Ted's Polish-Mexican Page

Here's what's nice about rooting for the New England Revolution this season: yesterday they turned in a disappointing and inert performance, and they still won 4-2 against the MetroStars.

Midfielder José Carlos Cancela Duran put the Revs on the board early, putting the bulge in the onion bag in the 22nd second (Happy Birthday José!). That wasn't minute, second. As is the case with so many goals that get scored so quickly, this had absoulutely nothing to do with the way the team played afterward.

Cancela's goal got the crowd to their feet and New England managed to turn in a completely mopish fourty-five minutes of soccer. Coach Steve Nicol said durring a "coaches corner" segment in the middle of a half that his team was lucky to be sitting on a lead when they were playing that badly. The camera focused on Cancela as he left the field at the half, and it was obvious that even he was disappointed in his performance. Cancela and Brazillian Cássio were replaced for the second half.

The MetroStars continued to outplay the Revs well into the second half, scoring two goals in the process. Things turned around when Jay Heaps managed a suprising header that scored in the 72nd minute. In the 86th minute, Jeff Parke looked to the referee for a whistle and Steve Ralston stripped the ball from him and scored, putting the Revs back in the lead.

As if this wasn't enough, Zach Wells apparently forgot that he isn't Franz Beckenbauer and he isn't playing sweeper. He was wandering around somewhere outside the penalty area when Pat Noonan got the ball and scored on one of those 40 yard shots that never work.

Former Playgirl model Shep Messing did the TV commentary for the game and noted that all four Rev goals were from Metro mistakes, as if that made the Revs a lesser team. Messing, who actually did play 'keeper behind a sweeper named Beckenbauer, should know that goals often come from defensive errors. It's not just that the Metros made mistakes, it's that the Revs were a good enough team to capitalize. I realize that he is paid to say good things about the Metros, but he should give credit where credit is due.

Messing made another dumb-ass comment, but I just don't have room to talk about it.


The Los Angeles Galaxy travelled to San José to play against the Earthquakes for the first time this season. This marked the first time that Landon Donovan has played in San José since ditching the team.

At the end of last season, Donovan left the Earthquakes to rejoin his old German team, Bayer Leverkusen. He ended up playing about as many minutes for them as I played for the Tucson Amigos. His ego bruised, he returned to the US and joined the Los Angeles Galaxy. San José fans may have been disappointed, but Donovan then told reporters how he was finally "home" and said things that were interpreted as insulting to Earthquakes fans.

The San José fans decided to give Donovan a great welcome. He was booed durring the introductions, booed when he did throw ins, booed when he did corner kicks, in fact, booed everytime he touched the ball. They could have booed him more often, but for huge swaths of the game Donovan disappeared. Donovan is a goal-poacher, such players will often disappear since they don't even like going back to midfield for fear that someone else could score. He was even more absent than usual though. Brandi Chastain commented that he was lulling the Earthquakes so he could suprise them later. Brandi, he was playing lazily, you should know better than to give him any credit. (More on her later)

(Special kudos to the fan that made the sign "Prima Donovan")

Chastain's comments were only one part of the larger Donovan-worship that seems to plague ESPN's coverage of the MLS. Even after it was obvious that Donovan was having no measurable impact on the game, J. P. Dellacamara continued to talk about how Donovan was putting on a performance to impress fans of his old team...blah...blah...blah. Maybe all of this sunshine pumped up his butt is the reason why Donovan has become such an arrogant jerk, an often will turn in a listless performance like this game.

Donovan has become infamous among fans as someone who is less than friendly to admirers and autograph seekers, this may be part of his problem. I went to the 1999 Open Cup final, when the Revs were playing the Galaxy. Alexi Lalas had been traded from New England a couple of seasons before, so when Lalas was on the field, we would shout "Revolution Reject" in unison. After the game, he came over to our section, and greeted us with "My People!" Lalas actually enjoyed being with the fans, and the fans loved that. He also didn't trash the team when he left either. I don't get the sense from Donovan that he likes the fans. He likes the press though.

San José won the game 3-0, after two bizarre defensive mistakes by the Galaxy. Donovan, the forward and goal scoring king, had no shots on goal.

Donovan could become the new Tab Ramos: the national team "star" who doesn't think he needs to perform for his club team.


Women's National Team Coach Greg Ryan informed Brandi Chastain this week that her services were no longer needed for the team. This leaves Kristine Lilly as the last of the so-called fab five to remain on the team. I would like to have seen Ryan handle this differently, given what Chastain has done for the team and women's soccer. Perhaps Ryan is trying to avoid what April Heinrichs was criticized for. Heinrichs was seen as someone that was too dependent on the heroines of the 1999 world cup, and didn't look to the WUSA for possible up and coming players. She could have done what Bruce Arena has done with the Men's team and use club standouts in occasional non-crucial games to see how they would perform. This has given Arena a solid pool of players, and while the men's team is not going to win a world cup, they are serious contenders in other tournaments. Heinrichs managed to get the women bounced out of the 2003 cup early (at home, even!) and now the WUSA is gone.

It has been pointed out that Chastain would be 39 at the time of the next world cup. Yes, she probably would not have been playing there. But having her in an occasional qualifier or friendly would have been valuable for the younger players on the team. Ryan missed a great opporitunity to have his team members learn from her. Many fans of the women's team will also be disappointed that we will not be able to see what Chastain will do at the 2007 cup to outdo her famous goal celebration. Not me, of course, I only admire her as a player.

The retooled US plays Canada today on the Duce.