Chicken Soup for the Solo: Support Hope Solo's Recovery

A Must Read.

Hope Solo made headlines two weeks ago for her Twitter tirade over officiating during a Women's Professional Soccer playoff match between her Atlanta Beat and the Washington Freedom. The rant led to a fine, a brief suspension, and some community service, but what happened next was more even more saddening if you're a fan of the U.S. Women's National Team (which we are... since 1999, "The Year of the Sports Bra").

Solo announced, last week, that she would undergo shoulder surgery that would keep her out for six months and out of the 2011 Women's World Cup qualifying in October and November. The surgery took place on Wednesday, September 22nd.

Solo, at the USWNT camp, just two days removed from surgery. Photo: USWNT Blog/USSoccer.com

Solo has been a mainstay of the USWNT since 2005 earning 91 caps (second most for a USWNT keeper) and was the WPS saves leader with 104 this season. With Solo out, Nicole Barnhart (netminder for the 2010 WPS Champions, FC Gold Pride) will deputize in goal for the Lady Nats during 2010 Women's Gold Cup (and the WWC qualifying tournament).

The veteran's comments to USSoccer.com indicated that she would be back in time for the 2011 WWC in Germany next June and she had more than enough confidence in her team and her back up to get the USWNT through qualification next month.

“These next two years are huge for the national team with the World Cup and Olympics on the horizon and I wanted to make sure that I would be giving my team and my country my best on the field,” said Solo. “I’ve been having some painful issues with the shoulder for a while and for a goalkeeper it’s been difficult physically and mentally to play with this kind of an injury, so it was time to get it taken care of. I know I’m in the best hands and I plan on working diligently on my rehab to get back to one hundred percent. In the meantime, I know my teammates will get us to the World Cup and I can’t wait to join them next spring.”

Solo is one of the greatest female players the game has ever seen. Following in the footsteps of 1999 WWC winning GK Brianna Scurry, the 29-year-old continues the tradition of great American 'keepers from both sides of the gender divide. Her record marshaling the backline of the USWNT should hold her name up with the rest of the Lady Nats brightest stars of past and present; Hamm, Lilly, Foudy, Akers, and Wambach.

The only thing missing from Solo's National Team trophy cabinet is a World Cup Winner's Medal. Even though Solo will be missing the WWC qualifying her recovery will take her right up to the run up to the late-June tournament. She'll need all the help she can get.

Long time readers of the Free Beer Movement know how much we love Hope Solo. She's even an honorary "free beer mover" after she bought St. Louis Athletica fans' beer during her time with the club before they folded.

That's why the Free Beer Movement is organizing a get-well campaign for Hope Solo. We call it "Chicken Soup for the Solo". Heck, even The Shin Guardian is getting in on the action. The premier publication on all things American soccer (and more!) is expanding its realm into the women's game as well and joining us on this great viral campaign.

What do we want you to do?

We got Hope Solo some chicken noodle soup and we want you to help us send it to her.

***Just take the image above, save it to your computer (or copy/paste the image url), and do one (or all) of the following:

1) Upload it to Hope Solo's Facebook page (you'll have to "friend" her first)

And/Or

2) Send it to her Twitter account and the U.S. Women's National Team Twitter account.

And/Or

3) Drop a link to this post on the contact form on her website.

For any of the options add the message "Get Well Soon from __________ (your name) and the Free Beer Movement and The Shin Guardian".

("Get Well Soon from _____________ and @freebeermovemnt and @shinguardian." on Twitter.)

Let's do this!

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Going Suds Up: The Best Beers, The Best Soccer

By Kirsten Schlewitz / Senior West Coast Beer and Aston Villa Correspondent

I’m back! Sorry about last week. Turns out, once I’ve hit the whisky, it’s a bit difficult to form a coherent sentence, so I’ll be sticking with the strong beers while writing my weekly column.

As you know, this week is Los Angeles Galaxy v Red Bull New York week, with days of insults finally culminating in tonight’s match, televised live on ESPN 2 at 10pm CT. Finally, a match perfect for the act of drinking! Now, last week the Galaxy clinched themselves a playoff spot, and New York is close to certain as well, sitting on 41 points. While I confess to owning a “Beat LA” sweatshirt (it works for so many sports) this week I’ll be cheering the Galaxy. The Sounders may be in seventh, but they’ve yet to cement their spot, so any points taken from teams 2-6 are beneficial to Seattle supporters.

And yes, I’m aware that this match has an effect on playoff positions, but as that does not directly benefit my team, I’m putting that to the side. Now, on to the beer. This match is all about the designated player, and let’s face it, the French just can’t brew beer. Even with all the jokes about English ales being warm and flat, the English can do a certain style very well. And beyond that, there are certain beers, from certain breweries, that stand out, no matter how long they’ve been around.

Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout (Yorkshire, England) is one of those. The brew took a hiatus from about 1910 to 1980, which is about the same amount of time that David Beckham was injured, but now it’s back and still just as tasty. A dark, malty beer that’s perfect for either dessert or breakfast, the taste is quite subtle, with chocolate, cinnamon, and coffee. A very smooth beer.

Off partying away from the TV on Friday? Shame on you. Still, your second match is Roma v Inter, at 1:30PM CT on FSC. Put away your misconceptions that Serie A is boring. Serie A, with Chievo and Brescia in the top three, Roma down in 19, and nearly every match featuring some sort of crazy comeback, is the hot league, my friends. So choose the hottest trend in beers: a black IPA. Southern Tier "Inequity" (Lakewood, NY) pours black with a cappuccino- flavored foam. Roasted malts, brown sugar, chocolate, coffee and caramel aromas. Slightly spicy hops in the background. A very balanced beer, with many of the same tastes, as well as chicory and pine flavors.

About Kirsten:

Ever since Brazil caught my eye during the 1994 World Cup I’ve considered myself a soccer fan, but it wasn’t until the summer 2008 that I decided to find a club. I focused on the Premier League and eventually chose Aston Villa. Initially drawn in by the pretty clarets and blues, I found I liked their organization, their owner and their manager. I fell hard and now it’s too late—I can’t give them up. As for MLS, that was easy, as I live in Seattle. I also support Exeter FC, SSC Napoli, FC Koln, Estudiantes Tecos and Tooting & Mitcham FC, all for a variety of reasons including cider, tattoos, scarves, owls, and a soccer player texting while on the pitch. I’m the Managing Editor of SB Nation’s Aston Villa site, 7500 to Holte. I also contribute to Two Footed Tackle.


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VIDEO: "Bring It To Our Country" - Go USA Bid's Latest Commercial

GoUSABid.com continues to release video after fantastic video promoting America's bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup. This one is narrated by actor Morgan Freeman (who seems to be THE narration authority).




Sign the petition to bring the World Cup back to the United States.

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What Not To Wear: Sports Edition

Tony Pulis: Don't even get me started on
those walking shoes you're wearing.

What the hell happened to sports? Not the sports themselves; we're not going down the dark path of steroids, $10 stadium beers, ridiculously high salaries, or dead hookers in trunks. But when did it become acceptable for coaches to dress like fools? What happened to the days of well-dressed field generals roaming the sidelines?

When it comes to soccer somewhere the line between player and coach got blurred. Sure, back in the day when the manager was also your striker (and local grocer) the lines were meant to be that way. I'm talking about sweatpants (yeah, you Bob Bradley), training tops, and the team swag that is reserved for someone that features INSIDE the white chalk lines.

Wasn't there an old saying, "Dress for the job that you want, not the one that you have"? Do these guys WANT to be players (again, for some of them)? Is there some joy of thinking that if they played their cards right (and no one noticed on the line up card) that they could just tear-away their pants and jog out as the third and final substitution?

Maybe it's a want to be something they never were. The "player's coach" who started as the equipment manager and worked his way up to boss man while never kicking the round ball in competitive play. Is the silly game day get-up a pathetic attempt at being "one of the guys"?

The assistant coach? He can wear the training pants. That's fine. Because, you know, he's "training" with the team. Kicking the balls, running the laps. Leading everyone around. Even the physio. He's gotta sprint out there with the magic spray and we all know how hard blood would be to get out of a designer suit if a player were actually hurt (Editor's Note: Players never actually get hurt in Italy so this doesn't apply).

I blame baseball. Those managers chewing on their tobacco or Big League Chew cramming their fat asses into the same uniforms that their speedy second baseman wears is just wrong. This isn't about athleticism, for sure. The most movement we see out of a baseball manager is him shifting his balls in between innings and trotting out to the mound (in the slowest possible fashion) to yank his pitcher.

When did we start lowering the bar for the people that lead our on-field warriors into battle? There's no data on this, but I'd put good money on the correlation between thread count of a coach's outfit and the team's overall record.

Pure. Class.

Sports used to be a place where the sidelines looked like an episode of "Mad Men". Vince Lombardi, Tom Landry, Eddie Robinson, Paul Bryant, and Joe Paterno. Men with class. Men in suits.

Suits were a sign of achievement. Almost professorial in their appearance. Not outfits pulled out of the same sweatshirt box the rest of the team gets airplane lounge gear from. And visors? Get fucked. Visors are for the PGA Tour and tennis clubs. Yes, I'm talking to you, Jon Gruden.

In soccer there are a few lone wolves; still sporting the suit in style. Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho roam the sidelines in Spain dressed like they belong there. Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger (when he doesn't wear that ridiculous puffy jacket) and Big Sam Allardyce are always found in their Saturday and Sunday best.

Thread Counts Win Championships.
(Photo: Project2010.Net)

Ol' Bob Bradley? No way. There's a reason he's known as Coach Sweatpants. Even when he's not barking orders or apologizing to Ricardo Clark he can barely dress himself. An appearance on ESPN will get the viewer a gander at Bradley's loan pair of khaki slacks and his favorite Old Navy striped polo. We should expect better out of our representative to the world. Although, I'll concede if I did ever see Bradley wear a suit it just wouldn't work. BB and sweats are just too ingrained in my mind now. There's no changing it.

Still a damn shame, though.

So what's the solution? I propose a compromise between the GQ fashion of the sporting world and the 4th-grader-who-wears-Hanes-sweatpants-everyday faction; let's talk suit jackets with the club crest embroidered on it. Bottoms are coach's choice. Pick a club-color-coordinating tie or scarf and you've got yourself a coach who no longer lets mommy shop for him.

Hopefully this pairing means Martin O'Neill won't be hitting up his new club's sidelines (where ever he lands) with a sport coat and sweats, but at the very least pairing it with khakis and tennies. I think that's the least we can ask. Plus, those coaches that are looking for that free club swag with their appointment can get some of that when "We Put Too Much Faith in One Guy" FC sews the crest on the jacket.

And for God's sake....don't even get me started on wearing a hoodie. That's just ridiculous.

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FBM Six-Pack with Major League Soccer "Insider" Shawn Francis

Back at the end of the July the Free Beer Movement took flight to Houston to take in the Major League Soccer All-Star Game. While we were there we nearly had a meet up with an MLS VIP, but due to our schedules (well... his... that's why there's a "V" and an "I" in there) we didn't meet up.

But that didn't stop the man from getting in touch with us and writing one helluva article about the Movement on MLSSoccer.com (which you may have heard of). Mainstream media baby!

This fine gentleman was kind enough to give us a few moments of his time and participate in our "FBM Six-Pack" Interview Series (a more efficient version of the "Starting 11" Interview Series we also feature).

Ladies and gentlemen.... Shawn Francis, head writer for MLS Insider and The Offsides Rules, a great blog that's a mash up of pop culture, American soccer, and occasional partial nudity.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

We got inside the head of the "Insider".

1) Major League Soccer launched their new website before the current season and hired you as their in-house blogger at MLS Insider. How's life at MLS HQ? What's the coolest thing you've been able to cover in your new gig? The worst?

Life at MLSHQ is funny. Some days I can't believe that my 3-4 year long quest to get a job there actually paid off but then some days it's just a job just like any other; as the saying goes "once you get a check for something, it's work no matter how much you love it. That's not a complaint, that's just reality for all of us who aren't independently wealthy, on public assistance or heir to a Greek shipping fortune.

What's the coolest thing I've been able to cover? At this point I would have to say it MLS Cup last year. To be given as close to all access as possible to the premier soccer event in America was pretty rad. There were so many random, unique moments that week in Seattle: seeing the drummer for Rancid humping RSL's gear into the locker room, standing directly behind Nick Rimando's goal when Donovan missed that PK and seeing John Harkes belt out Bon Jovi like only a Jersey guy could in a bar at 2 a.m. won't be forgotten or topped easily. But Toronto in November has the potential to be just as memorable.

The worst? Hmmm. Covering the SUM Cup during All Star week this year was actually not bad, it was just the oppressive humidity that was a total downer. The tournament was held at some soccer complex in the 'burbs south of Houston, so far south that it was in coastal Galveston County. Bear in mind that this was in July. It was so humid that after standing on the sidelines for 4.5 hours (there were 2 games to cover back to back) the pages of the paper on my clipboard were wet just from the moisture in the air, air which incidently was populated by hummingbird-sized mosquitoes. Oh and the first thing you saw when you got out of the car in the parking lot of the facility was a sign that read "Beware of Snakes." Good times.

2) You made your mark on the American soccer Internet world at the writer for The Offside Rules, focusing on the culture, people, and personalities that surround soccer in America. What makes this side/face of the American soccer world so interesting? How much more rewarding is covering this angle than the statistics and game action?

You need to be reading this.

TOR started out as my bar stool. If I were a baseball fan in NY I could walk into any bar in Manhattan and say to the guy next to me "What the hell is going on with the Mets? They are horrible!" If I tried that with the then-MetroStars I would have be presumed to be one of the crazy guys that stand out front of the Port Authority preaching about Lord knows what. I lurked around the Bigsoccer and Metrofanatic boards a lot but I never posted too much because it was often argumentative for my tastes. So I decided to create my own space to talk soccer, specifically more about the lifestyle and off-the-field aspects because no one else was touching it at the time. And stats and analysis bore me very quickly, not my idea of fun.

My view of sports and blogging is differs from a lot of people's take. I look at sports as entertainment just like music, movies, TV etc and all of those things focus more on the celebrity aspect more than the numbers angle. Have you ever seen a music blog declare Arcade Fire the Band of the Year based on record sales, merch sales and ticket sales? Hell to the no. But in sports that seems to be the norm and that should definitely be the bread and butter but the other stuff is actually fun (to me at least) and that's why I follwo sports, to enjoy myself. Besides, I'm horrible at math.

The weird thing about TOR is that people who discover it and start following often don't get that it's just my personal playpen and not the news. It's not CNN; I don't claim to be a journalist, I'm a guy who likes soccer and needs to talk about it more than I get the chance to in the real world so I ramble about it on Blogspot. It's not the Paris Review; it's not meant to be that serious for the most part. And it's certainly not a commercial endeavor; I've run two ads in 4 years for friends' businesses (Bumpy Pitch; Onionbag.com) as a mitzvah. I've never made a dime from it. For the most part I'm just trying to have a laugh.

Having said that it's been really cool to make so many friends via TOR. Those who get it, get it. But I have to admit there were points where I didn't get it and have heard it from the readers. I've always kept it really personal and unfortunately I've been guilty of letting the worst of me out on occasion; some things that I thought were funny or worth airing out in public just weren't. For the last few years I've been trying to not say anything that I wouldn't say to anyone's face, not because of any self-appointed journalistic ethics but more or less because even though I like to make immature jokes I'm still an adult on some level. But I sometimes miss the mark on that sadly.

I guess that was kind of a serious answer for someone who just said he doesn't want to be serious.

3) With competition from all-corners of the globe (the English Premier League, South America, J-League!, etc) for the attention of a soccer fan in the United States what's the best case you can make for American soccer and Major League Soccer?

The best case is this: it's ours. Would you rather be a in long-distance relationship with a super hot chick but you only get make out once a year and you have to get up at 7am every Saturday to call her or would you rather be married to a good looking local chick and have a real, honest-to-God daily relationship with her? For me there is no competition.

They said goodbye once already....

4) New York Cosmos? What's their deal? Are we really going to see this zombie team make it back to top tier soccer in the United States? What's the impact for soccer in the US if this is the real thing?

From what I gather the New York Cosmos is 1) a logo, 2) a youth academy, 3) a memory. I think they blew their wad early by bringing out Pele, Chinaglia and Carlos Alberto to say "the Cosmos is back" for what, a youth program? Kind of a waste. Personally, I think the only way that you get people excited about the Cosmos name again is if that it is playing in MLS in the 5 boroughs and the only way that happens is if the Wilpons (who own the Mets) get involved. No one has the land and the clout to get a stadium built in less than 5-8 years. Let's put it this way: the Jets couldn't get a stadium built in Manhattan and they are the NFL. The Nets took 8 years to break ground on their new arena in Brooklyn and they are the NBA with Ratner, one of the most juiced people in NYC real estate, as an owner alongside pop icon Jay-Z. Do you think a soccer team will get the breaks that the NFL, NBA, Ratner and Jay-Z can't? I don't but if Wilpon is in you don't need as many breaks because he already has the land right next to CitiField.

I'd love to see them as the second NY team, but it's not going to happen quickly. But who knows, maybe the powers that be at MLS have an ace up their sleeve provided the group that owns the Cosmos name has the cash.

5) How do you feel about being the bridge between soccer and cool? That may seem a bridge too far from your modest perspective, but there aren't a lot of soccer sites that can go from "A Tribe Called West" (cool) to Preki bobble-heads (nerdy) to River Coumo (cool, again) to Star War-Red Bulls connections (nerdy). Given that soccer fans are usually the equivalent of sci fi convention attendees this injects some must needed "cred" to our fandom.

Well thanks for thinking I'm still cool. I'm 34 now, married with 2 kids, go to church on Sunday and I am too fat for skinny jeans so I often feel that I've lost the cool. I guess it goes back to TOR being personal; I write like I speak --poor grammar, swears and all-- and write about the same things I talk about to the other ESC guys at the tailgate and it's not just soccer. Just like anyone else I like Star Wars, girls, music, clothes etc. It's not like some grand plot, it's just my normal interests in print as opposed to a verbal conversation. Make no mistake though, I am as geeky as anyone else.

But we need to inject "pop" into American Soccer. With the NFL, NBA, MLB we don't have to make pop cultural connections because those guys are part of the entertainment landscape in a way that most soccer players aren't in this country. My feeling is that is pop culture isn't going to come to us, we better start reaching out toward it. And there are other blogs that are doing their thing in a way that's more "lifestyle" driven and less hardcore stats; analysis; The Original Winger and The Third Kit are great examples of that.

6) Predictions for the growth of soccer in the U.S.? Where is this thing headed? Where will it settle in the American sports psyche?

Where is it headed? Canada it seems with Vancouver and Montreal joining TFC in the league soon.

The thing I find interesting is that even within the single-entity system you can kind of see haves and have-not emerging among the clubs. They may not be able to fight too much amongst each other for players as far as wage-wars go but I think it's going to be all about what a club can offer a player aside from money. "Can you offer me big crowds like Seattle and Toronto?" "Will I play on grass with your team?" "Can you put me in a soccer-specific stadium?" "Does your team feature any DP's?" "Will I be treated as a pro athlete with all of the perks that entails in your market?" These are questions that I can see players; their agents start asking and things that clubs are going to start touting. With that in mind I think players are going to want to gravitate toward the Torontos, Seattles, LAs and New Yorks while it's going to get harder for places who might have small crowds (Colorado), tight pockets (New England) or bad stadium situations (D.C.).

Do you think these pricks could
give us a couple of minutes on their show?

As far as what the nation thinks, I think times are changing for sure but it's still going to be a while before our game is water cooler talk outside of the World Cup. It does seem like we get closer and closer every year. I think the key for the national team is to reach the round of 8 in the World Cup; if we hit that mark again with the money ESPN; Nike are now investing in covering the Yanks and the attention that this year's World Cup generated I think we'll see even more people outside of soccer take an interest.

But the key I think is raising the interest in the domestic league. If all of the existing soccer fans in America, the ones who get up at 7am to watch Chelsea but can't be bothered to drive 17 miles to see Chivas USA, would become MLS fans it would not only change the league from a business standpoint but it would change the way the public and non-soccer media view the game. If we had a domestic league full of Toronto-sized crowds it would be very hard for SportsCenter to ignore it.

7) Can you get us five minutes with Frankie Hejduk? I think we've got a pretty good case for him to join us as our spokesperson.

Ha! He would be great wouldn't he? Your best bet is to try and catch him in the Bob Marley section of your local bookstore; he'll talk to anyone there apparently.

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This Weekend's American Soccer on TV

This weekend's American soccer schedule to drink to!


Saturday, September 18

Chicago Fire at Real Salt Lake (3pm CT on Telefutura and Local TV)
Seattle Sounders at Columbus Crew (6:30pm CT on MLS MatchDay Live and Local TV)
Toronto FC at Houston Dynamo (7:30pm CT on MLS MatchDay Live and Local TV)
New England Revolution at Colorado Rapids (8:00pm on MLS MatchDay Live and Local TV)
DC United at Los Angeles Revolution (9:30pm on Fox Soccer Channel and Local TV)


Sunday, September 19
WPS Playoffs: Washington Freedom at Philadelphia Independence (1:30pm CT on Fox Sports Net)
Kansas City Wizards at Chivas USA (7pm CT on MLS MatchDay Live and Local TV)


BOLD Indicates National TV Broadcasts


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Seven Reasons Soccer Fans Should Be Happy American Football Is Back

If the American sporting landscape was like a Discovery Channel or Animal Planet special, soccer in America and football in America would be natural enemies in the wild. One, American football, brutish and violent, stalking the sleek, but formidable American soccer.

It would be easy to say that American soccer fans have a bit of a complex when it comes to comparing themselves and their sport to the king of all sports in the United States, football. Their stadiums, their crowd sizes, their fan bases, their revenue are the envy of the sporting world, here and abroad.

We often detest the monstrosity that is the National Football League (and the college game) while also quietly respecting the product they've created and marketed so successfully. If baseball is "America's Pastime", then football is "America's Now-time" (awkward there, we know).

Ironically, many American soccer fans are also big fans of football (us included) and so it is hard as sports fans in general to maintain the passion and commitment to both when the pointy-ball's professional season kicked off this past week. And those that are solely fans of the real football (soccer, that is) find their self-esteem taking a hit like an only child learning that number two is on the way.

But we at the Free Beer Movement... builders of American soccer one beer at a time, do not fear the coming tidal wave of kitten-eaters and meatheads to our televisions. We do not fear the coming overload of NFL highlights on ESPN's SportsCenter at the expense of the nearly non-existent Major League Soccer scorelines. Our quest is to bridge the gap between the the current sporting obsession of Americans and it's future sporting obsession (or so they weird lady with all the tattoos and the crystal ball told us for sixty bucks).

We've gone ahead and put together (not definitively) a list of reasons why soccer fans in America should be happy that American football is back.

Oh hey... don't mind us. We'll just put these lines
here for your convenience.

* We Can Now Double Check that the Free Kick Wall is Really Ten Yards Back
- Ask yourself how many times you've screamed at the TV or from the stands to that incompetent MLS ref that the defensive wall has, yet again, crept too close to your star freekick specialist. Now your fearless captain has conveniently painted yard-markers on the field to point out to the paint-chip eater in the center circle that clearly the wall is only eight yards away. Problem solved!

* A Wonderful Reminder that MLS has the Best Tailgating Season in Professional Sports
- In a few months you're going to see dumbasses at Lambeau Field sitting in fourteen layers (including one snowmobile suit under a blaze orange hunter jacket under a camouflage cheesehead) in the parking lot grilling Johnsonville brats in 10 degree weather and four inches of snow and you're going to remember how awesome was to sit in the sun and 80 degrees outside of Crew Stadium with a beer that was awesomely cold (but not so cold you'd fear your tongue freezing to it like it was "A Christmas Story") and food that would stay warm long after you pulled it off the grill.

Major League Soccer runs from April until MLS Cup in October and if all goes well one never has to wear more than two layers (including a light jacket) when attending any soccer match in America.

Thank you, NFL. Lovely idea. (Photo: CDChivasUSA.com)

* Cheerleaders
- If it wasn't for the NFL and college football the Dynamo Girls, ChivaGirls, the Crewzers, and all the other cheerleading squads/dance teams of the MLS would just be a glimmer in some pervert's eye.

Plus, the end game of this all is what you've seen in Central and South America.

* The Weekly Excitement of Finding Out What Color the Soccer Lines Will Be
- Now that American football has bought up the domestic supply of white field paint MLS teams that still share stadiums have to grab the bargin bin colors. Will New England feature yellow lines? Maybe the Dynamo will go with the jersey colors in electric orange? I can hardly wait to see! Hope it's fuchsia!

* Beer and Sports
- Remember the "Bud Bowl" Super Bowl commercials? Those were our favorites when we were a kid watching the Throwball Championship. Sure you could get a cold one at the stadium of most professional sports, but American football tied beer to sports like it was a three-legged race at a family reunion picnic. American football made it acceptable to start drinking at eight in the morning before your college took the field at noon (the old "acceptable" benchmark to start drinking).

Now soccer fans in America don't think twice about having a brew-ski (or better yet an Irish Coffee) during those early morning kick-offs from Europe. Even better is the fact that one could make their way around the soccer world and never have to set their drink down. Being a fan of the global game is the new "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere"!

Photo Graphic: WSJ.com

* The Collective Smirk We All Get When Someone Who Loves a Sport that Contains Barely 11 Minutes of Action Claims Soccer is Boring
- This summer we're sure most soccer fans who tried to pass on their love of the sport to soccer newbies (hopefully through the Free Beer Movement) heard, at least once, that "soccer is boring" and "nothing ever happens". These two whines form the crux of most soccer haters limited vocabulary and debate skills.

But, of course, this is coming from the stout defenders of a sport that features roughly 11 minutes of actual gameplay amongst a sixty minute game clock and (sometimes more) three-hour window of broadcasting.

Now, we love football just as much as the next person, but we also acknowledge the absurdity of such statements coming from this camp as well. There's no arguing with forty-five minutes of fluid match play, interrupted by a sole fifteen minute halftime, followed by the remainder of the final forty-five minutes.

In fact, it's one of the few sports (barring knock-out round extra-time or penalty kicks) that you can schedule your day around or fit conveniently into your schedule. Try that with football and you've got to block off your whole afternoon just so you can see fourteen Cialas commercials between twenty-size Coors "frost indicator" promos... oh, and a game somewhere there, too.

* Something to Aspire To
- But when it is all said and done, we soccer fans are jealous of a good many things that American football has done. They've consistently filled some of the world's largest sporting stadiums week-in-and-week-out, the Super Bowl is still the crem della crem of one day sporting events in the U.S, they've provided shelter to most MLS clubs now and in the past when they had no other place to play, and have a passionate and committed fanbase that continues to grow at stadiums and in front of the TVs. This is what we want, too.

And, like it or not, the quest World Cup back to the United States in 2018 or 2022 may well hinge on the commitment of a group of NFL owners (even if it's just because they see dollar signs in their eyes over the event) that are helping make a convincing case to FIFA. Notice that many of the stops on the recent FIFA Inspection tour we're at NFL grounds (including Miami's Dolphin Stadium, New York's New Meadlowlands, Houston's Reliant Stadium and Dallas' Cowboy Stadium).

Any other reasons, as a soccer fan in America, you're happy to have American Football back? Leave 'em in the comments section.

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Free Beer Movement in Action: John from Florida

(Editor's Note: We've asked for your "Free Beer Movement in Action" stories and pictures and you've responded! We believe in the idea that free beer is a crucial element in building a long-lasting and passionate base of soccer fans in America.  Those that have subscribed to the "free beer philosophy" are helping us shore up our thesis that "free beer works" by sending in their evidence from across the country.

WE STILL WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Send us your stories and pictures of the FBM in Action in your neck of the woods and we'll send you some FREE Free Beer Movement stickers for your troubles.)

Free Beer Movement in Spain, Germany, and Florida (that's a country, right?)

Just wanted to add my two cents. I'm a writer, so sorry about the length. I tried to keep it modest.

World Cup 2002, Spain:

I had the best seats at this game. Actually, the best seats I've ever had at any sporting event ever. Three rows behind the USA bench. I was hoarse for three days after screaming directions to Bruce Arena, who for some reason ignored me.

German Pub in Spain: I was in Spain with a large group of American college students (and I was recent high school grad, in a place with no recognizable drinking age) during this World Cup. I stayed in the city of Valencia, and there was a German/Celtic pub (it's name is Max Max, it's small but epic) that gave away free t-shirts with 8 pints of beer. Naturally we all tried to see who could collect the most shirts. We came to watch nearly ever US game there, filling the place with Americans. They were shocked that so many Americans cared about the game so much. But we showed our passion when we were robbed in the quarters against Germany, of all people. We were livid. Such an obvious handball. The German patrons felt our pain, and loved our passion. We stayed there and traded soccer stories and bought each other pints. The game ended with the sun up, but I stumbled out at night, with a shirt tied around my head.

World Cup 2006, Germany:

While working in Germany for the World Cup, I often found myself in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar people speaking unfamiliar languages. I spoke to (or made hand gestures with) someone from every livable continent in the world. Even though I was there with a few dozen family members, it was not uncommon to find myself flying solo for a night or two. I am not the type to sit alone in my hotel room, so when I have spare time I venture out into the city and try to find new friends.

My cousins and I right before USA vs. Ghana, World Cup 2006. Great part about this pic was obviously the ridiculous sized beers. Even better, every time my beer was almost gone, a random person (usually an American, but a German did also) would refill my brew from their own. Kinda makes me tear up a bit when I think about.

South Americans on the Train: On a red eye train from Munich to Berlin, I found it hard to sleep, likely because my sleeping patterns were non-existent due to many nights/morning spent at the bar/pub/disco. I could not sit in my chair any longer, so I got up and wandered to the back of the train, where they typically serve food. When I got to the smoky car, I found two gentlemen, un gordo y un flaco, talking passionately in Spanish. I speak a little Espanol, and I understood they were talking about soccer. The language barrier was pretty steep, but after we bought each other some (over-priced) beer, the laughs and the stories poured out. Turns out they were soccer announcers there to cover the games for live radio broadcasts (the fast-speaking ones that scream "Gooooooooooooool!" He even did a fake broadcast to show me). We spoke for hours, and I got off at my destination thoroughly tipsy after being entertained by soccer nuts from South America. 

Random Germans: I spent the majority of my time in Germany based in Munich. I had a large group of family come to Munich for some games, and I showed them the good spots for nightlife. One night, while dancing (and sweating profusely; most German places don't have/need air-conditioning) with my cousins, I started to talk with some guys at the bar who noticed we were American (we knew the words to the songs being played). He introduced me to his girlfriend, and some other guys he was with. At the end of the night/beginning of the morning, we were still (drunkenly) talking, and my fam was ready to head back to the hotel. He invited me back to his place and was going to make everyone breakfast. We hopped on a train, and I found myself in a suburb of Munich with a bunch of people who don't speak English, and we were still drinking beer at 7:30am. The pictures from that night all have me smiling. Luckily a few of them spoke English, but by the look in my oft-crossed eyes in the pictures, I'm not sure I understood any language. I met up with those folks a few more times before the end of the cup, and we always compared stories about how soccer is viewed in our countries.

This was during the opening game, that amazing spectacle of football that was Germany vs. Costa Rica (4-3 Germany I believe). Braids were still fresh.

Is that my beer?: I just happened to be in Berlin when the Germans clinched their spot in the knockout rounds. The streets of Berlin erupted like a beer volcano. People were spinning out their tires, honking their horns, cheering, dancing, playing loud music, and singing until the sun came up. My uncle and I had just sold our tickets to a game we weren't interested in seeing, and were wandering the streets, soaking up the atmosphere. We were looking for a place to buy a beer, but every place had a line longer than we wanted to wait. Then suddenly it seemed like a riot was breaking out as a group of Germans rushed an ambulance and started pushing on it's side, tilting it back and forth. After much screaming, yelling, and cheering, they stopped. Then I saw why they were doing that, the ambulance driver stuck his whole body out the window and revealed a huge German flag and a bigger smile. During all this commotion, people started running to see what was happening. I saw a guy leave his freshly-bought beer on a window sill and run over. I did not need to buy a beer after that.

World Cup 2010, USA:

My "I-don't-watch-sports" Friend: I decided to start an American Outlaws chapter in Orlando, FL. I was bummed about not getting to South Africa, and I was determined to re-create the passion of the last two World Cups I'd seen over seas at home. My family did not need to be swayed, even had my father and mother out for some games, and yes they cheer loudly. But the challenge was getting my friends out to see some games, the friends that either don't watch sports or just don't follow soccer. One of my friends admittedly just doesn't watch sports. He's a computer guy, and he parties, but he's not the type to turn a game on and watch by himself.

I offered to buy him a round or two if he would just come out to one game... that game was US vs. Algeria. He missed the first half, but got there just in time to get settled and enjoy the match. He understood the anguish on my face as My Boys faced elimination. I was having a really hard time enjoying the match. He was enjoying seeing my stress about a game. But when LD10 scored THAT goal, he was running around with the rest of us, smiling and laughing in disbelief. We were standing on top of the bar fist-pumping, and I was nearly in tears. He hugged strangers, high-fived everyone in sight. Then he told me he would for-sure be there for the next game, and he was, on-time and everything. And he was just as pissed that we lost. He still doesn't watch sports, but he watches the USMNT.

Cheers,

John A. Paz


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The Flight: The Weeks Most Random, Tastiest Bits

Featuring the interesting, unique, and weird in the world of soccer and beer. Bottoms up!

Got something for "The Flight"? Drop us a line at freebeermovement@gmail(dot)com.


Soccer


* Remember the greatest free-kick goal ever? Sure you do. It's in EVERY greatest goal compilation video on YouTube.

The Game: Brazil v. France. The Year: 1997. The Setting World Cup warm-up match (ironically, the Final would feature both, too). The player: Roberto Carlos. The result: See for yourself (again and again).



The shot looks like it should have taken place on the moon the way the ball moved, but now scientists are bringing soccer fans back to earth by explaining that Carlos' kick was "no fluke" and that's just how this crazy thing called "gravity" works.

Bummer... and we were thinking this whole time that there was some crazy "Star Trek" multi-dimensional, gravity vortex that appeared briefly for that all to go down.

* 723 Football Films continues their great run of quality American soccer clip compliations with "MLS - Youth of A Nation," a feature about a half dozen of so up-and-coming kids in our league. Some emerging players to get really excited about as MLS fans and USMNT fans.



* We, as a general rule, wholesale steal from The Offside Rules because it is one of the best damn soccer sites in the United States of America and pretty much whatever is feature on there is tragically hip. So it's no surprise that our next bit of video-goodness comes from there. A great highlight video, of awesome production value, of Red Bull New York; its stars, stadium, and fans.


This House is a Circus from Paul Connors on Vimeo.

Beer


* 200-year old beer?!?! Ummm... you try it first. Then, if you don't die, I'll give it a shot.


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Brian McBride Tribute in Chicago - October 9th

We've already penned quite a little ditty in honor of retiring Fire forward Brian McBride, but we are upping the ante for the former USMNTer.

During the National Team friendly against Poland on October 9th, along with the American Outlaws and the great American soccer publication The Shin Guardian, we're organizing a tribute for the tailsman in his professional team's backyard, Chicago.

Prairie Rose's handiwork. Also, the TSG shirt.

If you're heading to Chicago (like us!) for this match join us in giving thanks to a real American soccer legend.

What can you do?

- Print off one the awesome signs made by FBM designer, and all-around good guy, Eric (at the top of this post)

- Make your own banner! (Like Prairie Rose [@Hoover_Dam] did!

- Get the Brian McBride "Unbreakable" shirt from The Shin Guardian guys.

- Learn the words to "You'll Always Want McBride on Your Side" written by the FBM and join us in song during the match.

- Lastly, and probably the coolest, paint your face in the style of McBride's iconic 2006 World Cup wound.

The FBM, AO, and TSG want McBride to have the proper send off he never got from the 2008 Olympic disaster. Rumor has it he will be at the game so grab your finger paints and get to work people!

We've got a legend to honor!



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Sign the Petition to Bring the World Cup to the United States!

From the GoUSABid website:

No nation embodies the values and spirit of the FIFA World Cup™ quite like the United States.

Whether you choose to call it soccer, football, or futbol, it is a game that, in so many ways, tells our nation's story.

It is a game where individuals shine through participation, talent and creativity—but team success results from hard work, sacrifice and dedication to a common cause.

It is a democratic game that requires nothing more than a ball, a patch of ground and the passion to play.

It is the world's game, and America, with its rich diversity, is a uniquely globalized nation. We are the world's melting pot, and we have brought the game with us from every corner of the earth.

This is why the game has captured the imaginations of so many Americans and continues to grow at an astonishing pace. It is in our schoolyards and stadiums, our church parking lots and cornfields, our back alleys and beachfronts, pulsing through our cities and suburbs and countryside alike.

The game has grown and never before has there been an opportunity to unify all the diverse passions that live within our borders.

The game is everywhere. The game is in US. We are Americans and we are ready to welcome a FIFA World Cup™ that makes the game part of the everyday social consciousness of our country.

Sign the Petition TODAY to help bring the World Cup to the United States. There will never be a bigger Free Beer Movement opportunity like this!




Source: GoUSABid.com

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Going Suds Up: The Best Beers, The Best Soccer

By Kirsten Schlewitz / Senior West Coast Beer and Aston Villa Correspondent

With the exception of 4pm on a Wednesday afternoon, when FSC made a crazy decision to once again show the LA Galaxy/Real Madrid friendly, fall seems to be an excellent time to be a soccer fan in America. If you’re like me and have absolutely no desire to watch that other form of football, just stay out of the bars and you’ll be golden.

And if you’re ignoring that great American tradition of Saturday and/or Sunday gridiron watching (or even if you’re not, but merely supplementing your soccer watching) you must also put aside the tradition of drinking tasteless, sticky sweet, over-chilled “beer” and reach for something befitting the games that you’ll be watching.

I won’t be promoting the U.S. games this week though, mostly because Chicago v Philly bores me, I know almost nothing about WPS, and the rest of the games are stuck on Direct Kick. So the match of the week goes to…Napoli v Bari, on Sunday at 1:30PM CT on FSC. I’m a big fan of the partenopei, particularly Marek Hamšík, and am quite excited that I can watch them on the big screen for the first time this season(even if Hamšík close-ups are a bit scary).

So raise a glass to Napoli, and fill it with Boulevard Brewing Co. Bourbon Aged Quad (BBQ). Perhaps it’s just the Northwest, but the last week has been quite chilly. This beer will warm you right up. It smells delicious, of brown sugar, chocolate, cherries and bourbon. The taste is much the same, with a very nice tart cherry finish. Best of all, the 11.8% ABV will leave you ready for a lovely Sunday nap after the match.

I’d give you a second match, but I made the mistake of drinking half a glass of this stuff while writing this recommendation, and that was enough to make the screen slightly blurry. If that’s not a good reason to recommend, I don’t know what is!

About Kirsten:

Ever since Brazil caught my eye during the 1994 World Cup I’ve considered myself a soccer fan, but it wasn’t until the summer 2008 that I decided to find a club. I focused on the Premier League and eventually chose Aston Villa. Initially drawn in by the pretty clarets and blues, I found I liked their organization, their owner and their manager. I fell hard and now it’s too late—I can’t give them up. As for MLS, that was easy, as I live in Seattle. I also support Exeter FC, SSC Napoli, FC Koln, Estudiantes Tecos and Tooting & Mitcham FC, all for a variety of reasons including cider, tattoos, scarves, owls, and a soccer player texting while on the pitch. I’m the Managing Editor of SB Nation’s Aston Villa site, 7500 to Holte. I also contribute to Two Footed Tackle.

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"In Bob We Trust" - Time to Get on Board

Are you serious? Yup. Take that to the bank.

I wasn't going to write about U.S. National Team coach Bob Bradley. Nothing. Nada. Not a single word. The Free Beer Movement site isn't really the place that most people come for U.S. news and analysis. Frankly we're not particularly good at it. We cover the cultural aspect of American soccer. We're unabashed supporters of our domestic game. We do blind devotion pretty well.

There was once upon a time that I'd hope that I would become some great web-based soccer writer, but that dream has come and gone. That's what our friends at The Shin Guardian are for. They do that up real nice. They're living my dream and I think they're doing it better than I could've imagine myself doing it.

But not here. I've got an opinion on it all. EVERYONE in the American soccer Inter-Net-Blogo-Sphere had an opinion about Bradley last week. What's the saying... "opinions are like assholes, everyone has one". Well, anyone with an asshole (including some just straight up assholes) and a keyboard shared their Bob Bradley-related two cents with the world. I'm really not going to share our opinion, though.

The right choice? Irrelevant now.

I am going to share one thought that will probably spiral into multiple other thoughts on the whole affair. I spent a whole week marinating on the Coach Sweatpants news and came to one conclusion: "In Bob We Trust".

Hold on a darn second. Before you skip down through the rest of the column to flame me in the comments section (or quick navigate away because you disagree with an thought you haven't fully read through yet) I'd like you, dear reader, to think about a few things.

Consider This:

1) I am a fan/supporter of the United States National Soccer Team until I die.
2) Bob Bradley is the current coach of the United States National Soccer Team.

If you can answer "yes" to both of these questions then the discussion is over.

It is time to put away your animosity and get behind the National Team that you love and support unequivocally. Stick around and I will explain why this is important.

If you answered "no" to either of those questions then you may kindly navigate away from this site.

Last week, when I was in my "pondering" mode of the Bradley news I read the news, went over the press conference, listened to various American soccer radio shows and podcasts, sorted through all the opinions and comments of various people across our great land. Some were voices of importance and some of the regular ol' commenter.

As I so often do, I also listened to the podcast that the U.S. supporters group, the American Outlaws puts out on a semi-regularly basis. Their most recent episode came right on the heels of the breaking news of the rehiring of Bob Bradley by Sunil Gulati and Co. at the USSF. What they said, in between cracking open beers, was of a huge help to me as an American soccer fan. I'll expand on this shortly.

You see much of the Inter-Net-Blogo-Sphere had worked itself into a tizzy over the news. There was surprise, relief, outrage... the whole gambit of emotions. It seemed like the 12 stages of grief were in hyper-drive and people sprinting between all twelve, sometimes hitting multiple ones simultaneously.

When the dust settled some took the news in stride; others renounced their citizenship as if George W. Bush had been elected to a third term.

Right man for the job? Doesn't matter any more.

I hate to dive into the terrible practice of "nut-picking," but with so few "mainstream" voices of American soccer sometimes one has to comb through the piles of outrage that flooded Facebook, Twitter, Big Soccer, and Soccer By Ives. Frankly I was surprised at the level of hostility that was borne from the news.

By no means was this the dominant opinion, but beyond the shock that Jurgen Klinsmann wasn't announced or complaints of the process in which USSF went about their coaching search, there was genuine anger and frustration. To the point that people were set to abandon the U.S. National Team.

Now. Back. The. Truck. Up.

Beyond who you wanted personal for the job. Beyond who you thought was the best qualified for the job. Beyond your frustration with the process. Beyond your opinion of Bob Bradley, the person, the coach, the job he's done, the squad he chose for South Africa, the personnel he used during the World Cup. Beyond your hopes for Brazil in 2014.

NO ONE EVER SHOULD GIVE UP THEIR ALLEGIANCE TO THEIR NATIONAL TEAM.

For any reason.

Period.

Listening to Zach, Korey, and Justin, founders of the American Outlaws, guys who are serious and respected fans of the USMNT it was clear that, no matter what they thought personally about Bob Bradley it, the most important thing to do was get behind the rehired coach. For the good of the team for the good of supporting the USMNT from this point forward.

It happens (or should) after elections. One candidate gets up, thanks his supporters for a well fought for race, acknowledges the winner, and implored those who voted for him or her to back the candidate that the voters chose.

Now I know that we, as USMNT fans, did not have a vote in this process and so the metaphor might not hold up as well as I would like, but the truth is that a decision has been made. Despite what horse you backed  this team will be coached by Bob Bradley and the games will go on.

So here's the deal: Bradley's the coach and the USMNT is our team. For better or for worse he's our guy and these are our boys for 2014 (veterans and newcomers). Let's get behind them all, do the work that needs to be done, and support our National Team. We can choose our fandom; it picks us.

I hope you'll be joining me in rooting for the success of our National Team.

Photo Credit: AO: Cleveland

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"You'll Always Want McBride On Your Side"

McBride shed more "red" for the red, white, and blue than anyone else.

On September 3rd, 2010 Chicago Fire forward and former U.S. National Team player Brian McBride announced his retirement from professional soccer, effective at the end of the current season.

McBride, he of the amazing diving goal of the 2002 World Cup, he of bloody sacrifice during the 2006 World Cup, he of 30 goals in 96 appearances for the USMNT (including the first American to score in two different Cups). A career that spanned two stints in Major League Soccer (the Crew from '96-'04 and the Fire ('08-'10) and becoming club captain for Fulham (they even changed the sports bar at their stadium to "McBride's" and paving the way for other Americans at the club and in England.

No one embodies more of the American soccer spirit that McBride. He will be missed.

In honor of Mr. Brian McBride we at the Free Beer Movement wrote a little ditty for him.

Enjoy.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Words modified from Monty Python's "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" from "Life of Brian".

YouTube of the film's ending.

Sung to the same tune.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Singularly Spoken by Someone)

Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse.
When the defense is thick as thistle
From the very kick off whistle
And this'll help things turn out for the best...

And...you'll always want McBride on your side...
(whistle tune)
You'll always want McBride on your side...
(whistle tune)

(All together now)

If your courage seems jolly rotten
Scoring something you've forgotten
And that's to pass and shoot and rebound and celebrate.
When you're feeling in the dumps
Don't be silly chumps
Just play Brian McBride and you've got a goal, mate.

And...you'll always want McBride on your side...
(whistle tune)
You'll always want McBride on your side...
(whistle tune)

For the game is quite absurd
Score at the death's for the final word
Brian McBride it's time to take a bow.
Thanks for the scoring binge - it gave the audience grins
Enjoy it - it's your last chance anyhow.

So always look on the bright side retirement
(whistle tune)
Just before you play your last min-et.
(whistle tune)

When your other forward's a piece of shit
From the very first kick
McBride's the man with a scoring touch, so true.
Number 20 will put on a show
Keep 'em cheering as we go
Just remember that the last laugh for you.

And...you'll always want McBride on your side...
(whistle tune)
You'll always want McBride on your side..
(whistle tune)

And...you'll always want McBride on your side...
(whistle tune)
You'll always want McBride on your side..
(whistle tune)

And...you'll always want McBride on your side...
(whistle tune)
You'll always want McBride on your side..
(whistle tune)

Fade Out.

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