Servus Syndicate Members,
As we prepare bid farewell to three tournaments tomorrow, your friendly bookie sincerely hopes you have all you watch party and public viewing plans sorted out. Such a day must be spent soaking up every last detail on the experience.
I’ve got the phone fully charged and am ready to touch base with all of you. We’re leaving the laptop and tactical notebook behind. The Day Thirty Recap shall be mostly pictorial.
Championship Sunday has at long last arrived. It shapes up to be a magnificent day for friends, football, and history. It all begins with the U.S. Women’s mission to sew a fourth star upon their crest. Later on, hosts Brazil must find a way past red-hot Peruvian keeper Pedro Gallese in order to claim their first continental crown in twelve years. In the nightcap, the USMNT square off against arch-rivals Mexico in high hopes of completing their hard-fought return to prominence after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
After some deliberation, bookie declares that all bets are….ON.
The 2015 World Champion USWNT serves as guest.
Supreme Champion of Women’s Football
The Netherlands vs. USA
vs. 
Kickoff in Lyon @17:00 (UTC+2)
Many a male footballer has had his heart warmed by the eminent spotlight shone upon the women’s game this Summer. It’s made for many an exuberant morning to see the women’s World Cup repeatedly make the front page of the NY Times. Your friendly bookie personally found himself gleefully rushing out to the yard in eager anticipation of what lies above the fold.
For those wondering, I did twice do that unfortunate “Vicey Thing” where I forgot to fasten the bathrobe. The fact that I only let it slip my mind—and by extension, let the extension slip—twice over the course of nearly a full month shows signs of progress. I think I deserve some sort of commendation. At any rate, no one was inadvertently traumatized this year.
Back to why it’s so great to see women’s football succeed. It’s an issue close to many of our hearts as many of us have often enjoyed playing co-ed football. Mixed gender leagues and teams are essentially the norm for those of us who still wish to strap on our boots irrespective of what an aging body has to say on the matter. While there exist physiological differences between the sexes, it certainly doesn’t feel that way for those of us who regularly get torched or out-deked by girls.
Rising interest in the women’s game also serves as fantastic news for those of us who like watching women’s club teams. Your friendly bookie wrote a little mini-paean to the NWSL whilst covering the sordid history of women’s professional football in the states in this year’s State of the Syndicate Address:
I genuinely hope many of you for whom this post will mark the end of the Summer’s festivities will check out a few women’s games over the next year. I reiterate that they’re actually quite fun to watch both on tele and in person. Take your daughters to go see the girls! It’s well worth it!
We’ve covered just about everything else. There’s a full listing of all the U.S. Players in the Group F Preview. We’ve forecasted every match in the Lines Sections and broken down every one in the dailies. We’ve even previewed both the Dutch (Day Twenty-Seven Recap) and American (Day Twenty-Eight Recap) tactical structures in preparation for this match. Syndicate Members remain the most football literate Yanks in most any U.S. Town.
Nothing left to do but prepare….sniff…to say….goodbye. You can watch some of them in the Olympics nest Summer, but it won’t be the same team. It’s also not the same type of tournament. Some football fans really like the Olympics. Your friendly bookie doesn't think it has the same intensity.
Share a moment with the girls one last time. These ladies will surely go out with all guns blazing.
The Pick: USA +3 Goals
Champion of CONMEBOL
Brazil vs. Peru
vs. 
Kickoff at the Maracana in Rio @17:00 (UTC-3)
One of the joys of the Copa America happens to be that so little typically unfolds as expected. Though there may be wide gaps between the teams in the FIFA rankings, there’s often little between them on the pitch. Countries feel at home playing in their own backyard. Mercurial swings of fortune have been the greatest story in this wild and unpredictable tournament.
I initially tapped Uruguay as favorites and their opening round 4-0 defeat of Ecuador appeared to confirm this status. Following that bold statement, they struggled to draw a Japanese prospect squad and barely edged out Chile to top their group. It appeared a quarterfinal victory against a Peru side coming off a 0-5 thrashing by hosts Brazil in their final group stage match was a forgone conclusion. Los Incas shocked everyone by putting in a monumental defensive effort to keep the La Celeste at bay, then out-nerved them in an exciting penalty shootout.
Everyone expected another Argentine meltdown after the Columbians completely dominated the much-maligned Albiceleste with a 2-0 manhandling in the opening round. Messi & Co could only manage a meek, VAR-assisted 1-1 draw against Paraguay in their second match of the tournament. On the brink of elimination, managed Luis Scaloni dug deep and finally found winning formula with 21-year-old Inter-striker Lautaro Martinez leading the charge. An effective Argentine attacking constellation carried the long-suffering program to the Semis, where they eventually lost 0-2 to hosts Brazil.
Carlos Queiroz’s revamped Columbians, the bookie’s second selected favorites, looked to be unstoppable after an undefeated group stage. The aging Chileans had other ideas, pushing the mighty Cafeteros to a post-match shootout where they too were eliminated in the quarterfinals. In a complete stunner, the Chileans themselves were crushed by the Peruvians 0-3 in the semis despite the fact that Los Incas were without talismanic centerback Carlos Zambrano. Peru keeper Pedro Gallese turned in perhaps the most heroic performance of his entire career, making thirteen acrobatic saves and swatting out a late penalty to keep a clean sheet.
Many football fans wanted to see an Argentina vs. Chile final as this would have been an epic rematch of the 2015 and 2016 finals, both of which were won by Chile and—briefly—pushed Lionel Messi to retire from international football. This one provides its own intriguing story line. The Brazilians completely humiliated Gallese with a 5-0 defeat in the final group stage match in Sao Paulo thirteen days ago. A now in-form keeper and full strength squad seeks revenge.
The Line: Brazil +1 Goal
Champion of CONCACAF
USA vs. Mexico
vs. 
Kickoff in Chicago @21:15 (UTC-5)
Can U.S. fans be treated to two trophy hoists in one single day? There’s certainly no fan base more deserving. The failure of the USMNT to qualify for the 2018 World Cup meant that the American Outlaws had to suffer through the indignity of going nearly two years without a competitive match. This rough spell was also marked by USSF’s prolonged search first for a President and then for a manager. Following Bruce Arena’s resignation in October 2017, the managerial position itself lay vacant for over a full calendar year.
As a German expat, I confess I harbored some disdain for program following Jürgen Klinsmann’s dismissal in late 2016. The USMNT had gotten off to a rough start in the 2018 World Cup Qualifying Campaign, but I generally liked the direction Klinsmann was taking the program, together with much-admired Austrian international Andreas Herzog and legendary German manager Berni Vogts. Klinsmann had not only taken steps to modernize the program, he was also doing what many successful international coaches must do through the active recruitment of “dual heritage” players.
One can debate the merits of snatching up players like John Anthony Brooks, Julian Green, Danny Williams, Mikkel Diskerud, Aron Johannsson, and many others. Whether or not it was wise to tap Jermaine Jones over Maurice Edu is another story entirely unto itself. What’s not so debatable—at least in the bookie’s humble opinion—is that Klinsi, Berni, and Herzog basically had the right idea: Start snatching up disaffected players from other nationalities that held U.S. Passports.
Many will disagree. The USSF certainly did. They re-installed Bruce Arena to give the team a distinctly American flair. While this did lead to a 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup victory, the dark days that followed rendered this a most hollow victory that few will cherish. It took a long time for many U.S. fans, including myself, to even consider following this team again. I refused to even begin to tune in this Summer until after the Trinidad & Tobago match.
In the final analysis, I’m very glad that I did start following the USMNT again. It’s been a most wonderful feeling to watch them redeem themselves over the course of the last three matches. Jozy Altidore’s brilliant finish in the Panama fixture was quite the treat. So great to see him succeeding again.
Though the second half of the Curacao fixture turned out to be pretty bland, one could see Christian Pulisic was really starting to shine in the opening minutes of the encounter. One had the sense that he was about to break. Break out he did with that positively radiant performance against Jamaica in the Semis. Bundesliga fans love watching Weston Mckennie thrive. All told, it’s been a great comeback Summer for the men.
Candidly, I haven’t been following the CONCACAF Gold Cup anywhere near as closely as the Women’s World Championship. Hence, I do not possess the tactical acumen to knowledgably handicap this match. What I can say is that the U.S. team really looks to be playing itself into form. By contrast, the Aztec Warriors have looked pretty poor on the finish in two draining back-to-back 120-minute encounters against Costa Rica and Haiti. It seems as if one side has been gifted a perfect opportunity to pounce.
Here’s hoping that the USSF gets its most glorious day ever.
The Line: USA +1 Goal
Beating the “Post-tournament Blues”
The International Summer Football rolls on for Africa fans. The first 24-team Summer AFCON has been an immense delight for those of us who genuinely love that tournament. You’re more than welcome to keep rolling with the bookie and the Africa Lines We’ll keep the party going until that competition reaches its dramatic conclusion on July 19th. For most Syndicate Members, it’s time to pack it in and start getting ready for college football season.
A slight feeling on melancholia occasionally pervades when the internationals end. When football exits the global stage and we return to the local, a certain sense of connectivity is lost. We lose all of the casual fans across the globe who, for a moment, all became our friends as we collectively concentrated our attention on a fantastic shared experience. As noted above, we also wave goodbye to teams that will no longer exist.
Fortunately, two Dutch filmmakers supplied us with the perfect antidote to any sort of post-tournament letdown. In late 2001, disaffected Dutch football fans Johan Kramer and Matthijs de Jongh dealt with their dissatisfaction of Holland’s failure to qualify for the 2002 World Cup by organizing a football match between the FIFA’s two lowest-ranked countries: The Caribbean island of Montserrat and the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan.
Their efforts in coordinating and ultimately holding the match are chronicled in the outstanding 2003 documentary entitled “The Other Final”; an absolute requisite watch for football fans everywhere. The match took place on the same day as the 2002 FIFA World Cup Final between Germany and Brazil in Yokohama, Japan.
Without spoiling too much concerning this beautifully shot and scored film, I wish to say that the final words that appear on screen after the credits roll serve as the perfect remedy for any minor post-tournament sorrow that might weigh down one’s Monday. Much more importantly, they often serve as the ideal remedy for any sort of sorrow one might be feeling on any given day.
The filmmakers exhort their audience to “Go kick a ball with a stranger”. In the sixteen years since seeing that film, I’ve not yet found a better way to break out of a rut. I’ve also shamelessly stolen their edict for my own selfish purposes, using it to conclude every Syndicate Chapter since 2010.
It’s not quite time to say goodbye to all. For the majority, however, the send-off prescription remains the same.
