Janine’s Soccer Valentine

Jordan Harvey

defender, Philadelphia Union Vancouver Whitecaps

Why is he Janine’s Soccer Valentine? Sadly, I don’t have a soccer Valentine for I’ve had my fan heart broken and I’ll never fan again.  (dramatic pose) My tragedy begins in the Inaugural Season of the Philadelphia Union:

An original Zolo, Jordan Harvey was picked-up by the Union in the 2009 MLS Expansion Draft and quickly became a fixture on the Union’s back line.  His scrappy, reliable play with a total lack of regard for personal safety instantly caught my eye and I became a fan.

My friends joked I was ‘straight’ for Harvey; maybe, as he IS kinda cute…for a boy!! 🙂 but I was definitely fanning, hard!

It was a good run; he signed some SWAG (he was one of the few NOT wearing white sneakers, phew!) I asked for his Power-Balance Band and he actually threw it to me.  (I referred to it as a “Placebo Band”, he laughed.) I made this TIFO starring Harvey for the Pink Cow (I mean Red Bull) match.

Sigh, those were the days but Jordan Harvey was sold to Vancouver on July 7, 2011 for allocation money and it broke my fan heart.

Maybe this Valentine’s Day is time to move on? Maybe it is time to fan again? Who is a scrappy, tough, blue-collar, hardworking player who is also a decent human being off the field?

Of course, he was there all along, Captain Bearfight himself:  Danny Califf!! fan

Danny Califf

defender, Philadelphia Union

What would their Soccer Valentine Date be? A date with Danny would have to start off with a trip to the tattoo parlor for some ink and stories of locker-room debauchery. Having tattoos myself I know how addicting they are, so I’m sure he has an idea rattling around of something he wants done. Then we’ll change for dinner at Parc Bistro at Rittenhouse Square for classic french food and wine, he’ll need a food layer for the Bearfights to come at our next stop. At the end of the night, when he walks me to the door, I’ll have my brand-new 2012 Califf Jersey ready to be signed. What? That date was expensive, I’m gonna get me some!

Our Philadelphia Union writer Janine is on Twitter at @JerseyJ9

Lee Nguyen’s “fagggggggg” Tweet

We were on a high for so much of the day since when we announced Vancouver Whitecaps captain Jay DeMerit joined our Soccer Allies list. But we hit a low at the end of the day when we saw that one of his newest teammates Lee Nguyen called keeper Brad Knighton a “fagggggggg” on Twitter.

He quickly backed off the original Tweet with a series of “jk” but the fact of the matter remains that the word was used and such language is unacceptable from soccer players who so many young fans look up to and emulate. This is the kind of thing that the English FA fines players thousands of pounds for doing.

Wednesday Happy Hour: This Tequila Tastes Like Awesome

We have had a few somewhat serious Happy Hours in a row this week, so thankfully we’ve found a little bit of fun around the web when it comes to soccer-related stories to talk about tonight:

Both Chivas USA’s Heath Pearce and the Vancouver Whitecaps’ Jay DeMerit took the bait when Kickette asked them to participate in the “use a movie title to describe your sex life” Twitter game. (Kickette)

Soccer Ally Jared Dubois writes a piece about American soccer in the 90’s being grunge, but turning pop in the new millennium when it should have gone hip hop. (The Shin Guardian)

VH1 clip show mainstays Michael Ian Black and John Hodgman live Tweeted a rerun of HGTV’s House Hunters International featuring the USA’s Clarence Goodson. Hilarity ensued. (KCKRS)

Finally, call your local watering hole and ask them to stock up on plenty of MLS branded tequila so they’re ready for your patronage in the 2012 season. (The Free Beer Movement)