which is to say hitting the town, not what those heartless Fire fans do to seals after the sun goes down.
So the script is you go somewhere in Malibu and hang out, pop down to CNN's Planet LA studios and put on an act for Larry King, and then just try to stay off of gossip Web sites for at least 48 hours. Then you can pretty much get back to doing whatever you want.
So this weekend, I am going to try my own soccer rehab -- and I don't mean getting over an injury (such as the one Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick brought up on David Letterman's show the other night, Roger Clemens' infamous and wonderfully named "fatigued groin").
I am off to our place in a tiny beach town in lovely Marin County for a little get-away, and just so you know I am serious and this is not a vacation, I am going with the Queen's family. And as if that isn't cruel enough punishment, the place we are staying has no cable and no satellite and no Internet. What next, are we going to a Celine Dion concert and having a tofu cook-off?
So for one long weekend, I am going to try and go without our beloved game. If you see smoke coming from my Planet LA house, don't worry, that's just the TiVo set on overdrive to let me catch up when I get back.
If I were a betting man (and I don't condone any of that tomfoolery or skullduggery), it'd be pretty interesting to set odds on whether I don't find my way to a TV for a little Copa America or MLS action this weekend. San Francisco is only an hour's drive way, and I hear they have a TV or two up there.
But before I go cold turkey, let's talk a little bit about Mexico, Argentina and the most anticipated Friday the 13th since the "Freddy vs. Jason."
To address the USA's 4-1 loss to Argentina on Thursday night, I have only one little question: What exactly did you expect?
Did anyone else almost burst out laughing when they saw Argentina's starting XI right before kickoff? And with subs like Pablo Aimar, I mean, c'mon.
I have already praised Bob Bradley's decision to take a group of relative kids down to Copa America and I am sticking by my guns.
The important work was done, winning the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Now it is about getting ready for World Cup qualifying and hopefully for the Yanks, 2010.
And that means finding some new blood, which you just can't do in a friendly on U.S. soil. So that means taking some of the newer lads down there to do some on-the-job training.
Things got off to an interesting start when Benny Feilhaber followed up on his world-class strike against Mexico with an equally wonderful through ball to Eddie Johnson.
Eddie then did what he always seems to do on a breakaway with the national team, but luckily for him he was fouled and won the penalty that put the U.S. up 1-0.
After Argentina pulled level just minutes later, the USA hung around for a while. The game really looked like the old days of the national team pre-The Bruce, when the Yanks would play a top side and just try to defend and counter with one pass.
But it was working, and dreams of a shocking upset draw were alive with a half hour to play.
But then Bradley took off Benny Olsen and put on Eddie Gaven and coincidence or not, the floodgates opened.
In the end, the score line was ugly, but that is really not the point with this tournament.
While our man Ray Hudson's assertion that this U.S. team had "as proud as any performance in their history" was just a wee, tiny bit over the top even for the King of Hyperbole himself, the kids did all right overall against the virtual All-Star team that is Argentina.
And most importantly Bradley and the program are getting to learn a little more about who might be able to help them earn a ticket to South Africa three summers from now.
FLICK-ONS:
• Who should be sacked first, Hugo Sanchez or Bob Bradley? Sanchez for losing to the USA in the Gold Cup final or Bradley for allowing the 2-0's to actually score a goal? Tough call, that.
• See where Run DMB signed with Rangers this past week, right after the Gold Cup final? Clearly it was his play in front of goal that locked up that deal. Celtic supporters must be quivering in their hoops.
• For sheer audacity, level of class and importance put together, where does that Benny Feilhaber goal stand on the list of recent goals by an player in a U.S. jersey? Wow.
• Judging by that final, guess we can't count on Tim Howard to make a big save at a crucial point in a big match, huh? That's too bad.
• To new TCS readers from Canada or anywhere else, a very quick primer after some emails I received last week about my post U.S.-Canada column. This is a column, and rarely, if ever, a well-written one. This is to journalism about what Fox News Channel or the afore-mentioned Keith Olbermann is from an objectivity standpoint. TCS has likes and dislikes, with dislikes including my in-laws, vegetarians and anyone who is playing the U.S. national team, FC Dallas or Crystal Palace. So MLS adding the wonderful Toronto FC club, whose supporters I am on the record as being in awe of, will not change my views, which are no reflection of the league's thinking, as MLS says in the disclaimer they run at the end of my weekly drivel. So to those who weren't thrilled with my column last week, I think the Fire supporters could have an old scarf to sell you ...
• Speaking of the Fire, good job getting rid of the only classy thing about your team, Dave Sarachan. Kidding aside, I understand the impetus for the move, but Sarachan is one of the better guys in this game.
• Mark it down: Friday, July 13. Becks gets introduced by the apparently non-superstitious Los Angeles Galaxy in a Planet LA press conference.
• I always thought Brian McBride was one of the most fearless people to roam a soccer field, but how about ESPN's Allen Hopkins? Thursday night as the refs and players were scurrying off the field at RFK for a weather delay as lightning was moving in, there was Hopkins getting doused during a final on-camera update. I would've paid huge for him to look right into the camera and quote the great Carl Spackler, "I don't think the heavy stuff's coming down for quite some time ...
During the season, The Clean Sheet runs each week on MLSnet. Views and opinions expressed in this column views and opinions are the author's, and not necessarily those of Major League Soccer or MLSnet.com. Send any questions and comments to tcsresponses@yahoo.com
