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The Cupset
Congratulations are in order today for Cal FC, an amateur club out of Southern California that extended their Cinderella run in the U.S. Open Cup (the American equivalent of the FA Cup) by beating the Portland Timbers 1-0 in extra time last night. It’s a massive accomplishment for a bunch of players who couldn’t catch on with a pro team for whatever reason, coached by a man (ex-US international Eric Wynalda) whose efforts to get a managerial job in MLS defined much of his post-playing career. Cal FC is a classic story of men with something to prove doing just that.
Cal FC’s run is even more amazing than whatever the equivalent might be in England. Cal FC isn’t just amateur, they’re brand spanking new; so new, in fact, if it weren’t for their run in the Open Cup, they wouldn’t have fan one. This isn’t England, in that Cal FC isn’t tied to a community, with a history to match, and a fan base of at least a few hundred or a few thousand who are lifted up by David downing Goliath. The long term effect of Cal FC’s run, except perhaps on the individuals connected directly with the team when they move on for better opportunities, will be negligible. More than likely, Cal FC will cease to be, and likely in the very near future. When fans look back on their run in the Open Cup, it will be through the prism of the individual stories of the players and coaches, not as shining moment in the history of a tiny club. Especially if the tiny club is history itself.
That’s not to denigrate Cal FC, or to imply that American amateur teams are all that different than their English counterparts. But the underdog doing to the exhilarating run through the FA Cup isn’t (ever) going to be a brand new team with no history and no fan base. Cal FC’s story is amazing, and might not soon be forgotten; it’s just a little sad that there’s no little town along for the ride.
LINKS!
| PHOTO: THESE THINGS NEVER END WELL. NICE CHAIN, DUDE. |
Pitch invader at the USA-Brazil game dressed for the occasion. (Reuters)
| I CAN’T WAIT FOR UNITED PLAYERS TO BE PRESENTED WITH GM CARS AND THEN NEVER DRIVE THEM. |
America’s largest automaker is signing on as a sponsor of the world’s most popular football club. // Reuters
| THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I IMAGINED IT WOULD BE BEFORE I HIT PLAY. |
Spain’s official Euro 2012 anthem is very. // 101GG
| WE LOST 4-1, BUT HEY THAT ONE 50/50 PENALTY WAS THE PROBLEM. EYEROLL. |
Here is video of Jurgen Klinsmann’s comments after the USA fell 1-4 to Brazil. The highlight is saying “it pisses me off” in a German accent. // The Shin Guardian
| PHOTO: THESE WOMEN AREN’T GOING TO GO AWAY… |
The latest protest from FEMEN involved more toplessness and flower beds in the form of creepy mascots. (Getty Images)
| FRIENDLY GOALS ARE LIKE REAL GOALS, THEY JUST COME WITH A SMILE. RIGHT? |
Here’s a video roundup of some of the better goals scored in this week’s international friendlies. // The Footy Blog
| SPEAKING OF QUALITY GOALS, HERE’S ONE FROM A KID. |
Hell of a rip from a U16 Colorado Rapids player. Woo. // Top Drawer Soccer
| WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW IS THAT THIS IS A SOPHISTICATED SYSTEM FOR COMMUNICATING WITH HIS HOME PLANET. |
Check out Mario Balotelli’s blingy ears. // Kickette
| PHOTO: IN RUSSIA, GOAL SCORES YOU. IN TINY DIRT-COVERED ENCLOSURES. |
Russian inmates of a Siberian prison camp play in honor of Euro 2012. (Reuters)
| WE MISSED THE WINDOW TO POST THIS OURSELVES. HEY, IT HAPPENS. |
The special effects celebrations video that includes more lasers than a rave and more explosions than the Portland Timbers locker room. // Off the Post
| OH, LOOKING FOR POSITIVES ARE WE? OKAY. AT LEAST IT WASN’T 5. |
Here’s the “looking for the good stuff” opinion on the USA’s loss to Brazil last night. // Bleacher Report
| I CAN’T DECIDE IF I LOVE THE WORD ‘CUPSET’ OR HATE IT WITH THE HEAT OF A THOUSAND SUNS. IT’S ONE OR THE OTHER. |
