VIEW ALL DEATHTOSOCCER'S BLOG ENTRIES
West Ham United, after hog-tying the embattled manager and allowing player trades to go through against his better judgment, is out a manager. The odds-on-favorite to be the first managerial casualty of the Premier season, Alan Curbishley resigned his position as West Ham United's manager, calling the position "untenable." A statement from the Hams was released, wishing Curbishley the best of luck, which, of course, means "the best of luck, so long as you never coach a team against West Ham." (ESPN)
At 7:30pm tonight, the USL Charleston Battery will take on MSL juggernauts DC United in the 2008 Open Cup. The underdog Batteries aren't phased by the fact that, in twelve years, a USL team has only won the Open Cup once. It might have to do with the hundred-grand prize for the winning (not that the 50k runner-up prize is much worse) or the automatic spot on the CONCACAF Champions League for the winner. Either way, if there's a scrappy USL-1 team going against an MLS powerhouse like DC, it's bound to be good sport for all ninety minutes. (ESPN)
For only the third time in 61 years, the US soccer team will alight on Cuban soil to take on Castro's footballers for a semifinal round World Cup qualifier. Here in the States, visiting teams get little or no hostility because the relatively few soccer fans are glad to have international visitors for the possible press bumps and added attention. It also does something invaluable for US fans: legitimizing the sport a little more in their own eyes, stemming an otherwise continual atrophy. But after the US team's reception in Guatemala, the boys can probably expect much of the same in Cuba. Everywhere else in the world, visiting teams are treated like, well, visiting teams are treated in Philadelphia, not to put too fine a point on it.
There's a patriotic stake in the game that goes beyond government and ideologies as well: the US has taken at least twelve Cuban players in the last six years alone. And while the Cuban national football team has had it bad under Castro--not entering 4 Cups, not qualifying for 8, and being rejected by FIFA twice--it by no means leaves them without a playable team. (ESPN)
Tags:
None
© All rights reserved.
Posted on 9/3/2008
(
Permanent Link
)
Send to Friend
