France-Italy Finale May Live In Infamy

"The World Cup is over and once again, we've seen how cruel the game of soccer can be. But at the same time, Sunday's final between Italy and France showed how just it can be.

Unfortunately, this game seems destined to live in infamy when many were hoping - and perhaps expecting - an apotheosis occasion to mark France's Zinedine Zidane's farewell match. And how he started what seemed to be a triumphant march to the Parthenon of the soccer gods. A seventh-minute "cheeky" PK goal was converted by Zidane for a rather needless, if not infantile, foul by Marco Materazzi. That put the French ahead early - maybe too early. Justice would be served soon after as Materazzi would make amends for his foul by heading home a corner kick goal.

Before the game, French legend Michel Platini had remarked that the game was "truly a 50-50 affair." But he also noted France could not win unless Zidane and Henry delivered something special. That never happened and if the frustration of that situation was eventually part of Zidane's violent reaction in the form of a head butt into the chest of Materazzi, only Zidane knows. A player of his caliber, experience, even temperament should not have allowed it to happen - no matter what the Italian might have said to him in the preceding moments. It will be interesting to see how the French will judge Zizou. When it is all said and done, they need to be kind. He has done so much for that nation's team.

So, a last word from me. It has been fun and I hope I have shed a little light on what a World Cup means to some of us "soccer junkies." The countdown to South Africa 2010 has begun and I have to assume I will complete my own "Team of Cups" by making it 11 straight. See you then."

Read Marcos' full report at the Tampa Tribune >>

It's Down To This, So Let The Best Team Win

"Let's start out with some positive "playground" type of perspective on today's final between Italy and France. For starters, Italy and France are the teams that tied and beat my two teams, the United States and Portugal, respectively. Fans of the United States would probably feel a little better if Italy won because the American squad would become the only opponent of Italy, in the tournament, that did not lose to the Italians. With a little better luck - or better officiating - who knows, the boys from the U.S. might have beaten Italy. And if that had happened, I would not be writing about Italy at all but a different team altogether.

I suppose you can swing the history and stats any direction you choose. From my perspective, if you took the Italy and France of the first round, you would be tempted not to even hold the final and declare the title vacant. If you take the progress of both teams since the round of 16, you have extra time and - perish the thought - penalty kicks. On form they are that close and many are predicting a PK ending. Just two weeks ago, these teams were seemingly adrift with little hope of reaching this match. Italy was faltering because, well, it is Italy and all the expectations that go with it. France was looking mediocre because it was, and still is, old, but … look how those old guys are playing now."

Read Marcos' full report at the Tampa Tribune >>

Stuttgart Set For Its Germany-Portugal 'Final'

"Exactly four weeks ago - it seems like ages - I watched the first upset, or so it seemed at the time, as Ecuador began Poland's early packing expedition with a 2-0 win. That followed Germany's official 4-2 thrashing of Costa Rica.

Stuttgart is ready for a game, their residents no doubt preferring any other team to face Portugal later today. But something that two months ago most Germans would gladly have accepted - the third-place game - now smacks of not enough.

I am sure that neither the Germans nor the Portuguese will want to disappoint, especially considering that on Friday no less than eight of the players on view were named by FIFA to the official 23-man all-star squad: Portugal goalkeeper Ricardo, defender Ricardo Carvalho (out with his red card against France), midfielders Maniche and Luis Figo. For Germany, nods went to goalkeeper Jens Lehman, defender Philip Lamm, captain Michael Ballack and likely top scorer Miroslav Klose. The rest come from Argentina, with Hernan Crespo and Roberto Ayala, England's John Terry plus Brazil's Ze Roberto, the only player from the "beautiful game" team. How the mighty have fallen. Out of 23 nominations, 19 grace the final four teams; arbitrary choices of course, but not totally out of whack; at the end, it is still all about players, and the numbers don't lie.

Read Marcos' full report at the Tampa Tribune >>

Third-Place Match Will Be Anticlimactic For German, Portuguese Fans

"It is over. Moral victories count for about 30 minutes, which is small consolation in the general sentiments that it was a very balanced game.

For most of us, the World Cup is practically all over but the shouting. For the supporters of Italy and France, however, it is still about much, much more than just shouting on Sunday. For them, soccer's Holy Grail is there for the taking. I am still trying to figure out what Saturday night will mean for the Portuguese and the 80 million Germans who have to deal with something called the "third-place" playoff match. I suspect the millions of fans of the 28 other teams who have gone home would likely be happy to trade places with those Germans and Portuguese. Maybe.

As I recall my new friend Armin asking me which of my 10 Cups I remember as "the best," I couldn't help but recall an earlier conversation I had with a single friend of mine. He has been to four tournaments and, to him, the best World Cup is always like his girlfriends - "the last one is always best," he says."

Read Marcos' full report at the Tampa Tribune >>

It's Deja Vu All Over Again For Portugal And Its Long-Suffering Fans

As a native of Portugal, I am not going to suggest I am totally impartial. Nevertheless, if Portugal deserves to be playing in the third-place match and France deserves to be in the final against Italy, then I am the proverbial monkey's uncle and pigs will start flying any day now.

It was the kind of call that sends "nouveau" thinkers - myself at the forefront - to believe soccer needs video replays three or four times a game. Why? So crucial decisions by the referee or linesmen do not decide games wrongly. Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda, the same person who refereed the controversial Italy-U.S. match, did not even bother showing a yellow to Carvalho - as sure a sign of a soft foul as you'll ever see.

As ZiZou scored on the PK, the stadium cameras focused on former Portuguese national team defender Abel Xavier in the stands. He was the one who in 2000 was judged to have intentionally touched the ball with his hand. If I felt dejÀ vu, I wondered how he must have felt.

Read Marcos' full report at the Tampa Tribune >>

Being 'Less Italian' A Boost For Azzurri

"Let me come right out and say it: Italy deserved this one.

Considering the Azzurri traditionally are my favorite team I love to hate - for reasons that are pretty universal among non-Italian soccer fans - that's a little hard to digest. Hopefully, I will get to expand on my feelings about the Italian squad before the final. For now, let's just say Italy is simply my native Portugal's bogey team... It's tough for any team to lose like that. Two goals were scored in 60 seconds. Assuming he decides to continue his commute between Huntington Beach, Calif., and Germany, German coach Juergen Klinsmann has much to be proud of and much to look forward to.

If he one day took over as coach of the United States, Klinsmann's drive to Carson City, Calif., and the Home Depot Center where the U.S. national team normally congregates would be much shorter. But that really is a story for another day."

Read Marcos' full report at the Tampa Tribune >>

USA Could Learn From Little Portugal

"And what about Portugal? What's a country with just 10 million people doing here?

There are only 200,000 registered players in all of Portugal - less than California's youth totals. And what does that have to do with the USA? Well, the story goes like this....

Credit Luiz Felipe Scolari with much of that success. He brought steel into the team and a family-like spirit that won't quit. Above all, this is the team that evolved from the plan that former national coach and now Manchester United chief assistant coach Carlos Queiroz drafted in the mid-80s. And this is the same Queiroz that drafted U.S. Soccer's "2010: We Can Fly" plan. Some of that plan has been followed by U.S. coaches and officials, but much of it has been ignored."

Read Marcos' full report at the Tampa Tribune >>

Brush With Hooligans Distasteful Experience

"For the better part of 115 minutes, we had to put up with every imaginable piece of nonsense - the jibes, the out-and-out insults about Portugal and our people. We were poked with flagsticks and were showered with beer, some of it mixed with urine. And after England's Wayne Rooney got red carded for stupidly sticking his boot into another's man's groin, the taunting, insults and physical abuse became unbearable. Finally, enough was enough. Between overtime periods, we attracted the attention of the security police, who came to the rescue. The police split people up, took pictures of several fans, including the two most "guilty" parties. The last 15 minutes, plus the penalty kicks, were bearable.

Upon being told that one of them had thrown a mix of beer and urine into the rows in front of them, a policewoman looked one rowdy English fan in the eye, looked at his one-third filled cup of beer and asked if he had done what he had been accused of. Over his repeated protestations that he had not, she simply told him "OK, then drink [the beer], right here and now, or leave with me." After several more denials, guilty or not, the English fan swallowed it all in one single gulp. The hooliganism was done."

For Marcos' full report go to the Tampa Tribune >>

Portugal Enjoys Some Divine Intervention

"The England-Portugal tussle - and it was one - was fascinating, if hardly a soccer classic.

These were two teams deeply aware of each other with club teammates across both teams. England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, who has twice coached Benfica of Portugal and lives there when not in England, was in his final match for this job. On the other side, "Big Phil" - Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari - was riding a record 12-game World Cup winning streak. Just a month ago, he turned down the English FA's invitation to become Eriksson's successor. He said he was unable to accept such a job while there was still one to complete. As it turned out, the task was against the English.

For little Portugal, the planets are perfectly aligned and all is right in its universe. For the first time in 40 years, it has reached the World Cup semifinals. According to Portuguese goalkeeper Alexandre Ricardo, God must have willed it."

For Marcos' full report go to the Tampa Tribune >>

Italy-Germany Matchup Stirs Up Memories

"In 1970, three American buddies and I sat in what seemed like the 145th row of a grand, cavernous 105,000-seat Azteca Stadium in Mexico City and watched enthralled what today remains the most exciting World Cup game I have seen live: Italy vs. West Germany.

That's odd, because I am not a particularly fond of German or Italian soccer, the two nations that Friday advanced to a Tuesday semifinal in Dortmund. But on that day long ago, in the semifinal of Mexico '70, as German fullback Karl Heinz Schellinger surged forward to tie the match at 1 in the 89th minute, little did I know what was in store for the next 30 minutes. It was breathtaking stuff, with goals galore. Italy won 4-3 in extra time. Germany's Franz Beckenbauer, with his arm in a sling, made so many broken-field runs in a match played in mid-afternoon in the middle of a Mexican summer. That incredible battle will stay with me forever."

For Marcos' full report go to the Tampa Tribune >>

After 48 Hours Of Withdrawal, The Games Are Back

"After 18 straight days of games, soccer withdrawal is hell. I even get a twinge of sympathy for smokers who try to go cold turkey, and now I simply cannot wait for the next games.

Soccer is probably my only addiction. From playing it actively from about age 5 to actively promoting it for the past 40 years in the United States, soccer is the only continuous thing I have done. From all signs, the habit is far from over. It must count as an addiction, but others might know better. I bring it up because I thought the past two days would be a great break with no games, either live or on TV. And since my American friends left early and my American-Portuguese son, Julian, had to leave for 10 more days of school, I was by myself. After driving all over this vast country, it was time to unwind.... Wrong."

For Marcos' full report visit the Tampa Tribune >>

Canada and the World Cup

During halftime of Vancouver's match against Puerto Rico Sunday, Shaw TV took a look at Canada's 20th Anniversary of their lone appearance in the World Cup, which includes some footage of the 1986 tournament as well as a look into the Whitecaps role in the nation's development of players to qualify in the future. The three-minute segment is worth seeing.

Check it out >>

Friendship, Sunshine And Bad Refs

"It has been a blast and beginning Friday, it gets so nasty and intense. I can already sense it.

By most accounts, the 2006 World Cup has lived up to most of the hype. As Germany promised "a time to make friends" - and that sort of slogan is often just another marketing genius making $10,000 an hour for being "creative" - the hosts have delivered.

Graham Poll, the English Premiership's best ref, gave out three yellow cards to Croatia's Josip Simunic before realizing that two is the max. What were Poll's assistants, especially the fourth official, doing? Why do the refs wear an earpiece? Poll is back home, presumably enrolled in a first-grade summer school arithmetic class....

These are but a few snapshots of games I have attended. They are far too numerous. Of course, there has been a lot of good refereeing. But when you talk World Cup finals, it all has to be outstanding. Why? Because the universe is watching. Every aspiring referee is hoping to learn from what they are seeing but the pictures coming through are not very clear."

For Marcos' full report visit the Tampa Tribune >>

Something Needs To Be Done About Worsening Officiating

"FIFA has simply got to do something about the refereeing here - the unfairness of it, the timing of it, and the out-and-out robbery of taking away a glorious chance for the deserving Aussies to reach the final eight. It is getting worse as the tournament goes on rather than better.

It has been nearly 24 hours since the out-of-body experience I had watching my native Portugal defeat the Netherlands to vault into the World Cup's quarterfinals. My emotions are now more or less bottled back inside. The majority of papers and Web sites agree the Portuguese did indeed beat the Dutch 1-0 and the so-called referee from Russia is as good as gone from the tournament after completely losing control of the match. Injuries are being treated and Portugal is going to appeal the red card issued to star midfielder Deco. For me, Saturday and England cannot come fast enough."

Read Marcos' full report at the Tampa Tribune >>

Battle Of Nuremberg One For The Ages

"A game that is supposed to be 11 against 11 became a game of eight-man flag football.

You will have to excuse me if my journalistic objectivity will look slightly out of kilter today because I just had my first out-of-body experience at this World Cup. I thought I was prepared for it but clearly this was not the case after my native Portugal defeated the Netherlands 1-0 in the round of 16.

The often-overlooked Portuguese squad has made it to the quarterfinals of the World Cup for the first time since 1966. The tension and joy was such that I couldn't even muster a few tears, as I did in sadness the other day in this same stadium when my other home country, the United States, had been sent packing by Ghana. This is almost the exact reversal of four years ago in Korea, where I felt such exuberance for the U.S., even after it had helped send Portugal home. Such are the emotional twists of a World Cup if you also happen to be a fan of the game, as well as a journalist.

Sunday night, I actually went so far as to ask for a seat in the non-working area of the media section. I was quite sure that I would display more than a little emotion during the 90-plus minutes of the Portugal-Holland encounter. I may have lost a little control during that time, but nowhere near as much as a Russian referee named Valentin Ivanov. By almost universal consensus, it was among the worst officiated World Cup matches ever. If there is such a thing as a killjoy individual, surely this ranks high among them."

View Marcos' full report at the Tampa Tribune >>

Germany, Argentina Set Up 'Anticipated Final'

At the end of a long day in the heart of former East Germany, we found the matchup that many will now consider the "anticipated final," Brazilian supporters not withstanding. Juergen Klinsmann, the "Americanized" coach of the Germans who commutes between his Huntington Beach, Calif., home and Deutschland, is now making many a critic literally eat their words for the scathing pre-Cup criticism that was heaved upon him. Until recently, armchair coaches in Germany were asking Klinsmann, "What's wrong with this country that you must live in the USA?" They're not asking that anymore. Klinsmann can do no wrong. And right now, he could run for chancellor and avoid the messy political situation Germany experienced a few months ago. There would be no tie, no run off.

Read Marcos' full report at the Tampa Tribune >>

Usual Suspects Still Have A Shot To Take Home The Cup

"Old power, like old money, still rules. At least in the World Cup, that's the way it goes.

America's sportswriters - all newly converted soccer experts - are still busy writing US coach Bruce Arena's pre-obituary. The overwhelming feeling is that after eight years at the helm, it's time for Arena to give way for new blood. It's sort of "an old dog cannot teach new tricks to young puppies" belief. And while there may be some validity to that, let's not move so fast. The postmortem, which will come, will be quite interesting.

The final tab on my predictions comes in at 13-3, with Ecuador, Australia and Ghana all welcome exceptions."

Read Marcos' full report on the Round of 16 at the Tampa Tribune >>

American Squad Misses Its Goal And Is Sent Home Early

"It's over. Auf wiedersehen. See you in four years' time in South Africa. There are any number of ways to approach this but the bottom line for Team USA: Short and not so sweet, and certainly not enough for soccer's version of the Sweet 16. Let me be clear on one point right away. The United States was one of the best 16 teams here, it just wasn't able to prove it. Instead the record book will show that a small country, west Africa's Ghana, will have gone to the dance in its first World Cup appearance.

Great teams find a way to overcome adversity, bad refereeing decisions included, and when they become great - as Arena pointed out the other day -funny decisions start going your way. So it is over for another four years. Arena's future, by his own admission, is uncertain. His contract is up and he has done much good as national coach. But eight years is a long time to be coach. In fact, he is the dean of current World Cup coaches."

Read Marcos' full report at the Tampa Tribune >>

Which American Team Will Show Up Against Ghana?

A Few Moments Between Marcos & Mooch

So here we are, ready to come face to face with a possible milestone in modern American soccer history. The big question: Which U.S. team will show up to face Ghana, a team also in the running for a second-round berth? For the West Africans, it's a simple matter of win and they are in. For the Americans, reaching the Round of 16 is a more complicated formula. In a long conversation with an old friend Wednesday, some interesting points emerged. The friend is U.S. assistant coach Glenn Myernick - "Mooch" to everyone in the soccer world...

So why is this U.S. team experiencing a roller-coaster ride? Mooch says there's any number of reasons.

"For one, we have two separate levels of players and play," Myernick said. "The players in Europe are at one, usually higher; the others are not, so it gets disjointed."

So should all the players be earning their living in Europe, as is the case for most of the teams at the Cup?

"Not necessarily. It is one thing to be playing in Europe, on top clubs and actually playing," he said. "It's another to be on a second-division team, or a lesser country, in which case it's better for a player to be a regular in Major League Soccer."

See Marcos' full report at the Tampa Tribune >>

T&T Done, US has Last Shot

As the US squad prepares for its final group game Thursday, the hopes of the Trinidad & Tobago side can only wonder what might have been after their hopes were dashed Tuesday afternoon in a 2-0 loss to Paraguay in the Group B finale while England and Sweden played to a 2-2 draw.

Globalization Came With Bosman Ruling

"Long before there was a United Nations, there was a world coming together every four years to kick around a global shaped object.

In the days before globalization, the past two days of World Cup matches could have been considered a meeting of first-world and third-world soccer nations. Just consider Monday's card: Togo vs. Switzerland, Saudi Arabia vs. Ukraine and Tunisia vs. Spain. Sunday, it was Australia facing Brazil, South Korea taking on France and Japan meeting Croatia. By the exalted perspective of old-world Europe or even the new, post-Cold War Europe - these games would have been established powers against pretenders. For a long time, the arrogant view in Europe has been that the European Championship, which is also held every four years, is a better tournament. The only thing keeping it from being a true 'World Cup' would be the absence of the two perennial South American powerhouses, Brazil and Argentina."

Read Marcos' full report at the Tampa Tribune >>

Long Day, Doubleheader Pay Off Nicely

"Unless you are Diego Maradona driving through a work zone, there is no speed limit to speak of on the autobahn. So we threw a bit of caution to the wind.

Saturday was a long, tough day but a rewarding one. We departed our hotel in Essen at 9 a.m., and by the time we returned, it was 5 the next morning. It was all in the cause of the green and red of Portugal and the red, white and blue of the USA.

In watching 10 consecutive World Cups in 36 years, never before had the opportunity presented itself to watch two games in the same day. With Portugal facing Iran in Frankfurt at 3 p.m. and the U.S. squad tackling (pun intended) Italy in Kaiserslautern at 9 p.m., the German autobahn system became the perfect ally."

Read Marcos' full report at the Tampa Tribune >>

Americans Prove Worth

"As I made my way into Fritz Walter Stadium on Saturday night, an amusing atmosphere was provided by six Elvis impersonators and four overweight white guys imitating the Harlem Globetrotters. As I took all this in, the thought of an embarrassing evening came fleetingly to mind. And as silly as these men looked, the thought was there that we just might need some entertainment, as well as some real scoring, inside the stadium. To play against Italy with a full 11-man team is never an easy task. To do it with nine men for almost 45 minutes is something very few teams in the world have been able to do. To his credit, Arena refused to lay the blame on several dubious refereeing decisions, simply hinting that "the day will come" when the U.S. will get dubious calls its way as the big powers often tend to do."

Read Marcos' full report in the Tampa Tribune >>

US Bloodied, But Still Alive After 1-1 Draw Against Italy

The US got some help earlier in the day with Ghana, their next opponent, stunning the Czech Republic 2-0 to keep the group close-knit going into the third day of action.

The US, despite surprising many with their dominant play against Italy, were only able to register a point in a 1-1 draw in a game filled with controvercy as three players were sent off, leaving Italy with 10 men after USL Hall of Famer Brian McBride had his face cut open on an elbow and the US with nine after Pablo Mastroeni was sent off for a late tackle and Eddie Pope at the opening of the second half for a second yellow.

Italy got on the board first on a free kick when Andrea Pirlo found Alberto Gilardino for a header past former USL-1 goalkeeper Kasey Keller 22 minutes in. Five minutes later, the US were handed a gift as Cristian Zaccardo attempted clearance sent the ball back into his own net to put the game level. Keller would go on to make two fantastic stops late in the match to preserve the draw.

The Argentina of Old; USA UpToday

I sit in absolute amazement. Down on the enclosed field of futuristic Gelsenkirchen's stadium, a performance so much from the past that it could only be a vision of things to come unfolds goal by goal by goal … six times in all. The World Cup's first true mesmerizing turn comes not so much as a shock because it was Argentina scoring six goals. Nearly every observer worth his soccer salt knows the Gauchos can beat any team. Their depth and quality rival Brazil's, but their confidence is not always up to par. This was supposed to go down as a tough battle that Argentina would dominate, squeak out a goal, hold on for dear life, and, when it was done, breathe a sigh of relief. Well, so much for probabilities. The Serbs are on the next plane home and the Argentines are the toast of the Cup … so far.

Read Marcos' full report at the Tampa Tribune >>

Time to Rest: A 10-Hour Soccer Day In Front Of The TV

After spending eight days in Germany watching five live games, I figured it was time my son, Julian, and I take a break and do some bonding. Being that each of Thursday's three games was at least three hours away, I figured that we'd stay "home" and watch all three on TV. That, of course, only consumed a combined 10 hours. Being at the World Cup is tough work, if you can get it. Traveling to a game requires serious planning. You don't just buy tickets to three U.S. games and party the rest of the time. That is for casual fans, not the kind who commit several thousand dollars to this quadrennial exercise. You must know when and how to get to the stadium and exactly where it is.

Read Marcos' full report at the Tampa Tribune >>

T&T Scares England Before Falling

The boys from Trinidad & Tobago put a scare into colonial rival England Thursday afternoon with former USL First Division Rookie of the Year Stern John nearly giving the islanders a lead in the second half on two occasions, including one that had to be cleared off the line. With Rooney back on the pitch for the Three Lions, England finally broke through late to finish with a 2-0 win.

Here's what the scene was just down the street from the USL office at a local watering hole that is a regular spot for the English faithful, who looked a little nervous at the break: View >>

Here's What To Expect

So after 16 matches, how does it all stack up? Are the favorites measuring up? Have there been any unforeseen upsets? Who are the stars on the rise? Well, it's a little early for final answers, but trends have emerged.

Read Marcos' wrap-up of the first round of games and what's coming up at the Tampa Tribune >>

Jay Goppingen 2-0-0 in World Cup

Just three years ago, German international star Juergen Klinsmann was living in Los Angeles assisting in the development of young American talent for Orange County Blue Star of the Premier Development League, occasionally taking the field to provide lessons in person during the matches. He played eight games, scoring five goals and three assists while playing under the alias of Jay Goppingen (the name of his hometown) in obscurity... well, for a little while anyway.

Now... he's 2-0-0 as the Manager of Germany in the World Cup.

Germany downed Poland 1-0 on a stoppage time goal from Oliver Neuville this afternoon after dominating the match with a 16-5 advantage in shots. Germany sits at 2-0-0 in the group, virtually assuring them of advancing to the Round of 16, which could be locked up with tomorrow's game between Ecuador and US rival Costa Rica.

Lesson To Be Learned By Rosicky's Rise?

"I have no doubt Arena will make some drastic changes, but another 48 hours are probably needed for those to become clear. One serious problem for the coach to sort out is struggling DaMarcus Beasley. Should Arena play him or sit him? Landon Donovan, meanwhile, cannot be left out of the starting lineup. But in Monday's match he wasn't there, for all intents and purposes. Which brings me to a story that somewhat illustrates a serious overall problem with a lot of potential American soccer pros and eventual national team stars.

About five years ago, an unhappy and clearly homesick Donovan was toiling in Germany, having signed a lucrative and much-ballyhooed contract with German powerhouse Bayer Leverkusen when he was just 17. A German coach friend of mine commented that for him, Landon had "all the tools to be as good as or better than this other kid, Rosicky," a reference to then-20-year-old Tomas Rosicky. At the time, Rosicky was a young Czech star just signed by Borussia Dortmund. Like Donovan, Rosicky had the skill, the pace and the shooting ability. You can look at the physical similarities, the whole package.

In the five years since Donovan came home to California and Major League Soccer, he has been a star in MLS. Moreover, he came home to a relaxed lifestyle, Southern California beaches and the run of the show.
Rosicky, meanwhile, stuck it out in grim, industrial, cold Dortmund. Stuck to the business at hand, knowing the alternative was a lifelong trip back to Prague, as opposed to the one he will take shortly after the World Cup to join powerhouse Arsenal of London. The world will be at his feet.

Rosicky, you might remember, destroyed Donovan's U.S. team on Monday with two superb goals."

Read the full report from Marcos at the Tampa Tribune >>

World Cup Viewship More Than Doubles

The US team’s game against the Czech Republic on Monday earned the highest rating (2.3) and the largest audience (2.06 million households) ever for a soccer game on ESPN2, according to Nielsen. The previous all-time high for a soccer game on ESPN2 was set during Saturday’s Argentina-Ivory Coast match, which received a 1.8 rating (1.6 million households).

US viewership for the FIFA World Cup on ESPN2 has more than doubled compared to previous editions of the world’s biggest sporting event. For the first weekend of games on ESPN2, Nielsen reported an increase in number of households of 252 percent compared to the 1998 tournament and an increase of 191 percent compared to the first weekend of the 2002 tournament.

Prior to the first US game, the five live ESPN2 telecasts during this year’s opening weekend earned an average rating of 1.4 (1.2 million households) compared to a 0.5 rating (426,531 households) in 2002, when games took place in early morning hours because the tournament was held in Japan and Korea.

In 1998, when France hosted the World Cup and kickoff times were similar to those of this year’s event, the first seven games on ESPN2 earned a 0.6 rating (352,686 households).

Rhinos fans featured by USA Today

Welcome to Rochester, NY, where with three weekly radio soccer shows and a weekly television show, soccer fans are as passionate about their sport as their European counterparts. And for these supporters of the American squad, optimism reigns. Twenty-five members of the Stampede, a group of rabid soccer enthusiasts who usually unite to cheer on the Rochester Rhinos, a professional team in the United Soccer Leagues First Division, headed the fan rally on Monday. Tommy Smyth, a World Cup analyst for ESPN who has called more than 1,300 soccer games, including some Rhinos matches, says Rochester is as rabid a town for soccer as any in the US. "Rochester is the only place in the United States that I found people in their daily life talking about soccer," Smyth said via e-mail. "It was just an all-around feeling that soccer was a very important phase in their life."

Read the entire feature at USA Today >>

On The Bright Side They're Here At Least

"The quick-witted Scot replied, 'Bleeding [insert your favorite swear word here] Scotland is not even here! So be happy, man!' So there. Be happy the USA is here, because at this pace the Americans will soon be out. To be fair, aside from Claudio Reyna, no one else did, either. On the right wing, DaMarcus Beasley will have the excuse of not being a right-sided player, which he is not, and to accommodate Beasley and left flanker Bobby Convey, Arena played both. That was wrong, dead wrong. Beasley has been lackluster in the run-up to the Cup, and to put him out of his natural habitat was an invitation to a disaster. So now where do we go?"

Read the rest of Marcos' report at the Tampa Tribune >>

Stern John: T&T Ready to Shock England

Former USL First Division Rookie of the Year Stern John believes his Trinidad & Tobago side can stun World Cup favorite England just as it did with Sweden. He was backed up by fellow USL alum Brent Sancho who said, "No-one expected us to get a result against Sweden but we always believed in ourselves. Who knows what can happen now? Getting a draw against Sweden is the biggest moment in our footballing lives but hopefully it will get even better in this tournament." Read the full story at ESPN's Soccernet.com >>

US Falls 3-0 in Opener

Five USL alum started for the US in a flat tournament-opening performance that saw the Czech Republic score five minutes in on a header from Jan Koller and never look back as Tomas Rosicky added two more to put the match out of reach. Veteran midfielder Claudio Reyna had one of the few chances for the US with a shot that rang off the post. USL alumni in the match were starters Kasey Keller, Pablo Mastroeni, Bobby Convey, DaMarcus Beasley and sub Josh Wolff. Check out the reports from US Soccer and FIFAWorldCup.com. in the other match in the group, upcoming US opponent Italy cruised to a 2-0 win over Ghana.

On Any Given Monday

"When the United States plays the Czech Republic today, it will be the latest version of American soccer's most important game of the new century.... The world judges World Cup success not just on getting there but what you do there regularly. To most of the world, that's what counts. The US, long a doormat in its own region of qualifying (CONCACAF), woke up in 1990 and it has not missed the finals since. And at the very least the Americans share "neighborhood bully" status with Mexico. That's an interesting situation because Mexico has been here 13 times and has never advanced past the quarters. The Mexicans are considered underachievers. The Americans, playing their fifth consecutive tournament, are a better team than in 2004, and yet may not advance to the round of 16. They may not win a game."
- Read Marcos' full report at the Tampa Tribune >>
- Catch the game on ESPN2 or via MatchTracker at www.ussoccer.com

Marcos: T&T Puts on Sweet Show

"Predictions are for hopeless gamblers. I am not one of them. They are also for guest columnists whose editors ask for them. In that regard, I am guilty as charged. That does not necessarily mean that I go into soccer games hoping for my predictions to come true. Quite the contrary is probably more often the rule. Take Day Two at the World Cup: While most observers probably forecast a fairly difficult victory for England and got it in a tight, somewhat flat 1-0 performance against Paraguay, many thought Ivory Coast could be the surprise package from Africa. The "Elephants" of civil war-torn Ivory Coast still might be but as game as they were, they still fell short in their 2-1 loss to Cup contender Argentina. The proverbial box of chocolates came instead in Dortmund's Westfalen Stadium... Believe it: This was a big deal, possibly the most exciting scoreless draw I have ever seen live. For me, viewing the World Cup as a pure soccer fan ended Saturday night. No more saying, "May the best team win" or wanting the underdog to overcome impossible odds.

Today, I put my game face on. First, I watch my native Portugal. Monday, I go see the Czech Republic take on the U.S., my adopted country. Things will get personal - very personal. Win at all costs. Suffer for all 90-plus minutes. Live and die with every near miss."

Read the full report from Marcos at the Tampa Tribune >>

Coming up BIG

The smallest country in the World Cup, Trinidad & Tobago pulled off what will likely be one of the biggest upsets of the tournament Saturday in Dortmund. Led by three-year USL defender Brent Sancho, who was excellent in the back, T&T played heavy favorite Sweden to a 0-0 draw despite playing a man down for nearly the entire second half. Behind several spectacular saves from last minute starting goalkeeper Shaka Hislop and the leadership of Dwight Yorke, the squad continued to control the match and turn away the opportunities Sweden did create. Playing with the disadvantage, former USL striker Stern John did not have many opportunities to give T&T a winner.

In other matches, Argentina defeated a tough Ivory Coast 2-1 and England edged Paraguay 1-0 on an own goal off a David Beckham free kick.

Oh, What A Way to Start

"It was a bad day for soccer naysayers back home in the good ol' US, which means it probably was a good day at the World Cup. Actually, it was a very good day."

Francisco Marcos was in Gelsenkirchen for Poland-Ecuador, check out his coverage of opening day action at the Tampa Tribune >>

Klinsmann Opens with Win

Often criticized for his American influence, the former Orange County Blue Star player Juergen Klinsmann led his German squad to a 4-2 win over Costa Rica in the tournament opener this afternoon in Munich. The match featured several world-class strikes and regular US foe Costa Rica gave the host nation a little bit of a contest with their pair of strikes as well.

Klinsmann, who was working with the Blue Star, began playing for the team in 2003 originally under the alias of Jay Goppingen (the name of his home town) to avoid bringing attention to himself as he was focused on aiding the development of the players as opposed to being an attraction as Romario is in Miami this season. Needless to say, it didn't take long for the word to get around at the time.

Let's Get the Party Going

I am going to the World Cup today, and I can't wait. To say I feel like a kid in a candy store is an understatement. You would think it's my first time. Hardly. As some of you may know, this is the 10th consecutive World Cup I have attended, dating to 1970 in Mexico. That span also includes the 1974 version in what was then West Germany. This year's will games will be played in many of the same places as the 1974 tournament, albeit in new state-of-the-art arenas in 12 cities, including Leipzig in former East Germany.

Marcos reports on the opening of the tournament, the foreign media's early impressions of the US squad off the field and... politics, believe it or not.

Check it out at the Tampa Tribune >>

Last Minute Prep

The US topped World Cup participant Angola 1-0 Monday in a closed-door practice game on a goal from Brian McBride. Trinidad & Tobago fell 3-0 to US group opponent Czech Republic Saturday in which Stern John was the lone player of three USL alum to see action, playing the full 90. On Monday, T&T beat German third division side St Pauli 2-1. Juergen Klinsmann, who recently discussed his post-tournament future with the German National Team, led his squad to a 3-0 win over Colombia Friday.

USsoccer.com Studio 90

This is some great stuff! US Soccer is doing a daily video show on www.ussoccer.com that is comprised of interviews, features and behind-the-scenes footage from Germany. If you get a chance, check it out. US Soccer's official website is also doing a blog and will have regular features on the site like this piece featuring former USL First Division goalkeeper Kasey Keller's first shot at starting in his fourth World Cup.

A Brush with the World Cup

Four current USL players did their part for the World Cup, joining their nation's squads for warm-ups against tournament-bound teams. Despite a recent hamstring injury, Richmond Kickers midfielder Tim Brown came off the bench, after recent starts, for New Zealand in a 4-0 loss to Brazil in Switzerland. A pair of Charleston Battery players, Omar Daley and Shane Crawford, and Harrisburg City Islander Teofore Bennett saw action for Jamaica in a 6-0 loss to England, Trinidad & Tobago's group opponent, at Old Trafford. Daley got the start and played a full 90 while Crawford and Bennett came off the bench in the second half.

US World Cup Warm-Up Summary

The send-off series for the US in the final weeks before the World Cup saw several USL players play key roles in their preparation for Germany. The two most known USL alumni, Brian Ching and Brian McBride, each tallied goals.

Bobby Convey set up Ching with a fantastic run to the left corner in the 36th minute of the second match against Venezuela in Cleveland before sending a pinpoint cross to the near post for a floating toe-poke volley by the former Seattle Sounder and Spokane Shadow forward en route to a 2-0 win.

USL Hall of Famer Brian McBride, recovered from a collision of heads that left him with a knot the rest of the night to score the lone goal in a 1-0 victory over Latvia in the final game in East Hartford, Connecticut. The former Milwaukee Rampage forward headed home a cross from Steve Cherundolo two minutes before the break.

The US fell 1-0 to Morocco in the series opener in Nashville.

USL Trio on T&T World Cup Roster

Three former USL players have been named to the 2006 FIFA World Cup roster for Trinidad & Tobago.

Veteran USL First Division defender Brent Sancho, currently with Gillingham in England, was a member of the Charleston Battery in 2000 before spending two seasons with the Portland Timbers.

Superstart striker Stern John is also a USL product, earning USL First Division Rookie of the Year honors in 1997 after registering 16 goals and five assists for the New Orleans Riverboat Gamblers. John went on to a stint in MLS the following year and is now playing for Coventry in England.

Forward Evans Wise spent some time in the USL First Division playing for US Project-40 in 1998.

John scored the squad’s lone goal for T&T in their World Cup tuneup against Wales in Austria May 27, a 2-1 loss.

12 USL Alum Named to US World Cup Roster

Twelve former United Soccer Leagues players were among the official roster of 23 players for the FIFA World Cup named by head coach Bruce Arena Tuesday. Eight USL players were also named as alternates for the tournament being held in Germany beginning June 9.

USL Hall of Fame inductee Brian McBride heads the list of former USL players. McBride is the only player in U.S. history to score goals in multiple World Cups, his three career goals include the game-winners in the 3-2 opening match victory against Portugal in the 2002 World Cup and the 2-0 win against Mexico in the Round of 16. Just one shy of the USA’s all-time leader in World Cup goals, his 29 international strikes also put him in second place on the all-time U.S. list.
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