Starting with what is possibly the best musical footballing song there is…

This track set the standard for how an f&m tune should be – other bands please take note.

The band is The Hitchers who hail from Limerick (not to be confused with a recently formed band based in Teeside who have taken the same name). The original Hitchers had the honour of recording a Peel Session in 1997 and this particular track made it onto the Festive Fifty in that same year.

The subject was Gordon Strachan and his time at Leeds United, specifically about one match. The opposition isn’t mentioned and the actual game may not have even taken place. It may be more artist licence taken by the writer of the song, the drummer of the band – one Niall Quinn.
Yes he’s probably heard that a thousand times. Let’s continue shall we ?

A few years ago the music fanzine No Pictures interviewed Mr Quinn and asked him about the track:

No Pictures: Have you ever met Gordon Strachan?
Niall Quinn: No, but we’ve come very close on a couple of occasions. He was fifty feet away from us at the Phoenix Festival but behind a security barrier.

NP: Do you know whether he has heard the song?
NQ: He has and apparently quite likes it. I’ve spoken to him a few times on the phone.

NP: Peel played it long before it was released. How’d he get hold of it?
NQ: John Peel had a copy of the “..Fun & Games..” LP because it was released in Ireland 3 months before it came out in the UK.

NP: When did you write that song?
NQ: I originally wrote it in 1992 and it sounded like a dodgy ripoff of Teenage Fanclub’s “Starsign”. So a year or two later when he retired I got all melancholic and re-wrote it. The team-mates mentioned aren’t the championship winning side. They’d have played briefly together Sept/Oct 93 when Leeds were about 14th in the league.

» Read the full interview here.

Have a listen/download of the song and then please buy some of their products to the right:

[See post to listen to audio] » The Hitchers – Strachan

Track number two comes from Alistair Griffin, who appeared on the BBC’s Fame Academy a few years ago. His (cheeky) ode to a player comes in the form of Mark Viduka who was rolling around the pitch for Middlesboro at the time.

Griffin was known for performing comedy versions of some songs at his concerts and when he was singing at a charity event at Boro’s Riverside Stadium…

This via Wikipedia:

… After his performance of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”, he asked the audience if they would like to hear an alternative version, based on Cohen’s song, but with new words dedicated to the Boro hero at that time, Australian striker Mark Viduka. Keeping faithfully to Cohen’s melody, Griffin’s almost plaintive vocals are sung to a simple acoustic backing, forming a contrast to the altered lyrics which reference the particular skills of Viduka and several other popular players in the team, as well as some of their opponents, in a sharply observed and witty commentary.

After hearing the tongue-in-cheek tribute, Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate was so taken with it he asked Griffin to make a special recording to play at the following day’s match. It was played to the crowd at half-time and to the players in the dressing room after the game…

…The incident received global press coverage, most of it positive… It was immediately picked up by hundreds of online sports pages and blogs. The Mark Viduka song was added to Griffin’s MySpace page the following day and clocked up over 75,000 plays by football fans worldwide…

» Read the full entry.

[See post to listen to audio] » Alistair Griffin – Mark Viduka

The next song is by a band who echo The Hitchers somewhat: Instead of a group member having an associated with football name, it was the band who named themselves – Barcelona.
The band were originally from Arlington Virginia but are now defunct.

The player was the U.S.A goalkeeper Kasey Keller and unlike the above two songs and their semi-truthful accounts, this game actually took place.

The match was a 1998 CONCAFAF Gold Cup game in which the USA beat Brazil 1-0, thanks mostly in part to the heroics of Keller in the USA goal making 10 saves that day. Romario later on remarked: “That is the best performance by a goalkeeper I have ever seen.”

The band Barcelona then immortalised Keller in song:

[See post to listen to audio] » Barcelona – Kasey Keller

That’s the end of this chapter. The next one will be online very soon.

That’s a thought – Where are the cheerleaders for the USMNT ? They were there back in 1994… Admittedly they were Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders, but they were there. I think it’s probably more because it’s a bit nippy down there is South Africa. However if the Americans win the rights to hold a future World Cup I’m sure they’ll be back.

I’m distracting myself as well as you here. Let’s talk about some football soccer !

It is a pity that the USA didn’t finish runners up in the group. I’m not saying this because of an England bias or because of the more favourable route that they’ll have if they continue in the competition.

It is because:

1) Their match would have been on a Sunday afternoon. Weekend (sporting) prime time for the U.S TV networks – and especially for people on the West Coast who wouldn’t have to get up really early.

2) It would have given me a perfect excuse to post a clip from The Simpsons where Monty Burns was taunting the Germans. Ah what the hell. Here it is anyway.

3) If they won that match then the Quarter Final is on Sa July 3rd – a big holiday weekend in America.
Again imagine the TV rating for that. It would have been HUUUUGE !

But sadly nobody from ESPN/ABC spotted this potential massive money making opportunity and then had a quiet word in Bob Bradley’s ear before the Algeria game.

So then to repost a couple of videos from songs about the USA!USA!USA! team that I’ve mentioned previously. Starting with one from the balls to the wall posting…

- First up is a tune for the US Men’s team which after their victory was heard playing in the changing locker room. It’s the Weezer – Represent song:

This next one was originally featured in the USA posting. It is a great tongue-in-cheek ditty which I still don’t know anything about, but it’s become one of my favourite tunes from the World Cup so far.
I’ve named it: Loumae Earl – Blah Blah Blah, Football…

There’s a good chance of them progressing and there’s barely any more (decent) songs related to the U.S Team out there. That is very poor. Don’t know what I’m going to post next if they do go though !

It’s crunch time. It’s time to sort out the men from the boys. It’s time to stand up and be counted. At times like this you need to know who your friends are. It’s time to go big or go home. It’s do or die. They’ve got to play as a team and win. This is for all the marbles. There are no easy games. English football’s future is at stake here. It’s the Dunkirk spirit. They have to take this game by the scruff of the neck. They need to move up a gear. The supporters need to be the 12th man. They have to stay in the hunt. The players need to play out of their skin. This is a potential banana skin. This is no pushover. They need to shoulder the blame. It’s down to the wire. They need to seal the deal. It’s squeaky bum time. They have to stamp their authority. They have to run their socks off. It’s never say die. They have to grind out a result here. It’s all to play for. Because when the going gets tough…

[With thanks to Danger Here for many of these clichés.]

Dear England, do you think you could do something for me tomorrow ? Well not just for me but for a few of my mates as well. They told me they’ll be watching. It’s a simple request and one that I know you can fulfil. Could you win the match that you are going to be playing against … have to check here, not 100% cert… Slo…Slovenia. By the looks it doesn’t seem that you are all that bothered about it but me and me mates would really appreciate it.

Oh and if Macclesfield born Crouchy gets on and and bags one, could he dedicate it to Francis. (He hated it when his mum called him that). He’s one of my other mates who’s sadly not going to be around to watch any more.
If he does nod one in… (I hear that he’s not bad on the floor for a big lad) and bulge the back of the old onion bag – Instead of doing the robot dance in celebration, could he pull out a replica of Little Frank from under his shirt and give us a rendition of Football Is Really Fantastic. (Stuart Pearce will to run up the sideline with a Bontempi to accompany him). If you could do this it would be really fantastic. Ta.

Oh and P.S… I think that our American cousins are playing somewhere at the same time. It would also be nice if they could win (but only by a single goal mind ! Don’t get greedy) their soccerkickball game and join in with the next shindig which is scheduled for this coming weekend. Great ? Awesome !

- Some musical accompaniment for the teams and their exploits…
Both the England and USA songs are done by two acts who actually hail from the New World.

Firstly the song for the U.S. Soccer team penned by the popular L.A based beat combo Weezer:

“It’s going to be difficult for Rivers Cuomo to think about music at Bonnaroo this weekend. While his band, Weezer, will perform Saturday, the event coincides with the World Cup soccer match between the US and England. Cuomo is such a fan of the sport that he wrote an unofficial theme song for the US team called ‘Represent.’

‘Represent’ isn’t the first song Cuomo has written about the US team. In 2006, he wrote ‘My Day Is Coming.’ Penned after the US team lost in the first round, it was more of a somber tune. “I tried to write an anthem, but it came out to be almost despairing rather than triumphant,” he told NPR’s Terry Gross.

As he explains in a video for ‘Lover in the Snow,’ Cuomo began kicking soccer balls soon after he learned to walk. But he wasn’t able to pursue the sport more because one of his legs was longer than the other. After painful surgery to correct the leg as an adult, he frequently plays in amateur leagues in Boston and California. Soccer frequently comes up in Weezer videos, and the band has been known to sport soccer uniforms in its promotional photos.”

- Full article

» Weezer – Represent

This next one is a rather tongue-in-cheek guide posted on The Guardian website by those cheeky Californian scamps We Are Scientists, on how to write the perfect World Cup song:

“The football anthem occupies a genre all of its own. It must delicately balance patriotic spirit, jovial sportsmanship and a lack of delicacy. Artists including New Order, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin and the Beatles have entered the maze and found their way out the other side. Others – such as Madonna, U2 and the Beatles – have notoriously crashed on the rocks, ending promising careers and spending decades wandering along pop music’s abandoned outer banks. The latest big success story is, of course, us. Here’s how we did it….”

Good timing

“….Finally, you must release your anthem during a World Cup year, and during football season. Madonna failed to follow this rule, burying her football anthem at the end of a Christmas record released 18 months after the World Cup. Bob Dylan knew this rule all too well, and has ended up letting it control his career, releasing a new album like clockwork every four years immediately prior to the World Cup.

For us, the trick has been finding a healthy middle ground. We don’t want to follow Dylan’s trail into the wilderness any more than we want to give up a good thing. We’ve decided, as a compromise between the two sides, to record new anthems for each of the next five World Cups, and then to hang up our songwriting cleats.”

» Read the full article

» We Are Scientists – Goal! England

Extra Time…
Received a message sent by jascha from laterna magica who pointed me towards an England song which was done only in the last few days and was just added to You Tube. It stars The Chippendoubles who were on Britain’s Got Talent recently. They also Don’t Wanna Go Home:

So come on them old chaps. Pip pip.

Don’t let the

Go up.

Unlike many in their country the rest of us took notice about this time last year when the USA beat Spain and then were leading at half time against Brazil in the Confederations Cup. On their day they can beat anybody. England are well aware of this and will give them the respect they deserve.

Ultimately this match will not mean much (as long as both teams qualify out of the group), but the USA don’t like to lose. At anything. Always want to win.

Some of their squad have had excellent preparation with the above Clint Dempsey (aka Deuce), earning his stripes with Fulham. Of all the players he is the one I am very wary of. Especially when he does this sort of thing. He’s the danger here.

Not forgetting Landycakes either. He came over and did some homework last February. His performance shut up many critics.

Between the sticks too there’s Tim Howard, who somehow struggled at Man U.
But it seems many players do there, Fergie either loves you or hates you, there’s no inbetween. Now he’s settled at Everton and it’s going to be hard to get something past him because like the above two, is very familiar with the England players and how England play.

I’m reckoning that we are going to see some fireworks here. To roll out a cliché – some scores to settle even if there isn’t any.

That was a bit of a serious look…. Now for a great tongue-in-cheek song from somebody in the USA. I don’t have much information about this one. I found it on You Tube users loumaeearl’s channel. He named the track the “Official USA World Cup Song”, I’ve decided to give it a different title.

Loumae Earl – Blah Blah Blah, Football…

I love this one. It is very, very catchy.

But I’m not going to take the bait and start calling it soccer if we lose. Not that we will anyway.

So let the hype begin.

If you want to get yourself in the mood then there’s some very nice 2010 World Cup wallpapers here.

- and I’ll do my bit to stir things up with the following:

Air Miami were a band, unsurprisingly, from Miami. The song “World Cup Fever” was originally featured on the band’s full-length debut, Me, Me, Me, in 1995. The song was inspired by the 1994 World Cup and then in 1998 – in time for the WC in France, they released an EP with various remixes.  » More info

[See post to listen to audio] » Guy Fixen Mix [See post to listen to audio] » Mac Mccaughan Mix [See post to listen to audio] » The Sun Was Invented To Shine On Skyscrapers Mix [See post to listen to audio] » Trevor Kampmann Mix [See post to listen to audio] » Demolition Recording [See post to listen to audio] » Pitch Recognition Mix

Extra Time – A bonus song for you:

[See post to listen to audio] » Air Miami – Adidas My Ass (Demo)

Football Mundial profile/interview with Clint Dempsey:

» Also known as Deuce

This next film was a Hollywood vehicle intended to launch someone into future starring roles.

What happens is the person in question was a support in a.n.other movie and subsequently got a lot of notice in this role (c.f: Russell Brand in Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and then the big studios take a gamble by putting together something in which they hope will put the leading actor onto the A list.
And of course make the studio a ton of money as well.

An attempt at this was made with:

Vinnie Jones in: MEAN MACHINE

Previously known for his less than subtle tackles on some others and whilst still as a player Vinnie was paid to front the video: Soccer’s Hard Men which got him into a bit of bother:

…He also was the presenter of the infamous Soccer’s Hard Men video released in 1992, which featured archived footage of himself and many other “hard men” of the game, and included advice for budding “hard men”. After the release of the video, Jones was fined £20,000, banned for six months, and suspended for three years from The FA for “bringing the game into disrepute.” Wimbledon chairman Sam Hammam branded Jones a “mosquito brain”. Jones continued to find trouble. After exceeding 40 disciplinary points he was once again summoned to Lancaster Gate, but failed to appear. The FA banned Jones indefinitely. Jones explained that he had “mixed up” the date of the hearing; the FA imposed a four-match ban and told Jones to “grow up.” Jones commented later: “The FA have given me a pat on the back. I’ve taken violence off the terracing and onto the pitch.”     [source]

He liked this brush with the media and the exposure it gave him. After retirement from playing he subsequently began to appear on various telly programmes as well as a (thankfully) short musical career. [More about that at a later date.]

Then a couple of years later a mate of his who was a budding film director cast him in this low budget, UK made Cockerney caper and thus… Hold on a sec…

Can I get a… on this…? Yes…? Vinnie Jones is now a thespian. A confirmed one at that.

After the unexpected success of Lock, Stock and notice by everyone of Vinnie’s natural progression from a hard man into a err…. hard man, more money was thrown at Guy Ritchie to see if lightning can strike twice in the same place and it pretty much did.

After these two strong showings by Vinnie it was time to see if he could hold up on his own and with Matthew Vaughn, (the Producer of Lock, Stock and Snatch) & Guy Ritchie as Exec Producer they looked at how they could get a quick return on this investment by taking and remaking a well known story and tooling it for Vinnie’s obvious talents. Thus the change the American football into soccer Mean Machine movie was made.

» Click to view some stills from the film

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What’s the film like ? Dunno. I haven’t seen it myself. I’ve looked through a few online reviews and it’s basically what you see is what you get – an English accented remake of the 1974 Burt Reynolds movie The Longest Yard.

The Soundtrack:

Now this is the thing about what is billed as an original soundtrack. It actually is.

Just like the Jimmy Grimble soundtrack this is an album that could exist separate from the movie. If I played the whole CD to you, barring a few songs, you would not guess that this was a soundtrack for a footballing movie.

This compilation is a mix of genres with some familiar pop tunes as well as some obvious linked to footie songs.

A few examples:

[See post to listen to audio] » Krafty Kuts – Who’s Da Man
[See post to listen to audio] » Tin Tin Out -Strings For Yasmin
[Actual footie connection with that one.]
[See post to listen to audio] » Firstborn – The Mood Club
[See post to listen to audio] » Pressure Drop – Dusk

This next one which I’m led to believe was featured in the film but didn’t make it onto the soundtrack:

[See post to listen to audio] » Lo-Fidelity Allstars Feat Pigeonhead – Battle Flag

I’ve grouped together there what would be considered as dance music.
(Going a bit corny here, but these are some banging tunes)

There are some film score tracks on the CD too, which don’t actually sound like your average film score music. Especially when you read the title of the first track and then have a listen to it:

[See post to listen to audio] » Mean Machine Soundtrack – Danny In Solitary
[See post to listen to audio] » Mean Machine Soundtrack – Flight Night

Not what you expect when you think “solitary confinement”

Wrapping this up for now… I might post some additional if you ask nice, but for now a couple of very infectious tunes:

[See post to listen to audio] » Middlerow -Right Proper Charlie
“Bruv ! Are you sure bruv ?!” My favourite of all the tracks.

[See post to listen to audio] » Little T & One Track Mike – Wings

One each from both sides of the Atlantic there. Neither of them like the above (and previous soundtracks) have anything to do with footie. In fact the last one references basketball, but bugger it. I like the tunes.

…sorry…? He’s what… Landon…? I’ve been calling him Brandon all this time and nobody said.
Well no wonder he didn’t respond to my tweat.

As you’ve probably seen reported last week (yes yes I am a bit slow to react) young Bran…Landon there made some remarks which appeared in a book in which he accused Derek of being “unprofessional” amongst other things.

This little outburst began in part when the LA Galaxy team were on the road – Beckham’s first away game – and they all went to a restaurant a day before the match. At the end of the meal and because of who he was and how much he was earning, the others were looking, nay expecting old Goldenballs to pick up the tab. But he didn’t.

This apparently was the last straw for Jason Donovan who a few weeks before was the star player in the Galaxy and captain to boot. But then he arrived and in one fell swoop was suddenly shoved out of the spotlight and lost the captains armband to boot.

Then even with Derek in the ranks, they had a disappointing season which AEG and the naïve Alexi Lalas (LA Galaxy’s GM) decided to try an instant fix by throwing money at it in the form of Ruud Gullit (who we all remember for his spectacular time managing Newcastle. Suffice to say it was a unmitigated disaster and eventually both Lalas and Gullit were shown the door.
Viewing all of this and frustrated by the lower quality and very short MLS season in America. Plus with the fear of not being picked for the England team if he wasn’t playing regulary and at a higher standard, it was arranged that Beckham go play for AC Milan in the off season.

Terence Donovan himself tried to engineer a move to a better team when in January 2009 he went to Bayern Munich, but for the second time in his career Landon had failed to make it in the Bundesliga.

With his tail between his legs Donovan McNabb returned to the MLS and prepared and started the new season and then halfway through was included in the (mostly non-MLS playing) USA team for the Confederations Cup in South Africa.

At the beginning of the tournament the United States team performed poorly, but then one day they remembered how to play as a team and got themselves into the semi-final and then beat the previously unbeaten (but very tired) Spain team.

Then in the final the previously misaligned and ignored Donovan Leitch grabbed the world’s…well all right the footballing world’s…. attention again with a stunning goal against Brazil.

Sadly after this the U.S team capitulated and they lost, which didn’t help when Brendan Landon returned home expecting the American media to be all abuzz with his performance. There was some coverage, but still not the headline grabbing sort of thing we see in Blighty.

Only a few weeks later he was pushed back into the shadows again with the return of Beckham and the bad timing of the Beckham Experiment book being published.

Donovan’s own comments are slightly ironic and in itself a bit “unprofessional” too. This little jealous outburst isn’t going to help matters with the team and the teammates. It will be interesting to watch their performance and LA Galaxy’s overall performance over the next few weeks.

This is turning a bit political and moving away from what the objective was – to shower some attention onto the once again ignored Donovan and to let him know that he is still the soccer superstar. That’s what you are. Honestly.

If you follow F&M you know what is coming next...

The singer in one cheezetastic Jess Conrad.   » He has a pink Rolls you know.
Familiar to your parent or grandparents if they’ve been on a cruise. The man who puts the ow ! into lounge singer.

This song was done when Landon was still in shorts… (I mean the junior school-type, not the footballing one) but I believe that if Jess hadn’t created it back then he would have been inspired upon witnessing Donovan and the Galaxy team. It’s as if they were made for each other:

[See post to listen to audio] » Jess Conrad and Tanya Tenola – Soccer Superstar

That orange skin...those teeth.... I can see them from the other side of the room...

For those of you who’ve just joined us:

The light entertainment legend above is the captain and manager of the Showbiz XI soccer team, who you can hire here for your charidee or appeal. Jess has thoughtfully added his mobile number there, so give him a ring.

In 1989/1990 he was responsible for the writing, recording and releasing of not one, but two Showbiz XI albums. First posted by WFMU’s Beware Of The Blog (a very recommended), you can find more about it here. The above song was included on the album.

You are asking yourself now: Why would anybody write and record anything so bad ?
Well you see Jess started out bad and just… stayed there…

In what would be considered to be his “peak” period, Jess released 14 singles between 1960 & 69 with only three of them charting. The biggest hit was his third reaching number 18. All the others failed. » More info.

On the radio in the 70′s the late great Kenny Everett did the “Worlds Worst Record Show” and Jess had the considerable “honour” of being featured three times.

Edit: And I’m glad that someone has carried on the tradition with this blog.

The following example (from 1961) will prove that the above song wasn’t a pisstake or a one off :
[See post to listen to audio] » Jess Conrad – My Pullover

EXTRA TIME:
He’s got a weird clothing (Seriously, What is with all the pink ?) obsession as well as a bit creepy one. – Have a listen to “Black Stockings” on the WFMU’s Beware Of The Blog post.

What colour socks – aka stockings does Landon and his team wear….?

Thanks to 3rd Degree for discovering the following...

The chap above there is Rivers Cuomo (what a great name). He’s the lead singer of Weezer, who some of you will remember for that fantastic video. – More about that coming up.

As the above linked 3rd Degree website found out (via The Offside Rules blog) Rivers is a big soccer footie follower. He’s an LA Galaxy fan and regularly watches the Premier League.

Snippet via his Wikipedia entry:

Cuomo is a big fan of soccer. He can be seen playing in the “Photograph” video and even planned his band’s 2002 “World Cup Tour” around World Cup games. In 2006 he reportedly wrote a song titled “Our Time Will Come” in tribute to the U.S. men’s soccer team.[see below] He claims his favourite player is Landon Donovan, enjoys watching the Premier League and is both a Los Angeles Galaxy and New England Revolution fan. In early 2008 he played in the Mia (Hamm) & Nomar Celebrity Soccer Challenge and scored a goal in the game. His video for “Lover in the Snow” from his Alone album [again see below ] dealt with this game and his love of soccer.

In 2007 he released an album of home demo’s called Alone: The Home Recordings Of Rivers Cuomo and then a year later a “sequel” which included the (slightly) renamed track about the US Soccer team:

[See post to listen to audio] » Rivers Cuomo – My Day Is Coming

Excellent tune. I love this. Anybody who manages to get “Carlos Bocanegra” into a song is all right by me.

- As mentioned by 3rd Degree.net is this track (Lover In The Snow) from the first album in which Rivers gives us the back story and why he loves soccer so much:

» Link to video

Extra Time: Another one from his 1st CD and the demo version of a familiar song…

[See post to listen to audio]
» Rivers Cuomo – Buddy Holly

Another great one, never get sick of this track.

So best of luck to the USMNT with their match against Brazil.
And hey… you never know. It’s – as many, including me, have said before – football.

Reflecting on yesterday and cashing in on the sudden attention given to the beating of the Spanish at the hands of the Americans… (no I’m not going to do Gitmo jibe here)… in the soccer kickball tourney currently being played in South Africa. »   Full analysis by Twohundredpercent here.

Although it’s not going to advance their domestic game any further – only two of the starting XI play in the MLS – it is at least going to get 30 seconds of time of the short attention spanned* American sports fans.   *The late Steven Wells summed that up perfectly here.

As The Fiver mentions it is a bit of another false dawn… (sorry for all the Grauniad links, I openly admit, I am a regular reader)… knowing the yankeedoodies as well as I do… this site is run by a Brit Expat married to an American and now living in the USA… I know that once America finally discovers a new sport that they are actually half good at, they will want to dominate and then win everything to do with it. Mark my words, eventually the USA will lift the World Cup.   If they don’t I’ll take up ballet lessons with Shane Evans.

This is yet another repost of previously featured tunes, again as mentioned in an attempt to harvest some extra visits to F+M.
- Featuring songs done by two players from last night, the first one from who scored the 2nd one:

A few years back Clint Dempsey made a music video in conjunction with nikesoccer.com which was featured on their site. He recorded this under the name of “Deuce” and collaborated with others on this project. More info and background here. Decent outfield player and not bad with the rapping too: [See post to listen to audio] » Deuce featuring Big Hawk & XO – Don’t Tread

This next one from the defense (spelling appropriate) who got a shut out and didn’t give any PK’s…

(Seriously I am worried about that Mickey Mouse operation who now have some EPL rights for next season will thrust the likes of JP Delacamera and that gobshite Tommy Smyth upon you)

Back to the game in hand though:

Jay DeMerit didn’t get drafted into the MLS from college, but eventually ended up at Watford. On his way to the Hornets he played for non-league Northwood and after an assistant coach’s father died of cancer he went about raising money for Cancer Research UK, which included the recording of the following song. » Full story here. Bit of a corny tune, but it was for charidee… [See post to listen to audio] » Jay DeMerit – Soccer Rocks

Before this last game and after their thrashings at the hands of Italy and Brazil, the USA were half expecting to go home. But then Egypt beat Italy and… well as they say, that’s football for you.