Canada Robbed at Gold Cup, Yet Again

For second consecutive Gold Cup, Canada were once again on the short end of some horrible officiating. This time, wasn't quite as bad. The only goal of the game came off of a penalty kick that was awarded because the ball hit a Paul Stalteri in the head. I was under the impression that you could use your head in soccer. Then, Ali Gerba got tackled in the box. The foul was called on him. Apparently, if you get tackled its a foul on you. Honduras would win the game 1-0 and will play the USA on Thursday. For Canadian fans, this loss will bring up bad memories. In 2005, Costa Rica defeated Canada on a non-existent penalty. Had Canada tied they would have advanced. In 2007, the USA defeated Canada on some of the worst officiating in the history of the sport. The USA was awarded a penalty after a dive by Donovan, which lead to the first goal. Then, in one of the worst calls I have ever seen, Canada had the tying goal in stoppage time taken away for offsides. The play was clearly onside and it came off of the USA defender. Now, in 2009 Canada gets eliminated via bad officiating once again. Why has Canada been on the short end of bad officiating three tournaments in a row? Money. Simple as that. Canada doesn't sell the tickets that the USA or Latin American countries can. If you don't think this is accurate, just look at who the President of CONCACAF is. Jack Warner, one of the most corrupt people in world football. It is a joke that CONCACAF would appoint him as president! It is an embarrassment to the region! If this corruption is going to get taken out of football, then people like Warner need to go. For countries like Canada, it is essential. Otherwise, they won't be able to get a fair shake at major competitions. 

All Blacks Take Opener

New Zealand ground out a 22-16 victory over their arch enemy, Australia, in the opener of the Tri-Nations. The match was tight and tense all day, just as expected. The Wallabies got off to a dream start, taking a 10-0 lead in the first 10 minutes. New Zealand pulled a penalty back a couple minutes later to make it 10-3. Just after that the biggest play of the game occurred. The Wallabies blocked a kick deep inside All Black territory and looked to be on their way to an easy try. However, some sloppy play cost Australia an easy try, as the Wallabies had a careless knock on. The Wallabies were able to get convert a penalty after 19 minutes, but the lost seven points would haunt them dearly. On 25 minutes, New Zealand were able to pin their opponents in, and after some great pressure got the ball across the line for a try. The conversion was made to get it to 13-10. The score would stay the same until halftime, as the All Blacks were playing well below standards. The All Blacks started very well in the second half and scored two penalties inside the first five minutes, to take their first lead. The Wallabies responded instantly after the kickoff, and scored a penalty of their own to tie it at 16-16. The match would stay the same way for some time until about 20 minutes to go. A crucial blocked kick lead to a penalty from close range, and Donald connected to make it 19-16 in favor of the All Blacks. The Wallabies got another chance to tight right after that. However, the kick would sail off to the right, which would turn out to be very costly. With 72 minutes to go New Zealand got another important penalty and extended the lead to 22-16. The Wallabies knew they had to get a try, but it would not come. The farthest they would come was just inside the 22 meter line. The All Blacks took the win, and they continued their home dominance over Australia. The last win for Australia in New Zealand territory was in 1986. Next up for the All Blacks, will be a pair of road tests in South Africa. Australia will be off until August 8, when they take on the Springboks.

Tri Nations Preview

Today is the opening day of one of the best Rugby competitions in the world, the Tri Nations tournament. The tournament includes three of the best, if not the best, side sides in the world, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia. No matter the matchup it will be an incredible game and a fierce rivalry, as all three of these teams despise each other. The All Blacks have won the last four tournaments and are favorites to win it again. I'm going to agree with the experts on this one and say that New Zealand will take it again this year. However, I expect it to go right down to the wire like last season. The All Blacks had to win in Australia in the final round to take the title. I expect Australia to give another strong challenge and push New Zealand all the way. I also think that South Africa will give a much better showing and be right there in the end as well. 

Canada Honduras Too Close To Call

Tomorrow, Canada will take on Honduras in the Gold Cup quarterfinals. This is the most intriguing match up of the quarterfinals. Canada were very impressive in the knockout stage. They won two games and had a tie in a very difficult group. They have really hit their stride in this tournament. Their opponent, won two and lost one. Honduras are a very talented side. They can also be very consistent, as they have proven that they can beat anyone in CONCACAF, and lose to just about anyone as well. Their is no question Honduras can be lethal, just look what they did against Mexico. However, they also tied Puerto Rico earlier in qualifying. I think that this match will go to extra time. From their it could go either way, it depends largely on what Honduran team shows up.

Beckham Makes His Return

David Beckham makes his return tonight for the LA Galaxy against the New York Red Bulls. Beckham will return amidst lots of controversy. His teammate Landon Donovan called him out in his new book recently, saying that he was a bad teammate. Beckham hit back at Donovan calling him unprofessional. How can anyone blame Donovan for his comments. If I was a Galaxy player or fan I would be furious with him. Beckham despite being under contract with the Galaxy has repeatedly wanted to leave. He was able to get a loan deal with AC Milan, but that was not enough for him as he got it extended. I would like to know, if Beckham did not want to play for LA, why did he sign the contract to play for them in the first place? There is no doubt that Beckham will not renew his contract at the end of the season. Beckham does not even want to play out the remainder half season of his contract. Surely, Beckham's is focused on getting back to Milan and will not be focused at all on the task at hand. Another reason for LA fans to have animosity towards Beckham is because of his record. The Galaxy have not even made the playoffs both years he has been their, in a league where over half the teams make the playoffs. Beckham has screwed over the Galaxy since he arrived, he owes it to the LA fans and players to give a better display in this final part of tenure with them.  

Estudiantes Stuns Cruzeiro, Takes Title

Estudiantes became the champions of South America on Wednesday night, with a stunning upset of Cruzeiro. The first half was a physical affair with not many chances created by either side. The second half was when the game came to life. The Argentines fell behind early in the second half after a long range deflected strike found the net. It looked like the goal that would put the Brazilians on their way. However, Estudiantes responded incredibly well. Just minutes after that they would respond. It started when a beautiful pass by Juan Sebastian-Veron, who was the man of the match, found an open man on the right. His cross eluded an outstretching defender and goalkeeper to find an open Fernandez in the box, who taped it in. The goal not only tied the match, but swung the momentum firmly to their side. They put Cruzeiro under lots of pressure after that. Then, in the 72nd minutes, Estudiantes struck again. Boselli headed in a very difficult ball to give them the lead. They would have to survive a nervy final 20 minutes to win the match. A long range strike from Cruzeiro hit off of the crossbar with four minutes to play. Just after that, a free kick was floated into the box and a backheader took it to an unmarked Cruzeiro player. Some how, he failed to get a good connection and put it wide. They would get one final chance in stoppage time, when a cross found an open player. His volley though was skewed well wide of the net. It was not to be their night. This is Estudiantes fourth championship, the first since they won three in a row from 1968-1970. The win sparked scenes of wild jubilation in the streets of La Plata, as fans flooded into the streets almost immediately after the victory. 

All to Play For in the Copa Libertadores Final

Tonight is the final of the biggest game in South American football. The Copa Libertadores final. The final might be two games, but since the first game ended scoreless this will be the decider. It should be a cracking atmosphere, just like it is every Copa Libertadores Final. This one should be especially fantastic, as Cruzerio have a fanatical set of supporters. Cruzerio are a Brazilian side and they are up against Estudiantes of Argentina. The two clubs are very historic sides and have had success in this competition before. Cruzerio have won the championship twice and Estudiantes have won it 3 times. The Brazilians will not be denied in this one. Cruzerio have been the best throughout the competition. They impressively destroyed Gremio in the semifinals and Sao Paulo in the quarters. Playing at home in front of a raucous crowd will also give them a huge advantage. I expect Cruzerio to dominate tonight and win 3-0.

Happy Black Wednesday

Happy Black Wednesday everyone! Today is the only day of the year where there is not a sporting event in any of the four major American sports. Too many it is the most depressing day of the year. But don't worry, the MLB will be back tomorrow and it will be 365 days until the next Black Wednesday. For soccer fans, there are plenty of Champions League qualifiers today and the Copa Libertadores Final tonight. 

Here is the other news from today:

The AL defeated the NL 4-3, their 13th consecutive victory

Pedro Martinez has signed with the Phillies

Brett Favre will decide by July 30th if he is going to return

Home Run Derby Review

As I was watching the Home Run Derby last night, a couple of things really stood out to me. First, Nelson Cruz has perhaps the most natural power of any player that was in the contest last night. He had such an easy swing that he repeated every time and easily hit 450 ft. Secondly, the only reason Pujols didn't win is because he really felt the pressure of all of St. Louis counting on him. Lastly, there is no way that Joe Mauer should have been in the all-star contest. Don't get me wrong, he is a phenomenal hitter, but an average hitter not a power hitter. There were several other deserving players who could have provided more to the derby than Mauer, including his teammate and reigning champion Justin Morneau. All in all, this was one of the more entertaining home run derby's.

Historic Moment For Iraq

Last week Iraq hosted their first soccer game since Saddam Hussein was in power. The moment was incredibly historic for the Iraqi's and invoked a ton of local pride amongst the people. The match meant so much to the Iraqi's as it symbolizes the improvement of life in Iraq. One year ago, it would have been impossible for Iraq to host the match, as security risks were far too great. Soccer also been incredibly important to the Iraqi people. In 2007, when Iraq one the Asian Cup the people were extremely proud of the teams accomplishment. The team was filled with Shiites, Sunnis, and even a couple of Kurds. The victory for Iraq brought these three ethnic groups closer than they had been in quite sometime. The game was played in front of 50,000 people in a packed stadium in Baghdad. Iraq took on Palestine, another struggling nation where soccer means so much to them. The match was a one sided game, as they inspired Iraqi's took down Palestine 4-0. 

St. Louis-A Fitting City For the All-Star Game

St. Louis is one of the best baseball cities in America, without question. Their fans are incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about the game. The Cardinals fans always pack their stadium and our incredibly classy. They adore their stars, but also are very encouraging to struggling players. What really makes it special, is how appreciative they are of great baseball, not just for their beloved  Cardinals. They love watching these elite players on display and will be great hosts for the event.

Mexico Takes Group C, Quarterfinals Set

Mexico defeated Guadeloupe 2-0 to take first place in Group C. Mexico, who were playing without their coach, deserved the victory. They put the Caribbean nation under pressure all night. Guadeloupe also had two players sent off in the match, which will hurt them in their quarterfinal. Guadeloupe have been the surprise of the last two tournaments, but this time they were outmatched. There would be no revenge for their semifinal defeat in 2007. The quarterfinal matchups will be as followed:

Canada vs Honduras 

USA vs Panama

Haiti vs Mexico

Guadeloupe vs Costa Rica

Panama Advances

Panama rolled into the quarterfinals after a 4-0 victory against Nicaragua. It took awhile for them to get going, and Nicaragua played well in the opening half hour. Samuel Wilson spurned a great chance for them. Panama got the goal they needed after 33 minutes. Franklin Lopez was sent off before the half, which was a big blow to the underdogs. Then, Panama struck right after halftime. It was over at that point and just a question of how much they could get. Panama scored twice more to make it a 4-0 final. Jamaica were eliminated by Panama's victory. 

World Cup Must Take Place in South Africa

If the world cup has to be moved from South Africa it will be a disaster. It will be so embarrassing for FIFA, that the world's most popular sport, won't be able to get their center piece event organized despite having years to do so. It will also be terrible for Africa. This is chance to show the world that Africa can host a major event, and if they fail to do so who knows when the next time FIFA will allow an African nation to host the world cup. The African people will be devastated by this. This is their chance to shine. This is their chance to display their passion for football and the abundance of hidden talent in Africa. Africa is a footballing mad continent, and it meant so much for them to get this cup. To have to take away from them, would be a bitter pill for them to swallow.