It's not the game that's notable but the attendance

Wasn't that a fireworks game? San Jose may well be a big attendance team if they get the stadium situation straightened out, but MLS has a history of high attendances for fireworks games. Some of the best-attended games in MLS history include Rapids fireworks games at Mile High.

On dives, embellishment, faking injury: I take it this is a cultural thing, that in some cultures/countries gaining an advantage in this way is seen as just being competitive?

Today Marta went down, holding her head. There was some legit jostling with a defender, which probably really did knock her down. But she remained on the pitch holding her head as a teammate appealed to the ref to stop Norway's counter. Marta continued the charade even after the counter petered out, holding her head, calling over for the trainer.

It looked convincing, but the replay showed no one came close to her head, and she didn't fall on her head. Maybe her pony tail is really heavy and it gave her whiplash.

Anyway, you see this sort of thing all the time, men and women, from the scrubs to CR7. I don't know which countries do/don't do it; Americans and the British mostly seem to disdain it. But I'm guessing there's a lot of countries where this sort of thing is not only tolerated, but pushed as just another strategy, right?

Good to see that FIFA can stock the Women's World Cup with refs as incompetent as the one's they find for the Men's event.

Today in the Australia vs Equitorial Guinea match, an Australian striker took a shot that beat the keeper, but hit the post. The ball rebounded out a couple of feet, where it was promptly PICKED UP by an Guinean defender and then dropped for the keeper.

NO call.

Never seen that one before ...

I actually have seen that before. But it was in AYSO U10 girls.

Today in the Australia vs Equitorial Guinea match, an Australian striker took a shot that beat the keeper, but hit the post. The ball rebounded out a couple of feet, where it was promptly PICKED UP by an Guinean defender and then dropped for the keeper.

I just saw the clip of that. And all I can say is that it's astonishing. The only baseball equivalent I can think of it someone hitting a HR, and 5 seconds a fan throws it back into the crowd and the umpires call it a live ball.

Here's the play in question.

Wow. The only thing I can think of is that it was so blatant that both refs froze. Luckily Australia pulled it out. Something sort of similar happened to Spurs against Man United last year when Nani deliberately handled the ball in the Spurs box and the ref missed it and, in the confusion, Nani scored a goal on an indirect kick awarded inexplicably to Man U that Spurs didn't defend because they couldn't believe the idiocy.

edit: Who called Brazil and Argentina winless after their first Copa games?

Nani scored a goal on an indirect kick awarded inexplicably to Man U that Spurs didn't defend because they couldn't believe the idiocy are horribly incompentent.

Don't hate me, it's just the truth.

On dives, embellishment, faking injury: I take it this is a cultural thing, that in some cultures/countries gaining an advantage in this way is seen as just being competitive?

This was the sense I got from reading one of John Foot's books (Italian soccer) -- that going down easy is just another part of a player's arsenal and, actually, that players who tried to play through were derided for doing their team a disservice.

Two golazos this weekend in MLS worth linking to. ESPN has three MLS games in the next two days. Combine that with Copa America (YouTube streaming every game, just to remind everyone) and there's no shortage of soccer this month...

...and rumors, too. Aquilani is apparently back in the fold at Liverpool, as they can't get anyone to match their price. This has prompted rumors of a potential Raul Miereles exit, which I wouldn't be too happy about, but would understand. For a team who has no European soccer to offer, that's a lot of midfielders to find time for (and that's without mentioning Adam, Downing or Mata).

Nil-Nil!!! Hahahahahah!!

It looked convincing, but the replay showed no one came close to her head, and she didn't fall on her head. Maybe her pony tail is really heavy and it gave her whiplash.

Actually, if it's the incident that I just saw, @24:00 into the match or so, she clearly did hit her head. She got shouldered off the ball and fell awkwardly; she hit the ground with her hip and lower back first, but that just served to leverage her head to the ground. She hit the back of her head right on or above her ponytail. In both slow-mo and real time, you can see her head bounce back off the ground in recoil. She immediately grabbed at the back of her head where the impact was and when the referee came over to check on her, she clearly motioned that she hit her head on the ground.

I re-watched it at both speeds a couple of times and it looked legit to me.

If you want ridiculous simulation, the Guineans seemed to have a knack for it. One player went down from a decent shoulder challenge, but then immediately began to lay on the ground and twitch spasticly, like she was having a fit or being electrocuted. It was a weird, weird reaction ...

Actually, if it's the incident that I just saw, @24:00 into the match or so, she clearly did hit her head.

It must have been that one as I don't remember her going down often, but seeing it the once through, I don't know about the "clearly" part. I'll take your word for it. Sorry, Marta. I usually do try to give such people the benefit of the doubt.

If anyone is needing a bite-sized football fix, they should head over to ESPN3 and check out the last 20 minutes of the Japan vs Brazil U-17 World Cup Quarterfinals match on replay.

Fun, fun finish.

I suppose it's been mentioned a few times but the Two Escobars has been getting replayed lately and I finally caught it. It was very good, just as advertised around here. They way they tracked the development of Colombian soccer and its relation to the rise of Pablo Escobar and the escalation of the drug war was really something.

I'm not sure if I'm the only one watching the U-17 World Cup, but if so, that's a shame.

The Japan vs Brazil match mentioned above had a fantastic finishing 20 minutes.

The Germany vs England match finished even MORE intensely.

Mexico vs France was taut and exciting throughout and even Uzbekistan vs Uruguay wasn't a cake walk.

Some really good, entertaining soccer being played.

Semis:

Uruguay vs Brazil

Germany vs Mexico

Madrid move for Coentrao may be almost done

My impression

It could be worse Juan!

Pretty quiet on the transfer from so I'll pose a couple of questions on issues that seem to have become dormant:

1. When is 'Arry's tax evasion trial? There seems to be a cone of silence about this in the British media.
2. What's going on with QPR's possible point deduction?

Stupid rumor of the day? Liverpool will offer Aquilani to Spurs for Aaraon Lennon. I really wish my newsfeeds would eliminate Bleacher Report and Tribal Football from their lists. The Daily Mail and Goal.com while they're at it.

What's going on with QPR's possible point deduction?

I thought that had been decided prior to the end of the season and that there would be no deduction. Is there still a chance they will be deducted for 2011-12? That would be a crap move. I don't follow the off field stuff of that nature too closely but if they are deducted 5-10 points to start the EPL season they might go 0-38. There would be no incentive for them to even try to stay up because they would have to put together a 45-50 point team just to have a chance so why spend any money on players at all? Any penalties should have been assessed during the Championship season.

I thought that had been decided prior to the end of the season and that there would be no deduction. Is there still a chance they will be deducted for 2011-12?

teh last I read about it was that the decision had been delayed until after the promotion playoffs. I was out of the country for a while in May so I may have missed the news about the final decision. I also thought it was beyond ridiculous for them to wait until after the season to decide on QPR's fate. They'd be better off punting the season and just building up a war chest when they go back to the Championship next year.

edit: Googling shows me that I was indeed out of the country when the FA decided not to penalize them points but only fined them. Warnock must consider himself even now. In other QPR news, Adel Taraabt is likely going to PSG for 13 million or so, nearly half of which will got to Spurs. Cha-ching! Put it in the Lloriente or Rossi hope chest!

I say this as someone who is planning a trip to Zimbabwe:

Gross.

That Mugabi-Blatter photo is somewhere between Hitler-Stalin and Presley-Nixon in creepiness. And it's much closer to the former than the latter.

I am puzzled why we don't have a new thread yet. Just FYI that it should be coming, if we lose the ability to post here it's owing to problems there, nothing sinister.

Some actual transfer news today.

Liverpool have signed Charlie Adam
Man City have signed Montenegran Stefan Savic
Sunderland are closing in on Wes Brown and John O'Shea and any other player United don't want, I guess

And, in case you've missed it, the Champions League started last week and there's a game today. F91 Dudelange (The Big Lebowski's team, I think) has already advanced and Valletta of Malta looks to advance today with a win over the champions of San Marino, Tre Fiori.

Liverpool have signed Charlie Adam

Only 7 million too, which doesn't seem like a whole lot. I would have guessed a lot more clubs would have been in on that, even if only to raise the price... Or does that sort of stuff not go on as much as it does in baseball (see Yankees/Red Sox)?

Good match going on between USA and Sweden right now.

Sweden up 1-0 on a penalty.

Open game, but the US has missed a couple of easy shots.

Oops. Ugh. Sweden scores again on a deflected free kick. 2-0 @ 35:00