tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75434404511360539222024-02-07T04:21:00.512-06:00Advantage PlayedMLS and all the restGrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461268322077883324noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7543440451136053922.post-88879734850014950462013-07-27T23:06:00.004-05:002013-07-27T23:06:43.267-05:00Thoughts on Sporting V Montreal (7-27-13)Last week, I watched as Montreal took on Chicago at home and beat them with some nice counter-attacking that ended in several goals for Felipe. They were patient. They waited for an opportunity to pounce, and in the end the made some clever well thought-out passes through the defense and slotted away a decently easy opportunity.<br />
<br />
Such was the case once again as Montreal outlasted Sporting for 95 minutes, took advantage of sloppy midfield play, and then combined some nice semi-counter attacking with a great through ball that put a Montreal player 1v1 with the keeper who was beat by a smart finish.<br />
<br />
Let's cross off the usual complaint:<br />
1) It was the refs fault. Nope. Ref had a decent game, handled KC's fouling styles pretty well and booked Uri for persistent fouling. No problems here, a couple missed calls but so what.<br />
<br />
Who can we place the blame on for the loss?<br />
1) Lack of creative attacking ideas. If you read my last post, and paid attention to the ways Sporting decided to spend their attacking turns, you are pretty disappointed. Lots of square balls around the box, lots of crosses to no one, and way too many times, people standing around waiting for someone else to make that run resulting in nasty end results to possible attacks.<br />
<br />
When Sporting did try to play through the middle, they tried lots of quick one two passes that were just NOT working tonight.<br />
<br />
2) Mid-field possession problems. Although it's hard to pin-point any momment in time that defined a game, I'm going to do it. Late in stoppage time the mid-field team of Sporting made SEVERAL easy passes right to the feet of Montreal players, which almost directly (ie they got the ball and then were able to pressure and score rather than Sporting getting a chance) resulted in the goal. <br />
<br />
Sloppy midfield play and bad link-up play between the midfield team doomed Sporting. Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461268322077883324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7543440451136053922.post-75002811962416892252013-07-19T23:29:00.002-05:002013-07-19T23:29:15.314-05:00Watching Soccer
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
For a long time, I feel like I've been
stuck in a rut when it comes to how I watch soccer. For probably the
past year, I've kind of lost track of how good or bad a team is. This
came to a head as I watched Sporting play and tried to understand why
I didn't think they were doing very good despite being near the top
of the Eastern Conference standings.Where they really bad at
attacking, or was I just watching it wrong? In a game that has 90
minutes full of incidents, how can I judge better what I'm watching?
How do I stop it from being one big muddle of men running around on
the pitch and kicking a ball different places. Who is making an
outstanding impact on the game? What phases of the game are teams
working best in?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
To try and understand the ebs and flows
of what I'm watching. I've started to break down the different parts
of the field and watch specific battles and the decisions that are
made that result in changes.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I simply broke the field down into
thirds and watched specific things in each segment of the field.
Keeping tracking of these different battles and stages has helped me
quantify a game and judge who really has the best decision making
skills.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When either team bring the ball into
the final 3<sup>rd</sup> of the field, I watch to see what they do
with their attack. What decisions are they going to make with their
attacking possesion? When a team gains control and cycles the ball
around or makes an attacking thrust they may have the ball for 15
secounds to a minute or two maximum (usually). What is the final out
coming of their decision making progress?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Each team gets between 20 – 50
different attacks during a game. Since most attacks do not result in
a goal, decision making matters. Think of two weeks ago when Seattle
played Vancouver. The Whitecaps far fewer attacks, but the decisions
they made when they had their turn on attack trumped Seattles many
attacks.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
If a team moves the ball all the way up
and then cycles it all the way back to midfield or farther I still
think of that as one attacking move / judgement of their decision
making skills.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When the ball is in the middle of the
field, I don't count any small movement forward as an attack. It's
the time when the midfielders get to battle it out and we see who can
win the dirty battles in the middle.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So in summary, I realize this is pretty
simple but it's helped me.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
TLDR:</div>
<ol>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Cut the field into thirds</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Judge teams based on the outcomes
of their attacks and their decision making skills when they attack
in the final third (purposeful movements and good ideas or 3 minutes
of possesion that results in a cross to no-one?)</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Watch the midfield battles and
enjoy. Give teams mini points for winning battles.</div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461268322077883324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7543440451136053922.post-67687154205186818912010-09-08T21:15:00.001-05:002010-09-08T21:17:02.294-05:00Find Advantage Played at Du NordHey Advantage Played fans, Bruce from Du Nord has invited me to be a regular contributor to Du Nord. <br /><br />You can find something new and fresh from me regularly over at http://dunord.blogspot.com.<br /><br />See you soon!Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461268322077883324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7543440451136053922.post-6929252763129730532010-07-15T23:43:00.001-05:002010-07-15T23:43:27.453-05:00And the Band Marches On<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/c59gwIv-alU&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/c59gwIv-alU&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461268322077883324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7543440451136053922.post-88150648582083912982010-05-31T19:40:00.007-05:002010-05-31T20:38:13.290-05:00Pictures from the Wizards' Stadium ConstructionOver our wonderful labor day weekend that was filled with getting drunk, playing paintball, watching soccer, playing disc golf, and hanging out with friends in <a href="http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=38.855918,-94.665585&spn=0.012332,0.027874&z=16&iwloc=lyrftr:m,18098068349981328527,38.854381,-94.666121">a church that's been converted to a bar</a>, I headed over to the Legends area of Kansas City to buy a new pair of Copa Mondial shoes.<br /><br />Of course, I soon found out that no one carries size 14 soccer shoes, but the trip wasn't a total waste. I took a long walk around the Wizards construction site taking photographs while standing on cement barriers.<br /><br />Since I'm taking a <a href="http://slim.emporia.edu">graduate class on digital archiving</a>, I decided to practice the skill a little and below you will find a map of the stadium I have overlayed with a diagram of the construction area and field and a marker for each place I took a picture.<br /><br />Click on the photo icon to see the view from each spot. I also marked out where the Wizards webcam hangs from a lightpole.<br /><br /><iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=110529658990553203584.000487eb0dc8c38d7e75e&ll=39.121712,-94.823545&spn=0.002913,0.00456&z=17&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small>View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=110529658990553203584.000487eb0dc8c38d7e75e&ll=39.121712,-94.823545&spn=0.002913,0.00456&z=17&source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">Wizards' Stadium Construction 5-31-10</a> in a larger map</small><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">I'd recommend opening the map in a new window for best results.</span>Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461268322077883324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7543440451136053922.post-62092603377078649692010-04-06T16:37:00.002-05:002010-04-06T16:37:44.723-05:00MOTD: MLS StyleMLS' answer to Match of the Day, except 5 minutes long instead of 60:<br /><object width="384" height="216" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" id="ESPN_VIDEO" data="http://espn.go.com/videohub/player/embed.swf" allowscriptaccess="always" allownetworking="all"><param name="movie" value="http://espn.go.com/videohub/player/embed.swf"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="wmode" value="opaque"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="allowNetworking" value="all"><param name="flashVars" value="id=5059706"></object>Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461268322077883324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7543440451136053922.post-77186719425360627672010-04-06T08:19:00.004-05:002010-04-06T08:23:27.323-05:00Red Bull Stadium from AboveAs seen on the <a href="http://redbulls.theoffside.com/">The Offside </a>and on YouTube and Finally, from the Air Above.<br /><br /><object height="261" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/S4Z93THnZtI&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/S4Z93THnZtI&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="261" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Next time, how would you react if your team went down three goals in 6 minutes?Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461268322077883324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7543440451136053922.post-5246019448895596582010-04-02T22:31:00.005-05:002010-04-02T23:29:36.114-05:00This Weekend in Major League Soccer SoccerThe second week of Major League Soccer is arriving, and it's just in time. The first week, for me, basically consisted of an incredible tailgate in the dirt parking lot by the Wizard's stadium.<br /><br />The wind blew, it poured down rain, but about 15 people chugged summer brew out of a cooler and roasted random food on my awesome little gas grill. I really don't remember a whole lot about the game other than that I saw <a href="http://dunord.blogspot.com/">Bruce from duNord</a> before the game, the Wizard's won, my stupid blue felt cowboy hat turned out to have a practical function (rain defense), and Jimmy Neilson was eager to clap to the crowd.<br /><br />It was odd to go back and watch the game afterward. Everyone claims the Wizard's totally dominated DC, but DC had some incredibly bad pretty much open net misses plus a super clear penalty waived aside. With two bits of luck, the game could have been incredibly different.<br /><br />Of course, the same could be said about any game of soccer. "Should have", "could have". But they didn't the Wizards fan cries.<br /><br />Beating a team with too many "should haves" and "could haves" can signal false hope. I'm not ready to say the Wizards are going to be awesome yet.<br /><br />------------<br /><br />A lot of my attention for the first week was captured by the absolutely horrible release of Major League Soccer Soccer dot Com. It took me awhile to realize they had switched because they forgot to make the http://mlsnet.com url redirect to the new site.<br /><br />Every designer and coder who follows MLS is living off the buzz of critiquing a major failure with their web designing twitter friends.<br /><br />However, one man summed it all up with a beat down of epic proportions: <a href="http://www.fakesigi.com/">Fake Sigi</a> road his giant gut to the rescue with some incredible research.<br /><br />You'd better read The <a href="http://www.fakesigi.com/2010/04/mls-web-site-disaster.html">MLS Website Disaster</a> or Fake Sigi himself will beat you over the head with 404 errors.<br /><br />--------------------<br /><br />In other blogging news, I'm back. This time I'll make no promises about how often I post. I will continue my favorite format of research, music, pictures, and humor.<br /><br />If my blog posts make Adam Spangler shed a single tear, mission accomplished.Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461268322077883324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7543440451136053922.post-82554637590855187232010-04-02T14:36:00.003-05:002010-04-02T14:39:50.822-05:00Knuck if You Buck People<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YI536H64U_w&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YI536H64U_w&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461268322077883324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7543440451136053922.post-23419043997805286492009-08-07T18:51:00.003-05:002009-08-07T18:54:08.102-05:00ESPN with the National Team All Summer LongHey everyone, you're going to get a great big update this weekend but for now I wanted to alert you to an ESPN article that is all the rage.<br /><br />Fevered Pitch follows the US National team as they fight their summer battles. At each game for each game they have a unique write up, very good pictures, as well as video of the team doing all the things we don't usually see them doing. Hanging out, having fun, reviewing tape, getting ready for games, feeling it.<br /><br />The articles are short, the media is high quality, and<a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=usworldcup"> you should read it!</a>Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461268322077883324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7543440451136053922.post-79943480991167274672009-08-04T21:36:00.004-05:002009-08-04T23:52:09.883-05:00A Long-Bow Story: The Parable of The Real Madrid fan and The Wizard's Fan<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jvw2cf0DJYA&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jvw2cf0DJYA&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed><a class="yekiaxkteyrkppihywhj" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/jvw2cf0DJYA&hl=en&fs=1&"></a><a class="zwsbwrkcterouookvdou" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/jvw2cf0DJYA&hl=en&fs=1&"></a><a class="zwsbwrkcterouookvdou" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/jvw2cf0DJYA&hl=en&fs=1&"></a></object><br />One day a Real Madrid fan, was walking along a country road when he overtook a poor Wizard’s fan going in the same direction. Now the Real Madrid fan was very grasping, like most of his class, and was lamenting that he had had no chance of making any money that day; but at the sight of the man in the Jimmy Conrad shirt he brightened up wonderfully.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3790253359/" title="kansas by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2652/3790253359_63db82faf8_o.jpg" alt="kansas" width="200" height="200" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3790253339/" title="real_madrid_logo by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img style="width: 160px; height: 223px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3583/3790253339_7ff4f3e32e_o.png" alt="real_madrid_logo" /></a><br /><br />'That is a piece of luck,' he said to himself. 'Let me see if this Wizard’s fan is not good for something'; and he hastened his steps.<br /><br />After they had bid one another good day very politely, the Real Madrid fan said to the Wizard's fan:<br /><br />'I was just thinking how dull I felt, when I beheld you, but since we are going the same way, I shall find the road quite short in such agreeable company.'<br /><br />'With all my heart,' replied the Wizard’s fan; 'but what shall we talk about? A big soccer man like you will not care to hear about how the Red Bulls are going to be the worst MLS team of all time.'<br /><br />'Oh,' said the Real Madrid fan, 'I'll tell you what we will do. We will each tell the other the wildest tale we can imagine, and he who first throws doubt on the other's story shall pay him a hundred euros.'<br /><br />To this the Wizard’s fan agreed, and begged the Real Madrid fan to begin, as he was the bigger man of the two; and privately he made up his mind that, however improbable it might be, nothing should induce him to hint that he did not believe in the Real Madrid fan's tale. Thus politely pressed the great man started:<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">The Real Madrid Fan's Tale</span><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3790253397/" title="el_equipo_posa_con_la_supercopa_de_espaya by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3664/3790253397_f2bfd1c762_o.jpg" alt="el_equipo_posa_con_la_supercopa_de_espaya" width="300" height="192" /></a><br /><br />'I was going along this road one day, when I met <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manuel_Pellegrini">Manuel Pellegrini</a> traveling with a great train of footballers laden with Nike boots --'<br /><br />'Very likely,' murmured the Wizard’s fan; 'I've seen that kind of thing myself.'<br /><br />'No less than one hundred and one footballers,' continued the Real Madrid fan, 'all tied together by their nose strings -- and stretching along the road for almost half a mile -- '<br /><br />‘Well?' said the Wizard’s fan.<br /><br />'Well, a hawk swooped down on the foremost footballer and bore him off, struggling, into the air, and by reason of them all being tied together the other hundred footballers had to follow --'<br /><br />'Amazing, the strength of that hawk!' said the Wizard’s fan. 'But -- well -- yes, doubtless, yes -- well -- one hundred and one fooballers -- and what did he do with them?’<br /><br />'You doubt it?' demanded the Real Madrid fan.<br /><br />'Not a bit!' said the Wizard’s fan heartily.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3791065918/" title="manchestercity by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2557/3791065918_06b9d32b6f_o.jpg" alt="manchestercity" width="200" height="241" /></a><br /><br />'Well,' continued the Real Madrid fan, 'it happened that the Sheik of Manchester City, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mansour_bin_Zayed_Al_Nahyan">Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan</a>, was sitting in his private garden, counting his money, when he looked upward and that wretched hawk, with its prey, went soaring overhead; and, as luck would have it, the footballers gave an extra kick just then, the hawk lost his hold, and the whole hundred and one footballers dropped right into the Sheik's left eye!’<br /><br />'Poor thing!' said the Wizard’s fan; 'it's so painful having anything in one's eye.'<br /><br />'Well,' said the Real Madrid fan, who was now warming to his task, 'the Sheik shook his head, and sprang up, clapping his hand on his eye. "Oh dear!" he cried, "I've got something in my eye, and how it does smart!<br /><br />'It always does,' observed the Wizard’s fan; 'perfectly true. Well, what did the poor man do?’<br /><br />'At the sound of his cries, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinho">Robinho </a>came running to his assistance. "Let me look," said he; and with that she gave the Sheik's eyelid a twitch, and out came Cristiano Ronaldo, which Ronaldo put in his pocket --' (' Ah!' grunted the Wizard’s fan) --' and then he just twisted up the corner of his handkerchief and fished a hundred more of them out of the Sheik's eye, and popped them all into his pocket with the other.'<br /><br />Here the Real Madrid fan gasped as one who is out of breath, but the Wizard’s fan looked at him slowly. ‘Well?' said he.<br /><br />'I can't think of anything more now,' replied the Real Madrid fan. 'Besides, that is the end; what do you say to it?’<br /><br />'Wonderful,' replied the Wizard’s fan, 'and no doubt perfectly true!’<br /><br />'Well, it is your turn,' said the Real Madrid fan. 'I am so anxious to hear your story. I am sure it will be very interesting.'<br /><br />'Yes, I think it will,' answered the Wizard’s fan, and he began:<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />The Wizard's Fan's Tale</span><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3791088622/" title="AlexiLalas1 by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2425/3791088622_c09f4d45f7_o.jpg" alt="AlexiLalas1" width="300" height="244" /></a><br /><br />'My father was a very prosperous man. Five rainbow Wizard’s jerseys he had, and three ticket stubs to the MLS cup, and half a dozen autographs, and memorabilia in abundance; but of all his possessions the thing he loved best was a Wizard’s blue Chevrolet Camaro. Oh she was -- oh, a very fine car!’<br /><br />'Yes, yes,' interrupted the Real Madrid fan, 'get on!’<br /><br />'I'm getting on,' said the Wizard’s fan; 'don't you hurry me! Well, one day, as ill-luck would have it, he drove that car to the Wizard’s vs DC United game with a torn seat cover. A six pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon sat in the tear and ripped it further, so that when he got home there was a rip as big as the palm of your hand.'<br /><br />Yes,' said the Real Madrid fan impatiently, 'what next?’<br /><br />'It was June,' said the Wizard’s fan, 'and you know how, in June, the air is full of dust-storms with rain at times? Well, the poor car got dust in that rip, and what's more, with the dust some grains of wheat, and, what with the dust and the heat and the wet, that wheat sprouted and began to grow!’<br /><br />'Wheat does when it gets a fair chance,' said the Real Madrid fan.<br /><br />'Yes; and the next thing we knew was that there was a crop of wheat on that car's seat as big as anything you ever saw in a hundred-acre field, and we had to hire twenty men to help reap it ! '<br /><br />'One generally has to hire extra hands for reaping,' said the Real Madrid fan.<br /><br />'And we got four hundred bushels of wheat off that seat!' continued the Wizard’s fan.<br /><br />'A good crop!' murmured the Real Madrid fan.<br /><br />'And your father,' said the Wizard’s fan, 'a poor wretch, with hardly enough to keep body and soul together -- (the Real Madrid snorted, but was silent) -- came to my father, and he said, putting his hands together as humble as could be --'<br /><br />The Real Madrid fan here flashed a furious glance at his companion, but bit his lips and held his peace.<br /><br />"I haven't tasted food for a week. Oh! Great master, let me have the loan of sixteen pounds of wheat from your store, and I will repay you."<br /><br />"Certainly, neighbor," answered my father; "take what you need, and repay it as you can." '<br /><br />‘Well?' demanded the Real Madrid fan with fury in his eye.<br /><br />'Well, he took the wheat away with him,' replied the Wizard’s fan; 'but he never repaid it, and it's a debt to this day. Sometimes I wonder whether I shall not go to law about it.'<br /><br />Then the Real Madrid fan began running his thumb quickly up and down the fingers of his right hand, and his lips moved in quick calculation.<br /><br />'What is the matter?' asked the Wizard’s fan.<br /><br />'The wheat is the cheaper; I'll pay you for the wheat,' said the Real Madrid fan, with the calmness of despair, as he remembered that by his own arrangement he was bound to give the Wizard’s fan a hundred Euros.<br /><br />And to this day they say in Kansas, when a man owes a debt: 'Give me the money; or, if not that, give me at least the wheat.'<br /><br />-Taken word for word from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Olive-Fairy-Book-Complete-Unabridged/dp/0486219089">The Olive Fairy Book by Andrew Lang</a>Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461268322077883324noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7543440451136053922.post-20633491245419536882009-07-30T19:08:00.002-05:002009-07-30T19:20:51.954-05:00Player Profiles: Zoltan and Edgaras<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WUQHFqO6HvY&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WUQHFqO6HvY&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed><a class="itgbuxqlmpfarvkwywjk" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/WUQHFqO6HvY&hl=en&fs=1&"></a><a class="itgbuxqlmpfarvkwywjk" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/WUQHFqO6HvY&hl=en&fs=1&"></a></object><br />The MLS transfer window has brought two interesting developments, new players not from South America, but from Western Europe. Hungarian striker Zoltan Hercegfalvi was introduced today as Kansas City’s newest, and much needed, footballer.<br /><br />Earlier this month, New England added a footballer with a very interesting past and storied carrier. Edgaras Jankauskas hails from Lithuania and has been named the Lithuanian footballer of the year five times.<br /><br />Let’s look a little closer at each of their pasts, the clubs they have represented, and any video available of them working magic.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">A Life in a Few Words: Zoltan Hercegfalvi</span><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3773789508/" title="hercegfalvi_zoltan by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2581/3773789508_b50c98cacf_o.jpg" alt="hercegfalvi_zoltan" width="213" height="304" /></a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zolt%C3%A1n_Hercegfalvi">Zoltan Hercegfalvi</a>, was introduced today as Zoltan (and shall here forward always be known in the media as Zoltan), was born in Budapest, Hungary.<br /><iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=budapest&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&split=0&gl=us&ei=dTJySq23NZLgsQO3opj8CA&z=10&iwloc=A&ll=47.611718,19.107971&output=embed" scrolling="no" width="425" frameborder="0" height="350"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=budapest&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&split=0&gl=us&ei=dTJySq23NZLgsQO3opj8CA&z=10&iwloc=A&ll=47.611718,19.107971&source=embed" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br />If you were a fan of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_League">Hungarian football league</a>, you would know who Zoltan is. Now at age 29 he has arrived in the United States having spent much almost all of his life playing in the tumultuous league.<br /><br />Zoltan began his playing career with Budapest Hunved in 1998, where he stayed for five years before moving on to two other Hungarian teams, as well as one Czech team, before returning to his first team in 2006. Much of his life he has played in the small confines of Bozsik Stadium, a small but storied 5,000 seat arena.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3773783198/" title="Bozsik Joszef 400 width by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3423/3773783198_5e3c5ac837_o.jpg" alt="Bozsik Joszef 400 width" width="440" height="235" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Video</span><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_mjoeUSmt7I&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_mjoeUSmt7I&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed><a class="itgbuxqlmpfarvkwywjk" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/_mjoeUSmt7I&hl=en&fs=1&"></a><a class="itgbuxqlmpfarvkwywjk" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/_mjoeUSmt7I&hl=en&fs=1&"></a></object><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">A Life in a Few Words: Edgaras Jankauskas</span><br /><embed id="VideoPlayback" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=-2520488657435870699&hl=en&fs=true" style="width: 400px; height: 326px;" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed><a class="itgbuxqlmpfarvkwywjk" href="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=-2520488657435870699&hl=en&fs=true"></a><a class="itgbuxqlmpfarvkwywjk" href="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=-2520488657435870699&hl=en&fs=true"></a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgaras_Jankauskas">Edgaras Jankauskas</a> was born in Vilnius, Soviet Union in 1975.<br /><iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&client=firefox-a&q=Vilnius&ie=UTF8&split=0&gl=us&ei=Gi9ySriJKorWtgOJz5j0CA&ll=54.882927,25.414124&spn=1.073888,3.56781&z=9&iwloc=A&output=embed" scrolling="no" width="425" frameborder="0" height="350"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&client=firefox-a&q=Vilnius&ie=UTF8&split=0&gl=us&ei=Gi9ySriJKorWtgOJz5j0CA&ll=54.882927,25.414124&spn=1.073888,3.56781&z=9&iwloc=A&source=embed" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br />By the age of 16 he was picked up by a local youth side and continued to make his ways up the ranks, moving from team to team until he made history by signing with FB Bruges for 2.3 million Euros.<br /><br />Once in Bruges, Edgaras’ stock continued to climb until he reached the pinnacle of his career, signing with FC Porto, then coached by the special one, Jose Morinho, where he won every trophy imaginable except the FA Cup.<br /><br />With Porto, Edgaras picked up two Portuguese league trophies, the Portuguese Cup, the Portuguese Super Cup, the UEFA Cup, and most impressively in 2003-2004, the UEFA Champions League, making him the only player currently in Major League Soccer to hold the honor.<br /><br />Although Edgaras was not a starter, he still played an important part in the victories. After winning the Scottish cup with Hearts, he was about to settle down into coaching when Steve Nichol gave him a shot.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Video</span><br />Scoring a cracker for Porto (3 minutes in)<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8fRab8LEqlA&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8fRab8LEqlA&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed><a class="itgbuxqlmpfarvkwywjk" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/8fRab8LEqlA&hl=en&fs=1&"></a><a class="itgbuxqlmpfarvkwywjk" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/8fRab8LEqlA&hl=en&fs=1&"></a></object><br /><br />Scoring for the Lithuanuia vs Belgium in 2004<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FioQ_3MAjrs&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FioQ_3MAjrs&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed><a class="itgbuxqlmpfarvkwywjk" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/FioQ_3MAjrs&hl=en&fs=1&"></a><a class="itgbuxqlmpfarvkwywjk" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/FioQ_3MAjrs&hl=en&fs=1&"></a></object><br /><br />Playing Basketball in a High School gym?<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yyqHJSOMVHM&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yyqHJSOMVHM&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed><a class="itgbuxqlmpfarvkwywjk" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/yyqHJSOMVHM&hl=en&fs=1&"></a><a class="itgbuxqlmpfarvkwywjk" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/yyqHJSOMVHM&hl=en&fs=1&"></a></object><br /><br />Edgaras scored his first goal in America in this year’s Superliga.<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SiROu4QJKRo&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SiROu4QJKRo&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed><a class="itgbuxqlmpfarvkwywjk" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/SiROu4QJKRo&hl=en&fs=1&"></a><a class="itgbuxqlmpfarvkwywjk" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/SiROu4QJKRo&hl=en&fs=1&"></a></object><br /><br />Watch Edgaras as he romps through MLS and remember the storied history and trophies he has gathered along the way.Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461268322077883324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7543440451136053922.post-50401175251978751472009-07-27T17:59:00.001-05:002009-07-27T18:00:51.569-05:00Beckham vs the WizardsNot a full update, but I had to share this insider video of Beckman shaking hands with the KC supporters. It captures exactly what was said that made Beckman so angry.<br /><object width="440" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Wg0qk9UUBP0&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Wg0qk9UUBP0&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="440" height="295"></embed></object><br /><br />I love it.Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461268322077883324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7543440451136053922.post-3372433355158595182009-07-23T22:04:00.005-05:002009-07-24T16:28:23.851-05:00Tweet Tweet: American Soccer Stars on Twitter<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mA3oRP-qmcM&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mA3oRP-qmcM&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Thanks Sean!</span><br /><br />My Twitter evolution is gradual and slow. While most people manage to grab hundreds of followers by following random morons and being awesome people I’ve probably been way too cautions. I first followed the blogs I liked, and then when I felt like blogs were just a big dick contest I tried to just follow the people who didn’t have blogs and just followed me because they probably liked my blog. Lately I realized the best reason of all to use Twitter.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Following the Soccer Stars</span><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3750611581/" title="Tweet Tweet by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3458/3750611581_80b11a19e0_o.jpg" alt="Tweet Tweet" width="400" height="205" /></a><br />For some idiotic reason I’ve spaced up till now probably the best reason to use Twitter. Following the MLS stars I care about. I started by finding a few and then going through all their friends. Because the MLS players generally only friend each other, family, and strippers it’s a good way to track them all down.<br /><br />Below is my list of all the MLS players and National Team players I’ve found on Twitter so far. Feel free to add the ones you know in the comments.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">MLS and Soccer on Twitter</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3751401728/" title="Fail Whale by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3511/3751401728_45c634b971_o.png" alt="Fail Whale" width="400" height="300" /></a><br />International</span><br /><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search"> Aston Villa</span></span><br />Brad Guzan <a href="http://twitter.com/bguzan">@bguzan</a><br /><br /><span style="visibility: visible; font-weight: bold;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">Benfica </span></span><br />Freddy Adu <a href="http://twitter.com/FredduAdu11">@FredduAdu11</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">Villarreal </span></span></span><br />Jozy Altidore <a href="http://twitter.com/JozyAltidore17">@JozyAltidore17</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sochux</span><br />Charlie Davies <a href="http://twitter.com/CharlieDavies10">@CharlieDavies10</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rangers</span><br />Maurice Adu <a href="http://twitter.com/MauriceEdu">@MauriceEdu</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Antalyaspor</span><br />Joseph Ngwenya <a href="http://twitter.com/jngwenya">@jngwenya </a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />MLS</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FC Dallas</span><br />Bobby Rhine <a href="http://twitter.com/RamblinRhino">@RamblinRhino</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chivas USA</span><br />Dan Kennedy <a href="http://twitter.com/1DanKennedy">@1DanKennedy</a><br /><br />Sacha Kljestan <a href="http://twitter.com/SachaKljestan">@SachaKljestan</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Columbus</span><br />Robbie Rogers <a href="http://twitter.com/robbierogers">@robbierogers </a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kansas City</span><br />Jimmy Conrad <a href="http://twitter.com/JimmyConrad">@JimmyConrad</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Houston</span><br />Kie Kamara <a href="http://twitter.com/keikamara">@keikamara </a><br /><br />Paul Dalglish <a href="http://twitter.com/pauldalglish">@pauldalglish </a><br /><br />Brian Ching <a href="http://twitter.com/brianching">@brianching</a><br /><br />Bobby Boswell <a href="http://twitter.com/littleboswell">@littlebobby</a><br /><br />Stuart Holden <a href="http://twitter.com/stuholden22">@stuholden22 </a><br /><br />Danny Cruz <a href="http://twitter.com/Cruz05">@Cruz05</a> <a href="http://centercircle.ussoccer.com/fullStory.jsp_45-1998857.html">US Soccer Profile</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">DC United</span><br />Bryan Namoff <a href="http://twitter.com/NAMOFF">@NAMOFF</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3751401778/" title="Twitter Suspended by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2511/3751401778_26f0be0df4_o.png" alt="Twitter Suspended" width="400" height="299" /></a><br />What does this list tell us? Someone in Houston really liked Twitter and passed it on. Probabyl Stuart Holden.That was a lot of copying and pasting. Enjoy!Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461268322077883324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7543440451136053922.post-64114422953426120122009-07-21T17:51:00.005-05:002009-07-21T19:55:07.850-05:00Video Evidence Plus UpcomingIn case you missed it, David Beckham got two great assists during the Galaxy's friendly vs AC Milan but because of his stupid action, the focus ended up on his confrontation with the fans. Here's the video:<br /><object width="440" height="267"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/O-c720nNtgI&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/O-c720nNtgI&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="440" height="267"></embed></object><br /><br />And an even better angle courtesy of du Nord:<br /><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iYZk75mJ_wc&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iYZk75mJ_wc&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object><br /><br />And more of him being a douche:<br /><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/N2y-RZOKs48&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/N2y-RZOKs48&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object><br /><br />I will be back tomorrow with a brand new post featuring the top MLS players you can follow on Twitter. See you then.<br /><br />I hereby promise to stop posting about the National team and David Beckham all the time and instead follow the trends and new stars of MLS. Well next time at least.Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461268322077883324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7543440451136053922.post-19892019067808810562009-07-14T17:44:00.004-05:002009-07-14T22:35:01.620-05:00The Beckham Experiment: Yup, Still a Dick<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1dqTrUpmwPg&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1dqTrUpmwPg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Anyone who reads Advantage Played regularly knows one thing about me, I really don’t like David Beckham. The “ultimate professional” has never been a true professional and his actions on and off the field have proven that to every Major League Soccer fan.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />A Professional Unprofessional</span><br />When exactly did I realize Beckham was nothing more than a passive aggressive punk? I know the exact moment when my genuine dislike for Beckham was pushed over the top. The Wizard’s took on the Galaxy in the Home Depot Center and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eloy_Colombano">Eloy Colombano</a>, a short lived Wizard’s forward was zooming around the field. At some point, Beckham and Eloy collided with each other. There was no intention from Eloy, it was not even really a challenge.<br /><br />Instead of recognizing the situation, David Beckham picked the ball up off the ground, stood in front of Eloy, and pretended to drop kick the ball into his face.<br /><br />What a dick.<br /><br />Beckham has long coasted through his stay in Major League Soccer hiding his actions under the title of professional. No longer. Grant Wahl’s book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beckham-Experiment-Athlete-Conquer-America/dp/030740787X">The Beckham Experiment</a>, clearly exposes Beckham’s lack of professional décor.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />What is a Professional?</span><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3721281037/" title="Sanjeev-Himachali by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3177/3721281037_ee1be665ca_o.jpg" alt="Sanjeev-Himachali" width="96" height="96" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Hello my name is Sanjeeve Himachali</span><br /><br />What exactly is a professional, and does Beckham qualify? For that, let’s turn to an expert, Sanjeeve Himachali. Mr. Himachali<a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?What-is-Professionalism?-Are-You-a-Professional?&id=249963"> eloquently wrote out his thoughts</a> on what makes a professional. I sat down with Sanjeeve and together we discussed Beckham.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3722094106/" title="Advantage Played by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2397/3722094106_c4f36ea916_o.png" alt="Advantage Played" width="92" height="106" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AP:</span> Hello Sanjeeve, thanks for taking the time to talk with us. I just read the book "The Beckham Experiment" in which Beckham repeatedly calls himself a professional and then acts like a passive aggressive dick. I realized I didn’t know the official meaning of professionalism so I thought maybe you could help us out.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3721281037/" title="Sanjeev-Himachali by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3177/3721281037_ee1be665ca_o.jpg" alt="Sanjeev-Himachali" width="96" height="96" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sanjeeve:</span> Ah yes, thank you very much Mr. Advantage. It is a great honor to be interviewed by such a honorary and established blog.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3722094106/" title="Advantage Played by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2397/3722094106_c4f36ea916_o.png" alt="Advantage Played" width="92" height="106" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AP: </span>Yes thanks Sanjeeve, thanks for that.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3721281037/" title="Sanjeev-Himachali by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3177/3721281037_ee1be665ca_o.jpg" alt="Sanjeev-Himachali" width="96" height="96" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sanjeeve:</span> You are a great writer Mr. Advantage, I can tell we will be great friends, just call me San.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3722094106/" title="Advantage Played by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2397/3722094106_c4f36ea916_o.png" alt="Advantage Played" width="92" height="106" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AP: </span>Thanks San, just call me Advantage. So San, What is a professional?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3721281037/" title="Sanjeev-Himachali by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3177/3721281037_ee1be665ca_o.jpg" alt="Sanjeev-Himachali" width="96" height="96" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">San:</span> I can tell you what a Professional is in just two short bullet points:<br /><ul><li>Professionalism means not just knowing how to do your job, but demonstrating a willingness to learn, cooperating and getting along with others, showing respect, and living up to your commitments.</li><li>It also means avoiding many kinds of behaviors that cause trouble in the workplace.</li></ul><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3722094106/" title="Advantage Played by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2397/3722094106_c4f36ea916_o.png" alt="Advantage Played" width="92" height="106" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Advantage: </span>Beckham know how to do his job. He’s proven that many times. He can put his balls into any hole with remarkable accuracy. But you have to be willing to learn, cooperate, show respect, and live up to your commitments.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3721281037/" title="Sanjeev-Himachali by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3177/3721281037_ee1be665ca_o.jpg" alt="Sanjeev-Himachali" width="96" height="96" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">San:</span> Ah yes that is right Advantage. And by that standard Mr. Wahl has show time and time again in his most excellent new book that Beckham fails. He is a good footballer, but being a professional means excelling in times of hardship. It means taking a new situation and bringing everyone up with you.<br /><br />It means working and playing with all your heart every day. It means embracing your co-workers strengths. Instead of saying that MLS needs better players, it means leading your teammates to victory through true leadership.<br /><br />Most importantly it means living up to your commitments. That means you don’t leave practice early every day. It means you don’t run away to the other side of the world and talk, excuse me, shit, on your teammates.<br /><br />Words are nothing. Professionals show results through their actions.<br /><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3722094106/" title="Advantage Played by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2397/3722094106_c4f36ea916_o.png" alt="Advantage Played" width="92" height="106" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Advantage: </span>Now San, you say that a professional avoids behaviors that cause trouble in the workplace?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3721281037/" title="Sanjeev-Himachali by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3177/3721281037_ee1be665ca_o.jpg" alt="Sanjeev-Himachali" width="96" height="96" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">San: </span>Yes yes.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3722094106/" title="Advantage Played by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2397/3722094106_c4f36ea916_o.png" alt="Advantage Played" width="92" height="106" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Advantage:</span> So when Beckham leveraged his entertainment group to basically take control of the Galaxy he was not acting as a professional?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3721281037/" title="Sanjeev-Himachali by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3177/3721281037_ee1be665ca_o.jpg" alt="Sanjeev-Himachali" width="96" height="96" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">San:</span> That is right Advantage, but not all of the fault goes to Beckham here. Sure he may be sleazy and unprofessional but the whole situation was caused by Tim Leiweke, head of AEG. He was taken in by the glam and glitz around Beckham and gave him the respect a professional deserves, instead of a very sneaky rich person.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3722094106/" title="Advantage Played by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2397/3722094106_c4f36ea916_o.png" alt="Advantage Played" width="92" height="106" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Advantage:</span> Thanks for you time San. You've got great hair.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3721281037/" title="Sanjeev-Himachali by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3177/3721281037_ee1be665ca_o.jpg" alt="Sanjeev-Himachali" width="96" height="96" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">San:</span> Anytime Mr. Advantage. I just got it cut and my eyebrows were also refreshed by a good plucking.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3722094106/" title="Advantage Played by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2397/3722094106_c4f36ea916_o.png" alt="Advantage Played" width="92" height="106" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Advantage:</span> That about wraps it up for today. I know I’ve learned a lot about MLS and what professionalism isn’t by reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beckham-Experiment-Athlete-Conquer-America/dp/030740787X">The Beckham Experiment</a> and I know you will too.<br /><br />Until next time, when I make fun of someone else and then show a random music video, this is Advantage Played signing off.Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461268322077883324noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7543440451136053922.post-807552035903412742009-07-10T15:25:00.002-05:002009-07-10T15:35:21.878-05:00Good USA v Honduras Highlights Plus Fouling CoachesIf you didn't see the US goal vs Honduras live you are missing out on the full flow of the attack. Here is the best highlights of the two US goals.<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kckwTRUXjXk&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kckwTRUXjXk&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Yesterday Mexico and Panama fought (literaly) to a 1-1 tie, but not before Mexico's coach tried to kick a Panamanian footballer in the groin. You have to watch this one to believe it.<br /><object width="440" height=""><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cvO7qAf_3-U&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cvO7qAf_3-U&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="440" height="270"></embed></object>Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461268322077883324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7543440451136053922.post-16493474084437975272009-07-06T20:11:00.005-05:002009-07-06T21:02:12.576-05:00A Brief How To: Spotting the Soccer Douche<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/R71A52okHzQ&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/R71A52okHzQ&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I'm pleased to present my first guest post, and it's by my brother David. He's been playing pickup soccer every night so far this summer and developed the following survival mechanism.</span><br /><br />When picking sides in the neighborhood pick up game, spotting the player that will end up hogging the ball, talking inordinate amounts of trash, and eventually storming off the field can be a great advantage. However, in the beginning stages it can be hard to pinpoint this player. In this short How To guide I will outline several basic tenants that most, if not all, soccer douches follow.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Gelled Hair</span><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3695707675/" title="douche1 by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3467/3695707675_9107169a55_o.png" alt="douche1" height="400" width="250" /></a><br />I am not talking about that you had gel in your hair this morning. I am talking about gelling your hair before the game, styling it in the mirror, and then constantly checking yourself out in any reflective surface that happens to be near the pitch. Oh extra shiny soccer ball, I think I will admire my beautiful hair in you.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Under Armor</span><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3695707701/" title="2 18 by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2594/3695707701_d9c9ea06e9_o.jpg" alt="2 18" height="400" width="280" /></a><br />Now there is a time and place for under armor, if you are a girl that time is when it is chilly out. However, if you are a man, under armor is only permitted to be worn when it is snowing out. If you happen to spot a player who shows up in 80 degree weather wearing skin tight spandex than you can be 70% sure he takes himself too seriously.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Neon Colored Cleats</span><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3695707763/" title="evisu_soccer_004 by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3633/3695707763_9f42a4bfdf_o.jpg" alt="evisu_soccer_004" height="542" width="374" /></a><br />This should be taken as a bright flashing warning that says, “This player craves attention!” He will always be open. He will always demand the ball by screaming. He will take shots every chance he gets. He will not pass, because he is, of course, the best player on his team. And you can be damn sure that he is too good for defense.<br /><br />Now once in your lifetime you will stumble onto a player who walks onto the pitch with a freshly gelled fohawk, neon green Nike’s and skin tight under armor. Run for your life, and do not look back.Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461268322077883324noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7543440451136053922.post-8585006885840863992009-07-02T21:18:00.007-05:002009-07-03T00:24:30.625-05:00The Power of SuperLiga<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5mvn0U4lS24&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5mvn0U4lS24&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />This last Sunday night me and my new (first one) wife had the chance to celebrate our marriage by attending our first <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_SuperLiga">SuperLiga</a> game, Kansas City vs <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santos_Laguna">Santos Laguna</a>. For the first time I’d get to see a Mexican team in action, and I was excited to see Kansas City win.<br /><br />Or tie, all they needed was a tie.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">A Sea of Green</span><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3683527072/" title="santos3 by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2646/3683527072_e5f87b1fe6_o.jpg" alt="santos3" width="440" height="325" /></a><br />Driving up to the stadium it became apparent that this wasn’t going to be a normal Wizard’s game. Flags were flowing from cars and trucks, colors were represented by the supports marching to stadium, but instead of Wizard’s blue, they were Santos’ green.<br /><br />Walking up to the stadium, Wizard’s fans were hard to find. A green mass covered the parking lot like algae on the Chinese sea before the Olympics. As we navigated through the crowd to the Cauldron bleachers behind the West goal a glorious vision laid itself out.<br /><br />Instead of one section of the stadium standing, the whole stadium was on its feet. Wizard’s fans were minorities in their own stadium. Out of the 10,300 that fit into CommunityAmerica ballpark, at least 8,000 were Santos Laguna fans.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">CommunityAmerica Transformed</span><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3683515672/" title="KC v Santos by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2658/3683515672_9b9522cb1f_o.png" alt="KC v Santos" width="440" height="245" /></a><br />Together we transformed the normal somewhat subdued atmosphere into something loud, spirited, and spiritual. The small mass of Blue in the Cauldron battled the larger Santos crowd. Together a roar emitted from CommunityAmerica that has never been heard before.<br /><br />Sunday, the Wizard’s faltered. Jimmy Conrad picked up an injury in the 45th minute, effectively leaving a gaping hole in defense that his replacement, <a href="http://kc.wizards.mlsnet.com/players/bio.jsp?team=t105&player=mckenzie_r&playerId=mck176293&statType=current">McKenzie</a>, just could not fill. Santos took full advantage of the counter and despite good chances by the Wizard’s scored the first goal.<br /><br />As I stood silent, I looked around me at the crowd, loud cheering, green, standing, happy. They had come together from all over Kansas for a taste of home. To see Santos Laguna run. To love the colors. To move away from rumors, telephone conversations, gossip, radio, and TV. A chance to see your home team after years in the flat fields of Kansas.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />From Anger to Laughter</span><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3682702407/" title="KC v Santos by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2629/3682702407_178abf57fe_o.png" alt="KC v Santos" width="440" height="247" /></a><br />As the game moved on, Santos scored again rousing the crowd into ecstasy. The Wizard’s threw hope into the crowd when Lopez stroked an incredible free kick that floated into the goal.<br /><br />My anger and frustration at the Wizard’s sloppy play made me yell and scream. It made me sit down and hold my head in my hands. It made me chant and sing.<br /><br />Then Santos Laguna showed their speed and killed off the game on a lightning fast counter attack. All of a sudden our hopes were gone and my mood shifted from anger to laughter. I threw back my head and laughed. The Wizard’s had lost: we were destroyed, Santos had won, but my anger faded away.<br /><br />Now was the time to enjoy the incredible atmosphere.<br /><br />As the Santos Laguna crowd danced and sang, I smiled.Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461268322077883324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7543440451136053922.post-82706988007989379192009-06-29T23:01:00.004-05:002009-06-30T21:38:41.431-05:00Confederations Cup 2009 Rewind: USA! USA! USA!<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ocfZrkVaSvw&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ocfZrkVaSvw&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />The Confederations Cup 2009 was a great tournament. Especially for US National Team supporters, the Cup provided lows, highs, and highs that quickly turned into despair.<br /><br />Here at Advantage Played, I like to look to do some of my analysis after the games have all been played. Now that we are moving rapidly away from the Cup, it is easy to look back as the US National Team feed of each other’s negative energy to create something wonderful.<br /><br />So together with your good pal Graham let’s step back into time and review the games, the highlights, and the emotions.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Game 1: USA v Italy (Group Stage)</span><br />The first US game saw a lineup that included familiar faces, some of which US fans were starting to get frustrated and fed up with. After an inconsistent round of World Cup Qualifying, fans and bloggers alike were questioning how we were going to deal with world super power since moments before Costa Rica had slapped us around on a bumpy turf.<br /><br />The US faced a nemesis in Giuseppe Rossi. He could have been ours, but instead he chooses Italy. His choice really hurt us when he stabbed us over and over. And then he celebrated. How dare he celebrate. Loser.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Highlights</span><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9ZWenHaFg9U&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9ZWenHaFg9U&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Bloggers </span><br />Giuseppe Rossi is the devil. He is the spawn of Satan, but he is a beautiful Satan who we would gladly take as our own at a moment’s notice.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Michael Bradley</span><br />“Everyone believes in Giuseppe Rossi but no one believes in me, someday I’ll be a real boy”<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">This Moment is Brought to You by Advantage Played : <a href="http://advantageplayed.blogspot.com/2009/06/lets-kill-giuseppe-rossi.html">Let’s Kill Giuseppe Rossi</a></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Game 2: USA v Brazil (Group Stage)</span><br />The Highlights<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/q181ijyj2h8&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/q181ijyj2h8&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Bloggers </span><br />We just lost to the worst team ever, fire Bob Bradley!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Michael Bradley</span><br />“We keep losing and yet no one believes in us. Fuck the world. They don’t know what it is really like in the locker room. Without twirling Hejduk's hair through my fingers and getting my kiss I don't feel comfortable on the pitch."<br /><br />This Moment is Brought to You by Advantage Played: <a href="http://advantageplayed.blogspot.com/2009/06/brazil-vs-usa-salary-version.html">Brazil vs USA: Salary Version</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Game 3: USA v Egypt (Group Stage)</span><br />After falling to two great teams the US stood up and decided to play. It all came together, a tired Egyptian team, Brazil laying the beat down on Italy<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Highlights</span><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Hw-nLOqRCIg&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Hw-nLOqRCIg&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Bloggers </span><br />Don’t fire Bob Bradley!<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/l6kWTHwQ9ac&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/l6kWTHwQ9ac&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Michael Bradley</span><br />“I will fuel my success with Soccer by Ives message board posts.”<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">This Moment is Brought to You by Advantage Played : <a href="http://advantageplayed.blogspot.com/2009/06/doing-it-hard-way-usa-v-egypt.html">Doing It the Hard Way</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Game 4: USA v Spain (Semifinal) </span><br />With hope on the up no one really gave the US a chance vs Spain. Everyone racked this one up to luck and bit of good play. But with one of the most incredible games in US National Team history... well watch and see.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Highlights</span><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/h8AkDaqAIRU&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/h8AkDaqAIRU&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Bloggers </span><br />Bob Bradley is God!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Michael Bradley</span><br />“Those stupid heads with their typing can’t keep me down. Take that internet!”<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">This Moment is Brought to You by Advantage Played: Way too celebratory to write this post</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Game 5: USA v Brazil (Final)</span><br />For the first time in the history of US soccer, we were in a final. The buildup was huge. Fans watched highlights of Spain losing over and over again while flooding every message board possible. Hope was again washing over the fans but behind all that hope there was still a feeling of dread and dispare.<br /><br />Two miracles had come and gone, would there be one more?<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Highlights</span><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MJApzGWky0g&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MJApzGWky0g&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Bloggers </span><br />Fire Bob Bradley!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Michael Bradley</span><br />“Fuck Donavan, I’ll take all the respect I can get.”<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">This Moment is Brought to You by Advantage Played: <a href="http://advantageplayed.blogspot.com/2009/06/confederations-cup-2009-rewind-usa-usa.html">Confederations Cup 2009 Rewind: USA! USA! USA!</a></span>Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461268322077883324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7543440451136053922.post-71318344718187720692009-06-23T22:13:00.003-05:002009-06-23T22:28:27.321-05:00Of Marriage and SuperLiga<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/wepAxJ6BN30&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wepAxJ6BN30&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Well I am off to get married on Saturday! That means I won't be posting for a week or so. I will see you soon as there are all sorts of excited footballing events going on. Just like every American fan I am excited to see if we can break Spain's record breaking run of good play. My head is brimming with ideas about all sorts of MLS stories I want to write.<br /><br />If you are going to the Wizard's SuperLiga game Sunday look for me. I'll be at the tailgate with my wife!<br /><br />Here is a picture of me as I ponder why no one in MLS can cross consistently.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3655390467/" title="graham by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3552/3655390467_1cc5814d16_o.jpg" alt="graham" width="333" height="500" /></a><br />See you there!Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461268322077883324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7543440451136053922.post-86252766149483379482009-06-21T21:55:00.004-05:002009-06-21T22:02:39.299-05:00Doing It the Hard Way: USA v Egypt HighlightsIt's a father's day miracle! The USA pulled out a convincing 3-0 win over Egypt, and combined with Brazil beating Italy by 3 goals, they move on to the next round!<br /><br />Here are the 10 minute highlights of the USA game:<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2_IJ9EL_gNM&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2_IJ9EL_gNM&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Of course just as important as beating Egypt was Brazil beating Italy.<br /><object width="440" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zAlpHVQrow0&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zAlpHVQrow0&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="440" height="364"></embed></object>Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461268322077883324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7543440451136053922.post-45689180270088657352009-06-18T21:45:00.003-05:002009-06-21T22:03:38.740-05:00Brazil vs USA: Salary Version<div><object width="440" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x77qa9_10cc-wall-street-shuffle_music&related=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x77qa9_10cc-wall-street-shuffle_music&related=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="440" height="349"></embed></object><br /><b><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x77qa9_10cc-wall-street-shuffle_music">10CC Wall Street Shuffle</a></b><br /></div><br />With two losses in three days and seven goals scored against its no surprise to find message boards full angry American fans. As they passionately call for Bob Bradley’s sacking and kicking Beasley off the team (I can go for that one) we see the true passion and reactions that football causes. In my head I knew that the US was probably going to lose but I still expect the USA to beat the world. Italy and Brazil may be giants, but we are the USA.<br /><br />As I thought about the Brazil’s win, I started to think about comparing the salary of US players to Brazilian players.<br /><br />Just how much is the US National Team worth and how much is Brazil worth?<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Adding It Up</span><br />Because football is a business, and because the market value of each player is one way to measure quality, I decided to look at the fiscal worth of each player. How far behind is the USA financially?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">USA v Brazil</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">USA</span><br />Donovan 900k----------Altidore-10 mill----------Dempsey 4 mill<br /><br />--------------------Kljestan-170k--------------------<br /><br />----------Beasley-1.4 mill----------Bradley-4.4 mill-----------<br /><br />Bornstein-90k--Onyewu-3-4 mill----DeMerit-3-4 mill?----Spector 500k<br /><br />--------------------Howard—5-10 mill?-------------------<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Combined Squad Worth: </span>40 Million<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Brazil</span><br />--------Robinho-57.5 mill-----Fabiano-40 mill-----------<br /><br />-----Kaka-91.5 mill-----------------Ramires—10.4 mill----<br /><br />---------Gilberto-7.3 mill----Felipe—11.1 mill------------<br /><br />Santos-??---Lucio-12 mill----Miranda-??----Maicon 12 mill<br /><br />--------------Julio Cesar??------------------<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Combined Squad Worth: </span> 250 Million +<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">That’s a lot of Money</span><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3639629853/" title="Brazil national team fan with flag by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2459/3639629853_b916664ce8_o.jpg" alt="Brazil national team fan with flag" width="440" height="307" /></a><br />With 250 million, the Brazil’s National Team could buy the US 6.25 times over. Three Brazilian players make as much as the whole US squad. Combined, Robinho, Fabiano, and Kaka make 189 million, almost 5 times as much as the US squad.<br /><br />What does that tell us? The market sure thinks Brazil is better than the USA.Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461268322077883324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7543440451136053922.post-63650073477638022792009-06-17T20:19:00.003-05:002009-06-21T22:03:20.008-05:00Let's Kill Giuseppe RossiMonday afternoon saw US hopes raised, dashed, and slaughtered in quick order. As Bruce over at du Nord <a href="http://dunord.blogspot.com/2009/06/some-news-for-tue-jun-16.html">pointed out</a> it’s the first time the US has lost when scoring first in over 75 games. It was disappointing but the US still looked strong despite going a man down. Altidore looked ferocious up front and he could have easily put the US up early on but squandered an incredible chance.<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JYFEHxRrscw&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JYFEHxRrscw&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(Yes 10 minutes of highlights)</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Giuseppe Rossi</span><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3637504546/" title="Giuseppe Rossi by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3635/3637504546_9639d93c55_o.jpg" alt="Giuseppe Rossi" width="450" height="348" /></a><br />In the end an American stole the show, an American playing for the Italians <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giuseppe_Rossi">Giuseppe Rossi</a> himself. It hurts to get beat by any team but when you are stuck and then the knife is twisted by a footballer who could have been playing for your team it hurts even more.<br /><br />Outrage has erupted from within the American fans all over the internet. Calls for blood; cries of traitor; and discussions of inappropriate celebration. "This tournament means nothing,” they say, “why would he celebrate with no regards towards our tender feelings?" In football the politics and vision we hold can be much different than those viewed by those on the pitch.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Friends and Enemies</span><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/advantageplayed/3637504610/" title="Altidore by Advantage Played, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3320/3637504610_59c2e11e1a_m.jpg" alt="Altidore" width="192" height="240" /></a><br />How do the American players feel about being killed by a former compatriot? Surely they feel disappointed that he is not one of them, especially after his killing shots took over the game. But I don’t think that the US National team players think of him as a real traitor. Rossi had the balls and confidence in himself throw away a sure thing with the USA and prove himself at the highest level on the Italian National Team.<br /><br />While we hate, we forget that Rossi and Altidore are friends. Altidore has often spoken of how nice Rossi was to him and how he helped him become acclimated to Spain. Although they may be enemies while they have national team jerseys on they are friends when not on the pitch.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">What are we Really Feeling?</span><br />What place do these emotions of ours have in the basis of real life? Calling for the blood of a young man who did nothing more than go and play for a country that no one on the American team could start for? Football is more of a business than many of us like to realize.<br /><br />While all players call for fame and glory while playing for their National side often these big tournaments server as places to drive up your price. The real prize is money, not just glory and adoration.<br /><br />Recently, a German national team player, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jermaine_Jones">Jermaine Jones</a>, has <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hgJ4YhyNZhA-nP3u6fGgzKdo42uwD98P3JA02">switched sides</a> and we welcomed him with open arms. He is basically doing the same thing as Giuseppe Rossi except instead of trying for the best he is falling back on his second choice. There are no cries for how disloyal he is.<br /><br />We aren’t angry.<br /><br />We are jealous.Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461268322077883324noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7543440451136053922.post-20561261845745495092009-06-11T20:19:00.003-05:002009-06-11T20:26:19.001-05:00What's Happened To Advantage Played?<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Fk8qcGOtBFw&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Fk8qcGOtBFw&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Hey everyone (well those still reading). I'm here to give you a short State of Advantage played.<br /><br />In the past, the skies were full of magic and wonder. Every day I would update with glorious tales of football and the heros and villians that ran the pitches. Then the skies grew dark. Lightning flashed. Updates came less frequently. Where has Graham and our frequent updates gone? Will he ever return?<br /><br />Yes its all too true I'm not updating as much recently. But it's a good sacrifice and I still believe I will be back to updating very frequently. Recently I:<br /><ul><li>Got a professional full time job</li><li>Move to Kansas City</li><li>Got engaged</li><li>Had a death in the family</li><li>And I'm getting married at the end of this month</li></ul>As you can imagine, its severly cutting down on the time and energy I once had to update. Not all is lost though. The sky will clear, and I will decend again in a glorious rain of gold. Post will flow like the cash out of Eddie Johnson's pockets.<br /><br />I shall return to my frequent posting ways. Really.Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461268322077883324noreply@blogger.com1