Does MLS need Beckham to up its hotness factor?

Can Beckham fill fashion void in U.S. sports? asks a Reuters story, which comes with this pic of Beckham in all his natty glory with a Scary ... oops, I mean Posh ... piece of arm candy at his side. Although I'm not an avid sports follower on anything outside of futbol, but stories about US athletes and their off-court/field attire do come up in the general media from time to time. But I have noticed that MLS players, in general tend to look pretty pretty when off field as on field. I've seen the guys in the business-casual attire, or the styled jeans look, what have you. They look good to me. I mean, check out the upper right and look at the fine guys in their Maxim spread from last year. Yes, I know it was a magazine shoot, but still. Sexy.

But then again, what do I know, I'm an American, and no matter how much we try, we're just not very fashion platable as the Continent. I think Reuters is asking the wrong question here. It's not that the Beckhams can teach us a thing or two about fashion (and Victoria, please, Baby Spice called and she wants her dress back); it's that the US can teach the Beckhams how to get down and be US comfortable. Embrace the business dress, enjoy the jeans. Relaja, dude.

And I see that Clint Mathis is going back to New York. Which is OK by me, as I've never been much of a Mathis fan, and as I'm still not an RBNY fan, this move isn't crossing my eyes a whit.

And I see I'm going to have to learn all about Fred. More Brazilians for DC is what Martha calls a good thing. Even though my favorite of favorites Alecko Eskandarian was traded away to Canada (begin rousing chorus of "Blame Canada" from the South Park movie), I'm having some grand hopes for my Black-and-Red team which I love so very very much.

And a bigO shoutout of thanks to Climbing the Ladder for the awesome probably starting lineup post. Which is going to make it easy for me when Fantasy play finally begins again.

The things I'll do ...

... to avoid writing a paper.

First off -- blog roll!! Let's say hello to Fútbol USA and Soccer Fan News , and sadly I bid farewell to a couple of folks whose blogs have disappeared. I'm super happy to link to MLS blogs, most of which are exceedingly fine. I plan to do more blog trolling as time permits, so watch this space for more updates, and if you'd like to list me and for me to list you, manádame un mensaje!

So I DID get get watch the USMNT/Guatamala game last night, and while I'm pleased that the game at least ended in a draw, and despite some very ugly moments there were some nice moments of guy love abounding on the field -- well, ugh, messy messy messy game, with a lack of scoring opportunities despite some efforts on both sides. About 10 into the second half, I started employing my scoring superstitions -- If I get a glass of water/go to the bathroom/brush my teeth/start reading my book/play with the dog/pick my toenails/fall asleep, they'll get a gol. But apparently my efforts were no match for the game imps.

Anyway, things I did like -- Michael Bradley was a standout for me, and I wish he were an MLSer so I could see more of him. More in Gold Cup and Copa América, maybe? And Landon Donovan!! Somehow, over the past year, he got cuter (OK, so that's not so important. Oh wait, yes it is. And curses to the man in my house who made me change the channel to The Daily Show while the trading-of-the-jerseys was going on) and matured in a way that made him shift in my mind from irritating arrogant showoff to team leader. I loved his effort there in the end.

This I don't know, and if someone could enlighten a poor ignorant fangirl, I'd be grateful -- Bob Bradley is the interim coach why? He's won the first three games, drew one, seems to be doing a bang-up job. So why still interim? Does he have a chance for the job? Does he want the job? I haven't been keeping up, but I'd really like to know where that's going to crumble, cookiewise.

Anyway, the game was pretty much a yawner. The most exciting moment was when the cat caught her claws stuck in the back of the desk chair. She's the kind of cat that comes when you call her, so when we started calling her over, hoping that would help her get her claws unstuck, don't you know it just made it worse and she was dancing around the seat of the chair with one paw up on the back. Tragically funny.

Fangirl hits 100

No, not in age! This makes 100 posts since I started up this way back in February 2006. Which is pretty sad, considering that I've only done 100 posts so far. Shouldn't I have done more? Don't I have more bitching and kvetching and sobbing and huzzahing to do over MLS and the USMNT and the various related events? Are there not enough moments in the day for me to drool over various futbol gods?

(The answers, in case you're checking, are Yes, One Would Think So, and Apparantly Not!)

In the achingly long six months since the MLS season shut down, a lot has gone on with me. I graduated from college, immediately began grad school that involves a 180-mile commute twice a week, learned yet another dead foreign language and became buried under the realities that encumber the mature student. To be honest, it's crossed my mind more than once to shut down this blog, as I haven't been paying as close attention to the Beautiful Game as I should. (Confessions of a bad fangirl -- I missed Sunday's game where the USMNT whooped up on Ecuador, I simply FORGOT! And I'm so swamped with papers to write that I may have to skip out on the Guatamala rumble tonight, though I'll try very hard not to. And I even missed the Saturn Cup, when Dallas and Chicago came to my city -- yet again -- because of food poisoning from a Nothin' But Noodles franchise. There's some sportswriter daemon trying to keep me away from my beloved futbol, I suspect.) But with just 10 days until the 2007 season begins -- complete with Becks' arrival, the debut of FC Toronto, Freddy Adu probably going bye-bye, the return to play of my darling Frankie Hejduk, and, of course, this being Cobi Jones' last season, I've got too much that I know I want to pay attention to this season, so I'm going to try to hang in there. Plus since ESPN is trying to brand Thursday nights as Soccer Night, and I'm off on Thursday nights and no longer a fan of either ER or Grey's Anatomy, I know I can dedicate a night to MLS.

Not only that, but MLS Fantasy Futbol is about to reappear, and I had so much fun with it last season, I can't wait to get the Vorpal Bunnies team out there in fantasy competition.

So, I'm holding on. Even if I drown doing it.

So, stuff I've noticed:
So ... Portland for the next expansion? Well, why not? Certainly, the West Coast needs another club, it's certainly been lacking since the Earthquakes picked up and moved to Houston. No, it's not a sure deal, but I wouldn't be surprised.

Fun SI column from Jonah Freedman about Beckham taking the Galaxy spotlight off Landon Donavan, but the column isn't nearly as interesting as the big Box O Speculation that's inset in the column. Will Freddy Adu break out this seaon? Will DC's Brazilian exports get my favorite team (DC) on the sports highlight reels? Let's watch!

What time is it?

If you read Spanish, follow the links here or here to read about DC United's 1-1 draw against Mexican powerhouse FC Guadalajara, and how las Chivas aren't really happy about it. If you read Spanish follow the link here or if you read English follow this link here to read about how the Dynamo whooped FC Pachuca (but how is anyone a futbol fan if they can't at least read Spanish? That's half the reason I learned this beautiful language, so I could follow the Beautiful Game!). Anyway, is it time for Mexico to freakin' start taking futbol in los Estados Unidos seriously? Maybe? Kinda? Sorta? YES, I very much think so.

Non-CONCACAF stuff -- Saturn Cup! I'm spending $56 and three hours Saturday night to watch FC Dallas and the Chicago Fire duke it out at the University of Oklahoma soccer field in exhibition play, and I'm just thrilled to pieces. If I can get it together, there might be pictures posted here soon. Yes, it's not much, but how often does MLS come to Oklahoma? Not bloody often.