i waited a year for this?

I only watched the last ten minutes of the game so these will all be highly intelligent thoughts:

1. Where you going on that first goal Hope? You had a defender right in front of you. Do you guys not talk to each other? The video isn't up on nbcolympics.com yet so I can't enjoy that first goal all over again. I understand coming out for the ball but I don't know Hope seemed a little too far out there. Not the way to win your teammates back after that big talk. Just saying.

2. In the final 10 mins or so I watched I am still a big fan of Natasha Kai. The girl kills it.

3. I don't really watch women's soccer. At all. It's a bit of a snooze fest for me because everything is so much weaker. Sad but true. In the little bit of play I saw today, though, there was a lot of ball movement and attempts at being creative with the ball. If women play the game like that, it would be interesting. Realizing your limits isn't about playing long balls. It's about keeping the ball on the ground, the headers I saw weren't really anything productive, and using your head (not for headers, though). Even at the end when A Rod tried something cute on the sideline and ended up getting the ball dispossessed, I wasn't even mad. She tried something different. Maybe this has been the norm in women's soccer under Pia, I don't know. But despite the 2-0 scoreline, I'd watch it again. Ladies you impressed me.

On the other hand, the men's team who didn't score a goal in their pre-tournament games, are taking on Japan in their Olympic debut tomorrow morning. That should be a thriller. ;) Remember, I'm rooting for this team to do a damn thing. Brian McBride said if they're outed in the first round he would be back for the Fire game on August 16th. While coach Dennis Hamlet said he wouldn't start him that first game back, he'll be there. And wouldn't you know, I just so happen to have off on that day and will be there as well! Granted, I'll also be at the last game of the season against Juan Carlos Osorio and the New York Red Bull, but McBride could be injured by then so I'd like to see him sooner rather than later. BTW, that NYRB game is going to be off the hook! Section 8 isn't going forget that Osorio up and left us for an uglier women in the middle of the night last offseason or that he wanted to take our beloved Conde with him so they'll be ripping him a new one. But I digress...

In basketball news I decided I won't be rooting for the USA team (man, get ready to ship me out of the country). They're just too showboaty and what not. Besides, I hate Michael Redd which, despite the fact that I bitched about Redd for entire 07-08 Milwaukee Bucks season and bashed his bobblehead etc., came as a surprise to The Boyfriend. While I was watching the Australia/USA game yesterday Fran Frachilla (who is my new idol) was asked if Redd was the best shooter in the world. I laughed out loud. Fran stated that Redd is a great shooter...when there isn't anyone on him. Great, when he doesn't have a defense in front of him, he's a great shooter. How often does that happen? But yeah, I don't really like any of the players on the USA team, maybe just Deron Williams and Kobe...oh and Tayshaun Prince but he's not getting any time which is just bogus. So I have two picks for this basketball tournament: Australia and Spain. First, Australia really held their own in two games against Argentina and the States WITHOUT my boy Andrew Bogut, who has a sprained ankle. While they ended up losing those games, they really put up a fight against teams stocked with NBA stars while theirs was out. And I'm picking Spain because they're really good and it's been a Spain kind of summer. Plus, I appreciate another country who values basketball as much as the States do.

Yep, I'm getting Olympic fever! Women's gymnastics start tomorrow! Out of all of the things I just discussed, that's my favorite part of the entire tournament. I totally wanted to be one of those bitches. Although, I'm glad I'm not because being 5'4" is short enough for my liking.

hallelujah!!!

McBride In, Barrett out!!!

That's all that needs to be said from me. I couldn't think of any news that would make me happier this morning!

the legend

My local paper, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ran a nice little article talking about Brian McBride making the Olympic team and being at least 12 years older than the rest of the players on the team. McBride isn't such a shocking choice as an overage player, in my opinion. Typically, aren't the overage players actually overage? My boy Guzan, another overage player, just barely missed on being an age qualified player and Michael Parkhurst isn't exactly collecting his AARP membership. But McBride goes on to say he doesn't feel old at all and is ready for this challenge. I'm glad he'll get to spend in August in Bejing since Toronto and Chicago haven't really come to any kind of terms to get him playing in MLS just yet.

Another funny, but kind of sad, note from the article. McBride talks about how joining the Olympics team just kind of came up in conversation with Jonathan Spector and now it's a reality. It's sad because Spector is the one who isn't on the team due to injury.

friday football five

In lieu of the last post this is an all Brian McBride Friday Football Fire. I did a quick search on youtube to end the last post with and there were plenty of tribute videos already up. Again, he's a legend over there.











Bocanegra assist. McBride goal.

Okay, I think that's about as melodramatic as I can get this morning.

fulhamerica no mas

Above is the soundtrack to this post.



With Carlos getting released and McBride officially leaving to come back to MLS it's a little bit of a sad time for an American Fulham fan. These are the reasons half of us got into Fulham in the first place. I only know of Fulham with Carlos and Brian and 32 other Americans being involved. I'm not saying I'm not going to be a fan anymore, but there's going to be a little hole in my Fulham heart that won't ever be filled.

Brian's departure is a little harder to take than Carlos'. I knew Los wasn't going to be around. I had the entire second half of the season to get used to the fact that Carlos wasn't going to be a Cottager next season. Brian, though, he's Captain America. To me, he made his name as a Cottager. He has Londoners all around calling him a ledge. It's like the Brian that played in MLS and the Brian who played for Fulham are two different guys. I didn't really give him the respect he deserved when he was playing for the Crew, because he was playing for the Crew. Gross. He crossed the pond and even though he still remained plagued my injuries, he became the go to guy for Fulham. At the end of this up and down season the guys who got us through were Brian McBride and Jimmy Bullard. Players who were like the poster guys for Fulham. It's just hard for me to let that idea go, even if McBride does come and play for the Fire. If he's going to come to an MLS team I'm glad he's pretty much only going to play for the Fire, but he's just going to be former Crew player Brian McBride now playing for the Fire to me. It's hard to explain so I'll just stop. I can't wait for the day he comes out in a Fire uniform, though. I'll be one of those tools at the Fire game who are wearing the jersey of a team that's not playing of a guy that's not playing. But I'll totally be showing the FFC love in my red and black Fulham jersey. Maybe I'll put tape over Dempsey's name in the back. heh.

All this makes the Fulham off season pretty interesting. What are they going to make of Eddie? Will Duece step up and be the new Captain America? Will they sign Brad Guzan to be their keeper of the future. Okay, there are no facts backing up the possibility of that last line, but it would totally be cool if it happened.



It's the end of an era. Thanks guys!