What: United States vs. Mexico CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying, Final Round
When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.
Where: Columbus Crew Stadium, ESPN2, and a pub near you!

A short background: A crucial World Cup Qualifier between two rivals going in opposite directions, and easily the most anticipated match on U.S. soil in the last four years (tickets sold out in 90 minutes, and the 2,500 tickets going to Supporters Groups will create the largest U.S. organized SG section for a home National Team match). This is the first match of a ten-game round robin, at the end of which three CONCACAF teams will automatically qualify for the 2010 World Cup, while a fourth will go on to face a South American opponent.

Mexico is struggling. In the third round of qualifying they finished second to Honduras, and only advanced to the Hexagonal on goal differential. Swedish coach Sven-Goran Eriksson is under a lot of pressure to fix things, and soon. Starting things off by playing a solid American side in the cold of Columbus, Ohio will not make their turnaround an easy task.

The U.S., meanwhile, cruised through their earlier qualifying rounds - their only loss coming in a meaningless game at fellow-CONCACAF finalists Trinidad and Tobago. Since 2000, the Yanks are 8-0-2 against Mexico at home.

These are, no doubt, the top two teams in CONCACAF. But since 1991, the U.S. has gradually overtaken Mexico as the favorites to top the qualification group. Winning this game is crucial to that end. The U.S. must defend their home advantage while Mexico is in dire need of a positive result and the confidence it would bring. Really, anything other than a win will be considered a huge dissapointment for the U.S.

Why you need to watch: Does the United States have any other significant sports rivalries? Football? No. Baseball? Not really, nor is there really a US National Baseball team. Basketball? I guess every four years it’s fun to watch NBA players compete against the world, but when they lose to Argentina I usually just wish I hadn’t watched. I’ll admit I like watching the USA hockey team in the Olympics every four years, especially when they play Canada or Russia, but it’s not a sustained competition. And on that note, I’m sure that it used to be fun to face the USSR in the Olympics every two years, but we rarely competed against them in a popular team sport competition.

This is Mexico - our neighbors. (Playing Canada usually just feels like facing slightly less-athletic versions of ourselves.) It’s an intense rivalry on the field that often translates to equal animosity among opposing supporters in the stands. And Mexicans HATE (not enough emphasis there) the fact that the U.S. national team has, in terms of results, surpassed their own. They’re making voodoo dolls, people.

Where to watch: If you’re in the DC area, the official Shockey Brigade viewing party will be in the downstairs bar at Summer’s Restaurant in Arlington, unless the owner’s a douche and I feel like moving the party to the official AO party down the street at Kitty O’Shea’s. We’ll be there around 5 p.m. for some of the earlier European games as well as France-Argentina. Requests to relocate to Lucky Bar will be entertained.

If you’re in New York, your best options are Nevada Smith’s or the official NYC AO party at Jack Demsey’s.

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Okay he didn’t say that. But he might as well. And he should say he’s sorry, too. At this point, this is all Jeremy Shocking to me, and it just makes me heart Derek Jeter more (pleeeease don’t be on any steroid list).

Check out ESPN.com for the video and tune into Sportscenter at 6pm tonight for his interview with Peter Gammons, and check in here later for more angry reaction from baseball lovers.

[EDIT] Okay he said he’s sorry. I haven’t watched the full video yet. Also, this quote is amazing:

“Rodriguez also said of his 2007 interview with Katie Couric on ‘60 Minutes,’ when he denied ever using steroids, that ‘at the time, I wasn’t being truthful with myself. How could I be truthful with Katie Couric or CBS?’”

Whoever came up with that deserves a fuckin’ medal. Hey kids, A-Rod is here to say you can lie to others as long as you’re lying to yourself, because that’s the real tragedy.

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He's having fun

This is what happens when I take too long to write a post.

Beckham announced Wednesday that he’d like to stay with AC Milan rather than return to the Galaxy in early March.

”I’ve expressed my desire to stay here but at the moment I’m still a Galaxy player,” Beckham said. ”I respect the Galaxy and everything they have done for me. They have always been great to me.

”I knew I would enjoy it, but I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I have and do as well as I have.”

I don’t blame him. He’s picked up two assists and scored twice in official matches for Milan. “To be given the chance again to play at this level at my age is pretty incredible and I’ve enjoyed it so much I would like to continue it.” Makes sense.

So, it looks like Beckham’s time in MLS is over for now, at least. I’ll go into what I think this means for the league later, but for the moment I’ll say I think Los Angeles should make a deal and move on.

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Despite my best attempts I was lazy this weekend and failed to post at all. But then again I wasn’t sitting at home on Friday night watching jock soap operas. Here’s a roundup of what we’re talking about.

- I really thought the Super Bowl was going to be less entertaining than it was. My official prediction was 27-17 Steelers. It was nice to be pleasantly surprised. I also have a theory that the two weeks of constant enhanced ESPN coverage and the presence of countless blogs/internet video channels/etc. serve as equalizers in the game. I could be absolutely, completely, unbelievably wrong about this, but I just can’t imagine that two weeks of hearing about the greatness of Larry Darnell Fitzgerald, Jr. (mostly from us here at the Shockey Brigade) doesn’t get into players’ heads a bit. Or like last year, when for two weeks we heard how well the Giants played against the Patriots in week 17 - perhaps that contributed just a bit to the Giants’ success. Don’t know, just a theory.

Is that a light-up bong? Wait, they make those?

- Michael Phelps is officially an idiot. I’m not trying to be preachy here, but I think if I were Michael Phelps and I had already dealt with the extremely embarrassing experience of a DUI after my first Olympics, I would avoid getting shit-housed at college parties, especially when I’m a SWIMMER making millions of dollars in endorsements. Sure, after eight hours of sitting at a desk at work I’m usually ready to let off some steam, so I can only imagine what it would be like to be 23-years old and finally have some free time after years of nonstop conditioning and training. But then again, I’m not a SWIMMER, making millions of dollars in endorsements. Keep the partying on the DL, man. College parties + 23-year old celebrity athletes = Never ever ever ever ever never never ever never ever turns out well.

I can wait two years, but the '09 Playoffs would be nice

- The Knicks have won three in a row and eight of their last 11, though they have the pleasure of playing the Lakers, Cavs and Celtics this week before embarking on what will probably be a miserable “Hope?!”-ending West Coast roadtrip where they will lose horribly to two bad teams and one not very good team. But in the optimism of the moment, I’m going to say something that I have very little justification for: I really would like to see the Knicks make the playoffs. I would like to see them hold on to Lee and Robinson (little Nate sells more jerseys than Dwight Howard. Seriously!), and I would like to see them play the Cavs or the Celtics in the playoffs. I want to see a Knicks playoff home game. This year. It’s been way too long. Please? Just to reiterate - I’m incredibly selfish and it’s been way too long since I saw a Knicks playoff home game at Madison Square Garden and I want them to make the playoffs even if it means an embarrasingly short series because I’m selfish and I love the Knicks and I have to wait two years for them to be good anyway. Phew.

- Rodney Harrison is a loser.

- While I’m glad the Steelers won, this is the first and last time you will see me use the term “Sixburgh”.

Explains a lot

- And to follow up on Jose’s breaking news (Larry Fitzgerald Jr. is good at football), I bring you this:
BREAKING NEWS:
WASHINGTON, DC (Source: Shockey Brigade) — As of 4pm, George Washington basketball coach Karl Hobbs had not been fired despite his 6-12 (0-6 A-10) overall record. GW had the great fortune of not playing a game in the last four days, making it their first undefeated weekend of basketball since mid-December. They did lose Wednesday night at La Salle, where one fan was quoted as saying: “I didn’t get why GW kept trying to trap our guys who are all 6′6? We threw over the trap several times and got to the basket for easy hoops.” We don’t get it either, La Salle fan. One internet board poster who goes by the name of GoNYforGW, thinks this is just part of the problem.

Finally, David Beckham had two assists this past weekend for AC Milan. I’ll be back in the next day or two with my opinion on whether Beckham will stay in Milan or return to Los Angeles, and what both will mean for MLS. To get you uber-pumped, enjoy these fun German soccer uniform videos!

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