How Did They Do That?

Check out this video to promo McDonald's World Cup app.  All I could think was how many takes did they need for each shot?

Loyden: US Soccer Needs to Take Action Against Solo

By not taking action against goalie Hope Solo, charged with assault on two family members, U.S. Soccer "is not living up to its responsibilities," says former keeper, Jillian Loyden in yesterday's USA Today.

When fans think of the women's national Team, they think of winning and success, of the most successful women's team in sports, of the "glad standard.  But Loydon argues, "U.S. Soccer must be the gold standard beyond the field as well."

"As professional athletes, we have leverage and influence in people's lives. People listen to us, and fans look up to us. We are role models and should strive to be champions both on and off the field. We have a responsibility to make our voices heard and make them count."

Loyden, who plays for Sky Blue FC in the NWSL, reveals in her article that her sister was murdered, allegedly by her fiance, who is awaiting trial. "It took my sister's death for me to stand up and speak out. When I looked into my nephew's eyes, I swore that I would not stay quiet anymore."

Loydon has organized the Jillian Loyden Foundation whose mission is to "to create and support signature programs and activities that motivate young people by empowering them and help them find value in themselves."

An uphill battle for Haitian women

Talk about underdogs.  The Haitian Women's National Team trains six months of the year in South Bend, Indiana - many miles from home - with no salary for players or coaches, used equipment and housing that has eight or nine women sharing an apartment.  Back home the team is ignored and the players worry about their families living in poverty and still feeling the effects of a 2010 earthquake.

Yet the team made it through one round of qualifying for the 2015 Womens World Cup to be held in Canada and are about to embark on the final rounds of the CONCACAF Tournament to determine the three countries who will earn a spot in Canada and a fourth team who will play off against Equador for another spot.

Jere Longman reported on the Haitian team's struggles in yesterday's New York Times.  "We played soccer to try to forget," Longman quotes midfielder Ketura Woodlyne-Robuste as saying.

Haiti is in a group with the United States, so presumably the best it could hope for would be a second place finish which would put it in a play-off with the other group's runner-up for the trip to Canada.  The opening match is October 15 against Guatemala in Kansas City.