World Supporter’s Cup is an event we do in the Fan Development department. It’s the 2nd year that it has been done, starting last year.

We’ve got 8 clubs represented and this is West Ham vs Real Madrid. The idea is to bring fans of international teams together with MLS team fans at the All-star game and TFC is the MLS club represented obviously.

This is just one thing that is a part of the All-Star Soccer Jam. As you can see from the pic, BMO Field is in the background. Celebrity soccer-tennis was cancelled earlier due to rain. I was planning on taking the title with Alejandro Moreno as my teammate.

Dante

Dan Frosch from the New York Times has a great read about New Mexico’s Edgar Castillo and his decision to play for Mexico instead of the United States.

What I liked seeing was the acknowledgment of US Soccer President Sunil Gulati and US Head Coach Bob Bradley that while they missed out on Castillo, they held on to San Luis’ Michael Orozco.

With former World Cup player /Colombian Wilmer Cabrera now filling the void of Hispanic Coaches in the younger US Soccer system as Head Coach of the US Under-17 National Team, along with former MLS Veterans Raul Diaz Arce and Marco Etcheverry involved with various US Youth Teams, hopefully we’ll see less and less players lost or passed over because of the lack of opportunities that Castillo had.

On a separate note, what does the success of Castillo and Orozco in Mexico say about the type of players that “America” is producing before they get to the college of MLS age groups.
image via NYTimes

Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly went on the Daily Show with John Stewart to talk about Step-Brothers last night.

Peep the jersey.  Seems like this game of ours is slowly creeping it’s way into mainstream America.

Big Rog

This years Gumball 3000 is getting ready to kickoff in a couple weeks (August 9th to be exact). This years rally will start in San Francisco, finish in Beijing 8 days later with a stopover in North Korea where they will celebrate the Mass Games. I have no idea what that is, but I assume it’s North Korea’s version of the Olympics.  Not sure how they managed to pull that one off, but it should definitely be an interesting rally to say the least.  Video of the Gumball after the jump.

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Keep an eye out around 2:50.  Has to be the sickest move I’ve ever seen in my life.

With all the confusion surrounding the 2008 Olympics, FIFA President Sepp Blatter has released an official statement regarding club’s responsibilities to allow their under contract players that are under 23 years of age to join up with their respective National Teams.

Via FIFA.com

In its official statement, FIFA states that “the principle is that each team can field players until the age of 23. In addition, the teams that qualify for the final tournament have the right to include in their squad three players over the age of 23″. That said, the rights and obligations of the clubs with respect to these two categories are different. “

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Kosovo born - Switzerland representing Valon Behrami has made the move to the Premiership after Lazio accepted a 5 Million Pound move to West Ham for the 23 year old.

A player with an amazing engine that gets up and down the flank, Behrami was a consistent figure on the right side for Lazio either at right mid or as an overlapping right back and that’s exactly what Alan Curbishley forsees at Upton Park.

Behrami started and played every minute in Switzerland’s 2008 Euro campaign and has signed a 5 year deal with the East London based club.  And don’t forget, he’s got Champions League experience that can hopefully help a squad that finished 10th last season in the 2007/08 Premiership table.

image via Accel23

Former Chelsea striker Pierluigi Casiraghi (and his former Chelsea drop-back forward, Assistant Gianfranco Zola) have named their official 2008 Olympic Squad that’s heading for Beijing.

Italy’ squad: Abate (Milan), Acquafresca (Cagliari), Bocchetti (Genoa), Cigarini (Parma), Coda (Udinese), Consigli (Atalanta), Criscito (Genoa), De Ceglie (Juventus), De Silvestri (Lazio), Dessena (Parma), Giovinco (Juventus), Marchisio (Juventus), Montolivo (Fiorentina), Motta (Udinese), Nocerino (Palermo), Rocchi (Lazio), Rossi (Villarreal), Viviano (Brescia)

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That could possibly be the best way to learn about screen savers.