It's all about...the referee

Eric Wynalda said in the post-game, "Players win games, coaches lose them, and referees ruin them." He was talking about Jorge Larrionda who refereed the U.S.-Italy match. By the way, Larrionda was suspended for 6 months 4 years ago for "irregularities" during a probe of bribery in Paraguay. 

Everyone loves RUUD! 

World Cup Photos

To give credit where credit is due, the World Cup photos are from the FIFA Word Cup website and are copyrighted by AFP.

DIDIER BILE

Wow! Who knew Didier Bile, one of the founders of Zouglou music, was an Ivory Coaster fan? Not me! 

RUUD! RUUD! RUUD!

GOOOOOAAAAAL! Our boy Ruud scores and then worships a corner flag. 

Friday

Argentina...phew. 6-0 against Serbia/Montenegro. That's a lot. RUUUUUUD scored for the Netherlands. Mexico tied a short-handed Angola team 0-0. Games to watch - Germany versus Ecuador and England versus Sweden on the 20th. If England or Germany loses or ties, it sets up a Germany versus England game in the next round.

IS THAT A MASK IN YOUR POCKET, OR ARE YOU JUST GLAD TO SCORE A GOAL?

Ivan Kaviedes of Ecuador scored a goal and pulled this mask OUT OF HIS PANTS and put it on his head. It just ain't right.... 

Thursday results

Down and out: Costa Rica and Paraguay

Moving on: England (that would be the team I picked to win the whole thing).

Killed their cows : Ecuador

The European teams continue to win, if not impress. Ruud and the boys take on Ivory Coast today. The other game of interest for locals is Mexico versus Angola. A win should guarantee moving on.

GENTLEMEN, IT'S TIME TO KILL YOUR COWS

IF your cow is from Ecuador.

World Cup Wednesday

The first game between Spain in Ukraine was almost unwatchable for two reasons:

1) Spain slaughtered them 4-0, and
2) Henry Higgins teaching Eliza Doolittle to speak proper English (you know... "The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain").

It was hard to pick a team to cheer for in game two (Saudi Arabia versus Tunisia).

The last game was the best of World Cup so far. Germany scored in the 91st minute and beat Poland, 1-0. Germany hit the cross bar on consecutive shots with about a minute to go in regulation time, then scored - but they were offsides.

Strangely, ESPN2 went directly from this game to ...championship DOMINOES!

YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE....

From George Will's column:

"Military engineers recently cleared garbage from a field in Fallujah, resurfaced it with dirt and put up goal posts to create an instant soccer field. A day later, the goal posts were stolen and all the dirt had been scraped from the field. Garbage began to pile up again.''

An Army captain asked, "What kind of people loot dirt?''

HEY, LUIGI! I KNOW WHO STOLE THE TOVAGLIA!

Croatians in tableclothes. 

Tuesday's Games

The most interesting item from yesterday's game:

France won the World Cup in 1998. In 2002, they were shutout in all 3 first round games. Yesterday they tied Switzerland 0-0. A basic rule of soccer...score no goals, win no games.

Africa stayed winless as Togo lost. Kaka scored the only goal for Brazil in a 1-0 game versus Croatia. I like the Croatian uniforms - they look like the scavenged an Italian restaurant for tablecloths.

Italian Teams Through History

There are two things you can be sure of seeing when you watch any Italian soccer team. A grown man with a ponytail... 

And lots of players flopping around like fish out of water and looking like they're going to die...only to jump up and start running around after a ride on "The Magic Stretcher". 

USA vs. Czech Republic

I watched the whole USA-Czech Republic and think I heard Brandon Donovan's name mentioned twice. To me, that explains the final score. Plus, when your goalie is a Czech named Cech it gives you a psychological boost. Imagine if our goalie was named American. You'd have to make him Captain, wouldn't you?

Why England Will Win

They have BADGERS!

Union County Soccer in the News

From Missy Carter:
This is a picture from a 3V3 soccer tournament that we played in this weekend in Nashville TN. We had to play in the competitive bracket instead of the rec. brackets and we won second place. We qualify to go play in Clarksville TN, if we finish in the top five we can play at Disney Wide World of Sports.

Doug and Robbie were our coachers. We have Courtney, Emily Bleyer, Katie Edwards, Morgan Giesler, Kati McIntyre and Kendall. 

Monday's Action

Group E starts action today as the Czech Republic takes on the U.S. and Italy plays the Black Stars of Ghana. Two great goalies in the first one (Petre Cech and Kasey Keller); the second game is a mystery. The African teams (Ivory Coast and Angola) have been a disappointment so far.

Thanks You Sir, May I Have Another?

Not only did Iranian Sports Minister Mohammad Aliabadi get to watch the Iranian team get the bejeezus kicked out them by Mexico, he also got to watch as "(S)ome 1,000 people, among them Israel supporters and exiled Iranians, rallied on Sunday in Nuremberg to protest against Iran's foreign policy as the country's team faced World Cup opponent Mexico on the pitch."

It's Getting Harder to be a Good Parent

From Somalia, where two people were killed protesting this decision:

The JIC (Joint Islamic Court) deputy chairman AbdulKadir Ali Omar said the Islamic tribunals would crackdown on halls that defy the order to show western films and video, including the World Cup.

"We shall not even allow the showing of the World Cup because they corrupt the morals of our children whom we endeavour to teach the Islamic way of life," he added.

FIFA Web Site

This is about the best website I've seen. Photos, rosters, news, schedules, and lots more!

KAKA vs. LOCO

Brazil may have KAKA, but Angola has LOCO! 

Sarong Wearing Pretty Boy

Here's David Beckman - the world's greatest player (maybe not, but CERTAINLY the most famous) with his wife, Posh Spice. And yes, HE'S WEARING A SARONG!  

This must be one of the " sarong-wearing multimillionaire pretty boys" referred to earlier (two posts down).

Watch the World Cup ... and go to hell!

From Little Green Footballs:

Saudi cleric Nasser bin Sliman Al-Omar explains why watching the World Cup may cause you to be condemned to eternal torment. (Courtesy MEMRI TV.)

"During the last World Cup, while the call for prayer was being aired on TV... the TV that was broadcasting the game announced: “We will now broadcast the call for prayer.” The ball was really close to the goal at that moment, and one guy got up and cursed the muazzin.

[...]

I am saying to the fathers, to the mothers, and to the people who watch these games: On Judgment Day, a page in the book will be opened for you, and it will say that you sat and watched the games. Will this make you happy or miserable? Will this make you happy on Judgment Day, when you face Allah, or will you wish you had never watched these games?"

More on those wacky Brits...

"A time to make friends" is the German slogan for making nice at this World Cup. One British commentator writes that English fans would "still prefer to be bombing Germany, but after 60 years there's a dawning suspicion that those days aren't coming back any time soon, and in the meantime we must rely on sarong-wearing multimillionaire pretty boys to kick the Argies [Argentineans] for us."

Brits invade Germany...again.

Oh, those wacky British soccer fans!

HEY! It's Ruud van Nistelrooij !

Ruud! 

World Cup Starts Friday!

Who will win? Beats me...

Brazil is the favorite. However, European teams do well when the games are played in Europe. As a matter of fact, a European team has never won a World Cup played outside of Europe. Home teams do particularly well. In case you're wondering who the home team is, it's GERMANY. I'm pulling for the Netherlands - they have cool uniforms (or kits, as they're called everywhere but here) and a guy named Ruud van Nistelrooij. Say it...Ruud van Nistelrooij.

No Girls Allowed in Iran

I must admit, I wouldn't take a beating so I could watch a soccer game...


Women beaten and rounded up at the occasion of soccer game
SMCCDI (Information Service)
Jun 1, 2006

Several women and their male supporters were beaten or rounded up, yesterday, at the occasion of the soccer game played between the Iranian and Bosnia-Herzegovinian national teams at the "Azadi" ('Freedom' Stadium) located near Tehran.

Brutal militiamen used clubs and chains in order to break the peaceful gathering of the women who were condemning the Gender Apartheid Policy and the ban of Iranian women from soccer games.

Several maverick young girls were seen keeping their placards in their hands while getting badly beaten and injured.

SIYSA Hawks Tryouts and Soccer Camps

They're in Marion. Here's the info (from Bobby Newberry).

Kendall Carter and Ryan Stark

. 
Is there a coach in our system who teaches this? Did Kendall teach it to Ryan, or is it something they learned independently? Did Michael Jordan play soccer as a kid?

Champions!

The 5th and 6th Boys with their championship trophies. 

Bottom Row; Hayden Newberry, Logan Tweedy, Jared Toler, Cody Garver, Caleb Mixen, Eli Scherer, Kim Mixen, Mason Hayward.
Top Row; Seth Watson, Mason Wheaton, Jaden Plumb, Tyler McDaniel, Travis Smith, Valerie Pender, Elias Keller, Enrique Arrieola

Coaches : Bobby Newberry and Doug Mixen

Having already solved the offsides mystery, the etymology of homodekaphobia, and the conundrum of the coed team that consists of all boys, the Union County Brain Trust takes on more complex questions. Like "Who Let the Dogs Out?" Who? WHO? 

Cape Giradeau Results

Below are the Cape results. The game I wish I had seen was the Cape versus Cobden High School game. In that one (I got this from a reliable source), a Cape player got a yellow card. Then they got another one. Then another one. Then another one. Then ANOTHER one. Finally, the ref slapped a red card on a player; that apparently angered the Cape goalie who got a red. Then the team left (my source wasn't sure if their coach got heaved). This in a 1-0 game!!!

1st and 2nd Results from Cape

The boys finally lost a game, a heartbreaking (and rough) 0-1 loss to the Perryville Stingers. They beat Carbondale 2-1 and the Flippin' Farmington Rabid Cats (which gets my vote for the WORST nickname of the tournament) 3-1.

The girls Beat the snot out of the Perryville Hurricanes (it might have been the Herricanes) 10-0. Wow! They had the favor returned by Jackson Red 1-8, and also lost to the Cape Stars 3-5. They also lost 0-3 to Jackson Gray. But hey, 13 goals in 4 games means they improved dramatically! Good job, girls!

5th and 6th Co-ed at Cape

CHAMPIONS! Congratulations to the co-ed team, who beat Perryville Power and Light 1-0, the Festus Sidewinders 2-0, and Jackson Red 4-1, before winning the championship game against the Saline/Jackson team 3-1.

Cape Giradeau Junior High and High School results

The Junior High lost to the Los Cobden, cero paro dos, to De Soto (the guy who was the first white man to explore Florida) 1-3, and to the Perryville Storm 0-1. Jacob Brimm broke- no, wait - FRACTURED his wrist in the second game.

The High School took it on the chin from Perryville 1-3, Cape United 0-5, and the aldea of Cobden 0-2. They won their last game, but I don't know who they beat or the score. All I know is Abby Cohen didn't play that one after breaking her foot.

Feed your kids more milk. Please.

Tom Hanks gets ready for the World Cup... 

The Mad Mullahs Draw a Mascara Line in the Sand

The Head of Iran's Physical Education Organization says he's had it with girly-man soccer players:

"It is really disgraceful for Iran that young people step onto fields wearing make-up," the top official fumed. "When a man enters the field with dyed hair and groomed eyebrows he is disrespecting society."

The paper said Ali-Abadi appeared to be particularly worried about footballers, and warned that "even though they get away with it now, they will be disqualified in future".

This blogger has an idea : men attending World Cup matches should wear wigs and dresses. As he puts it, "Crossdress for Iran! Crossdress for human rights!"

Do pink goalie gloves count?

5th and 6th Boys at Whirlwind

The 5th and 6th grade boys took fourth place in the Marion Whirlwind Tournament, beating Perryville Power and Light, Saline, and Jackson Red, with a loss to Perryville Drillers. They lost in the playoff 1-2.

I guess at my age, people PAINTING their hair white makes no sense.

Marion Whirlwind CHAMPIONS

The 1st and 2nd grade boys team:

In front: Zach Paar, Elijah Haar, Isaac Pender, Ryan Stark, JT Moore, Collin Prather, Orlando Arreola; Second row: Dale Prater, Wyatt Smith, Dakota Earnhart, Hunter Garver
Coaches - Butch Earnhart, Daryll Pender, Greg Moore

A Boy Out Standing in His Field

Joel Hardin.

Whirlwind Tournament Results, JH and HS

The Junior High team was missing some boy players who decided a school trip to some third world backwater was more important than this tournament. No problem - the girls were phenomenal and they managed to split four games, beating Carbondale and DeSoto before losing to the Saline Lion Kings and Cape. The High School lost a couple of heartbreakers to Cobden and Peryville, got slapped by DeSoto (?), and ended by slapping back at Mt. Vernon.

Whirlwind Tournament Results, 5th and 6th Grades

The girls (who get my vote as the most fun Union County team to watch) split their first four games by scores of 1-2, 2-1, 2-1, and 1-2. I don't know the score, but they beat Carbondale to take the 3rd place trophy. I'm guessing it was 2-1.

The boys...I forgot to write down. I'll get back to you.

Whirlwind Tournament Results, 3rd and 4th Grade

The third grade boys went undefeated, beating Perryville in the finals 1-0 to take the Championship. The aggregate score was 18-1. This is a very special and talented group of kids and mark you calendars - AJ High School Varsity Soccer will win the title in 2013.

The 4th grade boys made it to the consolation round, losing to Carbondale but winning a 4th place prize. Make that 2012.... Their only loss in the preliminaries was a 0-1 game to the Cape Mud Dogs (whatever that is). Cape eventually took the championship.

The girls's team clobbered the Marion Katzenjammer Kids 5-2 to take 3rd (see photo below).

Whirlwind Tournament Results, 1st and 2nd Grade

The boys' team mopped up the first four teams they played (Marion, Jackson Gray, Perryville Lightning, and Farmington) by a total score of 34-2. Things got a LOT tougher in the championship game against the Perryville Dragons...but they still prevailed 1-0 to take another championship! Congratulations!

The girls' team had a tough go. They were seeded in an extremely tough division against Jackson, Cape Girardeau, and Marion. On the bright side, they got better in each game they played and did their best in each and every match. Congratulations, girls! You did yourselves and your parents proud!

Hey! Who do Sammy Schott and Natalyn Hepburn think they are, SHELBY? 

Third Place

The 3rd and 4th girls team beat the Marion Katz 5-2 to take the third place medallion at the Marion Whirlwind Tournament.

Coaches: Doug "Superfly" Edwards and Matt "Cool Puff D Daddy" Denny.

Back Row: Hannah Pineau, J.J. Ford, Suzannah Cohen, Katie Edwards, Bailey Stearns
Front Row: Kendall Carter, Sarah Coleman, Mikayla Dammerman, Courney Kendricks, Sammy Schott, Shelby the Patient and Kind, Natalyn Hepburn, Baylyie Denny, Cyndi Miller, Sammy Brimm.

With the power invested in me as President of the Union County Soccer League, I hereby name Shelby our official mascot. 

Having totally discredited the crane-killing profession, Robby has chosen another career.

Saturday Whirlwind Results

More or less.

OK...starting at the 1/2 level...

The boys are ridiculously good. They stuffed wood ticks down the underpants of Jackson 9-0 and won their late game by a lot.

The girls got stuck playing some really good teams and dropped two games.

3/4 level

The 3rd grade boys are still undefeated, beating their nemisis Perryville, 2-0.

The 4th grade boys kissed their sisters by tieing Carbondale 0-0, but beat Chic-Cobden 4-2.

The girls lost to Carbondale 1-2, but came back to tie an excellent Perryville squad, 0-0.

5th and 6th boys lost 0-2 to Perryville.

The 5th and 6th girls are a lot of fun to watch! They beat Saline Count 2-1 on a corner kick goal.

The Junior High is doing well, considering that some of their players decided to go to...well, don't get me started. Anyway, they beat Carbondale 3-0, DeSoto 2-1, then lost a heartbreaker to Saline County 0-1.

The High School is having a tough go, losing to Cobden 2-3, Perryville 1-2, and some other team by some other score.

I'll have the final results and photos tomorrow!

Katie Edwards tries to get a toe on an ALMOST perfect pass from Kendall Carter. Kendall thought it WAS perfect... 

A firm grasp on the obvious...

Everyone who couldn't have figured this out on your own, raise your hand.

MARION WHIRLWIND TOURNAMENT

The Whirlwind Tournament began in Marion Friday night. Here are the results so far:

The 1st and 2nd grade boys team tied rats to the tongues of the Marion Cyclones 10-0.

The 3rd grade boys poured honey on Saline County and tied them to an ant hill, 8-0.

In more convential games...

The 3rd and 4th grade girls squeaked past the Marion Katz, 3-2. This game included one of the best plays I've seen at this level...no, the best play. On a Marion direct kick from just outside the box with minutes to play, the ball sailed over the head of the goalie only to be headed out by Suzanna Cohen at the goal line. I was standing behind the goal and had already mentally chalked up the goal. Unbelievable!

I checked on the 5th and 6th grade girls at halftime of the 3/4 girls game and was told that they were getting slapped around by the Marion Wildcats. However, every time I looked over there during the second half it seemed like our girls were taking a shot - turns out they lost 1-2, but from where I was standing when the game ended they seemed as excited as if they won.

The High School played, but I don't have the results.

Senator McGavick says...

Iran should be banned from the upcoming World Cup.

Iraq invades Texas!

This is a great story. Maybe they'll host a tournament some day.

The good news is we have a new high school field. The bad news is... 

World Cup Soccer Balls

FIFA has made it official and decreed that the World Cup games will use the traditional black and white balls EXCEPT in the final game. That ball will be gold. I only mention this article because of this peculiar bit:

"David Beckham, the England captain with the appropriate nickname of “Golden Balls”..."

How? Or Why? Or is that something you just skip over?

FIFA is stupid

Jerks.