It's the guys at Concacaf -- not the Americans -- who have most reason to feel aggrieved at Mexico's 5-0 walloping of the USA in the Gold Cup final.

The so-called World Football Challenge brings with it some intriguing positive factors, along with a couple of decidedly negative aspects.

The latest in the tedious series of non-events that make up David Beckham's contribution to American soccer took place last week in New Jersey's Giants Stadium.

Javier Aguirre, the coach of Mexico, gets no sympathy here. He got himself ejected during the Gold Cup game against Panama for a moment of blatant stupidity, and he's paying the penalty with a three-game suspension.

Reasonably entertaining, moderately interesting and ... well, and nothing. The USA's 2-0 win over Honduras last night gave us nothing new, neither in fresh players nor in a new approach to the game.

I watched two rather different MLS games on Saturday. Both made enjoyable TV viewing: Columbus-D.C. United, for some intelligent soccer and for the ongoing attempt by both teams to play that way; while the Los Angeles-New England game, without offering much in the way of exalted soccer, created excitement from its physical qualities, its pace and commitment and so on.

Here we go again. It's open Cup time. Ho hum, ho hum, ho hummm. No, you guessed it, the mention of the Open Cup has not set my nerves vibrating uncontrollably, nor raised my adrenaline to burn-out levels.