Hothead Mexican Assistant Coach Slaps Hejduk

Last night I kept thinking of the long list of reasons why we're lucky to have Frankie Hejduk, a man in the best form of his life, still earning caps for Team USA. Then, thanks to Greg Seltzer and Steven Goff, I remembered another reason; that he is one classy dude.

In case you haven't heard by now, Mexican assistant coach (and poor sport) Paco Ramirez slapped Hejduk while the teams were heading into the locker room after a 2-0 US win. Frankie could have reacted in a number of ways but his response speaks volumes for his class and character.

And wouldn't you know that American Spanish language channel Univision caught the whole thing on tape...



Given the pressure Sven-Goran Eriksson is under after the loss, did Ramirez just offer himself up as an easy sacrificial lamb Sven can throw to the Mexican federation, press, and public? Will FIFA and/or CONCACAF sanction Ramirez? Should they?

USA Beats Voodoo Curse and Mexico (Again)

If you're reading this blog, there is a 99% chance you saw the USA beat Mexico 2-0 last night on two goals by Michael Bradley and some stout goalkeeping by Tim Howard. So instead of giving a recap of a game you already saw, here are some highlights you can show to your Mexican friends who are still in denial that they haven't won on US soil in 10 years.





LFV friend Greg Seltzer over at No Short Corners found this fun video of one Mexico fan who is taking the loss way too hard:



If that's not enough, how about Lindsey Vonn's gold medal winning run in the downhill at the World Championships in Val D'Isere?

Beckham's transfer status will be decided by Friday

As I sit here watching David Beckham play in the England-Spain match, Bob Wagman has posted a great update on the likely endgame in the current Beckham transfer saga.

USA-Mexico Countdown

The movers took away about half of my stuff today so and I'm now sitting here among piles of boxes waiting to be taken away tomorrow.

So, here are a few great articles which break down the impending USA-Mexico showdown pretty well.

The "Dean" Bob Wagman's preview on Soccer Times.

Gol TV's Phil Schoen has a nice preview over on his blog.

And for those of you in Columbus - make some noise! We expect to hear you all the way over here in Napoli!

Tim Howard Promotes Teammates For England

The consumate team player, Tim Howard is now promoting two of his Everton teammates, Everton Phil Jagielka and Joleon Lescott to be called-up for the England squad.

Scolari Out At Chelsea

Wow! It turns out Luis Felipe Scolari only lasted seven months at Chelsea.

More details here and here.

And who will replace him? Maybe big Guus.

USA-Mexico, Waiting On The Movers

Well vagabonds, I'm waiting on the movers to come start boxing up my stuff so there won't be much time to write over the next few days. Instead, I'll try to post a few snippets to keep you up to date.

My prediction for the USA-Mexico game is 2-1 for the USA with goals from Jozy Altidore and Sacha Kljestan. (and Rafa Marquez for Mexico). Look for the Tri to fight hard but struggle with the weather much like they did against Canada up in Thunder Bay a few years back.

Of course I won't be able to see the match until my friend mails me the DVD. Instead, I'll be "settling" for Italy-Brazil and France-Argentina.

If you are in the States, I suggest you don't watch it at home but take your five-a-side buddies and go watch it at a sports bar. Tip well, raise hell, and see how many new US Soccer fans you can bring in while putting the soccer haters on notice that resistance is futile.


USA Fans in Germany, 2006