You're Having A LAFC!

LA is getting a new soccer team - LAFC. But this won't be the first time Nomar and Mia have been in charge of a soccer squad. 

Posting the pics from their charity soccer matches reminds me of what an important cause bone marrow and organ donation really is. 

Perhaps that can become a key component of the new club, like it has in Brazil for Recife. Every time I see this video, I think of the lives that can be saved and I get a little misty. Soccer fandom is great, but when it matters in terms of real life or death, that's just incredible. 

Eh, that didn't work out

Woah, that's embarrassing for the Copa America. The stadium sound failed at the start of Brazil - Venezuela, and now there are no anthems. So much for tradition. 

And embarrassingly for me as well, my cable died. 

Technical difficulties, they abound.  

Anyway, cable is finally back - I'm watching the Republica Deportiva highlights now of the scoreless draw right now. The most exciting part of the game was Neymar's rocking mohawk.

Fernando Fiore just referenced Tim Howard's objections to speaking in Spanish while interviewing Venezuelan and Brazilian fans. Heck, that's cool that he's laughing about the whole thing now.

WWC - Brazil v Norway Running Blog

Brazil! They did open the World Cup with a win, but it wasn't particularly impressive over Australia, only one goal scored in the match. Norway is expected to be a tougher opponent, though many have tipped Australia and Brazil as the two teams to advance.

Anthems. Brazil's is peppy, Norway's is somber. Sad that Brazil get so few friendlies together. Officiating crew is from USA. With a win, Brazil advances to the next round.
Kickoff!
1 - Rosana on the run, but Norway snuffs out the chance with a nice save.
3 - It's a choppy match so far, lots of balls out of bounds.
5 - Norway with a wayward shot.
7 - The crowd is doing the wave - Brazil in the box, but Norway cuts off the pass intended for Marta.
9 - Brazil is slipping on the wet field.
11 - The long-ball approach also isn't working for Brazil.
13 - Marta is already looking frustrated. She sent a not-great long pass, and when the receiver couldn't handle it and lost the ball out on the sideline, Marta threw her hands up in exasperation.
15 - Fabiana has her right show off, apparently injured.
18 - Shot on goal, and Brazil's keeper has to make the save.
20 YELLOW! Daiane brings down Haave.
21- Christiane from distance. Not much of a chance there.
22 - GOAL!  A long pass finally finds Marta, who pushes her way into the box, evades two other defenders and fires a low shot just inside the near post.
24 - Marta's path to the goal gets squeezed shut by two Norway defenders who are probably still mad about that push.
28 - Corner for Brazil is punched by Norway's keeper. Eventually it leads to another corner. That goes out for a goalkick.
30 - Giske with a rather sucky shot. That's not going to get Norway back in it.
32 - Norway mad at USA ref Seitz. First she missed Marta's push, now she doesn't give Norway the corner they deserve.
34 - It's Brazil with the next corner, but Norway do a good job of screening them off the ball.
36 - Foudy is foolishly defending Marta's push as a good no-call. It's bogus. If players were allowed to push their defenders over, a lot more would score goals, not just Marta.
39 - Herlovson with a low header in the box, but it's blocked by Aline.
40 - Ok, Marta was hit there, but what a theatrical fall that was.
42 - Rosana from distance - Hjelmseth makes the save with a two-handed push that barely resists the power of the strike.
43 - Norwegian freekick gets their fans fired up, but leads to Andrea falling in the box and the play being whistled dead before Norway can shoot.
45 - Rosana again from distance. This one was over by a lot.

Haftime - Bob Ley defends Marta, too. More bogusness. Monica Gonzales on the ESPN desk nailed it - Marta shouldn't have to cheat to get her goals. She's too talented. Tony DeCicco earns my scorn by glossing over the push, as if Marta's ensuing juke and shoot was so good it magically negated the push. It doesn't work that way.

46 - Foudy opens the second half in bad form by still saying Marta's push was "ok". Whatever.
47 - GOAL! See, Marta doesn't need to cheat. A hard run by Marta slides the defense to her, then she pushes the ball square for Rosana to lash into the goal. 2-0 Brazil.
48 - GOAL - Norway are falling apart, as a bad backpass leads to chaos in the box and Marta pounces in to score. 3-0 Brazil.
53 - Brazil are rolling now, but I predict karma for the squad later on in the tournament. Marta lost fans with the push, or I'm a mushroom. 
57 - Norway with a slight counter, but then the ball gets away for a goalkick.
59 - Norway counter - working to get a shot, but Brazil are able to counter before that happens.
63 - Even as Darke and Foudy run down Norway, they've had a bit of the run of play lately, though it really hasn't threatened Brazil much.
65 -  Brazil now charge into the box, but Marta's pass to Christiane is too strong and Norway recover.
68 - Marta charge into the box gets snuffed out by a clearly tired Norway squad.
71 - Brazil looking downright cocky - they always play confidently with the lead.
75 - Norway is learning in real time how outdated and slow their tactics and gamer are.
78 - Credit to their persistence - they keep at it, though. They haven't given up looking for the consolation goals to cut down the differential.
81 - As Darke finally points out, Brazil is looking good now because playing counterattack actually fits their style perfectly.
84 - Norway with a threatening corner, but the final chip shot by Giske ends up on top of the goal.
88 - And another corner chance for Norway ends up with the ball on top of the goal again.
90 Norway have run out of steam and seem to accept their fate. 
There it is! IT's over. The win is tainted by Marta's push, but it was probably inevitable. 

Not golden

Brazil have never won Olympic gold in soccer. Perhaps they might change that this year.

Here's the squad Dunga has named to try to take home the prize. It's not a bad roster, though I think Ronaldinho is less than fit.

Goalkeepers: Diego (Almeria, ESP), Renan (Internacional)

Defenders: Marcelo (Real Madrid, ESP), Ilsinho (Shakhtar Donetsk, UKR), Rafinha (Schalke 04, GER), Thiago Silva (Fluminense), Alex Silva (Sao Paulo), Breno (Bayern Munich, GER).

Midfielders: Lucas (Liverpool, ENG), Anderson (Manchester United, ENG), Hernanes (Sao Paulo), Ronaldinho (Barcelona, ESP), Diego (Werder Bremen, GER), Thiago Neves (Fluminense).

Strikers: Robinho (Real Madrid, ESP), Alexandre Pato (AC Milan, ITA), Rafael Sobis (Real Betis, ESP), Jo (Manchester City, ENG).

Analysis

Like an earlier reader said, the Brazil-Mexico match was a thrilling match. Nothing but pride was at stake but players played as if a cup awaited.

I took a look at some of the more pertinent points for SI.com.

More on Mex-Bra

As far as the game itself goes, the game means a bit more to Brazil than Mexico only because this is their final preparation match before World Cup qualifying begins. Yes, believe it or not, World Cup qualifying begins in South America next month, just 15 months after the end of the last World Cup.

Brazil will play Ecuador and Colombia in October in their first two World Cup qualifiers. That South American qualifying campaign is a monster. It's a true test of a team's depth and ability to sustain a high level of play over a long period of time. In 2009, they'll still be playing qualifiers.

Here's a story from the Boston Herald about the match with a mostly Brazilian angle.

Mexico, meanwhile, doesn't have any pending tournament or qualifiers ahead but this is game is also with that in mind. We might finally be entering a new era in Mexican soccer as some of the standbys such as Jared Borgetti, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Oswaldo Sanchez and Ramon Morales may not be used much if at all in the future. Yes, some of those players are injured but their time has come and gone and it's refreshing to see some young players like Patricio Araujo, Julio Dominguez and Luis Angel Landin aside from the Gios and Velas of the Mexican soccer world.

The casual Mexican soccer fan might not recognize this team much. Rafael Marquez, Carlos Salcido, Gerardo Torrado and Andres Guardado are pretty much well-known Mexican internationals but the rest of the team is young and ranges from somewhat experienced internationals (Jonny Magallon, Juan Carlos Cacho) to not-at-all experienced (Jorge Hernandez, Hector Moreno). But that's a good thing, though.

Brazil-Mexico train in Mass.

Mexico and Brazil each trained at Gillette Stadium on Tuesday and players from both sides took turns kicking long-distance field goals.

Flashy guy

We'll have to wait until Sunday to watch Ronaldinho play against the US but you can watch this clip of him right now.



Simply amazing.

Last minute change

On Tuesday, an airplane carrying some 200 people crashed into a building and gas station when trying to land on a short, rain-soaked runway in Sao Paulo.

Apparently, Brazilian soccer club Gremio was scheduled to be on that ill-fated plane for a match in Goiania. The doomed flight originated in Porto Alegre, home of Gremio, and the club would have taken a connecting flight to Goiania. Instead, the club changed plans and chose to fly through Brasilia instead of Sao Paulo.

The death toll is at 189 and climbing, but Gremio players, staff, supporters, family, etc., are surely grateful that they averted disaster.