Z/Web

Fox Sports World is now carrying the Dutch league (I sure hope this does not mean the demise of them airing German soccer, one of my favorites). The Dutch league isn’t quite as respected as other European leagues, but it’s a good league, especially for such a small country. I’ve wished many times the league was broadcast here in the U.S. It’s going to take me time to learn about all the teams and players and figure out what’s going on. Feyenoord started this off with a penalty kick goal in the first half, but underdog Sparta quickly came back with their own terrific goal with five minutes left. After half time, the score stayed the same until late in the game when suddenly Feyenoord came alive with two goals within five minutes, and then put in another right at the end to really stamp their authority on the game. Final: 4-1, Feyenoord.

This game is known as the “Superclassico,” as these two teams are the best and biggest in Argentina and have been rivals for over 100 years (they’ve played each other 166 times and each won about sixty and drawn the rest)! In Buenos Aires in front of 80,000 screaming fanatics, the two met. For Boca, a win would mean a significant lead in the tournament (they are in first place), while for second place River Plate, a win would help them gain on their arch-rivals. At first, as is typical in a Superclassico, the match was choppy, with hard fouls making it difficult to establish any kind of consistent play. River seemed to be doing the best, when out of nowhere, a simple cross into the box was met by a leaping Martin Palermo who headed into the far corner past a diving goalkeeper. Boca was ahead in the fourteenth minute. After that, Boca dominated (especially Riquelme and Serna), while River couldn’t do much more than foul. Then in the dying minutes of the first half, River nearly scored, stopped only by a terrific save by Cordoba, Boca’s keeper. Coming into the second half, Boca seemed to sit on the laurels, and fourteen minutes in River equalized on a terrific counter-attack. After that, play was frenetic, more like a ping-pong match, with chances at both ends. Keepers made saves, there were yellow cards galore, and finally, even though River’s Ortega was sent off with a second yellow, the game finished an appropriate tie, 1-1.

Author: George Romero

Director: George Romero

Fascinating film. Not especially scary or gory, but an interesting story. I liked the odd mix of characters. I hadn’t realized that the “living dead” thing was a national crisis (I figured it was a local phenomena); that broadened the scope of the victims’ plight. One touch that was really profound is that few of the main characters are killed by zombies — instead, it is human stupidity and greed that kills them. Very cool. I also loved the way Romero went to still shots at the very end. Just like a documentary, with grainy photos that strongly resembled a lynching.

I still liked really dumb.

Amazing game. Chicago came in with the best offense in the league against K.C.’s best defense. Who would win? Chicago started things off with potent offense, but couldn’t quite stick the ball in the back of the net. Then K.C., on a sudden counter, put themselves ahead ten minutes in! Chicago wasn’t the least bit worried, however, and they set up camp in K.C.’s penalty area and took shot after shot. But none of them went in. In the second half it was more of the same. Chicago brought in more offensive players off the bench, giving K.C. a few opportunities for counter-attacks, but neither team’s defense would give in. K.C. keeper and league MPV Tony Meola blocked shot after shot, and even Chicago’s Thorton had to make a couple good saves. Every two minutes you just knew Chicago had finally scored, only to see the ball somehow miss the target or be stopped. It was maddening. But soccer’s not a game about possession: whoever scores the most goals wins. And this time that was Kansas City, 1-0! So for only the third time in MLS history, the league has another first time winner. (The others were D.C. and Chicago.) It’s a great sign that the league is maturing and producing more than just one or two championship caliber teams. The level of soccer in this game was incredibly impressive: on both defensive and offensive skills, both teams were excellent, and I think the world would do well to notice that Major League Soccer has arrived. (Don’t feel too sorry for the Fire: they still have an Open Cup championship to fight for, against the Miami Fusion.)