ESPN has moved the USA-Mexico qualifier from one of the lesser lights of their lineup (ESPN Classic) to one of the big boys (ESPN2) and I couldn't be happier. HD baby!

It's good to see ESPN stepping up and highlighting (somewhat) the only big-time soccer match on this continent; moving college basketball (even if it is Xavier-Dayton) out of the way to give USA-Mexico a proper presentation might actually indicate that things are picking up. Hopefully, this is an indication that ESPN wants to give soccer a bump, and other improvements in coverage will follow.

I dream of a day when highlights of USA-Mexico lead Sportscenter. I dream of a day when Tommy Smyth (or whoever) is in studio to analyze the match on that night's Sportscenter. I dream of a day when ESPN's full weight is brought to bear on American soccer, instead of the lip-service they have given it to this point. Maybe bumping regionally relevant college basketball is first indication that those dreams can come true.

I am starting to get a little worked up for USA-Sweden, in spite of myself. As much as I love watching the Euro leagues on the weekend, I never really have a dog in the fight. I miss having a rooting interest, and the Sweden match will certainly provide me the fix I've been missing. I'll be a nutjob on January 24th no matter if the game means something or not; and it will certainly ramp up the anticipation for February 11th and the game that actually means something.

Side Note: If anyone has info on the television coverage of the Confed Cup this summer, let me know. I just realized that I don't know where it might be on TV and I want to be sure I'm not going to miss out.