Update + Crazy Goal

Sorry about the lack of posting Xtra Time readers. The end of the semester is upon us at Michigan State and final exams are right around the corner. But not to worry, because over Christmas break I will be updating this thing on a daily basis and finally having the time to write more instead of just posting links.

Until that happens, here is a stunning goal from Independiente's Facundo Parra. Parra volleys home their vital third goal and equalizer in the 2010 Copa Sudamericana Final while lying on the pitch. This was his second goal in the game against Brazil's Goias. Independiente eventually won the game and the cup on penalty kicks.

'Ave it!

World Cup Bids On The Line

Here's ESPNSoccernet's Press Pass crew breaking down the pros and cons of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids. The United States is exclusively seeking the honor of hosting the 2022 World Cup. FIFA will reach a decision on Thursday for both tournaments.

Serie B Spectacular

My friend Robin sent me this goal from this weekend's action in the Italian Serie B, and what a beauty it is!

In the Siena vs. Novara match, Novara's Argentinean forward combo of Emmanuel Gigliotti and Pablo Gonzalez hooked up for an incredible effort that saw Gigliotti grab an equalizer in injury time. The game ended 1-1, and Novara will get credit for one of the best team goals of 2010.

YouTube Clip Of The Week

Borussia Dortmund's Jakub Blaszczykowski may have pulled off the most laughable miss of the year against SC Freiburg in the German Bundesliga. "Kuba," as he is known, somehow managed to shoot high AND wide of an open goal in the 85th minute of his team's 2-1 win this past weekend. Watch it below and see for yourself!

EPL Table -- 11.21.10

(from ESPNSoccernet.com)

Here's the latest English Premier League table after this weekend's action. Arsenal and Chelsea each dropped points with losses while both Manchester clubs garnered hard-fought wins. It's quite a logjam at the top this year, huh?

YouTube Clip Of The Week

Here's a painful (albeit hilarious) miss from Fahad Khalfan, an 18-year-old striker for the Qatar national team. Qatar ended up losing this Asian Games quarterfinal match to Uzbekistan, 1-0.

Oh Fahad...

MSU Men Make NCAAs

The Michigan State men’s soccer team received its bid yesterday to continue play this postseason in search of an NCAA championship.

The Spartans, who will host Oakland University on Thursday, Nov. 18 at 1 p.m. at DeMartin Stadium, will be participating in the national tournament for a fourth-straight season. MSU and Oakland last met in the NCAA Tournament in 2007, with the Golden Grizzlies claiming a 2-1 victory.

The Spartans (11-7-1) have faced a difficult schedule to get to this point. Out of its 19 opponents so far, nine are ranked in the RPI top 26. MSU itself is ranked No. 12 in this system, and is the second-highest in the Big Ten behind No. 8 Indiana.

After starting the season with crucial wins against Maryland and Notre Dame and racking up the wins early in Big Ten play, the team has slumped down the stretch, winless in its last five games. While the slump cannot be attributed to the amount of effort given, as injuries have taken a toll on the squad, the Spartans will hope to be hitting on all cylinders during Thursday’s first-round contest.

MSU will be relying on experienced seniors Avery Steinlage (GK), Colin Givens (D), Jake Fullerton (D), Nosa Iyoha (D/M) and Spencer Thompson (M) to lead the Spartans to postseason glory. Together, this senior class became the first class in Michigan State history to earn an NCAA Tournament bid in each of the four years of their playing careers.

Did you know? Michigan State is making its 14th NCAA Championship appearance and sixth since 2001. MSU is 17-10-4 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and is hosting an NCAA game for the fourth consecutive year. The Spartans joined Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, and Indiana as the other Big Ten schools that received bids to the national tournament this season.

Wacky Thai Sport

What do you get when you combine soccer, volleyball and kung fu? This.

MSU Men's Soccer To Await Its Fate

Luck has not been on the side of the Michigan State men’s soccer team this season.

The Spartans, who boast an RPI of No. 12 in the nation (which takes into account schedule strength and wins), dropped a hard-fought 2-1 contest to the University of Michigan yesterday, Nov. 11, in the Big Ten Tournament held in State College, Penn. With the loss, the Spartans fall to 11-7-1 and will now be left to sit and sweat it out before learning their fate during Monday’s NCAA Tournament selections.

Junior forward Rubin Bega put the Green & White up in the 54th minute on an assist from junior midfielder Cyrus Saydee. The goal was Bega’s fifth of the year. Michigan answered a mere seven minutes later to tie it up but the goal was immediately followed by a red card for taunting the MSU bench during the goal celebration.

Even with the extra man, the Spartans could not mount another effective attack on goal and were gashed by a 77th minute winner by the Wolverines. For the first time in three years, MSU bowed out of the conference tournament in the first round.

The Spartans now need to lick their wounds and get healthy to mount a late-season push in the NCAAs. All seven of MSU’s losses this season came to teams in the current RPI top 26, so the prospects for postseason play still look very good for a team that is limping toward the conclusion of its season.

Note: the Men’s NCAA Selection Show will take place at 4 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 15 live on ESPNU.

Penalty Kick Special

When it comes to taking penalty kicks, it can NEVER be said that you have seen it all. These two videos prove my point:





Thanks to Robin Blom for the video links.

Spartans Drop Home Finale, 1-0

On an overcast November afternoon in East Lansing, soccer fans gathered at DeMartin Stadium to watch the home finale for the No. 22 Michigan State men’s soccer team.

The Spartans welcomed the No. 2 Akron Zips to East Lansing in this non-conference contest, with the Green & White needing a win to stay in the hunt for an NCAA tournament bid. After 90 minutes of action, MSU came up short against the 2009 national finalists, 1-0.

MSU Men To Host No. 1 Akron

The Michigan State men’s soccer team will host the No. 1 team in the nation on Wednesday, as the Akron Zips travel to DeMartin Stadium to face-off at 3 p.m. against the No. 23 Spartans.

The Spartans (11-5-0 overall, 2-4-0 Big Ten), who dropped a 3-2 overtime heartbreaker against Michigan this past Saturday, are reeling from a recent string of injuries, the most notable being senior co-captain Jeff Ricondo. Against Akron, a team who previously beat the Wolverines this year 7-1, MSU will need to be in its best form possible if it wants to pull the upset.

The Zips (14-1-1) dropped their first game of the season this weekend, a 2-1 loss to Cleveland State. Last year, the Spartans lost away to Akron 2-1 off of a late penalty kick and will be looking for redemption against one of the nation’s best.

Nani's Bizarre Goal

As a young soccer player, you are taught to play until you hear the whistle. This is advice Tottenham's goalkeeper Gomes should have remembered during this past Saturday's match vs. Manchester United. The video of what I mean is below.

Red Devil winger Nani appears to be fouled in the box, and Gomes assumes there was a whistle, along with most of the other players on the field. But Nani runs up and pokes the ball in as there was NO foul called. Cue the chaos as the Tottenham players go absolutely berserk and Old Trafford erupts in celebration.

MSU Update: Spartans Look To Bounce Back

Take one look at the Big Ten Conference men’s soccer standings and Michigan State jumps out as sitting in an odd position in the league table.

Viva Futbol!

YouTuber Alarazboy has been been cranking out videos of the beautiful game for a while now, but his latest compilation features some of the sickest moves I have ever seen! Here's his latest video entitled, "Viva Futbol Volume 61."

YouTube Clip(s) Of The Week

Here are a couple of vids for your viewing pleasure. Just be glad you're not these guys!

No. 21 Spartans Outmatch Badgers, 3-0

Facing a team as young and inexperienced as Wisconsin, the No. 21 Michigan State Spartans could have easily overlooked such a squad with a high-profile matchup against Indiana on the horizon.

Instead, the Spartans bided their time against a deliberate Badger defense, capitalizing on some sloppy defending in a 3-0 win Sunday at DeMartin Stadium.

Is Rooney The Next Beckham?

Before you jump on me for proposing the above statement, as ludicrous as it sounds, permit me to explain a few things surrounding the latest news coming out of England.

Spartans Blank Broncos, Remain Undefeated At Home

Despite the wet conditions, the No. 21 Michigan State Spartans men's soccer team gave Western Michigan all it could handle and more in Wednesday's 5-0 victory over the Broncos.

Led by a man-of-the-match performance from junior midfielder Brent Rosendall (pictured right), who tallied two goals and an assist, MSU moves to 9-3-0 on the season and stays undefeated at the friendly home confines of DeMartin Stadium.

Junior midfielder Cyrus Saydee notched the Spartans' first goal in the fifth minute off of a Rosendall cross. The goal, Saydee's third of the season, would be the only tally on the board for the next 59 minutes. In the 17th minute, Western Michigan's Yilson Asani was issued a red card, leaving the Broncos (7-4-1) at a serious disadvantage against their powerful Big Ten opponent.

In the 64th minute, junior midfielder Mark Barone lined up to take a corner kick and drilled a curling ball into the penalty area before Rosendall connected on a header to push the lead to 2-0. The Green & White would never look back after that.

Senior midfielder Jeff Ricondo collected a ball outside of the box and slotted home beautifully five minutes later, while Rosendall would add a second in the 80th minute. Freshman forward Tim Kreutz would score his first goal of the season on a breakaway two minutes later to end the scoring at 5-0.

Senior Avery Steinlage and Junior Jeremy Clark combined for the shutout, with Steinlage racking up six saves in the process.

The Spartans remain home this weekend, when they return to Big Ten play against Wisconsin on Sunday, Oct. 17 at 2:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.

Did you know?: The five goals were the most scored by the Spartans since they posted a 6-0 shutout against the Broncos on Sept. 24, 2006.

(Photo courtesy of MSUSpartans.com)

Unusual Goal Celebrations

I ran across these videos today as I was randomly surfing YouTube in my break between classes. Enjoy!

Bolivian President Knees Political Rival In Groin

In Bolivia, a friendly soccer match pitted President Evo Morales against a political rival, La Paz Mayor Luis Revilla, to inaugurate a new field. Each led their teams in a bitter, foul-filled match that ultimately ended in a 4-4 tie.

YouTube Clip Of The Week: Pay Attention To Throw-Ins

Found this over at Dirty Tackle. You should always pay attention on throw-ins!

MSU Club Soccer Weekend Recap

(MSU vs. WMU under the lights on Sept. 24)

The Michigan State men's club soccer team was in action twice this weekend, coming away with a split in results.

MSU Club Soccer Game Update

UPDATE: Friday's Michigan State men's club soccer match against Western Michigan will be at 8 p.m. at VET MED FIELDS on campus. The lights will be on as the boys look to keep their unblemished record intact. Here's a map of where the fields are located:


View Vet Med Fields in a larger map

I will be there covering the match with my cameras. Hope to see some of you there!

MSU Club Soccer Steamrolls Ferris

The Michigan State University men's club soccer team was in action yesterday, defeating Ferris State University, 5-1. The Spartans improve to 3-0-0 on the season following the win and will take the field next on Friday, Sept. 24 against Western Michigan University in East Lansing. The time for that matchup is still to be determined.

Below the jump, check out highlights and an interview with head coach Scott Dane.

MSU Club Home Opener

The Michigan State men's club soccer team will be opening its 2010 home campaign on Sunday afternoon against the Ferris State Bulldogs. The action will kick off at 1 p.m. at a location to-be-determined. The team is looking into playing at the new DeMartin Stadium where the varsity soccer teams play.

MSU is 2-0 this season after a 1-0 win against Valparaiso and a 5-0 win against Indiana University at South Bend. Come out and support the team as they look to improve on last season's top eight finish at nationals.

Chad Ochocinco on FSC

(Ochocinco, left, with Ronaldinho)

It's no secret that Chad Ochocinco is a massive soccer fan. The Cincinnati Bengals' all-pro wide receiver played soccer in high school and has maintained his love for the sport until today. The charismatic Ochocinco is also friends with soccer superstars such as Ashley Cole and Thierry Henry.

The National Football League wideout recently was on Fox Soccer Channel's Soccer Talk Live to talk footie. Check it out after the jump.

Goalkeeping Blunders

My friend (and favorite Dutchman) Robin Blom sent me a trio of videos that I have to share with you guys. All are hilarious and completely embarrassing clips of goalkeepers turning the pitch into a circus of sorts.

Photo Of The Day

Found this over at Yahoo!'s Dirty Tackle blog. Here's the caption:

"Italian Serie B side Triestina are having trouble drawing fans. So to combat the costs of operating their 32,454-seat Stadio Nereo Rocco, they decided to shut down the entire Colaussi stand for the whole season. But instead of playing in front of a half-barren stadium with row after row of exposed seats mocking club, they've decided to try and hide their problem in perhaps the most conspicuous way possible."

Disclaimer: Home-field advantage not included with purchase of, "fake fans".

Robinho Explains City Failure

New AC Milan forward Robinho finally opened up to the media yesterday about why he left Manchester City after a lackluster two-year stint at the Eastlands.

YouTube Clip Of The Week

Well folks, it is good to be back posting after a 10-day layoff. I must apologize, for I have been enjoying my last Welcome Week here at Michigan State and have been hitting the partying quite hard as of late. Round six commences tonight!

But for now, I thought I would share this vid with you. In it, Brazilian starlet Neymar, who just recently turned down a big money move to Chelsea to stay with his hometown club of Santos, gets his shorts tackled-off after executing a step-over dribble on a defender. Yeah, I know; you need to see it.

Walcott Bags Hat-Trick

Remember Theo Walcott? The supremely talented winger/forward that scored a hat-trick for England against Croatia in 2008 and was dubbed "Wonderkid" immediately after? The same player who, since then, has battled injuries and poor form on his way to missing out on the squad for the 2010 World Cup, an apparent snub by England manager Fabio Capello?

At 21-years-old, many soccer pundits were already starting to write-off Walcott's career prospects.

YouTube Clip Of The Week

Check out this humiliating goal miss from Rui Miguel of CSKA Sofia.

Real Madrid 3-LA Galaxy 2

In front of 89,134 in attendance last night at the Rose Bowl, the Los Angeles Galaxy took a 2-0 lead going into halftime against Real Madrid. All was going well for the Major League Soccer side in this friendly match and the club was only 45 minutes away from a huge win.

Then Jose Mourinho brought in the big guns.

With Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso and Gonzalo Higuain all taking the field for the second half, Madrid stormed back with three unanswered goals to win, 3-2. In the end, it was too much class from the La Liga side for LA to overcome.

Here are the highlights:

The Original Cowboy

Ladies and gentleman, I present to you the original cowboy: Inter Milan's Marco Materazzi.

Thanks to Jason Minnick of FC Dallas for the photo. Gives a whole new meaning to the term "Spaghetti Western," eh?

2010 PDL Championship Preview

Here's a preview I wrote for USLsoccer.com today. It's all about the 2010 Premier Development League Championship being held in Portland, Ore. this weekend.

For those of you who do not know, the PDL is an amateur soccer league that is predominantly made up of college soccer players looking to stay fit and keep their skills sharp. It is unique in that it fills a gap in the American soccer pyramid between the professional ranks and college soccer.

Super-20 Finals Goal of The Day

I apologize for my lack of posting lately, but I have been consumed by work at the United Soccer Leagues. I am doing a full-time job now as an intern after one of our staff members left two weeks ago.

Currently I am in Rockford, Ill. writing and producing content for the USL website regarding the 2010 Super-20 North American Finals.

Here's the goal of the day video from Thursday. It is a great effort scored by the Los Angeles Galaxy U20s against the Brooklyn Knights.

YouTube Clip of The Week

Best goal celebration. Ever.

Will MLS Capitalize On Soccer Momentum?

This is the calm before the storm. The down time before European seasons begin once again.

It is in this period that Major League Soccer should look to capitalize on its American audience.

YouTube Clip of The Week

Straight from Fenway Park in Boston, Celtic faced Sporting Lisbon in a preseason friendly last night. Celtic won 6-5 in a shootout, but this goal from Sporting striker Helder Postiga deserves another look!

Benzema, Ribery Face Prostitution Charges

What a messy year for French soccer. First the World Cup disaster, now this?

French police have charged Karim Benzema and Franck Ribery with soliciting an underage prostitute. Both have denied knowing that the prostitute was underage.

USL Teaser Video

Here's a short teaser video I made for the United Soccer Leagues.

What's it about? You will have to wait until July 21st to find out! Check USLsoccer.com for the latest updates.

Spanish Prank

Today the Spanish national team returned to celebrate with their fellow countrymen after winning the World Cup.

Amidst the parade and festivities, a few of the players had a chance to play a prank on midfielder Cesc Fabregas. Fabregas, who's been the center of transfer rumors linking him to Barcelona, was pulled out on stage by backup goalkeeper Pepe Reina. What happened next was comical, but I'm pretty sure it won't have those in North London laughing along with them.

What Does The World Cup Leave Behind?

First off, congratulations to Spain. They played the best soccer throughout the World Cup and deserved to lift the championship trophy.

But now that the tournament is over, what will it leave in its wake in South Africa? ESPN has a great video that discusses this point.

World Cup Final Breakdown

The World Cup will crown a first-time winner today. That much is guaranteed.

After yesterday's exhilarating third-place match which saw Germany outlast Uruguay 3-2, let's hope that today's final can be played at such a high level of excitement.

Here's my breakdown of today's match with a prediction that follows.

Making History

This summer's World Cup has been about rewriting the record books.

The soccer-rich country of the Netherlands have made a World Cup Final for the first time since 1978 and are still searching for their first WC trophy. Now that they have defeated Uruguay, the win also guarantees we will have an all-European final.

This means that for the first time, the World Cup will be won by a European nation when the tournament was not played in Europe.

Continuing further: The host country (South Africa) failed to advance out of the group stage for the first time EVER. The United States-Ghana match back on June 26 was the highest-rated soccer match on television in U.S. history. Germany's Miroslave Klose needs only one more goal to tie Ronaldo's (the fat one) record for World Cup goals, which looks extremely likely considering the striker's recent form.

See what I'm getting at?

It's crazy to think that Sunday's final match is almost here. For a month, the entire country was wrapped up in soccer fever, significantly more so than during previous World Cups. Will it continue to stay this way, in the forefront of the news media? Realistically, no. Not when things like LeBron James' one-hour free agent special on ESPN dominate front pages everywhere.

Regardless, this has been a memorable tournament. In my opinion, the best World Cup I have ever watched.

Hardest-Working World Cup Boots

Fact: The average field player runs between four and six miles in a soccer match.

Here's an article from Footy-Boots.com talking about which boots have covered the most distance at this summer's World Cup.

Goal Celebration Gone Wrong

My friend Mike sent me this video tonight. Have a look!

Quarterfinal Picks

Get ready folks! The World Cup resumes Friday morning with the first pair of quarterfinals set to kick-off.

In preparation for the games, here are my picks of who will advance into the semis. There are some tough ones to call, but here goes nothing.

YouTube Clip of The Week

Pre-tournament favorites Brazil have looked everything like the dominant soccer nation we all know they can be. Today's 3-0 shutout against Chile moved the Seleção into the quarterfinals, one step closer to another World Cup title.

But standing in their way will be the Netherlands, a perennial underachiever and one of the handful of teams that can boast the same abundance of attacking talent as Brazil. The Oranje dispatched Slovakia 2-1 today in a match that was not nearly as close as the final score.

Here are highlights of the Netherlands' goals from today's game, showing the Dutch Machine in action. Brazil and the Netherlands will face-off Friday morning at 9:30 a.m. ET with a berth in the semi-finals on the line.

USA-Ghana Second Half

USA-Ghana From 2006

The United States faced Ghana in the last group match of the 2006 World Cup in Germany, losing a tight game by a score of 2-1. The loss meant the U.S. had to pack their bags and head home.

Here are highlights from that match which was played four years ago. Let's hope today's result is a lot different!

Suarez Looking To Cash In

With three goals in four games, Uruguay striker Luis Suarez has made a name for himself at this year's World Cup.

The Ajax player currently is tied for the tournament lead in scoring, while leading his nation to the quarterfinals for the first time since 1970. Today against South Korea, Suarez curled in a superb strike that was Uruguay's game-winning goal.

United States Player Ratings

(Donovan celebrates after scoring the clinching goal)

As soon as Landon Donovan slotted home his eventual game-winner in the 92nd minute, I jumped up, glasses flying out of my pocket, and hugged my boss who was sitting at the bar to my right.

Just like thousands of other American soccer fans, I was lost in the moment after the Yanks' 1-0 victory over Algeria. So many emotions were experienced over the course of 90 minutes that I left the pub with my limbs shaking.

Random Links

My apologies for not posting in the past couple of days. Over the weekend I was helping to work at a beach soccer tournament in Daytona Beach, Fla. I was at a hotel that did not have wireless. Still, I hope you guys had a chance to catch all of the exciting World Cup action!

At the moment, the tournament has gotten a little more interesting with some story lines starting to crop up.

YouTube Clip Of The Week

This video from The Guardian newspaper in the United Kingdom has been making its rounds all over the Web. Maybe you have seen it already!

U.S.-Slovenia Preview

For the first time in this tournament, the United States will be favorites when they step onto the pitch at Ellis Park to face Slovenia. The Americans will be looking to build on their second half performance against England and come out with three points.

Slovenia is not going to just lie down for the Americans. With their deliberate style of play, the Green Dragons pose a serious threat to the Yanks.

Group Of Lame

On paper, Group G is the "Group of Death." Besides Brazil, soccer-heavyweight Portugal is included with tournament dark horses Ivory Coast and a virtual unknown in North Korea that could use its defensive-first strategy to frustrate.

But after watching today's group matches, I think we should give it a new title (see above).

England-United States Player Ratings

It was a tale of two goalkeepers.

For the United States, Tim Howard valiantly battled England attackers all day, helping the Americans to a 1-1 draw.

As for England, Robert Green's gaffe on a Clint Dempsey shot in the first half proved costly. It was a speculative effort by Dempsey that was not deserving of a goal. Will this error make England manager Fabio Capello rethink his options at goalkeeper? We'll find out.

Check out my player ratings for both sides below the jump.

The Journey Of Herculez Gomez

Here's an article I wrote for USLsoccer.com today:

Five Bold World Cup Predictions

I'm about to gaze into my crystal ball and point out what I think will happen in South Africa. You may or may not agree with me, but don't say you didn't hear it here first!

Onyewu's Road To Recovery [Video]

It remains to be seen whether U.S. national team defender Oguchi Onyewu will be fit enough to start Saturday against England. But for the 28-year-old, even just playing in the match would be an amazing feat after tearing his left patellar tendon back in October 2009.

ESPN.com just released a video on Onyewu's recovery process. Check it out below the jump for some never-before-seen footage.

Injury Bug Bites Hard

Didier Drogba. Rio Ferdinand. Michael Ballack. Arjen Robben. Martin Skrtel. Wilson Palacios. John Obi Mikel.

What do these big-name players all have in common? They've succumbed to the dreaded injury bug just days before the World Cup is set to begin.

YouTube Clip Of The Week

The secretive nation of North Korea is sending its national soccer team to the World Cup for the first time in 44 years. Little is known about this team and its respective players. Could they use this to their advantage and make some noise in the "Group of Death?"

Here's a video the North Korean contingent arriving in South Africa on Tuesday.

Countries Make Final Roster Cuts

(Sorry Theo, but there's no turning back now)

Today was the deadline for participating nations in the 2010 World Cup to submit their 23-man roster to FIFA. Some of the countries, such as the United States, had already chosen just whom they were taking to South Africa before June 1st.

Today gave us some surprises, most notably the absence of a couple promising young players from European nations.

U.S. Heads To South Africa

The fans at Lincoln Financial Field waited long after the final whistle to see their their country's best soccer players depart from the field. Adorned in red, white and blue, this day had been a long time in the making. It has been four long years for the U.S. national team after a disappointing showing in the 2006 World Cup, and now the time is almost here to face-off again against the best in the world.

Interview With Peter Mellor

Here at that United Soccer Leagues, I have had a chance to try my hand at video production for their own blog, Free Kicks. Here's an interview I did with Peter Mellor, National Technical Director for the USL, about the 23-man United States national team roster for the 2010 World Cup.

YouTube Clip Of The Week

It's about time for another YouTube video. Check this one out:

Transfer Machine: Fabregas To Barcelona

No one at the Emirates Stadium wants to see Cesc Fabregas leave Arsenal. His manager Arsene Wenger has repeatedly insisted that the club are not looking to offload the Spaniard to Barcelona even though Fabregas has made it no secret that he covets a future move back to the Camp Nou.

Beckham Visits British Troops In Afghanistan

The title says it all.

Nike Soccer Commercial

Nike have set a high standard when it comes to marketing their products. Just look at all of their famous advertisements over the years: Bo Knows, Spike Lee and Michael Jordan were some of the first to become well-known while recent commercials featuring Troy Polamalu and LaDainian Tomlinson as well as Kobe Bryant jumping over an Aston Martin prove that "The Swoosh" know viral marketing.

Now the sportswear giants have released an epic commercial for Nike Soccer ahead of the 2010 World Cup. Featured in the commercial are Nike-sponsored footballers Didier Drogba, Fabio Cannavaro, Franck Ribery, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo (among some others). This time, it's all about the players writing their future. Check it out below:

YouTube Clip Of The Week

This week we go to Paraguay for the new segment entitled, "YouTube Clip of The Week."

In all of soccer, there are few names that compare to this week's goalscorer. Ladies and gentleman, feast your eyes on the amazing freekick from the right foot of the player known as "Inca." His real name is Glaucineis Martins da Silva, but who wants to say all of that anyways?

Before this video hit the internet, the player from the club Sol de America was most likely only known to a handful of people outside of South America. Now he gets a chance to shine on YouTube (the video already has more than two million views!).

And is it just me, or is the fact that the announcer yelled "GOL!!!!!!" for almost 15 seconds just as amazing?

Thierry Henry To New York?

David Beckham is a great player, don't get me wrong. He excels at passing the way others only dream of doing. But he just doesn't put that "fear" into opposing defenses that another footballer, one with pace and great foot skills, might do instead.

Thierry Henry, even at 32-years-old, embodies these talents that a true phenomenon possesses. The lanky Frenchman first became a superstar at Arsenal, rewriting the record books on his way to becoming a Gunners legend. He waved goodbye to Emirates Stadium to move to Barcelona in 2007. Since then, his form hasn't been as memorable as it was in London but the striker did feature in the Barcelona squad which won six trophies in 2009 including the Champions League. Since the emergence of Lionel Messi playing time has been harder to come by.

This is exactly why it makes sense for Henry to move to Major League Soccer, specifically the New York Red Bulls as reported by various media outlets today. The proposed move would make sense in terms of more exposure and playing time for Thierry while giving MLS a player with the caliber of play to change a game at anytime. This is unlike the kind of player David Beckham was when he was hailed as the savior of soccer in America in 2007. With the designated player rule, players like Henry are the types American clubs should be looking to sign; players with world-class technical ability that MLS has rarely seen.

And yes I know, 32 is still considered "old" in the soccer world. But with with at least three more good years left in him, Henry has time to show the United States a type of player that hasn't been seen on American soil since Pele and Johan Cruyff in the 1970s.

Since the Red Bulls have moved into a new stadium the buzz surrounding soccer in the New York City area has grown. If the move for Henry is finalized in the coming weeks, expect it to turn into a full-blown roar. The arrival of this world-class footballer could be argued as a bigger signing coup then Beckham's. It remains to be seen whether the Frenchman can fill stadiums the way Becks could upon his arrival, but one thing is for sure: the action on the field will be noticeably more entertaining if No. 14 is in the mix.

Beckham Leads England's 2018 Bid

(Beckham, left, with Gordon Brown and Wayne Rooney at a promotional event for England's bid last spring)

Today in Zurich, Switzerland, David Beckham led England's bid to play the 2018 World Cup on English soil.

Beckham presented FIFA president Sepp Blatter with a bid book containing specific details of hosting the tournament while giving a short impromptu speech. A video of the speech can be found on the BBC Website by clicking here.

Along with England, the nations of Australia, Belgium & Netherlands, Japan, Korea Republic, Qatar, Russia, Spain & Portugal and the United States presented their respective bids for 2018 and 2022. United States Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati was joined by national team defender Carlos Bocanegra in presenting their proposal to Blatter.

The U.S. is hoping to host either the 2018 or 2022 World Cup, but a more realistic goal would be to host the competition in 2022, most likely competing with Australia and Qatar for the honor.

Xtra Time's Summer Plans

As some of you readers already know, I'm going to be in Tampa, Fla. all summer long working an internship with the United Soccer Leagues. I'll be doing work in their communications department.

While I cannot blog about what goes on at the USL office, I will still continue this blog seeing as how the World Cup is fast approaching. I just want to say that I'm incredibly excited about this opportunity and extremely eager to start work there. I hope that this experience will give me the lessons (and contacts) I need to further my goal of continuing a career working with soccer.

I arrived in Tampa about an hour ago after a 20+ hour drive from my hometown of Higgins Lake, Mich. I start with the USL on Monday, but for now I will be getting acquainted with the city before moving into my rented room on Saturday.

Here's to a great summer for everyone out there!

Alexi Lalas Visits Xtra Time

Current ESPN/ABC soccer analyst and former United States national team defender Alexi Lalas graciously took time out of his busy schedule to speak with Xtra Time today.

Lalas, a veteran of the 1994 and 1998 World Cup teams, answered a few questions via phone on the recently-announced preliminary 30-man roster for the United States in South Africa.

Thanks for taking the time speak to Xtra Time. First, let's talk Charlie Davies: who will pick up the scoring slack now that he is officially out?

Lalas: The striker position is wide open, we still have yet to see just who it's going to be. It's going to be a little harder to define since you have Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey in the mix as well. Dempsey will probably push up and play a little bit of forward.

There are some players coming off the bench that could step in and help. Eddie Johnson and Robbie Findlay are long shots to start at this point, but just how Edson Buddle and Herculez Gomez mesh at camp will be interesting to watch.

How does this group stack up against the U.S. squad that went to Germany in 2006?

Lalas: From one to 11, it's just as good if not improved. But there is a significant lack of depth for manager Bob Bradley. If an injury occurs or a player doesn't perform he has to move some of these pieces and it could be a real problem. My hope is that some of these guys that are going to be called on can step up and do it on the biggest stage. We haven't seen a lot of players step up except for the starters.

What does the absence of Freddy Adu say about his future with the national team?

Lalas: Freddy has the potential; but we just keep continuing to talk about it. It is really no surprise to any of us following the national team that he wasn't included in this preliminary group. The general public might be surprised, but he hasn't been a significant part of the national team for a while.

He's still young though, so if he finds a club where he can consistently get playing time, this could change.

Which player could you see as a surprising selection into the final squad?

Lalas: There are 30 players, and there really won't be any big surprises in terms of goalkeepers and midfielders. Maybe midfielder Sacha Kljestan could be called a surprise just getting an invite to camp. But you have to look at it that seven players will not be here come June 1st. So it's a big pool, but a lot of fringe players won't make it.

The only caveat is at the forward position, where Herculez Gomez and Edson Buddle have a great chance to make the final cut. They have to continue their recent form and confidence but could make it to South Africa even without a lot of international experience.