What we’re thinking, what we’re watching, what’s coming on the blog today and the RASNoD (Random American Soccer Name of the Day). Setting up your day in soccer …
Birthdays of note: Former German international and German coach Rudi Völler seems like an important birthday. He turns 52. But he gets bumped down one chair because Barcelona defensive bedrock Carles Puyol, also a Spain World Cup winner, turns 34. But that’s not the most important B-Day, either. That because most Major League Soccer franchises were more or less born on this date. April 13, 1996, marked the first match for most original Major League Soccer clubs. A crowd of almost 70,000 in the Rose Bowl saw the New York MetroStars against Los Angeles in both clubs’ debut.
Ahead on the blog today*: Plenty on Saturday’s big matches, including the Sporting Kansas City-Real Salt Lake tussle in the heartland and Saturday’s Liverpool-Everton FA Cup semifinal.
RASNoD (Random American Soccer Name of the Day): Steve Ralston
Twitter daps: U.S. international Maurice Edu (@MauriceEdu): “Todays Friday the 13th! What will this day bring? Hmmmm”