Lockout! Scott sums up the situation with the NFL and NBA. (Illustration by Luis Gomez)
Scott Leibowitz
From Scott Leibowitz. Find Scott on Twitter @Lebodome.
Of course the economy isn’t fixed yet; if it were, the NBA and NFL wouldn’t be in lockouts.
After watching President Obama‘s latest press conference on the budget negotiations, I had a thought that hit me like a linebacker sacking a blind-sided quaterback (one of my favorite hits in the game):
the current NBA and NFL lockouts are linked to our federal economy. All of these lockouts and struggles are no coincidence… America needs its football (and hoops) for our economy’s sake.
What is exactly going on? I am not an expert or lawyer so my next two paragraphs are loaded with links explaining both…
Remember Soccer in the Circle last year for the FIFA Men’s Cup? No such luck this year, but the USA Women’s Soccer Team plays France in the semifinals of the Women’s FIFA World Cup Championships. The game is Wednesday at 11:30 am and you can watch on the TV. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Laura Herman and Scott Leibowitz. Follow Laura on Twitter @Lmhhabs and Scott @Lebodome.
Preview From Lebodome
This is it for Team USA, two games to go, one game at a time: we’re playing France today in the semifinals of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011. Anything but the championship trophy at this point would be a major disappointment as the other major soccer powers are gone (Germany, England, Brazil). Many pundits have called this the “redeem team” so the expectations are lofty. If Team USA wins, they’ll play the winner of the other semi between Japan and Sweden.
In my mind, the biggest stumbling block for Team USA is themselves and having an emotional letdown after such a miraculous win. Scoring early has been key and will be again against a crafty French team. It will be interesting to see who the local German fans support in this match, but Americans have been loud all tournament. For more insight try either this ESPN preview or this one (actual soccer strategy ain’t my expertise). Enjoy the game. USA! USA!
Details, Where We’ll Watch the Game
Team USA faces off against France at 11:30 am EST on Wednesday, July 13. Remember that player Lori Lindsey lives here in Borderstan when she’s not playing with the Philadelphia Independence.
We all know how sub-par watching a game via livecast from your desk is, so duck out during lunch and catch the game at your local sports bar.
Our pick is Touchdown (1334 U Street NW), which has quickly become one of our favorite soccer bars in the city. As part of their commitment to moving beyond just American football and baseball by showcasing sports like soccer and cricket, as well as WOMENS SPORTS (gurrrrlpower!), they’ll be opening EARLY today and showing the women’s soccer game on the flatscreens throughout their two main floors.
To make your (extended) lunch break even better, they’ll be offering food and drink specials: $3 beers and $1 fish tacos.
If this watch party is anything like Touchdown’s Cricket World Cup Party, you won’t want to miss it. Check out Laura’s review from earlier this Spring for a preview of what to expect.
We can’t wait to beat France just before Bastille Day…
