Preparations

I'll deliver the Lalas screed later, but first a few notes.

The All-American XI for Week 10 is up, and it features 4 DC United players, plus a former beloved DC United player of this particular blog. Congratulations to our sensations.

The DCenters also is affiliated with The World Cup Roundtable, a new podcast/blog from the producing genius of the Screaming Eagles Podcast. At some point, I hope to be participating in its analysis, as soon as I resolve some technical issues on my part. Still, I'll be the first to admit that my attention is much more devoted to domestic research as opposed to international, so don't listen to it for me, listen to it for other people that know what they are talking about.

Brian Straus starts his profile of Freddy Adu at US National Soccer Players...

Compared to the hype machine rolled out by MLS headquarters two years ago and the unrealistic expectations foisted on the general public, the telegenic teenager from Ghana, via suburban Maryland, is a colossal disappointment.

I quoted that bit because I find it interesting, though the rest of the profile is on a somewhat different topic. When Freddy debuted in 2004, I wasn't following MLS as closely as I do now. Still, I actually followed MLS, which put me in a different category than most. However, even among the people I knew who didn't follow MLS a bit, they never really bought into the Freddy-hype of 2004. In fact, most of them were comfortable with the idea that he wasn't starting, and would need time to mature. And these people don't know soccer at all. To me, the only people who really were offended about the difference between the MLS hype and the Freddy Adu reality were... sportswriters. Really. Not sure why that was, but it is my sense. Fans weren't bothered, but the writers were. Make of that what you will.