Lightning, Gold Cup Previews, and More
By Nick Barbaro, 12:01AM, Thu. Jun. 21, 2007
Hard-luck weekend for the Austin Lightning:a stadium power failure Friday night (game with Laredo postponed, to be rescheduled) and a loss Saturday to Baton Rouge, 2-0, despite outshooting the visitors 16-8. The Lightning's youngsters got some good experience midweek: an exhibition game Wednesday against the Houston Dynamo reserves. This week they take on the Mississippi Brilla: Friday, June 22, 7:30pm, at Vista Ridge Stadium in Cedar Park (off Highway 1431, between 183 & Parmer). For more on the Lightning, see Joe O'Connell's feature "Weathering the Storm."
The U.S. men beat Panama, 2-1, to advance to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup; they play Canada Thursday, June 21 (6pm on Fox Soccer Channel and TeleFutura). Mexico meets Guadeloupe in the other semifinal. The championship game is Sunday, June 24, 2pm on FSC and Univision.
The U.S. women continue in fine form as they prepare for the World Cup later this summer. They beat China 2-0 Saturday on a pair of Abby Wambach goals. Next up: Brazil this Saturday in New York (4pm on ESPN2).
Grêmio of Brazil had a terrible night Wednesday in Buenos Aires, losing to Boca Juniors, 3-0, in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores final; the return leg, to decide the continental championship, is going on as we go to press.
David Beckham helped Real Madrid to the Spanish title on Sunday but limped off in the 66th minute of Real's decisive win after reinjuring his ankle. Said Beckham, who's due to join the L.A. Galaxy in July on a five-year contract worth up to $250 million: "I heard it snap again. There was a lot of pain." For more on this, and on the Galaxy's Alexi Lalas' dust-up with the British media, see "We Always Knew Lalas Smoked the Good Stuff, Didn't We?" for more.
The FIFA U-20 World Cup kicks off June 30 across six venues in Canada. The U.S., competing in their sixth straight WC, is in a group with Brazil, Poland, and South Korea.
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