...the plot that you passed

Another round of the Monthly Mix is now available and ready for distribution. Enjoy.

1. Lake Michigan - Rogue Wave
2. Down The Line - Jose Gonzalez
3. Mind's Eye - Josh Ritter
4. Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe - Okkervil River
5. St. Andrews - Bedouin Soundclash
6. Daughter - Loudon Wainwright III
7. Radio Nowhere - Bruce Springsteen
8. How Low - Jose Gonzalez
9. Oh Mary Don't You Weep - Mike Farris
10. Fool for a Lonesome Train - Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals
11. Skinny Love - Bon Iver
12. Better People - Xavier Rudd
13. Steeple Full Of Swallows - The Gourds
14. Hard Sun (Main) - Eddie Vedder
15. Killing for Love - Jose Gonzalez
16. A Hand To Take Hold Of The Scene - Okkervil River
17. Boy With A Coin - Iron & Wine
18. Right Moves - Josh Ritter
19. Wet And Rusting - Menomena
20. Walls Fall Down - Bedouin Soundclash
21. Trouble - Over The Rhine

Hope Solo Speaks Out Against Ryan

"It was the wrong decision, and I think anybody that knows anything about the game knows that," she said. "There's no doubt in my mind I would have made those saves. And the fact of the matter is it's not 2004 anymore. ... It's 2007, and I think you have to live in the present. And you can't live by big names. You can't live in the past. It doesn't matter what somebody did in an Olympic gold medal game in the Olympics three years ago. Now is what matters, and that's what I think."


Not sure how I feel about this. On one hand I don't think players should openly criticize the team or coach like this to the media. I think they should give the event some distance and maybe at least wait until the tournament is over. On the other hand...can you blame her? What do you think?

Brazil 4, US 0: Let the questions begin

The US WNT was crushed by Brazil this morning 4-0. The chorus of questions that the coach must be facing regarding his decision to change goalies will never end. His substitutions late in the game to put more defensive players in when down 3-0 will add to the fire. The fact that we put our fastest defender in at the 60th+ minute against a team that was killing our left wing will bury this guy. But...

...to be fair:

• The referee made a horrendous call and ejected a US player for no reason in the first half, changing the face of the game
• The US team just didn't play as good as everyone thinks they are. They were unable to possess the ball all tournament. Their attack was one dimensional. Their defending was not solid. All around, the US team was just beat by Brazil.

In the end, I believe the coach made some mistakes, and they were big ones. However, the loss should be placed at the feet of the entire team. They played poorly.

Dance with the one...

...that brought you. Personally, I don't think you should ever make coaching decisions because a trite phrase happens to ring true for a particular situation. However, I would really hesitate as a coach to trade out my starting goalie and put in a new goalie as I head into the semifinals of the biggest soccer tournament in the world against a team that comes from Brazil.

In fact, I was in a tournament last weekend and our opponent subbed in a new goalie during sudden death overtime. I instructed my team to shoot at will, because in my mind, the other coach just switched in a player who was not mentally involved in the pace or rhythm of the game. Less then one minute in, we took a shot from 35 yards out that slipped under the goalie and hit the side netting. Unfortunately, it was the outside of the side netting and the shot was off target. But it certainly made me feel like the decision to switch in that goalie was questionable. In the end, my team lost and that keeper stopped a key penalty kick against us...so maybe I am just plain wrong about this one.

Headed into the game tomorrow, the US national team coach pulled the trigger and switched out his starting goalie. That guy has cojones and has just set himself up to be heralded as a master tactician or a lowly goat.

US WNT Set to Take on Brazil

I'll be waking up tomorrow, face paint on and ready for the 7 AM CST kickoff. We play Brazil in the Semifinals of the Women's World Cup. Set your alarms.

Hand of God Rematch

The World Cup teams of Argentina and England from 1986 are meeting in a rematch of the 86 Quarterfinals on October 14th. The 1986 game is famous for the first 6 minutes of the 2nd half, when Diego Maradona used his left fist to finish the first of 2 goals in Argentina's 2-1 victory over England.

Maradona will take the field one more time and I have a feeling he will have a huge target on his back. I have trouble believing this is true...but it appears to be based on fact. Let us all pray to the network television gods: Please let ESPN or FSC carry this game.

News related to the event here.
Tickets for the game here!
Check out the website for the event here.
Check our a video of the famous Hand of God here.

Stuffed Tiger

Some days it would be nice to stick a stuffed tiger outside the door and just stay home...