Landon Donovan will get his proper farewell

While his national-team career did not get the ceremonious reception it deserved, Landon Donovan will say goodbye to the American public in the best way possible when it comes to his club career.

The American striker advanced to the MLS Cup after the LA Galaxy defeated the Seattle Sounders 2-1 in the Western Conference final. A player that has helped the MLS grow more than any other player (perhaps excluding David Beckham), extends his career one more day as he looks to win his four MLS Cup and third in four years.

“It seems perfect,” said Donovan after the win. “I really want to go out a champion.”

It is hard to find a more lopsided final when it comes to experience and expectations.

 The New England Revolution are the Buffalo Bills of the MLS. They are still seeking their first title, despite making consecutive finals in 2005 2006 and 2007. Since then, they have been in a process of rebuilding before making a surprise run to the MLS Cup this year after defeating Thierry Henry and the New Red Bulls in the Eastern Conference Final.

On the other endis a star-studded Los Angeles team with  four MLS Cup titles under its belt. It is strange to see a situation in which an underdog as big as the Revolution will have an entire nation rooting against them.

Donovan will go down in history as one of the best players in U.S. history, despite spending most of his playing career in the MLS. He decided early on—after modest spells in England and Germany---to dedicate himself to staying with the local league and helping it grow. Now the league is close to paying him back with a fairy tale ending. 

Se viene la revolución en México

En el minuto 43 del amistoso entre Holanda y México, el público cambio su cantico famoso por uno de “Justicia! Justicia!” en honor de los estudiantes desaparecidos de Ayotzinapa. La tensión en México sigue creciendo después de una de las tragedias más grandes en la historia del país. Si el país se encuentra en un estado de turbulencia y luto, la selección nacional muestra algo completamente opuesto.

En contraste con la revolución política viene una dentro del campo para El Tri. Si bien no se puede comparar la seriedad de la crisis política de México con un partido amistoso, los mexicanos pueden sacar consuelo con el estado del equipo nacional. Después de una gran presentación en el mundial que termino con la dramática eliminación ante Holanda, se vino la revancha en Ámsterdam durante la fecha FIFA.

Toda la atención previa al partido fue para Carlos Vela, quien regreso a la selección nacional después de una ausencia de más de cuatro años. El delantero de la Real Sociedad aún no ha explicado su ausencia, principalmente explicando que fue para concentrarse en su carrera al nivel de club. Si esa fue la razón, al fin ha sido justificado con su gran momento en la liga española.

Para los que piensan que su ausencia se debía a un choque con la federación mexicana, no hubo mejor insulto que el golazo que metió Vela en solo el segundo minuto del partido. Al fin el delantero anoto dos goles en su regreso. Chicharito anotó el otro gol del partido en la victoria.

Dentro de la victoria (y la derrota ante Bielorrusia) se vino una lección importante y obvia para la selección mexicana. El futuro de El Tri se encuentra en Europa.

En la victoria ante Holanda, Chicharito, Vela y Andrés Guardado fueron las estrellas del partido. Los tres jugadores que han tenido éxito en Europa. En el segundo partido, con un equipo B compuesto en mayor parte por jugadores de la Liga MX también fueron los europeos que destacaron: Los hermanos Dos Santos, Tecatito Corona y Raúl Jiménez.

Siempre se ha sabido que el futuro del equipo depende de jugadores probando sus fortunas en Europa. Parece que el reciente éxito de jugadores como Chicharito y Vela ha convencido a los jugadores aztecas a destacar sus talentos en el viejo continente. Aunque sean jugadores en la banca, como Diego Reyes con el Porto, ya se ve su maduración futbolística solo por estar expuestos al talento de las ligas grandes.

No solo se trata de jugar con los mejores, pero de competir con los mejores. Despues del reciente paso de la selección por Europa, el técnico Miguel Herrera estresó la importancia de jugar más amistosos contra los mejores equipos del mundo y espera tener más experiencias en Europa no solo para los jugadores si no para el equipo.

La estabilidad del equipo técnico con Herrera y el crecimiento de los jugadores en Europa (que estarán en un so apogeo para el Mundial del 2018) le da un gran optimismo al equipo. Ya esta fuera el estereotipo de que mexicanos no pueden o no se atreven a florecer en Europa. La revolución se viene en el equipo, ¿se podrán mantener los resultados cuando importe? 

Serie A must accept it is a second-rate league

Roma looked to have made its way back to the top spots in European soccer. The Serie A team is second in the Italian league with just one point behind Juventus. In their last Champions League apperance, Il Capitano Francesco Totti ignited hopes as his goal lead to a draw against Manchester City.

The expectations were so high that the Olimpico Stadium in Rome was sold out for the first time in five years as the team prepared to host German giants Bayern Munich. The game was promoted as the game to watch in this Champions League fixture. Instead of signaling Roma's return, it showcased just how far behind other top leagues the Serie A has fallen.

Pep Guardiola's men humiliated the Italians in a 7-1 victory, outclassing their opponents as they hurried to a 5-0 lead before the 40-minute mark. To be fair, the win may signal more the juggernauts that Bayern are were it not for the general pattern Italian sides have shown in recent years in Europe's greatest competition.

There are only two teams from the Serie A in the group stage, with new-and-improved Napoli being eliminated in the playoffs by Spain's Athletic Bilbao. Roma had done great before this with their aforementioned draw against City and a dominant win against CSKA Moscow. Juventus continue to underwhelm with a win and a loss so far in the competition.

Since Inter Milan won the Champions League with Jose Mourinho five years ago, no Italian team has made it to the semifinals of the competition. In fact, only two teams have made it as far as the quarterfinals. Its time to call it: the Serie A is a second-rate league and the quicker we accept it the quicker we can realize what it means.

The poverty and corruption of the Italian league have hurt the star power of the league. The biggest stars of the Serie a are aging legends Gianluigi Buffon and Andrea Pirlo. It does not have the name or the money to bring it the top young talent or even aging stars--who may prefer the MLS or the United Arab Emirates.

With proper management, the top teams in the league could still make great runs in the tournament. To do so they will have to play smart as they fail to compete with the cash cows like Bayern Munich or Real Madrid. Until the Serie A realizes it is a proverbial underdog, and starts playing like one, it will continue to fall down the UEFA hierarchy

Del Bosque at the heart of Spain's struggles

The Spanish national team continues to struggle on offense. Excluding 5-1 and 3-0 wins over minnows Macedonia and Australia respectively, La Roja can't get the ball into the back of the net. It is not a new problem for the team, but one that was masked by success that has not been found since the 2012 European Championships.

With the declines of David Villa and Fernando Torres, the team has struggled to find a proper replacement with the team's mot recent result being a shocking 2-1 loss against Slovakia.

The current man of the hour is Diego Costa, but the Brazilian-naturalized-Spaniard has struggled to translate his club form to the national team. Many thought his burgeoning relationship with Chelsea teammate Cesc Fabregas would help but it was not enough to break through yet another defensive opponent.

That is precisely the problem with Spain. With teams still respecting them with extremely defensive lineups a target man, like Costa or the likes of Roberto Soldado or Fernando Llorente, may not be enough to break through.

The real problem is not in personnel but in tactics. Spain does not have the same team that dominated games and possession in 2010.  There's a need for a quick, dynamic player like Andres Iniesta to help break stalemates in that scenario.

In that regard, there may be better options in including someone like Pedro or Callejon alongside Diego Costa in the attack to help free up the poacher. Del Bosque added the Barcelona striker in the 58th minute of the game though he also struggled to break through.

There is also still hope in other young strikers like Morata and Jese Rodriguez, when he returns from injury. This is a new team with different talents and the national team manager seems reluctant to adapt the game plan to better fit not only its best strikers who have, for the most part, succeeded at a more direct style of play.

It is not just the strikers that are at odds with the tactics. With only three Barcelona players still as regular starters on the national team (Iniesta, Busquets and Pique), it makes no sense to retain the Tiki Taka styles.

With players from Madrid, Atletico and Chelsea (who dominate the roster positions) used to more direct counter-attacking styles, Del Bosque should adapt. 'Bigoton' has failed to do so and is revealing himself to be one of the most overrated managers in the game.

One shining example comes at the other end of the field with Iker Casillas, whose mistake lead to the first goal against Slovakia. Its time for the passing of the guard to David de Gea, but Vicente is too scared to shake the status quo.

Herrera must give up on the Peralta, Chicharito duo

Miguel Herrera has confirmed the starting lineup that Mexico will use for its friendly against Honduras on Thursday with the manager taking little chances when it comes to the team's attack.

While Piojo will take chances in defense and midfield, with players like Oswaldo Alanis and Alfonso Rios, there will be little changes when it comes to the always underwhelming duo of Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez and Oribe Peralta. 

Game after game it has been proven that the two players do not work together up front, due to the similarity in their play. While Peralta is more willing to step back and cede the poaching responsibilities to Chicharito, it is still not his forte. This is why the preferred attack should be Chicharito or Peralta paired up with Giovani dos Santos.

Dos Santos is not available due to injury, leaving Herrera with the options of Javier 'Chuletita' Orozco and Erick Torres.

The Chivas USA player looks to be a more dynamic option up front, though still not a facilitator, while giving the manager a chance to test new players.

To be fair, the dual '9's could work under the 5-3-2 system preferred by Herrera with the full backs expected to push in plenty of crosses in their runs forward while Marco Fabian and Hector Herrera are the perfect type of creative players to feed them the ball.

There is no conflict with two poachers on the team when there are a lot of reasons to expect they will get the ball played to them. The problem is that Chicharito and Peralta have never quite gotten the chemistry down together when it comes to moving off the ball.

Herrera needs to split his stars. One night should be Peralta paired with Orozco or Torres and the other two strikers (Chicharito and Peralta/Torres) playing in the second game. Eventually, the options of Raul Jimenez and, perhaps, Carlos Vela will be available as will the aforementioned Dos Santos.

For now, however, it makes no sense not to take a look at the local talent when finally playing friendlies at home. Speaking of local talent, perhaps we will see Eduardo Herrera get a chance in the next Mexican call-up.

We know what Peralta and Chicharito are capable of doing and there is no need to waste them in useless friendlies like  these: Chicharito is looking to adapt to a new team while Peralta is already 30-years-old and going through a scoring drought. It's time to look beyond the proverbial sons.

Movie Articles: Almost Famous--William meets Stillwater

As my latest project I have begun writing articles from famous movies as I think the characters would have written them and in some occasions how I would have written them myself. I started with Almost Famous (not the best idea in retrospect) and decided to put it in a magazine layout. Here goes!

I'm including the text alone here in case the text in the layout isn't visible. All comments, suggestions encouraged :)

Text:

“One of those people is going to save the world and that means that ROCK AND ROLL CAN SAVE THE WORLD---all of us together.” 

I grew up with music as my savior thanks to my sister, Anita, who introduced me to Cream, Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, and Miles Davis.  Upon giving me the CD of The Who’s “Tommy”, she claimed “Listen to Tommy with a candle burning and you will see your entire future.

In what was a strict and, admittedly, strange household, music soon became the liberation movement, along with writing. So what better way to spend my life than writing about the magic of Rock and Roll?

Upon giving me my first assignment, my childhood hero, Lester Bangs proclaimed, “You got here just in time for the death rattle, the last gasp. The last grope.” But what a mighty grope it turned out to be once I got a grip on it.

I couldn’t have gotten off on a worse foot when arriving at a Black Sabbath concert on my first assignment. As we drove up, my mother yelled “Don’t Take Drugs,” as I exited the car to enter the San Diego Sports Arena, causing raucous laughing from the concert goers surrounding us. Then there was the challenge of actually getting inside.

Upon approaching the back entrance, I was told that I was not allowed in and was sent to the top of the ramp “with the girls”. It was there that I met Estrella, 17, and Penny Lane, who presented themselves as “Band Aids” (do not ever call Band Aids groupies, “no more sex, no more exploiting our bodies and hearts…just blow jobs”, they exclaimed).

Penny Lane was beautiful, with flowing blond curls and enough charm to make you fall in love with her with one look. Estrella was blonde and innocent, despite the talk of sex and drugs surrounding the scene atop the ramp.

As I spoke to the girls, Stillwater approached on their Bus, “Stillwater Tour 73”, painted on the side.  The band was composed of Russell Hammond, the star guitarist, Jeff Bebe, the singer, Ed Vallencourt, the quiet drummer and Larry Turner, the bass player. The director of the grand orchestra was band manager, Dick Roswell.

Upon first meeting them, the band refused to talk to me, claiming journalists were “frustrated musicians”. It was not until I praised the song “Fever Dog”, that they believed I may have been a legitimate fan and not just an enemy trying to infiltrate the camp. It was my saying, “and the guitar sound was incendiary” that really won over the guitarist. 

Russell then began to open up, giving me the first one-on-one interview of my career; however hurried it was amid the chaos backstage. I had my handy tape recorder and, despite evidence to the contrary, felt like the coolest man in town.

“Rock and Roll is a lifestyle, and a way of thinking. It’s not about money and popularity. It’s a voice that says here I am and FUCK YOU if you can’t understand me,” he began as he smoothed the strings of his guitar with a dirty cloth. 

Russell would go on to explain how it was chasing the “Buzz” that had gotten them out of Troy, Michigan and touring across the country to share their message. 

“We’re here because we needed to fucking be here, not just 'cause we needed to be away from Troy, Michigan, WHICH WE DID... but what it all comes down to is that thing,” he continued. 

Then he stressed the quote that most got me hypnotized: 

“One of those people is going to save the world and that means that ROCK AND ROLL CAN SAVE THE WORLD---all of us together. 

It was then time for the ring director to corral then band and get them to stage to open for Black Sabbath. The band huddled together, touched feet, “broke” and headed on to the stage, before I knew it I was surrounded as well, as much a part of the band as the colorfully laminated suitcases carrying the instruments.

In a blur of time, the band was on the stage, Jeff transformed with the microphone in his hand while Russell showed off, playing with his guitar cord for the fans—becoming the star almost immediately. They began with the song, “If you Say Nothing” and within the first thirty seconds the crowd was completely invested. The show had begun.

The show passed in a flurry as I watched with the girls, Russell shining against the rest as a consummate star with the lights barring down upon him. After the show, I was invited with the band to the Continental Hyatt House in Los Angeles, which they affectionately called “The Riot House”.

The warning from Bangs before my mission rang out “Once you go to L.A. you’re going to make friends, but they’ll be fake friends. They’re going to try and corrupt you. You can’t be friends with Rock Stars.” 

Jaded throughout, Bangs claimed upon sending me out that “they will ruin rock and roll, strangle everything we love about it.” 

But right now, at least for me, the dream was alive. And I was part of the family. The initial embarrassment that had come when I was sent to the top of the rank was long forgotten. For here was a sense of comradeship I’d never experienced. For once there was no overarching worry that I didn’t fit in, that I was younger, that I wasn’t one of them. 

Black Sabbath began playing, and despite it being my assignment, I was busy outside the arena getting Penny Lane’s number in case I “needed a rescue”. She talked of flying off to Morocco just the two of us, and my new world expanded. 

I stumbled home dreaming of jam sessions at the Riot House and a private tour of Morocco with Penny Lane, still wearing her fur coat under the blistering heat of the desert.

In Design 2

Here's my second attempt. Added infographic and made two smaller posts on the bottom rather than one long one. Changed some of the colors/placement. Let me know what you guys think (this one is made up of actual original material).