The blog title here promises Tour de France coverage in July, and other than that you don't get much sports commentary. But I want to note what for me was the biggest news in sports recently: The Vancouver Whitecaps whipping Inter Miami 2-0 and 3-1 to move on to the final of the North and Latin America club championship in soccer. Final to be held late in May against one of two Mexican teams not yet determined.
Two things:
1. You heard it here first: the Lionel Messi era is coming to an end. He's 37, and fellow high-priced imports Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, Sergeo Busquets, are all about the same age. They are the core of the team, but they need to score early to have a chance. Against a team with good legs and reflexes, they don't seem able to keep up or show the same finesse any more.
Last night against Vancouver, they did get the first goal, but in the second half Vancouver ran them ragged and made it look easy to score three unanswered goals. The core of the Miami team cannot hold on much longer.
Update: Okay, maybe you didn't hear it here first. The Guardian's soccer writers have also taken note, and I wouldn't argue with them,
2. My passion for spending huge amount of July watching Tour de France seems to risen and fallen with the career of the terrific Canadian rider Ryder Hesjedal, whom I spotted as an near invisible domestique and watched through his rise to a Giro d'Italia win and a fourth place in the Tour itself.
Tadej Pogacar is currently establishing himself as the best grand-tour cyclist in history, but somehow I'm finding it all a bit mechanical these days. You may get a little more soccer coverage when it moves me, and who know about the Tour? We'll see in Jul. (Still love the scenery, I admit.)
And the Maple Leafs? Oh, going all the way, for sure. He said.
