Hey folks! We've had a couple technical issues these past weeks, thus the lack of posts. We think they are now sorted...just in time for yours truly to head to our annual meetings in Los Angeles with my colleagues.

So: For right now, this blog is on a short hiatus. We shall return in February with all new content and (perhaps!) a whole new look.

In the meantime, you can follow us daily on the official Fox Soccer Twitter feed, where we have matchtrackers up for every major competition and all the games from England and the Champions League. That's @FoxSoccer, and it's free, so why not sign up?

Thanks for your patience, and see you back here in two weeks!

--Jamie

It seems that bidding for a World Cup isn't all that simple even when nobody is paying attention.
   
Just in case you missed it, today's Globe and Mail notes that Canada is bidding to host the 2015 Women's World Cup and the 2014 U-20 Women's Cup that will precede it. They made their intentions known by the Nov. 26 deadline, and have waited for an answer. And waited.
   
What is Canada waiting for? Well, the Canadian Soccer Federation apparently have no idea who they are bidding against. FIFA won't tell them.

This might stun you, but  FIFA -- that fine organization in Zurich known for transparency and fairness-- claims it hasn't had time to "review all of the bids and declarations of interest" so declines at this time say just who's in the running.
   
Fascinating.
       
Sometime ahead of the next deadline (reportedly February 11, 2011), FIFA might get around to figuring out who the Canadians are facing. Or, maybe not. Stay tuned.
   
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Rafa Benitez is out. So, what are we to make of this mess at Inter Milan?
   
On the surface you suspect that Benitez never had a chance. Taking over for Jose Mourinho virtually minutes after The Special One captured a European Champions League never looked like a good idea.
   
I'd also suggest that following Joe Paterno at Penn State or Derek Jeter in New York might not be Job 1, either.
   
Inter has never looked that good this year, but I'd be neglecting matters if I did not mention that they were hardly brilliant under Mourinho. Serie A isn't what it used to be and you suspect that Mourinho's Inter rode its luck past Barcelona and Bayern last year.
   
I doubt there are many of us who truly believed that Inter was actually the best team on the planet, but they did win when it mattered most.
   
Rafa's inability to pick up the pieces and go forward must be noted, however. Everyone cut him some slack -- perhaps far too much -- for the way things ended at Liverpool.
   
This time, Benitez must shoulder more than a bit of the blame.


DAILY READS

MUST READ: The documents FIFA don't want you to read. Leaked bid papers and smoking guns. Read them before FIFA attempts to have them taken down.

Can women’s pro soccer survive in America? (Writer implies: No.)

Radical SPL plan threatened by “rebel” clubs…

…while Old Firm laughs off playoffs which might narrow gap

Usmanov fires latest salvo in Arsenal saga, saying he wants “blocking stake” against Kroenke

FIFPro call for “winter” World Cup (Q: Do these folks not know about the Equator? Just asking.)

Japanese players threaten international boycott

Landon Donovan files for divorce

This weekend saw a slew of fixtures snowed out across Europe. It was pretty unusual weather for this time of year, but it’s not the first time that matches have had to be moved, nor will it be the last.

Why is soccer played in winter anyway? Well, for one, it’s a lot easier to run for 90 minutes in the cold than it is in blazing heat. For another, most folks — America excluded — historically have taken some portion of the summers off. That said, I’m not going to be one of those guys who pretends that soccer in extreme conditions is romantic: it was damn miserable standing on the terraces at Methil or any of the other little Scottish stadiums in the rain and snow. The games were fine; I was just under-dressed. (Also, I was seven, and fidgety.)

Anyway, the five people who still have an opinion on MLS seized on Britain’s weather as “evidence” that the American league shouldn’t move to a winter calendar. “Look at England!” they cried. “Just imagine!”

OK, but instead of imagining, let’s honestly look at the weather last weekend: it was actually pretty nice in California, Texas and the Pacific Northwest this past weekend. It was chilly but just fine in Boston and New York. Chicago had a little snow, but it was hardly unplayable. And so on. (P.S.: MLS doesn’t have a stadium in Minnesota or Syracuse last I looked.)

Here’s the deal: The United States is a vastly bigger country than England or France, or Italy. Weather is unlikely to shut down the entire nation. The advantages of moving to a winter schedule are also clear: MLS would gain international credibility, easier transfers of players, and likely see the overall quality of its games improve (Look at MLS games in July if you don’t believe me. Too many of them stink.) It also would give MLS a leg up in international competitions, which currently sees out-of-shape teams in preseason playing against squads in midseason form.

Last I looked, MLS has only three Midwestern venues that it might have to fret about, plus Toronto, which switched from turf to grass. That leaves 14 other venues that you can stage games in. So what’s the issue? Of course, if you’re still a nervous Nellie, you could take that entirely off the table if while switching to the international schedule, you also bagged the playoffs and made late December and January the time when you staged your League Cup in warm-weather locales. But maybe that makes too much sense.

---

Thinking about winter got me wondering about Qatar 2022. Several folks have called for the Cup to be moved to January, and it’s an intriguing idea. (And no, it would not be “the first winter World Cup” as some have claimed; you just had one of those this past year in South Africa.)

One of the things that has hurt the game in recent years is fixture congestion: Guys have returned from the summer tournaments and looked wretched in their domestic leagues. Moving the World Cup — and all other tournaments — to a five week period beginning in January might just be the ticket.

Would it disrupt European league schedules? Yes. But I venture that as soon as some of these leagues realized they could take time off in January — when the weather is likely to be dicey anyway — they might wonder why they hadn’t done this all along.

As it is, every league but England and Scotland takes a brief Christmas break. (Scotland used to, and is considering re-instating it.) Leagues could instead play through the holidays, and then pack up for at least three weeks at the New Year.

I might venture that this might also make the World Cup games better: The draw would be made in December as usual, and three weeks later, bang, the teams are playing. They’d be in form from playing with their clubs instead of worn-out. After the grim shows in South Africa, wouldn’t everyone prefer this?


Quick thoughts:

---When U.S. Soccer get around to confirming what Argentina already has (twice, but who’s counting) maybe that March friendly game in Seattle could be used to give Kasey Keller his testimonial? He’s already said he’s going to retire after this season, so this might be his last chance. How about it?

---Will MLS realize that if you’re going to sell a player, it’s best to sell him when you can get the most cash for him? Sad fact is, Americans do not put butts in seats in this league, so why not cash out and use that money to buy a couple of folks from overseas who might?


DAILY READS (SNOWDAY SEPCIAL!)
Boxing Day and holiday fixtures under threat in Britain

“Great Britain” to field Olympic team despite Scottish, Irish and Welsh fears

Konchesky’s mother on Liverpool: “Scouse scum.”

Cancellations may force SPL season extension

Dundee appeal on 25-point penalty rejected