Losing it

Three players did not travel to Honduras with the Mexican national team. Two had legitimate excuses as Ricardo Osorio (stomach flu) and Giovani Dos Santos (groin) were physically unable to go.

Edgar Castillo, though, did not get to go because he lost his passport. Seriously.

I lost my passport once. I had come back from Japan after the 2002 World Cup and a week later moved from one apartment to another. I swore for years that I had left it behind in the old place because I never remembered seeing it in the new place. Since then, we bought a house, and then another, in a span of about five years, maybe less. While rummaging through my closet here in my current house, I grabbed a camera bag that I hadn't used in a while. I figured I'd put my camera in there since, well, that's what it's for. I wondered what else was in there, since we'd bought that camera bag in 2000 or 2001. I shuffled through the pockets and found my passport. Of course, I'd replaced it in late '03 before a trip to Europe.

I felt like a dumbass. I'm sure Edgar feels like a dumbass too, and one day he'll probably find it. The only difference of course is that my dumb move did not cost me the chance to travel to Honduras for a World Cup qualifier, nor was it publicized until right now. And even then, I'm sure nobody cares.

Awesome

Just got back from my long day out in Beverly Hills. It took me a while to get out there, find the place and make the long commute back to Riverside and pick up my daughters and then deal with them.

Anyway, I had my interview with Jose Mourinho and it was awesome, easily a highlight of my career. I can't remember any other one-on-one interview I've had with such a prominent figure as Mourinho, especially at the height of his own career. It was pretty surreal to, to see a face like his that I normally only see on television and then have him in front of me.

We talked, a lot, for about 25 minutes but you'll have to wait until the story comes out.

After the interview, which was at a prominent ritzy hotel out in Beverly Hills, I went and got my car. I actually valeted it (had no choice). I waited as BMWs, Mercedes-Benzes, a Cadillac Escalade... all these fancy cars for other people and then my Toyota Corolla comes in behind them. Yeah, just a little out of place.

Where's the love?

The CONCACAF Champions League picks up again today as Atlante host Houston for a spot in the semifinals.

I wrote this column for SI.com on Friday to sort of wrap up the week and look ahead to this week's games.

Now, in the column I partly wrote about what I've felt all along, that Mexican teams have long held an advantage and they'll take care of business at home. Until I see otherwise, I don't think teams can go into Mexico and expect a win.

Of course, some people took exception to my column, and they let me know about it:

* "You are an idiot. MLS is still in pre-season, as opposed to the Mexican leagues. But of course you won't admit that in your article because it would be factually accurate. The Mexican league, just like the national team, aren't that good."

* "That means what in terms of global futbol? Nothing. This is a terrible column that only serves to heighten Mexican nationalism. All you ever write is about Mexico, Mexico Mexico. They are a second rate team at best and the league is a third rate league. Please stop the madness!"

* "With all due respect (none), anything you write that has "class" and "Mexican soccer" in the same sentence is completely unbelievable. Those two phrases should never be together given the complete lack of sportsmanship displayed in recent USA/Mexico games as well as the earlier played group games in the CONCACAF Champ. Cup. Combine the spotty referreeing, altitude and vast differences in the team salary budgets between the two leagues and its very understandable how the Mexico played games are a bit skewed."

Ahem.

Okay, I'm an idiot. Yes, that's an original comment. But two things jump out at me and I can't figure out why people can't differentiate between them.

First, I get that a lot, the "you only write about Mexican soccer" line. Yeah, nimrod, because I am paid to write about Mexican soccer. Occasionally I write about MLS or something but my beat for SI.com is the Mexican soccer beat. That's like going to a butcher shop and complaining that all they sell is meat.

Secondly, I want to post this somewhere with lights glaring: LEAGUE AND NATIONAL TEAM ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. Any arguments you use for or against the Mexican national team hold little or no relevance when it comes to league, and vice versa. So what if the Mexican national team is playing like shit? That doesn't mean the league's teams are. Mexico is struggling against regional competition, but the league's teams are not. It's still the best league in the region and its teams are still strong. I'm not saying that Mexico is La Liga or anything but it's still the... wait for it... ahem... cough... CLASS of the region. That much I stand by.

Now, I don't have a rooting interest in tonight's Atlante-Houston game, but I think that Houston will get their asses handed to them. It might not be a 4-0 blowout but I don't think Houston will get out of their with anything but a lopsided loss, even if it's not reflected by the score. And I also think Santos will turn around their own series and come away with a victory over Montreal on Thursday.

The cream will rise to the top, and until I'm proven otherwise that's what I feel. If that makes me an idiot, so be it.

Soccer over civic duty

Earlier today, I postponed my civic duty of voting all in the name of soccer. I was all set to vote, having spent the morning cramming. It's the propositions that always get to me, always the ones I'm reading up until the very end. So after I got in a run at the gym, I headed over to the local polling place.

I was going over the propositions in my head and about to step up to sign in, making sure that I was all prepared when I felt my phone buzz. I thought it was an e-mail, so I paused and it buzzed again. I picked it up and realized it was Champions Soccer Radio.

I'm a regular on their Around the League in 90 Minutes show, which airs every Tuesday. Today, they had an abbreviated version and I was slated to go on at 10:50. Sure enough, it was almost that time. So, I stepped out of the room and walked outside. The polling place is at a golf course near my house so I stood on a deck overlooking the golf course and listening to the end of a chat on the New York Red Bulls when I had to cram again. Now, I'd already sort of had an idea of what I would say but I had to go over some things in my head.

We talked a bit about Chivas USA, they broke for a commercial and came back to me briefly. I gave a quick prediction and we were done. Then I stepped back into line - it was very short so I didn't have to wait. When I got into the booth and had the propositions before me, I sighed.

What was I going to vote on Prop 3 again?

Road trip story

Here's the story I wrote for MLSnet.com about the supporters traveling to Salt Lake. I went with the Union Ultras so I wrote about them but also mentioned Legion since they also made a trip to Sandy.

Most interesting note: one member of the Ultras paid $1,800 out of his own pocket to finance the trip. Gotta love that sort of passion.

Get on the bus

In terms of weekends, I had a pretty eventful one. I got to watch Chivas USA play Real Salt Lake on the road, in the latest MLS stadium to open its doors, the perhaps-sometime-in-the-future-will-be-famed Rio Tinto Stadium.

And I owe it all to the Union Ultras. The start-up but ever-expanding Chivas USA supporters group allowed me to to join them on their trek to Utah and I must say it was a trip to remember.


We met up Friday night and got on our way around 10 p.m. I hadn't napped during the day so I figured I'd get tired at some point. Also, certain beverages helped make me more tired. And thus, I did what I'd been warned not to. I fell asleep.


Now, on the bus were mostly younger guys, though there were a few children and some ladies. But the latter two were smart and sat near the front. I took a seat toward the back. So when I fell asleep, well...



I looked a little like the Joker from Batman. I had a partial grin on my face, from my lip to my ear. But I got off easy, apparently. Some who'd fallen asleep had war paint on their faces. Others had tattoo sleeves. But it was all in good taste, of course.


We got into Salt Lake early Saturday. I probably slept about three to four hours maybe. On the drive to the stadium, the Ultras were practicing their chants. Once we got to the stadium, we parted ways. They went to their section up top and I went to the press box, which I must say is 100 percent better than Home Depot Center's. It's possibly the greatest drawback to HDC, the useless and cramped press box.


After the match, I did my post-game thing and finished in a little more than an hour. The Ultras waited for me and we got on our way soon enough. I tried not to sleep but I was beat. I fell asleep but when I woke up I hadn't sprouted any black marks on my face or anything. I think at that point most were too tired to do anything but sleep.


We got back to Home Depot Center at around 6 a.m. Sunday morning and by the time the bus pulled into the stadium, I was both tired and rejuvenated - tired because I hadn't slept comfortably and rejuvenated because I was able to get out of the bus, which became more and more uncomfortable as the trip wore on.


But that was because of the seats, not my companions.

Rio Tinto impressions

I don't get to do a whole lot of traveling as a freelancer. I have to pay my own expenses so its difficult to invest money in traveling expenses. But the Union Ultras were gracious enough to save a seat for me and I was able to visit Rio Tinto Stadium for the first time.

Now, I have only been to three other soccer-specific stadiums: Pizza Hut Park, Dick's Sporting Goods Park and Home Depot Center. I'm probably biased in thinking HDC is still the top soccer stadium in MLS but beyond that its easy to pick the stadium of the other three I have visited that I would rank number two:

Dick's Sporting Goods Park.

Now don't get me wrong. Rio Tinto Stadium is very nice. It has a great background and setting as the mountains are, well "picturesque" is the word I used for my PE story. The grass was pristine and just gorgeous and the outside of the stadium and concourse were nice and spacious. But overall I felt that the stadium was a bit small. The one end opened up to a parking lot and only one side had an upper deck. I felt like the stadium could have used a bit more seating to round it out. Of course it did not seem small when Yura Movsisyan scored and the place went nuts. Then, it felt like any other stadium.

I liked DSG Park a lot. I liked the feel of the venue, how close you were to the field while walking around on the concourse and the way the stadium looked while driving up to it.

Still, I'm nitpicking. Rio Tinto must be a fantastic venue for RSL fans after playing at Rice Eccles for three-plus seasons. For soccer, Rio Tinto is a great venue. It blows Titan Stadium and San Jose State's stadium completely out of the water.

And as for pictures, in my haste to prepare I left my camera at home. Argh. Hence, no pictures.

Road trip, baby!

Thanks to the guys over with the Union Ultras, Chivas USA's support group, for this...

I'm going to Salt Lake for the Chivas USA-Real Salt Lake match. Atiba Harris and Alecko Eskandarian won't be there, but yours truly will.

Here's the plan. Bus departs tonight, gets into Salt Lake sometime Saturday morning, I probably won't have slept much but will be there regardless, after the game I'll write as fast as my fingers will let me and then get to the bus for another drive-through-the-night. Maybe I'll try and get the bus driver to stop as Las Vegas for an hour or six.

Anyway, check out the blog tomorrow for full on-the-spot coverage of the game. I will try and post some post-game audio but we'll see how much time I'll have. At the very least, I may do some sort of running blog.

But that doesn't mean this trusty blog won't be updated. Thanks to the wonders of future-dating posts, I will leave a couple of things for you to whet your appetite before the game.