So now that the holiday madness is well and truly passed, 2009 has started and as of this writing we are a mere 45 days away from the Dynamo/Atlante game Feb. 24. That game will begin the soccer seasons for me and I can scarcely contain my anticipation.
The last time Dynamo played Atlante, in Superliga last summer, I was beginning to have some affection for the squad (Atlante, I mean).

...or better, depending on your point of view, I guess.
Guingamp's Badara Sene: One of the all-time great weeks.
Brest keeper Julien Lachuer: Not so much.

"We adore chaos because we love to produce order."
~ M.C. Escher
In the delicious disorder that has marked the final weeks of the MLS season will come some order after this weekend, and it all started in that mudpit in Bridgeview last night.
So did anyone check out that Chicago/Chivas game last night?

As many of you know by now, Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame today.
Now, about Jim Rice, much has been written about his qualifications, but that's not why I'm penning this little piece on a soccer site.
Quite simply, Rickey Henderson dominated a sport in a way that just doesn;t come along very often.

Kartik Krishnaiyer on the Major League Soccer Talk blog has published a very interesting screed on the hatred directed at footy from American sorts commentators and publishers. (Read the story here.)
Recently, Fox News in particular has been particularly hateful, airing two different attacks on the beautiful game, specifically the American 2018/22 World Cup bids and in an immigrant-bashing way trying to draw some sort of forced connection between soccer and terrorism.