I wanted to listen to the England versus Kazakhstan WC Qualifier on BBC Radio 5 but was thwarted by some tart with a pleasant sounding voice prattling on about 'unauthorized rights'. I will settle for the US versus Cuba WC Qualifier from Washington DC later this evening.

How about a quote?

"For a long time I lay there, thinking about the grass. Right then, there didn't seem anything else to think about - excerpt perhaps the only other commodity the plains had in abundance which, of course, was solitude." - John Gimlette

Limestone Library - Dwell Magazine

The roads—and the routes and the paths, the trails and the rights-of-way—take us away and they bring us home. They make us who we are and they make the places where we live.

Perpetual Motion: Vol. 1
Perpetual Motion: Vol. 2
Perpetual Motion: Vol. 3
Perpetual Motion: Vol. 4

Unrelated
Does the History Channel offer any programming about history and shouldn't programs like Monsterquest and UFO Hunters be on the Sci-Fi channel? I think Shockwave should be on Spike TV.

Labels: quotes, soccer, weekend

Revs Capture SuperLiga 2008 Crown
The New England Revolution took revenge on the Houston Dynamo and won SuperLiga 2008 after a penalty kick shootout that finished 6-5.

Revs finally get revenge on Dynamo
After losing back-to-back MLS Cup Finals, New England emerges on top

Related
Revolution edge Dynamo in penalty kicks
Crew acquire Noonan from New England

Labels: soccer

Happy July 4th. I'm a little late with the graphic and the well-wishing but I was watching Burgoyne skate illegally in the downtown area(er) this afternoon. This is a brief respite before we trudge to the beach for fireworks and SLURPEES from 7-Eleven.

I love the 4th. Mickey Mouse, 7-Eleven and baseball soccer‬‬†‬‬!

†The New England Revolution are in Los Angeles this evening to take on the Galaxy!

UPDATE 1
New England Revolution 2 - Los Angeles Galaxy 0 (Halftime)

Update 2
Revs rejoice, hold off Beckham, Galaxy

Labels: disney, soccer

In case you haven't noticed I'm on my summer posting schedule. Today I'm off on a short road trip with General Burgoyne and Pervy Sage to watch Twellman take the pitch for the first time since May 11.

We're also going to see WALL•E on Sunday and so far the reviews have been stellar. The story is post-apocalyptic (maybe even dystopic) and includes a bevy of robots with a forlorn WALL•E as the main character.

Labels: robots, soccer, weekend

Big match a sell out
Hordes of fans lined up yesterday to get tickets for Bermuda's football match against Trinidad on Sunday, which is being anticipated as one of the biggest sporting events on the Island in years.

Source


Related
Bermuda's goal-den chance
More tickets for sale!
Moment of truth in New World

Update
Trinidad & Tobago 2 (3) - Bermuda 0 (2) (FINAL)
Trinidad advances on aggregate.

Labels: bermuda, soccer

It's a BIG football weekend. It started yesterday when Croatia defeated Germany 2 - 1 in Euro2008™ to take sole possession of first place in Group B. Play resumes in the group of death [Group C] this afternoon when the Netherlands play former WC champions France. Italy, still licking their wounds from that humiliating defeat against the Netherlands, will try to climb out of the bottom of the table when they play Romania.

Meanwhile, the New England Revolution shut out the Houston Dynamo 2 - 0 on the road to solidify their place on top of the Eastern Conference Standings. Both teams were missing key players due to national duty in World Cup qualifying. New England was without Khano Smith who will play for Bermuda this weekend in a WC qualifier against Trinidad and Tobago. The Dynamo were missing Brian Ching who is with the US MNT in California as they prepare for the 1st leg of their WC qualifying campaign against Barbados on Sunday.

Weekend Updates

Netherlands 4-1 France: Dutch master class
Trinidad game 'biggest of my career' – Khano
Beware the dangers of complacency
Breaking News: Bermuda defeats Trinidad

**UPDATE**
Bermuda WINS 2 - 1!

Trinidad and Tobago suffered the biggest shock of the round, losing to rank outsiders Bermuda in their own capital, Port of Spain. The team that qualified for Germany 2006 were one down after only eight minutes when journeyman striker John Berry Nusom hit home. Stern John drew level in the 22nd minute, but Nusom grabbed the winner, and his second on the night, five minutes before the break in a 2-1 win for Keith Tucker's Bermudans.

Source

Labels: soccer

My money is on the hooligans.

Culture Clash: Soccer Fans, Art Elite Butt Heads
Annual Dealers' Fair In Basel Is Overrun By Euro-Cup Followers

Here's the money quote:
"They are also turning over their "hooligan database" to Basel authorities to help keep potential troublemakers away from the matches, according to Pascale Vögeli, a Euro 2008 spokeswoman."

A hooligan database? Really?

Related
Soccer, as Wall Street sees it (via Soccer Orb)

Labels: soccer, weekend

I'm not sure why the US Soccer Federation didn't name Sven-Goran Eriksson manager after Bruce was sacked. Now it looks like Sven may end up in our backyard.

Eriksson 'poised for Mexico job'

Only three national teams will qualify from the North, Central America and Caribbean (CONCACAF) zone. A fourth team will qualify if they win a play-off with the fifth-place finisher in the CONMEBOL zone (South America)†.

I watched Canada play Brazil today in an international friendly in Seattle on Telemundo. Brazil struggled mightily against Canada but eventually prevailed 3-2.

Canada has a good team and Brazil was lucky that the Canadians squandered three easy (very easy) goal scoring opportunities. Julian de Guzman hit a wicked right-foot shot from just outside the penalty area in the 56th minute today to equalize. He's the type of player with the kind of experience that's going to give the US fits.

Bradley better start expecting more from him team or they could miss the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. It will be a huge set-back if our national team fails to qualify.

Mexico has struggled against the US but their fortunes could change with Sven-Goran Eriksson prowling the sidelines. In the 2007 Gold Cup™ the US narrowly defeated Canada 2-1 in a match with some "dubiously friendly" calls. CONCACAF also includes other good programs from countries like Costa Rica, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Panama. Bradley's boys better get the lead out.

Labels: soccer, weekend

I hope they don't perform like Vista®

Microsoft to sponsor Seattle's new MLS team

Labels: microsoft, soccer

Bradley's boys played pathetically in England. I couldn't watch the match but all the reports, replays, and articles tell the same story. We were thoroughly beaten by a superior squad/program. The Gerrard run made Onyewu look like an amateur.

It's frightening when you consider England failed to qualify for Euro2008™ and our next two friendlies are against Spain (#4 in FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking) and Argentina (#1 FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking). These matches will make us better and maybe one day we won't look so bewildered when we take the pitch against venerable stalwarts like England, Germany, and Brazil.

Related
U.S. thoroughly outclassed by England
Goals From John Terry and Steven Gerrard Power England to 2-0 Victory Over U.S. in London
England 2-0 USA: Terry and Gerrard on target

Labels: soccer

Coach Bradley talkin' smack on the eve of the U.S. international friendly against England. Can the U.S. MNT deliver?

USA coach Bradley confident of Wembley win

Gearing Up For ENG

LONDON (May 27, 2008) - The U.S. gearing up for their visit to England's soccer cathedral, as they kickoff the first of three blockbuster friendlies when they face England at famed Wembley Stadium. Coverage on Wednesday, May 28, begins at 2:50 p.m. ET on ESPN Classic and on Galavision starting at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

Source

Labels: soccer

The story of U.S. Army Private Nicholas Madaras who was killed by a bomb while on foot patrol in Baqouba, Iraq, on Sept. 3, 2006.

Fallen U.S. Soldier's Spirit Lives on in Iraq

Related
Kick For Nick
Pfc. Nicholas A Madaras 'Son Of Wilton'
Remembrance, gratitude, fortitude

Thanks to every U.S. soldier. From the first volunteers in Washington's Continental Army to the brave men who stormed the beaches at Normandy; to those who fought in the jungles of Vietnam, the streets of Baghdad, and the waters of the Pacific. Whether in war or peace, your sacrifices are the cornerstone and bedrock of the freedoms we and so many around the world are entrusted with today.

We will never forget. History will never forget.

Labels: soccer, the good guys

Kheli Dube scored in the 89th minute and the New England Revolution defeated the 1st place Columbus Crew. The victory earns New England three-points and a share of 1st in the Eastern Standings. This is an impressive road win for the Revs.

Official Report
Dube, Revs steal share of MLS lead
Goal off PK rebound in 89th minute leaves Revs tied with Crew
By Kyle McCarthy / MLSnet.com Staff

Labels: soccer, weekend

CHICAGO (May 15, 2008) - U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bob Bradley has named a 33-man player pool that will be used to select rosters for the upcoming trio of blockbuster friendlies against England, Spain and Argentina. The roster for the England match, which will include approximately 22 players, will be announced early next week.

Absent was New England Revolution forward Taylor Twellman; however, it may be due to an ankle injury he sustained in the match against Chivas.

DaMarcus Beasley is on the list of 33. He plays for the Glasgow Rangers who just lost to Zenit St Petersburg in the UEFA Cup final.

Labels: soccer

Kudos to MLS Commissioner Don Garber for defending the unique aspect of soccer fandom and to David Beckham for showing up the day before a match in Salt Lake City to tour RSL's new stadium. It was Pele-esque of Beckham to do this and I genuinely hope his commitment to growing football here in the U.S. continues. Did I mention that he's also playing good football right now?

**Do you think Beckham willl travel to London with Landon Donovan for the England versus United States friendly on May 28?

Labels: soccer, weekend

Former U.S. Coach Gordon Bradley Passes Away at 74
CHICAGO (April 30, 2008) - Gordon Bradley, a former coach of the U.S. National Team and one of the most significant voices in the American soccer community for over a quarter of a century, passed away yesterday in Virginia at the age of 74. Bradley, a native of England, had been afflicted by Alzheimer's disease.

Bradley's involvement in American soccer ranged from careers as a player, coach and team administrator. His most famous position was as head coach of the high flying New York Cosmos in the 1970s, and he later coached the Washington Diplomats of the NASL.

A former miner from Sunderland, England, Bradley emigrated to the United States where he played in the early days of the NASL. After the league folded, Bradley continued...

Other Pioneers
Gordon outlived two other icons of American soccer- Steve Ross and Lamar Hunt. All were visionaries and labored to bring the World's Sport to the United States.

Labels: soccer, weekend

I'm kicking off the weekend with a throw-in.

WARNING: The ad contains some mature content.

Ready for Euro 2008?
I lost interest when England failed to qualify and vowed not to watch or blog about the finals (sigh). But I'm a little desperate for quality soccer and since ESPN and ABC are broadcasting every match I feel obligated to watch.

The tournament will start on June 8 with the opening match between co-host Switzerland and the Czech Republic. This is a national team (not club) competition and sixteen teams will vie to be named Europe's best. The teams have been split into four groups and will play in stadia in Austria/Switzerland. The tournament is played every 4 years and was last won by Greece.

Useful Links
UEFA
UEFA Euro 2008 (official site)
ESPNsoccernet
UEFA Euro 2008 Championships

Other Soccer Events/Dates
In addition to playing England this May in London, the US MNT will host† Argentina in East Rutherford (Giants Stadium) on June 8 @ 7:30 PM. These friendlies (Poland, England, Spain and Argentina) are in preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup (qualifying matches).

†Host is a misnomer since MOST of the fans in that 80,000+ stadium will be supporting Argentina.

The MLS (Major League Soccer) All-Star game will be played on July 24 at BMO Field in Toronto against West Ham United from the EPL (English Premier League). I watched Toronto FC play the New York Red Bulls on MLS Primetime Thursday (ESPN2) and was very impressed with BMO Field. The home team played to a 1 - 1 draw in front of 20,000 fans!

The Red Bulls are going to play in a soccer-only facility in 2009 and it will be a boost for the league/sport/team. There's something a little amateurish (and desperate/dire/pathetic) about watching the Red Bulls play on the turf at Giants Stadium over dimly faded football (NFL) markers. It also doesn't help that the seating capacity at Giants Stadium is 80,000+ and the Red Bulls only draw 10-15,000.

Love 'em or hate 'em?

I hope I appreciate GOOGLE this much when they're providing intelligence to the re-education committee and shock troops that are rounding up conservatives (please, may I bring my copy of Fear and Trembling to camp). A keyword search "wigan fc" yields the following results (see above). The sponsored link is old news but the match score in real time is very cool. It's such a simple idea.

Labels: soccer, weekend

Where's Sven?
The last time England played the U.S. MNT in an international friendly Sven-Goran Eriksson was their manager. The U.S. was led by Bruce Arena, who now manages the Red Bulls (no word on whether or not his pants are still involved in the sport). His MLS club is at the bottom of the Eastern Standings.

Meanwhile, Sven is managing Manchester City in the English Premier League. His club is 15-10-11 and in 9th overall (9 of 20).

The U.S. MNT will play England at Wembley on Wednesday, May 28th. They last met on the same date in 2005 in Chicago, IL before a crowd of 47,637. The U.S. lost 2-1.

I went to the match with my brother and it was equaled only by the NFC Championship between the New York Football Giants and the Minnesota Vikings. There's a photograph of Sven I took in this set on Flickr.

The English will play Trinidad and Tobago a couple of days later at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain. This match is notable for Bermuda who will play the Caribbean titans in their campaign to reach the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

***UPDATE 1***
I just learned that Bruce Arena is NO longer with the Red Bulls. He (and his pants) will miss the opening of Red Bull Park which is scheduled for 2009.

***UPDATE 2***

Ball: City's players united behind Eriksson

Manchester City's players are uniting behind manager Sven-Goran Eriksson to try to quell uncertainty over the Swede's future.

Eriksson met City's Thai owner Thaksin Shinawatra twice over the weekend but speculation over his position refuses to die down.

City's 3-2 home defeat by relegation strugglers Fulham on Saturday did nothing to help Eriksson's cause, especially as Thaksin was at the game.

Labels: england, soccer, weekend

Khano Smith's goal in the 72nd-minute last night gave the New England Revolution a win on the road against unbeaten FC Dallas. Smith also plays for the Bermuda National Team and his performance was reported in the Royal Gazette.

The Revolution were playing without several regulars (injuries) which makes the points from this away win so impressive. New England is tied with Kansas City in the Eastern Standings with 10 points (3-1-2). Their next match is at home on May 3rd against the Chicago Fire.

Labels: soccer

Watch a replay of this match! Even if you don't like (or know anything about) football.

Liverpool 4-2 Arsenal: Frenetic finish at Anfield

In other UEFA Champions League quarter-final matches Manchester United, Chelsea, and Barcelona all win on aggregate to advance to the semi-finals. The first leg of the semi-finals begins on Tuesday, April 22, with Liverpool hosting Chelsea. Barcelona hosts Manchester United on Wednesday, April 23. Three of the four semi-finalists are club teams from England's Premier League.

Labels: soccer

The New England Revolution defeated the Houston Dynamo 3 - 0 to start the season but lost Taylor Twellman and Steve Ralston to injuries.

The U.S. MNT will play England in a friendly at Wembley Stadium on May 28th.

The Bermuda National Team defeated the Cayman Islands 3 - 1 and will advance to the second round of CONCACAF qualifying. They will now play Trinidad and Tobago in their campaign to reach the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Trinidad and Tobago are currently #93 in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings and played in their first World Cup finals in 2006 (Group B).

Related
'It's all-out war' declares BFA boss
Bermuda Football Association (BFA) president Larry Mussenden has declared an all-out football war on 2006 World Cup debutants Trinidad and Tobago...

Labels: soccer

United States
The U.S. Men's National Team played Mexico to a 2-2 draw in an International Friendly on Wednesday night at a sold-out (70,103) Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. The U.S. was flat and fortunate to draw. Bradley was a disaster in the midfield and Donovan played uninspired football. Dempsey scored a goal in the 42nd minute but it was called back for offsides (awful call). The U.S. goals came from Oguchi Onyewu and Jozy Altidore.

The U.S. has dominated the series of late, collecting an 8-0-1 home record against Mexico since 2000.

E-N-G-E-R-L-A-N-D
The English National Team has been neutered (just like all of England). The English National Team failed to qualify for UEFA EURO 2008™ and would struggle to play Canada to a draw. They did defeat a UEFA EURO 2008™ bound Swiss team 2-1 in an International Friendly on Wednesday. The goals came from Jermaine Jenas and Shaun Wright-Phillips. It was the first match for newly appointed England manager Fabio Capello.

Bermuda
The Bermuda National Team was stunned at home by the Cayman Islands in a 1-1 draw in a World Cup 2010 qualifier. The match was played at the National Sports Centre (NSC) in Hamilton, Bermuda. The second leg of the match will be played on March 30 in the Cayman Islands. The winner will play Trinidad & Tobago in Stage 2 of CONCACAF qualifying.

Related Links
The Royal Gazette
CONCACAF
FIFA
Soccernet
The Official Site of U.S. Soccer

Labels: soccer

Bermuda, New England and Football.

When the New England Revolution take the pitch tomorrow in search of their first MLS Cup Bermuda's Khano Smith will be a starting midfielder.

WASHINGTON (MLS) Mention New England, and most people are apt to conjure up visions of fall foliage, bone-chilling winters, colonial history and the like. But thanks to the island roots of several key players, the New England Revolution's locker room is also laced with the sunny spirit of the Caribbean.

Read more about Khano in The Royal Gazette.



Other football news...

Israel defeated Russia 2-1 in their Euro 2008 Group E qualifying match. The upset revives England's hopes at qualifying. England needs a draw or win against Group E leaders Croatia @ Wembley on Wednesday in order to advance. The National Team will be without Rooney and Owens.

The US National Team defeated South Africa 1-0 in an International Friendly. Steve Cherundolo scored in the 27th minute for the visiting Americans.

Labels: soccer, weekend

*****UPDATE*****
The U.S. wins 2-1! B-E-N-N-Y, B-E-N-N-Y, B-E-N-N-Y! I'll post more in a bit...I'm watching the Donovan interview on UNIVISION. I have mucho man love for Landon. The goal by Benny Feilhaber was fantástico!

Landon Donovan scored his 34th career goal, tying Eric Wynalda atop the career list, and Benny Feilhaber connected on a gorgeous volley as the United States rallied for a 2-1 victory over Mexico on Sunday in the final of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean.

The victory extended the Americans' dominance over their neighbors to the south and gave them a berth in the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa. The United States is 9-2-1 against Mexico since 2000, including 8-0-1 on U.S. soil.

Source

The U.S. will play Mexico in the final on Sunday for a berth in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. The U.S. was lucky to survive their semi-final match against Canada (see below). It was a nerve-wracking final seconds and a loss to the Canadians would have been a set-back for the program.

Canada had a goal in the final minute of stoppage time waved off Thursday night, preserving the Americans' 2-1 victory and their spot in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final. (ESPN)

There's always one match-changing play that goes unreported and Iain Hume made a save defending the post on a set-piece late in the second half that kept Canada in the match. Hume also scored Canada's lone goal, although the goal in injury time by Atiba Hutchinson should have counted and leveled the score.

Facts

The Americans are unbeaten in 13 matches against the Canadians, a stretch that dates back to 1985 and improved to 9-0-1 since Bradley replaced Bruce Arena as coach.

Frankie Hejduk scored his first goal in almost seven years.

Keller played in his 100th international game, matching Tony Meola's American mark for goalkeepers. With 33 career goals, Donovan moved within one of Eric Wynalda's U.S. career record.

Source: ESPN

Labels: soccer

***SCROLL FOR UPDATES***
This is a LIVE post match report. I was at the match with my brother and son and we arrived just in time to see the exodus of Guatemalan fans after a 3-0 defeat to Canada.

The U.S. prevailed 2-1 in a lackluster performance against a penalty depleted squad. Panama frustrated the U.S. in the first-half despite being without regular starters Rolando Escobar and Roman Torres. The pace of the match was punctuated by plenty of poor acting (both sides) and frequent fouls. Twellman had SEVERAL opportunities but just couldn't (surprise) find the back of the net and no real rhythm ever developed between midfield and the forwards before the half ended.

Tim Howard made a brilliant save at the start of the second-half that saved his squad from pressing to overcome a deficit for the remainder of the match. Donovan eventually scored on a penalty kick in the 60th minute. The U.S. got another goal two minutes later off the head of Carlos Bocanegra.

After the goals the U.S. fell asleep. Despite playing a man down, Panama scored in the 84th minute and threatened two or three more times before the match ended (after four minutes of injury time).

More tomorrow on Stephen's discovery of the missing Cuban and our escape from some Panamanian hooligans.

A professional assessment of the match that jives with the one I posted.

Howard showed that he is more than capable of making the big save to keep his team in a game. A veteran of three seasons in England, Howard has already played in his share of big matches, including an FA Cup final and Champions League matches, but Saturday was his first U.S. game with something on the line and he delivered with a key save on Blas Perez that kept the game from being 1-0 Panama early in the second half. There wasn't much doubt going into the match that Howard deserved to be No. 1 but he drove home the point with that clutch stop and has had a solid tournament to date.

...Twellman managed to bolster concerns about his ability to perform on the international level. The New England striker was in his home stadium and received his share of chances, but squandered them all. To his credit, Twellman was active and continuously put himself in good positions to receive service and get off shots, but time after time he failed to hit the mark.

Source

The U.S. will play Canada on Thursday, June 21 in Chicago @ 7:00 EST.

Watching the Pitch
The US may play Dempsey up front as the lone forward with Landon Donovan and DaMarcus Beasley in support. Read here to learn why.

Labels: soccer

Cuba was playing with two less players last night when they were dismantled by Hondurus in their Gold Cup match.

2 Cuban players are said to have defected
Sources say they abandoned their team before match at Reliant

Two players apparently defected from the Cuban national soccer team before Wednesday's Gold Cup match against Honduras at Reliant Stadium.

Forward Lester More went missing at the team's last stop in East Rutherford, N.J., and midfielder Osvaldo Alonso did not return from a group shopping trip in Houston. Their whereabouts were unknown late Wednesday night.

Read more

Why would anyone be compelled to leave an island paradise? These men must be delusional if Cuba is just 1/4 the way it's described by the NYTIMES and NPR.

Labels: soccer

***SCROLL FOR UPDATES***

BOSTON (June 12, 2007) - DaMarcus Beasley scored twice, Landon Donovan converted a penalty kick and Taylor Twellman put one in as the U.S. MNT defeated El Salvador, 4-0, to clinch the top spot in Group B. The U.S. will face an unknown opponent in the quarterfinals on Saturday.

Limestone Notes

Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution) missed another opportunity late in the second half.

The U.S. didn't concede a goal in group play and had a +7 goal differential.

DaMarcus Beasley looks fit/sharp.

The pressure is on Mexico tomorrow in their Group C match against Panama. Three points may not be enough if Honduras defeats Cuba and has a better goal differential.

I saw a pair of sweat pants in the stands that MAY have belonged to Bruce.

***UPDATES***
Mexico beat Panama 1-0 to advance. The U.S. plays Panama this Saturday at 4:00 PM in Foxborough, MA in the Quarterfinals.

Labels: soccer

# posted by Winston @ 10:05 PM

The U.S. MNT is undefeated in GROUP B play after yesterday's 2-0 win against Trinidad and Tobago. The final match for the U.S. is this Tuesday against El Salvador at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA.

Panama leads GROUP C while Guadeloupe sits atop GROUP A. Mexico has a key match against Honduras this afternoon @ 4:00.

Mass Transit News
The federal government will provide $2.6 billion to help build a new network of tunnels designed to route New York commuter trains from Long Island to Grand Central Terminal, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters announced in November. The U.S. DOT said the undertaking, known as the East Side Access Project, is the largest ever federal investment in a single transit project. The project will enable trains of Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Long Island Rail Road to operate into the lower level of Grand Central Terminal, shaving more than 40 minutes off daily commutes once it is completed in 2013. The project will include construction of new tunnels under Manhattan and Queens that will connect to the existing 63rd Street Tunnel beneath the East River. The project is needed to remedy the problem many Long Island commuters face of having to ride trains into Penn Station and then backtrack to via subway to jobs in and around Manhattan's East Side.

Source: Trains, The magazine of railroading

Limestone Commentary
Maybe the DOT could use some of our tax dollars on a rapid transit system connecting Penn Station, Grand Central and LaGuardia Airport? According to The Underground Guide to New York City Subways:

As many commuters will attest, this stop provides the nearest access to LaGuardia Airport. With frequent shuttle buses from just below the station, it is much cheaper than a cab, and you don't have to speak Afghani in order to communicate with your driver.

Weekly WDW Quiz
1. What and where am I? This one is easy!

2. Downtown Disney® is accessible by ferryboat from Disney's _________________ and Disney's Old Key West Resort.

3. What is the current name of the restaurant once known as "Flagler's"?

4. Who was Flagler [BONUS QUESTION]?

5. The Califonia Grill replaced that dinner show at Disney's Contemporary Resort?

Labels: soccer, weekend

The WSJ MARKETPLACE cover story on Friday was about MLS. The article was titled U.S. Soccer League Finally Hopes to Score. The most notable decision (the one that captured the headlines) was adding the "very sexy curb appeal" of David Beckham. But the league has also; signed an alliance with Germany's Bundesliga [top soccer league], reached agreement on a new tournament pitting MLS teams against Mexican clubs, signed a first-ever lucrative television contract, formed a partnership at a club level with one of England's most venerable clubs [Arsenal] and is allowing team-kit sponsorships/rights.

Other Soccer News

England doubtful for EURO 2008 finals in Austria and Switzerland?

Steve McClaren's side are five points adrift of group leaders Croatia after a goalless draw with Israel in Tel Aviv which means they have taken only two points out a possible nine.

Source

Labels: soccer

Beckham to join LA Galaxy - David Beckham will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season and join side Los Angeles Galaxy on a £128m ($250m) five-year deal.

A-W-E-S-O-M-E. Beckham will play alongside Landon Donovan!

The offical LA Galaxy site is here.

**UPDATE**

A very positive article in SI about Beckham's decision to play in the MLS. Here's the money quote:

The image of Beckham sending crosses onto the head of Landon Donovan for goals is the sort of thing that will be replayed on televisions around the world.

Labels: soccer