The pitiful lack of clarity that infests English-language soccer terminology was intriguingly exposed in Taylor Twellman's recent interview with Jordan Morris.

So the men's Olympic final comes down to this: Apollo vs. Dionysus. Apollo, god of reason and logic (that's the methodical Germans, you see), and Dionysus, god of emotions and instincts (and that's the free-styling Brazilians).

FIFA's Under-17 World Cup -- for me, the liveliest and the most enjoyable of all the global tournaments -- has, since its first edition in China in 1985, always been played under a heavy cloud of suspicion.

Watching Brazil toy with Denmark was quite like old times. Not so old, of course -- let's say just 30 years ago. Admittedly, this was the Brazilian Olympic team, one of those bizarre combinations of young and old and whoever might be available.

The New Jersey Red Bulls, it seems to me, had every reason to be miffed after their 2-2 tie with the Galaxy. They had seen their 2-0 lead snatched away by a spirited late Galaxy comeback.