We've reached another Friday, and of course it's time for Here's What I Think About That.
CONCACAF reviewing referees: HWITAT--Ya' Think!?!?!?!? Mark Gieger had an absolute NIGHTMARE against Panama. And of course the Panamanians cried "foul"--and rightfully so. However, in looking at the whole Gold Cup; the officiating was pretty awful. Clearly, there needs to be the advent of video replay into soccer. Having said that, however, video replay will be a very LONG time in coming, so don't get all excited. Plus, with all of the FIFA corruption noise surrounding the sport right now--and with CONCACAF being sort of the poster child of corruption for many decades--there is naturally a conspiracy theory feeling to the last Gold Cup. But, alas, it's the same old thing.....there will be reviews of the referees, but then--as usual--nothing will be done to change, improve, correct the referees.
Jaime Penedo leaves LA Galaxy: HWITAT--Penedo tweeted out that the is leaving LA 'for principle', and that probably means he thinks he is being underpaid. And most likely, playing in MLS........he IS! In the past, I have not rated Penedo as a top level MLS GK, but in the past yearor so, he has proven me wrong. He is a very good GK, and certainly is one of the top GKs in MLS. Time will tell on this, but I am guessing that he tried to re-do his contract after his performances of late--including Gold Cup--and MLS and the Galaxy told him no way. Not surprising. For some reason MLS is willing to pay HUGE money to 35 and older European stars on their last legs, but not wiling to pay--and secure for the future--players that are truly on-the-rise and solidifying their team(s). We shall see how this whole thing unfolds.
Drogba to Montreal: HWITAT--I think Didier Drogba is on the back-end of his career, and I think simply signing aging players to MLS contracts is a mistake. Drogba will scored some goals, and Montreal might actually get into the Playoffs, but simply offering old European players a "401K" contract is short-term thinking at best.
On the other hand, Pirlo was Superb: HWITAT--Pirlo stepped on last week for NYCFC and promptly orchestrated 3 goals in a 5-3 NYCFC win over Orlando City. So, I guess there is a place in the League for a guy who still 'has it'. I hope he continues his mastery here in the MLS. Pirlo is a pleasure to watch. Let's hope that he can maintain his magic!
BPL starts next week: HWITAT--Sweeeeeeeeet! Can't wait for this season. I think Chelsea wins it all again. Man U is on the rise, and Arsenal is much improved. Should be a great season and very entertaining to watch.
Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2 to televise the Bundesliga this year: HWITAT--Sweeeeeeeter! I love watching the Bundesliga, and GolTV didn't really do a good job of showing the Bundesliga. Looking forward to watching top-flight fussball from Deutschland!
Have a great weekend and good luck to all of the High School teams across the nation who are beginning to get 'cranked up' with pre-seasons. Be sure to take time to watch HS soccer if you get a chance this Fall! Great fun.
May the ground beneath your dive be soft. May the forwards always shoot right at you. May your goalposts be 3 feet wide.
All the Best--EV