European Champions League, Third Qualifying Round
First Leg results, Aug. 6-7
Most of the favorites came through unscathed in their first tests of the season. A few highlights:

Liverpool waited to the 87th minute before scoring the winner over Israel's Maccabi Haifa at home; for security reasons, that return leg will be played in either Cyprus or Kiev, Ukraine.

Scotland's Hearts of Midlothian suffered a surprising home loss to AEK Athens.

AC Milan edged Red Star Belgrade (Crvena Zvezda), 1-0; that return leg in Serbia could be brutal.

Italy's Chievo Verona, elevated into the CL by the three disqualifications ahead of them in Italy, was lifeless in Bulgaria.

Heavily favored Valencia hit a wall in Austria.

Both Ukrainian clubs, Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kiev, continued to impress, following up on Ukraine's good showing in WC2006.

Ajax Amsterdam won on the road with a goal in the 84th minute in Copenhagen.

Arsenal looked to be in midseason form in a 3-0 road romp in Croatia.


The return leg games are Aug. 22-23. The 16 winners advance to the Champions League group stage, which will begin Sept. 12.

The full results:

Liverpool 2 - 1 Maccabi Haifa
Hearts 1 - 2 AEK Athens
AC Milan 1 - 0 Red Star Belgrade
Salzburg 1 - 0 Valencia
Standard Liege 2 - 2 Steaua Bucharest
FC Kobenhaven 1 - 2 Ajax Amsterdam
Hamburg 0 - 0 Osasuna
Slovan Liberec 0 - 0 Spartak Moscow
Galatasaray 5 - 2 Mlada Boleslav
Levski Sofia 2 - 0 Chievo Verona
Shakhtar Donetsk 1 - 0 Legia
CSKA Moscow 3 - 0 Ruzomberok
Lille 3 - 0 Rabotnicki
Dynamo Kiev 3 - 1 Fenerbahçe
Dinamo Zagreb 0 - 3 Arsenal
Austria Vienna 1 - 1 Benfica

Adult Soccer
Austin Women’s Soccer League
Austin Men’s Soccer Association
Austin Co-Ed Soccer Association
Texas State Soccer Association-South (state organization)
United States Adult Soccer Association (national organization)

Youth Soccer
University Interscholastic League (UIL) (runs high school sports in Texas)
Capital Area Youth Soccer Association (CAYSA) (regional association has links to all accredited youth clubs)
South Texas Youth Soccer Association (state association)
U.S. Youth Soccer (USYS) (national association)

Some Local Youth Clubs
CC United Soccer Club
Austin United Capitals Soccer Club
River City Rangers
North Austin Soccer Alliance
West Austin Youth Association (WAYA)
East Austin Soccer Club
University Hills Optimists: 401 W. St. Johns, 453-6852

Other
Austin Aztex (USL First Division and PDL teams)
Stoke City FC (English League Championship; affiliated with Austin Aztex) Austin Amp'd (Premier Arena Soccer League team)
Soccer Zone Austin (indoor soccer facilities and leagues)
Soccer Enterprise (Frank Allcorn’s site; lots of info)
Paisanos Soccer Club (national champ over-30 men’s team)
United Soccer Leagues (USL) (national pro/semi-pro leagues)
U.S. Soccer Federation (governing body of soccer in all forms in the U.S.)
Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) (world ruling body)

Local College Programs
University of Texas (NCAA Division I Women)
St. Edward’s Men and Women (NCAA Division II)
Concordia Men and Women (NCAA Division III)
Huston-Tillotson University Men (NAIA)

With the No. 1 pick of the 2006 NFL draft, the Houston Texans select … Mario Williams. Mario Williams? With Reggie Bush and Vince Young on the board, the Texans chose to go for a relatively unknown defensive end, thereby bypassing two of college football's greatest players of all time. Whether this is a monumental blunder in line with many of the Texans' previous upper-management mishaps or a shrewd maneuver inevitably guiding them toward their first-ever Super Bowl appearance will play out over these players' careers. Regardless of the outcome, their decision has left many Texans' fans bewildered and stunned and has baffled the hardcore football world in general. EA Sports NFL Head Coach allows all the armchair Tom Landrys and Don Shulas out there a chance to step into the role of all-powerful head coach for an NFL team and to handle the tasks and duties thereof: hiring a managerial staff, drafting college players, signing free agents, creating and adding plays to the playbook, motivating and training players, adjusting the depth chart, conferring with the coaching staff, etc. As fun as that may sound (not much fun at all), NFL Head Coach is one of the most boring, tedious, and unsatisfying video-game experiences known to mankind and nothing more than a glorified version of Madden's franchise mode with all of the gameplay removed. Sure, you can call the plays on "game day," but that's it – the computer simulates all of the actual football action. On top of the total lack of gameplay, simming, loading, and saving take a torturously long time, and many of the tasks are lifelike in the sense that they actually feel like work and are neither entertaining nor satisfying. How about an exciting "chat" with your defensive coordinator? It's in the game. Feel like choosing the outfit for your coach? NFL Head Coach brings that dream to reality. Head Coach's possible success could pave the way for future titles like NFL Equipment Manager (must be hard getting all those grass stains out), NFL Beer and Peanut Vendor (bad for the back), or Fat, Drunk, and Obnoxious NFL Fanatic (try not to puke on the guy in front you). EA Sports is known for producing quality sports titles, but this attempt to feed off America's raging appetite for all things football places commerce above entertainment.

The Italian match-fixing scandal boiled over last Friday, as Juventus, Lazio, and Fiorentina were demoted to the second division, while Silvio Berlusconi's AC Milan avoided demotion but got a 15-point penalty for the coming season, and a ban from European play. Juve was also stripped of its last two Serie A titles, and given a 30-point penalty for next season, meaning it's almost certain to spend at least two years in the minor league. All four clubs will appeal the ruling; meanwhile, criminal probes are ongoing as well.

Also on Friday, U.S. national team coach Bruce Arena was axed by the U.S. Soccer Federation. His likely successor? Speculation centers on Juergen Klinsmann, who lives in California, and resigned as the German head coach just after the World Cup. As for Arena, he was out of a job for just three days, before being hired by the New York Red Bulls on Tuesday.

Reigning European champs FC Barcelona will be at Houston's Reliant Stadium on Wednesday, Aug. 9 to play Mexican side Club America, current CONCACAF champions, as part of a doubleheader with the Houston Dynamo and L.A. Galaxy. Barcelona's U.S. tour will also take them to Los Angeles on Aug. 6 and New York on Aug. 12.

You hate to see a game, let alone a championship, get decided by penalty kicks, but it does make for perhaps the most exciting five minutes in sports. Great ending to a great World Cup.

Afterwards, of course, all the talk has been about the head-butt (see below for some links and video clips). Crack teams of lipreaders at The Guardian and elsewhere have come up with various interpretations of what Marco Materazzi may have said to Zizou, mostly centering on his mother, his sister, their nipples, terrorism, and an accusation of being a French collaborator during Algeria’s war for independence – but ultimately, the incident had little effect on the outcome.

National team coaches Marcello Lippi of Italy and Juergen Klinsmann of Germany both announced their resignations Wednesday. Lippi goes out a hero, but also under scrutiny in the ongoing match-fixing scandal in Italy. Klinsmann also leaves on good terms, with a reported 93% public-approval rating, and with the prospect of another job coming open closer to his California home; U.S. coach Bruce Arena is said to be on his way out; he’ll meet with USSF officials this week.

The new coaches won’t have much time to settle in; the qualifying campaign for Euro 2008 begins Sept. 21.

FIFA released their redesigned world rankings on Wednesday, weighted more toward more recent games, and with an enhanced “strength of schedule” component. Brazil remains number one, Italy rose from 11th to second, and Germany, France, England, and Argentina moved up as well. On the other hand, the U.S. dropped from fifth to 16th, and Mexico from fourth to 18th.

A Few Head-Butt links and resources:
Materazzi Hit Lists:
Sports Illustrated
New York Times
World Cup 365
Zidane speaks
Zidane's mother speaks: "I want his balls on a platter"
Materazzi's agent: "My personal wish would be that one day they could meet again and maybe make a nice moment.'
An Arcade Game

Saturday, 1:55pm: Germany-Portugal.
I know: who cares about third place? But this could be a fun game. The Germans are playing essentially an exhibition game for their home fans -- a final game together for this very popular squad. Portugal has nothing more to lose, but some prestige to gain. Let's hope for a beautiful game from two teams who have more interest in playing attractive soccer than in just surviving.
Menu: German black bread, with various cheeses and sausages, and lots of bier; Pastéis de Bacalhau (Codfish Pastries) (excellent recipe below; thanks to Sofia Resnick), plus sardines, mussels, etc., Portuguese cheeses, and vinho verde.

Sunday, 12:55pm: Italy-France. (Note the earlier start.)
Long-awaited, but unexpected, rematch of the 2000 European Championship Final, won by France in overtime. There are a lot of the same players, on both sides, but it's been thus far a very different Italian team, with coach Marcello Lippi using lots of strikers, unleashing the midfielders to go forward (in the 120th minute of the semifinal, it was a defender who was all the way up front to score the winning goal) ... and thus putting a lot of pressure on the remaining defenders and goalkeeper. (With Buffon, Cannavaro, and Nesta, you can do that.) Should be a tough test for a very inspired French team.
Menu: Tortellini, Pane Rustica with prosciutto e melone, salami antipasto, fresh mozzarella, mascarpone, and other cheeses, cornetti, espresso, Peroni, vino rosso; Croissants and baguettes, with fromages & pates, vin rouge. Afterwards: Amaretto? Benedictine?

Pastéis de Bacalhau (Codfish Pastries)
1 pound dried salt cod
2 cups milk
4 medium Idaho potatoes
1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 handful fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 large eggs
Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt, if needed
Vegetable oil, for frying
Lemon wedges, for serving


Starting a day ahead, soak the dried cod in cold water for 12 to 24 hours, changing the water several times to remove most of the salt. Drain the cod, rinse, and put it in a large pot. Add the milk and enough water to cover by 1-inch; cooking the cod in milk keeps it really moist. Simmer gently over medium-low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cod is tender and pliable. Drain and rinse well, then flake the cod into a bowl with your hands, removing any little bits of skin and bone.

While the cod is cooking, pour 1-inch of water in a large pot fitted with a steamer insert. Add the potatoes and simmer on medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes until very tender. Drain the potatoes, peel off the skins, and mash them well with a potato masher or pass them through a ricer or sieve.

Add the cod to the potatoes, along with the onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, and eggs. Beat the mixture firmly with a wooden spoon so that it well combined and firm - a spoon should stand up in it. (If you find it too dry, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of milk.) Season with a pinch of pepper and taste for salt - you may not need to add any, as the cod itself retains enough saltiness, in spite of being soaked and boiled. With lightly moistened hands or using 2 tablespoons, shape the cod mixture into egg-shaped balls - you should get about 25. (The cod balls can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day before cooking or frozen in a container.) (NB: I made smaller, bite-sized versions -- maybe halfway between a marble and a golf ball. I also lightly sauteed the onion and garlic before mixing it in.)

Heat 3-inches of oil in a deep heavy skillet or pot to 370 degrees F. Add a few of the cod balls at a time to the hot oil, turning them 3 or 4 times to get nicely browned all over. Carefully lift the cod fritters out of the pan with a slotted spoon and place on a platter lined with paper towels to drain. Repeat. Serve hot or at room temperature with lemon wedges.

With three upsets out of four quarterfinal games (well, depending on who you listened to coming in), this is not the set of semifinals most anyone expected. But it promises to be a great pair of games. As for the suggested menus, as we eat our way through the WC schedule, it's basically breads, cheeses, meats, beer, and wine. But who does those better than France, Italy, and Germany? Portugal's kind of the odd country out at the table as well as on the field, but, just in time for the big games, Portugal found their game, and I found a very nice recipe for fried codfish-and-potato balls. Very exciting.

Tuesday, 1:55pm: Germany-Italy.
This is a rematch of a March "friendly" that Italy dominated, 4-1, with only a late German face-saver bringing it that close. After that game, played in Florence, German fans were calling for head coach Juergen Klinsmann's head. But now we're in the fatherland, Klinsmann's a genius, and Germany's a 2-1 favorite. Maybe so, but for my money Italy's still a better team. We shall see.
There was bad news for the hosts on Monday: midfielder Torsten Frings, who's been having a great tournament, has been ruled out of the semifinal, suspended for throwing a punch during a post-game dustup with the Argentinian team and staff. Key defender Alessandro Nesta (groin) is still iffy for Italy, but they'll have Marco Materazzi back from his red-card suspension if Nesta's not ready to go.
Menu: German black bread, with various cheeses and sausages, and a Bitburger (or maybe a Dortmunder Union, since that's where the game's being played); or Pane Rustica with prosciutto & salami antipasto; fresh mozzarella, mascarpone, and other cheeses; cornetti; espresso; Peroni; vino rosso.

Wednesday, 1:55pm: France-Portugal.
This has the makings of a classic: two very, very good teams, who no one thought were going to make it this far. Two attractive, attacking styles of play, as well, and some good individual matchups, too. Both sides will be at full strength, as Portugal gets Deco and Costinha back from red-card suspensions.
Menu: Croissants and baguettes, with fromage & pates; a couple of nice Portuguese cheeses; various fish products; and a new find from the quarterfinals: Pastéis de Bacalhau (Codfish Pastries); thanks to Sofia Resnick and Michael Schwarz for the idea and recipe. Vin and vinho, verde, blanc, et rouge. Benedictine or port to finish, depending on who wins.

Down go the pre-tournament favorites. Down go the favorites coming out of the first round. And suddenly, we've got all-European semifinals.

Germany 1, Argentina 1 (4-2 in PK shootout)
It's always disappointing to see a game decided on penalty kicks, but for the most part, the marquee matchup of the round lived up to its billing: hard-fought (but remarkably clean, until after the final whistle), tense, and emotional. German keeper Jens Lehmann guessed right on every Argentine PK in the shootout, saved two, and that was about the extent of the difference between these two squads on the day.

Italy 3, Ukraine 0
The scoreline is flattering to the Italians – Ukraine had at least two balls off the woodwork, and two others cleared off the goal line – but Italy controlled the game pretty handily for the most part, and looked good enough to perhaps go all the way. It's certainly encouraging for them to get striker Luca Toni untracked; his two second-half goals were his first of the tournament, though he's played well throughout. And Francesco Totti looked comfortable playing 90 minutes, and had beautiful assists on the first two goals.

Portugal 0, England 0 (3-1 in PK shootout)
The first stunner of the day wasn't really much of a surprise, given how these teams have been playing. England actually looked better here than they had all tournament, even after Beckham went out with an injury and Rooney stomped off. They survived the overtime, on a hot afternoon, on pretty much even terms. Portugal is being tabbed as the upstart outsider; don't believe it. They may not have won any major championships yet, but they've been knocking on the door for a decade, and they were the favorites to win the Euro championships just two years ago.

France 1, Brazil 0
Stunning, not so much because the old guys, all but written off a couple of weeks ago, extended their recent mastery over the consensus best team in the world, but because of how easy they made it look. France dominated the midfield, won most every free ball, and shut down every attack. Brazil didn't manage a single shot on goal until the 80th minute. Thierry Henri's gorgeous volley in the 57th minute joins Maxi Rodriguez's stunner against Mexico as the top goals of the tournament.

Here's a look at the games in the next couple of days (Friday-Saturday, June 30 and July 1), plus suggested breakfast menus.

Friday:
9:45am: Germany-Argentina. These two would probably be favored to go to the finals if they weren't in the same quarter of the bracket; the winner becomes the favorite to win it all.
Menu: Apfelpfannkuchen (apple pancakes), cheese and sausage plate; fruit, Yerba Mate, submarinos (bittersweet chocolate melted into steamed milk). An excellent game to drink beer with: Quilmes from Argentina; any of dozens from Germany.

1:45pm: Italy-Ukraine. On paper, this is something of a breather for Italy; but they looked anything but comfortable in a pre-tournament scoreless tie with the Ukraine. Italy will be missing defenders Alessandro Nesta (groin) and Marco Materazzi (red card), plus midfielder Daniele DeRossi, suspended four games for his elbow on Brian McBride. For Ukraine, striker Andriy Voronin is out for the rest of the tournament, putting all the focus on Andrij Shevchenko, longtime AC Milan star leaving Italy this off-season for the Premiership.
Menu: Breads & cheeses, prosciutto & salami, fresh mozzarella, cornetti and other pastries, espresso, Peroni & vino rosso.

Saturday:
9:45am: England-Portugal. First big test for an English side that has looked anything but impressive so far. They don't look fit to play another afternoon game; heaven help them if it goes to overtime. Portugal, on the other hand, looks ready to atone for their failure in the 2004 Euro championships, though they'll miss the creativity in the midfield from Deco, one of the two red-carded players from the Dutch game.
Menu: This could be the best cheese plate of the entire tournament; that's a given for England, but there's also some very nice Portuguese soft sheep's cheese. Plus of course, bangers, crumpets, jams, tea and strong coffee; nice ale selection, plus some English hard cider, and port.

1:45pm: Brazil-France. Rematch of the 1998 championship game; both sides say there's no revenge factor involved, but don't believe it. Should be a good one. Menu: Still working on this one a little. Croissants, of course, plus a fromage & pate plate; tropical fruits for Brazilian breakfast, but we could perhaps shade it more toward lunch, given the time of day. I'm having trouble finding more Xingu (Brazilian black beer), and Central Market is out of the Alsatian beer they used to stock. So, we shall see. And of course, there's always Cachaca and Cashew juice. Or Benedictine, if you prefer.