Goffinho - Any word on Cezar's status after scoring yesterday? Have you been told how good or indifferent he looks? Thoughts? Thanks for the updates, and enjoy the game tonight (even if you are working...).

It's important to reach Beijing simply because we usually have the talent to get far in the Olympics, but have failed to do so (on the men's side).

FA Cup semi-finals at a neutral site, is this a new thing?

It's good to be home and get these updates in real time. CA had nice weather and all, but I missed getting my immediate fix of soccer news. Thanks Steve.

the pressure on nowak will be huge, especially considering his roster selections. i fear we'll see freddy out wide.

FYI, I just purchased my tickets to next weeks game against Harbor View. I am psyched to get the season under way. I hope we have a good attendance. We need everyone there to support our beloved team. Vamos United!!!!!

Soccer fans watch the World Cup. But all sorts of American sports fans watch the Olympics. The US media attention usually goes naturally, to those events where we qualify and perform well. Could be a great way to bring more national attention to the game.

Also: If these younger guys qualify and play well, it bodes very well for the future or the USMNT.

Argentina is truly the wild west of world football. Anything goes down there, like having your goalkeeper take the tying PK, Chilavert style. Wish the MLS would distinguish themselves in this fashion as opposed to boring conservative manner with which they prance around these days.

http://futbolinks.blogspot.com

Marco for the Hall!

FA Cup semis have been held at neutral stadia at least since the Wembley renovations started, usually at Old Trafford, Villa Park, and other large, centrally-located places. Not sure about the semi-finals in Wembley 1.0.

Now that Wembley 2.0 is finished, I'm sure the FA wants to recoup their investment by hosting as many games there as possible.

Barnsley, Cardiff, Portsmouth, West Brom. Awesome.

"So sometimes when the music stops
I seem to hear a distant sound
Of waves and seagulls
Football crowds and church bells
And I . . .
Wanna go back to my home town..."

Exactly Joe Doc - except for the waves and seagulls, I was inland.

I would have made, and saved, that penalty kick.

Olympics matter. World Cup is most important, one's regional federation cup is second, and then Olympics. The pseudo-Under 23 rule is stupid, but it is still third best (and yes, more important than any of the youth world cups). The age limit is incredibly stupid and directly contravenes the spirit of the Olympics. If FIFA doesn't like full national sides competing, too damned bad. Nothing wrong with having a world competition every 2 years, instead of every 4. The WC would still be the greater glory since it would have a much larger competition group and be staged over a longer period.

Jeez, just reread my post. I don't have anger issues. It just came out that way.

I thought the 'pseudo-Under 23' rule was at the behest of the Olympics committee, in its attempt to keep at more of an amateur level (it's all relative) in keeping with their traditions, rather than FIFA mandating anything. Am I off-base here? Just speculating is all.

Of course, pretty much anyone competing in the Olympics these days is a professional anyway...

Olympic soccer is important and a very good stage for the U-23 teams. Why change it? Bringing in full sides to the Olympics would diminish the WC and the olympics IMHO. Of course the head of the IOC wants full sides. Imagine the amount of money that they would make. I think they should keep the focus as much as possible on the overall games (every sport) and I think changing things to have full national sides would draw too much attention to soccer. If it isn't broken...

As I recall, when amateurism in the Olympics was officially recognized as bogus, the IOC asked sports' governing bodies to make up the qualifying rules. FIFA chose the pseudo-U23 format because it did not want the Olympics to compete with the World Cup as the soccer championship. (I know, it does not have that kind of concern with the women's game.)

The Olympics would become very important IF WE DO WELL. I don't think many soccer fans realize the stock the American public at large would put into a medal performance. In that sense, it's kind of no-lose, because at this stage any embarrassment would largely go unseen, while a top performance would be well noticed.

And I actually think we have the talent to do well in this one. Best US Olympic team I've ever seen, that's for sure.

Clubs are required to release players for FIFA-recognized internationals. Is this also true for Olympic qualifiers? If the clubs are not beholden to the IOC, they are not likely to release players if the age restrictions are lifted.

The Olympics are like the U-20 WC a chance for younger Americans to shine in the shop window. I think they ought to do well. Also, Americans think of the Olympics as the pinnacle of sports, though footie fans know otherwise, so if they do well and graba headline it will do well for soccer in the USA to average fans....

Any updates on the Cezar situation, did he impress enough for a contract. Any word how long the partnership with his club Atletico Mineiro is for?

PS - nice article on Mason hoops today, big dance get ready because Cinderella is shining her slippers. Vamos Mason-United

FIFA and the IOC are both perfectly happy with the Olympics being largely a youth tournament. They're fully in cahoots with the Olympic structure. I don't know why there is any argument about this, the Olympics provide a decent young player competition, but it's nothing important whatsoever.

Apparently the IOC President is posturing about asking FIFA for a revamped competition. Good luck with that buddy.

We should sign Cezar. Scoring off of corners is a new thing for this team and he has scored multiple goals. Sounds like a someone we need to keep around.

not at all taking issue with valid points of view, the IOC kicked baseball out of the games because the major leagues wouldn't release top pros. If FIFA does the same, should they be treated differently? Of course, the fact that the IOC kicked softball out of the Olympics at the same time shows that there were some political issues in play that had nothing to do with sports (IMO).

If track and field can have world championships every year, what's wrong with soccer having something that approximates a world championship every two years? Just my two cents...

I don't mind the under-23 rule, but are teams still allowed three overage players? And if so, why?

It's not all bad. We get to see young players like Altidore, Adu, Edu, Sizzo, and Szetela get the chance to impress bigger clubs as well as Bob Bradley. We already know that Altidore and Adu are starting to make their mark with the senior team. This will help them along hopefully.

Valid comments and ideas Troy, certainly correct that it's all politics. The difference between the sports you mentioned and soccer, is that the IOC and FIFA have been unofficial "sister" organizations for years. No time more so than during the rule of Samaranch, who had a cozy relationship with Joao Havelange. They basically agreed to keep the Olympics as a non-competitor in relation to the World Cup. In return, FIFA would not poo-poo soccer in the Olympics all together. I don't really see that agreement changing.

An even bigger factor is that there is no room whatsoever for major players to fit the Olympics in their already crowded competition rotation. The games are being held in mid-August this year, right when many of the domestic leagues around the world are in action. Not to mention the European Championships conclude only weeks before the Olympics begin. And the African Nations Cup was earlier in the year. No chance that top level players will risk injury when their schedules are already full.

This has got to be the best FA Cup ever... and if I as an Arsenal fan can say that, considering our 4-0 loss to Man Utd, you have to take it seriously. Bravo to Barnsley, Portsmouth, West Brom, and Cardiff. I hadn't even heard of those teams (excpet Portsmouth) until now!! lol!

The Arsenal de Sarandi game rules...but it brings tears to my eyes remembering that Arsenal was Christian Gomez's old club... and now, so is DC United...sigh... his "old club..."

Well enough with the reminiscing and bring on Harbor View FC!! :D

If you are an Arsenal fan how could you not have heard of at least West Brom? They were in the EPL just a few seasons ago! Even me as a new fan to the sport remembers seeing them in the league.

Argentina's gold-medal winning roster in the Athens 2004 Olympics:

ARGENTINA
GKS: LUX German, CABALLERO Wilfredo.
DEF: AYALA Roberto (C), COLOCCINI Fabricio, HEINZE Gabriel, BURDISSO Nicolas, RODRIGUEZ Clemente.
MID: MASCHERANO Javier, GONZALEZ Cristian, D'ALESSANDRO Andres, GONZALEZ Luis, MEDINA Nicolas.
FW: DELGADO Cesar, TEVEZ Carlos, ROSALES Mauro, SAVIOLA Javier, FIGUEROA Luciano, GONZALEZ Mariano.
D.T. BIELSA Marcelo Alberto

Many of the teams in the Olympics will have rosters consisting almost entirely of already established professional players. I think some US fans are a bit starry-eyed over the performances of players like Danhy Szetela or Sal Zizzo in last year's u20 World Cup and expect u20 success to translate to Oly success. The Olympics should be a higher level of play.

It would be good for American soccer if the US did well enough to earn a medal and would help generate some interest in the men's game here. But ultimately, even if the US were to get a gold, for the average viewer it would just be part of the overall Olympic background with all the other sports.

I still like Olympic soccer and enjoyed going to Summers in the early hours 8 years ago when the US men got close to winning a medal (lost the bronze medal game to Chile). I think most serious soccer fans can put the competitition and the US performance - if we qualify - in the right perspective.

Here's a link with the rosters and results from the last Olympics (the margins are kinda screwy on my computer):

http://www.rsssf.com/tableso/ol2004f-det.html

And you can also look up earlier Olympic results and summaries:

http://www.rsssf.com/tableso/olympics.html

If you are an Arsenal fan how could you not have heard of at least West Brom? They were in the EPL just a few seasons ago! Even me as a new fan to the sport remembers seeing them in the league.

Posted by: Rob | March 10, 2008 04:41 PM

__________

Not as new as I am, doll...

Some of my non-soccer-fan colleagues, when I told them Olympic soccer qualifying was this week, immediately related to it and sounded somewhat interested in our chances of qualifying.
Average Joe sports fans in the U.S. can relate to the Olympics. That's why having soccer in the Olympics is important to US Soccer.
If the U.S. does well, it will bring attention to the sport and people who otherwise wouldn't give a hoot will get up and cheer for the USA.

"Average Joe sports fans in the U.S. can relate to the Olympics."

On behalf of me, Joe S. and all of the other Joes out there, may I ask why we're the ones who are always "average?"

What about "average Bob" or "average Keyshawn," or even "average I-270, Exit 1?" Why must us Joes be average all the time!

While some of us are mediocre, it is unfair to paint us all with the same brush. Please, my friends, won't you help us?!

Please, my friends, won't you help us?!

Posted by: Joe Doc | March 10, 2008 09:57 PM
____________

Yes, sir. From now on, I shall refer to the "Average Joes" as "Average, Nondenominational, Unidentified, Completely Uninformed, Unaware Tre'Vaughns."

(First thing that came to mind.)

If you want, you can use "Average Sean." I won't mind. :-)

"Unidentified, Completely Uninformed, Unaware"
============

I resemble that remark.

But Tre'Vaughns? Really? Someone has that name?

But Tre'Vaughns? Really? Someone has that name?

Posted by: Joe Doc | March 11, 2008 09:32 PM
_________

Oh, yes, he totally does. My awesome friend Tre'Vaughn really was named that.

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