SOCCER: United States vs. Ghana

This is a day that tests my commitment to the title of this blog. It is called 'The One To Watch', right? Shit. Cause there's a very interesting baseball game tonight on ESPN. 43 year-old Roger Clemens comes out of mini-retirement to make his first start of the season. The Rocket breezed through 3 minor league games and now looks to lead another late season Astros playoff push. Yet as compelling as Clemens' 2006 debut may prove to be, it cannot be today's one to watch. Much more is at stake half way across the sports world.

Today's one to watch is the United States' third match in the World Cup. Once again it's win-or-go-home time for the Americans. They looked much improved in their last outing that resulted in a 1-1 tie against powerful Italy. Now our boys must defeat Ghana and then root for the Italians to beat the Czechs if the US is to reach the 2nd round.

Don't expect Ghana to just roll over. Their win over the Czech Republic has been the biggest surprise of the World Cup. And we know American players always will wear something of a target across their chests - it's the price of our collective might, even if such dominance has never extended to international soccer. The US team must quickly find a way to score. Their lone goal of the tournament was knocked in by an opposing player. Even more discouraging, they've only recorded 1 shot-on-goal so far and it was stopped by the crossbar, not even the opposing goalie.

In conclusion: we can't win if we don't score and we can't score if we don't shoot. A lot of flakes on TV are paid millions to utter such cliches. I wanted my turn here as well. Minus the millions, of course.

My pick: United States. After initial success in 2002, US soccer has (hopefully) come too far to leave this time without posting a win. Or at least scoring a few of goals.

So that's what I'll be watching today - will the USA advance in the World Cup or will we retreat from Germany in defeat for the first time in recorded history?





What will you be watching? Our boys on the field? Or their girls in the stands? Viva la futbol!