soccer

Thanks to Wonkette for sharing some truly...well...special public art via murals at the Denver Airport. With genocidal harbingers of death, natch. They just have a really special way of saying "Welcome to Colorado you crazy peaceniks! Don't get too comfy with your culturally hegemonic sole military superpower! We're all waiting!"

Which brings me to my important Monday morning question: even though they play in the winter and all, could Nigerian and Argentinian soccer players REALLY have that much to complain about having to do the gold medal game in 90 degree heat?

It could be much, much worse, according to bad Western-American art pieces.

Yay!

I've been working from home all week on crunchtime on my current project, which has ironically let me have almost 24 hour Olympic access. Having said that I'm usually far too busy to actually write much on anything I see and I miss a lot since I'm working. But I have had it on, at least with mute, and here are some quick thoughts...

• Note to NBC announcers: It's not the "most important day in China's history" so just stop fucking saying that, ok?
• Note to NBC announcers: Good job with understanding given and surnames differences in Asia (see? I tried to be fair).
• Synchronized diving must be the most awful sport in the world to practice... climb a whole lot of stairs... jump... splash... watch video... "stop moving your arms"... (literally) rinse, repeat.
• Why is softball a sport? Just have women's baseball for crying out loud.
• Speaking of gender, I don't understand why the following sports are segregated by sex:

I spend a lot of time at work trying to explain to people that customers are now getting information about companies from other customers via blogs, twitter, friendfeed, facebook, etc.; and, that said companies should join the crowd rather than trying to fight them. Further, that they should be up front and transparent and not just spilling out marketing spam. It's a tough fight, riddled with challenges that run the gamut from just basic knowledge all the way to how the playing field is utterly changed and the old principles don't apply in the same ways, if at all. Having said all that, this entertained me, especially since its a reference to cards in soccer:

Via Movie Marketing Madness

My take so far:

1. Thierry Henri didn't start for France, and the announcer furrowed his brow when making this statement, so I assume that's bad.
2. I don't understand why Romania is THAT yellow. It doesn't match their flag and they look silly. Like rubber chickens. With blood running down their armpits. Go sport!
3. I would like the name and address of the graphic designer who came up with UEFA's tragic little logo number so I can send an angry horde of working artists to their door. Unless the intent was bloody hand holding nuclear waste. In which case, spot on.
4. Open letter to Coca Cola re: your creepy ad with the creepy eyes with legs and the creepy talking tongues on the probably-frowned upon website I'm watching the game on: You suck.
5. I clearly don't get Euro ads.
6. At the risk of divorce, this is SUCH a better European competition.

That's all I got.

Wow. What a game. Giants stadium sold out despite (official attendance 78,682) the brutal heat and humidity and it was a fun, noisy crowd. Tim Howard was in some kind insane zone in the first half and he kept the US in the game with four crazy saves. The US actually had a couple opportunities in the first half, but Argentina clearly was the better team.

The second half was a different story. Onyewu had a header off a corner go off the goal post and the US had a great breakaway chance towards the end when they were a man down. The pace in the second half was much quicker and made for a very exciting game. It was certainly one of the best 0-0 games I have ever seen.

Were in our seats and the players have almost finished warming up. Its very hot and humid. The argentine fans are considerably louder. I know that's kind of obvious, but they're a LOT louder (on edit: now that the stadium has filled up the usa fans are actually making more noise).

Eddie Johnson is starting over Adu. Baffling.

Also were next to a "vip" section but I don't recognize any of the "vips".

We're off to USA-Argentina shortly, including the epic ticket and bus lines at Port Authority (I am not a fan of the Meadowlands). Given the heat, that they just laid down new grass for this game, and that both teams have World Cup qualifiers coming up, it probably won't be too fast a game. Nevertheless, we're expecting to get to see Messi, Aguero, Mascherano, Maxi Rodriguez, Adu, Donovan, et al. So hopefully it will be a lot of fun. I will try to take pics.

There isn't going to be much for American soccer fans to remember about the U.S. national team's 1-0 loss to Spain on Wednesday as the days, months and years go by. But one thing that will be remembered, or at least should be remembered, is that this was the game when Freddy Adu showed he is ready for a serious role with the national team.

The skillful midfielder earned the start Wednesday and made the most of his 45 minutes on the field (he was replaced at halftime after suffering a slight knock). He danced, darted, dodged and delivered passes the likes we haven't seen from a national team player since before John O'Brien disappeared to the beaches of California.

Full story

Altidore to be sold to Villarreal for $8 million

U.S. national team forward Jozy Altidore has been sold to Spanish club Villarreal for a fee of $8 million, sources with knowledge of the deal confirmed on Wednesday afternoon.

The New York Red Bulls confirmed that they have reached an agreement with Villarreal on the fee. Sources tell SBI that the fee is $8 million with a sell-on clause and performance bonuses that could increase the fee to $10 million.

This, of course, means the Red Bulls will suck even more (ok, they aren't "that" bad this year). But it's still much better for Jozy and US Soccer.