366 Days To Rio

366 days from today will come the day the world's sports fans will be looking forward to except everyone in Chicago.    Yes, Chicago I still feel your pain of having the best bid and being eliminated in the first round of venue voting.   Y'all was robbed by the IOC.

It'll be on this August 5 date next year that the Games of the XXXI Olympiad  will kick off in Rio de Janeiro at Maracana Stadium with what will probably be based on what they showed off during the 2012 London Games closing ceremony, an entertaining opening ceremony.    It will be only the third city in the Southern Hemisphere (Melbourne 1956, Sydney 2000) and the first South American one to host the Olympics.

Will be interested  to see what Brazilian gets tapped for the honor of being the final relay runner that gets to ignite the Olympic flame and how the Rio organizing committee chooses to do so since there have been since 1992 some pretty creative torch lightings.

Looking forward to from August 5-21 watching the various Olympic sports take place with the amazing scenery in the Rio area as a backdrop.

This Olympic Games for US and Canadian television and cable viewers will have many events in prime time network coverage in our time zones  

While we are still a year away from knowing who the pre-Olympic favorites will be in many of the sports and the qualifying will start ramping up soon, USA basketball fans know their FIBA world championship men's and women's teams will go in as gold medal favorites.  The USA men will be trying to accomplish an Olympic threepeat and the USA women will be seeking to collect their sixth straight gold medal.  

Both teams are already qualified, it's just a matter of who ends up on the Olympic squads.selected by men's coach Mike Krzyzewski and women' coach Geno Auriemma and what groups they end up in once FIBA Olympic qualifying is completed.  

And can the FIFA world champion USA women's soccer team not only handle their CONCACAF qualifying business in October, but capture their third straight Olympic gold medal in what is shaping up to be a loaded women's Olympic tourney field with host Brazil, Germany, France and a rapidly improving Colombia as four of the already qualified teams?

We will also have to wait until next August to find out what pre-Olympic favorites falter and what unknown athlete steps up big to claim an unexpected medal.

The clock is tucking toward August 5, 2016 and the opening date of the 2016 Rio Games.

2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Team USA Watch-Redemption!

After navigating and defeating a series of knockout round opponents that included FIFA number 10 ranked Colombia, China, and FIFA world number one ranked Germany in the semifinals,  Team USA not only reached the goal they set for themselves when this tournament started, they got the finals matchup they wanted in Vancouver with Japan.

And far from being the tight finals matchup that everyone expected, it turned into a surprising 5-2 rout as the USA scored four goals in a 16 minute onslaught that avenged the 2011 FIFA finals loss in Germany on penalty kicks to the Nadeshiko and sent them on cruise control to the FIFA women's world championship and first since 1999.

The Houston Dash's Carli Lloyd got things off to a fast and successful start when just 3 minutes into the match she scored the first of her three goals courtesy of a Megan Rapinoe corner kick to put Team USA up 1-0.

Two minutes later Lloyd was Janie on the spot as another corner kick from Lauren Holiday found its way through a maze of players to her foot and she tapped it in the net from short range for her second goal and fifth of the tournament which put the Red White and Blue up 2-0. 

Lauren Holiday would score in the 14th minute to put Team USA up 3-0, but the offensive fireworks in BC Place weren't done yet to the delight of the pro-American crowd. 

And if it wasn't enough for Carli Lloyd to score the two fastest goals in FIFA Women's World Cup finals history, she scored another one that will probably be talked about for decades that put the USA up 4-0

In what will rank up there as the goal of the tournament, in the 16th minute Lloyd capped off her finals hat trick by lobbing a ball from the midfield stripe 54 yards away from the Japanese goal that caught keeper Ayumi Kaihori way off her line.  Kaihori stumbled and fell on her back as she tried to get back in position to stop the ball that sailed past her desperately outstretched hands into the net.



Speaking of goalkeeping, Hope Solo was working on a record of her own.  When the match started she hadn't allowed a goal in 513 minutes, and for another 27 minutes Solo was handling her goalkeeping business until Yuki Ogimi fired a shot past her to cut the USA lead to 4-1.

She fell one agonizing minute short of breaking the Germans World Cup shutout streak record they set during their 2007 title run in which they didn't give up a single goal in the entire tournament.

In the second half Aya Miyama's free kick in the 52nd minute took a glancing blow off of Julie Johnston's head and unfortunately past Hope Solo for an own goal that cut the deficit to 4-2.

But just two minutes later Tobin Heath scored to push the lead back up to 5-2 to the delight of the 53,331 predominately American peeps in the stands as they began to party like it was 1999 and celebrate the Team USA women's third FIFA world championship and first in 16 years.

Hope Solo was deservedly awarded the Golden Glove Award as the best goalkeeper. and Carli Lloyd the Golden Ball as best player.   She just missed out on the Golden Boot because although she and Germany's Celia Sasic had six goals, Sasic scored her six with less playing time than Lloyd.

It was also a long awaited celebratory moment for Abby Wambach, Christie Rampone and Shannon Box, who have probably played in their final World Cups for the Red White and Blue (we have got to get a cooler nickname for our women and men's national teams) and probably won`t be on the Olympic squad in Rio as the seek their fourth straight gold medal.

But that's next year.  Congratulations to the now three time FIFA women's world champions.  Time to sew that third star on the US team jerseys.

And Carli, hope you have some more scoring magic left for the remainder of the Houston Dash season.

2015 Williams Watch-Number 20 And Counting!

Serena Williams run to this third French Open title was a bumpy one at times.   She had several three set matches in which she dropped the first set against formidable opponents like Victoria Azarenka and Sloane Stephens but roared back to win.   She battled the flu in her semifinal round match with Timea Bacsisczky but came back to win in three sets.

She was so ill that she couldn't even train yesterday, but there she was on Court Philippe Chatrier for the 2015 French Open final against the Czech Republic's Lucie Safarova.

It started in dominating fashion with Serena taking the first set 6-3.   She was cruising at 4-1 in the second set and serving for a 5-1 lead when in her words in the post match interview 'she choked'.

Williams stopped playing her A++ game as Lucie Safarova seized the early Christmas gift to get back into the set and win it in a tiebreaker. 6-7 (2-7) to even the match.

A pissed off Serena, upset that she blew her opportunity to close it out in straight sets, fell into an 0-2 hole in the third set before she kicked up her game another level that Safarova tried to match but couldn't.   Williams won the next six games to take the match 6-2 and hold the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen for the third time.

It was Serena's 20th Grand Slam title, tying her with Steffi Graf, her third straight Grand Slam win since the 2014 US Open, her third French Open title and first since 2013.

And how apropos at the conclusion of this successful business trip to Paris, she's hoisting the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen on D-Day..

And oh yeah,Serena haters. she's halfway to a calendar year Grand Slam.    The next Grand Slam is across the Channel at the All England Lawn Tennis And Croquet Club starting June 29, which has been her and Big Sis' personal playground throughout her career..

See y'all at 'Williams'-don..

2015 Williams Watch-Serena Rolls To The French Open Semis!

Serena Williams Roland Garros business trip is a step closer to a successful conclusion, but she had another slow start that almost derailed it.

She entered her fourth round match with Sloane Stephens mired in a puzzling pattern of getting of getting off to a slow start that puts her in a bind, then clawing back to win the match.

And once again, Serena dropped the first set 1-6 to Stephens, who hadn't beaten Williams since the 2013 Australian Open quarterfinal upset.

Serena woke up after trailing 0-2 in the second set to take it 7-5, and even the match, then punched her ticket to the quarterfinals by taking the third set 6-3 to close out another comeback and face Sara Errani.

In her quarterfinal match with Errani, who has never beaten her, the world number one was determined to avoid the bad starts that had plagued her in her last three French Open matches.    Serena took only 63 minutes to overpower her 6-1, 6-3 in a match that included a 123 mph ace.

She's baaaaack....and that may be bad news for Williams' semifinal opponent Timea Bacsinszky.  Serena is closing in on her third French Open title, 20th Grad Slam title overall and her third straight Grand Slam since taking the 2014 US Open.

If she gets past Bacsinszky tomorrow, she'll face the winner of the other semifinal being contested between seventh seed  Ana Ivanovic and number 13 seed Lucie Safarova.

2015 Williams Watch-Serena To The Aussie Open Finals!

After the all-Russian semifinal ended with another Sharapova win over Ekaterina Makarova, the all American semifinal took place at Rod Laver Arena  between world number one Serena Williams and 19 year old phenom Madison Keys.

Keys knocked off fourth seeded Petra Kvitova and Big Sis on the way to her first ever Grand Slam semifinal.

This match was going to be a tough one for Little Sis because Keys is one of the few younglings who have the power in her serve and shots to match Serena.

Keys showed that power early and often in a tightly contested first set in which  a nervous Serena was immediately broken in her opening game, but eventually was broken by Williams to even the match in the first set at 3-3 despite a barrage of big serves and laser like ground strokes from Keys.   

Both players stayed on serve in the rest of the first set until the tiebreaker, in which Serena opened up a 4-1 lead before winning the tiebreaker 7-5 to take the first set.7-6.

Serena showed Keys who was the woman in the second set.  She broke Keys twice to run up a 5-1 second set lead.   But Keys showed she had some intestinal fortitude as well.   Serving to extend the match, she fought off seven match points to eventually take the game and force Serena to serve it out.

After Keys survived an eighth match point, Serena uncorked an ace to close out the hard fought match over Keys and win it 7-6 (7-5) 6-2.

She now has a shot at winning her first Australian Open title since 2010 and her 19th Grand Slam title overall.   Because she subdued Keys in the semifinal, she will continue to hold on to the world number one ranking no matter what the result of the final match is at 2 AM CST Saturday. 

Those of us who love Serena hope it's her capturing her fifth Australian Open title.

2015 Williams Watch- Good And Bad News Quarterfinal Day

My fave tennis playing siblings made it to the quarterfinal round of the 2015 Australian Open and if they made it through their respective matches, would play each other in the semifinals with a Aussie Open finals slot on the line.

While Serena handled her business and took out 2014 Australian Open runner up Dominika Cibulkova in straight sets.6-2, 6-2, to move on to the  semifinals, unfortunately that wasn't the case  for Big Sis.

Venus came out flat against American teen phenom Madison Keys and lost in three sets 3-6, 6-4, 4-6 despite Keys suffering a left thigh injury that necessitated a medical timeout in the second set.

It is the 19 year old Keys who will face the world's number one ranked player for a spot in the final against the winner of the all-Russian Ekaterina Makarova - Maria Sharapova semifinal.

Despite Venus' time in Melbourne being done, Serena is still alive for her fifth Australian Open title, her first since 2010 and her 19th Grand Slam title overall.

2015 Williams Watch- Venus and Serena In The Aussie Quarters

I've been having some problems with my cable, which has prevented me from watching my fave tennis playing siblings kick butt in the 2015 Australian Open 

My cable problems have cleared up just in time for me to discover that Serena and especially Venus are having a successful so far business trip to Melbourne.

I'll start with Little Sis' road to the quarterfinals which started with a 6-0, 6-1 opening round waxing of Belgium's Alison Van Uylvanck that took only 61 minutes. 

That set her up for a second round 7-5, 6-0 straight set win over Russia's Vera Zvonareva in which she got off to a slow start, saved three set points but eventually kicked it up to Serena mode 
She was clinically efficient in that closing set, taking only 27 minutes to complete it and move on to the third round.

She faced Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, and after dropping the first set 4-6, she regrouped to take the second set 6-2 to even the match, then blitzed her 6-0 to move on to the fourth round.

Spain's Garbine Muguruza also took the first set in their fourth round match 2-6 before Serena flipped the script and roared back to take the second set 6-3 and the deciding set 6-2 to head to the Australian open quarterfinals for the first time since 2013.

The world number one and number one tournament seed faces 2014 Aussie Open runner up Dominika Cibulkova, who survived a three set battle of her own with Victoria Azarenka. 

18th seeded Big Sis is having her best Australian Open since she made it to the Aussie Open finals against her sister in 2003.  She's made it to the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time since the 2010 US Open.

Venus' path to the quarters started with a first round 6-2, 6-2 straight set win over Maria Torro-Flor of Spain.

That punched her ticket to a second round clash with fellow American Lauren Davis which ended with a 6-2, 6-3 straight set victory which propelled her to the third round.

She faced Italy's Camila Giorgi and battled to a hard fought 4-6, 7-6 (7-2) , 6-1 victory that sent her to the fourth round against 6th seeded Agnieszka Radwanska.    Venus took down Radwanska 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 to advance to a quarterfinal match with American teen Madison Keys.

Should the Williams sisters win their respective quarterfinal matches, they will face each other in the semifinals for a spot in the 2015 Australian Open final.

Team USA Is Going To Canada!

The USA women's team on Sunday finished handling their CONCACAF business in PPL Park and captured their seventh title with a 6-0 rout of Costa Rica on the strength of Abby Wambach's four goals and another clean sheet by Hope Solo.

The Ticas aren't too disappointed.  They will be heading to their first ever Women's World Cup thanks to their showing in this CONCACAF qualification tournament in which they won their group and made it to the finals.

Oh yeah, did I forget to mention Team USA also qualified for next year's Women's World Cup in Canada in addition to winning the tournament?

That qualification business was handled when Team USA beat Mexico 3-0 in the semifinals on Friday to avenge that 2-1 loss Mexico pinned on them four years ago.

Speaking of Mexico, they will be going to the World Cup next year along with the Ticas after beating Trinidad and Tobago 4-2 in the Third Place game to capture the third CONCACAF auto qualifying spot.

As for Trinidad and Tobago's heartwarming quest to make history and become the first ever Caribbean based female squad to make it to the World Cup, they will have to play a two leg aggregate score playoff against CONMEBOL rep (South America) Ecuador in order to punch their ticket to Canada.

Since the Mexican team plays their games at high altitude (7200 feet),the Mexican Football Federation has made the classy offer of a training facility in Mexico City to help Trinidad and Tobago get ready for that 9300 foot altitude November 8 first leg in Quito that awaits the Soca Princesses.   The return leg is in Trinidad and Tobago on December 2.

Congrats to Team USA and all the CONCACAF nations that will be playing next summer in Canada.   Hopefully Trinidad and Tobago will get to join that party. 

And I'm hoping Team USA finally gets to add that third star on their jerseys next summer.

2014 FIBA Women's World Championship Watch-Title Number 9!

The 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women title game was held this afternoon my time in Istanbul, and the FIBA world number one ranked Team USA was facing off against Spain for the title and the automatic bid to the Rio Olympic Games that went with it.

Both teams were unbeaten, had won their respective groups and breezed through the tournament until the semifinals. 

Both teams also survived tough semifinal matchups the day before to get to the title game, with Spain knocking off the host Turks and Team USA dispatching their Australian rivals once again.

Team USA wanted to get off to a quick start and seize control of this title game from the outset, and with tournament MVP Maya Moore reeling off eight quick points to get the basketball party started, Spain quickly found themselves looking at a 15-5 double digit deficit.

Moore finished with 18 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal as she made the All-Star Five Team along with Brittney Griner. Australia's Penny Taylor, and Spain's Sancho Lyttle and Alba Torrens.



It didn't get any better for the EuroBasket champs as they headed to the halftime locker room trailing 48-29 and 67-48 at the end of the third quarter as Team USA kept up the defensive pressure and showcased the depth of their predominately veteran roster they brought to Turkey.  

Spain did close with a late rally and held the USA to just 10 points in the quarter to make the final score 77-64.   Spain with the runner up silver medal finish had achieved their best finish ever in FIBA tournament play, and the Australians hammered host Turkey 77-44 to earn the bronze medal.

For my Canadian readers, you finished fifth after knocking off China 61-53.  I think the Canadians might have had a shot at the podium had Natalie Achonwa been able to play.

Team USA with the win repeated as FIBA world champs, captured their ninth overall world championship and most importantly, locked down the automatic bid for the 2016 Games.  

USA Head Coach Geno Auriemma said while reflecting on it, "It is very difficult to win the Championship.  There are some great teams and they are getting better all the time."

"Although just because we are expected to win, doesn't make it any easier."



One thing that definitely won't be easy is selecting 12 players from the vast talent pool Team USA has to choose from for the 2016 women's Olympic b-ball squad.

But we'll see how that plays out two years from now.

Congrats to Team USA for the FIBA repeat.
 
 

2014 FIBA Women's World Championship Watch-On To The Finals!

It was Semifinal Saturday in Istanbul earlier today as the four surviving teams in the 2014 FIBA World Championship For Women tournament faced each other for a spot in tomorrow's finals.

Spain was taking on the host Turks, while the unbeaten Team USA was tangling with their longtime Australian rivals who were also unbeaten despite not having Lauren Jackson on the Opals squad.

In the early semifinal game the European champions broke the hearts of the Turkish faithful dreaming of an appearance in the FIBA final by knocking them off 66-56.

Team USA handled their basketball business against Australia in the other semifinal, sending the Opals to the third place game to face off against Turkey after beating them 82-70.




Tina Charles did the damage this time with 18 points and 9 rebounds to put the USA one win away from repeating as FIBA world champs and qualifying for the Olympic basketball tournament in Rio two years from now. 

2014 FIBA Women's World Championship Watch-On To The Semis

The quarterfinal action took place in the 2014 FIBA World Championship For Women yesterday with Spain taking on a China team that upset Belarus 72-67 and the host Turks taking on Serbia in the upper half of the bracket. 

In the lower half of it Australia took on Canada while the defending FIBA champion USA got a 2012 Olympic finals rematch with France.

France came into this game with a semblance of confidence after handing Team USA their first loss in an international basketball game since 2011.   France beat Team USA 76-72 in a September 21 prep game before the tournament started.

Spain beat China 71-55 to punch their ticket to today's semifinals and they will face Turkey after their narrow 62-61 win over Serbia. 

Turkey had to overcome a 10 point fourth quarter deficit in order to send the home country fans home happy as they punched their ticket  to the semifinals.

Australia beat Canada 63-52 to remain unbeaten in this FIBA World Championship tourney.  Their reward is facing their longtime b-ball rivals Team USA, who got payback for the friendly game loss pinned on them by France.  




France upset them in Paris back on September 21 as Team USA was sorting out the final spots on their FIBA championship squad and was missing Brittney Griner. 

This time Team USA shattered and splattered France's pipe dream of a semifinal matchup.  Team USA raced to a 29-14 first quarter lead they never relinquished thanks to 92% shooting, and sprinted to a 20 point halftime lead.   The 94-72 win secured their spot in the semis against the Opals. 
Brittney Griner led all USA scorers with 17 points

Once again we have a clash between unbeaten USA and Australia squads for the right to move on to the title game.  Should be fun to watch.
  

2014 FIBA World Cup Watch-Just Winning, Baby!

The 2014 FIBA World Cup started while I was chilling in Louisville, and I got the opportunity when I wasn't running around hanging out with various peeps to watch Team USA take on Group C in Bilbao.

This version of Team USA is the youngest one (average age 24) we have sent to FIBA competition since we started using NBA ballers to handle our international basketball business.  

The first game for Team USA on August 30 was against Finland, and it was the first time since the 1964 Tokyo Olympics that we'd played the Wolfpack in an international basketball game.  

Team USA made short work of Finland by shooting 59% from the field, holding them to 0-17 shooting and a pair of free throws in the second period while rolling to a 60-18 halftime lead.  

They blew them out of the Barakaldo Arena 114-55 for their 55th straight win in FIBA competition and their first one in group C play.   

The next day was the 2010 FIBA final rematch against Turkey, and it wasn't the walk in the park that the Finland game was.   Turkey slowed the game down to their pace, dared the USA shooters to hit three pointers (only one of those 9 first half three point attempts went in), clogged up the lanes with Omer Asik and fouled USA players to prevent fast break baskets when Turkey turned it over.  Thanks to 37%  first half shooting, sloppy ball handling and subpar defense, Team USA found itself trailing 40-35 at the half.

Coach K implemented the full court pressure defense to start the second half, and that got Team USA's fast break offense jumpstarted.



They trailed Turkey through much of the third quarter and tied at 59 with 3:10 left before they woke up,  fixed the turnover issues and the dynamic duo of Kenneth Faried and Anthony Davis asserted themselves.   Faried led all scorers with 22 points with Davis scoring all 19 of his in the second half as Team USA used a 7-1 third quarter closing burst for a 66-60 lead.   The fourth quarter opening 10-0 run helped put the game away and powered Team USA to a hard fought 98-77 win and a 2-0 record in Group C play.

After getting Labor Day off, Team USA resumed its quest for a FIBA title repeat by facing the Tall Blacks of New Zealand yesterday.  

New Zealand brought their rugby tradition of doing the haka dance to Barakaldo Arena before they played Team USA.   After the Tall Blacks showed off their haka dance moves, Team USA proceeded to dance all over New Zealand 98-71.    

It was Faried and Davis doing the damage once again, with Davis scoring a game high 21 points and Faried contributing a double double with 15 points and 11 rebounds to keep Team USA unbeaten in Group C play at 3-0 before they face the 2-1 Dominican Republic at 3:30 EDT. 

So far so good in Spain so far.  

TransGriot Update:  After another slow start, Team USA woke up to run away with a 106-71 win over the Dominican Republic and clinch the top spot in Group C.   They play their final group game tomorrow against Ukraine before they head to Barcelona to begin knockout round play against the 4th place team in Group D. 

2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup Starts Saturday

The tournament has been rebranded and the next one won't be played until 2019 so it doesn't conflict with the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament, but the FIBA Basketball World Cup tips off Saturday and runs through September 14. .

Many basketball fans in the USA don't consider it as important as the Olympics, but for the rest of the planet and the 23 other nations playing in it, this FIBA Basketball World Cup is a BFD. 

And yeah, USA b-ball fans, you need to be paying attention, because the winner of this FIBA tournament and the women's FIBA one that gets started September 27 in Turkey gets an automatic bid to the 2016 Rio Olympic basketball tournament. 

So if our star spangled men's b-ballers want to be dribbling Molten basketballs on the Rio Olympic Arena courts in two years and avoid playing in the FIBA Tournament of the Americas to qualify for the Olympics, failure to win this tournament in Spain is not an option.

The 2014 (and 2016 Olympic) Team USA squad will once again be coached by Mike Krzyzewski, who has a 64-1 record in FIBA internatioanl play. 

And despite Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Blake Griffin pulling out and Paul George's horrific injury during Team USA training camp that will sideline him for this tournament and the 2014-15 NBA season, you international peeps better not sleep on this squad we are sending to defend our FIBA men's title.. 

In addition to my Houston Rockets homie James Harden, the 2014 Team USA FIBA World Cup squad includes DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento); Stephen Curry (Golden State); Anthony Davis (New Orleans); DeMar DeRozan (Toronto); Andre Drummond (Detroit); Kenneth Faried (Denver); Rudy Gay (Sacramento);  Kyrie Irving (Cleveland); Mason Plumlee (Brooklyn); Derrick Rose (Chicago) and Klay Thompson (Golden State).

This 2014 squad is also attempting to do something a USA men's squad has never done in the history of this tournament, and that's repeat as FIBA World Cup tourney champions. 

But there are several teams that want to make sure we don't end up playing in the championship game in Madrid, starting with the host Spaniards.   They are still smarting from the 2008 and 2012 Olympic final losses pinned on them by the USA ballers and being upset in the 2010 FIBA tournament knockout round by Serbia. The Gasol brothers, Serge Ibaka and company are determined to not let it happen on home soil.

The Lithuanians are always dangerous, along with the Brazilians, the Argentinians even without Manu Ginobili and Greece.  If you're laughing about Greece, ask Coach K or LeBron James about that.  They are the team in the 2006 FIBA world semis in Japan that handed Coach K his lone FIBA b-ball loss.

Team USA is in Group C in Bilbao's Barakaldo Arena, and start FIBA Worlds play August 30 against Finland.  The next day they get a 2010 FIBA finals rematch against Turkey before they get a day off.  The USA ballers resume group play on September 2 against New Zealand, play the Dominican Republic on September 3 before completing pool play on September 4 against Ukraine.  

Pretty much a winnable group for Team USA while the Spaniards are slugging it out in the Group A 'Group of Death' in Granada with France, Serbia, Brazil, Egypt and Iran.  

Should be fun to see how this plays out over the next few weeks.

USA 2014 World Cup Watch-Escaping The 'Group Of Death'

The USA went into their final Group G match with FIFA number 2 ranked Germany in pretty good shape despite the disappointing draw with Portugal.   

A win would put them atop the group, and a draw would allow them to advance.as well.  There was also conspiracy theory chatter before the game that speculated because a draw would suit both nations purposes and with all the interlocking connections both sides had, both teams would park the bus and play keep away for 90 minutes and a 0-0 draw.  

Even if they lost to the Germans, as long as Portugal beat Ghana in Brasilia and didn't score more than 5 goals the USA would advance to the knockout round that way. 

But on a soggy pitch in Recife in which torrential rain rain fell in the city and during much of the match Die Mannschaft blew that speculation out of the window.   They came out of the gate relentlessly attacking the USA who had one less day rest than they did.   Thanks to Tim Howard making some outstanding saves and Omar Gonzales doing yeoman's work to clear the crosses peppering the USA box the game went into the half drawn at 0-0.

The other thing making American fans less nervous about the game was hearing that Portugal was up 1-0 in their match with Ghana thanks to a John Boye own goal

Things changed after halftime with the insertion of Miroslav Klose into the game for Germany.   In the 55th minute Howard punched out an initial Per Mertesacker's header that unfortunately went right to Thomas Muller.

Muller blasted it past a diving Howard into the right corner for his fourth goal of the tournament.

To make things worse two minutes later word came from Brasilia that Ghana's Asamoah Gyan scored an equalizing goal to level that match at 1-1.   But Cristiano Ronaldo saved the day once again for his nation by burying a horrendous clearance in the 80th minute for what turned out to be the winning goal for Portugal and the one that sent the USA through to the knockout round. 

Meanwhile in stoppage time the USA was fighting to get on the board and had its two best scoring chances of the match.  A counter attack in which Alejandro Bedoya unleashed a laser toward the German goal but Phillipp Lahm's sliding challenge blocked it.   Then the ensuing cross fell to Dempsey at point blank range, but his header went agonizing over the crossbar to end with the Germans on top 1-0. 

Germany takes Group G as expected, but the USA for the second straight World Cup advances out of the group stage as the surprising to the soccer pundits Group G runners-up .   

They get to rest after a brutal travel schedule and prep for a short 420 mile trip for them to their knockout round date Tuesday July 1 in Salvador against Group H winner Belgium. 
 

2014 Williams Watch-'Williams'-don Starts Today

My favorite tennis playing siblings had a forgettable trip to Stade Roland Garros and its clay courts last month as they both exited the 2014 French Open earlier than planned due to second round upsets.

But starting today through July 6 is the Grand Slam tournament at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London which the Williams sisters have so thoroughly dominated it I call it 'Williams'-don.  

Serena has won five titles here (2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012) and so has big sis Venus (2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008).  As a matter of fact their domination at Wimbledon is so complete that during the 2000's the only years that someone not named Williams won the women's singles title was in 2004 when Serena was upset in the final by Maria Sharapova and Amelie Mauresmo of France won it in 2006 after defending champ Venus was upset in the third round by Jelena Jankovic.  

During that stretch the Williams sisters met in the Wimbledon finals four times in 2002, 2003, 2008 and 2009 with Little Sis taking three of the four matchups.   Serena won her 2002 and 2010 Wimbledon titles without losing a set, and Venus did the same in 2008   

And yeah, can't forget to remind the Williams haters of the Olympic gold medal Serena won in the London Games and the London Olympic doubles title she and Big Sis won which was ahem, played at the All England Club.

The grass courts are well suited to their power game, and with Centre Court's retractable roof, when it's closed, they become even more lethal. 

But it's the 2014 edition of The Championships, and both are seeking rebounds from the double disappointments in Paris and Serena's shocking fourth round upset loss here last year. 

Number one ranked and number one seeded Serena starts the fortnight with an opening round match against fellow American Anna Tatishvili while 30th seeded Venus starts with an opening round match versus Spain's Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor.  

The Williams sisters are also entered in the ladies doubles tourney as they seek to capture their first Wimbledon doubles crown since 2012. 

And hopefully I'll get to see Serena holding up the Venus (Williams) Rosewater dish on July 6 

2014 FIFA World Cup Starts Today

I'll have to set aside some time to do so while I'm in Philly, but the 2014 FIFA World Cup finally starts group stage play later this afternoon.

The host Brazilians will be kicking things off (pun intended) in Sao Paulo against Croatia 

The rest of the matches start tomorrow, and Team USA doesn't get to start Group G play until the 16th.   Team USA will face off in Natal against Ghana, who eliminated us in the knockout rounds of the last two World Cups in 2006 and 2010. 

As to how Team USA will fare in a 'Group of Death' that features the FIFA number 2 ranked Germans, FIFA number 3 ranked Portugal and all everythang Cristian Ronaldo and FIFA number 38 ranked USA killer Ghana remains to be seen for our Jurgen Klinsmann coached FIFA number 14 ranked squad. 

It'll be a miracle if we even get out of the group stage.   But if Team USA wants to be taken seriously instead of sneered at as a soccer nation, this is the perfect opportunity for them to prove they can handle their soccer business while the whole world is watching.

2014 Williams Watch-On To The Second Round

The 2014 edition of the French Open is underway, and there's good news and bad news for my fave tennis playing siblings at Stade Roland Garros.

The good news is that Big and Little Sis are through to the second round of the women's singles.  Number one seeded Serena took 79 minutes to spank French homegirl Alize Lim 6-2, 6-1 in straight sets and move on to play Spain's Garbine Muguruza.

Number 29 seeded Venus took less time (77 minutes) to beat Belinda Bencic of Switzerland.6-4, 6-1 in straight sets, and will play Anna Schmiedlova of Slovakia in the second round.

Now comes the bad news.  Should both advance to the third round, their next opponents will be each other.

It would be the first time since the 2002 French Open final the Williams sisters have played against each other with Little Sis holding a 14-10 edge in those matchups.

Who fell asleep during the women's singles draw setup last Friday to let that happen?  

Serena is playing for the repeat and tying Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova for fourth on the all time Grand Slam titles list, while Venus is playing for her first ever French Open singles title.

Good luck in the second round ladies.

2014 Williams Watch-The French Open Starts

Today starts the 113th edition of the French Open at Stade Roland Garros in Paris through June 8.  The question I will have on my mind along with all international tennis fans is can Serena repeat?

I'd say it's likely after being upset in the Australian Open by Ana Ivanovic, so the French Open field needs to be very afraid after Little Sis warmed up for the French by capturing the Italian Open title which is a clay court tournament.

If Serena manages to win the French Open, she will tie Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova for fourth on the all time titles list at 18 and be only one singles title away from tying Helen Wills Moody who sits in third place.

Number one seeded Serena starts the chase for her third French Open singles title with her first round match against French homegirl Alize Lim.  

Big Sis Venus is also playing in this tournament and is unfortunately on the same side of the draw as Little Sis.   She starts her French Open singles play against Belinda Bencic of Switzerland.

As to whether the Williams sisters will be playing doubles in this tournament, won't know until they post the women's doubles draw. 

Will this be another successful French business trip for Serena?  Will Venus make some noise in this one?   We'll begin to find out the answers to those questions in a few hours.

No Transpeople At The Sochi Games

'Athletic participation has been the road other marginalized groups have used as a pathway to greater visibility and human rights coverage, and it's past time we transfolks did so as well.'
---TransGriot , June 24, 2012
The Stockholm Consensus that allows transpeople to participate in the Olympic Games has been in place since 2004.  Since it was approved by the IOC we have had two winter Olympiads (2006, 2010) and three Summer ones (2004, 2008 and 2012) pass without an open trans athlete participating on their nation's winter or summer Olympic teams.

Keelin Godsey of the US, who did make the US Pan Am Games squad in 2011 has tried twice in 2008 and 2012 to be that first out trans athlete to make that history along with Kristin Worley of Canada, who attempted to make the Canadian Olympic track cycling team in 2008.

But as of yet our dream of a trans Olympian hasn't happened.  The new IOC rules were enacted far too late for a trans athlete to make an appearance in Athens and the first winter games in Torino two years later.  Beijing, Vancouver and London came and went with no trans Olympian sightings and it doesn't look like it will happen as the Olympic cauldron is lit at Sochi either.

Maybe the international trans* community will have better luck seeing one of our own two years from now in Rio or in 2018 at the Winter Games in Pyeongchang

Women Finally Get To Fly At Sochi

From the ski jump hills that is.

Since the 1998 Nagano Games female ski jumpers around the world have been petitioning the IOC and FIS, the International Ski Federation to add women's ski jumping to the Olympic program.

In 2010 a group of 15 ski jumpers that included women's world champ Lindsey Van filed a discrimination suit against the Vancouver Organizing Committee that went to the British Columbia Supreme Court.   The suit was unsuccessful, but in April 2011 women's ski jumping was finally added to the Sochi Olympic program and a women's World Cup ski jumping championship competition started..

So now, 90 years after ski jumping made its Olympic debut at the 1924 Winter Games for the men, women finally get their opportunity to do the same in Sochi.

But what a lot of women ski jumpers suspect was the reason for the far too long time lag in adding women's ski jumping was the Victorian attitudes of predominately male FIS federation heads that ski jumping would damage the reproductive health capacity of the female competitors combined with the macho culture of international ski jumping.

And yes, that attitude recently reared its head when Russian men's ski jump coach Alexander Arefyev was quoted in a recent Izvestia newspaper interview that he is not an advocate of women's ski jumping because of the sport’s injury risks and saying women’s purpose is to have children and do housework.

Even though the first Olympic competition is taking place during these Sochi games after an over ten year battle, women jumpers are only getting to compete in one event on the normal (K95) hill.   They will not have a competition on the large (K125) hill or a team competition in these games like the men will get to do.

But that's a fight for another Olympiad.  It'll just be fun to see women's sporting history happen on February 11.