Butterflies

Well, it's been awhile since I updated. Most of my time since my last post has been spent trying to find an apartment in Taipei which is no small task when you figure in the language barrier and the fact that there's a whole ocean separating me from whoever I'm trying to communicate with. At the moment, things are looking good and Lauren and I just might have a place to live right upon arrival, but I'm not getting my hopes up just yet, as plenty of things can happen between now and Thursday.

Played my last two futbol matches this weekend, scoring one goal and assisting a couple others. It's always sad to leave the chavas at the end of the summer, but this year is particularly hard because I'm not just going back to LA for school, I'm leaving the country for almost a full year, and unlike during my college years, I won't be back for Christmas. Of course with e-mail and the internet, the distance doesn't seem quite so far, but it's sad nonetheless, and I'll really miss football on the weekends, whether with the guys at Oxy or the chavas here.

Also watched Liverpool play at Sunderland this weekend in the opening of the EPL season, and I have to say I was not impressed, especially with the first half. A lot of undisciplined long ball play it seemed, and just a general lack of sharpness on the ball. I suppose some of that's just down to it being early in the season, but if Liverpool want to put in a title challenge this season, they have to hit the ground running. I'm also getting concerned about the Torres-Keane partnership (or lack thereof). They actually got in each other's way in front of the net on Saturday, scratching what would have been almost a sure goal for Torres. If that partnership doesn't materialize soon, Liverpool are done for, and I think Rafa will be gone.

The bright spot of the whole match was Xabi Alonso's Man-of-the-Match performance. Rafa brought him on at halftime to replace Plessis, and Alonso just took control of the match, spraying quality balls around the pitch and even trying a shot from inside his own half that had Craig Gordon scrambling. He set up Torres' winning goal, and really showed his quality and his stature as an integral part of the Liverpool line-up. Some people don't think the Gerrard-Alonso partnership can work, but it seemed to work well on Saturday. I hate to think that Alonso may get benched once Mascherano and Lucas come back from the Olympics, and I'm torn between thinking that he might be better off at a place like Juve or Arsenal where he'll get more playing time, and wanting him to stay at Liverpool with the prospect of only being a squad player.