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.

Drive-by thoughts on futbol

How many more days until the new MLS season starts? Someone make me a countdown ticker. I need to know and I'm too damn lazy to actually look at the calendar and county for myself.Anyway, even though I haven't been blogging about futbol, rest assured I have been thinking about it. And since I've managed to carve out three seconds on which to post ...

Last week's USMNT game against Mexico: The game hit some record TV ratings, and why not? It was, all in all, a pretty good game (although I've now issues with Eric Wynalda, who I'm firmly placing under my dismissal category of "Sports Guys Who Can't Think Without Talking Out Loud." You'd be surprised how long that category is.). I was very pleased with the way the game was played, thought the guys looked very solid against what at first seemed a scary collection of Mexico's talent, and as far as I'm concerned, Bob Bradley's the man. And dig this comment from Chivas USA defender and Mexico national team player Claudio Suarez, that El Tri needs to stop being so damn snotty about playing an MLS-packed USMNT squad, because the boys from the US are on par with the world. Howzabout that?

Colorado Arsenal: oh, wait, it's still the Rapids, apparently (but hat tip to ZigaZoga for IMing me with that news!). Still though, I'm all a-twitter with the potentiality of this deal. I also appreciate the new kits. I know, it's just a marketing deal, but still, relationships always open the way for other relationships, and as there seems to be more attention being paid to the way we play futbol on this side of the Atlantic pond, I am really hopeful for the future for both the Rapids and MLS. Although I'm not a big Arsenal fan. My peeps tend to back Manny U, and I have a great fondness for Crystal Palace. But still. It's all good. Except I still hate the name of Colorado's stadium. Ugh. But that leads right into ...

RSL gets its own stadium: And it's freakin' about time, too. I absolutely cannot stand watching matches at Rice-Eccles. I know it's for one more season, but at least I know there's a light in the stadium tunnel. This may go a long way to taking RSL out of my least-favorite category.

So long, Nicky: And more buckets of tears were shed by me as I saw that yet another DC United favorite has left the team. OK, so Perkins headed my fantasy team all last season, but I've always loved Rimando and I'm going to miss him on the pitch for DC.

But welcome back Frankie: I didn't get much of a chance last year to ooze my adoration of Columbus Crew defender and all-around great Frankie Hejduk, as he got knocked out pretty early in the season from an ACL injury. So no one's happier than me that my futbol pinup just inked a new deal with the Crew!

And apart from all this, go check out the ZigaZoga community page, to get all that you ever need for news and views and support and all sorts of futbol goodness!