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Before the United States takes on Japan in the Women’s World Cup Final this Sunday, Abby Wambach’s head will become a full-blown celebrity.  Hope Solo’s contagious smile will be burned indelibly into the American sports audience’s consciousness.  Homare Sawa will become an even larger celebrity in her home nation of Japan where she is already its most revered female sports figure.

These are the stakes of the suddenly wildly popular Women’s World Cup.  In America, the heart and unrivaled joy displayed by the US women is a welcome reprieve from the sickening labor battles that cloud pro football and basketball.  In Japan, this maiden voyage to the World Cup Finals is a symbol of hope for a nation ravaged by earthquake, tsunami and nuclear fallout.

The plot lines run deep for both teams, and the US sprint to the finals became a potent symbol of American perseverance following Saturday’s epic defeat of Brazil in the quarterfinals.  Now these stalwart women have run on weary legs through a dangerous French team that dominated long stretches of a grueling semifinal match.  That rousing 3-1 win over the rising French has given the 2011 American Women a chance to achieve such soccer immortality as is enjoyed by the legendary 1999 World Cup Champion US team.

Japan also won twin battles against stacked odds when they downed the home-nation Germans in a shocking 1-0 quarterfinals match.  The undersized Japanese turned around and beat a similarly tall, physical Swedish side in Wednesday’s semifinals.  Japan has only graduated from group play twice, and it was the United States that sent them packing last time via a 4-0 quarterfinals defeat in 1995.  In fact, the Japanese have failed to score on the Americans in their only two games against the US at the Women’s World Cup.  A 3-0 Japanese loss to the United States in 1991 group play rounds out historical World Cup matches between the two sides.

To be sure, though, this Japanese team has displayed more toughness on defense and more offensive dynamism than any before it.  Led by the cagey veteran Sawa, Japan is playing its typical brand of technically brilliant soccer but with more confidence and creativity.

That could be trouble for the United States, who have struggled all tournament to control the ball through its midfielders.  Japan’s midfield moves the ball so concisely that their American counterparts will be challenged to keep pace.  While the Japanese have always struggled to make good on their long-lasting precision possessions, they are well known for their ability to play keep-away through quickness and crisp touch-passing.

Meanwhile, the Americans will come to Sunday’s Final with superior defense, goaltending and height.  Perhaps most importantly, the US will come to fore with Abby Wambach on a striking tear and a handful of other American forwards capable of finishing opportunities.  What the United States lacks in mid-field possession dominance is more than made up for with their dearth of scorers and by goalie Hope Solo.

In the end, it will be on Solo to keep a clean sheet long enough for the US to generate a lead.  Whispers before this tournament suggested that Hope may be the best female goaltender in the world, and she has been making a very convincing case for that opinion throughout this World Cup.

With another strong showing between the pipes, Solo’s strength could catapult these American women to legendary status.  Just one more win and the new guard will finally find themselves equals to the exhilarating 1999 US team that first brought women’s soccer to the hearts and minds of America.

Tune in to ESPN at 2pm ET this Sunday, July 17th to cheer on true sports champions representing America on the world stage.

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When Ali Krieger slotted home the quarterfinal-clinching penalty kick for the US side on Sunday it fulfilled the final exquisite detail of one of the most storied games in modern sports history.  Krieger nearly died in 2006 from blood clotting in her lungs that caused a half-dozen small heart attacks, surviving through luck and returning to the soccer pitch through inspiring perseverance.

So it was for the American team at the Women’s World Cup quarterfinal versus the dynamic Brazilians.  The US, brutalized by harsh refereeing, battled through nearly an hour of 10 on 11 soccer before scoring an awe-inspiring tying goal in the 122^nd minute while ESPN color commentator Ian Darke screamed, “Abby Wambach has saved the USA’s life!”

The Americans would go on to win on penalty kicks, but the story of the US women’s win is even deeper than that.

Never mind that the US powered to victory on penalty kicks yesterday just as they did twelve years ago to the day versus China in the 1999 Women’s World Cup.  Comparisons to that US team ring oddly hollow.  The ‘99 American women introduced international soccer to a broad US audience, inspired a generation of young girls, and injected women’s sports with a dose of the sublime.  But they did so on US soil in front of sold-out venues surrounded by a sea of red, white and blue.

The 2011 US women’s team began this quarterfinal match a villain.  Germany’s women, pre-tournament favorites to make and win the finals, were knocked out in their own quarterfinal against Japan.  The predominantly German crowd had fresh anger to work out, and reigned unfriendly whistles down on the Americans early.

But in transcendent Brazilian striker Marta the neutral audience found a new villain.

Through 68 minutes the United States battled even with the dynamic Brazilians, having maintained a 1-0 lead following Brazil’s own-goal less than two minutes into the match.  A hard charge to the goal mouth by Marta drew both a red card on US defender Rachel Buehler and a penalty kick in the box for Brazil.

Enter the story of US goalkeeper Hope Solo, who was kept out of the 2007 World Cup semifinal match against Brazil by since-deposed American coach Greg Ryan.  In that game, the US women suffered their worst defeat in 22 years of international play.  Brazil put four goals past aging American keeper Briana Scurry and shut out the US en route to a finals berth.

This time around Solo started with certainty.  On Brazil’s initial kick following that 68^th minute penalty, Solo confidently punched aside Christiana’s charity try.  Australian referee Jacqui Melksham again inserted herself into the game, negating Hope’s save by saying Solo left the goal line before Christiana’s foot touched ball.  It was an astonishingly bad decision by the referee, and Marta would step in to take and make the re-kick moments later.

That put the US down a player and the game tied at one with roughly 25 minutes of regulation to go.  Led by Solo’s brilliant goalkeeping the Americans would survive the remainder of regulation.  But just two minutes into the 30 minute overtime, Marta scored a brilliant go-ahead goal so cunning and well placed that even Hope Solo could not fly to stop it.  2-1 Brazil.

In a game heavily influenced by overtly biased refereeing against the world’s most dangerous offensive team led by the best female striker who has ever lived, the US fought on.  That fight, coupled with a widely-perceived slight by the referees, turned the German fan base against Brazil and against Marta.  Over 55 minutes of heroic man-down soccer by the US, the German crowd was drawn increasing towards the stubborn Americans.

On display was no even-strength win against an equal opponent.  This game became a US exhibition on the power of perseverance.  The assembled German soccer fans responded by joining American fans in attendance with loud, rousing chants of “U-S-A” in the game’s latter half.  Through sheer will and strength of conviction, the US women brought the crowd along with them as they stormed back.

Even down a player, even with Brazil sitting back in a defensive stance for the final fifteen minutes of overtime, the US pressed their attack.  Brazilian players fell twice with phantom injuries in the closing minutes to rest their weary defenders and kill clock, tagging 3 stoppage-time minutes onto the end of an already 120-minute long contest.

Perhaps poetically, it was in that abnormally long stoppage time that the US finally struck.

A 40+ yard cross off the foot of Megan Rapinoe streaked in from high above the left corner of the goal box and met US striker Abby Wambach near Brazil’s right post.  Wambach put her head flush on the diagonal trajectory and directed it straight into the right side of Brazil’s goal past a leaping defender and outstretched goaltender.  It was nothing short of breathtaking, and Wambach’s furious run to the far corner of the field as she pumped her fists and screamed pure joy is equal to any great moment in US sports history.

Less than a minute later the overtime ended and the game went to penalty kicks.  On the first US try, the Brazilian keeper stepped well forward before the kick launched and stopped a shot by Shannon Boxx.  The referee held to form and awarded a re-kick to the US.  This time Boxx scored true.  Four American women followed, each finding the back of the net.

Hope Solo needed just one stop to solidify the Americans’ amazing comeback victory, and she did it by icing Brazil’s third attempt.  That shot was ironically taken by Daiane, the same Brazilian defender whose extended leg tallied an own-goal more than a 120 match minutes earlier to give the US their 1-0 lead.

A story full of amazing moments and brilliant detail gathered up such depth as to seem fabricated.  Abby Wambach and US coach Pia Sundhage each drew on the image of a magnificently-written story unfolding in real life in separate post-game interviews.  To be sure, this tale of a warm summer day in Dresden belongs in the pantheon of great American sports stories.

Wambach said it best in her first post-game words.  “I think that that was a perfect example of what our country is about.  The history of this team has always been we never give up.”

And with that, the USA moved on to face the French in the Women’s World Cup Semifinals this Wednesday at 11:30 ET.

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When FIFA announced the selection of Qatar over the US for host of the 2022 World Cup, it was natural for Americans to feel snubbed.

After all, Qatar is a dictatorial Islamic nation just 80% the size of Connecticut with a population the size of Phoenix and less soccer tradition than Iceland.  Typical soccer-related fan activities like yelling, drinking and kissing are (in that order) frowned upon, relegated to private locations, and illegal in public.

The summertime temperature averages around 104 degrees Fahrenheit.  Foreign laborers are relegated to slums, and often do not receive payment for their work with no legal recourse in a nation thoroughly dominated by a natural gas & oil-hawking elite.  The Qatar national football team has never qualified for a World Cup, and is currently ranked 113^th in the world by FIFA behind teams from places like the Cape Verde Islands and, yes, Iceland.

So how did a tiny second-world country land the world’s premier international sporting event?  The answer is simple; that second-world country has a first-world budget.

Show Us the Money

Qatar’s lobbying prowess should not be underestimated, but none of it would have been possible without a blank check from Emir Hamad bin Khalifa.

The Emir took control of Qatar from his father in a bloodless palace coup in 1995.  (The year after the US hosted its first World Cup.)  Khalifa immediately began moving his nation towards global prominence via an aggressive modernization strategy in business and commerce that continues to this day.  The lucky discovery of an enormous natural gas deposit (believed to be the world’s largest) in Qatar’s coastal waters fast-tracked the tiny nation’s rise.

Then, in 2005, Qatar paid two of football’s biggest stars (and most dedicated rivals) to appear on the same stage.  Brazilian soccer legend Pele and Argentinean counterpoint Maradona were paid six figures each to assist in opening Qatar’s glitzy new sports academy.  With that decadent gesture, Khalifa made it apparent that he intended to do anything in his considerable power to bring a World Cup to Qatar.

The football czars at FIFA took notice.

Snub Plus

FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) is the ruling class of International soccer.  In Qatar, FIFA officials saw an opportunity to accomplish two goals in tandem.

First, FIFA could bring the World Cup to the Middle East, a part of the world that had never before hosted the event.

That Middle Eastern nations with much deeper football tradition (and much, much more talent) like Turkey, Israel & Saudi Arabia would never succeed in a World Cup bid is immaterial to this FIFA decision, but worth mentioning.

Second, FIFA could stave off the tide of American soccer interest that threatens their control of the sport.

FIFA itself is dominated by European & South American football elitists whose grip on the game slips annually.  The 1994 US World Cup set a record in attendance that stands to this day, featured one of the most exciting and well-orchestrated finals in World Cup history, and is widely regarded as the most successful Cup event ever held.  That memory of unparalleled success combined with a rise through the international ranks by the US national team and an explosion in soccer’s popularity amongst Americans still was not enough to sway the football fascists at FIFA.

While the US has graciously invited the world to compete in its only truly original major sport (basketball), Europe has done everything short of rigging group selection to eliminate Americans from competition.

The freshest and most memorable instance of this anti-US bias was exhibited in this year’s World Cup as the United States was robbed of a great goal by Maurice Edu versus Slovenia.  Other snubs from those same South Africa World Cup games included a litany of no-calls on hard fouls committed against US players that made one thing very clear to American soccer fans; if we want to win the World Cup, we have to beat the refs as well.

Now we can add FIFA to that negative equation.

I’ll Scratch Your Back…

At first glance, it would appear that FIFA is expanding the world game’s appeal by bringing it to Qatar.

The reality is that Qatar is the uber-elite of the Arab world, evidenced by its inclusion in the United Arab Emirates.  The UAE is little more than a collection of wealthy Muslim businessmen who exploit their region’s natural resources for personal and political gains.  While the GDP per capita of Qatar is the highest in the world, the space between wealthy elite and desperately poor contains almost no middle ground.

Qatar solved this problem of appearances by offering to dismantle its World Cup facilities after the event and rebuild them in poor nations that cannot afford such amenities.  FIFA will surely harp on this point early and often as an army of Indian, Bangladeshi & Pakistani immigrant workers labor for slave-wages to build these new facilities.

The bottom line is this – Qatar receiving a World Cup nod is like awarding the Super Bowl to Los Angeles.  It makes no sense because there isn’t even a football team there, but there are enough rich people spending money to make it seem like a really good idea.

US snub aside, the awarding of the World Cup to Qatar is a snub to the rest of the waiting world that has a fraction of the funds to use in swaying FIFA officials.

Worse, FIFA will continue to justify their decision as evidence of the willful expansion of soccer to remote and less fortunate lovers of the sport. But this unfortunate decision is nothing more than FIFA bending to the will of fellow football elites.

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Editor’s Note: This article comes courtesy of our newest contributor, Jonah Hepting. Jonah is a Denver sports fan, who brings a fandom toward the game of soccer that has been sorely missing here at PSC. In fact, he’s such a fan that when I first met him his voice was still hoarse from all the shouting at the previous weekend’s games. We’re glad to have his viewpoint as he discusses what is currently the most successful pro team in the area.

Come one, come all! The Burgundy and Sky Blue Bandwagon is loading up and heading to Toronto!

Yes, there is a professional soccer team in Colorado, a pretty darn good one to boot. With little publicity, the Rapids have provided something the Front Range has been missing of late…a quality product on a grass field.

Many, hell, let’s be honest, perhaps most, don’t know a lick about this up and coming team lead by coach Gary Smith. After many years of mediocrity and not a big signing to be seen (by MLS standards at least), there hasn’t been much for the non-soccer fanatic to be swooned by. Smith, a former player in England for such sides as Fulham (current US star Clint Dempsey’s home), has brought a strong sense of team effort and solid defensive play to the pitch here a Dick’s Sporting Good’s Park. In turn, it has led to an improbable run to the MLS Cup Final and ultimately, a chance to gather new fans.

I could bore you with the strategies of what formations and tactics the Rapids may show against Dallas, but let’s leave those discussions to the good folks on World Soccer Daily (a great site by the way for novices and footy-ohilcs alike). What truly draws us in are the players.

Up front, the Rapids are led by perhaps the most dynamic duo this side of Gotham City, Conor Casey and Omar Cummings. Both starters at one point for their national sides, the United States and Jamaica respectively, they play off each others strengths and weaknesses. Conor Casey is a brute of a striker who intimidates with his size and strength. A Denver native, it’s sure to be a dream come true if he could help bring back the first championship for his home side.

Cummings on the other hand brings a smooth and quick touch to the field that hasn’t been seen in these parts since Paul Bravo, the Rapids all–time leading scorer. Deadly from either foot, he often has the opposing defenses baffled and on their heels. Do not be surprised if offers come flying in from European clubs after his fantastic 3 years here. So with that in mind, enjoy him while he is wearing the colors of the Rapids.

Manning the goal are the steady hands of Matt Pickens. After playing one year for the London club Queens Park Rangers, the Rapids were wise in snatching him up and placing him in front of the net before the ‘09 season. With 7 shutouts during this past season, the Burn, urrr, FC Dallas, will be hard pressed to put one in the back of the net.

The wall in front of Pickens is lead by Drew Moore, Marvel Wynne and coming on strong in their playoff run, Kosuke Kimura. The first Japanese player in MLS history, Kimura came to America without knowing a lick of English. Cliché as it may sound, hard work and determination has brought him from a small college in Illinois to the starting 11 on the Rapids. Quick and rarely out of position, Kimura is a fantastic student of the game and a bright star rising on the Rapids horizon.

Mastroeni – the name that has been synonymous with the Rapids for over seven seasons. His number, 25, sure to be retired by the club, is one away from another Denver star, Champ Bailey. Like Bailey, Mastroeni is the master of his craft despite many wondering if he is in decline. Regardless, he still commands the midfield with intelligent passes and a cool calm that many lack. Nothing more would bring a smile to Rapids fans faces than to see this stalwart player lift the cup in Toronto!

The beautiful game has been played in Denver for some 14 years now but has yet to reach the lofty levels dreamed by the most devote followers. These fans know the game, understand its intricacies and the patience needed to succeed. Perhaps, at long last, they will be rewarded with what is the ultimate silverware attainable at this time by an MLS side. While it may not be as glorious or as famous as the FA Cup or Champions League trophy across the pond, we in Denver love a championship and a good parade! So come on you Rapids, make us proud and win that Cup!

The game can be seen on ESPN this Sunday night at 6:30 pm MST.

Read The Denver Post’s coverage of the Rapids advance to the MLS Cup. Rapids advance to MLS championship after beating San Jose (denverpost.com)

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With the late August hiring of General Manager Masai Ujiri, the Denver Nuggets gained an experienced emissary to the International Basketball community.

Ujiri is a native of Zaria, Nigeria and has long been a bridge between the NBA and the basketball talent pool outside of the United States.  He served as the director for the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders program in Africa, and continues to be active in the development of basketball culture in his home country.

Masai served as the Assistant General Manager of the Toronto Raptors for three years, largely as a result of that team’s desire to expand their international recruiting reach.  Now Denver has placed him in a position to build the Nuggets in his own image.  In his time with Toronto, Ujiri added Andrea Bargnani, Carlos Delfino & Jose Calderon to the Raptors roster.

No doubt, the Nuggets’ bench will take on more of a world flavor in coming seasons.

For now, Issue #1 is keeping star forward Carmelo Anthony in Denver.

Melo has been looking at moving on to the bright lights of a bigger city all summer.

While Anthony has been careful to maintain team obligations at every turn, he is also clearly more than a little interested in exploring the open market at the end of his contract following the 2010-2011 Season.  Denver watched Lebron spurn the winter snow fields of Cleveland for the sandy expanses of South Beach, and the Nuggets will do anything they can to keep Carmelo in town.

Masai Ujiri is undoubtedly the Nuggets’ Ace in that quest, and he is reported to have a positive prior relationship with Anthony.  More than that, though, Masai represents a positive movement by the Nuggets to advance the franchise beyond its present recruiting limitations.  Denver hopes that Carmelo values that club commitment to growth.

At 39 years old, Masai is a relatively fresh face in the dusty lineup of NBA GM’s.

And yet his experience in World Basketball is expansive.

In six years of professional European basketball Ujiri played in Belgium, Germany, England, Greece and Finland.  He started out as an unpaid international scout for the Orlando Magic, an assignment that lasted only a year.  Masai was quickly recruited by the Nuggets to spearhead their international scouting initiatives, working with the team from 2003-2007 before moving on to Toronto.

Now Ujiri is back in Denver to kick-start the Josh Kroenke Era… and potentially the Post-Carmelo Era as well.  If that is the case, at least Masai will be building a team designed to compete in the increasingly internationalized NBA.

Ujiri’s take on the global growth of basketball scouting?

“You cannot miss it. There’s no running away from it. You have to cover everywhere. Basketball globally has gotten better, the skill level has gotten better. What some of the international kids are doing in the NBA is amazing.”

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NFL guidelines prohibit a controlling owner from also owning a majority share of an NBA, NHL or MLB team.

Kroenke’s ownership of the NBA’s Nuggets & NHL’s Avalanche have been preventing Stan from making a move on the remaining 60% of the NFL’s Rams.  The current owners of that 60%, brother-sister combo Chip Rosenbloom & Lucia Rodriguez, agreed last year to get out of the Rams business.  They even found a buyer in Shahid Khan, a businessman from Illinois in good standing with NFL brass.

But Kroenke and his 40% would not back down.

Stan exercised his option to match Khan’s offer in April, and has since been working to secure the support of NFL officials to become a multi-franchise controlling owner.  That hasn’t happened, despite a precedence set in Miami by Wayne Huizenga’s ownership of the Dolphins, Marlins & Panthers since 1994.

So Stan is getting creative.

A carefully-worded statement released by Kroenke Sports Enterprises yesterday indicated that the Kroenke “family looks forward to owning the Rams, Nuggets & Avalanche for years to come while being compliant with all stipulations set by the NFL.”

The Denver Post reported that Kroenke’s son, Josh (also VP of Team Development for the Nuggets), would take majority control of the Nuggets.  And although that report has not been confirmed, the Kroenke’s seem to be trending towards a splitting of sports franchise real estate within the family.

The NBA Board of Governors would need to approve such a transfer, and the NHL would need to approve any ownership movement with the Avalanche.  However, Stan & Company may stand a better chance of diversifying their collective ownership by avoiding a special exemption from the NFL.

The NFL’s competition surely won’t mind causing trouble for the biggest league in American sports.

And while the NFL can still stifle any potential sale of available St Louis Rams ownership to Kroenke, he has certainly raised the stakes by showing his willingness to press the issue further.  The NFL certainly doesn’t want to deal with a very public dispute over control of the Rams, especially if the matter drags on through the meat of football season.

The Battle of Wills: Stan v League is so far being won by Mr. Kroenke.

Note:

Kroenke has also been increasing his share of the English Premier League’s Arsenal Football Club.  Soccer’s entrenchment in English culture is as deep or deeper than American Football in the United States, and Stan’s dealings across the pond have drawn even more heated criticism and a more tense situation there.  Kroenke is now 0.1% away from being able to make a move towards controlling ownership with his current 29.9%.

None can say that Stan lacks gumption, as he takes on the Powers That Be in the Western World’s two biggest, most profitable sports entities.

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The Colorado Rockies looked ready to assert themselves through much of a 3-run 1st Inning in Milwaukee on Wednesday.  But Colorado stranded two runners in that inning, and missed opportunities became a common theme throughout the day.

Aaron Cook looked good enough in his 2010 debut, limiting damage and staying out of trouble until a 1-run 5th bled into a 2-run 6th.  Randy Flores replaced Cook on the mound, and immediately gave up the second run of the inning on his third pitch.  That run proved to be the game-winner.

Unfortunately, Colorado couldn’t catch up after giving up 3-0 and 4-1 leads.  The rest of the Rockies bullpen held strong, especially Manny Corpas whose slider had the nasty bite low in the zone that has become typical of the Colorado setup man.

In the end, small fielding mistakes by the Rockies ballooned when the offense couldn’t come through.  Colorado scored in the 1st & 3rd Innings, but couldn’t manufacture another run despite having a baserunner in every inning except the 9th.  An unfortunate 9th Inning outcome considering the Brewers now trot the ancient Trevor Hoffman out as a sort of zombie closer these days.

The Rockies have a day off before making their Coors Field debut against the San Diego Padres on Friday afternoon.

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Ubaldo Jimenez rocked the radar gun at 99 mph, with an average fast ball speed of about 96 mph, and became the first Rockies starter to win on Opening Day in 6 years on Monday afternoon.

The Rockies faced a tall task in entering Milwaukee to take on the heavy-hitting Brewers, but Jimenez pitched 6 solid innings for the win.  Matt Belisle and Matt Daley put in solid performances in middle relief, the former putting out a fire started by lefty reliever Randy Flores in the 7th.  Daley induced a bases-loaded pop fly on the infield to end the Brewers’ only real threat to a Colorado lead that started at 2-0 in the 1st Inning.

The Rockies led 4-0 before Milwaukee fought back with tallies in the 5th & 7th.  Both teams scored in the 9th Inning to make it a 5-3 final in favor of Colorado.

Shawn Estes was the last Rockies starter to get a win for Colorado on opening day.  Ubaldo Jimenez got into some trouble in the 5th, but calmed down and closed the inning with only a single earned run.  That was the only run Jimenez, the Rockies’ new staff ace, gave up on the day.

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One game is a gimme against one of the league’s worst teams, the other is a matchup against an Eastern Conference powerhouse.  Both are nationally-televised showcases wherein the Nuggets will endeavor to prove that they are the team to beat in the West.

Tonight, Denver will travel to Madison Square Garden where Carmelo Anthony has thrived throughout his career.  We know Melo is no stranger to the big stage.

Anthony won a National Championship with Syracuse in his only NCAA season, led Team USA to a Gold Medal in the 2008 Summer Olympics, and helped drive the Nuggets to the Western Conference Finals against Los Angeles in 2009.  Carmelo will also marry his long-time fiancé La La Vasquez in New York City this summer.

Also at stake is a sort of vacuum in the East’s perception of the Western Conference.

Much has been made in the national media about the Lakers’ fall from grace.  Their shaky play on the road (especially against the West’s better clubs) along with the recent injury of Andrew Bynum have contributed to the widely-held notion that Los Angeles will enter the playoffs at half-speed.

The Dallas Mavericks lost at home to these very Knicks, giving up a 20+ point second half lead.  The Mavs showed their true colors after weeks of speculation that they were the new Team to Beat in the West.  The East can only dedicate so much coverage to the Cavaliers & Magic, and Dallas proved itself unworthy of the national spotlight.

Enter the Nuggets, who have struggled defensively without Kenyon Martin, but continue to compete in every single game from their starting lineup to the depths of their bench.  There are even a couple dozen East Coast sportswriters who have stroked the name ‘Johan Petro’ into a handful of articles.

When Petro is getting press, you know the Nuggets have hit the Big Time.

Tonight’s game against the Knicks of New York will take place in an arena filled with cynics who would just as soon root for a 40-point performance from Carmelo as a win from their beleaguered team.  The Press Box will be packed with writers from the country’s biggest publications from Chicago to NYC.  Fans and writers alike will be taking a careful measurement of these Nuggets with one question in mind: do they have what it takes to win an NBA Championship?

Should the Knicks put up a fight, expect Denver to battle ferociously for the respect that they have worked to gain over the last two years.  (Nobody expects the Knickerbockers to truly challenge the Nuggets, but stranger things have happened.)  This NBA TV feature is expected to be a showcase of offensive talent, and Melo, JR “Swish” & The General will show up with the attitude that the Denver Nuggets are the West’s best.

Tomorrow night in Boston, Denver will face a true test of its Championship mettle.

Boston has struggled in the latter half of the season to find consistency, but they are still the 2008 NBA Championship team that scorched the Lakers in the Finals.  Or rather, the Celtics are still capable of playing at that level, and after being humiliated in Denver last month they should be especially motivated to bring the hammer at home.

ESPN will showcase this matchup ahead of the Lakers’ visit to San Antonio later in the evening, and the Nuggets would do well to forget any fatigue associated with the back-to-back road games.

The NBA is, to a certain point, a popularity contest.  Favorable feelings from a nation-wide audience late in the regular season generate favorable calls from officials in the playoffs.  (No joke, just look at Miami’s 2006 run to the Championship on the wings of about a thousand free throws by Dwyane Wade and a “let him play” attitude towards Shaquille O’Neil.)  Denver has prolific scorers, a sea of tattoos, and all the charisma an NBA Champion needs.

The Nuggets will be featured on either NBA TV, ESPN or TNT in 7 of their remaining 12 games, and that kind of exposure creates a unique opportunity for Denver to get the fans on their side.  A strong showing to finish the season is obviously crucial in a Western Conference playoff field separated by just 5 games from the #2 to the #8.  Just as important is the spotlight afforded a team that has a chance to showcase its unique personality and offensive flair for all of NBA Nation to see.

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Artwork by David Barud

Just over 24 hours after Paul Stastny & Brian Rafalski played as teammates in Vancouver, they will face off as competitors in Denver.  Stastny will lead his Colorado Avalanche against Rafalski’s Detroit Red Wings in a rivalry game tonight.

After watching Brian lead Team USA (4G/4A) over Canada in the Group Round of the Olympic Tournament, it will be a difficult transition back to rooting against the 3-time Cup Champion defenseman.  Rafalski was clearly the best player for the United States throughout the tournament.  The Michigan native has put his name on the Cup twice with the New Jersey Devils (2000 & 2003) and once with Detroit (2008).

For his part, Paul Stastny was one of the unsung heroes for Team USA.  He only nabbed one goal in the tournament, but got crucial assists in both the United States’ Quarterfinals win versus Team Switzerland & their Semifinals brutalizing of Team Finland.  Paul was also a key defensive asset at the forward position for a team that got to the Gold Medal game on the strength of its D.

Now all those American, Canadian & Finnish men will return to their NHL teams as Olympic Medalists.  It will be an interesting transition, especially considering how well-stocked the NHL is with Yankees & Canucks.

The Avalanche will see Peter Budaj return from his stint with the 4^th place Team Slovakia (who lost their Bronze Medal Game because they failed to start the superior Budaj in net.)  Defenseman Ruslan Salei will come back from a fairly successful tournament with Team Belarus.

Each player will have to put the thrilling Olympic ride behind them in order to focus on the 21 games left in the NHL season and the Stanley Cup Playoffs that follow.

The Avalanche will follow their nationally-televised game against Detroit tonight with road contests in Anaheim and Phoenix.  All three are very tough but winnable games, and will play an enormously crucial role in determining the viability of Colorado’s 2010 playoff push.

Mon, Mar 1^st vs Detroit Red Wings (7:00 MST)

PREDICTION:  AVALANCHE 4, RED WINGS 2

Wed, Mar 3^rd @ Anaheim Ducks (8:00 MST)

PREDICTION:  AVALANCHE 1, DUCKS 2

Thu, Mar 4^th @ Phoenix Coyotes (7:00 MST)

PREDICTION:  AVALANCHE 5, COYOTES 3

Sat, Mar 6^th vs St. Louis Blues (7:00 MST)

PREDICTION:  AVALANCHE 3, BLUES 0

WEEK 19 PREDICTION:  3-1

**Bonus Coverage**

Stastny Key in Silver Run

Paul Stastny technically started the tournament as the USA’s top-line Center, but American coach Ron Wilson produced a team with no true top and bottom line assignments.

Instead, Wilson mixed & matched as game play dictated, allowing each line to work their own unique magic in tense situations against the best defenders in the world.  The US also threw out hybrid lines, especially versus Canada, to generate favorable matchups on the ice.

Stastny saw a lot of ice time versus the opposing teams’ top offensive lines.  Despite that fact, Paul still finished at +/- 0 or better in every game except one… the Medal Round loss to Team Canada (-1).

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