Saturday, May 28, 2005

News and Views

US-England: How Far the US Has Come The conclusion of this article reads:
Eleven years ago, people would’ve been excited to see England, and they would expect England to beat up on the States. Now, they’re excited to see both England and the USA. And no one knows what outcome to expect. The US has long been England’s step-child in the soccer world. It’s about time everyone realized that the child has finally grown up.
That may be a bit of an overstatement. Although the US has greatly improved in recent years (if my memory serves me correctly, they ended up 8th in Korea/Japan) and are in the top 10 of the FIFA World Rankings, they still have room for improvement. Still, with England ranked at number 6, and with the US tied with Italy at number 10, the gap certainly has closed. Believe me, it is a great relief that I no longer have to spend as much time defending the state of American soccer as I once did.

Kasey Keller's future in Europe, and at home This article poses an interesting question:
England faces the United States this Saturday in Chicago but has left such marquee names as Beckham, Rooney, Ferdinand, Lampard and Terry off the roster. With the United States still seeking international respect, the Fox Sports World Report Topic of the Week wants to know if you think the England squad against the USA an insult to the up-and-coming hosts?
An insult? Perhaps. A correct evaluation of oneself and one's opponent? Definitely. As I already said, the US has not yet (quite) arrived.

McBride voted top No. 1 draft pick Excellent choice!

Crew Lose Goalkeeper for Rest of Year Columbus Crew goalkeeper Jon Busch will miss the rest of the season because of a torn ligament in his right knee. Poor guy; poor Crew.

Much at stake in second 'Clasico'

TCS: It's a nice day for a car wash

Adu expected to be in mix at HOF Game

No comments: