Mere memories remain

(From the Reporter newspaper website)
By Andrei Greska

Emptiness. That's the only way to describe the feelings North American soccer fans held after last weekend's sad performances by Mexico and the United States at the World Cup. After four years of excitement and anticipation, the curtains have closed for the neighboring nations.

The U.S. was bounced out by Ghana for the second consecutive World Cup, again losing by a score of 2-1. The game this year though was much more contested than that of four years ago. Landon Donovan tied the game on a penalty kick in the second half and sent the game into extra time. However, Ghana scored two minutes into the first overtime. America's achilles heel had shown itself once again. The U.S. allowed goals in the first 15 minutes in three of its four games in South Africa. Down a goal and looking physically spent, the U.S. could not mount a comeback and missed a once in lifetime opportunity to reach the semifinals.

Mexico crashed out in the Round of 16 of the World Cup for the fifth consecutive time, and at the hands of Argentina for the second consecutive time. This match was nothing like the 2006 meeting in Leipzig, Germany, though. The Argentines scored in the 20th minute in a clear offsides position, causing the Mexicans to lose concentration and concede another a few minutes later. Carlos Tevez blasted a third goal at the start of the second half, putting the game out of reach. Mexico's lone bright spot was Javier Hernandez, the Manchester United signee who struck a morale-saving goal in the 70th minute. Mexico was severely outplayed throughout the match and came home without fulfilling it goal of getting to a fifth game.

Both countries will now watch the rest of the World Cup with a tinge of remorse, wishing it was their countries battling for the title. They will only have these memories to tide them over the next two weeks and the next four years:

Landon Donovan scores in stoppage time against Algeria In 20 years, this will still be remembered as the moment in which America cared about soccer. I'm not saying this is the moment which will make America fall in love with the sport, that has been erroneously predicted for the past 30 years. However, there is no denying the joy that America felt when Donovan slotted the ball home to send the Americans into the knockout stages. A quick Youtube search is all the proof you need.

Javier Hernandez scores his first World Cup goal Hernandez, also known as Chicharito which is Spanish for little pea, is Mexico's next great hope. A rising star with club team Chivas de Guadalajara winning the scoring title even though he only played nine of the 16 games, Hernandez was signed by club giants Manchester United. He instantly became the hottest thing since sliced bread in Mexico and was expected to lead his team to glory. Unfortunately, he wasn't given the starting spot in the opening games but he showed his worth scoring a game winning goal against France only 10 minutes after he had come on as a sub. The goal was his first ever in a World Cup and made headlines even in England.

English Goalkeeper Robert Green commits the gaffe of the tournament Down a goal and being completely outmatched, the U.S. was in trouble against the mighty English team. And then lightning struck. In great play by Clint Dempsey, twirling past his defender twice, Dempsey unleashed a dribbler, a very weak shot on goal that all goalies in the world, no matter what age could stop. Except Robert Green. The English keeper fumbled the ball, bouncing it off his chest and into the goal. It was one of the few fortunate breaks the U.S. would receive in the tournament but one that will forever be known as Greene's Gaffe.

Mexico opens the World Cup It's not the greatest memory in the world for Mexican fans. Up against host South Africa, a team only ranked 83rd in the world, Mexico had to come from behind and was lucky to come away with a tie. However, the game as a whole will be remembered for historic purposes. It was only the second time Mexico opened the World Cup and the first time since 1986 when it hosted the tournament. All eyes focused on Johannesburg, where the Bafana Bafana gave El Tri all that they could handle.

Comeback kings This is more than one memory, it is the tournament for the U.S. summed up. The U.S. fell behind in three of four of its games and came from behind to at least tie every single time. They set a new World Cup record coming back from a 2-0 deficit at halftime against Slovenia to tie the game at 2 (and win it, but a glaring decision by the referee invalidated a legitimate goal in the 86th minute). America won admiration from the worldwide press for its never-say-die attitude and its uncanny ability to score goals in closing minutes. The U.S. might have been bounced out, but there is no doubt they left it all out on the field each and every game, and at the end of the day, that's all you can ask for from your team.

Second Week Thoughts

"You're doing that mighty well coach."

The second round of group play of the 2010 World Cup is just about in the books, and it couldn't have been any more different than the first round. There has been intrigue, upsets, scandals and most importantly, goals. Lots and lots of goals. The first round had only 25 Jabulanis find the back of the net. In comparison, with one game to go, 39 goals have been scored in this round for an average of 2.44 a game. Increased scoring has brought renewed excitement to what was a dull tournament. More goals, however, are just the introduction into what has been a fascinating week of soccer. Here are the top three story lines from around the world.

1)France does what it does best: quit
France came into the tournament in the most controversial fashion possible, beating Ireland 2-1 in a playoff on a Thierry Henry handball. They are determined to leave the World Cup in the same manner. It is no secret that French Coach Raymond Domenech is not well-liked in France. Not by the fans, not by the players, not even by his employers the French Football Federation, who already hired his successor for after the World Cup. Things hit a new low this weekend, though. Star striker Nicolas Anelka, upset with his boss' decision to sub him off in France's match with Mexico, let Domenech hear about it in the locker room at half time going off in a profanity-laced rant. That did not go over well with the French skipper who threw Anelka off the team and sent him packing.
This wasn't enough drama for the French, though, they wanted more. Captain Patrice Evra went to the press saying there was a traitor in the locker room who disclosed the rift between coach and player and that he would be found and punished. Apparently Evra found him in the form of fitness coach Robert Duverne. Evra confronted Duverne who had none of it and quit the team, marching off the practice field and throwing his credentials to the ground. This still was not enough drama for the Frenchies. The team, in an act of "solidarity" walked off the practice field, refusing to train, in a show of support for the exiled Anelka. Now that my friends, is prima donnas at their finest. Can you imagine this ever happening in the United States? Only in the World Cup can a reigning world power act like a bunch of babies. The French newspaper Le Parisien said it best, "To have the worst football team at the World Cup was already unbearable. To also have the most stupid is intolerable … The mutiny at Knysna will forever remain the Waterloo of French football."

2)Power Outage
Did I forget to mention that France lost the game against Mexico and is now almost assuredly out of the World Cup? Yea, that happened too. France currently sits in a tie for last place in group A with South Africa. In order to advance, they would need a victory over the host nation in their final match as well as a lopsided score in favor of either Uruguay or Mexico. Chances of that happening, slim to none. France is not the only super power in serious danger of embarrassing elimination. Italy, the reigning world champions, have only managed two draws in what was widely considered the easiest group in the tournament. After tying Paraguay 1-1 in their opener, the "Azzuri" let fearsome New Zealand score first and had to rely on a phantom penalty kick to avoid the ignominy of being the victim of the Kiwis' first ever World Cup victory. Italy now faced Slovakia and must win in order to advance. The Italians should take care of the Slovakians without much difficulty, then again, that's exactly what they said about their first two opponents.
Joining the underachieving club is England, the father of all underachievers. They too could only muster a tie against the fearsome Algerian squad that hasn't scored a goal in the World Cup since 1986. Sitting with two points in group C, a loss by the "Three Lions" would leave them out of the knockout stages for the first time since 1958. I can't wait to see the headlines in London if and when that happens. Rounding out the struggling powers are Germany and Spain. Germany was unfortunate in their 1-0 loss to Serbia and still might advance, but they need a draw or a win to assure themselves of a spot in the final 16. Spain plays later today, attempting to bounce back from a shocking 1-0 loss to Switzerland. They must beat Honduras and still have to take on a surging Chile after that.

3)"disMALI" refereeing
We all have little bias towards our home teams and feel that referees always have it out for us. However, there is no bias when I say the United States got robbed by Malian referee Koman Couliably. None. We got screwed, hosed, jobbed, whatever you want to call it. The U.S. had made one of the greatest comebacks in World Cup, overcoming a 2-0 half-time deficit against Slovenia to tie it up on a goal by Michael Bradley. I'll let the one and only Peter King take it from here:
"With the score tied at 2 in the 86th minute, the United States had a direct kick on the Slovenian side of the field. There was much pushing and shoving in front of the goal, both before the ball was in the air and while it flew toward the net. Replays showed three American players being bearhugged by Slovenians -- and Americans, in the case of at least two scrums, hugging back. But in the case of an earlier hero, midfielder Michael Bradley, Slovenian Aleksander Radosavljevic did his best Ray Lewis imitation, practically dragging Bradley down just feet from the goal. As the ball fell to earth, American sub Maurice Edu pounced on it, flicking it hard into the net for what appeared to be the winning goal. But in his first World Cup game, referee Koman Coulibaly, from the landlocked West African country of Mali, ran into the fray and blew off the goal. At least four Americans tried to find out what the call was. But Coulibaly, who, according to several U.S. players was all but mute during the game (a rarity in world-class games, they say), didn't inform either side what call he made. We still do not know what the infraction was that Coulibaly called, and under the idiotic rules of FIFA, Coulibaly doesn't have to say what the infraction was. He might go to his grave with it."
The goal would have given the U.S. the victory and almost assured them of their qualification to the knockout stage, but one blind official ruined it for the Americans. "We waited our whole lives for this, and you feel like it was taken from you,'' said goalkeeper Tim Howard.

At long last, my reactions to a 1-1 'loss'

The first round is only a few games from being completed and I have yet to write a single word about it. Not Mexico, not the U.S., not Germany, no one. This stems from my deep disappointment with Mexico in the opening match against South Africa. They shit the bad. Pardon my French but that is the best way to describe it. They came out fast and furious, nearly scoring in the second minute, then after 20 minutes of completely possessing the game, they wilted. Sure, they had a much better first half than South Africa, but that was not the same team that beat Italy and almost ripped South Africa a new one. This was the old Mexico, the one that gets tense in close encounters and forgets how to play. It was disappointing to say the least. It was disheartening.

It only got worse when Tshabalala broke past the back line and lazered in the best goal of the tournament thus far. Just imagine, the last goal scored on Mexico was Maxi's miracle, now this? Kill me now. You want to know the worst part, I didn't watch the game live. I angered the Mexican soccer Gods and they punished me for it. Instead of watching the game I have been dreaming about for four years, I went to the Blackhawks parade. I'd do it again too. Had I watched the game live, I might have passed out. Seriously, I would have turned off the TV, that's how much confidence I have in this team. So in the end, I am expecting the worst from my green men, and praying for the best. I've been let down too many times. It's sad to say, but Mexico's weak showing has dampened the whole competition for me. Bummer.

Here are three thoughts from the disappointing point gained against the host nation:

1) Franco must sit. He had three point blank chances and didn't convert. He had his shot and proved what most knew all along, he's not a big game player. He's done at West-Ham and will probably move to a European Minnow or Mexican team for next season. He makes good runs so he is not completely useless, but his finishing is subpar, to say the least. Thanks for your time Guille, but your moment has passed.

2) Chicharito has to start. I find it funny that coach Javier Aguirre trusted an aging striker with little future over the crown-jewel of Mexican soccer. There is a reason Manchester United signed Chicharito and it's not because he sits on the bench well. He puts balls in the back of the net. Period. He isn't tested, he is not a veteran, and he has yet to prove anything at the World Cup, but that doesn't matter. He needs the chance to prove himself. Give him the start Aguirre, or all the players will be watching the rest of the tournament from their behinds.

3.) Dos Santos is the best player we got. Chicharito may be the future, but Gio Dos Santos is the now. I know they are the same age, but Dos Santos proved he brings the most to the table of anyone on the field. His dashing runs and tremendous skill saw him terrorize the South African back line. Had his shot in the opening minutes not been deflected away from goal, Dos Santos would be the name you would be hearing the most. He is special, and hopefully he can keep playing at that level the rest of the World Cup.

Disappointed, yet relieved

The Goals...


The Full Highlights...


Before the game...


Mexican National Anthem...


South African National Anthem...

More World Cup Hype

From the online edition of The Reporter newspaper by yours truly.

Do you remember what you were doing on June 25, 1998? Doubt it. Most people couldn’t tell you what they ate for breakfast yesterday. I was 7-and-a-half years old and I can still recall it as if it happened this morning.

Seated around my grandparents’ kitchen table in Guadalajara, Mexico, my whole family erupted in delirious bliss as Luis Hernandez of Mexico scored a miracle goal in the third minute of stoppage time against Holland to tie the game at two, sending Mexico into the knockout stages.

This was the equivalent of the Doug Flutie “Hail Mary” play, or Michael Jordan’s shot over Craig Ehlo, only 20 times bigger. It wasn’t just a team or a city being lifted, it was the entire country. At our small kitchen, it was pure pandemonium as hugs and screams reigned supreme. Mexico had done the impossible and I had front row seats. I haven’t missed a Mexico game since.

That’s the World Cup for you. It sounds so cliché to say it’s more than a game, but it truly is. It’s a matter of life and death.

During the 1998 edition in France, 151 people were treated for “football related problems” at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary in Scotland. Heart attacks also increased by 25 percent on the day and in the two days after England lost to Argentina in penalty kicks.

It didn’t get any better in 2002. Reports show heart attacks increased by 60 percent in Switzerland during the World Cup, and they weren’t even in the competition!

It’s not all gloom and doom though. Heart attacks actually dropped in France when its national team won the whole shebang. That’s the amount of emotion invested in this tournament. A loss might kill you, but a victory could save your life.

Now, I know these are all examples from outside the U.S. There just isn’t that emotional investment in this country, yet.

This summer is an opportunity for the sleeping giant to wake. The U.S. has one of its best teams in terms of talent, with over half the team plying their trade in the upper echelons of European soccer. Landon Donovan is back to his world-beating 2002 form, showing he can play with the big boys with his successful loan-spell at Everton. Clint Dempsey is scoring unfathomable goals for Fulham, and will played in the Europa Cup Champioship last month. Phenom Jozy Altidore is a man amongst boys and proved that even at the tender age of 20, he can compete with the best in the world.

Unlike the 2006 fiasco where it faced three stud teams, it has a manageable group with England, Algeria and Slovenia as its first round opponents. Soccer-wise, this is a great opportunity to jump on the bandwagon without fearing you will be left with egg on your face.

The intangibles make 2010 the year of the U.S. fan as well. South Africa is only seven hours ahead, meaning the games will be on TV at a reasonable hour. All 64 matches will be broadcast in HD for the first time ever. And for an even more enhanced viewing experience for the rich people out there, put the 3D glasses on because ESPN is unveiling the world’s first 3D network by broadcasting 25 World Cup games in three dimensions.

So come June 12, plunk yourself in front of the big screen. The match against England will be the most watched soccer game in the history of the U.S., guaranteed. You do not want to miss out on that.

Who knows, you may fall in love and make some memories of your own.

Nervousness starts to creep in

You know that feeling that you used to get as a little kid during the last week of school, the one that made it impossible to do anything? All you could do is look at the clock and watch it slowly tick, tick, tick away. It was like Chinese water torture watching the second hand take it's leisurely stroll. Damn you clock.

Well, that feeling has come back. These past two days at work have been particularly excruciating. I can't focus. I can't write. I can't sit still. All I want is for Friday to come. And it's all because of the World Cup. I have pretty much scoured every single web-site written in English that even briefly mentions soccer. Not to mention I frequent Mexican newspaper's websites about as much as anyone in the country. It has gotten so bad, that I even looked up Italian newspapers and their web-sites, scavenged through them looking for any reference to the Mexico vs. Italy game. Mind you, I speak Italian about as well as my pen does, which is to say not at all. I have this unsatisfiable thirst for information but no matter how much I take in, my need is never quenched. And it won't be unttil Friday at 9:30 A.M. Not until the first ball is kicked will this restless monster inside of me lie down.

Yet, as it is only Tuesday right now, an eternity stands between sanity and myself. Worst of all, this anxiousness has turned from an excited anticipation, like a child on Christmas Eve, to a nervous anxiety, like an inmate on death row. I'm scared senseless. I have no faith in my teams. Every flaw or appearance of a flaw is magnified in my mind until it becomes a gaping hole. What if Mexico's goalie Conejo Perez forgets how to jump and gets goal after goal scored on him? What if Gooch and Jozy don't recover and our front and back lines fall apart? What if Mexico lays an egg against South Africa and becomes the laughingstock of the world? What if England spanks the U.S. and declares it a colony once again?

Ok, I don't really think a U.S. loss would send us back to pre-revolutionary times, but you get the picture. It's bad. I am an optimist in every other aspect of life, always seeing the light shining out of every black hole, but when it comes to the World Cup it is expect misery and hope it doesn't last long.

Alas, I really am not a psycopath. I swear. Once the games begin I will be back to normal. I just can't stand the wait. As I have yet to invent a time machine, I will have to suck it up and go into my padded room. Youtube videos full of cheery memories, here I come.

Back on track

My my how one weekend doth change much. On Friday the US was a team still full of question marks who disappointed mightily against the Czech Republic, and Mexico was a team on a two game snide with no confidence and no definitive starting XI. By Sunday, all of that had changed.

(Goals at :25, 2:30, and 4:40 for those only interested in goals)

Three things we learned:

1) Jose "Paco" Torres is a playmaker. His playmaking and ball distributing abilities ignited a stagnant US attack. He deserves to be in the starting line-up against England.

2)Robbie Findley is not a waste call-up. Critics (myself included) were befuddled by Bob Bradley's decision to call up Findley over veteran veteran Ching. His speed kept Turkey on its heels the whole time Findley was out there. His scoop pass to Ladon Donovan was a thing of beauty as well.

3)Carlos Bocanegra will be our starter at left back. Jonathan Bornstein was mediocre at best against the Turks. He is to inconsistent to be relied on time in and time out. Bocanegra has plenty of experience at the spot playing for club team Rennes and is a much better option in the back.

1)Chicharito deserves to be a starter come June 11th. His brace against Gambia gave him seven goals in 10 career appearances with El Tri. He is a goal scorer unlike any Mexico possesses.

2)Set pieces will be the death of Mexico. Conceding yet another set piece goal, the Aztecs have revealed their weakness. They are terrible at covering corners or free kicks. They simply suck. There is no other way around it.

3)Mexico can beat down crappy opposition with the best of them. Let's just hope South Africa is the crappy opposition everyone expects them to be.

Mexico loses to Holland 2-1

As opposed to the England game, Mexico dominates the second half. It was too little too late though as El

Tri drops its second straight game.

It's not whether you win or lose...

It has been an inauspicious start to the World Cup season for both Mexico and the United States as both squads suffered two-goal defeats this week. England downed "El Tri" 3-1 at legendary Wembley Stadium in London on Monday while the Czech Republic took out the U.S. 4-2 in East Hartford, Connecticut, yesterday.

There is no need to hit the panic button yet though. Mexico dominated possession against England, clearly outplaying them in the first half. Arsenal striker Carlos Vela, the missed two clear goal-soring chances in the stanza (the 1:55 mark being one of them), showing the rust he has accumulated from riding the pine at Emirates Stadium. Vela played a total 0f 92 of a possible 1,800 minutes in Arsenal's last 20 matches. Were it not for Peter Crouch, the 6-7 giant of a soccer player, and Mexico's lousy marking on set plays, the Aztecs would have gone into the half with a lead.

A loss is not always a bad loss either. This was Mexico's first legitimate opponent since qualifying ended last year. Mexico showed it can play under pressure and play well. Granted, England did not have its A squad out there, skipper Fabio Capello gave the Chelsea and Portsmouth players a rest and mixed and matched line-ups. However, anytime you can go into Wembley and outplay a British squad you can chalk it up as a job well done.

The United State's loss, while not to an opponent of England's caliber, is equally as justifiable. Using the match as an opportunity to evaluate players on the bubble of not making the team, coach Bob Bradley sat many of his starters: Landin Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore, Michael Bradley, Carlos Bocanegra, Tim Howard. The Czechs were also at less than full-strength, but this game was clearly more about scouting players than getting a result.

What did we find out? For starters the defense is not as strong as it was during the Confederations Cup. Oguchi Onyewu is clearly not back to full form having sat out most of the year at A.C. Milan with an injury. Jonathan Bornstein is still as unreliable as ever, having been burned a couple times during the match. Heath Pearce...well, the book is closed on him, there is no chance in hell he makes the final 23.

We also learned that Demarcus Beasley may not be washed up after all. The former Fire star played a stellar game in the midfield, showing pace and control. He may have won himself a spot on the team with his performance. Club teammate Maurice Edu also played well, scoring a goal and giving Bradley a tough choice at who to start at defensive mid, him or Ricardo Clark.

On the offensive side of things, Herculez Gomez might have booked a ticket to South Africa with yet another goal scoring performance. Edison Buddle is probably staying stateside and Brian Ching will somehow make another World Cup squad.

In the end, it sucks to lose at home. Hopefully Bradley saw what he needed to see and will take the best 23 players America can offer.

Momma's Boy: How I came to root for the green, red, white and blue

If someone said you could only love one parent and made you choose between your mom and your dad, who would you pick?

You deeply love both and feel they are a big part of your life. How can you just turn your back on someone that means so much to you? This is the dilemma I faced when it came to choosing my allegiances between the men’s national soccer teams of Mexico and the United States.

On the one hand, I had Mexico, my “mother” country. I was born and raised there, learning to love everything about it. It molded me into the person I am today.

Yet, I have lived in the United States for 13 years now. It has given me more opportunities than I would have had in Mexico. Like a true father would, it has taken me in and provided more than I could ever wish for.

I am loyal to both, as most children are to their parents, and want both to succeed in whatever it is they are doing.

As avid fans know, though, this is unacceptable when it comes to soccer. You’re either for the U.S. or you’re for Mexico. Dual alliances are equal to treason in this rivalry.

After all, it was Mexican fans that chanted Osama Bin Laden’s name during a game between the two in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 2002. And it was American fans that brought green cards to a 2007 Gold Cup game in Chicago and pulled them out against Mexican fans during the game telling them to get out of their country. (And you thought the Duke and North Carolina rivalry was bad.)

Both acts are despicable but go to show the deep seated hatred that lies behind the rivalry. There is no wiggle room on either side. You are either for us, or against us.

Believe me, I have tried to cheer for both of my parent nations. In the 2002 World Cup in South Korea, I would wake up at 2 or 3 a.m. whenever Mexico or the U.S. would play. Fittingly enough, they ended up playing each other in the knockout round of 16.

I was a wreck. If you have ever witnessed your parents fight, I mean the "I'm about to throw the hairdryer at your face" fight, you know what I'm talking about. This was a fight to the death. There would literally be only one still around after the final whistle.

The U.S. came out victorious in what will forever be known as the dos a cero (2 to 0) game. Strangely enough, instead of climbing onto the U.S. bandwagon full force after the W, I stepped off of it. I have no idea why either, all I know is that since that game, my allegiances have been primarily to "Los Verdes.

That is not to say I don't root for the U.S. though. I cheer for them, I know all about them, and I want them to keep improving to keep growing the sport here. My dream scenario would be to have both teams playing in the World Cup Final, with Mexico winning, of course.

While many fans on both sides will see this as an easy way out, a politician's stance in a sense by rooting for both teams, it is the honest truth. I love both my mother and my father. Why should I have to pick between them?

I love me some green, red, white and blue.