US Cable Soccer Ratings Nov 12-18

A light week last week due to the FIFA international break. USMNT v Panama lead the way, but with only 222k viewers. 

MLS restarts with their playoff tournament tonight. Over in the Premier League, there are a number of interesting matchups... Tottenham v Man City (NBC) tomorrow at noon then Sunday at 11:30 AM EST has Leeds v Arsenal and Liverpool v Leicester following that, both on NBCSN.

US Cable Soccer programs Nov 12-18
Viewers (000)	Event/Game	Network	Date
222	INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY L: USA/PANAMA	FS1	Nov 16, 20
215	UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE   L: BELGIUM/ENGLAND	ESPN	Nov 15, 20
205	INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY L: WALES/USA	FS1	Nov 12, 20
159	UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE: BELGICA / INGLATERRA	TUDN	Nov 15, 20
144	MNT R: MEXICO VS KOREA DEL SUR	TUDN	Nov 17, 20
133	UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE   L: CROATIA/PORTUGAL	ESPN2	Nov 17, 20
127	UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE L: GALES / IRELANDA	TUDN	Nov 15, 20
97	UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE: POLAND/NETHERLANDS	ESPN2	Nov 18, 20

Podcast: Red Cards in Helltown - Episode V

 00:50 SEGMENT 1 - Headlines
• Where does the the 2014 World Cup fall compared to others
• World Cup surprises
• The long race vs. each match a 'super bowl'
• Controversies taking a back seat
• England vs. Uruguay, home field advantage, stopping momentum
• FiveThirtyEight, predictions

 19:00 SEGMENT 2 -Columbus Crew
• 4th round of US Open Cup against Indy Eleven
• Peter Wilt, impressive job with Indy,
• NASL stamp on pro soccer in US
• Crew roster notes, limited news from local press
• Alvaro Rey update
• Change management, new mountains to climb
• Berhalter taking on too much?
• This year's place on the table, years past

 40:00 SEGMENT 3 - World Cup
• A run through of groups
• Discussion on age and quality
• Put Spain in a weaker group, what then?
• USMNT preview, outlook

 55:05 SEGMENT 4 - Quick Hit, Wrap Up
• Looking at NBA and NHL rosters vs MLS, international players

-----------------------------------
Song "Forty-Four" used with permission from Karma to Burn and William Mecum

Podcast: Red Cards in Helltown - Episode IV

[Listen on SoundCloud]


In this episode host Rick Gethin, David Burgin and I catch up with the World Cup, get ready for a Columbus Crew vs Indy Eleven Match, dig in to the NASL and their positive impact on the US Open Cup this year, World Cup matches - and much, much more.



 01:00  SEGMENT 1 - Headlines
• Franz Beckenbauer Suspension, what it means
• Larger FIFA picture, Qatar
• Unbalanced officiating, growing the game

 16:35  SEGMENT 2 -Columbus Crew
• NASLs early positive results vs MLS
• Big match for the Cosmos with win over MLS outlet NY Red Bulls
• Challenging "Division I"
• Look at the Crew vs Indy Eleven
• Will MLS spend and get into Copa Libertadores
• Crew interest still waning

 34:45  SEGMENT 3 - World Cup
• Spain vs. Netherlands match
• England vs. Italy, result not surprising, positives for England
• Costa Rica vs. Uruguay, opens possibility of 3 CONCACAF teams advance
• Growth of competitiveness in 'developing soccer nations' justifying FIFA?
• US preview, must win match changes group
• Klinsmann's approach changed over recent years
• More on Costa Rica

 53:30  SEGMENT 4 - Quick Hit, Wrap Up
• Further examination of FIFA
• FIFA now vs FIFA then
• Final update on Messi missing CL matches with other priorities

----------------------------------
Thanks for listening!

It's Here!

Football Methods, by Tom Morrison

A Scot playing for Liverpool in 1929 recorded his thoughts on soccer tactics for the Inverness Courier. I re-posted his article over at Massive Report - and talked a little bit about Morrison's life.

Tom Morrison went by the name of Jock Anderson after he abandoned both Liverpool and Sunderland (as well as his wife and child) the night he and the Black Cats celebrated their only only League title.

"Jock" worked as a pea picker in Gamlingay. When he wasn't playing snooker at the local pub, he found time to play evening football with the locals. Gamlingay FC picked him up and with him, won every game he played in.

Game day program from around when Tom Morrison was with St. Mirren FC in the 1920s.

Tom Morrison was lost to history after his time with Gamlingay FC in 1936 but his thoughts on the game have not been.

One of the things I liked about his piece in the Inverness Courier was that it was written as if the pitch and players were right there in front of him.

Half-backs and the Attack (Massive Report).

For more on Liverpool FC history please visit http://kjellhanssen.com/

TV Guide, Black-hearted Destrier

It's really great that MLS is making more and more preseason games available online. New traditions are being created right before our eyes in Orlando, Arizona and Charleston with these mini tournaments. Once a little bit of time passes these things might matter and even migrate into the regular season (see Cups and English football). It's pretty exciting to see.

I listed out the games that the Crew will be playing this month over at Massive Report with some preseason notes about what to look out for.

The artwork was driven by the obvious. An old TV Guide seemed a natural fit for Ryan Finley. He's off to a good start in the preseason, looks comfortable up top. There's a classic Madmen look about him and he seems to have a bit of an edge to match it. I'm hoping it sticks around, to be honest.

Iain Macintosh wrote a piece titled: WHY ALL OF ENGLAND SHOULD LOVE ANDY CARROLL yesterday. It's short, but great.

"I’ve always liked Carroll. There is something rather glorious about the sight of him in full flow. When I watch him thundering into the penalty area, his hooves pounding the sludge like a snorting, black-hearted destrier, something deep within me stirs."

Some might say that here in the US we don't have any sort of identity like that in soccer, but I think we do, we just seem to misidentify it. Maybe, in a way, the same way that England likes to hide from Andy Carroll.

Soccer, more than any other sport, takes on the shape of her people and culture. The attitude that shapes the world view of Americans flows through the veins most of us, whether we like it or not. It's best described by someone better than I but the better side of it is one that's found in movies like Saving Private Ryan or, well... from the same time period in both film and historical context - Chicken Run.

Facing death and the impossible with a crooked smile, resourceful intelligence and a live forever confidence. That's the kind of player I would like on my team. The Crew have a few, would like to see more.

English Soccer League Major Ramble

JULY 2011: Four hundred thousand fans watched English Premier League clubs match up against several franchises from Major League Soccer on New World soil.

The Result: Thirteen total games. One MLS win. Twelve MLS losses. MLS Goal Differential: -22 (or less than a goal for and over 2.5 against)

Estimated Gate: $12.1 million (for good measure).

You don't have to go far in the Major League Soccer ocean before you bump into a comparison to one English football league or another. Every once in a while, you'll also come across a player training in Germany and say something nice about how the quality of MLS players can stand up to players in the Bundesliga.

I figure it about time I thought about it, myself. After all it is my responsiblity as a free wheelin' blogger, right?. Hmm. Okay, done. Even without the head to head friendlies, I'm done thinking on it. I was done before I thought on it. Which must be why I hadn't touched the subject in the past.

People seem to think of where MLS teams would fall in a one game match against some other team from a far away league. A Super Bowl like game. I hear that MLS teams could compete against bottom table PL sides or top table Champ League clubs (seems to be most common assumption). But, ya know, soccer is never about the one BIG GAME. Or the best 11 v. 11.

That is the reason I brought up the friendlies last summer. It was a test that matched up weakened, mid-season MLS sides against rusty, out of season, PL sides. Sort of a strange thing, admittedly. But, if you watch the sport enough you realize that it is always about that uneasy balance. Games are only as important as the side or country makes them. Who is healthy, who is pouting. Who the fans are chanting for. Who the manager doesn't get along with. Who was out drinking too late the night before.

A good example might be the Europa League and Stoke. How exciting is it to be a Stoke fan and watch them play European sides. Contrastingly, look at Manchester United falling to the Europa League. I expect them to exit at first chance.

Even that, however, is unfairly looking at top clubs in the world. The infrastructure it takes to make it to top competitions is so far and away beyond what we have domestically it doesn't even warrant comparison.

-------------------
I've mentioned my Northampton Town Cobblers a few times over the years here. I like keeping up with them. Yes, nPower League 2. I'll even catch a game or three a year on the internets. I'll also catch a few FA Cup games between lower league teams online or on FOX Soccer. Even, gasp, Football Conference club action from five years ago on youtube. Only live game on English soil I can claim is a Kettering Poppies game over a decade ago.

What I see in these (those) games might not be titanic match ups involving the best athletes on the planet. What it does showcase is, for me, the difference in player savvy, creativity, heart, love, passion, and understanding. All things that Major League Soccer can't seem to find. No foundation underneath it and heavy rules and regulations above it.

I'm sure a full strength LA Galaxy could give West Brom a run for it's money in a meaningful game, on a beautiful 73 degree day... at full strength... playing in the Home Depot Center. I have not doubt in that.

And that is exactly what bugs me about reading most things comparing MLS to other leagues. Particularly comparisons to the English Football League System.

There are 6,000 + teams playing organized soccer in England.

My personal thoughts are that MLS sides, as they are currently structured, would not last a single average season in nPower League 2. In fact, I think they might find themselves betwixt the Anglican Combination Division Six (17th tier) and Southampton Saturday Football League Division Five (19th tier) were they to continue on past one season. And even then, they may have to forfeit a few because of the driving on the wrong side of the road and all.

Athletes and talent, the United States has. No question. Organized soccer structure that can sustain a leading place (club or country) in the world, still trying to find it. And that "IT" is why most venture out on fantasy comparisons between leagues. We have the player pool and money to pull "IT" together. We just need someone to do it.

USA (+UK) Domestic League: Valuable Things

Major League Soccer is doing things right. Some things. The 9 PM start last night wasn't the right thing. Decent game but too late. WHY? Curious England watches MLS. Twitter says so. 9 PM start means 2 AM in jolly. Not exactly gin o'clock.

All those crazy, self hating Brits were watching the games last weekend. On too late this weekend. Move it up just a few hours and you have the largest soccer loving country watching. What is complicated about that math?

That said. MLS announced categories and nominated things of the year today.

Most are just to stir up interest and fan involvement from blogs and what not. Sheesh, so shallow (wait, umm).

Not a bad list of things. Cutting straight to the chase... MVP. De Ro, Shea, Brad Davis. Of the three I'd go with Brad Davis. I've already said Todd Dunivant was the outstanding performer of the year, but nobody listens. Look on the right for the others up there.

I have Davis at 7th. Shea at 12th. DeRo is all over. Three teams in the same year? If he stays with United next year, he will win it. He has enough passion for entire divisions, man.


Rookie of the Year warms my heart. C.J. Sapong. A NoVA born kid and Perry Kitchen (mid-west but on DC's squad) are nominated. Farfan the third guy on there. Hm. He should be under the Newcomer category.

All in all, fun to think about. Crew awards? In the most ill timed event of the season, the one that happened the weekend before the playoffs? Yeah. Please move they 'year end' event to after the playoffs next year, ya short sighted fools.

Here are my Crew awards:

Crew Rookie? Don't like the award because soccer players bounce around alot before getting into MLS, but I like Benardo Anor. If nothing else, because I got to meet him at Jimmy V's. Writers note: Heinemann isn't a rookie.

Newcomer? Tom Heinemann. 'nuff said already.

Crew MVP? Sebastian Miranda. Reckon he should win newcomer as well by default. But, whatever.

Best North Carolinian from a town named the same as half my family and my middle name on top of that? William Hesmer.

Wilson, NC. Great town. Good people. Hesmer. Long way from home cousin. You are one of the best in the league, work on that quickness and footwork and we'll see you next year.

That is all.

--------------------
Last thing here; MASSIVE CITY FOOTBALL FAN CORPS has Helltown listed under their Crew List and I have to say; From one Impact font lovin' (yet, self depreciating) designer to another... honored. I know Bleeno and Smitty would say the same.

Honored. Truly.
--------------------
Final Valuable Thing. Of the most valuable kind. Poppies and Remembrance Day. Will be thinking of my Nana (RAF, WWII) at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. I don't care if FIFA refs can pin a poppy on or not.

Look around you. Are your lights on? No bombs falling then?

Good.

Spare a moment on 11-11-11.

Notes from Cynthia Baker

My Grandmother! I went home this weekend to Northern VA to visit family and had a great time.

Among all the wonderful things we were celebrating I had a few moments to take in part of the England v. Wales and Scotland v. Brazil soccer matches. I've always enjoyed talking with my Nana about anything and everything. Especially her thoughts on her homeland; England. She is of their own greatest generation, although, they don't refer to it as that as we do because their history goes a tad bit further back then ours.

I was not able to wrangle her up for the England game. She was too busy getting ready for the baby shower that was happening later that day. She did check in a couple times though just to verify with me that England was winning. When I told her the score she just said "of course" and "naturally" as if it were predetermined result and wondered back to baby stuff.

Sunday was a little different as the baby shower was over. I gathered my dad, nana and my mother to watch the first half. Scotland had no chance and even my father and mother could see that after a few minutes. My mom knows soccer, she coached it back in the days when it was just catching on in Northern VA. Many consider that is the area that propelled youth soccer in the area up to the levels it is today (late 70s early 80s). It was pretty neat to hear my mom recognizing positions, formations and even building actions.

I could tell my nana had little interest in the tactics. She has made it clear that, in her youth; "soccer is a sport played by barbarians and watched by gentlemen and rugby is a sport played by gentlemen and watched by barbarians".

Right around that comment I got a story on her and her sister going up to Scotland shortly after it was voted that women could go into pubs there (must have been early 1940s). She pointed to a small closet and said... "we went in and they put us in a back room the size of that".

During the game I educated my dad on how players were sold. He had a hard time grasping (as I and many Americans do) how teams get a transfer fee and all) but my nana got it right away. "When they can perform anymore, they aren't worth anything to the owners". I didn't take it as a derogatory thing at all and she didn't mean it as that but my dad understood it after the comment. Our own domestic sports have similar things in common only, it is the player that wins the spoils over here.

She also pegged one of the announcers as uneducated because of his pronunciation of "little".

Only other thing she mentioned that was directly about the game on TV was said with a great deal of English pride... "this game must be in England, look how wonderfully green the pitch is." English as you like it.

It was really fun getting to watch with her. She always finds time to criticize basketball and football for the all the starts, stops and TV commercials. My dad and I were reminded of this as she sat by us watching college bball tournament games. Sitting there watching the Scotland match? Not a single criticism. It's as if the game was made for her temperament, intellect and common sense.

Indeed... it probably was.

Rule Britannia!

Good things happened at work today enabling me to get one step closer to my trip to England!

OH BRITANNIA YOU MADE THIS WORLD SO BEAUTIFUL, PEACEFUL AND WEALTHY! RULE, RULE, RULE ALL THE WAVES OF THE WORLD! THEY WOULDN'T KNOW HOW TO WAVE IF YOU DIDN'T TELL THEM.

Sing with me now!

"Rule, Britannia! Britannia rule the waves:
Britons never, never, never shall be slaves."

England and I

"One morning I woke up and put on my overcoat and noticed bullet holes in it." - Cynthia Baker. My grandmother.

She has never spoken much about growing up in England during WWII. Nor has she said much of anything about her time with the Royal Air Force during that time. On those late nights when I turn on the History Channel and see a documentary on WWII, I know that when I ever see ladies during that time pushing around miniature planes on a miniature map that show the location of English and German aircraft that my grandmother is in there somewhere. It's what she did. In fact, now that I think about it I can recall something else she side once many moons ago when I went over there with her; "I had communication with the pilots in the air, I would hear all their screams and last words as they were shot down, plunging to the sea."

And... That. Is a full stop.

I probably heard more, but I cannot remember. My grandfather, an American soldier, some 13 years her senior, was stationed in her home. She ended up marrying him and together had my mother who was born in Kettering, Northamptonshire, England. Shortly after the war my grandfather (whom, I never met) moved to Washington, DC. He worked as an editor with the evening post earing a living with his new wife and my mother.

How great would it be to still have an evening post in DC. I can imagine Smitty and McCracken relaxing after work reading the evening post with a pipe in one hand and a cold beer in another.

Anyway.

England plays Germany this Sunday. Players and fans are very far removed from that time so long ago. Much has changed since then and too be honest; I find myself pulling for the German side most of the time these days. I don't know why. My grandmother would probably disown me if she heard that. I'm so distant from my grandmothers time, yet I realize she is living history of that event. I am but a distant Anglophile - at this point asking... this infernal thing only comes around every four years... why does it have to be Germany?

But it is.

So here I sit. Waiting for what will come on Sunday. A win or loss against Germany won't mean anything to right or wrong events over three generations ago. Today, even to English fans, is not much more then a heated rivalry. Maybe that's the way it should be. Just a match. But I have to say in some honesty. It is just a little bit more.

An unknown Englishman once said; "Football is just a game where 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes. But in the end?"

"Germany wins."

As I sit here drinking a Beck's pondering England's chances and the reality that wondering into English family history is a dangerous combo with said beverage, I can't help but thinking; Maybe England can get one this time. Not to justify some deep seated dislike towards the Mannschaft... but just to hope that England can get one win against whomever it may be and move on.

Prediction? Heh heh. Germany... on penalty kicks.

And life goes on.

No worries nana. You got them in 1966. They are all Turks and Poles now anyway:)

Let us also not forget this fact that I have verified with all my WC data collecting: In the seven World Cup Finals England have played in since 1966 they have never gone out by more than a single goal.

Impressive above and beyond the world of sport. Such a tiny little island that has gone on to do so many great things. Pride to the end over here.

-------------

I probably just jinxed them. Or double jinxed them into a blowout loss. Oh no! Matt! what have I done!

England and FMEA

Failure Mode and Effects Analysis.

Seems to be England's way. FMEA, in manufacturing, is a tool used that looks a what could go wrong and how to prevent it. It is a close cousin to what the Japanese call "poka yoke" (mistake proofing). You ever pulled a diesel gas pump by accident and tried to fill up your tank with gas? It didn't fit because the barrel on the diesel pump was too large to fit into your tank... poka yoke. It prevents you from filling it. Open your washing machine during cycle and it turns off? poka yoke. Ideas that are a result of FMEA.

England soccer; it seems to be a result of FMEA. With the tool you dig deep into each thing that could cause failure and affix a score to it. A fishbone is useful in determining way an input (x) may be to an output (y). In England's case it is not advancing out of the Group Stage. One X (input) is having more goals scored on you. England has ranked this highest using three things. Severity, Occurrence and Detection. On a 1 (low) to 10 (high) scale. They have determined that each gets a 10.

Severity = 10.
Because if you have more goals scored on you... you lose.

Occurrence = 10.
You don't want it to happen often.

Detection = 10.
Well, you can detect when this happens. The other team goes nuts. But you just don't know exactly when or who is going to do it.

Since you are only using 3 categories you use a multiplier instead of adding them up. It separates the scores more. In the case of this particular X it goes 10x10x10 = 1000. Highest you can get. So what should England do? Reduce each score.

Severity: Prevent goal scoring with strong leadership in the back.

Occurrence: Use players in the back that don't make mistakes. Consistency reduces the occurrence of goals against.

Detection: Determine when and how a goal may be scored by the opposition. In the group stage this is an art form. By reducing occurrence you greatly increase the ability to detect what the other team will try to do.

Nice work on the FMEA in the Group Stage this WC England. Veeeerrrry exciting. How about working on all aspects of DMAIC and win this damned thing.

South Africa OUT

Pretty amazing news to me but perhaps not to folks that follow soccer more then I. It's just that no team hosting has ever missed making it out of the group stage. Amazing indeed. All African nations are struggling to make it out. Not sure what else to say about it.

On England I will let Georgina Turner (whom, I know is only keeping ME informed on play by play at SI.com) take over:

"England faces the slightly tougher task of beating Slovenia to guarantee its survival -- Slovenia will keep things tight, knowing that a draw will do, and will be reasonably confident of keeping the uninspired English at bay. But England hasn't failed to qualify for the knockout phase since 1958, and hasn't lost a third and final group game since 1950: the onus is certainly on Fabio Capello and his men to turn their form around, and fast."

England is in a very tight spot. The thing that Georgina fails to mention is that England did not qualify three times since 1958. So, in a sense, that's not making it out of the group stage.

England... has every right to feel superior. The press has every right to get on them. In their recored history the have a positive goal differential against everyone except Brazil and... and! Uruguay? That's a lot of history. Not just WC history. It is ALL history. 886 games to be exact. They have only played Uruguay 10 times though, in manufacturing you need twenty points of data. Brazil they have played enough times to say that they have their number. Even still, remarkable. Perhaps more then any other football team in the world. Especially when every other team wants to take you down. It's beyond impressive. Imagine if, say, the Redskins had a winning record against everyone in the NFL. It's something that has to sort of soak in for a while it's so remarkable.

So... England, tomorrow. A tie? plausible. Very much so, in fact. But a loss is unlikely. AAAAAHHHHHH! I just jinxed them from winning. Or was it that I jinx the tie.

Very well. Just win England.

The best moment in Ravshan Irmatov's Life

England looked very uninspired today. I've seen a bunch of Premiership games, they are fast. Up and down. It looked like 11 guys loafing around. England was on cruise control most of the game and Algeria even looked good till they sort of ran out of gas.

On a side note, Donovan's goal today right at the head of the keeper was the best goal of the WC so far.

Stop your loafing.

Groups A and B (and C)

Game one in the Group Stage is complete for A and B. ESPN and ABC were throwing around a lot of stats today about Game one winners advancing past the GS about 86% of the time and losers only 8% of the time. It can be frustrating when this happens. No time frame was mentioned or number of games studied nor was anything said about teams that draw in the first game. Bottom line; throw that stuff out.

Out of the two groups and the games this weekend I think I was surprised the most with the Mexico South Africa draw. With the difficulty of the group the numbers say that South Africa should have won that game. I wasn't able to see the game but from what I've read it seems that SA should have gotten 3 pts out of it. I am very surprised with the result, especially when you consider the host nation always makes it out of the group. That said, the goalless draw between France and Uruguay helped save SA chances. Had 3 pts been awarded SA would have a mountain to climb.

Argentina played extremely well today in Group B and proved themselves to be in a completely different league then Nigeria, South Korea and Greece. In fact. I don't know what league Greece is playing in. The very much lived up to their 0-0-3 WC record. They also kept the zero WC goals streak going. The only thing they did do was keep Korea from scoring 3 goals against them (their average margin of loss). I have picked Nigeria to advance with Argentina. I wasn't able to see enough from Nigeria to tell how well they will play against Korea, but that will be the critical game for both of them.

Now... the US. I'm exhausted after the game. It was one of the most exciting events I've ever seen on TV. From the England side it was not surprising the game ended in a 1-1 draw. What was surprising is that the US kept England out of the net. I felt like England played deep in the US side in the second half and clearly showed they had more talent. But the US did what it had to do. Helped out by a mistake in goal.

I guess what I'm saying is that the England draw was not a shocker, but the US to draw against England is a pretty big deal.

I'm very much looking forward to the Algeria v. Slovenia game tomorrow. Algeria should get out of there with 3 pts. Putting them in charge of the group and making that game against the US THE game of the tournament.

So on to the important things... how was Claddagh today? Great, rabidly pro American and each English fan that entered was promptly boooed and got a fierce USA chant. We witnessed more then one couple boooed out of the pub. I watched most of the Argentina v Nigeria game there then came back to watch England play well but tie --- yet again.

There has not been any statistical anomalies in the first five games. The US only allowing one goal is the only thing remotely out of the norm, but not anomalous.

England Warm up

Please forgive the music. Or, maybe not. It is possibly fitting for this warm up. I choose this one over the nice, pretty and clean FA HD version because, well it is a warm up and because it shows how fired up Rooney is. Around 1:30 into the video. Perfectly timed with RULE BRITANNIA! That's what I'm looking for. Heh Heh.

---------->Video Pulled<----------------------------

(uh, note by the writer here... the video was taken down. Enjoy the link to the fancy pants FA video.)