It’s time once more for…
“Uncle Roscoe’s World of Football”

Our globetrotting correspondent Uncle Roscoe returns to report on the latest comings and goings in the football world. This week, he shares his unique insights on the action in Europe, which heated up with further matches Euro 2008 qualifier, the CONCACAF Gold Cup Tournament has begun and the MLS season is getting into high gear.

Roscoe reported that the big story of the 16-month European tournament so far has been the “fan attack scandal” which occurred during the Euro 2008 Group F qualifier match between Sweden and Denmark last Saturday in Copenhagen. The match was even at three late in the game when a drunken fan of Denmark rushed onto the pitch and tried to attack the referee after he awarded Sweden a penalty in the 89th minute. It seems as if the row started when Denmark’s Poulsen punched Sweden’s Rosenberg in the stomach. The referee, Herbert Fandel, abandoned (forfeited) the match in favor of Sweden by a 3-0 score, but officials later decided that a decision would only be taken after further investigation. Roscoe stated that he didn’t know what all the fuss was about. It is not uncommon for stupid, drunken Americans to enter the field of play. The transgressors are tackled, beaten up and taken away by security before being hailed into Court. If it’s fitting for America, it should be the same for everyone else. He does not understand why a team and an entire nation should be punished for the actions of a solitary reprobate.

Roscoe later reported that the “High Gods of FIFA” came down upon Denmark with draconian measures, such as demanding certain matches be played “behind closed doors”. On the brighter side, Poulsen was not led to the gallows, as was initially feared but received a three-match suspension for his punch that triggered the drunkard’s actions.

Roscoe had one ear pressed to the wireless as he provided commentary for Wednesday’s Euro 2008 match between England (3W-2D-1L) and Estonia (0W-0D-6L). The match was being played at A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn, Estonia. Roscoe was obviously pulling for Three Lions, who have struggled so far in Group E, after having lost to Croatia and draws with Macedonia and Israel. Presently, the Brits are in fourth place and look to hit the summer holidays on a high note. The match also featured the second game of the well-known midfielder Beckham (Real Madrid) since his recall to England. After bowing out in the quarterfinals of last year’s World Cup, Beckham tearfully stepped down at England’s captain, the title of “skipper” having been handed to Defender John Terry (Chelsea).

At quarter-time that the match was scoreless, though England had the better of the play and have controlled the ball pretty much throughout. Beckham also appeared to have suffered an ankle injury, though he remained on the pitch. After thirty minutes, the Estonians began to play much better in their own end and started to assert the tempo. However, in the 36th minute, Joe Cole (Chelsea) grabbed a rebound of Wayne Bridge’s (Chelsea) header and put it behind goalkeeper Mart Poom (Arsenal). At half-time, England was up 1-nil, and dominated the time of possession. The Estonians seemed to be getting their act together right before Cole’s tally, though all they could muster was two shots far beyond the box.

The teams came out for the second half and Beckham returned after receiving treatment for a twisted ankle. England came out of the gate with all cylinders firing. In the 52nd minute, Konstantin Vassiljev whistled a shot past Paul Robinson (Tottenham) from near the left side of the box but it missed wide. The Lions roared right back. Less than a minute later, Beckham made a perfect pass to Peter Crouch (Liverpool) directly in the center of the box, and Crouch headed the ball into the corner of the goal. In the 57th minute, Sergei Terehhov put Estonia’s first shot on goal, but Robinson had no difficulty making the save. In the 61st minute, Beckham streaked down the right side, made the cross into the box where Michael Owen (Newcastle) was waiting to bang it home. In the 67th minute, Beckham was replaced by Kieron Dyer (Newcastle). As the game wound down, the players were fatigued and the play became nasty. Crouch got into it with one of the Estonians and was tagged with a yellow. He’s accumulated so many that he’ll be suspended for the next qualifier in late August. In the last moments of the match, Tarmo Kink was able to beat Robinson, but Terry stepped in at the last moment and swept the ball before it crossed the goal. Given their inconsistent performances in the Tournament to date, England needed a solid effort, even if it was against a lesser team. Roscoe is greatly pleased.

Roscoe was also keenly scouting the Brits’ next opponent, Israel, who has now won its last three qualifier matches. Israel defeated Andorra 2-0 at Estadi Comunal in a driving rainstorm. (Roscoe was unaware that such a sovereign nation called “Andorra” even existed). Even though the weather conditions were terrible and the pitch nearly unplayable, Tamuz scored Israel’s first goal on a header in the 38th minute and Colautti put the match out of reach in the 53rd, heading a Itzhaki cross from the right. The next round of matches in the Tournament pick up at the end of August.

Roscoe also reported on recent happenings in the MLS (while holding his nose at the “inferior” American product). He saw the last New England Revolution match against Real Salt Lake and fell asleep during the “nil-nil draw”. He stated that New England does not look like the same team without midfielder Clint Dempsey, who bolted the team for Fulham after last season. Roscoe was impressed however with Wednesday evening’s New York-Toronto match in which the undermanned Red Bulls came back to post a 2-1 victory on the road.

Roscoe also stated that he wonders what effect (beyond mere curiosity) Beckham will have when he arrives in the States next month to play for LA. After having played in the highest levels of competition in Europe all these years, it will really be a drop off to say the least.

In the opening round of the CONCACAF 2007 Gold Cup Tournament, Defending Champion United States took on Guatemala at Home Depot Center in Los Angeles. Clint Dempsey (Fulham) scored the Americans’ first goal in the 26th minute, and US really dominated the match in the first half. Less than a minute later, Michael Bradley (MLS/New York) scored, but the goal was disallowed. In the 34th minute, Guatemala had yet to put anything near the Americans’ goalkeep, Tim Howard. Shortly before half-time, US put a flurry of shots on the Guatemalan goal, but were stymied. Though they were only able to score once, the Americans dominated the play.

In the second half, US picked as they had left off, peppering the Guatemalan goal. In the 49th minute, Guatemala had a nice chance from inside the box, but Howard leaped and tipped the ball over the goal. From that point, Guatemala mounted sustained pressure in the Americans’ end. The American defender Onyewu was booked with a yellow in the 55th, and the match became progressively more physical. In the 59th, Guatemala had a free kick from just outside the box and Howard made a great save. Dempsey (who was hobbling) came out in the 60th, and was replaced by Eddie Johnson (MLS/KC). Donovan took a hard shot from Rigoberto Gomez (carded) in the 66th, and a minute later Twellman came out, replaced by his New England teammate Ralston. Onyewu was red carded in the 72nd for rough play in front of the US goal, and the Americans were a man down for the rest of the match, Guatemala had another free kick and almost worked the ball into the box, but the American defenders held. Carlos Ruiz had a nice penalty try in the 74th, but the ball just skidded to the right of the US goal. In the waning moments of the match, the Americans tried to play rope-a-dope as the Guatemalans desperately tried to force the play. Guatemala was given a corner kick in the last few seconds of extra time, Howard leaped to catch the header try and the game ended on a high note.

The following night, Roscoe tuned into the Mexico-Cuba CONCACAF Gold Cup Group “C” Match played in the Jersey Swamplands. Roscoe does not particularly care for either nation as present, but if forced to choose, would not root for Communists under any circumstances. At half-time, the score was even at one which was a surprise considering Mexico were prohibitive favorites. Cuba’s Reynier Alcántara scored in the 23rd and Jared Borguetti came back to tie for Mexico in the 38th. Mexico scored the game-winner in the 56th when Nery Castillo scored on a rebound Pavel Pardo’s shot from the left wing that the Cuban goalkeep stopped but could not hold. Castillo pounced on the rebound and banged it into an empty net. The players and managers bitterly complained about the condition of the pitch (real turf mounted above artificial grass) made the sides feel “as if they were playing in sand.”

On Saturday, Roscoe tuned into further CONCACAF Gold Cup matches. In the opening match Guatemala defeated El Salvador 1 – 0 on midfielder Jose Manuel Contreras’ goal in the 69th minute. It was an evenly played match which either club could’ve prevailed. In the second match, USA played Trinidad & Tobago. The early going was marred by an unfortunate collision near the T&T box. Anthony Noriega and a US player went up for a ball; their heads collided and Noriega’s head hit the pitch violently and he was unconscious. Doctors and staff rushed on to the pitch to immobilize Noriega and he was removed on a stretcher and taken to hospital. Brian Ching (MLS/Houston) scored for US in the 29th. Despite the lone goal, the Americans really dominated time of possession and field position.

US had a glorious opportunity to go up by two in the 49th, but the T&T goalkeep got to the cross try at the last moment. In the 55th, Eddie Johnson (MLS/KC) took a beautiful cross from Donovan and banged the ball into the left corner. Donovan set up the goal by streaking unattended down the right wing. The T&T defenders left Jan Michael Williams to fend for himself and Johnson was practically standing in the box waiting for Donovan’s pass. In the 85th minute, Donovan was robbed of a goal on a very nice diving save by Williams. In the 88th, T&T had a couple of scoring chances that were turned away by Kasey Keller (Borussia M'gladbach/ German Bundesliga), but that was their best and last chance. US’ next match is against El Salvador on the 12th.

Roscoe tuned into Sunday’s Gold Cup Group “C” Honduras-Mexico match played before a large gathering at Giants' Stadium. Mexico got a free kick just outside the box in the second minute, but Pardo’s shot was blocked by the Honduran wall. In the early going, the action was intense. In the fourth, Honduras came back with a header try that Oswaldo Sánchez pulled in, and he followed up with a nice save on a drive from the left a minute later. In the eighth, Honduras had a glorious try but the kick sailed over the Mexican goal. Honduras maintained the pressure when Oswaldo tackled Amado Guevara directly in front of the Mexican goal. Sánchez was hit with a yellow and Guevara was awarded a penalty kick. He hit the post!

In the 27th, Mexico’s Cuauhtémoc Blanco was tripped by Jorge Aaron Claros (carded) while making a play in the Honduran box and was awarded a penalty kick. Blanco went “top shelf” and made it 1-0 Mexico. In the 42nd, Andres Guardado had a glorious try for Mexico that just sailed to the right of the Honduran goal. Mexico was fortunate to be up at half-time. While shots (on Goal) favored Mexico 9(4) to 4(1), Honduras had a number of chances in the early going, yet one defensive mistake was the difference.

In the opening moments of the second half, Blanco was red-carded when he was caught elbowing Figueroa in the stomach directly in front of the Honduran goal. Though it was a dirty play, Figueroa behaved as if he were shot in an attempt to garner sympathy from the referee. Honduras’ striker Carlos Pavón had a nice leaping-kick try in the 57th that narrowly missed to the left. Moments later, Carlos Costly took a beautifully threaded pass and did not miss, pulling Honduras even. Sánchez was out of position on the play and Costly banged la pelota into the open right corner with a left-footed kick. In the 66th, Sánchez made a spectacular stop on Figureoa’s kick from the right corner of the box. Costly had another chance a minute later, but his kick went wide to the left. Both clubs made substitutions in the 78th, and moments later, Emil Martínez had a try that went to Sánchez’ left. Mexico’s Pavel Pardo was tagged with a yellow for blatantly tripping a Honduras player in the 89th. On the ensuing play, Costly took a corner pass from the left corner and headed it high into the right corner to break the tie. It was a fantastic goal, and a thrilling finish for Honduras.