Weekend Report

Spent the weekend in the swelter of Palm Springs, where I tried to find a sports bar showing the US-Greneda match on Saturday night. Suffice to say, they don't grow very good sports bars in Palm Springs. It's my own fault, because I stupidly overlooked the solution: A Mexican restaurant. Even the busboys know which channel is showing the futbol match.

So, I got to watch the second half. Not much to report there. A professional effort over a hopelessly out-classed team, spaces as wide as the Serengeti. When Kyle Beckerman is flawlessly pulling the strings, you know this is not exactly top-flight competition. Good result, though. Onward and upward.

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The big news today is Oguchi Onyewu signing with AC Milan. Excellent choice. With two aging and injury-prone centre backs, Gooch should get plenty of run. He gets to stay in Champions League football. And he's well-suited for the more plodding style of play in Serie A. I expect him to succeed there and would consider it an upset if he couldn't crack the starting XI with regularity.

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I had not heard about Michael Bradley "confronting" the official who sent him off against Spain. How stupid is that? We should start calling such behavior "pulling a Drogba." The four-game suspension is not an issue, since he's serving it during the Gold Cup, where he's not even on the roster. The more troubling aspect is the six-month "probation." If he sees red again during the period, he's subject to an even longer ban and I think we all know this results in one of two outcomes: The ban or a hesitant central midfielder. Not a good thing with the second round of the hexagonal set to start next month in the Azteca. Might want to expedite that Jermaine Jones application, fellas.

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My busy summer and all the US team action has prevented me from keeping too close tabs on the European transfer market, save for the New Galacticos of Real Madrid. That will be interesting to watch. I'm amused that Chelsea is so adamant about hanging onto John Terry, who's clearly lost a step, while, at the same time, allowing Ricardo Carvalho to seek suitors. The latter, to me, was far more effective last season and his injury was a big key to the Blues falling back to third.

On the Liverpool front, Yossi Benayoun inked a new deal, which is right and necessary. The Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano twin sagas appear likely to drag on for a few weeks and it is becoming increasingly unlikely the Reds will be able to retain both players. I'd put my faith in Alonso if it came down to a choice between the two, but either way, this portends more playing time for Lucas, which is bad news for the club. The Brazilian must be the best training ground player ever, because he shows nothing on game day.

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Personally, I will return to the pitch this Sunday, after my club's two-month hiatus, precepitated by crooked referees in our previous league. Seriously...the worst ever. EVER! Also, that league played on Field Turf, which is brutal in the summer. If reflects heat and it's that time of year where our Sunday afternoons run triple digits. It's like playing on a griddle.

The new league is further away for me, which is a bummer, but we're back on God's green grass (or dirt, in some instances). You'll not likely get much reportage on this old aging man's league. Unless your favorite, rampaging left back bangs one in. Or if we win the Santa Barbara tournament next month. Which we might.