AUTOGRAPH HAUL: PART 1

With so much soccer on TV these days, World Cup Qualifiers, Euro 2012 - I find myself writing the blog either before the 11:45 morning game or after the 2:45 afternoon match. Its what I love about these tournaments - every day through the week there is a game.

But there is nothing like attending a live game at a stadium. I was fortunate enough to get two matches in two weeks here in Florida. The U.S. National Team played Scotland on May 26th (Jacksonville) and returned (to Tampa) for a World Cup match on June 8th. So, I made a special effort to get one of the harder signatures in person - 

Austria's all time top goal scorer - ANDREAS HERZOG

Herzog was well know outside Austria as a international star, but also a top star in the German Bundasliga with Werder Bremen. He was part of the Austrian side that defeated the USA 2:1 at World Cup 1990 in Italy. He also played in the 1998 World Cup and is his countries all time leader in caps (103).

I decided a while ago not to let the glut of low end soccer cards go to waste. I have been getting my Upper Deck World Cup and 1990-91 ProSet English League cards signed every chance I get.

I have about 75 Upper Deck cards autographed and about 35 ProSet - all signatures obtained in person. I have duplicates autographs of most of the players.

BASEBALL

This past weekend, I struck gold (or should I say yellow ?) with baseball autographs. I found an estate sale that was liquidating a collector's baseball collection. I spied a box with a few Perez-Steele 4 x 6 cards. I asked about the price, and got a favorable reply. So I picked out (what came to) 22 cards.

These included 2 HALL of FAME Plaques signed by deceased players. They had stickers on the plastic sleeve indicating "died in 1988" and "pre-stroke" regarding the autographs.

I found an ED ROUSH and Negro Star, BUCK LEONARD

Roush was with the White Sox in 1913 but on the winning side of the 1919 Cincinnati Reds whose defeat of Chicago led to the Black Sox scandal.

I also pulled out 2 1964 TOPPS Giant cards with nice blue sharpie signatures.

N.Y. Yankees pitcher WHITE FORD and Twins slugger HARMON KILLEBREW

The second batch of autographs were what blew me away. I'll post them next.

USA Proves To Be World Class

When they listed the players that were expected to star in the 2010 World Cup, a few Americans wanted Landon Donovan added to the list. After all, he featured brightly with Everton F.C. earlier in the year and led the Los Angeles Galaxy to the MLS CUP final last season.

But what many Americans are discovering, and what the rest of the world knows now - the USA can match up with pretty much any soccer power they face.

If you picked Wayne Rooney, Robinho, Cristiano Ronaldo or Didier Drogba to be the top scorer in the Cup, you forgot about one guy. Landon Donovan.

But the victory over Algeria was sweet in so many ways - topping Group C (over England) and doing what so many want to see - score goals. This was no "miracle on grass", but rather the culmination of hard work, a developing soccer league and the emergence of the passion of soccer in the USA. There are more Donovans in America - they just need to be found.

Super Bowls, World Series and NBA Championships are relagated to nights and weekends - while the World Cup could care less when its played ... people are watching it at all hours. So it is a testament to the efforts of America to play the game the rest of the planet does - and beat them at it. No changing the rules, no bastardized version of the game and definately no interference from the NCAA.

Soccer is the world's game - and that is what the USA is winning in so far - The World Cup.

Congratulations USA - on to the round of 16 !

Happy (Football) Father's Day !

Celebrating Father's Day watching the World Cup cannot get any better ... or can it ?

For the US National Team Coach Bob Bradley, having his son tuck away the comeback equalizer against Slovenia is a pretty cool early gift  for Dad.

But the Bradleys are not alone, as the father/son, coach/player situtation was also occasioned for Slovakia's match today. Vlademir Weiss - Junior and Senior join their Grandfather also named Vlademir Weiss, who played internationally for the former Czechoslovakia as three generations representing their nation.

To top the Weiss' liniege of internationals, the Mexican family of Javier Hernandez, Jr. can claim a third member who has appeared at the World Cup. Current Manchester United youngster Javier is the son of Javier Hernandez Gutierez, a 1986 World Cup participant. 

Even more fascinating, his Grandfather (Tomas Balcazar) was age 22 when he scored against France in the 1954 World Cup. Twenty-two year old Javier, Jr. came on as a sub in this 2010 World Cup against France and scored !

One of the proudest Dads has to be the father of the Palacios brothers - Wilson, Johnny and Jerry. All three are on the 2010 Honduras World Cup team. Jerry was added late only after the injury to Julio Cesar de Leon. A fourth brother was also a footballer. He was kidknapped for ransom but was later found dead after $150,000 had been paid. The brothers have dedicated their World Cup to him.

Here's to wishing every Father a memorable day during this World Cup. 

Where Were You ?

What was I doing yesterday ? Where were you ? The headline says it all to our pompous know-it-all fans across the Atlantic (and especially the ones who live here in America). If not for the lucky bounce off the post, Altidore's shot would have sunk the mighty England.

After going down a goal within 4 minutes, the Americans battled back to tie it on Clint Dempsey's gutsy strike which turned round England Captain Steven Gerrard like a balarina.

Lampard - nil

Rooney - nil

Lennon - nil

"Don't Tread On Us" ... not then ... not now. GO USA !

USA Qualifies for World Cup Amid Tragedy ...

The news came at the early hours of yesterday morning - U.S. National Team forward Charlie Davies was involved in a car crash that took the life of one woman and severely injured the American soccer star.

Coming off the 3:2 victory in Honduras which booked the Americans' ticket to World Cup 2010, the team was set to play the last of the qualifying games at RFK in Washington, D.C..

Colorado's Conor Casey scored twice to ensure that the USA reached its 6th consecutive FIFA final (1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 2010).

Davies was a passenger in the car that was severed in half on the Washington Parkway. A female passenger was declared dead on the scene while Charlie had broken bones in the fibula, tibia, ribs and spleen. Recently signed by Sochaux FC in France, the New Hampshire native was just coming into his own starring in the FIFA Confederation Cup.

His career is in limbo as his life is tattered. We hope for the best and sympathies to the families effected by this tragedy.