30 October 2009

We suck at blogging

So wow, we here at Four Guys, One Cup have been pretty crap about blogging. A shout out to Kossack Aethelstane, who called me out over at DailyKos, giving me a friendly nudge to update this damn thing.

Here’s why: Mike’s perpetually “busy” (yeah right); Drew’s got two young kids; and Scott’s “in loooooooove” or some such bullshit, which has clearly removed his testicles and the will to blog about manly things like sports, beer and shit talking. What a dick. Next thing you know he’ll be wanting to bring a girl along on the trip.

As for me, well, I’m just a lazy ass. I haven’t even really kept up my blog that well. But then again, I’ve been sick.

When last we spoke, I was blogging via my iPhone from the friendly confines of RFK Stadium here in Washington, having just watched the Yanks pull of an incredible come back to tie Costa Rica, 2-2. I was standing in the rain, and I haven’t felt 100 percent healthy since then. Sure, there was the hangover on that Thursday, but from that Friday I got sick with something — I’m not going to call it H1N1, but perhaps SARS. I’m old school.

So yeah, now we wait to see who else from CONCACAF gets to go, if anyone. Costa Rica plays Uruguay, the fifth-place South American side, on 14 and 18 November for the right to head to the big dance. (Am I allowed to use the term “big dance” in a non-March Madness context? I await my cease-and-desist from the NCAA.)

On the planning front, it appears Drew and Mike may have some inroads into accommodations in South Africa. I won’t spoil it or jinx it here, but I’m cautiously optimistic. It really is creeping up on us. In just over a month we’ll know who Australia is playing — and, more important, where and when. And, as you can see from our trusty countdown clock over there, we’ve got just 223 days and some change until the big day.

I’m monitoring airfares from Washington, but they’re still pretty high. I suppose everyone’s going to jack them up around the World Cup. But we’ll see.

Anyway, happy Friday (even though it’s already Saturday for ¾ of FGOC) and we’ll be back soon.

14 October 2009

Wow

That went from "Oh shit, here we go again" in the 26th minute to wanking around all second half to scoring two goals in the last 15, including the tie goal in the 95th or thereabouts.

Moreover, Mexico tied, so the USA wins CONCACAF.

We'll still get a shitty seed, because international football hates us, but it's nice.

And this turned into an exciting match, in the end.

Huzzah!


-- Posted From My iPhone

Bs

Your US bend but don't break D. It's 2-0 Costa.

Good thing we've qualified already.



-- Posted From My iPhone

USA vs. Costa Rica

Your intrepid reporter is on the scene at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., to see the Yanks take on Costa Rica in World Cup qualifying.

It's cold and rainy. About 45 degrees
(8 C maybe?) and soggy. Perfect for football. I just got a beer and we're nine minutes from kickoff.

Lots of good U.S. fans: tri-corner hats, trumpets, drums. It's on.


-- Posted From My iPhone

12 October 2009

Now That We Are In

Right. So. The World Cup. A tournament played and cheered for with the utmost fervor throughout the globe. A championship to end all championships. Will 2010 be the year that the United States of America comes into its own and takes a place amongst the legends of champions past? In a word...no.

Now, I have been one of the most skeptical fans out there. I still remain unimpressed by our offense, primarily our lack of a scoring threat that puts fear into the hearts of our competition; however, I see signs of life. We have some young players starting to step up and gain the experience necessary to be successful on the next level. We have a team starting to come together as a singular unit. We have a sense of pride amongst the team and its fans leading to expectations of consistent, solid play. We appear to have a bit of passion.

After famously (amongst our three readers) declaring the fighting American squad would not score more than 3 goals in the World Cup, I must make an amendment that will hold through until the first boot hits the pitch in South Africa. I am increasing the goal output by 33% to 4 goals. Yes, you heard me right, a full 33% increase. I see the Yanks squeezing out an extra goal, and with a lucky bounce, could hit 5. Believe it or not, this could possibly be enough to survive the group rounds with our defense...but we'll have to wait to see the draw.

All in all, I am encouraged. It seems as though the team is growing together, and heading in the right direction. This bodes well going into battle the worlds top teams. At the same time, I keep my expectations in check. We are not a powerhouse. We are not going to win the World Cup. Give us a few more decades of success and change some of the grassroots football efforts, and we might get there.

Just not in 2010.

Yankess win! (The good kind of Yankee, not those people in the Bronx)

Well, boy howdy, the Yanks have qualified for World Cup 2010!
Conor Casey scored his first two international goals in the second half, Landon Donovan added another and the United States clinched its sixth straight World Cup berth with a game to spare by rallying to beat Honduras 3-2 on Saturday.

“It never gets old, that’s for sure,” Donovan said. “After what most of us would say was a very disappointing 2006 World Cup, we now have a chance at redemption.”

In one of the most exciting end-to-end matches the U.S. has played in many years, the Americans took a 3-1 lead before Honduras closed on Julio Cesar De Leon’s second goal of the game in the 78th minute.
Sounds like it was an exciting game. Too bad none of us got to watch it. Here in America, you had to go to a bar that had purchased some strange sort of closed-circuit feed of the match. It wasn’t available on television — not even on pay-per-view. What the hell is that?

Oh well. We did it on the road, too, which is a welcome break, especially considering Honduras were 8-0 in qualifying on their home turf.

The sad thing is it renders the game I’m attending Wednesday night, USA vs. Costa Rica, pretty meaningless. Meaningful for the American side, at least; Costa Rica is in third place in the table, just two points ahead of Honduras. If the Yanks win in Washington on Wednesday and Honduras beat El Salvador, they’ll swap places and it’ll be Honduras who go into the playoff with a team from South America.

So here’s a list of everyone who has qualified for the tournament so far:

Africa
Places left: 3
Teams clinched: Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana (I still hate them for 2006), South Africa (automatically qualify as host nation)

Asia
Places left: none, but Bahrain still could go if they win a playoff with the Kiwis
Teams clinched: Australia (thank god, our tickets will work), Japan, Korea (The Bad One), Korea (The Good One)

Europe
Places left: 6
Teams clinched: Denmark (Nothing’s Rotten In), England (kicking ass and taking names in their group), Germany (quietly getting it done), Italy (they’re already practicing their dives), The DutchNetherHolland, Serbia (top of their group, which includes France), Spain (a.k.a. America’s bitch)

North, Central America and Caribbean
Places left: 1, currently it’s Costa Rica, but, like me, Honduras hopes for a U.S. win on Wednesday
Teams clinched: Mexico (mang), United States (huzzah!)

Oceania
Places left: 1
Teams clinched: none, but New Zealand is in a playoff against Bahrain for the last spot in Oceania/Asia (why is Australia not in Oceania?)

South America
Places left: 1, pending a death match between Argentina and Urugay, who hold the #4 and #5 spots, respectively, and are separated by one point
Teams clinched: Brazil, Chile, Paraguay

There’s your state of play. The list will change dramatically on Wednesday, when all will be told.

08 October 2009

And the papers want to know whose shirt you wear...

Six days from now, I’ll be standing at The Bobby to cheer on the U.S. national team in its final World Cup qualifying match, against Costa Rica.

This will be fun.

I will be drunk. Probably.

Anyway, I feel it’s time for me to break down and purchase a jersey. I know, I know. Wearing a jersey is douchey enough, but I follow this rule: Only wear a jersey to an actual sporting event, and only wear the jersey of a team that’s actually playing.*

Here’s the rub, though: The U.S. kit sucks.



How plain-Jane, batshit boring is that? Plus, I’ve no idea whose jersey I’d wear. I’m not into any one player so much that I have to have his jersey.

So I’ve decided to go old school. Here are three good ones from the olden days:


1930 World Cup



1959 Pan American Games



1950 World Cup

I think 1950 is my favourite. First, it’s a cool, simple jersey. Second, the United States upset England in an epic match that year. So, mojo.

Suggestions?


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* Also permissible, but only for soccer, is wearing the club jersey of a player who’s playing in the national team game you’re attending. For example, one could wear a David Beckham LA Galaxy jersey to an England game. If Beckham’s playing.