Tickle v Tackle - A Brief Khan Moment

Welcome to yet another edition of TvT, FBF's weekly gaze across the width and breadth of the futboling landscape--or at least the parts that are currently piquing my interest.

Tickle

DC United is back in camp--finally! After losing some key pieces of the team (Gomez, BobbyBoswell.com/blog, Perkins, Carroll-the-elder, Gros), missing out on Veron, but then bringing in a whole horde of Sudamericanos including our shiny new designated player, Marcelo Gallardo (probably a better fit than the aforementioned Veron), in the off-season, we are getting our first glimpses of what manner of monster the front office Frankensteins have managed to assemble. The verdict? Me likey! But I'm still wondering about that missing wide threat . . . The Duck was really starting to shine for Milan before he got banged up this weekend. That said, from what I've seen, Pato's not exactly "clinical" when it comes to finishing--but then he does have a few years to work on that, doesn't he? Forgive the speculative tangent, but . . . it seems to me that fledgeling American hit-man Jozy Altidore has a pretty solid head on his shoulders, but still I wonder if he looks at his fellow U-20 World Cup star and thinks, "there but for the grace of God and my nationality . . . "

Tackle

What's a CONCACAF Clásico without the likes of Blanco and Sanchez strutting about, puffing out their chests, and decrying the awful futbol coming out of El Norte (never to be confused with La Norte, which mostly produces streamers and noise and generous quantities of flag waving--can there be a quantity of flag waving, and, if so, what would the units be called)? USA contra Mexico doesn't quite feel the same without the pre-match condescention from our amigos in green. Here's hoping that they produce the usual sterling stuff in the post-match--vainglorious braggadocio in the event of upsetting Bob Bradley's apple cart or more of that lovely pissing and moaning that their WAGs could have taken us in the event of being on the wrong side of yet another 2-0 disappointment . . . Why am I starting to get really worried about Benny's ankles? Getting down to Florida and then turning back around and returning to the District to continue rehabbing them? What are our options if his minutes are severely limited this season? Mediate? Moose--if he's around? Where is that winger that I've been pining for? And why can't I stop asking questions? . . . JACOBSONNNNN!!! (forgive me my Khan moment--I just had to let that out)