Knocking The Ball Around

There's been a lot of bad news in the world of late. Today, in particular. Which is why I will disregard all of that and talk about soccer.

The Premier League kicks off a week from today, and Major League Soccer is heading towards the final stretch of the season.

Looking at the San Jose Earthquakes, the excitement I felt at the beginning of the year has dissipated. The announcers on Comcast can be slightly biased as much as they want to be--and they want it a lot, encouraging the sideline reporter to taunt the opposing goalie--but the fact remains that no, Portland was not offside on the goal tonight, not even close, and furthermore, this was one more example where the Earthquakes' defense was just not good enough. For all the offensive futility San Jose has experienced this year--about as bad as that of the Giants--their defense has always seemed the shakiest aspect of the team for me.

The Premier League is back, and that will be very exciting. Liverpool seems to possibly re-loaded; Newcastle has signed some intriguing young French players, and will possibly add Gabriel Obertan from Manchester United, and I have seen flashes of quality from him, so that is encouraging. Will Arsenal fade further this year? They have seemed on the downward arc lately, threatening to follow Liverpool out of the elite as Tottenham and Manchester City have surged. Manchester City, though, they just buy players, so I really can't root for them, especially since it looks like Tevez might be on his way out, and he was always a player I loved to watch for them. Tottenham signed Brad Friedel, and one of my friends in the UK is a huge Tottenham fan, so I wish them well; Rafael Van der Vaart is a key man on my fantasy team this year, FC Buster Posey. Still, if Newcastle and Liverpool are not to win it all, I would still pull for Arsenal.

Just like that, Alan Gordon gets a head on a great cross and ties the match for San Jose! Hope blooms like the taste of shiraz and chocolate chip cookies.

A new season, new possibilities. A sign of stability in an unstable world, for now. It's why we love sports.