2014 World Cup

If they weren't allowed to get paid in the first place, this would never happen.

Just one more reason everyone should do sports stuff like America does.

 

In Baron's telling of the story, is Kevin Prince Boateng "Person B" or "Person C"?

 

I've been listening to some UK sports talk and the presenters are raving about the job Klinsmann is doing. They no longer see the U.S. as a soccer joke, nor should they, considering we're still there and they're back in ol' Blighty.

 

By any objective standard, the U.S. is a respectable mid-major. I think only some Americans don't see that.

 

I'd agree with the mid-major assessment. But I also wonder how people worldwide view Mexico.

 

Sounds like it's going to be a nine-match ban for Suarez, which is typical FIFA weak sauce.

 

Nine international matches and four months from all football.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/28023882

 

Just to recap: Ghana is a team in complete turmoil, largely over money. It has been implicated, not without credibility, in match-fixing allegations. And today's referee is from ... Uzbekistan.

One suspects that perhaps some Asian gamblers might be doing very nicely come this evening.

 

US-Germany is on despite Recife floating away.

 

Unless Germany runs a train on the USMNT, if Portugal manages to sneak through, there should be an investigation.

 

That would be so FIFA if Portugal wins 6-0.

 

The tone of that one will be apparent early. I don't expect terribly much action in the U.S.-Deutschland spiel early until they suss out the other one.