Caught in Possession

Quick Friday morning post before I pedal south to RFK to catch the first media glimpse of La Vuelta del Christian...(When it comes to star playmakers and other old flames, some say 'you can't go back'...guess DC United will find out soon enough)...

All coaches and parents -- especially those whose kids have spent any time in Super Y-League -- please read this and share your thoughts, whether it's in the PSW forums or in the comments section of this blog. Parents are one group I'd like to hear from on this topic, especially since the small percentage of overbearing, loudmouth types so often tarnish the reputation of their fellow soccer moms and dads.

I've linked to one or two of these pieces before, but it's worth pointing out again: the talented Jeff Carlisle has also done some great work on the topic of national youth development lately, and I'm looking forward to the rest of his multi-part series in the days ahead.

Speaking of US Soccer...2-0. (Dos a cero, en Espanol, gracias). Does it ever get old?

And Frankie Hejduk -- does he ever get old? Whenever we watch or talk about the US National team, a couple of my old college teammates and I usually go back and forth about the strange Nats tradition of always having one old defender around in nearly every big game or tourney, someone who's too slow for the international game but is kept around for 'leadership,' 'experience,' etc...and how it always leads to an ongoing heart attack as fans watch and pray that the other team doesn't find him and exploit him. In World Cup 1998 it was Alexi Lalas. In 2002 it was Jeff Agoos. You could argue that it was Eddie Pope in 2006, but that's not the point here.

Nowadays, my friends insist that it's Frankie Hejduk. Fit, eager, passionate, but chronically limited in technical ability: the kind of player US Soccer should have outgrown by now. But I always disagree, pointing out that coaches like players whose tools and mentality are predictable and consistent, especially those who can offer veteran savvy and locker room karma...and what defender in this hemisphere is fitter and more enthusiastic than Hejduk (or executes the two-footed tackle more cleanly and regularly)? And there's this, too.

Wednesday night in Columbus, the caffeine addict known as 'Heydude' put on a clinic of all that is Frankie, and it set the tone for a US romp. Even a petulant postgame slap couldn't crash his buzz. The guy is an inspiration, and I look forward to cringing/laughing as I watch him in South Africa next year, a 35-year-old surfer dude/dad once again enjoying every second of the world's biggest party.

I'm sure we're all glad to see that the Ticos are coming. And with this news, all local soccer fans had better make the most of every big moment in old RFK this year, because as much as you like to gripe about that concrete bowl now, like so many of the aforementioned old flames, you're probably going to miss it when it's gone.

Hope this guy gets invited back -- he seems to have a good time at his old stomping grounds, regardless of the nature of his exit from United. And I'm not the only one who feels that way.