Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock . . .

Union/Independence/MLS

The coach of the Kansas City Wizards, who the Union are playing tonight, likes the way the Union plays. The game is at 8pm on the Live Well Network. That’s Comcast channel 245/246, Fios channel 465/466. You can read the PSP’s own Dan Walsh’s preview of the game here.

Vote Seitz for the NAPA MLS Save of the Week. (Bet you didn’t think you would read that sentence a few weeks ago.)

Here’s a profile on Jack McInerney, part of the next generation of US soccer stars.

Lori Lindsey and Allison Falk have been named to the WPS All-Star game. Independence coach Paul Riley will also head one of the teams.

Real Salt Lake gives LA Galaxy their first loss of the season.

Attendance at MLS matches this year is predicted to increase by more than 15% if current trends continue.

The US at the World Cup

My pal Ian sent me this message and photo from the arrivals terminal in Johannesburg: “Sombreros shrink wrapped in boxes . . . dc united fans in Dubai airport, 20 hours in the air and then this! It’s gonna get very very loud!!”

Sports Illustrated says Bob Bradley’s legacy will come down to the next three matches, not the past 3 and a half years. And they’re right.

The Washington Post thinks Buddle and Findley will start against England.

Sunil Gulati, the head of US Soccer, says the US deserves more respect.

The Wall Street Journal says ESPN has learned how to speak soccer. Then it says the financial clout of the US means nothing to FIFA when it comes to deciding who will host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.

MLSsoccer.com looks at the irony of Saturday’s match, the USA’s biggest game ever.

Bradley says the US will not wind up potty-mouth Wayne Rooney. England coach Capello has warned his players to cut out the swearing. The head official for the USA v England game has been given a list of swear words. No word yet on if he was also given a bar of soap.

With so much attention being given to the USA v England match, MLS Talk warns US fans not to forget Algeria and Slovenia.

Here’s a look at Tim Howard.

Donovan talks about how his time at Everton will help him against England.

Salon wonders why Wall Street hates America in the World Cup. Apparently reports by UBS, JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs don’t rate the US team’s chances to get out of their group very highly. Of course, these are the geniuses who are responsible for the global recession so what do they know?

Here’s today’s “soccer will never catch on in the US” piece. I’m beginning to think the authors of these things must all live in the same cave.

The Daily Show will begin coverage of the World Cup tonight at 11pm. That weasely looking guy with the funny accent will do most of the talking.

The New York Post looks at the 1990 US World Cup squad.

Slate looks at how soccer almost became a major sport in the US in the 1920s.

The captain of Algeria will be benched against Slovenia because “his form is not good enough.”

Etc.,

Here’s a guide on how to follow the World Cup on Twitter. You are not allowed to read this if you play for the Netherlands.

Four Chinese journalists were robbed by armed men on Wednesday. South African police have arrested three in connection with the robbery of three Portuguese journalists on Tuesday.

Three players from Greece have money stolen from their hotel room.

Yahoo! has signed a deal with David Beckham to make him their global soccer ambassador, which is very generous because normally he doesn’t really make much money.