Mandatory Alex Morgan Update

I can't believe I forgot to include Alex Morgan in the last soccer-related post. She recently scored two goals in an Olympic qualifier against Canada, leading the stars & stripes to a 4-0 victory.

What a whirlwind of hair and pwnage.

Incredibly, she hadn't been starting in most games, despite being one of the most dynamic players on the squad in the 2011 World Cup. Finally in the starting XI, expect more spectacular performances ahead.

Euro 2012 - Finally Something Everyone in Europe Can Get Behind

Euro 2012 match play begins on June 8th of next year, so you have only 6 months to work yourself into a frenzy for the tournament! Even though Messi, Eto'o, and all those amazing Brazilian players won't play in this one, it's the closest thing to a World Cup without it being the actual World Cup, and that's good enough for me.

This is the first major soccer tournament awarded to a former Iron Curtain country since 1976 (Yugoslavia).

This year's games will be co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine, and - aside from potato futures - many are speculating about which teams will escape the group phase intact. Well, the group drawing happened yesterday, and here's how it played out.

Rando TDZ Soccer Update - Goo Goo Ga Ga Edition

Not to be remiss in my coverage of the beautiful game, there were a few interesting news stories in the soccer world recently...

TDZ hits 1000

Just over a week away from its 0.5 year birthday, The Danger Zone has eclipsed 1,000 page views! That's excluding my own page visits, so don't act like you're not impressed. I'm just grateful to all the readers and TDZ acolytes who turned this little blog into the bustling hub of sports and whimsy it is today.

Can you guess what the most clicked TDZ news story is at this millennial mark? Was it the ground-breaking All-Kevin Love Team, or subsequent coverage of NBA uber-phenom Ian Mahinmi? Or maybe it was my eerily accurate predictions for March Madness or up-to-the-minute reporting on the 2011 Gold Cup?

Morbid Trivia Answer - Plus Women's World Cup Thoughts

This weeks question was one of the more difficult ones, but one person did get the correct answer: of the animals listed, horses cause the most deaths per year in the U.S. (link). They account for an estimated 106 deaths per year on the low end, up there with deer as the leading killers.  Following them are stinging insects, cattle, dogs, snakes, birds (?), alligators, mountain lions and sharks. Congrats to the winner, whoever you are! Feel free to comment to gain the recognition you deserve.

On a somber note, the U.S. Women's National Team lost the Women's World Cup final today. It was a crushing defeat, with a comedy of errors on defense and a horrific lack of poise at times. Once the match went to penalties, I knew Japan would win since they were more composed throughout the game.

On the bright side, Abby Wambach and new crush Alex Morgan played very well, and I hope they and Debra Morgan Hope Solo return with a vengeance four years from now. Let's not forget that we've got a Women's Professional Soccer league here in the U.S. that can use our support between World Cups (go Breakers). A big tip of the hat to Japan for playing with a lot of skill and poise in winning it all. This is a great story for a country that's had a lot to deal with this past year.

New trivia question tomorrow!