Five Thoughts on the Beautiful Game

The daunting Estadio Azteca awaits the United States

by Sean Heffernan 

BTeamBombers writer Sean Heffernan touches on five topics heating up in the soccer world from David Beckham to the upcoming World Cup Qualifer between US/Mexico to the MLS salary cap to Real Madrid. Enjoy! ...

1. Next week: US Goes to Azteca to Face Mexico in World Cup Qualifier

The United States has never beaten Mexico inside the massive 105,000 seat Estadio Azteca. A upset over El Tri this coming Wednesday would be the perfect ending to a history making summer of soccer for the U.S. National Team. That feat is easier said than done. Just imagine a 100,000 plus screaming Mexicans in a mist of colored smoke bombs, flying beers, and waving Mexico flags. Not to mention the August late afternoon  humidity beating down on the field at 7200 feet above sea level.  Azteca is undoubtidly one of the hardest places to play in the world. Although, the U.S. has already done the impossible this summer. The upset over #1 ranked Spain in the Confederations Cup has made the U.S. team relevant in the American sports landscape to a degree even David Beckham has yet to truly achieve. ESPN was unable to aquire the game's rights (NBC will show the game on Mun2 in English as well as telemundo...check your local listings), but is still putting on a full out pre-game and post-game shows  even though the game will not be aired on their network.

Expect US coach Bob Bradley to stick to the lineup he used in South Africa during the Confederations Cup with U.S . all time leading goal scorer,  Landon Donovan leading the attack. Donovan will be the most hated man in Mexico City when the two countries hit the field as he long has been a pest to the Green, Red, and White. The US/Mexico game  (4 P.M. EST, set your DVRs if you can't get out of work) will likely be one of the most watched soccer games in United States' history. Any world football expert would be hard pressed to find a more heated rivalry between two countries than the "Border War" between the US and Mexico. If you love rivalries you will love US and Mexico in Azteca.

2. Fox Soccer Channel Needs HD ASAP

Fox Soccer Channel (FSC) should be commended for all the significant number of games it televises as well as their  nightly soccer reports and terrific soccer talk show, Fox Football Fone In, but the channel is falling behind in one area specifically: High Definition. FSC has set a target date of January 2010 to begin airing some matches in HD. The fact that FSC is not being concrete about an exact date when they will be HD operational makes me worry if they'll actually be able to meet their tentative goal. Today,  a televised athletic event that isn't in HD looks 10 years old compared to a game in HD. Not having HD makes it harder for FSC to compete with ESPN who has HD and bigger budgets for their broadcasts. ESPN already has won the rights to some EPL coverage as well the World Cup next summer. Fox onthe rights to this year's Champions League and hopefully will air some games on other Fox channels other than FSC that actually have HD until the channel is available in HD. C'mon Rupert Murdock! Get her done!

3. FC Dallas on the Rise?

After selling their leading goal scorer American Kenny Cooper to 1860 Munich earlier this month, FC Dallas has won two straight slowly creeping back into the playoff picture. Long time MLS pro Jeff Cunningham has scored 5 goals in two games (4 goals in last Saturday night's game). Check out my interview with FC Dallas midfielder Dax McCarty. I'm excited to see what FC Dallas young group of American players can do the second half of the season with the likes of Brek Shea, Kyle Davies, Anthony Wallace, and McCarty leading the way. Now if they could only figure out a way to get more fans at their games. Maybe owner Clark Hunt should give Jerry Jones a call. Winning for a change should help though.

4. MLS Players Union After Free Agency

Unlike other major sports in this country MLS players do not have the luxury of free agency where they have multiple teams bid for their services which drives up salaries. Instead the league handles all the players contracts  as one single entity. It seems unlikey that the owners will give in to the players's demands especially in this economic climate, but any type of lock out would be devastating for the 16-year-old league. The MLS's salary cap desperatly needs to be raised with  too many players getting paid less a year than they would  make if they were out digging ditches on the side of the road. Some players even have to coach youth soccer teams or work a side job just make ends meet. You have to respect these guys playing for the love of the game, but the league is big enough to point where teams should be able to pay their players enough to live on. If teams are allowed to spend more, teams can bring higher quality talent to the league improving the product on the field: the most vital component to MLS growing as a league. Hopefully this matter between the players and the league will be resolved shortly.  

5.  What to Watch This Weekend

Mega rich Spanish club Real Madrid and their duo of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka are rumored to be making their debut together tonight as the Galacticos face MLS side Toronto FC in a pre-season friendly (ESPN 7:30 EST). Madrid signed the Brazilian, Kaka ($92 million), former Manchester United star and Portugese international  Ronaldo  ($131 million), and French goal scorer Karim Benzema ($48 million) this offseason.

On Saturday, David Beckham and the L.A. Galaxy will see if they can continue their recent success as they travel to New England to face the Revolution (6 PM EST, FSC). Beckham was booed last week in the Galaxy's friendly with FC Barcelona until he scored a bending free kick for L.A. to tie the game up with the Champions of Europe. The Galaxy eventually lost the game 2-1 to Barcelona, but one would think if Beckham continues to play as well as he has been playing Galaxy fans will quickly forgive him for his loan departure last winter to AC Milan. I don't know how well the Revolution fans will treat the Englishmen on Saturday, but hopefully they get a nice crowd for the game. The Galaxy/Revolution game will be followed on FSC by another MLS contest between the San Jose Earthquakes and 2008 MLS Cup Champs the Columbus Crew which in addittion will be followed by Barcelona facing Mexican club Chivas Guadalajara live from San Francisco in another friendly match.

If that's not enough soccer for you on Sunday the Houston Dynamo host the Chicago Fire in a battle of two of the leagues best teams (Go Fire! Sorry, Chicago bias). The English Premier League kicks off as the world's most popular club Manchester United and the Blues of Chelsea square off in the Community Shield (10 AM EST, FSC). Then to cap off your soccer weekend you can catch DC United have their stab at Real Madrid (3 PM ET, FSC). Here's to sitting on our arses all weekend!

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