Game Day Beer Review: Cayman Islands Brewery Ironshore Bock

(7.00%).  Drank from a bottle poured while overlooking the Caribbean Sea and listening to Bob Marley, I was probably generous in my scoring of this beer.  I apologize for the overall brevity of this review, but suffice it to say that I was slightly distracted while drinking....

Ironshore had a mild, maltish smell, and was a clear, copper color ,with only a small amount of head by the time my waitress brought it to the table. I got a bit of sweet malt and lots of carbonation when I brought the beer to my lips, but other than that it was a bit vague.  Ironshore has a pleasant taste, mellowed to match my mood.  Verdict: C+, and probably the best of the local brews in the Cayman Islands.

Please Hold

Photo by Chris Dlugosz via Flickr

Correspondent Ed takes a vacation from his hectic work schedule to check in and offer some of his typical stunning insight into the international break :

This international competition break has been a bit painful, positioned as it was only three weeks into what promises to be a very exciting season in the EPL. Perhaps it's the success -- or conspicuous lack thereof -- of the American team, or perhaps it's just the annoying figure that is Fabio Capello and his underachieving three lions, but whatever the reason, it just seems that there's too much of these national team games.

Even Sky Sports news seems to be in a bit of a holding funk, pulling the always perky Georgie Thompson for the likes of Vicky Gomersall. Urgh...!

But let's do our best to put all of that to the side, and through the unrelenting din of the hold music, here are a few thoughts:

1. From Top to Bottom. Once the most exciting team in the EPL, Spurs are now in dead last and look in need of a complete transfusion. It's shocking what a difference a few months makes. I've said it before and I'll say it again: while Luka Modric is a great player, he's not worth £40MM, and if he wanted to move to Chelsea they should've let him go. Spurs could probably have picked up Charlie Adam and Gary Cahill with that money, and they still would have had £10MM left to spend. At the  end of the day, while Modric is a creative player, he's a defensive liability and a poor shot. His real value is about £15MM, and an unhappy Luka might be worth less than that.

Fat, Dumb & Happy

England Flags photo by sk8geek via Flickr

England struggled to an unconvincing 1-nil win over a spirited bunch from Wales on Tuesday night at Wembley, in a match more notable for the lack of ambition and cohesion from the England squad than anything else.  Liverpool's Steward Downing combined with Manchester United's Ashley Young to put the English in front shortly before the half, yet the home side was unable to convincingly put the contest to bed in the match's second half, despite a starting lineup containing considerable EPL 'star power.'  My belief is that this stems from a central midfield that played as if fat, dumb and happy, coasting through the game at three-quarters speed, and lacking the required creativity and quality to link up with the man up top, a bonafide goal scorer who goes by the name of Wayne Rooney.

o In fact, England spent the last fifteen minutes of the match on the back heel, as Wales threw attack after attack at their nearby neighbors.  Sure, the English eventually held out and took all three points for Euro qualifying , but at the risk of being obvious, let me point something out. This was Wales they were playing, not Germany or Holland. At home.

o Indeed, England were very fortunate not to end up with a draw, as Rob Earnshaw somehow conspired to miss a wide open net from point blank range with roughly 15 minutes left, well after England had grown content with their slim one goal lead. I can't figure out how a team spearheaded by Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young can look so blase on offense, but Fabio Capello apparently has. Maybe it has something to do with the forcefield that is Gareth Barry in the midfield.

Cold, Wet and Slightly Dreary

photo by Jo Naylor	via PhotoRee

Our title refers, of course, to the weather in Belgium last night, but we could have equally been referring to the performance turned in by the US Mens National Team in their contest against the Belgians on Tuesday. Witnessed by only the sparsest of crowds due to the inclement weather sweeping across Western Europe, the Belgians defeated a sluggish and wet American squad 1-nil in a game largely devoid of excitement or action. With so many quality local beers to otherwise occupy their attention, who could argue when the vast majority of Belgians decided to stay at home and watch the match on television?

o That the US team was tired -- and showed it -- shouldn't really come as a surprise to anyone. Playing just four days after their last game and traveling nine time zones -- and ten and a half hours on a plane -- to play a friendly in Europe just points out how preposterous it is to have the USMNT based on the West Coast. Slotted at the Home Depot Center solely to placate Philip Anschutz, MLS' largest individual investor, the US team isn't headquartered near their CONCACAF rivals in the Carribean, nor anywhere remotely close to where some of our best players ply their trade -- in Europe. Having the team based on the East Coast of the US -- say, Florida, given it's proximity to the Carribean, Mexico, and year 'round weather -- would make a ton more sense, but when did common sense ever count for anything when money is at stake?

Happy Labor Day

photo by Trodel	via PhotoRee

Wishing a happy and relaxing Labor Day to all of our readers in the United States and beyond....

Game Day Beer Review: New Belgium Brewing Sunshine Pale Wheat Ale

photo by smadden	via PhotoRee

Beer: New Belgium Brewing Sunshine American Pale Wheat Ale

ABV: 4.80%

Appearance: Clear, yellow, bubbly.

Smell: Strong citrus, light yeast.

Taste: Strong carbonation, with lemon and slight spice and pepper.

Overall: Not a fan of unfiltered wheat beers, but this is a good -- if unexciting -- choice on a hot day. B.

The Dawn of a New Era

photo by robert.melok	via PhotoRee

If you believe it's possible to pick up some positives despite a losing scoreline, the transformation of US soccer took several baby steps forward over the weekend, even as the team lost their international friendly to a young and talented Costa Rican side, 1-0.  Herewith some thoughts on the match, which demonstrated the USMNT to be very much of a work in progress: 


o If the USMNT was looking to bury its game so that the fewest possible fans could watch it, ESPN2 at 11:30 EST on a Friday night was a pretty good place to put it. Apparently it was a fairly good place to hide it from the ticket buying public, too, as the entire upper deck of the Home Depot Center was populated with empty seats.

o The difference in the Klinsmann era was readily apparent in the first half. Beginning with the second half against Mexico and continuing through the most of the first half against Costa Rica, the US played dynamic, attacking and -- most importantly -- confident soccer, as if a breathe of fresh air has been given to the side.  Playing without Clint Dempsey and Stu Holden -- two guaranteed starters in big matches going forward-- the US played flowing offensive soccer, and made it look like they were having fun.

o The Klinsmann philosophy was visible in the first half one-touch, little triangle, give-and-go offense. It's pleasing to the eye, and something we never saw under the Bradley era -- or any other American coach for that matter.

Game Day Beer Review: North Peak Brewing Burly Belgo India Pale Ale

(6.50% ABV). Poured from a bottle into a tulip glass, Burly is a deep, peachy-reddish color with a thick, fluffy head that leaves behind less lacing than I would have expected. There's a lot going on in the nose: I get malt and clove and coriander spices, in addition to  pine and mellow hops.


The taste is rich, and fuller than I would have expected, and ever so smooth.  It's like a Belgian-American lovechild: light, delicate mouthfeel, combined with a real IPA flavors.

I like this perhaps best of any of the IPAs I've tried recently. It doesn't feel like they're trying to blow the roof off the beer (or my mouth) with hops, and the beer's delicious aftertaste lingers lovingly on the tongue. I love the stubby bottle, too. 


It's a classic, just wish I could find it in South Florida: A.

And They Have a Plan

photo by dyobmit	via PhotoRee

By Correspondent Ed

I remember with great fondness my deep foray into the world of Battlestar Gallactica (new series) with the new and improved, wicked hot cylon ladies.  I also remember the shows great tagline, repeated at the beginning of each episode just to set the tone:

"The cylons were created by man. 

They evolved. 

They rebelled. 

There are many copies." 

[Then an ominous pause before ……]

"And they have a plan."

Ooooooo, that still makes me shiver a little bit, that whole evil plan stuff.  I mean, they're not just out there trying to get us, they've got a plan, too!  And we don't know what it is!  In the immortal words of Bill Paxton's Private Hudson from the movie Aliens: "Game Over, man!!  We're all gonna die!!"

After watching the beat down of the team formerly known as Arsenal this past Sunday, and after watching Arsene Wenger excuse it at least in part on account of fatigue (so sad), even the most loyal fan of the current manager must be wondering "Does Arsenal have a plan?"

Working the Phones

Correspondent Ed Working the Phones Yesterday to Chase Down the Latest Transfer Rumors
photo by Darwin Bell	via PhotoRee

I can't get all that excited about the transfer day "drama" from last night.  Sure, I worked hard to try and get into the spirit: I watched Sky Sports' wall-to-wall HD Transfer Day Deadline broadcast along with the rest of you, religiously checked my Twitter feed every two to three minutes during the day, and searched longingly for some "in the know" sources to tip me off to the latest and greatest rumors.  But in the end, I was left with a general emptiness and overall sense of boredom.  In retrospect, I found myself wondering what all the fuss was about.

In the drama-laden world of SSN, Mikel Arteta went to Arsenal on a 'shock' transfer, Raul Meireles pulled a 'stunner' with his move to Chelsea, and the combination of Peter Crouch and Cameron Jerome will go a long way toward creating the 'twin towers' destructive front line at Stoke City.  But do any of these 'dramatic' transfers really matter? Has the title race been changed or altered in any meaningful way?  Methinks not, and it appears to me that every team bar Chelsea has effectively ceded the race to the two teams from Manchester, and Chelsea hasn't done nearly enough -- even including the signing of the wily Spaniard, Juan Mata -- to put any real fear into the heart of their two northern opponents.