sickened, but not surprised that these stories continue to make headlines. The problem is that those in charge of these decisions (accidents) do not reap what they sow....we do! They get rich, we foot the bill, and they're never held accountable. There are lives at stake with these decisions...and we (they) would be wise to heed that fact. To many...Money > Life...and unfortunately they're never gonna get it...and it's more lucrative if they don't.

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http://4foosball.blogspot.com/

Winning.

Few can argue that a win, no matter how big or how small, feels good. In fact, depending on the stage, it can feel amazing. But what makes a winner, and how many times do you have to win to be called a winner? Is one big win enough to be considered a winner for life? How many games featuring Mike Eruzione do you remember watching? Is Dan Marino a winner...he never won the Super Bowl. 

Is it important how you win? It's been said  "there's no such thing as an ugly win"...or "A win is a win". I often wonder how the medalist feels in the olympics when they win because the person in front of them was "taken out" by someone else. How does that win feel...as good as leading the whole way to victory? How does it feel to win a few weeks later when someone is disqualified after some lab test? Do they feel cheated, because winning is all about the celebration they never had?

Do the ends justify the means? Does it matter if some teams have more money to spend on their players....buying your way to championship? Is a win sweeter when you're the underdog? Will you give anything it takes to win....your friends, your family, your life? Will you trample on others to reach that height? Is how you win important?

Tiger Woods

Health Care

Wall Street

America

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http://4foosball.blogspot.com/