Eight of Mexico's Copa America squad were sent home on Tuesday after being served a six month suspension and fines by the national football association after breaking disciplinary rules in an incident on Saturday. The incident? The suspended players invited prostitutes to their hotel rooms prior to their 1-0 win over Ecuador in the final preparation match for Copa America. It was then that the Mexican players reported stolen possessions to coach Luis Fernando Tena. The losses were then reported to the hotel, whose manager told the media that he has video footage of women entering into the players' rooms with the kit man. The director of the national team selection would not go into details and said that the code was broken and punishment had to be dished out.
Eight replacements were immediately flown into Buenos Aires as the suspended Mexican players were flown home to Mexico.
Boys will be boys.
Kayla is a writer, co-editor & co-founder of The Captain's Armblog. She enjoys eating too many sweets, writing, and defending Fernando Torres. Send her digital candies to thecaptainsarmblog@gmail.com
The Morning After is a recurring piece highlighting a particular match the morning after it occurs or whenever we get around to posting it. ---
By Kayla
The US kicked off their bid for the 2011 Women's World Cup today against North Korea, finishing with a 2-0 result that gained them three points and placed them at the top of their table.
The North Koreans held the Americans scoreless in the first half, while the US remained strong by controlling the play with their speed and passing. Overall, the North Koreans almost matched the Americans in possession, but the Americans' 12 shots on goal produced 2 goals in the second half of play. After four shots directly to the keeper, Lauren Cheney's persistence paid off as she finally got through with a header in the 54th minute. It was her 14th goal in her 40th appearance for the US. Cheney admits that headers are not her strong point as a player but knew that her persistent attempts to score would eventually give way to a goal.
Defender Rachel Buehler scored in the 76th minute from a right-footed strike that was the result of a header from Carli Lloyd, which insured the win for the US. Hopefully this match is the beginning of a return to form for the US ladies, who have been criticized for their inconsistency from three losses in the past five months (this after more than two years since their last loss).
The US will continue group play on Saturday when they take on Colombia, who lost to Sweden 1-0 in their first group stage match.
Strangely enough, North Korea's coach Kwang Min Kim blames their loss to the US on a June 8th incident during a training session where more than five players (including the keeper and four defenders) were struck by lightning. Although the incident resulted in the involved players being sent to the hospital and a physician stating they would not be back to full health in time for the World Cup, Kim's players still joined the squad for the tournament. Kim's comments caught most people off guard, due to the fact that no one else seemed to be aware of the incident.
Makes you wonder what would have happened if the North Koreans had won and Kim still decided to retell of the events on June 8th. Theories of super human strength due to the lightning, perhaps?
Clearly, she flipped Carli Lloyd with her mind.
Kayla is a writer, co-editor & co-founder of The Captain's Armblog. She enjoys eating too many sweets, writing, and defending Fernando Torres. Send her digital candies to thecaptainsarmblog@gmail.com
Here are some of the latest news stories from around the world. We'll kick off with some of the latest transfer news from around the Europe:
- Europe: London club Chelsea FC are again raiding Russian billionaire Roman Abromovich's deep, deep pockets (this time for 60 million pounds) in a bid to secure David Villa (of CF Barcelona) and Fabio Coentrao (of Benfica). On paper, both moves seem logical. At the international level, David Villa and current Chelsea striker Fernando Torres have formed a very effective partnership, especially in the last few years. Also, last January, Chelsea took Benfica defender and Brazilian international David Luiz and placed him in the squad. The old familiarity that both David Luiz and Fabio Coentrao would experience could greatly improve the right back / center back dynamic of Chelsea's back line. But all talking aside, the bid for Villa is likely to be dismissed unless his buyout clause has been paid, and that is in the region of 180 Million pounds. Coentrao's buyout is only a meager 27 million pounds, so we shall have to wait and see.
Ashley young has signed with Manchester United, in a 5 year contract believed to be worth 19 million Euros.
The former Aston Villa winger completed his move to the Red Devils on June 23rd, after passing a medical.
Also, in more Man U related news, they may be getting a new keeper in David De Gea. The 20 year old Spanish Goalkeeper is set to complete a 20.5 million Euro transfer after he passes his scheduled medical.
Man United have also signed Phil Jones, formerly of Blackburn Rovers, thier first signing of the Summer Transfer window.
- South America: It almost seems that every club in Europe is after Neymar, but who will get him has yet to be seen. Chelsea and Real Madrid seem to be the top contenders for the Brazilian Wunderkind. The 19 year old Mohawk sporting forward has been tearing up the pitch at Santos, the former club of Brazilian legend Pele.
This Neymar highlight reel should give you an idea of his mad, mad skills. Yet, the ever looming Copa America tournament has put the brakes on any transfer deal for Neymar, according to Santos President Luiz Alfaro de Oliveira Ribeiro as well as Neymar himself saying he has no plans to leave Santos... yet.
- North America: Today Dax McCarty and Dwayne De Rosario have pulled a club switcharoo.
24 Year old McCarty, who had not even played his first full season with DC United, was traded to the New York Red Bulls for clutch midfielder Dwayne De Rosario, who also had not logged a complete season for the Red Bulls. In a recent post on is twitter page, McCarty had this to say: "This Business is nuts, DC youth fans, it's been a pleasure... that said, Can't wait to get to NY."
Accordint to A BOLA, Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon are very, very close to signing AC Milan defender Oguchi Onyewu. Onyewu, who famously said he would play for free for AC Milan, is expected to make the switch from the reigning Serie A champs within the next couple of days
And lastly, American keeper Brad Freidel has signed with Tottenham Hotspur, in a 2 year deal.
I love football as much as the next guy, but at the base level, I'm still a woman. I appreciate the after-game shirt exchange just as much as the game itself. Kayla's salute is a recurring piece spotlighting the best footballers that also happen to be the best looking. After his performance against the San Jose Earthquakes this past Saturday, Mike Magee has without a doubt earned the first Kayla's Salute crown. Ladies and gentlemen, enjoy.
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Unless you are a Galaxy fan or a follower of the MLS, you may not know much about Mike Magee. Hell, you may not have heard of Mike Magee before this article. But after the Galaxy's match against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, Mike Magee is the name on everyone's twitter lips. Most of these tweets have come in the form of a trending topic called #MikeMageefacts (personal favorite: Mike Magee once made the Most Interesting Man in the World drink a Budweiser). In short, Magee is now a certified badass.
A 0-0 draw seems like an uneventful match on first hearing, but the match was far from it. In the 23rd minute, Donovan Ricketts was injured and replaced by Josh Saunders. Unfortunately, Saunders was red-carded in the 43rd minute for elbowing Steven Lenhart in the face. The elbow does not look intentional, but let's face it: Lenhart had that coming.
That's when Magee heroically stepped up and volunteered to go in between the posts.
Mike Magee's keeper efforts in Saturday's game earned him the honor of being named MLS Player of the Week. Magee made four saves during the game, the last three coming in the last 10 minutes of the game.
Not bad for a guy who has never played as keeper before.
Congratulations to Mike Magee. I can imagine it's only a matter of time before he pops up again for saving an old lady from a burning building or convincing a kidnapper to let go of the school bus full of children he's holding hostage.
The Morning After is a recurring piece that addresses important matches the morning after. Obviously we're a little late on this one, but today the beach and a recreational footy game beckoned. So here's our review of the Gold Cup final between Mexico and the United States, albeit a little later than intended.
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By Kayla
One thing is for certain: the US were the visitors in their home country in the Gold Cup final held in Pasadena, California last night.
With an attendance of over 93,000 fans, the majority were there for Mexico. It was evident not only in the cheers but in the sea of green and black seen in the stands. They say it's hard to be the visitors, but I imagine it's even harder to be the visitors in your own country.
Regardless, the US started strong with a 2-0 lead initially, but Mexico were the more consistent team throughout the match. Mexico scored two goals before the end of the first half to equalize and scored two more goals in the second half to make the final score 4-2. It's easy to say that the fans and the ref (whose questionable calls or lack thereof might have been one-sided) played a part in the outcome, but ultimately it comes down to the game being played.
In the beginning, the US looked as if they could just cruise past Mexico to win the final, but a few things went terribly wrong, especially in the second half of play. The US defense were not as tight. Granted it's not uncommon for the US's defense to be made fool's by a big team's offense, but once Cherundolo was replaced by Bornstein, three of Mexico's four goals were from his side of the pitch. Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones were not as strong in the middle, and Mexico's defense made sure to shut down Dempsey.
Kudos to Bob Bradley who decided to start Freddy Adu, which was clearly a risk to take. While it seems almost fashionable to root for Mexico over the United States, it definitely seems Freddy Adu has the majority rooting for his comeback rather than against. The US's two goals belonged to Michael Bradley (who played in his first major final - the two previous finals were missed due to card suspension) and Landon Donovan, but Freddy Adu is on a steady uphill climb with his impressive ball control and couple of assists from the limited play he has had this Gold Cup.
Overall, Mexico were the better team. It was a deserved win for a team who had dominated the entire tournament. The only stumbling block for Mexico were the five players sent home for inability to pass drug testing. The US also had some strong points throughout the tournament. Despite questionable group stage play, the Stars and Stripes dominated the knockout stage but shutting down every team until Mexico. The US players were no doubt heartbroken over the loss in the final, but they are a team who are in transition and have young players that gained valuable experience from this tournament.
Sadly, I am afraid that once again the cries for Bob Bradley's head will resound. How easily people forget that he's brought great success to the team during his tenure. It's easy to place blame on the man in charge, but a coach can only take so much blame before some of it has to rest on the players. Mistakes were made and the inconsistency of the US team got the best of them in the end, but now is not the time to dwell. Now we look to the future. Hopefully the US can learn from this final and fix the troublesome issues that seems to plague them - whether they start strong and end weak or start weak and end strong.
And clearly Chicharito has reached sex symbol status now:
Kayla is a writer, co-editor & co-founder of The Captain's Armblog. She enjoys eating too many sweets, writing, and defending Fernando Torres. Send her digital candies to thecaptainsarmblog@gmail.com
The CAB's Spotlight will be a recurring piece on hot topics in the football world. The first post is in regards to the Pele vs. Messi debate, because unless you live in a hole with no connection to the outside, it's constantly shoved down your throat. And it's all Pele's fault.
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By Kayla
It's a trend all over the world in all sports, professional and amateur. Anytime an athlete rises to prominence with their display of skill, talent, and grace people take notice and begin making comparisons to players who rose to fame before them or with them. There have been plenty of debates and comparisons in the football world. Recently the most prominent debate seems to be that of the Pele vs. Messi debate, mostly because Pele himself can't stop talking about it.
It's no secret that Pele is pretty outspoken. When he's not giving advice to budding football stars, he usually likes to remind people that he is the best footballer in the world, although a threat seems to be on the horizon. Lionel Messi has been suggested many times to be the footballer to touch the untouchable. So how does Pele respond? As anyone who's legacy is threatened would respond: by bagging on the opposition. The general consensus: Pele doesn't like being compared to Messi and he never shies away from a chance to cut down the young Argentinean.
The most recent gem he's provided is that Messi would need to score more than 1283 goals (Pele's career total) before Messi can be considered better than Pele (also that Pele hopes Neymar doesn't end up like Messi by performing well for his club but not delivering the goods for his country).
Like the fool that I am, I started to do the math to break it down statistically. Then I had a revelation. Comparing statistics is ridiculous in this instance. Not only is Messi's career far from over while Pele's is fading from memory everyday, they also represent two different eras of football. The game has changed drastically since Pele ended his career in the late 70's. Also it's not fair to compare two totally different players. They have their own individual styles that work for them and them alone. Plus, I hate doing math.
Pele has been atop his throne for quite some time, but it's inevitable that someone else will come along. That's certainly not to undermine the wonderful career that Pele had, but time will bring about a new player who will rise to the same amount of fame and success, if not surpass it. Messi is a legitimate threat to Pele's legacy.
In short? I hate debates on who is the better player, Pele's record won't forever stand, and math sucks. Hard.
By the way, Happy Birthday, Messi. Hope you wished for many more goals in your career, even though Pele wouldn't bow to you if you scored a billion. But hey, can you blame Pele? Wouldn't you be pissed if you earned the right to refer to yourself in the third person and it was in danger of being overtaken by an atomic flea?
Kayla is a writer, co-editor & co-founder of The Captain's Armblog. She enjoys eating too many sweets, writing, and defending Fernando Torres. Send her digital candies to thecaptainsarmblog@gmail.com
Kissing The Badge is a recurring post where we take a look at some of the best goal celebrations from the previous week's matches.
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On June 23rd, 2011, The Seattle Sounders met the New York Red Bulls in Seattle at Cen turyLink Field. The Sounders would go on to win that match 4 - 2, thanks in part to this sneaky little goal from Sounders forward Roger Levesque.
Even better than his goal was his celebration, where Levesque runs to the advertising boards that surround the pitch and does his an impression of a Scuba Diver tipping backwards off a boat.
Be sure to hum Dio's "Holy Diver" to yourself as you watch this video. Or better yet, listen to the actual song while watch this video. It's metal. Because we say so.
This is the fist installment of what will become one of our recurring pieces here at The Captain's Armblog: A History Lesson.
A History Lesson will feature a particular part of Footy History that we feel is relevant and timeless. It can feature players, club victories, title wins, goals, heroic moments, etc. Since today is the one year anniversary of this particularly historic moment, we felt it as an appropriate first piece.
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It was June 23, 2010. After two draws in two matches, the United States were mere minutes away from elimination from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. However, one minute into injury time, a save from Tim Howard put in motion a game-winning play. With all of his might, Tim Howard flung the ball down field where it was picked up by Landon Donovan. Following a speedy run and passes between Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey, it was Donovan himself who struck it home.
This goal not only won USA the match 1-0, but it captured the imagination of an entire nation. At least for another three days before they were eliminated by Ghana 2-1 in the knockout rounds. But that's another story for another day.
Today we focus on that goal, as well as what that goal has come to represent.
During that time, America stood and took notice. And it was about damn time. That one goal changed not only changed American's perception of the sport, but it also changed Landon Donovan's perception of the sport. For the longest time, Landon Donovan was known as the arrogant, shit-talking hothead who aired his dirty laundry with David Beckham (and this was just one effrontery), but with that strike it all seemed to melt away. Donovan came out of that World Cup a changed man. Maybe not 100% but it was enough to make a difference. His reputation as an asset to the US Men's National team is likely to be cemented in USMNT's history forever.
Also included is the video of the reactions of those watching the game, and it's well worth a watch. It sends chills down the spine of anyone who supports The Stars and Stripes. You can still catch me getting drunk and watching these videos, weeping with joy from the memory.
And it all started with this one goal. (USA! USA! ... just kidding.)
Eight of Mexico's Copa America squad were sent home on Tuesday after being served a six month suspension and fines by the national football association after breaking disciplinary rules in an incident on Saturday. The incident? The suspended players invited prostitutes to their hotel rooms prior to their 1-0 win over Ecuador in the final preparation match for Copa America. It was then that the Mexican players reported stolen possessions to coach Luis Fernando Tena. The losses were then reported to the hotel, whose manager told the media that he has video footage of women entering into the players' rooms with the kit man. The director of the national team selection would not go into details and said that the code was broken and punishment had to be dished out. 
