1. USMNT's Wednesday 1-0 loss to Sweden was...bleh. Only Beasley looked like he cared. I know it's just a friendly, guys, but please, try harder. I think Bradley should call up Adu and Altidore against Brazil. Those guys are the future, and can contribute in 2010. Get them some experience now.

2. Pool soundly defeated Sunderland 2-0 away, with goals from Voronin and Sissoko (!). Yes, Sunderland is a newly promoted club, but these are exactly the sorts of road games Rafa's boys simply blew last year. Overall, the club is playing more aggressively and confidently this year. I feel very good about the Reds' chances in the Premiership (and of course in Europe).

3. I just watched Juventus destroy Livorno 5-1. Juve looked very, very good: quality across its 11, organized, calm.

4. UFC 74 is tonight. Couture-Gonzaga and St. Pierre-Koscheck. I want Couture and St. Pierre to win, but am predicting nothing (Couture is a dog and St. Pierre favored). 2007 has been the most unpredictable year in MMA history.

FF

US v. Sweden, friendly, Wednesday at 2:30 ET, on FSC. I expect a strong showing, to show the world that our horrendous Copa performance was attributable to the "B" nature of the Copa team.

FF

Rob Styles, the official who wrongly awarded Chelsea a penalty yesterday, has been disciplined and will not be officiating next week. He also admitted he made the wrong call. Although I'm outraged that his error cost my boys two points, I think the fact that he publicly admitted the mistake should excuse him from punishment.

I will attempt to stop writing about this now.

FF

More on today's robbery: apparently it was Finnan, not Carragher, that was whistled for the penalty on Malouda. Carra picked up the yellow for screaming at the ref after the call.

It really was a very, very bad call.

FF

Pool 1, Chelsea 1. Torres scored first on a world class finish, beating Ben-Haim and then slotting it past Cech from a very difficult angle. Chelsea leveled on an unbelievably bad call -- Carragher bumped Malouda in the box, but Malouda had no chance to receive the ball, because it was well behind him. The official awarded a penalty, and Lampard equalized. The penalty call was utter garbage.

Liverpool outshot Chelsea by a large margin. This was a game we should have won. Dammit.

FF