Hello, friends and fellow fans. Today is Friday, May 21st, 2010. The World Cup countdown stands at three weeks. As I sit here, chained as usual to a desk I would prefer to have nothing to do with, I find myself pondering an notable fact: Things are about to get crazy.
From a U.S. National Team/World Cup perspective that is; this coming weekend, which could not possibly start soon enough, is the calm before before the storm that begins with super important warm up friendlies and ends with the conclusion of their World Cup campaign. Whenever that may be.
Starting next week there will not be a seven day period without a U.S. match until the World Cup story is over. By then our beers will be salty with tears no matter when the U.S. exits, and the autopsy of the tournament from an American perspective will have fully begun. Sure, all of the buildup to June 12th won't have half the intensity of the World Cup matches, but we can be sure there will be laser-focused criticism, honest and overwrought analysis, and rampant teeth-gnashing. It's what we do.
But before I find myself in need of dentures and a new beer, I'm going to try and enjoy my weekend "off". The molecules that constitute my physical being are already beginning to vibrate more violently, so while my fan-at-rest state is less at-rest than usual, I'm going to make an attempt. I'll relax, kick my feet up, watch a few games that won't have me clenched with nervous tension, and try not to think about the coming storm. There will be plenty of time to worry about the state of the team come Tuesday when the send-off series begins in Connecticut.
Champions League final? Sure, that's a nice distraction. A little MLS, some patio sitting, firing up the grill...ahh, sounds nice. I'll put out of my mind all of the questions: who Bradley will start up front, which midfielder has a bead on the job to pair with Michael Bradley, how Gooch's sharpness really is despite his outward confidence, whether Donovan is ready to put in a virtuoso performance, if we'll avoid debilitating red cards...it goes on and on and on.
Because really, why give myself an ulcer before anything of real import has actually taken place? There will be plenty of time to turn myself into an throbbing ball of nutso, and I don't want to blow my wad too early. This is my World Cup prep time as well; the best thing I can possibly do is bring everything down to neutral, let the peace of a detached soccer weekend wash over me, and fire up the thrusters when Monday rolls around.
At least try, anyway.
There may be more content around here between now and Monday, and I'm still supposed to tackle the ending of the USMNT movie script. But I won't blame you if you take the weekend off yourself. Unless your MLS team is playing.
