September 2007

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"Defending this team is like trying to nail jello to the ceiling."

Filed under: Soccer

No, Ray Hudson was not talking about the U.S. women's team, which was thoroughly eviscerated 4-0 by Brazil this morning in the semifinals of the World Cup. Coach Greg Ryan will be dogged for his inexplicable decision to switch goalkeepers, but he should be more broadly derided for fielding a dull, predictable squad that did little more than pound the ball down the field and try to take advantage of their superior size. The U.S. team was a snooze to watch from the first whistle of this tournament.

Nor was Hudson talking about his former squad D.C. United, which overcame a dodgy red-card decision to take a 2-1 win over Chivas Guadalajara in the first leg of their Copa Sudamericana clash. The home side played some nifty soccer in the opening 45 minutes, but had to survive a Chivas onslaught over the last half hour playing a man down. Can the MLS club make the lead hold up next Tuesday at Estadio Jalisco? Sadly I seriously doubt it.

Hudson was talking about Barcelona. Playing without Ronaldinho their last two matches, Barca has put on a simply spectacular show. The reason: Lionel Messi. The Argentine kid was mesmerizing against Sevilla and Real Zaragoza. I can't find the highlights of those matches, so you'll have to make do with this cheeky Messi golazo from the summer against Mexico:

Posted by Paul Demko at September 27, 2007 9:57 AM | Comments (0)

 

Can you smell the roses?

Filed under: College

Normally I wouldn't waste my time reading about the putrid Gopher football team. They've gone from being a boring, marginally competent Big Ten also-ran to a squad that deserves to be relegated to the Pop Warner league. That game against Miami (Ohio) University a couple of weeks ago has to rank among the most incompetent displays in the history of organized sports. Listening to it on the radio I thought Dave Lee was going to hang himself before the final whistle.

But I noticed this headline the other day in the Pi Press--"Criticism Comes Early for Brewster"--and couldn't help myself. Who would have the temerity to criticize the great leader of "Gopher Nation"? The man who will lead the Gophers back to Rose Bowl glory? Unfortunately, the answer is no one. The piece does not quote a single source saying a single critical word about the first year coach.

So let me be the first: The only team that Tim Brewster is qualified to lead is the cheerleading squad.

Posted by Paul Demko at September 24, 2007 4:36 PM | Comments (6)

 

USA! USA! USA!

Filed under: Soccer

The yanks are through to the quarterfinals of the Women's World Cup. They knocked off Nigeria 1-0 to win Group B. They'll face England on Saturday. The squad didn't look particularly impressive, but got the job done.

UEFA Champions League begins today! Can Milan repeat? Liverpool at Porto will air on ESPN2 today. Tomorrow it's Sporting Lisbon at Manchester United (1:30 p.m. CST, ESPN2) and Lyon at Barcelona (4 p.m., ESPN Classic).

Posted by Paul Demko at September 18, 2007 9:10 AM | Comments (0)

 

Alexi Lalas is an incompetent ass (and other MLS notes)

Filed under: Soccer

The MLS season is coming to a close. With just five weeks left, D.C., Houston and New England have officially secured playoff spots. It looks like Chivas and Dallas are safely in as well, with New York and Kansas City practically a lock. Chicago, Columbus, and Colorado will likely battle it out for the final spot. A few thoughts on the season so far:

1. D.C. is the team to beat: Last year's squad romped through the first half of the season, then limped through the second half. They held on to claim the Supporters' Shield, but then promptly flamed out in the playoffs. Rookie coach Tom Soehn seems to have learned from that last campaign. His team has played their best ball in recent weeks, putting up a sterling 8-0-1 ledger since the start of August, while outscoring opponents by a formidable 23-6 margin. During that span they put up two impressive drubbings of their chief rivals in the east, New England. Ben Olsen is having the best season of his career and deserves serious MVP consideration. Fred keeps getting better as the season progresses, while fellow Brazilian Luciano Emilio simply scores and scores and scores.

2. Chicago will snag the final playoff spot: And I wouldn't want to face them in the first round of the post season. Cuathemoc Blanco has dramatically improved the Fire. The attack--featuring the hunchbacked Mexican along with Paulo Wanchope, Chris Rolfe and Chad Barrett--is lethal. It will be interesting to see how Wilman Conde's presence impacts a shaky defense. He didn't get off to a promising start with a red card in his first match. The Fire caught a break on Sunday, though, when Colorado was derailed by a dubious red card and penalty kick call after Facundo Erpen put a love tap on Laurent Merlin in the box. Chicago gets another break this week, catching D.C. without Fred, Christian Gomez, and Olsen--all out for Sunday's match owing to card accumulation.

3. Preki is hands down coach of the year: The first-year Chivas coach has done a remarkable job with a squad that looks humdrum on paper. After planning to build the nucleus of the team around playmaker Amado Guevara, Preki was forced to scrap that plan after the Honduran jackass did his best to sabotage the season. Undeterred, Preki has taken players like Lawson Vaughn and Shavar Thomas, who had proven thoroughly middling in prior seasons, and put together the league's most consistent team. Jesse Marsch has been a human wrecking ball in the midfield, while also displaying a heretofore unknown passing touch. And in a year that has seen the greatest infusion of talent since the founding of MLS, Maykel Galindo might just be the league's top newcomer. Both of these Goats deserve consideration for MVP. Too bad nobody shows up for the games, no matter how idiotically Christian Miles blathers on about their supposedly rabid fans.

4. I'll be cheering for Dallas to come through the west: They're the most entertaining, unpredictable team in the league. Steve Morrow's squad looked anemic at the start of the season. When Kenny Cooper went down early on it seemed like the rookie coach was facing a long, lousy campaign. But that was before the revelation of Juan Carlos Toja, the gritty Colombian midfield dynamo, and Pablo Richetti, the steady veteran defensive midfielder. The jury is still out on what Denilson will bring to the mix, but it doesn't look particularly promising. Dallas would have been much wiser to add a veteran centerback. The team will ultimately be undone by its lousy defense. Give the starting goalkeeper job to Ray Burse, Jr.! The kid was fantastic in the three games that he started, while Dario Sala has looked old and inept since returning from injury. Put him out to pasture.

5. This has been the best season in the history of MLS: Forget David Beckham. The other newcomers have brought an impressive jolt of class and skill throughout the league. Juan Pablo Angel, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Carlos Marinelli, Abel Xavier, Galindo, Toja, Emilio, and Blanco have all shined. Average attendance is set to be higher than at any time since the league's inaugural season, with roughly 16,000 showing up per game. Chicago and New England, in particular have shown a marked spike in fan support, while Toronto's sold out home campaign is testament that expanding to Canada was a wise move. With ESPN, Fox Soccer Network, and Telefutura all showing weekly matches, the league has never had greater exposure. These positive developments have been overshadowed by the media’s silly Beckham fixation.

6. Alexi Lalas should never have another job in MLS: His ineptitude is staggering. I love the fact that Lalas isn’t afraid to court controversy, but his track record is simply atrocious. Trading Robbie Findley and Nathan Sturgis, two highly promising young players who have helped Salt Lake significantly, for a washed-up Chris Klein was jaw dropping. Shipping out Ugo Ihemelu and Tyrone Marshall--gritty, proven defenders who could have gone a long ways towards solidifying the squad--was another brain-dead move. Every option that L.A. has tried in attack—Alan Gordon, Carlos Pavon, Edson Buddle, Nate Jaqua, Gavin Glinton—has been a bust. It’s been sad watching Landon Donovan try to singlehandedly spark the team towards some level of competence. I’m agnostic on whether Frank Yallop should also get shived for the team’s putrid performance. His handling of Beckham was criminally stupid, but he’s proven himself a capable coach over many years.

Posted by Paul Demko at September 17, 2007 12:12 PM | Comments (9)

 

Report: Ryan out as Twins' GM

The Strib is reporting that Terry Ryan will resign today as the Twins' GM.

Posted by Jonathan Kaminsky at September 13, 2007 12:02 PM | Comments (0)

 

Tonga dumps U.S. at Rugby World Cup

Filed under: Rugby

The U.S. squad's apparent best shot at victory in the ongoing Rugby World Cup fizzled out this morning against the mighty Tongans. The Americans were a slight favorite going into the contest owing to their surprisingly strong showing against England in their opening match, but were put down 25-15 by the tiny south Pacific country. I'm pretty much clueless about rugby, but have nothing but respect for a sport that features players such as Tonga's Finau Maka, who apparently prepares for matches by banging his head against a wall. The U.S. will have two weeks off before taking on Samoa.

Posted by Paul Demko at September 12, 2007 11:09 AM | Comments (4)

 

Thunder sold to Belgium-based ownership group

Filed under: Soccer

Fantastic, unexpected news surfaced at yesterday's tailgate prior to the Minnesota Thunder's final game of the season. The team's director of soccer operations, Manny Lagos, dropped by with a couple of mysterious gentleman in sportcoats who were introduced as the club's new ownership group. I arrived immediately after their talk, and failed to chase them down after the game, but here's what was gleaned:

1. They are based in Belgium.

2. One of the gentleman is originally from St. Paul; the other is originally from the Netherlands

3. They intend to invest serious money in the franchise with the hope of one day joining Major League Soccer

4. They promise to build a soccer specific stadium for the club within two years

Expect some kind of official announcement about this phenomenal news, including where the club will play next season, around the end of the month.

And oh yeah: the Thunder lost, again, 1-0. Final record: 5-12-11, one point worse than last year's campaign.

(Photo courtesy of Brian Quarstad.)

Posted by Paul Demko at September 10, 2007 12:30 PM | Comments (6)

 

We're number 25!

Filed under: Vikings

In a survey of seemingly somewhat dubious scientific validity released today, Minneapolis has been ranked the 25th best professional football tailgating city in the country. The Vikings somehow ranked just behind Los Angeles, which last I checked does not have an NFL franchise. On the upside we beat out Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, New Orleans, Detroit, St. Louis, and Seattle. Who's number one? Baltimore. (Cribbed from the redoubtable D.C. Sports Bog.)

Posted by Paul Demko at September 10, 2007 12:07 PM | Comments (0)

 

Minnesota Thunder's miserable campaign closes

Filed under: Soccer

The Minnesota Thunder have once again proven not so mighty this season. They currently own a 4-11-11 record and have been eliminated from playoff contention in a league where almost every god forsaken team makes the playoffs. But from a more Pangloss-ian perspective, the squad has made some strides. Last year they finished tied for last. With last weekend's surprise victory over top-of-the-table Seattle Sounders, the Thunder are all but assured of finishing ahead of the California Victory. We're comin!

What's more the squad has only been outscored by a margin of 34-27. In other words, they were competitive in pretty much every game they played. They just couldn't figure out how to win. Every time the Thunder managed to take a lead this season, they almost immediately let their guard down and surrendered an equalizer. It's a particularly agonizing trait for a team to possess.

But it's a young, talented group playing for a chronically under-funded organization on a sorry high-school pitch. The challenges are formidable. Hopefully next year Coach Amos Magee can right the operation--if he still has a job.

The squad has two home matches remaining in the campaign. Tonight at 7:05 they will square off against the Carolina Railhawks, who are battling for the league's final playoff spot. Then Sunday at 5:05 the Thunder wrap up their season with a rematch against the Sounders.

C'mon Thunder!

Posted by Paul Demko at September 6, 2007 3:17 PM | Comments (2)

 

Swept, and That's All

Filed under: Twins

Things didn't go so well this afternoon. Before an announced crowd of almost 14,000 (though any observer could see that there were fewer cranks than that), the Twins were swept by the Cleveland Indians, losing 6-2. The Tribe has won 16 of their last 20, boasts a lineup that is dangerous from top to bottom, and have sent a message to the Central in the clearest possible terms: this year's division title goes through them. To the rest of the league: see you in October.

Scott Baker wasn't quite as dominant as his last outing, giving up 3 runs off 3 hits and 2 hit-batsmen in the 1st before recording a single out (after 27 pitches!) One fellow scribe grumbled, "this ain't the Kansas City lineup, kid." True, so true. But give the kid credit. After that horrendous start he settled down, struck out the next 2 batters and induced a ground-out to end the inning and keep the damage at bay. The Indians didn't score on Baker after that. And if you want to point out that Baker didn't have a single 1-2-3 inning, I would counter with the fact that through 5 full, he had but 1 fly out to 8 ground outs and 6 K's (though that might be different if 1 of the 4 towering doubles had been caught--then again, the score'd be different, too). Not too shabby. That he never lost his composure is one of many signs that this kid's going places.

Nick Blackburn came in and worked 3 innings, 2 of them perfect, and struck out 3 himself. True, things fell apart in the 9th, as what was a close 3-2 ballgame suddenly turned into an insurmountable 6-2 lead, all off a number of hits and walks, including touching the usually untouchable contortionist Pat Neshek for a double and a single, and that was all she wrote.

Offensively, Brian Buscher went 2 for 4. Nick Punto went 1 for 3, raising his average exactly 1 point, to a gaudy .198.

So that's what you get in September. A near-empty house where the cry of the hecklers echo across the turf, Scott Baker showing us his mettle, the kid Blackburn warming up to the big leagues, and a preview that perhaps the newest Central Division team to waltz into the World Series might just be the Cleveland Indians. If you're lucky, you'll sit around pondering the future with your fellow fan, and enjoy an afternoon out of the relentless heat.

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at September 5, 2007 3:13 PM | Comments (0)

 

When the Present's This Ugly, Might As Well Look to the Future...

Filed under: Twins

It was certainly a struggle today. C. C. Sabathia ripped through the Twins line-up, scattering six moribund hits over his eight innings... though four of those were from one player. Although Johan Santana has certainly seen better days, giving up four runs in today's 5-0 loss, the Indians didn't have a big inning, not once. In fact, they gathered their nine hits one inning at a time. A walk here, a key hit there, a home run one inning (Santana's 30th), and that was all she wrote. The 13th shutout against the Twins, the league record. Sigh.

So let's look at Alexi Casilla, who had a great game. Batting leadoff, he was the man of four hits in as many at-bats. Though he could have worked the count a bit better, with 4, 4, 3, and 2 pitches in at-bats in innings 1, 3, 5, and 8 (respectively), against Sabathia, that's noteworthy. For one day we can sit back, perhaps a bit stunned by the nitrates in our many hot dogs and raise our overpriced beers in salute to the future second baseman.

Or how about Robert Nicholas Blackburn, Nick to fan and foe alike. Why, this youth sauntered up to the mound in the ninth and made his Major League debut. Fresh from Rochester, he is, now that the Red Wings were eliminated from their playoffs (the sadness is far and wide, apparently). Nick threw all of six pitches. Three up, one a hit, then a sweet double play, and then another quick out. Not much to go on, but hey, it's a start, and something to give us beleaguered fans some hope to chew on.

A crowd of just over 24K was on hand to watch this lugubrious game on a pleasant afternoon that might have been better spent on the yard, at the fair, riding a bike, anything. But they were there all the same, to watch Nick Punto's batting average drop yet again (0-3), to watch Santana drop to 0-5 against the Indians this year, but also to remind themselves of the ups and downs of this cruel sport. A win today would not have meant a last-ditch effort to make the playoffs. Today's fans knew better. They were there to watch a ball game, plain and simple, and seek out some hope for the future.

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at September 3, 2007 3:44 PM | Comments (0)

 

The Shreveport Slinger

Filed under: Twins

Wow. I mean, like wow! Scott Baker came within three outs of throwing a perfect game last evening against the Kansas City Royals. Moseying to the mound in the ninth, the kid showed nothing that resembled a man with a belly full of butterflies. Right away, he walked a guy and gave up a hit, the perfect game and no-no was over, but it didn't matter. This kid is on fire, and the future of the Twins pitching staff seems assured. This is what Minnesota baseball in September is about this year: gazing into the crystal ball and liking what you see.

Smilin' Scott Baker, the Shreveport Slinger: 8-6 with a 4.09 ERA. Now, you might argue that it's just one game, the kid was lucky, somehow. I say bunk. Consider the night of July 30 of just this year. Maybe it's the Royals he's feasting on. No matter, for one month ago, Scott Baker punched the clock on the Kansas City lineup, pitching seven perfect innings, giving up but two hits (in the fourth) and taking a 3-1 win. Had Gardy left him in, I don't doubt he would have 8 perfect innings like yesterday.

So let's not beat around the bush. Santana, Baker, Garza, Bonser and Liriano. I'll take that over anyone in the Central, any day of the week. If we can get just half of Liriano's charm from last year, that's pretty God-damned good. I say this: let Silva and his nearly $5 million clam contract (which will undoubtedly be more next year), trade Joe Nathan (and install the fabulous Neshek), and get some bats. With a few wily trades (please, a big bat), the Twins could give Cleveland or Detroit a run for their money.

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at September 1, 2007 11:21 AM | Comments (0)

 

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