Soccer Watch
By Nick Barbaro, Fri., Jan. 29, 2016
FIFA presidential candidate Jerome Champagne on Tuesday opined that if the 2022 Qatar World Cup bid is proven to be corrupt, the tournament should be moved to the United States, who were the runner-up in the voting. The corruption part seems beyond doubt; some three-quarters of the officials who took part in the vote are now facing various criminal charges related to bribery and corruption. But Champagne's election to replace disgraced ex-president Sepp Blatter is unlikely; an informal poll of FIFA membership has him running last in the five-person race led by Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa of Bahrain.
The U.S. Women trounced Ireland, 5-0 on Saturday, using a lot of new faces in their only tune-up before Olympic qualifying, Feb. 10-21 in Frisco and Houston. Coach Jill Ellis named her 20-player roster this week, including 13 of last year's World Cup winners, plus 17-year-old Mallory Pugh, the youngest player ever named to a U.S. Olympic qualifying roster. The USA will play all three group games in Frisco, the home field for FC Dallas: against Costa Rica on Wed., Feb. 10, at 7:30pm; Mexico at 3pm, Sat., Feb. 13; and Puerto Rico at 7:30pm, Mon., Feb. 15. The semifinals and final are in Houston, on Feb. 19 & 21.
The U.S. Men take on Iceland in their first game of 2016, this Sun., Jan. 31, kickoff at 2:45pm. A new entry into the soccer bar scene, the Sidewinder, at 715 Red River, will be showing the game, and offering 50% off everything during the match. Cheers! Then USA-Canada is Fri., Feb. 5, at 9:15pm.
