World Cup Starts Today

Mmm... Foosball with Gumballs

I have always loved foosball, so this gaming apparatus which combines a gumball dispenser with a table soccer game would have been a dream come true! The only way to make it better would have been if they were played with malted milk duds. The war against children's teeth just got a whole lot harder for parents and dentists!

US National Team Player Onyewu Joins AC Milan

For the first time in over a decade a United States National Team player will join a team in the Italian Series A league. Oguchi Onyewu, who is a full back, played extremely well in the Confederations Cup and peaked the interest of AC Milan. He had been playing for a Belgun team. It is nice to see some tangible benefits from the US teams run to the finals in the Confederations Cup. AC Milan is also the team the David Beckham is currently playing for.

Iran Soccer Players Banned for Life

Four Iranian soccer players were banned from playing for the national team after wearing green armbands during a recent world cup qualifying match against South Korea. The players wore the green armband to show their support for those who are protesting the election results in Iran. The players ranged in age from 24 to 32. I hope the worst thing that happens to these guys is their banishment from the national team. Unfortunately, I think they will be looking over their shoulders when they return to Iran. They should be commended for their peaceful protest in which they didn't distract from the game. They simply wore their armbands.

We all have our limitations

Why Americans will never embrace soccer (European Football)

I admit that I am mostly posting this to get the reaction of Sean and CRChair to this article which posits 7 reasons why soccer will never be a popular American sport. Personally, I only ever find soccer interesting if one of my friends is playing - and never if I am playing. But I have been lectured on numerous occasions by AYSO parents, referees, and players as to why I should find it interesting and how soccer is in fact the ultimate sport.

1. Americans don’t have the Attention Spans.
Soccer is a continuous game that is heavily influenced by a teams endurance and stamina. Unfortunately, Americans do not understand that concept. While the most popular sport in the United States involves watching a car go around a track for 600 miles, soccer is players running constantly for 90 minutes. Unlike soccer, however, NASCAR also involves the elements of horrendous crashes, pit stops, and fan favorites. Football also stops after every play, and during the four quarters of the game. The same goes for the innings of baseball, and the quarters of basketball.
2. Low Scores.
Because soccer is such a competitive and trying sport, the scores remain relatively few and far between. Americans like scoring, in all ways, forms, and meanings. Look at every other sport and their average scores, and then compare them to a high scoring soccer affair involving 5 – 6 goals. While scoring a goal is exciting, you have to remember spectators endure 90 minutes of passing balls and running in order to witness the goal.

MLS Player Quits Soccer to Become a Priest

Giving a good example of what it is to give up all that you have and are for God, New England Revolution player Chase Hilgenbrinck has decided to give up professional soccer to become a Roman Catholic Priest. Hilgenbrinck said that he has felt the call for a while now and was thinking of putting off this call until after his playing career was done. But in a line that we all should respect he said "Delayed obedience is disobedience." May God bless him and use him to bring others to a personal relationship with Christ.

Can Beckham be a 'ringer' and a teammate?

BBC Magazine is running an interesting article where the pose the question of whether or not David Beckham, who begins practicing with LA Galaxy today, can become a true teammate to his new team. This is an interesting question and I think that it spans beyond Beckham to the workplace in general. What happens when someone is brought in and is better off in multiple categories than the rest of the team. In Beck's case he's making 500% the salary of the average MLS player and he's counted among the worlds best soccer players, not to mention that he's a marketing juggernaut.

I've never been on either side of this type of a problem, but I can imagine the problems that could arise. In the case of Becks I think that he needs to make sure he works out with the team regularly and proves that he's just one member of the team. I think that he can do this - an will - because his greatness on the pitch is how he distributes the ball to the right people at the right time. He doesn't get a ton of goals, but he does get a ton of assists. Because of that, it seems like he is well placed to work out in LA. That also seems to be what any 'ringer' that is brought in needs to do - if they indeed want to be accepted by the rest of the team. We shall see if Beckham manages to do this or not.

And then there's the issue of his wife, and considering she'll be going on world tour soon that could be a whole new set of issues.