Tag: Football

  • World Cup Dispatch (Update): USA v Wales, and other Stuff

    It’s halftime and Team USA is up 1-0 over Wales. That was a pretty goal by Weah and I am sure it is a huge weight off the team after scoring it. Over the first half of the game, USA has been the more aggressive team, fighting for every ball. I was put off at the start of the match by the Referee, as the two yellow cards he handed out to Dest and McKeennie within two minutes of each other seemed rather heavy handed. Things are looking good, but I will feel a lot better once we get the three points.

    I did feel bad for Senegal going down 0-2 to the Netherlands. I would like to know how those tricky Dutch always produce good teams for such a small nation?

    The other thing I noticed today as I ran errands around the neighborhood – There are no signs that the World Cup is going on. In Cups past, for the Men and the Women, there are signs, bunting, banners, and all sorts of things out on store fronts and in the streets. This time around, there is nothing. I know the timing of the Cup isn’t the best for us in the States, with Thanksgiving and Christmas happening. But still, I was expecting to see something out and about.

    UPDATE:

    That didn’t end the way I wanted it to. Yup, can’t foul Bale in the box; he’ll make you pay. And now Wales is all charged up, and will go out there gunning for Iran. That leaves the Welsh with a point off of us, three off of Iran, and then I see them losing to England, for a total of four points. And USA is also playing for 4 points. They have 1 now, and sadly I don’t think they will beat England. That means it will come down to the final match against Iran, which should be a win. But, this is the Wold Cup, and I can see Iran pulling out a tie for national pride and all of that stuff. The path to the knockout round just got harder for Team USA, but not impossible. They just need to score a ton of goals from here on out.

    (Hey! Please, if you are enjoying this blog, take a minute to give a like. You can share this post or leave a comment, but most people don’t do that. Following me; well, I won’t say know to that.)

  • ODDS and ENDS: World Cup Starts on Sunday, Twitter-ageddon, and Thanksgiving

    (I came all this way…)

    I shouldn’t watch the World Cup. FIFA, the organization that runs the World Cup, is corrupt as the day is long, and they were paid off by Qatar so that this authoritarian nation could host the competition. Just gander at this, if you haven’t heard it yet. That’s bad, but let’s not forget that Qatar has a history of human rights abuses, and in the rush to build these stadiums in the desert, thousands of migrant workers died. That is truly horrendous, and unconscionable. Then today, Qatar banned beer sales at the stadiums. Now, now, wine and alcohol will be available in the VIP boxes, but not for everyone else. Yes, fans will be able to get alcohol at their hotels, and other designated spots. I don’t know much, but I do know that when you ban something, people will just find a way around it. That leaves me to believe that there will be a whole lot of pre-gaming from certain fans from England and Germany. Well, actually, all the teams from Europe, if I am to be honest. The World Cup in Qatar is a shitshow before it even started. And yet the whole world will watch. Myself included. There is a little shame in that, sure, but I really like the idea of a global sports competition. It’s not the equalitarian event I want it to be, but I keep hoping that if all of us who love this event keep putting pressure on the organizers, that soon we can have the fair, sportsmanship advocating event that we all really want. Also, Mexico will choke in the group stage, USA will make it to the knockout round but lose their first match, and England takes third place. That’s my prediction, as I have no idea who will win the whole thing.

    I keep expecting Twitter to blowup – just explode in a ball of flames. Sadly, I see now that it will be a slow decline, like Myspace and Tumblr. Everyone will migrate somewhere else, and the trolling begins anew. I just can’t make heads or tails of Mastodon. (Seriously, I need to pick a sever? Whatever.) I think my Tumblr account is still active. Just look for me @mlgroff wherever handles are used.

    I’m ready for Thanksgiving. We’ll be shopping for the meal this weekend, as we have had our menu ready to go for two weeks now. I’m looking forward to this holiday because in our house, we hang around in pajamas all day, and eat when the meal is ready. It is a very lazy day in our house. As I have gotten older, and now that I am a father, Thanksgiving has come to symbolize for me the last full day of rest I can get before the crazy marathon of Christmas starts. So, Here! Here! Turkey Day!

    (SAY! Thanks for making it to the end of this post. If you have enjoyed my wordsmithing, then please be kind and give a like. No one shares or comments on my posts, so you don’t have to do that, but following my blog would be a super awesome bonus. I’ll update the website soon. I promise!)

  • It’s a Tottenham Blog Post

    I don’t know a whole lot about Premiere League football, but I am learning. And as a burgeoning Tottenham Hotspur fan, I am still taking in as much lore and history about the team as possible. One of the things I have down is that Arsenal is the chief rival, and when these two teams play, it’s a very big deal, and it even has a name; North London Derby. I got that much down.

    It does seem like every time that these two teams play, there is something very important on the line. Last year, the second match between them pretty much determined who was going to qualify for the Champions League. This year, it was to see who would lead the top of the table, as Arsenal was in first and Spurs were in third.

    The match didn’t go Tottenham’s way, and though Kulusevski was out with an injury, he wouldn’t have helped. Arsenal was clearly the better team and they were determined to prove it. And this is the part that makes me nervous about Spurs; they are a fragile team. When things start going bad in a match, it’s hard for them to right the ship. The second goal that Arsenal scored should have been stopped by Lloris. It was a fluke mistake, or accident depending how you look at it, but the end of the day, he shouldn’t have let that ball squeak by him. Which leads me to Royal’s foul. Did he deserve a red card for it? I don’t think so. But it was a stupid foul, done out of frustration. And Arsenal made they pay for it, scoring four minutes later. At the end of the day, Arsenal is still in first and Spurs are third, but instead of a one point difference, it’s now four.

    Tottenham have now suffered two losses in three matches, and in both cases a lack of focus has done them in. Sure, I understand the argument that Conte is putting too much emphasis on scoring, and the defense is lacking. Maybe that will get solved later in the season. Maybe.

    As for now, they face Frankfurt, in Frankfurt, for a Champions League Group match. I haven’t heard if Kulusevski will be back, but just as with the Arsenal match, I’m not sure he will be the key to their success. The team needs to come out swinging, and be that aggressive group that Conte keeps talking about. That’s what I will be looking for.

    Here’s the obligatory: #COYS

    (OY! Be a good lad, and share a little love with a guy trying to write about football! A like, a share, a comment would be ace! As would be subscribing to this blog!)

  • ODDS and ENDS: North London Derby, Apple Picking, and My Flute!!!

    (My weekly segment and , you know, I like soup.)

    Here we are – Tottenham v Arsenal. The North London Derby. The #1 and #3 team of the Premiere League go at it. Will Spurs stay undefeated? Will Arsenal stay on top of the League? I won’t know because NBC is showing the match in USA, and I don’t have cable. I have Peacock, and the more I say that out loud, the sillier and more embarrassed I feel. What the hell am I paying for if I can’t watch matches live. (Yes, I sound like a bitter old man, and yes, I will start yelling out a cloud next.) Anyway, I saw a report that Dejan Kulusevski got injured this past week, and might not play. On paper that shouldn’t be an issue with Kane, Son and Richarlison up front and Dier anchoring the back line. Still, it is Arsenal which has been playing really well, and if there is a team that can get under Tottenham’s skin, it’s Arsenal. Should be a fun match, but I’ll have to catch it on the replay, because NBC’s Premiere League coverage sucks.

    Tomorrow starts October, which means I will go apple picking with my family, and I will have flannel on. Even if it is too warm out, I will be decked out in Autumn appropriate clothing, even if it kills me. It just was the season demands.

    Apparently, according to our American Conservative friends, Lizzo isn’t allowed to play an old flute that no one knew existed three days ago. I can’t prove any of this, but I have a feeling that the idea of Lizzo playing the Madison flute probably was thought up by someone in the Library of Congress with the intention of expanding kids’ interest in American history, and Lizzo was all for it. Good intentions, you know… I bet there are a bunch of history nerd at the LoC looking at each other wondering how this flute situation has become “controversial.” I bet the “H.E.R. Playing Lincoln’s Guitar” idea is now out the window.

    (Say, before you head over to another blog, do me a favor, huh? I need you to like, share, comment on, or subscribe to this blog. Every click I get helps an angel keep his wings.)

  • Son Showed Up

    So, you remember how I said on Friday that Son needed to show up if Tottenham was going to have a successful season? Well, only one person read that blog, so the odds are that you didn’t know that I said that, but I’m not going to hold that against you.

    But let’s be honest about that match between Leicester and Tottenham; Spurs were up 3-2 by the time Son came in, so it wasn’t like the game was on the line. I hate to think that Conte is playing mind game with his team, but it did kind’a feel that way. Son didn’t get the start for this game, and when he did come in, he looked like he had a chip on his shoulder. His first goal, a right footer from outside of the box that curved into the right corner was just brilliant. The way Son stood on the field, soaking in the roar of the crowd, and having his team mates congratulate him, it was like all that pressure was coming off his shoulders. Then his goal eleven minutes later off the left foot to the left corner was like a mirror image of the first. You could tell the man was having fun again with that one; smile was back on his face; all was right in the world. THEN, two minutes later, he gets his third goal of the day – completing the hat trick.

    I like Son. I think he’s a lot of fun to watch, and he’s a very competitive man. He wants to be out there and he wants the ball. I think it helped that Spurs didn’t need any of those goals to win the match, which allowed Son to just play his game. But like I said on Friday, if Tottenham wants to go deep in the Champions League, and if they want to win the Premiere League, Son has got to be out there scoring goals.

    Bottom line; I just might know what I’m talking about when it comes to Tottenham.

    (I know I just impressed you with my knowledge of football, so be a good lad and share the love with a like, comment or a share. It would help me carry on.)