A howler? “Japan’s Kawashima is no Robert Green”

PRETORIA, South Africa -- Brilliant things said and written this weekend around World Cup 2010:

This from Bryan Chenault, who was once a U.S. press officer and now is working as a tournament officials. The subject is Landon Donovan’s nuclear-tipped shot that launched Friday’s big comeback: “Landon roofed that shit!”

My friend Peter Welpton had this clever remark concerning referee Koman Coulibaly’s work: “In a Cup marked by great officiating, leave to the US to be on the bad end of a horrid call.”

"Landycakes is dead." So says the headline from Association Football.com, and it's a point that needs to be made(by someone other than me.) The site also has a damn good breakdown of the Slovenian goals and who was at fault. Those are here (for the first) and here (for the second.)

More, uh, brilliance after the break ...

From England’s Independent, on rather dubious Japanese goalkeeping against Wesley Sneijder’s blast for the Dutch: “Calling that a howler is a bit harsh. Sneijder crushed it. The standard for howlers has been set high this tournament … but Kawashima is no Robert Green.”

Speaking of Green, Someone on South African TV had this to say, referring to the England imposter who made his way into the locker room wearing a replica kit: “I’ve heard that maybe Robert Green let him in. I mean, he has let a lot of things in during the World Cup.”

"San Diego needs an MLS team." I said that. Well, I'm sure I'm not the only one. The San Diego market was the highest rated in the United States in viewership for Friday's U.S.-Slovenia match, as the tournament continues to establish TV high-water markets. San Diego is consistently a high finisher in the market analysis.

I’ll have more to say later today after the U.S. press availability at the placid Irene Farm. Some of it might even be brilliant ... but I would bet the retirement on it.