Epiphany of passion: twenty-five years on from the “Hand of God” goal
During times of reflection I am often reminded of special moments in my life and how sometimes the most innocuous events later leave a lasting impression. In the sporting world, experiences from my childhood like innocently getting to throw a football around with neighbor and Los Angeles Rams defensive end Jack Youngblood — who I reverently referred to as Mr. Youngblood — and attending a California Angels game at the Big “A” fully decked out in my little league uniform... Read More
Jack Warner resigns from FIFA, CONCACAF posts
On Monday, Jack Warner, FIFA executive committee member and president of CONCACAF, resigned from his soccer-related positions in an apparent deal with FIFA to drop the organization’s investigations into alleged bribery. Considering the various accusations and past admitted wrongdoings that have dogged Warner for many years, it’s a wonder he’s lasted this long. The New York Times has a comprehensive story on Warner’s checkered career. Read More
Sporting Kansas City defeats San Jose Earthquakes, 1-0, on C.J. Sapong goal
Despite a strong second-half performance from Simon Dawkins, seen above in an appearance earlier this year against Seattle, San Jose went down to a 1-0 defeat in Kansas City. Photo: Joe Nuxoll, centerlinesoccer.com. Sporting Kansas City rode a 31st-minute set piece goal from rookie forward C.J. Sapong to a 1-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes at Livestrong Sporting Park. It was Kansas City’s first-ever win in their new stadium, which opened earlier this month. The loss... Read More
Quakes Cast Episode 15: Downing DC United, scouting the SporKCs, and Gold Cup clash for Earthquakes teammates
(Photo: Joe Nuxoll, centerlinesoccer.com) Episode 15 of the Quakes Cast features a look back at the 4-2 win against DC United and looks ahead to the away match at Sporting Kansas City this Friday evening. Lots of Gold Cup talk too, as Robert, Kelly, and Joe discuss the impacts of Chris Wondolowski and Ryan Johnson to their teams’ success. In fact, with the USA and Jamaica meeting in the quarterfinals, friends will be enemies for 90 minutes. Some good listener questions... Read More
On how Bob Bradley is like George Lucas, and why we could do better
Bob Bradley answers questions from the press in January prior to the U.S. national team's match against Chile. Photo: John Todd, isiphotos.com If I told you that Bob Bradley coaches soccer like George Lucas directs movies, it might not be readily apparent what I was talking about. I’ll explain. It’s not about having one big success and then coasting — that criticism doesn’t even apply to Lucas, who had a smash with “American Graffiti” four years before “Star... Read More