A Champions’ League?

Who knew, but it looks like the CONCACAF has formed a Champions’ League of their own! It begins, really, in June with a draw, much like what will happen on August 1st for Europe. It’ll all come to an end in April. It’s a great step in the right direction for “this side of the pond.” The nations competing are not very strong nationally or clubwise.

“…CONCACAF Champions League will be comprised of 24 teams, representing each of CONCACAF’s regions. The CONCACAF Champions League will feature four teams from Mexico and USA; two clubs each from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama; and one representative from Canada, Belize, and Nicaragua and three teams from the Caribbean.” (MLSnet)

There will be a North, Central American, and Caribbean Zone. The Schedule looks like this. I’m not too sure how I’ll like the two legged Final. That’s gonna be weird.

2008-09 CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – Calendar of Events 2008
11 June: 2008-09 CONCACAF Champions League Draw
26-28 August: Preliminary Round – Game 1
2-4 September: Preliminary Round – Game 2
16-18 September: Group Stage – Game 1
23-25 September: Group Stage – Game 2
30 September – 2 October: Group Stage – Game 3
7-9 October: Group Stage – Game 4
21-23 October: Group Stage – Game 5
28-30 October: Group Stage – Game 6
November: Draw for Stage 3 – Elimination Round

2009
24-26 February: Quarterfinal, Game 1
3-5 March: Quarterfinal, Game 2
17-19 March: Semifinal, Game 1
7-9 April: Semifinal, Game 2
21-23 April: Final, Game 1
28-30 April: Final, Game 2
December: FIFA Club World Cup

Schedule from MLSnet.

Now, how did I not know about this? The only answer I can think of is, I don’t know. Football of the round variety doesn’t get much media play where I live. Of course preoccupation with the Champions’ League (Europe), and the build up to Euro 2008 kept my eye off of the home front of football. That’s my sorry excuse for not having a clue about this news until now.

Anyway, I know for certain (99.995% positive), the first CONCACAF Champions’ League champion will be from either Mexico or the Untied States. Unless there is some “hidden club” somewhere in one of those nations in Central America and the Caribbean that are excellent clubs that will account for the 0.005% of my uncertainty, a U.S. or Mexico win is what I would expect for the first few years. The nations of CONCACAF themselves aren’t very strong at the international level. We are all baby leagues and clubs by comparison to others around the world. For example F.C. Porto is over 100 years old founded in 1893! The oldest recognizable club I could find, in a span of 5 minutes, is Sheffield of England. Founded in 1857! For perspective, Lincoln won the Presidential election three years later! The Civil War hadn’t really fully begun until the 1860s, and slavery was all over the place. We’ve got a ways to go as far as the MLS is concerned. Yet, I think this is a fantastic step for this part of the world! The next step I think should be integration with the CONEMBOL. I’m drooling over that thought right now. Something like the America’s Champions’ League, Champions’ League of the Americas…I don’t know, I’m just throwin’ stuff out there. But the best teams from leagues representing all American countries playing against each other in a huge tournament would be quite a thing to see! Give it a while and this could very well happen.

The teams who have qualified are posted on MLSnet’s link.

It Isn’t the Water…Duh!

The very first post I ever did was about a case of brain tumors going around a town about an hour north of Kansas City. The original report was of 12 tumors in the past 7 months, in a town of 6,500 or so being linked to drinking water. I think they were reaching for something that was not there blaming the town’s drinking water as the only thing they could find as a causal action on the “surge” of brain tumors. It’s still an interesting case because it’s not often that 12 people from the same area are diagnosed to have brain tumors.

On Thursday, (26 June) the townspeople had a gathering for Q&A with the people who are investigating this issue. In the month since, there has been an increase in reported brain tumors in the area and not the town itself. From about 12 within Cameron itself, now to anywhere between 20 and 40 in the area. I don’t know how big the area is and most of the diagnosed cases are with benign tumors.

“State environmental health officials disclosed the plan Thursday night at a community meeting attended by more than 150 worried residents.” (KMBC)

Either the town of 6,500 isn’t worried that much, there was limited seating, people were still at work, people were watching it online, or the majority of the people just don’t care; ‘more than 150′ doesn’t seem like a lot of concern to me in a town that size. I’ve been in lecture halls that were attended by 6x more people. We were listening to a drab lecture that for many of us was not a concern for our major. I would think that a potential life threatening/debilitating problem would raise more eyebrows than 150+.

Now this is 8 to 28 people who have stepped out of the woodworks since they’ve aired the story. A new target, as to what the possible cause is, has been fingered and guess what…it’s not the water!

He thought it was the water.

There is an insulation plant Rockwool Industries in the area but the plant closed a long time ago. This is the suspect and it makes a little bit more sense. This company in the past has had an issue raised with public health, but no concluding evidences linking bad health to the plant.

“Although the available data do not indicate that people are being or have been exposed to levels of contamination that would be expected to cause adverse health effects, data are not available for all environmental media to which people may be exposed. Due to data inadequacies and the potential for bioaccumulation of site-related contaminants into fish tissue, we have categorized this site as an indeterminate public health hazard.

Soil and other contaminant sources on the site contain contaminants at concentrations above health-based screening values. Although there is no evidence that people are currently coming into contact with contaminants in these sources in amounts sufficient to pose a public health hazard, if in the future the site is used for residential purposes, the public health significance of the contaminants in these media should be reevaluated.

Although the presence of contaminants in water beneath the site has been documented, there is no evidence of current or past exposure to contaminated groundwater.” (ATSDR)

More people are coming forward with reports of diagnosed brain tumors, but there is still no known, concrete, tangible, evident causes. At least they’re now headed in the right direction instead of blaming the drinking water. However, they (the media) still haven’t told the other side, the numerous people who have lived there and are perfectly fine. I guess we’ll never hear from them.

Friday’s Song

It’s freakin’ Friday again! The last Friday in June. Once 4th of July hits, the summer usually just flies by from then on. This is a song that I heard from work. We got this new CD and it plays continuously throughout the whole day, and this is one of the songs on it. I actually like it and I’m always singing to it too. “Save the Last Dance for Me” by Michael Bublé. The woman he dances with (pink top) is gorgeous! Odd video though.

Lyrics at mp3lyrics.org.

F.C. Porto are Back!!

Futebol Club de Porto

I was looking back on the posts that I had done and decided to check in on the F.C. Porto case while Euro 2008 is on a break till Wednesday.  To my surprise a decision had been made on the appeal by Jorge Pinto da Costa.  F.C. Porto, one of my favorite clubs and Portuguese champions, are being allowed back into this year’s UEFA Champions’ League!! This has completely made my day! I’m all smiles! Club chairman Jorge Pinto da Costa who is suspended for 2 years, appealed and UEFA listened.  However, there’s still some uncertainty about this whole issue.

“Porto could yet lose the right to play in European club competition in 2009-10 season if its guilt in the bribery investigation is later proven.”  (USA Today, AP)

Notice though, how they didn’t say, “Porto could yet lose the right, if they were to win the Portuguese league, to play…”  Whoever wrote this knows Porto will win it again this year!  The reason UEFA had a change of heart is because the evidence hasn’t been completely proven.

“…the UEFA Appeals Body last week overturned the ban for further evidence to be heard. It has now decided that Porto must be allowed to play because hearings in Portugal will not be finished by Aug. 1 when a draw is made for the Champions League third qualifying round.”  (USA Today, AP)

I still don’t know all the details other than they are accused of match fixing and referee bribing, I hope that they are just false speculation.  Nevertheless…sorry Benfica, I know they were hoping that this would work in their favor.  They would have taken the third spot if the appeal was rejected.  

“The case will now return to the UEFA’s disciplinary committee – who took the original decision to exclude Porto – to hear additional evidence from Benfica and Guimaraes, two clubs who would seemingly stand to benefit from Porto’s non-participation.

Vitoria, who finished third in last season’s Portuguese SuperLiga, will enter the Champions League group stage should Porto be excluded, while fourth-placed Benfica will be included in the qualifying round of Europe’s elite competition instead of playing in the UEFA Cup.”  (ESPNsoccernet)

Vitória Guimarães has never made it to the Champions’ League group phase of the tournament.  Porto’s tossing just two or three weeks ago would have been a little bit of history for that club.  But what great news for me and any Porto fan today!  I’ll still be on the lookout for more especially when it gets close to 1 August.  Hopefully no “magic” evidence will turn up.

UPDATE: SL Benfica has appealed the decision to allow F.C. Porto back in the Champions’ League competition.

“Benfica were the club who stood to benefit if Porto’s exclusion had stood, having finished fourth in the SuperLiga.

What is certain, however, is that a decision has to be made quickly, with the draw for the Champions League first preliminary round set to take place on August 1.

‘I can’t say anything about whether the draw could be delayed,’ added Reeb. ‘As we have not had the chance to really study the complaint.” (ESPNsoccernet)

SL Benfica who finished a disappointing 4th place in the league last year and will benefit the most from Porto’s exclusion if their appeal holds up. I consider Benfica the lesser of the two evils in the Portuguese League, but are close to earning a spot on ‘the list.’

The Hex is No More!

Quarterfinal #4
Sunday, 22 June, 2008

0:0 (4:2 pens)

David Villa 120′                                                                Fabio Grosso 120′
Santi Cazorla 120′                                                            Daniele De Rossi (miss)
Marcos Senna 120′                                                           Mauro Camoranesi 120′
Guiza (miss)                                                                     Antonio Di Natale (miss)
Cesc Fabregas 120′                                                          No need for another!

 

Guess what? It was a game I desperately wanted to watch but I had to work…yet again… I should think about requesting next Sunday off so I can watch the Final. I did get to watch the first half, but that was it until I got back of course. The commentators made it very clear that Spain has never won on the 22nd of June in a major tournament and all three losses they’ve suffered have been on penalties.

“Spain play Italy in the quarter-final on 22 June, a day which is seen as particularly inauspicious for Spanish football following three exits by the national team in the quarter-finals of international competitions on that date.

Spain were eliminated on 22 June in penalty shootouts against Belgium in the World Cup in 1986, against England at Euro 96 and against South Korea at the 2002 World Cup.”  (Electric Sports)

I’m not one who is big on superstitions but that’s something that’s hard to ignore. It was also made known that Spain has never beaten Italy in a major competition in, I think it was 88 years! History didn’t favor Spain either. With Portugal out (it still hurts), Spain is the only team I hope and want to win. Do we remember one of the last times Spain played Italy in a major tournament? I do, it happened in 1994 where Spain suffered a 2-1 defeat to Roberto Baggio’s and Roberto Donadoni’s Italy team. Those names should take you back. It does for me, Baggio was my favorite player when I first started playing the sport. Yesterday, Donadoni was on the sidelines coaching the current world champions against a smaller, tricky, and slick Spanish team.

One of my worries, ever since Portugal’s loss, was the size disparity of the Italians and the Spanish. Much like the Germans and the Portuguese, Andy Gray made it annoyingly clear of how somewhat important it may be. Seeing that Portugal was severely exploited by a bigger and taller German team, you probably understand why I would have been edgy before the start of this match. Everyone knows that Italy fields giants, with Luca Toni being their golden target. Yet, I felt that Spain still had a chance. Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo were suspended, two key players.

“The Italians are also without Gennaro Gattuso, but Aragones says it is the loss of Pirlo which gives him cause for optimism.

‘I admit that Pirlo is a great player. But to say that Gattuso is also, I would not agree,’ said the controversial Aragones, nicknamed the Wise Man of Hortaleza.” (Electric Sports)

It was a scoreless draw up to halftime, the point where I had to leave. It remained scoreless with some chances on either side, but surprisingly not many for the Italians. I can only recall a real good chance for the Italians when Camoranesi had a shot from inside the box, that Casillas made an outstanding save with his left foot. That save had to be instinctive. That was a result from melee caused by a pass into Luca Toni. Other than that, the Italians seemed out of sync, if that’s what I want to say. I’ll say this then, offensively they weren’t Italy. Defensively they were. My Sunday night indoor team should take note of the Italians’ iron clad defense, it was amazing to watch. Spain for the most part controlled the match. Every time the possession and passing stats would pop up in the bottom corner, it put a smile on my face. At one point Spain had 480+ completed passes while Italy only had about half that. The Spanish play seemed like a page out of Barcelona’s “passing carousel” method. The Spanish had many opportunities, testing Buffon from range when they couldn’t penetrate the persistent defense. Marcos Senna, my God! He is one of the few who I’ve seen this tournament who has a cannon leg and isn’t afraid to have one from out there. However, with all the chances and shots on goal for Spain, Buffon was equal to them. The only problem Buffon had was with one of those long range shots that got away from him and hit the post. Lucky, lucky, lucky… The second half ended with the same 0-0 scoreline.

In extra time, Italy seemed content on relying on their defense to get to the penalties. Spain, though was aggressively trying to pass around the giant defenders as intricately as they could to get a winner. It wasn’t to be. Being a supporter of one of the teams taking penalties in a shootout is no fun at all! The last time I was not a neutral spectator in a shootout was with Porto and Schalke. That didn’t end well at all. So, all I was doing was praying. Praying that the “hex” wouldn’t continue and when Casillas stopped De Rossi’s shot, I knew that it was over for Italy. There’s something about getting that first block/or miss that dramatically boosts a keepers confidence upping the chance to stop another (at least from what I’ve seen). That’s exactly what happened and Casillas stopped Di Natale (I wish Iker would switch to Barça’s side). When Cesc Fabregas stepped up, similarly to when Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up against England in the World Cup QF; I smiled and had no doubt he (Fabregas) was going to win it for Spain! He did and it was buh-bye world champions!

In the quarterfinals, it wasn’t so good to be group winners after all unless you’re Spain. Who would have picked/guessed that three of four group winners would be eliminated by the Semifinals? Not me. Especially such group winners as Portugal, Croatia, and the Netherlands who tore through the so called group of death, which now has no representatives in the semifinals. Strange. The Turkish should not beat the Germans on Wednesday, but with their inspired play they’ve produced since their first and only defeat to Portugal, they cannot be counted out even with the crippled lineup they’ll have. Though, I’m stickin’ by it, I expect Germany to reach the Finals. Russia has done the same thing as Turkey but without the dramatic comebacks. After being thumped 4-1 by Spain, they’ll have a chance to get revenge. Russia is one of the teams I’ve been most impressed with in this tournament. This will not be a cakewalk for Spain this time.  Russia is one of the younger teams and less experienced, and they’ve shown that experience isn’t everything. Then again they have a mastermind coach in Guus Hiddink at the commands which always helps.  They also have players who aren’t afraid to shoot from wherever and are scary close to being accurate. I think Diniyar Bilyaletdinov was the annoyance for Van der Saar two days ago with those long range rockets. I like ambitious shots like those when they are that accurate, but I won’t like it too much against Spain.

This is what it’s all about! Certainly is a beautiful trophy.  Much larger and probably tougher to win than the World Cup.