FanHouse DiegoMaradona

For one day, at least, Diego Maradona can silence his critics and get the last laugh.

Lampooned, mocked and second-guessed throughout Argentina's nearly disastrous 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign, Maradona can let out a massive sigh of relief after Wednesday's 1-0 win against Uruguay in Montevideo, Uruguay. Argentina gains the fourth and final automatic CONMEBOL qualifying spot, while Uruguay moves into the playoff against either Costa Rica or Honduras.

In perhaps the year's least surprising world soccer news -- Brazil has qualified for the 2010 World Cup. The five-time World Cup champs punched their ticket thanks to a 3-1 victory at Argentina late Saturday night featuring brace by Luis Fabiano.

Slightly more surprising, Brazil's all-time rival Argentina finds itself dangling ever-so-close to the precipice after that defeat in Rosario. The look coach Diego Maradona's face in the video posted above pretty much says it all for the Albicelestes these days.

Last June a friend and I decided to break our self-imposed ban on attending soccer matches at Giants Stadium. The reason? The U.S. National Team was hosting two-time world champion Argentina in a friendly in the New Jersey swampland.

We weren't alone, as close to 77,000 hot and sweaty bodies packed into the venerable stadium, leaving us peering down from the final row of the upper deck and racing for my car as the skies opened up in the final 10 minutes causing a torrential downpour.

A little more than a year later, there's a scenario however unlikely, which the U.S. and Argentina could face each other with a 2010 World Cup berth on the line.

FanHouse blogger Enrico Campitelli Jr. is on the scene in Beijing for the 2008 Olympics.

Before coming to Beijing for the games, all of the buzz in my group of travelers was about trying to score the hot events. Right near the top of the list was a ticket to see Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and the rest of the 2008 USA basketball team play. The opponent didn't really matter.

I was lucky enough to score a seat in the second row of the upper bowl of Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium to watch as Team USA made Dirk Niwitzki and the German team look like a third world country. The US squad won by forty-nine.

Sure the high flying dunks and attempted alley-oops off the backboard were entertaining but after the US had a twenty-five plus point lead things got a bit boring. Should a fan in attendance simply marvel at the display or hope for a more competitive game? I say both.

FanHouse blogger Enrico Campitelli Jr. is on the scene in Beijing for the 2008 Olympics.

Before coming to Beijing for the games, all of the buzz in my group of travelers was about trying to score the hot events. Right near the top of the list was a ticket to see Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and the rest of the 2008 USA basketball team play. The opponent didn't really matter.

I was lucky enough to score a seat in the second row of the upper bowl of Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium to watch as Team USA made Dirk Niwitzki and the German team look like a third world country. The US squad won by forty-nine.

Sure the high flying dunks and attempted alley-oops off the backboard were entertaining but after the US had a twenty-five plus point lead things got a bit boring. Should a fan in attendance simply marvel at the display or hope for a more competitive game? I say both.

Diego Maradona is in the hospital as we speak, against his will. His hospitalization was, according to his doctor, "a product of an incoherent regimen of excessive eating, drinking and smoking."

News reports about it are dominating Argentine television, and fans are camped outside of the hospital, holding a vigil. I didn't know people would hold a vigil for you if you just eat, drink, and smoke like a champion. I'm gonna go order a couple of pizzas, burn a stogies, and funnel some gin, and let's see who shows up. Pick me up a pack of filterless Camels and a box of Twinkies on the way, will you?

From the AP article, it's hard to tell exactly what's wrong with him. He's got a history of drug use and recently had gastric bypass surgery. The surgery did trim him down, but now he's 8.8 pounds over his normal weight, whatever that is. But the doc says there's nothing wrong with his blood circulation or heart, and since he's there against his will, I'm assuming he wasn't feeling ill.

You can never be too careful when dealing with a national hero, though. We wish Maradona and his fans all the best. No drinking at the vigil, guys.