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I got a question for Don Garber

Posted 19 Nov 2009 at 12:30 AM by Mike Gray (Letters from Pibe)


To show you where the RSL supporters are located, I'd need a bigger map
.

So
I'm filling out my Supporters Summit* registration, and the form asks if I would like to submit a question for the Don Garber Q & A session moderated by Drew Carey.

Why should traveling supporters fork over hundreds and hundreds of dollars on top of the time and effort to attend MLS Cup if they can't even get decent seats?
**

I'm getting ahead of myself...here's the...
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Old

10 quick notes from U.S. Denmark

Posted 18 Nov 2009 at 05:32 PM by Mike Gray (Letters from Pibe)
Tags us soccer

-Does anyone really call John Harkes "Harksie", besides when he brings up conversations he has with other players?

-I love Frankie Hejduk too much to rip into him, but how on earth did he play the full 90?

-Is the U.S. team maturing a bit on the international stage? Despite Frankie's best efforts, I didn't see a single reckless foul the entire match.

-Give credit to Jeff Cunningham, who made the most of his opportunity with a coolheaded finish in the 26th, first by winning possession and creating space with a simple touch, then calmly burying a...
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Antonio de Nigris, R.I.P.

Posted 16 Nov 2009 at 01:11 PM by Mike Gray (Letters from Pibe)
Tags fmf



The
footballing world is tragically reporting that Mexican international Antonio de Nigris passed away early Monday morning, from what is believed to be a fatal heart attack.

Quote:
"The Larissa family mourns from today the tragic loss of 31-year-old international Mexican footballer, Antonio De Nigris," read a club statement."

"It is with deep sorrow that the administration, technical leadership, players and executives of the club would like
...
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Old

No more marching bands

Posted 02 Nov 2009 at 09:30 PM by Mike Gray (Letters from Pibe)

The past few weekends at the Home Depot Center, fans have been subjected to the tune of high school marching bands performing during games.

And they need to go. This isn’t a criticism of their musical abilities, they simply sound out of place at a footie match.

Take the Galaxy Chivas highlights, for example. The atmosphere in person was absolutely electric, so I get back home eagerly anticipating how it sounded on TV, and all I can hear is friggin' drums.

Not only are they an unwelcome distraction, it’s a disservice on the club’s part and counter productive,...
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Old

Us in Europe: Jozy and the Giant Peach

Posted 02 Nov 2009 at 04:58 PM by Mike Gray (Letters from Pibe)
Tags us soccer



For
the second straight week, Man of the Match Clint Dempsey scored, and not surprisingly, against a big club (albeit a big club teetering on the edge of chaos), rolling one past Pepe Reina to seal a 3-1 Fulham victory. Arguably a more important contribution was his part in a reckless tackle that resulted in Liverpool defender Philip Degen being sent off.

For a laugh, check out The Fan's Player Ratings.

Jozy Altidore was an ineffective second half substitute...
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What's a SuperClasico?

Posted 01 Nov 2009 at 12:34 PM by Mike Gray (Letters from Pibe)

Greg Lalas isn’t a fan of the Superclasico. (Say it in a loud, booming voice, it doesn’t sound as bad)

The article centers around the idea that the league needs a famous rivalry to capture the imagination of soccer fans and attract the world’s attention.

To his credit, I believe he’s hit or miss on this one, though at times he can stray into wishful thinking territory. I agree with the main point in general, but he doesn’t really offer any solutions, that is besides the idea of dropping the Honda Superclasico moniker.

I agree that the Honda SuperClasico is...
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Old

Us in Europe: Jozy in trouble

Posted 26 Oct 2009 at 03:11 PM by Mike Gray (Letters from Pibe)
Tags us soccer

Jozy Altidore was left off the bench against Portsmouth for arriving to the game late.

Quote:
"It's unacceptable behavior, full stop," Hull manager Phil Brown said. "You prepare all week for a match day, mentally and physically. To ask a player to arrive an hour and a half before a game is not too much to ask, is it?"
He was also fined by the club for posting a Twitter message apologizing to Hull fans about the incident.

Quote:
"Apologize to all of you," he wrote. "I showed up late. Made a big mistake. I'm very, very sorry."
Now Phil Brown is the...
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The US, el Tri and "cheating nature"

Posted 23 Oct 2009 at 01:28 PM by Mike Gray (Letters from Pibe)

Note: The following is a positive piece. Read the thing before you decide to go Frank Dux on the keyboard.

Edited for awesomeness.


So
this Kartik Krishnaiyer fellow thought he could play armchair sociologist, eh?

Aaron debunks his theories easily enough, but I would like to add to the discussion, which if anything is incomplete. After all, it is possible to distinguish between different soccer cultures without succumbing to negative stereotypes, as opposed to the xenophobic air of superiority some fans hold or the color blind notion that everyone plays...
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Old

Clint Eastwood and more

Posted 19 Oct 2009 at 10:30 PM by Mike Gray (Letters from Pibe)

How about raising a glass of expensive wine to Sochaux Football Club, who bravely pulled off a 2-0 upset at Lyon in the wake of Charlie’s accident.

Quote:
"We definitely wanted to win for our player who is in the United States and is suffering a lot," Sochaux coach Francis Gillot told Canal Plus television.

"We did it for him."
The only thing more inspiring before the game would be if Clint Eastwood performed the ceremonial kickoff.

Which by the way, actually happened. I love how, in comparison to the usual stiffs, he takes a real stab at the...
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Are you a Nike or Adidas man?

Posted 16 Oct 2009 at 03:27 PM by Mike Gray (Letters from Pibe)



Not too long ago Pitch Invasion reviewed Golden Age, a documentary covering an over 40 men’s league in Corona, New York. Analyzing the slow, tragic decline of the football player through age, the reviewer ultimately decides the film fails to answer the questions it raises.

Nonetheless, the journey is intriguing.

Quote:
After an amusing scene in which Taberas is identified as the master of the strategic fake injury, he is interviewed in Spanish at a construction site where
...
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