Tickle v. Tackle 7

Tickle

• Allez Bob! Go on with your bad self! Bob Bradley gets his first taste of international hardware and prepares to toss some youngsters into the cauldron of the Copa America. Despite criticism from many corners of the punditsphere, I think this is Bob making the best of a congested situation. Can you imagine the roster Arena would have sent? Loaded with Hejduks and Kleins and Cobi Joneses. BAH! Youth will be served. Well, they might get their heads served to them on a plate, but if we unearth a gem or two from this roster then I'm content.
• The LA Galaxy certainly is turning into a circus, isn't it? But circuses are fun, right? Despite the creepy clowns (hi Alexi!), the sideshow freaks (nice hair Abel!), the elephants (oh wait, Sigi's in Columbus now), and the bearded woman (nice five-o'clock shadow Landon - you paint that on?), it sure is entertaining. And the star of the show hasn't even been shot out of the cannon yet! Christ, that last bit has the potential to really get nasty in the imagination. Apologies to Joe Cannon and Mr. Beckham and the scarred minds of my readers. Ugh, must scrub brain with heavy duty abrasive cleaner!
• Salcido and Donovan rise above the mire and exchange jerseys after the Gold Cup final. Can't we all just get along? Why can't we shake hands, be respectful, and spur each other on to new heights rather than getting caught up in childish squabbling and the blame game?
• US U-20's are in demand. Szetela to Europe talk resurfaces and with Adu and Sturgis supposedly in the shop window as well, RSL may soon be coming down with a nasty case of Allocation Fever. On a related note, Benny Feilhaber, who was purchased out of the same window just a few years ago by Hamburg, looks like he's on his way out at the German club with rumored destinations ranging from Switzerland to France to Holland, and maybe even to another Bundesliga side. Personally, I'd like to see Benny in France. It's a fast, exciting league with lots of young talent on display.
  

Tackle

• DC United succumb to their first loss in seven to lowly RSL. Why is it always RSL? Sure the rug was a big factor in disrupting United's possession game, but Real showed more desire and determination and that's unacceptable. With the parity in this league, you need to show up to every game if you expect to win.
  
• Speaking of Cirque du LA (hands off, I'm trademarking that - if I see it on the intarwebs, you owe me royalties!), does the MLS "brain"trust really want Lalas as the spokesmodel for this league? Let's face it, Alexi has lots of cameras and microphones pointed at him and you never know what nugget or turd is going to escape the man next.
  
• So FIFA goes and adjusts the altitude ban, but not quite enough to get the Bolivians back to La Paz. It's ridiculous that they're doing this in the name of health and safety for the players. I'd think that the heat can often be more of a danger than altitude in places like Brazil and Africa, hell it could be in the US as well for that matter! And you're telling me the air quality in Mexico City isn't a health concern? I guess the Colombian and Ecuadorian federations just have enough cash to splash at King Blatter and his corrupto-crats while Peru and Bolivia are out in the cold.

Studs Up!

• The Mexican "old guard" tried their best to sully a wonderful game of futbol in the Gold Cup final with Blanco and Hugo Sanchez leading the swarms around the ref at the final whistle. How many of those players took off their medals in disgust as they left the platform as well? There is a lot of class and talent in this team, but sometimes it's just too hard to see past the muck. Here's hoping for a new generation with a broader outlook and true competitive spirit, rather than the current pack of blame-game, provincial, rage-a-holics.