Women's World Cup: We Can't Not Watch

At 11am, Pacific Standard Time, we'll gather around our plasma screens or our computers and cue ESPN. Some of us will chant "U-S-A". Some of us may be wearing jerseys, others may have been so festive as to paint our faces. Collectively, we'll be rooting for a team that two months ago, the majority of us hardly knew existed. The names were foreign then; they're celebrities now. All it took was one Hail Mary cross into history.

Hope Solo. Abby Wambach. Megan Rapinoe. Ali Krieger.

These are names that are inspiring a new generation of soccer players, male and female. They are taking the places of the Mia Hamms, Brandi Chastains, and Julie Foudys. These are the names that are making a country care about a tournament in Germany that they otherwise wouldn't even had known was ongoing. This is mostly a country of baseball lovers and NASCAR addicts. (Soccer hardly has a pulse beyond AYSO.) But we're a country that loves drama. A final second goal by Landon Donovan made us care about the men two years ago. This year, it took an improbable comeback against a chippy rival to stir interest. That happened against Brazil and the world's best player, Marta. Fortunately, the Hail Mary cross found its target. Wambach did the rest. And a country had the Cinderella Story it needed in order to care.

The tournament in Germany comes to a close today: USA vs. Japan in the World Cup Final. Thank you, ladies, for making us care.

While Sharing The Field With Man United, MLS Should Be Keeping Notes

For so many different reasons, Americans just don’t like soccer. It’s thought to be too dainty, too low scoring, and the flopping sends people into fits. Regardless, it’s still viewed as the worlds’ game; for whatever reason, we Americans just haven’t figured that out yet.

It probably doesn’t help that our professional sports league, Major League Soccer, is the infant in the global game, and so, the quality of the stock is still developing. But with time, it will come.

Tonight, we get a glimpse of a professional sports franchise that has done things right. If there is one thing we as fans and supporters of the MLS should take from the match tonight over at Reliant Stadium, it is that Manchester United is the type of franchise Commissioner Don Garber and the heads of the respective MLS clubs should look to replicate.

True, Manchester United outdates every MLS club by nearly 120 years (dating back to when they were founded as the Newton Health LYR F.C. in 1978), so they’ve had the benefit of time. In just 14 years of existence (the league was founded in 1993, but didn’t play its first game until 1996), the league has expanded from 10 to 16 teams (with plans for further expansion), soccer-specific stadiums have popped up and the league has caught the attention of the top players, managers and scouts from other leagues around the world.

But there is a ways to go. Following are four reasons why Manchester United deserves respect, regardless of your thoughts on soccer or pre-existing team allegiances (this comes from a Liverpool fan):

1) Sir Alex Ferguson
He’s been at the helm of the club since 1986, an impressive feat in professional sports, where managers/head coaches are usually cycled through in two or three year spans. Also rare among pro sports, Sir Alex is actually liked by his players, and he has been known to pay special attention to young players learning to adjust to the bright lights of stardom. Plus, the guy is a flippin’ knight! Badass by any measure.

2) Old Trafford
If you look across the American sports landscape, fans love new shiny things, namely stadiums with waterfalls and fake pirate ships and pools and an over-over-priced restaurant. Old Trafford has none of those things; they are hallowed grounds. The closest thing we have stateside would be Fenway Park in Boston. But even the Red Sox ownership has done its part to bedazzle the place. Old Trafford is part of the clubs’ identity. It has undergone renovations over the years, adding seats and updating the aesthetics, but for the most part, the stadium is very much the fortress for supporters that it has been since 1910.

3) Finding and Sticking With Talent
Unlike Chelsea or Inter Milan or the Yankees, who are known to buy the brightest stars once they’ve matured elsewhere, Man U has a reputation for identifying and improving young, quality players. Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville all came up within Man U’s academy. Both Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo (now with Real Madrid) were purchased at 18, years before they became the megastars they are now. Even George Best, one of the greatest to wear the kit of Man U, was discovered at 15. Javier “El Chicharito” Hernandez may be next.

4) The History
The 59 trophies, Sir Bobby Charlton (another badass knight!), The Treble in 1998-1999 (winning the EPL, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League), Old Trafford, Bryan Robson, Sir Alex Ferguson, the 1999 UEFA Champions League final injury time comeback against Bayern Munich, Eric Cantona, George Best, Denis Law and David Beckham. The list certainly goes on and on (just ask a true Manchester United fan).

Down Go the Yanks, But Thanks For Trying

Hey boys, thanks for the effort – it was a thrilling ride while it lasted. But let's be real, soccer isn't really our sport and just the fact that you bested England to come out of the group in first was quite a feat. Yeah, you had the semifinals in your sight, with only Ghana and the winner of Uruguay/South Korea to beat, but hey, for being the country's sixth most popular sport (behind football, basketball, baseball, hockey and hotdog eating), what could you have really expected? You showed incredible heart and late-game discipline, but in the end you only had so many miracles at your disposal. Plus, with only three days rest, you'll have the exhaustion excuse (though you are professional athletes and it's your profession to be fit and prepared), as well as being forced to play without one of your best defenders (Oguchi Onyewu, slowed by injury). Hopefully the media will take it easy on you.

All sarcasm aside, it really was one of the more entertaining and engaging World Cup showings this country has had in some time. The 2002 quarterfinal aside, where we were a mediocre team that managed to beat our hated rivals, Mexico, this 2010 squad shows real promise looking forward. The core of Bradley (our most consistent player), Feilhaber (who should have been starting all tournament), Altidore (who needs to work on his dribbling and finishing and fitness – which are all reasons why he gets no time in Europe), Edu (who also should have been starting), Dempsey (who had a hell of a showing, despite only a fluke goal against England; but the guy was a human punching bag, and did not ease up) and, of course, Donovan (who finally lived up to his best-American-player reputation), bodes well for future successes at the international level. Each proved that he can play with the best on the biggest stage, which will hopefully translate into a few transfers to new, more prestigious clubs – which, in turn, will also grow the talent of the group.

For nearly two weeks, the US men's national team made soccer headline news. Sure, some bitched about the ties and the purpose of offsides, but the last-minute comebacks were thrilling (even though they were against Slovenia and Algeria) for the lovers and haters of the beautiful game, alike. It's just too bad that now any of the new fans of the game will have to watch the MLS, which is almost worse than a Royals-Brewers game.

Jozy Altidore ESPN Commercial

Found this pretty funny. Met the ESPN guy, Josh Elliot, when he came in to speak to our Sports Journalism class at Columbia JSchool.ESPN is going big on its World Cup coverage this year. Will be curious to see if it translates to a high profile for the sport of soccer/football in the States. I'll also be curious to see if Jozy can finally deliver on all the hype that has accompanied his career.

Game of the Decade...

... that 95% of sports fans in America won't watch: Manchester United vs. Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League Final.

As far as soccer (from here on out referred to by its proper name, football) and ratings go, this is the match-up everyone wants to see. The game pits two of the biggest and most celebrated clubs in Europe, both of whom employee the efforts of the top international talents (Messi, Ronaldo, Eto'o, Rooney, Henry, Puyol, etc.) in the sport. And unlike Kobe/LeBron, where the league officials are having to step in and orchestrate the happening, this match-up is legit. This is a final where the two best teams proved their respective mettle and earned a berth to compete on, arguably, the grandest football stage.

While the fareweather football fan may tune in, they'll ultimately be disappointed by what they see. A 2-1, or worse, 1-0 game will be viewed as further fuel for the recurring firestorm that is the argument against football. An appreciation for the supreme talent and incredible ball control that these players possess will surely fall short. Talent and touch don't mean beans to American fans. They wants goals, fights and/or streakers (and maybe not in that order).

There's a reason why it's called "The Beautiful Game." Finesse, fitness and are key, and are aspects that tend to be missed. What casual fans don't realize is that in football nothing comes quick and easy. Defenders don't take plays off like in the NBA, where scores skyrocket into the high 90s. There's more to watch and analyze than just two players, like the pitcher/batter duel in the MLB. Goals are a process. The build up is ultimately more important and typically more appealing than the finish. The passion for victory is far greater with these teams, from top to bottom, than what you'll find on an NBA roster.

Plus, 15% of the camera time for the game isn't on the celebrities in the stands or the uninspiring insights of the less-than-aesthetically-pleasing announcers.

Enjoy.

Messi (left) and Ronaldo will fight for it all. Jasper Juinen/Getty Images

The game is on ESPN at 11:45 PST. Tune in. Game on.