As announced last week in Zurich, in two of the biggest upsets in World Cup voting history, Russia and Qatar were awarded the host nation honors for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments respectively. With the vote last week, FIFA proves yet again that not only is it the governing body for the world’s most popular sport, but it also leads its peers as a medium for ending racism and supporting peace worldwide. As expected, both Russia and Qatar are ecstatic over the decisions, but much attention is being paid to the politicking that went on behind the scenes, FIFA’s problematic current bidding structure, and the monumental challenges that face the host nations.

England’s downfall is Russia’s triumph

Russia’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup beat out bids from England, a joint bid from the Netherlands and Belgium, and a joint bid from Spain and Portugal. England, who is arguably the heart of the soccer world (both in talent and passion), is utterly devastated. And maybe with good reason. As the epicenter of the soccer world, they haven’t hosted the tournament since 1966. They have an embarrassment of riches in terms of infrastructure (stadiums, safety, transport, airports etc.), the most passionate fanbase in the world, and their bid committee included Prime Minister David Cameron, Prince William, and David Beckham amongst others. By all accounts, their final presentation was flawless, and before the voting, they were the favorite to win the bid. Not only did they not win the bid, but they were out after the first round. Per FIFA protocol, voting goes on a round-by-round basis with the bid getting the fewest votes being dropped. So essentially England was the first out. Very surprising at the least. Continue reading The Times They Are A Changin’: Russia and Qatar To Host 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups »

One of the greatest careers the MLS has ever seen came to an abrupt (although not unexpected) ending earlier this week. Throughout eight seasons with the Revolution, Tayler Twellman has had to battle through seven diagnosed concussions, sinus problems, broken cheekbones, broken feet, and innumerable muscle tears and strains.  When, earlier this year, Twellman was faced with the sobering question of enjoying a healthy, productive existence for the rest of his life or continuing the play soccer, it was a no-brainer for him. Despite some questionable decisions and play over the years, Twellman played a huge role in advancing not just the New England Revolution, but the MLS in general.

A Resurgence in Foxboro

Taylor was drafted by the Revs in 2002 as the second overall pick. At the time, the Revs were really struggling both on the field and off. There was a clear lack of goal scoring on the pitch, but just as important, there was no real leader, or ‘face’ of the franchise which would help them endear themselves to the uber competitive sports scene in New England.
Continue reading Injuries Force Tayler Twellman Into Early Retirement »

Something was definitely amiss at Fenway Park Wednesday night. Sure, the fans were all there (over 32,000). The architecture was the same as it always was: the Green Monster looming over left field, the Budweiser sign illuminating right, Fisk and Pesky marking the corners. The songs were the same too: “Dirty Water,” “Shipping Up to Boston,” and “Sweet Caroline.” There was even a wave that spread across the stadium. But something didn’t feel right. Instead of the traditional reds and blues of Red Sox jerseys, the seats were a sea of green and white. “Shipping Up to Boston” played before anything started, not near the end. It was joined by a lesser known Irish folk song, “Fields of Athenry,” also made famous by the Dropkick Murphys, but not typically sung on Landsdowne Street. People chanted, but “Let’s go Red Sox” was oddly replaced by “Let’s go Celtics,” as if Causeway Street had migrated. And oh yeah, the outfield had been turned into a soccer pitch.

Football at Fenway was taking place, an international friendly soccer match between Celtic F.C. of the Scottish Premier League and Sporting Clube de Portugal of the Liga Sagres. It was the first time soccer had been played at Fenway park in over 40 years, and the fans poured in and cheered as if they had been waiting for it to come back.

The Game: Slow Start, Great Finish

It was jarring to watch a game played at Fenway where play moved laterally across the outfield instead of radially from home-plate. Continue reading Football (aka Soccer) Returns to Fenway »

Andres Iniesta blasted home the World Cup-winning goal in the 116th minute, (26 minutes into extra time) giving Spain the championship of the 2010 World Cup, defeating the Dutch, the Netherlands and Holland with one lethal drive, and proving for once and for all that Spain is the greatest country on earth (for at least the next four years).

The last time Spain and Holland faced off, it took 80 years to determine a winner. This time, it only took 120 minutes of hard-fought, intense soccer, replete with loads of yellow cards and “professional fouls.”

While many pundits have criticized the match for its roughness (14 yellow cards and one red dished out) and lack of scoring, only great play by both goalkeepers prevented it from becoming a wild 2-1 or 3-2 match. Continue reading World Cup 2010 Final: Spain is Offically the Greatest Country on Earth »

The deed is done. The month-long, quadrennial athletic tournament the U.S. doesn’t care about is now over. After a thrilling 64 matches, Spain has emerged victorious, handing the still-championship-less Netherlands their third loss in the last game. Spain won 1-0 (again) behind defense and almost literally last-minute heroics. There were a total of 14 yellow cards given: nine went to the Netherlands, and two of them went to Heitinga, booting him out in the 109th minute.

Thanks to that, the winner of the SoB 2010 FIFA Pick ‘Em is … Dan! It might not be that surprising, given his lead. Despite missing out on the consolation game, Brian still took 2nd, thanks to his buffer hold on the position. The Netherlands hurt Robert and Teddy, though Robert’s damage was mitigated by getting two points from the goal timing for the Bronze.

So there you have it. The Pick ‘Em is now complete, and you can view the entire results, as brought to you by Paul the Octopus, below. Continue reading 2010 FIFA World Cup Expert Picks: Finals Results »