Media roundup (part deux)

ESPN Classic is hosting a series on The Art of Football, hosted by John Cleese. Don't know much about it, but it looks like it's going to start this Sunday, July 13, so check your listings. Maybe. The page for the show included a cool quote by uber-referee, Pierluigi Collina: "A good referee must defend creativity on the pitch. That is a very important role. If you make mistakes in this role, the beauty of the game and the creativity of the players can be influenced in a negative way." Amen.

I didn't attend the Free Kick Masters (and it sounds like it was a good thing I didn't), but I felt like I was there after reading Jen Chang's detailed account of the event. Here is his pre-event entry, with a tip o' the hat to DeRo. B-Fall also covered it in his blog.

And speaking of celebrity sightings, here's another nice recap of the Claudia Reyna-Steve Nash charity soccer game in New York last month. (More links here.) "This Is American Soccer" has some cool photos of the event.

Finally, check out the Dynamo blog. It quashes the rumor about DeRo going to FC Copenhagen, updates us on the Dynamo Academy's peformance in the SUM U-17 Cup tournament, and presents some nice photos of a few players and their wives at the Ronald McDonald House on June 27.

More on El Capitan ... and more

Here's the gameday preview from The Chron (Ching: "At times we are (playing like a champion); we have glimpses of that." Kinnear: "It's been kind of a mixed bag.") and the associated notes.

I'm not a big fan of NY City as a place to live, but there certainly are a lot of benefits. How about a "pick-up" game in the park with Steven Nash and Thierry Henry? Here's a blog that covers the individual performances, and here's Ives' live (and brief) commentary and Ives discussing the question as to why Reyna can play here, but not for the team that signs his paycheck.

As for the pick-up game: Yeah, I'm jealous. At least we get the Free Kick Masters (which isn't free).

Stadium-ish news
How about this late-breaking news about a new practice facility for the Dynamo. This has been in the works for some time.

Mayor Bill White unveiled plans for a regional amateur sports complex to be
built on Houston’s south side Thursday. White joined community partners to
discuss the future facility and to announce plans for a private fundraising
campaign to support development.

The planned 100-acre, 18-field complex,
bounded by Highway 288 and Kirby Drive on the east and west sides and Sims Bayou
on the south, will provide a world-class soccer facility for Houston area youth
and adult league play. It will immediately become a soccer destination for
regional and major tournaments.

The first phase of the project provides
for street and infrastructure improvements and construction of eight soccer
fields at a cost of $10 million and is to be completed by December of 2009.
Within the next 90 days, public works officials will present to city council
plans for infrastructure to support the facility and a contract ready to be
awarded for the extension of Kirby Drive.

Plans are being developed to
make the complex the training home for the two- time MLS Cup Champion Houston
Dynamo and its youth programs.

I'm sure the Chronicle will have more information later today.

Best Forwards Coming to Houston - Dec 22

"The Funkie Junkie," posted on BigSoccer.com some great news about a contest called Free Kick Masters. Simply put, it sounds like a terrific Christmas present for Houston soccer fans.

From the Free Kick Masters website:
The Free Kick Masters is a skills-based international soccer competition featuring some of the world’s top rated free kickers competing against some of the world’s top rated goalkeepers in a free kick shootout to declare the world’s “Free Kick Master” and “Golden Goalkeeper”. The last Free Kick Masters event held in 2004 in Marbella, Spain was sold out and broadcast to over 30 countries and an estimated 110 million viewers.

The Free Kick Masters 2007 will be held in Houston, Texas. The player crowned “Free Kick Master” will receive $1 million in prize money, and the “Golden Goalkeeper” title winner will receive $0.5 million in prize money.

From the FC Barcelona website:
Ronaldinho will be one of the main stars taking part in the Free Kick Masters 2007 to be held on December 22 in Houston and is a competition to find the greatest free kick taker in the world.

The complete set of entrants has yet to be confirmed, but Ronaldinho knows he will be up against some tough opposition. “There are some very good free kick takers, all those taking part will be good at it” he said. “I like Beckham, Thierry Henry, Roberto Carlos, Márquez, Deco... All of those players can shoot really well.”

Life for Houstonian soccer fans just gets better and better.