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Mid-Day Ticker: Semifinals set in Mexico, doubts remain over ’22 WC host, & more

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By JOEY SAMUEL

A wild weekend that included several major upsets concluded Sunday night in Mexico, where the four semifinal places in the Apertura playoffs were set.

Chivas de Guadalajara, despite finishing first in the regular season standings, could not overturn the deficit from their shocking 2-1 loss to Queretaro from last week. Despite playing in front of their home fans at Estadio Omnilife, Chivas were ousted in the first round and Queretaro won a playoff series for the first time in team history as the teams played to a 0-0 draw on Saturday night.

Also on Saturday, Cruz Azul once again disappointed in the playoffs after a solid regular season when they were defeated at home, 2-1, by Monarcas Morelia. After Morelia posted a 2-1 home victory last week, they duplicated the result at Estadio Azul to take down second-seeded Cruz Azul, who continue their history of let-downs in the postseason.

On Sunday, things were less shocking as Santos Laguna earned a 2-1 home win over Jaguares to advance 4-3 on aggregate. Then, Tigres de la UANL cruised to a 3-0 win over Pachuca, winning the series 4-0 overall.

With the top two teams in the league eliminated, the semifinal matchups are set. Eighth-seeded Queretaro will face third-seeded Tigres in one series, while the other will feature seventh-seeded Morelia against fourth-seeded Santos Laguna.

Here are some other stories to keep your Monday going:

AUSTRALIAN CHIEF NOT CONVINCED ABOUT QATAR 2022

When the host for the 2022 World Cup was announced last December, many soccer fans in the United States and Australia felt dejected. But now, a new report says there may yet be hope.

Australia's top soccer official isn't convinced that the 2022 World Cup will go forward as planned in Qatar, the article claims. He says "the last word hasn't been been heard yet" on Qatar's hosting duties, but did not cite specific reasons for why the small Arab country would lose their rights to host.

Since being awarded the event, Qatar has come under allegations of corruption and bribery in the months preceding the decision. Their promise to create air-conditioned stadiums have also come under skepticism.

AEG WEIGH OFFER OF EXECUTIVE POSITION TO BECKHAM

England's Daily Star has published a report today asserting that David Beckham will be offered a vice president position in AEG in an attempt to keep him in the United States.

Beckham, who is also reportedly weighing a highly lucrative offer from Paris Saint-Germain, has expressed a desire to captain Great Britain in the 2012 Summer Olympics. This offer from AEG would likely take away that opportunity.

The report claims that his wife Victoria has told Beckham that she wishes to remain in the United States, where her career is doing well and their kids are flourishing. Beckham would become an executive in the largest sports and entertainment company in the world. According to the report, AEG wants to make Beckham a "globe-trotting ambassador" and boss Tim Leiweke feels he could spearhead an effort to get an NFL stadium built in Los Angeles.

BRAZILIAN MANCINI JAILED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT

Between 2003 and 2008, Brazilian winger Mancini scored 40 league goals in 154 Serie A for Roma before being a marquee signing of Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan. Now, he sits in a jail cell after being found guilty of sexual assault in an Italian court.

After periods of inconsistency with Inter Milan and then cross-town rivals AC Milan, Mancini returned to his native Brazil to play for Atletico Mineiro. He was accused of assaulting a Brazilian woman while still playing for AC Milan last year, and on Monday was found guilty and sentenced to two years and eight months in prison.

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What do you think about these developments? Who do you see winning the Apertura title in Mexico? Is there a chance of Qatar losing its hosting rights? Is a VP position enough to keep Beckham in America?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Would Becks still have that offer after 2012 from AEG if he decides to make one last hoorah in Europe to follow his dream of GB 2012?

    Reply
  2. wow, so far they’ve won a confederations cup, 27 CCL championships, a copa sudamericana…not bad if you ask me, but there is a cure for ignorance…try not being such a D-bag, viva futbol!!! soccer sucks!

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  3. If Qatar gives up the ghost it will be because of “technical reasons” the bribery will not see the light of day until the current regime is dead and buried. There’s too much money spread over too many mouths for anyone to speak the truth on that situation.

    FIFA is the one percent. Occupy FIFA.

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  4. Australia is an amazing country, I would be ok if we lose the second round of voting to them. Gives me an excuse to go back! But I’m hoping the USA gets it…

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  5. A) It’s already been stolen.

    B) Nobody

    C) I want flying clouds with a turtle-like figure like in Mario Kart

    D) Then Isreali’s and Qataris could call each other horrible names during the game then forget all about it with a hearty handshake afterwards, of course!

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  6. How about I say “we will play the 2026 World Cup on the moon using as-yet uninvented technology, plus I have a check here for a million dollars to every voter”.

    What conditions do YOU think the voters will put on it that I will have this uninvented technology ready to go?

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  7. Really well done. The only thing I would add is “Playoffs? No football-loving country likes playoffs! Also, until the Mexicans start spelling it ‘football’ instead of this bastardized ‘futbol’ they will never, never win a world cup.”

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  8. Since Australia is in the same Confederation as Qatar (Asia–AFC) I could see it edging the US for the hosting rights. However, as we saw with the Olympics, Australia really screws up the television times. I assume that the big Networks around the world would NOT have paid as much if they knew the games would be on at such weird times.

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  9. A) It wouldn’t be stealing
    B) who cares what they think considering how it was attained
    C) already renigging on the magical flying clouds.
    D) What happens if isreal ever qualified??

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  10. Wow seems everything fell apart for Mancini after he left Roma…anyone remember the goal he scored in the Champs league (i think it was) with about 6 stepovers and faked the guy out of his shoes? One of my all time favorite goals. For awhile he was popping in goals of the year candidates every week it seemed now facing jail time.

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  11. If it was run like any normal contact…when Qutar says “we will build robotic air conditioning clouds using technology that does not exist yet” they would have to have some target date to meet some minimum level. For example, they might have to build some stadium about 4 years before the event and meet some minimum temperature level during the a week in the summer. If they cant meet it then its not safe for the cup to be played and it still has time to move. if they do meet it then everyone can simmer down. The bid was based partly on their promise to design stadiums that can meet some playing conditions. The US bid included stadiums already built or that could easily be built exceeding standards on Day 1 of winning the bid. Qutar has to build almost all of the stadiums from scratch and even made the temporary nature of these stadiums (it still seems like a bit of a bribe to me when saying they will give the stadiums to other countries…since the countries that vote for them have a shot at getting a new stadium) and their ability to cool them as part of the bidding process. I dont think anything will come from people continuing to say “its not a good idea and they never should have won it”….but does anyone know if there is anything that would cause it to be moved? ie If they dont have X number of hotel rooms by X date, some level of transportation in place, ability to cool stadium conditions to X degree by X date, etc then it would be moved. SA and Brazil sometimes have comments about some stadium builds being behind schedule…and then there is a mad rush for them to complete…but is there actually any real bench mark that if not met would cause a country to loose a pre-approved bid or would it just be some other vote a year or two before the game where Fifa says they have lost confidence in Qutar to put on the show?

    Reply
  12. I don’t think that stripping Qatar of the WC and giving it to the US will change anyting with respect to our popularity in the Middle East. They hate us – with or without the WC – plain and simple. Having said that, I wouldn’t have a problem with Aussies getting the hosting rights, even though they finished last in voting. They could put together a great tournament.

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  13. “US would be painted as “stealing” the WC from an Arab nation”

    Honestly who cares. Those who’d harm the US are going to consider the “theft” of WC hosting rights pale in comparison to the many other perceived wrongs perpetrated by the US.

    And those who aren’t going to do anything but talk trash about us anyways, let them talk.

    If stepping in to save/host a WC after a collapse in the original corrupt hosting process is seen as “stealing”, thats not our problem, thats just crazy.

    Reply
  14. So the table-topping clubs in Mexico can’t win the championship? And the season is ending now? That’s terrible! They need to move to a single table and join the European calendar right away, or soccer will never be popular in Mexic . . . Oh, well, I guess those are sort of dumb arguments anyway.

    Reply
  15. So the table-topping clubs in Mexico can’t win the championship? And the season is ending now? That’s terrible! They need to move to a single table and join the European calendar right away, or soccer will never be popular in Mexic . . . Oh, well, I guess those are sort of dumb arguments anyway.

    Reply
  16. Not so unprecedented. Columbia decided they could not host in 1986 and so another host had to be chosen. Mexico, US and Canada were the options and Mexico of course won out. We definitely do not have a guarantee of getting it should Qatar drop out but we’d certainly have a good chance.

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  17. If FIFA finally come to their senses and realize Qatar was a terrible decision at best (and an unethical one at worst), then I’m all for Australia hosting in ’22. Jeez, have you guys been there? That country is fantastic. Great people, great weather, great beaches, great food and beer, and most importantly, great football infrastructure.

    You might say the US shares those same attributes, but as some have pointed out, the US would be painted as “stealing” the WC from an Arab nation, and we don’t need that press. Not now and not in 11 years.

    Up 2026! Eff, I’ll be old then.

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  18. If the world is so lucky that Qatar loses the WC, my hunch is that it will go to a vote. I believe such a situation is unprecedented, but maybe someone else can chime in…

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  19. I agree. I don’t want to steal the World Cup away from Qatar, but I also want it moved. I pretty would be happy with any country with a population over a million people and a temperature of under 100 degrees.

    Reply
  20. If Qatar keeps the 2022 World Cup, they should have to provide exactly what they said they would… ie. New Stadiums, Full Air conditioning, Security, etc..

    I have been hearing the bait and switch, on their World Cup, and if thats the case, there is plenty of time to award it to the bids of the USA or Australia.

    Reply
  21. 1) Qatar getting the WC is a joke considering how badly they scored in the study done by the committee. I don’t really care about anything said about or pertaining to FIFA until something actually happens.

    2) Beckham = NFL? I… guess?

    Reply
  22. Great. So, an Arab country will lose the rights to the Cup, to be replaced by….the United States!!

    This will do wonders for our popularity in that region. I’m tempted to say let the Aussies have it. Perhaps we should aim for 2026.

    Reply
  23. so nao (no) doesn’t mean sim (yes) in Portuguese? How’s a poor guy like Mancini supposed to know that?

    And of yea, I’ll believe FIFA will fix their corrupt award practices and reopen the 2022 bidding when it happens, and I won’t hold me breath waiting. FIFA=pathetic organization. If I ran my military unit like that, I would have been in jail long ago…

    Reply
  24. There may be a chance of Qatar screwing things up and we getting the WC. But would it fall directly to us or would there be another vote?

    Reply

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