soccer

Women’s soccer: Small world, wouldn’t want to paint it *

Posted on by Beau Dure

Tom Dunmore has a post at BigSoccer about the global rise in women’s soccer, drawing from Nigeria’s upset of the USA in the U-20 Women’s World Cup. This women’s competition has indeed been as unpredictable as a men’s U-20 event, with unheralded African teams going toe-to-toe with the big names in the sport.

This coincides with my debut at ESPN, in which I ponder the decline of women’s soccer’s popularity in the USA. The WUSA overspent, yes, but wouldn’t WPS love to have those attendance figures today? And the funny thing is that the games are better today than they were then.

I don’t have any real answers, of course. I’ve wondered before if Gen Y and the Millennials are less inclined to see women as athletes and more inclined to see them as Maxim covers, and one of the ESPN comments describing half the Washington Freedom crowd as “butch lesbians” points at a rather skewed view of the world. To cite Seinfeld, there wouldn’t be anything wrong with having that mix in the crowd, but having been to several Freedom games, I can testify that it’s just not true.

In Europe, meanwhile, the women’s Champions League just gets more solid each year. Europe is hardly a unified continent of progressive attitudes, of course — women’s ski jumping has fought through all kinds of condescending remarks, and the old guard of English journalists didn’t exactly welcome women’s soccer with open minds.

Women’s games, in general, aren’t bad at all. The diving epidemic in the men’s game hasn’t quite caught on, for one thing. After some of the drearier World Cup games, WPS provided a welcome change of attitude.

We in the USA think of ourselves as the worldwide leader in women’s sports, at least women’s team sports. Yet basketball pros find life more profitable overseas, perhaps free from snarky columnists like SI’s Jeff Pearlman.

Is that the future for women’s soccer as well?

* – yes, the headline is a Steven Wright joke

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soccer

Freedom’s misfortunes touch Gold Pride, too

Posted on by Beau Dure

FC Gold Pride wasn’t necessarily planning to turn the entire Saturday evening at the Maryland SoccerPlex into one large-scale counterattack. The game just turned out that way, with the Bay Area team on their heels in the first half and then taking advantage of opportunities in the second.

The 4-1 final score was deceptive, and with Freedom keeper Erin McLeod suffering a knee injury bearing all the signs of something serious, the visitors weren’t getting too giddy.

Yet the game showed how much is going Gold Pride’s way this season and how much is going wrong for the Freedom, who tumbled out of playoff position with the loss.

Sympathy for McLeod

McLeod’s injury was particularly tough on Gold Pride forward Christine Sinclair, her Canadian national teammate.

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soccer

MLS fans: Shut the *&^&# up

Posted on by Beau Dure

There’s a disagreement over fan behavior going on in the blogosphere, and it’s clear that my longtime RFK pressbox pal Aaron Stollar (Fighting Talker, BigSoccer) is better-informed than Ethiene Rodriguez at EPL Talk.

Usually, the better-informed person is right. And Aaron’s usually right. Unfortunately, this argument has hit upon a pet peeve of mine, which is gratuitous bleeping profanity at bleeping MLS games.

There’s nothing clever or entertaining about chanting “&%$# you, ref” after a disagreeable call. Frankly, we had far better chants in high school. (My favorite: “Nuts and bolts! Nuts and bolts! We got screwed!”)

There’s nothing clever or entertaining about yelling “You suck, a&&hole” just as the goalkeeper makes contact on a goal kick.

Forget for a moment — only a moment — that MLS can’t afford to tune out any audience. You 18-35ers who think you own the world have to coexist with the 40somethings and their U12 kids. Apologies to all who want to take the wrong lessons from Toronto’s success in filling BMO, but that’s the way it is. “F you ref” isn’t going to make anyone feel a sudden urge to take in an MLS game; it might get a few people to leave.

The larger problem is that you just look and sound like stupid wannabes. Like so many college basketball fans who copy Duke’s energy without any of the creativity (which, sadly, has faded in Cameron Indoor Stadium over the years), you’re taking the bit of someone else’s atmosphere that’s easiest to copy and running with it.

A lot of the U.S. soccer community has a complex about European soccer. We want the atmosphere at MLS games to be full of raucous chanting like we imagine we’re seeing and hearing at EPL games. Fine.

Now tell me what you think of when you think of Liverpool fans. “%&%# you, you &%$#munch” or You’ll Never Walk Alone? Thought so.

MLS fans are capable of much more than this. Some Toronto and Seattle fans may think they invented passionate atmospheres, but most clubs have at least one solid supporters group with good chants and sometimes stunning banners.

Changing the tone doesn’t mean keeping a swear jar at the turnstile, though they might be an effective way for some teams to afford a Designated Player. It means cutting down the organized pottymouth. You’re not going to intimidate the ref or the opponent. You’re just going to intimidate your neighbor who looks across the stadium and sees a mob missing a few brain cells.

These days, everyone’s asking MLS to raise the level on the field. How about raising the level off it?

Update: Match Fit USA has a typically articulate post defending the notion of MLS fans “being themselves.” I still disagree, of course, and I hope “typical Philly behavior” is closer to what I know of the Sons of Ben rather than the Flyers fans shouting homophobic slurs and starting fights in the men’s room at Verizon Center.

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cycling, olympic sports, rugby, soccer

Friday Myriad: The dog ate it

Posted on by Beau Dure

Things I’ll try to watch this weekend while we finish up a long week of dog-sitting …

FRIDAY

8:30 a.m.: Cycling, Tour de France, Stage 18. Flat stage with a likely sprint finish that will help decide the green jersey. Thor SMASH! Thor SMASH! Versus

8 p.m.: Softball, USA-Japan. First game of a lot of World Cup softball on ESPN networks this weekend. Jennie Finch has announced her imminent retirement. ESPN – full schedule of games at USA Softball

SATURDAY

6 a.m.: Rugby, Tri-Nations, Australia-South Africa. RugbyZone.com (pay)

8:30 a.m.: Cycling, Tour de France, Stage 19. Time trial. That’s Andy Schleck’s last real chance to take the yellow jersey from Alberto Contador, but he’s an underdog. Versus

4 p.m.: Action sports, BMX Open. NBC

10 p.m.: Basketball, U.S. national team intrasquad game. World Championships start in late August. LeBron apparently not involved this time, though without a one-hour special, can we be sure? ESPN2

SUNDAY

5:30 a.m.: Soccer, USA-Nigeria, U-20 Women’s World Cup quarterfinal. ESPNU/ESPN3.com

7:30 a.m.: Cycling, Tour de France, final stage. Possibly a final sprint for the green jersey, but more importantly, time to bid a fond farewell to Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen for now. And what will we do with our mornings now? Versus

4 p.m.: Beach volleyball, AVP Long Beach men’s final. ABC

10:30 p.m.: Soccer, Seattle-Colorado. In case you prefer league games to friendlies. Fox Soccer Channel

11 p.m.: Beach volleyball, AVP Long Beach women’s final (same-day). ESPN2

MORE MYRIAD

  • Full soccer listings at Soccer America: MLS, international friendlies, U-20 Women’s World Cup, Mexico.
  • Selected weekend listings at USA TODAY
  • ESPN3: U-20 Women’s World Cup, Australian Rules football, CFL, cricket, AAU basketball, tennis, fishing, lacrosse
  • Tennis Channel: Two live ATP tournaments.
  • Universal Sports: Triathlon, World Juniors track and field.
  • More Olympic sports: Handful of U.S. championships and junior competitions.
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cycling

Tour is ultimate test of cyclists and fans

Posted on by Beau Dure

Cycling is a messy sport. Especially in the mountains, where we see wonderful moments mixed with consternation.

The best moment in recent years is still Lance Armstrong peering back at Jan Ullrich, then taking off up the mountain. Phil Liggett said it was as if Armstrong was asking, “Are you coming or not?” Liggett continued: “And the answer was: ‘Not.'”

The Armstrong investigation casts a cloud over that moment, fairly or unfairly. He stands accused by Floyd Landis, whose own staggering feat in the mountains has been tarnished already.

But even aside from doping questions, the mountains can bring out the weirdness. Mostly from the fans.

No other sport offers such a close interaction between fan and athlete in the midst of competition. A couple of motorcycles help clear the road for the leaders, but that path is often narrow. Cyclists climb at roughly the same speed as a fast jog, so fans can keep pace.

It’s exciting, but often glossed over is the fact fans can affect the action.

Today, Andy Schleck took off on what was his last realistic hope to win the Tour, assuming Alberto Contador beats him in Saturday’s time trial. Contador did what he to do, locking on to Schleck’s rear wheel and giving up no time to his young challenger.

Schleck wasn’t just carving a slipstream through the air. He was taking the worst of what a rowdy crowd had to offer. A couple of times, he had to swerve — not a big deal when you’re at full speed on flat land but a killer when you’re trying to force those pedals to turn over on a brutal climb. He also took a few good whacks to the face from Basque flags and the occasional arm, sometimes glaring back over his shoulder at the offender.

Contador’s sportsmanship was called into question a few days ago when he attacked while Schleck had trouble with his bike. Today, Contador got it absolutely right. He may not have let Schleck win the stage — he surely wouldn’t admit to it if he did. But he may have understood deep down that Schleck was the stronger cyclist on the day and deserved to cross first.

After crossing the finish line separated by less than a bike length after a climb that showed their dominance over the rest of the pack, Contador and Schleck hugged and sincerely congratulated each other.

They treated each other with respect. The fans ought to give that a try.

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cycling

Today’s Tour update and showdowns to come

Posted on by Beau Dure

Lance Armstrong gave it a good ride, but he hasn’t sprinted at the finish in a long, long time. Fast-twitch sprinting muscles, as I recall, tend to go before the slow-twitch endurance muscles, so at his age, he wasn’t likely to win it. Still, finishing in an elite group of nine was very, very good.

The top 10 all finished in a group of 50, 6:45 back, though there were two surprises — one in the group, one out:

– IN: It’s the Thor de France! Thor Hushovd, as he has done before, earned points toward the green jersey (sprints/points) on a mountain stage. He took back the green jersey, in fact.

– OUT: Ivan Basso, longtime contender who tumbled hard out of the top 15.

Rest day Wednesday, then showdowns to decide everything that’s left. Day-by-day:

Thursday: Brutal climb at the finish that will decide the suddenly competitive polka-dot (mountain) jersey and go a long way toward deciding the yellow jersey and team title.

– Mountains: Christophe Moreau, who’s older than Lance Armstrong, took 60 points for winning the last two climbs today. That puts him 15 points behind leader Anthony Charteau (143 pts). Like American George Hincapie, Moreau married one of the women who present the jerseys on the podium at the end of a race. Other than that, he’s best-known for finishing around 10th but as high as fourth in the decade since his doping scandal. The finishing climb is the last mountain on the Tour.

– Team: Radio Shack maintained its lead over Caisse d’Epargne, which may be distracted slightly by Moreau’s sudden polka-dot pursuits, by matching its performance today. Armstrong and Chris Horner were in the break along with CDE’s Moreau and Ruben Plaza Molina. Both teams had a third rider and more in the yellow jersey’s group of 50. CDE will need to gain an edge here.

– Overall: Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador rode quietly in that group of 50. That shouldn’t be the case Thursday. Schleck isn’t as strong in the time trial as Contador, and he has looked slightly better in the mountains. The youngster will need to race away from the two-time champion on the final climb.

Friday: It’s flat, which means the race for green between Hushovd (191 pts) and Alessandro Petacchi (187) takes center stage.

Saturday: Time trial day should be the final showdown between Schleck and Contador, though it could be anticlimactic if Schleck fails to take back yellow on Thursday. The team title also should be decided, with Radio Shack likely to have a significant edge over CDE.

Sunday: It’s “ceremonial” in most senses and hasn’t affected the yellow jersey in modern history. Sometimes, people hint at a final dash in Paris, and the bad blood between Schleck and Contador could spark such words here. But with several laps of the Champs-Elysees, any attempt to break away for yellow would likely be overrun by the teams racing either for the green jersey or just a final moment of glory. Hushovd and Petacchi may be set for a final duel here.

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cycling

Tour stories: Schleck’s angry stomach, Lance on vacation, Thor SMASH!

Posted on by Beau Dure

So you don’t have all day to listen to the soothing voice of Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen on Versus, you don’t get all the jokes at NYVelocity.com, you find browsing through cycling-fanatic blogs like Podium Cafe a bit like sipping water from a fire hose,  and you find VeloNews a little over your head as well. Yet you’re not quite content with the AP coverage: “XXXX XXXX took the overall lead in the Tour de France today, though XXXX XXXX won the stage. Lance Armstrong finished XXth, X:XX behind the leader. Am I done yet? Can I work on my fantasy baseball team now?”

Actually, AP usually gets some of the action by the time the “optional” version comes in from Europe, you can get a pretty clear picture. That’s about as close as you can get to a middle ground between the dry read on the overall standings and the crowd debating the circumference of Alberto Contador’s crankset.

So if you like the Tour but haven’t had two weeks to digest the events so far, here’s a quick read:

What the heck is Lance doing?: Lance Armstrong came into this Tour intending to win. That’s not as obvious as it sounds. A cyclist’s goals may change from year to year or even day to day. Team goals can be even more complex.

In Lance’s heyday, his teams (Postal Service, Discovery Channel) had a clear goal: Lance will win the Tour. Period.

Not every team is so clear. Some teams have two or three contenders, by design or accident, and they may or may not agree on who takes the lead. A hierarchy might not be clear until a couple of mountain stages and time trials have passed.

Other teams may go for stage wins, the green jersey (sprints and sprint finishes) or just an occasional bit of time in a breakaway to get the sponsor’s name on TV. Sponsors like that.

When Armstrong ran into everything but a plague of locusts on one stage, crashing multiple times and struggling to catch up, he knew his chances of winning were gone. Teammate Levi Leipheimer was still poised to make a run at the top three, where he finished in 2007, but that’s looking less likely by the day.

Armstrong hasn’t seriously contested the last several stages and is now 31st place, 40 minutes and 31 seconds back. Teammates Leipheimer, Andreas Kloden and Chris Horner are ahead of him in the standings.

So is he saving strength for one last dash at a stage win?

The team title: Another competition that doesn’t get much interest each year, at least for U.S. audiences trained to watch Greg Lemond, Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis chase the yellow jersey and overall title, is the team classification. The times of the top three riders each day are added up. Team Caisse d’Epargne has little else for which it can contend, so this is a logical point of emphasis. But with Radio Shack no longer geared up for an Armstrong win or Leipheimer podium, this competition might be the best use of the team’s depth.

Radio Shack took back the lead today with a couple of minutes to spare, with Leipheimer, Kloden and Armstrong all finishing ahead of Ruben Plaza Molina, the venerable Christophe Moreau and Luis-Leon Sanchez. Radio Shack can always rotate Horner into that top three, while CDE has a long drop back to Vasil Kiryienka.

Thor! Green!: The green jersey/points competition is a strange one. For the most part, it’s given for what happens in the last 30 seconds of each of the flat stages that make up half the Tour. Hang out for 4 hours and change, then go for it. Teamwork is just as important for green as it is for yellow — the sprinters line up behind their “lead-out” men, who have taken it upon themselves to start head-butting each other out of the way this year. It’s a messy competition that usually sees the yellow-jersey contenders sitting about a third of the way back in the pack just to avoid the fray.

The contenders here spend half the Tour just trying to survive, making sure they don’t finish so far behind the pack that they’re tossed out of the Tour. Many a first-week stage winner doesn’t stick around for the third week.

But one person took it upon himself last year to prove he can get up and down the mountains, not content to win on a judge’s ruling after a final-sprint incident. That’s one reason why that rider, Thor Hushovd, commands a bit of respect and some fan loyalty in the race for green.

Besides — he has the coolest name in the race.

The race for yellow, or, don’t race on an angry stomach: The race for yellow was effectively whittled down to two people last week. We can all dream of seeing a daring breakaway from someone else farther down the standings, but the last time that happened, the Floyd Landis Endless Doping Saga began.

Andy Schleck, surely the best-known athlete from Luxembourg, is still eligible for the white jersey of best young rider. He looks like he’s 13 or 14, which explains why NYVelocity’s Tour day Schmalz is riddled with jokes about calling his mom and promising he’ll ride safely.

He had the lead over Alberto Contador and was attacking on the giant climb today. But just as Contador was clawing his way back, the chain slipped on Schleck’s bike.

Under cycling’s unwritten rules, riders often wait for fellow contenders when they run into trouble on the road. Lance Armstrong and Jan Ullrich, the Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty of the early 2000s, had a couple of cases in which one waited for other, including the famous “Hey, Lance! I love you so much I’m going to snag my snack bag on your handlebars!” incident.

Should Contador have waited? Schleck thinks so. He talked of much anger in his stomach and imminent revenge.

My former workplace neighbor, USA TODAY cycling guru Sal Ruibal, raises counterpoints:

  1. This wasn’t an accident in which some fan’s snack bag snagged a rider’s handlebars. Schleck likely made a mistake in trying to shift gears.
  2. Revenge riding can be a really bad idea. A big part of cycling is staying within yourself and knowing what you’re capable of doing.

Contador already was far from a beloved figure, and the boos he received upon taking the yellow jersey today underlined that point. Fairly or not, he’s more of a villain now.

But whatever you think of Contador, Schleck is easy to root for. He rode maniacally up the mountain after his chain slipped, sailing past such experienced riders as … well, Lance Armstrong. Without that, the Tour would be over.

He’ll surely be the underdog. Contador should blow him away in the Tour’s only full-fledged time trial on Saturday. And Contador isn’t easy to shake in the mountains.

So that leaves us with one question — how is it, with all the mechanical ingenuity available to bicycle-makers and all the money spent on Tour bikes, we can’t have a more reliable way to shift gears?

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soccer

MLS Player News: Dallas debut, Bunbury’s case

Posted on by Beau Dure

Just a little experiment in gathering bits of news — feedback welcome.

Jon Conway, GK, Toronto — Not likely to play but happy to return home to Philly area. Main reason for inclusion here, of course: Dad’s name is Tim Conway. (Delaware County Times)

Columbus — In dire need of a DP? Not going to get one because of ownership? (Columbus Dispatch)

Thierry Henry, F, New York — Not ready to play in big match with Columbus, but he’ll travel with team. (multiple)

John Wolyniec, F, New York — Has missed last two practices, and coach Hans Backe has no comment. (MLSSoccer.com)

Dane Richards, F/M, New York — Expected to start alongside Juan Pablo Angel up front as Backe opts against 4-5-1. (MLSSoccer.com)

Milton Rodriguez, F, Dallas — Colombia striker gets transfer paperwork in order and may dive right in atop 4-1-4-1 formation. (MLSSoccer.com)

Teal Bunbury, F, Kansas City — Will the rookie keep starting job after he scored lone goal in 1-0 win at Columbus? (Kansas City Star)

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cycling, general sports, olympic sports, rugby, soccer

Friday Myriad: Morning TV, friendly soccer

Posted on by Beau Dure

I have survived Double Deadline Day. I survived the sauna that passes for RFK Stadium’s press box. I survived the long Metro ride home, which ended with a ranting woman accusing me of using my Blackberry to transmit shortwave signals into her head to make her hair fall out. (Among other problems corroborating such an accusation: She had a very healthy head of hair.)

So what will I be watching now that all of this is done? There’s the British Open, which some will watch for Tiger drama but I enjoy for the spectacle of seeing pro golfers deal with bunkers that look like they’re hiding the Millennium Falcon. The Tour de France has a good two-man race between defending champ Alberto Contador and youngster Andy Schleck. And there’s soccer, soccer and more soccer.

FRIDAY

7 p.m.: Soccer, Manchester United-Celtic. Euro friendlies have always struck me as something I’d much rather watch in person than on TV, but plenty of people would disagree with me on that. Must be a considerable number disagreeing with me, as this game is taking up an ESPN network’s air time rather than filling summer time slots on FSC. ESPN2

9 p.m.: Boxing, Zab Judah-Jose Armando Santa Cruz. Unusual to see a name like Judah’s on the Friday Night Fights card. ESPN2

SATURDAY

3:35 a.m.: Rugby, Tri-Nations, New Zealand-South Africa. See Travis’ preview.

5 a.m.: Golf, British Open coverage starts with multiple angles/holes online, then on TV at 7 a.m. ESPN/ESPN3.com

8:30 a.m.: Cycling, Tour de France, Stage 13. Versus

Noon: Soccer, USA-Switzerland, U-20 Women’s World Cup. Fresh from a stunning 1-1 draw with Ghana, which would apparently frustrate the USA in every sport ever invented, the young Americans try to regroup against the Swiss. Good news for the Swiss: They have Atlanta Beat prodigy Ramona Bachmann. Bad news: They lost their opener 4-0 to South Korea. ESPNU/ESPN3.com

4 p.m.: Soccer, San Jose-Tottenham. Really? This friendly is on TV while Philly-Toronto (3:30), Columbus-New York (7:30), Dallas-Salt Lake (8:30) and Colorado-Kansas City (9) are on Direct Kick and online? OK, then. Columbus-New York won’t feature Thierry Henry’s debut, but the Red Bulls could leap over the Crew into first in the East.  ESPN/ESPN Deportes

7:30 p.m.: Soccer, USA-Sweden women. Tale of two halves when these teams met earlier in the week. The USA dominated the first half and finally got a goal. Early in the second, Amy Rodriguez hit the crossbar, and Sweden scored on a counter. It finished 1-1, with Sweden looking better the rest of the way. That’s not normal for a home game and speaks to a possible depth problem. Fox Soccer Channel

SUNDAY

6 a.m.: Golf, British Open. All feeds live at the same time. ESPN/ESPN3.com

7:30 a.m.: Cycling, Tour de France, Stage 14. Versus

3 p.m.: Soccer, Seattle-Celtic. Again, huge game if you’re within driving/train-riding distance of Qwest Field. Or if you have a fierce Celtic tie. ESPN/ESPN Deportes

5 p.m.: Soccer, WPS, Boston-Washington. The Breakers are making a charge with two straight wins, while the goals have dried up for the Freedom. FSC

7:30 p.m.: Soccer, MLS, D.C. United-Los Angeles. Both teams looking to rebound from a loss. There, the similarities end. It’s worst vs. first at RFK. (Technically, D.C. is a point ahead of Philly, but the Union have three games in hand.) FSC

MORE MYRIAD

  • World Series of Poker: Main Event will be whittled down to 27 players on Friday and then down to the “November Nine” on Saturday.
  • Full soccer listings at Soccer America, including SuperLiga.
  • Selected weekend listings at USA TODAY
  • ESPN3: U-20 Women’s World Cup, Australian Rules football, CFL, NBA Summer League and a ton of golf.
  • Tennis Channel: Nothing live this weekend.
  • Universal Sports: Ironman, some Tour simulcasts and AVP Hermosa Beach.
  • More Olympic sports: U.S. championships in boxing and mountain bike.
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soccer

MLS: Still not sturdy enough to wish for another team’s demise

Posted on by Beau Dure

I often like to visit the visiting fans’ section at RFK Stadium. For one thing, it gets me out of the press sauna and out in the stands where the breezes offer some relief.

We're not superior -- RFK management just put us in the upper deck. Like the Open Cup replica?

It’s especially interesting when you have fervent fans who travel a great distance to see the recent expansion teams. They often offer insights on their teams’ successes and needs that you won’t get elsewhere. Tonight’s conversation with a Seattle supporter was no exception. Among the ground covered:

– If Adrian Hanauer were to stand today for re-election under the much-hyped promise to let fans retain or push out the GM, he’d have little trouble keeping his job. The Sounders aren’t matching last year’s results, but the good run last year didn’t give everyone unrealistic expectations.

– Freddie Ljungberg served the Sounders well in their first year, and there’s a certain amount of pride that the team’s medical staff fixed him up. But if it’s time for him to go elsewhere, so be it. The younger players could use more playing time, and the team can splurge on an even bigger designated player.

– Coach Sigi Schmid might be sticking with his old favorites (Peter Vagenas leaped to mind) a little too much.

– Players and fans need to get over their dislike of FieldTurf. World Cup qualifiers should be played at Qwest Field.

– The Seattle atmosphere is an awesome manifestation of civic pride.

And with that, he looked down (literally — visiting fans are in the upper deck) upon an unfilled lower bowl at RFK Stadium. He seemed surprised to learn that United fans, not too long ago, had filled that lower bowl on a regular basis. (Weeknights in traffic-choked, workaholic D.C. will always be tough, though.)

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