Migration

In an effort to make things a little less complicated the blog is moving from its current URL to http://thehammerspeaks.blogspot.com.  If you goggle "the hammer speaks" or "hammer speaks" it will direct you to the new site.

Any comments or suggestions about the layout and style of the new format are more than welcome.  And if you can tell me how to write script to center the blog title, better still.

Thanks for reading.

The Hammer

Welcome to the Show

Erik Kratz is a 30 year-old minor league baseball player for the Indianapolis Indians that I'm sure you have never heard of.  Tomorrow he will become a major league baseball player for the first time.

Last night Kratz was playing in the AAA all-star game in Leigh Valley, PA.  Because he grew up in Tedford, PA about 45 minutes from Allentown, he had a bunch of family and friends in attendance.  During the fourth inning of the game his manager, who was also a coach in the all-star game, told him in the dugout that he was coming out of the game.  Kratz asked why.  He was schedule to bat one more time and play one more inning.  His manager asked him if he wanted to play one more inning or play in the major leagues.  There were handshakes and hugs all around.  These guys weren't his everyday teammates, it was an all-star game, but they understood that one of their own had just achieved the dream that they were all working for.

Kratz has spent nine seasons in the minors.  Tomorrow he will put on a major league uniform (yes, it's the Pirates, spare the jokes) for the first time.  Aside from all the excitement that will undoubtedly bring, this is a guy with a family who will go from making $35K to a pro-rated $400K for the next 2 1/2 months.  Not every guy gets $5 million a year.

The all-star game was being televised nationally by the MLB network.  The announcers quickly got him on the air.  Here is the interview and accompanying story.  It's pretty great.

Zach Duke, On The Block

(Sorry for the lack of posts recently, the radio show is cutting into the writing.  I'll pick it back up shortly.  This one is for the diehard Pirates fans out there.)

The Pirates will come out of the all-star break with a 30-58 record, the worst in the National League.  As I have written here ad naseum the problems with the club extend to all facets of the team--hitting for average, hitting for power, baserunning, starting pitching, defense.  Just to drive the point home the bullpen, which has been the lone bright spot all season, blew two games late over the weekend, blemishing the 23-0 mark when leading after eight innings.  Needless to say, they have lost in a variety of ways.

For me the interest in the second half will be to see if the young guys are going to improve and will be the foundation around which the team can build.  Those guys include McCutchen, Alvarez, Tabata, Milledge, Walker, Lincoln, Ohlendorf, Hanrahan and Meek.  There are other guys who may be around for a few years like Jones and Maholm, but I think we generally know what we have there.

One guy definitely not on the list is Zach Duke.  I'm sure Zach is a great guy, but in a season of perplexing decisions by the team, having Duke start Friday night against Houston, in the first game after the break, may take the cake.  Duke last pitched June 16 and then went on the DL with a strained left elbow.  On the season he is 3-8 with a 5.49 ERA.  All his peripherals are right in line with those numbers.  He has never been a big strikeout guy and this year is no different.  He's 27 and is making $4.3 million this year and next year will be his last year of arbitration eligibility.  After that he can become a free agent.

On a team that is bereft of starting pitching Duke certainly isn't one of the two best the Pirates have and one can make an argument that he is actually fourth or fifth best.  Ross Ohlendorf, the Pirates best starter in the second half last year, has pitched well of late after a bad start and Paul Maholm, a somewhat similar pitcher to Duke, has clearly been better.  Yet Duke, coming back from injury and two brief rehab appearances in AA, is making the inaugural second half start.

The only rational answer for this is Zach Duke is on the block.  If Duke can put together 2-3 quality starts before the end of the month the Pirates might be able to move him for a marginal prospect and save $2 million.  (I realize the budgets are separate, but that $2 million would go a long way in fortifying the draft class of 2010.)  At the end of the season I assume the team will non-tender Duke because I can't imagine them wanting to pay $5-5.5 million for that type of production.  Maybe he would take a one-year deal for $3.5 million to stay, but I doubt it.

I think it needs to be asked of the coaching staff why Duke is starting Friday.  I realize everyone in the pen will be fresh, but Duke will most likely be on a pitch count and I'm not sure him going four innings is what your are looking for when it will be ten days until the next off day.  I doubt the team will say they are showcasing him, but I will be amused as to what they do say because no other answer is really credible.  And, during a season where John Russell has said leadoff hitter Aki Iwamura, he of the .160 batting average, wasn't the reason the Pirates weren't scoring runs and that he had to keep running Ryan Church out there because of the way he's been hitting, when he was hitting about .125 in his previous forty at bats, at least it could lead to some more comedy.  More comedy from Russell and watching some prospects are unfortunately all Pirates fans have left to look forward to with the major league club this year.

Running...With Bulls or Naked.

Whether it's running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain or naked through the streets of Asuncion, Paraguay, spanish-speaking countries are providing the entertainment this week.  Hey, whatever makes you happy.  The guy about to get gored was reportedly heard to mutter, "Anything es mas better than mas LeBron noticias."  The LeBronathon mercifully comes to an end tonight.

Here are a couple links courtesy of the Huffington Post which should elicit a visceral reaction.  Make sure to catch the photos.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/08/running-of-the-bulls-two_n_639018.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/06/larissa-riquelme-nude-pho_n_637063.html

Unexpectedly Europe!

The wins were coming in bunches.  In fact the only loss had come in a game where Chile's objective wasn't so much to win as it was to not get beaten badly and miss the knockout stage.  They didn't.

South American, not European, nations rolled into the final sixteen, the knockout stage, with flare and panache.  Five nations had qualified to play in South Africa, five were still in the tournament.  Brazil and Argentina are known to the most casual of football fans, the others, less so.  Uruguay has history, having hosted the first World Cup in 1930 and winning the title in 1930 and 1950.  Chile was surprisingly good in the 1980s and early '90s and had returned with aggressive and stylish play.  Paraguay was a surprise.

They were all there for the party.  The balance of power was clearly swinging.  Italy, the defending champion, and France, the 2006 runner-up, were bounced during the group stage.  Spain and Germany suffered early defeats.  This was the appetizer to the 2014 main course hosted in Brazil where the locals undoubtedly feel they will be sambaing to yet another title.  South America was going to rule Africa.

All went according to plan in the Round of 16.  Argentina showed their extraordinary talent up front with Huguain, Tevez and World Footballer of the Year Lionel Messi, easily handling Mexico 3-1.  Manager Diego Maradona's style was being vindicated every step of the way and he wasn't shy about letting the media and the world know it.

Two matches pitted the South Americans against Asian nations.  Uruguay overcame a game South Korean side 2-1 with a brilliant strike by Luis Suarez.  Paraguay was able to outlast Japan in penalties.  Only a draw that pitted Brazil against Chile served to dampen a continent's joy.  The favorites played their beautiful game and outclassed the Chileans 3-0.  South America would have a participant in each of the quarterfinal match-ups.

And then it all went off the rails.  Brazil drew The Netherlands.  The Dutch had yet to lose, but they hadn't played as well as their faithful would have liked and it was rumored there was some in-fighting amongst the side.  Brazil got off early on a great strike by Robinho and controlled the tempo through the interval.  But in a fifteen minute stretch in the second half all was lost.  Wesley Sneijder was the perp on both occasions and it left Brazil disorganized and desperate.  When Felipe Melo deservedly got sent of for stamping Arjen Robben it was done.  Brazil was out.  Europe would have at least one representative in the quarterfinals.  The pressure on Brazil four years from now will be more than the world has ever seen.

Next up Uruguay played the whole African continent, in this case represented by Ghana.  In an unbelievably entertaining and dramatic match Uruguay was able to get by on penalties after Ghana had missed a penalty spot kick at the end of overtime.  It was an incredibly difficult loss for the Black Stars, but put Uruguay into the semifinals.  Although Brazil-Argentina, the dream Final, was no longer in the cards, the first all-South American Final since 1950 was still in the offing.

Disaster for the South Americans struck Saturday.  Argentina ran into a German team that was well-coached, well-prepared and finished with clinical precision.  All the fears about Maradona managing the side were realized.  Argentina had no answer when things got difficult.  No tactics to counter Germany's counterattacks or penetrating through balls.  In the end it was embarrassing.  The scoreline provided an honest account.  Germany 4 Argentina 0.

Paraguay was supposed to be the one team that would be fodder.  Against a Spainsh team that was one of the pre-tournament favorites, it was believed their only chance was to defend and hope to get to penalties after 120 minutes.  The Paraguayans chose a different route and gave the world a wonderful showing in the process.  They may not have been the better team on the day, but they played a fantastic game.  They went home defeated 1-0, but walked off the pitch with heads held high.

Now, the world is left with Uruguay vs. The Netherlands and Germany vs. Spain.  Holland has never won, losing to the host nation in both 1974 and 1978.  Spain has never been in the Final.  Germany hasn't won since unification, losing in to Brazil in 2002.  Uruguay has been mostly an afterthought since winning in 1950.

As always the World Cup is still filled with great story lines and magnificent stars, it will still cause much of the world's population to stop everything to watch.  Entire countries will breathlessly wait for the results.  But these stories are different than the ones many expected five days ago.  South America's greatest teams have gone crashing out of the field, while two European nations always seemingly on the cusp are there once again.

2006 saw the first all-European Final since 1982.  That appeared to be a long-shot a week ago.  Now, I'd bet on it.

Next on the Chopping Block for the Bucs

No, this is not about Ryan Church......yet.

I think it was pretty easy for all to see that Aki Iwamura wasn't the guy the Pirates thought they were getting.  After a first week in which he showed some good plate discipline, something rarely seen at the top of the Pirates' order in recent years, things went downhill and they went downhill fast.  I think the Pirates waited almost exactly the right amount of time before they DFA'd Aki-san.  The Pirates were 40% of the way through their season and it was clear, at age 31, that Aki wasn't going to be re-signed.  They gave him a chance to play his way out of his slump, but it wasn't happening and he didn't seem to be adding anything in the clubhouse.  Time to take your medicine.  While people can criticize the trade, at least the team recognized the mistake and moved on.

Now it's time to think about the next moves.  Here is Aki's line at the time he was DFA'd compared to Ronny Cedeno's today:

                 PA     AB       BA       OBP      SLG    OPS    OPS+   BB    K
Iwamura 193    165      .182      .292      .267     .558      54      26     31
Cedeno   239    223      .220      .258     .309     .568      54      10     55

You can guess where this is headed.  The Pirates are unlikely to DFA Ronny Cedeno at this point because they really lack middle infield depth, but I don't think it should be ruled out.  I had pretty high hopes for Ronny after he posted a .701 with 5 HRs in 155 ABs during his time with the Bucs last season.  But, I have completely lost all hope that he develops into anything more than he is now.  He is 27.  His career OPS is .618, OPS+ is 60.  He has ZERO plate discipline.  Cedeno is adequate with the glove.  He has a 0.0 WAR this year because his fielding has been above average but his career UZR/150 is slightly negative.

Cedeno is only making $1.125 this year and is under control for one more year so he is by no means unaffordable.  Instead he has become unplayable.  Yesterday basically sealed the deal for me.  Fifth inning, zero-zero game and Ronny comes up with runners on first and second.  Cedeno bunted the first pitch fastball foul. He took the second pitch for a ball and then bunted another fastball foul.  Tom Gorzelanny then threw a slider in the dirt and Cedeno didn't have a chance.  He checked his swing but the first base umpire rang him up.  Thanks for coming.


I have not been able to find anything in the game story, but from this at bat one or two things are obvious.  1.) If Cedeno was told to bunt by the coaching staff they clearly think pitcher Brad Lincoln, who was on-deck, is as good or better hitter than Cedeno.  I'm not sure I can ever remember seeing the number eight hitter bunting runners over with no outs.  2.) If Cedeno was bunting on his own, he has no idea of the game situation or has completely lost all confidence in his ability at the plate.  Neither of these is a good thing, obviously.  And to emphasize the point, he didn't get the job done.  (Lincoln followed up with a perfectly executed sac bunt, btw, but the Bucs didn't score as Tabata walked and LaRoche grounded sharply into a force play to end the inning.)

To their credit again the Pirates had already made the move to reduce Cedeno's playing time by playing Bobby Crosby at short.  But Neil Walker got banged up and Crosby had to move to second (again, Andy LaRoche not being prepared to play second base rears its ugly head), and now Crosby is banged up and Walker isn't back.

The point is Cedeno is done as a Pirate.  I'm happy to have Bobby Crosby be the everyday starting shortstop beginning tonight.  I'd even consider bringing up Argenis Diaz to be his back up and give him 20-30 starts even though he isn't hitting at all down in Indy.  I realize this isn't at all likely to happen, but I think, like Aki, it is time to move past Ronny.  The alternatives other than Crosby aren't apparent, but JR likes Crosby at short while Walker and Alvarez learn on the job.  So do I.

Not to make this a throwaway paragraph in the post, but while we are making moves to make the team better, it's time to call up Steve Pearce.  I'm sure Ryan Church is a good guy and all, but we are half way into the season and his produciton has been non-existant.  The team isn't going to get anything in a trade.  Church's OPS is .509, OPS+ is 38.  In 146 PAs he has 7 BBs and 33 Ks.  I don't think you need to know  much more than that.  He's making $1.5 mm on a one year deal.  Time to move on from Ryan as well.  Get Steve Pearce back to Pittsburgh.

Opportunity Squandered

This was an opportunity squandered.  One that is unlikely to reappear in such a gift-wrapped form any time soon--like the next forty years.  In the three games of the group stage at the World Cup the United States soccer team led for a total of two minutes.  But those two minutes concluded a win over Algeria and the team finished top of Group C ahead of England.  The draw broke beautifully for them as a result.

The Americans would play Ghana in the Round of 16.  Ghana had finished second to Germany in Group D.  The winner would play the winner of Uruguay-South Korea--not the world's most-feared footballing nations.  One of these four teams would reach the last four of the World Cup.  From that point, with confidence undoubtedly running high, anything could happen.

It won't be the United States.

On Saturday in Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg the U.S. again came out flat.  But eyebrows were raised even before the team took the field.  All the lineup and tactical changes coach Bob Bradley made in the first three games worked out beautifully.  Versus Algeria he changed three starters opting to use Jonathan Bornstein in the back, Maurice Edu in the midfield and Herculez Gomez up front.  Against the Black Stars the skipper went back to Ricardo Clark over Edu in midfield and Robbie Findley instead of Gomez up front.  Questionable decisions that immediately proved costly.

Five minutes in the team again fell behind early, the third time in four matches.  Clark made a terrible give away in midfield and Ghana attacked quickly down the left side.  Central defender Jay DeMerit couldn't have played it worse.  Backing off he tried to channel the attacker, Kevin-Prince Boateng, to the inside, but got beaten badly to his right, the outside.  Boateng, whose nationality was only changed to the land of his father as opposed to the land of his birth (Germany) on May 12, got a step and ripped a left-footed drive from sixteen yards past goalkeeper Tim Howard.  Howard should have done better as well, giving up too much of the near post.  1-0 Ghana.

From there Ghana controlled the possession, but both teams looked vulnerable in the back.  Bradley recognized his lineup misjudgment and mercifully replaced Clark around the thirty minute mark.  Shortly thereafter, Robbie Findley squandered a particularly delicious opportunity and the US went to break on the wrong side of 1-0.

The second half saw a changed storyline.  Benny Feilhaber replaced Findley and the Yanks immediately seemed energized.  Feilhaber had a great chance that was well-saved, but the U.S. kept up the pressure and was soon rewarded.  Clint Dempsey was deemed to have been taken down in the area and awarded a penalty shot.  Landon Donovan stepped up and knocked it in off the right post.  The giving of the penalty was questionable, but with all the Americans had suffered at the hands of the referees, it was nice to see them get the benefit of the doubt.

From here it seemed clear the United States would win the match.  They had the momentum and their superior fitness was clearly showing.  But it was not to be.  Clinical finishing and good central defending had abandoned them the entire tournament and this match would be no different.  The U.S. wasted opportunities in the final thirty and went to overtime level at one.   Three minutes into the overtime Asamoah Gyan latched onto a long ball played down the middle and crushed a volley past Howard into the U.S. net.  Ghana defended well enough from there to earn the right to play Uruguay in the quarterfinals on Friday.

What could have been.  The U.S. had a draw that afforded every opportunity to achieve more than they ever had on the world stage.  A 2:30 pm EST match on the Friday afternoon before a long national holiday weekend would have been a fantastic opportunity to rally a country that rarely has the chance to get behind a National Team or the inclination to invest in soccer.  But in the end, the side was lacking.  The United States team didn't have enough elite talent to push through.  The coach and most players are unlikely to be back four years from now when the World Cup sambas into Brazil.  Hopefully the exposure the sport got during this tournament expands the talent pool that the U.S soccer federation has to choose from when picking that squad and those that will come after it.  Opportunities like the one the Americans had in South Africa are few and far between.  They wasted one this time.

Round of 16: On the Record for the World Cup

Now to the knockout stage.  Sixteen teams are left.  Italy, the 2006 champions, and France, the runners-up, are both home facing the wrath of their fans and vitriol of the media.  Brazil, Spain, Argentina, Germany and the Netherlands all won their respective groups as expected.  Uruguay, the U.S. and Paraguay are the other, somewhat surprising, group winners.  The rest of the participants generally followed expected form.

Here are the match-ups and my first two predictions:

Uruguay v. South Korea:  

Uruguay has played as well as anyone thus far, but by being drawn with the host, Mexico and France it turned out that they had a really easy road.  They ripped South Africa and played a great match against Mexico.  They have yet to concede a goal.  They are more dangerous upfront than most realize.  This is a really good team.

South Korea is fun to watch both because they score goals and they give them up.  They've given up more goals than any team that got through the group stage.  I really want to pick them to win this one because they are fun to watch and I think the US matches up reasonably well with them.  They must score the first goal to win this one.

But it isn't going to happen.  First goal wins.  1-0 Uruguay.

United States v. Ghana

The Americans looked really good against Algeria.  I assume they will stay with the personnel changes they made in that game and come out with the almost the exact same line-up.  The only change I expect is Herculez Gomez will start on the bench today and Edson Buddle will likely take his place up front next to Jozy Altidore.  Expect to see Gomez in the 75th minute, maybe earlier if the side is behind.  The most interesting thing about the U.S. side is that they have been better attacking than defending.  That makes for exciting football, but it isn't a good style for winning tournaments.

Ghana is a skilled, phyisical side but they but really have trouble in front of goal.  The Black Stars have only scored twice, both from the penalty spot.  Their 1-0 win over Serbia in their opening match proved to be the difference in seeing them through to the knockout stage.  They were also responsible for sending the U.S. home at the 2006 World Cup, defeating the Yanks 2-1.

A reversal of fortune this afternoon.  It will be fun to watch the boys play with a lead.  They've done it for a total of two minutes through the first three games.  United States 2  Ghana 0.

The Greatest Tennis Match Ever.....

certainly did not take place at Wimbledon this week.  Many, including one of the combatants, have mistakenly labeled the first round tilt between American John Isner and Frenchman Nicolas Mahut as The Greatest Match Ever Played.  It wasn't.

The Isner-Mahut match was many things.  It was the longest match in history.  It started on Tuesday and ended on Thursday.  The fifth set alone lasted 8 hours and 11 minutes about 90 minutes longer than any other match just by itself.  It had the most aces of any match ever played and each player broke the previous record for aces in a match--by more than 20.  It ended with the ridiculously crazy fifth set score of 70-68.  But, it wasn't The Greatest Match Ever Played.

The Title might belong to the 1980 Wimbledon Final in which  a 24 year-old Bjorn Borg, seeking his fifth consecutive Wimbledon title, defeated John McEnroe 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (16), 8-6.  That match certainly had The Greatest Tiebreaker Ever Played, an 18-16 marathon won by the 21 year-old McEnroe, after saving five match points.

The other contestant is the 2008 Wimbledon Final in which Rafael Nadal defeated the then five-time champion Roger Federer 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7 for his first Wimbledon title.  The 4 hours and 48 minute final, made longer by two rain delays, featured all the drama, tension, and pressure that comes with a Wimbledon Final and showcased sustained brillance by the two best players in the game playing at their very best.

Isner and Mahut deserve great applause for the stamina and their ability to serve brilliantly.  But there it is.  It wasn't great tennis.  In fact it was a bit boring.  It was only interesting because it was long.  Really long.  And with the length came tension, not only for the players but also for the spectators.  The fact that it took place for a third day gave everyone a chance to step back and take notice, and they did.  

But, this was a first round match.  It wasn't a grand stage.  In fact the Queen of England visited Wimbledon for the first time since 1977 on Thursday and she chose to attend a different match.  Isner, spent from his endeavor, was sent packing in the second round.  In three months few but the hardcore tennis fans will remember much other than maybe the score of the fifth set.  Nothing particular about the match will be emblazoned in anyone's mind.  It will probably remain in the record books forever.  But soon, people will just ask, "How did that happen?" and "Who were those guys?"  In reality it was a match like any first round match.  Just really long.

A Picture Says...

As I was watching a two minute interview with Bill Clinton on ABC, during which he discussed attending the US-Algeria match yesterday, I came across this:

(Photo Courtesy of Luke Winn, twitpic)

Forget politics, this is the role this man was born to play: Ambassador of Sport and Socializing.  Bill, a Bud and Bocanegra, US National Team Captain.

US Soccer's Iconic Moment

Iconic Moments.  How are they defined and by whom?  In sports you need drama.  A big stage.  Tension helps.  Have it be between nations.  An extraordinary finish seals the deal.  They don't come along often.

Hockey had one this year.  The winning goal in the Olympic Gold Medal game was scored in overtime by the best Canadian player against the United States on Canadian soil.  It doesn't get bigger than that.  That one checked all the boxes.

As a nation the United States doesn't have many.  Three of the four sports that dominate the landscape in the U.S. aren't really international sports.  Basketball comes closest.  The iconic moment in basketball happened in Munich in 1972 when the Americans lost to the Soviet Union in one of the most controversial sporting events in history.  When you dominate as the U.S. does one way or another in football, baseball and basketball the iconic games are hard to find.  As a result, for the United States as a nation, there is just one, and it dominates the landscape--The Miracle on Ice.

The events of June 23, 2010 aren't going to push aside those of February 22, 1980.  For one, thirty years ago the Americans were huge underdogs against the Soviets.  In today's soccer match the U.S. was favored to beat Algeria.  And two, it's just too early in the tournament to know how much success this American soccer team will have.  Few remember that the hockey team still had to beat Finland two days later to win the gold medal.  We forget because they did win that game.  We can forget because we know it was the game with the Soviets that mattered.

The memory of today's game will be impacted by the team's future success or failure in this World Cup.  But really, we are just deciding what kind of frame to put around the picture.  The United States Men's National Team just played the most dramatic game in its history.  Others may still be more significant as a moment in time.  A qualifying win to make the 1990 World Cup.  A win over Columbia in 1994 when playing the World Cup on home soil.  Maybe it's beating England in 1950.  Hard to know for sure.  But none were more dramatic.

How dramatic?  Well England had just finished beating Slovenia 1-0, so it was clear with less than five minutes left that the U.S. must win, not tie, to advance to the round of 16.  Check.  A big stage?  In sports, there isn't a bigger stage than the World Cup.  Worldwide the Super Bowl pales in comparison.  Check.  Tension?  For the second game in a row the U.S. had a goal wrongly disallowed by the officials and had wasted numerous fantastic scoring chances during the match.  Check.  A rival nation?  Algeria was the foil, but England was in the group and the results from each team's match directly effected the other.  Check.  An extraordinary finish?  Landon Donovan, the best U.S. player ever, scored a goal in the second minute of stoppage time to lift the U.S. to a 1-0 victory over Algeria and into the knockout round, of the 2010 World Cup.  Check.

As the U.S. moves on in the tournament each game becomes more important.  One game does change everything.  But it will be hard to have a bigger moment at a bigger time on a bigger stage than the U.S. did today.  In 1999 the U.S. Women had an iconic moment, albeit on a much smaller stage.  Today the U.S. Men produced their own.  I imagine if you saw it live, twenty years from now you will remember where you were.

Best Lines Hall of Fame, World Cup Edition, PG Rated

With the start of the World Cup knockout phase effectively taking place today it's time to look back at some classic moments from the first ten days.

--France arrived in South Africa due to a dubious referee's decision in a qualifying match against Ireland.  Turmoil around and within the side increased with an opening draw against Uruguay and then a loss to Mexico.  Enigmatic striker Nicolas Anelka was kicked off the team for insubordination.

ABC wanted to get to the bottom of the story and had Bob Ley interview L'Equipe journalist Erik Bielderman live on Sunday morning to discuss the story.  Click the link to see the interview or read the quote but basically Anelka told the coach to have at himself, to use soccer terms, and called him a son of a bitch for good measure.  I saw it live and, after I got over my disbelief, had a good long laugh.  My only disappointment is the screen was showing highlights rather than the set during the interview, so we didn't get to see Ley's reaction in real time.

--The Guardian has fantastic coverage of the tournament and the English writers are always willing to draw some great analogies.  In describing the New Zealand side one scribe quipped:

The New Zealanders are a bit like Thai masseuses--capable of surprising results given how little they earn, and leaving you wondering if there will be a happy ending.

In describing the live action from Spain-Honduras another blogged:

My fingers are getting tired and my head hurts from trying to remember which Spaniard pinged which short pass to what Spaniard seven pinged short passes ago.  Unless I say otherwise, just take it as reading that Spain are laying siege to the Honduran penalty area, sending the ball shuttling to and fro from touchline to touchline in intricate moves featuring, in no particular order,  Alonso, Navas, Xavi, Busquets, Torres and Villa.

Colin Greer opined the following:

On ESPN radio some American chap and Tommy Smyth (angrily waving his knobbly stick) are providing match commentary.  If anyone is considering suicide and needs a little extra push, give them a listen. 

And my favorite thus far, from an unidentified British source:

Spain meet Honduras in Jo'burg on Monday.  Greece meet Argentina in Polokwane, Tuesday.  On Thursday England meet France at the airport. 

France kept their part of the bargain this morning losing to the hosts 2-1.  England is on tap at 10:00 AM tomorrow.  The World Cup.  One game changes everything.......and the quotes just keep on coming.

Manute

Being 7' 6" certainly takes something off your life expectancy.  Being born a Dinka tribesman in the Sudan, where the life expectancy of males is only 51.5 years, doesn't give you a great start.  But when you have killed a lion with your spear while a teenager, maybe you're the guy who beats the odds.  Unfortunately, Manute Bol didn't.  He died Saturday at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville.  He was 47.

The sports world first came across Manute in 1984 when he played his college basketball at the University of Bridgeport, a Division II school in Connecticut.  He was a more spectacle than star, but his sheer height and shot blocking ability were enough to have the Washington Bullets draft him in the second round of the NBA draft in 1985.  In 1987 he was paired with 5' 3" Muggsy Bogues, the shortest player in the league, adding to the carnival appeal.  Woody Allen once joked that Bol was so skinny, that to save on travel expenses his team would fax him from city to city.

But Manute proved to be more than just a ticket-selling curiosity.  He was a defensive force.  He set the rookie shot-blocking record and during his career tied the record for blocks in a half (eleven) and in a quarter (eight).  He remains first in career blocks per 48 minutes and second in career blocks per game while playing less than 19 minutes on average.

On the other end of the floor his skinny frame did keep him from developing much of an offensive game.  He finished his career with more rebounds and blocks than he did points.  He did however, take great joy in posting up beyond the three point line in a blowout and firing away, much to the crowd's delight.

Manute was well-liked by teammates and etymologists have documented that the expression "My bad" most likely started with Bol.  In trying to apologize to teammates for a mistake on the court Bol, who initially did not have a great command of the English language, rather than saying "My fault," would mistakenly say "My bad."

After basketball Manute had his share of troubles.  He was detained in Sudan for a time during the civil war, broke his neck in a car accident in Connecticut in 2004 and he had various physical difficulties as he aged.  But, he was revered in the Sudan and admired in the U.S. for all his work with charitable causes.  He played upon his popularity to raise money for humanitarian purposes in his war-torn country.  He engaged in a celebrity boxing match with William "The Refrigerator" Perry, signed a one-day contract with a minor league ice hockey team and donned jockey silks all to raise money for children in Sudan.

Unfortunately having kidney dialysis treatment in rural Sudan also reduces your life expectancy.  Bol reacted badly to the drugs involved and was hospitalized after returning to the U.S.  He died from kidney trouble and a rare skin disease.  In this case it's not "My bad," it's just too bad.

Robbed! Slovenia and Mali Tie U.S. 2-2 at World Cup

If you went to Wikipedia immediately after today's match between the U.S. and Slovenia and searched "Mali" here is what you found:

Mali, officially the Republic of Mali (French: République du Mali), is a landlocked country in Western Africa that is known for horrible football referees. 

The setting was Ellis Park, Johannesburg for each team's second match in Group C.  The Yanks tied their first match with England 1-1, while Slovenia defeated Algeria 1-0.  Both teams' goals were a result of goaltending mistakes that one is unlikely to see at the local high school game--one of the few things the World Cup's largest and smallest nations had in common coming into today's fixture.

With three points already in the books from their win over Algeria, it was widely expected that Slovenia would play conservatively and be very happy with a draw.  Having given up only six goals in their twelve qualifying matches the U.S. would have to seize on any scoring opportunities they created.

In what has become a disturbing trend the U.S. gave up an early goal to go down 1-0.  Valter Birsa found himself unmarked 25 yards from goal in the center of the pitch and ripped a curling left-footed shot past keeper Tim Howard, who never moved.  Thirteen minutes in and it was 1-0 Slovenia.  The goal was well-deserved as Slovenia was the more dangerous side and had the better of the play.  That changed around the half-hour as the U.S. settled down and started string passes together, creating multiple dangerous chances.  But, foreshadowing what was to come, the U.S.'s Robbie Findley was given a yellow card in the 40th minute.  Landon Donovan took a corner and drove a dangerous ball into the box.  It actually struck Findley in the face and landed dangerously in front of goal.  Malian referee Koman Coulibably blew his whistle calling a hand-ball on Findley and also showing him a yellow card.  It was a terrible decision and being his second yellow card of the tournament, Findley will be suspended for the next match against Algeria.

Minutes later and against the run of play Slovenia made it 2-0.  Throughout the half the American defenders had failed to track runners and this time they were made to pay.  Zlatan Ljubijankic timed his run perfectly.  He took a beautifully weighted thru ball from Milivoje Novakovic and slid it under the on-rushing Howard.  2-0 going to half.  It was a poor showing by the U.S. after a solid second forty-five minutes against England.  The team has recorded only one shutout in the twenty-one World Cup matches since defeating the Brits 1-0 in 1950 and the defensive shortcomings in this team have been exposed repeatedly.  The side certainly appeared to be on its way to being effectively eliminated from the World Cup.

The start of the second half saw two lineup changes as Maurice Edu came on for Jose Torres and Benny Feilhaber replaced Findley.  Immediately the Yanks played better, attacking with the desperation a 2-0 deficit produces.  Three minutes after intermission Landon Donovan got one back.  A long ball by right back Steve Cherundolo skipped past a defender and Donovan dribbled in from a bad angle on the right side.  Having no one available in front, he ripped a shot over the Serbian goalie's head into the roof of the net from a few yards out.  It was a great strike by Donovan and it reinvigorated the team and the many Americans in the crowd.

The U.S kept the pressure on and Slovenian defenders collected three yellow cards in the space of six minutes.  Eight minutes from time Michael Bradley got the equalizer.  Donovan again was at the center of the build-up.  He played a long cross from just inside the midfield line on the right side to Jozy Altidore at the top of the 18 yard box. Altidore headed the ball down and Michael Bradley, the coach's son, drilled a right-footed shot over the goalie.  It was a fantastic goal and would have provided a fair result if the game were to end 2-2.  (All highlights are here.)

But a few minutes from the end the U.S. got a great opportunity and appeared to take a 3-2 lead.  Maurice Edu converted a long free kick from Donovan and the U.S. had apparently completed a stunning comeback.  It was not to be.  Inexplicably Coulibably blew his whistle calling a foul on the Yanks and disallowing the goal.  Countless replays have shown not only that Edu was onside, but also that the Slovenians, not the U.S., committed three or four fouls on the play, any one of which could have resulted in a penalty shot for the Americans.  It was a stunningly bad call.  No explanation has yet been given as to who committed the foul.  British Premier League coach Roberto Martinez called it "a real football injustice."  Former national team player Alexi Lalas called the referee's performance a disgrace.  The final few minutes were played without incident and it ended level at two.

I have pointed out that the refereeing thus far in the World Cup has been outstanding.  It really has been. Today it wasn't.  The Malian, working his first-ever World Cup match, was inconsistent and his calls seemed to disadvantage the U.S. at the most important moments.  There is no excuse for the Americans' poor first half play, but they were robbed of  a victory they had earned with a superlative second half effort.

Now everything comes down to the U.S.-Algeria match at 10:00 AM EST on June 23.  Losses the past two days by Spain and Germany have shown anything can happen.  The Americans control their own destiny as a result of England's just completed 0-0 tie with Algeria.  A win and the U.S. is on to the round a sixteen.  A draw and an England loss to Slovenia would also put the U.S. through.  Stay tuned.

Day 5 Recap: The Beautiful Game....(and running behind, more later)

Tactics.  In most sports they matter.  At this level they really matter.  Most of the players are well-known not only to each other, but more importantly to the technical directors, coaches, managers, skippers--whatever you want to call the guy(s) on the sidelines devising the plan.  The goal is always the same.  Impose your style of play on the game.  While a team will not always have the superior talent, it can still dictate the tempo and pace of the match, looking to magnify strengths while exploiting perceived weaknesses in the opponent.  Basketball and football have similar goals, but the constant stopping and starting of the action bring a different structure to the games.

Brazil v. North Korea, Ellis Park, Johannesburg--The Most Intriguing Match

Brazil is the one side in the world that never worries about its opponents style.  They play The Beautiful Game, Joga Bonito, and expect the results to come.  As a nation they have an indomitable belief, supported by five World Cup titles, in their superior talent.  It is telling that one of the huge debates in Brazil running up to the Cup was whether manager Dunga's emphasis on defense would take the joy out of winning.

Rest assured it did not.  Nor did it take the beauty out of the game.  Brazil is the favorite regardless of what Spain shows Wednesday.  Skillful throughout the side, they passed the ball beautifully and attacked with flair.  It really can put a smile on your face watching the joy and the passion with which they play the game.

North Korea brought intrigue.  I wrote about it here.  In recent years they have done well internationally in youth tournaments.  Now some of those players have come of age and they qualified the side for the first time since 1966.  It was expected they would rely on a staunch defense and try not to embarrass themselves.

They did think defense first and they did it well.  The Koreans played with five in the backline, three of which were central defenders.  In front of that they had three midfielders who sat very deep--effectively employing eight defenders along with two front-runners.  Brazil came out in their favored 4-2-3-1 with Luis Fabiano up top and Real Madrid star Kaka slotted in behind, and, as expected, the Brazilians controlled the game in the first half.  But even the Selecao can be a bit cautious in the first half of their first World Cup match and the North Koreans were very well organized and defended superbly.  The teams went to the dressing rooms 0-0.

The Brazilians dominated possession attacking both inside with short passing and, as the second half unfolded, overlapping with their outside backs in an attempt to open the North Korean defense.  In the 55' it paid off as right back Maicon took a perfecly weighted pass from Elano along the endline and ripped a right-footed shot that eluded keeper Ri Myong-Guk.  It's debatable whether his intent was to shoot or cross, but either way it counts.  Were it not Brazil or a less-skilled player it would be a lucky goal.  In this case it may well have been grand design.

The incessant pressure certainly wore down the game Korean defenders and in the 72' Elano got his own on a perfect ball from Robinho and the samba began.  North Korea got a good goal in the 89' (pictured at top) and it was well-deserved.  Jong Tae-se, one of only three North Korea players to play out of the country, headed back to Ji Yun-nam and after a great first touch he beat Julio Cesar to the right.  Joy in Pyongyang as it was reported the home side won 29-0.  The final whistle saw 2-1 as the actual scoreline.

Brazil is worth watching every match.  They rarely disappoint.  Every pass seems perfectly-weighted, every run well-timed.  Certainly their was room for improvement as Kaka, the playmaker in the middle was off-form, still recovering from injury.  On the flip side North Korea will give Portugal and the Ivory Coast much more than they bargained for.  The have proven capable defenders and dangerous on the counterattack.  Ivory Coast's size and style of play may prove more troublesome for the Koreans, but I wouldn't be surprised if they got a result against either side.

I'll try to post more later in the day, but you'll have to go to the site to see it.  Thanks.

Getting a Feel for the Insanity that is North Korea

North Korea* is making it's first appearance in the World Cup since 1966 when they famously knocked out Italy.  It's been an interesting week.

*Here is a recent article filed by a BBC reporter describing her bizarre trip to try to see the team train.

First this:



Then this:



And on the same day, this story suggesting a U.N. Security Council decision may force them to go to war.

All that aside, the lads played a solid game against tournament favorite Brazil.  This was even a touching moment as Jong Tae-Se shed some tears during the national anthem.



I'll keep you posted on the latest goings-on with one of my new favorite teams from the most insane country on the planet.

Thoughts from Italy v. Paraguay, Other Notes and a Preview

Coming into Focus

A fan takes in Netherlands v. Denmark in Johannesburg

--Gotta love the Italians making a fashion statement.  The Azzurri wore their traditional blue jerseys now sponsored by Puma, but had their names in all lower case letters in an unusual script.

--Paraguay wasn't going to be phased playing the defending champions.  Having to qualify in places like Buenos Aires, La Paz, Recife and Lima makes a neutral site game in Cape Town relatively straightforward, even in the pouring rain on the biggest stage.

--The refereeing thus far has been excellent.  From getting the offsides call right in the opening match to handing out cards judiciously, it has been consistent and fair.  There has also been much less flopping and diving than in previous years.  If one team could be expected to continue with the theatrics, it was the Italians.  It wasn't outrageous, but they didn't disappoint.

--It's unclear the effect of the new Adidas ball to this point.  Three very bad goals have been conceded, by England, Algeria and Paraguay, but it is hard to pin any of those directly on the ball.  Most notable is that players appear to be having trouble judging the bounce of the ball when receiving long balls.  It seems to be consistently higher than players expect.

--Tomorrow's matches in Group G, El Groupo de la Muerte, should offer some of the most entertaining soccer thus far.  Ivory Coast and Portugal both assume they are playing for their ticket into the final sixteen.  A win by either side would be huge.  Didier Drogba and his broken elbow will be a game time decision for Cote d'Ivoire and Ronaldo's performance, after a series of substandard matches for the national team in qualifying, will be a referendum on his world class status and will go a long way in determining Portugal's fate.  I like the Elephants in this one.

--The other Group of Death fixture pits Brazil v. North Korea.  Brazil is always entertaining, but with Dunga as manager there is concern that they won't play the beautiful game as beautifully as their fans demand.  North Korea offers intrigue if nothing else.  The matches won't be shown back home for fear of epic failure, but it is worth noting that in their only other World Cup appearance in 1966 they knocked out the Italians.  They have fared well in youth internationals in recent years so they should be worth watching.  A stingy defensive style is their calling card this time around so the matchup with Brazil will put them right to the test.

--Stories like this make you wonder who minds the store in Pyongyang.  Gotta hope, at least a little, that these guys put on a respectable showing.  For their own sake.

Netherlands v. Denmark, Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg

Result: Netherlands 2  Denmark 0  Take Away: Tactical changes in the second half paid off handsomely for the Dutch.  With five starters and a coach named "van ...", they should be nicknamed the Moving Company.

83,465 fans, seemingly all clad in orange (as were the empty seats), filled the Soccer Stadium in Joburg for the first all-European affair of this World Cup.  Most got what they wanted.  

Harkening back to years gone by, The Dutch came out classically numbered, wearing shirts 1 through 10 from the keeper up to the forwards.  Only number 11 was missing as star striker Arjen Robben was still nursing a hamstring injury.  Robben's ability to run at defenders with pace rivals anyone in the world and his absence from the Dutch's Big Four upfront was a concern.

The most recognizable member of the Danish squad was skipper Morten Olsen.  In his tenth year, Olsen is the longest-tenured manager at this WC and brings stability to a young group that lacks a marquee name.

The Netherlands is a country that prides itself on the success of its team.  But like the Brazilians, the style with which they achieve that success is equally important.  Led by Johan Cruyff* and Johan Neeskens in the early '70s, Holland leapt onto the world stage with their revolutionary and hugely entertaining style of Total Football.  The Clockwork Orange were the most dynamic team at the '74 & '78 World Cups, but they came up short to the host nation in the Final on each occasion, losing 2-1 to West Germany in Munich** and 3-1 to Argentina in Buenos Aires.  It is a very difficult legacy to live up to and has burdened past Dutch sides.  The 2010 version is talented, but will also carry the weight of high expectations.

*It is famously told that Cruyff once said he could do anything with a soccer ball.  A writer challenged him that he couldn't put the ball in the net from behind the goal.  Cruyff walked about ten yards behind the goal, put the ball down, then chipped it up and over the crossbar with a lot of backspin.  The writer retrieved the ball out of the net.


**In this match Cruyff was pulled down in the German penalty area in the first minute.  Neeskens converted the ensuing penalty and the Dutch were up 1-0 before the any German player had touched the ball.

Both sides cruised through their qualifying.  The Dutch went 8-0-0 and outscored opponents 17-2 while the Danes lost only once and knocked out neighbor Sweden with 1-0 wins both home and away.

The early going saw patience from each side with Holland controlling the tempo and the flow, but the Mexican Wave was the dominating feature.  Against the run of play it was the Danes who got the better chances.  The first time the cameras really panned into the shadows in front of the Dutch goal was the 26th minute when Arsenal striker Niklas Bendtner, Denmark's lone front-runner, failed to direct his header on to the target from six yards.  He should have done better.  Ten minutes later Thomas Kahlenberg's shot had to be tipped out for a Danish corner, but it too yielded nothing.

The neighbors went to the half with a palindrome: NED 0-0 DEN (hat tip, ESPN Gamecast).  Both sides were well-organized defensively and Denmark's five-man midfield did a good job of foiling the Orange attackers, but better lucky than good as Fortune smiled on the Dutch to open the second forty-five.  

One minute in, Dane Simon Poulsen tried to clear a Dutch cross from six yards out but his poorly-struck header caromed off teammate Daniel Agger's back and ended up behind keeper Thomas Sorensen.  The 29th own goal in World Cup history put The Netherlands up 1-0.  Though down Denmark continued to work hard, but the game really opened up when subs Eljero Elia and Ibrahim Afellay came on for the Netherlands.  Elia was able to spread the Danish defense by attacking down the left flank and his work led directly to the second goal.  Wesley Sneijder played a lovely penetrating through ball down the left side which Elia ran onto and fired off the far post.  Dirk Kuyt, sprinting like a man who smelled glory, out-hustled Dane Simon Kjaer to the carom and completed the easy finish.  2-0 was the final result.

Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk's side has to be pleased with the result and particularly with their play in the final thirty minutes.  The insertion of Elia, my man of the match despite only playing 25 minutes, was key and I would expect him to be included when they take on Japan Saturday.  Former Dutch star-turned-television-commentator Ruud Gullit was particularly insightful about the Dutch needs when speaking at the half, highlighting Rafael van der Vaart's poor tactical play on the left side as a serious issue.  Van Marwijk saw it as well and the Dutch were much better the last half hour.

Denmark now has to look to it's match with Cameroon on Saturday.  Both sides were defeated today and anything less than a tie Saturday will guarantee a three match tournament and quick flight home for the loser.