THE FRONT ROW WITH MARK NELKE: June 29, 2014

I took a stroll through City Park and McEuen Park the other day, just to feel the vibe of Ironman Coeur d'Alene - and to reflect on other sports news affecting people in our area.

And indeed, there was a vibe - the TV lady told me so.

"You can feel the energy," she told her audience during the 5 o'clock news on Friday.

She was right, you could feel the energy - and the cold, and the threat of rain, but like Ironman, mind over matter, right?

I kept walking, watching visitors pose for photos with the bronze moose at Independence Point. Little did they know that a real moose was spotted walking around the area a year or so ago.

AS I walked, I wondered if the U.S. would be able to beat Belgium on Tuesday in the Round of 16 at the World Cup.

And then I realized - it doesn't matter, they are winners anyway, in our country's eyes.

How brilliant of U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann to suggest, a few months ago, that the Americans had no chance to win the World Cup.

Media and fans reacted to that assessment with outrage, and responded by backing the U.S. squad with even more fervor - witness the popularity of all the viewing parties, even for weekday games.

Klinsmann created a scenario where the U.S. couldn't lose - if the American team flamed out in the so-called "Group of Death," well, they were supposed to.

But by advancing to the knockout stage of the tournament, and even having a chance to win their group, they have become heroes, and people are starting to learn the names of players on the team other than Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard.

Yes, the U.S. survived a tough group, though Ghana and Portugal certainly had their issues, which helped. Still, the Americans had to play well enough to advance, regardless of the circumstances, and they did, though, like in several other sports, parity seems to be hitting soccer at the worldwide level.

But in any event, decades into this attempt at a burgeoning soccer craze, it needs to be time for U.S. soccer to be held accountable for its results. Beating Ghana shouldn't be cause for going bonkers in celebration. We should be good enough to at least challenge the world's best by now, and for it not to be a surprise when that happens. Give the players a little more credit than that.

A YEAR ago, McEuen Park was mostly dirt and dreams. Now, it's a popular place for the kiddos, with the water features and the playground area, with a little bit of dirt and a big patch of grass nearby.

But no, the grassy area did not include Jake Plummer, flinging passes to anyone interested in bragging that they caught a football thrown by a former NFL quarterback.

I walked past the dog park, hoping to ask them if they were ready for Ironman, but alas, the dog park was closed. Rrrrrrrrruffffff!

NOT SURE how that segues into a discussion of the Mariners, though they are just more than one month away from the "dog days" of August. And for the first time in a long time, they still figure to be in contention by then. Often, they have been out of the picture by summer. But if the season ended today, the Mariners would be in the playoffs as the American League's second wild card.

Really good pitching, and just enough hitting. Their starting pitchers rarely get roughed up, so the Mariners are usually in every game, whether they are hitting or not.

And that Cano fellow has certainly helped.

The 10-year rental from the Yankees is Seattle's lone .300 hitter - and no one else is even close.

He came to the Mariners with an enormous line of star credit, and by him putting up such lofty numbers so far, it has taken the pressure off the other up-and-comers weaned in the M's farm system. Cano can be the leader. He can accept the spotlight - playing in New York will prepare you for that.

That way, someone like Kyle Seager - who is also having an All-Star type of season - doesn't have to carry the club. If teams pitch around Cano, they have to pitch to Seager, and if they make a mistake, he often deposits it in the right field seats.

And, much like the perception of the U.S. soccer team, if some of the other Mariners not named Cano, come up big over the next three months, a trip to the postseason is a reality.

And if they don't ... well, we've seen that movie too.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at CdAPressSports.