My predictions for the Western Conference Semifinals:


SJE over COL
LAG over FCD


So I pulled an o-fer. I'd be willing to wager that a lot of people did. I went for the scrappy underdogs in San Jose, and they got bullied around by the, um, scrappy underdogs of Colorado. But unless your upper appendages are reminiscent of prehistoric carnivores, you probably didn't have LA 0-3 DALLAS on your betting slip.


A lot of bloggers, journalists, and other pontificating mouths are saying this is great for the league and two small-market teams who've been around since the Analog TV days and could use a boost. That's probably true, but it doesn't make me any less annoyed. As a neutral, and cafepress boxer shorts wearing member of the "I hate Conor Casey" society, I don't give two Doug Logans about it. I wanted the attractive, big name grudge match of LA and San Jose.


And yes, I'm just being petulant because I whiffed like Kei Kamara on the last round. And bitter because I could have gone if I had a passport. Which I don't. Last time I went to Canuckistan, you didn't have to have one.


Looking at the teams that are actually involved, it's hard to separate them. Dallas gets the edge on defense, largely thanks to the best keeper in MLS history having something to prove. Colorado have the better offense, due the the more than a bit presumptively named "C+C Goal Factory." Dallas probably have a better midfield, but Larentowicz and Mastroeni are hardly pushovers. Although Colorado lost to DC United this year, which should probably have meant automatic playoff elimination on the basis of league pride alone.


I'm going for the Dallas win. 1-0, with an "Are you watching, LA/KC/Keeper of the year voters?" performance from Hartman


-----Intermission. Match Fit Reserve brand cola available in the lobby.-----


The other big story was the USMNT B team going back to South Africa and kicking its dog. They complained about us not bringing the first team, because obviously, a bit of metal with their national demigod's name on it is more important than the MLS playoffs.


Then we found out during the pregame show that some South African player who couldn't win a spot on the dead-last 2008 Quakes was offended that he wasn't called up for the USMNT despite not having a US passport. And they had those fucking vuvuzelas. Apologies for the language folks, but the South Africans were shitty hosts.


And after all their bitching and whining in an accent that sounds like a mentally deficient New Zealander? They get shown up by the Rugrats. Tim Ream had a solid, smooth debut without any major errors, which is precisely what you want from a player in his position at his age. Teal Bunbury showed the makings of a true target man. Eric Lichaj, apart from one stupid challenge, was fantastic, dealing with a lot of traffic on his flank. Mix Diskerud may be my favorite of the newbies. I've heard a lot about him before, and it was exciting to see him play so well on his debut. He's got a fantastic first touch, a fair lick of speed in him, and the inventiveness of his assist was delicious; the willingness to try that in the box on his debut is just so absolutely pleasing.


And then there's America's new record youngest goalscorer, Juan Agudelo. I was against him going. I didn't think he'd earned it, and I thought he was too young, but all credit to him, he had an opportunity and made the most of it. I'm excited to see more of him, but hesitant to jump on any sort of bandwagon. I've been burned before. I'll wait until he pulls a Geoff Hurst before I'll admit he's not another Freddy Adu or Eddie Johnson.


This was the second time we've won the Nelson Mandela Challenge Cup. If we do it again, do we get to keep Mandela?


-KH

The sound that will define the 2010 World Cup in South Africa is as unmistakable as it is unavoidable. One day in and already the Vuvuzela, the plastic horn said to be a part of South African soccer culture, has become the gripe du jour of fans around the globe.


But this sound, often compared to swarming bees or the sound of high performance race car engines in full throat, is not something to revile, but something to love. It is the pure expression of soccer passion, passed directly from the lungs of enthusiastic South Africans as they celebrate the glory of hosting the first World Cup on the African continent. Like a rich aural backdrop, the horns blowing en masse give the games a unique texture that only South Africa can provide. One hundred years from now, when footage of the 2010 World Cup is shown on whatever entertainment device has replaced the television, there will be no mistake which World Cup it is.


This World Cup. South Africa's World Cup. The Vuvuzela's World Cup.

***

Vuvuzela, you calm my wayward footy soul. With no conscience of forethought you beckon me in, give me shelter in your lovely tone, fill my heart with the concentrated joy of thousands, give the images I consume context and meaning. I can't help but feel the rawness of you, the buzzing of your voice ringing softly in my ears.


You lift me.


You never waver, you never fail. You are always there, constant and unending. The rich tapestry of soccer on a global stage is undoubtedly the main course, savory as it is, but you are the sweetness giving it an unexpected depth of flavor. I hold in my heart dear memories of you, the pictures of a year gone by framed with vuvuzelan song. You were there when Jozy Altidore scored against the mighty Spanish. You blared triumphantly when Clint Dempsey made it two. You roared in delight when Landon Donovan shocked the Samba Kings on the break in the final.


You remind me.


Now you are here again, imposing yourself on my life for just one month. I already know the day that you'll fall silent, the energy of your task sucked away by the departure of the world. I even now feel the dread of that day. But I won't let it keep me from reveling in your return, soaking up every spectacular day that you deign to play for me. Today you teased me, two matches bathed in your goodness, a palette-awakening taste of what you'll bring for the next thirty days. Tomorrow brings more. I find myself anxious, hardly able to stand the painful passage of time.


You tempt me.


I'll fall again tomorrow into your humming brilliance, and it will give my life new hope. Your call announces the arrival of new games, new stories, new drama. Like a tuneless Reveille, you order me awake, imploring me to give myself over to the wonderful game you complement. You are both beauty and utility, two purposes in one, each equally worthy of my praise.


You inspire me.


Till we meet again magnificent vuvuzela. For the next thirty days, let your song be the soundtrack of the world.

I don't usually post press releases and the like, but this is too cool not to highlight.


ESPN will be all-soccer all-the-time between 10 AM ET on Thursday, June 10th and the conclusion of the South Africa v. Mexico opening match from South Africa. Even Mike and Mike, the morning radio show that is only occasionally bearable, will have soccer as a major part of their broadcast.


***

ESPN will kick off its month long coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup with a 24-hour soccer-themed “Countdown to Kickoff” programming block on ESPN2 beginning Thursday, June 10 at 10 a.m. ET, and concluding Friday, June 11 at 10 a.m. The “24-Hour Countdown to Kickoff” will lead into ESPN’s live presentation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup opening match – host nation South Africa vs. Mexico – Friday, June 11 at 9:30 a.m. from Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg.world-cup-2010-logo

“ESPN is committed to providing the most comprehensive 2010 FIFA World Cup coverage, and this collection of soccer-themed programs over a 24-hour span in advance of the opening match will help build the excitement for this historic event and give fans a glimpse of what to expect from South Africa during the month ahead,” said Scott Guglielmino, vice president, ESPN programming and acquisitions.

Six hours (10 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET) of daytime programming from South Africa – including three hours of live World Cup preview show (10 a.m. – 1 p.m.) and three hours of the “World Cup Kick-off Celebration Concert” (2 – 5 p.m.) – will anchor the Countdown. Additional programming will include the DC United at Seattle Sounders FC MLS Game of the Week (10 p.m.), the final match before Major League Soccer’s first in-season break for the FIFA World Cup. Also, ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike in the Morning (simulcast on ESPN2, 6-10 a.m.) on June 11 will focus on South Africa 2010 with guests and tournament previews. Other highlights:



2010 FIFA World Cup Preview Special (10 a.m. – 1 p.m.):

Chris Fowler, Bob Ley and Mike Tirico will host a three-hour live preview of South Africa 2010 from ESPN’s studio location inside the International Broadcast Center (IBC) overlooking Soccer City in Johannesburg. The program will feature all of ESPN’s FIFA World Cup studio analysts: Shaun Bartlett, Ruud Gullit, Jürgen Klinsmann, Alexi Lalas and Roberto Martinez. Other elements:

* Reports from ESPN correspondents covering team camps – Jeremy Schaap (U.S.), Darrell Currie (England), Andrew Orsatti (Australia), John Sutcliffe (Mexico), and Dan Williams (South Africa);
* Human interest correspondent Sal Masekela and general assignment reporters Julie Foudy, Allen Hopkins and Rob Stone will offer features and their perspective on the tournament;
* Comprehensive previews of all eight FIFA World Cup groups;
* A look at South Africa and how the nation is addressing the challenges of hosting the World Cup.



2010 FIFA World Cup Team USA Preview Special (1-2 p.m.):

A one-hour preview focusing on the U.S. Men’s Soccer National Team, highlighting the squad’s strengths, weaknesses, challenges and opportunities as the team enters its fifth straight FIFA World Cup. The live program will examine the chances for success in South Africa 2010 and preview the highly-anticipated opening round match against England. Additional highlights include player profiles and interviews, and a SportsCenter “Sunday Conversation” with Landon Donovan.



FIFA World Cup Kick-Off Celebration Concert (2-5 p.m.):

Sal Masekela, ESPN’s 2010 FIFA World Cup human interest reporter and co-host of The Daily 10 on E!, will host ESPN2’s presentation of the three-hour Kick-Off Celebration Concert in Soweto/Johannesburg, featuring Alicia Keys, the Black Eyed Peas, John Legend and Shakira and popular African artists, such as Angélique, Hugh Masekela, Juanes, K’Naan, Lira, and more. For more information, click here.



SportsNation – 2010 FIFA World Cup Special (5-6 p.m.):

The popular, interactive ESPN2 program co-hosted by Colin Cowherd and Michelle Beadle will feature a FIFA World Cup-themed special. During the show, the “World Cup Dunk Tank” will make its debut, the “Pop Culture” segment will be themed to World Cup, and there will be a special segment featuring Beadle and U.S. Men’s National Team striker Jozy Altidore.

Other highlights of the 24-hour Countdown to Kickoff:

* Outside the Lines – Robben Island: A Greater Goal (6 p.m.): In this special OTL, Chris Connelly reports on how the political prisoners of Robben Island created a soccer league and learned how they could forge a free and peaceful South Africa, the country that is now on the eve of hosting the world’s greatest sporting spectacle. To preview the story, click here.
* E:60 (6:30 p.m.): Jeremy Schaap offers an in-depth profile of U.S. Men’s National Team star and Fulham FC player Clint Dempsey, while Lisa Salters offers a heart-wrenching story about the Haiti U-17 Women’s National Team in the aftermath of the country’s devastating earthquake.
* Homecoming with Rick Reilly: Landon Donovan (June 11: 2:30 a.m.): Before his third consecutive FIFA World Cup appearance, Landon Donovan returned to Redlands, Calif., April 19 as host Rick Reilly and more than 1,500 cheering fans packed the high school gym of the star of the U.S. National Team. The special includes interviews with Donovan’s mother (Donna), father (Tim), twin sister (Tristan) and older brother (Joshua). Others in attendance include Donovan’s former U.S. National Team and current L.A. Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena, current U.S. coach Bob Bradley, his former MLS coach Frank Yallop, and his U.S. U-17 National Team coach John Ellinger, who coached Donovan in the 1999 FIFA U-17 Youth Championship. Galaxy teammate Chris Klein also shares some of his favorite moments with Donovan.
* The 2006 World Cup Film – The Grand Finale (June 11: 3:30 a.m.): Actor Pierce Brosnan narrates the key action from the quarterfinals through the title match of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Highlights of the documentary include pre and post-match interviews with the players and never-before-seen footage.



The schedule:




ESPN Inc.’s 2010 FIFA World Cup Coverage in the United States

South Africa 2010 will be ESPN’s seventh FIFA World Cup and coverage of the event promises to be the most comprehensive in company history. ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC will air all 64 matches live and in high definition. ESPN3.com, ESPN’s signature broadband network available in more than 50 million homes, will feature live English-language simulcasts of matches on ESPN and ESPN2. ESPN 3D will feature 25 matches. ESPN Mobile TV will show all matches. ESPN Deportes, the Spanish-language all sports network, will air more than 50 matches in Portuguese live in the U.S., and ESPN Radio will broadcast all 64 matches.

Additionally, ESPN will present 2010 FIFA World Cup television studio programming from site in South Africa, offering U.S. sports fans the most comprehensive news and information coverage throughout the month-long soccer showcase. Studio coverage of the quadrennial global event will include SportsCenter segments, a nightly World Cup Live program, and prematch, halftime and postmatch shows, with additional studio programming and World Cup-branded segments, totaling more than 65 hours of coverage, originating from two sets in and around Johannesburg.

Less than a month away from the kick off of the World Cup in South Africa, it seems a good time to place context around what will be a landmark event in that country and on its continent.


For all the glitz, glamor, and pomp surrounding the world's biggest soccer tournament, there is a dark side to the event that we should endeavor to prevent from going unnoticed. Much of what the watching world will focus on will happen only in refurbished and brand new cathedrals to the game meant to give the impression that South Africa is a modern nation capable of pulling off the monumental task successfully.


At this stage, there's reason to believe that a smoothly run tournament is approaching. FIFA will roll in with their three ring circus, set up their tents and carefully staged backdrops, fete the South African people even while the people themselves pay for the party, then steal away with nary a thought to the long term ramifications of their month-long visit. It's those far-reaching effects, and the condition of the county from an economic, social, and cultural standpoint both pre- and post-tournament that should not get conveniently swept under the rug.


During the run up to the cup, writers from around the media and blogging world have taken time to focus on some of the issues facing South Africa. Without the intense magnifying glass of the World Cup, these issues might only rarely draw the eye, giving us occasional pause; spotlighted as they are during the run up to the tournament, they should exert a industrial-strength magnet-like pull.


Apartheid may have ended in 1994, but the policy of state sponsored racism still casts a long shadow over the county and its black majority. Neil W. Blackmon of Yanks Are Coming penned a piece addressing apartheid's echo across the last sixteen years, wondering aloud if South Africa has overcome the debilitating effects, then providing a stark, and obvious, answer.


FIFA itself benefits from the ubiquitous nature of soccer the world over with overflowing coffers and the mandate to take the game almost anywhere in the form of its tournaments. Nations line up to get the World Cup, committing to, and the spending if they are awarded the bid, billions of dollars to build the infrastructure needed. South Africa's own outlay is on the order of $4.5 billion; questions remain if hosting the World Cup will create the kind of economic impact, not just during, but after, that would make such an expenditure justifiable.


South Africa may well host a glorious tournament. Organizers and government officials will certainly work to shine the best possible light on their country (something that may come with its own price), improving South Africa's world standing. But the happenstance of Africa's first World Cup also brings with it an opportunity to give proper examination to the nation's many problems, problems which won't likely be washed away by a month of the best the game of soccer has to offer.

Week 2 of the experimental return of Deep Cuts. As I mentioned last week, the effort will be to bring you links to things you might not otherwise encounter on your daily scan of the internet, with an occasional mainstream story sprinkled in from time to time.


Let's get this party started.


The World Cup isn't creating jobs in South Africa

That sound you hear is the air leaking out of the "World Cup effects positive change" balloon.


Tim Howard is up for Merseyside Sports Personality of the Year

I wonder if the trophy is a sterling silver hubcap.


Another "Soccer is great, but MLS is doody" piece

College papers: Turning students into Eurosnobs one burnt out philosophy major at a time.


Growing soccer in African-American communities (Cached version because this site seems to have had a malfunction)

Nothing funny about this, other than the multiple mentions of soccer as a "white-boy sport".


Some guys talk about soccer players moving abroad

We have a winner in the "Huh?" category.


And finally, Happy Birthday to Avoiding the Drop, one of my favorite blogs. Yeah, I'm a day late. Sorry guys.


One more note before I go; I'll be appearing on the George Mason University Soccer Show this evening with host Ted Meyer between 5 and 6 PM ET. You can listen live here.

by Keith Hickey

I've just finished reading this column by the occasionally excellent and permanently cantankerous Bill Archer. The gist of it is that ticket sales for the World Cup aren't going all that well, hampered by poor infrastructure and fears over safety. This raises the possibility of World Cup matches being played in brand-new half-empty stadiums. With tickets for teams like the Netherlands, Germany, and even England still available, how are matches like New Zealand-Paraguay and Switzerland-Honduras expected to sell out? Now, because there's really nothing FIFA can do at this point, besides lowering prices and stepping up marketing, I'm not worrying about this summer's tournament (at least not in this post). I'm wondering how this edition could affect future selections.


If South Africa fails to live up to expectations, and there are conspicuously empty seats, infrastructure issues, and/or problems with crime, FIFA will be very keen to avoid any but the surest of sure bets when it comes to the next couple of Tournaments. And although there's no official rotation policy, I find it difficult to believe the brain trust in Zurich is going to pass up Europe three tournaments in a row. I expect that the safe assumption that it's a safe bet to be a great host will lead to England getting 2018, leaving Qatar, Australia, Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea competing with the US for the 2022 hosting duties. Now, I've already made clear why I think the US would be the best choice. But I'm biased.


Looking at the other bids, Japan and Korea can be ruled out, having hosted the tournament just eight years ago. Indonesia, along with the infrastructure issues that come from being a nation of 17,000 islands, has at least the possibility the threat of terrorism, and following the unfortunate incident the Togolese team encountered in Cabinda, that's something FIFA will be loathe to risk. Qatar, population-wise, is smaller than Phoenix, Arizona. If ticket sales for South Africa are poor, they'd be almost non-existent for Qatar, who would also be left with several brand new stadiums and little use for them. Australia would then be the strongest competition for the US, but given the standard operating procedure of the current regime (accumulate power first, then use it to make money), coupled with the facts that Australia consolidates no voting block, and would be on television in Europe and North America at inconvenient times, the US, for already enumerated reasons, would be the clear front-runner.


On the other side of our "coin of wild hypotheticals®" is the possibility that despite all the naysaying, South Africa (and FIFA) throws everything they have into making the tournament a dazzling success, a global feast of football punctuated by the memorable and the sublime, and all those unsold tickets find their way into the hands of paying customers. That shakes things up a bit in the future World Cup hosts department. Europe generally, and England specifically would still be favored for 2018, but FIFA might be tempted to go with a dark horse like Russia instead, helping UEFA President Michel Platini (no friend of the FA on the best of days) entrench in his eastern European power base. And emboldened by success in South Africa, the rich and relatively untapped market of Australia begins to look more attractive to the powers that be.


But still, they'd be crazy to pass up the US.

The World Cup is a scant 231 days away. Twenty-three nations have qualified as of this moment, and frantic preparations are already underway.

For the United States, one of those twenty-three qualified countries, "preparations" boils down to: scheduling friendlies to ensure Bob Bradley has the proper forums to evaluate his player pool, securing a training base and accommodations in South Africa that give the US the best chance of playing well, and slipping cash to Sepp Blatter so the Americans get in the seeded pot at December's group draw.

Okay, so they're probably not doing that last one. But the first two are crucial elements of the run-up to any World Cup; as we saw in 2006, Bruce Arena failed to properly test his squad during the warm-up months, and it did them no favors, while the competition for the best training bases is fierce (and for good reason) in a nod to comfort and physical-conditioning.

We'll get to the friendlies later, though it is good to see that the US will take advantage of both of November's FIFA dates by taking on the challenge of playing in Europe, a place they have traditionally struggled.

Training Base & Accommodations

Believe it or not, US Soccer took care of this piece of business way back in June, just before the start of the Confederations Cup; they secured facilities at Southdowns College located in Irene, a town just south of Pretoria and thirty miles from Johannesburg. Southdowns was the training base for Italy during the Confederations Cup, and comes highly rated (by whom, I'm not sure). Included in the package is accommodations at the Irene Country Lodge, a few miles away from the college.

The facilities boast several fields, a gym, and a swimming pool.

One of the acknowledged problems of playing in South Africa is altitude; several World Cup host cities rest near or above a mile high.

A list of the altitudes of the host cities, in feet above sea level:

Johannesburg: 5500
Pretoria: 4400
Cape Town: 130
Duban: 26
Port Elizabeth/Nelson Mandela Bay: 200
Bloemfontein: 4400
Rustenburg: 3780
Nelspruit: 2200
Polokwane: 4050

Pretoria appears to be a nice balance between the ultra-thin air of Johannesburg and the lower altitudes of the coastal cities.

Southdowns can be seen here and here, in photos taken during the Italian National Team's stay there in June.

Yesterday, we tackled the notion that American soccer fans are snobbish and elitist by highlighting a piece written on the subject by Alex Akita at The Bleacher Report. I attempted to explain part of that reaction to the amount of abuse the sport and its community take; it's not an excuse, but it does better frame "why" it happens.

How lucky are we, then, that a perfect example of the "issue" of soccer-bashing presented itself today? I hate to bring attention to something as idiotically close-minded as this is, but it just seems necessary. Why people want to turn the place of soccer in America into an "us vs. them" debate, I'll never know; how exactly are American ideals being threatened by a game?.

You can hide behind all of the pseudo-anthropology and nonsense psychology you want, Mr. Faville, but your reasoning is not only flawed (and filled with unprovable statements that make you appear petty and small), it poorly conceals your rampant xenophobia and chauvinism.

• The construction of South Africa 2010's crown jewel stadium, Soccer City, is in its final stages. It's an impressive feat for a country few believed was ready to host the World Cup, and while there is still quite a ways to go, things appear to be on track. Not everyone appears to be happy about Soccer City's completion, however, with protests taking place nearby. The exact reasons for that protest is unclear, but in a country with significant social problems, including poverty and crime, the massive expense of holding the World Cup probably doesn't sit well with everyone. I still believe that the positives of playing the tournament in South Africa outweigh the negatives, and that the country will do a fine job; but until kickoff next June, FIFA and South African authorities will be under non-stop scrutiny.

• In the modern world of athletic science, every aspect of a player's life is micromanaged to give him or her the best opportunity for success. For the Vancouver Whitecaps, this means going as far as assessing and correcting problems with posture; team President Bob Lenarduzzi has instituted a program, after experiencing the benefits himself, that every Whitecaps player (men, women, and youth) must go through. The idea is that poor posture leads to weaker muscles and a diminished range of motion over time, and that with proper management these issues can be corrected or reversed. Remember this in two years when the Whitecaps enter MLS; if they find immediate success, and people say "they're no slouches", they'll be literally correct. Don't worry, I wrote it and I'm cringing right along with you.

Deep Cuts appears every weekday, and highlights American soccer-related items from around the web. If you have a story for Deep Cuts (even shallow ones), you can send it along to matchfitusa@gmail.com.

Most of you are probably rightfully focused on the US National Team's match in Honduras tomorrow night, and if you haven't made your plans for watching the game, shame on you. Match previews abound for the match, and while we could highlight some of the buildup surrounding the game here in Deep Cuts, we've decided to go in a different direction; why point out something you can easily find yourself? Those wouldn't exactly be "deep cuts", now would they?

Yesterday, I gave my take on what the US team will be facing when they step onto the field in San Pedro Sula tomorrow night; in that vein, New York Magazine has a piece framing just what the game will mean to Hondurans. It's not just about the Hondurans in Honduras, but about the diaspora immigrant community spread across the United States. It's a massive game for them as well, and a welcomed distraction from turmoil taking place back in their homeland.

• The trepidation over South Africa's hosting of the World Cup next year has faded a bit, especially in light of the Confederations Cup tournament that the country held without serious issue; but that doesn't mean all is well, and there are still things to be concerned about. South Africa is dealing with a national crime crisis at them moment, and has reorganized the country's police force to better get a handle on it. FIFA is committed, and the world's largest sporting event will still go off next year as planned, regardless of the concerns; but the government knows that the eyes of the soccer-mad world will be on them, and is taking steps to battle crime. Let's hope, both for those travelling to the World Cup as well as for the South African people, that it works.

• The World Cup bidding process is heating up, with Russia unveiling the details of their bid and the fourteen stadiums they would use to host matches. As reported here, an American company is behind the Russian bid, one that will focus on the European part of the country rather than attempt to spread the Cup across the vastness of their territory. Meanwhile, LA Galaxy and AEG exec Tim Leiweke counters Jack Warner's harsh words for England's bid with glowing praise for soccer's original home.

• Not much I can say here, other than it's obvious that the Wizards don't have much street cred in Kansas City. A recently completely mural depicting a Wizards player and completed by elementary school students and members of the team was defaced with graffiti.

The South African workers' strike that threw a momentary wrench into stadium completion efforts has come to an end. The workers and their employers came to a compromise agreement yesterday, settling on a pay increase of 12%, down from the original demand of 13%.

The strike lasted a week, and delayed work on five stadiums set to host World Cup matches next year. Officials expect construction to be completed on time, despite the brief interruption. Workers returned to the job today.

The resolution of the strike should put to bed any thoughts that the World Cup might be moved out of South Africa. While other concerns remains (security and hotel space chief among them), FIFA will remain committed to the first World Cup to be held on African soil. Among those nations rumored to be backup possibilities were the United States and England; each of those nations are in the running for World Cup in 2018 or 2022, and have reasonable chances to receive them.

This was very much a "move along, nothing to see here" event; while a strike is never good, and there was always a chance that it could completely derail the World Cup preparations and lead to the relocation of the tournament, I doubt that many seriously believed it likely.

Hopefully with this momentary distraction behind them, South Africa can get back to the business of working towards putting on a memorable World Cup.

The strike by South African construction workers that has halted progress on World Cup stadiums continues, though the gap between employers and the unions appears to be closing. The workers are asking for a 13.5% raised in wages, while the construction firms are currently offering 11.5%. This is a compromise offer over the 10% increase that the employers originally offered.

While The Associated Press focused on the strike "continuing" today, the Wall Street Journal indicated on Friday that the sides are close and that a resolution may be forthcoming shortly.

The strike as it related to the World Cup stadiums effects four out of five of the facilities currently under construction. What I've been unable to determine, and what is missing from the various reports, is what the tipping might be for FIFA; the stadiums are due for delivery with time to spare, and a few days of workers off the job might not have any long reaching ramifications, but football's governing body must surely be tracking the strike closely.

Despite the relative success of the much smaller Confederations Cup last month, there is still some concern that South Africa may not be properly equipped to handle the world's largest sporting event. The sooner the strike ends, the better, as each passing day of work lost on the stadiums will only increase speculation that giving the World Cup to South Africa was a mistake.

I tend to lean towards labor in these situations, especially in a country like South Africa, where wages are terribly low by many standards. But for the good of both the country and their standing in the world, I hope that the compromise increase passes a union vote and stadium work resumes.

The strike by construction workers in South Africa, which has halted progress on World Cup stadiums due for delivery ahead of next year's World Cup, has been big news in the last few days.

While still an unlikely last resort, the thought that the World Cup may need to be moved must be in the minds of FIFA's leadership; although the striking workers union and employers are in mediation at the moment to end the standoff quickly, the situation remains critically serious on many fronts. Violence has broken out, and while the workers' satisfaction is ultimately beyond the mundane concerns of world football, the antagonistic edge that the strike has taken on is a worrying development.

Contingency plans are and always should be a part of massive events like the World Cup; with South Africa lacking enough modern stadiums to handle the tournament, and with a shaky economy at play, it would be irresponsible for FIFA to not already have in place a nation to whom it could be shifted at a moment's notice.

Conventional speculation has two nations at the top of the contingency list: England, a country with enough stadiums and the proper infrastructure to host at any time, and the United States, which possesses the greatest amount of large facilities in the world and still holds the World Cup attendance record from 1994.

Which is the leading candidate is impossible to know without a hotline to Sepp Blatter, and this I do not possess; for the sake of argument, let's assume the the United States would be first in line.

If South Africa's troubles continued long enough, and the World Cup must be moved at the "last minute", would it be in the sport's best interest in this country to be the fall back location?

I'm not so sure.

Don't get me wrong; a World Cup in the United States at any time would be a boon to soccer here. A massive a success as 1994 was, it occurred in the pre-dawn era of American soccer. There was no MLS, the USMNT had yet to become even a regional power, and millions of Americans were in the dark about the greater football world. Times have changed, and with foreign leagues gobbling up more and more converts with every passing day, the US is ripe for another gigantic soccer spectacle. The World Cup returning to the States would be very, very good. But wouldn't the effect be somewhat muted by a short run up?

Without the years of preparation that usually come with hosting a World Cup, the hype machine (and like it or not, it's a major part of our sports culture) may not get out of first gear; average Americans not in tune with soccer as a global sport wouldn't have the time to react and engage. While tickets sales would no doubt be brisk and the tournament wouldn't be in any danger of flopping, the World Cup as an event might not truly saturate all levels of the national sports landscape. Instead of what could potentially be a culture-altering moment, it would be reduced to a quirky sideshow, a last minute addition to an already packed American sports calendar.

We're a quick-fix, give-it-to-me-now, short-attention-span, nothing-is-good-enough society; with that in mind, it might be easy to conclude that the run up to the World Cup is not necessary for it be a rousing success. That's certainly true for the event itself, and I have no doubts that USA 2010 would be fantastic and would line the coffers of FIFA with countless dollars while being hailed as another example of American wherewithal. But those things are ephemeral. For the World Cup to whip a nation of soccer-haters and the unconverted into a frenzy, we need the build-up; for the effect to be generational and for it to be a reverberant echo on the American attitude towards the game, we need the time to properly "prepare".

Let the media, particularly those that rarely pay attention to soccer (all of them essentially), do their thing and over-cover every angle. Let the energy and anticipation ahead of the openers roll across the chosen cities, while sports talk radio and newspaper columnists weigh in with their opinions (good or bad, it doesn't matter). Let the world's focus slowly turn toward the United States, as the people here that already love the game do their part to spread the word to their friends and family. Give those of us already on board a chance to revel in the spotlight that will inevitably be placed on the sport here. Hell, let MLS do everything they can to leverage the interest in the World Cup to their own ends.

We need the time.

So, if South Africa fails in their efforts to resolve the workers' strike, and FIFA must decide that the World Cup can longer take place there, I hope that our English cousins are the beneficiaries. The birthplace of the game doesn't need all of that time to get themselves in a frenzy, while we need every second we can get.

All of this, of course, assumes that one of the two Cups for which the US is bidding (2018 or 2022), is awarded to us. Without that, my point is moot and I'll be the first to lobby for the World Cup to come here if South Africa can't get themselves together.