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Happy Monday, Spursland! Those three words must seem like a giant F U to you guys. I mean, United crushed us by controlling like 14 seconds of that game AND it's a Monday. What's more, it's spring break for me so I don't have a day job for 17 straight days. The welcoming format that I committed too months ago has now made me seem like a jackass. Have fun in the salt mines, losers!
And now the "news"
Wales Coach Thinks Bale Needs Protecting-Sky Sports
The man makes a compelling point. Bale has had hamstring problems for a very long time. Whether they are the same problem that never heeled or different pulls and the like we don't know for sure but here is what we do know: at all levels of sport, from 4-year-old soccer to the highest level of the professional game, we have been seeing more and more a trend of players being overused and suffering injuries. Players suffer injuries and never take the time to treat them, get surgery and/or rehab them properly because there always seems to be just one more tournament on the schedule. I have advocated Gareth Bale playing for the British Olympic team before based on my belief that nobody should be denied their Olympic dreams because of whatever FA BS is going on, but it would probably be advisable to take the summer off and not play any games. Do the rehab, Gareth, do some training and get in shape for what will hopefully be a long career full of the love we all get for playing the games and sports we love.
Lucky, better, same thing in Harry's world, I guess.
Whats happening around SB Nation after the jump
USMNT Game Was The Highest Rated Show On ESPN 2 That Day- SB Nation Soccer
This won't do much, but hopefully this will move the general sports media in America from the notion that soccer is a ratings gamble.
VIDEO: Volley City: Population Fenerbahce- SB Nation Soccer
Is that kind of volley the side arm pitcher of volley? That baseball question specifically tossed in for Ryan Rosenblatt, who it turns out is a prolific baseball nerd. (Editor's note: That makes no sense, but I appreciate the effort.)
Soccer Is Like Really Popular With American Kids- SB Nation Soccer
It is really tempting to makes some, "what, have you driven through suburbia since 1970?" joke, but that would be lame. So let us just celebrate that it is only a matter of time before our friends who don't like soccer stop being in the slim majority they are, fail to see that they are so that it becomes socially unacceptable to call American soccer fans "hipster douches". Because most of us have never been to Silver Lake or Williamsburg, although many of us do really like the Fratellis and similar bands.
FIFA Tells The Truth About Brazil, Brazil Doesn't Like That- SB Nation Soccer
So Brazil is behind in their preparations for a major international sporting event? Shocking! ...to anyone who hasn't followed the preparations for any World Cup or Olympics since ever. Somebody get Mitt Romney down to Brazil stat, only he can save us! Or so said this guy I met in the airport in Salt Lake City. Crazy right?