An Introduction

It seems a peculiar time to begin writing a soccer blog, given that the major European leagues have shut up shop for the summer. But, there has been a great deal of football to appreciate this summer. The Russian league, the Scandinavian leagues, and the MLS are in full-swing, and the trial-run of next summer's World Cup, the Confederations Cup, has garnered the most attention for its competitive and entertaining matches. Brazil and Egypt provided the best match of the group stage with their 7-goal thriller. Iraq, despite social and political turmoil, competed well. Iran, in the midst of its greatest political upheaval since 1979, reminded everyone that the game serves as more than sport and entertainment. And hosts South Africa reached the semi-finals, albeit with lackluster performances. Beyond a few excellent group games, the semi-finals have been riveting. South Africa gave Brazil their money's worth this afternoon, losing 1-0 on a well-taken 88th minute free kick by Danny Alves. Perhaps most surprisingly, the United States ended Spain's 35-game unbeaten run in yesterday's semifinal with a hard-fought, well-executed 2-0 win.

As an American, I must admit that I am happy to see my team perform well, though I think the outcome of the match was due more to Spanish underachievement and American opportunism than American prowess. With regard to South Africa's semi-final performance, I witnessed a team reaching its potential, one that will compete dutifully next summer, but will be lucky to progress from the group stage. Both the United States and South Africa can be encouraged by their performances, but they must gain far more composure if they are to progress in next summer's tournament, as the anticipated competition of the 2010 World Cup can hardly be compared uneven nature of this summer's Confederations Cup.

Many have pondered whether these performances say anything about the state of football throughout the world. Has the Confederations Cup's success justified Sepp Blatter's decision to grant World Cup 2010 to South Africa? Are we in for big surprises and a legitimate change in the hierarchy of world football next summer? The answer is no. Every four years there is the same discussion concerning a shift in UEFA's policies concerning group selection. While this year's qualifying process has been a bit more egalitarian than in past years, the fact remains that Europe retains its dominance in football politics. And until that changes, we will not see a marked shift in World Cup performances. European teams will continue to dominate, the Western Hemisphere will continue to be derided, despite holding two of the best footballing nations in Brazil and Argentina, and Africa and Asia will remain off the map, despite the continued growth of players from both continents making their way onto the elite European clubs.

All that being said, I look forward to this summer's transfer market hysteria, as there will undoubtedly be some big moves, on top of the ones that have already taken place (i.e. Kaka and Ronaldo to Real). I have a sense that the coming season will in fact hold many surprises for football fans, though I do not think that any upsets or shifts on the club front will translate to the international game.