It's Heeeere...

Hi Guys!: Russian maidens surround the World Cup Trophy at the final draw for 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia

'Twas the night before FIFA World Cup Russia, when all throughout the globe
Every bleacher creature was stirring, boys and girls, young and old
The bars were well stocked; barstools arranged with great care,
In hopes that team-shirt-wearing patrons, soon would be there.
The players were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of Putin, Messi and Ronaldo danced in their heads...

Putin On the Ritz: Russian President Vladimir Putin with soccer legends Pele of Brazil and Maradona of Argentina at the official tournament draw held in Moscow last December. 

It's been a long four years since the unfettered, samba-fueled joy of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, a large country that is so abundant in green tropics and yellow sunshine that it has the two colors emblazoned on its flag. It is now four years later and the tournament kicks off tomorrow in Russia, a country twice the size of Brazil and a million times different. This is part of what makes the World Cup so exciting. 

And so here we are at the threshold of another World Cup. Here we are, that is, minus some big losses in the world. If I were given the chance to read this post four years ago, I would want my 2014 self to know that many of my favorite musicians are now gone: David Bowie, Prince, George Michaels, and—brace yourself, 2014 me—Chris Cornell. As of this week, we must also wrap our hearts and minds around the death of Anthony Bourdain, the Lou Reed of the culinary world. Never in all my life has the passage of four years between one World Cup and another bridged such contrasting worlds of yesterday and today. On a personal note, I lost a family pet who was like a little brother. He had lung cancer and seeing him slip away was the hardest thing. I can now relate to the longing in the Beatle's song,"Yesterday." Yes, so much has changed since the last World Cup ... and I haven't even mentioned politics ... Oy.

With love and loss comes wisdom. Losing Bruno taught me how precious love is and . That's hard to do when work obligations tell you otherwise.  I think dogs and cats understand it best. Whatever gets your tail wagging, do it. Be huggable and lovable to those. Having friends and family and coworkers you like matters. Many of us in this world are so fortunate not to be alone, and that is worth smiling about. And if there's something simple you can do to make someone you absolutely love—human or animal—happy, by all means, do it. Those memories will stay with you forever. They'll keep you afloat, and focused on the right things. Make yourself happy, too. Words of wisdom: The show must go on and true love never dies. Here's to a phenomenal World Cup! May the best team win — but not by penalty kicks.

Ready to Rumble: Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow where the tomorrow's opening match between Russia and Saudi Arabia will take place

Quick Facts: 12 stadiums, 64 matches, 34 days, 32 countries.

Italy did not qualify. USA did not qualify. Here are the teams that did:

RUSSIA
PORTUGAL
FRANCE
ARGENTINA
BRAZIL
GERMANY
SPAIN
URUGUAY
ENGLAND
DENMARK
COLOMBIA
POLAND
CROATIA
MEXICO
BELGIUM
EGYPT
SENEGAL
JAPAN
SWEDEN
SERBIA
SWITZERLAND
NIGERA
AUSTRALIA
COSTA RICA
PERU
ICELAND
MOROCCO
SOUTH KOREA
TUNISIA
IRAN
PANAMA
SAUDI ARABIA

My advice on how to enjoy the World Cup: Forget statistics (unless you love them) and choose a team to root for simply because you like them. Or don't choose a team, and enjoy the freedom of not being emotionally invested and see if you begin to favor anyone. Add snacks and beer, or cider or whatever it is you like to eat & drink. Welch's grape soda? Doritos? Go for it. Zabivaka says yes!

Say His Name: Zabivaka, or Забива́ка, means "goalscorer" in Russian. The goggles-sporting wolf as you may have guessed is the official mascot of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

The USMNT's EPIC FAIL: World Cup 2018, an opportunity lost in time ...

Tears in the Rain: Rutger Hauer in Blade Runner (1982). 

And so it was last night, on a wet field in Trinidad and Tobago. I think The Washington Post expressed it best: 

In a stunner, U.S. men's soccer falls to Trinidad and Tobago and will not qualify for 2018 World Cup

Let me just say that I am hugely disappointed by this. My first thought: Start a Change.com petition to make Abby Wombat the new coach of the USMNT. Or, dare to dream, David Beckham??

Like the birth of a healthy child, placement in the World Cup is not something any country can take for granted. England did not qualify for the 1994 World Cup and Ireland has missed the last two. Still, I thought we could at least beat a tiny vacation island in the Caribbean. What was the problem? Puddles on the field? Arrogance? Whatever the reason, we have been abruptly awoken from Pulisic-fueled dreams of World Cup domination and must deal with humiliation and romo, i.e. the realization of missing out.

I remember the old days of being a soccer fan in NYC, when the only people at the bar watching World Cup games were me and the bartender. And I remember gazing up at that analog TV mounted up in the corner and watching Bruce Arena sitting on the sidelines as the US men's team, starring a young Landon Donovan, brought a fresh new energy to this well-worn international stage. Bruce Arena, however, did not impress me. As a Knicks fan, I had grown accustomed to high-energy coaches with volatile tempers, demonstrative reactions, and suits and ties. The somewhat schlumpy Arena bore no resemblance to the sharply-dressed Pat Riley with his GQ looks and slicked-back hair. Nor was he anything like the no-nonsense, irrepressible yet lovable Jeff Van Gundy.

Looking back at that World Cup today, however, I have a lot of respect for Arena for keeping his head up in what must have been an extremely intimidating situation. He must have been treated like an outcast by the other managers, and it's not like he was so well known at home. 

Nevertheless, a team manager must have an inspiring presence, and Arena did not. He appeared unaware of the magnitude of his surroundings and unperturbed by his team's inconsistent performance. At the time, I suspected that he didn't even like soccer, but happened to stumble upon a job opportunity that no one else wanted. 

It was that same old oblivious, unfazed and unaccountable Arena that resurfaced yesterday, when he had the sheer gall to dismiss Tuesday's loss as a mere "blemish."  Blemish?? Blemish on what exactly, an otherwise stellar reputation? Clearly, Arena lives in a delusional world in which he's the manager of Germany's national soccer team. But back on planet earth, the Tobago loss is a reality check: The US men's team is still seriously wobbly. Arena has three major achievements: LA Galaxy, coaching Landon Donovan and toppling Portugal in the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan, thus advancing to the quarterfinals. That may sound like a mind-blowing resume next to Joe Shmo the soccer coach, but it doesn't exactly make Bruce Arena the American Pep Guardiola now, does it. So I wish commentators and reporters would stop acting like Arena's the godfather of US soccer. He isn't. He's just someone who happened to show up at the baptism. 

The good news is that fans are furious and hugely disappointed. And that kind of heart-wrenching, tantrum-inducing frustration is our greatest asset right now, because it's the truest motivation there is. Meanwhile, MLS soccer is getting better and more exciting.The NY Red Bull's / NYCFC rivalry for instance is as scrumdiddlyumptious as shepherd's pie, and it's been a gift to watch Bradley Wright-Phillips battle the great David Villa. #designatedplayersmatter.

So let's accept this harsh reality, hit the ejection-seat button on Arena, and move on with a deeper appreciation for the sport. As in any other sport, being good at soccer cannot be faked. 

And p.s., if you haven't noticed, the soccer ball is color-blind and doesn't care where you came from, how fancy an upbringing you had, or how good you look in your kit. But if you speak its language of skill and determination, it will roll over at your feet and soar into the air, taking you and everyone watching with it. 

Goodbye for now World Cup, have fun in Russia. We'll be seeing you in Qatar.

"We'll be back."  (PHOTO from SI.com)

World Cup 2014, Day 3: One Day, Four Games

      COLOMBIA 3 - 0 GREECE
       URUGUAY 1 - 3 COSTA RICA
        ENGLAND 1 - 2 ITALY
IVORY COAST 2 - 1 JAPAN

June 14, 2014


COLOMBIA 3 - 0 GREECE


Colombia's team has many victory dances prepared for this tournament and may have many opportunities to display them.(Reuters)

Part soccer team, part flashmob, Colombia kept things lively against Greece, scoring a goal at the beginning, middle and tail end of the match. Who could ask for anything more? Well, you may have wanted to see star striker Radamel Falcao in action but unfortunately he will not be playing in this World Cup due to a knee injury. Most teams would feel positively crippled without their star player, but Los Cafeteros' (translation:The Coffee Growers) cup runs over with talent–Pablo Armero, Teófilo Gutiérrez and James Rodriguez just to name a few. With Falcao rooting from the sidelines in beautiful Belo Horizonte, Colombia still managed to brew a mighty strong cup of soccer. A tear for Greece, who earned three yellow cards and no points.

This game was played in Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte:


Aesthetic Value: **** out of 5
Fear (of collapse) Factor: 0 out of 5


URUGUAY 1 - 3 COSTA RICA


Man of the match: Joel Campbell of Costa Rica celebrates an equalizer against Uruguay


The defeat of soccer giant Uruguay by teeny tiny Costa Rica is the third upset in this exciting and wildly unpredictable World Cup–the first being Spain's total defeat by Holland (0-5) and the second, Chile's domination over Australia (3-1). While Uruguay took the lead in the first half of the game with a well-warranted penalty kick by Edinson Cavani, the second half revealed a whole new Costa Rica: refreshed and incredibly in sync as a team.

Costa Rica's turning of the table began with an equalizer about 10 minutes into the second half, an expansive cross from right field by 24-year old, 5' 8", Cristian Gamboa, to Joel Campbell who, alone in an open field of green, effortlessly propelled the ball on a smooth long glide into the net. It was what commentators on Univision refer to as a golaço (goal-osso), because there are good goals and there are great goals, and this was a great goal. I think we all could have done without Joel Campbell's bizarre post-goal pregnancy antics in which he ran around with a ball under his shirt, sucking his thumb while his shorts were falling down. A succinct header by Óscar Duarte gave Costa Rica the lead and Marco Ureña put a ring on it with a third goal set up by a long pass from Campbell.

This game was played in Estádio Castelão, Fortaleza:



Aesthetic Value: **** out of 5
Fear (of collapse) Factor: 0 out of 5

ENGLAND 1 - 2 ITALY


Bullet Point #3 (See below.)

There wasn't a great deal of excitement and drama in this much-anticipated match between soccer colossi England and Italy, in fact I think that the entire game was best summarized by these bullet-pointed game highlights from BBC writer Phil McNutty:











This game was played in Arena Amazônia, Manaus:

Aesthetic Value: ***** out of 5

Fear (of collapse) Factor: 0 out of 5

IVORY COAST 2 - 1 JAPAN

Goal scorer Gervinho and teammate Didier Drogba of Ivory Coast celebrate a 2nd goal and lead against Japan. (NOLA Photos, The Times-Picayune)


Japan's most famous blonde, midfielder Keisuke Honda, provided the first burst of excitement in this frenzied match with a wily goal in the 16th minute that outwitted Ivory Coast defenders. Japan's lead was sustained into the game's second half despite repeated attacks until Wilfried Bony followed-through on some elegant passes that enabled him to equalize in the 64th minute, followed by another goal, 2 minutes later by Gervinho who caught Japan goalie Eiji Kawashima off guard with a strike from right field. It was a one-two punch from which Japan could not recover and the match ended 2-1.

This game was played in Arena Pernambuco, Recife:




Aesthetic Value: **** out of 5
Fear (of collapse) Factor: 0 out of 5

World Cup 2014, Day 2: Chile Give Socceroos Heartburn

CHILE 3 - 1 AUSTRALIA

June 13, 2014


Chile's Jorge Valdívia following a gorgeous direct hit into the net. It was the second of three goals to be had by Chile in a match against Australia.


Chee! Chee! Chee! Leh! Leh! Leh!

If today's game was any indication, we may have that chant in our heads for many weeks to come. Chile did not hold back today against a somewhat passive Australian team whose lack of stamina is accurately reflected in the final score.

The last time these two teams battled was in the 1974 World Cup in Berlin. While the game itself, final score 0-0, may not have been very exciting, the historical context in which it was played, 9 months after a military coup and the installation of the Pinochet dictatorship, was one of the darkest in Chile's history.


A Team Held Captive: Under the shadow of Pinochet, the Chilean team play Australia in a scoreless match at the 1974 Berlin World Cup.

Almost 25 years, one major earthquake, tsunami and 33-rescued miners later, the stalwart nation of Chile clearly has its eyes on a brighter future, perhaps one that entails a green and gold trophy.

Other game scorers: MEXICO--Alexis Sánchez, Jean Beausejour; AUSTRALIA--Tim Cahill

This match was played at Arena Pantanal, Cuiabá, Brazil:



Aesthetic Value: ***** out of 5 (based on inside of stadium).
Fear (of collapse) Factor: 2 out of 5.

World Cup 2014, Day 2: Mexico Prevails

MEXICO 1 - 0 CAMAROON

June 13, 2014


Deliverance: Oribe Peralta scores for Mexico and wins the match against Camaroon.

By the end of the first half of this hard-won match, it was clear that Mexico's strongest challenge wasn't the team of Camaroon itself but Colombian referee Wilmar Alexander Roldan Perez who denied Mexico forward Giovani Dos Santos two goals in the first half--two goals that video replay shows were perfectly legitimate:



At the very least, bad calls rob teams and fans equally of the competitive value and satisfaction of a fair contest. At worst, they can even incite a riot or the kind of gruesome and extreme violence that one generally associates with drug lords or the Taliban (which really makes a good case for baseball as a more civilized sport, Red Sox fans notwithstanding...).

Fortunately, justice prevailed in the Mexico v Camaroon match in the way that justice often does, through the tenacity and fortitude of those who seek it. Peralta connected in the 61st minute, a soaring triumph that ignited Mexico fans and was a thrill to all who watched. In a game so often held hostage to chance, Mexico is fighting hard to control its destiny.

This match was played at Estadio das Dunas, Natal, Brazil:



Aesthetic Value: **** out of 5.
Fear (of collapse) Factor: 0 out of 5.

World Cup 2014, Day 4: France's Karim Benzema, Switzerland Wins, Bosnia-Herzogovina Scores

Switzerland 2 - 1 Ecuador
France 3 - 0 Honduras
Argentina 2 - 1 Bosnia-Herzegovina

June 15, 2014


France 3 - 0 Honduras

France's Karim Benzema doing what he does, scoring 2 goals against Honduras.

Don't Google Benzema too extensively.  As with many soccer players, you may find out more than you want to know. But if you take him for what he is on the field, such as in France's opening match against Honduras, you'll find yourself in awe of a great player who happens to look amazing in France's impeccably stylish Prussian Blue kits with slightly rounded white collars.

Referee Sandro Meira Ricci of Brazil had his hands full in this match, he gave out a total of 7 yellow cards and one red. He got it right with the cards as far as I could tell. The only controversy came bit of
controversy came at the start of the second half, a mischievous little number from Benzema that ricocheted off the right post and horizontally across the front of the goal and provoked Honduras goalie Noel Valladares into action. From the looks of the replay, the ball was headed outside of the goal net but  had Honduras goalie Noel

Argentina 2 - 1 Bosnia-Herzegovina

Bosnia-Herzegovina made its World Cup debut this year, playing against none other than Argentina. That is a tall order to fill for a country that is so new its national anthem doesn't even have lyrics yet. Well, Spain doesn't have lyrics either but that's because they got rid of them.

World Cup 2014, Day 2: Holland Unleashed

Getty Image by David Ramos, The Guardian

SPAIN 1 - 5 NETHERLANDS

The Dutch say they weren't out for revenge, but today's match looked like the soccer equivalent of Guernica. Holland's game was graceful, skillful and ferocious and the outcome for Spain was devastating.

The 5-1 match between Holland and reigning World Cup champions Spain, which, coincidentally for Spain, took place on Friday the 13th, started out ordinary enough—a tackle here, a yellow card there, a close attempt by Iniesta, and a picture-perfect penalty shot by Xabi Alonso. Watching Xabi, clad in white and looking very commanding, pump his fist in celebration as his teammates came running over, you would never have suspected the kind of world-class, first-rate spanking this elite squad were about to get from their 2010 rivals.


Spain's Xabi Alonso shoots and scores a penalty kick.

It all started minutes before halftime. Robin van Persie made an incredible long-distance header that sent the ball cresting over goalie Casillas like a giant wave. From the spot he was standing, there was literally nothing the legendary goalie could do to prevent that ball from completing its arc into the net. The first half ended 1-1.


Fly Robin Fly: Holland's Van Persie in mid-dive as he watches his supernatural header sink deep into the back of Spain's net.

What was to follow was 45+ minutes of riveting soccer enhanced by the Dutch fans who do not shy away from team spirit.


This man started a parade in the stands.

Spain fought back but in spite of several forceful attempts was never able to score. Spanish fans gazed in silence as the Dutch continuously hit their mark and a visibly crestfallen Casillas began to look more and more like a defeated bull, brought to its knees by a crowd-pleasing toreador:


Fallen Iker: Casillas struggles to stand after another goal by Holland.

Whether or not Spain can regain composure from this defeat remains to be seen, but their dynastic future is now very much in question, and the official conversation starter of the 2014 World Cup is "How 'bout those Dutch?"


A victory pile up featuring Dutch player Arjen Robben. Robben and Van Persie scored two goals... each.


This match was played at Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador, Brazil:



Aesthetic Value: **** out of 5.
Fear (of collapse) Factor: 2 out of 5.