The last few posts have been a little off my radar if I’m being honest. I’ve lurched from weiners to a criminal trial via foreign accent syndrome which is quite bizarre really. Consequently (a word I used regularly in my town planning career) I want to catch up with some sports issues which naturally are my favorite subject to write about.
I’m not a great fan of women’s soccer. Most of the women’s matches I’ve witnessed, and admittedly there were not many, remind me of non league soccer, so why settle for lava bread when you can have caviar? I happen to love lava bread but the analogy is appropriate so grant me a little poetic license here folks.
The USA women’s soccer team has reached the World Cup Final to be played on Sunday against “land of the rising sun,” Japan. Remember Pearl Harbor girls. I’m just kidding. Anyway USA defeated an arrogant Brazil in the quarter finals by overcoming them in a penalty shoot out.
What impressed me was the equalizer by Abby Wambach two minutes from the end of extra time. It came from an old fashioned cross from a winger and finished off with a classical header at the far post. It’s not often you see women heading a football and I take my hat off to the goal scorer. She looks and plays like she has more male testosterone flowing through her veins than I do right now, but then again she’s not competing in a beauty pageant.
Three days later the USA were pitting their wits against a very skilful French team who were technically far superior to the Americans. Technical ability is a great attribute but what matters at the end of the game is the scoreboard. USA scored early in the 9th minute and didn’t have another shot on target for 60 minutes. France equalized early into the second half and were so dominant for twenty minutes that they should have scored a hatful.
The USA’s coach made a couple of substitutions and a tactical change to the team’s formation which proved to be pivotal. From one of their rare forages up the field in the second half my new pal Ms.Wambach scored with yet another header from a corner kick, and it was good night Irene. The French resembled an over inflated balloon which was suddenly pricked, and they could not respond.
The Americans scored a well deserved third goal which was well taken by their young striker, Alex Morgan. She fastened onto a great through ball from midfield, and faced by a quickly advancing goalkeeper, coolly and skillfully chipped the ball over her opponent into the empty net. Basically USA defended better than their French opponents.
Later, it was reported that Harry Redknapp had sent representatives to Germany to sign Alex Morgan until they discovered she was a woman. Typically, Harry was not lost for words, and determined she would probably do a better job than the jokers he currently has in the squad.
Staying with association football, my home team, Swansea City, will be making their debut in the English Premiership in just little over a month’s time. I was a little concerned that they hadn’t signed a quality goalkeeper for the challenge ahead, but my fears were allayed (sort of) over the weekend when they announced the signing of 29 year old Jose Moreira from Benfica.
During his career at the famous club, he played 148 times over an 11 year period with them but was relegated to 3rd choice last season. Yes, he has big game experience but the Premiership is a seething cauldron of intensity and drama played at a break neck pace which no other league in the world can match. Therefore I am reserving judgment until a few games into the season.
On the domestic front, we have arrived at the halfway point of the baseball season and the Atlanta Braves are lying second to the Phillies in the Eastern Division of the National League. If the season finished today, they were would qualify for the post season on the basis of winning the wild card. They remain 31/2 games back of the Phillies and one wonders if they have the tools to catch them in the second half the season rather than rely on the wild card. They have the 3rd best record in major league baseball thanks primarily to their pitching. Just look at their starting rotation stats:
- Jurrjens 12-3 with and ERA 1.87
- Hanson 10-5 with an ERA 2.44
- Hudson 9-6 with an ERA 3.57
- Beachy 3-1 with an ERA 3.21
Then there is Derek Lowe, the highest paid pitcher on the staff with a 5-7 record and a worrying 4.30 ERA. The bullpen has proved to be stellar in game winning situations providing O’Flaherty, Venters and Kimbrel pitch in the 7th, 8th and 9th innings. The 14-1 loss to the Phillies before the All Star break was a not so gentle reminder that the bullpen is far from strength in depth, and there is the risk that the aforementioned three guys could be over pitched before 162 regular games are completed.
The Braves’ offense is a work in progress. They are 18th in runs scored, 26th in batting average, 27th in on base percentage and 19th slugging percentage. Run production is coming from the infield in the shape of McCann, Freeman, Chipper, and Prado and surreptitiously from Dan Uggla. At the break Uggla, recently signed to a big contract had recorded 15 home runs but was hitting for a .183 average.
Traditionally teams can usually rely on run production from one of their outfielders whether it is from right or left field but neither McLouth nor Heyward is cutting for me. McLouth has a batting average .229 with 3 home runs, and Heyward has a batting average .224 with 9 home runs. When the Braves won the World Series in 1995, right fielder David Justice had a .253 season batting average with 24 home runs and Ryan Klesko playing in left field had 23 home runs with a batting average .310.
There is an old adage in baseball that claims good pitching beats good hitting. The Braves pitching is very good but the Phillies rotation is better. The Braves offense is mediocre while the Phillies batting lineup has improved with the return of Chase Uttley from injury. Trading for a seasoned hitter with good run production could help the Braves down the stretch, but not at the expense of selling the farm.
Postscript: Japan defeated USA in a penalty shoot-out and the Americans have only themselves to blame. They were the dominant team, took the lead twice, but opted to protect their lead rather than go for the jugular.
Darren Clarke won the 140th The Open at his twentieth attempt proving there’s life in the old dog, and good guys sometimes win.
