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Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Won’t be missing ‘06
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Trying to find a last-minute gift for your favorite American soccer fan may be a bit difficult this year, given recent developments that have come on like a flurry in December.
Yes, there is a veritable Starting XI of Ebenezer Scrooges among the footy punditocracy these days, what with the Klinsmann withdrawal, the Adu trade, the future of the U.S. national team, the passing of Lamar Hunt, etc. Normally OTB would be right there with them, given the sour year it’s been in many respects.
In this corner, all the Adu hype is getting old, and that goes ditto for the Yanks too:
“Maybe the U.S. team which, after all, has been on a World Cup yo-yo (’90—bad, ’94—good, ’98—horrid, ’02—great, ’06—bad), will now bounce back up. But I confess my optimism is at low ebb these days.”
Jamie Trecker, who jumped the gun on the Klinsmann near-hire a couple days before he pulled out, ruminates on a number of subjects, including what he’s long described as a ‘poisonous’ atmosphere within USSF ranks.
Interim U.S. coach Bob Bradley’s first team includes 29 MLS players, including Atlanta’s own Ricardo Clark, for a January camp in preparation for friendlies against Denmark and Mexico.
But after a couple weeks of gaining perspective, there are some different ones surfacing besides the white-hot USSF-bashing kind. For example, isn’t soccer coaching supposed to be overrated?
And not everyone thinks Klinsmann’s the cat’s meow:
“Being responsible for getting a entire program off he ground and giving it flight isn’t Klinsmann’s style. He was a diving, self-serving player and, low and behold, he now resides in California.”
Meow, meow, meow, indeed.
There is some optimism on the local front, with the Silverbacks hiring an Under-23 coach with Georgia State and AFC Lightning roots, and the USL expanding its playoff format. Will that get the gorillas into the post-season, at last?
Despite all the long odds and naysayers, Lamar Hunt never gave up on his belief that soccer in America had a bright future. It might not be what any of us idealize now, but he left behind a substantial legacy and experienced some memorable events.
That’s worth feeling festive over any time of the year.
OTB’s feeling that way after receiving The Complete Book of Soccer from the fine folks at Firefly Books Ltd. I’ve just skimmed through a few pages, but this is a fabulous collection.
It’s one of the fun perks of the job, as is keeping this forum open for you. Happy Holidays!
