Musings about basketball and soccer

I was going to write my predictions for the NBA free agency mayhem tonight.  I decided to do something slightly different for two reasons.  First of all, some of the NBA dominoes have already started to feel (thank you, Rudy Gay).  Second, NBA free agency is way to crazy to give predictions that are anything more than wild guesses.  That being said, here are my thoughts about free agency (with some World Cup stuff thrown in too):

-  It is amazing how many realistic possibilities exist for how this free agency nonsense could turn out.  Lebron could go to 1 of 6 teams.  Factoring in sign and trades, Chris Bosh could go to one of 10 or 12 teams.  Lebron, Wade, and Bosh could all play together or they could all end up in separate cities.  Chris Paul could get traded to any team and then that team will immediately become a contender for Lebron.  Or he could stay in New Orleans.  And that doesn't even take into account scenarios involving Joe Johnson, Amare, Carlos Boozer, or any number of other free agents.  Despite all the speculation that has gone it to this topic and the amount of awesome scenarios, I can't help but think that it will end up being kind of anti-climatic, much like college football expansion.

- For all the talk about who is going to be the big decider in NBA free agency, it turns out it isn't any of the players. Check out this article to see who the real power is in the NBA (it is real well written and eye-opening): http://www.gq.com/sports/profiles/200706/william-wesley-worldwide-wes-nba-basketball

-  Ghana's loss today was at least as heart breaking to watch as Team USA's defeat.  They came SO close to taking Africa further than it has every gone in a Cup.  One of the hardest things to watch in sports is when a team outplays its opponent and still loses.  Ghana had every opportunity to win and couldn't come through.  Not to lessen Uruguay's win, but by the end of that game, they were just barely hanging on.  I can't imagine how Asamoah Gyan feels after missing the game winning kick.  Still, Ghana should be proud for doing so well with the youngest team in the tournament and for representing their continent so well.

- Luis Suarez's handball was such a head-ups play!  If he doesn't commit that red card, Uruguay goes home and I am writing this article about how amazing Ghana is.  It sucks that he will miss the next match, but without that contribution, Uruguay would not be in the semi-finals. 

- The talk among sports writers is that most of the contracts given out so far in the NBA have been incredibly bloated.  No one will argue that Rudy Gay isn't worth $82 million.  But I think Minnesota's signing of Darko Milic is going to turn out better than most people predict.  Darko hasn't lived up to expectations at all, but he was playing well at the end of last season.  He is still young and could blossom into a serviceable starting center.  And the Bucks signing of Drew Gooden is a very smart move.  Rather than blow their cap room on 1 marquee free agent, the Bucks have signed multiple starting quality players.  In a 7 game playoff series, a quality team will beat 1 star player and a bunch of scrubs every time.  Fear the Deer! (that is the Buck's rallying cry)

- The advantage of being a novice soccer fan is that I don't feel a huge amount of loyalty to any 1 team.  Obviously I was cheering for Team USA and I had chosen to cheer for African teams as well.  But now that both of those options are gone, I have no problem finding a new team to cheer for.  I will be supporting whoever wins the Argentina-Germany game tomorrow.  I like both of these teams because I thoroughly enjoyed their 2006 quarterfinals match-up.  Also, Diego Maradona makes the game so much more interesting.  And I have seen Germany play in person and I own a Germany jersey.

- Finally, rather than predict free agency, I am going to say where I wish guys would go:

• Lebron - New Jersey Nets
• Dwayne Wade - Miami Heat
• Joe Johnson - Atlanta Hawks
• Amare - New York Knicks
• Chris Bosh - Houston Rockets 
• Carlos Boozer - Miami Heat

I know it won't turn out like that, but it would make for a really interesting NBA next year.

Three Things That Can Soften the Blow of Team USA's loss

This World Cup run was an incredibly exciting time for American sports.  Unfortunately, it came to what feels like a premature end.  However, we should be nothing but proud of our boys for the accomplishments they did make and the excitement they did cause.  Still, like any big loss, the one versus Ghana hurts.  Here is my list of things that can happen to soften the blow:

1)  England gets knocked out by Germany - It would be great for USA soccer if we could consider this Cup an overall win over England.  After Mexico, England is probably the team we associate with the most and there is no denying that they have always looked down on us for our lack of a top soccer team.  But we have already beaten them in group play.  Admittedly the win came on overall goals scored, but if FIFA says it counts it counts.  If they also lose in the Round of 16 (they are currently down 3-1), then we can safely say that USA soccer beat English soccer in 2010 and that is a huge success for us.

2)  Ghana continues to do well - As Americans, we love underdogs.  In fact, that is one of the reasons Team USA was SO popular during their run.  Well now Ghana is the underdog we can get behind.  Plus, it always takes some of the sting out of a loss if the team that beats you does well.  It means that you can argue that your team is better than it's finish shows.  Finally, in an African World Cup it would be awesome to see an African side to well.  No continent has suffered more and this tournament is an opportunity for one billion African's to come together and be united behind a common goal.

3) An elite soccer team wins the Cup - I know I just said it would be good to see an underdog do well, but ultimately the results of the Cup will be easier to swallow if one of soccer's elites (Brazil, Argentina, Germany) wins the tournament.  That way, our loss won't feel so much like a missed opportunity for something amazing.  Everyone knows we could have beaten Uruaguay next round.  But if we had faced Brazil in the Final Four or Argentina in the championship game, we would have been HUGE underdogs.  If one of those teams does emerge victorious, the Cup won't feel so much a missed opportunity.

Ultimately, the pain from this loss will go away when Team USA wins the 2014 Cup (you heard it here first!).  Be sure to vote in my poll to the right on whether you will continue to watch the World Cup now that we are eliminated. 

How far can the US go?

After a brief hiatus post about the NBA, I am back to talking about soccer, America's new favorite sport.  All I can say about the last USA game is WOW!  Those last couple of minutes will go down as one of the greatest moments in American sports history.  It wasn't quite Miracle on Ice epic, but it was epic none the loss.  But the real question for all us new USA soccer fans is can we make it further?  Or is our run of awesomeness doomed to end on Saturday?  Here is how I see the American draw going from here on out:

Round of 16 - USA vs. Ghana - I really wish we didn't have to play Ghana so soon.  I really wanted the USA to do well and an African team to do well.  Obviously those ideas are now mutually exclusive.  This game is very winnable for us.  Ghana is a very good, very steady defensive team.  We, on the other hand,  are a good team that shows flashes of brilliance.  If we can play this game with same energy we have during the second halves of our last two games, this win should be ours.  Ghana is a better version of Algeria in that they play very solid defense and have trouble scoring.  If we can catch lightning in a bottle and score just once, this win could be ours.  But if we get lax on defense and let them score first, they could lock us down, put everyone behind the ball, and the game could be over.  Prediction: USA over Ghana 1-0

Round of 8 (Elite Eight) - USA vs. Uruguay or South Korea - A quarterfinals match up between either one of these teams would have been a surprising pick to anyone before the Cup began.  Both of these teams are very attack oriented so our game plan shouldn't be that different regardless of opponent.  That being said, I think Uruguay will beat South Korea and advance.  Based on their showing versus Mexico, I would say that they have a talent level similar to ours.  I think we will advance for three reasons: 1) We have a better goalkeeper, which should be key in what could be a higher scoring game, 2) I think our team's underdog status and exciting play is going to win us a whole lot of fans, giving us the de-facto home field advantage, and 3) I really believe our cardiac kids can make it to soccer's Final Four.  Prediction: USA over Uruguay 2-1

Round of 4 (Final Four) - USA vs. the Netherlands, Slovakia, Brazil, Spain, Switzerland, or Chile - While our opponent could be anyone of those teams above, our most likely opponent is Brazil.  Unfortunately, this is where I think our amazing run will come to an end.  Our team was up 2-0 on Brazil at halftime of the Confederations Cup final and many fans think we could have won that game had Michael Bradley been playing.  But the second half of that game is the reason I don't think we can win.  When America is playing at our very best, we are an elite team  The problem is our very best is the same quality of play that Brazil shows all of the time.  Even if we can start out hot, the Confederation's Cup final shows that Brazil has the ability to do whatever it takes to win.  Plus, Brazil negates our team's best advantage.  Our keeper, Tim Howard, is one of the best goalies in the world.  The problem is Brazil's keeper, Julio Cesar, is the best goalie in the world.  That being said, if we can somehow come out super hot and post a goalie or two on Brazil, then maybe we can get them to press too hard and make some mistakes.  Unfortunately, I don't think that will happen.  Prediction: Brazil over USA 2-1

Third Place Game - USA vs. Germany, England, Argentina, Mexico, Paraguay, Japan, Portugal, Spain, Chile, or Switzerland - Once again, our opponent could be any one of these teams but I am picking Chile.  What an incredible exciting game this would be!  Both teams would be really proud to be in this game and would definitely play as if it were the final.  Chile is a non-stop, attack focused team.  They would test our defense in a way that not even Brazil will.  However, our attack isn't so bad itself.  As the goal for versus Algeria showed, we can be especially good on the counter-attack.  In the end, I think our superior goal keeping will be the difference here as well.  Prediction: USA over Chile 3-2

Final - Brazil vs. Argentina - I might as well go ahead and pick this game really quickly.  While I would love to see the USA make the final, a match-up between these two teams would make great soccer.  There are so many ways to view this game.  They are clearly the two best teams in South America, both now and historically.  Brazil is the world's best team and Argentina has the world's best player (Lionel Messi).  Brazil's manager, Dunga, is as steady as can be and Argentina's manager, Diego Maradona, is possibly the biggest loose cannon in this tournament, player or coach.  In the end, I think the steady team will emerge victorious.  Prediction: Brazil over Argentina 2-2 in PKs (Really that is just what I want to see, but think for a second about how awesome of a finish this would make)

How do you think Team USA will do the rest of the way?  Can our boys make it to the Final Four or possibly even further?  Leave a comment below and lets talk it out.  Also, be sure to vote in the poll to the right.

The Amazing Drogba

I was going to write this blog as a celebration of an amazing upset.  But alas, a great team is greater than a great player, and Brazil defeated Ivory Coast 3-1.   Like I said in an earlier blog, Didier Drogba is my favorite soccer player.  The reason why has very little to do with soccer.  Drogba is a phenomenal player. He is one of the greatest African players of all time and probably the best active player from that continent.  He is a star on a very good Chelsea team.  And today he became the first African player ever to score a goal against Brazil in a World Cup.  But like I said, I don't like Drogba because of soccer.  I like Drogba because he is quite possibly the most amazing humanitarian playing the game.  In 2006, Didier Drogba and the Ivory Coast soccer team stopped a civil war in their country.  That is right, they stopped a war!  Ivory Coast had been embroiled in a civil war since 2002.  There was a peace settlement in 2004, but by 2006 conditions had once again turned for the worst.  And then Ivory Coast qualified for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.  Drogba and his teammates pleaded with both sides to stop the violence so the nation could enjoy the tournament in peace.  And they did!  Because of their pleas, both sides in the war returned to peace talks.  And then in 2008, Drogba was instrumental in having an African Cup game played in the rebel stronghold of Bouake.  This game marked the first time that both armies in the war had engaged in a non-violent activity together.  Incredibly, Drogba does more for humanity than just stop wars.  In 2007, Drogba was appointed by the United Nations as a Goodwill Ambassador due to his charity work and devotion to improving the African continent.  In 2009, he received 3 million British pounds for doing a Pepsi comercial.  He donated this entire fee to build a hospital in his hometown in Ivory Coast.  And he convinced his soccer team, Chelsea, to donate their portion of his fee too!  We spend so much of our time as sports fan hearing stories about the bad guys in sports, the Tiger Woods and Ben Rothlisbergers of the world.  It is nice to know that there are also athletes who have used their fame and fortune to make the world a better place.  Didier Drogba is my favorite player because he is an incredible individual and a role model for us all.

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A Great 24 Hours of Sports (and the bad officiating that went with it)

Thursday night and Friday morning were what being a sports fan is all about.  Two huge games that were battled to the very end by teams that left everything they had on the court (or pitch).  Since it came first, lets talk about the NBA Finals Game 7 first.  I haven't written about this series at all, so let me go ahead and say I desperately wanted the Celtics to win.  Not because I really like the Celtics, but because I just really don't like the Lakers.  But regardless, this game was exactly what defensive basketball is all about.   That is why it pained me as a sports fan to see the horrendous officiating in the 4th quarter.  The Celtics couldn't help but foul the Lakers with the way the refs were calling the game.  Towards the end there was a possession where Garnett "fouled" Gasol even though he had his hands tucked into his chest to avoid fouling at all costs. And this was far from an isolated incident.  I'm not saying the Lakers didn't deserve the title, I'm just not happy with the way it happened.  I've got a couple other observations from the game as well.  Even though he played well, the Celtics did the smart thing by putting the ball is Artest's hands in the 4th quarter.  If you watch him for any length of time, it becomes clear that he is not fundamentally good at the game of basketball.  Yes, he is a great defender and very athletic, but when it comes to shooting, passing, and dribbling, Artest is a gamble every time he touches the ball.  Also, even though he is an awful shooter, Rondo's 3-pointer at the very end of the game was absolutely incredible.  He got the rebound about halfway between the basket and the 3-point line, dribbled out, and immediately turned around and drilled a huge shot without really squaring himself up.  If he can ever develop a jump shot, he could entire the Lebron-Kobe-Wade level of superstardom

I was going to make this post all about the NBA Finals, but then I watched the USA soccer game today.  That game serves as a perfect example of how our team operates.  We always play to the level of our opponent.  And we can only play well when no one believes in us.  During the first half, when we were supposed to be doing well, our team was just short of terrible.  Slovenia easily had the game in hand.  But in the second half, with the game already out of reach, we came out and absolutely dominated.  That was a second half for the ages.  Donovan's goal was exactly the type of performance we need from our best player if we are going to be serious contenders.  And Altidore's header to Bradley's foot for the second score was one of the prettiest goals I've seen since I started really watching soccer.  And then there was the third goal.  The goal that was going to cap off one of the greatest comebacks in World Cup history.  The goal that would have propelled us into the knockout rounds.  The goal that got absolutely robbed from our boys.  I totally agree with the referee that there was holding on that play (I really don't think play is the right term, so if someone know better, please let me know).  And it was on Slovenia.  Bob Bradley says he saw three separate US players being held by Slovenian players.  I don't know enough about soccer to recognize that many, but I know what the Slovenian player was doing to Michael Bradley stopped just short of assault.  And much like in football where holding happens on every block during every player, in soccer holding happens on every player during every set piece.  The rule for the refs is you only make the call if the penalty is blatant.  And there is no blatant USA holding on that play.  Regardless of the fact that it should of been a win, we should still be proud of our team's comeback in the second half.  We are still in a great position to advance and make it to the knockout rounds, where anything can happen.  Go USA!

Best and Worst of the World Cup So Far

This year's Cup has more up and down then most cups. So naturally, there have been a lot of high and low points.  Here are a few:

Best- South Africa scoring the first goal of the Cup- Since they are probably the weakest host country in Cup history, everyone was very concerned with how the Bafana Bafana would fare. They quieted their critics by jumping out to a lead versus Mexico.

Worst- South Africa losing 3-0 to Uruguay: It seems as if their critics were right after all, as Bafana Bafana got rocked in today's and will need a miracle to have any shot at making it out of group play.

Best - Drogba coming into the game for Ivory Coast in the 65th minute- This is easily my favorite moment so far. When Drogba came on the pitch, it wasn't just Ivory Coast who was picked up. It was like he was carrying the hopes of an entire continent.  The noise level of the vuvuzelas was simply incredible.  He represents their best chance at earning a title and I really hope he can fulfill this goal.  Plus, Drogba is an absolutely incredible human being and my favorite soccer player (and I have a small man-crush on him).

Worst- Cristiano Ronaldo flopping-  As much as I like Drogba, I dislike Cristiano Ronaldo.  He is easily the most gifted player in the world and yet he resorts to blatant flopping to try and draw calls.  He reminds me of a young A-Rod, supremely talented but too immature to handle competing as the best in the world.  I just wish Drogba could have been at full strength so he could have led Ivory Coast to the win over Portugal.

Best- USA soccer being for real-   If you remove the whole African hosting story from the Cup, then the biggest story is that this is the time when America is really giving soccer a chance.  And if this Cup doesn't succeed in securing America's interest, it will probably be quite some time before soccer has another opportunity.  Our play versus England went a long way towards securing soccer's status as a mainstream sport in America.  I only hope this trend can continue.

Worst- Robert Green's flubbed save- As great as it was that the USA tied England, this blown save is still the worst on the field moment this tournament.  There are very moments in sports where we as normal people know that we really could have done better than the athlete.  This is one of those moments.  Robert Green is a better goalie than any of my readers or myself (all 4 of you) could dream of being.  But on this play, we could have all made the save that he could not.

Best- The vuvuzelas-  There has been an incredible amount of complaining about these African trumpet-like instruments.  But let me say as an uneducated soccer fan (read: average American) I love them!  Instruments like the vuvuzela are exactly what home field advantage is all about.  Worried about ear damage?  Then don't go to the game!  80,000 screaming African fans will still be there.  When we signed on for an African World Cup, we got all of Africa, not just the parts we like.  

Worst - The strike that almost stopped the Brazil - North Korea match- I'm not sure how many people have heard this story, but apparently some of the stadium workers refused to work because they were paid less than they were promised.  I'm not offering an opinion about whether the workers or management were wrong. All I am saying is get the damn issue worked out behind the scenes.  The entire globe is focused on South Africa right now and a story like this one is just stupid.

And since the World Cup is awesome, I will include one more Best (with no Worst to go with it):

Best- North Korea holding its own versus Brazil- I know they are our enemy, but the Boise State (and Butler bandwagon) fan in me has to cheer for the little guy.  And there is no guy littler in this Cup than North Korea.  Plus, by avoiding a blowout, we can feel comfortable knowing that no North Korean players or their families are going to be punished in anyway.  And finally, since North Korea didn't provide them with much of a budget, they had to train in a public gym in South Africa (http://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2010/06/kim-jong-il-and-the-north-korean-world-cup-squad/58171/).  This team can't help but warm your heart to one of the great evils of our world.

So Excited for the World Cup!

What a week! The reason I haven't posted in over a week is I have been moving to DC for my summer internship. I figure since I have yet to have a follower its not that big of a deal. Going forward I'll try and be more consistent.

Even though I played soccer growing (or at least until the 3rd grade) like most Americans I have never really followed the game. However, my admiration for the game has been steadily growing lately (largely due my watching the masterpiece that was the Argentina-Germany match from the 06 Cup). With that being said, here are my totally uneducated picks for who will make the Round of 16 (Sweet Sixteen?) in South Africa.

Group A- France, South Africa- Both these picks will probably turn out to be wrong, still I love picking against the grain (that is why I am awful at picking NCAA brackets). France is going to be driven by a desire to prove that they, and not Ireland, belong in South Africa. Plus, I really like Thierry Henry. And South Africa is going to ride the home crowd to upsets of Mexico and Uruguay (Probably not, but its a fun pick to make).

Group B- Argentina, Nigeria- Despite their struggles in qualifying, Argentina should dominate this group based on superior talent alone. Plus they have mega-star Lionel Messi to carry them over the top. I'm picking Nigeria over South Korea or Greece for no real reason other than that I really would like to see the African teams do well.

Group C- USA, England- This pick was pretty easy as both of these teams should make the Round of 16 fairly easily. However, my shocker is that I'm picking America to upset England in the opening game. Why? England has a lot of in-house problems and it would be awesome to see us win that game.

Group D- Germany, Ghana- Germany always make the Round of 16, so that pick was easy. Beyond that, it was a toss-up between Ghana and Serbia. I'm picking Ghana because they are African and they won the U-20 Cup in 2009. I always like young teams in the NCAA tourney, so I might as well do it in the Cup too.

Group E- Netherlands, Cameroon- There is no reason for either of these picks, so I just went with my gut. It just seems logical that the Netherlands would have a good team. And Cameroon is African, so I might as well go with them. Plus, I can't imagine Japan being very good at soccer.

Group F- Italy, Slovakia- Italy is the defending champs and are better than any of their other group mates, so they should advance without too much trouble. Sports Illustrated says Slovakia should also make it out of their group, so thats why I picked them.

Group G- Brazil, Portugal- Even though this is the Group of Death, Brazil should make it through fairly easily. With the other pick, I was going to pick Ivory Coast (I was considering picking them to win overall) until they lost Drogba. If he plays, I still think they will advance. If he doesn't, superstar Cristiano Ronaldo should lead Portugal to the next round. Poor North Korea, if I didn't no better I would say they ended up in this group by conspiracy.

Group H- Spain, Switzerland- Spain has only last once since the last World Cup (America, F*** Yeah!) and they shouldn't start now. I have no real reason for picking Switzerland over Chile or Honduras, but its just a feeling.