Beyond POV-FS – 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup Reviews at Waking the Red

Once more for posterity's sake, a collection of the daily recaps that went up over at Waking the Red tracking the 2015 Gold Cup.

Day One – Day Two – Day Three – Day Four – Day Five – Day Six – Day Seven – Day Eight – Day Nine – Day Ten – Day Eleven – Day Twelve – Day Thirteen – Day Fourteen
Aside from the controversial refereeing amid all the FIFA and CONCACAF furore, this tournament will be remembered for the improved performances from the Caribbean sides, as Jamaica reached the final, while Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago both put in excellent displays. It will be interesting to see if they can carry that form into World Cup Qualifying.

CONCACAF is getting better. First, in recent times, it was Panama and Honduras rising to challenge the big boys (Mexico and the USA), then Costa Rica stole the headlines with a fantastic run at the 2014 World Cup, and now it is a resurgence of the islanders that has breathed fresh life into the region – thanks in part to the drafting in of various ex-pats.

Canada struggled offensively, but a solid defense will serve them well in qualifying as they aim for the Hex and beyond.

Particularly worth noting is that for the first time in a long time a game was held outside of the US, with BMO Field in Toronto the base for a pair of matches. That experiment was a success, if not as well attended as one may like. As CONCACAF continues to grow, more matches held outside the comforts of the US will only serve to better establish the legitimacy and quality of the region.

Beyond POV-FS – 2015 Women's World Cup Coverage at Waking the Red

For posterity's sake, a compilation of the Canada 2015 daily recaps that were posted over at Waking the Red.

Day One – Day Two – Day Three – Day Four – Day Five – Day Six – Day Seven – Day Eight – Day Nine – Day Ten – Day Eleven – Day Twelve – Day Thirteen – Day Fourteen – Day Fifteen – Day Sixteen – Day Seventeen – Day Eighteen – Day Nineteen – Day Twenty

It was a lot of fun following what was a very entertaining tournament and it was quite heartening to see so many fans take in the action – could have used a slightly more competitive final, but one cannot have everything.

Can We Play You Every Week? Canada vs. the USA – A Burgeoning Rivalry

    On the eve of another friendly between the Canadians and their neighbours to the south, the Americans, it seems the perfect time to ponder why these two countries do not make use of their proximity more often.

FIFA: Dancing Shadows on the Wall of the Cave

    The current posturing of the major players in this FIFA soap opera is as captivating as the OJ trial was in its day. One cannot help but worry, that this drama is nothing more than it appears, an orchestrated show, designed to fool the populace once again as maneuvers are made to continue the good ship on its intended path.

Thoughts? – Decipher the Blather

"When a Swiss farmer's neighbour has a cow while he has none, the less fortunate farmer will work twice as hard so that one day he can buy a cow as well. When another farmer, elsewhere, on an island, say, has no cow but his neighbour does, that farmer will kill the neighbour's cow out of sheer malice. I'd rather be a Swiss farmer, like it or not"  – Sepp Blatter, care of The Guardian’s Fiver.

Thoughts? - A Wink & a Nod

     Sepp Blatter blathered on this week about how he once refused a bribe, that he could not refuse, but he returned the money or something like that. The whole saga is really quite tiring, seeing an elderly gentleman, struggle in a modern media world that he just does not understand, being made the fool.