A piece of what?

Pia Sundhage calls Hope Solo a 'piece of work'

WINNIPEG — Ahead of the World Cup clash between the United States and Sweden Friday, the New York Times published an interview with Pia Sundhage, who had sharp words for her former U.S. players.

The Swedish coach said when Carli Lloyd felt coaches had faith in her, she “could be one of the best players, but if she began to question that faith, she could be one of the worst.” Sundhage also said if she were still the U.S. coach, Abby Wambach would come off the bench, and added that Hope Solo was one of the most challenging players she’s ever coached, “especially when it comes to trouble.” ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of USA Today.

Kicking Back Comments:

Very tactical stuff from Pia frankly and while they may see each other again later in the tournament, this was an interesting little zinger prior to what is likely to be the top two teams from Group D.

Here too is something I am learning about life ... everyone loves a winner no matter how much of a bad actor they are. If they are successful, during that time, they are forgiven. Not saying it's fair ... but that's the way it is.

Please stop helping ...

... should be Hope Solo's words to her husband, Jerramy Stevens, after his recent comments.

In the article from USA Today, Stevens (who was popped for DUI driving a US Soccer team van, and in 2012 arrested, but not charged, for assault) defended his wife, who he was arrested for assaulting, by calling the whole thing a "witch hunt."

Photo Credit: The Simpsons

I may have found a better way to say that if I was referring to my wife, but I take his point.

He continued by going so far as to call those who would report or believe the matter regarding Solo, sexist, unpatriotic, and low class.

I'm serious, look at the article.

There is a point in time that one should put the shovel down and stop digging the hole they are in. I think Stevens is past that point.

It gets better however ... with an open letter from the Senate to US Soccer regarding their investigation, its lack or adequacy, and the "tone deaf" nature of it.

Yipes.

Well US Soccer was of course forced to respond, and Mr. Gulati was of course far more artful than Mr. Solo. You can see much of his response here.

Lets face it, while I am sure a cadre of lawyers were consulted on this, I suspect the intent was finding an escape clause to let Solo play as she is probably the best keeper on the planet earth right now.

This is concerning for a couple of reasons. First is that if it is true, US Soccer is putting winning above doing the right thing. Not unique for many such organizations, but in the face of what is going on right now with FIFA, the position is somewhat hypocritical on a smaller, but no less moralistic scale.

Second is that Senator Blumenthal has it part right that US Soccer is "tone deaf" on the issue. Yes, Solo has a right to due process, and yes, the criminal case is currently under appeal, and yes there is a vocal minority that is growing which want no part of Solo's antics any more.

I have to believe the "win-win" here is Solo helps the US win the WWC and retires right on the spot to resume her defense at home. Her criminal appeal is pending and prosecutor arguments due in mid-July with oral argument scheduled for September. Plenty of time to retire.

While I don't like that personally as it continues to reward bad behavior, it may be the best angle for the majority of the parties.

Stevens is right about one thing I think ... this whole thing is sexist. As from my own opinion and a plurality of commentators, if this was a member of the MNT who was suggested in a domestic violence case, I think they would be suspended in a heartbeat.

Yes, I think that because there is no stand out star on the MNT like Solo ... but also because of the sex of the actors in this case. I am all for equality, so long as everyone is treated equally.

It's a five year mission ... or is it?

Well here we are again friends. It has been a while, but not without some significant events unfolding before us.

So as not to get into too much, too fast, as tempted as I am, I wanted to address the beginnings of the Women's World Cup in Canada.

Back in 2011 I wrote about my genuine lack of interest in the WWC, awarding myself the "Media Pinhead Gold Medal" in jest all while receiving a few barbed emails from one of the other medal recipients who clearly had a funnybone-ectemy in their youth.

I find myself back in that same spot now, somewhat apathetic to the actual WWC play. Of course the run up was fun with the turf controversy (and Abby now an official spokesperson of Scotts), Hope Solo's epic meltdown, arrest, suspension, trial, subsequent dismissal on procedural grounds, and arrest reports which paint a not so flattering picture of the National Team keeper.

Let's face it, FIFA is not interested, as they have a few other things going on right now. In fact I would be surprised if Blatter or Valcke even went to Canada for fear of an arrest and extradition to the US. Oh by the way, FIFA fixed the tournament as well to maximize the gate too ... so they have a pretty good idea how it is going to all turn out anyway.

Local fans are not all that interested, as while the opening and USA matches were well attended (mostly by US fans), most of the other matches are not, and in fact are quite dismal. I am sure this makes FIFA very sad as they went to great lengths to make sure the matches were as competitive as they could be (see above for the source).

What is more scary though is the demographic that should be excited does not seem to be. Not that my daughter is a representative sample but she has no interest whatsoever about the tournament, and was not even aware. Same too with her team and even most of the parents. As the US progresses in the tournament I do expect this to change, but so far, a little scary.

Even the media is not interested as the coverage from most outlets has been "meh" at best and offensive at worst ... Stephen A. Smith, the gift that keeps on giving. ESPN would you please fire this clown?

Commentators have been pretty awful actually too. There are exceptions with J.P. Dellacamera, Tony DiCicco, Eric Wynalda, and Alexi Lalas, but beyond that it has been really awful with poor commentary and frankly some incorrect comments from folks who should know better. Their default banter is how the referee missed this or that, not filling with interesting facts about what is actually going on. Give me Foudy all day every day and twice on Sunday.

On a related note, FOX should take a page out of their NFL playbook and hire a referee analyst for decisions they want to discuss. Heck I'd bet you can get a bunch of quality folks to do this for a round trip to the World Cup in Canada. It would bring some sanity to a portion of the commentary.

So for my money a poorish start to the WWC with one exception that is Margaret Domka, our lone referee representative form the US, who had a good, albeit unchallenging first round match. It is unfortunate both US teams will not advance as far as the other.

FIFA Resists!?!?

FIFA resists video help for refs, then red-card issue in EPL

HOLYWOOD, Northern Ireland (AP) — Faced with soccer's "biggest decision ever," FIFA said on Saturday it would not be rushed into approving — or even testing — video technology to improve the accuracy of referees' decisions.

But an incident in the English Premier League then highlighted just why the English Football Association pushed FIFA to embrace technology beyond existing goal-line aids, at a meeting of the game's rule-makers on Saturday. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of USA Today.

Kicking Back Comments: My threshold comment is FIFA resisting doing anything is a good thing. While my tongue is clearly in my cheek I do happen to believe this. Now this article cites the recent ManU v. Sunderland match where there was a consensus that Wes Brown should have been, and ultimately was, sent off ... however not everyone saw it that way.

Listen folks, I hate to break to everyone but referees are fallible (my comment is not in reference to the ManU match) and video review, reading it in the most positive light, will correct those rare errors.

Now, the reality is I fear it will invite inappropriate meddling. While the NFL uses this to good effect, that game is designed for such reviews ... stop and go ... commercials and "chalkboard" analysis.

Our game has no such interruptions and can not and should not be held for a review of ANY type. It just invites too much of an interruption.

Of course I am nonplussed on the intrusion of the referee team ability to manage a match as well. Guess what ... cameras don't catch everything either and when someone is stepping up to take a penalty, we can't wait 5 minutes for a decision that may never come from a video review.

I'm glad FIFA is not rushing into a decision ... but would like it better if they dropped it all together.

Live Long And Prosper

A voice to say one can be their own person yet excel just like everyone else.
May he rest in peace.

See also:
President Obama, J.J. Abrams, Zachary Quinto Pay Tribute to Leonard Nimoy

... and Speaking of Lawsuits ...

Soccer governing body sues over player images

A dispute over U.S. soccer players' images has landed in federal court.

U.S. Soccer Federation Inc. filed a lawsuit against the U.S. National Soccer Team Players Association this month asking a judge in Chicago to loosen some constraints on the use of players' images.

The Chicago-based federation is U.S. soccer's governing body. The association is the union for the men's national team. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of ksl.com.

Kicking Back Comments: I am actually glad to see this. While like anything else of this type it is about money, it demonstrates a shift to me that there is pecuniary value for the rights of the intellectual property of American players.

While often reserved to the "other major sports" in the US, it is pleasing to see folks "fighting" over the use of players images.

While I am sure not worth what a Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers image is, the fact there is a (no doubt expensive) lawsuit over the topic speaks volumes.

Friggatriskaidekaphobia

Another hobby of mine is playing with words. It is rare (to say the least) getting a chance to trot out a nine (9) syllable word!!

Here it is folks for this Friday the 13th. Meaning and history are here from Wikipedia (for as much as you can trust it).

So to put a soccer bent on this, I found it very interesting that Liverpool and Arsenal do not have any a #13 jersey. Too unlucky.

Then again, many clubs do, including the USWNT. To see a partial list of notables wearing the #13, take a look here.

For an unbelievable historical look at who wore what number, why, and just random cool football number facts, look here at Footballspeak.com.

For those who are Friggatriskaidekaphobic, good luck today =)

I went to a fight last night and a basketball game broke out

High School Basketball Game Derailed By Brawl Involving Fans And Players

Check it all out here, courtesy of Deadspin.

Dunno folks, here is a good example of the referee doing everything right in the moment, and still a full scale brawl breaks out.

If they don't want to play, there is little you can do.

Question then becomes, how do you get them to play?

Another Ballboy Incident

As we recall a couple of years ago in "Five Match Ban ... Due to (Ball) Tosser" we had a ball boy, Charlie Morgan, son of a director at Chelsea, who made contact with then Chelsea player Eden Hazard.

As we recall Hazard was sent off in the 80th minute for violent conduct (not serious foul play) for his contact with the boy.

Of course we have come to find out that Morgan, who was appropriately maligned for his outrageous behavior of intentional time wasting, tweeted out BEFORE the match he was going to waste time for his home side was embellishing the contact with the Chelsea star.

Not the brightest bulb in the scoreboard clearly ...

Enter Ex Chelsea player Kevin De Bruyne, who recently cussed at a ballboy and was fined just over $30K for calling a ballboy a Mother F*&%er. You can see (and hear) the whole interaction here.

My question is where is the suspension? Hazard was suspended for 3 matches for his conduct, yet De Bruune is just fined? Did the ball boy get a cut of this?

On a side bar, talk about stinging ... imagine if a player or coach had to cut a check not to the league, but the person they offended be it a player, fan, ball boy .... yipes ...

Should the league do more here? Is a fine enough? What of the referee heard it? Do we send him for Foul and Abusive language? Or do we seek to let that one go?

Are actions more "actionable" than words?

Should they be?

"Thugs cannot be martyrs"

Dozens dead in Egypt soccer stampede

Violence erupted Sunday in Cairo when police used tear gas to disperse fans trying to enter an army-owned stadium
At least 40 people were killed and dozens injured Sunday after clashes broke out in Cairo between police and supporters of the Zamalek soccer club, Egyptian medical sources said.

Violence erupted Sunday night when police tried to set up barricades and used tear gas to disperse fans trying to enter an army-owned stadium in the city's northeast on Sunday, witnesses said.

The fans accused security forces of a "massacre,” but police denied using violence to try and pacify the crowd. Many of the dead appeared to have died of suffocation after a stampede erupted. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of Aljazeera.

Kicking Back Comments:

I am often reminded that football is far more than just a game to most of the world. It is also a reflection of social, economic, and political affiliations.

In this way MLS can never compare to the rest of the world as while there is passion regarding each MLS team ... there is frankly not the other flavor contained in the American Game (at the club level) that exists in the rest of the world.

Not yet anyway ...

  

$11025 to take a poop?

For any who were mystified why during the Superbowl the Seahawks were penalized 15 yards after they pulled ahead 24 - 14 .... you answer is in how Doug Baldwin celebrated his 3 yard TD reception ... he pretended to pull down his pants and poop out a football.

For his trouble he was fined a odd amount of $11025. To me the amount is almost as weird as the celebration itself.

Not the first time I have seen something like this actually. For me it was back in 1994 at a World Cup match between Nigeria and Greece. It was a match I was actually in attendance for.

Just watch what happened.



What was interesting is the referee did nothing about it.

On the surface you may see something like this or Baldwin's "celebration" and say come on, what's the harm? Well on the surface you would be right ... but it is the 1000's of kids who see this and mimic it in their own town games.

Yes, it happened to me with a U-16 player lifting his leg to a corner flag after a goal he scored. His prize ... a caution.

Shame on the professional players who do such nonsense and the professional referees who do not stop it.

You want to celebrate in a different way ... take a look here at some really good ones.

For gridiron football, just look at this one ... note the location in Wembley Stadium.

Coincidence huh ...

Former USWNT GK coach: Departure had 'nothing to do with Hope Solo'

With just four months to go before the Women’s World Cup, the U.S. goalkeeper situation was already up in the air with starter Hope Solo’s 30-day suspension by U.S. Soccer after her recent incident in which her husband was charged with a DUI while driving her in a U.S. Soccer team van in Los Angeles.

So the timing of this news on Wednesday night raised some eyebrows: Paul Rogers, the U.S. goalkeepers coach since 2009, abruptly left his position with the team to take a job as the goalkeepers coach with the Houston Dynamo. ...

See the whole article from Grant Wahl here, courtesy of SI.com.

Kicking Back Comments:

The lady doth protest too much, methinks. At least Hamlet did ...

Yeah this is a bit too close in time for me to blow it off as coincidence. If (Paul) Rogers really saw another World Cup win in his very near future and hope (snicker) beyond the recent string of incidents with Solo, I find it hard to believe he would have left so abruptly, even for a MLS team.

This to me is another nail in the USWNT coffin and what we may come to expect in June in Canada.

Either way with US Soccer and Rogers saying that this was planned and there is nothing to see here leads me to be all that more suspicious there is not more here.

Superbowl Officiating Observations

With Superbowl XLIX behind us and finished in dramatic fashion, commentary regarding the officiating was generally very good. There were several things I noted, but turned to Football Zebras for a pro look.

Here are the top six points they came up with. One was right in front of our collective faces and I was stunned when I read it (it's point #6).

For me the largest point was the entire crew allowed the teams to play without any undue interference.

Yes there were a couple of calls (literally two) that I think they missed (roughing the kicker against the Seahawks and PI on Butler against the Pats when he stumbled and with a hand tripped the receiver). Beyond that they lets the boys play ... and play they did. There were wars going on in the front and while exceptionally physical, it was tolerated both ways.

There was also a very serious injury the team dealt well with on the Lane interception and ensuing runback. WARNING: VERY GRAPHIC PHOTO. Stuff like this takes a toll on a referee and crew and in addition to the natural tendency to be concerned about a player, equally as natural are the questions of "did I miss a call?"

We also had all the nonsense about "deflategate" swirling around, and the additional pressure (ahem) the referees were under, not because they had to do anything different, and in fact it is easier in the Superbowl (and has been in the past due to a neutral equipment manager) but all the extra eyes that were on the footballs was likely a PIA. I am sure the recording sheet that Walt Anderson did not turn in regarding ball pressure was done in triplicate and faxed into the league office 2h before the start of the game. I'm actually surprised that we have not seen it yet from the media. We did however have this crap from Seattle during the game.

Also, and finally, keep in mind none of these guys work together during the season (you can see the regular crew assignments here). So the NFL has basically put seven guys together, who never worked together before, in the biggest single annual sporting event on the planet earth and expect each to perform as flawlessly as possible.

Yes they do ... and yes they did.

Hat Tip - Sunil Gulati

U.S., England support Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein for FIFA presidency

FIFA vice president Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein says the United States was among the national associations to nominate him to stand against Sepp Blatter for the top job in world football.

The Jordanian also disclosed he was endorsed by his home federation, Belarus, Malta and Georgia. The English FA had already announced it was backing him.

The vote to decide the presidency will be held at the FIFA Congress in May. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of ESPN FC.

Kicking Back Comments: Kudos to Sunil for taking a stand against FIFA, or more precisely Sepp's re-election. To be sure there were shades of Gulati's character not long ago regarding such graft when he, along with (2) other FIFA EXCO members were "gifted" $25,000 watches ... and he (I'm sure politely) refused.

Anyone know the other (2) EXCO members? Al Hussein was one.

Now in the last go round, the US voted for Blatter and as I have stated publicly I did not understand why. It may however be something as simple as the desire to bring the World Cup back to the US in 2022, recognizing the Swiss Prince would oversee the whole sorted affair.

We know how that turned out for us.

Now with years and years to go before we decide on the next World Cup, and quite possibly outside Sepp's lifetime (I'm not foreshadowing anything, he's currently 78 years old) it would seem he would not have the ability to shut the US out again. 

Maybe with nothing to lose at this point in not supporting his reelection, we are making a positive statement that the US supports a non-corrupt FIFA.

It could also be for the very good reason of supporting an individual that is not corrupt and can begin to take The Game out of the sewer that it is in right now.

Maybe eventually with a leader at the helm who started such a movement.

Are we seeing the beginning of a future campaign for FIFA president from Gulati?

Would not be a bad choice in my opinion ... unfortunately for the same reasons why we will never see an American referee a men's World Cup final, we will also likely never see an American running FIFA. It's sad frankly, but that is the bias we have to shoulder.

I wonder if I can file a discrimination suit of some type??

Nah ... it would get tossed ... even the WNT knows that =/

NO GRASS FOR YOU!!!

Back in November I shared with you all the case being brought against FIFA for the use of a synthetic surface for the 2015 WWC in Canada. For any interested it can be found here.

As I opined then, and was recently confirmed, the case was dismissed for lack of merit. In a contorted statement from council representing the players, Hampton Dellinger stated, "So after a lot of effort to reach a compromise - the players need to start their training and need to know what surface they'll be be playing on - they have decided to put soccer first and put the lawsuit behind them."

In other words ... they got nuthin' ... legally speaking.

There is an important point in that last statement too as I believe that FIFA and the CSA got it wrong and the WWC should be played on grass. That last statement however is a far cry from what the case itself and how is was processed should determine as a victor.

Take a look at "Of Privilege and Preference ..." by Elizabeth Cotignola which in part calls Wambach et. al. v. Canadian Soccer Association, nothing more than a temper tantrum to which these players feel they are entitled.

I agree with her, as well as how the case was brought both in form and in venue, but at the same time, I think the women are entitled to the same surface as the men. Not because they are women, but because they are playing at the highest level of The Game, and the game itself deserves that respect.

Believe me, that surface changes the game, I have the experience to know this personally. What should scare the crap out of FIFA however was not this lawsuit, nor should it be the fear of a boycott from these players or fans, it should be the fact that Canada was the only country to complete the bidding process for the 2015 Cup.

Let me write that again ... Canada was the only country to ask to host the World Cup.

Gee, ya think FIFA has bigger issues to deal with regarding the womens' game?

Richard Farley put it best in his article at Soccer Gods:

"Rather than spending so much time pursuing an inane court case, the players and their representatives should’ve been pressing the fact that this isn’t about the law. It’s about something deeper, something more fundamental. Once you break through the mire of FIFA standards, single-country bids, and the state of modern turf, this is basic, common sense stuff: Why us and not them?"

He is 100% correct.

Well done men ... you let the teams decide today

Photo Credit:Ben Liebenberg/NFL (via Football Zebras)

Congratulation to the entire Superbowl crew on a job well done:

Bill Vinovich, Bill Schuster, Dana McKenzie, Mark Perlman, Bob Waggoner, Tom Hill, Terrence Miles, Carl Cheffers, Fred Bryan, Rusty Baynes, Barry Anderson, Todd Prukop

Best (Gridiron) Football Referee Analysis

Superbowl is here again and (for me) is a particular thrill as it again includes the New England Patriots. For those who have been following deflategate I will comment on that later ... and as I previously predicted, the referees are (at least in part) going to be blamed.

This year however instead of a discussion of the number of chicken wings that will be consumed (it's in the billions) or other millions of pounds of snack foods (source), best and worst commercial (my best vote is below ... worst is a toss up between T-Mobile and Esurance), lets talk the increased scrutiny the referees are under this year.

Lets face it, it has been a very rough year for the NFL in general and the referees have has their share of issues, at least perceived ones.

Working backwards, we of course have #deflategate where Walt Anderson is coming under some scrutiny for his handling of footballs prior to the AFC Championship game, Tony Corrente heard a little as well regarding the formation on the on-side kick that sealed the deal of the Seahawks. Of course this later "issue" is not one at all as debunked several times over, and was the subject of a tweet from @DeanBlandinio (folks should follow him!).

Heck, if you want to get all "grassy knoll" take a look at TheFixIsIn.net. They have a section on the 2014 referee controversies and some honestly are not bad analysis ... some of course are crap.

Finally, if you want to get a good look at NFL officials, other than following Dean, take a look at FootballZebras.com. Excellent articles and insight into anther sports referees.

A worthy read for anyone who enjoys referees in sport.

Do you play it safe?

So I was doing some research for SuperBowl commercials and came across this one from Nike ... the whole series is frankly hilarious. My personal favorite is here. This one is pretty good too.

While the focus was obviously about playing, it did lead me intellectually down the path of referees, and who would be more successful ... a perfect, by the book referee, or one who is willing to "flex" the Laws, have some fun, and take some risks.

If the former, how do you manage the very difficult situation?

If the latter, how far do you let things go, and what if you can't get it back?

A more perplexing question is how do we teach our younger referees in this regard? Punish the creative for not always being correct, or praise the consistent and see if they can adapt.

I have my answer ... what is yours?

No Hope for FIFA?

FIFA Election 2015: The presidential race that's not a presidential race

There's an election coming up. Well, to call the process of anointing (or re-anointing) a FIFA president an election would be to legitimize the sort of electoral shenanigans that go on in North Korea, Syria, Zimbabwe and Cuba. It isn't really an election.

In May, Sepp Blatter will stand for a fifth term as the grand poobah of FIFA, world soccer's Perpetual Crisis Machine which mass-produces controversy. Blatter, who joined FIFA in 1975 and rose to president in 1998, has been the engine of those crises and controversies. The pint-sized president has ruled with an iron (albeit tiny) fist. Any man to cross him soon feels the wrath of his immense, crooked power, but so long as you play ball with him, anything goes. Under Blatter's unwatchful eye, there have been endless scandals of corruption and graft during decades of hijinks and tomfoolery, culminating in the naked selling of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar, respectively. ...

See the whole (excellent) story here, from FC Yahoo.

Kicking Back Comments: This is a great article and really lays out what has gone on for terms past and takes an excellent stab at what may happen in the next election.

One fact that did bother me was the US actively voted for this guy. I would have hoped they would have at least not voted at all. In a case like this when there is only one candidate, and lets face it the US really does not have anything to gain, why support this lunacy. 

That's Five ... But Who's Counting?

FIFA sheds sponsors as it heads into a dangerous decade

The news that three major sponsors have ceased their partnership with FIFA could potentially damage its reputation, and more importantly, its finances. Reports on Friday revealed that Castrol, Continental and Johnson & Johnson were no longer corporate sponsors of football’s international governing body. All three failed to renew their sponsorship contracts when they expired last year. This followed a similar situation with Sony and Emirates last year. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of theconversation.com.

Kicking Back Comments: While I have no hope for Adidas to sever their relationship, and Visa essentially sold their corporate soul to get this (I have a couple posts of the dishonesty they were called out on, along with FIFA in the dealings with Master Card), I would like to see Coke grow a set and drop them like a hot rock.

Maybe with the FBI hanging around Chuck's place there might be some material to ... persuade them?

We'll see.