three things
So this is a big weekend.

Firstly, the Revs will play for the MLS cup on Sunday. 3:30pm, ABC. While there’s always the chance of another dyslexic word fight, this game should actually be pretty entertaining. The Revs are almost universally favored over the Galaxy, but it’s hard to say what will happen with Donovan on the other side of the field. He’s probably the only player in MLS who can single handedly take over a game for his team in a Larry Bird sort of way. The best case scenario would see the Revs midfield choke off service to the flashy front man so he has limited time on the ball. If you see Landy cakes coming back past midfield just to receive the ball, then things are looking good for the Revs. If he is getting the ball anywhere near the Revs’ goal with some room to run, then all bets are off.

Secondly, the US plays Scotland at Hampden Park in Glasgow. The game is just a friendly but should be entertaining nonetheless. Scotland failed to qualify for Germany 2006, but had a strong run of form at the end of qualifying following a coaching change. Meanwhile, this is one of the few remaining matches where the fringe players for the US can make a case for their inclusion in the WC squad. At some point early next year, The Bruce will have to stop looking around and finalize his choices for who’s made the team and who hasn’t. This game is on Saturday morning, 11am on Fox Soccer Channel.

And thirdly, my 30th birthday is on Saturday. We are taking Friday off and Reen has arranged a weekend in NH at a B&B. We will go horseback riding on Saturday, which we hope will be a bit better than our experience on the flea-bitten mountain ponies we rode in Mongolia. There are also plans for some hiking and good eating. It’s going to be a might chilly up there, but it should be a really nice time. I find myself remembering our few days in Santa Barbara a few years back. If it's half as nice as our time there we should be in fine shape.