WRAPUP

You might be wondering what's been happening in the world of Real Salt Lake... well, they haven't won yet, despite firing Steve (SO THAT'S WHAT THAT GETS YOU, YOU DUMB BITCHES), and today they traded Chris Klein, which really means nothing to me since I don't suspect they're ever going to win again. It's like the Cubs goat curse, except with Steve instead. So what I'm saying is STEVE = GOAT. In more ways than one.

Hi Steve.

I guess the trade will be good for the team, except rumors have one of the players coming to Salt Lake going over to Europe, so.. WHOOP-DEE-DOO.

I still watch the games, in a bemused state, while drinking beer and reading from the pile of magazines that gather on my living room table, threatening to grow ever larger, and then eat me.

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The Hoosier Beer Geeks were featured in INtake today, and there's a picture featuring Gina and I, and our names were never mentioned. That's fine by me, though it seems sort of strange.

The cycling jersey article, which I linked over at bikeforums.net, caused a 700% increase in site traffic Tuesday. My head is swelling.

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Yesterday I spent $300 on my current bicycle, including $85 pedals and a $150 seat. That's right, my seat cost more than your bicycle, probably. But it's white. And it doesn't make my junk numb, which was starting to be an issue with my old seat. You wanted to know about that.

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The national team plays Canada tonight, on Fox Soccer Channel, which is no place for a national team game. That should be on ESPN2, at least. Canada might be tough this year? I know, seems funny.

nobody home

No one has left any comments about the US/Mexico game, so I'm just going to assume you've all decided to become Mexico fans.

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Dear Indianapolis area Chicago Fire / Columbus Crew fans:

Prepare to have your teams destroyed by the multifaceted Cerberus-like attack of Real Salt Lake on the dates of Sunday, May 27th @ 3PM and Saturday, July 7th and 5:30PM. I am currently planning to make road trips to both games, so if you're interested in making the voyage in the company of a fan of the greatest football club to ever grace the planet*, leave a comment. It's never too early to start planning.

The MLS schedule is out, for those interested. Man is Kyle Beckerman ugly.

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*not necessarily even close to true

anyone caught leaving a comment will be shot

While I'm sure most folks who read this blog are excited about the big game Sunday, I find that I'm actually a little more excited about Saturday's big game, when Fulham, featuring Americans Brian McBride, Clint Dempsey, and Carlos Bocanegra, take on Newcastle, featuring new signing Oguchi Onyewu. Hopefully Gooch gets some minutes in.

Wednesday the national team takes on Mexico at 9PM Eastern (I think)... for those Indianapolis locals reading - where's the party at? Anyone know the guy at Radio Radio well enough to suggest a viewing? It appears that their calendar is open for Wednesday... either way, it would be good to get some folks together to watch the game in a proper environment. If you're up for it, leave a comment. I was just kidding about the shooting.

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Oh, and in other news, it's either Sandy, Utah or Collinsville, Illinois (a sort of suburb of St. Louis) for Real Salt Lake. I'm leaning towards Sandy - and the same team ownership - instead of St. Louis.

As much as I'd love St. Louis to have a team (and MY team would be even better) - it doesn't seem right to take someone else's. When St. Louis gets an MLS team, I'll be first in line to buy season tickets - because MLS season tickets are pretty much dirt cheap, and I can always let someone else I know use them when I can't. My concern about the St. Louis ownership group buying the team from Dave Checketts lies in what direction the new ownership would go with the GM - I've got a pretty good friend in Utah.

And when Indianapolis get its own MLS team, I'll still be rooting for RSL. But I don't think I'll have to worry about that for a long long time.

RSL is dead?

RSL's stadium project has been proclaimed dead by team owner Dave Checketts. He goes on to say he's selling the team.

My thoughts go out to Steve Pastorino right now - I hope things turn out for the best, and the team finds a city that truly appreciates the opportunity to have an MLS team. I hope that if the ownership changes that the new owner realizes the asset he has in Steve. It all makes me nervous.

So now what? Perhaps St. Louis?

bring out your dead

I can't handle it still being dark at 8:45 am.

So I suppose you might be wondering how the Clint Dempsey Fulham era started. Although Directv didn't have the game listed, thanks to my good friends at SoccerTV.com, I knew that the game was going to be shown live on Setanta Extra at 10 AM. So I got up and took my usual spot on the couch, and prepared myself for an awesome display of "We Hungry" (he should fit in wonderfully in London).

But alas, the starting Midfielders were Captain Michael Brown (who, honestly, I'm not that fond of), Tomasz Radzinski (Canadian), Wayne Routledge (on loan from Tottenham. Shifty. Small.) and either Mortiz Volz (a past winner of My New Favorite German) or Carlos Bocanegra (American. Scores the occasional big goal. Sort of clueless.)

If you're wondering why I couldn't tell if Boca was playing defense or midfield, you haven't seen Boca play for Fulham.

In any case, Dempsey didn't play (or appear on the screen at all), McBride scored (as usual), Boca and the other central defender fell asleep at the wheel and gave a goal away (twice this year now), and Fulham came back to earn the tie (as usual). Good game, anyway.

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Friday, John and I went down to the MLS draft. Prior to the draft Steve had told us that it was a 3 deep draft, and that unfortunately RSL had the fourth pick.

But as it turned out, RSL got the guy they were after, Columbus' traveling fanshow got punched in the crotch when Columbus' braintrust traded away their first round draft pick for future considerations, and I got freaky with Maurice Edu's posse of Nubian princesses. Two of those three statements are true.

The draft is sort of dull, to be honest; there's not much drama in watching a bunch of guys you've never heard having their names read off. But it was a very nice looking production, and I'd go again... Unfortunately John and I left before the call for Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville's Mike Banner... and it's a good thing because I may have yelped with joy - I am also a SIUE alum.

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And the Colts won and get to play the Patriots for a chance at the Superbowl. Hold on Indy, you're about to get Belichicked again. The last football game I watched was the Colts' victory over the Patriots (which took place while I was out in Vegas) - I told my co-viewers that the Colts were getting the win out of the way so they could lose in the playoffs.

That said, I'd like for them to win. I just don't have any faith in Payton at all. He's got the constant look of "I just pooped my pants and I have to wear them for another 3 hours" on his face. At least when Elway was blowing games he had the decency to smile about it (which always drove me nuts). Elway did get over, eventually...

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One last thing... I'm hearing rumors of Gooch to Chelsea? Please god, no.

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Ok, another last thing:

Dave will then take a ceremonial free kick from 30 yards over a wall that is the Jackson 5 (Michael in the middle) and the ball will magically curl up and over the Jackson 5 and into the top corner. Then the goal will split in half like in the opening ceremony for USA 94. Then James Brown's "Living in America" will boom over the loudspeaker.

Interesting to hear what folks thing about the Beckham deal on the other side of the pond. Thanks, Football365.com mailbox.

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sunil galati is a tiny man

I've just returned from the downtown Indianapolis Hyatt, where I saw a virtual smorgasbord of who's who in MLS and US Soccer. Gina, John and myself met with Steve just as things seemed to pick up at the hotel bar.

As we awaited Steve's arrival, the first person I noticed was Eric Wynalda. For those of you with no Eric Wynalda background - Eric is the all time leader in goals for your US National Team. He's also responsible for one of the few times I've actually jumped for joy while watching a sporting event (at 1:22 in thisyoutube clip... i think).

Then we saw Rob Stone, the ESPN analyst, and then John Harkes, and Preki, and met Peter Wilt, who was fantastically nice (as I now see reported) and who listened to my Yellowstone buffalo collision story with what seemed to be a level of genuine interest.

Then we saw Sunil Galati.

Then Bruce Arena walked behind us. Even Gina knows who Bruce Arena is.

And I'm forgetting a bunch of people. I met a bunch of RSL staff, all of whom were very nice.

And pretty much every MLS GM and coach, aside from Alexi Lalas, who was probably busy figuring out ways to make money off the Beckham deal.

Of course I shouldn't forget to mention that Steve served as a wonderful host for us when he wasn't busy working. Great guy, that Steve. But you knew that already.

All in all, a pretty sort of surreal experience. Just me and John and Gina, hanging out at a bar with half my high school idols. Not bad.

You're not getting this news in the Indy Star...

For anyone reading who thinks they might want to check out the MLS Superdraft (because it's truly super) at the Indianapolis convention center downtown, I have the following info from a good source.

draft is open to public... You can be first rsl fan to meet our draft pick...

And you can see Alexi Lalas IN THE FLESH. Highlight of your life, probably. I only wish I still had my 1994 US National Team Jersey (the blue one with the white stars). I'd have him autograph it and then I'd frame it above my bed.

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In additional news, apparently the draft isn't the only MLS related thing going on in town this weekend. MLS pairs up with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's convention to bring you a few tasty treats.

According to this article, MLS will have a booth at the convention with giveaways, player visits, and a raffle that gives you a chance to win the pants off of Landon Donovan's new wife, sexy* tv and film star* Bianca Kajlich.

In addition, the Columbus Crew and Chicago Fire have organized fan buses coming to town, so you could possibly meet Section 8, a group of fans who do a fantastic job. Or perhaps you'll meet V Army from Columbus, who I'm sure are quite lovely people.

And don't forget the NSCAA convention, either. Apparently it's worth checking out.

From here:

The NSCAA Convention also played host to one of the largest soccer trade shows in the world, and one need look no further than the A through Z of over 300 vendors who paid up to several thousand dollars for the privilege of holding booth space in the impressive Exhibit Hall to become aware that soccer in the U.S. is indeed undertaking somewhat of a revolution and now represents very big business.

Here's a schedule. Is this open to the public? I guess?

Sounds good to me. Again... you're not getting this info in the Star.

So come on out. Take in a session on "The Mastering of Soccer Through Consciousness", Johnny Guzman, Professional Coach, NYSA, Inc."

I guess it's free? Or maybe not... On this page it says something about a $99 weekend special. Whatever. You weren't coming out anyway.

Or you can sneak in the back door. Just tell them you're working for food service.

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*things that aren't sexy: her clothing in that picture... You wore that to a party for Stuff Magazine? Did Landon dress you?

*according to her website she hasn't worked since 2002.

I'm an idiot.

So I've been planning a meet up with a friend for about 6 months now, coinciding with the MLS Superdraft, taking place in Indianapolis.... this Friday. Not next friday, like I thought. Even though we've had a conversation via email over and over again...

Anyway, I just figured out that it's this Friday, thanks to Scot, and du Nord. Which would explain why the email said "I'll call you Thursday".

I'm probably going to take Friday off for the draft. Why not? Does anyone actually know where it is? Is the public allowed in? Can I get this info in the next 24 hours? Can someone help me find my pants?

free freddy adu

In case you don't follow soccer, or somehow didn't here, Freddy Adu is now a member of your Real Salt Lake soccer club.

I received the news two ways; first, as I sat on my couch post-work yesterday and turned on ESPN, the Sportscenter preview let me know that Freddy had been traded to RSL. I actually said "Holy shit, Steve" and then yelled up the stair to Gina with the news.

Then I checked my gmail account and found an email from RSL GM (and email pal) Steve Pastorino with the title "How's this?" and the news.

I think the deal is great for RSL; they get a name player to help push the stadium, a talented kid who's familiar with the coach, but maybe even more importantly, they also picked up Nick Rimando, a goaltender who can push Scott "Go Go" Garlick - either from his regular goaltending position as "the immovable object*" or out the door somewhere else.

RSL game up a player allocation (provided by the "Beckham rule") and Jay Nolly in the deal - so basically they gave up next to nothing, considering they didn't even have a player allocation a month ago (and I don't think they were going to use it anyway), and the fact that Nolly never played.

A good deal all around, in my opinion. And if Freddy leaves when he turns 18, they've still picked up a goalie who knows what he's doing.

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*If Scott Garlick falls in the woods, does he make a sound? Nevermind, falling involves quick movement, something Go Go isn't real familiar with.