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Resolving to make ‘08 great
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I don’t make make New Year’s resolutions. You won’t see me taking up jogging, for example, or munching on rice cakes and raw carrots between meals. But while the 2007 year was filled with plenty of memorable events, especially in Atlanta and the U.S., I’m excited by what awaits soccer-heads in 2008.
Which gives us so much to discuss here.
We’ve got a local team that reached the USL First Division finals and ought to compete for the championship again.
The U.S. men’s national team is gearing up for the start of World Cup qualifying and a local product, Ricardo Clark, is vying for a roster spot.
In sixth month’s time, Euro 2008 takes place in Switzerland and Austria, and every game will be available on the ESPN channels.
In addition are the non-stop domestic leagues in Europe and South America, the cup competitions and the Champions League.
From an American standpoint, there’s never been a better time to be a soccer fan. Or to have access to more games on television and keep up with the game across the world on the Internet.
And a world class convivial place to watch the games.
I’ve never wanted to limit the range of soccer that’s explored here, which is why at times these posts seem all over the map.
So to get started, just one thought off the top of my head:
I’m an avid subscriber to World Soccer magazine, but they don’t make much of their print contents online. In the January issue (coverboy: World Player of the year Kaka), Daily Express columnist bemoans what he sees as one of England’s biggest drawbacks:
“The fear factor.” (Here’s a shorter take in his newspaper column.)
In WS, Holden takes aim at at Stevie G. as one of the biggest culprits of this malady: “Steven Gerrard epitomises the probem with the England team.”
For all the wondrous goals he’s scored and how many times he’s bailed out Liverpool (including a last-ditch winner against Derby County on Boxing Day), them’s fightin’ words to a dedicated Reds’ supporter.
Gerrard’s deficiencies are masked in England, Holden maintains in WS, but they weren’t in November in the loss to Croatia that knocked the Lions out of Euro 2008. “Under the pressure of big international matches, his technique fails.”
This sounds like American soccer scolds, doesn’t it? Our kids are said to be uncomfortable with the ball. They learn a rote, physical style dominated by athleticism, not spontaneity and creativity. Gee, the English really ARE becoming too much like Yanks, eh?
(Interestingly, Holden is silent on Gerrard’s play for Liverpool in the Champions League, for example, so I’m not sure I buy his argument entirely).
If Gerrard’s symbolic of the problem in England, then what ails America can’t be all that bad.
Asleep in Seattle; sad for Scurry
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The less said about the USL finals the better.
Four-nil. The Silverbacks team that shocked Rochester and Portland in the playoffs didn’t show up in Seattle Saturday night.
That shouldn’t take away from what turned out to be a pleasant surprise of a season for Atlanta. And the fans have nothing but gratitude.
As for Seattle, there’s plenty of speculation afoot that the Sounders may soon become an MLS franchise.
A few hours later, in Shanghai, the German women made Brazil look like a very different team by winning the Women’s World Cup by a 2-0 score. It’s the first time the event has had a repeat winner.
In addition to having the perfect blend of skill and athletic ability, the Germans sported something one observer said was glaringly absent in the American camp: astute coaching.
Now U.S. coach Greg Ryan, coming off the only loss of his tenure in the semifinal debacle against Brazil, wants to make up with Hope Solo.
This was before he banished Solo from being around for the third-place game won by the Americans over Norway. Nothing like compounding mistakes; this was his goalie for virtually his entire three-plus-year coaching run.
Then, when Solo kvetched loudly about her benching in a completely justifiable reaction, such an outburst was punished, apparently with the endorsement of the rest of the team.
This isn’t DeAngelo Hall here; Ryan undermined the preparations and emotions of his whole team, and he might just pay the price, even with the Olympics a year away.
The person who deserved none of this is Briana Scurry, who was put in an impossible position and just wasn’t up to snuff, even though the Brazilians most likely would have lit up Solo just as well.
The ripping into Ryan came immediately from ex-U.S. captain Julie Foudy, now ESPN’s top color commentator. And Brandi Chastain, whom Ryan rather gracelessly dropped from the team shortly after his hiring, couldn’t wait to blast him.
Classless? About as bad as Ryan’s moves and his unconvincing defense of them. Finally! Some squawking by the revered “Girls of Summer!” Well, the bloom is off and they can’t wait to point the finger of blame. Look what’s been done to their legacy!
Foudy’s comments were hard to avoid since she’s being paid to observe, just as Eric Wynalda did in blasting Bruce Arena during the men’s World Cup last year. But it was a cheap shot to blast the U.S. Soccer Federation, which she long has accused of not supporting the women’s program. Plenty of people who follow the men’s team wonder the same thing about the guys.
Chastain’s bitterness and pettiness is surprising and unfortunate. And then to chastise Solo for speaking out… . Very tacky — but human. Even though I agree with her point that Ryan’s preferred style is all wrong not only for what the U.S. can do, but to beat the best teams in the world.
Later Sunday a friend who mocks soccer asked if I missed covering the U.S. women’s team. While chronicling the ‘99 and ‘03 World Cups and ‘00 Olympics all were a blast, I had to say on balance no, not any more. And not just because of the long travel and because I got to see more than I ever expected. No regrets at all.
Then I saw this item today and remembered why I really felt I had had my fill.
When everything’s going great, as in ‘99, you couldn’t get enough access. When there’s a loss, or a controversy, it’s a whole different story. It’s not unique, of course, but when the athletes are women who’ve been highly pampered when times are good, the flip side can be especially appalling.
Of course, all kinds of teams, pro and college, men’s and women’s, do this all the time.
After the Americans were beaten by Germany in the ‘03 semifinals, one of the few players who either would stop to talk or didn’t try to duck the media/athletes “mixed zone” was Scurry, who calmly and matter-of-factly took questions. Where was Mia at a time like that? Didn’t see her. And Foudy? Not so loudy. Maybe I missed them in the flurry, but let’s just say they didn’t make a beeline for the notepads, cameras and microphones.
A goalkeeping controversy is nothing new in soccer; it’s about the same as a QB dilemma on the gridiron. This isn’t a U-14 team here; these are grown women. The idea of trying to muzzle them generally backfires.
Whether it’s the NFL or the Girls of Summer
Silverbacks in USL Finals!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
They go to Portland 1-1 after the first leg in Atlanta, hold the Timbers to a scoreless draw, then prevail in penalty kicks.
It’s first finals in 12 years for an Atlanta soccer team. Ironically, Saturday’s championship game matches the same two cities as the 1995 A-League Finals. Then, it was the Ruckus falling to the Seattle Sounders, who return to play host to the USL title tilt.
Fox Soccer Channel is showing the game live at 10 p.m., and a Decatur establishment is hosting a viewing party, with live music beforehand.
One big ground rule, however: You’ve got to be 21 or older to get through the doors.
A few of the diehards/Westside 109ers are heading to the Pacific Northwest.
The league has announced finalists for its varioius awards, and Silverbacks Dan Antoniuk and David Hayes are in the hunt for MVP and defender of the year, respectively.
Elsewhere in the footy world, the U.S. women’s coach Greg Ryan has made a stunning lineup change for Thursday’s World Cup semifinal match against Brazil.
Instead of No. 1 goalkeeper Hope Solo, who’s played every minute of the tournament, it will be former Atlanta Beatnik Briana Scurry. She’s a four-time World Cup veteran, and at the age of 36, has plenty of experience against Brazil.
Ryan said he made the switch because Scurry hasn’t lost to the South American powerhouse, which has perhaps the most potent offense in the world led by 21-year-old sensation Marta.
Scurry’s second-best moment, right behind the penalty kick save she made in the 1999 finals against China, was the semifinal game she had that year against the Brazilians. It was, in the mind of this eyewitness, a game-saving performance. Her play against Brazil in the 2004 Olympic finals also was terrific.
Apparently this scenario had been anticipated for some time, and Solo said she wasn’t entirely surprised:
“The moment I got tapped on the shoulder saying I need to meet with you, I had a pit in my stomach and I knew what it was.”
If the Yanks should prevail to face a formidable German team that dispatched Norway 3-0 on Wednesday, which keeper does Ryan use? And how does all this play with the rest of the team?
A risky move, to be sure, but provocative. As the game ought to be.
Playoff victory for Silverbacks
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The gamble the Silverbacks took in opting to play host to the first game in their series with Rochester paid off handsomely Friday as they won their first-ever playoff game. Bookend goals by Warren Ukah and Michael Wolfe netted a 2-1 victory, giving the ‘Backs the advantage when the return match is played Sunday in Rochester. That’s set for 6 p.m. and live streaming is available.
All the Silverbacks have to do is draw or win to advance in a series based on aggreggate goals.
No matter what happens from here, this is a significant hurdle that a long-frustrated franchise has cleared. The team’s owners claim no kinship to the forlorn Ruckus, but Atlanta soccer fans who go back that far must feel even more gratified for all the suffering they’ve endured.
It’s been a long time since the last playoff win by an Atlanta team — 12 years to be exact, when the Ruckus reached the finals of the old A-League.
Other playoff scores from Friday:
Seattle 2, Carolina 0 Montreal 3, Puerto Rico 2
Is WWC being Shanghaied?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As the games were set to begin in China, the Sisters of Perpetual Indignance were already at it:
The Women’s World Cup is being screwed, most notably by FIFA. And right here at home.
Off the Ball was going to get up early and catch a bit of Monday’s opener that turned out to be an 11-0 rout by the German champions over Argentina. But her mood was notably soured by the perpetually annoying Christine Brennan of USA Today, who was yakking on NPR that the fathers of football just don’t care, scheduling this event in September, when American gridiron and men’s domestic soccer leagues around the world are in action.
And why don’t they care? Because FIFA’s one of the last bastions of male chauvinism in sports, apparently. Now, Sepp Blatter and the boys aren’t going to rate any comparisons to Alan Alda and could probably care less about what appeals to Oprah-esque notions of You-Go-Girl culture.
But Christine, they’re not the Taliban either. Once Off the Ball stopped grousing at the radio, whipped up a pot of coffee and thought about it a little more, she detected an enormous amount of frustration.
And it’s understandable, to a point. Ever since the WWC was a big hit on these shores eight years ago, feminist sports advocates (mostly American) have insisted that women’s soccer was going to go through the roof. There would be no stopping a viable domestic league, which would attract the world’s top players, which in turn would spur on the growth of the sport in countries where soccer defines macho culture.
Yes, the sold-out crowds in NFL stadiums that culminated with Brandi Chastain brandishing a black sports bra would unleash a global revolution that would finally embrace the ideal of athletic women, taking their rightful places in sports and society.
I exaggerate only slightly to make a few points. As someone who covered the last two Women’s World Cups and the Women’s United Soccer Association that existed between those two events, I had an up-close view of this phenomenon. And that’s really what it was, in terms of being a spectator sport, for reasons I’ll get to in a minute.
Brennan’s whiny diatribe covered all the familar points made by the activists — that if only these-male dominated organizations better promoted women’s soccer, it wouldn’t be so invisible. She only mentioned in passing that perhaps one large reason for the lack of interest in the U.S. is that Chastain, Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy are all retired (although we have to endure the latter in the ESPN studio if we want to watch the WWC).
Kristine Lilly remains, at the age of 36, as does ex-Atlanta Beat goalie Briana Scurry, and there is a dynamic group of younger players, some groomed in the WUSA, who make the Americans a favorite again.
Also, the tournament is halfway around the world, with the first U.S. game against North Korea slated for 5 a.m. Tuesday, Atlanta time. Because Off the Ball’s cat has to be fed at the crack of dawn, an attempt will be made to watch the second half.
But honestly, Christine, your worn-out bag of complaints just doesn’t cut it any longer. Want to know why? Because for all the young girls who continue to play the game, get a college scholarship, etc., that hasn’t translated into spectator interest in women’s soccer. It’s hard enough for American soccer organizers to get Yanks to watch MLS and the U.S. men’s national team on a regular basis. They know better than to kvetch about it, and they’re very well aware that signing David Beckham isn’t going to create the magic exilir.
The problem with the spiel mournfully unfurled by Brennan and the like is that it’s in the past. If only, if only, we could still party like it’s 1999!
What they fail to admit is that WWC ‘99 was a one-off, as the Brits say. It wasn’t going to guarantee the success of WUSA, which was a fatal assumption its creators built into to the initial business model. Attendance and television ratings couldn’t justify the money being spent, and corporate sponsorship dried up.
But spotty management wasn’t the culprit here: There just never was the interest in a women’s soccer league to reflect the media exposure, salaries and profile that Foudy and the Women’s Sports Foundation, et al, insisted would follow: If You Build It, They Will Come.
It was worth trying, to be sure, just not on the scale that WUSA aimed for. And that’s something that the activists can’t admit. Someone, or something else, has to be blamed. The women have to be victims, at mercy of ruthless, cold-hearted people who just don’t care.
On the day the WUSA died, Off the Ball talked to former Atlanta Beat coach Tom Stone, a reporter’s quoting dream who had a real quick one when she told him of all the young girls in metro Atlanta who wept upon hearing the news:
If more of their parents would have brought them to our games, they wouldn’t be crying today.
It was a joy to cover that league, its players and coaches and personalities. But they always were on borrowed time.
The WWC that followed in 2003, played also in the U.S., didn’t resonate a bit, and not just because it was quickly relocated from China due to the SARS epidemic. Because of the WUSA’s demise weeks before, media interest fizzled. It was awful timing, to be sure, but there also was the realization that you can’t live off one event.
As great as WWC ‘99 was — and it was electric, beyond belief — it’s over. Great memories, to be sure. But only memories. Why is that so hard to understand?
As for the biggest soccer game of interest in America over the weekend, Brennan couldn’t be bothered with mentioning that the Brazil men topped the U.S. 4-2 Sunday in Chicago.
And not just any Brazil team. Ronaldinho. Kaka. Etc. Etc.
Yes, it was a friendly. But it was BRAZIL. For all of the wonderful success of the women’s team over the years, I’ve long maintained that the growth of spectator interest in soccer in this country owes much to how well the U.S. men’s national team program develops. If I were a man, I’m sure I’d be called a sexist for making that statement.
But it’s truly lame for people like Christine Brennan to moan about the women being ignored when she passes herself off as an expert only when major events roll around.
I covered women’s athletics — basketball even more than soccer — for more than a decade and saw that despite the enormous growth in interest and a huge upshoot in TV games, for example, there is a limit to it. I never saw Brennan in the trenches, game after game, year after year, getting a realistic sense of where women’s sports really existed in the public imagination. She swooped down on the Women’s Final Four, WWC, Olympics, etc., like Gloria Swanson descending the stairs in diva-like fashion in “Sunset Boulevard,” there to write the big-picture pieces, full of hyperbole and mushy melodrama that only Norma Desmond could appreciate.
It’s too bad NPR listeners and those who can manage to get through one of her USA Today columns without emitting a primal scream are routinely mistreated to such facile takes on complex topics.
Those soccer fanatics who want to watch the games, will — no matter the time of day, or the time of year. And jeepers, if this site can give the WWC some love, then perhaps it’s doing better than the Sisterhood will ever be willing to admit.
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Latest comments
Happy New Year and welcom back Wendy.... read the full comment by Henry | Comment on Resolving to make '08 great Read Resolving to make '08 great
I consider The Silverback’s Men and Women team Vice Champions not first losers as many describe them.... read the full comment by Henry | Comment on Asleep in Seattle; sad for Scurry Read Asleep in Seattle; sad for Scurry
As I said previously the only way Briana could have survived was if the defense showed up. They did not and I personally feel sorry for Briana, What a sad way to leave the national team, Sad! Also what is sad is the management of US Soccer. Those political... read the full comment by Henry | Comment on Asleep in Seattle; sad for Scurry Read Asleep in Seattle; sad for Scurry
Solo left her out to dry. - Briana Scurry Fan... read the full comment by Scurry Fan | Comment on Asleep in Seattle; sad for Scurry Read Asleep in Seattle; sad for Scurry