Good morning folks. Today is shaping up to be a relatively slow news day, at least early on (which is good considering there were some server issues this morning). Things should pick up later today when the U.S. Olympic team is announced and tonight, with KC taking on the Columbus Crew on ESPN. MLS and SuperLiga action kicking off.
One story we did get to late last night was Abby Wambach’s broken leg. We don’t do much women’s soccer coverage on SBI but this is clearly a big story and devastating blow for the U.S. women’s Olympic team’s chance for gold.
Now, back to the men’s game. Here are some news and notes to get your day started.
The World Cup hosting carousel rolls on
Just when you thought you’d heard it all regarding who may or may not be hosting future World Cups, now comes word that FIFA reportedly wants Brazil ready to host the 2010 World Cup if South Africa can’t.
As for the already crowded quest for the 2018 World Cup, Recent Euro winners Spain could be added to the race in a joint bid with Portugal.
What’s my take? I would love seeing Brazil’s World Cup moves up to 2010 and a Spain-Portugal combo for 2018 sounds more appealing than an England bid (though as someone rightly pointed out to me, Brazil has as many crumbling stadium issues as South Africa so maybe Brazil 2010 really is just a far-fetched dream).
And 2014? Perhaps that could be the new tug-of-war between England and the United States.
A special Kljestan story
You should definitely take some time and read this Sacha Kljestan story from Scott Reid of the Orange County Register.
It’s a pretty amazing story of a family living the American dream. I have to say that it’s been great seeing Kljestan grow as a player. I remember watching him as a playmaker for Seton Hall and you just knew he would be something special. As much attention as the likes of Adu, Altidore, Bradley and McBride will get at the Olympics, Kljestan will play a key role for the Americans in China this summer.
Odds and Ends
French defender Sebastien Squillaci has left Lyon for Sevilla. … Aiden McGeady signed a new five-year deal with Celtic, meaning he is unlikely to move this summer, which just means he’ll be one of the big-money targets next summer. … Benfica’s deal with Pablo Aimar has been completed.
That’s all for now. I’ll post news as it develops today. There will be a few Supporter’s Views going up today, as well as a new West Coast Update and the return of the SBI MLS Fantasy corner, so stay tuned for all of those. Also be sure to check back in here for complete coverage of the U.S. men’s Olympic team roster announcement at 1pm.
For now, share your thoughts on any of the above stories in the comments section below.