We have been down this path before. Remember last fall, when you generously agreed to kickstart a little site known as The Classical? Since then, the site has rocked, gotten sponsors, and produced some quality writing. Now, a promising North American soccer quarterly needs your crowdsourced dollars. I speak, of course, of Eleven Quarterly.

Eleven Quarterly is the brainchild of Tom Dunmore of Pitch Invasion, David Keyes of The Culture of Soccer, and another dude who I don’t kinda know. It promises to present diverse perspectives on the nascent soccer boom in North America. The best part is that their Kickstarter awards are very good: donate $5 and you get a digital copy of Issue One a whole week before everybody else. During that week, you can smugly tweet and tumbl your superiority over and to everybody else. They will hate you but only because of envy. And envy is the best kind of hate. For $25, you get a dead tree print copy of the first issue a week before anybody else. You can keep it on your coffee table and invite your friends over to rub their noses in it. You can also take a picture with your cell phone and spread your superiority all over Instagram.

So, what are you waiting for? They have less than two weeks to reach their goal of $11,000! They are over halfway there, but need you! Hurry! Go to their Kickstarter page and donate here.

Thus, enjoy this special 23 under 23 edition.

23 Under 23 Q & A: Brek Shea

When were you born?

February 28, 1990.

Where?

College Station, Texas.

Where do you live now?

Dallas, Texas.

What was the first piece of fiction that you read and that had an impact on you?

“To The Lighthouse” by Virginia Woolf.

How long did it take to write your first book?

About three months.

Did you ever consider not becoming writer?

Absolutely positively never. Professional soccer pays the bills, but I want to be remembered for my darkly introspective poems. Once they get published, that is.

What are you working on now?

This off-season has been a bit more hectic than most because I’ve been training to stay fit for the US camp. Thus, I’ve been strapped for time but have sketched out an idea about a guy who looks for a lost cat in a well. I’m also looking at a potential move to Europe.

Who are your favorite writers over 40?

Haruki Murakami. Virginia Woolf. Sylvia Plath. Emily Dickinson. 

23 Under 23 Q & A: Juan Agudelo

When were you born?

November 23, 1992.

Where?

Manzinales, Colombia.

Where do you live now?

New York, New York.

What was the first piece of fiction that you read and that had an impact on you?

“The Aleph” by Jorge Luis Borges.

How long did it take to write your first book?

I’ve never written a book. I prefer short stories.

Did you ever consider not becoming writer?

At times, I’ve struggled to establish myself professionally. One day, I wake up and am sure I am who I should be. Other days, not so much. 

What are you working on now?

A series of short stories about a fictitious Colombian town called Macondito. Establishing myself as a starter at New York Red Bulls.

Who are your favorite writers over 40?

Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Carlos Fuentes. Mario Vargas Llosa.

23 Under 23 Q & A: Freddy Adu

When were you born?

June 2, 1989.

Where?

Ghana.

Where do you live now?

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

What was the first piece of fiction that you read and that had an impact on you?

“The Alchemist” by Paulo Coehlo.

How long did it take to write your first book?

I’ve never written a book.

Did you ever consider not becoming writer?

Yes. That’s why I’m now a professional soccer player.

What are you working on now?

I’m trying to move to Spain or even Holland. Not much time to write, but I sometimes spill some thoughts on twitter.

Who are your favorite writers over 40?

Paulo Coehlo. Ernest Hemingway. Shel Silverstein.

23 Under 23 Q & A: Alfredo Morales

When were you born?

May 12, 1990.

Where?

Berlin, Germany.

Where do you live now?

Berlin, Germany.

What was the first piece of fiction that you read and that had an impact on you?

“Llama el telefono, Delia” by Julio Cortazar.

How long did it take to write your first book?

About a year.

Did you ever consider not becoming writer?

The more relevant question is – did I ever consider becoming a writer? No. It just happened.

What are you working on now?

A revisionist piece of historical fiction about the Sendero Luminoso.

Who are your favorite writers over 40?

Mario Vargas Llosa. Julio Cortazar. Carlos Ruis Zafon.

23 Under 23 Q & A: Joe Gyau

When were you born?

September 16, 1992.

Where?

Silver Spring, Maryland.

Where do you live now?

Hoffenheim, Germany.

What was the first piece of fiction that you read and that had an impact on you?

“The Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison.

How long did it take to write your first book?

Three years and counting.

Did you ever consider not becoming writer?

Your dreams have got to be lived and worked on every day. I don’t ever wake up and slap a label like “writer” on myself, because then you grow complacent. 

What are you working on now?

A series of essays about some of the disenchanting aspects of Bararck Obama’s first term as President of the US.

Who are your favorite writers over 40?

T.S. Eliot. Richard Wright. Ralph Ellison.

Image credit: New Yorker

Elliott’s eBook, An Illustrated Guide to Soccer & Spanish, is available for under $5 at Amazon. Check out a free preview here.

The first two sites are admittedly not sport-specific. They are still excellent. Openculture has movies, TV shows, and books with a very tempting price tag: free. Yes, it is basically an online library with none of the hassle of filling out a membership card. You check out what you want. You enjoy it. That is all. The film section is fantastic and here’s a recently unearthed TCM clip contrasting Kubrick with Spielberg. You can follow them on twitter.

Brainpickings is also pretty amazing. The curator for the site scours the web for cool and creative collaborations. It has existed for 6 years, yet remains gloriously ad-free. A recent post does a great job of summarizing a recent Robert Levine book about balancing the nature of creativity with SEO churnalist sites that steal original content without giving credit. You can follow them on twitter here.

In the soccersphere, I encourage you to open you ears and give a relatively new soccerpod The Best Soccer Show a listen. The hosts, Jason Davis and Jared DuBois, offer lively and insightful takes on the news of the day and they regularly get A list guests, like me. And John Harkes. You can follow the show on twitter.

Soon to arrive sports website The Classical has some tasty preview articles. Be sure to subscribe to their RSS feed here and follow them on twitter here. Launch is scheduled for December. Stale chips be damned!

Also, we were sad to hear about the passing of Gary Speed this past Sunday. The Telegraph had a nice tribute section for him, albeit the section was originally poorly misnamed a “liveblog.” Ian of the excellent 200% had an insightful article on the perils of depression, including our collective failure as a society to recognize its symptoms or take it seriously. In Bed with Maradona had a nice post on Mr. Speed, as did FourFourTwo.

We also have a “Best of” eBook anthology for 2011 that is available on the Kindle for only a buck. Basically, I’ve selected my ten favorite soccer writings from around the web and put them in one nice place. My altruistic, artistic, and capitalist motives are more fully explained in the brief intro. Purchase here.

I myself have poked fun at player ratings and power rankings, but see them as useful tidbits for folks that haven’t followed a league too closely or who missed a game but want more than a recap. Yet I also think that Slate & Richard have a deeper problem with grades – the lack of accountability for the graders themselves. After all, even in universities, students get to fill out a professor evaluation form at the end of the semester. Thus, for the US-France game last Friday, I present grades for players’ grades. Enjoy.

First, it must be noted that playing France in France is no easy endeavor. It this were a two legged play-off, any team not named Spain or Germany would play for a draw or a 1-0 loss. It was also a friendly. With that in mind, the US team looked out of its depth in terms of individual match-ups, but also maintained its structure and defensive shape for most of the game. The lone France goal, a long ball over the top, owed more to an individual Goodson goof than tactics, although US fans would love for Omar Gonzalez or maybe Tim Ream to get a closer look.

With that background, here’s a look at our grades for the Player Grades from some familiar faces.

ESPN, Jeff Carlisle, 6.5 - “Unpalatable consistency” is the best phrase yet to describe the Klinsmann era. As a long-time veteran, Carlisle put in a consistent performance and his range of grades reflected his confidence and knowledge of the game. Despite waning athletic ability, he’s probably the most consistent of the bunch, although he did a fade a bit near the end and only dedicated one or two sentences to a few players. Regardless, he’s a near lock to keep his place in the Google Reader rotation.

New York Times, John Godfrey, 5.0 – John did his damnedest to add flair and panache to a dreadful journalistic assignment, the defensive 1-0 loss. Godfrey put in a solid shift, penning a complete paragraph for every starter but Brek Shea. Still, he failed to appreciate important aspects of the defensive effort – Shea regularly tracked back and Cherundolo did a nice job on Ribery. He also oddly gave Goodson a good review, even though the defender’s error resulted in the lone goal. John’s decisiveness in the attack but defensive blind spots probably make him a better super-sub than 90 minute starter. He should definitely expect future call-ups though.

Sports Illustrated, Steve Davis, 5.5 – Steve’s direct play has won him an equal balance of detractors and fans. While most dabble about and pen an intro paragraph summary of the game, Davis is usually off to the races and jumps straight to grades. Still, despite his vertical aggressiveness, Davis has always been a two-way threat and he duly noticed Cherundolo’s efforts vs. Ribery and also the reality of a game vs. France in France. Davis also noticed sometimes overlooked physical aspects of the game like Bocanegra’s stamina issue and Goodson’s center of gravity problems. In sum, this was a typical Davis performance and, based on your opinion, you either start the guy and he plays 90 minutes or don’t call him into the team. You probably had your mind made up before even reading the grades.

Fox Soccer, No Author Credited, 4 – I give credit to Fox for trying to advance the genre of Player Ratings by incorporating pictures. Fox also was brave enough to give Goodson a lower grade than other sites because his mistake led to the goal. Still, at the 7th picture mark Fox made a costly mistake – they used the term “simple” instead of “simply” – and while France may not have been able to capitalize on this mistake,  a more savvy veteran team will. Fox showed flashes of potential and may get invited to the January camp, but is still on the outside looking in unless DeMarcus Beasley or Brek Shea pick up a knock.

Goal, Robin Bairner, 3.0 - if Fox’s use of pictures added a bit of spice to the Player Grades attack, then Goal’s odd vote up/down feature really only distracted from a dearth of content. Most players only received a paltry two sentences. Bairner did label Goodson the “flop of the match,” but such basics really only get your foot in the door at this level . Bairner didn’t grab the chance with both hands and is probably now behind Kljestan in the pecking order at his position.

Soccer By Ives, Franco Panizo, N/A - unused substitute.

Not all summers are pleasant. In 1998, a young and optimistic US team went to France with hopes of advancing out of the group stages. Instead, they lost all three games, scored a single goal, and came in dead last. Some blamed luck, some blamed the coach, and a decade would pass before the truth about a curious omission would come to light. Re-live the tears. (In Bed With Maradona)

As promised, I wrote about three great new sports websites & ePublications: Grantland, the Blizzard, and the Classical. Check out my quirky curriculum to help you evaluate which site fits your personal tastes best! (The Footy Blog)

Here is Part Two of my series for FoxSoccer on Hispanics & US Soccer. It’s basically a critique of tokenism/affirmative action and also a pretty please to not expect my ethnicity to turn the US program into Spain anytime soon. (Fox Soccer)

This will probably blow your mind, but I am not the only person who writes about soccer. In fact, one of my favorite articles of the year was written by another person on another site. The premise? That Arsene Wenger could easily solve Arsenal’s rightback problem with a Golden Corral franchise. (The Short Fuse)

This is probably the saddest soccer story of the last month. South Africa tied their qualifying game and celebrated, assuming they had qualified for the African Cup of Nations. However, they were mistaken. The tie-breaker was head-to-head games, not goal difference. D’oh! (Washington Post)

In terms of podcastery, after much anticipation, Jason Davis and Jared DuBois finally debuted the Best Soccer Show. It is part of the North American Soccer Network, will be on twice a week, and is definitely worth a listen, if not an iTunes subscription. Find out more here: (Youtube) Or follow on twitter (Best Soccer Show)

Also, in the audio consumption department, if you are not listening regularly to the Total Soccer Show podcast, then it’s your own fault. And if you have never heard of the “Wikipedia Game”, then it’s time to re-consider that condo you live in on Mars. Seriously, imagine Jeopardy but soccer-specific and therefore you have a chance of winning. (Total Soccer Show)

Also, the players at UNC-Asheville are pretty good at soccer. However, this video shows they are even better at Angry Birds. I just salivate thinking about Ronaldinho attempting to play this real-life-soccer version. (Youtube)

Lastly, this was a great week here at the site. We published three posts on Monday-Wednesday-Thursday, just like we always do. Care to re-live the greatness of this experience? Of course you do. (Futfanatico)

However, the US vs. Honduras game presented a related & pressing topic not addressed in those posts. I speak, of course, about the banter about “Can the US play a home game at home?” Basically, how should we deal with complaints that the stadium composition for US games against Latin teams is “too ethnic” and there’s no “home field advantage.” Is it true? Is it a genuine problem? Or does the framing of this “problem” reveal deep-rooted prejudices?

I’m really just gonna shoot from the hip on this topic because 1) I’m still deciding myself how I feel, and 2) Your input & perspective have just as much to teach me. Please comment. Unless, of course, you hate America. Which you say you don’t but your frequent trips to go shopping in Europe suggest otherwise. Buckle up & here we go.

I’ve always objected to US “B team” friendlies against Central American teams on one simple ground: we are prostituting the team or, in marketing parlance, diluting the brand. Yes, it’s good to give some up-and-comers a few games, but ultimately many of these games are to fill US Soccer coffers and little else. My friend Tahir has pointed out that making a buck is not a crime. True. But soccer is more than a business. At least it should and can be.

Other people, who I shan’t name because I don’t believe in shaming, voice concerns about the lack of “home field advantage.” Simply put, lots of ethnic (read: brown) people show up and speak in “foreign” languages (read: Spanish). Ironically, this very discourse and its premise form a part of the prejudicial cycle. By categorizing these fans as “the other”, we as Americans force them to cling ever closer to their country of their birth. And I have to ask – is it just a coincidence that there are only white stars on the American flag?

On the other hand, it would be nice for Brek Shea to be able to take a corner kick without being called hijo de puta and getting pelted by packets of urine. When you play at home, you expect some love. I can understand this. This is a valid immediate concern. The only problem is that this situation springs from a fundamentally flawed view of America as English-only and white ran, with bountiful professional athlete jobs for blacks, engineering gigs for Asians, and some janitorial positions for Hispanics. Does that caricature offend you? Or resonate? Or both?

In sum, is America a caste society? Should it be? If it is – how did we get here? Is American identity static and forever tied to English, the language of our Constitution? Should the US only play home games in Columbus, Ohio or, better yet, ban brown people from USMNT home games? I hate to lump soccer fans whom I respect into the same mental box as segregationists from the 1950′s, but separate-but-equal feelings of uneasiness pervade the American soccerscape. Hell, they pervade America.

Short-term, Jason Davis and J Rodius of the Best Soccer Show have echoed my calls for people to go out to US games and support the team – fill the stands with your concept of America if you are really worried about fans from El Salvador. If dual citizens are taking over the stadium, buy more tickets! More importantly, and mid-term, glance at the stand-shots in Miami of the fan celebrations after that sweet Dempsey goal. How many Hispanic faces do you see in red US shirts? Quite a few, actually. If you want to see more, then try not to subtly push people into boxes.

Chew on those thoughts, please comment openly & honestly, but don’t spoon feed any of that PC white shame nonsense. Contemporary structures of exclusion require willing participation by all parties. A few years ago, I saw a prominent African-American professor speak about “racialism” and “racialist speak.” Basically, today, for the most part, the vestiges of prejudice lurk in our subconscious, and only by openly acknowledging them and articulating them can we hope to conquer them.

I tried that in my Balotelli post in January. And now it’s time for US soccer.

Let’s find out.

First, I waxed for the Free Beer Movement “Brews and Views” series on the current state of US soccer at large. I noted that, at least in terms of MLS, we have reached the nether land between indie label and mainstream success. The pressing dilemma – can MLS stay affordable and accessible to the American middle class, or will corporate suites soon price us out of seeing games in the flesh? (Free Beer Movement)

I also partook in the “End of Gender” debate over at the Good Men Project. We dared to ask – what role does masculinity play in athletics? Of course, I penned a tribute to the tall, broad-shouldered, and super muscular epitome of soccer masculinity: Xavi Hernandez of Barcelona & Spain. (Good Men Project)

Lastly, some major posts for reputable sites are forthcoming. For example, I will soon mock you for hating Manchester City at SportisaTVShow. If you are not subscribed to said fine online publication via RSS, then you are an idiot and must correct this deficiency immediately. Click here. Also, Richard Whittall, of A More Splendid Life, has taken over the reins at theFootyBlog for TheScore. You should also subscribe via RSS here and promptly expect my thoughts on Grantland, the Blizzard, and the Classical. I even created a clever grading scale for said sites.

And I am doing a two-post stint for FoxSoccer on how and why US Soccer has managed to exclude Hispanics. Here is the RSS feed for that fine online publication. Expect fireworks and trolls a-flaming.

If you are still not sick of me, just a reminder that, ahem, my soccer eBook “An Illustrated Guide to Soccer & Spanish” is available for only $5.99 on the Amazon Kindle, the Amazon Kindle Fire, the Amazon Kindle Fire Inferno, and the Amazon Kindle Fire Inferno Backdraft. For Kindle blog subscribers, and everyone else, you can check out a free preview here.

“Waiting for Superman” by the Flaming Lips

Digital Image Impression: Erik Ebeling. Erik offers great freelance work for small businesses at competitive rates.

How bad does it get? I actually used to wear a Landon Donovan jersey for one half and a Rafa Marquez jersey for the other. Then my little brother stole my Rafa Marquez jersey. Now I wear neither.

That stuff aside, it was a helluva game with great goals. We can all get sad that the US didn’t play a super defensive game plan, but a look at the age and experience of the US defenders will show why Bradley gambled on Dempsey, Donovan, and Adu to outscore the opposition. And since when is positive soccer a negative? Read more here.

The US run in the Gold Cup has experienced ups & downs – the loss to Panama left a bitter taste in the mouth, yet the victory over Guadaloupe was sweet as can be. In that vain, we present US Player Rating vs. Jamaica based on the delectable history of Parisian les patisseries fine. Bon apetit.

The King’s Cook: Jermaine Jones

In 18th century France, the only person more respected and adored than the King was his chef, Nicolas Stohrer. And with good cause. While allegedly the King had the idea of pouring rum from Malaga on a cake, giving birth to the baba, Stohrer capitalized on the idea in establishing his own pastry store – a chain that is still in operation centuries later. It is the creme of the crop.

Jermaine Jones cooked up a display of rough tackles and timely passing. Granted, his fitness has been below par most of the tournament, but his well struck volley carved open a stubborn Jamaican defense with a bit of luck. His play-acting also drew a red card that sealed the game. Despite being a recent addition the US fold, we can only hope his career lasts several more years after performances such as these.

Appreciation for Popelini: Michael Bradley

Often, those who deserve credit do not get it. An Italian pastry chef, Popelini, allegedly invented the choux pastry in the 16th century. However, centuries would pass before the Parisian public would appreciate this delectable and tasty treat. Belated success is better than no success, but posthumous credit offends our notions of justice.

Yes, Little Bradley coughed up the ball a few times in the second half, but for most of the game he was the passing outlet for the US. In all corners of the field, he popped up to exchange passes and alleviate pressure. He also had a few well timed tackles. He did not show up on the score sheet, but deserves credit as an under-sung hero.

Honoring Saint Honore: Clint Dempsey

Pastry is more than just bread and sugar. Often, for reasons we cannot fathom, an unusual alchemy unlocks in our nasal passages and mouths an inexplicable sensation of pleasure. No milligram of flour or teaspoon of sugar can quantify this feeling.  Saint Honore exudes deliciousness, yet the creme Chiboust is what puts it over the top. Why? We may never know. Who’d have thought beaten egg whites and whipped cream could combine so well?

Dempsey adds his own flavor to the US attack with nutmegs, pivots, and cheeky heels. His flair’s importance stretches beyond the stat-sheet. And this game was not exception. Deuce created danger with every touch, and his goal to seal the game was well taken: a cheeky step around the keeper from point blank. Sacre bleu!

The Savvy Savarin: Carlos Bocanegra

Of course, naivete has no place in the cutthroat world of Parisian pastries. Cooking is part art, but also part science. Knowledge is power. The Julie brothers plied their trade at Stohrer for years, accumulating a wealth of knowledge about the ins and outs of baba-making. Then they took it to the next level: they distilled their own alcoholic syrup to lubricate pastries and provide a rich foundation. Cake-eaters may never be sober again.

Both Lichaj and Cherundolo had decent moments going forward, but Carlos Bocanegra’s composure on the ball set the tone for the entire US back line. His effortless passing from the back and quick combinations with Bradley & Jones routinely broke Jamaica’s pressure. Especially in the first half, Carlos passed the US out of trouble with a poised foot on the ball and his head held high.

Meandering Meringue: Sacha Kljestan

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, things don’t turn out as we’d like. In the 18th century, a Swiss pastry chef had some leftover egg whites. He combined them with powdered sugar, baked the mess in a low heat, and, sadly the resulting meringue still plagues pastry stores to this day. Why do people eat this fluff? This author has no personal explanation, but a psychiatrist would speculate in “comfort foods” and “eating to cope with stress” etc. etc.

After one year in Belgium, Sacha is starting to look like a promising player at the international level. In this game, however, he struggled to find his groove and often disappeared for very long stretches. Neither he nor Bedoya shined out wide, but Bedoya’s early header and cheeky heel in the second half both created danger. Sacha finally has the fitness and tactical acuity to make a mark, but today was not his day. Like a meringue pie, he merely teased the eyes and left the stomach feeling empty.

The factual assertions in this post are based almost entirely on the amusing and delightful Brief History of Classic French Pastries